Amazon India is giving away six OnePlus 3Ts, Prime members get early access in first sale
Complete the OnePlus Trail for a chance to win the OnePlus 3T.
Ahead of the first sale of the OnePlus 3T in India, Amazon is running a contest through which the retailer is giving away six units of the device along with 20 OnePlus Bullets V2 earbuds. All you have to do is install the Amazon India app, sign in to your account, and start solving clues in the OnePlus Trail. You have two options — the Fantasy Trail or the Tech Trail — and each choice has 12 clues, with 100 points for each answer. Those that accumulate the most points stand a chance to pick up the OnePlus 3T for free.
Amazon is also giving Prime members early access to the OnePlus 3T. The first sale is slated for December 14, but if you’re subscribed to Prime, you will be eligible to buy the device on December 12. You’ll have to register here beforehand.
The phone itself is cometitively priced in India, with the 64GB variant retailing for ₹29,999 ($440). The 128GB version costs slightly more at ₹34,999 ($515).
See at Amazon India
Sony is getting in on the OLED TV action with two new models
OLED TVs represent some of the best in the business. LG is the only real champion of the screen technology right now, with Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and Philips sticking with LCD LED. But that’s all set to change next year as it’s been confirmed Sony will be releasing two 4K OLED screens of its own.
- 11 reasons why your next TV should be OLED
The confirmation comes from John Archer, who has received concrete information from Barry Young, the CEO of the Texas-based OLED Association. He goes on to say shipments are expected in the second quarter of 2017 with sales to then take place in the third or fourth quarters.
The screens themselves are said to use OLED panels from LG Display, but they’ll then likely use Sony’s own screen processing technology. Prices are said to be $1999 for the 55-inch model and $2999 model, which in OLED terms is pretty cheap and less than the cost of some of LG’s best models.
If Sony’s prices are true, we could see new models from LG that are as competitively priced, making OLED an even more compelling proposition.
It’s not clear when Sony will officially unveil the screens. It was initially thought the company would use the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January, but it’s now looking as though we may not see them in the flesh until IFA in Berlin in September.
- CES 2017: What is it and what to expect
- Panasonic 4K OLED TV for 2017 is coming – and looks like it’ll be a stunner
- LG OLED E6 review: The perfect OLED match
OLED screens use individual LEDs to produce light, which provide a number of benefits including absolute black since they can turn themselves off, and bright whites. Contrast levels are also some of the best, but the downside is they can’t go as bright as LCD LED screens, which can affect HDR performance. The screen technology you choose for your TV will ultimately come down to personal preference, but we’re glad another TV giant is entering the OLED market.
New Nvidia Shield Android TV box and controller expected for CES 2017
Nvidia’s Shield Android TV box has been around for more than a year but is still the flagbearer for Android set-top-boxes. It was the first media streamer to offer Netflix in 4K and with HDR, and its Tegra X1 processor and 3GB of RAM ensured that it zipped through Android apps and games like a Ryu fireball through a butter wall.
However, times move on and other devices are catching up. Smart TVs themselves offer as many 4K apps, for example, even games streaming services. And games consoles have also beefed up of late. It’s time for a new version of the Shield TV and it looks like we’ll be getting one soon.
Nvidia is said to be unveiling a new version of its Android TV box at CES 2017 in Vegas this January.
Slashgear claims that an anonymous source is familiar with the plans. It says that the Shield TV box itself will largely stay the same, although there will be the addition of 802.11ac Wi-Fi support and MIMO antennas for better wireless connectivity.
- Nvidia Shield Android TV review: 4K and gaming meet in powerhouse box
- Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 review: The cost-effective gaming tablet
The controller will see the most changes, it is claimed. It will switch from Wi-Fi Direct to Bluetooth Low Energy, which shouldn’t lose the famed low latency the current model offers but should improve battery life. It is also said that the Shield Remote might also make the switch to Bluetooth, which would definitely be a godsend as our current remote loses power far too often.
The Shield game controller will also thin out a bit. The current one is a little unwieldy.
There are no rumours yet on whether the Shield Android tablet will also get a refresh, but we suspect so. Nvidia will also undoubtedly use its CES keynote to detail more action in the automotive space.
UC Berkeley researchers built a wall-jumping robot
Meet SALTO: a powerful new wall-jumping robot built by researchers at UC Berkeley. According to SALTO’s makers, the diminutive, one-legged hopper not only has the “highest robotic vertical jumping agility ever recorded,” but also the ability to link together multiple jumps in quick succession.
SALTO stands for saltatorial locomotion on terrain obstacles, and the motion of the mechanical jumping leg was modeled after galagos — small jumping primates native to Africa that have stretchy tendons in their legs that allow them to store energy and jump with more force than if they only used their leg muscles alone. The galago is so agile not only because it can make a big leap, but also because it can essentially wind up its legs into a crouched position in mid-flight and immediately leap again upon landing. So, as soon as SALTO jumps, it is already set to jump again, which allows for what designer Duncan Haldane compared to a sort of robotic parkour:
At just 100 grams and 26 centimeters (10.2 inches) tall when fully extended, SALTO can jump a little bit more than one meter (3.3 feet) high in a single leap. Adding a second jump gets the robot up to about 1.21 meters (3.97 feet) high and while other robotic jumpers like UC Berkeley’s own JumpRoACH can get higher, they still need a moment to power up before jumping again. According to Haldane, that ability to string together quick movements would make SALTO a useful tool in urban search and rescue environments where uneven terrain and obstacles could become stepping stones. But if they ever put SALTO legs on an Atlas robot, then we’ll start to worry.
Via: UC Berkeley
Source: Science Robotics
Apple Music has 20 million paid subscribers
Apple says it added three million Music users since September, bringing its total subscriber count to 20 million. Furthermore, VP Eddy Cue tells Billboard that 60 percent of those are new customers who haven’t purchased an iTunes song in the last year. By contrast, Spotify announced it had 40 million users in September, after adding 10 million premium subscribers in a six month period.
As before, Apple is using exclusive artist deals to drive users to Music. “Chance the Rapper, who we put on Apple Music exclusively, hit the top 10 on the Billboard charts [from streaming alone] and I can’t recall that being done before,” said Cue. Such deals are controversial with fans and the press, however, and artists like Kanye West (who has done his own exclusive deals on Tidal) have railed about it.
Unlike Apple, Spotify has a free, ad-supported subscription tier that it uses to drive premium subscriber growth. As of June, the company said it had 100 million total users, including non-paid subscribers. Apple has its own built-in advantage, of course, as Apple Music is already installed on every new iPhone sold. Both companies offer $10 individual subscriptions and a $15 family plan for up to six users.
While the growth of both Spotify and Apple Music has been dramatic, Cue points out that there are still only around 100 million paid streaming music subscribers globally. “There’s a lot of growth opportunity,” he says. The jump is good news for the music industry, too, as it pushes total paid streams per artist northwards.
However, the RIAA continues to complain about streaming, despite the fact that YouTube said yesterday that it paid $1 billion to the industry for ad-supported (non-subscription) streaming alone. In total, music industry revenue rose 3.2 percent in 2015 to $15 million, and based on Apple and Spotify’s growth, should push even higher this year.
Via: 9 to 5 Mac
Source: Billboard
Ulysses 2.7 Brings Touch Bar Support, macOS Sierra Tabs and More to Popular Writing App
German developers The Soulmen today released a new version of popular writing app Ulysses, bringing Touch Bar support, Tabs in macOS Sierra, and a host of other new features and performance improvements.
From Wednesday, users launching version 2.7 of the award-winning app on Touch Bar equipped MacBook Pros will see new contextual functions for Ulysses in the OLED strip, bringing the ability to assign markup tags directly while they write.
Ulysses 2.7 now also includes tabbed windows in macOS Sierra, making it possible to switch between multiple open texts within the same window.
Elsewhere, Ulysses now offers full support for the TextBundle format outside its iCloud library. TextBundle combines Markdown text and all referenced images into a single file for convenience, and Ulysses now allows writers to use images when working from Dropbox or other storage providers.
The latest update also makes it easier to switch from Evernote to Ulysses, by allowing users to import ENEX Evernote export files containing multiple notes, upon which individual sheets are created for each note.
In addition, a new Reading Time writing goal has been added to the existing options (number of characters, words, or pages), while a number of more general improvements, bug fixes, and stability enhancements have also been implemented in the latest version of the app.
Ulysses 2.7 is available for MacOS and iOS on the Mac App Store and App Store respectively, and is a free update for existing users. The Mac app costs $44.99, while the universal iOS app costs $24.99.
Tags: Ulysses, Touch Bar, The Soulmen
Discuss this article in our forums
Fitbit close to buying Pebble’s software assets, Time 2 and Pebble Core could be canceled
Fitbit could scoop up Pebble for under $40 million.
Fitbit is reportedly getting ready to acquire Pebble’s software assets. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg notes that the deal is valued at under $40 million, and will include hiring Pebble’s software engineers as well as the company’s IP — its watch operating system, watch apps, and cloud services:
The purchase price is less than $40 million, and Pebble’s debt and other obligations exceed that, two of the people said. Fitbit is not taking on the debt, one of the people said. The rest of Pebble’s assets, including product inventory and server equipment, will be sold off separately, some of the people said. An announcement is imminent, the people added.
Pebble’s latest watches — the Time 2 and Pebble Core — will be canceled as a result of the sale, and customers that have ordered through Kickstarter will receive refunds. If the sale goes through, Pebble’s engineers will relocate to Fitbit’s offices in San Francisco, and the company’s offices will be closed. Fitbit reportedly rolled out job offers to several of Pebble’s software engineers, although it looks like most hardware engineers and interface designers will be let go.
According to IDC, the wearable segment saw a meager 3.1% YoY increase in shiments this quarter, with fitness bands accounting for 85% of the 23 million shipments. Fitbit led the pack with 5.3 million shipments this quarter on the back of Charge HR and Charge 2, but the company’s stock continues to decline on account of the slow growth in the segment. An announcement is said to be imminent, so we should hear something official soon.
Get a Ringke case for your Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P — just $5.99
Save on a new case for your Nexus 5X or 6P.
Today, we bring you a couple great deals from Ringke on some cool clear cases to both protect and show off your Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P.
Simply click through the links below and enter the coupon code to get these cases for just $5.99. To take advantage of these deals, you’ll need to ensure you select the option to fulfill the order from the manufacturer, Ringke, and then simply add the coupon code during checkout to save. Supplies are limited, so act now!
Nexus 5X
- Ringke Fusion case with screen protector (available in Crystal Clear and Smoke Black) for $5.99 (Reg. $11.99) — Use coupon code: OBCER528
Nexus 6P
- Ringke Fusion case with screen protector (available in Crystal Clear and Smoke Black) for $5.99 (Reg. $11.99) — Use coupon code: LQUF8IQS
Nexus 6P
- Nexus 6P review
- 5 things to know about the Nexus 6P
- Read the latest Nexus 6P news
- Learn about Project Fi
- Join our Nexus 6P forums
- Nexus 6P specs
Google Store
Huawei
Best Buy
Google app update brings a dedicated news feed to your home screen
Google Now gets broken up into two feeds.
An update rolling out to the Google app breaks up the feed into two separate sections — one dedicated to news updates, and an “upcoming” section that details your personal info, including daily schedule, flight info, appointments, and more.
The app still pulls in data from Gmail, Calendar, and other sources, but all that information now lives in the upcoming tab. By default, you’ll see updates from your favorite news publications, people of interest, music, and sports teams. There’s still the option to customize your feed, and Google says that the more you use the feature, the “more tailored and relevant” it becomes.
The reorganization means that your feed isn’t as cluttered, making it easier to find relevant information. For instance, if you’re looking to find the tracking number for a parcel, you don’t have to dig through several news stories to find the information. It would’ve been better if Google defaulted to the upcoming section, but the company is looking to highlight its “interests” section, and as such the news feed is what you’ll see when you open the app.
The update is now rolling out to users in the U.S., and will be available in other countries shortly.
Square Cash plugs its virtual card into Apple Pay
The Square Cash service added a “virtual debit card” feature back in September, and tonight during the Code Commerce event, CEO Jack Dorsey announced that it’s integrating with Apple Pay. The virtual Visa debit card lets Square Cash users spend their balance anywhere Visa is accepted (legitimately), and starting today, its iPhone app can enable the card for use on Apple Pay too. If you’re not using an iPhone or Apple Watch, Dorsey said that the company does have plans to support other platforms like Android Pay and Samsung Pay.
Source: Recode, iTunes
AIVAnet 