American Airlines upgrading 500 jets to faster satellite WiFi

If you want faster WiFi when you fly and don’t mind paying for it, American Airlines is upgrading its WiFi systems on over 500 domestic aircraft, according to Bloomberg. To get those speeds the carrier is dumping GoGo’s terrestrial Ku-band internet service in favor of ViaSat. That company’s satellite technology allows for faster surfing and streaming of services like Netflix and YouTube, something that’s currently verboten with GoGo. The upgrades will start in 2017 and take up to two years to complete.

The move isn’t a huge surprise, as American recently sued GoGo over its slow speeds. It later dropped the claim, however, and the company still plans to equip 130 aircraft with GoGo’s much faster 2Ku satellite service. GoGo called the report “old news,” saying it already warned investors that it would be dropped from up to 550 domestic flights in favor of ViaSat. American, meanwhile, told Bloomberg that “Gogo remains a valued partner,” but said earlier that it reserves the right to drop it if the 2Ku service isn’t up to snuff.

American is equipping another 100 new domestic aircraft with ViaSat, and also uses Panasonic’s system on 60 international routes. Engadget judged ViaSat’s 12Mbps service to be the best you can currently get in the air, even though it can drop out from time to time. Inflight WiFi is clearly becoming a tidy profit center for airlines. While Amazon Prime members can stream ViaSat for free on JetBlue, American charges $16 a day on domestic flights, and $19 on an international flights.

Source: Bloomberg

Apple CEO Tim Cook Calls For Unity in Memo to Staff Following Trump Victory

Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out a memo to all U.S. Apple employees on Wednesday reassuring them that the company would “move forward together” following Donald Trump’s surprise election win this week.

In the memo, obtained by BuzzFeed, Cook did not name Trump, but pushed back against some of his more divisive rhetoric uttered during the campaign by re-affirming Apple’s commitment to diversity.

Team,

I’ve heard from many of you today about the presidential election. In a political contest where the candidates were so different and each received a similar number of popular votes, it’s inevitable that the aftermath leaves many of you with strong feelings.

We have a very diverse team of employees, including supporters of each of the candidates. Regardless of which candidate each of us supported as individuals, the only way to move forward is to move forward together. I recall something Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said 50 years ago: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” This advice is timeless, and a reminder that we only do great work and improve the world by moving forward.

While there is discussion today about uncertainties ahead, you can be confident that Apple’s North Star hasn’t changed. Our products connect people everywhere, and they provide the tools for our customers to do great things to improve their lives and the world at large. Our company is open to all, and we celebrate the diversity of our team here in the United States and around the world — regardless of what they look like, where they come from, how they worship or who they love.

I’ve always looked at Apple as one big family and I encourage you to reach out to your co-workers if they are feeling anxious.

Let’s move forward — together!

Best, Tim

Trump singled out Apple for criticism more than once during the bitterly fought election campaign, and at one point called for a boycott of the company’s products if it didn’t comply with the FBI’s request to build a back door into its iPhone software so that authorities could unlock a phone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook.

On another occasion, Trump promised to make Apple build its “damn computers and things in this country instead of in other countries”, without explaining how he would go about it.

Apple withdrew its support of the Republican National Convention because of Trump’s controversial remarks, particularly regarding minorities, women, and immigrants, and Cook held a separate fundraising event for Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and other Republicans instead.

Back in March, Tim Cook and other tech leaders attended the American Enterprise Institute’s annual World Forum along with top Republican officials partly to discuss concerns regarding Trump’s political emergence and candidacy.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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Best Black Friday UK phone deals: Apple, Samsung, Android phone deals galore

Black Friday will hit us on 25 November and we’re expecting a range of deals on smartphones, meaning you can swoop in and save yourself a wodge of cash on the latest and greatest phones. 

We’ll be keeping track of all the smartphone deals in the UK you should be looking out for, so that you don’t have to. We’ll be updating this feature right through the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, so keep this tab open.

Amazon.co.uk phone deals

Amazon is perhaps the online store most associated with Black Friday, running a range of deals across all categories. Amazon, of course, also sells a lot of phones and other devices. Amazon is already making preparations and have Black Friday page, with the option to sign-up to the newsletter right here.

We’re expecting big things from Amazon Black Friday 2016.

Carphone Warehouse phone deals

We’re expecting Carphone Warehouse to offer a range of deals on phones and other devices. There’s currently no specific deals listed for Black Friday, but they are offering some great deals already. 

• Free VR headset with all Android pay monthly phones – click here to view this deal 
• Best iPhone 7 deals – click here to view this deal

HTC.com phone deals

If you’re looking for a bargain on a new HTC handset, then HTC is promising a range of deals through its website at htc.com. Although the details haven’t been fully revealed – will it be the HTC 10 or not? – you can sign up for emails, right here, right now.

Mobiles.co.uk phone deals

Mobiles.co.uk tends to be more aggressive with pricing, meaning it’s more likely to serve you up a great deal. It’s also preparing itself for an onslaught of Black Friday deals. We’re yet to discover exactly what they will be – perhaps the iPhone 7 at a great price – but you can already head over to the Mobiles.co.uk Black Friday page right now and sign-up for the deals newsletter, we well as bag yourself a voucher code.

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: What’s the rumoured difference?

OnePlus is rumoured to be launching a faster and more efficient OnePlus 3, which is thought to be called the OnePlus 3T.

Aside from the processor, many of the other specs are claimed to be similar to the OnePlus 3, ensuring another flagship killer is on the horizon.

Here is how the OnePlus 3T compares to the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, based on the speculation.

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Design

• The S7 edge has a dual-edge design and is waterproof
• The OnePlus 3T should be slimmer
• The S7 edge is lighter and smaller

The OnePlus 3T is rumoured to offer the same design as the OnePlus 3, which will mean a solid aluminium build measuring 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35mm with a weight of 158g.

Assuming the rumours are true, we can expect USB Type-C, along with a front fingerprint sensor. The OnePlus 3 offered a fantastic build quality so the same will be expected for the OnePlus 3T.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge also offers a solid, premium build, but it opts for a dual-edge design and a combination of aluminium and tempered glass. It is a little smaller than the proported OnePlus 3T measuring 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm and ever so slightly lighter at 157g.

It is IP68 water resistant, uses Micro-USB for charging and it has a fingerprint sensor that sits within the main button on the front of the device.

• OnePlus 3T: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Display

• Curved display on the S7 edge
• Both 5.5-inch displays
• S7 edge has Quad HD, OnePlus 3T said to have Full HD

The OnePlus 3T is expected to be coming with the same display and resolution as the OnePlus 3, though there have also been rumours to suggest we might see a Quad HD LCD display.

If the screen is the same as the OnePlus 3, the 3T should arrive with a 5.5-inch Full HD Optic AMOLED display, along with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. This would result in a pixel density of 401ppi.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has a 5.5-inch display too, but it opts for a curved screen as we mentioned, and a Quad HD resolution is also on board, making for a pixel density of 534ppi. It too features AMOLED technology, meaning inky blacks and vibrant, punchy colours like the OnePlus 3T should also offer.

• OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: What’s the rumoured difference?

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Camera

• OnePlus 3T thought to have higher resolution front and rear cameras
• S7 edge has wider aperture
• Both devices should have OIS

According to the rumours, the OnePlus 3T will have the same camera as the OnePlus 3. This means it should come with a 16-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilisation, phase detection autofocus and an aperture of f/2.0.

The front camera should be an 8-megapixel camera with 1.4µm pixels and fixed autofocus, if it’s the same as the OnePlus 3.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has a 12-megapixel rear camera with an aperture of f/1.7, phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilisation. The front camera is 5-megapixels with an aperture of f/1.7, auto HDR and 1.34µm pixels.

• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Hardware

• OnePlus 3T will have Qualcomm SD821
• S7 edge has microSD and likely to have larger battery
• OnePlus 3T will probably have more RAM

The OnePlus 3T will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, while the other hardware specs are rumoured to be the same as the OnePlus 3. If this is the case, the 3T should feature 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 3000mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip or the Exynos 8890 processor, depending on the region. Both variants are supported by 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB and a 3600mAh battery.

Samsung’s device offers Quick Charge for 60 per cent charge in 30 minutes, and no doubt the OnePlus 3T will come with Dash Charge, which is One Plus’s equivalent. As we mentioned previously, the OnePlus 3T should offer USB Type-C, while the S7 edge has Micro-USB.

• OnePlus 3 review

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Software

•  Android Marshmallow platform expected for both

The OnePlus 3T will most likely launch on a customised version of Android Marshmallow called OxygenOS. The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge runs on Android Marshmallow too, but with Samsung’s TouchWiz software over the top.

Both devices should eventually see an update to Android 7.1 Nougat, but they will still offer different experiences because of the software overlays.

• When is Android 7.1 Nougat coming to my phone?

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Price

The OnePlus 3T is expected to cost $80 more than the OnePlus 3, which if true, would mean a price tag of $480 (£395).

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge starts at £639, making it quite a bit more expensive than the OnePlus 3T, and with half the internal storage unless you pay more.

OnePlus 3T vs Samsung Galaxy S7: Conclusion

If all the rumours are accurate, the OnePlus 3T will offer a faster processor than the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, along with higher resolution cameras, more RAM and a much lower price tag.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge probably wins on design though, and it has a sharper, crisper display, along with microSD support and a larger battery capacity. Its camera capability has also proven itself to be fantastic, even if it does have a few less megapixels than other devices.

The device you choose from these two will not only be based on budget, but which design you prefer and which software experience you would rather. Ultimately, the S7 edge is an excellent performer and the OnePlus 3T is likely to be too.

• OnePlus 3 review
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review

Next Sony Xperia flagship: What’s the story so far?

Sony Mobile has a tendency to launch a new smartphone every six months and it seems it has no intention of slowing down.

No sooner has the Xperia XZ arrived on shelves, than the next Sony flagship is the topic of conversation on the rumour mill. This is everything we know so far.

Next Sony Xperia flagship: What will it be called?

Sony’s naming convention isn’t the easiest to predict in comparison to other manufacturers, well not anymore anyway. The company announced the death of its Z range of smartphones at MWC 2016, the same time it launched the X Series, which it signified as its future.

Sony then announced the Xperia XZ at IFA 2016, which it claimed sat above the XA, XA Ultra, X Compact, X and X Performance models that were seen in Barcelona. The name of the next Xperia is therefore anyone’s guess, but given the X series has a fair few devices under its umbrella, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a move to X2.

For the sake of this feature, we will be using the Sony Xperia X2 but this could change as rumours develop.

Sony Xperia X2: Release date

• CES announcement rumoured 
• MWC launch more likely

Sony tends to announce new smartphones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, or IFA in Berlin. It’s been claimed the new Xperia devices will launch at CES 2017, which takes place in Vegas however.

Sony has used CES to launch smartphones in the past, but it hasn’t launched a flagship at the show since the Xperia Z so we would suspect an MWC launch would be more likely. The Xperia Z1 Compact was the last time Sony announced a smartphone at CES, which was 2014.

MWC 2017, which takes place from 27 February to 1 March, will mark a year since the launch of the Xperia X range meaning an upgrade at the show would be reasonable.

Sony Xperia X2: Design

• OmniBalance design likely to remain
• Metal build expected
• USB Type-C and fingerprint sensor likely

Rumours are few and far between when it comes to the design of the next Xperia flagship, but Sony’s design pattern hasn’t changed as much over recent years as its naming convention has.

All the Xperia flagships feature an OminBalance design, resulting in flat slabbed phones. The Xperia X range saw the move from tempered glass rears to all metal, with most models retaining waterproofing.

We’d expect the OmniBalance to remain for the future flagship, though we would like to see just one sheet of metal on the rear, rather than several elements like the Xperia XZ.

A side power button with built-in fingerprint sensor is also likely, given this has become a signature feature of Sony phones, and as the Xperia XZ has USB Type-C, we’d expect any new phones to offer the same.  

• Sony Xperia XZ review

Sony Xperia X2: Display

• Rumours of 5-inch or 5.2-inch device
• Also reports of 4K 5.5-inch display

Reports suggest the new Sony Xperia devices will come in a 5-inch or 5.2-inch Full HD display and a larger 5.5-inch 4K display.

Unlike its competitors, Sony has notoriously avoided the Quad HD fad, claiming users don’t want to trade battery life for the extra pixels, so the suggestion of Full HD and 4K makes sense.

The Xperia Z5 and more recent Xperia XZ offer a 5.2-inch Full HD display, while the Z5 Premium was the first smartphone to have a 4K display and is due an upgrade.

Sony Xperia X2: Camera

• Next Xperia still likely to continue with a focus on camera

The camera has always been one of Sony’s main focuses when it comes to its smartphones, which isn’t surprising since the company not only makes its own professional cameras but supplies other smartphone manufacturers with camera lenses too.

The Xperia XZ features a 23-megapixel snapper on the rear and a 13-megapixel camera on the front, hitting all the numbers when it comes to the spec sheet.

There haven’t been any rumours as yet regarding what we can expect from the next Sony smartphones, but we would imagine Sony will continue to place a big focus in this area.

Sony Xperia X2: Hardware

• Qualcomm processor likely
• 4GB of RAM rumoured

Sony is one of Qualcomm’s most loyal fans, with all its Xperia flagships featuring the latest and greatest Snapdragon chip at their time of launch. With that in mind we would expect any new Xperia flagships to follow suit.

It will depend on when the device or devices launch, but we’d expect to see either the Snapdragon 821, or the Snapdragon 830 under the hood of the next Xperia. Rumour has it we can also expect 4GB of RAM.

Other hardware specs have yet to be detailed but an educated guess would suggest at least 32GB of internal storage, microSD support and around a 3000mAh battery.

Sony Xperia X2: Software

We’d hope that any devices launching at either CES or MWC would come with Android 7.1 Nougat from the box, though that might not be the case.

Whether Android Marshmallow or Nougat, Sony’s software will no doubt sit over the top, even if we would love to see a vanilla Android experience or less bloatware.

• Android 7.1 Nougat review: Subtle but super-sweet OS update

Sony Xperia X2: Conclusion

The rumours have only just started properly for the next Sony smartphones but expect them to shift into full swing over the next couple of weeks.

Will we see new Sony phones at CES 2017? Who knows. If we don’t, there is a very good chance we will see at least one new Xperia at MWC.

Watch this space as we will be updating this feature as soon as we hear any more rumours.

Samsung Galaxy S7 can try a taste of Nougat with the ‘Galaxy Beta Program’

Samsung has announced a ‘Galaxy Beta Program’ for Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge owners in the UK, US, Korea, with customers in China getting access soon. The beta program is available on a first-come first-serve basis and provides an early look at what Android 7.0 Nougat will look and feel like.

• Android 7.0 Nougat: 7 new features to get excited about

The beta is only available for non-carrier locked devices and can’t be installed on the S7 Edge Olympic Games limited edition or the S7 Edge Injustice edition.

Samsung is asking users of the beta for feedback on how Nougat works on their phone so it can make improvements and tweaks before the official version is pushed out to devices.

If you’ve got a compatible device and an active Samsung account you can take part in the beta by downloading the Galaxy Beta Program app through Galaxy apps, or the Samsung Members app which is available on the Google Play Store.

Samsung hasn’t said when it will push out the full official version of Android 7.0 Nougat to S7 and S7 Edge devices, but hopefully it will be before the Galaxy S8 launches in the first half of 2017.

The company has already rolled out an update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge that ushered in some of the notification abilities of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7.

Nikon launches D5600 DSLR with Bluetooth for instant photo sharing

Nikon has taken the wraps off its latest DLSR, the entry-level D5600, which it says is designed for photography hobbyists and content creators. The D5600 is the successor to the D5500 and features a similar 3.2-inch LCD screen that can flip out and be angled in almost any way so you can take a photo from virtually anywhere.

• Best DSLR cameras 2016: The best interchangeable lens cameras available to buy today

It’s a touchscreen too and now has added functions of being able to crop during playback zoom and a frame advance bar to let you quickly scroll through your photos in playback mode. The D5600 also gets a time-lapse shooting function similar to the one found on Nikon’s D7200.

The D5600 can also connect to a compatible iOS or Android device with the SnapBridge app downloaded via Bluetooth. When you’ve connected your camera to your device, any photos you take are automatically transferred to the app so you can instantly share them on social media or send to friends and family. Photos will still transfer even when the camera is off and any images transferred to SnapBridge can be automatically uploaded to Nikon Image Space.

RAW and TIFF files can’t be transferred however, and any images that are sent to your mobile device are downscaled to 2-megapixels. If you want to transfer a video you’ll need to connect to Wi-Fi.

The camera itself has 24.2-megapixel DX-format sensor with no optical low-pass filter and an ISO range of 100-25600. Nikon says the D5600 is capable of producing “highly detailed images in which noise is effectively suppressed, even with shooting in dark or dimly lit surroundings”.

The Nikon D5600 will be available from 24 November with an AF-P 18-55 lens for £799.99 or with an AF-S 18-140 lens for £989.99.

John Lewis Christmas adverts over the years: Including amazing 2016 #BusterTheBoxer commercial

Over the last few years, John Lewis has firmly ensconced itself as the king of the Christmas commercial, not only with extended short movies but with cover versions of songs that make it to the top five of the British music charts.

Each year’s effort becomes a viral sensation, spreading faster on social media than a Kim Kardashian bottom pic, and this year’s is no exception.

Buster The Dog is funny, heartwarming and cost a staggering £1 million to make. A further £6 million will be spent on UK TV slots.

This year’s music track is One Day I’ll Fly Away covered by the Vaults. It’s available from numerous music download services.

You can check out #BusterTheDog below and we’ve also included all the ads from the last few years.

John Lewis Christmas advert 2016: Buster The Dog

This year’s effort includes a whole cast of CGI animals. We won’t spoil the ending (although you might be able to guess it easily), but we do hope that mum and dad were out afterwards with disinfectant before letting their little girl have a go. 

John Lewis Christmas advert 2015: Man On The Moon

Cleverly filmed, albeit a little loose on the abilities of telescopes, Man On The Moon was criticised a little for its bleakness. The music is Half the World Away, written and originally released by Oasis, and covered by Norwegian 19-year-old Aurora.

Fans of The Royale Family will also recognise it, the original version was the main theme tune for that show.

John Lewis Christmas advert 2014: Monty The Penguin

In 2014, the company went on an all-out tech offensive, with a number of innovative initiatives that complemented its charming Monty The Penguin advert. As well as an interactive storytelling app for iPad and Android – Monty’s Christmas narrated by Dermot O’Leary – John Lewis hosted an online 360-degree panoramic tour of lead characters Sam and Monty’s world, and each of the shops had a dedicated section called Monty’s Den.

John Lewis Christmas advert 2013: The Bear & The Hare

Like its latest effort, The Bear & The Hare also cost the high street chain £1 million to produce. It released a dedicated iPad and Android tablet application, soft toys, online activities – including a Make your own card service – and in-store experiences in order to make some of that back.

The song used in the advert was a cover version of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know performed by Lily Allen.

John Lewis Christmas advert 2012: The Journey

Considered by many to be the best Christmas commercial from the high street retailer, The Journey present a great, beautiful love story with a twist. The music was a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Power of Love sung by Gabrielle Aplin.

John Lewis Christmas advert 2011: The Long Wait

The Long Wait changed everything for John Lewis and British Christmas adverts in general. By telling a sweet and sincere story, it engaged with audiences like never before and many advertisers have since aimed to emulate it.

Few have succeeded.