Samsung has the world’s largest SSD, again, at 30TB

Nearly two years ago Samsung released a 15.36TB drive that it said had the most capacity of any SSD. Now, it has topped that with a new effort that it claims features twice the capacity and performance. Inside its 2.5-inch frame, the PM1643 has 30.72 TB ready for whatever enterprise storage needs you have, with sequential read/write speeds of 2,100MB/s and 1,700 MB/s.

That’s all created with 512GB 3D vertical NAND chips, half the size of the newest 1TB ones announced late last year. Now that it’s able to mass produce them at this size, we’ll naturally see Samsung trickle these down into drives with smaller capacity (15.36TB, 7.68TB, 3.84TB, 1.92TB, 960GB and 800GB). After that, we’d expect it will eventually increase the memory size available in PCs that fit on your desk, or the chips that go in devices like your phone.

Source: Samsung

Nike+ Run Club iOS App Updated With New Weekly Challenges Feature

Nike today updated its Nike+ Run Club iOS app with a new Challenges feature that aims to help users stay motivated throughout the week by letting them see how their mileage stacks up against other users in the global Nike running community.

The new challenges appear in the Club section of the app. As of writing there are three challenges to join, including 15K February Weekly Challenge, a 50K March Weekly Challenge, and a 100K March Weekly Challenge. Tapping on one sends you to a summary screen that tells you how many runners are currently participating and how long the challenge runs for.

Tapping on the Join button enrolls you in the challenge, but you can leave it at any time through the challenge overflow menu (the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen). It also looks like you can only participate in challenges if your privacy setting is set to “Friends (social)” or “Everyone (public)”.

Completing challenges earns users achievement badges, similar to those found Apple’s Activity app. In addition to the weekly challenges, Nike says there will also be occasional special Nike Challenges, which sound a lot like Apple’s seasonal/one-off challenges that Apple Watch users will be familiar with.

The Nike app’s last major feature update came in October, when Nike introduced Audio Guided Runs to coincide with the launch of Apple Watch Series 3 models.

The Nike+ Run Club app can be downloaded on the iPhone and all Apple Watch models, but with Nike+ models, there’s an option to launch the Nike+ Run Club app from the exclusive Nike watch faces.

Nike+ Run Club is available from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

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Altice One crams your modem, router, and streaming box into one device

During the 2018 Winter Olympics, Altice USA flooded viewers with commercials advertising its new Altice One, an all-in-one device for Optimum subscribers. It arrives after Netherlands-based Altice Group purchased Suddenlink in December 2015 for $9.1 billion, and Cablevision in June 2016 for $17.7 billion. Altice Group retired the Cablevision brand and renamed the newly owned New York-based company to Altice USA, making it the fourth largest cable/internet service provider in the United States.

The new Altice One falls under the Optimum banner. This platform provides broadband internet, Voice over Internet Protocol telephone service, digital TV, and a group of networks providing news, weather, and more. The new device is basically a three-in-one access point: Modem, router, and set-top box with integrated support for Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, and more. Cloud DVR recordings and Ultra HD video are also part of the Optimum platform.

“Altice One is an ever-evolving centralized platform that offers an innovative suite of features that reinvent the connectivity and entertainment experience,” the company says. “Altice One provides a simple all-in-one ultra-high-definition video, high-speed broadband, powerful Wi-Fi and IP phone experience in a sleek, compact home hub that replaces the traditional cable box, modem, and router.”

The Altice One seemingly adds “smart” connectivity to your TV sporting the interactive Altice One v1.0 operating system. With this device, you can scroll through the Optimum TV guide, find a missed TV show on demand or record shows to be stored in the cloud, and install popular apps from a growling list. Thus, with this device, you don’t need a Smart TV, console, or set-top box to stream Stranger Things.

The company first introduced the Altice One to select Long Island areas in November and is now rolling out the device across the entire Optimum footprint. Other notable features with the Altice One include a voice-activated remote control, a picture-in-picture component, a cloud DVR-based “restart” feature for rewinding to the beginning if you jumped into a TV show too late, and 4K capabilities

The beauty of Altice One is that it centralizes your internet connection, wireless access point, and streaming services. Instead of three devices, you only deal with one unit. The drawback mostly pertains to Wi-Fi connectivity: The further you move away from the Altice One, the slower the connection/data speed. Altice USA remedies that with the Altice One Mini, which not only extends your wireless range into dead spots in the home but enables TV and streaming capabilities to other rooms.

In addition to the Altice One, the company now offers broadband speeds of up to 400Mbps to residential homes, and up to 450Mbps to businesses. Also in the works is the expansion of its one-gigabit broadband service and its next-generation fiber-to-the-home network across its Optimum and Suddenlink coverage areas.

To get pricing for the new Altice One, customers must live within the Altice USA coverage area and fill out this form. They can also call the company’s toll-free number.

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Twitter is killing its Mac app, but do you even really care?

Twitter said on Friday that it’s discontinuing the Twitter for Mac app. The company removed its app from the Mac App Store and will stop supporting the currently-installed app in 30 days. As an alternative, Twitter says Mac owners can get the “full” Twitter experience using their web browser. Meanwhile, Twitter’s app still remains on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 device owners — but who knows how long that’ll last. 

“We’re focusing our efforts on a great Twitter experience that’s consistent across platforms,” the company says.  

The news isn’t sitting well with some Mac owners. The point of providing specific apps boils down to convenience and experience. For the former, native apps are just that: Convenient. There’s no need to load up a browser, click on a bookmark, or manually type in the address. Pop-up notifications appear on your screen too so you immediately know when someone responds to a tweet. Now that’s gone for all Mac users. 

“So your ‘great twitter experience’ includes removing the Twitter app for Apple Watch & Mac?” says one user on Twitter. “Because I don’t see how forcing people to use a webpage is a ‘great experience.’” 

“Wow. So you don’t even consider Mac a platform,” states another. “Some of us used your app on Mac every single day for years.” 

Opinions about the MacOS app are mixed: Some love it, and other prefer the web-based version. But there’s definitely a user base who believe Twitter’s move to kill the app is a bad decision — a base that will likely migrate to a third-party solution.

.@Twitter is killing its Mac desktop #app. Do you care?

— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) February 19, 2018

One Twitter user brings up an interesting point: the possibility that Apple may combine iOS and MacOS apps in 2018. According to reports, software developers can now create a single app that works on touch-centric iPhones, iPads, and mouse/keyboard-based MacOS devices. The move is to provide a more unified experience across Apple devices, shorten development time, and provide better solutions in the Mac App Store. This way, apps for mobile aren’t prioritized over apps for Mac. 

Until then, Mac owners are forced to either use the browser-based version, or grab a third-party app like Twitterrific 5 for Mac, which dropped down in price to $7.99 following Twitter’s decision to pull the Mac app plug. It’s a third-party solution from The Iconfactory that promises to make Twitter “fun.” Features like badges for user avatars, an uncluttered timeline, themes, and an interface designed specifically for MacOS. 

“Guess I’ll have to go to a 3rd party app for the first time because you throw away one of your best apps,” says one Twitter for Mac user. 

What happens to the Twitter for Mac app once the 30-day window expires is unknown for now. Will the app simply not send tweets to the social website? Will it no longer receive feeds? Even more, do you even care if Twitter is killing off this app? Vote in the poll or respond in the comments below to let us know what you think.

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Google’s Indian mobile money app can pay bills in a few taps

Manually paying your bills online usually involves jumping between multiple apps or websites, but Google might have an easier way. Its Tez mobile money app for India now includes a bill payment feature that lets you handle all those recurring costs in one place. You can add from a list of 80-plus companies (including utilities and telecoms) and pay directly from your bank account with a few taps. You get notifications when bills pop up, so you shouldn’t forget about a bill until it’s too late.

There isn’t quite a burning need to export this feature to other countries when Google’s search app can already remind you to pay bills. Even so, it’s hard not to wish this was available beyond India’s borders. Unless you’re the sort who relies entirely on auto-pay and doesn’t bother to check the cost, this could give you an easy way to deal with bills while knowing exactly how much you owe at any given moment.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google India Blog

What’s on TV: ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ ‘Metal Gear’ and ‘Walking Dead’

As the Winter Olympics continue (expect plenty of speedskating, bobsled, hockey and freestyle skiing), we’re ready for the return of The Walking Dead. There’s also a new Metal Gear game out, Survive, and Thor: Ragnarok is ready for streaming from most video on-demand services (for good this time) if you need another hit of the MCU after Black Panther. Star Wars Rebels is back on Disney XD, and BET is airing a miniseries about the Death Row record label. On Netflix we can expect a second season of Marseille, as well as the premiere of Seven Seconds, a new show from the producers of The Killing. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• Thor: Ragnarok (VOD)
• Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time
• Mom and Dad
• An Actor’s Revenge (Criterion)
• The Hero (Criterion)
• The Station (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Old Man’s Journey (Switch)
• Run Dorothy Run (PS4)
• Tiles (PS4, Xbox One)
• Symmetry (PS4, Xbox One)
• Deadbolt (PS4)
• Metal Gear Survive (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Armored Warfare (PS4)
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (Xbox One, PS4)
• Space Hulk: Ascension (Xbox One)
• Xenon Valkyrie+ (PS4, Xbox One)
• Apex Construct (PS VR)
• Abo Khashem (PS4, Xbox One)
• Rad Rodgers: World One (PS4, Xbox One)
• Layers of Fear: Legacy (Switch)
• Typoman: Revised (Switch)
• Fable Fortune (PC, Xbox One)
• Past Cure (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
• Toki Tori 2+ (Switch)

Monday

• 2018 Winter Olympics, NBC, 8 PM
• DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, CW, 8 PM
• Big Brother, CBS, 8 PM
• WWE Raw, USA, 8 PM
• Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil, A&E, 9 PM
• Star Wars Rebels (winter premiere), Disney XD, 9 PM
• Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
• The Alienist, TNT, 9 PM
• American Dad, TBS, 10 PM
• X Company (series premiere), Ovation, 10 PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Tuesday

• The Frankenstein Chronicles (S1 & S2), Netflix, 3 AM
• 2018 Winter Olympics, NBC, 8 PM
• WWE Smackdown, USA, 8 PM
• Black Lightning, CW, 9 PM
• Inside West Coast Customs, Velocity, 9 PM
• The Challenge, MTV, 9 PM
• Baskets, FX, 10 PM
• Drunk History, Comedy Central, 10 PM
• Bellevue, WGN, 10 PM
• The Death Row Chronicles (series premiere), BET, 10 & 11 PM
• Undercover High, A&E, 10 PM
• Hate Thy Neighbor, Viceland, 10 PM
• The Detour, TBS, 10:30 PM
• Another Period, Comedy Central, 10:30 PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Wednesday

• The Path, Hulu, 3 AM
• Forgotten, Netflix, 3 AM
• 2018 Winter Olympics, NBC, 8 PM
• The Magicians, Syfy, 9 PM
• The Amazing Race (season finale), CBS, 9 PM
• The Death Row Chronicles, BET, 10 & 11 PM
• Channel Zero, Syfy, 10 PM
• Slutever, Viceland, 10 PM
• Catfish, MTV, 10 PM
• Corporate, Comedy Central, 10 PM
• Knightfall, History, 10 PM
• Match Game, ABC, 10 PM
• Waco, Paramount, 10 PM
• Trixie & Katya Show, Viceland, 10:30 PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Thursday

• 2018 Winter Olympics, NBC, 8 PM
• The Death Row Chronicles (season finale), BET, 10 & 11 PM
• Lip Sync Battle, Paramount, 10 PM
• Portlandia, IFC, 10 PM
• Thursday Night Darts, BBC America, 10 PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Friday

• Breathe, Amazon Prime, 3 AM
• Marseille (S2), Netflix, 3 AM
• Mute, Netflix, 3 AM
• Seven Seconds (S1), Netflix, 3 AM
• Thunderbirds Are Go (S4), Amazon Prime, 3 AM
• The Tick (season finale episodes 7 – 12), Amazon Prime, 3 AM
• Ugly Delicious (series premiere), Netflix, 3 AM
• Fly Guys, Facebook, 12 PM
• 2018 Winter Olympics, NBC, 8 PM
• The Trade, Showtime, 9 PM
• Strike Back, Cinemax, 10 PM
• High Maintenance, HBO, 11 PM
• Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than These Bars, Comedy Central, 11 PM
• 2 Dope Queens: Uzo Aduba (season finale), HBO, 11:30 PM
• This is Not Happening, Comedy Central, 12 AM

Saturday

• 2018 Winter Olympics, NBC, 8 PM
• UFC on Fox, Fox, 8 PM
• Notes From the Field, HBO, 8 PM
• Thunder/Clippers, ABC, 8:30 PM
• Planet Earth: Blue Planet II, BBC America, 9 PM
• Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, Showtime, 9 PM
• Falling Water, USA, 10 PM

Sunday

• The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale, Netflix, 3 AM
• 2018 Winter Olympics, NBC, 7 PM
• Fear Factor (season premiere), MTV, 7 PM
• Big Brother (season finale), CBS, 8 PM
• Our Cartoon President Showtime, 8 PM
• Counterpart, Starz, 8 PM
• The Walking Dead (winter premiere), AMC, 9 PM
• Ash vs. Evil Dead (season premiere), Starz, 9 PM
• Here and Now, HBO, 9 PM
• Homeland, Showtime, 9 PM
• The Radical Story of Patty Hearst (season finale), CNN, 9 PM
• Victoria, PBS, 9 PM
• Unsung: The Boys, BET, 9 PM
• Talking Dead (season premiere), AMC, 10 PM
• The Chi, Showtime, 10 PM
• Divorce, HBO, 10 PM
• A.P. Bio, NBC, 10:30 PM
• Crashing, HBO, 10:30 PM
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11 PM

[All times listed are in ET]

Sony may launch an AI-powered taxi hailing system

Sony definitely isn’t the first name you think of when you’re looking for a ride, but that might change soon in its native Japan. Nikkei has learned that the tech heavyweight is leading an alliance of taxi companies (Checker Cab, Daiwa Motor Transportation, Green Cab, Hinomaru Kotsu and Kokusai Motorcars) in the creation of an AI-powered hailing platform. The algorithmic system would dispatch taxis more effectively by studying a host of conditions like traffic, weather and events. It might send a horde of drivers near the end of a concert, for instance.

There’s no word on when this would be ready, or whether Sony hopes to offer the service outside of Japan.

It may seem odd for Sony to chase after cabs when ridesharing services like Uber are quickly taking hold, but it doesn’t have much choice. Japan has a ban on using private cars for ride hailing services, which largely kills the ridesharing business model. This gives Sony a toehold in the transportation world without having to limit use to other countries, which could be helpful if and when self-driving cars become the norm.

As it is, there’s plenty of competitive pressure. Toyota just poured about $70 million into the app creator JapanTaxi, and it’s working on its own AI-centered taxi system. If Sony doesn’t get in early, it risks missing out on what could be a hot market.

Via: Reuters

Source: Nikkei Asian Review

Snapchat is selling more than just crappy merch

Weeks ago, Snap opened up an in-app Snapchat store to sell merch, which appeared to be an attempt to open up a new revenue stream. But it looks like it will offer more than just dancing hot dogs. During yesterday’s NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles, Snap held a concert that doubled as a sneaker drop for yet-unreleased Jordans.

Technically, fans couldn’t buy the shoes on site — they had to scan a QR code that then allowed them to purchase a pair of the AJ III Tinkers, which are slated to go on sale March 24th in Snapchat’s merch store. Sneakerheads are used to using apps to pick up shoes, so it makes some sense to lure them into using the in-app storefront. But it’s also a hint that Snap likely has more planned than just hot dog merch — and will probably roll the product releases in with other events that combine ephemeral events with e-commerce. And maybe also have a Snapchat filter tie-in, like so:

Introducing A/R Jordan.

That iconic ’88 dunk like you’ve never seen before. pic.twitter.com/V5Q0mttQpr

— Jordan (@Jumpman23) February 19, 2018

Source: Fast Company

PSVR’s rodent adventure ‘Moss’ arrives February 27th

PlayStation VR’s adorable murine tale Moss finally has a release date. Next Tuesday, February 27th, you’ll be able to guide the big-eared rodent Quill along her adventure on your PlayStation 4. When it debuted at E3 last year, developer Polyarc (made up, in part, of former Bungie and Rockstar Games alums) promised the mouse-scale adventure would be out by holiday, but the game was delayed until this spring. If you’re curious how it’ll play before you drop hard-earned cash, there’s a demo version available as part of the free PSVR demo disc on the PlayStation Network Store. Need more convincing? Maybe the new trailer below will do the trick.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Amazon backs Marie Curie biopic starring Rosamund Pike

Amazon’s latest Prime Video production won’t just rely on star power to reel you in — it should also appeal to science fans. The internet giant is teaming with France’s Studiocanal on Radioactive, a biopic covering the work and romance of pioneering radioactivity scientist Marie Curie (and by extension, Pierre Curie). Produced by Persepolis’ Marjane Satrapi, it’s the adaptation of Lauren Redniss’ graphic novel Radioactive and will star Gone Girl’s Rosamund Pike. The star of the show may be the science itself, however.

Satrapi notes that Radioactive will explore the discovery of radioactivity, including the Curies’ “humanist” approach and the long-term consequences (both good and bad) of exploiting its behavior. It might follow the path of movies like The Imitation Game, where science and technology are more than just backdrops for a typical drama.

Studiocanal will distribute the movie in Australia, France, Germany and New Zealand, while Amazon will take care of the rights everywhere else.

The movie has only just started production, so there’s no release date to work with. This is clearly part of Amazon’s strategy to swing for the fences and produce blockbuster hits, mind you. While Amazon isn’t necessarily expecting the award success of Imitation Game, it would likely be happy if Radioactive was mentioned in the same sentence.

Source: Variety