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.
Twitter Opens Up Verified Accounts; Apple Gets Well From Pokemon Go
Posted: July 20, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Blue checkmark, Candy Crush, Nintendo, Pokemon Go, Sony, Twitter, Verified accounts Leave a commentTwitter has opened up getting a ‘verified account,’ the ones denoted by the little blue checkmark. Arstechnica.com says that the blue check…previously the domain of celebrities, journalists, and high profile users, will be more widely available, but you’ll have to convince Twitter why they should verify your account. They plan to only give the coveted symbol to accounts that are ‘determined to be of public interest.’ If you want to apply, set your tweets to “public” and you have to fill in a form with a verified phone number, e-mail address, website, and birthday. They may also ask for a scan of government-issued ID.
We’ve reported that Nintendo’s market capitalization has doubled in the couple weeks since Pokemon Go rolled out, making them more valuable than Sony. Now, apple insider.com reports that the hot mobile game could add $3 billion to Apple’s coffers over the next couple years. If it stays hot, it could actually do much more…Candy Crush brought in $10 billion for Cupertino in 2013 and 2014 when it was at its peak.
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 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, emoji, Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S7, iPhone 6S, Original programming, Planet of the Apps, Samsung, Twitter, Unicode 9, Unpacked 2016 Leave a commentSamsung 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?
Leak Points to Couple Surprises With iPhone 7; 10 Million Twitterers in China; Samsung Sailing Towards Great Numbers With Galaxy S7; Apple Sandbagging With iPhone 7
Posted: July 5, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, China, Galaxy S7, iPhone, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, Samsung, Twitter, VPN, Water resistant, Wireless charging Leave a commentA leaked slide from a Foxconn internal presentation shows a couple of features that may be coming on iPhone 7 that have been rumored, but not really solidly. Bgr.com reports that the Apple handset may indeed have an IP68 water and dust resistant rating and wireless charging support. If this slide posted by myDrivers.com pans out, it may be a ‘one more thing’ that Apple was saving back for the iPhone 7 rollout in September.
Twitter estimates it has 10 million users in China, which gives an indication of how many people there are using VPN to get around government censorship. According to techcrunch.com, earlier estimates were as high as 35.5 million. There’s no solid data, since the VPNs the scofflaws are using to Tweet show up as being in other countries besides China. With only around 10 million users out of Twitter’s 310 million, it’s not a crucial part of their business, but does give an idea of the people using VPN to get around the government censorship….and that’s usually journalists, activists, prominent business leaders, and decision makers. This is a significant leak in China’s ‘Great Firewall.’
According to analysts, Samsung is heading for the best quarter in a couple years, when they release smartphone numbers later this week. After some iffy quarters and phones that underwhelmed, Reuters.com says the Galaxy S7 has done better than expected…with about 16 million pumped out between April and June, and the curved screen model outselling it’s flat screened sibling.
Speaking of marketing, most everybody is predicting that since the iPhone 7 will be more like a 6 SS, and not a wow-year upgrade, it will mean a sales slump. Business insider.com reports that this may be intentional. Some Apple watchers are now saying that the so-called ‘tick-tock’ system of a major iPhone upgrade every other year is not sustainable, and Apple is just going with the math. Normally, about 33% of iPhone owners might upgrade this fall…that’s been consistent for 6 quarters, but if things really are a little disappointing, Apple can look forward to a huge jump of about 43% for the next 5 quarters after an iPhone 7S, or 8, or Anniversary model or whatever the 2017 model will be called. That will be a bonanza for them, and it sounds like just the kind of thing a nuts and bolts guy like Tim Cook might ‘cook up!’
Samsung’s Galaxy S8 Rumors; Huge Twitter Video Move
Posted: June 21, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dual Camera, Galaxy S8, Samsung, Twitter, UHD 4K display, Vine Leave a commentThe Samsung Galaxy S8 may sport a UHD 4K display, and feature a dual main camera. 9to5google reports that and unnamed source in China claims Samsung is looking at an Ultra HD 4K display. The downside would be a huge battery drain, but it would produce a fantastic VR experience. Much more likely is a dual camera setup, which LG and Huawei already have, and Apple is supposed to be rolling out on the iPhone 7 Plus in September.
On the topic of video, Twitter is making a huge change involving Vine. According to recode.net, they are introducing a feature to Vine videos. the Vines will still be 6 seconds, but along side them will be a function allowing 140 second videos! Twitter is also adding a Watch Mode and expanding the video length in the main app from 30 to 140 seconds! They will also allow content creators to use Twitter Amplify and run pre-roll ads before a Vine starts…Twitter will keep 30% of the revenue, with the content creators getting 70%.
iPhone 7 May Retain Headphone Jack; B of A ATMs getting Apple Pay; Twitter Acquires Another Machine Learning Company
Posted: June 20, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3.5mm audio jack, Apple, Apple Pay, AR, ATMs, Bank of America, Chase, iPhone 7, Machine Learning, Madbits, Magic Pony, Twitter, VR, Wells Fargo, Whetlab Leave a commentSome new leaked pictures from a generally reliable source indicate that one of the biggest…and most hated….rumors about the iPhone 7 may not be true. Engadget.com says snaps from Chinese repair shop Rock Fix show a lightening port assembly that includes the beloved 3.5 mm audio jack. Also shown in shots are a dual SIM tray and 32 and 256 Gig chips, indicating that the base phone will be 32 gig, not 16, and there will be 256 Gig memory option.
9to5mac reports that Bank of America has some ATMs in place that allow withdrawing cash using Apple Pay. One was spotted in Redondo Beach with the Apple Pay logo and an NFC reader. You can’t make deposits with it, but of course you can already make those using B of A’s app on a smartphone, as well as do transfers between accounts. So far, it only works with B of A’s own cards, not others. Chase and Wells Fargo have also announced adding Apple Pay to ATMs but none have been seen yet.
Twitter has bought Magic Pony Technology for 150 million, according to TechCrunch.com. They use neural networks….basically machine learning…to improve images and videos. The technology can also help develop graphics for VR and AR. Twitter already had bought machine learning tech companies Whetlab and Madbits.
Outlier iPhone 7 Rumor; Xbox One Getting Cortana; Zuck’s Social Media Accounts Hacked
Posted: June 6, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Cortana, Facebook, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, LinkedIn, Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft, Pinterest, Twitter, Xbox One Leave a commentThere are enough rumors and renderings out that we pretty well think we know what the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be like. Here’s an off the wall one picked up by bgr.com, though. It’s from MobiPicker, and they’re saying the the 7 will have 16, 64, and 128 gigs of RAM, but the Plus will have 32, 128, and 256 gigs. Also, the 7 will get two 12 megapixel rear cameras, and the Plus 21 megapixels. The Plus is also rumored to lose the Lightening port and get USB C. This is the only source claiming these things, so keep that in mind!
Microsoft has announced that Xbox One will get Cortana support in a summer update. TechCrunch.com reports that it won’t be just limited to gaming functions, either. You can use Cortana to check with friends, start a party, and search for nearby restaurants. Beta testers should be getting the update shortly, with a rollout to everybody in waves later this summer.
If you haven’t changed your LinkedIn password, stop reading or listening to this and do it now. Venturebeat.com says Mark Zuckerberg has had his Twitter and Pinterest accounts hacked over the weekend, and it points strongly to the LinkedIn password dump of a couple weeks ago. Even the CEO of mighty Facebook can be hacked if he doesn’t change his password after a major hack and dump. Just do it!
Startup Aims to Make Existing Big Rigs Self-Driving; Twitter Excluding Links & Pix From 140 Character Limit
Posted: May 17, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 140 Character limit, Apple, Autonomous big rigs, Google, Otto, Retrofit, Semis, Tesla, Twitter Leave a commentFour ex-Googlers have launched Otto, a startup aimed at making big rigs autonomous. The San Francisco based company has drawn employees form Apple, Tesla, and Cruise Automation. Backchannel.com reports that they will aim to retrofit existing semis instead of trying to build new trucks from scratch. There are over 4 million big rigs on the highways. Otto has already installed their system on 3 big rigs. They claim to be able to do the retrofit for a ‘small fraction’ of the 100-300 grand it costs for a new big rig tractor cab.
In case you missed it, Twitter is getting ready to exclude pictures and links from the 140 character limit sometime in the next couple weeks. Thenextweb.com notes that links currently gobble up 23 characters out of that miserly 140. No official word from Twitter as yet.
More iPhone 7 Rumors; Twitter Limits US Spy Agencies Access to Alert Tool
Posted: May 9, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Analytics, Apple, Dataminr, Dual lens camera, iPhone 7, law enforcement, Smart Connector, Spies, Twitter Leave a commentWith the iPhone 7 models due out in around 4 months, the rumors are breaking more frequently now…and contradicting each other. Bgr.com says a design leak obtained by French site NowhereElse shows the iPhone 7 as having identical height and width as the 6 and 6S. It doesn’t disclose whether or not the next model will be thinner, however, or if the headphone jack on the bottom stays or goes. There is no opening at the bottom for a Smart Connector like on the iPad Pro, which had been rumored, but the camera opening is larger…it may not be large enough for the dual lens camera…which is supposed to bow on the larger iPhone 7 Plus anyway, but perhaps to allow for a larger sensor. The cam opening is closer to the edge, too.
Twitter has blocked US law enforcement and spy agencies from using a data analytics service that processes tweets and messages in real time. According to cnet.com, the tools are from the private company Dataminr. Twitter hasn’t publicly confirmed or denied the change. Apparently the analytics gave authorities a 10 minutes lead over mainstream media outlets in covering and responding to the Brussels attacks. Spies being spies, it’s probably only a matter of time…and not much time….before they are able to restore their access to this type of info from Twitter, even without Twitter’s blessing or knowledge.
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