YouTubers will be the stars of its subscription service
Google’s bringing a paid-for subscription service to YouTube next year, but don’t expect the company to sign a deal with a TV studio for some exclusive content. Instead, the site is going to see if its wide stable of home-grown talent will provide enough of a draw for you to fork over several bucks from your paycheck each month. According to Bloomberg, almost all of YouTube’s biggest names, including PewDiePie and Smosh have already signed up to be a part of the new offering when it goes live.
The report also details how YouTube is using the same heavy-handed tactics to keep its tween superstars in line as it did when it launched Music Key earlier this year. It’s believed that unless performers sign up to the new service, their back-catalog of existing clips will be made unavailable for viewing — at least until they change their mind.
For those who sign up, there is a promise of great riches as YouTube is commissioning and bankrolling a wide variety of “TV” shows for the service. That slate includes a show from the Fine Brothers and up to four feature-films produced by Brian Robbins. We wouldn’t blame you for being worried about the latter, since Robbins is better known as the producer of Fred: The Movie, and has directed several other, uh, successful motion pictures.
The piece also details how users will be coaxed into handing over a regular fee in exchange for the holiest of grails: offline playback. Since Google is concerned with owning its shows outright, it should have a greater say in how they’re distributed, giving it a big plus over services like Netflix. After all, we’d much rather watch a Brian Robbins movie than stare at a broken in-flight entertainment console, but only just.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Internet, Google
Via: AdAge
Source: Bloomberg
[Deal] Get a Nexus 9 LTE 32GB tablet from Expansys USA for only $339.99
Expansys USA is running a sale on Google’s Nexus 9 LTE 32GB tablet for only $339.99, down from its original price point of $399.99. In contrast, that’s almost half of what Google is selling the 32GB LTE model for.
What makes the deal even sweeter is that these are brand new tablets Expansys USA is selling. Deals like this usually involve refurbished models, but not this time around. If you’re in the market for a new tablet, you’d be hard pressed to pass this one up.
Additionally, if you’re in a area where T-Mobile has coverage, the carrier offers 200MB of complimentary data with its SIM card. 200MB isn’t much by any means, but if you’re in a pinch and need quick access to the Internet, it’ll do just fine.
Expansys USA is offering a great deal, but it makes you wonder why the price has been slashed so much. Is Google having trouble selling these models, and thus, retailers need to get rid of stock and cut their losses? Or maybe another tablet refresh is in the works.
We don’t know for sure. But if you’re interested, you better act fast before the deal ends or sells outs!
source: Expansys USA
via: Android Police
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Get a Nexus 9 LTE 32GB tablet from Expansys USA for only $339.99
Silicon Valley giants side with Samsung in a dispute with Apple
Apple and Samsung have been arguing in court over various patent infringements for years now and the proceedings are still apparently ongoing. In the latest development, a number of Silicon Valley’s top firms, including Google, Facebook, HP, Dell and eBay, submitted a “friend of the court” brief on July 1st in support of Samsung, according to a newly sourced document.
For a little background, Samsung was initially order to turn over all of the profits from its Galaxy devices that the court decided were infringing on various Apple intellectual property. Patents ranged from tap-to-zoom, finger scrolling and edge-to-edge glass design, just to name a few.
The original case would have cost Samsung close to $1 billion, but the amount was reduced to $548 million following an appeal. Samsung wants the decision completely reversed.
The document signed by numerous tech giants shows support for Samsung because other companies are worried that the ruling sets a precedent and could have an impact on their own incentives to invest in future research and development. Particularly, that the current ruling could “lead to absurd results and have a devastating impact on companies who spend billions of dollars annually on research and development for complex technologies and their components.”.
“Under the panel’s reasoning, the manufacturer of a smart television containing a component that infringed any single design patent could be required to pay in damages its total profit on the entire television, no matter how insignificant the design of the infringing feature was to the manufacturer’s profit or to consumer demand.“
Essentially, the concern is that expensive and inclusive nature of these type of patent disputes could stifle innovation. Even one small and seemingly insignificant component can apparently lead to all of the profits generated from a bigger product being surrendered.
Apple has reportedly asked for a dismissal of Google’s involvement in the briefing, as its Android operating system powers Samsung’s handsets. We will have to wait and see if the intervention of Silicon Valley’s finest can tip the balance in Samsung’s favour.
Google Nexus 2015 rumor roundup
The second half of the year is going to bring us some amazing smartphones. Among the most anticipated announcements are those related to Google’s popular Nexus series. Rumors tend to start blazing through the internet very early on, and this year is not the exception.
It is no surprise to see the industry having such a high regard for the Nexus line-up. These are, after all, Google’s demonstration of where they want Android to go. Quality hardware, a pure Google experience and timely updates have always been the Nexus stamp, which has helped the brand gain a major follower base.
Where does Google want to take the most popular mobile operating system now? What will the upcoming Nexus device(s) be like? We have gathered plenty of (unofficial) details to share, so let’s dig right into the goods.
This article will continue to be updated as new information begins emerging. Bookmark this page and keep checking it if you want to stay in the loop! The article will also be pushed to the front of our home page whenever it’s edited.
Nexus 5 (2015) from LG?
The Nexus 6 offered performance and specs without compromises, but the phone wasn’t exactly for everyone, due to one main reason. Its massive 5.96-inch screen and gargantuan body will definitely make it an uncomfortable phone to bear, especially for those who have smaller hands. This forced Nexus fans to stick with an older-generation handset if they wanted to have a traditionally sized phone.
Google may be onto something this year. Recent rumors suggest there will be a couple Nexus phones launched this year. One of them would be manufactured by LG and reportedly resemble the phone maker’s Nexus 5. In fact, some believe the new phone could be a direct successor, a Nexus 5 (2015) if you will.
LG’s Nexus device is reportedly codenamed Bullhead and is rumored to come with a Snapdragon 808 processor, a 5.2-inch display and a 2700 mAh battery. So far this is all we know about this product, though.
More rumors revolve around a Huawei Nexus phone, so we will focus on that one for now.
Huawei Nexus
Reports of a Huawei Nexus have been making the rounds for a while, and the good news is these reports come from multiple sources, including some highly reliable ones. So while LG’s Nexus is shrouded in mystery, we can be almost totally confident that Huawei and Google will launch a Nexus phone this year, and we also have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Here’s the rundown.
Design
We have seen or heard very few details on what this Huawei-made Nexus phone could look like, but we can tell you one thing – it will be large. Rumors suggest the phone’s screen will measure 5.7-inches, which just so happens to be the same screen size as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
According to @evleaks, the Huawei Nexus will feature a metallic construction and a fingerprint sensor. In other words, it’s rough outline may be pretty similar to the Mate series. In fact, there’s a good chance the Mate 9 (due this fall) will contain hints at what to expect from the Google-branded device.
If Huawei’s latest work is any testament, we should see a well-engineered phone with a solid build quality. The Chinese manufacturer is no rookie, and they can make some amazingly well-built gadgets. Let’s show you some examples.
Huawei devices in videos
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Display
As we mentioned above, the upcoming Huawei Nexus smartphone should come with a sizable 5.7-inch panel. What we didn’t tell you was that, like the Nexus 6, the new Nexus should also feature a QHD resolution display (2560x1440p). This entails the panel will have a pixel density of 515 pixels per inch.
Pixels should be packed in a little tighter than in the Nexus 6, due to the slight size difference, but it’s likely not a very noticeable upgrade.
Specifications & hardware
The little evidence we have tells us this phone should be quite powerful. While the new LG Nexus is expected to go with the slightly sub-par (yet still capable) Snapdragon 808 chip, Huawei is not skimping out on performance one bit.
Most rumors state the new Huawei handset will come with a Snapdragon 810 chipset. Evan Blass (@evleaks) claims it will pack a Snapdragon 820 SoC. Regardless of the outcome, Huawei making a move to Qualcomm would represent a significant change, as they have stayed exclusive to their very own Kirin processors so far. Maybe this is one of the conditions for working with Google? After all, while Google is known to have worked with more exotic processors in the past (like Texas Instruments and Nvidia), the processor manufacturer has a huge role in ensuring support and timely updates through the lifetime of a device. Perhaps Huawei’s Kirin is just too risky for Google from this perspective?
Other hardware specifications continue to be a mystery, but Evan did say the phone should also come with a fingerprint reader, a first for Nexus devices. This would make total sense, as Google announced at Google IO that Android M is to integrate native support for fingerprint readers. This will enable users to make purchases on the Google Play Store, unlock devices, protect sensitive data and more.
There’s also a good chance the next Nexus will feature USB Type-C, which Google already adopted for the new Chromebook Pixel and hinted at for future Android smartphones. As for microSD, while Android M has gotten a bit friendlier to external storage, we would be very surprised if Google reversed its stance and included a microSD slot on a Nexus device.
Camera
The upcoming Nexus devices’ cameras may be the subject we have the least information on. We have heard some rumors say the LG Nexus successor will come with a dual-camera setup, similar to the in the HTC One series. In addition, some believe Huawei’s Nexus phone could be based on the Huawei Honor 6 Plus, which also happens to sport a couple cameras in the back.
Many would consider this a gimmick, as its most popular functions are to distinguish distance and allow for digitally applied bokeh effects (otherwise known as “blurry background”). While that may be a valid argument, I wouldn’t discard the possibility of Google adopting this dual-camera technique. The Mountain View-based company has been playing around with similar technology in Project Tango, and they do appear to be well-invested in the concept.
If the LG Nexus rumor winds up being true, we do hope the Korean manufacturer makes life good by implementing the LG G4’s camera. Nexus phones are not exactly known for having exceptional shooters (Nexus 6 was better), so it would definitely be a welcomed addition.
Getting back to the Huawei Nexus, camera info is completely absent. With the implementation of a superior Camera API in Lollipop, the conditions are set for a truly great camera experience, provided Google and Huawei won’t skimp on hardware. Unfortunately, that happened before, so it remains to be seen whether the Huawei Nexus will buck the trend.
Software
Nexus phones characterize themselves by staying true to the Pure Google experience; we have no doubt this will also be the case with the new Nexus phone(s). Furthermore, we also know the next-generation Nexus handsets should be the first to launch with Android M, Google’s new version of their mobile OS.
Improvements over Lollipop include granular permissions, custom Chrome tabs, battery improvements, USB-C compatibility, app state backup and native biometric support. You can see a detailed explanation of all Android M features in our announcement post, as well as our detailed “Diving into Android M” article series.
Pricing and release date
Most Nexus devices have been launched either in October or November. We expect 2015’s devices to follow suit, and previous rumors support these suspicions. Evan Blass’ sources previously stated they should ship in Q4, while The Information’s insiders suggest it will be in “the Fall”. Pricing-wise, some think the Huawei Nexus will be more upscale, due to the top specs and metal constructions, while LG’s Nexus could follow in the tracks of the popular Nexus 5. But there’s no guarantee that will be the case, at least for now.
Wrap up
2015 is looking to be a great year for Google. If most of this information proves to be true, the new Nexus products will be the phones to beat – especially Huawei’s. As we mentioned above: don’t forget to keep it tuned to Android Authority and this specific article, as it will continue to get updates as soon as new information emerges.
For now, let’s just hit the comments and share our thoughts on these rumors. What would you like to see in the new Nexus phones? Are you signing up for any of them? Many of you are probably happy a normal-sized Nexus phone is likely to hit the market again!
Silicon Valley companies back Samsung in infringement case against Apple
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The patent infringement lawsuit between Samsung and Apple has gone on for as long as anybody can be bothered to remember. Most recently, Samsung was ordered to pay $548 million USD, their total profits from Galaxy devices that were deemed to have infringed on Apple patents. However, an interesting twist has been thrown into the mix: a number of Silicon Valley companies have backed Samsung in a “friend of the court” briefing which involved the likes of Facebook, Google, eBay, HP and Dell. Their argument is that enforcing that Samsung pay Apple, the court would essentially be “stifling innovation”.
“If allowed to stand, that decision will lead to absurd results and have a devastating impact on companies, including [the briefing draftees], who spend billions of dollars annually on research and development for complex technologies and their components.”
There’s a lot of truth in that statement, as it could have been anyone instead of Samsung – Samsung just happens to be the biggest target. But of course, Apple sees differently – Apple wants the briefing dismissed, arguing that since Google is part of the movement, it can’t possibly be impartial as a “friend of the court”.
You can kind of see where each side of the argument is coming from, but ultimately this is a matter for the courts to decide – even so, what are your thoughts about who is right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: MacRumors via SamMobile
The post Silicon Valley companies back Samsung in infringement case against Apple appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Big tech companies back Samsung in court case against Apple
Just like Taylor Swift in Bad Blood, Samsung has also found a powerful group of backers in its fight against Apple in court. According to a document unearthed by Inside Sources, Google, Facebook, eBay, Dell, HP and other big tech corporations have submitted a “friend of the court” brief on July 1st, supporting Samsung’s stance. The two companies have been embroiled in legal fisticuffs for years, ever since Apple first filed a lawsuit against Samsung for violating various intellectual properties, such as tap-to-zoom, sinle-finger scrolling and two-finger zooming, as well as edge-to-edge glass design, among other things.
Samsung was eventually ordered to turn over the total profits of the Galaxy devices the court decided were infringing on Apple’s IPs, worth almost $1 billion. Earlier this year, the Court of Appeals lowered that amount to $548 million, but the Korean electronics maker is still fighting for the decision to be reversed completely. See, the companies that filed the friend-of-the-court briefing believe that having Samsung turn over the total profits of those devices sets a bad precedent. They think that if the decision is allowed to stand, it “will lead to absurd results.”
Inside Sources quoted this relevant part of the document to illustrate what the companies mean:
Under the panel’s reasoning, the manufacturer of a smart television containing a component that infringed any single design patent could be required to pay in damages its total profit on the entire television, no matter how insignificant the design of the infringing feature was to the manufacturer’s profit or to consumer demand.
Software products and online platforms face similar dangers. A design patent may cover the appearance of a single feature of a graphical user interface, such as the shape of an icon. That feature-a result of a few lines out of millions of code-may appear only during a particular use of the product, on one screen display among hundreds. But the panel’s decision could allow the owner of the design patent to receive all profits generated by the product or platform, even if the infringing element was largely insignificant to the user and it was the thousands of other features, implemented across the remainder of the software, that drove the demand generating those profits.
As for Apple, it has reportedly asked for the dismissal of Google’s involvement in the briefing, since it’s the company behind Android, the platform loaded on most Samsung devices.
[Image credit: Janitors/Flickr]
Filed under: Misc, Apple, Samsung, Google, Facebook
Via: The Verge
Source: Inside Sources
Having issues connecting to devices via Android Device Manager? You’re not alone
Android Device Manager can remotely locate, alert, lock or factory reset your smartphone… except when it can’t. Google’s theft protection service should work with no issues, given its delicate nature, but an onslaught of users have been reporting issues with the security system connecting to their devices.
It all started with Sandra Buensalida bringing the issue to light, back in March. We know that’s some time ago, but only lately did the story start picking up traction. Sandra’s Android Device Manager was displaying a “No Active Devices” message when trying to locate her Nexus 5 running Android 5.1. Her smartphone was active on the Google Play Store, Google account settings and everything else seemed to be working well; all with no luck on Android Device Manager.
The issue was buried in the product forums until Googler Paul came into the picture asking Sandra to perform some more trouble shooting. This is when all the other reports began coming in. While Paul previously believed this was an isolated event, more users started catching Google’s attention and Paul finally announced the Search Giant was working on it.
So far there hasn’t been another update suggesting the issue has been resolved, so all we can do is assume this problem is still active – even though that post was last edited on April 27th. The good news is Paul’s last update does mention a possible workaround.
How to fix this issue
This is not a proven method and even Google’s Paul mentioned it “may make your device show up again in the Android Device Manager”. Regardless, there seems to be at least a temporary fix. Those who have added a guest account to their Android devices should go ahead and remove it. Apparently this has helped some of the Google Product Forums members.
We still need a fix
This is hardly a solution, though, as you shouldn’t have to give up one feature just to use another. Also, Android Device Manager is part of the kill switch method Google integrated to the Android platform. Essentially, those going through these problems don’t have access to a kill switch, hence they can’t protect their phone or private data. Not good news, especially considering California law requires a working kill switch.
We were wondering how many of you guys were being affected by this. All my devices are showing up without an issue, so I can’t really speak on this myself. How about you?
Tidbit in Developer Preview suggests Android M will be Android 5.2
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Google likes to leave extremely subtle clues about its upcoming Android software builds, and the latest one is no different. It was been uncovered in the latest Android M Developer Preview (#2 for those who aren’t counting) that a new “demo mode” has been introduced, presumably for the purpose of showing off the new features of Android M. What’s interesting about this demo mode is that the time on the device resets to “5:20″ – and if Google’s previous teases are anything to go by, this is as good as a confirmation that Android M will be Android 5.2, not Android 6.0.
For those who aren’t aware, the previous teases we’re referring to are like the time Google started teasing Material Design in Android Lollipop and the clocks on its screenshots were set to 5:00 – this was also the case with Android 4.4 (Android KitKat), Android 4.2 (Android Jellybean), Android 4.0 (Android Ice Cream Sandwich) and Android 2.3 (Android Gingerbread). We’re honestly not surprised by this news at all as it looks like Android M will be an incremental, though still substantial, update over Android Lollipop, improving on some of the missteps in their biggest overhaul in recent memory.
What do you think about Android M being Android 5.2, not Android 6.0? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Technodify via Phone Arena
The post Tidbit in Developer Preview suggests Android M will be Android 5.2 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
We can all say our Goodbyes to Google+ Photos soon
Goodbye Google+ Photos. Back in May, at Google I/O 2015, Google introduced Google Photos. A cross-platform photo back-up service that not only works with Android, but also has iOS and web compatibility. When Google Photos was announced, it was expected that Google+ Photos would be leaving, but there was no mention of when.
It turns out that August 1st will be that day. Today, via Google+ (coincidentally enough), the Google+, Google+ page, announced when photo backup would be shut down. The service will be shut down for Android first, then the web and iOS later on.
If you’re still using Google+ Photos, now is a great time to make the switch. You may have seen a prompt in Google+ Photos on Android with a link to download the new Google Photos. Don’t worry, all your photos and videos will still be saved and available after you switch to the new, stand-alone Google Photos app. With the new app you’ll still be able to backup, edit, and share your photos and videos, with unlimited storage, automatic organization, and more.
If you’re worried about all your images that have already been backed up via Google+ Photos, don’t be. You will still be able to view all of your previously backed up photos via the new Google Photos app. Some of us have already started to see prompts from the old app, encouraging us to download the new Google Photos app.
We have previously covered everything Google Photos has to offer to everyone, and is really a great option, regardless of the platform, to backup everything up. Especially with the unlimited storage that is offered.
Source: Google+
The post We can all say our Goodbyes to Google+ Photos soon appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google+ Photos to shut down August 1st, focus shifts to new Google Photos app
The new Google Photos application was first unveiled at Google I/O 2015 as the company’s main photo service going forward. Now that it’s been around for a couple of months, Google is preparing to say goodbye to its previous photo backup service, Google+ Photos. On Saturday, August 1st, Google+ Photos will be shut down on Android and soon thereafter on the web and iOS.
Google recommends you begin the switch sooner rather than later, as it will be much easier to switch over to the newer service when both are still live. You should have seen a prompt in Google+ Photos to download the newer app from the Play Store. If you choose not to switch over for some reason, all of your photos and videos can be accessed on photos.google.com or for export via Google Takeout.
Don’t miss: A quick look at the new Google Photos app (video)
If you have yet to make the switch, we’d recommend doing so soon. Although the newer service comes with some caveats and suffers from a handful of embarrassing tagging issues, it’s still a much more refined, personal photo backup service that offers up a few notable features that most other services can’t provide. We went hands-on with the new service at Google I/O, showing off some of the application’s biggest and best features.
If you still need to switch, check out our video walkthrough attached above, and make sure to download the new application from the Play Store link below. How are you liking Google Photos? If you were a Google+ Photos user, how do you think the services compare? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
AIVAnet 