ajax – Page 3 – Tech Today w/ Ken May

The next Apple TV is reportedly much more expensive

Do you recall the early days of the Apple TV , when you could expect to pay over $100 to put an Apple-powered media hub in your living room? They might come roaring back. Sources for 9to5Mac claim that the next Apple TV should cost between $149 to $199 (the final price is still up in the air) when it ships, which is reportedly sometime in October. That’s still less than the original cost when it was new, but you could be in for sticker shock if you were expecting Apple to keep the price to $99 or less . It could make the Fire TV and Roku 3 look like relative bargains, depending on how attached you are to Apple’s ecosystem. Not that such a hike would be entirely surprising, mind you. Many of the rumors swirling around Apple’s next set-top suggest that it’ll be a much more powerful device with an A8 processor, more storage, Siri voice recognition, an app store and (in recent rumors) motion control . It wouldn’t so much be a sorely overdue update as a redefinition of what the Apple TV is — instead of focusing almost exclusively on streaming video, it’d be a Shield TV-like box that can handle gaming and other tasks suited to the big screen. And if that’s too rich for your blood, you may not have to worry. The insiders say that the third-generation Apple TV will stick around, and that it’ll get the company’s long-fabled streaming TV service . You’d miss out on the app store, Siri and other features that would likely require new hardware, but you wouldn’t have to scrounge for extra cash just to see how Apple tackles streaming media in the future. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD , Apple Comments Source: 9to5Mac Tags: apple, appletv, hdpostcross, Set-topBox, streaming, television, tv

Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus event takes off on September 9th

It’s that time of year again. Apple’s next iPhone event will take place on September 9th at 10AM PT, live at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. This is expected to be the unveiling of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which are reported to have animated wallpapers , 4K video capabilities, upgraded 12-megapixel cameras and front-facing flash, among other new features. We may even see something about force-touch iPhones . The event invite is light on details, as usual, but features the tease, “Hey Siri, give us a hint.” Well, Siri? We’re waiting. Filed under: Cellphones , Handhelds , Peripherals , Apple Comments Tags: apple, iphone6s, iPhone6SPlus

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Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus event takes off on September 9th

Windows 10 is on 75 million PCs after only one month

If you’re still wondering why Microsoft made Windows 10 free, just consider the latest stats: It’s now on 75 million computers one month after its big launch, Windows corporate VP Yusuf Mehdi tweeted today. In comparison, it took six months for Microsoft to sell 100 million Windows 8 licenses , a more nebulous stat that didn’t necessarily include actual installs. None of this is a surprise though: We’ve written extensively about Microsoft’s desire to build a long-lasting Windows platform , and that starts with prioritizing the number of people running Windows 10 rather than mere revenues. Mehdi also divulged some other intriguing tidbits: More than “90, 000 unique PC or tablet models” have upgraded to Windows 10; over 122 years of gameplay have been streaming to Windows 10 PCs from Xbox One consoles; and, perhaps most intriguingly, the Windows 10 store “has seen 6x more app downloads “per device than Windows 8.” That last point is likely yet another big reason Microsoft chose to make Windows 10 a free upgrade. Microsoft worked hard to promote the Windows 8 app store, but it never managed to land a killer app (and in many cases, Windows 8 apps were simply worse than their iOS and Android counterparts). Developers waited until people actually started using Windows 8 apps, but that never really happened because there weren’t many to choose from. But with Windows 10, there’s an influx of new users eager to try out newer apps, and Microsoft has also made it easier for devs to bring over iOS and Android apps . 1. #Windows10 : More than 75 million devices running Windows 10 – and growing every day. 1/10 pic.twitter.com/g0kqGizU0c — Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015 Filed under: Software , Microsoft Comments Tags: microsoft, Windows10

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Windows 10 is on 75 million PCs after only one month

Microsoft’s prototype keyboard cover has an e-ink touchscreen

Tablets are becoming more useful for getting real work done. Looking to further bridge the gap between slate and laptop, Microsoft Applied Sciences built a prototype device it calls the DisplayCover: a keyboard cover that houses an e-ink touchscreen display. The 1, 280 x 305 resolution panel not only provides access to app shortcuts, but it can also handle touch gestures for navigation and accept stylus input. The stylus feature seems to make things like signing documents and scribbling notes a breeze, based on the demo video. In the case of an app like Photoshop where you need constant access to tool palettes, those items can be parked at the top of the keyboard so they don’t take up valuable space on the tablet’s display (in this case a Surface ). Why e-ink? Well, the team says the material was selected because it wouldn’t put too much added strain on battery life like a full-color touch panel would. Sure, the DisplayCover is a prototype that’s obviously far from finished. However, it’s interesting to take a look at what companies are doing to make efficient use of small screen sizes for maximizing productivity. [Thanks, Antonio] Filed under: Peripherals , Microsoft Comments Source: Microsoft Applied Sciences Tags: cover, displaycover, e-ink, keyboardcover, microsoft, surface, tablet, touchscreen

ASUS makes a Zenfone 2 with a whopping 256GB of storage

Smartphones with more than 128GB of storage are still extremely rare , but they just became a little more accessible… if you live in Brazil, at least. ASUS has unveiled a Delxue Special Edition of the Zenfone 2 that includes a cavernous 256GB of storage. You won’t be hunting for a microSD card any time soon if you pick this up, folks. You’ll also have the choice of carbon fiber- or crystal-like backs instead of the more pedestrian shells of the usual Zenfone 2. This special run arrives in Brazil this September. There’s no mention of it reaching other countries, but here’s hoping that it does — cloud storage and streaming media will only go so far when you want lots of apps and videos at your fingertips. [Image credit: ASUS Fanaticos ] Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , ASUS Comments Via: CTimes , Android Police Source: ASUS Fanaticos (translated) Tags: android, asus, brazil, mobilepostcross, smartphone, zenfone, zenfone2, zenfone2deluxespecialedition

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ASUS makes a Zenfone 2 with a whopping 256GB of storage

PSA: Apple will replace your iPhone 6 Plus’ wonky camera

Did you buy an iPhone 6 Plus sometime between last September and this January? Do you notice that your shots taken with its back camera come out all blurry? Yeah, it’s not just you . Turns out, a limited number of these phones shipped with a manufacturing defect. However, Apple is aware of the issue and has already begun issuing replacements for the iSight camera. If you think that you have one of these borked units, go to this website and type in your phone’s serial number. If your unit is part of that bad batch, Apple will replace the camera (not the entire phone) at no charge. Also, if you’re rocking one of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6’s , don’t worry; none of those units suffered from the defect. [Image Credit: Getty Images] Filed under: Cellphones , Cameras , Wireless , Mobile , Apple Comments Via: 9to5Mac Source: Apple Support Tags: apple, iphone, iphone6, iphone6plus, isight, mobilepostcross, PSA

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PSA: Apple will replace your iPhone 6 Plus’ wonky camera

Tesla starts testing its autopilot features with Model S drivers

As promised, Tesla’s latest autopilot features are out in the wild. A handful of Model S drivers are now testing the electric car’s upcoming semi-autonomous tech, including highway autosteer (which tackles lanes, passing and vehicle distance) and automatic parallel parking. Ideally, these vehicular pioneers will find the last remaining quirks in both the autopilot’s behavior and its interface — those edge cases that tend to creep up only in the real world. It’s not clear exactly when everyday Model S owners will get their turn, but it’s important to temper expectations. The technology isn’t really a peek at a future dominated by self-driving cars … at least, not yet. You’ll still need to flick the turn signal to pass cars (to indicate intent and absolve Tesla of liability), and the additions won’t help much when you’re stuck in city traffic. Think of this more as a step up from the lane and braking assists that you see on other cars . They’ll eliminate more of the monotony of driving, but there’s no point at which you can completely glaze over. Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Autoblog Source: IEEE Spectrum , Teslarati Tags: autopilot, car, electriccar, electricvehicle, ev, models, semi-autonomous, tesla, transportation

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Tesla starts testing its autopilot features with Model S drivers

Your Android games are getting a software speed boost

iPhone users have low-level Metal code to speed up games and other visually intensive apps, but what if you’re an Android fan? Don’t worry, you’ll get your boost soon. Google has announced that Android will soon support Vulkan , an open graphics standard that cuts a lot of the computing overhead and gives apps more direct control over video hardware. It’s not as easy to work with as OpenGL, but it should let developers wring more performance out of your phone’s processor. That could prove very important when you’d otherwise struggle to run a game on a lower-end phone, or want to get pretty, high-detail graphics on a shiny new flagship . It’ll be a while before Vulkan for Android is ready — the standard itself isn’t available, let alone Google’s implementation of it — but it should be worth the wait if your Android devices double as game consoles . Filed under: Cellphones , Gaming , Tablets , Mobile , Google Comments Source: Android Developers Blog , Imagination Technologies Tags: android, gaming, google, graphics, khronosgroup, mobilepostcross, opengl, smartphone, video, vulkan

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Your Android games are getting a software speed boost

Microsoft’s HoloLens headset will reach developers within a year

When Microsoft said that its HoloLens headset would arrive ” in the Windows 10 time frame , ” what did it mean, exactly? Thanks to a BBC interview with Satya Nadella, we now have a better sense of when this augmented reality eyewear will show up. The company chief expects developers and enterprise users to get the first version of HoloLens “within the next year” — you won’t be getting one as a holiday gift, folks. It’s not certain just when a personal version will launch, but Nadella describes the overall technology as a “5-year journey” that will eventually branch out to other fields. While that doesn’t necessarily leave you high and dry until 2020, it does suggest that you’ll have to be patient if you want to play some holographic Minecraft . Filed under: Displays , Wearables , Microsoft Comments Via: Piptell , The Verge Source: BBC

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Microsoft’s HoloLens headset will reach developers within a year

BMW wants you to know when traffic lights change

Traffic lights are supposed to help keep driving orderly, but they often create more tension than they resolve. How do you know that the green light won’t turn yellow before it’s too late to slow down? BMW thinks it can help. It’s the first automaker to offer in-car support for Connected Signals’ EnLighten iOS app, which predicts when lights will change based on position and speed. All you need to do is keep an eye on your car’s infotainment display — it’ll tell you whether or not you should hit the brakes. The software is useful even if you’re stopped, as it’ll use your turn signals to show when a necessary light will return to green. This is the definition of a luxury feature when you need a BMW with ConnectedDrive Services just to give it a shot, but it could be entirely worthwhile if it spares you from an accident or a ticket. Filed under: Cellphones , Transportation , Mobile Comments Via: Gizmag Source: BMW , Connected Signals

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BMW wants you to know when traffic lights change