Super Mario Run comes to Google Play March 23, you can pre-register now
Get ready to run as Mario and friends come to Google Play!
Nintendo America just dropped the date of March 23 as the day Super Mario Run comes to the Google Play Store.
In January we heard that Nintendo was putting more focus on getting Super Mario Run to Android, and March was their target for release. They will come in just in time according to this evening’s news.
Android version of #SuperMarioRun will be available on 3/23 with the Ver.2.0.0 update! Pre-register now: https://t.co/dAxzTlppnG pic.twitter.com/nQ0T4znOBt
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 18, 2017
Super Mario Run launched in December, 2016 for iOS, and while not the smash hit for Nintendo that they saw with Pokemon Go, plenty of people are playing on their iPhones.
If you want to make sure you are ready to go on March 23, you can pre-register for the game at Google Play right now so you’ll be set when it launches.
Pre-register at Google Play
Lily Drone team says it has no timeframe for issuing refunds
When Lily Robotics announced that its self-flying, follow-along camera drone wouldn’t be produced, it promised to refund $34 million in pre-orders back to its customers. That’s still the plan, but according to a new refund request form, the company isn’t sure when those payments will actually go out. That’s not much of a vote of confidence for customers who have already filed for refunds. Still, it’s at least organized — this new refund process is being run through Prime Clerk, the agency helping Lily Robotics navigate its bankruptcy claims.
That, at least, is some comfort — by making the refund process part of its bankruptcy, the company is hopefully ensuring that all of its customers will eventually be paid back for their pre-order. Lily Robotics hopes to refund most customers directly on the credit card, but is working on a plant to reimburse customers by other means if the original purchase card is no longer active.
Although the company has no official timeframe for refunds, it’s previously stated in bankruptcy documents that it plans to auction off its intellectual property and other assets sometime this summer, which could be an indication of when it expects to have more funds. If you haven’t already filed for a refund (or if you have on the old form) you can start the process here.
Source: Recode
Germany plans to squeeze hydroelectric power out of a coal mine
As coal energy falls out of favor in much of the world, one defunct mine in the heart of Germany’s coal country is preparing for a new life as a sustainable power plant. As Bloomberg reports, the Prosper-Haniel mine in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia is scheduled to shut down in 2018 when government coal subsidies end and the operation that has provided jobs for the town of Bottrop since 1974 becomes too expensive to operate. But the town could continue providing power to the region while leading the next wave of renewable energy developments by converting its mine shafts into a pumped hydroelectric storage station.
Similar to a standard hydroelectric power plant, pumped hydroelectric storage stations generate power by releasing water from a reservoir through a turbine to a second reservoir at a lower altitude. Rather than releasing the outflow, however, the water is then stored in the lower reservoir until it can be pumped back up to the top reservoir using cheaper, off-peak power or another renewable energy source. In the case of the Prosper-Haniel plant, the lower reservoir will be made up of more than 16 miles of mine shafts that reach up to 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) deep. The station’s 200 megawatts of hydroelectric power would fit into a mix of biomass, solar and wind power. It’s not a perpetual motion machine, but the water stored in the surface reservoir will effectively act as as backup “battery” that could kick in and fill any gaps in the energy mix whenever the other sources fall short.
As Mother Jones noted in 2014, the idea of a pumped hydroelectric storage facility isn’t exactly new — in fact, there are several already in operation around the US — but the Prosper-Haniel plant would be the first to utilize an abandoned mining site. And if the plant in Bottrop is a success, more mines in the region are expected to be converted as well, creating even more cost-effective energy storage as the country works to hit its goal of 30 percent renewable energy by 2025.
Supercomputer simulation looks inside of 2011’s deadliest tornado
In may of 2011, a sequence of tornadoes roared across the midwestern United States. The incident became a focal point for scientists eager to learn what it is about supercell storms that allow them to form such devastating tornados. It’s an important field of study, but a challenging one — these storms are so enormous there’s simply too much data for typical methods to work through. So, what’s a atmospheric scientist to do? Use a supercomputer, of course.
Leigh Orf at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had the 2011 storm simulated by the University of Illinois’ Blue Waters machine — tasking the supercomputer with breaking the enormous supercell into almost two billion small chunks spread over a 75 square mile area. The wind speed, temperature, pressure humidity and precipitation of each of those smaller sections was individually calculated before reassembling the bits into one large recreation of the entire storm. The task took three days and 20,000 of Blue Waters’ processing cores, but it was worth it.
“For the first time, we’ve been able to peer into the inner workings of a supercell that produces a tornado,” Orf says. “We have the full storm, and we can see everything going on inside of it.” This lets his team directly study how these deadly twisters are formed from the inside-out. It also gives us a hauntingly beautiful video of the storms formation to watch.
It’s a research problem that couldn’t have been solved any other way, too — not so much because the weather is complex, Orf says, but because there’s just too much data to be handled any other way. “This type of work needs the world’s strongest computers just because the problem demands it,” he told Popular Science. “there’s no way around it.”
Source: Popular Science
ISPs don’t want the FCC to call your browser history ‘sensitive information’
Why it matters to you
If an organization representing the interests of mobile broadband companies gets its way, the FCC won’t consider your web browser and app usage history to be sensitive information.
One of the more contentious issues facing the new Federal Communications Commission chairman is how internet service providers and other companies regulated by the FCC are able to share customer data. The FCC passed rules during the Obama administration that limit how and when this data is shared, and the new FCC chairman and the U.S. Congress are trying to scale back those limitations.
Among the FCC rules that are under reconsideration is the requirement that internet service providers must receive opt-in permission from their customers before “sensitive information” can be passed along to third parties. Mobile broadband providers want to redefine the definition of what’s considered sensitive information and exclude it from whatever laws remain, as Ars Technical reports.
More: The U.S. Senate wants to limit the FCC’s ability to regulate ISP data policies
Sensitive information currently includes a host of data, such as geolocation, financial, and health information, along with the actual content of internet communications like email and messaging. The CTIA, an organization representing the interests of mobile broadband companies including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint, wants web browsing and app usage history excluded from the definition. In a statement, the CTIA said: “To justify diverging from the [Federal Trade Commission’s] framework and defining Web browsing history as ‘sensitive,’ the commission and the [privacy rule supporters] both cherry-picked evidence in an attempt to show that ISPs have unique and comprehensive access to consumers’ online information. As the full record shows, however, this is simply not true. Indeed, even a prominent privacy advocacy organization asserted that it is ‘obvious that the more substantial threats for consumers are not ISPs,’ but rather other large edge providers.”
In other words, the FTC treats things differently, and so should the FCC, and the CTIA quoted a filing by the Electronic Privacy Information Center in putting forth its position. The quote states that it’s “the largest email, search, and social media companies” that represent the most substantial privacy threats.
Generally speaking, advocacy groups disagree about what constitutes sensitive information. A recent FCC filing by some groups stated, “It is clear that even with encryption, ISPs can glean information about political views, sexual orientation, and other types of sensitive information. As is true with call history and video viewing history, Web browsing history is sensitive and should require affirmative consent before use by ISPs.”
The CTIA’s concerns about what constitutes sensitive data might not matter much in the future, as both FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and the U.S. Congress are working to remove the rules that dictate how companies can share data. If these efforts succeed, then the FCC will lose much of its authority to regulate any sensitive data whether or not it includes web browsing and app usage data.
Weekly Rewind: A ‘Matrix’ spinoff, lab-grown chicken, Tag Heuer’s $1,600 smartwatch
A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from why most virtual assistants are female to how much we really fear self-driving cars — it’s all here.
Alexa, why aren’t you a dude? How female digital assistants reinforce stereotypes
These days, we find ourselves surrounded by helpful assistants, from Apple’s Siri to Microsoft’s futuristic Cortana to Amazon’s Alexa to … whatever the designation for “OK Google” is — and every one of them defaults to a female persona. In response, a lot of writers are asking if the tendency of postmodern digital assistants to skew female is a dangerous thing for society.
Read the full story here.
The US Air Force now has more drone operator jobs than traditional pilot jobs
Need proof of the changing needs of the job market? Look no further than the U.S. Air Force, where for the first time, there are more jobs open for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drone pilots than for any other kind of pilot position. As the head of Air Education and Training Command, Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, told reporters during a media roundtable at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, “I never thought I’d say that when I joined the Air Force.”
Read the full story here.
People want driverless features but are afraid of autonomous cars, AAA reports
Do we or don’t we? A recent AAA survey found that while more than half of all U.S. drivers want autonomous technology in their next vehicle, an even greater number reported fear of the prospect of riding in a self-driving vehicle. If we can agree that autonomous features are a given in our future, the automotive community will have to address consumer concerns and find ways to ease the transition.
Read the full story here.
Tag Heuer’s new smartwatch has 500 style combinations, and costs at least $1,600
Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer has returned to the world of smartwatches, after first embracing the technology in 2015 with the Tag Heuer Carrera Connected. The new model, called the Connected Modular 45, makes the Carrera Connected look like a tentative, exploratory first step. For the new watch, Tag Heuer will offer 11 standard models, with another 45 available to special order, and a huge range of interchangeable parts for a total of 500 different style possibilities.
Read the full story here.
Memphis Meats has successfully created lab-grown chicken, but it costs $9,000 per pound
Last year, it was the “world’s first clean meatball” that helped Memphis Meats grab headlines in February. In November, the startup launched an Indiegogo campaign with plans to grow cultured poultry meat in the lab. Today, the company announced that it has successfully served chicken and duck meat without having raised or slaughtered a bird.
Read the full story here.
IBM and Visa want all smart devices to be able to make purchases for you
As technology grows, so do the options for making purchases. Millions of people are already able to make purchases using PayPal or Apple Pay, but IBM and Visa aim expand that even further. Together, they want all connected devices to act as mobile payment systems. By collaborating with Visa, IBM will use its own Watson Internet of Things (IoT) platform to allow businesses to quickly add secure payment options to any device connected to the internet. These days, that means anything from a cars, to rings, or even shoes.
Read the full story here.
Take the red pill, and the rabbit hole could lead to a ‘Matrix’ spinoff
Get ready to re-enter The Matrix. While news of the film’s potential reboot was widespread due to The Hollywood Reporter’s original article, writer Zak Penn took to Twitter today to clarify that he’s actually working on new movies set within the film’s cinematic universe. Read our updated report for more details.
Read the full story here.
This year’s best science photos will dazzle your eyeballs and melt your brain
3D printing, medical scanners, and computer generated imagery may seem to have nothing in common with paintbrushes, cameras, and sculpting tools — that is, until you see the winning shots from the 20th annual Wellcome Image Awards. The contest celebrates the best science images from around the globe, from the more traditional photographs taken with an actual camera to 3D sculptures lit with a myriad of light to visualize how the brain processes language.
Read the full story here.
I loaded my condo with tech — and discovered smart homes still need a lot of work
Since I moved into my condo in August 2016, I’ve been slowly adding smart tech … and living through the fun and frustration that come along with it. After more than half a year of residing in a smart apartment, I can say there’s no magic bullet that makes everything fully automated. The presence of Amazon’s Alexa means I have to pull out my phone way less often than I used to, but even it still has some quirks that can leave me longing for the days of unconnected lightbulbs. To wrap up the smart-apartment series, I thought I’d give my impression of all the gear I put in my place, now that I’ve had several months to get used to it.
Read the full story here.
U.S. will charge two Russian spies and two hackers in 2014 Yahoo breach
The U.S. Department of Justice will charge two Russian spies and two hackers with targeting Yahoo and breaching more than 500 million users’ accounts, The Washington Post reports. Yahoo had previously accused “state-sponsored” hackers of carrying out the attack. A source within the department said the charges will amount to the largest hacking case ever brought by the U.S. government. These charges include hacking, wire fraud, trade secret theft, and economic espionage.
Read the full story here.
Updated 3-17-2017 at 5:09 p.m. PST by Ryan Waniata: Updated the latest news on ‘The Matrix’ reboot talks, which now appears to be instead new movies created within the seminal film’s cinematic universe.
Weekly Rewind: A ‘Matrix’ spinoff, lab-grown chicken, Tag Heuer’s $1,600 smartwatch
A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from why most virtual assistants are female to how much we really fear self-driving cars — it’s all here.
Alexa, why aren’t you a dude? How female digital assistants reinforce stereotypes
These days, we find ourselves surrounded by helpful assistants, from Apple’s Siri to Microsoft’s futuristic Cortana to Amazon’s Alexa to … whatever the designation for “OK Google” is — and every one of them defaults to a female persona. In response, a lot of writers are asking if the tendency of postmodern digital assistants to skew female is a dangerous thing for society.
Read the full story here.
The US Air Force now has more drone operator jobs than traditional pilot jobs
Need proof of the changing needs of the job market? Look no further than the U.S. Air Force, where for the first time, there are more jobs open for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drone pilots than for any other kind of pilot position. As the head of Air Education and Training Command, Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, told reporters during a media roundtable at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, “I never thought I’d say that when I joined the Air Force.”
Read the full story here.
People want driverless features but are afraid of autonomous cars, AAA reports
Do we or don’t we? A recent AAA survey found that while more than half of all U.S. drivers want autonomous technology in their next vehicle, an even greater number reported fear of the prospect of riding in a self-driving vehicle. If we can agree that autonomous features are a given in our future, the automotive community will have to address consumer concerns and find ways to ease the transition.
Read the full story here.
Tag Heuer’s new smartwatch has 500 style combinations, and costs at least $1,600
Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer has returned to the world of smartwatches, after first embracing the technology in 2015 with the Tag Heuer Carrera Connected. The new model, called the Connected Modular 45, makes the Carrera Connected look like a tentative, exploratory first step. For the new watch, Tag Heuer will offer 11 standard models, with another 45 available to special order, and a huge range of interchangeable parts for a total of 500 different style possibilities.
Read the full story here.
Memphis Meats has successfully created lab-grown chicken, but it costs $9,000 per pound
Last year, it was the “world’s first clean meatball” that helped Memphis Meats grab headlines in February. In November, the startup launched an Indiegogo campaign with plans to grow cultured poultry meat in the lab. Today, the company announced that it has successfully served chicken and duck meat without having raised or slaughtered a bird.
Read the full story here.
IBM and Visa want all smart devices to be able to make purchases for you
As technology grows, so do the options for making purchases. Millions of people are already able to make purchases using PayPal or Apple Pay, but IBM and Visa aim expand that even further. Together, they want all connected devices to act as mobile payment systems. By collaborating with Visa, IBM will use its own Watson Internet of Things (IoT) platform to allow businesses to quickly add secure payment options to any device connected to the internet. These days, that means anything from a cars, to rings, or even shoes.
Read the full story here.
Take the red pill, and the rabbit hole could lead to a ‘Matrix’ spinoff
Get ready to re-enter The Matrix. While news of the film’s potential reboot was widespread due to The Hollywood Reporter’s original article, writer Zak Penn took to Twitter today to clarify that he’s actually working on new movies set within the film’s cinematic universe. Read our updated report for more details.
Read the full story here.
This year’s best science photos will dazzle your eyeballs and melt your brain
3D printing, medical scanners, and computer generated imagery may seem to have nothing in common with paintbrushes, cameras, and sculpting tools — that is, until you see the winning shots from the 20th annual Wellcome Image Awards. The contest celebrates the best science images from around the globe, from the more traditional photographs taken with an actual camera to 3D sculptures lit with a myriad of light to visualize how the brain processes language.
Read the full story here.
I loaded my condo with tech — and discovered smart homes still need a lot of work
Since I moved into my condo in August 2016, I’ve been slowly adding smart tech … and living through the fun and frustration that come along with it. After more than half a year of residing in a smart apartment, I can say there’s no magic bullet that makes everything fully automated. The presence of Amazon’s Alexa means I have to pull out my phone way less often than I used to, but even it still has some quirks that can leave me longing for the days of unconnected lightbulbs. To wrap up the smart-apartment series, I thought I’d give my impression of all the gear I put in my place, now that I’ve had several months to get used to it.
Read the full story here.
U.S. will charge two Russian spies and two hackers in 2014 Yahoo breach
The U.S. Department of Justice will charge two Russian spies and two hackers with targeting Yahoo and breaching more than 500 million users’ accounts, The Washington Post reports. Yahoo had previously accused “state-sponsored” hackers of carrying out the attack. A source within the department said the charges will amount to the largest hacking case ever brought by the U.S. government. These charges include hacking, wire fraud, trade secret theft, and economic espionage.
Read the full story here.
Updated 3-17-2017 at 5:09 p.m. PST by Ryan Waniata: Updated the latest news on ‘The Matrix’ reboot talks, which now appears to be instead new movies created within the seminal film’s cinematic universe.
Weekly Rewind: A ‘Matrix’ spinoff, lab-grown chicken, Tag Heuer’s $1,600 smartwatch
A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from why most virtual assistants are female to how much we really fear self-driving cars — it’s all here.
Alexa, why aren’t you a dude? How female digital assistants reinforce stereotypes
These days, we find ourselves surrounded by helpful assistants, from Apple’s Siri to Microsoft’s futuristic Cortana to Amazon’s Alexa to … whatever the designation for “OK Google” is — and every one of them defaults to a female persona. In response, a lot of writers are asking if the tendency of postmodern digital assistants to skew female is a dangerous thing for society.
Read the full story here.
The US Air Force now has more drone operator jobs than traditional pilot jobs
Need proof of the changing needs of the job market? Look no further than the U.S. Air Force, where for the first time, there are more jobs open for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drone pilots than for any other kind of pilot position. As the head of Air Education and Training Command, Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, told reporters during a media roundtable at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, “I never thought I’d say that when I joined the Air Force.”
Read the full story here.
People want driverless features but are afraid of autonomous cars, AAA reports
Do we or don’t we? A recent AAA survey found that while more than half of all U.S. drivers want autonomous technology in their next vehicle, an even greater number reported fear of the prospect of riding in a self-driving vehicle. If we can agree that autonomous features are a given in our future, the automotive community will have to address consumer concerns and find ways to ease the transition.
Read the full story here.
Tag Heuer’s new smartwatch has 500 style combinations, and costs at least $1,600
Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer has returned to the world of smartwatches, after first embracing the technology in 2015 with the Tag Heuer Carrera Connected. The new model, called the Connected Modular 45, makes the Carrera Connected look like a tentative, exploratory first step. For the new watch, Tag Heuer will offer 11 standard models, with another 45 available to special order, and a huge range of interchangeable parts for a total of 500 different style possibilities.
Read the full story here.
Memphis Meats has successfully created lab-grown chicken, but it costs $9,000 per pound
Last year, it was the “world’s first clean meatball” that helped Memphis Meats grab headlines in February. In November, the startup launched an Indiegogo campaign with plans to grow cultured poultry meat in the lab. Today, the company announced that it has successfully served chicken and duck meat without having raised or slaughtered a bird.
Read the full story here.
IBM and Visa want all smart devices to be able to make purchases for you
As technology grows, so do the options for making purchases. Millions of people are already able to make purchases using PayPal or Apple Pay, but IBM and Visa aim expand that even further. Together, they want all connected devices to act as mobile payment systems. By collaborating with Visa, IBM will use its own Watson Internet of Things (IoT) platform to allow businesses to quickly add secure payment options to any device connected to the internet. These days, that means anything from a cars, to rings, or even shoes.
Read the full story here.
Take the red pill, and the rabbit hole could lead to a ‘Matrix’ spinoff
Get ready to re-enter The Matrix. While news of the film’s potential reboot was widespread due to The Hollywood Reporter’s original article, writer Zak Penn took to Twitter today to clarify that he’s actually working on new movies set within the film’s cinematic universe. Read our updated report for more details.
Read the full story here.
This year’s best science photos will dazzle your eyeballs and melt your brain
3D printing, medical scanners, and computer generated imagery may seem to have nothing in common with paintbrushes, cameras, and sculpting tools — that is, until you see the winning shots from the 20th annual Wellcome Image Awards. The contest celebrates the best science images from around the globe, from the more traditional photographs taken with an actual camera to 3D sculptures lit with a myriad of light to visualize how the brain processes language.
Read the full story here.
I loaded my condo with tech — and discovered smart homes still need a lot of work
Since I moved into my condo in August 2016, I’ve been slowly adding smart tech … and living through the fun and frustration that come along with it. After more than half a year of residing in a smart apartment, I can say there’s no magic bullet that makes everything fully automated. The presence of Amazon’s Alexa means I have to pull out my phone way less often than I used to, but even it still has some quirks that can leave me longing for the days of unconnected lightbulbs. To wrap up the smart-apartment series, I thought I’d give my impression of all the gear I put in my place, now that I’ve had several months to get used to it.
Read the full story here.
U.S. will charge two Russian spies and two hackers in 2014 Yahoo breach
The U.S. Department of Justice will charge two Russian spies and two hackers with targeting Yahoo and breaching more than 500 million users’ accounts, The Washington Post reports. Yahoo had previously accused “state-sponsored” hackers of carrying out the attack. A source within the department said the charges will amount to the largest hacking case ever brought by the U.S. government. These charges include hacking, wire fraud, trade secret theft, and economic espionage.
Read the full story here.
Updated 3-17-2017 at 5:09 p.m. PST by Ryan Waniata: Updated the latest news on ‘The Matrix’ reboot talks, which now appears to be instead new movies created within the seminal film’s cinematic universe.
Porsche Design has sent its Book One detachable 2-in-1 to FCC for certification
Why it matters to you
Your options for a detachable 2-in-1 should double soon, as Porsche Design’s Book One is seeking certification from the FCC.
Microsoft’s Surface Book was the first Windows 10 2-in-1 that used a clamshell notebook design with a display that could detach from a keyboard base and work as a stand-alone tablet. It’s an expensive design that’s rumored to revert to a traditional notebook in its next iteration.
The team over at Porsche Design, however, doesn’t have the same alleged qualms about offering up a pricey machine. The Book One is an expensive detachable in the same vein as today’s Surface Book , and it was just submitted to the Federal Communications Commission for certification, as Liliputing reports.
More: Porsche Design’s sleek 2-in-1 Windows 10 PC boasts detachable keyboard
The Porsche Design machine is notable for a few reasons. First, it offers a unique hinge design that allows its display to not only detach in a similar fashion to the Surface Book, but also to flip around like 360-degree convertible 2-in-1s. That design offers the best of both worlds — a thin-and-light tablet along with the convenience of simply being able to rotate the screen into tablet mode.
Second, the Book One is a very expensive machine, with a $2,495 price tag for its standard configuration that includes a Core i7-7500U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD. That makes it nearly as expensive as the equivalent Surface Book with Performance Base, which is itself the most expensive Windows 10 2-in-1 on the market.
As Liliputing points out, the FCC documentation offers up a few tantalizing details. For example, while the Book One specs clarify that the tablet portion has a 3,235mAh 7.6v battery, for 25 watt-hours, while the keyboard dock has a 2,945mAh 15.4v battery, for 45 watt-hours. A total of 70 watt-hours should give the Book One battery life that falls between the original Surface Book and the Performance Base version.
In addition, the Book One is being manufactured by Quanta, a Taiwanese manufacturer. While none of that is particularly surprising or intriguing information, the very fact that it received FCC certification means that the machine would appear to be on track for its April release. If the recent Surface Book rumors hold true, that’s when we’ll find out about its major competitor, the alleged Surface Book 2.
Eight Galaxys, six Gs and three weeks [#acpodcast]
This week, Daniel, Russell, Jerry and Andrew tell the tale of three phones, each with different prospects for the worldwide handset market.
The LG G6 is coming soon, and it’s a known quantity. With three weeks between its released (April 7) and the Galaxy S8 (April 28), what does LG need in order to capitalize on that gap? And will giving away free Google Homes and big-screen TVs make a difference in the long run?
And then there’s the Galaxy S8 itself, which has a lot going for it but the unknowns are still plentiful. From the removal of the famous front home button to the busy sensor panel above the Super AMOLED display, Samsung seems to be courting a fair amount of controversy — and the phone hasn’t even been announced!
Finally, HTC’s U Ultra is kind of DOA, but it’s also an example of how HTC, even in its diminished state, never stops striving for that premium spot in the market.
Oh, and Russell needs a plumber. Anyone know one?
Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral328.mp3
AIVAnet 