Twitter ‘Taking Cues’ From Snapchat and Testing Update That Makes the Camera More Accessible

Twitter is “experimenting” with a new update to its mobile iOS and Android apps that is said to make it easier for users to share videos and photos on the social network.

According to people familiar with the matter, speaking with Bloomberg, the update is still in an early testing phase and could “change significantly” over the next few months, but comes at a time when Twitter is looking to attract more users and convince current users to stick around. The exact design of the update wasn’t specified, but Twitter is said to have a working demo of a “camera-centered” update that will “entice people” to quickly and easily post video clips of what’s happening near them.

The current method of accessing the camera to post photos and videos on Twitter for iOS
Bloomberg compared the description of the camera feature to Snapchat’s mobile apps, which open to the camera first so users can quickly take snaps. In 2016, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted that the network can be confusing to newcomers and called Snapchat “very modern.” To be clear, it doesn’t appear that Twitter aims to launch “Twitter Stories,” but is simply looking to rearrange its app in a way that allows for more prominent placement of the camera.

Twitter Inc. is working on a new Snapchat-style feature that makes it easier to post videos on the social-media company’s app, according to people familiar with the matter, aiming to attract more users and cement a nascent turnaround.

Social-media leader Facebook Inc. has famously copied innovations from Snap Inc.’s Snapchat, a mobile app focused on ephemeral photos and videos that’s popular with younger audiences. Twitter’s latest change suggests that Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey is taking cues from the newer company as well.

Currently, to post a video or photo on the Twitter iOS app, users have to open the app, tap to compose a tweet, tap “camera,” capture a video or photo, add it to the tweet, then tap “Tweet.” Those near Twitter’s testing of the new feature claimed that “the goal of this product is to reduce the number of steps,” aligning it with Snapchat’s camera-first user interface.

Video has become a priority for many social media companies over the past few years, including Facebook’s frequent updates that introduced an Apple TV video-only app, a dedicated video tab for the iOS app, and a simple right-swipe UI to jump into the camera on iOS and post a Snapchat-style Story. Instagram has a similar right-swipe interaction to launch the camera, and was the first of Facebook’s apps to begin the copying of Snapchat Stories back in 2016.

Tags: Twitter, bloomberg.com, Snapchat
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Nintendo Announces Plans to Shut Down ‘Miitomo’ Two Years After Launch

Nintendo launched its first iOS mobile game, Miitomo, in March 2016, and this week the company has confirmed it will officially end support for the game on May 9, 2018 (via The Verge).

The company posted a notice [Google Translate] on its Japanese website yesterday, warning Miitomo users of its decision to “terminate the service” on Wednesday, May 9 at 12:00 a.m. (PDT). Ahead of that closure, the company has already ended the sale of “Miitomo coins” through in-app purchases as of today, but coins and game tickets will be given to players as a login bonus so they can shop for items until May 9.

In the lead-up to that date, Miitomo will hold “The Final Thank You Festival” with events that celebrate its fans through daily bonuses and sharing Miifotos on Twitter. Then, in the early morning of May 9 all of Miitomo’s features will become inaccessible, including Miifotos, messages, and sidekick Miis. Head to Nintendo’s website for more information on how to save some of the app’s data before it closes.

Nintendo apologized to customers who are fans of the app, and noted that it will issue a refund of unused Miitomo coins purchased through IAPs. The refunds will appear after termination this May.

We recently decided to terminate the service on May 9, 2018 (Wednesday) on the application “Miitomo” for smartphones which started distribution on March 17, 2016.

We are sorry for the customers who have enjoyed it, thank you for your understanding.

As Nintendo’s first game for iOS and Android devices, Miitomo was a social networking style game that allowed players to create their own Mii, dress them up, and answer questions to discover new things about their friends. In the proceeding two months after the game launched, many players were seen to abandon the app and conversations about it on social media appeared to die down. SurveyMonkey summed it up in a report by stating that players simply “didn’t really get Miitomo.”

Nintendo fared better in subsequent apps that were more gaming focused, following Miitomo up with Super Mario Run in December 2016, Fire Emblem Heroes in February 2017, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp in November 2017. The company is now said to be looking for additional mobile software developers to stay more on schedule with its iOS and Android game releases, and the next major title is rumored to be set in The Legend of Zelda universe.

Tags: Nintendo, Miitomo
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Apple Working on Redesigned Books App With ‘Simpler’ Interface and Overhauled Store

After changing the iBooks app to simply be called “Books” in the iOS 11.3 beta that released to developers yesterday, a new report out today by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg states that Apple is preparing to revamp the internals of the iPhone and iPad app as well.

In an update coming in the next few months — potentially with the public release of iOS 11.3 in the spring — Apple will redesign Books with a “simpler” interface aimed at highlighting books you’re currently reading in a “Reading Now” section.

On the store side of things, Books will gain a marketplace that looks like the new iOS App Store that debuted in iOS 11, tying more of Apple’s apps in together aesthetically. There will also be a dedicated tab for audio books.

According to Gurman, this major update to Books is Apple’s move to take on Amazon and the Kindle digital book market again. The Books redesign will come nearly five years after Apple and five publishers were found guilty of conspiring to inflate the prices of e-books to weaken Amazon’s dominant position in the market.

Apple is working on a redesigned version of its iBooks e-book reading application for iPhones and iPads and has hired an executive from Amazon to help.

This will be the biggest upgrade to Apple’s e-book service in several years and provides renewed competition in a market that Amazon has dominated.

In its preparation to fight against Amazon in the e-book market, Apple last month hired a senior vice president away from Amazon’s Audible business. The VP, Kashif Zafar, had also previously worked at Barnes & Noble on its Nook e-reader. His new title at Apple is “Global Head of iBooks,” and he’ll help Apple with “general management responsibility” across the company’s global digital books unit.

Tag: bloomberg.com
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Apple Notifies Developers of Tax and Pricing Changes in Some Foreign App Stores

Apple on Wednesday began sending out emails to let developers know of changes to the price of App Store apps in several countries, owing to regional adjustments in value added tax (via 9to5Mac).

Apple told developers that since January 1 it had been collecting taxes on the sale of apps and in-app purchases in Armenia, Belarus, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

The new policy means Apple is administering collection and remittance of tax to authorities at a rate of 20 percent in Armenia and Belarus; 5 percent in Saudi Arabia; 18 percent in Turkey; and 5 percent in United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, existing tax collections dropped from 8 percent to 7.7 percent.

Apple also announced price updates this week for the following countries: Czech Republic, where prices will decrease for apps and in-app purchases (excluding auto-renewable subscriptions); India, where prices will decrease for apps and in-app purchases (including auto-renewable subscriptions); and Turkey, Nigeria, Belarus, and Armenia, where prices will increase for apps and in-app purchases (excluding auto-renewable subscriptions).

As expected, App Store developer proceeds will be adjusted and calculated based on the new tax prices. In addition to the tax and price change notices, Apple reminded developers they can adjust subscription pricing at any time to preserve prices for existing customers. Using iTunes Connect, developers can also check new prices in the Pricing and Availability section of My Apps.

Tags: App Store, tax
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It’s curtains for Nintendo’s ‘Miitomo’ less than two years after launch

Miitomo fans, we have some bad news for you.

Nintendo has announced it’s shuttering the social app less than two years after its launch.

Miitomo was the Japanese game giant’s first-ever smartphone app, but despite the hype that surrounded its March 2016 arrival, as well as the backing of an outfit like Nintendo, it failed to win the hearts of the masses.

Nintendo said it stopped selling Miitomo coins on Wednesday, and will flip the switch on the app on May 9, 2018, disabling all of its features.

Up until then, you’ll still find daily login bonuses of Miitomo coins and game tickets so you can continue to enjoy Miitomo Drop and use other features such as the Miitomo shop.

While you’ll no longer be able to see your answers or messages in the app come May 9, or be able to use any items you’ve obtained (think clothing items, wallpapers, and posters), you will be able to transfer your Mii character to your Nintendo account by linking it to Miitomo. But take note, its personality and other information will be lost!

Other things to consider: Sidekick Mii characters will be deleted, but you can hold onto them by saving them as a QR code prior to May 9. You can then transfer them to Mii Maker on the Nintendo 3DS or the Wii U, Nintendo said.

Finally, if you have any Miifotos that you want to keep, be sure to save them to your smartphone before Nintendo closes the app down.

The Kyoto-based company didn’t offer a reason for why it’s ending support for its avatar-based social app, but evidently it now wants to put its resources into its newer mobile game offerings such as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.

In his review of Miitomo soon after its launch, Digital Trends’ gaming editor Mike Epstein found the app “interesting and fun,” but certainly wasn’t bowled over by it, calling it out for its “lack of any dedicated purpose or utility in the real world.” He also found that it drained his phone’s battery much faster than other apps, and used up a lot of storage space, too.

While Miitomo made some gains with a big update in November 2016, that and subsequent improvements clearly weren’t enough to propel the app to great heights, leading to Nintendo’s announcement this week.

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Xiaomi overtakes Samsung to become the largest smartphone brand in India

Xiaomi ends Samsung’s six-year dominance in India.

Xiaomi tied with Samsung for the top spot in India’s handset segment late last year, and with the momentum strongly in favor of the Chinese manufacturer, it was only a matter of time before it overtook Samsung. That day has arrived, as Xiaomi is now claiming that it is the largest smartphone brand in India on the back of Q4 sales.

The claim is backed up by numbers from both Counterpoint and Canalys, two market research firms that aggregate data from the Indian market. According to Counterpoint, India’s overall mobile phone shipments grew 37%, with smartphone shipments seeing a 12% uptick. Xiaomi was the manufacturer leading the charge, amassing a market share of 25% to beat out Samsung’s 24% in Q4 2017. Samsung still came out on top when you look at FY2017 numbers, with a market share of 25%, followed by Xiaomi at 19%.

Xiaomi was the clear frontrunner in the online segment, but the manufacturer laid the groundwork for its offline expansion last year, aggressively focusing on brick-and-mortar stores to drive sales. The move paid dividends, as noted by Counterpoint Research Associate Director Tarun Pathak:

During the second half, players such as Xiaomi was particularly disruptive with an aggressively-priced, broad portfolio taken to market with an effective channel expansion strategy.

Canalys data suggests Xiaomi has shipped 8.2 million units in Q4, nearly a million more than the 7.3 million Samsung managed in the same period. One reason for Samsung’s downturn comes from its inability to effectively match Xiaomi in the budget segment, which accounts for a majority of sales in India. From Canalys analyst Rushabh Doshi:

It has been unable to win over cost-conscious consumers, losing market share in the sub-INR15,000 (US$240) segment to Xiaomi quarter after quarter. Despite its ability to offer better margins and funding to the offline channel, consumer demand for Samsung’s devices has been weak.

Xiaomi hasn’t detailed its 2018 strategy for the Indian market, but a recent teaser by India PR lead Clinton Jeff suggests we’ll see the Redmi Note 5 in India next month. Xiaomi India head Manu Kumar Jain reiterated that India is a key market, and that the manufacturer will launch new product categories this year:

We are extremely pleased that we have been able to retain our position as the No 1 smartphone brand in the Indian market (including both online and offline markets) according to reports from Canalys and Counterpoint.. We are grateful for the constant love and support that we receive from our Mi Fans.

I believe our constant innovation across our products, operating model and our commitment to India has helped us win over our Mi fans. India is a key market for us and we will continue to launch new products and product categories for Indian Mi fans.

There’s no mention of what those products might be, but with Xiaomi increasingly focusing on its lifestyle label, we could see some smart home products making their debut in India.

In an odd twist, Samsung is refuting Xiaomi’s Q4 sales figures.

Now that’s where the story would usually end, but like an M. Night Shyamalan movie, there’s a twist here. Samsung has refuted the Q4 sales figures, stating that shipments don’t correlate to market share and that it is still the number one smartphone brand “by a distance.” Citing German market research firm GfK’s data — which details units sold to end users rather than shipments — Samsung is saying that it has a 45% value market share and 40% volume market share in the country:

Samsung is India’s number 1 smartphone company by a distance. As per GfK, which tracks sales to end consumers, in the last (November) quarter Samsung had a 45 percent value market share and 40 percent volume market share.

Samsung is a full range player and leads the smartphone business across every segment of the India market in 2017. More importantly, Samsung is India’s ‘Most Trusted’ brand. We owe our undisputed leadership to the love and trust of millions of our consumers in India.

Xiaomi countered the argument by stating that GfK doesn’t count the online segment, which accounts for 33% of all sales. Xiaomi dominates e-commerce sales in the country and is the largest online brand by some margin, so there is some validity to its claim.

We should have a clearer picture of the Indian handset ecosystem in a few months’ time, but what cannot be discounted is the magnitude of what Xiaomi has accomplished over the last few quarters. The brand went from 9% market share to 25% by aggressively focusing on the budget segment and making its phones available at thousands of retail stores. It’ll be interesting to see how Samsung responds this year.

Jack White is the latest musician to ban phones at shows

We hope you weren’t planning to document your next Jack White gig as it happens. White is following the lead of Alicia Keys, Dave Chappelle and other performers by banning the use of phones during his next US tour, which starts in April. When you get to the venue, you’ll have to put your phone and other camera-equipped devices in a Yondr pouch that stays locked until the end of the show. You can unlock your phone if there’s a call you need to make, but you’ll have to go to a designated zone in the concourse or lobby first.

If you do want photos to share, you’re asked to repost them from either Jack White’s website or his live show’s Instagram account.

Like many artists, White is making the move because he’s tired of audience members who spend their entire time recording the show or talking about it with friends. This should create a “100% human experience,” his team said. He has previously stated that he lets the fans tell him what to do, and that’s difficult when they’re too busy live-tweeting each song.

Policies like this remain polarizing. There’s no question that some concert goers miss the point of a show by recording it all. At the same time, an outright ban prevents you from capturing any personal memories from the actual performance. Sorry, Jack, but sharing a generic set of photos and videos isn’t the same as showing what it was like from your point of view. Also, this risks erasing moments in music history, like a one-off cover song or a rare slip-up. As good as it is for fellow fans to actually enjoy the music, there is something lost by locking phones away and producing a single, sanitized version of what happened.

Via: Pitchfork

Source: NME, Yondr

Sky’s £15 Now TV streaming stick comes with a voice remote

Sky’s Now TV hardware hasn’t had a refresh in over a year now, the most recent box being a curious clash of aerial and ethernet. The new Now TV box being announced today isn’t a box at all, however. Sky call it the Now TV Smart Stick, and as always, we’re looking at a rebranded Roku device that serves as a vehicle for Now TV’s subscription-free sports, entertainment, movies and children’s TV packages. This isn’t the 4K streaming stick Roku launched for £80 last October, but a custom-built model similar to one only available in the US. If you’re familiar with Now TV hardware or even just the apps, then you pretty much know what you’re dealing with already. The Smart Stick does have a few tricks up its sleeve, though.

Launching at the end of February for just £15, the Smart Stick is the first Now TV box with voice search and control. Utter the name of an actor, director, genre or specific show into the WiFi remote and you’ll be presented with relevant results from Sky’s catalogue; or tell it to open BBC iPlayer to jump directly into that app. The remote can also control your TV, so no need to go hunting just to change the volume or switch off for the night. The card-like UI of Now TV is starting to look flat and dated compared to other streaming services, but at least you can get around it swiftly with a new set of shortcut buttons (on the US Roku stick, these quicklaunch Netflix and other services).

There’s a button to head straight to the MyTV section and get at your saved watchlist, and one that sends you to the live TV EPG. This has been tweaked so you no longer have to select a pass to see the associated live channels — anything you have access to now populates a single list. There’s another button for Sky’s rental and purchase store, and one that’s just for kids, taking you to a more colourful, simpler homescreen hosting all their favourite shows.

You can also pause live TV for up to 30 minutes on the Smart Stick. This is available on the Smart Box, but it’s a first for Now TV’s streaming-only devices. A new “hotel connect” feature also means you can take your stick with you and easily connect it to private networks with complicated log-on processes. The software the new Smart Stick launches with may also come to older boxes in the future, I’m told.

You can buy the stick on its own for £15, but if you know you’re going to tuck in to Now TV immediately, there are bundles that offer discounts on the monthly content ‘passes.’ A total of £20 will get you a stick and either one month of movies, a two-month entertainment pass or three months of kids’ TV. If you want a month of sports thrown in instead, there’s a £30 bundle for that.

As it always has done, Now TV streams at a maximum resolution of 720p. The Smart Stick itself is capable of outputting at full HD, and you’ll get that from other apps like ITV Hub and All 4. Sky is finally upping the quality of Now TV to 1080p later this year, though it won’t come as standard. Another future feature that might help you decide whether you wanna buy into Now TV has nothing to do with hardware, but the Now TV app. Starting this spring, from May onwards, you’ll be able to download shows and movies in the Now TV mobile app to watch offline. Children’s TV shows will be downloadable first, but movies and all other TV will be just as amenable by the end of summer.

NASA tests light, foldable plane wings for supersonic flights

Planes that can fold their wings to different angles while in the air have the potential to fly faster than their peers, and NASA has recently made headway into their development. The space agency has conducted a series of test flights proving that it can control the wings it designed to move into any position and that they have aerodynamic benefits. While the technology has existed for a long time, it typically requires the use of heavy hydraulic systems. NASA’s version doesn’t need that kind of machinery: it relies on the properties of a temperature-activated material called shape memory alloy instead. Upon being heated, the alloy activates a twisting motion in the tubes serving as the wings’ actuator, moving the wings’ outer portion up to 70 degrees upwards or downwards.

The foldable wings will give typical planes like commercial airliners a way to adapt to different flight conditions. They can give pilots more control over their aircraft and could even lead to more fuel efficient flights. Planes designed to fly at supersonic speeds (faster than the speed of sound), however, will get more out of this technology.

As Matt Moholt, the principal director of the Spanwise Adaptive Wing project, said:

“There’s a lot of benefit in folding the wing tips downward to sort of ‘ride the wave’ in supersonic flight, including reduced drag. This may result in more efficient supersonic flight. Through this effort, we may be able to enable this element to the next generation of supersonic flight, to not only reduce drag but also increase performance, as you transition from subsonic to supersonic speeds. This is made possible using shape memory alloy.”

The team now plans to continue developing the technology until the foldable wings can move both up and down during a single flight. At the moment, they can only fold in a single direction in the air, and team members have to rearrange the hardware every time they want to test if the wings can move in the opposite direction. They’ll be busy making that happen within the year, since they’re aiming to conduct the next batch of test flights by summer of 2018.

Source: NASA

Loco is a blatant HQ Trivia ripoff from India

Loco is a game show app that’s ‘inspired’ by HQ Trivia.

HQ Trivia has rocketed up the charts in recent months, with the live trivia game counting hundreds of thousands of players every day. The game’s main draw comes from the fact that you can win real money, provided you answer all the questions correctly.

It looks like someone from India noticed just how popular HQ Trivia is, because there’s now an app called Loco aimed at the Indian market that does the exact same thing.

If you’re not familiar with HQ Trivia, here’s a primer on how it works. The game is reminiscent of Jeopardy!-style shows, but instead of passively watching the program on your TV, you can play from your phone. The host doles out 12 multiple choice questions in real time; get them all right and you’ll be able to split the daily pool prize of $2,000 with the rest of the winners. HQ usually has a larger pool on weekends and holidays — last weekend saw a $15,000 prize for 15 questions — but the format itself is the same.

As for Loco, the app is essentially a clone of HQ Trivia. Everything from the sign-up process (you’ll have to register with your phone number) to the format of the show and even the quirkiness of the host is a blatant copy of HQ Trivia. The UI elements also are near-identical, with minor changes in the color scheme. Heck, the host also does shout-outs before a game begins.

Loco also lets you win real cash, with the money directly debited to your Paytm account. The game has 10 questions, and the prize pool of ₹10,000 ($150) is split evenly amongst the winners. And yes, you can invite your friends to Loco to get extra lives.

The only element of HQ Trivia that Loco hasn’t thoroughly ripped off is the chat feature, but I’m sure it’ll be introduced once they figure out how to do it. Of course, there is one aspect of Loco that will appeal to Indian users: as it is produced locally, you get a lot of cricket and Bollywood-themed questions.

If you’re wondering, you can play HQ Trivia if you’re located in India. All you need to do is sign up with your phone number and tune in when the game goes live. Sure, the timings aren’t ideal — HQ Trivia is live at 1:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. IST — but if you can work around that, it’s an altogether better experience. And while you may not get many Bollywood questions, you do stand to win a larger prize.