BBC Store to close because people prefer streaming

The BBC has confirmed it will close its digital download store less than 18 months after it launched following poor sales and tough competition from streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Video. The corporation has begun emailing customers about the closure, noting that it has already stopped making programmes available to buy before it completely shuts down on November 1st.

As customers will no longer be able to access the content they’ve paid for, the BBC has said it will offer full refunds on purchases made since November 2015. Alternatively, the BBC will provide Amazon Video vouchers that can be used to buy or rent digital downloads. They’ll be worth more than total purchase values on the BBC Store and can be used to buy BBC programmes (and any other content) listed on Amazon UK.

“Since the appetite for BBC shows on SVOD and other third party platforms is growing in the UK and abroad, it doesn’t make sense for us to invest further in BBC Store where demand has not been as strong as we’d hoped in a rapidly changing market,” a spokesperson said in a statement. It will continue to sell programmes via DVD and iTunes, but is keen to reduce costs as it prepares to offer free TV licenses to over-75s.

Even though the BBC will help customers find similar programming on Amazon, the Store offered over 7,000 hours of TV, which including shows that have never been available digitally before, like Dad’s Army and Morecambe & Wise. However, the corporation says it is working “to find new ways to make archive content available.”

If the rumours are true, BritBox — the BBC- and ITV-owned streaming service that launched in the US earlier this year — could be expanded to host more of the BBC’s back catalogue and eventually launch in the UK.

A major investment company is taking bitcoin very seriously

Many predicted that the world would soon lose interest in bitcoin. Yet, eight years after its inception, its surprisingly robust Blockchain tech and prominence on the darkweb has led to the cryptocurrency trading at an all time high. This success hasn’t gone unnoticed in the financial world, and now bitcoin is being integrated into one of America’s largest brokerage company — Fidelity Investments.

Later this year, Fidelity’s clients will be able to check their cryptocurrency balance straight from the company’s website, providing they store it on Coinbase — one of the leading bitcoin exchange sites. Despite the cryptocurrency being around for almost a decade, this very public bitcoin recognition makes Fidelity just one of a handful of big investment companies who have chosen to integrate it into their website.

The announcement came at a recent Blockchain conference, where Fidelity’s CEO Abigail Johnson discussed the difficulties that bitcoin raises for the financial world. While she admitted that many companies in the sector have given up on the cryptocurrency, she claimed that Fidelity is still “a believer”, revealing that even the company’s cafeteria accepts bitcoin.

Despite the currency’s success, its shady uses mean that many banks are still hesitant to adopt bitcoin. However, that ethical dilemma hasn’t stopped the financial industry in taking a more than a healthy interest in the tech that powers it — Blockchain. With its underlying tech potentially saving banks time and money on tracking transactions, it looks like bitcoin’s seemingly minimal impact may well be felt in the financial world for years to come.

Source: Reuters

New ‘Wemo Bridge’ Will Bring HomeKit Support to Belkin’s Wemo Line This Fall

Belkin today announced that its Wemo line of smart home devices will support HomeKit starting this fall with the launch of a new HomeKit-enabled Wemo Bridge.

The Wemo Bridge, which will connect to any home Wi-Fi router via an Ethernet cable, will allow current Wemo Smart Plugs and Light Switches to connect to a HomeKit setup. Wemo products will respond to Siri voice commands and will be able to interface with other HomeKit devices in Scenes when connected to the bridge.

“Wemo is offering this bridge to address the overwhelming request from customers to make currently installed Wemo products work with HomeKit and other HomeKit compatible products,” said Brian Van Harlingen, chief technology officer at Belkin International. “We’re proud to work with Apple to bring together two of the most influential Smart Home platforms. Wemo has been providing smart home devices for more than five years, and millions of people use Wemo devices every day. The Wemo Bridge will allow current and future Wemo users to experience the benefits of HomeKit, including Siri integration and interoperability with other HomeKit devices while also leveraging all the Wemo features customers enjoy.”

With the addition of HomeKit support, Wemo products will work with almost all connected home solutions on the market, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest Learning Thermostat (Home and Away modes), and IFTTT.

Bridge-compatible Wemo devices include the Dimmer, Mini Smart Plug, Insight Smart Plug, and Light Switch.

Belkin plans to debut the Wemo Bridge in the fall. Pricing has not yet been announced.

Tags: Belkin, WeMo
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Apple Maps Transit Directions Now Supported in the Netherlands

Apple Maps has been recently updated with public transit information for those living in and traveling to the Netherlands. Transit directions allow users to navigate the Netherlands thanks to integration with the Intercity direct train line, various bus routes, trams, and ferries.

Transit in the Netherlands includes up-to-date advisory information with the help of data accumulated from various local transportation companies including NS, Connexxion, and GVB (via iPhoned). With the data, Apple Maps can warn users about reduced service, or a complete service shutdown, and update their transit trip directions accordingly.

Apple first added in a small amount of transit data to various Dutch cities last week, including the appearance of train, tram, and metro stations for a few areas, but had yet to turn on live schedule information for public transport. Most recently, areas including Singapore and Adelaide, Australia have received transit updates in Apple Maps.

Transit directions first launched with iOS 9 back in 2015 with just a handful of cities supported, but now Apple has kept up a consistent pace with adding new areas all over the world. In total, more than 10 countries now include transit directions, as do most major United States cities like Boston, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. It appears the rollout in the Netherlands will be ongoing since the area has yet to appear on the supported transit list on Apple’s website.

Tags: Apple Maps, transit, The Netherlands
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New Qualcomm Court Filing Wants iPhone Suppliers to Pay Royalties Amid Battle With Apple

As the legal dispute between Apple and Qualcomm continues, Qualcomm this week has requested an injunction to force Apple’s iPhone manufacturers to keep paying royalties during the legal battle (via Axios). Last week, Qualcomm sued four of Apple’s suppliers — Foxconn, Pegatron, Wistron, and Compal — for “breaching their license agreements” by failing to pay royalties on the use of Qualcomm’s technology in the assembly of Apple’s devices.

Now, Qualcomm is trying to force the suppliers to continue to make royalty payments amid the legal scuffle with Apple. According to Qualcomm’s general counsel, Don Rosenberg, the company believes that “it is only fair and equitable” that the suppliers pay for Qualcomm’s licensed technology.

“We are confident that our contracts will be found valid and enforceable but in the interim it is only fair and equitable that our licensees pay for the property they are using,” Qualcomm general counsel Don Rosenberg said in a statement to Axios.

In April, Apple decided to stop making royalty payments to its manufacturers in relation to Qualcomm technology, and said it would continue doing so until the conflict was resolved. Now, in an amended section of its earlier lawsuit, Qualcomm claims Apple has promised to compensate its suppliers for any monetary loss potentially faced during the lawsuit.

According to Qualcomm, this is a tactic enacted by Apple “to make litigation unbearable” and to force a settlement, because Qualcomm claims that Apple knows it would not win if the case eventually made it to court.

By withholding billions of dollars in royalties so long as Qualcomm defends itself against Apple’s claims, Apple is hoping to make litigation unbearable for Qualcomm and, thereby, to extract through a forced settlement what it knows it cannot obtain through judicial process—a below-market direct license. Apple’s tactics are egregious.

The lawsuit began with an FTC complaint regarding Qualcomm’s anticompetitive patent licensing practices, for which Apple sued Qualcomm, accusing the company of charging unfair royalties for “technologies they have nothing to do with.” The argument died down for a few months until Apple ceased royalty payments to its suppliers in April, which particularly hurt Qualcomm because the company’s licensing deals are directly with iPhone suppliers and not Apple itself.

Tags: lawsuit, Qualcomm
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Nike’s new Apple Watch straps will match your cool new sneakers

Why it matters to you

Wearable tech continues to learn and grow with help from fashion brands, meaning we’re getting more products we’ll actually want to wear.

Nike understands we crave matching accessories and has launched four new straps for the Apple Watch. They join a wealth of other bands and straps available for the Apple Watch, but these are a little bit special, as each of which comes in the same colors as the Day to Night collection in its Air VaporMax Flyknit sneaker range. It’s the latest made-for-Apple product from Nike, a partnership which has reignited recently after the launch of a special Nike+ Apple Watch, and another standalone strap.

This time, Nike wants you wearing both its Watch strap, and a pair of brand new Nike shoes. The Day to Night collection is inspired by the colors of the sky, seen when running during early morning, day, evening, and night, translating into shoes in pink, aqua blue, powder blue, and dark blue.

You’ve got the shoes, and you want an Apple Watch strap to match, right? The four Apple Watch bands come in corresponding colors, and feature the same cool perforated, hole-punched look that defines the Nike+ version of the Apple Watch released late last year. While the original band was black with green accents, these are way more colorful; and are made from the same lightweight and sweat-resistant fluoroelastomer material. Wondering what this feels like? It’s the same thing Apple uses for its own Sport bands.

These new Nike Sport Bands will be sold through Nike’s own online store, plus some of its retail stores, and Apple’s retail and online stores from June 1. If you want one, they’ll cost $50 each, while if you want a pair of matching VaporMax Flyknit shoes to go with it — and let’s face it, that’s the whole point — they will also be released on June 1, for both men and women. The Day to Night collection’s release follows the general release of the VaporMax series back in March.

Spent too long in duty free? Airport uses AR maps so you won’t miss your flight

Why it matters to you

GPS transformed the way we move around the outside world, and now, beacons and AR tech are doing the same for indoors.

Finding your way quickly around an airport isn’t always an easy task, due to the size, layout, and the amount of other people that are often also trying to move around it at the same time. Add in that a fair percentage of them may be sleep-deprived or suffering from jetlag, and it’s a navigational nightmare. New technology installed at Gatwick, the U.K.’s second busiest airport, aims to take away some of the pain, and make getting to your flight on time (or the duty free shop) much easier.

It’s doing this with the aid of 2,000 newly installed beacons, the same technology that will eventually be used to make our cities, high streets, and shops smarter, which communicate with our phones to pinpoint location, and guide us to a destination. It doesn’t stop there. Instead of a helicopter view on a dull mapping app, you’re guided around using augmented reality on your phone. Using the camera, the app will overlay directions on a real-time view of the airport around you. It’s the first time these two systems have come together in an airport.

The beacons and mapping apps are clever, recognizing when you need to change floors, enter security, or pass new areas under construction, so they don’t guide you through restricted places. They’re accurate to around three meters, which is good enough for you to see what you’re looking for when you look up from your phone. We’re promised no personal data will be stored when using the system, but the airport may use information gathered to understand the busiest areas, ready to make improvements.

Engineers at Gatwick installed the beacons, which are battery operated to save on energy costs and to simplify logistics, in just three weeks, while testing took two months. It’s still early days for the project, and right now the airport’s management will use the app to guide passengers; but in time the beacons can also be used by retailers and airlines. For example, a shop may send offers or welcome notifications, while an airline could send a hurry-up message to late-running passengers.

Part of a massive 2.5 billion British pound investment program, Gatwick Airport worked with indoor mapping experts PointrLabs on the project. It recently introduced a similar setup, just without the augmented reality, for Virgin Trains at London’s King’s Cross station.

One phone number for all your devices? T-Mobile brings Digits service to masses

Why it matters to you

Did you ever wish you could share one phone number across multiple devices? T-Mobile’s Digits service will let you do just that.

Digits, the T-Mobile service that lets you share a phone number across multiple phones, smartwatches, and PCs, is finally hitting public airwaves. After a lengthy beta period that began in December, T-Mobile is making Digits available to all current and new postpaid, prepaid, and business subscribers starting May 31.

“T-Mobile rate customers can use Digits wherever they want,” Evan Feldman, T-Mobile’s Digits product director, told Digital Trends. “We’re making it available to all customers.”

Digits is sort of like call forwarding on steroids. Messages and phone calls are delivered simultaneously to any connected phones, tablets, computers, and smartwatches, with all Digits devices ringing at once. Call history, messages, and voicemails are collated in a single dashboard that can be viewed from any PC or smartphone.

Subscribers won’t have to opt into Digits manually. All existing T-Mobile numbers will effectively become Digits numbers, and they’ll gain a new feature: Number sharing. Starting May 31, T-Mobile customers will be able to share a single numbers with other people. “My wife and I have it set up at home,” Feldman said. “We share the same home phone number.”

Digits, which T-Mobile said took “years” to develop, taps into the carrier’s robust cell network. It uses patent-pending network tech to authenticate subscribers through Digits instead of individual SIM cards, resulting in “carrier-grade” calling features with “crystal-clear” quality.

Digits works internationally (as long as you have data), too, and stores all messages, calls, and voicemails for up to three days.

“Our team dug deep into the technology needed to free us from the one number, one phone limit. And to do it right, we built a solution into the core of our network that breaks all of the old telco rules.” T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said in a press release. “To the carriers — and their telecom model — you’re just a SIM and a piece of hardware. With Digits, it’s all about you communicating the way you want. This opens up a new world of possibilities.”

Feldman characterized the Digits beta — the “first real beta in the wireless industry,” he said  — as “really successful.” Tens of thousands of customers participated, and more than 96 percent used Digits numbers from non-phone devices like smartwatches, tablets, and PCs. “We saw a lot of people using it for home scenarios,” he said, “and a lot of smartwatches.”

“There was a lot of interest,” said Feldman. “Users provided hundreds of comments and insights, [which] really helped us make improvements and get to the bottom of edge cases.”

As a “thank you” to the subscribers who participated, T-Mobile is gifting an additional Digits line at no extra charge. (T-Mobile One Plus customers will get one, too.) Subscribers new to Digits on other rate plans will have to fork over $10 per month for an additional line, which includes calling, texting, and 512kbps of unlimited data.

T-Mobile sees Digits as an alternative to landlines and business numbers. Roughly 43 percent of U.S. landline subscribers say they’d cut the cord if they could keep their number, according to T-Mobile, and 31 percent of business owners carry two phones.

“[You can] assign Digits as your sales number so that, even when it rings, everyone in sales gets the call,” T-Mobile said. “Businesses can also keep those Digits — and all associated contacts and recent history — if an employee leaves.”

T-Mobile stresses that Digits is a long-term investment. It’ll continue to roll out new features over time, and solicit feedback from subscribers. “We’re testing different ways and different functionality,” Feldman said. “We have plans for more betas and features.”

The Digits app is available from the iTunes App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices. It’s compatible with Android devices running Android 5.0 and newer, iPhones and iPads running iOS 9.0 and newer, and Mac and Windows devices running Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

Some Samsung devices integrate it natively. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, and Galaxy Note 5 support multiple Digits lines, which you can use by heading to Settings, then Multiline Settings, and logging in with your T-Mobile ID.

Xiaomi unveils the Mi Max 2 with a massive 5300mAh battery

The Mi Max 2 delivers two-day battery life, will be able to charge other phones.

At a media event in Beijing, Xiaomi unveiled the Mi Max 2. The phone retains the 6.44-inch Full HD display, and the highlight this time around is the 5300mAh battery, 450mAh more than what was included in its predecessor. Xiaomi is claiming a battery life of two days, touting over 18 hours of video playback, 21 hours of GPS navigation, and 57 hours of talktime. More importantly, the phone offers Quick Charge 3.0, allowing you to charge up to 68% in just an hour.

The phone features an all-metal unibody design, and is powered by a 2.0GHz Snapdragon 625 SoC. There’s also a 12MP camera at the back (Sony IMX386 sensor), 5MP front shooter, microSD slot, rear fingerprint sensor, and an IR blaster. On the software side of things, the Mi Max 2 runs the latest build of MIUI 8 atop Android 7.0 Nougat. With dimensions of 174.1 x 88.7 x 7.6mm and an overall weight of 211g, the Mi Max 2 isn’t that much larger or heavier than the first-gen model.

Like its predecessor, the Mi Max 2 is targeted at users that consume a lot of multimedia on their phones. The device offers stereo speakers that activate as soon as you switch to landscape mode, and the 6.44-inch display is ideal for watching videos and movies on the go. There’s also a one-handed mode that shrinks the screen down to a more manageable size, and split screen functionality.

As it has a huge battery, the Mi Max 2 doubles up as an external power bank. You’ll be able to charge other devices by hooking them up to its USB-C port. The variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage is set to go up for sale in China starting June 1 for ¥1,699 ($250), and a model with 128GB storage will be available for ¥1,999 ($290).

If a tweet sent out by Xiaomi India head Manu Kumar Jain is any indication, the Mi Max 2 will make its debut in India on July 23. Xiaomi is doing very well in India, with its latest phone — the Redmi 4 — clocking over 250,000 sales earlier this week. By introducing the Mi Max 2, Xiaomi will be looking to cater to mid-range buyers looking for a device that delivers a great multimedia experience.

What do you guys think of the phone?

Samsung DeX review: This isn’t a replacement for your laptop

It’s useful, but it isn’t practical, and you should only consider one if you’re into the novelty.

Admittedly, I’m in a bit of disbelief that I’m writing a review for a desktop operating system that’s running off of the Galaxy S8+. Who knew this would be our future? I certainly didn’t. I knew computers were getting smaller, particularly when netbooks and tiny little Chromebits were introduced to the market, but I never imagined it would be the smartphone doing the heavy lifting.

Alas, here we are, and I’m typing this to you via a keyboard connected to the Galaxy S8+. There’s no doubt that if any other company had put out a product akin to this, it would have been considered nothing more than a gimmick. (Microsoft actually did and we saw how that went.) Granted, I initially thought the same about the DeX when I was first introduced to the concept, but now that I’ve been using it for some time, I appreciate the alternative way to use the Galaxy S8+.

Meet the Samsung DeX

I already gave a quick rundown of my first few hours with the Samsung DeX, but it’s after a few weeks with it that I’ve finally landed on the idea that it’s more of a additional gadget rather than a replacement for a full desktop workstation. But let’s talk about the hardware first.

The $150 DeX is merely a dock that props up the Galaxy S8 or S8+ and hooks it up to a variety of peripherals. It offers no additional internal components unless you count the pop-up fan that’s meant to keep the GS8 cradled by cool air while it’s in its desktop mode. The DeX offers an HDMI-out port, an ethernet jack, and two full-size USB ports. USB-connected mice and keyboards work almost instantly once you plug them in, though I preferred Bluetooth peripherals since it requires fewer wires. Note that it’s best to pair everything to the Galaxy S8 before it’s plugged into DeX.

Meet the Samsung DeX, posed here for your imagination.

To that end, DeX doesn’t always play nice with all USB-connected things. For instance, I tried plugging in a separate Logitech webcam to use inside a group Hangouts meeting, but it didn’t register. I even tried employing my fancy microphone for recording some real deep thoughts, but the DeX didn’t work with that either. It’s fine with USB-connected card readers and flash drives, however, so if picking off files from antiquated hardware is in your realm, you’ll be covered by that here.

It’s important to note that the DeX is not a traditional standalone computer. If you’re planning to use this thing on the road, for example, you’ll have to remember to pack the necessary add-ons and enhancements. You won’t have to worry about the monitor, however, as DeX works just fine with hotel room TVs. While on the road for Google I/O, I also discovered that leaving the included charger at home meant I couldn’t use the DeX dock at all. DeX requires a lot of power, and you can’t get away with packing light if you plan on packing it, too.

All set up to work with Samsung DeX.

Perhaps the biggest inconvenience of the DeX is that there is no additional headphone jack. The Galaxy S8+’s headphone jack is on the bottom, so it’s obstructed when the phone is docked. You could use a set of Bluetooth-enabled speakers, or perhaps the headphone jack through an external monitor, but otherwise, you’re relegated to listen to music and conduct interviews through the Galaxy S8’s built-in microphone and speakers.

A different kind of desktop

DeX’s desktop interface looks like something you’d use on a full-size Mac and PC.

DeX’s desktop interface looks like something you’d use on a full-size Mac and PC, save for the instances when it’s not. Like Windows, it has a start menu of sorts — the app drawer, essentially — in addition to a taskbar (or the status bar on Android). Individual windows are maneuverable in every which way unless the apps were specifically coded for use on a smartphone. In some instances, you’ll even get a marker to let you know that an app can be used in landscape mode if you require.

I was pleased with how compatible the DeX operating system was. I’m new to the Chromebook world, and I’ve had my fair share of issues since adopting Chrome OS a mere four months ago. But I’ve hardly had as many headaches with DeX, and even managed to fulfill an entire news shift with it. Our CMS worked just fine — as it does on the Chrome browser — and I was able to easily edit RAW photos taken with my DSLR with the Samsung Gallery’s built-in photo app. If anything, the DeX’s app capabilities seem to be more of a statement of what’s capable with the Galaxy S8. After all, the apps and services that are running here are all installed on the phone.

The Samsung DeX desktop interface.

Of course, not everything is perfect. Eventually, I ran into reminders of DeX’s limitations as a desktop experience fueled by a smartphone. For example, any games that rely heavily on touch input won’t work at all, while web apps like Spotify won’t even launch. And if you’ve too many tabs or apps open at any given time, DeX will give you a memory warning — don’t even think about having more than two instances of Chrome running at any given time. There’s also no drag-and-drop between folders like there is on a regular desktop operating system, either, and some apps won’t even know how to register a mouse pointer. Overall, it will require a bit of a learning before you’re truly in a meditative state of use with Samsung DeX’s interface.

At present, there are 16 different applications optimized for use with Samsung DeX sprinkled throughout the Play Store and Galaxy Apps store. If you use Microsoft and Adobe’s products, take heed knowing you’re covered for the most part, even with Skype. There are even a number of remote desktop apps and VPN clients available from the like of Amazon and Cisco to use for more productive functionality. But any apps that aren’t optimized for this sort of experience will have some relative dreadfulness in using them, in the sense that they clearly weren’t made to run on a smartphone disguising itself as a desktop operating system.

Just buy a laptop, people

Don’t forget to bring a mouse!

I’m not saying you shouldn’t purchase the Samsung DeX dock if you’re interested in the experience. Quite the contrary: I’m suggesting you weigh the pros of cons of this sort of desktop interface and whether it will suit your needs. For instance, if I were still in college and traversing the world with my best friend in tow, both of us with reckless abandon, it would have been more convenient to carry this little puck than the oddly-shaped netbook I carried around, wedged in between piles of dirty clothes. Not every computer situation requires a desktop computer; it simply requires a desktop interface, and with how powerful smartphones are in this day and age, it makes sense to run it off of one.

Conversely, if you’re looking for a desktop experience but don’t want to spend that kind of money, the DeX won’t do it for you. It’s still too nascent to be considered as such, and you’ll find yourself missing out on some things with the DeX operating system in its current implementation. You simply need more power and app compatibility than the Galaxy S8 or S8+ can offer, especially at its current stages.

For the most part, I see the Samsung DeX as an extension of what Samsung’s flagship can already do. It’s not the most efficient way to travel with the Galaxy S8 in tow, but it is an impressive feat managed by one smartphone alone. If you’re dying to try life with this souped-up little hockey puck, the $150 price tag isn’t too bad as long as you’ve already got all the cords and peripherals lying around.

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