Galaxy Note 7 Replacements In Stores; Netflix Moving to Half Original Content

Posted: September 21, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Replacements for the Galaxy Note 7 should be in stores today! Samsung has shipped a half million to carriers and retailers, according to 9to5mac.com. The replacement phones show the battery icon green in the bar at the top of the screen to indicate a safe battery. This is a no-no according to Google…they’re supposed to be all grey…but so far, Google hasn’t complained. Samsung has also pushed out a software update, which will nag owners of phones with the bad batteries until they take them in and exchange for a replacement.

On the momentum of House of Cards, Stranger Things, and Master of None, Netflix will move towards 50% original programming over the next few years. Arstechnica.com says they will continue to stream half licensed TV shows and movies. This is a sea change….not just for Netflix, but a king-sized cannon shot over the bow to cable and over-the-air TV when it comes to the way more and more people consume video. Right now, Netflix is already a third to halfway to the 50% original mark. No matter how you cut it, ‘cord-cutters’ are here to stay!

Samsung Unpacked August 2-Galaxzy S7 Outselling iPhone 6S; Apple’s ‘Planet of the Apps’;Twitter gets the 72 New Emoji

Posted: July 13, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung officially announced their Unpacked 2016 event as August 2nd as rumored. 9to5google.com expects a reveal of the newest Galaxy Note 7. In the meantime, Samsung is excited to see the Galaxy S7 pulling ahead of Apple’s iPhone 6S in sales in the US…16% to 14.6%. Of course, the S7 is new, and most expect demand to pick up for the iPhone after the 7 rolls out in September. Both phones are keeping a loyal following, with 88% of iPhone users saying they’ll buy another, and 86% of Samsung Galaxy users.

According to macrumors.com, Apple has posted an open casting call for its upcoming original TV show Planet of the Apps, an unscripted program about apps and the people who make them. The show is currently looking for developers from San Francisco, Austin, New York and Los Angeles to participate. No islands are involved, unless it’s the concrete ones in the middle of busy intersections.

Unicode 9’s 72 new emoji officially rolled out today, and Twitter is getting support for them, including the creepy clown one. Thenextweb.com reports that skin color modifiers are available. A lot of computers don’t support manually typing them in yet, but you can always copy and past from places like Emojipedia. Take it easy on the clown, ok?

Apple Eyes Jumping into Producing Original Programming

Posted: September 1, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

As they showed when they came out with the iPod years ago, somewhat late to the mp3 player party, only to dominate that category, and later did with smartphones, Apple is eyeing getting into producing original programming. According to bgr.com, the Cupertino colossus has held early talks with Hollywood execs. It’s not known if they are looking to do TV series, movies, or both. What is known is that they’d be muscling in on the likes of Netflix and Amazon. Apparently, Apple bid on picking up the ‘Top Gear’ stars when they left BBC, but Amazon won the day, and Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richarad Hammond will be doing an automotive show for them. Some speculate at this point that Apple may build its own content capabilities, or even buy a studio outright.

Lately, radio commercials have been promoting Uber, and have featured people who drive for them singing the virtues of the flexible working conditions offered by being a contractor. A report in geekwire.com may point to why. A Seattle council member has introduced legislation that would let Uber, Lyft, and cab drivers unionize….gasp! That thought alone has sent chills through the so-called ‘sharing economy.’ The plan would allow drivers taking part in a minimum of trips to join a driver representative organization, and negotiate to make the $15 an hour Seattle minimum wage, plus other benefits.