Splitting up with Apple is a chipmaker’s nightmare

Apple is such a powerful company that, for third-party suppliers, it’s hard not to become reliant on the cash that it pays you. But when Apple says that it’s done, choosing to move whatever technology you provide in house, the results can be really painful.

Imagination Technologies is one such supplier, famously designing the iPhone’s PowerVR graphics as well as pushing MIPS, a rival to ARM. But back in March, Imagination publicly announced that Apple was ditching it in favor of its own graphics silicon.

Now, Imagination has revealed that it’s going to take Apple to dispute resolution, maintaining that the iPhone maker used Imagination’s IP without permission. It’s the second chipmaker in recent months who believes Apple isn’t playing fair, with Qualcomm counter-suing Apple in its own licensing dispute.

Secondly, Imagination is going to have to sell off MIPS and Ensigma, two parts of its business that aren’t as profitable as PowerVR. Gamers with long memories will remember that MIPS designed the CPUs that lurked inside the PlayStation, PS2 and Nintendo 64. Imagination bought the company in 2013 in an attempt to turn the company into a mobile chip rival to ARM.

But since ARM chips are now the world’s “most used consumer product,” MIPS never stood a chance of competing. As a consequence, the technology remained vital only in the embedded device markets such as set-top boxes, routers and automotive systems.

MIPS was also pushed to hobbyists under the Creator platform, which Imagination described as a “Raspberry Pi, on steroids.” When MIPS is sold, however, it’s possible that any attempts to sell MIPS to hobbyists will be put on ice.

Then there’s the fact that PowerVR’s graphics have been slowly ditched by other members of the mobile industry in favor of ARM’s Mali alternative. As a consequence, Imagination began pushing PowerVR to budget smartphone suppliers, like MediaTek.

The decision to go public with the news was extraordinary, since Apple’s partners are often subject to the same vows of corporate silence Apple itself observes. But it also heralded doom for a small British company that had been involved with Apple since the iPod and, for too long, relied on those licensing dollars for the bulk of its profit.

It’s likely then that, if Imagination survives, you’ll see PowerVR go from a premium brand to one attached to $50 and $100 devices. The company will also serve as a reminder that, if you get too deeply involved with Apple, there’s always the risk that the party will end.

Source: Imagination Technologies

UK ad watchdog to tackle misleading broadband speed claims

Broadband pricing is easier to understand than it used to be. Last year, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) forced ISPs to include line rental in the price of contracts, so consumers know exactly what they’re expected to pay each month. (Introductory discounts still obscure the price you’ll be paying later down the line, but hey-ho. Baby steps.) That November, the ASA said it was also time to revisit speed claims, given most customers are unlikely to get what’s advertised. Today, the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) — which sets the rules the ASA enforce — has proposed a number of ways speed claims could be made more transparent.

As it stands, the “up to” speeds ISPs advertise only need to be achievable by at least 10 percent of subscribers. Most people aren’t aware these figures are best-case scenarios, and that depending on congestion and distance from exchange, they can actually expect something much slower. The CAP is suggesting these “up to” speeds could be replaced with peak-time median download speed, 24-hour national median download speed, or the range of peak-time or national speeds that users within the 20th to 80th percentile achieve.

If that all sounds a bit complicated, we’re with you, but the gist is that any of those figures would paint a clearer picture of what speeds the regular subscriber gets, not just those that live opposite an exchange. CAP is also suggesting that any ad making speed claims should tell consumers to get a more specific estimation of what speeds they’re likely to get straight from the horse’s mouth.

CAP is soliciting feedback on its four options from the industry and consumers, though it will also consider other good suggestions. The open consultation ends mid-July, so it’s reasonable to think new guidelines, whatever they might be, will be drawn up before the end of the year. Sky has actually jumped the gun a little on this. From December last year, it began including average speeds in ads alongside the usual “up to” figure. Average download speeds appear to be too simplistic a measure for CAP’s liking, but at least Sky is setting something of an example by making its speed claims more transparent before being forced to.

Via: ISPreview

Source: Committees of Advertising Practice

Apple Claims 2 Million Jobs Created Across 50 U.S. States

Apple updated its website on Wednesday with U.S. job creation numbers from 2016, revealing that the company has generated a total of 2 million jobs across all 50 states.

Last year saw Apple spend more than $50 billion with 9,000 U.S. suppliers and manufacturers, and create around 90,000 supplier and manufacturer jobs, bringing the total number to 450,000 jobs, up from 361,000 in 2015. Meanwhile the number of people directly employed by Apple rose to 80,000, up from 76,000 in the previous year.

Across the U.S., 29 cities are home to at least 250 Apple employees, while 44 states have an Apple Store. Apple says it has seen a 28x increase in employment outside of California since 2000, with a 1,500 percent growth in U.S. employees as a whole since 1998.

Software-wise, Apple states that 1,530,000 U.S. jobs could be linked to the App Store ecosystem, an increase of 130,000 from 2015. U.S. developers were said to have earned $16 billion from sales since the App Store was launched in 2008.

The dedicated web page also provides a state-by-state breakdown of the above figures and highlights some of Apple’s major U.S. investments, including its Cupertino headquarters, data centers in North Carolina, Oregon, and Reno, and campuses in Arizona and Texas.

The website changes come on the same day CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple is creating a new $1 billion fund for advanced manufacturing, in a further effort to promote U.S. job creation.
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Imagination Tech Starts ‘Dispute Process’ With Apple Over Chip Licensing Rights

Long-time Apple chip supplier Imagination Technologies has started a “dispute resolution procedure” with Apple after failing to resolve a disagreement over licensing between the two companies (via Reuters).

Last month, Apple informed the British chipmaker that it plans to cease using its graphics technology in consumer devices over the next two years as it transitions to using its own in-house chips for products including iPhones and iPads.

The news came as a major blow to Imagination, which receives a small royalty on every device sold, amounting to up to half of its revenue. The company’s shares fell by 70 percent on the day and have barely recovered.

Imagination stated in April that it doubted Apple could go it alone without violating Imagination’ patents, intellectual property and confidential information. On Thursday it said it had been unable to make satisfactory progress with Apple on an alternative commercial arrangements for the current license and royalty agreement.

“Imagination has been unable to make satisfactory progress with Apple to date regarding alternative commercial arrangements for the current licence and royalty agreement,” it said.

“Imagination has therefore commenced the dispute resolution procedure under the licence agreement with a view to reaching an agreement through a more structured process. Imagination has reserved all its rights in respect of Apple’s unauthorised use of Imagination’s confidential information and Imagination’s intellectual property rights.”

Analysts have predicted that Imagination will become loss-making by 2019 without any Apple royalties to fall back on, and that the firm will have to work out a cost-cutting strategy if it is to survive.

The company has revealed it is selling MIPS and Ensigma – two of its three major businesses – in an attempt to shore up cash, allowing for a renewed focus on its PowerVR graphics technology.

“While the Group has continued to invest in its MIPS and Ensigma businesses, it has now decided to actively market these businesses for sale, concentrate its resources on PowerVR and strengthen Imagination’s balance sheet,” it said.

Tag: Imagination Technologies
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Apple’s Affiliate Commission Changes Only Apply to In-App Purchases?

Last week we reported that Apple had emailed all iTunes Affiliate Program members to inform them that its commission rate for all apps and in-app content would be reduced to 2.5 percent on May 1, down from 7 percent, globally.

The news came as a blow to app review and discovery websites like AppShopper and TouchArcade that depend on the commissions to generate revenue.

However, this morning MacGamerHQ posted an email communication from iTunes Affiliate Support that casts doubt on Apple’s original announcement.

The message above was received in response to a query about whether Mac apps would be impacted by the commission changes. As shown, the email states that iOS and Mac app commissions remain at 7 percent, while only in-app commissions will fall to 2.5 percent.

If the affiliate team’s information is accurate, then the change in commissions does not apply to individual app purchases, as Apple originally stated.

MacGamerHQ notes that several affected site owners and bloggers are still seeing 7 percent commissions come through for iTunes affiliate links, despite the fact that the changes were meant to come into effect on Monday. We’ll make sure to update this post if/when Apple clarifies the situation.

Tags: App Store, iTunes Affiliate Program
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Hangsmart will stop you from throwing your framed pictures out of the window

Why it matters to you

Hanging a picture on the wall often seems like a good idea at the time, but getting it straight can be a real test of your patience. Which is where the Hangsmart comes in.

The frustrating process of getting a picture to hang straight can leave many people with a desire to launch their beloved artwork out of the nearest window.

Likewise, if you’ve someone in the room trying to help, their constant “up a bit, down a bit, down a bit more, a little bit more, up a bit … it’s not level, still not level … it’s leaning to the right … to the left … down a bit” may leave you wanting to hurl them out of the window, too.

The tricky challenge has prompted a Swedish startup to create the Absolut Hangsmart, which, as its name cleverly suggests, helps you to absolutely hang your pictures smart. Or something like that.

Described by its creator as “the world’s first all-in-one device to mount, position, and adjust any work of art,” the Hangsmart aims to prevent unwanted spikes in your blood pressure and make beautifying your room a pleasure rather than a time-consuming nightmare that in some cases leaves you banging your head against the very same wall you’re trying to hang your picture on.

So cast aside your measuring tape, spirit level and nervous tension, and read on to find out how to use it. It’s actually pretty simple — all you do is mount the Hangsmart using the supplied adhesive or screws, attach your artwork to the clip at the top, and let go to automatically level it. A neat feature, especially if you’re hanging several pictures close together, is that you can adjust your picture frame up to six inches horizontally and eight inches vertically until you find the perfect position.

“We challenged ourselves to create a device that would let users mount and manipulate numerous works of art without the risk of uneven frames, damaged walls or blackened fingernails,” the team says on its Kickstarter page.

With the project having just reached its $30,000 funding target, the Hangsmart could be on your wall by September, 2017, and in retail stores just two months after that.

But is it expensive for what it is? That largely depends on how much time you usually waste and how much stress you feel when you go to hang pictures in your home or office. Early-bird backers can get a Hangsmart for $24, about half the cost of the expected retail price. Further savings can be made if you opt for packs offering multiple Hangsmart units.

Xiaomi’s first Mi Home store is all set to launch in India

Xiaomi’s first Mi Home is coming to Bengaluru.

After offering its products online for the last three years, Xiaomi is gearing up for a major retail push. The Chinese manufacturer has sent out media invites for the launch of its first Mi Home store in Bengaluru. The company will use the retail space to highlight its phones, power banks, headphones, fitness bands, air purifiers, and more.

Xiaomi saw a huge boost from its Indian unit on the back of successful phone launches, and the company is looking to build that momentum by targeting the lucrative offline market. We’ll know more about the devices that will be making their debut at the store, but in the meantime, what lifestyle products from Xiaomi are you guys interested in seeing in India?

Kia Picanto (2017) review: Small, sporty and savvy

The Kia Picanto is the baby of the Kia family, sitting under the recently launched Rio in terms of both cost and size. That’s not to say the third-generation Picanto doesn’t offer brains in that small body though. 

The latest model of the South Korean company’s city car features support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as numerous safety features and advanced driver assistant functions, making it the most technologically advanced Picanto yet.

So how does the little car perform and can it win city lovers’ hearts?

Kia Picanto (2017) review: Design

The second-generation Kia Picanto was cute and cheeky but the new Picanto goes for an angrier, sportier look. Like the new Rio, Kia has redesigned the 2017 Picanto with sharper angles and straighter lines, resulting in an overall more serious stance than its predecessor.

The new Picanto offers exactly the same footprint as the second-generation model – it’s 3,595mm long and 1,595mm wide – but Kia has changed the overhangs: the front one is now shorter for that sportier look, while the rear one is longer in order to create 255-litres of luggage space compared to the 200-litres of the previous model.

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There are wider grilles and air intakes on the front of the new Picanto too, plus a bolder bumper on both the front and rear. The silver or chrome (which is dependent on trim) signature tiger nose grille is present but it is wider and slimmer than before, leading into the headlights and further emphasising the sportier look.

Fog lights are either positioned in separate side grilles or within the main lower grille – it’s all dependent on the trim choice (and if such panels exist as a result) – while air curtains in the side grilles channel air away from the more defined wheel arches that house either 14-inch, 15-inch or 16-inch wheels (again, trim dependent).

On the rear, the C-shaped rear light clusters are similar to the previous Picanto but they are larger on the new model and more detailed, while the rear roof pillar is more upright in order to deliver greater cabin space (it’s 5mm taller than the outgoing model).

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The new Kia Picanto is only available with five doors, like the Kia Rio, with the rear door handles being the same as the front ones, rather than integrated like the Nissan Micra 2017, for example.

It comes in five trims in the UK, which fall under 1, 2, 3, GT-Line (pictured in white) and GT-Line S (pictured in red). The two GT models have larger front and rear sport bumpers, twin exhaust tailpipes, plus red accents in various places such as along the side sills and within the upper grille.

Ultimately, all the new Picanto models look good – but the GT-Line and GT-Line S are our favourites for the couple of extra design details that bring the new Kia baby to life. They certainly move away from the cuteness other city cars offer, like the Fiat 500 and the Smart ForTwo Cabrio, making the Picanto stand out as a sportier and more serious car.

• Kia Rio (2017) review: All about connectivity

Kia Picanto (2017) review: Interior and infotainment

Inside the new Kia Picanto, things follow in the same footsteps as the 2017 Kia Rio. The structured dashboard features a satin chrome trim strip to separate controls and display, while vertical ventilation grilles at each end emphasise the width of the quiet, comfortable and spacious cabin. The finish is a little plasticky, just like the Rio, though the GT-Line and GT-Line S have some additions to their interiors that make them pop a little more.

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Seat upholstery is trim dependent, with either black cloth, premium black cloth or black and red faux leather present. The faux leather comes on the GT-Line and GT-Line S, along with additions such as a high-gloss black centre fascia trim, satin chrome interior door handles and stainless steel pedals, all contributing to a more premium inside finish than the standard trims.

There are electric front windows on all models, as well as remote locking and a radio with USB ports. The Grade 2 models add Bluetooth with music streaming, four speakers compared to two, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear lever, among a couple of other extras. The Grade 3 models offer further additions including Bluetooth with voice recognition, a six-speaker system and a 7-inch “floating” touchscreen with TomTom navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The GT-Line S also features this 7-inch touchscreen, which is brilliantly responsive and simple to use, as well as a wireless phone charger, an electric sunroof and heated front seats, making this model the one to opt for if you want the all the tech. As Kia doesn’t offer “options” as such, you can’t add the 7-inch touchscreen and all its connectivity or the wireless charger to a Picanto “1”, for example, meaning for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, you’ll need to choose the Picanto 3 (priced at £12,650) or the GT-Line S (priced at £13,950).

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Beneath the touchscreen are the temperature controls, a shelf for your smartphone or anything else reasonably small, and cup holders. There are also further control buttons in front of the gear stick, though these are dummy buttons on the trims that don’t have heated seats, as well as on the steering wheel itself and on the driver’s door. There’s a secondary screen on the driver’s display, but as with the Rio, this is a settings menu rather than a useful second display.

• Android Auto explored: Taking Google on the road

Kia Picanto (2017) review: Experience

The new Kia Picanto is available in nine options in the UK at launch, with two engines, two transmissions and those five aforementioned trims.

The 1.0-litre petrol is available with 66bhp and five-speed manual in the Picanto 1, 2 and GT-Line; the 1.25-litre petrol engine with 83bhp is available with five-speed manual or four-speed auto on the Picanto 2 and 3, or five-speed manual in the GT-Line S; there will also be a 1.0-litre T-GDi engine available before the end of the year.

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We test drove the 1.0-litre Picanto 2, 1.25-litre GT-Line, as well as the 1.25-litre GT-Line S. The first of which accelerates from 0-60mph in 13.8-seconds and offers emissions of 101 CO2/km, while the other two engines accelerate from 0-60mph in 11.6-seconds and offer emissions of 106 CO2/km.

All three models were a pleasure to drive, offering plenty of power when it came to steep hills and increasing speed quickly on faster routes, despite not having the sportiest off-the-mark stats. Even when adding to the power, the cabin remained quiet throughout.

There was a little more power from the 1.25-litre engine, but we didn’t feel like the 1.0-litre was lacking like its figure might suggest. Both options handled and cornered very well, inspiring confidence on winding Italian roads and delivering a sturdy and stable driving experience with good visibility.

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The suspension was firm, especially in the case of the GT-Line models, helping us feel connected with the road, while steering was light and responsive, and braking was sharp too. The Picanto 2 model had its fair share of not-so-brilliant roads on our specific test drive, one of which had plenty of bumps and pot holes to contend with, but it performed without any issues – certainly better and more comfortable than what our Fiat 500 would manage. 

As with the Kia Rio, there is plenty of extra safety technology on board the new Picanto, with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management and Hill-Start Assist Control coming as standard on all trim levels. 

Autonomous Emergency Braking comes as standard on the Picanto 3, GT-Line and GT-Line S, or as a £350 option on the Picanto 1 and 2. This feature will bring the car to a complete stop at speeds of up to 50mph, or to a partial stop when travelling at speeds over 50mph without driver intervention. A sheep ran across the road in front of us while in the GT-Line model, kicking the Autonomous Emergency Braking feature into action – so clearly it works well. The sheep, car and ourselves survived without a scratch. 

Pocket-lint

The new Picanto also has Torque Vectoring on all models, which uses the anti-lock brake and ESC sensors to detect if the car is drifting, gently applying the brakes on the inside or outside of the rear wheels respectively. This feature was great when it came to the tight bends, working perfectly and reassuring us when the corners were sharper than we first expected. 

Verdict

The new Kia Picanto offers a sportier and more serious design than its predecessor, but it also delivers on the technology front. It might not come in the plethora of colours and customisation options as per the Fiat 500, but it offers plenty of power, plenty of tech and plenty of safety features, such as Autonomous Emergency Braking.

Kia’s infotainment system is very easy to use and navigate, too, making Apple CarPlay and Android Auto setup a breeze on the higher trim levels, while the various extras – such as the wireless charging pad on the GT-Line S – make it a city car that’s looking well into the future. Having the range of safety features as standard on even the lower trims is great too.

If your budget allows, we’d suggest the Picanto 3 model or the GT-Line S model in order to get the connectivity and Autonomous Emergency Braking as standard, but the Picanto 2 was good fun to drive, too, so you don’t necessarily need to splash all the cash on this new baby Kia to get a small, sporty and savvy purchase.

Steam Gifting changes crack down on code resellers

Steam has announced a few big changes to its Gifting process, and they could sound good or bad, depending on your stance. It’s putting the Gift to E-mail and Gift to Inventory options out to pasture, replacing it with a system that directly exchanges games from buyer to receiver. It’s most likely an action taken to curtail grey market trades, since resellers tend to buy several copies during sales to sell over time. However, that might also make it impossible for collectors to get old and rare titles. You can at least send gifts months in advance, though, in case you want your friend to receive the game on a special day.

That said, things are now more complicated if you have a lot of friends abroad: the gaming platform says you won’t be able send a gift if there’s a large difference in pricing between countries. That means you can’t send your friends across the globe that cool game during a sale if its price hasn’t been slashed in their region.

According to some NeoGAF forum posters, gifts won’t go through if the price difference is 10 percent or more. That part of the update also implies that you won’t be able to send games to regions where they’re not available, since Steam won’t have pricing to compare. We’ve reached out to the platform to confirm, and we’ll update this post when we hear back.

Even if you didn’t like the other updates in this rollout, you might like the last new feature in the list. You can now get your money back if you sent something the recipient already has. So long as your friend chooses to decline your gift, you’ll get a refund instead of getting the game back in your inventory.

Source: Steam

‘Titanfall’ returns to mobile as a real-time strategy game

Titanfall 2 might not have been the runaway success Respawn was hoping for, but it has a tight-knit community that love its parkour movement and robot-on-robot warfare. Now, with the help of Nexon and Particle City, the franchise is getting a strategy spin-off called Titanfall Assault. Details are scarce, but the pair is promising fast, real-time player-versus-player combat. You’ll be commanding a mixture of pilots and titans, upgrading a virtual “deck” that features both soldier types and tactical, match-shifting Burn Cards along the way. Victory will help you climb the game’s leaderboards and presumably unlock cards to tackle higher-ranked foes.

Respawn, Nexon and Particle City have tried a mobile Titanfall before. Last September the trio unveiled Frontline, a competitive card game similar to Hearthstone and Gwent. It was a strange use of the Titanfall name that didn’t last long. Four months later, the game was canned while it was still in closed beta. Assault sounds like a better fit, focusing on warfare and tight, strategic manoeuvres. Even so, it’s probably best to stay cautiously optimistic about this one. There’s no word on a release date, but if you’re interested you can “pre-register” for updates on the Assault website.

Source: Titanfall Assault