Vine video-sharing app to be shut down by Twitter

Social network to discontinue Vine mobile app ‘in the coming months’ as it reduces head count and costs

Twitter is killing off its social media video-sharing app and platform Vine as it trims its headcount and costs. The social network said the Vine mobile app would be discontinued “in the coming months”.

Twitter said in a blog post: “Nothing is happening to the apps, website or your Vines today. We value you, your Vines and are going to do this the right way. You’ll be able to access and download your Vines. We’ll be keeping the website online because we think it’s important to still be able to watch all the incredible Vines that have been made.”

The app, which had 100 million people watching videos every month and 1.5bn daily video loops, launched video on Twitter. Sporting occasions, where goals, celebrations and highlights were shared in short looping clips through Vine, brought the app to a mainstream audience.

But user numbers have dwindled in recent years in their 10s of millions, while Twitter has integrated video sharing directly into its main mobile apps and experience, while also trying its hand at live video with Periscope.

Vine founder Rus Yusupov reacted to the news, appearing to express regret at having sold the company to Twitter:

Rus 

✔@rus

Don’t sell your company!

10:11 PM - 27 Oct 2016

 
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In June this year, Vine sought users to beta test a longer video feature

, but it is clear that Twitter is no longer interested in supporting separate apps, only its core mobile apps and social network. The company recently made Periscope videos viewable directly within the main Twitter app.

Earlier on 27 October, Twitter announced hundreds of layoffs. The company’s quarterly results report revealed its revenue was a better-than-expected $616m and its earnings per share were ahead of analyst estimates, $0.13 to $0.09.

The company’s most important metric, its number of monthly active users, was also up: to 317 million from 313 million the previous quarter. Of those users, 83% were on mobile devices.

Twitter stock, down by more than 25% this year, rose slightly in pre-market trading.

Twitter typically announces quarterly results after the market has closed in New York, though the company is headquartered on the west coast; on Monday, the firm rescheduled its earnings call to 4am California time on Thursday.

Srinjoy bhuiya(29.10.16) 10.56 Pm IST

Apple Launches New MacBook Pro Models With Revolutionary Touch Bar

At its October 27 'Hello Again' event, Apple has finally refreshed its MacBook Pro lineup. The thinnest and lightest MacBook Pro is here in 13-inch and 15-ich options. Not just that. The new MacBook Pro comes with an unique OLED Touch Bar which replaces the traditional function keys. The Touch Bar aims to bring the convenience of having a touch-based interface minus the huge touchscreen.

There are five models of the MacBook Pro. Three options for the 13-inch MacBook Pro and two for the 15-inch variant. The cheapest MacBook Pro (13-inch) costs $1,499 and doesn't come with the Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID. To get the new Touch Bar, consumers will have to shed a minimum $1,799 .

Also read: Google announces Android 7.1 Nougat features; lists compatible device Gadgets Now

"The Touch Bar places controls right at the user’s fingertips and adapts when using the system or apps like Mail, Finder, Calendar, Numbers, GarageBand, Final Cut Pro X and many more, including third-party apps. For example, the Touch Bar can show Tabs and Favorites in Safari, enable easy access to emoji in Messages, provide a simple way to edit images or scrub through videos in Photos and so much more," explained Apple in a release.

Featuring an all-metal unibody body, the 13-inch variants are 17 percent thinner and 23 percent less volume than the previous generation, and weighs 1.3 kgs. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro, at just 15.5 mm thin, is 14 percent thinner and 20 percent less volume than before, and weighs 1.8 kgs.

The Touch ID is also integrated into the power button. Once you enroll your fingerprint in Touch ID on your MacBook Pro, you can quickly unlock your Mac, switch user accounts and make secure purchases with Apple Pay on the web with a single touch.

The Retina display on the new MacBook Pro at 500 nits of brightness, is 67 percent brighter than the previous generation.

Hardware options include sixth-generation dual-core Core i5 with eDRAM, dual-core Core i7 with eDRAM and quad-core Core i7 Intel processors. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro features powerful Radeon Pro discrete graphics delivering up to 2.3 times more performance than the previous generation.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes with Intel Iris Graphics. All models feature SSDs with sequential read speeds over 3GBps and Thunderbolt 3, which consolidates data transfer, charging and twice the video bandwidth in a single port — allowing users to drive a 5K display and power their MacBook Pro with a single cable.

How much does it cost?
13-Inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar starts at $1,499, features a 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage.

13-Inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar starts at $1,799 offers 2.9 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 8GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage. The 512GB SSD model costs $1,999

15-Inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar starts at $2,399 and is powered a 2.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.5 GHz, 16GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage. The 512GB SSD variant costs $2,799.

Google announces Android 7.1 Nougat features; lists compatible device Gadgets Now

Google announces Android 7.1 Nougat features; lists compatible device  Gadgets Now


W DELHI: Google earlier this month launched itsPixel and Pixel XL smartphones. The two smartphones are also the first to support Google's latest Android 7.1 Nougat operating system out of the box. Now, the search giant has announced that most devices in its Nexus lineup too will be receiving the latest version of the OS within this month itself.

According to Dave Burke, VP of engineering, Android, those who are in the Android beta programme will be receiving the Developer Preview of the Android 7.1 Nougat within the next 20 days. "Later this month we'll be bringing you the Android 7.1 platform as an open Developer Preview, similar to what we did for Android 7.0. You'll be able to test and build on the new platform and try the latest features," said Burke.

The list of Nexus devices that will be receiving the Android 7.1 Nougat includes Motorola Nexus 6, HTC Nexus 9, Huawei Nexus 6P, LG Nexus 5X, Pixel C and the Asus Nexus Player. Android One-based devices will also be getting the new OS version. The first ones to get the update will be the Nexus 6P, 5X and the Pixel C, all of which were launched last year. It has also been mentioned that the final version of the Android 7.1 Nougat will arrive by December.

The addition features in Android 7.1 Nougat comprise as support for the company's DayDream VR, A/B system update, app shortcuts and image keyboard support. For developers, the OS version will bring App shortcut API, Circular app icon support, enhanced live wallpaper metadata, image keyboard support and storage manager intent.



Recently, the complete changelog of the Android 7.1 Nougat was shared by Android Police, revealing which features will reach Nexus devices and which ones will remain Pixel exclusive.


As per the list, non-Pixel smartphones will include Night Light (supposed to make display easy on the user's eyes), touch/display performance improvements, better system updates, Daydream VR mode and manual storage manager that identifies apps, files and apps using storage.

Features like Pixel launcher, Google Assistant, unlimited storage for 'Original' quality photos, Smart Storage feature, 24x7 phone/chat support with screen sharing, quick switch adapter for wired setup from Android or iPhone and a Sensor Hub processor will remain Pixel-exclusive. However, these are a subject to change by the time the final version comes out in December.

Why Motorola's Moto Z can be great for an entrepreneur

The Motorola I knew is back or seem to be coming back to life. I am not an insider and neither do I know any insiders, so no sources based story here. But from what one can see from the outside, the brand run by Lenovo is running somewhat independent. How a Rover and Jaguar runs under TATA.

Motorola, in my view, can give a run for the money to Apple if you are an OS agnostic and price sensitive person.

The latest offering from Motorola Moto Z is exciting. Not the phone actually which in my view can be contested and is similar to a lot of phones out in the market, barring the sleekness. But what is exciting are the Moto Mods. I am not sure of their performance as I am yet to try them but the very concept opens up a range of ideas, and third-party Mod accessories that I am sure will now hit the market.

Motorola has also released a developer's kit so who knows we get an induction Mod to cook our 2 Minute Maggie noodles on the go using the MOTO Prestige Induction Mod.

Samsung has a lot to worry as this could be Motorola's 'Holidays' Cashing time. Motorola has an opportunity to eat Samsung's lunch the way Micromax & Samsung ate Nokia's in the years 2009-2014.

The mod that caught my attention is the projector function. Something one craves for in the iPhone. There were rumours about the projection feature in iPhone 7 and iPhone 7plus, but that never happened.

Casting and Projecting are two different fundamental concepts. So I don't want to get on the Apple TV, Chromecast, media streamer debate.

People can invest much lesser in quality portable speakers so not sure about the JBL SoundBoost Speaker Mod at Rs 6,999 will excite or even the Hasselblad True Zoom Camera Mobile Mod for Rs 19,999 where you can buy an entry level DSLR camera at those costs.

But the projector mod can make a serious dent. Both professionals and general owners. Then again the Moto Insta Share Projector Mobile Mod is priced at a whopping premium of Rs 19,999.

Imagine walking into a meeting, and instead of carrying a laptop and struggling with the projector cables, you have a powerful full-function phone that projects at 480p. The 2 Minute Pitch to an investor by a startup seeking funds gets wrapped in time and is glazed with 'Technology used for Productivity. Could be a bit of a show off too! But then great tech ideas start with showing off and then become the trend.

What is strange is that Motorola had extensive branding and advertisements in all leading dailies, but the projector mod and others were simply not available anywhere. So why to make noise when the products are not there on the shelf?

But I am excited and would say go for it. Moto Z is revolutionary, future ready and sexy! And the concept has just unleashed unlimited possibilities.

Huawei Mate 9 leaks in purple colour variant with Leica camera setup

Huawei Mate 9 is likely to feature 6GB RAM, 256GB storage, powerful processor and come in six different colour options

Huawei is on the verge of announcing of its next flagship smartphone, Mate 9 on November 3. Huawei, the leading smartphone maker in China has already started sending out media invites for its event in Munich, Germany. With Mate 9, Huawei is widely reported to bring some advancements to Mate 8 and add Leica’s dual rear camera setup to the mix. Ahead of the official announcement, Huawei Mate 9 has leaked in a purple colour – which could well be the first to sport this colour. After rose gold, black and blue, smartphone industry might be planning to push purple as the new colour variant. The image tweeted by Evan Blass Huawei Mate 9 is not exactly purple but rather a darker version of rose gold colour.

Huawei Mate 9 is reportedly hitting the stores in two display variants – one with regular flat screen display and another variant with dual edge curved display. It is highly possible that Huawei is taking a page from Samsung’s book for its next flagship. Huawei Mate 9 is also reported to feature a 5.9 or 6-inch display with an option for Gold, White and Graphite colour options.

Huawei Mate 9 is likely to be powered by company’s latest HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor with an option of 4 or 6GB RAM. The smartphone will be available in options of 64/128/256GB storage. The flagship model in the series will feature 6GB RAM and 256GB storage. Huawei Mate 9 is certain to feature the Leica branded dual rear camera setup first seen on P9. The smartphone is also likely to get top notch connectivity options and maybe support for 5G modem.

modem.

View image on Twitter

 Follow

Evan Blass 

✔@evleaks

Huawei Mate 9

1:23 PM - 22 Oct 2016

 
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It is unclear whether Huawei Mate 9 will launch with Android 7.0 Nougat or Marshmallow but considering Huawei’s update record, it is safe to assume that the device will have latest flavour of Android. The smartphone is also tipped to feature a beefy battery for day long heavy use.

Nintendo Switch hybrid console revealed: Games, Price and other things to know

Nintendo Switch features a tablet-like display unit that can dock at home and connect with the TV

"A portable couch gaming system"

Nintendo Co. unveiled its long-awaited new gaming platform, the Switch, featuring a tablet-like console that will allow gamers to play at home and on the go. In a three-minute video released Thursday, the Kyoto, Japan-based company showed gamers using the new system to play in their living rooms, but also detaching a part of it to continue playing at an airport, in a car and at a barbecue. It showed several titles from its flagship franchises, including Zelda, Super Mario, Mario Kart and a basketball game. Nintendo reiterated in the video that the new system, originally dubbed NX, will be released in March. A price wasn’t disclosed. The company is trying to carve out a niche between casual smartphone gamers and more serious players who use consoles such as Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 4, according to Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad.

“They’ve certainly found their place in the market and this is the most logical thing for Nintendo to do. It’s quite a positive,” said Ahmad, who covers the game industry. “Providing this two-in-one solution, this is very unique and something that the PlayStation doesn’t do and something that smartphones don’t really do either.”

Nintendo’s American depositary receipts in New York added 2.1 percent after the video was aired. Shares in Tokyo rose 3.3 percent, adding more than $1 billion in market value in their biggest rally in a month, after Nintendo flagged the video’s release.

Smartphone Embrace

The new device features a tablet-like display unit that can dock at home and connect with the TV, or be taken out and about with two detachable controllers for multiparty play. Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima said in April that “it will allow for a whole new way to experience hardware and software together.”

The Switch’s portable feature puts it at odds with Nintendo’s recent embrace of smartphones. After years of ignoring pleas from fans and investors to bring its games to mobile phones, the company is planning to release Super Mario Run for Apple Inc.’s devices in December. The release follows this summer’s wildly successful Pokemon Go, which was developed by San Francisco-based Niantic Inc. with Nintendo’s help.

Investors have cheered the shift to mobile, sending Nintendo shares in Tokyo up more than 60 percent this year through Thursday’s close. Nintendo is also planning to release mobile titles for its Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem franchises by March.

The company is betting the hybrid approach will help the Switch become a hit like the Wii, its most-successful console ever thanks to its motion-tracking controllers. The machine, which debuted in 2006, went on to sell more than 100 million units worldwide and helped propel the company’s market value to about $90 billion in late 2007, almost three times its market capitalization today.

But its 2012 follow-up, the Wii U, was criticized for being less powerful than competing consoles from Sony and Microsoft Corp. Only 13 million units were sold as of June, less than a third of the 40 million PlayStation 4s that Sony has shipped.

Ahmad said that while the Switch will end up competing with smartphones, it also offers features that make it superior. Not only will controllers provide a better gaming interface than a smartphone touchscreen, but having two of them should allow gamers on the go to get started with much less hassle.

“On mobile, to get other players to play with you you’d typically need two separate smartphones.,” said Ahmad. “This is a lot more inclusive and this is a good move from Nintendo.”

Price Point

How well the new hardware does may depend largely on the price, according to Macquarie Securities analyst David Gibson. In a research report last week, he estimated the device would retail for about $250 to compete with the PS4’s $299 price tag. Gibson wrote that the new hardware is likely to disappoint in terms of revolutionary features, but that a strong lineup of gaming titles will help to fuel demand at launch. He estimated Nintendo will sell 2.5 million units in its first month and an additional 10.6 million units by March 2018.

Nintendo said several game developers and publishers will make titles for the Switch, including Activision Blizzard Inc., Capcom Co., Square Enix Holdings Co., Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc., among others. Nvidia Corp. said its graphics chips will power the new device.

Nintendo’s Switch console could “revolutionize”’ the way people play games because of its unique capabilities and design, Ubisoft Entertainment SA Chief Executive Officer Yves Guillemot said in an e-mailed statement. The Montreuil, France-based company that has made hits including Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry is working on several games for the new platform, including Just Dance 2017, Guillemot said.

PlayStation VR headset shows limited support for Xbox One, Wii U and PC: Reports

Sony launched its PlayStation VR headset on October 13 as a gaming headset for the PS4, but it turns out that it might be supporting other consoles as well

Sony’s long awaited PlayStation VR (PSVR) headset went official on October 13. The virtual reality head-mounted gaming headset has been developed to be fully functional with Sony’s latest gaming console, the PlayStation 4 (PS4). While PlayStation VR was initially considered to be compatible only with Sony’s own console, it turns out the Sony’s VR headset might have compatibility with other gaming platforms as well. According to some posts on Reddit, the gaming-centric VR headset will also work with Microsoft’s Xbox console.

With PlayStation VR, Sony PS4 users can enjoy any game on their console in a “cinematic mode” that replicates a five-meter screen in a virtual space. According to Reddit user MartinB105, the processor unit of the PlayStation VR is able to take any HDMI signal and convert it to cinematic mode. This leaves room for users to “splice the PS4 camera cable and come up with an adapter to offer PSVR support on PC. Another Reddit user velocityseven, claims to have successfully used the PSVR on his Wii U console.

Another Reddit user was able to plug the headset’s HDMI cable running on the PS4 and connected it to his Xbox One. PSVR was able to display content from the Xbox on a virtual screen in 2D. So, even though you will not be able to run virtual content on the PSVR through other consoles, it still gives some limited usability to users.

It is likely that the VR headset was able to display (in some capacity) games running on the Xbox One or the Wii U. It is important to understand that this in no way suggests that other consoles (or PCs) will be able to support virtual reality content on the PSVR. Instead, the PSVR will simply show up a 2D display floating in a VR space in front of the user. Without access to the external camera, PSVR will be unable to adjust the virtual view as the users head tilts/moves forwards or backwards/ or side to side.

Losing out on the smartphone and the computer manufacturing business, Sony has shown renewed faith in its gaming console segment. The PlayStation VR is priced at $400 (approx Rs 26,700), and is expected to boast 50 gaming titles by the year’s end. Sony last month introduced a new version of its famous PS4 consoles, and also unveiled a second PS4 console (PS4 PRO), which will be capable of playing games at 4K resolution.

Sony has also recently announced that it will be entering the mobile gaming segment, and will be launching at least five smartphone games by March 2018 – targeting markets Japan and other Asian markets. These games will be based on games from the PlayStation space, and will be developed by Sony’s gaming arm – Forward Works.