Instagram CEO downplays criticism that it copied Snapchat

If you’ve gotten Instagram and Snapchat confused recently, you’d be forgiven: Even Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom acknowledges that there are similarities between the two services. Instagram might have taken inspiration from Snapchat, but Systrom claims that there was no copying involved.

“It would be crazy if we saw something that worked with consumers that was in our domain and we didn’t decide to compete on it,” Systrom told Recode. But the competition goes both ways, as he points out: Snapchat didn’t originally have filters. “They adopted filters because Instagram had filters and a lot of others were trying to adopt filters as well. And you could have said the same thing at the time, ‘We’re copying each other,’ but I don’t know, that’s just the way Silicon Valley works.”

However, Systrom insists that the emphasis shouldn’t be on the company that implements a feature first. The company that wins will be the one that executes it the best. But, he allows, there’s also room for more than one service. “Facebook’s not the only social network in the world, but I think that’s okay,” Systrom says. “I think that’s what makes Silicon Valley work, that competition, looking around and adopting best-in-breed things to make your service better.”

Instagram’s improvements have certainly been producing results: It recently hit 700 million users, gaining 100 million users within four months. What’s more, Instagram attributes at least a part of that gain to its Snapchat-like Stories feature. In fact, more people use Instagram Stories than the entire Snapchat service, a clear sign that Instagram’s tactics are working.

Source: Recode

Apple might give iOS 11 a real file system

Those wanting more control over file storage on their iPhones may be in for some good news later today. A placeholder for a new “Files” app showed up in the App Store.

When it comes to storing files, iOS hasn’t been terribly useful. Current options include iCloud Drive and popular outside systems like Dropbox, but as for a native iOS storage option, Apple hasn’t really provided. For Apple users looking for more file-management control and particularly those wanting to use its iPad Pro model as a laptop stand-in, “Files” is welcome news.

The placeholder for the app, which appears to have been taken down sometime after Steve Stroughton Smith tweeted about it, is said to require iOS 11.0 or later, meaning it’s likely the new app will come along with the iOS 11 software update whenever it’s released.

Ahead of iOS 11, a ‘Files’ app placeholder entry from Apple appears on the App Store. Requires iOS 11.0 or later 😘 pic.twitter.com/8HAQflHBuI

— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) June 5, 2017

Details about the “Files” app are scarce at the moment, but more information could be announced today during the WWDC keynote. You can follow Engadget’s coverage of the event, which kicks off at 10AM Pacific / 1PM Eastern, here.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Steve Stroughton Smith

Apple and Amazon want a stake in Toshiba’s memory business

Apple and Amazon are joining a Foxconn bid to purchase Japanese chip giant Toshiba’s NAND manufacturing division, according to Nikkei. The deal could make it easier for the companies, particularly Apple, to access all-important flash memory more cheaply for iPhones and Kindles. Foxconn has at least five other bidding rivals, including two backed by the Japanese government, which is reportedly loathe to let Toshiba’s chips fall into foreign hands.

Foxconn is Apple’s primary contract iPhone builder, but also makes a vast range of other products, including Sony’s PS4, the Amazon Kindle and, yes, Toshiba TVs and PCs (in Japan). It reportedly asked for Apple’s help (and vast money stocks) to back the bid, which is reportedly as high as $28 billion, versus a valuation of around $18 billion.

That kind of cash for a NAND company is not over-the-top. Western Digital paid $19 billion to buy SanDisk, known for building SSD, USB and flash memory for cameras. NAND is one of the chip industry’s fastest evolving categories, with new improvements coming along seemingly every month. Western Digital, for instance, recently unveiled the first 64-layer 3D NAND tech that can squeeze more and faster storage into even smaller chips.

Toshiba currently trails leaders Samsung and Western Digital in NAND tech. That’s why Foxconn CEO Terry Gou says his company’s technical chops, backed by the deep pockets of Amazon and Apple, makes it the best suitor. for He adds that Foxconn will not interfere with Toshiba’s business and is not looking to turn a quick buck — a possible reference to another bidder, equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. “We really hope to help Toshiba design better products in the future,” he told Nikkei.

Terry Gou (center) finalizes merger with Sharp President Kozo Takahashi (right) (Bloomberg/Getty Images)

The company recently purchased Japan’s Sharp Electronics for $3.5 billion, and helped it turn a 59 billion yen profit ($534 million) after losing 24.8 billion yen ($224 million) the year before. “We let Japanese [managers] run Sharp … we are also hoping that Toshiba’s memory unit will survive into the next 50 to 100 years at least, like Sharp,” he said.

Nevertheless, Foxconn faces stiff resistance from the Japanese public and government. Toshiba is one of the last major chip makers in the nation, which dominated the industry for decades. Unfortunately, Toshiba dug itself a deep hole after losing over $6 billion in the nuclear industry, and needs to take the best possible bid to maximize its survival odds. Perhaps fearing perhaps that public opposition could tilt the playing field against him, Gou urged all parties to abide by the bidding rules.

Via: Reuters

Source: Nikkei

Watch Apple’s WWDC keynote live at 1PM ET

The day has come. It’s time for Apple’s annual developer conference to kick off and you can watch it live from wherever you’ll be at 1PM ET/10AM PT. The company is keeping with its tradition of broadcasting the WWDC opening keynote for all the world to watch via the internet and Apple TV. When the time comes, tune in here (or on your set-top box) to catch all of the news as it’s announced from San Jose. Yes, if you’re watching on the web, you’ll have to do so with either Safari or Microsoft’s Edge browser.

You’ll also want to keep our liveblog open in a separate window to catch commentary from the crew on the ground. And while you wait for the festivities to begin, check out what we expect to be announced later today with our WWDC 2017 preview.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Source: Apple

Apple’s Online Store Goes Down Ahead of WWDC Keynote Later Today

Apple’s online store has temporarily closed its virtual doors ahead of today’s WWDC opening keynote at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

When clicking on the “Buy” button for any product on Apple’s website, be it a MacBook or accessories, the online store currently says “we’re busy updating the Apple Store for you” and advises customers to “please check back soon.”

During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce updated 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro models, alongside major new versions of its iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS software platforms.

Apple is also rumored to possibly debut a 10.5-inch iPad Pro and smart speaker with Siri, positioned as an Amazon Echo and Google Home competitor, but those announcements could be delayed until later this year.

Apple routinely closes its online store in the hours leading up to its special events, but that’s not typically the case ahead of its Worldwide Developers Conference, since the keynote is usually focused on software only.

For that reason, the store’s downtime today is a good sign that new products of some kind will be announced imminently.

WWDC has been absent of major hardware announcements since 2013, when Apple unveiled redesigned models of the Mac Pro, MacBook Air, and its AirPort Time Capsule and Extreme wireless routers.

MacRumors.com will be providing news coverage and a live transcript of the WWDC opening keynote on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Twitter users can follow @MacRumorsLive for live updates.

Update: Apple’s online store became functional again at approximately 5:10 a.m. Pacific Time, but only briefly as Apple fixed an earlier message that incorrectly said to check back starting at 8:01 a.m. Pacific Time.

Related Roundup: WWDC 2017
Tag: Apple retail
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WWDC 2017 Conference Swag Includes Custom Levi’s Jacket and Apple-Themed Pins

As we get closer to Apple’s WWDC 2017 keynote, which is set to kick off today at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, several developers have taken to Twitter to share the swag they’ve received at the conference this year. The items include a Levi’s denim jacket with a custom WWDC17 logo and a collection of Apple-themed enamel pins.

The Levi’s trucker jacket comes in black, includes fits and sizes for both men and women, and has two interior pockets large enough to fit an iPhone 7 Plus.

Enamel pins, custom Levi’s trucker jackets (in women’s sizes!!). Baller moves, Apple. #WWDC17 pic.twitter.com/aMbDyoNSus

— Jessie Char (@jessiechar) June 4, 2017

The pins handed out to WWDC attendees this year include a collection of six Apple designs, including the old rainbow-themed Apple logo, the “hello” Mac greeting, the Swift logo, an emoji with sunglasses, the original Macintosh, and the Metal logo.

And, to add to the WWDC swag, some sweet pins! pic.twitter.com/JbvnFcmGJY

— David Skuza (@_dskuza) June 4, 2017

A few developers have noted that the pin packs include different designs, with separate collections including an iMessage heart bubble, thumbs up emoji, Activity rings, and more. In addition, each developer has received personalized pins that represent their home country.

WWDC scholarship attendees at the conference are also taking away an Apple TV dev kit, as one 9to5Mac reader pointed out. Students and STEM organization members who won a scholarship got free tickets to WWDC, normally priced at $1,599, and received free lodging as well this year at the San Jose State University dorms, located approximately 15 minutes away from the venue when walking.

MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the WWDC keynote in a live blog on the MacRumors.com front page, as well as via the MacRumors Live Twitter account. Any reader interested in avoiding spoilers for this year’s keynote can check out our spoiler-free video stream, which will be updated with a direct link to the presentation once it becomes available from Apple.

Related Roundup: WWDC 2017
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Foxconn Partnering With Apple and Amazon In Renewed Attempt to Win Toshiba’s Memory Chip Unit

Apple and Amazon will join Foxconn in a bid to win Toshiba’s NAND memory chip unit, which has been on sale since March and was previously said to finally conclude bidding sometime in June. Nikkei quoted Foxconn chairman Terry Gou as saying that Apple and Amazon will “chip in funds” to help Foxconn win the final bid (via Reuters).

Gou left out the exact amount of the funding that Apple and Amazon would provide, and it was also mentioned that Japanese manufacturer Sharp, which Foxconn acquired last year, will also take place in the bidding. In an official statement, Foxconn referenced Apple and Amazon by calling the U.S. companies “strategic partners” in the bid for Toshiba’s memory chip unit, while mentioning that more details would come “at the appropriate time.”

Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc will join Foxconn’s bid for Toshiba Corp’s semiconductor business, the Nikkei business daily quoted Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou as saying on Monday. The two U.S. technology giants plan to “chip in funds”, Gou said in an interview, according to the newspaper.

“Of course Apple and Amazon are offering money together, but I cannot comment on how much funds each company is putting on the table,” Gou said at a hotel in Osaka.

The sale of Toshiba’s chip unit has been riddled by a legal battle with Western Digital over the past few weeks, making it uncertain who — if anyone — would end up winning the bid for the unit. Following the announcement of the initial sale, Apple was reportedly looking into spending several billion dollars for a “substantial stake” in the Toshiba memory chip unit, as well as potentially partnering up with Foxconn in the bidding war.

Foxconn has already been suggested as an unlikely winner of the unit due to its deep ties with China, with the Japanese government likely to oppose any winning bid that would take key Toshiba chip technology out of the country. Foxconn’s previous bid of $27 billion was reportedly rejected by Toshiba, so now it appears that the manufacturer will beef up its offering for Toshiba’s unit with the help of Apple, Amazon, and Sharp, although it’s unclear if more money will be enough for the China-based company to win.

According to Gou, if Foxconn would win Toshiba’s chip unit it plans to keep the Japanese leadership in place, which it hopes is a way to appease the Japanese government ahead of the end of bidding.

“We will definitely not undermine nor interfere with [Toshiba’s existing management]. We will treat them like the way we have been treating Sharp,” Gou said, adding that he was confident that Foxconn stood a good chance of winning the bid.

“We let Japanese [managers] run Sharp … we are also hoping that Toshiba’s memory unit will survive into the next 50 to 100 years at least, like Sharp.”

Other bidders include Broadcom and South Korea’s SK Hynix, and the winner is expected to be announced sometime this month, ahead of Toshiba’s next shareholder meeting.

Tags: Foxconn, Toshiba
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These robotic shorts will improve your running performance

Why it matters to you

The design could lead to improved methods for treating people with leg injuries and help to speed up recovery.

If you’ve tried everything to improve your running time but just can’t seem to beat your personal best no matter how much you try, then slipping into a pair of these robotic shorts might be the answer.

OK, it may seem a little underhanded to use an exosuit system to score a better time, but it would still be pretty cool to try it out to see to what extent high-tech apparel can improve athletic performance.

Developed by a team of engineers at the Wyss Institute and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the shorts can apparently cut an average marathon time from 9:14 minutes-per-mile to 8:49. For sure, that’s an impressive reduction.

So how do they work? Well, according to its creators, the soft exosuit applies forces to the hip joint via thin, flexible wires, assisting the muscles during each stride. Those wires connect to the exosuit at the back of the thighs and waist belt, and can reduce the metabolic cost of running by as much as 5.4 percent.

“As subjects ran on a treadmill wearing the exosuit, the actuation unit pulled on the wires, which acted as a second pair of hip extensor muscles applying force to the legs with each stride,” the team explains on its website.

The team arrived at the most effective wire-pulling system after testing two options: one that applied force starting at the point of maximum hip extension as seen in a regular running motion, and one that applied force a little later in the running stride. The latter clearly proved the most effective.

While further work is required to hone the design, the team said it hopes that one day its technology can be used “to augment the performance of recreational athletes and/or help with recovery after injury.”

But if you’re a marathon runner thinking the gear could come in handy for knocking a few seconds off your next run, the downside is that in real-life conditions you’ll have to have some kind of vehicle trundling along behind you to carry the contraption that makes the whole system work. Until the researchers develop a portable version, you’ll have to time your running sessions indoors on a treadmill.

Well, no one ever said improving your running performance was going to be easy.

Moto Z2 Play is going up for pre-order in India on June 8

Motorola is rolling out attractive financing schemes to incentivize the Moto Z2 Play in India.

Motorola unveiled the Moto Z2 Play earlier this month, and the phone is all set to make its way to India later this week. The company confirmed in a tweet that the Z2 Play will be going up for pre-order in the country on June 8, with several offers available for customers looking to pick up the mid-range handset.

We see today’s smartphones & raise you a #smarterphone.#MotoZ2Play #ComingSoonKnow more about pre-booking offers: https://t.co/Jzch7gqsKv pic.twitter.com/RRXd6EBKmZ

— Moto India (@Moto_IND) June 3, 2017

First up is a financing options that lets you pick up a Z2 Play by paying just ₹2,000 upfront. The rest of the money can be paid via 10 monthly instalments with 0% interest from Bajaj Finance or Homecredit. Alternatively, you’ll be able to purchase the phone through interest-free EMIs on your credit card at “select stores.”

Customers pre-ordering the phone will be eligible for a Moto Armor Pack, which offers “protective accessories” that ensure “utmost protection” for your Moto Z2 Play. Motorola has also mentioned that it has “great pre-booking offers” for those looking to pick up Moto Mods, and we should know more once the phone goes up for pre-order on June 8.

As for the phone itself, the major change from its predecessor is the smaller battery and the rounded fingerprint sensor at the front. The Moto Z2 Play comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, is powered by a Snapdragon 626 SoC, 12MP camera with an f/1.7 lens, 5MP front shooter, and a 3000mAh battery.

The phone comes in at $499 in the U.S., which translates to ₹32,000. Motorola is likely targeting the ₹35,000 price point, putting the phone in direct competition with OnePlus’ upcoming flagship, which is estimated to be priced at ₹34,999.

AlwaysOnline Wireless debuts on-demand LTE data plan for any device

Service when you need it, how long you need it, and where you need it.

In 2015 Otono Networks announced the launch of AlwaysOnline Wireless, a global LTE roaming network exclusively for iPads using Apple’s unique and proprietary SIM technology. Today, the service expands to include any compatible device such as a smartphone, tablet, or Wi-Fi hotspot.

The service works with on-demand pricing, meaning you can pay for an hour, a day or a Megabyte at a time. It’s available in over 90 countries including the USA, Mexico, the UK, France, China, Spain, Japan, and Italy. You can see all the coverage details at this link. In every country with service, AOW offers a dedicated LTE network so your service is as fast as possible. Rates start at 99 cents per hour in most countries and you can schedule in advance so you’re ready to go when you need it.

Plans and pricing:

• By the Hour with Data SIM  —  from $0.99 USD per hour
• By the Hour with Apple SIM  —  from $0.11 USD per hour
• By the Day  —  from $2.99 USD per day
• By the Megabyte  —  from $0.01 USD per megabyte

Wireless service is competitive and every company is looking to one-up the rest. Offering hourly plans for travelers or in an emergency is really unique, and having the ability to use it in 90+ countries isn’t half bad, either. The full press release is below and you can find out more at AlwaysOnline Wireless.

AlwaysOnline Wireless Launches Global Data SIM for 4G LTE on Any Mobile Device in Over 90 Countries

VANCOUVER, CANADA (June 5, 2017) – AlwaysOnline Wireless (AOW), a leader in short-term, on-demand LTE data plans for iPad with Apple SIM users around the world, today announced its newest product, the AOW Global Data SIM.

Prior to today, the AOW service was available only to users of iPad with Apple SIM by purchasing LTE data plans directly on their device. Now with the AOW Global Data SIM, users of all other mobile devices – smartphones, Wi-Fi hotspots, and cellular-enabled tablets – can access the AOW network. This global, high speed LTE network is currently available in over 90 countries, and is expected to grow to over 100 countries by the end of the year.

Each AOW Global Data SIM can be loaded with an LTE data plan for each country being visited. Travellers can choose from a variety of affordable plans, in increments as short as one hour, one day, or larger data plans from 500MB up to 5GB.

International travel is steadily increasing, with destinations like France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and China leading in number of international arrivals annually. AOW offers data plans in each of these countries, offering hourly plans starting as low as 11¢, daily plans for as little as $2.99, and plans with larger data buckets, like the 5GB plan valid for 30 days for only $34.99. Rates and plans vary by country and can be reviewed on the AOW website at
alwaysonlinewireless.com/plans.

“Today’s travellers need reliable, high-speed mobile connectivity wherever they go, and the demand for affordable options is rapidly growing,” said Christian Paul, VP Marketing and CoFounder of Otono Networks. “By adapting the advanced technology we developed for Apple SIM service and combining it with the most competitive rates of any travel SIM card out there, we can keep more people connected at very affordable prices.”

To get started with AOW, travellers simply need an AOW Global Data SIM card that can be activated online anytime. They then can purchase and schedule plans for each country, with the ability to specify the exact start date, time, and time zone for each plan. This allows customers to only pay for what they need without any overage fees or contracts. Once travellers return home, they can keep and reuse their AOW SIM for future trips.

AOW Global Data SIM cards are currently available online at alwaysonlinewireless.com for $14.95 USD with free shipping.

For more information on AOW, visit alwaysonlinewireless.com, find us on Facebook as AlwaysOnlineWireless, or follow @AOwireless on Twitter and Instagram.