LG’s smartphones are no longer hurting the company

It’s a testament to how topsy-turvy the mobile world is that a company can make its seventh successive quarterly loss and still feel good. That’s because LG’s mobile division, which managed to burn almost 500 billion Korean won in the last three months of 2016, has managed to stem the flow of blood from its neck. In fact, in the first quarter of 2017, the division managed to lose just 200 million Korean won, or $176,206.

The fact that LG’s smartphone division now almost breaks even is a huge deal, considering how much money it’s been losing of late. In the fourth quarter of 2016, mobile losses were so steep it actually wiped out all of the profit that the other parts of the business made. Thankfully, LG has bounced back, and is reporting overall revenues of 14.66 trillion KRW (around $12.7 billion) and net profits of just over $736 million.

LG handset sales vs. operating income

As for the rest of LG, the company is doing well in the home appliance, air conditioner and home entertainment markets. The nascent vehicle components arm still remains a loss maker, but executives believe that R&D spending now will be offset with profits later. Not to mention that the company still has a successful partnership with Chevy producing components for the Bolt.

LG believes that the cost cutting measures it took in its mobile division last year, and the recently-released G6, will help it avoid hefty losses in the future. That said, the company also concedes that devices from other players — hint: Samsung and China — will continue to be obstacles in its way to future profitability. We’ve often asked if LG needs to cut its losses and get out of the mobile business, although if losses remain this small, the answer is probably ‘no.’

Source: LG, (2 .PDF)

Apple Music redesign will put video in the spotlight

We know all about Apple’s plans for Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke, but it looks like the company has bigger things in mind for its music-focused series. Bloomberg reports an Apple Music redesign will accompany the next version of iOS we’re likely to hear about at WWDC in June. The new look is said to do a better job of showing off video, a format Apple has big plans for moving forward.

Bloomberg explains that Apple plans to debut up to 10 different music series on the streaming service before the end of 2017. Some of those we already know about: Planet of the Apps, Carpool Karaoke and documentaries about labels Bad Boy Records and Cash Money Records. We also got word this week that a Clive Davis documentary would be exclusive to Apple Music as well as details on the Up Next series that focuses on notable new artists. However, one new item Bloomberg notes is a possible R. Kelly series. And yes, it’s a sequel to the hilarious Trapped in a Closet videos from a few years back. Apparently the Dr. Dre biopic Vital Signs is still coming as well.

WWDC 2017 would be a year since Apple Music’s last big redesign. The current version focuses on discovery and helping you find the music you’re looking for much quicker. With Apple’s focus on streaming as a key element of iOS, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more changes this year as part of the larger overhaul of the mobile operating system. Of course, Carpool Karaoke is delayed until “later this year,” so perhaps the company wants to tweak the viewing experience before rolling out its jam-packed slate of original series.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Bloomberg

Apple Again in Talks for Peer-to-Peer Mobile Payments, May Launch Its Own Visa Debit Cards

Apple is once again rumored to launch its own Venmo-like service, allowing iPhone users to pay friends and family members also on Apple’s ecosystem. Sources speaking with Recode mentioned that Apple intends to announce the service — which could have a name like “Apple Cash” — later this year, potentially at its fall iPhone event.

Sources conflict on whether or not an announcement and release date have yet to be set, however, with another person familiar with Apple’s plans suggesting that the company’s Venmo-like service is still very early in development. Today’s news of a potential ramp up of an in-house, peer-to-peer payments service from Apple comes over a year after the company was first rumored to be discussing such a service with a collection of U.S. banks.

Apple’s on-again, off-again flirtation with building its own money-transfer service appears to be back on.

The company has recently held discussions with payments industry partners about introducing its own Venmo competitor, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks. The service would allow iPhone owners to send money digitally to other iPhone owners, these people said.

The unnamed Apple payments service would include a major partnership with Visa, according to the sources, allowing users to obtain digital pre-paid cards that would run on Visa’s debit network but be tied directly into Apple’s peer-to-peer service, and could also be added into Apple Pay. In this way, users could get paid through so-called “Apple Cash” from a friend, and use the Visa card and Apple Pay to spend the money at a retail location or online, “without having to wait for it to clear to their bank account.”

The peer-to-peer platform is being looked at as a way to boost Apple Pay adoption and usage, which Apple itself has admitted to be slow over its first two years, but which the company believes to be on the path to replace cash and cards. Apple is expected to not charge users of the new payments service, so the company’s only profits from the platform would come from those who opt-in to use the Apple/Visa debit card, which some banks are concerned about.

The potential of Apple getting its own debit card, however, is not sitting well with some bank executives, sources told Recode. Some plan to raise their concerns with Visa next week during an annual summit that the credit card company is hosting for its bank partners.

“Banks spent heavily in insuring their cards were top of wallet when they all built and rolled out Apple Pay,” said Cherian Abraham, a digital payments executive at Experian. “So it’s justifiable to be concerned that Apple will have its own card and could potentially be top of wallet. If you are top of wallet, you are top of mind.”

There remain many questions in regards to Apple and Visa’s potential partnership, including whether or not concerns from banks would scare Visa away, or if Apple would launch an enticing enough rewards program to convince people to ditch their current credit or debit card for the new one. To gain the most traction, sources believe that Apple could be targeting teens and young adults with the new service, because the pre-paid card would make it easy to spend the money sent to them from friends and parents through “Apple Cash.”

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: recode.net
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Huawei Continues to Catch Apple, But Still Fighting to Gain Popularity in United States

Huawei, the world’s third-largest smartphone maker, continued to gain on Apple in the first three months of the year, with an impressive 21.7 percent growth, according to market research firm IDC.

Huawei shipped an estimated 34.2 million smartphones worldwide in the first quarter, capturing 9.8 percent market share, based on data from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. That’s up from an estimated 28.1 million smartphones it shipped in the year-ago quarter.

By comparison, Apple shipped an estimated 51.6 million iPhones in the quarter for 14.9 percent market share. Apple essentially saw no smartphone growth in the quarter as the market remains highly saturated, and due to seasonality factors as consumers anticipate a widely rumored trio of new iPhone models.

Huawei has previously outlined its ambitions to dethrone Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone maker within the next four years, a tall task that would require leapfrogging Apple in the process.

“We want to grow into top two market share, and, in the future, top one by 2021,” Huawei’s consumer head Richard Yu said in February.

Huawei’s biggest problem is that it still lacks considerable brand awareness in the western world. In the United States, it does not even crack the list of the top ten most popular smartphone brands, largely because it lacks agreements with the country’s biggest carriers Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

American customers have to resort to retailers such as Best Buy or Walmart, or Huawei’s direct sales website, to purchase one of their unlocked devices, reducing the brand’s visibility in the country.

Huawei has yet to reveal any larger plans for the United States, but in Canada, the company will begin selling its flagship P10 and P10 Plus smartphones through nationwide carriers Rogers and Bell starting in early June. Huawei has also been pushing its brand in Canada during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

If Huawei can find success in Canada, then perhaps it will consider tackling the much larger U.S. market next.

Tags: IDC, Huawei
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Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of iOS 10.3.2 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 10.3.2 update to developers, just a few days after seeding the fourth iOS 10.3.2 beta and a little over a month after introducing iOS 10.3, which included features like a new Find My AirPods feature and Apple File System. Apple also released a minor iOS 10.3.1 update in early April, which focused on security improvements.

Registered developers can download the fifth iOS 10.3.2 beta from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile installed.

Apple doesn’t provide detailed release notes for its beta updates, so we don’t yet know what features, improvements, or bug fixes might be coming in iOS 10.3.2, aside from some fixes for SiriKit car commands that were outlined in the release notes for the first beta.

As a minor 10.x.x update, we can expect iOS 10.3.2 to offer bug fixes and performance improvements rather than outward-facing features. No notable changes were found in the first four betas, but if anything new is found in the fifth iOS 10.3.2 beta, we’ll update this post.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
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Think superyachts are impressive now? Check out these decked-out concepts

Why it matters to you

If you’re planning to buy a superyacht in the future, here’s an early look at what your immense wealth could buy you.

As if today’s superyachts and concepts aren’t already sufficiently badass, now we have a chance to look at superyacht concepts proposed for the next decade by some of today’s top designers. Boat International just published Futureyachts, a bookazine that covers the future of superyachts from many aspects. Boat International gave Digital Trends an early look at images of and info about some of tomorrow’s superyacht concepts so we could give you a preliminary look. Futureyachts is available on Boat International’s website here.

L’Amage

Boat International Media

L’Amage kicks off the list as an exceptionally large superyacht with contemporary technology. The differentiating feature is passenger capacity. This 190-meter (620-foot) concept yacht stunner by Hamid Bekradi of HBD Studios and Christoph Kuhnert of Yacht Naval Architects of Hamburg can host 28 guests in 14 staterooms and still have room for 70 crew members. That works out to 2.5 crew per guest to be sure your needs are met whether you’re lounging in the bar, dancing in the wide open sitting area, or swimming in the wind-sheltered infinity pool. If you’d rather be alone, head topside to the grand observation deck with uninterrupted sea views.

Tomahawk 52

It appears that future superyachting often may be less about sunbathing and more about exploring. The 52-meter (171-foot) Tomahawk 52 proposed by Columbus Yachts and designer Marco Casali will match onboard comfort with technical and seakeeping qualities. The name comes from the bow’s ax-like shape. The Tomahawk concept can work in lengths from 40 to 100 meters. Casali told Boat International the Tomahawk is a “yacht inside a ship.” The owner will be especially aware of the luxury with the 807-square foot owner’s suite and 226-square foot private terrace.

Argo

Boat International Media

Italian shipbuilder Rossinavi and U.K.-based designer Ken Freivokh worked together for the first time on the 48-meter (157-foot) Argo. Another explorer-style superyacht, the Argo is designed for independent operation or for service as a support ship for even larger yachts. Argo has extensive tender storage and a custom-designed crane for launching two tenders, a personal submarine, and an amphibious landing craft. The aft deck also has a touch-and-go pad for the always-essential helicopter.

Y-Club 100

Boat International Media

Here’s a superyacht specifically designed to be a floating hotel. Naval architect Frank Neubelt’s 100-meter (328-foot) testbed is proposed to the smallest of a fleet of four superyachts, all managed by a five-star hotel chain. The other three will be about 130-meters long (427 feet). The Y-Club 100 will have 16,684 posh square feet to be shared by 36 guests and 50 crew members. All guest suites will have private balconies, living and sleeping areas, and separate dressing rooms. The exterior decks, counting the dual-purpose helipad and sundeck, add another 8,557 square feet of usable space.

Spectrum

Boat International Media

Right off you’ll notice the large windows for plenty of natural light on the Spectrum, conceived by Nauta Design and Oceanco. With five decks there is plenty of room for 14 guests with flowing interior and outdoor deck spaces. The lower deck features a wellness suite with a sauna, steam room, beauty treatment room, a massage room, and a gym.

Project Norse

Boat International Media

Project Norse has sails, but the main power is provided by conventional engines. The sail-assisted explorer is designed to travel across oceans and to both poles. Self-sustainability and minimal environmental impact drive the design concept, inspired by “the extensive range and endurance of the longboat and the use of sail as a secondary power source,” according to designer Oliver Stacey. Three identical masts have in-boom furling mainsails for maximum reliability and flexibility.

Project Barracuda

Boat International Media

Project Barracuda’s owner won’t have to wait till the ’20s. A collaboration of H2 Yacht Design for exterior design and Ken Freivokh for the interior, Project Barracuda is now under construction now at Turquoise’s Kocaeli shipyard and scheduled for delivery in 2019. The focus is practical elegance while enjoying the sea. Public areas include a combination saloon and dining room, a full-beam upper lounge and bar, steam room, massage room, beach club, and an indoor/outdoor gym. A triple-height atrium links the decks with a spiral staircase. The superyacht has space for 16 fun-loving guests in the owner’s suite, two VIP suites, and four guest cabins.

Private Bay

Boat International Media

Horacio Bozzo’s 123-meter (404-foot) Private Bay concept for Fincantieri accommodates 18 people with eight VIP cabins and the owner’s suite. A 160-square meter (1,722-square foot) beach club has an infinity pool with a swim-up cocktail bar, an outdoor cinema, and stairs that fold out for easy water access. You’ll have plenty of fun tooling around in other water craft with the Private Bay’s 8-meter RIB (rigid inflatable), 10-meter tender, 11-meter limo tender, and four personal watercraft, all housed in a side-loading tender garage.

Unnamed André Hoek-designed Explorer

Boat International Media

The André Hoek-designed explorer-style superyacht is currently under construction by Turquoise Yachts in Turkey. It resembles classic steamships but is built and equipped for 21st-century exploration. In addition to two good-sized tenders, the as-yet-unnamed ship has state-of-the-art satcom equipment in hidden domes and a large boarding platform with retractable stairs. Classic design follows inside with teak detailing styled by Hoek studio with John Vickers Studio in the United Kingdom.

Komorebi

Boat International Media

Project originator Mark Pajot says the hybrid Komorebi’s wing sails can drive the yacht up to 12 knots, reducing fuel consumption by 30 percent. Three buttons control the sails and the battens and sailcloth store in their booms. Inside there are five cabins on the main deck for guests and a beach club on the aft lower deck.

Blue Coast Yachts hybrid power trimaran

Boat International Media

French multihull specialist Coste Design is responsible for this power trimaran, which can be built in 60-, 80-, and 100-meter versions (197, 262, and 328 feet). Designed to be fast, light, and fuel-efficient, the yacht superstructure has a voluminous saloon with wrap-around window vistas to complement what promise to be luxurious accommodations.

Project Atlas

A collaboration by U.K.-based H2 Yacht Design and Laurent Giles Superyachts Architects, Project Atlas combines motor yacht size, explorer yacht range, and sailing yacht fuel savings. When the keel is raised, the Atlas can cruise like a motor yacht. Keel down, the low-drag hull and multimasted sail rig combine for efficient sailing. Expansive decks have multiple pools. Cleverly hidden lifeboats integrated into the upper deck are covered by detachable bulwarks.

Adventure 4008

Boat International Media

Eight guests in five cabins can go exploring with Dutch shipyard Damen’s 43-meter (141-foot) Adventure 4008. The superyacht’s rugged design has performance sufficient for thrill seekers, according to the designer. The aft deck does double duty as a helipad while providing space for personal submarines, watercraft, and tenders.

Ozobot joins forces with Marvel for new educational superhero machines

Why it matters to you

What is more fun than programming a robot? Programming a robot that looks like Spider-Man.

You might say that Ozobots are educational superheroes — the tiny, adorable motorized robots help teach kids how to code with an intuitive line-based programming language. But starting Thursday, they will don real superhero masks in new packs and skins inspired by Disney’s Marvel universe.

It’s an expansion of Ozobots’ Marvel Action line, which let players unlock features, voices, and behaviors that reflect the Marvel characters’ personalities and play missions in a companion Stark Academy app. “Our collaboration with Marvel continues to blend beloved superheroes with exciting mission-based adventures to ensure purposeful playtime along with an [educational] experience,” Nader Hamda, founder and CEO of Ozobot, said in a statement. “Ozobot players can now supplement their play with Marvel’s Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy characters, which will help them develop necessary superpowers for the digital age.”

The new Marvel-themed Ozobot kits include characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and the Avengers. Later this year, Rocket, Groot, Venom, Black Widow, the Incredible Hulk, and Ultron skins will ship to customers who pre-order from Best Buy, Toys “R” Us, Barnes & Noble, Disney.com, or the Ozobot website.

Two new starter packs, the Guardians of the Galaxy starter pack an Ozobot Bit Spider-Man starter pack, are available for $60, and individual skins start at $30. The Avengers line is available now and the starter kits will be released at Disney’s D23 Expo on July 14.

The kits come with the Ozobot Bit, the company’s first-generation design and the skins fit newest generation of Ozobot — the Evo. It’s Bluetooth enabled and works with a smartphone companion app that includes missions, games, and messaging features. It can interpret OzoBlockly, Ozobot’s block- and color-based programming language that kids can use to program spins, dances, zigzags and more. It is compatible more than 20 page of drawing and color-coding activities, four color-coding markers, color-coding stickers, Marvel-themed stickers and pop-outs, and a USB-charging cable that comes included.

The Ozoblock Evo is also social. It recognizes and connects with other Evo units nearby and, once paired, lets internet-connected owners exchange messages, share programs, and synchronize their units’ movements. “Whether players see themselves as a future artist or tomorrow’s astronaut, Ozobot kickstarts creativity, critical thinking, and tech skills that strengthen the whole mind,” Hamda said.

Ozobot is this season’s hot new educational toy. More than half a million units have shipped to date, and it is in use in more than 3,000 science, technology, engineering, art, math, English, and history courses. The newest additions to the lineup will no doubt help carry it further.

Ozobot joins forces with Marvel for new educational superhero machines

Why it matters to you

What is more fun than programming a robot? Programming a robot that looks like Spider-Man.

You might say that Ozobots are educational superheroes — the tiny, adorable motorized robots help teach kids how to code with an intuitive line-based programming language. But starting Thursday, they will don real superhero masks in new packs and skins inspired by Disney’s Marvel universe.

It’s an expansion of Ozobots’ Marvel Action line, which let players unlock features, voices, and behaviors that reflect the Marvel characters’ personalities and play missions in a companion Stark Academy app. “Our collaboration with Marvel continues to blend beloved superheroes with exciting mission-based adventures to ensure purposeful playtime along with an [educational] experience,” Nader Hamda, founder and CEO of Ozobot, said in a statement. “Ozobot players can now supplement their play with Marvel’s Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy characters, which will help them develop necessary superpowers for the digital age.”

The new Marvel-themed Ozobot kits include characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and the Avengers. Later this year, Rocket, Groot, Venom, Black Widow, the Incredible Hulk, and Ultron skins will ship to customers who pre-order from Best Buy, Toys “R” Us, Barnes & Noble, Disney.com, or the Ozobot website.

Two new starter packs, the Guardians of the Galaxy starter pack an Ozobot Bit Spider-Man starter pack, are available for $60, and individual skins start at $30. The Avengers line is available now and the starter kits will be released at Disney’s D23 Expo on July 14.

The kits come with the Ozobot Bit, the company’s first-generation design and the skins fit newest generation of Ozobot — the Evo. It’s Bluetooth enabled and works with a smartphone companion app that includes missions, games, and messaging features. It can interpret OzoBlockly, Ozobot’s block- and color-based programming language that kids can use to program spins, dances, zigzags and more. It is compatible more than 20 page of drawing and color-coding activities, four color-coding markers, color-coding stickers, Marvel-themed stickers and pop-outs, and a USB-charging cable that comes included.

The Ozoblock Evo is also social. It recognizes and connects with other Evo units nearby and, once paired, lets internet-connected owners exchange messages, share programs, and synchronize their units’ movements. “Whether players see themselves as a future artist or tomorrow’s astronaut, Ozobot kickstarts creativity, critical thinking, and tech skills that strengthen the whole mind,” Hamda said.

Ozobot is this season’s hot new educational toy. More than half a million units have shipped to date, and it is in use in more than 3,000 science, technology, engineering, art, math, English, and history courses. The newest additions to the lineup will no doubt help carry it further.

Ozobot joins forces with Marvel for new educational superhero machines

Why it matters to you

What is more fun than programming a robot? Programming a robot that looks like Spider-Man.

You might say that Ozobots are educational superheroes — the tiny, adorable motorized robots help teach kids how to code with an intuitive line-based programming language. But starting Thursday, they will don real superhero masks in new packs and skins inspired by Disney’s Marvel universe.

It’s an expansion of Ozobots’ Marvel Action line, which let players unlock features, voices, and behaviors that reflect the Marvel characters’ personalities and play missions in a companion Stark Academy app. “Our collaboration with Marvel continues to blend beloved superheroes with exciting mission-based adventures to ensure purposeful playtime along with an [educational] experience,” Nader Hamda, founder and CEO of Ozobot, said in a statement. “Ozobot players can now supplement their play with Marvel’s Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy characters, which will help them develop necessary superpowers for the digital age.”

The new Marvel-themed Ozobot kits include characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and the Avengers. Later this year, Rocket, Groot, Venom, Black Widow, the Incredible Hulk, and Ultron skins will ship to customers who pre-order from Best Buy, Toys “R” Us, Barnes & Noble, Disney.com, or the Ozobot website.

Two new starter packs, the Guardians of the Galaxy starter pack an Ozobot Bit Spider-Man starter pack, are available for $60, and individual skins start at $30. The Avengers line is available now and the starter kits will be released at Disney’s D23 Expo on July 14.

The kits come with the Ozobot Bit, the company’s first-generation design and the skins fit newest generation of Ozobot — the Evo. It’s Bluetooth enabled and works with a smartphone companion app that includes missions, games, and messaging features. It can interpret OzoBlockly, Ozobot’s block- and color-based programming language that kids can use to program spins, dances, zigzags and more. It is compatible more than 20 page of drawing and color-coding activities, four color-coding markers, color-coding stickers, Marvel-themed stickers and pop-outs, and a USB-charging cable that comes included.

The Ozoblock Evo is also social. It recognizes and connects with other Evo units nearby and, once paired, lets internet-connected owners exchange messages, share programs, and synchronize their units’ movements. “Whether players see themselves as a future artist or tomorrow’s astronaut, Ozobot kickstarts creativity, critical thinking, and tech skills that strengthen the whole mind,” Hamda said.

Ozobot is this season’s hot new educational toy. More than half a million units have shipped to date, and it is in use in more than 3,000 science, technology, engineering, art, math, English, and history courses. The newest additions to the lineup will no doubt help carry it further.

‘Under Leaves’ is one of the most relaxing games on the App Store right now

Why it matters to you

Looking for a more low-key, relaxing time-waster when you are on the go? Under Leaves is worth a try.

If you want to conquer ancient civilizations, get into a car chase with the cops, or be frightened to death in a haunted kids restaurant that bears a striking resemblance to Chuck E. Cheese’s, there is no shortage of games on the iOS App Store that will satisfy your needs. But what if you just want to explore the world, meet its creatures, and feel closer to nature? That is a market that hasn’t been quite so adequately served — which is precisely what makes Under Leaves so interesting.

Under Leaves is a visual search game, similar to I Spy or those old hidden pictures challenges in Highlights magazines you may remember reading as a kid. There are 21 stages around the world, each situated in the natural habitat of a particular animal. Your job is to help that animal find what they are looking for — flowers, nuts, leaves, you name it.

That is it. No gimmicks, no flash — just a therapeutic game of find the needle in the haystack as the soothing ambient sounds of the world’s most exotic biomes play uninterrupted in the background. It is an elegantly simple concept, and it is one of the more relaxing gaming experiences on the App Store.

Circus Atos

It is helped by the beautiful watercolor illustrations that serve as the background to each environment. According to the developer Circus Atos, the story goes that the designer, Barbora Podhorska, would create watercolor paintings to gain some relief from the stresses of working on other projects. These paintings became the inspiration for the game.

Under Leaves is perfect for little kids, too, as it doesn’t feature any text to read, save for numbers to count how many of each item you’ve located. It transcends age and language barriers — though don’t assume that means adults can’t enjoy it too.

Under Leaves is available starting Thursday on the iOS App Store for $2. You can also get it on PC through the Mac App Store for $4, or Steam for $5. There is no word on an Android release just yet.