HTC leaves ‘ultra competitive’ entry-level smartphone market to focus on turning a profit

Expect only mid-range and high-end flagships from HTC moving forward.

HTC is hoping that less is more when it comes to smartphone offerings. Chia-Lin Chang, President of HTC’s Smartphone and Connected Device divisions, says the Taiwanese company will stop chasing high sales numbers in the entry-level smartphone markets and instead focus on designing and selling highly profitable devices.

This news comes from HTC’s quarterly conference call with investors, wherein the company announced a fourth straight quarter posting an operating loss. When asked how the company plans to shift its strategies for 2017, Chang responded in part by saying “We are going to get out of the entry level part, which I think is ultra competitive and we’re not necessarily going to benefit from a profitability perspective here. To us, profitability on the smartphone is going to be quite important.”

Chang continued by saying the company plans to focus on mid-range to high-end products moving forward, stating the company is planning to release only seven “key SKU” (stock-keeping units) in 2017.

The strategy does make sense, given how crowded the budget phone space has become —especially in the competitive overseas markets of China and India. Instead of chasing high sales figures with cheaper devices, the plan will be to focus on mid-range devices and premium flagships with higher profit margins — such as the forthcoming HTC U Ultra and U Play.

Only time will tell if this new strategy will lift HTC’s smartphone division out of the red, but at least we’re sure to see the top tier of smartphones from HTC moving forward.

T-Mobile rolling out Nougat update to Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, starting with beta users

Final Nougat build going out to beta testers on T-Mobile Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

T-Mobile has started rolling out the stable Nougat release to the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, with those enrolled in the Galaxy Beta Program receiving the update first. As the update is now hitting those that are already running beta versions of Nougat, it weighs in at 117MB. It also includes the February security patch.

The changelog for the update lists several improvements, as well as usability fixes. T-Mobile’s support page doesn’t mention the update yet, but with the OTA going out to beta users, a full-fledged update won’t be far behind.

Galaxy S7 Nougat update: Top 10 features to know

Thanks for the tip Darryl Owens!

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Twitter kills notifications from threads of people you blocked

Twitter is ramping up its anti-abuse measures lately. After making abusive accounts invisible to anyone who don’t follow them, the microblogging website has announced that you’ll no longer be notified of replies to conversations started by people you’ve blocked or muted. The only notifications you’ll get from those threads, even if you’re repeatedly @mentioned, are from people you personally follow. Twitter’s Safety account revealed the new feature on the platform, saying that it’s a decision made after receiving “consistent feedback from the safety community.”

Over the past few weeks, Twitter showed that it has finally begun taking complaints about rampant abuse on its website much more seriously. Besides making abusive accounts invisible to most users, it now filters out offensive replies to tweets, as well. Ed Ho, Twitter’s VP of engineering, promised to roll out “a number of product changes” addressing abuse on the website. We can probably expect more changes in the future if the company truly wants to squash online abuse.

Now, you won’t be notified about replies to conversations started by people you’ve blocked/muted, unless replies are from people you follow.

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) February 16, 2017

Source: Twitter Safety

Scientists are building an army of tiny cancer-fighting robots

Scientists have worked for years to incorporate robotics into delicate medical procedures. They’ve given us tiny devices that can inject drugs into a person’s eye or bend to operate on hard-to-reach areas. Now, they’ve come up with a way to potentially fight cancer using a magnetized swarm of microscopic robots.

Researchers at Phillips Innovative Technologies in Hamburg, Germany have created a way to manipulate each robot in a swarm individually and assign them specific tasks using magnetic fields. The scientists presented their findings on Feb. 15th in the Journal Science Robotics.

Previously, it was difficult to precisely control the microscopic devices because they would all behave the same way when controlled by the same magnetic field. “Our method may enable complex manipulations inside the human body,” study lead author Jürgen Rahmer told Live Science.

Scientists now want to use the robotic swarm to deliver cancer-killing radioactive “seeds” specifically to tumors within the body. Treating cancer this way could spare healthy tissue and reduce harmful side effects. It could also be used to create medical implants that change over time as a person heals, researchers said.

Via: Live Science

Source: Journal Science Robotics

‘Hearthstone’ will release three full expansions in 2017

Blizzard is shaking up its Warcraft-themed digital card game, Hearthstone, with a slew of changes coming this year. Unlike its prior habit of alternating smaller Adventure releases with larger Expansions, 2017 will see three of the latter full-size sets added to the game. But they’re also taking away half a dozen cards from the competitive Standard format, including fan favorites Ragnaros the Firelord and Sylvanas. Welcome to the Year of the Mammoth.

A year ago, Blizzard faced the possibility that their upcoming content additions would fail to edge out existing cards that were dominating the meta. So the studio made a fateful decision to split Hearthstone’s main play into two modes: Standard, with the original cards plus the last year of Expansions, and Wild, which would include every card ever printed. The first addition of 2016, last April’s Whispers Of The Old Gods, added 130-odd new cards to every format while retiring 163 out of Standard.

Hence, the first Expansion planned for this year will knock out cards from 2015’s Blackrock Mountain, The Grand Tournament and League of Explorers. But that’s not all. Turns out Blizzard hasn’t been happy with a few cards from the original Classic set that was long thought immune from retirement. Six of them will be placed in the “Hall of Fame,” a de facto ban from Standard mode, because they were all dominant in their mana slot or deck choice. Seasoned players will lament the loss of these auto-includes, but new and casual players will rejoice at never having to face the tiresome Hall of Fame’d legendary cards they never got access to. Silver lining: If you had any of the six, Blizzard will award you its full dust cost without the need to disenchant it as a mea culpa.

On the plus side, assuming each of this year’s Expansions are as large as their 130-odd card predecessors, we should see twice as many cards added to the game in The Year Of The Mammoth as we did in 2016. Obviously, that’s a huge jump in content, but some might mourn the loss of the single-player Adventures. Fear not! Blizzard is going to augment its new Expansions, starting with the second one of the year, with optional single-player thematic storytelling and fun challenges. And to keep Wild in the loop, the studio is planning a revival of its hardcore Heroic Tavern Brawl specifically for the all-card format as well as work with third parties to host dedicated Wild tournaments.

So when does the fun start, and the first Expansion launch to kick off Year of the Mammoth?? Well, we don’t know.

Blizzard is notoriously coy with stating release dates; Aside from stating it will appear in Q2, they probably won’t announce it until a month or so ahead of launch. But canny fans uncovered clues last week suggesting the first Expansion could be a dinosaur-themed romp called The Lost Secrets of Un’Goro. We’ll probably find out leading up to April, since that’s the month Whispers of the Old Gods was released last year and League of Explorers launched in 2015.

Once the cat’s out of the bag, you can expect Blizzard to be sounding the trumpets to get players back in the saddle. Per their post, the studio promises daily rewards simply for logging in, including card-crafting dust, gold and Expansion packs with other unnamed perks. Plus, the next hero (read: Alternate portrait, with no in-game effects) will be a gleeful Easter Egg for Warcraft veterans as Maiev Shadowsong arrives for the Rogue class. That sums up all the great things ahead for Hearthstone in 2017 — see you on the board, card fanatics.

Via: Polygon

Source: Hearthstone blog

Game On! AMD and Nvidia schedule dueling events during GDC 2017

Why it matters to you

Pull out your calendar and set aside some time on February 28, 2017:.AMD and Nvidia want to let you know what they’ve got in store.

AMD isn’t just introducing its new Zen processor architecture and line of Ryzen CPUs. It’s also going to be announcing its new line of Vega GPUs at some point soon, perhaps at an event scheduled for February 28 during the Game Developers Conference (GDC). Not wanting to be left out of the festivities, AMD competitor Nvidia decided to hold its own event that day as well.

AMD’s “Capsaicin and Cream” live-stream developer sessions are expected to highlight its Ryzen release, as well as touch on the new Vega GPU architecture, as Hot Hardware reports. Nvidia, on the other hand, has sent out email notifications and a Twitter announcement inviting gamers to an “evening of awesome” on the same day, according to Game-Debate.

More: AMD’s ultra-high-end Vega GPUs set for release in the first half of 2017

Both events will be held in San Francisco as part of GDC 2017. Nvidia’s event is open to the public but seating will be limited, while AMD is handing out VIP passes and live-streaming the main event. Given that the AMD live-stream is in the morning and the Nvidia event is in the evening, you’ll be able to participate with both events live or virtually if you play your cards right.

AMD’s schedule is as follows (all times PT):

10 to 10:30 a.m.: Doors open with first come, first served seating
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: AMD Capsaicin and Cream live-stream
2:30 to 5 p.m.: Cream developer sessions
7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Capsaicin and Cream after-party

Nvidia’s event will start at 7p.m. PT, with the door opening at 6:30 p.m. The company hasn’t yet released the name of the venue, which will be somewhere in downtown San Francisco, and seating will be first come, first served as well. The registration page and details of Nvidia’s event can be found here.

We don’t know for sure what Nvidia is going to announce, but the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a possibility. With AMD possibly telling us more about Vega, we should have a much better idea of the near future of the GPU landscape once both events are over.

Asus may reveal a refreshed ZenBook Flip UX300-Series 2-in-1 late February

Why it matters to you

Customers wanting to upgrade from the current Zenbook Flip UX360 models may not have long to wait if leaked images are any indication.

Asus plans to compete with Lenovo’s Yoga line of 2-in-1 convertibles in the second quarter of 2017 with its upcoming ZenFlip UX370, the successor to its ZenBook Flip UX360 released in June. The specs currently aren’t available for the newer model but images appeared online describing the UX370 as the new “hero” 2-in-1 for 2017.

That term likely points to what Microsoft deems as “hero” features in Windows 10. These essentially consist of Windows Hello, Cortana with Voice, Windows Ink, Continuum, Xbox, and eventually Windows Holographic. Microsoft recently focused on three of these during a keynote, indicating that Windows Hello, Windows Ink, and Cortana with Voice will provide a huge value to device owners.

That said, the upcoming UX370 may not only support Cortana with Voice but offer a fingerprint reader on specific configurations. There may also be units offering touch and stylus-based input on the screen supporting Windows 10’s baked-in Windows Ink feature. Infrared cameras likely won’t be offered on the menu, but we could be wrong.

Here is a refresher of what the UX360 currently offers in its various configurations:

Screen size:
13.3 inches with Touch
Screen resolution:
1,920 x 1,080 at 60Hz
3,200 x 1,800
Operating system:
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Processor:
Intel Core m3-6Y30
Intel Core m3-6Y54
Intel Core m3-6Y75
Intel Core i5-7Y54
Graphics:
Intel HD Graphics 515 (integrated)
Intel HD Graphics 615 (integrated)
System memory:
4GB LPDDR3 at 1,866MHz (up to 8GB)
Storage:
128GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD
256GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD
512GB SATA 2 M.2 SSD
Webcam:
HD web camera (facing)
HD camera (back)
Connectivity:
Wireless AC (2×2)
Bluetooth 4.1
Audio:
2x 1.6-watt speakers
Digital array microphone
Asus SonicMaster technology
Battery:
54 Watt-hour
Ports:
1x Micro SD card reader
1x Microphone/headphone combo jack
2x USB 3.0
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
1x Micro HDMI
Size:
12.71 x 8.66 x 0.54 inches
Weight:
2.86 pounds with battery

If Asus plans to stick with the Intel Core “m3” processor family in the upcoming refresh, the only seventh-generation model Intel currently offers is the Core m3-7Y30 released in the third quarter of 2016. This is a two-core, four-thread processor with a base clock speed of 1.00GHz and a boost clock speed of 2.60GHz. It includes the HD Graphics 615 GPU component with a base speed of 300MHz and a boost speed of 900MHz.

There is a good chance Asus will continue using the seventh-generation Core i5-7Y54 processor for the high-end UX370 models and throw in infrared cameras into the high-dollar mixture as well. The cameras would support facial recognition used by Windows 10’s Windows Hello security platform, ditching the need for a fingerprint scanner (not to mention usernames and passwords).

In addition to the ZenFlip UX370, Asus is also expected to reveal the UX490, the Vivobook S, the Vivobook Pro, and a mysterious gaming solution. The company will likely reveal its entire portfolio of new products during the Mobile World Congress 2017 convention in Barcelona later in February.

Asus may reveal a refreshed ZenBook Flip UX300-Series 2-in-1 late February

Why it matters to you

Customers wanting to upgrade from the current Zenbook Flip UX360 models may not have long to wait if leaked images are any indication.

Asus plans to compete with Lenovo’s Yoga line of 2-in-1 convertibles in the second quarter of 2017 with its upcoming ZenFlip UX370, the successor to its ZenBook Flip UX360 released in June. The specs currently aren’t available for the newer model but images appeared online describing the UX370 as the new “hero” 2-in-1 for 2017.

That term likely points to what Microsoft deems as “hero” features in Windows 10. These essentially consist of Windows Hello, Cortana with Voice, Windows Ink, Continuum, Xbox, and eventually Windows Holographic. Microsoft recently focused on three of these during a keynote, indicating that Windows Hello, Windows Ink, and Cortana with Voice will provide a huge value to device owners.

That said, the upcoming UX370 may not only support Cortana with Voice but offer a fingerprint reader on specific configurations. There may also be units offering touch and stylus-based input on the screen supporting Windows 10’s baked-in Windows Ink feature. Infrared cameras likely won’t be offered on the menu, but we could be wrong.

Here is a refresher of what the UX360 currently offers in its various configurations:

Screen size:
13.3 inches with Touch
Screen resolution:
1,920 x 1,080 at 60Hz
3,200 x 1,800
Operating system:
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Processor:
Intel Core m3-6Y30
Intel Core m3-6Y54
Intel Core m3-6Y75
Intel Core i5-7Y54
Graphics:
Intel HD Graphics 515 (integrated)
Intel HD Graphics 615 (integrated)
System memory:
4GB LPDDR3 at 1,866MHz (up to 8GB)
Storage:
128GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD
256GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD
512GB SATA 2 M.2 SSD
Webcam:
HD web camera (facing)
HD camera (back)
Connectivity:
Wireless AC (2×2)
Bluetooth 4.1
Audio:
2x 1.6-watt speakers
Digital array microphone
Asus SonicMaster technology
Battery:
54 Watt-hour
Ports:
1x Micro SD card reader
1x Microphone/headphone combo jack
2x USB 3.0
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
1x Micro HDMI
Size:
12.71 x 8.66 x 0.54 inches
Weight:
2.86 pounds with battery

If Asus plans to stick with the Intel Core “m3” processor family in the upcoming refresh, the only seventh-generation model Intel currently offers is the Core m3-7Y30 released in the third quarter of 2016. This is a two-core, four-thread processor with a base clock speed of 1.00GHz and a boost clock speed of 2.60GHz. It includes the HD Graphics 615 GPU component with a base speed of 300MHz and a boost speed of 900MHz.

There is a good chance Asus will continue using the seventh-generation Core i5-7Y54 processor for the high-end UX370 models and throw in infrared cameras into the high-dollar mixture as well. The cameras would support facial recognition used by Windows 10’s Windows Hello security platform, ditching the need for a fingerprint scanner (not to mention usernames and passwords).

In addition to the ZenFlip UX370, Asus is also expected to reveal the UX490, the Vivobook S, the Vivobook Pro, and a mysterious gaming solution. The company will likely reveal its entire portfolio of new products during the Mobile World Congress 2017 convention in Barcelona later in February.

Alphabet won’t need all those internet balloons after all

Since it launched nearly four years ago, Alphabet’s Project Loon experiment has shifted from an unlikely moonshot to an idea that might actually work. As Alphabet’s experimental X division chief and “Captain of Moonshots” Astro Teller wrote today, the project team has “now exceeded even their own expectations,” in the attempts to build a network of self-navigating, internet-beaming balloons. “And in the process they’ve leapt much closer to a day when balloon-powered Internet could become a reality for people in rural and remote regions of the globe.”

Back in September, the project’s engineers showed how the system learned to ride air currents and stay in place over one area for months at a time. “The reason this is so exciting,” Teller elaborated during a press conference at X’s Mountain View headquarters, “is we can now run an experiment and try to give services in particular places of the world with 10 or 20 or 30 balloons, not with 200 or 300 or 400 balloons.”

Teller says his team has improved the navigation and altitude control systems to allow for even more precise control, but the AI behind it can get even smarter. It will also need to be tested in other parts of the world to learn how to handle varying conditions, but the implications for the project are very promising. Fewer balloons means operating costs are drastically reduced and service could be deployed to a new region in weeks rather than months — a huge advantage considering these are meant to deliver internet to remote regions of the world.

“We’ve actually made so much progress,” Project Loon engineer Sal Candido said at today’s press conference, “that we think our timeline for when we can provide useful internet service to people is much, much sooner.”

Source: X Blog

Photographer captures nature through surveillance webcams

Nature photography usually involves a lot of being outside and walking. That’s fine for some, but photographer Marcus DeSieno captures our world’s natural majesty from his computer, via online traffic and weather camera feeds.

DeSieno’s photo series “Surveillance Landscapes” comes from looking at more than 10,000 webcams, he told Wired. DeSiento creates his images by grabbing screenshots of the best scenes. He then takes a photo of those screenshots using waxed-paper negatives, before developing them into high quality pigment prints. This method softens the digital pixelation of the screenshots and gives them an ethereal quality. The resulting photos look much like those by 20th century large format photographers like Ansel Adams.

The images don’t come off as artificial or technological, and DeSieno has seen a lot of the world while making them.

“I’ve watched the sun set over the Grand Canyon, seen waves crashing into Hawaii, watched storms passing over [the Swiss Alps],” DeSieno told Wired. “It’s all from the comfort of my desk chair.”

DeSieno became interested in privacy and easily accessible webcam feeds after learning about Edward Snowden’s 2013 NSA leaks. Webcams may have led to these compelling images, but it was the danger they present that lured DeSieno in.

The “Surveillance Landscapes” gallery on DiSieno’s website includes photos of snowy forests, mountainous roads, and other types of landscapes — all of which came from a low-resolution camera hidden out of sight. While the images demonstrate how lovely nature can be, they also remind us that we may not be as alone as we think, even in the most remote places.

Source: Wired