Tablet demand is weak and shipments are falling, sources say
Tablets have never been a strong point when it comes to Android, and it seems that manufactures agree with intentions to begin phasing out various tablet-IC businesses, according to Taiwanese industry sources.
Shipments of tablets running Android could be less than 160 million units in 2015, according to sources. These same sources predict that numbers could fall to as low as 120 million in 2016. While 120 million is a staggering number for a years worth of sales, it’s really nothing to write home over. After all, Android tablets are created by many different companies, all pricing their tablets at different levels, mostly at very low prices.
Many vendors are leaving the tablet-IC market due to these low prices simply because they’re seeing low profits and low demand. Interestingly, despite these findings, competition between tablet chip makers remains high, according to the report from Digitimes. There’s no official confirmation, but this could largely be due to some of the more popular Android names out there–Google’s Nexus 9, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2, and so on.
Either way, Android tablets are seeing a rather hefty decline, and there doesn’t seem to be a plan for recovering these numbers.
source: Digitimes
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Android market share in the United States experiences a minor slump
Just this past month Android saw market share gains but the same can not be said when looking back at early months.
A new report from comScore states that Android experienced some losses when it comes to market share in the states during a recent three month period. From the end of May to the end of August, Android dropped from a 52.1% share to only having 51.7%. This is a point change of .4%. Microsoft and Blackberry also saw losses during the period, dropping .1% a piece. Apple made up all the loss and gained .6% share during the time frame. However, Android remained the dominant OS for the period.
According to comScore, 191.1 million U.S. residents now own a smartphone. That’s just over 77% mobile market penetration. In the states, Apple remained the number one OEM when it comes to sales, as predicted. The company managed to increase its share .6% during the period reaching 44.1% market share in the month of August. Samsung was second but managed to lose 1.3% of its share, ending in August with 27%. LG saw the largest gain over the period placing third overall with a growth of .9%. The company now lies at 9.1%. Placing a close fourth and fifth were Motorola and HTC.
When it comes to applications, Facebook continues to lead the way with a % reach of 75.4%. Rounding out the top five were Facebook Messenger, YouTube, Google Play and Google Search. These included downloads on both the Android and iOS platform added together. More details can be seen at the source link down below.
Source: comScore
Come comment on this article: Android market share in the United States experiences a minor slump
Google denies Android Auto data collection claims following harsh Motor Trend report
If you happen to own an Android smartphone, tablet, or use pretty much any other type of Google product, it’s no secret that the Mountain View-based company is collecting your data. Some people are okay with this fact, others are not. And as it turns out, this is the main reason why Porsche decided to forgo Android Auto, Google’s connected car platform, for Apple’s CarPlay in its new 2017 Porsche 911.
First reported by Motor Trend, the American automobile magazine, Porsche said that it chose Apple’s CarPlay instead of Android Auto because Google would collect far too much information from its Android Auto head units for the car maker to feel comfortable. What kind of information? Motor Trend says:
Stuff like vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant and oil temp, engine revs—basically Google wants a complete OBD2 dump whenever someone activates Android Auto. Not kosher, says Porsche.
It’s obvious why Porsche wouldn’t want Google collecting all of this data. Part of this information is what makes Porsche’s cars so special, so the car maker doesn’t feel comfortable handing it over to Google without question. According to Google, though, Porsche has it all wrong. In a recent statement, Google told The Verge:
We take privacy very seriously and do not collect the data the Motor Trend article claims such as throttle position, oil temp, and coolant temp. Users opt in to share information with Android Auto that improves their experience, so the system can be hands-free when in drive, and provide more accurate navigation through the car’s GPS.
See also: Volkswagen announces availability of Android Auto in most 2016 models
Whether we should believe Porsche or Google is unclear at the moment, but Google is probably telling the truth in this case. Porsche’s parent company, Volkswagen, has plans to support Android Auto in most of its 2016 lineup. It wouldn’t really make sense for VW to be on-board with the new automobile tech while Porsche is so adamant about passing on it.
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Google ditches its strange interview questions, says they don’t work
Google’s always been known for asking job candidates some out of the ordinary questions during the interview process. In fact, there’s been plenty of books created around answering Google’s strange interview questions. But Laszlo Bock, SVP of People Operations at Google, in an interview said they’ve done away with these silly questions.
“Everyone likes to ask case questions and brain-teasers. It turns out our data shows that doesn’t actually predict performance. There’s no correlation with your ability to do that,” Bock said. “Part of the reason is that those are tests of a finite skill, rather than flexible intelligence which is what you actually want to hire for.”
They’ve moved away from these loaded questions, instead replacing them with more specific and direct questions aimed at fishing for quality employees. In an interview, you might see more standard questions found in interviews, such as “Give me an example of what you’d bring to the company” or “Give me an example of how you’d solve this problem we’re facing.” These questions are designed to help Google find long-term quality employee’s over just your standard worker. Google is looking for the type of people that will go above and beyond, which is the image they really want to push and already are, thanks to new initiatives.
There’s a lot of psychology and different elements that go into these questions. The interview with Bock is actually pretty interesting, and it’s only 25 minutes long. If you’re interested, hit the source link below!
source: KPCB
via: Business Insider
Come comment on this article: Google ditches its strange interview questions, says they don’t work
New Chromecast teardown reveals slightly better heat dissipation
Much like the original Chromecast streaming stick, Google’s new Chromecast video and audio gadgets aren’t things you’d want to try and repair if anything goes wrong. “Ultimately any device like those in the Chromecast family will be the same story—a board in a box,” iFixit declared in its teardown. Then again, at just $35, you’re probably better off just replacing your Chromecast when it conks out. There are some intriguing reveals in iFixit’s teardown though: Google went a bit thermal paste crazy this time around, which should help the new Chromecast avoid overheating as much as its predecessor. It also looks like the HDMI cable in the video Chromecast is plenty tough, while also being internally detachable. If it does get damaged, there’s a chance you’ll be able to swap it out for a new part. Beyond that, both the audio and video Chromecast models look pretty similar internally.
Source: iFixit
Nexus 6P and 5X to launch in India on Tuesday
Last week, Indian price details appeared for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P and now we have a release date. Google has been issuing invites to a launch event in New Delhi at 11am IST on Tuesday. Google’s Rajan Anandan, Vice President & Managing Director for South Asia & India, will be at the event.
If you missed our launch coverage, the Nexus 5X kicks of the range at a lower price point. The phone is set to cost Rs. 31,900 for 16GB of internal storage and Rs. 35,900 if you want 32GB of space. The phone comes with a 5.2-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 2,700mAh battery. Both phones share a 12.3 megapixel rear camera, support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology and have a fingerprint scanner on the back. Don’t forget the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system too.
Latest Nexus videos:
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The Nexus 6P is the slightly more high-end of the two phones, featuring a 5.7-inch QHD display, more powerful Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3GB of RAM and a larger 3,450mAh battery. The phone also has a metal build and front facing speakers. In terms of price, the 6P will cost Rs. 39,999 for the 32GB internal storage option and Rs. 42,999 for the 64GB variant.
The Nexus 6P will be available in Frost White, Aluminium, and Graphite colour options, while the Nexus 5X will come in your choice of Carbon Black, Quartz White, or Ice Blue. Keep your eyes peeled for all the official Indian launch details on Tuesday.
Google Translate works within apps for Android Marshmallow users
When Android Marshmallow arrives on your device, you can also get a really handy update for Google Translate. Instead of having to switch between apps to translate text, you’ll be able to do some language switching right within the app you’re using. Simply highlight the text you want to read or write up and click Translate when it pops up. You can use it, for instance, to read reviews on TripAdvisor about a hotel overseas, scan the LinkedIn profile of a person from another country or talk to someone who’s not that fluent in your language on WhatsApp. Mountain View says the feature is ready to use with any app that takes advantage of Android’s text selection behavior, and developers can easily update their applications to support it. It’s already rolling out within this week, but you might get the latest version of Android itself later than that, depending on your device’s manufacturer.
[Image credit: Shutterstock]
Via: Droid-life
Source: Google Translate
Porsche doesn’t trust Android Auto and refuses to put it in their cars
Porsche make some of the best cars in the world and one of the reasons for this is driver comfort. Not only do you get a fast car, but you get one that has all the features you could ever want inside. However, Porsche will not be including Android Auto in their new 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera S because Google wants too much data.
According to Porsche, Google wants basically all of the collected data including things like “vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant and oil temp, engine revs—basically Google wants a complete OBD2 dump whenever someone activates Android Auto”.
Porsche do include Apple’s CarPlay in some of their cars and have said that Apple asks for much less data, basically, they only want to know if drivers are using CarPlay while the car is moving.
Liz Markman, a Google spokesperson for Android Auto has made a statement to Motor Trend, who wrote the story, saying Android Auto does not collect all of the data listed. According to her, it does not collect things like throttle position and coolant temp. However, she declined to give a full list as to what data is collected, only claiming that everything is user opt in.
Source: Motor Trend
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Google’s Meter turns your home screen into an active widget
Google’s Creative Lab has released an interesting, and potentially super-helpful, new app on Tuesday called Meter. It transforms your boring, static wallpaper into a functional Material Design widget displaying either your remaining battery life, Wi-Fi signal strength or number of pending notifications. The widgets cycle whenever you turn off the screen so you’ll never get stuck counting reception bars. But don’t worry, the OS info bar isn’t going anywhere The app is free and, being a Creative Lab joint, is open sourced on GitHub.
Via: The Next Web
Source: Google Play
Google denies scooping up your car’s data through Android Auto
If you ask Motor Trend, Porsche is leery of supporting Android Auto. The sports car badge supposedly refused to use it due to an agreement that required sending Google tons of data about a vehicle, from its speed to its oil temperature. That would be pretty damning if true — but it’s not, according to the search firm. Google tells The Verge that it doesn’t collect any of the information mentioned in MT‘s Porsche piece, and that you only opt in to sharing things that improve your Android Auto experience, such as hands-free control and navigation.
This is definitely case of he-said-she-said, but there are reasons to believe that Google is telling the truth. You see, Volkswagen (Porsche’s parent company) supports Android Auto in most of its 2016 lineup. Unless Stuttgart knows something that Wolfsburg doesn’t, it wouldn’t make sense for one VW brand to embrace the technology while another kicks it to the curb. Also, Android Auto can’t really make use of a lot of that information — at least, not yet. Google just doesn’t have the incentive to gather that much data, and you’d probably see a broader industry backlash if the harvesting really was that egregious.
Source: The Verge
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