Microsoft drops support for ‘Minecraft’ on Windows Phone

Microsoft, which owns Minecraft, will stop supporting the Windows Phone 8.1 version of its own immensely popular world building game, Ars Technica reports. While the game’s development continues apace, Redmond is essentially admitting that even with a massive player base, the venn diagram between Windows Phone users and Minecraft fans has too little overlap to be worth the effort.

On mobile, the Android and iOS versions of Minecraft: Pocket Edition will still be supported, of course, and that same version is also what gets ported to platforms like the Gear VR and Apple TV. Unlike those other systems, which recently hit an official 1.0 version last month, the Windows Phone version never quite made it out of beta.

Microsoft did, however, recently release a new version of Minecraft for Windows 10 as a Universal Windows Platform app that will eventually run on everything from desktops to Surface tablets to the HoloLens. Although the Windows 10 version is based on the same Pocket Edition code, Microsoft has unfortunately decided to go against its own developer guidelines for the Universal Windows Platform and currently only supports a desktop interface. That means you’ll still need a mouse and keyboard to smash those blocks for now.

Via: Ars Technica

Apple and Amazon agree to end exclusive audiobook deal

For over a decade, Apple and Audible (an Amazon company) have enjoyed an exclusivity agreement that restricted the sale of digital audiobooks to one third-party platform: iTunes. The practice has helped both companies hold almost unassailable positions in the audiobook market, which led to a complaint by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association (Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels) back in November 2015.

After more than a year of discussions with German competition watchdog, the Bundeskartellamt, and with help from the European Commission, Apple and Amazon have agreed to terminate their existing deal, allowing Audible audiobooks to be sold via other digital music platforms.

According to a European Commission press release, Apple and Amazon agreed to end the exclusivity deal on January 5th. The pact was actually signed before Amazon acquired Audible (back in 2008), but the German Publishers and Booksellers Association believed Amazon’s actions were damaging publishers’ ability to sell their work via “alternative channels.”

At the time, around 90 percent of all audiobook downloads in Germany were made via Audible or Amazon websites, or via the iTunes Store, indicating why publishers and booksellers had decided to complain.

Commenting on the settlement, the European Commission said it “welcomes an agreement to end all exclusivity obligations concerning audiobook supply and distribution between Amazon’s subsidiary Audible and Apple.” The competition regulator believes it will also “improve competition in downloadable audiobook distribution in Europe” as Apple can source audiobooks from different suppliers, while publishers can directly secure their own distribution agreements with Apple.

It’s not the first time that Apple and Amazon have been embroiled in an antitrust investigation. In 2012, the US Justice Department sued Apple, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster over alleged e-book price-rigging.

The agreement was designed to stop booksellers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble from selling bestsellers at a loss. Apple and its co-conspirators were forced to settle out of court. However, it took until mid-2016 for iBooks price fixing credit to make its way to those who opted in to a class action lawsuit against the Cupertino company.

Source: Europa, Bundeskartellamt

New iPads Might Not Launch Until Sometime in the Second Half of 2017

Apple’s new line of iPad models might not launch “until the second half of 2017,” according to sources in the upstream supply chain speaking with DigiTimes. The new 9.7-inch iPad is predicted to enter mass production sometime in Q1 2017, while the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad models will begin production in Q2 of this year. All of the new iPads are described as still being in the “planning” phase.

Although it was expected for Apple to announce and launch the new iPads during the Spring, the new report claims that “these tablets may not be announced or even released” until sometime in the second half of 2017. In December, “lower-than-expected” yield rates for the 10-nanometer manufacturing process was rumored to be a potential factor in a delayed launch for the new iPads.

Apple reportedly is planning three new tablets for 2017, a 9.7-inch iPad with a friendly price range, a 10.5-inch iPad, and an upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The products are still in planning, with the 9.7-inch model expected to enter mass production in the first quarter, and the other two in the second, according to sources from the related upstream supply chain.

However, these tablets may not be announced or even released in the market until the second half of 2017, the sources said.

In DigiTimes’ report, the sources mentioned a 10.5-inch iPad, which is a size that was recently well-explained by Studio Neat designer Dan Provost as a logical choice for the middle-tier iPad. While multiple rumors placed the new iPad — believed to be an iPad Pro — somewhere in the 10-inch range, everything from a 10.1-inch to a 10.9-inch model has been reported.

According to the supply chain sources, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a contender to replace the price tier of the existing 9.7-inch iPad Pro, while the new 9.7-inch version will be introduced at an even lower cost to become an entry-level device, “mainly targeting the education sector.”

As previously reported, DigiTimes’ sources today reiterated that the higher-end 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models will include an A10X processor. No mention was made of the 9.7-inch model and its processor, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last year predicted that the “low-cost” iPad would likely adopt a lower-end A9X processor.

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is being positioned as a flagship model of the iPad line, believed to feature an edge-to-edge display without a home button, but retain a small portion of the top bezel in order to provide space for the front-facing FaceTime camera.

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Apple and Amazon End Audiobook Exclusivity Deal Amid Growing Concerns of a Monopoly

Apple and Amazon have agreed to cease all exclusivity obligations previously put in place between the two companies regarding the supply and distribution of audiobooks through iTunes and Audible (via Reuters). The partnership between the two companies previously incited a complaint from the German Publishers and Booksellers Association in 2015 centering around the potential for a monopoly in the European audiobook industry by the two powerhouse companies.

Now, competition is expected to be boosted and the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office are welcoming the decision made by Apple and Amazon to end their exclusive distribution deal of Audible audiobooks on iTunes, meaning other companies can now distribute audiobooks on Apple’s popular digital marketplace. Simultaneously, Audible can now place its audiobooks on other digital marketplaces for users to download.

On Thursday, the German Federal Cartel Office said it has officially closed its investigation because “there was no further reason to continue.”

“The European Commission welcomes an agreement to end all exclusivity obligations concerning audiobook supply and distribution between Amazon’s subsidiary Audible and Apple,” the EU competition authority said in a statement.

“With the deletion of the exclusivity agreement Apple will now have the opportunity to purchase digital audiobooks from other suppliers,” Andreas Mundt, president of the German cartel office, said in a statement.

Back in 2015, the German Publishers and Booksellers Association began its complaint by saying that Apple and Amazon were “abusing their dominant market position” with the audiobook deal. In total, more than 90 percent of all audiobook downloads in Germany are made through Amazon’s Audible service, or via iTunes, making the pairing of the two companies particularly troublesome in the eyes of the association.

According to the German Cartel Office’s president, Andreas Mundt, the end of the exclusivity deal “will enable a wider range of offer and lower prices for consumers.” The deal’s termination touches all markets that Apple and Amazon previously had exclusive audiobook coverage over, not just those in Europe.

The audiobook case differs from Apple’s long-running e-book price-fixing lawsuit, which finally reached an end last year and saw the company forced to pay a $450 million settlement. The case began in 2014 when Apple was found guilty of conspiring with publishers to inflate the prices of e-books, with the $450 million settlement reached in March of 2016. Specifically, the amount was broken down with $400 million paid out to e-book customers, $20 million to the states, and $30 million in the form of legal fees.

Tags: Amazon, antitrust
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Galaxy S7 display defaults to Full HD after Nougat update, but you can switch back

Samsung’s new display scaling options change the default resolution of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

The Nougat update to the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge introduces a new display scaling option that lets you reduce the screen resolution as a way to conserve battery life. With the update, you can now choose between three modes — WQHD (2560×1440), FHD (1920×1080), and HD (1280×720). While it’s a nifty feature to have, the display on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge is automatically defaulting to Full HD for those that have installed the update.

The display on the S7 and S7 edge looks great even on Full HD, and for the most part, there isn’t a lot of difference when viewing text and images in Full HD when compared to QHD. As we’ve seen when the feature first rolled out during the Nougat beta test, it is likely Samsung is defaulting the screen to Full HD to extend battery life and improve performance. Fortunately, you can easily switch back to the native Quad HD resolution by navigating to Settings -> Display.

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How to fix Moto G4 and G4 Plus battery life problems

If you’re facing battery life issues on the Moto G4 and G4 Plus, there are a few things you can try.

The Moto G4 and G4 Plus represent the biggest change to come to the Moto G series since its inception. The phones are the first to feature Full HD displays, with Motorola bumping the screen size to 5.5 inches. The G4 Plus is also the first to feature a fingerprint sensor.

There isn’t a lot that differentiates the Moto G4 from the G4 Plus, at least not when it comes to features that affect battery life. As such, the steps mentioned below are valid for both variants of the handset.

Enable battery saver mode

One of the best ways to extend battery life on the Moto G4 and G4 Plus is to enable the built-in battery saver mode. Turning on battery saver dims the screen’s brightness, limits the vibration motor, restricts location services, email sync, and background app data usage, all in a bid to squeeze more usage out of the phone.

You can manually toggle the mode to limit battery drain, or configure battery saver to run automatically once the charge goes below 15% or 5%.

Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS when not in use

If you’re not going to use Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or location services for an extended period, consider switching them off to eke out more battery life. Leaving Wi-Fi on will result in the phone scanning for open networks throughout the course of the day, using up precious battery life. GPS, in particular, drains a phone’s battery, so if you don’t need location services, you should consider switching it off.

The notification panel on the Moto G4 and G4 Plus has quick toggles for Wi-Fi, Location, and Bluetooth, allowing you to toggle them on or off in a matter of seconds. On that note, you should also consider adjusting the dual-SIM settings. The ability to use two SIM cards in the same phone is very convenient, but it also uses up extra battery. If you don’t use the secondary SIM card that often, consider switching off data on that slot or disable it entirely from the SIM cards section in the phone’s settings.

Look out for power-hungry apps

Seeing unusually high battery drain on the Moto G4 or G4 Plus? More often than not, it is due to a rouge app that’s sucking down a lot of data in the background or using up a lot of CPU cycles. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to fix the problem.

Isolate the app that’s causing the issue by heading down into your phone’s settings and going to the battery page. You’ll see a list of apps that are using up the battery.

Facebook and Facebook Messenger, for instance, are known to be very intensive when it comes to battery usage, so if you’re not a heavy Facebook user, you should consider uninstalling the app. Facebook on the browser offers a great experience, and you can enable notifications for the social network in Chrome to receive profile updates.

The Moto G4 and G4 Plus don’t come with a lot of bloatware, so you don’t have to go through the additional hassle of uninstalling apps you normally wouldn’t use.

You should also consider closing background apps frequently. Having a lot of apps in the background is not only detrimental to the phone’s performance, but it also adversely affects the battery life.

Tweak display settings

The Moto G4 and G4 Plus offer a great Full HD display, but if you’re having a difficult time managing battery life, you can make a few changes to the display settings. First up, consider turning on Adaptive brightness from the Display page in your phone’s settings. Doing so automatically optimizes the screen’s brightness based on the ambient light — dimming the screen in low-light conditions and boosting the brightness when outdoors.

You should also set the screen timeout to be as low as possible. Adjust the setting from the Sleep section on the Display page.

Motorola also offers the ability to peek at incoming notifications without having to wake up the screen through Moto Actions. The feature is handy, but if you’re looking to maximize battery life, you should consider disabling it by going to the Moto app in your app drawer and selecting Display.

Disable automatic updates on the Play Store

The Play Store lets you automatically update apps even when you’re on cellular data, but if you’re looking to conserve battery life, a better option is to update only when connected to Wi-Fi. Doing so ensures that you don’t run into overages on your cellular data, and also prevents apps from constantly updating in the background.

You can also disable automatic app updates entirely if you want to save a few percentage points on your phone’s battery. You’ll be able to change the setting by going to the Play Store, heading to Settings from the pull-out pane on the left, and selecting Auto-update apps.

Switch to Nougat

Motorola started rolling out the Nougat update to the Moto G4 and G4 Plus last month. The update is making its way to more regions, and if you’re using either handset, you should go into your phone’s settings to see if the latest version of Android is available.

Nougat brings an improved Doze mode, which has several tweaks to extend battery life. After installing the Nougat update, I noticed an uptick in the battery life of my Moto G4 Plus, so if you’re struggling to get a day’s worth of usage out of your phone, the Nougat update will fix it.

Turbo Charge

If all else fails, the Moto G4 and G4 Plus offer fast charging through Motorola’s proprietary Turbo Charge tech. To take full advantage of the fast charging method, you’ll have to use the bundled TurboPower wall charger. You can pick up the 15W variant for as low as $13 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Motorola is also selling a dual-port TurboPower car charger for $21, if you’re looking to top up on the go.

See at Amazon

Your turn

That’s just a quick look at some of the ways you can extend battery life on the Moto G4 and G4 Plus. Let us know how you manage to get the most out of your phone’s battery in the comments below.

Samsung details phones that are next in line to receive the Nougat update

Six phones and two tablets will pick up the Nougat update over the coming months.

Following the Nougat rollout for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, Samsung has now revealed the list of phones that will receive the update next. Here’s the list of phones (and tablets) that will pick up the Nougat update in the first half of 2017:

• Galaxy S6
• Galaxy S6 edge
• Galaxy S6 edge+
• Galaxy Note 5
• Galaxy Tab A with S Pen
• Galaxy Tab S2 LTE (unlocked variant)
• Galaxy A3
• Galaxy A8

Seeing as how the list has several notable omissions, including the Galaxy A5, A7, and the popular Galaxy J series, it is likely not the final list of phones that will pick up the Nougat update. On the flip side, that means that phones not on the list will not be updated to Nougat before at least the third quarter of 2017, which is a lengthy wait for a platform update.

Along with the list, Samsung also detailed the features that will be available with the Nougat update, including changes to the notification panel and multi-window mode, Performance Mode, and more. Here’s a look at all the new additions.

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LG G6 invite confirms Feb. 26 launch at Mobile World Congress

The LG G6 will make its debut next month in Barcelona.

LG has started teasing details about its upcoming LG G6, and now we have a launch date in the form of a media invite that has the tagline, “See More, Play More.” The phone will make its debut on February 26, a day before Mobile World Congress kicks off.

The LG G6 will be the first to feature an 18:9 display with a resolution of 2880×1440 and a pixel density of 564PPI, or what LG calls QHD+. The screen itself will be 5.7 inches, and LG has also revealed that the handset will feature water resistance and a compact body.

LG has ditched its modular design platform after failing to gain any momentum with last year’s LG G5, with the LG G6 instead focusing on “aesthetics and usability.” The phone will likely be one of the first to be powered by Qualcomm’s 10nm Snapdragon 835.

Panasonic TX-50DX700 4K TV review: Picture performance beyond its price

Ultra-HD TVs are certainly becoming more popular, we know that for sure. The amount of content on offer has increased exponentially since 4K was first introduced – with big shows like Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Man In The High Castle all being delivered in extra defined form.

Prices have come down over the years too. Of course, you can still spend upwards of £2,000 on a telly if you want the absolute best picture available today, but if you want an affordable way to get into the 4K and extra bright HDR (high dynamic range) market then something like the 50-inch Panasonic DX700 will fit the bill without breaking the bank.

• Best TVs coming in 2017: Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, LG and more

The TX-50DX700 offers a 4K HDR panel for a lot less than £1,000 – which makes it a bargain. But does a more affordable price mean a heavy dip in performance compared to the top-end? We’ve had one on loan to find out.

Panasonic TX-50DX700 review: Design

• Switch design feet
• Slim bezels

For an entry-level 4K HDR TV, the DX700 is a bit of a looker. It only comes in silver, but the bezels are so super-slim you’ll barely notice them, so all your attention will be focused solely on the panel.

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There are feet which attach to either end of the screen, but if you don’t have an incredibly wide TV stand then you can position them nearer the middle instead. It’s a welcome move from Panasonic, as it knows not everyone will want to wall mount, and not everyone will have a ridiculously wide TV stand either.

The DX700 is available in 40in, 50in and 58in variants, but the switch design feet aren’t available on the 40in model.

All models in the range can comfortably be called affordable, ranging from £620 for the 40-inch and going up to £1,000 for the 58-inch. Those are the official prices through Panasonic’s website, but if you shop around a little you can probably pick up a real bargain.

The included remote is a standard brick shape affair, with buttons laid out well. Menus are easy to navigate and there’s even a quick-launch button for Netflix. Our only real niggle is we found ourselves hitting the Netflix button instead of the up arrow on more than one occasion because they are quite close to each other.

Panasonic TX-50DX700 review: Connections and set-up

• 3x HDMI (2 are 4K compatible)
• Wired and wireless networking

Connecting your sources and setting up the DX700 is relatively easy. The three HDMI inputs – of which two are 4K compatible thanks to HDCP 2.2 compliance – can all be found on the side, which is ideal if you want to wall-mount the TV. If you have a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray player or games console such as the Xbox One S or PS4 Pro, you’ll want to plug them into the 4K inputs for the best possible performance.

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Panasonic also gives you three USB inputs, common interface and RCA inputs, digital optical output and headphone output. It’s still about the only manufacturer to put an SD card in its tellies.

For 4K streaming via Netflix or Amazon, you can go down either wired or wireless routes. If you can do wired via Ethernet to your router we’d highly recommend it for a more stable connection and increase in speed, otherwise Wi-Fi will work fine for over-the-air data.

Many other 4K TVs come with more HDMI inputs, but we think three is a decent amount at this level. If you had a soundbar or AV receiver that supports 4K pass-through then you’ll only need to use one of those inputs anyway.

What apps and services does the Panasonic TX-50DX700 have?

• Firefox OS user interface
• Netflix and Amazon 4K HDR apps
• Freeview Play built-in

Panasonic has been using Firefox OS for a little while now on its TVs. It’s a good system to use as we like the colours and general ease of use.

The main home screen has three key areas: Live TV, Apps and Devices. You can pin anything else you want to the homepage, whether it be your favourite channel or app.

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The DX700 comes pre-installed with Netflix and Amazon Instant Video 4K apps (there’s a quick launch button for Netflix on the remote, like we say) both of which support HDR. At launch, the Amazon app didn’t support the new technology, but thanks to an update it’s good to go.

For live TV the DX700 uses Freeview Play. Freeview’s new service allows you scroll forwards or backwards by up to seven days and if there’s an app connected to a channel – iPlayer for BBC, ITV Hub for ITV and so on – then you can click on a programme and it will load up in the app right away. It saves you going into the apps section, finding the app and then the programme you want to watch.

It’s a similar system to YouView, but we have to say we prefer YouView’s way of working. With YouView you can scroll back seven days and see all the channels in a list as you normally would. With Freeview Play you first have to select the channel, then go back. You’re then presented with days in columns which you can scroll up and down to find the programme you want. It makes things a little bit more confusing and you can only see one channel’s worth of programming at a time.

Panasonic TX-50DX700 review: Picture performance

• 4K HDR panel
• Upscaler for HD content

When it comes to 4K picture performance, the DX700 delivers an image that’s beyond its price point. Feed it 4K content and you’ll be rewarded with an incredibly sharp picture, with natural colours, subtle shadings and deep blacks.

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Unfortunately, it’s not quite as ship-shape with HDR content. We know HDR is turned on, because we’ve gone into the settings, turned the feature on (something you’ll need to do during setup) and then fed it content from Amazon. The info bar at the bottom even tells us it’s an HDR image. We’re just not that convinced is all, as it lacks the heightened peaks of its top-end competition. For the sort of difference that really makes HDR worth having, you will need to spend a bit more on your TV.

There is a change in contrast between HDR and non-HDR on the DX700 for sure, but it’s not quite enough to really wow us like the we know the ultra-bright format can. Colours do pop that little bit more – yellow sands and blue skies for example – but it’s only a subtle change.

Feed Full HD (1080p) content in and the DX700 does a fine job at upscaling. Considering the TV is having to generate 75 per cent of the pixels on screen, it’s perfectly watchable. Blu-rays fare even better due to them being a more stable source than over-the-air broadcast.

Colours aren’t too in-your-face. We used the True Cinema picture setting most of the time as we felt it offered the best looking image. Blacks can sometimes suffer, though, as they are very rarely true blacks. We noticed a lot of blocking in some of the content we watched, and the DX700 struggled with picking out various shades within the blacks.

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Standard definition content, which you’ll get from many TV channels and DVDs, present a big dip in quality. That’s to be expected. As with HD, it’s still watchable – and we don’t find ourselves wanting to gouge out our eyeballs and set ourselves on fire.

Panasonic TX-50DX700 review: Sound quality

Most of us know that flat-screen TVs aren’t exactly going to set your room alight with awesome sound when watching movies or TV shows. For a real home cinema experience you’re going to want to add a soundbar or surround sound speaker package.

However for regular daytime watching the DX700 performs rather well. Voices are clear, there’s a decent amount of bass weight and it doesn’t sound tinny, something which can plague other screens. The distance from the wall will affect the sound slightly, but you can adjust the settings to let the TV know whereabouts it’s positioned.

Verdict

So, should you buy the DX700? If you want one of the best sub-£1000 4K TVs to take pride of place in your living room, then yes you absolutely should consider it.

If you want your TV to handle HDR content with expertise, then we should advise you to look elsewhere and to expect a larger dip in your bank balance for the pleasure.

If you have Sky Q then you don’t need to think about HDR because it can’t support it, and while Netflix and Amazon streams can be improved by having HDR, you’re not going to feel completely left out if you just have a very good 4K picture.

For many, we feel the DX700 will be the perfect first 4K screen, combining a stunning picture, gorgeous design, healthy range of connections and, above all, a wallet-friendly price.

Panasonic DX700: The alternatives to consider

Samsung 55-inch KS7000

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• around £1100

If you’ve got a little more to spend and want a slightly larger screen then Samsung’s KS7000 is an ideal choice. It’s thinner than the Panasonic as all its connections run through a separate box, which makes it ideal for wall-mounting. Its HDR is a little brighter too.

LG teases the G6’s launch for February

Mobile World Congress is nearly upon us, allowing portions of the mobile world to show off the new devices that they’ve been working on. The smartphone world may be ossifying, but LG’s undeterred, and is sending out teasers for the G6 that’ll debut the day before the event kicks off. There’s not much to be gleaned from the invitation, beyond that the unveiling will happen in Barcelona at lunchtime on February 26th.

LG’s not one to keep surprises back for its press conferences, so it’s already spilled plenty of facts about the forthcoming G6. For instance, we know that the company has rowed back on modular design after the G5’s lukewarm reception. The company has also said that the G6 will have an 18:9 display, meaning that it’ll be a little taller than a regular 16:9 smartphone screen. At a guess, that extra height will be used to bring some split-display features over from LG’s V10 and V20 devices, which had a second screen for notifications. LG also wanted to remind everyone that its new device won’t catch fire, unlike some devices it could name from its more successful Korean rivals.

LG will also probably use the moment to show off its two new Android Wear smartwatches, that are expected to arrive a few weeks beforehand. Renders for both devices, running Android Wear 2.0, were leaked earlier this week, showing off the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style. The current thinking is that Google will host its own event to unveil its long-gestating operating system on February 9th, but you never can tell.