YotaPhone exec just pulled a really strange move
The YotaPhone 2 – that phone with an e-ink display on the back – hasn't even been released properly in the US yet, but the company's execs are already teasing what's next.
Managing Director for the US at YotaPhone, Matthew Kelly, told TechnoBuffalo, "We have a next-generation product lined up. We can't sell our next generation until we sell our current one. Carriers are interested, but a lot hinges on how well the YotaPhone 2 does."
He confirmed the YotaPhone 3 will come with a faster processor, sharper display, a better e-ink display as well as more RAM, a powerful camera and a thinner design.
Whole Yota Love
Kelly also confirmed there will be a YotaPhone 2c with a cheaper price tag but couldn't confirm any specs just yet.Kelly said, "We pumped a lot of premium specs into YotaPhone 2, but based on market feedback, a lot of people said they could do without certain features. So YotaPhone 2c is in the works if people want it."
In terms of a release date it seems to be quite a long wait - we're going to have to see how the YotaPhone 2 does before any of this is certain.
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You can now buy Project Tango without an invite
Google's experimental and innovative Project Tango isn't really a consumer product just yet, but that doesn't mean you can't buy it.
The slate, which uses cameras and a depth sensor to map out the space around it, is now available to buy without an invite for the first time.
You can pick it up from the Google Store and you'll have to pay $512 (around £334/AU$667) for the privilege. It's also US only for now, but hopefully it won't be too long before it gets a wider rollout.
Unfulfilled potential
If you're not in the US you're not missing out on too much, as this is very much a developer device. Its 4GB of RAM is fairly impressive but it's bulky, has just a 7-inch screen and is stuck on Android KitKat.There's a whole lot of potential here for future consumer applications though, from more immersive augmented reality games, to detailed interior maps, navigation tools for the visually impaired and more.
The timing of its invite-free launch is interesting too, as with Google IO 2015 just hours away there may well be big news about Project Tango and its future.
- We might also see Android M at Google IO.
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You don't really want a 2K smartphone screen, says Sony
If you're hankering after a smartphone with a QHD display (which is four times the resolution of 720p), then it looks like you can give any future Sony handsets a miss. A new report suggests that the Japanese company has no plans for including the technology in the near future.
According to Focus Taiwan, Jonathan Lin, general manager of Sony Mobile's Taiwan branch, revealed that Sony has considered creating smartphones with 2560 x 1440 resolution displays, but has decided against it due to customers' apparent disinterest in the technology.
"At the moment, making the move to 2K technology on 5 to 5.5-inch screens does not seem able to achieve market segmentation, so we have no plans to launch 2K phones."
2K or not 2K?
Lin's comments came at the Taiwanese launch of the Xperia Z3+, Sony's latest flagship phone which once again features a 1080p display.This doesn't mean Sony has sworn off 2K displays completely, however, as it will use the technology in its tablet lineup, like the Xperia Z4 Tablet.
Consumers might not be overly interested in QHD screens at the moment, but with many of Sony's competitors including the resolution on their flagship smartphones, the Japanese company could be in danger of looking outdated.
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Google's latest idea could end up offending a lot of people
Google has patented a new voice search system that serves up different results based on the accent of the person searching.
If someone searches for "movie" in a French accent, the newly patented system suggests returning specifically French results - "La Mer" and "French Movie" as well as, for some reason, "Horror Movie".
As Google explains it, "For example, if English-language speakers with a French-language accent show a preference for a particular result for the query terms "restaurants in Scranton" than do English-language speakers with a Russian-language accent, a search engine will be more likely to select that particular result for another user who provides a voice query in the English language with a French-language accent. The preference for that particular search result would not be reflected in search results that are generated for other users that do not have that particular accent."
While the granting of a patent does not mean the system will ever see the light of day, we are ready to be offended by the results/spend hours tricking it and offending our friends with our flawless international accents.
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New Xbox One controller gets a proper headphone jack
Microsoft has pretty much announced a new Xbox One controller is set to launch next month via a support page on its Xbox site. And with gaming mega-show, E3 2015, on its way in but a few weeks it doesn't take Robert Downey, Jr to figure out where and when we'll likely see our first taste of the new gamepad.
There doesn't seem like there's too much new in the updated controller, to be fair, but the addition of a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack is a bit of a bonus.
Indeed it's this nugget of info on the page which has indicated there is to be a new design, explaining that the 3.5mm connection is "only available on controller released after June 2015."
Everything else about the Xbox One controller seems pretty much identical, jack aside. So you're still going to need the Play and Charge kit to recharge your pad's batteries from the USB port.
Fingers crossed we will though also finally see the wireless adapter to connect the Xbox One controller to the PC, what with all the noises Microsoft is making about the Windows 10 continuum.
Hard times
Aside from offering access to a wider range of gaming headsets that seems largely it; interesting but not hugely exciting.What it does demonstrate though is that Microsoft is still working away on the Xbox One hardware, so could that mean we're going to hear about an actual system refresh in June too?
If we're honest, we don't think so.
June seems too early to release any updated hardware, even if Microsoft really does need to cut down that VCR-like system footprint and jam in HDMI 2.0 support. It's simply not going to announce an upcoming hardware refresh when that's likely to stall its current growing sales.
If we are to see new Xbox One hardware we think that will more likely be one for the holidays.
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Didn't back Pebble Time on Kickstarter? Fear not - you can pre-order one soon
If you helped to fund the incredibly successful Pebble Time Kickstarter campaign then you'll be glad to hear a package is heading your way.
In the next few days over 10,000 Pebble Time Kickstarter rewards are shipping from Pebble's distribution centers. All those who funded the Kickstarter are set to get their rewards by mid-June but those who didn't join in before the closing date will soon be able to pre-order a watch too - from June 22 Pebble will open up pre-orders on the website.
Pebble also announced it will be updating the software to include a Voice Notes, Stocks and Weather apps as well as increased international support bringing German, Chinese, French and Spanish to the watch.
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BMX racers are using drones to help them go faster
Technology designed to help drones avoid mid-air collisions is helping the British cycling team's BMX squad speed up their lap times.
BAE Systems has partnered with the team to adapt its sense-and-avoid system for use on bicycles. It consists of two miniature infrared lamps fixed to the bicycle frame which are monitored by sensors at the side of the track.
As the cyclist passes the sensor, the lamps leave a trail that shows their trajectory - either through the air after a jump or on the ground. Previously, the team had used timing loops buried into the ground, but this system offers much deeper insights into how cyclist speed changes as they pass a jump.
"In an elite sport such as BMX, where riders are travelling around 40kph and spending more than 40 percent of the race in the air, every millisecond counts and one imperfection for your form can put you at a disadvantage," BMX squad member Liam Phillips told the BBC.
The team hopes that the data that the system gathers will be able to improve the team's performance ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Phillips added: "[This] will revolutionise the way we train, allowing us to analyse our techniques with a new-found precision."
Photo Credit: Leo Hidalgo (@yompyz) via Compfight cc
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GoPro points its cameras at drones and virtual reality
The action camera company GoPro is taking a leaf out of its customers' books by jumping into the uncharted territory of drones and VR.
GoPro CEO Nick Woodman announced a new direction for the company at Re/code's Code Conference on Wednesday, showing off a camera rig capable of mounting up to six Hero4 cameras.
The new camera mount draws inspiration from the product designs of French 'spherical media' company Kolor, which GoPro Acquired last month.
The sky's the limit for GoPro
This niche product is capable of capturing 360 degree footage and stitching it together into a 4K spherical image that could be used by virtual reality devices like the Oculus Rift, Vive and Gear VR headsets.GoPro has no news yet on how much the rig will cost but Woodman said that customers could expect to purchase one later in the year.
Woodman also hinted that the company was working on a yet-to-be-unveiled quadcopter drone that is expected to arrive in the first half of next year.
- Check out the best drones of 2015
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Apple Pay bringing a new rewards system to WWDC?
Though still some way off launching internationally, the New York Times has reported that Apple is planning to announce a frequent-flyer type rewards system, when using its Apple Pay electronic payment method.
The rewards scheme is intended to give the company and edge within the highly competitive e-payment market that already churns through US$52 billion a year.
Other than the fact that regular users of the mobile wallet will receive some kickbacks from using the new payment method, Apple is remaining tight lipped about the system, holding off on the details until their WWDC kicks-off on June 8.
Pay it forward
The news comes just hours before the Google IO Android developers conference begins in San Francisco, where Google is expected to be announcing a massive overhaul of its mobile payments facilities.Sources familiar with Google's plans have said the company will announce Android Pay – a service that will allow merchants to accept in-app payments using a credit card, with additional loyalty schemes – and Google Wallet – a P2P payment app directly connected to your bank account.
Samsung, meanwhile, told Samsung Wallet users that the service would no longer be available from July. But the company also announced in March that it would launch Samsung Pay – a contactless payment system almost identical to Apple Pay, which uses Samsung handsets to pay merchants directly – by the end of the year.
- Stay up to date with our coverage of Google IO
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Woolworths to become mobile service provider, thanks to Telstra
Telstra has announced that it has signed a wholesale agreement with Woolworths to allow the supermarket chain to become a reseller of mobile services on Telstra’s 3G Network.
The deal will give Woolworths the network access and operating platform it needs to become a virtual network operator, just like supermarket competitor Aldi did with its Aldi Mobile service, which also uses Telstra’s network.
Woolworths’ Head of Telco, Jason Hair, says that the aim is to provide Australians with a simple, value-driven mobile service, which sounds an awful lot like Aldi’s mobile offering.
Clean up on aisle 3G
The agreement, which gives Woolworths use of the 850MHz and 2100MHz frequency spectrum, gives Telstra the opportunity to reach 98.5% of Australia’s population through Woolworths’ 872 retail stores across the country.Woolworths originally had a deal with Optus to provide mobile services to retail customers, however the telco ended the agreement with the supermarket chain back in 2013.
More details about Woolworths’ mobile services will be made available in the coming weeks.
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Lenovo introduces Magic View, the first smartwatch with a second screen
One of the biggest conundrums of smartwatches has been screen size. Make it too large and it looks unseemly on your wrist, meanwhile, small wearables are plagued by an unreadable display.
Today at its TechWorld Conference in Beijing, Lenovo unveiled a Magic View smartwatch concept that features two screens. At first glance the watch resembles the LG Watch Urbane and Moto 360 with a round display, but right underneath it is a second screen, which acts as an virtual interactive image.
Lenovo CTO Peter Hortensius highlighted that the problems with smartwatches is their screens aren't designed to present a large enough picture that is also neither immersive enough picture isn't large, immersive enough or private.
To solve this problems users can peer into the second screen like a periscope for more personal messages and immersive experiences.
Lenovo explained that the second screen removes the physical limitations of the main screen by using optical reflections to produce a virtual image 20 times larger than the watch face. Showing off a few use cases Lenovo, demonstrated using the second display to project a bigger map, photo slideshow and even play a video.
A second screen experience for smartphones
Beyond wearables, Lenovo also introduced its plans to make smartphones more PC-like with its Smart cast concept. Rather than limiting user's experiences on their smartphones to just the screen, the Smart Cast can project a large virtual touch screen onto a table or any surface.It can do this thanks to being outfitted with a built-in laser projector, infrared motion detector and high-performance algorithms. Lenovo promises it's a first ever technology combination that will open up a whole new world of interaction such as the ability to type on a virtual keyboard. There are also plans to make the Smart Cast concept work with productivity apps including the calculator, drawing, note-taking and even editing in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Additionally, the Smart Cast will be able to act as just a projector to turn a wall into a virtual movie theatre, presentation screen or scratch at the air to play Fruit Ninja with hand gestures. In a real-time stage demo, the Smart Cast phone was used to project virtual sheet music as pianist played on the stage.
Lenovo also posited that Smart Cast could change the way we video chat with the ability to project presentations and other content while seeing a different picture on the main screen at the same time.
Thinking shoes
Lastly, Lenovo introduced a pair of smart shoes, which offer up all the activity monitoring of an activity tracker in the form of wearable foot ware. For example Smart Shoes will keep track of the wearer's heartbeat, caloric consumption and even provide maps and directions.Aside from the built-in sensors, the Smart Shoes are also outfitted with a strip of LEDs that light up to show off graphics and, more practically, turn signals to drivers as you run.
Smart Shoes might sound like an one-off product from Lenovo, but the Chinese computer manufacturer explained it's just the first part of a new Internet of Things platform. In the future Lenovo plans on building a IoT ecosystem powered by the Lenovo Cloud.
As part of the mission Lenovo will offer up an open SDK platform, innovation incubator with professionals from different areas, smart devices, supply chains and powerful backend cloud infrastructure.
- Check out Lenovo's newest addition, the ThinkPad 10 tablet
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Lenovo adds new ThinkPad 10 to its extensive enterprise lineup
Lenovo has revealed details of an updated ThinkPad 10 that comes with its distinctive four mode convertibility and a number of interesting add-ons. The tablet isn't as powerful as its larger ThinkPad Yoga 14 sibling but is designed for business people that are constantly on the move.
When Windows 10 finally gets its release later this summer it will be on board, and there's no lack of features to back it up. In the background powering the show there is an Intel Atom Z8500 or Z8700 quad-core system-on-chip, 2GB or 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, up to 10 hours battery life, and a 10-inch WUXGA 1,920 x 1,200 IPS multi-touch display.
For privacy the convertible tablet can be bought with four-way privacy film and those on the move will also revel in the anti-glare film that is an option. Other security measures include optional dTPM encryption, a fingerprint reader or smart card reader to further strengthen its enterprise security repertoire.
Productivity add-ons
Where it really comes into its own is through the added extras that includes the ThinkPad Pen Pro that, when combined with the WRITEit app, provides one of the best handwriting experiences out there right now. There is also a new ThinkPad Folio Keyboard and an Ultrabook keyboard that both help this tablet to demonstrate laptop capabilities.Other features include a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.2-megapixel snapper on the front, the ability to use 3G or 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and the aforementioned four different modes that make it a match for any situation.
The new ThinkPad 10 will be out in August with pricing starting at $499 (around £325, or AU$648) and Lenovo will cross its fingers that it will be one of the first machines to feature Windows 10 from release.
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Hands-on review: Lenovo ThinkPad 10 (2015)
Despite being in the tablet space for a relatively short time, Lenovo carved a name for itself by producing the excellent ThinkPad 8 and ThinkPad 10. Now, a year later, the Chinese computer company is back at the Windows slate game with next generation ThinkPad 10.
Rather than being a whole new device, this 10-inch tablet comes as more of a refresh than a completely new product. The 2015 edition sports the same slim design as the last year’s Lenovo ThinkPad 10, but the internals have been updated with quad-core Intel Atom Z8500 or Z8700 processors, plus a few new software features.
Design
Seeing the same body style is hardly a complaint in this case, because the older Lenovo ThinkPad 10 already set a great precedent with its solid, metal chassis. As a business-oriented device, this tablet comes with a minimalistic, black paint job and anodized finish, which feels very reminiscent of the iPad Air 2.
That said, the Lenovo ThinkPad isn’t quite as thin, with a frame measuring in at 10.1 x 7.0 x 0.35 inches (256.5 x 177 x 9.1 mm) as opposed to the 6.6 x 9.4 x 0.24-inch (169 x 240 x 6.1 mm) iPad Air 2. Unsurprisingly, the iPad Air 2 is also significantly lighter, weighing in at 0.96 pounds (437 grams), while the ThinkPad 10 tips the scales at 1.36 pounds (617 grams).
While the Lenovo ThinkPad weighs over a quarter pound more than the lightest tablet in the world, this isn’t a device that will strain your arm anytime soon. It feels incredibly light to grasp in your hand while feeling completely solid.
Lenovo’s 10-inch slate is also a step ahead compared to the Dell Venue 11 Pro, which weighs in at 1.6 pounds (0.72kg) and measures 11.01 X 6.95 X 0.42 inches (279 X 176 X 1.07 mm) overall. Then again, Dell’s tablet comes packing a 10.8-inch display.
At the front, the tablet sports an edge-to-edge sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 that helps to protect the ThinkPad 10’s 1,920 x 1,200 WUXGA display. The 10.1-inch screen also, unsurprisingly, happens to be touch sensitive and will detect up to 10 fingers at a time.
Extra extra
As an extra software flourish, Lenovo has also added a WRITEit software feature that allows users to easily scribble down notes whenever they please. Though I didn’t get a chance to test this feature with a pre-production unit at a Lenovo event event in Beijing, a Lenovo spokesperson explained that WRITEit will work with any textbox that normally brings up a text cursor prompt.WRITEit is one of the few newly added bundled applications I’m actually looking forward to, since it’s another way to avoid the dreadfully small keyboard. Packing any keyboard into a tiny, confined peripheral for a 10-inch screen is a herculean task, but with the Lenovo ThinkPad 10’s Ultrabook keyboard, I found the typing experience especially terrible.
Don’t get me wrong, the keys feel just as good as any AccuType keyboard seen on Lenovo’s other laptops. But the tight spacing of the whole thing makes it a pain to type on.
On top of a hard keyboard attachment, users will also be able to pick out yet another typing solution with the Foilo keyboard. Additionally, the Quickshot cover is designed with a folding section that allows tablet photographers to get to shooting faster.
Quicker parts
Under the hood, Lenovo has made a few more changes by swapping out the old Bay Trail Intel Atom processor with more modern Cherry Trail Intel Atom Z8500 and Z8700 chipsets. The new systems-on-a-chip should give the ThinkPad 10 an extra kick in in the pants.And like the rest of Intel’s new Broadwell lineup, Lenovo claims this new processor will allow the ThinkPad 10 to last a maximum of 10 hours on a single charge. That’s a step up from the 8 hours we saw the slate’s predecessor pulled off.
Chipset aside, the ThinkPad 10 still comes with an anemic 2GB of memory and 64GB of onboard storage. This alone almost requires you to immediately upgrade to the higher-spec model, with 128GB of solid-state storage and a 4GB of memory.
The Lenovo ThinkPad 10 will be available in August 2015 to coincide with the Windows 10 launch. Alongside all the new improvements, Lenovo promises full integration between REACHit, the company’s in-house cloud database directory and search client and Microsoft’s Cortana to make searching for files more natural than ever.
The 10.1-inch tablet will come at a starting price of $549 (about £358, AU$712). The Folio keyboard, meanwhile, begins at $110 (about £78, AU$142), an Ultrabook cover goes for $119 (about £154, AU$154) and lastly, the QuickShot cover asks for $45 (about £29, AU$58).
Early verdict
The Lenovo ThinkPad 10 was an excellent device, and so it should come as no surprise the new model is just as good if not better. However, without fully testing the tablet, it’s too early to say whether the new Cherry Trail processor truly offers up more potential for this machine.Additionally, the Windows tablet space has changed quite a bit, with sales for slates declining. What’s more, Dell has come up with a doozy of a device with the Venue 11 Pro 7000 that offers nearly as much portability with a thinner, fanless design.
We’ll reserve final judgment until a full review, but what I’ll say is that the latest ThinkPad 10 is looking mighty fine amid some serious competition.
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Lenovo Cast ready to crash the streaming market
Lenovo is jumping into the heavily congested media-streaming space through its first ever streaming device - the Cast.
The pocket-sized circular device is designed to connect to a TV's HDMI port and works in a similar way to the Roku Streaming Stick, Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick that are currently populating the space.
Once it is plugged into the TV it can be used to cast online or offline content from any number of different smartphones or tablets across Android, Windows 8.1 and iOS. It is primarily designed to work with devices running Android 4.3 and above. This means that the Cast only works with selected Miracast or DLNA-enabled Windows 8.1 and iOS devices.
It isn't a dongle!
From there on in you can stream any content to the stick just so long as you are within its 65-foot (20 metre) range and it achieves this through a dual-frequency Wi-Fi. It fits snugly into a bracket onto the back of the TV and is connected using the HDMI and USB cables that come as part of the package, thus slightly different to the dongles that were mentioned earlier.Lenovo plans to release the Cast around the world in August and it will be priced at a competitive $49 (around £32, or AU$63.50).
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Lenovo introduces two new NAS offerings for SMBs
Lenovo has outed two new NAS offerings aimed at small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) looking for speed, scalability and availability without paying the earth for it.
Both the S2200 and S3200 offer dual and single controllers in 2U-12 and 24 drive configurations with the S2200 able to support up to 96 drives whereas the larger S3200 can handle up to 192 drives.
Connectivity is also a doddle thanks to support for fibre channel, iSCSI and SAS. The S3200 ups this even further by offering multi-protocol connectivity that allows SMBs to work with fibre channel and iSCSI concurrently.
What they offer
Each NAS offering works hard to make sure the drives offer the highest performance level possible through intelligent real-time tiering that moves frequently accessed data to higher performing drives every five seconds.The S3200 also uses hybrid configurations and real-time tiering to provide near All-Flash-Array (AFA) performing for up to 120,000 IOPS at a small portion of the cost of today's flash only systems.
Each one also comes with Lenovo SAN Manager that is a free GUI that makes it easy to control advance features such as data tiering, thin provisioning, SSD read caching, rapid RAID rebuild, information on live data, and storage pooling.
Both will be available around the world starting in June 2015.
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Experience 40 years worth of ILM's VFX work in one minute
A new video has been released commemorating the 40th anniversary of visual effects powerhouse Industrial Light & Magic, highlighting the company’s most astonishing moments of VFX magic.
The company was founded by George Lucas to provide the monumental effects for the original Star Wars, and has now worked on over 300 films, bagging 15 Academy Awards in the process.
Lasting only a minute in length, the video takes us on a journey through some of the most memorable movie moments in the history of cinema, from classic films like Back to the Future and Jurassic Park, to recent hits like Tomorrowland and Godzilla – all of which made possible by the team of wizards at Industrial Light & Magic.
Check out the video below, and see how many of its featured films you can name in the process.
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Setting up Oculus Rift with a PC won't cost a lot - just $1,500
Oculus Rift CEO Brenden Iribe stated during the Code Conference that a PC and virtual reality headset shouldn't cost you more than $1,500 (£977, AU$1940) total.
The company released the spec requirements Windows machines will need to run a Rift not too long ago and we estimated the final cost to reach around $1,030 (about £654/AU$1,282).
It sounds like a lot, but it seems most diehard adopters will already have a nice rig and may just need to upgrade a few parts here and there - though those without a decent PC are out of luck.
That's not all
Apparently the of the Rift pricing will only increase if you add in the cost of peripherals to enhance the VR experience.Oculus has kept mum on controllers in the past and focused its efforts on putting forth a viable headset instead. But Iribe also mentioned that E3 2015 should answer questions about immersive peripherals.
There are plenty of third-party devices that hook up to the Rift but none actually from the company itself.
- Project Morpheus and HoloLens are expected to make an E3 appearance as well
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Updated: Google 'buy button' is coming to make online shopping even easier
Update May 27: Google is indeed launching a "buy button," the company's chief business officer revealed today.
Speaking at the Code Conference, Omid Kordestani said this: "There's going to be a buy button. It's going to be imminent."
The button will appear in Google shopping ads, though not much more of how they'll work exactly or when consumers will start seeing them was revealed.
According to Kordestani, the majority of shopping is still done offline, so the button will serve as a way to boost online shopping.
Original article below...
Google wants to help you spend your money. The Wall Street Journal reports the company plans to add "buy buttons" on its search results pages, a major move in stepping up to the plate against eBay and Amazon in the online marketplace.
With nearly 65% of people already using Google for searches, the ability to store your credit card information and order a brand new Snuggie in one fell swoop may prove to be more enticing than navigating to Amazon and eBay for similar shopping experiences.
Through its new buy button, Google will sell through retailers, rather than its own store, and will fund itself through its existing advertising model. By offering its new in-house process of searching and buying, Google could set itself up to undermine a portion of Amazon's traffic, by making it possible to simply buy where you search.
Google reportedly plans to exclusively test its buy buttons on mobile devices. The buttons will be part of the ads that exist currently above organic search results and will take users to another page hosted by Google to finish buying that special something.
Search and shop
Those of us who do our holiday shopping from the comfort of our pajamas know that Google has offered a "Shopping" tab for years. Although its integration was a good start down this road, it is no more than a directory for other retailers, where the virtual transaction happens.Since the report, some retailers are apparently airing out their displeasure that they will lose control over their customers' information, making it harder for them to market to their existing customers. Google has reportedly combatted this by offering the ability for customers to share their info, such as name and email, with the retailer themselves, but will never share credit card info.
Google has long been the middleman to the likes of Amazon and eBay, and this could be a bold move by the king of search. Google's buy button concept isn't exactly groundbreaking or that different from what other shopping sites offer, but the convenience of staying in the search engine will likely be its biggest selling point.
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Xiaomi opening online stores in the US and Europe next month, but don't get too excited
Hold the phone: Chinese tech firm Xiaomi has announced the launch of its online Mi Store in the US and parts of Europe, following a short beta test.
The Mi store will hit the US on June 1 and arrive in France, Germany, and the UK on June 2. However, if you are looking to score any of the company's flagship phones, like the Mi4, you'll have to take your money elsewhere for now.
The store will sell the company's affordable accessories, like the Mi Band, Mi Headphones, and Mi Power Bank. It's likely Xiaomi is testing the waters of the US and European markets and may bring its phones and tablets to these online stores if all goes well.
The company has seen rapid growth, expanding to the 3rd biggest phone manufacturer in the world, without ever leaving the Asian market. This is the company's first intrepid pursuit in foreign markets, and will most likely affect the rest of the field with its notably lower pricing.
Have you read our OnePlus One review?
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Opinion: This is how Google can beat Apple and Amazon in the set-top box wars
Google's plan for home entertainment
It's that time of year again. Google I/O, the annual developer conference when the tech giant unveils its next batch of products and services to the community, is about to get under way. Demos, workshops and sneak peeks over the two-day event help software developers get familiar with new offerings while giving end-users an idea of what's to come from the Mountain View firm over the rest of 2015 and beyond.Google's ambitions have always stretched far beyond search, encompassing email, office productivity software and even self-driving cars. But the front on which we're going to feel its presence more and more – and where it will battle most fiercely with Apple and Amazon for dominance – will be the living room.
Betting that its origin and strength in search will provide a crucial advantage over those rivals, Google's chance at victory depends on how well it can mine search data to serve up personalized recommendations for what users will want to watch and listen to (essentially predicting mood and taste) at any given time.
The three components of Google's bridge to the living room are Chromecast, Google Cast and Android TV.
Chromecast 2
Since last year, rumors have been circulating of a new Chromecast, with an upgrade to the 5GHz Wi-Fi spectrum. If that's what Google plans to show off on Thursday, an upgrade to 5GHz Wi-Fi should impact its Achilles' heels: poor quality HD streaming. But we're not likely to see an answer for the second glaring shortfall: a noticeable absence of an Amazon Prime Instant Video app in the Chromecast store.The original Chromecast was unveiled two years ago and quickly became a breakout hit. Since then, consumers have hit the "cast" button more than 650 million times, while 6,000 developers have created more than 10,000 apps for the Chromecast store. The device's success with consumers can primarily be attributed to two factors: price and convenience.
The small stick plugs into your TV's HDMI port and makes it possible to broadcast streaming video (e.g. Mad Men episodes via the Netflix app) or audio (say, your favorite Pandora stations) from your mobile device of choice to your biggest screen.
From the beginning, Chromecast has been agnostic about what device you use to stream, meaning you can cast from compatible apps on iPad, iPhone, or even Surface devices – not just Android.
Google Cast
The software that makes Chromecast possible will see new applications, specifically in the form of native integration with high quality speaker systems from LG.Rumor has it that LG's new Google Cast-ready soundbars and speaker systems will range in price from $179 (about £116, AU$230) to $999 (about £650, AU$1,300) and are intended as an alternative to the Sonos line. However, notably absent from the Google Cast line of compatible apps is Spotify.
We might also hear more about Sony's batch of Google's Cast-compatible receivers and speakers. But, because they also support rivals' Spotify Connect and Apple Airtime, we might not hear as much about them.
Android TV
Finally we have Android TV, Google's opportunity to meaningfully distinguish itself after false starts with Google TV.Last year, we were first brought news of Android TV at I/O and plans for direct integrations into hardware through manufacturers like Sony, Sharp, and TPVision. Since then, we've seen it mature into Google's version of an OS for the big screen.
At the most basic level, the system integrates video on-demand streaming services like Netflix without needing a Chromecast, but also includes apps like Sling TV – a service that will look very similar to Apple's rumored plans for a "narrow" cable offering on Apple TV – and games into one place.
But the more interesting questions are around what an all-encompassing living room OS will look like. In addition to voice search and optimizing font and image sizes for users who are sitting more than 10 feet from the screen, Google is giving prime placement on the home screen to video games and recommendations based upon viewing history.
Android TV's incredibly skilled at figuring out what I'm searching for before I can finish typing my query, so I'm interested to see how that knowledge gets applied to suggesting what I might want to watch tonight.
The gaming aspect is exciting on a wholly different level though, because it completes the circle in terms of making the home theater truly interactive. The games Google chooses to showcase and develop will give us a deeper sense of how Google's ambitions relate to transforming human behavior – beyond just delivering what we already know we want, but into enticing us to use our free time in new ways.
Ultimately, that's the big picture for Google's home entertainment efforts. Where Apple has its product ecosystem and powerful partners and Amazon has its incredible value plays through Prime, Google looks to leverage its immense influence in the search space to empower the living room.
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