Morgan Stanley says the Pixel will bring in billions for Alphabet

Wall Street wizards bullish on Google’s Pixel phones.

According to Business Insider, Morgan Stanley analysts think the Pixel and Pixel XL are going to be really good for Alphabet’s bottom line.

To be clear, the Pixel isn’t going to sell nearly as many phones as Samsung or Apple, but the finance wizards say Google is on track to sell three million phones in the rest of 2016 to generate about $2 billion for the company and five to six million in 2017 which bring in about 3.8 billion (with a b) in revenue for 2017. While Google has a lower profit margin per item (about 24%) than Apple (about 41%), these higher than expected sales numbers will translate into some serious folding cash.

The Pixel phone will generate a 22%-25% gross profit margin, varying according to the model. For perspective, the iPhone 7’s gross margin is at around 41%, but this has notably declined from 57.7% in 2009.

Morgan Stanley also thinks that the sales of the Pixel will mean a lot more than just the initial profit. Features like Google Assistant, Daydream and better app integration with Google itself will translate into users spending more money with their Android phones and driving higher mobile search revenue. Currently, users with iPhones spend three times more when using shopping apps than Android users. The bank’s analysts believe the Pixel will close this gap, and that advertisers will pay more because of it.

We’re not bank analysts here at Android Central, but we have to agree that the Pixel is a changing point for Google and Android. We’re not yet sure how things will play out, but with numbers like this, we’re certain that Google is already working on what comes next for the Pixel line.

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
• Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
• Pixel + Pixel XL specs
• Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
• Join the discussion in the forums!

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Tesla’s heavily upgraded Autopilot will start rolling out in December

If you recently bought a Model S or Model X, you’ll be happy to know that Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot support will arrive for you soon.

Elon Musk took to Twitter over the weekend to inform a new Model S owner that the Enhanced Autopilot update will start rolling out in “about three weeks”. That means you should get the update sometime in mid-December.

In October, Tesla announced that all new Tesla cars produced will have heavily upgraded hardware that will give it full autonomous driving capabilities. Tesla said the hardware, which will give its cars a “level of safety substantially greater than that of a human driver”, includes eight cameras placed around the outside of the car to give it 360-degree vision and 12 ultrasonic sensors to detect objects.

• Tesla confirms heavily upgraded Autopilot for all new cars

A new radar system has also been designed for the front of the car to help provide information about the road ahead – whether it be in fog, heavy rain, or even in front of the car ahead. Tesla has designed a new computer to process all this extra information; the new one has nearly 40 times the processing power of the old one. These hardware upgrades will be available on all cars Tesla builds.

@edwardsanchez about three weeks and it will get rolled out incrementally in monthly releases

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 27, 2016

In other words, new cars will have the necessary hardware to drive completely on their own, if you decide to enable the option. This full self-driving hardware suite will cost an additional $8,000 and is capable of level 5 autonomy.

Tesla has said it wants to reach full autonomy through incremental “monthly releases” by late-2017.

This case turns into a full-size keyboard stand for your iOS device

No matter how hard you practice, on-screen keyboards are difficult to use.

Maybe we’re old and simply conditioned to typing on physical keyboards, but getting the knack of virtual ones while on the go is hard, and frankly, not practical if you’re the kind of person who types thousands of words a day. Sure, there are built-in keyboard cases that try to help iPad users, but they’re often too small, flimsy, expensive, and still not as efficient as full-sized keyboards. They’re also limited to just one type of device.

• Best iPad Air 2 cases: Treat your Apple tablet

But Canopy could be the solution to all our woes. It’s a $40 keyboard case and iOS device stand. It basically holds an Apple Magic Keyboard and folds open to create a stand for your iPhone, iPad Mini, iPad Pro, or any iOS device. It claims to be sturdy enough to be used in bed, on your lap, at a desk, on an airplane… wherever, whenever. It connects via Bluetooth and features a canvas exterior with a microfiber interior.

Canopy

The Apple Magic Keyboard attaches via micro-suction pads, so it’s held firmly in, Canopy claims. Keep in mind other Magic Keyboard cases are already available, but this Canopy one looks so sleek and promises to be thin and light.

If it interests you, head to Canopy’s website. It is available to preorder now.

Dish Sling TV explained: Does it really offer ESPN, DVR, and more?

One of the most buzz-worthy things unveiled last year wasn’t a virtual-reality headset or an expensive television or even wearable gadget that could read every function in your body. It was an over-the-top television service from Dish, called Sling TV.

It’s winning awards across the board, grabbing all the headlines, and making everyone wonder why another video service is generating such excitement. Part of the reason is cost, but another is content. Sling TV is competitively priced, and it’ll have both live and premium channels. That’s right. With Sling TV, you’ll have access to coveted shows and films and content from the likes of ESPN, AMC, and even HBO.

We bet that piques your interest too, right?

READ: Which is the best movie streaming service in the UK?

What is Sling TV?

Dish Network is a popular satellite TV provider in the US with a subsidiary called Sling TV LLC. Sling TV announced in January 2015 that it would launch a live, over-the-top television service in February 2015. It’s also called Sling TV.

What is an over-the-top service?

An over-the-top service refers to the delivery of audio, video, and other media over the internet.

There is no multiple-system operator (such as a telecommunications company or an internet service provider) involved with the control and distribution of said content.

Sling

Why is Dish offering Sling TV?

Dish is offering Sling TV in order to attract cord-cutters. They are people who like to watch video but don’t subscribe to paid television. They prefer to watch their video content online at no cost or through on-demand services like Netflix.

Most cord-cutters have trouble accessing live or even premium content like ESPN or HBO. While HBO has its own video service, called HBO Go, it is currently only available as a complementary service to existing HBO television subscribers. Still, many cord-cutters don’t mind the absence of content and continue getting their video online at no cost.

That last bit is key. Cord-cutters are a fast-growing segment of television watchers, and so traditional pay-TV companies, including Dish, are hastily exploring different ways to keep them tuned in and watching their live and premium content. Sling TV might just be the trick for Dish, or at least that’s what it is hoping.

When will Sling TV launch, and for how much?

Sling TV officially launched in the US on 9 February 2015.

Pricing starts at $20 a month, though you can sign up for a week-long free trial.

Sling TV will not require a commitment, contract, credit check, or hardware installation, according to Sling TV. Unfortunately, however, it will be limited to US customers and can only be streamed on one device at a time.

Which channels can you watch with Sling TV?

Go here to see the full suite of channels listed.

Sling Orange – $20

With Sling Orange, you get live sports, hit shows, news and movies on demand.

• Channel offering: ESPN, AMC, CNN, HGTV, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, History, Disney, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, TNT, Food Network, TBS, BBC America, Freeform, Adult Swim, IFC, A&E, El Ray, Viceland, Lifetime, Travel Channel, AXS TV, Newsy, Cheddar, Bloomberg, Local Now, Polaris, Maker, Flama, Galavision

Sling Blue – $25

With Sling Blue, you get local favorites, regional sports (where available), top shows, and more. Also, you can stream on multiple devices at once.

• Channel offering: FOX, NBC, Fox RSNs, NFL Network, AMC, FX, CNN, HGTV, Comedy Central, USA, Cartoon Network, History, TNT, Bravo, Food Network, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, NBC Sports Network, TBS, BBC America, FXX, Adult Swim, Syfy, Nick Jr., IFC, A&E, El Rey, Viceland, truTV, Lifetime, Travel Channel, AXS TV, BET, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Newsy, Cheddar, Bloomberg Television, Local Now, Univision, UniMás, Polaris, Maker, Flama, Galavisión

Add-on packages

You can also buy add-on packages for $5 to $15, such as Sports Extra, Kids Extra, HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Comedy Plus Extra, Lifestyle Plus Extra, Hollywood Extra, News Extra, Best of Spanish TV Extra, and more. The kids package, for examples, has channels like Disney Junior, Disney XD, Boomerang, Baby TV, and Duck TV, while the news package includes HLN, Cooking Channel, DIY, and Bloomberg.

What about HBO?

Dish entered into a new deal with Turner Broadcasting on 1 April 2015. The deal includes the rights to offer HBO – the actual channel – for $15 per month through Sling TV, according to The Verge and Wall Street Journal. Both HBO’s channel and video-on-demand content will be included in the fee, which is separate from Sling’s $20 price.

Does Sling TV plan to add more channels?

Yes, Sling TV is constantly adding more channels and add-on packages.

Is the ESPN channel a major thing?

Yes. That’s partly why everyone is talking about Sling TV.

The Wall Street Journal claimed cable providers, such as Time Warner Cable and Dish, generally pay ESPN more than any other top networks (including TNT, Disney, TBS, etc). ESPN earned $6.04 per subscriber for each month during 2014, where as TBS earned $0.72 per subscriber.

ESPN demands a higher premium because live sports is one of the biggest draws for paid television watchers. When they purchase a cable bundle, they usually want ESPN or some other sports channel included. But now, with Sling TV, non-cable subscribers will be able to watch live sports.

So, what does this all mean? People who subscribe to paid television might now become cord-cutters, simply because Sling TV is about to offer the live and premium content they so desire (aka sports coverage through ESPN) at a cheaper price (the average US household cable bill is $64.41).

UPDATE: Sling TV told Pocket-lint that Sling TV customers will also have access to Monday Night Football, but not if they are watching on mobile smartphones due to licensing agreements between NFL and Verizon.

How can you watch Sling TV?

Go here to see the full suite of supported devices.

You will need either a wired, Wi-Fi, or mobile broadband connection to watch Sling TV. You therefore must buy and/or have access to the internet. Secondly, you will need a device for watching Sling TV.

You can download the Sling TV app on your iOS or Android device, for instance, or visit the Sling website from Macs and PCs. You can also use the Sling TV app on Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Nexus Player, Roku players/TV models, select Samsung Smart TVs, select LG Smart TVs, and Xbox One.

Sling TV will add support for more streaming devices and smart TVs in the coming months. It also promised to deliver a consistent user interface across all its mobile apps, desktop website, and streaming device apps, thus making it easy for consumers to both navigate and use the service.

Are there any special features?

According to Sling TV, you will be able to pause, rewind, and fast-forward most live channels and Video-On-Demand content. Some channels will offer something called “3-Day Replay” though, which will let you watch shows that have aired during the past three days.

Cloud DVR

On 28 November 2016, Sling TV announced a new cloud DVR service that will launch in an invite-only beta for Roku users in December. The service will allow users to record up to 100 hours of live TV, with the ability to record multiple shows simultaneously. Users will be able to keep their content for longer than 28 days (the cloud DVR will delete the oldest, viewed content when you run out of space).

One hundred hours of cloud DVR storage comes “at no charge”. Sling users interested in joining the invitation-only beta can sign up at sling.com/dvr. The company said the beta will eventually expand to other platforms in the coming months.

Where is Sling TV available?

Sling TV is now available in the US.

Massive Antarctica ice sheet is cracking due to warming oceans

When a giant (225 square mile) slice of Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier broke off in 2015, scientists wondered exactly what caused it. Well, they now have an explanation… and it’s not very reassuring. They’ve determined through satellite imagery that the break started when a rift was formed at the base of the West Antarctica Ice Sheet, almost 20 miles inland, in 2013. Most likely, warming oceans intruded the sheet at the bedrock well below sea level, triggering cracks that gradually made their way upward. In other words, Antarctic ice could be much more susceptible to breaking up than it seems on the surface, and that separation may be happening faster than researchers expected.

There’s still a lot left unanswered. The discoverers want to know just how these rifts get started, and determine their overall effect on the stability of ice shelves. That will require data collected from the air and on the ground, not just in space. And that may be difficult for US researchers when the incoming Trump administration appears bent on shutting down “politicized science” — that is, anything which studies the causes of climate change. The US and UK are already teaming up on field research in the area, however, so they’ll likely have more info regardless of long-term American science funding.

If the glacier break is a sign of things to come, it reinforces predictions that humanity is in for a rough ride as the Earth warms up. Scientists believe that the entire West Antarctica Ice Sheet is likely to collapse within the next 100 years, sending a massive volume of water into the sea. That would be enough to raise the global sea level by almost 10 feet and flood coastal cities. The newly analyzed satellite data suggests that the collapse could happen sooner than later, and possibly within your lifetime.

Via: Gizmodo

Source: Ohio State University, Wiley

Australian Banks Again Denied Request to Negotiate Over Apple Pay

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) today rejected an application from several Australian banks that sought to collectively negotiate with Apple over Apple Pay, reports Reuters.

Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, National Australia Bank (NAB), and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank sought to enter into group talks with Apple in an attempt to establish a deal that would give them access to the NFC hardware in the iPhone, allowing them to offer their already-established bank-run mobile payments services using the iPhone’s NFC chip.

The four banks needed the permission of the ACCC to avoid violating anti-cartel laws, but their request has been officially denied. In a statement, ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the benefits are “uncertain” and “may be limited.”

“While the ACCC accepts that the opportunity for the banks to collectively negotiate and boycott would place them in a better bargaining position with Apple, the benefits are currently uncertain and may be limited.”

Today’s denial follows an initial denial in August, where the ACCC opted to take more time to consider the issue before granting a request that would have allowed the banks to boycott Apple Pay while negotiations took place. The ACCC has now denied the banks both interim and draft authorization, but a final ruling on the request will not come until March of 2017.

Apple vigorously opposed the initial request, stating that allowing banks to access hardware within the iPhone would compromise security, undermine customers’ privacy, and harm innovation. The banks, meanwhile, claim access to NFC would give customers more choice and would have “tremendous benefits for the entire Australian mobile payments landscape.”

While Apple Pay has been available in Australia since November of 2015 through partnerships with ANZ and American Express, Australia’s three major banks — Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, and National Australia Bank — have thus far resisted signing deals with Apple to accept Apple Pay.

Recently, Apple inked a deal with Cuscal Payments Group, expanding Apple Pay to more than 30 small banks and credit unions across Australia. The agreement saw Apple Pay becoming available to four million additional Australians.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Australia
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