Apple can never release an ‘iWatch’ in the UK
Long before Apple actually launched its first wearable, a trademarking spree sent the rumour mill into overdrive. Understandably so, because what else could an “iWatch” be? The Swiss clocksmiths at Swatch weren’t best pleased with this application, however, challenging the filing with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in 2014. The IPO recently brought an end to the dispute, siding with Swatch in its opposition of the trademark. It doesn’t really matter now, of course, with the Apple Watch already in its second generation. But, if the company ever wanted to launch an iWatch? Well, it can’t.
Swatch successfully argued that iWatch was too similar to trademarks it had already registered in the UK, namely iSwatch — a digital number released in 2013. Apple contested this on the basis it was known for the “i” prefix because of all its other iThings, so using the name iWatch was unlikely to cause confusion among consumers. The IPO thought otherwise, denying Apple the trademark. That’s true for smartwatches, anyway, with the company still allowed to use it for software, computer peripherals and components, as well as other things it wouldn’t really make sense to call iWatch.
Like patents, trademarks are a messy business, as Apple knows all too well. The company had to pay $60 million to secure the iPad trademark in China after a local firm laid claim to the name and briefly had tablets pulled from shelves. Apple famously battled with a Brazilian company over the iPhone trademark in the region, too, though that’s just another entry on a very long list of examples. In another iWatch dispute, a company that owns the trademark across Europe sued Apple last year, claiming that although it wasn’t stamped on any product, Apple was using the term behind the scenes to promote its smartwatch in searches and ads.
Via: BBC
Source: Intellectual Property Office
UC Irvine debuts the first public college eSports arena in the US
The University of California, Irvine is serious about eSports. This fall it will officially launch a competitive gaming initiative, complete with scholarships and an already-decorated League of Legends team, and it’s just finished construction on a 3,500 sqft eSports arena that’s set to open on Friday, September 23rd. The arena is packed with 80 gaming PCs loaded with top eSports titles, a webcasting studio and viewing screens.
The arena will serve as a home base for the university’s gaming community and a place for its competitive players to train. It also represents another step forward for collegiate eSports across the country.
“I think eSports is the future of competition. Period,” UCI’s acting director of eSports Mark Deppe says. “It transcends language, geography, race, age, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability and many other identities. In five years many more schools will official programs and more structure will be in place to regulate and provide guidance to schools. I think eSports also has a huge opportunity to learn from the successes and shortcomings of traditional sports and provide a model for collegiate competition in the 21st century.”
Deppe hopes the arena will be 100 percent cost-neutral. UCI spent $250,000 to build it over the summer, and it will be open to the public and students for $4 per hour; UCI hopes the revenue from its hourly use will cover administrative costs. The arena will host twenty-five student staff members, while other students can volunteer to assist in coaching, analysis, streaming and production roles.
UCI’s arena is backed by iBUYPOWER, which provided all of the space’s gaming PCs, and Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends. As part of its eSports initiative, UCI is offering 10 scholarships, valued at $15,000 each, to its competitive League of Legends players.
The global eSports market is valued at $612 million with an audience of 134 million, according to SuperData, and it’s only predicted to grow. Universities across the United States are diving into this emerging market with scholarship programs and competitive teams.
Student players bring home some real prizes when they win: Heroes of the Storm’s college tournament offers the winners free tuition, while the League of Legends North American collegiate championship grants $30,000 to each winning player and $15,000 each for second place. At UCI, players get to keep any earnings from competitions.
Mark Deppe, @UCIeSports acting dir., unboxes 1st computers to arrive for UCI #eSports Initiative. 🎮🙌💙💛🐜🍴 #UCIeSports pic.twitter.com/4Ac1H2JfpD
— UC Irvine (@UCIrvine) August 19, 2016
UCI understands the significance of video games in mainstream culture, Deppe says. There hasn’t been any resistance to the university’s eSports expansion, he says, and students have been overwhelmingly supportive.
“Many of them are gamers themselves, and those that aren’t know lots of gamers and how important video games are to the campus community,” Deppe says.
Still, there’s work to be done. The professional eSports scene is dominated by male players, coaches and commentators, and the same is true in collegiate competition.
“We think that eSports has the potential to be the most inclusive competitive environment ever,” Deppe says. “However, If you look at the top professional teams, there are very few women represented.”
UCI worked with Anykey.org, an organization that aims to create inclusive spaces in eSports, to craft its arena rules and scholarship agreements. However, the first five recipients of UCI’s League of Legends scholarships are all male. Deppe says this is because UCI is pulling in players from the top echelons of competitive gaming, which are still male-dominated.
There are five more scholarships up for grabs and Deppe says some highly ranked women “may try out and will have a legitimate shot.” The League of Legends team still needs to fill its “Top” role and tryouts are the week of September 26th.
“Outside of the competitive team, UCI has a long history of women representation in our community,” Deppe says. “Our arena coordinator and past president of The Association of Gamers is female. The club estimates that about 30 percent of the gaming club is female with several in leadership roles. Additionally, 50 percent of our board of advisers are women and we’re working hard to welcome ladies and underrepresented groups into the eSports scene.”
Spotify Reaches Over 40 Million Paying Subscribers, Continues to Outpace Apple Music
Spotify has announced that it now has over 40 million paying subscribers as of this month, meaning that it has added some 10 million subscribers since March. Spotify remains the most popular streaming music service worldwide, and its new subscriber growth continues to outpace its biggest rival, Apple Music.
Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek hinted about the milestone in a tweet earlier today:
40 is the new 30.
Million. 😄— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) September 14, 2016
Apple Music has been growing at a pace of about 2 million new subscribers every two months: 11 million in February, 13 million in April, 15 million in June, and 17 million in early September. Spotify’s figures, meanwhile, show it grew at a pace of over 3 million new subscribers every two months between March and September.
Earlier this year, Spotify vice president Jonathan Forster said Apple Music is “raising the profile of streaming,” which has helped, not hurt, its business.
“It’s great that Apple is in the game. They are definitely raising the profile of streaming. It is hard to build an industry on your own,” said Forster. “Since Apple Music started we’ve been growing quicker and adding more users than before.”
Spotify may benefit from Apple, but its relationship with the iPhone maker is not perfect. The two companies were recently embroiled in a major dispute after Apple rejected a version of the Spotify app that replaced the option to purchase a subscription via in-app purchase with an external sign-up function.
At the time, Spotify accused Apple of using the App Store approval process as a “weapon to harm competitors,” to which Apple responded that Spotify is “publicly resorting to rumors and half-truths” about the App Store and “asking for exemptions to the rules we apply to all developers.”
Spotify has remained competitive by matching Apple Music’s $14.99 family plan in June and introducing new features such as Release Radar.
Tags: Spotify, Apple Music
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Qualcomm introduces new Clear Sight dual camera system
Qualcomm is taking the wraps off their latest imaging product today, and the new Clear Sight system promises “astonishing results that mimic human vision.”
We’ve seen dual-camera setups on phones before, and Qualcomm has been at the front of the pack with phones like the LG G5 and its excellent dual camera configuration. Today’s news promises to improve the next generation to make things even better. Clear Sight will use two camera lenses — one color and one black and white — along with new software to allow the Spectra image signal processor to grab both images simultaneously and merge them instantly. The camera sensors are identical, outside of one important difference — a color filter. By doing this, you’ll be able to take great pictures with even less available light than we can today.
One lens and its corresponding sensor has been designed to capture full-color image data, while the other takes a black and white version of the same view. Without a color filter, the black and white sensor is able to capture more of the available light. This image data will be sharper, have less noise and faster to focus. Once the two sensors are fired and the Spectra ISP gets to work, data from both cameras is combined to produce a picture that has vibrant color and is also very sharp. The package has both camera sensors and lenses on a single integrated module ready to drop in and get to work.
Clear Sight is available for the Snapdragon 820 and 821, but we have no word on which company will be the first to use it. Google has a couple of phones to show us soon, and CES is right around the corner, so chances are we won’t have to wait too long to give Clear Sight a closer look.
Gmail: Boost your productivity with these tips and tricks
Master your inbox with these Gmail tips and tricks.
We covered the basics of Gmail for Android in an extensive guide, and now it’s time to take a look at features that extend the functionality of the email client. Whether it’s creating labels to categorize your email or using filters to automatically sort incoming mail, Gmail offers a variety of tools aimed at managing your inbox clutter.
If you haven’t already, you should enable two-factor authentication on your Gmail account. Two-factor authentication works by combining something you know (a password) with something you have (your phone), effectively doubling your account’s security.
- How to change sync settings in Gmail
- How to use Action Confirmations in Gmail
- How to use Auto-advance in Gmail
- How to use the vacation responder in Gmail
- How to search in Gmail
- How to create labels in Gmail
- How to filter messages in Gmail
- How to add an alias in Gmail
How to change sync settings in Gmail
Gmail automatically syncs emails for up to 30 days on your phone, but if that isn’t sufficient, you can manually increase the sync duration from the settings.
Open Gmail from the home screen.
Tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner.
Navigate to the bottom of the pane to find Settings.
Select the Gmail account for which you want to change sync settings.
In the account settings, navigate to Days of mail to sync.
Enter the desired number of days in the textbox.
How to use Action Confirmations in Gmail
Gmail on the desktop has an Undo send feature that comes in handy when you spot a mistake in your email the second after you hit the Send button. The feature isn’t available on Android, and the closest you get to similar functionality is through Action Confirmations. With the setting enabled, you’ll see a dialog box pop up every time you send, archive, or delete a message asking you to confirm the action.
Tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner.
Navigate to Settings.
Select General settings.
Navigate to the bottom of the page to see Action Confirmations.
Select the checkboxes next to each corresponding action.
How to use Auto-advance in Gmail
Gmail’s Auto-advance is a great time-saver if you have a lot of unread emails. The feature lets you automatically move to the next unread email in your inbox after you’ve archived or deleted a particular thread.
Tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner.
Navigate to Settings.
Select General settings.
Tap on Auto-advance.
Select between Newer, Older, or Conversation list.
How to use the vacation responder in Gmail
Don’t want to look at your inbox while vacationing? Set up vacation responder, and Gmail will automatically fire off a reply to all incoming emails, notifying senders that you won’t be available until the set duration. You also have the option of limiting the responder auto-message to those in your contacts list.
Tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner.
Navigate to Settings.
Select the Gmail account for which you want to enable an auto response.
In your account settings, navigate to Vacation responder.
Toggle the setting to on to start filling out the start and end dates, as well as the body of the message.
Tap Done to enable the feature.
How to search in Gmail
If you’re like me and receive hundreds of emails everyday, it’s no easy task to keep your inbox uncluttered. Thankfully, Gmail has an excellent search function that comes in handy when you’re looking for a specific mail. You can search for mail received on a particular date, filter messages based on the sender, look through mail that only have attachments, and much more.
Tap the Search icon at the top right corner.
Key in your search parameter.
Gmail will surface emails that match the query.
If you’re interested in seeing all the parameters available, here’s the full list. Labels and filters offer an easier way to categorize emails, but both features aren’t available in the Android app. You’ll have to use Gmail on the desktop to create filters and labels.
How to create labels in Gmail
Labels offer an easy way to organize your inbox clutter. You can create an entire label hierarchy using Gmail, nesting sub-labels under a parent label for more effective email management. For instance, you can create a label called Bills for organizing all purchase receipts, and set up a sub-label called Google for all purchases made on the Play Store and other Google domains. Here’s how to quickly set up and manage labels.
Open Gmail’s web interface by visiting gmail.com.
In your inbox view, click the More button from the left pane.
Select Create new label to make a new label.
Enter your label name.
If you’re creating a sub-label, Select the checkbox next to Nest label under and tag a parent label.
You can manage your labels from the Manage labels section.
How to filter messages in Gmail
Filters allow you to categorize your emails, giving you more control over your inbox. You can create a filter to automatically forward emails from a particular sender to a label, create rules for mail that have attachments, specific words, and so much more.
Open Gmail’s web interface by visiting gmail.com.
From the search bar at the top, click the Down arrow.
Set the rule for your filter. In this instance, we’re going to archive all emails from Amazon.
Once you set your criteria, click on Create filter with this search.
Choose your desired action from the list of options available.
How to add an alias in Gmail
Another way to filter messages is by creating an alias account. Add + after your Gmail username to create an alias that will forward all mail to your original account. For instance, if your username is doctorwhofan89@gmail.com, you can add doctorwhofan89+subscribe@gmail.com as an alias, and all mail sent to that account will be forwarded to your primary username. You can create alias accounts to subscribe to newsletters or promotions, and set up a filter so these messages automatically get sorted into a particular label.
Other mentions
- Gmail doesn’t parse dots in the email address, so a username like doctorwhofan89@gmail.com is the same as doctor.who.fan.89@gmail.com.
- You should probably start learning Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts. They work on the desktop as well as the Android client, when paired with an external keyboard.
- If you’re using Gmail on the desktop, it’s time you enabled Undo send. The feature is more useful than you think.
You tell us
What are your best productivity hacks for Gmail? Let us know in the comments.
Digital Offers: Get a year’s worth of movies and TV shows for only $19!
There’s Netflix, there’s Hulu, there’s CraveTV, there’s Crackle, there’s Shomi – there’s too many! If you subscribe to only one streaming service, then you’re probably missing out on reliving many of your favorite shows and you may not be discovering all the new favorites that you don’t even know you have! Sure, you could subscribe to all of them, but then you might as well pay for cable!
You need a streaming service that has it all: every TV show you could ever want, every movie you never even knew you wanted to see, and even some live channels and pay per view options. How about radio stations too? You need a one-stop shop so that you’re not having to create a bunch of accounts and having to keep track of passwords and login information. And wouldn’t it be great if that service worked with just about every browser you can think of?
SelectTV has it all. Formerly Rabbit TV, SelectTV features over 10,000 movies, 250,000 TV episodes, 50,000 radio stations, and much more, from over 150 countries. If you feel like listening to some latin music, don’t settle for local AM radio – listen to radio stations from Mexico or Cuba! Don’t limit yourself to North American programming; SelectTV opens you up to a literal world of TV and movie possibilities. You can even stream concerts, live sports, right from a full calendar, all provided with your subscription.
Usually, a 1-year subscription to SelectTV is $36 (even compared to $9 a month at Netflix, that’s still a great deal), but right now through Android Central Digital Offers, you can get access to global entertainment for a year for only $19. If you want to save even more, go for a 3-year subscription for only $49.
The most popular streaming services are fine – until you run out of things to watch. Subscribe to SelectTV and never be left wanting for TV, movies, live sports, world radio, and concerts ever again.
See at Android Central Digital Offers
Honor 8 in blue facing UK stock shortage
Other colors unaffected.
Fresh from the news that 1.5 million units have been sold worldwide, there’s word that the Honor 8 will face stock shortages in the UK — at least in the popular blue color option.
AC understands that a high demand for the blue model in particular has resulted in stock being nearly depleted — a “knock-on effect” of higher than anticipated sales during the first two months of availability, we’re told. It’s not known for how long the blue model will remain in short supply, nor exactly how long the existing supplies at Three, Amazon and vMall will last.
The black and white models are unaffected by the shortage, and remain readily available through the usual channels.
More: Where to buy the Honor 8 in the UK
Honor 8
- Honor 8 review
- Honor 8 specs
- Pre-order the Honor 8
- 5 things to know about the Honor 8 in Europe
- All the Honor 8 news
- Join the discussion in the forums
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Grab Seneo’s fast wireless charger for 50% off right now!
Right now you can pick up Seneo’s fast wireless charging pad for just $20, a 50% savings with coupon code 8WXEUCWC. The charging pad stands the phone in an upright position so you can easily see notifications as they come in, and other stuff on the screen without having to lift it up. Being a fast wireless charging pad, this will get your battery powered up around 1.4 times faster than a standard pad.
Whether you are looking for your first wireless charging pad or an extra for the office, you won’t want to miss out on this deal. Remember you will need to use coupon code 8WXEUCWC for the full savings.
See at Amazon
Best Android phone for kids
The time has come. You’ve decided your kid needs a phone. These are their best options!
Russell has been covering Android since the G1, and has had his head in VR headsets since the first Oculus Rift dev kit. Managing editor at VRHeads, video and podcast host, you can follow him on Twitter @russellholly. For suggestions and updates, you can reach him at russell@androidcentral.com
Best overall
Nexus 5X
See at Amazon
Google’s Nexus line offers the latest security updates on the least complicated version of the Android operating system, and the Nexus 5X is one of the best vehicles for this experience. Under that plastic casing you’ll find an incredible camera, reasonable battery, and one of the fastest fingerprint sensors available today. It’s a little overkill for “My First Smartphone,” but given its common price point, and knowing it will last for quite awhile, you can buy it with confidence for your kid.
Bottom line: This is a great phone before you look at the price tag, which makes it that much easier to recommend.
One more thing: Nexus 5X comes in Carbon (Black), Quartz (White), and Ice (Mint Green) depending on where you shop.
Why Google’s Nexus 5X is the best
For many people, buying a smartphone is all about getting the most important features at the most reasonable price. When purchasing a phone for their children, parents have a tendency to emphasize price over features. The Nexus 5X is a phone that genuinely lets you have both. While not quite as capable as the more expensive Nexus 6P, LG’s partnership with Google has created an incredible phone by just about any standard. On top of guaranteed security updates, so you know your kid is using a phone that will keep their data safe, you’re giving your child a great overall experience. This is hands-down the best phone for the money right now, and it’s a phone that will work on any U.S. carrier should you decide to pack up and leave your current provider.
Best Value
Moto G4 Amazon Edition
See at Amazon
Maybe you’re a parent who believes your children should save up their own money and buy their own phone. Or maybe you don’t want that new phone to hit your wallet too hard. Either way, sometimes it really does come down to price. The Moto G4 has always been a decent phone for the price, but Amazon has taken that one step further by offering a special version with their lockscreen ads on board for $50 cheaper than the standard retail version. It means you get a phone for cheap that delivers a decent overall experience, and it works on all of the U.S. carriers.
Bottom line: This is a decent phone on its own, but if price is the biggest feature for you this is where you need to be.
Best on Verizon
Samsung Galaxy J3 V
See at Verizon Wireless
If you find yourself sitting in a Verizon Wireless waiting to add a phone to your account for a little one, there’s a good chance you’ll have iPhones and Droid Editions and several other phones recommended to you by the folks in the store. Before you put any money down, ask to see the Galaxy J3V by Samsung. It’s a simple phone which claims 10 days of standby time and an extreme battery save mode that ensures your child should always be reachable. It’s also only $7/month on Verizon’s payment plan, so anyone can afford it.
Bottom line: If you need a Verizon phone and aren’t looking to spend a lot, this is what you need.
Conclusion
Smartphones give you a little more information regarding where you kids are and what they’re doing, but they also give your kid some freedom to have a little fun or get in some trouble. If you want the best for your kid, the Nexus 5X is where you need to be. If price is a real concern, Amazon’s version of the Moto G is fantastic. Verizon Wireless subscribers who would rather buy in a store, be sure to ask about the Galaxy J3 V from Samsung.
Best overall
Nexus 5X
See at Amazon
Google’s Nexus line offers the latest security updates on the least complicated version of the Android operating system, and the Nexus 5X is one of the best vehicles for this experience. Under that plastic casing you’ll find an incredible camera, reasonable battery, and one of the fastest fingerprint sensors available today. It’s a little overkill for “My First Smartphone,” but given its common price point, and knowing it will last for quite awhile, you can buy it with confidence for your kid.
Bottom line: This is a great phone before you look at the price tag, which makes it that much easier to recommend.
One more thing: Nexus 5X comes in Carbon (Black), Quartz (White), and Ice (Mint Green) depending on where you shop.
Twitter flies on to Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Xbox One
You’ll now be able to get your Twitter fix on more devices thanks to apps that rolling out from today for Apple TV (4th generation), Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick and the Xbox One.
The apps will give you the full Twitter experience, including live video streams various content producers, including NFL’s free to view Thursday Night Football games. You’ll be able to view Vines and live Periscope feeds as well.
The Apple TV version of the app will let you view live video side-by-side with your regular Twitter tweet feed. If you want to be able to view the live video streams but don’t have a Twitter account, don’t fret! Twitter has said anyone with one of the mentioned devices can access the content regardless of whether they have an account or not.
The app will start rolling out from today via each product’s respective app stores and Anthony Nato, chief financial officer for Twitter said: “These devices will bring Twitter’s live streaming video experience to life on the TV screen.”
“We’re excited to introduce this new experience to people, without requiring a paywall or having to log in to Twitter”.
