Apple Services Revenue Up 18% on App Store Growth

During today’s earnings call for the first calendar quarter of 2017 (fourth fiscal quarter), Apple announced that its services revenue is up an impressive 18.4 percent year-over-year.

Services brought in $7.17 billion during the quarter, up from $6 billion in the year-ago quarter. Services revenue now nearly matches Mac revenue, which was at $7.24 billion.

The “Services” category includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iTunes, and iCloud, with continued growth largely attributed to the App Store. As was previously announced, the App Store saw its single best month ever in December of 2016, with $3 billion in app purchases alone.

Developers have now earned more than $60 billion through the App Store, with $20 billion earned in 2016 alone.

Revenue from Apple Music has continued to grow for the third quarter in a row, and AppleCare and iCloud saw all time record revenue results. As for Apple Pay, usage tripled over the course of 2016 and hundreds of millions of transactions were conducted in December alone. Transaction volume is up more than 500 percent year over year and more than two million small businesses accept it. Apple says Comcast will begin accepting Apple Pay later this month.

As he has said in the past, Cook expects the services category to reach the size of a Fortune 100 company this year, and Apple’s goal is to double it within the next four years.

Tag: App Store
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Apple Watch Sets All Time Revenue Record in Q1 2017

Apple does not break out sales of the Apple Watch like it does for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the Apple Watch set all time unit and revenue records during the first fiscal quarter of 2017, suggesting significant sales during the holidays.

Cook said holiday demand was “so strong” that Apple “couldn’t make enough.” He went on to say the company is thrilled with the response its seen to the wearable device.

While the Apple Watch set an all time revenue record, that’s not reflected in Apple’s “Other” products category, which was down eight percent year over year.

“Other,” which includes the Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, the iPod, and Apple-branded and third-party accessories (including the new AirPods), brought in $4.02 billion, down from $4.35 billion in the year-ago quarter.

It’s not clear what was responsible for the drop if Apple Watch sales are up, but slower Beats and Apple TV sales could be one explanation.

Apple also set revenue records for the iPhone and Mac, along with its Services category.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3, iPad Air 2
Tags: Apple Watch Sets All Time Revenue Record in Q1 2017 Apple does not break out sales of the Apple Watch like it does for the iPhone, and Mac, but according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the Apple Watch set all time unit and revenue records during the first fiscal quarter of 2017
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Bad vibrations: Are ‘phantom messages’ a sign of smartphone addiction?

Why it matters to you

Researchers believe that phantom vibrations from your phone — admit it, you’ve felt them too — could be a sign of addiction.

If you’ve ever felt your phone vibrating in your pocket, pulled it out, and realized it wasn’t ringing, you’re far from the only one. It’s a phenomenon sociologists call a “phantom communication experience,” and according to researchers at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, it’s a sign of addiction.

Scientists asked 766 students, 384 women and 382 men, to complete a personality test that assessed traits like openness, emotional stability, neuroticism, extroversion, and conscientiousness. They then filled out the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale, a survey designed to gauged their level of dependence on their smartphone. Finally, they were asked about their smartphone usage — specifically, the amount of times they experienced “phantom vibrations,” formally defined as a false perception that a smartphone notification or message has arrived.

More: Is smartphone addiction real? We ask the experts

The researchers found that participants who rated higher for consciousness and emotional stability were less dependent on their phones and therefore less likely to experience phantom notifications. The personality tests, meanwhile, showed women to be more conscientious, extroverted, and agreeable than the male test subjects, but more likely on average to exhibit the symptoms of smartphone dependency.

“When people have addictions, there’s a phenomenon in which they are hypersensitive to stimuli associated with a rewarding stimulus,” said Kruger. “This study provides some real insight and maybe some evidence that people can have a real dependency on cellphone use.”

The results of the study are in line with anecdotal findings. According to David Brudo, founder of Swedish mental health and well-being app Remente, the average person checks their phone 80 to 150 times a day.

More: Sex or your smartphone? Americans’ answers may surprise you

“Imagine carrying your phone in your pocket for more than 10 years,” Brudo told Mirror Online. “Not having it there anymore will feel like you’re missing a limb, since your mind become programmed to answer to the stimulus.”

The researchers believe that the findings could provide evidence of a link between mobile phone addiction and mental health. But as the International Business Times notes, previous attempts to add research to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the handbook published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) that lists all classifications of mental disorders, have failed.

“I think these findings are something that can be inform the discussion,” Kruger said. “[Certainly,] it pushes in the direction of saying, ‘Hey, whether you want to call it dependency or addiction, it’s real, it’s important, and we should be paying attention to this.’”

Crowdfunded Moto Z Mod adds wireless charging with no extra bulk

Why it matters to you

This slim Moto Z Mod grants your phone the power of wireless charging without adding bulk.

There are Moto Mods for taking better pictures, projecting media, and playing music louder. If it’s battery life you’re after, there are a handful of options from Incipio and Mophie that will help the Moto Z last even longer through the day and offer wireless charging. But the one common problem with all of the Mods is that they add quite a bit of heft to the device, and most will only be used in limited circumstances.

Mike Paukert, a candidate in Motorola’s “Transform the Smartphone Challenge,” set out to do something about that. The Omaha, Nebraska-based developer has built a prototype of a shell that adds Qi wireless charging to the device, but measures just about a millimeter thicker than Motorola’s own slim style Mods. The result is attractive as well as functional.

More: Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod review

In its current proof-of-concept form, the Mod is harnessing power wirelessly but sending it to the phone via a USB cable, instead of the Moto Z’s pin connectors at the rear. Paukert hopes to refine the design over the next several months and eventually come out with another version that contains an IR emitter.

Right now, the engineer is collecting funds via an Indiegogo campaign, where those interested can put $35 toward one of the wireless charging shells. Adding IR functionality will cost an extra $10. According to the page, Paukert hopes to have these ready to ship in November. The prototype utilizes “off-the-shelf, commercially-available” components, and Paukert says funding will go a long way toward building something that is more presentable to Motorola. Finalists in the challenge will get to work alongside the company and may even receive an investment to bring their Mod to the market.

This proposal is precisely what many hoped for when the Moto Z was first announced. There is a clear demand for wireless charging, though all the Mods that currently offer it also contain extra batteries, which, while providing a benefit, also tack on considerable bulk and ratchet up the price. It’s interesting that it took an independent developer — not an accessories manufacturer or Motorola itself — to answer the call for an inexpensive, lightweight wireless charging solution.

Kickstarter, Indiegogo pull plug on adoption app campaign Adoptly

Why it matters to you

Adoptly satirized the idea of making everything faster and easier. It turns out not everyone agreed, but the result is a stronger discussion on the child adoption process.

It turns out that Adoptly, a Kickstarter- and Indiegogo-suspended campaign that aimed to raise money for a child adoption app in the style of Tinder, is fake. The project came from a duo who previously fooled the media with an app called Pooper, which allowed people to scoop up dog poop for money.

Ben Becker and Elliot Glass said Pooper took “aim at the gig economy” and questioned where people would draw the line. Adoptly, on the other hand, satirized “our tech-obsessed world and our cultural desire to make everything faster, easier, more convenient, and instantly gratifying.” Becker is a creative director in advertising and Glass is a web developer.

More: Tinder pranks CES with its multi-user VR headset for couples

“While Adoptly certainly treads into darker, more personal territory than Pooper, our goal was similar: Spark a conversation about the nature of instantaneous judgement, gratification, and the way technology is training our brains to like or dislike based on fragments and surface level information — photos, headlines, tweets, and soundbites — and make decisions, both big and small, based on superficial biases,” Becker and Glass told Digital Trends in an email.

“People, almost universally, had a gut reaction that swiping left and right to adopt a child didn’t feel quite right.

Adoptly was a Kickstarter for an app that promised an easy and faster way to adopt children — but the app used a Tinder-like swipe left and right gesture to help potential parents choose which child they wanted to adopt. This drew immediate skepticism and backlash from the media and other internet forums. Becker and Glass said the goal was never to “belittle” people in the adoption industry.

“The decision to present adoption in a Tinder-like format was purely meant as a jarring affront to everyday tech users, and not as an assault on the adoption industry itself,” the pair said in the email. “Of the few positive reactions to the app, we did hear that although Adoptly may not be an elegant solution, the goal of modernizing and networking more agencies to improve adoption rates is a good one. Some folks also mentioned that anything that gets people talking about adoption and thinking about its issues is ultimately helpful, as it shines a light on an area that doesn’t get nearly enough attention and support.”

Becker and Glass hired actors for the launch film, built a website, made a branding package, and designed the user interface of the app to make Adoptly seem as real as possible — it’s also why the app was on Kickstarter first, as the duo thought it would be more realistic.

Reception was skeptical

Kickstarter kicked Adoptly off its platform a few days after the campaign kicked off. When the team moved to Indiegogo, it was suspended again pending a review. Becker and Glass said neither crowdfunding service contacted their team before suspending the campaign. The Adoptly team intended to suspend the campaign early and refund all donations.

While they said initial reception from the media was more skeptical than with Pooper, public reaction “was far more divisive.” A lot of the negative feedback specifically mentioned how the app dehumanized and gamified the process of child adoption.

More: The Madrisa ski lift uses lasers to assist small children and the handicapped

“People, almost universally, had a gut reaction that swiping left and right to adopt a child didn’t feel quite right,” Becker and Glass said. “On the flip side, some felt that the notion didn’t feel too far-fetched. While others questioned why swiping is okay when searching for a partner in a relationship, and potential lifelong companion, but not in the case of adoption.”

But much of Adoptly’s user interface is based on already-existing standards in the child adoption process — you can, for example, filter children through gender, age, and ethnicity.

“Many thoughtful, well-intentioned and credible people came forward, from both the adoption sector and other areas, as well as prospective investors, to voice their genuine ideas for how to improve adoption, via email, which we really appreciated,” the duo said.

As a result, the team is setting up an email to take in ideas on how adoption can be improved, and they will connect people with ideas to “thinkers, innovators, and possible investors.” You can email contact@adoptlyapp.com if you want to suggest an idea.

Article originally published in January 2017. Updated on 01-31-2017 by Julian Chokkattu: Added news that the Adoptly campaign was a hoax.

Programmable cells may be the next step toward making us real-life cyborgs

Why it matters to you

Researchers have taken another step toward creating real-life cyborgs by demonstrating how biological cells can be electronically programmed to behave in different ways.

With high-tech implants, mind-controlled prostheses, and even head-up displays like Google Glass, it’s pretty clear that the cyborg dream of machine-augmented humans is no longer limited to science fiction.

Researchers from the University of Maryland have taken that dream to the next level, courtesy of new research showing how the “gene expression” of biological cells can be controlled electronically and even “programmed” to behave in different ways.

More: Ready to become a cyborg? This dermal implant will give you a sixth sense

“Electronics has changed our lives when it intersects with biology,” Dr. William Bentley, one of the authors of the paper, told Digital Trends. “Things which come to mind immediately are EKG, EEG, defibrillators and the like. This was discovered a long time ago, with people zapping neurons and cardiomyocytes with current and realizing that they could achieve amazing things by doing that. But for most of the molecules in the body — hormones, proteins or cholesterol — there’s no way of transferring information between biology and electronics. What we’re trying to do is to open up a dialogue.”

In the team’s latest paper, published in the journal Nature, the researchers describe an electrogenetic “switching” system within bacterial cells that lets them behave in ways nature never intended. This bioelectric hybrid system, controllable by applying voltage, enabled the team to create bacterial cells that would, for instance, light up with a green glow when switched on.

Another similar demonstration involved a bacterial cell that was able to move forward when turned on, and stop moving when turned off.

Bentley said that the work could lead to innovations like smart devices that are able to record the presence of particular pathogens and deliver drugs to specific sites in the body.

“People are really interested in wearable devices like the Fitbit,” he continued. “Maybe it would be possible to have a Fitbit equivalent that actually makes an antibiotic or insulin and delivers it through the skin. Or a smart bandage that can be put on the wound and can then detect the necessary biomarkers that are there.”

At what point do we sign up to get our Borg Collective membership cards?

Buy a GTX 1070/1080 card, get a code for ‘Ghost Recon Wildlands’ or ‘For Honor’

Why it matters to you

This is Nvidia’s attempt to lure customers away from AMD when they are considering a new graphics card or gaming-focused desktop or laptop.

On Tuesday, Nvidia launched its latest game bundle offer for the GeForce GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 graphics cards: The “Prepare For Battle” giveaway. Customers who purchase one of these cards or a pre-built desktop or laptop with the graphics chip inside can receive Ubisoft’s For Honor or Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands for free.

To grab the free game, customers must first purchase a qualifying product on or after January 31 and then register the product with its manufacturer. For example, EVGA customers must create an account, register their new hardware, and then request a code for one of the free games. Once approved, that code will show up on EVGA’s promotional page under the “Collect Your Code” section.

More: Nvidia is rolling out Software Upgrade v5 to its Shield TV 2015 set-top box

However, EVGA’s method only applies to hardware purchased through its online store. Customers who purchase qualifying products from third-party sites like Amazon and Newegg will receive a game code through those outlets. If they don’t, customers are encouraged to contact the seller for more information about obtaining the free code.

With a code in hand, PC gamers must then visit Nvidia’s GeForce website to redeem it for the free game. Nvidia said on Tuesday that it revamped the process of redeeming codes so customers aren’t enduring through long sign-up pages. Instead, they can load up the GeForce Experience desktop client and enter the code inside. There the chosen game can be automatically added to the customer’s Uplay account as well.

For those who haven’t seen these yet, here are the system requirements and release dates for both PC games:

For HonorFebruary 14

Minimum
Recommended
Operating system:
Windows 7/8.1/10 64-bit
Windows 7/8.1/10 64-bit
Processor:
Intel Core i3-550
AMD Phenom II X4 955
Intel Core i5-2500K
AMD FX-6350
Memory:
4GB
8GB
Graphics (Nvidia):
GeForce GTX 660
GeForce GTX 750 Ti
GeForce GTX 950
GeForce GTX 1050
*2GB VRAM minimum
GeForce GTX 680
GeForce GTX 760
GeForce GTX 970
GeForce GTX 1060
*2GB VRAM minimum
Graphics (AMD):
Radeon HD 6970
Radeon HD 7870
Radeon R9 270
Radeon R9 370
Radeon RX 460
*2GB VRAM minimum
Radeon R9 280X
Radeon R9 380
Radeon RX 470
*2GB VRAM minimum
Storage:
40GB
40GB
Network:
Broadband
Broadband

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon WildlandsMarch 7

Minimum
Recommended
Operating system:
Windows 7 SP1/8.1/10 64-bit
Windows 7 SP1/8.1/10 64-bit
Processor:
Intel Core i5-2400S (2.5GHz)
AMD FX-4320 (4.0GHz)
Intel Core i7-3770 (3.5GHz)
AMD FX-8350 (4.0GHz)
Memory:
6GB
8GB
Graphics (Nvidia):
GeForce GTX 660
GeForce GTX 1060
*2GB VRAM minimum
Graphics (AMD):
Radeon R7 270X
Radeon R7 270X
*2GB VRAM minimum
Storage:
50GB
50GB
DirectX:
DirectX 11
DirectX 11

Now here are the participants in Nvidia’s Prepare For Battle bundle program:

Etail/Retail
System Builders
Platform Partners
Amazon
CyberPower PC
EVGA
Canada Computers
Digital Storm
MSI
Fry’s Electronics
iBuyPower
PNY
Memory Express
Falcon Northwest
Zotac
Micro Center
Velocity Micro

NCIX
Steiger Dynamics

Newegg
Xotic PC

Sager Notebook Computers

Keep in mind that purchasing qualifying hardware doesn’t guarantee a free game code. The full Terms and Conditions can be read here.

When is your phone getting Android 7.0 Nougat? We asked every major manufacturer

Android 7.1.1 Nougat has been out for some time, but manufacturers and carriers are still lagging behind in pushing updates to devices. Now we’re on 7.1.2, but it’s still in beta and only offers bug fixes and optimizations.

The Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus Player, and Pixel C devices, as well as the General Mobile 4G, an Android One smartphone, should have the 7.1.1 update. The beta for 7.1.2 is gradually rolling out to the following enrolled devices: Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, and Pixel C. Android 7.1.1 will be the last version update for the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9, but the devices will continue receiving security updates.

More: Hands on with Nougat: Android 7.0 is Google’s sweetest update yet

Most manufacturers and carriers are still only rolling out Android 7.0, so don’t expect to see 7.1.1 or 7.1.2 any time soon. Android is notorious for its fragmentation — even if Google pushes an update, manufacturers and carriers test and roll it out separately, and the process usually takes months. It’s why several handsets like BlackBerry’s Priv and the OnePlus 2 received the Android Marshmallow update more than 6 months after Marshmallow launched.

So we put the question directly to the phone makers: “What’s your schedule for updates?” A lot of smartphone manufacturers declined to explicitly name a date or time range for Nougat updates, and only a few mentioned specific devices that will certainly be getting it. If a device has received Android 7.0 Nougat, it’s unlikely your carrier has pushed the update through yet unless it’s

We learned which devices are expected to get Android 7.0 Nougat and when to expect to see the update arrive. We will continue to update this article as we learn more.

Pixel, Nexus, Pixel C, and Android One devices

Google’s Nexus devices are almost always the first smartphones and tablets to receive version updates, and that hasn’t changed with Nougat. There were some delays for certain devices, but the Android 7.1.1 update should already be available to install for most Google devices.

As for 7.1.2, the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9 will not receive the update,, a Google spokesperson confirmed wto Ars Technica. The devices are past their 2-year version support window, but they will continue to get security updates for at least another year.

Pixel and Nexus devices with Nougat:

• Pixel and Pixel XL
• Google Nexus 6
• Google Nexus 5X
• Google Nexus 6P
• Google Nexus 9
• Google Nexus Player
• Google Pixel C
• General Mobile 4G (Android One)

Just head over to the “About Phone” section in your device’s Settings app. Tap on System updates and then Check for update. You should get a notification saying there’s an update ready to install. Older Nexus devices like the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7 (2013) are not receiving the Nougat update.

More: Google marks concrete dates for Nexus device update life cycle

RAM prices are on the increase, with no relief in sight until later in 2017

Why it matters to you

If you’re buying a new machine or upgrading the one you already have, you’ll need to set aside some additional cash for RAM as prices continue to increase.

Recent increases in demand along with supply constraints have driven up solid-state disk (SSD) prices over the last several months, which has put pressure on system and storage accessory pricing. Now, it looks like anyone in the market for a new machine, or for the parts to upgrade their existing machine, is going to face higher prices on other components as well.

This time around, it’s RAM that’s on the way up. While prices started rising sometime in the middle part of 2016, it looks like things aren’t likely to improve anytime soon, PCWorld reports.

More: SSD prices rise as NAND flash supply fails to keep pace with demand

Newegg’s Business blog first reported the beginning of an upward trend in a post on August 31. At that point, the price of a 16GB kit of DDR4 RAM had risen from close to $52 in June to $64 at the end of August. That was the first sign that the previous trend of lower prices was starting to reverse itself.

The reason for the increase in RAM prices is similar to the reason it affects SSD prices — issues such as power outages affecting DRAM manufacturer Samsung have decreased RAM supply at the same time that demand continues to go up. Servers and mobile RAM are the primary drivers of the increased demand, particularly as Android smartphones continue to increase the amount of installed memory.

On Tuesday, according to DigiTimes, demand remains strong and supply hasn’t yet caught up. As Pei-ing Lee, President of RAM manufacturer Nanya Technology, puts it, “The global DRAM supply will continue to fall slightly short of demand in the second quarter,” and therefore that company’s prices will continue to increase accordingly.

Just how bad is RAM pricing? A 16GB RAM kit that could be purchased from Newegg in November for $75 now costs $92. Another 16GB kit that cost $80 in December runs $100 or more. According to industry sources, it could be the third quarter of 2017 before prices stabilize.

It’s therefore not a great time to buy more RAM or a new SSD for your machine or to buy a new machine for that matter. However, unless you’re willing to wait more than just a few months to upgrade, then you might as well bite the bullet and pull out your credit card. Just be prepared to adjust your budget accordingly.

HTC loses another key executive as global vice president leaves after 12 years

Why it matters to you

Another top-ranking executive has left HTC as the company fights to stay relevant by innovating in new areas like virtual reality

Another top-ranking figure has left HTC as Global Executive Vice President Jason Mackenzie announced the end of his run with the Taiwanese consumer electronics firm via Twitter, saying Monday was his final day.

Previously employed at Siemens, he moved to HTC in 2005, right before the company emerged as a global player in the burgeoning smartphone market with its TouchFLO-powered Windows Mobile devices. Mackenzie rose through the ranks to eventually become president of HTC America in 2013. He was promoted to his EVP just about a year ago.

More: HTC smartwatch rumors and news

The intervening 12 years have been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for Mackenzie and the company. The rise of Android in the early days of the platform mirrored HTC’s own, and the company quickly came to be known as one of Google’s most innovative and valuable partners. Recent years, however, haven’t been nearly as kind, and though HTC continues to produce quality devices, it has struggled to regain the foothold it once claimed in the smartphone business.

Mackenzie’s departure comes mere days after news broke that Claude Zellweger, HTC’s vice president of design, left the company. Zellweger was instrumental in defining the aesthetic of HTC’s products, and most recently was heading up the team responsible for developing the Vive virtual reality headset. He’s since moved to Google to focus his efforts on Daydream VR. Engadget reports the designer actually left in July.

HTC is trying to stay relevant with expansion into new industries and revenue streams. The company has become a major player in the nascent virtual reality space with the Vive, which it co-developed with video game developer and distribution giant Valve. Meanwhile, it has assumed manufacturing duties for Google’s flagship Pixel smartphone. That particular agreement appears to have been a smart one for HTC, as it allows the company to focus on its strength — namely, building quality smartphones — while leaving the dilemma of marketing to a media powerhouse.