OnePlus has been building anticipation about its new smartphone, OnePlus Two, for quite a few weeks. Earlier this week, we reported that OnePlus Two will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor, allowing the phone to function faster. Today, the company announced in a tweet that OnePlus Two will use Type-C USB port.
OnePlus Two will become the first flagship phone from a mainstream company to use Type-C USB port. However, OnePlus is not the first company to incorporate the Type-C USB port in its phone – the title goes to LeTV’s One Max. We were expecting Apple, which is currently working on the iPhone 6s, to incorporate it in its next smartphone.
In March, Apple announced that the MacBook will use a single Type-C USB port. Google also accommodated the support for Type-C in the second Chrombook Pixel.
The latest Apple MacBook incorporates only a USB Type C Port
The USB-C connector is one reversible port that takes care of power, data transfers, and display output. It is slim and compatible with almost every device with standard USB ports. This relieves customers of four or six connecting ports that demand your system’s space and gives manufacturers freedom to trim down the size of machines and, hence, weight. A USB-C connector is the one standard solution to asymmetrical USB jacks, except for audio. It’s convenient to use and has the potential to replace all jacks.
This announcement by OnePlus is a latest addition to what we already know about OnePlus Two – that it is priced at around Rs. 25, 000 and will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor, making the phone capable of streaming 4K Ultra HD videos and more. The company is expected to announce the launch date for the phone soon.
Apple is reportedly working on an iPhone design that will remove the iconic home button. A recent post on the website, AppleInsider, claims that the company is planning to replace the home button with a virtual one. The website also claims that the redesign wouldn’t take place for at least two years and may not be seen in the next version of the iPhone.
Apple has made Touch ID, its fingerprint recognition feature, available on every device launched since iPhone 5s. The company has integrated Touch ID onto many of its services and is developing more uses for it. As a result, it will not ditch the feature in favour of a virtual home button, just yet.
To make the virtual home button possible, Apple is working on integrating Touch ID into the iPhone’s display. According to AppleInsider, patents have been filed which would allow people to scan their fingerprints on the display itself. If the company is successful in integrating Touch ID onto the display, the home button could be replaced by an on-screen button. Until then, Apple’s plan of having a virtual home button remains long-term.
A few days ago, Microsoft declared that anyone who has signed up and installed the preview version of Windows 10 would get a free upgrade. It seemed an easy way out for those who were using the pirated or non-genuine versions of Windows XP/Vista/7/8.1. In a recent blog post, Microsoft has clarified that the method is not as simple as it seems.
According to Microsoft’s Gabe Aul, those who have installed the Windows 10 preview will get a free copy, as long as they keep receiving the pre-release updates. “Since we’re continuing the Windows Insider Program you’ll be able to continue receiving builds and those builds will continue to be activated under the terms of the Windows Insider Program,” Gabe wrote in the blog post.
If a user installs the preview version, upgrades to the final version on July 29th and then opts-out of pre-release updates, he/she will not receive the free copy. According to Microsoft, the preview build will expire without the updates. The user then either has to buy a new license to keep the build or roll back to the previous OS version. “This is not a path to attain a license for Windows XP or Windows Vista systems,” Gabe wrote.
Genuine Windows 7 or 8.1 users will still receive a Windows 10 free upgrade on July 29th.
FDA has approved a new device that allows blind people to “see” through their tongues. Developed by Wicab, the Brainport V100 translates the information captured by a digital video camera into electric patterns, which is then stimulated on the tongue. According to Wicab, users will feel “moving bubble-like patterns on their tongue which they learn to interpret as the shape, size, location and motion of objects in their environment”.
The Brainport V100 uses a digital camera mounted on a pair of sunglasses and is connected with a tongue array. The array translates the pixels from the camera, which is then interpreted by the user. The device is controlled by a small hand-held unit. The unit also acts as a rechargeable battery, with duration up to 3 hours on a single charge.
Watch the device in action below:
FDA’s approval means that Wicab can now sell the Brainport in the United States of America. The company has been selling the product in Europe since 2013. Hopefully, the device finds its way in India too, which can help an estimated 15 million people suffering from blindness.
Moto G is one of the most recognizable phones Motorola has ever made. The affordable smartphone relaunched the company and drew huge sales in India, making Motorola a household name. Today, a set of images and a video has been posted which provides more details about the upcoming Moto G, the 3rd generation.
The images, which were posted by a Google+ user, Nao Lee, have been said to come from “a Chinese digital forum.” The images show the front and the back of the device, which looks similar to the previous versions of Moto G. The phone identifies itself as “XT1453” and runs on Android 5.1.1.
The video, which has since been removed, showed the specifications of the phone. According to the video, Moto G3 is similar to Moto G (2nd Generation). Moto G3 will run on Snapdragon 410 processor, an improvement from the Snapdragon 400 processor. The camera has also been upgraded. Moto G3 will now sport a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 5 megapixel front camera, a vast improvement from 8 and 2 megapixel rear and front camera. As for the rest, the new phone will sport a 5-inch display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, LTE, and a microSD slot, same as Moto G (2nd Gen). This contradicts the early rumours about Moto G3 running on a 64-bit 1.7GHz Snapdragon 610 SoC along with 2GB of RAM.While the Moto G (Gen 2) was a vast improvement over its predecessor, that might not be the case with Moto G (Gen 3). It is to be noted that Motorola is yet to officially announce the specifications and the phone may turn out to a be a far superior product than expected.
Taylor Swift is currently one of the biggest music icons in the world, as evident from the fact that her last album sold more than four million copies worldwide and in all, she has won seven Grammy awards and 22 Billboard awards. So, it matters when one of the most influential music artists in the world says she has a problem with Apple Music, the new streaming service launched by Apple.
In her recent open letter to Apple, Swift explains why she would hold back her new album, 1989, from Apple Music. She wrote, “Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.”
Swift’s open letter points to the statement given by Apple executive Robert Kondrk, who said that the company won’t pay the artists during the three month trial period. The company would later make it up to the artists by paying them higher amounts than its rival, Spotify. A few hours after Swift’s open later was published, Apple VP, Eddy Cue tweeted that the artists will be paid during the three month trial period, which Swift positively responded to.
We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple
Swift’s concern is in a right place. Most people nowadays want to access media without paying, which leaves services like Spotify and YouTube with no other option but to provide free streaming with advertisements. As a result, streaming generates less royalties than a CD sale or digital download would’ve generated.
Apple won’t pay the artists during the three month trial period of Apple Music
Although streaming would not affect the music sales of Swift or the likes, as she points out, it is “about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success..about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt.. but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs”.
Artists depend on the royalties generated from the sale of CDs and downloads. Their only source of income get affected due to the amount of money generated from streaming. Hence, artists and record labels are pushing for subscription based music services, which they believe will be more stable when it comes to generating royalties.
This is not the first time artists have spoken out against the streaming services. Recently, rapper Jay-Z launched his own streaming service, Tidal, which is said to be the first artist-owned streaming service. He criticized YouTube and Spotify for not giving enough money to the artists. In November 2014, Swift removed all of her old albums from Spotify over the issue of royalties.
Apple’s recent move is a temporary resolve, since it is in a position to pay the artists during the trial period. The success of Apple Music will be determined when people actually subscribe. To keep the music industry alive, a model has to be devised which would allow people to pay reasonable rates and at the same time allow artists to earn fair royalties in return. Higher rates can lead to piracy, which would again affect the artists. An effort has to be made to persuade people to subscribe to music services and support the artists. Till such things happen, artists have to speak out.
We like how Taylor Swift put it – “We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.”
