Twitter could rescue Vine through a sale
When Twitter decided to kill Vine, there was a common reaction: why didn’t the company just sell its looping video service instead of reducing it to a memorial? Well, cooler heads might prevail after all. Sources speaking to our TechCrunch colleagues claim that Twitter is looking at “multiple” bids for Vine that flooded in the moment it put the service on the chopping block. There are no definite suitors, but messaging giant Line is rumored to be in the running.
Twitter won’t erase its financial concerns if there is a sale, though. Reportedly, some of the offers were modest — we’re talking under $10 million. Given that Twitter is believed to have bought Vine for $30 million, it’d still be taking a loss on its investment in the short term. It beats not selling at all, however, and the company might be entirely happy if there’s a Vine revival that preserves Twitter integration. After all, that would mean more users and ad revenue.
To no one’s surprise, Twitter isn’t commenting. And it’s important to remember that there’s no guarantee any sale will happen, assuming the leak is accurate. Twitter might not get the terms it wants for a deal, or a would-be buyer might develop cold feet. Still, this gives hope to fans who invested significant chunks of their life (6 seconds at a time) into Vine and want to see it healthy again.
Source: TechCrunch
Nintendo will sell the New 3DS for $100 on Black Friday
You no longer have to pick a 2DS if you want a Nintendo handheld for $100 or less. The company is releasing special black and white Mushroom Kingdom editions of the New 3DS for $100 starting on Black Friday, November 25th. You won’t get any games out of the box, alas, but you might be willing to forgive that when you’ll have extra money to spend. Assuming you’re interested in the first place, there’s just one main dilemma: do you go for the low price, portability and large game library of the New 3DS right now, or save up for the larger, pricier but more powerful Switch when it arrives next year?
[Thanks, Kristy]
Source: BusinessWire
Expect more vote suppressing misinformation on Election Day
While the internet is filled with sources providing accurate and unbiased information aimed at getting informed voters to the polls on Tuesday, some corners of it are taking an alternate approach. A Buzzfeed report cites 4chan posters cooking up various memes and campaign-lookalike graphics intended to confuse and mislead potential Hillary Clinton voters. We’ve seen a preview of this with Twitter ads that promoted a “vote by text message” hoax and it appears there could be similar efforts in store for tomorrow.
Of course, this band of message board trolls and their illegal activity is just one drop in the bucket of Macedonian teenagers, polling place intimidators and usual last-minute political advertising. If any of these images (or others like them) actually do get pushed in ad campaigns via social media, those of us who have been on the internet for more than five minutes will probably easily recognize them. Still, you’ll probably want to implement the usual April Fool’s Day protocols and verify the source of any information before believing it.
Source: Buzzfeed
‘Fallout 4’ mods are finally live on PlayStation 4
Almost a year after Fallout 4 hit store shelves (and following some consternation from Sony), mod support is finally available for the game’s PlayStation 4 version. Now remember, this doesn’t mean you replace the towering Deathclaw enemies with “Macho Man” Randy Savage as unlike the Xbox One version, the one on PS4 only plays nicely with mods created from pre-existing game assets. A post on Bethesda.net reminds as much, saying that these mods are plugins only, and that no archives are permitted. Is that going to limit your creativity? Pop down in the comments and let us know.
Via: Pete Hines (Twitter)
Source: Bethesda.net
Apple Acquired Talent and Technology From Cloud-Based Music Provider Omnifone in August
Apple recently acquired technology from cloud-based music platform Omnifone and has hired more than a dozen former Omnifone employees, reports TechCrunch. Apple’s interest in Omnifone was first shared by MacRumors back in July, but could not be confirmed at the time.
At least 16 Omnifone employees now work for Apple according to various LinkedIn profiles, and a source that spoke to TechCrunch says Apple bought “select technology” from Omnifone. The purchase is not considered a full acquisition, however, and according to our original source, it did not involve Omnifone’s patent portfolio.
There was actually speculation that Apple “bought out” or “likely acquired” key assets from Omnifone in July of this year, after a report from Omnifone’s bankruptcy administrators noted that it had found a buyer for parts of the company for $10 million. The rumor at the time was that buyer was Apple. Those acquisition reports, however, were discredited fairly swiftly.
But fast forward just one month later, and it looks like at least parts of it was true.
Omnifone operated a cloud platform powering its own MusicStation service and serving as the backbone for several music services launched through partnerships with mobile carriers like LG, Samsung, Vodafone, BlackBerry, Sony, and more.
Omnifone, for example, powered Samsung’s now-defunct Milk music service in certain locations and it was licensed by PonoMusic to power the PonoMusic Store.
Many of the former Omnifone employees are now working as software engineers at Apple, presumably focusing on areas like iTunes and Apple Music. It isn’t clear what technology Apple purchased from Omnifone, but TechCrunch’s source believes some of what was purchased has already been incorporated into Apple Music and iTunes.
Tags: Apple acquisition, Omnifone
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he Trail May Be The Mobile Game Of The Year
As we speed through November, it’s getting to that point in 2016 when we’ll start to see lists and recaps of what the year had to offer. Time Magazine already made some headlines by capping off October with a look back at the 50 best apps of the year—and we can rest assured that was just the first of many such articles to come.
Where gaming is concerned, Time pointed to some of the obvious highlights of the year. Pokémon Go, for instance, figures to top a lot of conversations about the year’s best mobile games, and may be so far out in front that few other games even merit discussion. But out of nowhere last week, Kongregate released a brand new app called The Trail – A Frontier Journey, and it may have an argument as the best mobile gaming experience of 2016. Let’s get into why that is.
Captivating Graphics
We’ll start with the visual quality of this game, because it’s what jumps out at you before you even download it. The game has a very unique artistic stylen and it’s fair to say that it will join the likes of Monument Valley and The Sailor’s Dream as a thoroughly beautiful mobile game. Featuring bright colors, angular drawings, and a depth that almost resembles the the PS4 game No Man’s Sky, the game blends simplicity with detail to stunning effect.
We Yearn For Simple Exploration Games
The concept of this game is that you control a pioneer moving across unknown lands in search of the town of Eden Falls. On the way you’ll make discoveries, trade with other explorers, and look to settle your own new frontier town. If that makes you think of a certain popular PC game, you’re almost certainly not alone. In many ways, this is a modern Oregon Trail that is perfectly designed for the mobile gaming community. And as old as Oregon Trail is, that’s something we’ve been missing. Many have long wondered why such a game doesn’t exist on mobile.
There have been very few examples in this kind of exploration genre. Arguably, the most recognizable exploration-themed game might be Gonzo’s Quest, an animated slot/adventure game that can be found online. Lottoland describes it as a chance to team up with a legendary slot scoundrel in search of riches and the golden city of El Dorado, and there’s definitely a spirit of exploration present. But in the end it’s more about slot reels than strategy. Elsewhere, games like 80 Days and a few Oregon Trail knock-offs have brought deeper exploration themes to mobile gaming, but never in a way that seems to have a lasting impact. The Trail – A Frontier Journey helps to fill the void.
Ease Of Play
A lot of games that do involve strategy, whether in an exploration context or something else entirely, are simply too complicated. They often start off fun and engaging, but as your options increase the menus become dizzying, the gameplay becomes confusing, and the overall experience becomes something of a hassle. It’s an all too familiar pattern.
But this game is different. Pocket Gamer nailed it when, in a review of The Trail, it called the game “relaxing.” This is not always a word we think of with regard to elaborate strategy experiences, but it’s perfectly applicable to this example. From easily swiping along to move your character down the trail, to gathering supplies, and putting them to use, everything works smoothly.
Most is a downright fun app to try out. Whether or not it can garner any sort of game of the year attention remains to be seen, but it definitely belongs in the conversation.
2016 Tesla Model S 60 review – Roadshow
The Good Instant torque off the line is always a good thing. Autopilot is one of the best driver assist programs on the market today.
The Bad City dwellers without access to a garage or charger will find themselves planning their lives around the needs of the car. Do you really want to live that way?
The Bottom Line If you have the personal infrastructure to support charging the Model S at home, the 60 kWh battery is a good option for those who want electric power and cutting-edge features at Tesla’s lowest price.
Suffering from a migraine, I could either drive the 2016 Tesla Model S 60 home from the office for my medicine, and risk not being able to make it to the next Supercharger station, or head straight over to the Supercharger station in San Mateo, charging the car’s battery but potentially facing a pain-related vomiting session.
And thus went my week in Tesla’s current most-affordable electric vehicle. I was constantly weighing the car’s need for electricity against my own personal needs and wants.
When it comes to specs, the only thing to care about in an electric car is kWh, or kilowatt hours. The Model S 60 has a, you guessed it, 60 kWh battery. That’s enough to power it from nothing to 60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds and to a top speed of 130 miles per hour. Of course, should you choose to hammer down that right pedal, expect the 210-mile driving range of the Model S 60 to drop. Precipitously.
Emme Hall/Roadshow
If you want a bit more electric oomph, the Model S 60 can be upgraded at any time to 75 kWh for 259 miles of range, and there is an all-wheel drive version available with 218 electric driving miles. As it stands, the rear-wheel drive 60 kWh trim line starts at $66,000, making it the most affordable Tesla currently available.
Aside from the badge there isn’t much to distinguish this base Tesla from the uber-pricey upper trims, but this year a few changes have taken shape across the model lineup. Where once a kind of stand-in grille looked out from the front fascia, it is now completely closed up. The LED headlights have been tweaked a bit from 2015, but by and large the rest of the car remains the same.
When the good is the bad
The big drawback to driving a Model S is that they are legitimately fun to drive. I know that sounds weird but stay with me. My rear-wheel-drive test car was a blast behind the wheel. Power was immediate and I shot off the line every chance I got. While in the twisties, the electrically driven Model S was always ready to power out of a turn with just the slightest touch of my foot on the right pedal.
The chassis tuning makes the Model S more of a cruiser than a corner carver, and tipping the scales at well over 4,000 pounds doesn’t do the car any favors. Still, the batteries are under the floor of the Model S, giving it a low center of gravity to help with the fun factor.
But that fun comes at a price. The more aggressively the car is driven, the more quickly the batteries drain. Unfortunately, the Roadshow garage has only a 120-volt outlet, requiring that I park the car for up to 12 hours to get a full charge. A 240-volt charger can replenish the Tesla in about 4 hours, and using one of Tesla’s adapters at a Level 3 DC fast charging station can get you there even faster.
By far the most convenient way to fill up is at a Tesla Supercharger station. It’s free and will give you 205 miles of range in about 45 minutes. Tesla means for these to be used as long-distance charge points only. As such, there are over 600 Superchargers on major highways throughout the country. Tesla has also partnered with various destinations like restaurants, hotels and resorts. But be warned: the stations at these places aren’t necessarily Superchargers and many of them require you to be a patron.
As for the Bay Area, there are four Supercharger stations, but none in downtown San Francisco. There are no destination chargers where I live in the East Bay, and there isn’t an extension cord long enough to go from my apartment to the street, which left me in a bit of a pickle as I tried to decide between my head exploding from a migraine and the Tesla’s need for electricity.
Samsung Galaxy owners can print from their phone with ease
If you own a Galaxy smartphone or tablet, Samsung is about to make it easier for you to print pictures, documents and other files from it. Today, the company announced that its Print Service app for Android now supports the Mopria Print Library, letting you pair your mobile device to over 88 million printers without any extra drivers, apps or similar software. This means you don’t have to worry about what brand your host printer is, saving you the headache of having to search for specific tools from different manufacturers.
Naturally, Print Service will give you the option to select print features like color mode, number of copies, orientation paper size, page range and more. Samsung says the update is rolling out now and works with Galaxy S4, S5, S6 and S7. Meanwhile, those of you with another Android device (running version 4.4 or later) can download the Print Service plugin directly from Google Play.
Source: Samsung
Twitter May Sell Vine Instead of Shutting It Down
Twitter last week announced plans to shut down Vine, but it looks like the video sharing service could potentially live on as Twitter is currently entertaining multiple purchase offers.
According to TechCrunch, Twitter is vetting term sheets from several companies who are offering to buy Vine and “hopes to make a deal soon.” Its not known which companies have made offers for Vine, but one rumor suggests Japanese company Line is in the running.
One source says that at least some of the offers are for under $10 million, indicating Twitter might not generate significant revenue directly from selling Vine.
However, Vine could still benefit Twitter even if it’s owned by someone who would help it thrive and retain the strong integration between the two apps. Vine content plays instantly in the Twitter stream, bolstering its current parent company’s quest to serve more video that could attract user engagement.
First introduced in 2013, Vine lets users capture six-second-long looping video clips that can be shared on social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Vine has had some stiff competition in recent years from companies like Snapchat and Instagram, leading to Twitter’s decision to shut it down.
Should Vine not be sold, Twitter plans to shut it down “in the coming months.” The Vine website will remain intact so Vines will continue to be available to watch and download, though no new content will be able to be created.
Vine’s demise comes in the midst of significant layoffs at Twitter. In October, Twitter let go of nine percent of its staff, or 350 people, in an effort to cut costs and restructure its priorities.
Tags: Twitter, Vine
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5 things to know about GoPro Plus, the free-to-try backup service – CNET
GoPro’s Hero5 likes water, swearing and flying on the Karma drone
The new GoPro Hero5 is waterproof and features voice control, GPS and a touchscreen. GoPro’s long-awaited Karma drone is foldable and compact, but the best thing about it may have nothing to do with flying. CNET’s Lexy Savvides and Josh Goldman go hands on with the new gear.
by Lexy Savvides
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One of the loudest complaints about using a GoPro for the average person is the inability to easily back up and edit photos and videos captured with the tiny camera.
Along with its new lineup of cameras and the Karma drone, GoPro also recently announced GoPro Plus. Every GoPro users is eligible to receive up to 60 days of free GoPro Plus service to test and try it out. Let’s take a look at the finer details of the service, starting with cost.
1. The monthly subscription gives you more than just storage
The length of free trial depends on how you signed up for the service. Those who sign up on the GoPro site, or through the Android version of the app will get 60 days free. GoPro states iOS users who sign up through the App Store are limited to 30 days of free service due to “Apple’s restrictions.” In other words, sign up online if you’re an iOS user.
After your free trial expires, GoPro Plus costs $4.99 a month. In exchange for your hard-earned money, GoPro Plus gets you 35 hours of video, 62,500 photos or “a combination of the two.” According to this support page, those limits translate into 250GB of storage.
In addition to the backup service, Plus subscribers also get the following benefits:
- Access to a large soundtrack library that makes editing easy
- 20 percent off on mounts and accessories
- Access to exclusive apparel
- Premium support
In order to take advantage of the 20 percent discount, you will need to order through GoPro’s online store.
2. You don’t need Plus to edit using GoPro’s Quik app
I purposely left out one of the benefits of Plus GoPro lists on its website, because a Plus account isn’t required to use it. The Quik mobile or desktop apps, which auto-edits photos and videos, is free — even for people without a GoPro camera.
Before starting my free trial, I set up the Quik app and added my Facebook account and granted it access to my iOS camera roll. Within a few days, it was suggesting videos it had created without any work on my part.
3. There are apps for all devices
Using GoPro Plus with the Quik app does allow you to view your backed up video and photos on any device. I’ve tested it on Android, iOS, Mac, and in a browser and had zero issues viewing the content backed up from a test GoPro Hero5 Black camera.
You can download the proper app for your device by following the links below:
- Android
- iOS
- Mac/Windows
4. Auto-uploading, maybe
You have a few different options when it comes to uploading videos and photos to your GoPro Plus account. The easiest is to set up auto-backup on your GoPro Hero5 Black or Hero5 Session camera. When that’s set, the GoPro will upload the footage when it detects your home Wi-Fi network, and your camera is fully charged.
However, for those who own an older model GoPro, you can use the Quik app on your computer or upload within a web browser.
5. Videos aren’t stored in 4K
There is a big caveat to relying on GoPro’s backup service to store your creations: Your videos will be stored at 1080p, and photos are limited to 12 megapixels. That means if you recorded a 4K video on the Hero5 Black, and upload it to GoPro Plus, the video you download and edit on another device will be in 108op. For some, it’s a trade-off that’s worth it. For others, downgrading video is a deal breaker.
AIVAnet 