Snapchat’s new ad formats are designed to keep you watching

This week, Snapchat debuted two new ad styles meant to engage its users more and encourage less skipping, TechCrunch reports. So far, the app’s ads have largely consisted of short videos, which followed the last clip in a Story or were placed throughout Discover content, as well as sponsored Lenses that promoted some sort of product. Now, advertisers will have the option of putting together a Promoted Story or an AR Trial ad.

For Promoted Stories, advertisers will be able to create a more in-depth ad featuring three to 10 photos or videos that will work just like any other Snapchat Story. These ads will appear throughout a country for one day and will be labeled as sponsored content. Today, for example, US users will see an HBO Promoted Story featuring six Snaps that show what series or movies you could be watching on HBO instead of engaging in Black Friday shopping.

The AR Trial ads are like more active versions of Snapchat’s sponsored 3D World Lenses. In September, Snapchat released 3D World Lenses that promoted Blade Runner and Bud Light, but they were mostly just fun, not functional. The Bud Light Lens, for example, just featured an AR Bud Light vendor that you could place on whatever surface you liked. But the AR Trial ads are meant to let users get a better look at the product being sold. BMW’s new AR Trial ad will let you place its X2 vehicle in the area you’re viewing through the camera lens and then allow you to walk around it and even change its color.

Snap Inc. had a less than impressive third quarter, reporting just 4.5 million new users, and the company has said it will focus on attracting more users in the coming year. Those efforts include a redesign of the Android version of its app and some significant tweaks to the app overall. Some of those changes are meant to make it easier to navigate through all of the app’s offerings, which is not always intuitive and could help it increase its user base. And that, like these new ad formats, is likely to please Snapchat’s partners.

Via: TechCrunch

Talk with the first-ever robot politician on Facebook Messenger

Have you often felt that no matter what you asked politicians, they’d automatically reply with a stock response? Now you can address a real robot that plans on running for office — or at least, that’s what its creators intend. SAM is an AI chatbot ‘representing’ New Zealand’s constituents that you can talk with on Facebook Messenger right now.

Of course, SAM doesn’t currently hold any office — nor could it likely legally run for one, under current laws — and her (yes, yer) conversations are still very limited. But she’s an experiment to create a representative that listens to people and responds to their questions with facts and policy positions. Currently, you can ask her about a number of New Zealand’s issues from a pre-selected list of topics, though SAM’s capability will theoretically grow the more public opinion she ingests.

It’s fitting that SAM was built to represent New Zealand given its recent political upheaval, when Jacinda Ardern was sworn in as Prime Minister heading a three-party coalition government. While Arden’s appointment was somewhat surprising (she’s the third female PM and youngest in 150 years), her coalition started their administration with renewable energy goals and plans for a minimum wage hike. She’s also taken no lip from Donald Trump.

“SAM and Jacinda would likely get on very well as they are both receptive, interested in ideas, and like to engaged with contemporary issues and society,” SAM’s creator Nick Gerritsen told Tech In Asia.

But SAM could be the politician of the future, one that could theoretically field thousands of inquiries at once. While bots are only unbiased as far as they’re programmed to be, an AI chatbot could become a political asset or even influence. By New Zealand’s next election in 2020, Gerritsen hopes SAM is more advanced, though he wasn’t clear on whether she could legally run, telling Tech In Asia that “SAM is an enabler and we plan to operate within existing legal boundaries.”

Via: Tech In Asia

Source: Politician SAM

KGI: Improved iPhone X Shipping Estimates Due to Better-Than-Expected Production, Not Weak Demand

Steady improvements in iPhone X supplies that have seen shipping estimates fall to 1-2 weeks are due to better-than-expected improvements in production since the device’s launch, rather than any weakness demand, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who shared the information in a new research report obtained by MacRumors.

According to Kuo, who frequently shares accurate information from Apple’s supply chain, iPhone X production issues “have been well addressed” in recent weeks, with Foxconn’s production now at 450,000-550,000 units per day compared to just 50,000-150,000 a month or two ago as Apple geared up to launch the device.

Two of the primary bottlenecks that contributed to tight supplies of the iPhone X have largely been resolved, according to Kuo, with Career quickly making up for lost time after Murata was unable to provide LTE antenna components as originally planned and LG Innotek and Sharp seeing improved yields for the dot projector module of the TrueDepth camera.

(1) Hon Hai’s daily shipments of iPhone X have climbed to 450-550k units, up from 50-150k units 1-2 months ago; (2) shipments of Career’s LCP LTE antenna will likely grow 100% MoM in both November and December; and (3) production yield of Dot projection module, made by LG Innotek (KR) and Sharp (JP), has moved quickly above 80-90% or higher from below 60% 1-2 months ago.

As a result of the improved production, Kuo believes iPhone X shipments in the fourth calendar quarter could be 10-20 percent higher than he previously estimated, with some orders previously estimated as shipping in the new year being pulled in and shipped before the end of the quarter. That acceleration means Kuo is predicting that iPhone X shipments in the first quarter of 2018 will be flat or slightly lower compared to the fourth quarter.

Apple’s financial guidance for the current quarter points toward record performance, suggesting the company is confident any production troubles have been resolved and that demand for the high-end iPhone X will be strong throughout the quarter.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: Ming-Chi KuoBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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Pornhub’s first store has a livestreaming bed camera, of course

Pop-up stores are all the rage, but Pornhub’s shop in New York City is offering something… unique. If you visit its just-opened location on 70 Wooster Street, you’ll see a bed with a camera that livestreams directly to the porn giant’s website. No, you can’t get away with what normally happens on a bed at Pornhub, but you are encouraged to “interact” with the camera. And let’s be honest: this is probably your best shot at appearing live on a porn site without having to explain a surprise career move.

The store itself (which, unsurprisingly, is adults-only) is also notable as Pornhub’s retail debut. And it’s mostly about fashion. You’ll see some sex toys and “aphrodisiac herbs,” but most of the wares are either self-branded clothing or apparel from Pornhub’s partners. The company knowingly set up shop next to high fashion brands, in fact. While no one would confuse the porn purveyor with its haute couture neighbors, the company clearly wants to be taken seriously.

If you’re curious enough to step inside, the New York pop-up will be open until December 20th. There will also be a “holiday-themed” store in Milan, Italy before long.

As for why Pornhub is making the move? The company’s Corey Price told New York Daily News that it has been expanding its clothing line and decided that real-world interaction at a pop-up store “would be cool” instead of limiting it to the virtual realm. We wouldn’t count on any permanent Pornhub stores, then, but this shows how internet giants of all stripes increasingly see retail as a key way to drive business.

Via: New York Daily News

Source: Pornhub (safe for work)

‘Ghost In The Shell’ VR arcade game is a four-on-four firefight

For everybody that’s watched Ghost in the Shell and thought to themselves, “yes, I too would like to experience tearing tanks apart with my bare hands,” your day has come. Well, sort of. Bandai Namco has partnered with VR Zone Shinjuku, a 40,000-square foot VR arcade center, to develop an eight player competitive shooter based on the GiTS universe and they’re calling it Ghost in the Shell: Arise Stealth Hounds.

The game is set on a 20m x 12m flat arena with the eight players split evenly into teams of four. Each competitor wears a custom VR headset and PC backpack as well as VR markers on their wrists, ankles and hips. The room’s motion tracking system uses these markers to translate the user’s movements into the VR experience. And while there aren’t any physical objects in the arena for the players to navigate, their headsets generate a virtual maze of obstacles that they must overcome.

Users will play as a rookie member of Major Kusanagi’s strike force on a mission to eliminate enemy combatants. In addition to running, ducking and jumping through the virtual halls, players will be able to exploit special powers like optical camouflage and cyberbrain hacking to complete their missions (fingers crossed for superhuman tank-tearing strength). The game opens to the public on December 9th.

Via: VR Scout

Source: VR Zone Shinjuku

Yes — Core i7 is faster than Core i5. But what’s the real difference?

As much as AMD’s Ryzen CPUs made a big comeback for the red team in 2017, Intel’s Core i5 and i7 CPUs are still some of the most popular. But what’s the difference when you pit an i5 vs. i7? Like most computer components, there are dozens of models at each tier to choose from, and it can get a little overwhelming.

This guide is designed to help you decide whether you need four, six or eight cores; eight threads or more — and what those terms actually mean, in practice.

It’s worth noting before we get started that we’re talking specifically about Intel’s 8th-generation “Coffee Lake” and 7th-generation “Kaby Lake” chips here. A lot of the information applies elsewhere, but the newer chips tend to provide noticeable features and performance improvements over previous generations. You won’t save a lot of money buying CPUs older than the 8th or 7th-generations, and all but the most experienced PC-builders will want to stay away from earlier Core i5 and Core i7 offerings.

What’s the difference?

Overall, Core i5 and Core i7 chips differ in the way they handle processing information. Core i5 processors have fewer cores and can, therefore, support fewer simultaneous “threads.” These “threads” are used by software to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, rather than queuing everything up for execution one-by-one. In other words, they’re not as good at multitasking.

Core i7 processors, on the other hand, use a feature called “hyper-threading” to reach above and beyond the number of cores they have. So, a Core i7 processor with four cores can actually handle eight threads of data at once. Processors with hyper-threading can effectively double the number of threads they can handle simultaneously.

In the 7th-generation and older, the numbers typically work out for four cores and four threads for i5 CPUs, while the Core i7 CPUs sport four cores and eight threads thanks to hyper-threading. That changed in the eighth generation, however, with Core i5 models having six cores a piece, while the Core i7 CPUs upped the ante to six-cores and 12 threads.

For concurrent processing tasks — times when your PC needs to handle processor-intensive tasks at the same time — a CPU with hyper-threading can make sure you experience minimal system slowdown. Without hyper-threading, a CPU might need to queue things up and process them one-by-one. This is all handled in the blink of an eye, but the cumulative effect can definitely be felt when you’re multitasking and running processor intensive applications that can take advantage of additional cores and threads.

Windows will actually detect extra threads as physical cores, and software will use them as such, but the performance gain is only a fraction of what an extra physical core will provide. Still, the extra threads are useful in demanding software.

Core i5 vs Core i7 on the desktop

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Aside from the previously mentioned architectural differences between Core i5s and Core i7s, there are a few unique peculiarities you’ll find on the desktop versions of these processors.

Desktop Core i5s, for instance, almost always have four cores, and this means they’re more robust and powerful than their mobile counterparts. But even though Core i5 quads typically come pretty close to Core i7 clock speeds, they don’t feature hyper-threading and usually have smaller cache sizes — meaning they don’t perform as well at repetitive tasks.

Core i7 processors are a little different. Not only do they have larger cache sizes — meaning they’re better with repetitive tasks — but they typically have quicker clock speeds, and always feature hyper-threading. Another major difference is the number of cores available. On the desktop, Core i5s have four or six cores depending on the generation, but Core i7s can have between four and ten cores. That means an eight core i7 can handle 16 threads at once with hyper-threading, and a ten-core i7 processor can handle 20 threads at once.

That added performance does come at a cost though. As our guide to the best Intel CPUs points out, higher-end i7 Chips can be a lot more expensive.

Core i5 vs Core i7 on laptops

Mobile processors are a slightly different story. Where desktop Core i5s never feature hyper-threading, some mobile versions do, allowing mobile dual-core i5 processors to handle four threads at once.

The Core i5 processors found in laptops come in two configurations: Dual-core with hyper-threading, and quad-core without. The difference between these two types of mobile Core i5s usually comes down to clock speed — quads are generally a little quicker. Similarly, mobile Core i7s are found in two flavors, dual-core and quad-core, but both feature hyper-threading.

8th-generation mobile chips, somewhat confusingly termed Kaby Lake R (rather than the Coffee Lake designation of the desktop chips) feature four cores for both Core i5 and i7 chips. They did not see the increase in core counts that their desktop counterparts benefited from. There are also no dual-core options as of yet.

Regardless of the name though, they’re still pretty great, as our Dell XPS 13 review discovered.

What’s the difference between Core i5 and i7 CPUs that have the same core and thread counts? Well, mobile Core i7s feature larger cache sizes, and they’re usually a little quicker when it comes to clock speed.

Quad-cores sometimes have lower clock speeds than dual-core chips. This is most common in mobile chips that must squeeze into a tight power envelope. What does this mean? A dual-core with a high clock speed will beat a quad-core with a low clock speed in applications that don’t use many cores; the quad-core will be quicker in applications that do and will be better at multitasking. If the quad has more cores and a higher clock, it will always be quicker.

Should you buy a Core i5 or a Core i7?

So, which processor should you invest in? That depends on your needs, but for most people a Core i5 is going to be the most sensible choice — especially since the latest-generation i5s are comparable to the previous one’s i7s.

While there are a lot of factors in determining overall system performance, most of the time, a Core i5 processor won’t end up bottlenecking your day-to-day performance. Most people, including gamers, will find a Core i5 quad-core (or hexacore) perfectly adequate.

A Core i7 makes sense only for users who don’t mind paying a premium for more power, or users who often run extremely demanding software. For example, shaving a few seconds off every minute of encoding 1080p video adds up, if you regularly encode projects that are a couple of hours long.

While nice to have, the performance impact of hyper-threading is very dependent on software. Only applications specifically designed to take advantage of multiple threads will see a performance increase. The feature is most useful to people who run productivity applications.

Intel Core i5 on Amazon Intel Core i7 on Amazon

Updated 11/22/17 by Jon Martindale – added information about the latest i5 and i7 processors.

Here’s your chance to win a $500 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Thrifter

Just when you thought things were winding down, we spiced them up again!

Black Friday may be winding down, but Team Thrifter is not going to let it end without a bang. We’ve been thinking about how to add some more spice to Black Friday beyond our exclusive doorbuster, and we think we have another great one. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to take advantage of all the great Amazon deals we posted without having to come out of pocket for all of them? Well, that could be a reality.

Enter to win a $500 Amazon gift card from Thrifter!

All you have to do is enter the contest below, and you could end up winning a $500 Amazon Gift Card. That’s right, $500 to spend at Amazon on whatever you want. That’s a whole lot of discounted accessories, or even a sweet Nintendo Switch console bundled with a bunch of games.

We are running this for only a few hours, and entering couldn’t be more simple. You just have to share a link with your friends on Twitter, and follow us on Twitter. Be sure to enter this contest now, as well as our $1,500 Home Theater Giveaway.

Best Buy will have Nintendo’s SNES Classic in stores Saturday

If you still don’t own an SNES Classic Edition, you’ll have a chance to get one tomorrow, November 25th. Best Buy has announced that it will sell Nintendo’s mini, retro console in stores across the US starting at 9AM local time. Not surprisingly, you’ll have to be at the door early since stock will be limited. There’s going to be a cap of one per customer, and Best Buy said in a blog post that it’s going to offer a first-come, first-served ticketing system for customers waiting in line.

Those of you who miss out on Saturday can hit up a Toys ‘R’ Us store on November 27th, when the company plans to have an SNES Classic Edition restock of its own. Good luck, otherwise you can always buy it from a scalper on eBay for a lot more than its retail price.

Via: CNET

Source: Best Buy

Image-sharing site Imgur was hacked in 2014

Imgur, a popular picture-sharing site, revealed today that it suffered a data breach in 2014, claiming it was just notified of it on November 23rd. In a blog post, Imgur said hackers stole email addresses and passwords of 1.7 million user accounts — a small fraction of its 150 million total users. No other personal information was allegedly exposed, since Imgur says it has never asked for people’s real names, addresses or phone numbers.

The company added that while it’s still investigating how the information was compromised, it suspects it was due to an older hashing algorithm, SHA-256, which has since been updated. As ZDNet reports, Imgur didn’t find out about the breach until the stolen data was sent to security researcher Troy Hunt, who then contacted the firm about it.

Roy Sehgal, Imgur’s chief operating officer, said those who have been affected have already been informed. “We take protection of your information very seriously,” he wrote, “and will be conducting an internal security review of our system and processes.” Hopefully his team can figure out how this incident went unnoticed for roughly three years.

On November 23, we were notified about a data breach on Imgur that occurred in 2014. While we are still actively investigating the intrusion, we wanted to inform you as quickly as possible as to what we know and what we are doing in response. More: https://t.co/qElAetGVIc

— Imgur (@imgur) November 25, 2017

Via: ZDNet

Source: Imgur