Next Year’s iPhone Anniversary May Bring 3rd Model; Twitter Night Mode Hits iPhone; Facebook Tests Autoroll Video With Sound
Posted: August 23, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ads, Android, Apple, Autoroll video, Curved screen, Facebook, Galaxy S7 Edge, iOS, iPhone, iPhone 8, Night mode, OLED, Samsung, Twitter Leave a commentIn a report out of Japan picked up by macrumors.com, Apple is planning a third iPhone model next year with a 5.5 inch OLED screen that will sport curved edges. Earlier rumors had Apple adapting OLED screens in 2018, but now it appears one model of the iPhone 8, or 10th Anniversary iPhone, or whatever they plan to call it will have it, while the 4.7 inch and other 5.5. inch models will have the same LCD screens as the present models. OLED screens have blacker blacks, and the colors on screen ‘pop’ more. Samsung has been using them on their Galaxy series. Of course, the Galaxy S7 Edge also already has the curved screen Samsung has made for a couple years now.
Last month, Android users got Twitter’s Night Mode, and yesterday it rolled out on iOS, according to cnet.com. I like it. It darkens all the white space and pictures, and the Tweets show up as white text on a black background. It even works on my old iPad that doesn’t support Apple’s Night Mode. Find the little settings cog icon, and it’s one of the selections.
In a move certain to infuriate everyone (except advertisers), Facebook is testing out autoplaying video WITH sound! Thenextweb.com says actually, the social giant is testing two versions in Australia. One just autoplays, and another has an unmute button in the lower right corner. The so-called ‘feature’ can apparently be disabled in settings. Hopefully, Facebook will choose the unmute button version if they decide to roll the feature out to everyone.
LG V20 Rollout Date Announced; Tesla Gives Timeline for Minibus & Big Rig Unveiling
Posted: August 4, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Big rig, Compact SUV, Electric cars, LG, Minibus, Nougat, Tesla, V20 Leave a commentThe first smartphone to run Android Nougat, the LG V20, will be showed off to the world September 6th in San Francisco. According to thenextweb.com, the cryptic announcement just says ‘Play More,’ and ‘The Second Story Begins,’ along with a cool graphic of a book open to reveal San Francisco landmarks. With LG continuing to struggle for market share in the shadow of Apple and Samsung, this rollout a week before Apple shows the iPhone 7 may give them a boost.
Tesla had a slightly bigger loss than expected for 2nd quarter, but during the investor call, Elon Musk revealed more about upcoming new vehicles. Theverge.com says Musk announced that the company would unveil their electric big rig and minibus in early to mid 2017, and said at that point, they’d give a ‘fleshed out plan when those would enter production.’ The minibus will be built on the Model X platform. He also said that a compact SUV would be a top priority after getting the mass-market Model 3 into production.
Microsoft Claims New iOS Cam App Beats Apple’s; Otto Keeps On Truckin’
Posted: July 27, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Android, Apple, Backlighting, iOS, Microsoft, Otto, Photo App, Pix, Self-driving trucks Leave a commentMicrosoft has rolled out an app called Pix that they claim takes better photos with no settings that the standard Apple app does with them. According to 9to5mac.com, it uses AI to automatically adjust the shots…taking particular aim at making sure people are brightened up, to compensate for backlighting…one of the biggest spoilers of smartphone pictures. The app also starts shooting when you open the app, and before hitting the shutter, to keep from missing that great shot you wanted to capture. It basically shoots a burst of pix, but only offers the 3-4 the AI picks as best, so as not to gobble up your memory. I read several reviews by professional photographers, who agreed that it gets close to professional results. It’s free, and at the app store now, and coming soon to Android.
We reported a while back about Otto, the self-driving truck startup built by a trio of ex-Googlers. Now, businessinsider.com finds they already have four trucks out 24/7. Otto doesn’t plan to build trucks but kits to retrofit them. Existing trucks can install one of Otto’s $30,000 kits to produce autonomous driving capabilities. Right now in a test truck, two people ride in the truck: one behind the wheel and another studying what the truck’s LIDAR and software systems are “seeing.” But ultimately, Otto envisions that trucks will only require one person, and that the “driver” will be able to take lunch breaks and naps in the cab while the truck fully steers itself down the highway, requiring the driver to take control only on city streets. The Otto folks see self-driving trucks in wide use within 5 years.
Google May Be Designing Its Own Phones; iPhone 7 & Apple Watch Rumors
Posted: June 27, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Apple Watch, Force Touch, Google, GPS, Haptic feedback, HTC, Huawei, iPhone 7, LG, Motorola, Nexus, Space Black, Waterproofing Leave a commentIn a report from the Telegraph picked up by thenextweb.com and others, Google is rumored to be designing its own Android phones for release later this year. While they do now have a hardware division being run by a former president of Motorola, this would really be a curve ball to other Android makers…especially LG, Huawei, and HTC, which have built the Nexus phones for Google. It’s not clear how an in-house designed phone would be more perfectly optimized for pure Android than the ones they already specify for their partners making the Nexus…stay tuned.
A report from an unconfirmed source (but one physically near Apple HQ in Cupertino) says iPhone 7 will come in a ‘Space Black’ color similar to the Apple Watch…no deep blue color. 9to5mac.com also reports that the Home button will include haptic feedback to simulate a click, like Force Touch. As for the Apple Watch, the version 2.0 may have GPS for accurate workout logging, and along with cellular would drop the need to carry an iPhone, and would gain the ability to track swimming…indicating a high level of waterproofing.
Google Might Replace Some Passwords With Trust Score; New Thinner MacBook by Late This Year
Posted: May 24, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Google, Macbook, Macbook Pro, OLED, Passwords, Touch ID, Trust Scores Leave a commentWith all the announcements at Google I/O last week, this one didn’t get much glory, but could actually end up being pretty huge. According to theverge.com, Google is working to replace passwords with ‘trust scores’ that pull from user-specific data points, including current location, facial recognition, and typing patterns to detect if they’re really that person. A banking app would require a higher score than a social media app, for example. The Trust API has been in the world at least a year, and will rollout to several ‘very large’ financial institutions in the next few weeks. If all goes well, it will be opened up to all Android developers by the end of the year.
Apple will roll out a big revamp of the Macbook Pro by 4th quarter this year, according to KGI Securities and other sources. 9to5mac.com reports that it will be thinner and lighter, have Touch ID support, and a new OLED touch bar above the keyboard that will replace function keys. Apple will also put out a 13 inch MacBook similar to the 12 inch Retina MacBook, giving them 3 levels of laptops…the MacBook Air will stay the entry level, and the Pro the top tier.
Wild iPhone 7 Rumors; Apple’s Watch Not Such a Flop, Play Store & Android Apps on Chromebooks
Posted: April 25, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Apple Watch, Chrome OS, Chromebook, Dustproof, Google Play Store, Haptic feedback, iPhone 7, Waterproof Leave a commentWe’ve heard a lot about the ‘boring’ iPhone 7, which won’t change on the outside and won’t have a new, killer feature. Now comes a sketchy rumor out of China that it will have a flush, touch sensitive home button and waterproof, dustproof case. 9to5mac.com says Apple would use haptic feedback to make a flush, capacitive area act like the physical home button. A new, flat black case may join space gray and the golds for a new color choice that echoes of the old iPhones.
Speaking of old iPhones, another Apple product…the Apple Watch…has apparently sold twice as many units as the original iPhone did its first year. Bgr.com reports that a consensus of analysts is that Apple has pushed out between 12 and 13 million Apple Watches. That’s not only twice as many as the original iPhone sold in a year, it’s 61% of the global smartwatch market. Not bad for a flop.
Screen shots posted on Reddit Sunday indicate that the Google Play Store and millions of Android apps may be headed to the Chromebook and Chrome OS. According to cnet.com, arstechnica.com was able to replicate an option in settings on a second generation Chromebook Pixel that says ‘Enable Android apps to run on your Chromebook,’ which shows momentarily, then disappears. No response from Google, of course.
Galaxy S7 Getting Rave Reviews; The F-35 Fighter Jet’s Radar Issues
Posted: March 8, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Galaxy S7, IHS Jane, iPhone, Pentagon, Radar, Samsung Leave a commentThe gorgeous new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are generally getting rave reviews. Bgr.com reports that most reviewers love the quality of the glass and metal case and beautiful screen…although you may want to wrap that beauty…more than a few people had sad faces due to Apple’s glass back a few years ago. The phone is certified water proof for 30 minutes in over 3 ft of water, and is dust proof. The cameras are great, and some reviewers say it easily beats the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The net consensus is, it’s by far the best Android phone you can buy right now…a couple say the best smartphone, PERIOD…including Apple’s. Of course, iPhone 7 drops in September.
Most people have heard of the many flaws of that flying (or really non-flying) lemon, the F-35 Joint Strike fighter jet…the trillion dollar boondoggle aircraft that is supposed to replace planes of all the US services. The Pentagon has even released a report detailing dozens of problems and bugs. Now, according to an IHS Jane report, there’s the radar: basically it sometimes degrades or fails completely. The fix: the pilot has to reboot the radar…in flight….in battle. Talk about flying blind! Oh…and for all the bugs….the aircraft is yet to be tested for hacking! Happy landings.
Updated iPad Air May be Another iPad Pro; Facebook Rolls Out Live Video to Android
Posted: February 26, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Apple Pencil, Facebook, Facebook Live Video, iOS, iPad Air, iPad Pro Leave a commentApple may not be launching a freshened 9.7 inch iPad Air in March…it may be an iPad Pro. Appleinsider.com picked up a rumor that the smaller sized Pro will have Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, complementing it’s larger 13 and 15 inch models. There may also be a 9.7 inch Air version, without Smart Connector and Apple Pencil support, and Apple may make the iPad Mini a version of the Air. The 9.7 inch Pro will reportedly have a rear camera flash and quad speakers…it should be rolled out March 15th.
Android phones should be seeing live video streaming via Facebook in the next week. Theverge.com says the rollout will start in the US, as it did with the iOS version, then expand to other countries within weeks. Facebook claims that people watch live video 3 times longer than video posted that was pre-recorded.

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