Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple’s Biggest Challenge to Innovation in Recent Years Has Been Software

Apple’s “biggest challenge in innovation in recent years has been in software, not hardware,” according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

“In several cases we have seen Apple lagging in software versus hardware development, which bodes badly for its innovation strategy of software and hardware integration,” wrote Kuo, in a research note obtained by MacRumors.

Kuo’s sole example is that Apple’s first-mover advantage in augmented reality has been “significantly narrowed” by Chinese smartphone maker OPPO.

He believes that OPPO has caught up with Apple’s ARKit platform in only six to nine months, largely based on the fact that the augmented reality version of Honour of Kings will be compatible with not only iPhones but also OPPO’s lower-priced smartphones when it launches next month, despite high-tech requirements.

“The key is that OPPO is in charge of developing API, integrating hardware and software, and cooperating with SenseTime’s algorithm and Tencent’s game software development team,” said Kuo, referring to the two Chinese companies that developed Honour of Kings, estimated to have over 200 million players, mainly in China.

Kuo adds that, since the debut of ARKit at WWDC 2017, there has been no “heavyweight” augmented reality app for iPhones and iPads.

We think Apple’s endeavors in the AR field should have enabled it to offer AR applications popular with the market before the Android camp, including: (1) the announcement of ARKit, an AR development tool, ahead of Google; (2) customization of the SoC (including CPU and GPU); and (3) customization of the rear camera.

However, since the debut of the ARKit nearly a year ago, there has been no heavyweight AR application on iOS. Given that the AR version of Honour of Kings runs not only on the iPhone but also on OPPO’s smartphone, Apple’s first-mover advantage gap in AR has been significantly narrowed by OPPO.

In terms of software in general, it can be argued that the past year wasn’t Apple’s greatest. iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra have suffered from several bugs, ranging in severity, including a major root password vulnerability on Macs to iMessages appearing in the wrong order across devices.

Fortunately, in January, multiple reports claimed that Apple plans to increase its focus on the quality of its software platforms, presumably resulting in a greater emphasis on bug fixes, performance improvements, and stability.

Tags: KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo
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Apple Music Hits 40 Million Subscriber Milestone

Apple Music hit a new milestone this week as it officially reached 40 million paid subscribers across 115 countries, reports Variety. The new number was shared in a memo circulated by Eddy Cue, who also announced the promotion of Oliver Schusser to Apple’s new head of Apple Music Worldwide.

Schusser previously served as vice president of Apple Music and International Content and has worked alongside Eddy Cue for several years handling Apple’s non-U.S. affairs for Apple Music, the App Store, iTunes Movies and TV shows, iBooks, Podcasts, and more. He is said to have had a key role in Apple’s recently announced, but not yet finalized, acquisition of Shazam.

Apple hit its new 40 million subscriber milestone less than a month after iTunes chief Eddy Cue announced 38 million subscribers at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, suggesting the music service is continuing to gain subscribers at a rapid pace.

Apple Music had 27 million subscribers last June, 30 million subscribers last September, 36 million subscribers in February, and 38 million subscribers in March. Adding an additional 2 million subscribers to hit 40 million subscribers in April marks Apple Music’s fastest growth yet.

According to Cue, Apple also has an additional eight million people who are testing Apple Music through the three-month free trial that the company offers.

A recent report from The Wall Street Journal has suggested that Apple Music is on track to overtake Spotify in U.S. subscribers as soon as this summer because its five percent growth rate per month outpaces Spotify’s two percent growth rate.

Spotify, when it filed for IPO in late February, said that it has 71 million paying subscribers in total along with 159 million monthly active users.
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Snapchat’s Spectacles ‘Model 002’ Appears in FCC Filing With Improved Wi-Fi and Hint at Redesign

Late last night the Federal Communications Commission published a new filing for a “wearable video camera” that was registered by Snap Inc and designated as “model 002.” The filing is believed to be for the rumored second iteration of Snapchat’s Spectacles device, with multiple snippets from the redacted documents specifically referencing the “Spectacles” brand.

According to the filing, which was spotted by Variety, one of the changes coming to the second version of Spectacles revolves around support for the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. This will help the glasses “support faster file transfers in the 5GHz band,” improving upon the first generation’s transfer speed issues. The second model will also support Bluetooth 4.2 (Bluetooth Low Energy).

The packaging label also appears in the filing, mentioning the wearable device will carry a Made For iPhone certification and come with the Spectacles, a carrying case, and a charging cable — similar to the original pair.

Image via FCC
Additionally, Variety noted a snippet that could suggest the frames will be redesigned in the second generation.

Also notable: Snap’s original Spectacles featured a FCC ID label on the inside of the temples. The new version will instead come with an electronic ID label, accessible within the Snapchat app, which could suggest a redesigned frame.

A previous rumor from last month suggested that the 2018 update to the Spectacles will be water resistant, fix bugs, improve performance, and add new color options, but otherwise refrain from implementing any “dramatic changes.” That same report also stated that a third-generation pair of Spectacles is expected for 2019 with an all-new design, built-in GPS, two camera lenses, and better camera technology for “3D-like depth effects” in videos.

Although Snapchat has now filed with the FCC, it’s still unclear when the new Spectacles will actually launch to the public. Both rumored upcoming versions of the Spectacles are said to incorporate AR abilities of some kind, which could potentially compete with Apple’s long-rumored “Apple Glasses,” if and when those come to market. Right now, Apple is searching for the “most compelling application” for AR glasses by working on “several different kinds” of prototypes.

Tag: Snapchat
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Blu Vivo XL3 review

In what’s become a regular occurrence, Blu is back with another smartphone. Just in the first few months of 2018 we’ve seen the unlocked phone maker introduce devices that range from entry level (R2 Plus) to high end (Vivo X). Today sees the company debut the Vivo XL3, its first model to run Android 8.0 Oreo.

Priced $109.99 at launch, it boasts an impressive set of specifications and is a modest improvement over its predecessor. After the short debut window, the price will go up to its normal cost of $189.99. Like all of its Blu brethren the phone is sold direct to consumer and can be paired with all major GSM service providers.

We’ve had a review unit in our possession for the last couple of weeks and are happy to share our impressions of the handset.

Key Specs:

• 5.5″ 720×1440 display (293 PPI) 18:9 aspect ratio
• Gorilla Glass 3
• Quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor
• 3000mAH battery
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB Storage with microSD support for 64GB
• 13MP main camera with LED flash
• 8MP front-facing camera with LED flash
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 4G LTE (1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/28)

When it comes to specifications, the Vivo XL3 punches things up just enough to qualify as an upgrade. It arrives barely a year after its predecessor and has the right changes in place. For starters, we get a version of Android that is two releases newer.

The XL3 also adds in a (rear) fingerprint reader and adopts the increasingly popular 18:9 aspect ratio. Neither of these are cause for celebration but are worth implementing. Previously this thinner design was reserved for high-end phones so it’s nice to see on other edge of the spectrum. It doesn’t hurt that it also picks up some extra support for other 4G bands, too.

Design

We really like the look and feel of the Blu Vivo XL3. Time and again we showed it to others and asked them to guess the price based solely on hardware. Every time, without fail, people expected a pricier experience.

There’s a great silver finish that catches the light and helps to show off the curves. No matter how you hold it there’s going to be some reflection and action across the back. Do know, though, that it is an absolute fingerprint magnet.

We’ve smudged this thing over and over just by picking it up and holding it. On a positive note, it cleans incredibly easy. A swipe against your shirt sleeve or pant leg is all it takes.

The finish of the phone makes it quite slippery, something we found in last year’s iteration, too. We were torn with with whether to protect the phone in a case. It’s eye-catching and stands out so it’s not like we want to hide it. Then again, one drop and it could be all over.

The Vivo XL3 holds well in the hand thanks to its thinner 18:9 aspect ratio for the screen. Moreover, the curved edges make this phone a treat to handle.

The power button and volume are found on the right side of the display with the microSD expansion card and SIM card slot on the left. A single speaker sits atop the screen with a microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone jack on the very bottom.

Blu has shelved the hardware buttons in favor of software keys and we couldn’t be happier. It give the phone more of symmetric appearance and helps in the overall department of aesthetics.

Display

Although it features the same 5.5-inch overall screen size, this year’s model employs a slightly different resolution and aspect ratio. As indicated before, the 18:9 means a thinner and longer picture.

Whereas last year has a 720 x 1,280 resolution, the Vivo XL3 goes slightly higher at 720 x 1,440 pixels. We don’t take much issue with it, especially when you consider price. You simply have to make concessions if you want to launch a device at a fraction of the cost of others. Fortunately screen resolution is an area where it’s hard to discern the difference for most casual use.

Reading text is fine for the most part, and images and video play as well as we’d like. Given that some of the stuff we watch is dumbed down to lower resolutions, we’re content with it. T-Mobile, for instance, will adjust video streams to “DVD quality” or 480 pixels. In other words it’s negligible in most cases.

The lower resolution not only helps to keep the cost down, but it also helps to extend battery life. That, coupled with the newer version of Android saw this phone lasting longer than the Vivo XL2 even though the battery was technically smaller.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that if you plan to use your phone in a VR headset, you will see the difference. At that distance and magnification you would certainly notice.

Colors were accurate in our testing; we never really ran into a scenario where white had a tint. We noted in our review last year that the phone tended to skew red. That’s not the case here. For what it’s worth you can also adjust the color mode to one of three settings to match your needs.

Software

Blu did a great job balancing the stock Android experience with only minimal additions in the area of pre-loaded applications. As we’ve mentioned in other reviews this is pretty much the default for Blu devices.

Although they are vanilla builds of Android, every Blu model is a tossup in terms of customization and configuration. Specifically, one might have an app drawer whereas the next release won’t. Or, like the flagship experience for 2018, the Vivo X, it might not have access to settings in the notification pull-down.

The Vivo XL3 is the sort of Android build we like. It’s modern and pretty much what Google had in mind. You’ll only find a few tweaks here and there, but nothing that sticks out. In fact, we’ve grown fond of the UI in the pull-down menu.

We’re very happy to see that Blu has been able to load Android 8.0 Oreo here instead of older versions. It was noticeably absent in the flagship Vivo X which launch just a few weeks back.

Not only does this give us a more robust operating system with additional features, it’s also more efficient and secure. It’s a roll of the dice as to whether cheaper unlocked phones see major updates, let alone minor ones. Security patches are another area of concern so it is refreshing to find the January 2018 release already in place.

There are only a few apps installed on top of the default Google suite; our review unit had Opera, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Shopping, FM Radio, and Blu titles for video, music, notes, and file management.

Camera

Blu tends to do quite a good job with its camera and app experience. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with this model. It’s okay, but nothing like we’ve come to see in others.

Pictures are taken quickly and the shutter responds well, but the results are only so-so. About half of the photos we took were washed out or looked like they had been desaturated. Color was generally even but it was not accurate to the source.

The lower the light conditions, the more mixed the result. We did manage to capture some nice images under better lighting, particularly outside. We shouldn’t expect much from a phone priced as low as this, but we’ve become accustomed to better from Blu.

As far as the app itself, we were surprised at the lack of shooting modes. While we do have a few options at our disposal, we don’t have HDR or Pro modes. After snapping a couple of pictures in the first day we expected we we could switch over to something that would give us a better, more realistic color or finer tuned image. Alas, there’s nothing helpful.

Don’t get us wrong, there are some neat little options and fun thing to play with in the Vivo XL3 camera app.  They’re unique and interesting, but nothing that lends to “better” photos.

Performance

We’ve been looking at phones with 3GB RAM and quad-core processors for what feels like years now. Well, to be sure, that’s an accurate statement. The high-end stuff of 2016 gave way to the mid-range of 2017 and is slowly making its way into the “bottom of the barrel” in 2018.

At the same time, our needs haven’t changed all that much over the last few years. Ask yourself if you’re pushing your phone to do things that you previously couldn’t. For a large segment of readers the answer to that is going to be no.

Today, just like we did in 2016, we’re using phones for social media, messaging and communication, casual gaming, and little more. The Vivo XL3 did just fine our testing over the last few weeks in all of those areas.

We would have loved a better camera, especially for sharing over social media. We might have also enjoyed a better sounding audio experience. MicroUSB is what it is, and should be USB Type-C by now, but whatever. At least we have a quick charging that doesn’t take very long. None of this, though really impacted the experience so much that we were unhappy with the overall package.

Generally speaking, we liked the performance of Vivo XL3. Our particular needs are not that demanding and we suspect that the target user base is similar. With that said, we feel the phone delivers on its promises.

Conclusion

It has been some time since we reviewed a sub-$200 phone that made us wonder if we could use it as a daily driver. The Vivo XL3 is one of those devices that has us asking if there’s really much more that we need in a phone. If push came to shove, we might be able to put up with something like this for our smartphone needs.

To be fair, we’re not saying this can run with the likes of a flagship handset. We’re not even close to the performance and glamour of say, a Samsung Galaxy S9. But, at one-fourth of the price, the Vivo XL 3 begs the question of whether the average person need more in early 2018.

We didn’t love the camera experience at all. Given most of us are using a Pixel, Pixel 2, or a flagship handset, we’ve come to really appreciate what those offer. But, were we not into taking as many photos as we are, we could see this being a decent option.

The fact that we’re looking at yet another phone with a microUSB port doesn’t make us overjoyed. Our reaction to seeing one in the flagship Vivo X was much stronger; the price point is low enough that we’re able to give this a reluctant pass.

Although this phone bears quite a resemblance to the R2 Plus in terms of hardware, this package is much prettier. Literally, you get a sexier phone for about the same money.

Outwardly, the Vivo XL3 has the appearance of a more premium phone. Internally, it’s a fairly solid mid-ranger that doesn’t punch above its weight. The phone is evenly balanced in that no specification stands out above others; and, nothing lags behind the rest of the pack, either.

If you use T-Mobile or AT&T, or one of their respective prepaid brands, this phone works great and delivers 4G LTE speeds. We’d have no problems recommending it for someone looking to replace a phone that’s 2-3 years old. Moreover, it’s an excellent starting point for a new smartphone user.

Nokia 1 review: Best low-end phone ever?

By this point, it is safe to declare Nokia’s comeback a success. While there are no guarantees in this business, if Nokia sticks to its plan, it will keep gaining market share. One part of that plan is to offer an Android phone for every price range. The Nokia 8 and Nokia 7 Plus live at the high end, with their Snapdragon processors and at least 4GB of RAM. In the middle, Nokia offers devices like the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5, with less RAM and lower performance processors, but still at least 720p HD displays and Corning Gorilla Glass.

Nokia’s naming strategy is simple but effective. The higher the number, the better the device. At the low-end is the Nokia 1, the company’s best attempt at an ultra-affordable Android smartphone. The question is, is it usable?

• Best Android phones under $500
• Best Android phones in India

Design

The Nokia 1 is small. It has a 4.5-inch display and a body size to match. To keep costs low, the Nokia 1 needs to be very easy to build, and as such doesn’t try to deliver ultra-thin bezels or save much space. Everything is plastic (I am not even convinced it has a glass front). The back cover is removable though and Nokia sells a line of Xpress-on covers. Under the cover, you will find a replaceable battery, two nano-SIM slots, and a microSD card slot.

The power button and the volume rocker are on the right of the device and are part of the Xpress-on cover. It’s got a 3.5mm headphone jack on top and a Micro-USB port on the bottom. On the back is the camera and flash, along with a speaker. Above the display, you’ll find the front-facing camera, a light sensor, and the phone’s earpiece. Below the display is the microphone.

The design is simple and clean. Plastic, but not cheap. Old-school, yet somehow modern.

Display

The Nokia 1 comes with a 4.5-inch 480 x 854 display. It makes the phone feel like something from 2011, when all phones used to have this kind of screen resolution. Nokia naturally wants to make this device easy to assemble, therefore no difficult manufacturing techniques were used to reduce the bezel sizes. As such, the Nokia 1 has a 60 percent screen-to-body ratio. The display is decently bright — it is great indoors, works OK outdoors, but struggles in strong sunlight.

The phone uses an IPS LCD display, so it has good viewing angles and reasonable color reproduction. Unfortunately, the Nokia 1 doesn’t sport any kind of toughened glass. During an outdoor photo shoot, I put the phone down on a tiled surface, which had some sand on it. When I picked it up, the sand had scratched the plastic protecting the display.

If the criteria is quality, crispness, and vibrant colors, the display on Nokia 1 fails compared to even slightly more expensive phones. If the criteria is usability at a low price point, the display is excellent. It’s not going to win any awards or compete with devices like the Nokia 8, but it gets the job done. It’s hardly the worst display I have ever seen on an Android phone.

Hardware and performance

The Nokia 1 packs a MediaTek MT6737M, which is a quad-core Cortex-A53 processor running at 1.1GHz. It is coupled with a Mali-T720 GPU and 1GB of RAM. While the Cortex-A53 is a 64-bit CPU, the Nokia 1 seems to run a 32-bit version of Android.

Benchmarking the Nokia 1 won’t tell us anything — the key here is usability. Will you be screaming at the phone and wanting to throw it across the room because it feels slow and doesn’t respond when you tap on the screen? Thankfully the answer is no. If you keep your expectations simple and work with the device, rather than against it, it is usable. At times it’s even a joy. However, if you ask too much of it, you will become frustrated.

Nokia’s naming strategy is simple but effective. The higher the number, the better the device.

The Nokia 1 comes with 8GB of internal storage, half of which is used by the Android OS and the pre-installed apps. That means you get around 4GB of free space for apps, music and photos. Thankfully you can add additional storage via the microSD card slot, which supports capacities up to 128GB. Android Go is particularly well suited to using additional storage and makes moving apps and data over to the SD card a breeze (more on that later).

The phone supports 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE across a variety of frequencies depending on your location. I used the European model, which is also dual-SIM. You can use 4G on either slot, but once you have established which card you will be using for data, the other slot is switched to 2G GSM mode only, even if it is 4G compatible. This is fairly normal for dual-SIM phones, but still worth noting. Because the Nokia 1 doesn’t use a SIM tray, it is possible to use two SIM cards and a microSD card all at the same time!

The phone’s built-in speaker is screechy and lacks depth. The sound reproduction on headphones is reasonable, but lacks a little clarity and is weaker in the lower tones. There is also a “BesLoudness” option for the external speaker. I am not totally sure what it is meant to achieve. After switching it on and off a few times, I think I prefer it off. You won’t get much from the external speaker either way, so stick with using headphones.

The Nokia 1 has a 2,150mAh removable battery, which should see you through the whole day. For mixed activities like surfing the web, watching videos, making calls and playing 3D games you will get between six to seven hours of screen-on time. For less taxing tasks like web browsing or just watching video, it can reach up to seven or eight hours.

The phone uses an IPS LCD display, so it has good viewing angles and reasonable color reproduction.

The phone doesn’t support any kind of fast charging. Charging from 10 to 100 percent takes three hours and 45 minutes. The last 20 percent took an hour.

In the box, you get your Nokia 1, some earbuds (the plastic type without rubber or foam tips), a 1A charger, and a micro-USB cable.

Software

The Nokia 1 runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition). It’s a vanilla Android experience with access to Google’s apps and services like the Play Store, Gmail, and YouTube. The Go edition is a special version of Android tuned and tweaked to run well on low-end devices. There are also Go versions of key apps like Gmail, Assistant, and Maps. This is what keeps 4GB of the internal storage free for your data. For reference, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 uses 11GB of its internal storage just for Android and pre-installed apps!

There is also an emphasis on data saving. Many people who buy low-end phones also have limited data plans. For example, you can activate the data saving features of Chrome which will route your internet traffic via Google’s servers for compression before being sent to your device. Files Go also has a way to share files with Wi-Fi via a peer-to-peer service.

The bundled version of the Google Play Store has also been tweaked to highlight Go versions of apps, while still offering its entire app catalog. The pre-installed version of Gmail is Gmail Go, but you can still find and download the standard version of Gmail if you so choose. Likewise, Google Play will mention if a Go version is available when looking for apps.

When you insert a new microSD card, Android Go offers you the choice of using it as “portable storage,” meaning you can take it out of your phone and use it with another phone or computer to transfer files. You can also use it as “internal storage,” which means it will be reformatted and only work in your device.

Selecting “internal storage” allows you to move apps and data onto the SD card as if it was just part of the normal internal storage. I was able to install a game like Subway Surfers from the Play Store and move it to the SD card without any problem. This should ease the pressure of having just 4GB of free space.

The pre-installed version of Gmail is Gmail Go, but you can still find and download the standard version of Gmail.

Unlike vanilla Android on devices like the Pixel 2, Android Go isn’t supplied directly by Google. It is built by Nokia from Google’s sources. This means there is going to be an inevitable delay when receiving security updates. First, Google publishes new security patches and releases them for its own devices and Android One devices. Then, Nokia takes those patches and rolls them into whatever updates it pushes out for the Nokia 1. As a result, my Nokia 1 unit still only had January’s security patch in April.

Camera

5MP on the rear, 2MP on the front. I could stop there. By reading the specs — and considering the price point — you know this isn’t going to be an earth-shattering shooter. The camera at least met my expectations — it wasn’t worse!

The included camera app is simple, but fully functional. You can take pictures and record video capped at 720p HD. The app doesn’t include many special modes, but it offers a panorama option and some rudimentary manual controls. Overall it is just a basic point-and-click camera app.

The camera had an issue with ghosting. A lot of my early photos seemed to contain two images, like camera shake, but better defined. I don’t know if it was the HDR settings or a slow response from the camera, but the only way to rid myself of these blurred images was to make sure I stayed very still for one or two seconds after tapping the shutter button.

The camera is not great and you will have to deal with shutter lag, but at a pinch, it can take OK photos. Here are some sample shots to help you judge the camera yourself:

Specifications

Gallery

Wrapping up

The Nokia 1 is an inexpensive Android smartphone, and you very much get what you pay for. If you have a bit more extra cash, I would suggest getting the Nokia 3. If your budget doesn’t stretch that far, the Nokia 1 is still a good choice. The device is definitely usable; you can check your email, use social media, and even play games.

Even at $100, it’s important to remember the phone’s limitations. The screen is small with low resolution. The processor has limited performance. The cameras leave a lot to be desired. The Nokia 1 is probably the best low-end phone you can get, but for just a little bit more cash you can get other Nokia devices with better specs and performance.

What do you think about the Nokia 1? Let us know in the comments below!

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Spotify may launch a new free version for mobile that’s way better than now

Spotify is in the middle of a busy time. The Sweden-based music streaming company went public earlier this month, and now it’s gearing up for a big event in New York City on April 24 in which it could unveil the company’s first-ever piece of hardware.

The gathering could also see it reveal a revamped version of its free mobile service that gives users better access to tracks, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg this week.

The updated software would in some ways mimic the paid version, the report said, offering more control over what you can play. At the current time, the free ad-supported version of Spotify’s mobile service prevents you from selecting tracks, leaving you with no choice but to listen to what it serves up via shuffle when you pick an album or playlist. In addition, you can only skip tracks up to six times during each hour of use.

The inability to choose specific tracks is the main drawback when it comes to Spotify’s free mobile service, but the company knows that it’s this very limitation that prompts some users to switch to its paid model costing $10 a month.

As Bloomberg points out, the company needs to attract new listeners to reassure investors that the business is continuing to grow, and making the free mobile version more attractive could be one way to go about this.

The tricky part will be converting those users to the paid model, which is where the real money is made.

Spotify’s paying subscribers brought in around 90 percent of the company’s revenue in 2017, despite making up less than half of its customer base, which at the last count totaled 157 million people. Spotify is aiming to exceed 200 million users by the end of 2018, and also hopes to have 96 million of them paying the monthly subscription fee, up from the current 71 million.

A major increase in its subscriber base is absolutely essential for Spotify, a company that, despite growing revenue, has been losing huge amounts of money in recent years.

Notably, Spotify’s main rival, Apple Music, doesn’t have a free tier, so improving its current offering for newcomers could prove to be a smart move for Spotify as it endeavors to stay ahead of the competition.

There’s no official word from the company about the reported change to the free version of its mobile service, but we should have a clearer idea of what’s happening by the end of this month.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple Music vs. Spotify: Which service is the streaming king?
• Apple Music is growing fast, but it will be a while before world domination
• YouTube plans to ‘frustrate’ music fans into paying for its ad-free service
• The best music streaming services
• Music junkie? Here are the 25 best music apps for consuming and creating tunes

Airbus to put passengers in the cargo hold, but it’s not as bad as it sounds

Airbus

Sleeping in the cargo hold of a passenger jet doesn’t sound like a particularly attractive option at first, but once you hear about what Airbus is planning, you’ll soon come around to the idea.

The aviation giant is teaming up with French firm Zodiac Aerospace to design sleeping berths and various room designs that can be slotted into the cargo section of its existing wide-bodied A330 aircraft. Airbus is also exploring the idea of designing them for its A350 XWB aircraft.

In an online post outlining the plan, Airbus said the modules will provide airlines with new opportunities for additional passenger services, “improving their experience while enabling airlines to differentiate and add value for their commercial operations.”

And with the modules able to be quickly swapped out with regular cargo containers as and when required, the system will allow carriers to better utilize space aboard their A330 aircraft, thereby improving the efficiency of their operations.

Images and sketches from Airbus appear to show an open sleeping area, while various rooms offer a range of facilities. These include a “kids and family zone” with a sofa, TV, and even a small slide, and also a conference room to ensure there’s not rest from work even when you’re at 38,000 feet.

Click for larger image. Airbus

However, as with regular seating areas inside commercial aircraft, it’s likely each airline will be able to configure the compartments in lots of different ways to target particular kinds of customers.

Geoff Pinner of Airbus described the plan for cargo-hold sleeping compartments as “a step change toward passenger comfort,” adding that the company has already received “very positive feedback from several airlines on our first mock-ups.”

Of course, we’d all love to know how much a ticket will cost for such a berth. That’s up to each airline, but the words “not cheap” certainly spring to mind.

Many major international carriers already offer luxury compartments for long-haul flights, though they’re generally much smaller and well away from the cargo hold. Emirates, for example, last year unveiled a new luxury, fully enclosed cabin for first class travelers. The airline described it at the time as a “game-changing” private suite with design features “inspired by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.”

A few years earlier, however, Etihad Airways started offering an even plusher space that can be accurately described as a flying apartment. “The Residence,” as it’s called, comprises a lounge, bedroom, and bathroom, and is fitted inside the airline’s A380 aircraft.

Airbus hopes to start putting passengers in the cargo hold from 2020.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• No, it’s not an acorn-shaped tiny home, it’s an Escape Pod

Crime-predicting A.I. isn’t science fiction. It’s about to roll out in India

Artificial intelligence programs promise to do everything, from predicting the weather to piloting autonomous cars. Now AI is being applied to video surveillance systems, promising to thwart criminal activity not by detecting crimes in progress but by identifying a crime–before it happens. The goal is to prevent violence such as sexual assaults, but could such admirable intentions turn into Minority Report-style pre-crime nightmares?

Such a possibility may seem like a plot line from an episode of Black Mirror, but it’s no longer the stuff of science fiction. Cortica, an Israeli company with deep roots in security and AI research, recently formed a partnership in India with Best Group to analyze the terabytes of data streaming from CCTV cameras in public areas. One of the goals is to improve safety in public places, such as city streets, bus stops, and train stations.

It’s already common for law enforcement in cities like London and New York to employ facial recognition and license plate matching as part of their video camera surveillance. But Cortica’s AI promises to take it much further by looking for “behavioral anomalies” that signal someone is about to commit a violent crime.

The software is based on the type of military and government security screening systems that try to identify terrorists by monitoring people in real-time, looking for so-called micro-expressions — minuscule twitches or mannerisms that can belie a person’s nefarious intentions. Such telltale signs are so small they can elude an experienced detective but not the unblinking eye of AI.

At a meeting in Tel Aviv before the deal was announced, co-founder and COO Karina Odinaev explained that Cortica’s software is intended to address challenges in identifying objects that aren’t easily classified according to traditional stereotypes. One example Odinaev described involved corner cases (such as a bed falling off a truck on the highway) that are encountered in driving situations, precisely the sort of unique events that programs controlling autonomous cars will have to be able to handle in the future.

“For that, you need unsupervised learning,” Odinaev said. In other words, the software has to learn in the same way that humans learn.

Going directly to the brain

Cortica’s AI software monitors people in real-time, looking for micro-expressions — minuscule twitches or mannerisms that can belie a person’s nefarious intentions.

To create such a program, Cortica did not go the neural network route (which despite its name is based on probabilities and computing models rather than how actual brains work). Instead, Cortica went to the source, in this case a cortical segment of a rat’s brain. By keeping a piece of brain alive ex vivo (outside the body) and connecting it to a microelectrode array, Cortica was able to study how the cortex reacted to particular stimuli. By monitoring the electrical signals, the researchers were able to identify specific groups of neurons called cliques that processed specific concepts. From there, the company built signature files and mathematical models to simulate the original processes in the brain.

The result, according to Cortica, is an approach to AI that allows for advanced learning while remaining transparent. In other words, if the system makes a mistake — say, it falsely anticipates that a riot is about to break out or that a car ahead is about to pull out of a driveway — programmers can easily trace the problem back to the process or signature file responsible for the erroneous judgment. (Contrast this with so-called deep learning neural networks, which are essentially black boxes and may have to be completely re-trained if they make a mistake.)

Initially, Cortica’s Autonomous AI will be used by Best Group in India to analyze the massive amounts of data generated by cameras in public places to improve safety and efficiency. Best Group is a diversified company involved in infrastructure development and a major supplier to government and  construction clients. So it wants to learn how to tell when things are running smoothly — and when they’re not.

A display showing a facial recognition system for law enforcement during the NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference, which showcases AI, deep learning, virtual reality and autonomous machines. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

But it is hoped that Cortica’s software will do considerably more in the future. It could be used in future robotaxis to monitor passenger behavior and prevent sexual assaults, for example. Cortica’s software can also combine data not just from video cameras, but also from drones and satellites. And it can learn to judge behavioral differences, not just between law abiding citizens and erstwhile criminals, but also between a peaceful crowded market and a political demonstration that’s about to turn violent.

Such predictive information would allow a city to deploy law enforcement to a potentially dangerous situation before lives are lost. However, in the wrong hands, it could also be abused. A despotic regime, for example, might use such information to suppress dissent and arrest people before they even had a chance to organize a protest.

Predictive crime software would allow a city to deploy law enforcement to a potentially dangerous situation before lives are lost. However, in the wrong hands, it could also be abused.

In New York City, during a demonstration of how Cortica’s Autonomous AI is being applied to autonomous cars, Cortica’s vice resident, Patrick Flynn, explained that the company is focused on making the software efficient and reliable to deliver the most accurate classification data possible. What clients do with that information — stop a car or make it speed up to avoid an accident, for example — is up to them. The same would apply to how a city or government might allocate police resources.

“The policy decisions are strictly outside of Cortica’s area,” Flynn said.

Would we give up privacy for improved security?

Nevertheless, the marriage of AI to networks that are ubiquitous of webcams is starting to generate more anxiety about privacy and personal liberty. And it’s not just foreign despotic governments that people are worried about.

In New Orleans, Mayor Mitch Landrieu has proposed a $40 million crime-fighting surveillance plan, which includes networking together municipal cameras with the live feeds from private webcams operated by businesses and individuals. The proposal has already drawn public protests from immigrant workers concerned that federal immigration officials will use the cameras to hunt down undocumented workers and deport them.

Meanwhile, like subjects trapped in a Black Mirror world, consumers may already be unwittingly submitting themselves to such AI-powered surveillance. Google’s $249 Clips camera, for example, uses a rudimentary form of AI to automatically take pictures when it sees something it deems significant. Amazon, whose Alexa is already the subject of eavesdropping paranoia, has purchased popular video doorbell company Ring. GE Appliances is also planning to debut a video camera equipped hub for kitchens later this year. In Europe, Electrolux will debut a steam oven this year with a built-in webcam.

While these technologies raise the specter of Big Brother monitoring our every move, there’s still the laudable hope that using sophisticated AI like Cortica’s program could improve safety, efficiency, and save lives. One can’t help wondering, for example, what would have happened if such technology were available and used in the Uber that 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz took on his way to murder 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Uber driver didn’t notice anything amiss with Cruz, but could an AI equipped camera have detected microexpressions revealing his intentions and alerted the police? In the future, we may find out.

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Here’s what Motorola needs to do to win the budget segment with the Moto G6 series

Motorola needs to up the ante with the Moto G6 series.

Motorola dominates the budget category in Western markets with the Moto G series, but the company hasn’t had an easy time of late. Lack of timely updates made the Moto G series lose its luster, and Motorola is witnessing increased competition in the budget category.

HMD has announced that it will launch the Nokia 6 2018 in the U.S. next month, and in India — Motorola’s second-largest market — the budget segment is overrun by Xiaomi, which overtook Samsung at the end of last year to become the country’s largest smartphone manufacturer.

Here’s what Motorola needs to do to win the budget segment with the Moto G6 series.

The basics need to be rock-solid

Budget phones have gotten remarkably better over the last two years, and with increased competition in this category, Motorola needs to make sure it nails the basics. The latest leaks suggest the Moto G6 Plus will feature a 5.93-inch FHD+ 18:9 panel, along with Snapdragon 630, up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, 12MP + 5MP dual cameras at the back, and a 3200mAh battery.

The Moto G6, meanwhile, is rumored with a smaller 5.7-inch panel with the same resolution, a Snapdragon 450, up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the same imaging sensors as its larger sibling, and a 3000mAh battery.

With the Nokia 6 2018 set to launch in the U.S. at some point — and the Redmi Note 5 Pro setting a high bar in India — Motorola has to ensure it doesn’t compromise when it comes to the internal specs.

The Moto G6 needs to have a fantastic camera

Moto G series phones had lackluster cameras for several generations, but that changed last year with the Moto G5. The phone had one of the best cameras in the budget segment in 2017, and while the dual camera-toting Moto G5S Plus didn’t quite match up, it still had a decent camera.

But other companies haven’t been idle on this front. Xiaomi overhauled the cameras on its Redmi Note 5 Pro, with the phone setting a new standard for budget cameras. Motorola needs to offer a comparable camera experience with the Moto G6 and G6 Plus to compete in this category.

Timely updates matter

Motorola’s resurgence revolved around its ability to roll out affordable devices that received fast updates, but the manufacturer has struggled with the latter over the course of the last year. Motorola significantly expanded its portfolio last year, and it’s clear that the sheer number of SKUs on sale globally is causing undue strain on its engineering resources.

As a result, Motorola phones went from being one of the first to receive updates to essentially being waylaid. The company launched phones last year that never even saw a single update, and Motorola needs to remedy the situation in 2018.

The issue is particularly severe considering HMD Global is killing it on the updates front — the Finnish manufacturer has consistently done a great job of rolling out platform and security updates across its devices, even the entry-level Nokia 3. And starting this year, HMD has announced that all of its devices will be based on Android One, essentially guaranteeing timely updates in the future.

Motorola made its foray into the world of Android One with the Moto X4, and it will be great if the manufacturer commits to the initiative for its upcoming Moto G6 portfolio as well. Partnering with Google over Android One allows Motorola to reduce turnaround times for updates, giving it a better chance against devices from the likes of HMD.

Motorola should take advantage of Xiaomi’s woes

For all the great hardware that Xiaomi has to offer, the Chinese manufacturer has faced a lot of issues making its phones available to consumers. Two months after its release, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is still limited to weekly flash sales, and despite Xiaomi’s assurance that the phone will be widely available at offline stores, that isn’t the case.

In fact, I’ve seen people wait over a month to get their hands on the Redmi Note 5 Pro. It’s a pretty great phone, but isn’t worth the ridiculous wait times. Motorola can take advantage of Xiaomi’s availability issues by positioning the Moto G6 series as the ideal alternative.

Motorola doesn’t have any supply constraints in India, and although it may not sell quite as many phones as Xiaomi, it does a great job ensuring its phones are always available. With the Moto G6 series, it needs to build on that by increasing its retail business.

Your take

What are you looking forward to seeing from the Moto G6 series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Deal: Verizon is offering 50% off the Pixel 2 and Samsung Galaxy S9

Verizon is currently offering a 50% savings on the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, and the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. Not only do you get a serious phone discount, but you also get stellar service on Verizon’s top-ranked network.

All you need to do is trade in an eligible device in good, working condition and purchase a brand new Pixel 2 or Galaxy S9 on an installment plan. The 50% discount will be applied via 24 monthly bill credits that start within two billing cycles. You’ll need to stay on your installment plan for the full 24 months to receive full credit.

Here’s an estimate of what you would pay each month for your device. This does not include the cost of your service plan or monthly taxes and surcharges.

The Fine Print

• Purchase of new phone must be on an installment plan
• Discount is applied via 24 monthly bill credits and starts within 2 bills. To get the full value, you will need to stay on your installment payment plan for the full 24 months.
• Trade-in device must be an eligible model and be in good working condition
• Activation fee of $25/line applies
• Requires a new line of service to qualify
• If you cancel service, the full balance is due
• This deal excludes device’s sales taxes