Apple in Talks to Build Flagship Melbourne Store as Two Next-Gen U.S. Stores Set to Reopen This Week
After a decade-long search, Apple is believed to be in the final stages of negotiating a deal to open a new AU$50 million flagship retail store in Melbourne’s iconic Federation Square, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia (Image: Architecter)
Apple has reportedly been in lengthy and secretive negotiations with Federation Square’s management and the Victoria state government to demolish the Yarra building in the square and replace it with a standalone, glass retail store. No timeline was provided, but a grand opening would likely remain years away.
Federation Square is a government-owned public space home to, among others, public broadcaster SBS and the Australian Centre for Moving Image. The 344,445-square-foot postmodern development, opened in 2002, is primely located in Melbourne’s central business district in the inner city.
Apple has three existing stores in the Melbourne area, but they are located in shopping malls in the suburbs of Chadstone, Doncaster, and Southland.
Apple’s new next-generation store in Liverpool, England
Meanwhile, in related news, Apple is slated to reopen two more next-generation stores on Saturday, November 19 at 10:00 a.m. local time at the Penn Square shopping mall in Oklahoma City and at the Westfield Montgomery shopping mall in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb in the Washington D.C. area.
Apple’s new retail layout often includes wide, open spaces with some combination of large glass doors, indoor trees, touch-sensitive sequoia wood tables and shelves for displaying products, large 6K resolution video screens for marketing and events, and light boxes extending the length of the ceiling.
Apple recently opened three other next-generation stores in Edison, New Jersey and Liverpool and Sheffield in England.
Related Roundup: Apple Stores
Tag: Australia
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Pixelmator Gains Support for macOS Sierra Features, MacBook Pro Touch Bar
Popular Mac image editing app Pixelmator today received a major update that incorporates many features included in macOS Sierra and introduces support for the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro.
With macOS Sierra compatibility, Pixelmator supports tabs, so multiple windows can be combined for easier management, and it includes the Universal Clipboard feature introduced in Sierra, allowing for cross-device copy paste.
Pixelmator now works with P3 wide color gamut, so you’ll see brighter, more vibrant colors when using the app with the new MacBook Pro or one of the new LG 4K or 5K displays. Most importantly, this version of Pixelmator includes support for the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar.
End users won’t be able to access Touch Bar features until the first MacBook Pro orders begin arriving next week, but Pixelmator is launching it early. The Touch Bar keeps the most useful Pixelmator tools right at your fingertips for quicker editing and streamlined workflows. It automatically changes based on what you’re doing within the app, and it can be customized to suit your individual needs.
Touch Bar:
– Set the most useful tool options for your selected tool right in the Touch Bar.
– The Touch Bar is customizable, so you can choose exactly which tools you’d like to keep in it.
– Use the Touch Bar to change color, alignment, and other text properties.
– When previewing effects or adjustments, a Show Original button lets you take a peek at the original image.
– Use Rotate and Scale sliders to transform layers.
– And do a lot more!
Pixelmator also now includes a new content-aware Smart Refine feature that’s designed to make selecting content quicker and more accurate. Smart Refine is able to detect object edges in an image to automatically refine a selection outline. It naturally smooths the edges of a selection for easier blending, and there’s a new workflow for making quick edits to a selection through painting.
Pixelmator can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $29.99. [Direct Link]
Tag: Pixelmator
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Next Year’s iPhones to Include 4.7″ LCD Model With Single Camera, 5.5″ LCD and OLED Models With Dual Cameras
Apple will release a trio of new iPhones next year, according to a new research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo believes Apple will launch a 4.7-inch model with a single-lens camera and LCD display, 5.5-inch model with a dual-lens camera and LCD display, and an all-new OLED model with a dual-lens camera in 2017.
We look for new 2017F iPhones to come in three models: one OLED model, and two TFT-LCD models with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display. We believe the OLED and 5.5-inch TFT-LCD iPhones will feature dual-camera. Based on this prediction, our forecast of dual camera adoption rate in new 2017F iPhone models is revised up from 30-40% to 65-75%. We view this increase as favoring Largan’s sales and profit momentum as it is the exclusive supplier of wide-angle and telephoto lens. It also bodes well for Apple’s dual camera software ecosystem.
Kuo did not specify the display size for the all-new OLED model, expected to be positioned as the premium model in next year’s iPhone lineup, but he previously said Apple will launch a 5.8-inch iPhone with a curved OLED display and glass casing next year. Barclays analysts also recently said Apple will release a 5-inch LCD iPhone and 5.8-inch OLED iPhone, both with curved, bezel-free designs, next year.
Japanese website Nikkei likewise said Apple will release three new glass-backed iPhones next year, including 4.7-inch, 5-inch, and 5.5-inch sizes. The report reiterated that one of those iPhones will be a premium model with a curved edge-to-edge OLED display to be sold alongside two models that have standard LCD displays. Barclays analysts said that model’s screen will be extended “vertically as well as horizontally.”
Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo
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Vivo V5: Hands on and first impressions
Earlier today, Vivo announced the launch of their mid-range flagship device in India. The Vivo V5 packs in an unprecedented 20MP front camera and wraps it with mid-level internals in a stylish metallic chassis.
Vivo V5 Specifications
- Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Funtouch OS 2.6
- Display: 13.97cm (5.5-inch) HD (1280 x 720) | 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass
- Processor: 1.5GHz octa-core 64-bit MediaTek MT6750
- RAM: 4GB
- Internal Storage: 32GB; expandable up to 128GB with microSD card
- Camera: 20MP rear camera | 13MP front camera
- Dimensions: 153.8 x 75.5 x 7.55mm
- Weight: 154g
- Battery: 3000mAh
Design
The Vivo V5 looks like a regular slab of metal – the unibody design that we see too often, and yet it does not look bad. The metallic construction with a matte finish at the back and an engraved Vivo logo gives it a premium look, but of course, it does not stand out. It’s slim, and the curved edges makes it quite ergonomic to grip in the hand.
The 5.5-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection is brilliant. It’s bright and vivid, the viewing angles are great, and it impresses, even though it is a tad reflective and struggles in bright outdoors.
The joy of the nice display is, however, short-lived as you realize it’s only an HD display, quite a disappointment for a phone at this price. Unless you look close enough, the 294ppi display does not look pixelated, but it’s a definite mishit on the specifications sheet.
Despite the protection on the glass, the out-of-the-box unit comes with a tempered glass protector applied on it that I took off as soon as I could. There’s also a silicone back cover bundled in the box.
Hardware
Powered by the 1.5GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6750 chipset with Mali 860 GPU, the V5 makes up for the mid-level processor with a generous 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
In the little time I spent with the device, the phone performed okay with no apparent lags even during multi-tasking. Of course, that could change as we install and use more apps, and try out those graphic-intensive games.
The V5 also packs in the custom built AK4376 Hi-Fi audio chipset that promises an immersive audio experience by giving a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 115dB. It’s loud, and not rash, in the couple of songs I heard on it during my time with the device.
The fingerprint scanner is placed below the display on the front of the device (doubles up as the home button), and unlocks the device in quick time without any issues each time.
The phone boasts of a 3000mAh non-removable battery. It’s good enough, but there’s no fast charging, yet the box includes a 5V/2A charger. Also, the phone includes microUSB port for charging the device, while I would prefer USB Type-C on all smartphones going forward.
I’d expect better battery performance with an HD display instead of Full HD, but we’ll know better only when we test the phone for a longer period of time.
Software
Out of the box, the Vivo V5 comes with the company’s proprietary Funtouch OS 2.6 running on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Like is the case with most custom Android implementations, there is no app drawer here, but is otherwise a straightforward and plain, vanilla UI.
Camera
Of course, the highlight of the Vivo V5 is the 20MP front camera with Moonlight Glow technology for better selfies. The few selfies I clicked gave mixed results. Some were pretty good and seemed to validate company’s tall claims of balanced illumination and no noise, but few ended up being too over exposed for my liking.
The 13-megapixel rear camera performed quite okay in daylight, but indoors or in poor light conditions, the noise was very apparent. Of course, these observations are from a limited photos I clicked without being specific of test shots and ambient scenes.
Summary
If you take out the front camera from the equation (for those who’re still not in on the selfie craze), the Vivo V5 is a tad uninspiring smartphone. However, with that marquee feature and good-looking metal body, and the fact that the V5 is available in physical retail stores across the country, unlike a lot of its competition, the company might be on something interesting.
The Vivo V5 is priced at ₹17,980 ($265) in India, and goes on sale on November 26. Let us know your initial thoughts about the phone with ‘Moonlight Camera’ in the comments below.
WhatsApp officially launches video calling
Major new feature rolling out ‘in the coming days.’
A few weeks after WhatsApp added video calling to its beta channel, the Facebook-owned chat platform has announced that it’s ready for stable roll-out. The new version will reach WhatsApp users on Android, iOS and Windows “in the coming days.”
As we covered when the feature was in beta, video calls in WhatsApp require both users be on the latest version of the app, with the interface being similar to what many of us are used to in WhatsApp voice calls.
Implementing reliable video calling is tricky at the best of times. And for WhatsApp, there’s the additional challenge of maintaining its well-earned reputation of working well even on a patchy connection. However WhatsApp founder Jan Koum told Reuters that Facebook is pitching in:
Koum said Facebook has allowed WhatsApp to use its servers and bandwidth around the world for voice and now video. That support will help spread the souped-up WhatsApp much farther and faster, he said.
With features like two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption is considered a secure way to communicate. And so Facebook’s involvement with the day-to-day operation of WhatsApp is a prickly issue — particularly as it relates to the sharing of data between the two.
Nevertheless, the new video calling feature is another much-needed arrow in WhatsApp’s quiver as it takes on the likes of Apple and Google.
More: Everything you need to know about WhatsApp
Google Home: How to set up Philips Hue integration
OK, Google. Let’s do cool stuff.
Google Home does more than play music. It’s designed to be a smart controller for your connected things around the home. Of course, one of the most popular connected thing on many homes is a Philips Hue bridge and one or more connected lamps. Using Google Home it’s easy to control your Hue lamps with your voice. Here’s how to get things set up.
- Download the Philips Hue app from Google Play. If you have an iPhone or an iPad get it from the app store. You need to set everything up and get the bridge connected to your network using the official Hue app. If you’re connecting the Hue bridge to a router that’s in bridge mode, make sure you can connect your phone on the same side of the bridged router. If you don’t know what this means you probably don’t have a bridged router and don’t have to worry about it. Also, yo dawg I heard you like bridges so I put a bridge in your bridge.
- Use your Google account to set up the Hue app. Use this same Google account to set up Google Home.
- Once everything works and is properly connected, open the Google Home app on your phone. You need to be connected to the Internet either through your WiFi or through your carrier service.
- Open the hamburger menu (slide in from the left) and find the entry labeled Home control and tap to open it.
- Tap the plus button and choose Philips Hue from the list.
- Follow the instructions on the page that opens and enter your Google account information when it asks you to. You’ll need to press the button on your bridge during the setup so make sure everything is where you can reach it.
- Start talking to your lamps!
Here’s what you can say.
- To turn on/off a light say: “Turn on (light name)”
- To dim a light say: “Dim the (light name)”
- To brighten a light say: “Brighten the (light name)”
- To set a light brightness to a certain percentage say: “Set (light name) to 50%”
- To dim or brighten a light by a certain percentage say: ‘Dim/Brighten (light name) by 50%”
- To change the color of a light say: “Turn (light name) green”
- To turn all lights on/off in a room say: “Turn on/off lights in (room name)”
- To turn all lights on/off say: “Turn on/off all of the lights”
If you have multiple lights in a room and have set up the group as a room in your Hue account, anything that works with one light will also work with an entire room. Just say the room name instead of the individual light name.
I haven’t touched a light switch since I got this thing, and I think it works great. Keep an eye on AC for more things you can do with your Google Home!
Google Home
- Google Home review
- These services work with Google Home
- Google Home vs. Amazon Echo
- Join our Google Home forums!
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Twitter introduces tool to mute words, hashtags and emoji
Twitter is trying to win back the support of people who have left the network.
Twitter has debuted a number of new tools to cut down on harassment and improve user engagement on a network that repeatedly has been accused of fostering hate speech through its public forum.
The main feature is an expansion of the “mute” tool that previously only allowed for the silencing of individual accounts. Now, users can mute or block specific words, hashtags and even emoji, along with individual conversations, to prevent being notified when those terms are used. Twitter wrote in a blog post,
This is a feature we’ve heard many of you ask for, and we’re going to keep listening to make it better and more comprehensive over time.
The new tool comes into effect over the coming days for all users worldwide, and is being introduced alongside a revamped “hateful conduct policy” that makes it easier to report hate speech and other harassing behavior. Twitter says it has also trained “all of our support teams on our policies, including special sessions on cultural and historical contextualization of hateful conduct, and implemented an ongoing refresher program. We’ve also improved our internal tools and systems in order to deal more effectively with this conduct when it’s reported to us. Our goal is a faster and more transparent process.”
Despite being demoed on iOS, the Android version should work the same as below.
What do you think? Will this be an effective tool to stop harassment?
Take to the skies with this $34 drone today!
If you’ve been looking to pick up an entry level drone, you won’t want to miss out on this sweet deal on Syma’s Quadcopter at Amazon. Using coupon code SDF61287 drops the price on this one down to just $34, a savings of $26. The quadcopter has a built-in camera which can record video and take pictures while flying it around, and even stream them right to your phone to see what you are capturing in real-time. It has a 6-axis flight control systems, 3D lock, and much more.
While not the top of the line, this is a great starting point to get your feet wet in flying something in the sky. At this price, you won’t want to miss out on this deal. Whether you want one for yourself or a gift for the upcoming holiday season, be sure to get your order in before the deal is gone!
See at Amazon
Best games for Google Daydream
What are the best games for Google Daydream?
For many people, Daydream View is more than Google’s take on VR. It’s the first VR headset for a lot of Pixel owners, and that means there’s plenty of room to explore and have some fun. It also means there are a lot of apps in the Play Store asking for some money from you without a whole lot of assurance that the game will be worth the cash.
While there’s plenty of fun to be had with the free apps available for Daydream, some of the other experiences are on an entirely different level. Here’s where you need to start if you’re looking for quality games for Daydream.
Read more at VR Heads!
Quick! Amazon Prime membership slashed to £59 as a limited offer
Amazon has already started slashing prices for Black Friday, but there’s a great offer on Prime membership if you’ve not already signed up.
Amazon has slashed the price to £59 for new Prime members, so if you’ve been wondering whether to sign up or not, now’s the time to do it.
Amazon Prime for £59 – click here to sign up
But you only have until 18 November to claim this deal, or you’ll be back to the regular £79 for Prime. Sadly, this deal also only applies to new customers and it’s really an incentive for those who want to watch The Grand Tour, the new Clarkson-Hammond-May motoring show that’s exclusive to Amazon Video.
Prime membership will get you lots of benefits, like free next day delivery on a wide range of products that Amazon sells, perfect for your Christmas shopping. You’ll also get access to Prime Video, where you’ll be able to watch a range of great shows, including The Grand Tour, which starts, you guessed it, on 18 November.
There’s also Prime Music, early access to lightning deals, photo storage, ebooks and a whole lot more.
So, if you’ve yet to sign up for Amazon Prime, then don’t delay, because you only have a few days to get this great deal on Prime membership.
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