Apple sends out invites to 27 October event likely for new MacBook Pro
It’s official: Apple is holding another event this autumn.
Nearly two months after unveiling the latest iPhone models, the Cupertino, CA-based company has invited the media to an event on 27 October. The tagline on the invite, “hello again,” is an obvious nod to the Mac, as Apple originally introduced the product with the word “hello” in 1984. Several reports have also previously claimed that Apple plans to introduce a new MacBook Pro soon.
The laptop line hasn’t been given a significant upgrade since 2012. In recent years, it’s only added a Retina display, Force Touch trackpad, and some improved specs. An entire overhaul has been rumoured for some time. The new MacBook Pro is rumoured to be slimmer with a flatter keyboard featuring an OLED strip. This strip, which replaces the standard function keys, will reportedly be dubbed the “Dynamic Function Row”.
You can read more about this upcoming MacBook Pro update in Pocket-lint’s rumour round-up here. Keep in mind Bloomberg claimed in August that Apple is also readying a iMac desktop, new MacBook Air, and new standalone 5K display. Also, the last event Apple held in October was in 2014, when the company revealed the iPad Air 2, the latest iMac, and shared details on the OS X Yosemite.
Apple will live-stream its event at 10 am PST on 27 October. Stay tuned to Pocket-lint’s Apple hub for the latest news.
LeEco jumps into the US market with TVs, phones, car and bike
After proclaiming earlier its plans earlier this week, LeEco unveiled a suite of new phones and televisions for the US market. The China-based company wants to make a big splash in the United States and today’s event is apparently just the beginning. The company’s North American chief revenue officer also introduced the UP2U user-first philosophy.
“Instead of making products and services for you, we make products and services with you,” said LeEco North American president Richard Ren.
At San Francisco’s Innovation Hanger, Rob Chandhok, chief R&D officer showed off the new $400 LePro S3 Android phone. A rewards program will bring the price of the phone down to $300. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It has a 5.5-inch screen, dual speakers with Dolby Atmos support, 16MP camera and will be available in grey or gold brushed metal.
Chandhok also introduced the Le S3 phone with a Snapdragon 652 and 32GB of storage. It’ll be available in grey, rose gold, gold and black.
To make sure it keeps more screens on is ecosystem, LeEco also introduced four new TVs under the LeEco brand instead of more established Vizio brand it acquired in July for $2 billion. The flagship $5,000 (but the company is offering a LeRewards for $1,000 off) uMAx 85 has a seven-foot (85-inche) screen that supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10. It has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a Harmon Kardon audio system. The company also introduced a line of “Super 4” TVs with 4K and Harmon Kardon audio, the X43 Pro, a X55, X65. It also briefly dropped information about its VR headset and Android-powered sports bicycle with a few guys riding them onstage.
The company continued to hammer home that all of these products are meant to work together to offer up content on any of its devices. TVs aren’t much of a surprise. In a blog post on October 17th , CEO YT Jia said, “effectively, we are making it possible to seamlessly deliver content to any screen at any time. This is the future of a truly connected lifestyle.” On stage Jeff Briller, North American content general manager announced launch partners for the companies upcoming EUI ecosystem for video. The list includes Lionsgate, MGM, Showtime, A&E and a host of others.
The TVs and phones come with additional LeEco benefits including 5TB of cloud storage for free and unlimited Photo and video storage.
The service and hardware will launch during a sale on LeMall on November 2nd at 10am PT.The company calls the online retail destination the center of the its ecosystem. “LeMall will provide a superior shopping experience,” according to Bianca Yang, GM of LeMall North America. Yang noted the LeRewards discounts are the way the company thanks its customers.
LeEco shows off its LeSee Pro autonomous vehicle in San Francisco
While most of the news coming from LeEco’s event in San Francisco was about new TVs and phones, the company’s CEO, YT Jia made a point to show off his company’s desire to become not just a consumer electronics brand but also an automaker. Unfortunately, the car couldn’t make it onto the stage. The LeSee was in an accident on its way from LA and the LeSee Pro was delayed on its way back from London where it was being used by Michael Bay (Yeah, that Michael Bay) as part of the new Transformers movie.
The car has no set price and no one knows when it will launch. But Jia noted onstage though that he has a very personal reason for building the car. He wants to clear up the smog problem in China and has a “strong desire to bring back our blue skies.” The car eventually made it to the event location but not in time to make it onstage.
To help ease the pain of not seeing the car under a bunch of flashing lights, Jia dropped some news about its partner Faraday Futures. the automaker would be introducing it’s first production car at next year’s CES.
Meanwhile, the company kept pushing its ecosystem offerings that’ll land in the car in addition to the company’s phones, VR headset and TVs. “LeSee is not only a car, LeSee is an ecosystem for mobile connectivity,” said Lei Ding, co-founder and global vice chairman of the LeEco SEE Plan.
But more important than being able to watch Vice in your car, the LeSee Pro also has some unique features like an external display that changes to inform pedestrians and other drivers if the car is in autonomous mode, being driven or is car-share ready.
It also has a magnetic charging system that doesn’t use the traditional level 2 port most other EV’s have. Instead owners can attach the cable to the area forward of the drvier or passenger side door.
Plus when the car is placed in autonomous mode, the steering wheel folds up and retreats into the dashboard.
With the automotive market becoming more crowded every day and established tech companies like Apple struggling to break into the market it’ll be interesting to see how LeEco fares even with partners Aston Martin and Faraday Futures.
Developing.
The ESA’s ExoMars mission looks like a success so far
After a seven-month trip, the European Space Agency announced on Wednesday that its Schiaparelli module, ExoMars mission’s landing craft, has deployed to the surface of Mars. The module jettisoned itself from its partner craft, the Trace Gas Orbiter, at approximately 10am ET and set down to the planet shortly thereafter. ESA Operations has not, however, yet confirmed that the lander survived its drop to the surface.
ACQUISITION OF ORBITER SIGNAL! #ESOC hears @ESA_TGO’s signal loud & clear after it emerges from behind #Mars #ExoMars pic.twitter.com/w85fAFwOvD
— ESA Operations (@esaoperations) October 19, 2016
Upon landing, the module immediately began transmitting data on Mar’s electrical fields, which influence the planet’s dust storms and weather patterns. That data was first uploaded to the TraceGas Orbiter and then bounced back to Earth, which takes about ten minutes, where it was received by the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). As the data began arriving at ESA Operations, it had to be interpreted and analyzed, another 30-plus minute process. Unfortunately, the initial analysis could not conclusively say whether the lander was intact. Further analysis will require another couple of hours. The ESA expects to post its next update by 4am EST tomorrow.
The ESA did confirm that the lander had achieved its goal. The TGO began transmitting its own data at 12:35pm ET and, by 2:40pm ET, the ESA confirmed that the TGO had successfully inserted itself into a stable orbit around the planet.
Should it have survived, the landing module won’t last very long given its small power reserves, however the orbiter will remain at least partially operational until at least 2022 and continue to seek trace evidence of life on the planet. The insights gained from this mission are expected to help govern the ESA’s next trip to Mars, a drilling expedition with Russia’s space agency scheduled for 2020.
Via: ESA Operations (Twitter)
Source: ESA
eBay teams up with Facebook Messenger to launch shopping bot
Bots are one of the big buzzwords of 2016; Google, Microsoft and Facebook have all made them major parts of their strategy this year. Yes, they might not all be panning out quite as planned, but that doesn’t mean bots are out of style yet. Take eBay: the company just launched a shopping bot for Facebook Messenger in beta appropriately called Shopbot.
Once you set it up (go to Facebook Messenger and search for eBay Shopbot), you just tell the bot what you want to buy and it’ll start serving up suggestions and asking you additional questions to refine your search. I searched for the Apple Watch and it showed me appropriate suggestions and also prompted me with different options for band color, case material, size and so forth to make the suggestions more accurate.
You can even upload photos and the bot will analyze and search for the items contained within, but just don’t expect to get exact matches every time. A picture of my iPhone 6S brought up a whole range of iPhones from the 4 through the latest model, and an image of the Pixel C tablet brought up a host of no-name convertible devices that I wouldn’t want to drop any cash on.
Photos might be hit or miss, but overall the bot’s search functionality seems to be pretty good. Where the experience seems to fail is in its clunky buying process. When you tap through to an item, it brings up a minimal detail page in Messenger’s in-app browser; clicking the prominent “buy” button asks you to login with your eBay credentials. That all makes sense, but I had the eBay app installed on both phones I tried this one — sending me to the app where I was already logged in would have made for a better experience for sure.
Regardless, the eBay Shopbot does meet the company’s mission of putting the service out in front of users on a different platform. “We’re going to where our users are, versus letting it all play out on eBay.com and our mobile app,” EBay chief product officer R.J. Pittman told Bloomberg. The eBay Shopbot is available now in beta and works on iOS and Android versions of Facebook Messenger as well as on the web.
Source: eBay
Sling TV adds NHL Network to its add-on Sports Extra package
Not long after Sling TV cut a deal with parent network Dish back in August to offer NFL Network to its customers, they’re expanding sports offerings again. Just a few games into the season, they’ve added the NHL Network to their “Sports Extra” add-on package, the first time the service has been available for an over-the-top product.
NHL Network will offer over 75 matchups to Sling TV viewers along with its live weekday studio shows. This should fill some of the gaps in the hockey listings already available on channels included in the Orange, Blue and Sports Extra add-ons; The full weekly games schedule across all of the service’s options is listed here. Sadly, matches viewed through NHL Network will still be subject to local blackouts based on users’ locations.
It’s not the only content Sling TV is adding today: The Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries are both now included in the “Lifestyle Plus Extra” add-on. While Sports Extra costs $5 per month extra for customers with the Sling Orange option and $10 for Blue, Lifestyle Plus Extra can be added for $5 to either.
Source: BusinessWire
Apple will finally update its Mac lineup on October 27th
It’s been a very, very long time since Apple has updated its Mac lineup — the new Macbook is the only computer that Apple has seen fit to upgrade in 2016. That should all change next week, though: We just received an invite to an event in Cupertino on Thursday, October 27th. With the yearly iPhone refresh in the rearview mirror and macOS Sierra out in the wild, it’s time — well past time, in fact — for some new Mac computers. The event’s tagline — “Hello again” — is a pretty clear nod to the Mac, which debuted with a big old “hello” on its screen way back in 1984.
Headlining the event should be a totally redesigned MacBook Pro, which has existed in its current form for a good four years now. Rumors point to a touch-capable OLED strip on the keyboard above the number row that can adapt to whatever app you’re using. Touch ID might be making its way to the Mac for the first time, as well. Of course, the computers will likely be thinner and lighter and will probably see many of the innovations Apple first rolled out in the MacBook in 2015. The butterfly keyboard mechanism, tiered battery design and reliance on USB-C all seem likely to come on board at this point. We’re hoping the MacBook Pro will be available in a variety of colors for the first time, too.
Beyond that, spec bumps for the iMac and MacBook Air seem like good bets, as does the inclusion of USB-C on those models as well. Looking beyond the Mac line, it’s also possible the iPad will get some love. The iPad Air 2, while still a very capable tablet, is now two years old. And the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is just about a year old and lags behind the smaller iPad Pro in a few key ways. It wouldn’t surprise us to see both of those devices get some updates.
Whatever Apple has to show off, we’ll be there live to bring you all the news as it happens when the event starts at 10AM PT.
Source: Apple
Facebook chief explains why Peter Thiel is still on the board
Ever since Peter Thiel drove Gawker Media to bankruptcy in a bid to silence unfavorable press, many have been wondering: why is Facebook keeping Thiel on its board of directors when he’s antithetical to the company’s emphasis on free speech, and is an ardent Trump supporter? Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has finally broken the silence… but it’s not going to make everyone happy. In a leaked post (Facebook has since confirmed that it’s authentic), Zuckerberg claims that it’s all about upholding diversity. You can’t just stick up for people you already agree with, he argues — you have to also protect the rights of people with “different viewpoints.”
Zuck adds that it’s possible for people like Thiel to support Trump without embracing racism, sexism or other labels attached to the Republican candidate. It would be wrong to give Thiel the boot if he was really just concerned about smaller government, lower taxes or other typical right-wing views, according to the executive.
The argument is nothing new. Social critic Noam Chomsky has long contended that free speech means protecting the right to hold unpopular views, for example. Thiel’s stance complicates things, however, and his support for Trump isn’t the only reason people have distanced themselves from his venture capitalism. After all, he took down Gawker precisely to restrict freedom of expression, to suppress a view he didn’t like. Why is his free speech allowed to override someone else’s? Zuck clearly has to walk a fine line in such a politically sensitive climate, but it’s hard to ignore the contradiction of claiming to defend free speech while embracing someone bent on destroying it.
Via: CNN Money
Source: Hacker News
Samsung blocks video of ‘GTA V’ Galaxy Note 7 bomb mod
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 has been the butt of its fair share of internet jokes since it started exploding in September, but it’s hard to surpass what one Grand Theft Auto V modder did when he turned the phone into an in-game grenade. Apparently, Samsung doesn’t think it’s very funny, though — the company appears to have filed a totally bogus copyright infringement claim on the YouTube video showing this mod.
If you try to watch the video now, you’ll see that Samsung has blocked it by using YouTube’s tools for reporting infringing material. Of course, this isn’t how those tools were meant to be used — they’re for reporting instances in which video or audio is posted in violation of copyright. Using the Note 7’s likeness in a video made from a video game mod doesn’t really seem like what YouTube’s tools are meant to be used for.
Fortunately, that was far from the only YouTube video that shows off the Galaxy Note 7 being used as an incendiary device. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, it’s probably not worth the effort for Samsung to chase down these videos — the company has a lot more serious things to be worrying about right now.
Via: The Verge
Source: YouTube
Apple Listed as 2017 Exhibitor at Mobile World Congress
Apple Inc. has been listed as a 2017 exhibitor at Mobile World Congress, which is an oddity given the company’s trade show presence has been virtually nonexistent since the company’s final appearance at Macworld in 2009.
If the listing is accurate, it would mark Apple’s first time attending Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest exhibition and conference for the mobile industry. MWC 2017 runs between February 27, 2017 and March 2, 2017.
Babel PR pointed us towards Apple’s exhibitor listing, which shows the company has booked space in the App Planet in Hall 8.1, as well as two spaces in the upper level that runs above Hall 2 in the Fira Gran Via Conference Centre.
App Planet is described as “a unique area focusing on the latest technology from the fast-moving apps industry,” so Apple’s presence could be related to promoting the App Store ecosystem or Planet of the Apps.
Apple’s other upper level spaces appear to be meeting rooms, suggesting the company’s presence may not be public facing. This would be unsurprising, given Apple has shifted new product announcements to its own media events.
Apple steadily stopped attending trade shows in the late 2000s, including the NAB Show, Macworld, and Apple Expo in Paris, and it has regularly passed on attending CES, the largest consumer electronics show, in Las Vegas.
In announcing its departure from Macworld, Apple said trade shows have become a very minor part of how it reaches its customers. For that reason, Apple’s public presence at Mobile World Congress is questionable, although still plausible.
Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.
Should we receive confirmation about Apple’s presence at Mobile World Congress, we will update this article accordingly.
Tag: Mobile World Congress
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