Apple’s iPhone 5 sold more than two million units on its first day of pre-orders, doubling the sales record of the iPhone 4S.
“Despite widespread leaks rendering Apple’s latest flagship announcement a somewhat less exciting event than it perhaps could have been, it doesn’t seem that many purchasing decisions were affected,” reports The Verge.
“AT&T notes that the iPhone 5 has moved more overall units at this point than previous models, too, nullifying any suspicions that possible supply constraints may have accounted for the quick sell-through,” adds the post.
AT&T had a great consumer response for the new handset. “AT&T set a sales record with iPhone 5 over the weekend, making it the fastest-selling iPhone the company has ever offered. Customers ordered more iPhones from AT&T than any previous model both on its first day of pre-orders and over the weekend,” the company said.
Apple has sold out of its initial stock, which will be delivered by September 21st. Some pre-orders have been delayed two weeks and won’t be shipped until October, according to Apple.
Curators at the National Media Museum in Bradford, England believe they have discovered the world’s first color moving pictures.
Dating from 1902, the discovery may be a breakthrough in cinema history.
“The newly-discovered films were made by pioneer Edward Raymond Turner from London who patented his color process on 22 March 1899,” reports BBC News. The previous earliest color film was thought to date from 1909.
“Turner shot the test films in 1902 but his pioneering work ended abruptly when he died suddenly of a heart attack,” explains the post, which includes a video sample of the color footage.
“Race for Colour,” a half-hour special will air on BBC One today and will be available on BBC iPlayer during the next week. The special includes comments from filmmaker Martin Scorsese who describes the discovery as “something very unique and very, very special.”
Google should be worried about Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HD, suggests Business Insider: “Amazon’s Fire software is built using Google’s Android, but it cuts out Google search, which is how Google makes money.”
Most Android devices have a Google search bar on the device’s home screen, allowing the company to make money when people search for things to buy.
However, Android is an open system and can be altered. Amazon decided to eliminate the Google search bar on the Kindle Fire HD, opting instead to put in its own version of search that points customers directly to the Amazon store.
“Amazon now has a tablet that is cheaper than the Nexus 7 (the $159 Kindle Fire), as well as a tablet that is slightly more expensive than the Nexus 7, but appears to deliver more bang for the buck (the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD for $299),” notes BI. “Both are powered by Amazon’s variation of Android, which can easily just point directly to Amazon as a first option for any search query.”
“Amazon represents a two-fold problem for Google,” explains the article. “It’s eating up the most lucrative part of Google’s search business, while at the same time building a new rival operating system using Android, which Google invests heavily in.”
A new start-up hopes to change the VR game, providing a rich virtual gaming experience that could set it apart from other early failures.
Called the Oculus Rift, this new prototype accrued almost $2.5 million on Kickstarter by selling 10,000 game developer kits worldwide. The project has been backed by “Doom” and “Quake” creator John Carmack and Brenden Iribe, a former Autodesk, Scaleform and Gaikai executive.
“The most striking thing about the experience is the sheer depth of the stereoscopic image, which wraps around the field of view without the eye-crossing, headache-inducing out-of-sync effect that sometimes comes with 3D glasses or viewing a head-mounted LCD too closely,” writes Ars Technica.
“The creators told me that this is a result of the Rift’s optics… Those optics also help improve the Rift’s resolution where it’s needed most, increasing the functional pixel density in the center of the view, where your eyes naturally rest, while decreasing it on the periphery.”
The creators have focused on providing “incredibly smooth” head tracking, hoping to eventually get the refresh rate down to single digit milliseconds from 15-30 milliseconds by the time final consumer units are ready. Iribe says this refresh rate enables games to run faster than the current 60 frames per second, “which would lead to a noticeable improvement in the realism of the world the Rift immerses you in,” the article states.
The costs for small, thin, high-resolution, hi-def screens have gone down with the mobile expansion. This enables Rift to offer improved screens at a reasonable price. The team is also working to reduce the weight to make the device more comfortable and wearable.
Ars Technica did note that the games still require controllers for navigation. The team hopes developers will create new control schemes for the Rift.
According to a newly published patent application, Microsoft could very well be planning to take console gaming to the next level, adding a “peripheral image” around the room while users play, providing a 360-degree view of the game.
The application for an “immersive display experience” was “published by the U.S. Patent Office last week after being filed back in early 2011,” writes Ars Technica. “It describes a standard video game system with a connected ‘environmental display’ capable of projecting a panoramic image that ‘appears to surround the user.'”
It would not replace the TV, but would instead enhance the experience by adding to its periphery.
“The depth-sensing camera described in the patent application aids the environmental projector by sensing the layout and topography of the room,” Ars Technica explains. “This allows the projector to provide color and distortion correction, so the projected images look correct even when cast against different walls and pieces of furniture.”
This could be revolutionary for interactive gaming whether this specific design comes to life or not, notes the article. It could open the door for innovation, leading to gaming that doesn’t require users to face a singular screen.
Nintendo is set to release its next-generation console in the U.S. on November 18. The Wii U proves that Nintendo has more than just videogames in mind for its future.
“It has always been our goal to maximize consumer value with what we include in the hardware purchase,” says Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America. “It’s not just a high-definition console that will change the way people play. Wii U is the only game console with a seamlessly connected, fully integrated second screen.”
The Wii U will include the Nintendo TVii service, which is “akin to Microsoft’s efforts in program discoverability on the Xbox 360” in that users will be able to stream programming from Netflix, Hulu and other services to their TV, including live streaming with a cable subscription, explains Variety.
“The service will be the most useful for those who continue to pay for cable or satellite TV, along with other on-demand services, making it very comparable what Microsoft’s Xbox provides today,” explains AllThingsD in a related report.
All of this will be managed through the Wii U tablet-like controller, which functions as a second screen online device once programming has started.
The Wii U’s GamePad can be used as a second screen device. “Additionally, short video segments, or thumbnails, can be viewed from the device, which can be shared with friends via Twitter, Facebook or the Wii U’s social network called Miiverse,” writes AllThingsD.
Nintendo will launch two version of the system. The Basic will cost $300 and the Deluxe will cost $350.
Apple’s new iPhone 5 features an 8-megapixel camera that also shoots 1080p HD video. The camera touts an LED flash, face detection and can take wide panoramic shots.
According to Businessweek, this makes the iPhone camera equal to many available point-and-shoot cameras.
But it goes beyond that, offering “the things people care about — sharing photos, using filters, and having a device by their side at all times,” which “trump most of the features and settings camera makers offer with their standalone products,” suggests the article.
In other words, the point-and-shoot industry may be in even more trouble than before.
“The introduction of a stronger camera in the iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch — which comes with a very camera-like wrist strap, just to drive home the point Apple is making about how they think people will use that device — is just another step on the point-and-shoot’s accelerating journey to obsolescence,” writes Businessweek.
“In the near few months, Apple will see sales of its iPhone soar, and in record numbers. In the longer term, Android will not be affected all that much and we’ll likely see the platform pulling closer to 60 percent market share or greater,” writes blogger Scott Webster for CNET.
“Less expensive phones, more hardware options, and a wider variety of carrier options will see that Android continues its growth. In other words, it’s the same today as it was in 2009.”
Although he admits that the iPhone 5 adds some noteworthy improvements to Apple’s handset line, “there’s nothing in the iPhone 5 that puts it far above the competition,” Webster suggests. “The larger 4-inch display and 4G LTE connectivity are two of the biggest, and only improvements over last year’s model, yet it’s still a matter of catching up to the industry. Android users have enjoyed these features in one capacity or the other for the better part of two years now.”
Apple has already seen a drop in the smartphone market share, but still continues making record profits. Unlike previous iPhone launches where Apple “was able to extend its reach to new markets, carriers, and consumers… there’s very little room to grow and tap into a new segment of customer,” notes Webster.
On the other hand, other smartphones are becoming more competitive with rich features, improved interfaces and low price tags, the post states, noting that Android phones even offer things that the new iPhone 5 doesn’t, like NFC support or quad-core processors.
“I didn’t see anything that would send an Android handset maker scrambling to respond,” Webster concludes. “Along those lines, I’m hard-pressed to find someone who saw something in the iPhone 5 that will have them defect from Android.”
Despite early mixed reviews of the iPhone 5, Apple reportedly sold out its initial inventory of the new handset within an hour of preorders opening.
The device is set to launch September 21, but after an hour of accepting preorders, Apple’s website explained to customers that new orders would be available to ship in two weeks.
Carriers are also taking orders for the new iPhone, but so far have not changed their shipping dates, suggesting they may still have sufficient inventory for the demand.
The iPhone 5 is an expensive endeavor for carriers and some have experienced a dip in revenue projections. Apple, on the other hand, saw its stock again soar to a new record, $696.98.
“The iPhone 5 is critical to Apple’s continued success,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Not only have the phones powered Apple to become the world’s largest company by value, they have become the bedrock of the company’s mobile-device strategy. Software in the iPad tablet computer is shared with the iPhone, largely intertwining the fate of both devices.”
“Apple is charging $199 for the cheapest iPhone 5 if customers sign up for a new two-year contract with their carriers,” notes the article, adding the rollout is Apple’s most aggressive to date, with plans to reach 100 countries by the end of the year. “The company is also selling a version of its year-old iPhone 4S for $99. The iPhone 4, launched in 2010, is being offered free.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Spencer E. Ante met with Google co-founder Sergey Brin to try out Project Glass, the augmented reality glasses that have drawn a lot of media attention and recently graced the runway at a Diane von Furstenberg fashion show.
“The glasses were ultimately disappointing because the software isn’t finished,” Ante reports. “Much of the basic functionality that Google is building toward for the first commercial release later next year wasn’t working.” However, “I could see their long-term potential,” he adds. “The device fit well.”
Google Glass uses a battery on the side of the frame to power a tiny camera and “heads-up display” that projects data into the user’s field of vision via a small screen over the right eye. “It was cool to see the information there in front of my right eye, though a little disorienting. I kept closing my left eye, which was uncomfortable,” Ante writes.
He notes that taking pictures without pulling out his smartphone was a nice feature, one that Brin frequently uses when playing with his kids.
“I have always disliked the feeling that with technology I am spending a lot of my time and attention managing it,” Brin told WSJ. “The notion of seamlessly having access to your digital world without disrupting the real world is very important.”
The project still has a long way to go before it is fully functional and ready for next year’s initial release to “hard-core fans who shelled out $1,500 on pre-order.”
In addition to lowering the cost, Ante wants to see Google make the software open to developers in order to build apps.
“We definitely like to make things open but right now we are working hard and fast to make something reliable we can get in the hands of users and developers,” Brin said. “I expect lots and lots of people will be using technology like this in years to come.”
As DVD sales continue to slump, Hollywood looks for ways to monetize digital movies. A new product called M-Go is the latest hope.
M-Go, set to launch later in the fall, is a “cloud/locker app/service backed by DreamWorks Animation and Technicolor, that will be part digital storefront, part digital discovery service,” reports AllThingsD.
Last week, the company announced distribution deals with Sony, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox. The app is pre-installed on a number of Samsung and Vizio products, along with Intel Ultrabook computers, and will work on most Internet-connected devices.
“Consumers will be able to use M-Go to purchase movies (and eventually TV shows, and perhaps, one day, music) and watch them wherever they’d like — on connected TVs, PCs and mobile phones,” explains the article.
M-Go will be compatible with UltraViolet, another of Hollywood’s hopefuls trying to solve the same problem. It’s worth noting that Disney is currently not a part of M-Go or UltraViolet, and is pursuing its own Keystone technology to address the issue.
UltraViolet may have found what it needs to set itself apart from competitors: Dolby Digital Plus audio encoding, which will be a staple feature of its Common File Format.
“A newly ready development kit lets producers feed the multichannel sound to hardware and apps that can recognize it, including Web-based avenues like Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft’s Smooth Streaming and MPEG’s DASH,” explains Engadget.
Dolby is taking care to ensure that the “audio codec’s implementation truly spans platforms,” notes the post.
“A new era in entertainment has begun with UltraViolet, and Dolby is working closely with the content community to ensure that consumers of UltraViolet content can enjoy optimized sound no matter what content, service, or device they choose,” said Ron Geller, vice president of worldwide content relations at Dolby.
“We don’t know how soon movies will take advantage of the upgrade, but the Dolby addition lends weight to a fledgling format that might have as fierce a battle in home theaters as it does on PCs and tablets,” concludes Engadget.
DirecTV has expanded the distribution of its Audience Network to the iPad, “allowing subscribers to access the channel both inside and outside their homes,” writes FierceCable.
The top satellite TV provider also “pushed cable programmers to give it rights to allow subscribers to access live programming on mobile devices,” according to the article.
It already allows live programming from 60 networks from within customers’ homes on TVs and sometimes on mobile devices within the home, but rarely if ever outside the home.
“While DirecTV faces challenges obtaining out-of-home rights to programming, the company is already developing products such as the Nomad place-shifting set-top that could be used to deliver programming to subscribers wherever they are,” reports FierceCable. “And it filed a trademark application for the brand Grab & Go for use in mobile video and DVR products on August 30.”
DirecTV plans to expand its live video distribution of Audience Network to the iPhone in October and to Android devices by the end of the year.
Local retailers in California anticipate an exciting development Saturday, as Amazon customers in the state will have to begin paying sales tax on purchases.
Customers in Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, Indiana and South Carolina will all pay taxes on Amazon purchases by 2016.
To counter the loss of this competitive advantage, Amazon plans to build million-square-foot warehouses in these states to minimize shipping times and convince customers to continue to shop online rather than locally.
Customers in Washington, New York, Kentucky, North Dakota, Kansas, Texas and Pennsylvania already pay sales tax on Amazon purchases.
The warehouses will allow Amazon to cut shipping times to one day, but Amazon still hopes to reach same-day shipping at some point. Amazon faces the challenge of improving shipping times while also staying profitable.
Currently, Amazon makes less than a penny for each dollar in sales, so it will need to make its fast delivery efficient if it hopes to make any profits.
At the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hinted at a search function for Facebook, leaving attendees with the “impression that Facebook thinks it has a bigger role to play in how we seek out information online,” writes Wired.
Zuckerberg said he believes there’s a significant market out there for people to use Facebook as a search tool.
“Search engines are really evolving toward giving you a set of answers,” he said. “It’s not just like ‘I’ll type in something and show me some relevant stuff.’ It’s, ‘I have a specific question, answer this question for me.’”
“Facebook is pretty uniquely positioned to answer the questions people have: ‘What sushi restaurants have my friends gone to in New York in the past six months and liked?’ ‘Which of my friends and friends of friends work at this company I’m interested in… so I can talk to them about what it’s like to work there?’” explains Zuckerberg.
“Zuckerberg also made clear he sees another big opportunity in mobile,” reports Wired. “He said Facebook believes it can make more money on mobile than it does on the desktop, and that mobile users are more likely to be active every day than desktop users.”
