Rabu, 01 Mei 2019

Google opens Android infotainment system to third-party media apps - Engadget

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Now that Google has a full-fledged car infotainment platform in Android Automotive, it's opening the door to apps built for that platform. As of Google I/O, developers will have the power to create media apps for Android Automotive-equipped cars like the upcoming Polestar 2. It's using the same underlying framework as Android Auto, which should ensure that a favorite music or audiobook app will work properly across different touchscreen sizes and car customizations.

You'll have to wait a while for the first apps when the Polestar 2 doesn't arrive until 2020, and there aren't any publicly announced partners (although a preview graphic does show NPR One). Don't be surprised if the app ecosystem expands over the months ahead, though.

And yes, Google intends to open Android Automotive to more than just media apps. The company has "plans" to enable apps for navigation, communication "and beyond," so you might have alternatives if you don't care for Google Maps or need a third-party internet calling service. The aim is ultimately to create an app ecosystem for cars that more closely resembles what you see on phones, rather than another take on the walled-off environments you see today.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/01/android-automotive-third-party-media-apps/

2019-05-01 17:03:12Z
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Google will soon let you auto-delete your location tracking data - The Verge

Google is introducing a new feature for your Google account that will allow you to automatically delete your Location History and Web and App Activity data after a set period of time. You’ll be able to delete the data after either three or 18 months, and it will then continue to be deleted on a rolling basis over time.

The search giant’s location tracking practices got it into trouble last year when it emerged that Google would continue to track you even when you turn off the Location History setting. In order to entirely stop your location from being tracked, you need to dig through your settings to also turn off the “Web and App Activity” setting. The feature being announced today deletes data for both, meaning that it should cover every bit of the location history data Google holds on you.

Google says it’s rolling out the new feature worldwide “in the coming weeks” and that it will be available in addition to the existing options that allow you to delete this data manually. The company also mentions that Location History and Web and App Activity data are the first two bits of user data the feature will be available for, suggesting that the option might soon be available for more of your data.

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/1/18525384/google-location-tracking-data-auto-delete-history-app-and-activity-data-3-18-months

2019-05-01 17:00:00Z
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Huawei topples Apple as smartphone shipments fall again - TechRadar

Huawei was the only major smartphone manufacturer to increase its market share during the first quarter of 2019, defying industry-wide challenges to overtake Apple and close the gap on leader Samsung.

New figures form IDC suggest Huawei saw shipments rise by 50.3 per cent year-on-year to 59.1 million units. This gives the Chinese manufacturer a market share of 19 per cent.

Meanwhile Samsung saw shipments fall by 8.1 per cent to 71.9 million. The firm says sales of the flagship of the higher margin Galaxy S10 have been encouraging, but there has been less success in the mid-range segments This has affected market share which has slipped to 23.1 per cent.

Smartphone sales

Samsung is confident the a refreshed ‘Galaxy A’ portfolio will guard against any further encroachment from Huawei in the mid-range, but analysts say it should not lose focus.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that Huawei is laser focused on growing its stature in the world of mobile devices, with smartphones being its lead horse," said IDC’s Ryan Reith.

“The overall smartphone market continues to be challenged in almost all areas, yet Huawei was able to grow shipments by 50%, not only signifying a clear number two in terms of market share but also closing the gap on the market leader Samsung. This new ranking of Samsung, Huawei, and Apple is very likely what we'll see when 2019 is all said and done."

Apple itself saw units fall by 30.4 per cent to 36.4 million, reducing its share to 11.7 per cent. Apple’s service revenue is helping to offset falls in hardware, but a lack of foldable and 5G handsets could count against it later in 2019. Apple’s first 5G iPhone isn’t expected until 2020.

Elsewhere, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo make up the top six.

Overall, the market contracted for the sixth consecutive quarter, with consumers taking longer to refresh their handsets.

"Consumers continue to hold on to their phones longer than before as newer higher priced models offer little incentive to shell out top dollar to upgrade,” added IDC’s Anthony Scarsella. “Moreover, the pending arrival of 5G handsets could have consumers waiting until both the networks and devices are ready for prime time in 2020."

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https://www.techradar.com/news/huawei-topples-apple-as-smartphone-shipments-fall-again

2019-05-01 15:22:00Z
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Apple Is No Longer the iPhone Company - Tom's Guide

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  1. Apple Is No Longer the iPhone Company  Tom's Guide
  2. Apple iPhone sales drop, but services and wearables offer a boost  CNET
  3. AirPods, HomePod and Apple Watch sales 'off the charts', according to Apple  TechRadar
  4. Apple Q2 2019 earnings: all about iPhones and services  Quartz
  5. Five ways Apple is responding to falling iPhone sales  ZDNet
  6. View full coverage on Google News

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/apple-q2-results-strategy,news-29975.html

2019-05-01 15:15:22Z
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Apple market cap back near trillion dollars on strong services business - Fox Business

Apple shares are rallying, pushing the company's market value back to the trillion dollar level, after its services business fueled better-than-expected results in the second quarter, with initiatives such as a new subscription news service offsetting lower demand for its flagship iPhone. However, revenue fell compared to the same period one year ago.

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The company reported quarterly revenue of $58 billion, topping the $57.37 billion expected by analysts polled by Refinitiv, but down 5 percent compared to the same period one year ago. Apple posted second-quarter earnings per share of $2.46, beating a projected $2.36, but that was a decline of 10 percent year-over-year.

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Apple's services segment, which also includes Apple Music, Apple Pay and the iCloud, posted revenue of $11.45 billion. Analysts expected services revenue of $11.37 billion. Revenue from iPhone sales was $31 billion, roughly in line with expectations but a decline of 17 percent year-over-year. Sales of iPads and wearables devices such as the Apple Watch increased.

“Our March quarter results show the continued strength of our installed base of over 1.4 billion active devices, as we set an all-time record for Services, and the strong momentum of our Wearables, Home and Accessories category, which set a new March quarter record,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.

“We delivered our strongest iPad growth in six years, and we are as excited as ever about our pipeline of innovative hardware, software and services. We’re looking forward to sharing more with developers and customers at Apple’s 30th annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June," he said.

Apple provided third-quarter revenue guidance of between $52.5 billion and $54.5 billion, easily topping Wall Street's expectations.

The company's stronger-than-anticipated results came amid scrutiny of the health of its iPhone business, which has long served as Apple's primary revenue driver. Apple issued a rare warning ahead of its first-quarter results, noting that it was seeing decreased demand for the iPhone in China.

In the second quarter, Apple's revenue for Greater China declined 22 percent to $10.2 billion. Revenue rose slightly year-over-year in the Americas and Japan and sank slightly in Europe.

During a conference call, Cook said Apple has seen a "positive response" to price discounts in the Greater China market, adding that the company has seen an "encouraging trend" in iPhone demand globally heading into the third quarter.

"We certainly feel a lot better than we did 90 days ago," Cook said regarding the iPhone business.

Apple stopped disclosing iPhone unit sales last November, arguing that the once-key metric was no longer the best representation of its success given recent emphasis on services. The company unveiled a trio of new subscription services related to television, news and games in March.

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The iPhone maker said it would conduct an additional $75 billion in share repurchases and declared a cash dividend of $0.77 per share of common stock, up 5 percent from last year. Dividends will be paid out on May 16.

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https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/apples-services-business-strong-as-earnings-revenue-top-expectations

2019-05-01 14:03:45Z
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Moment's big Pro Camera update brings its Android app up to speed - Engadget

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Moment has announced its biggest ever update for Pro Camera, which adds a bunch of cool new features to the app, and brings the Android version up to parity. And to celebrate, if you download the app for the first time you'll get 15 percent off in the Moment Shop, which carries more than 20 photography and travel brands.

First up, on the Android side of things, there's the addition of split focus and exposure, RGB histogram and the ability to capture both a RAW and JPG image in RAW mode, which means you'll be able to preview a RAW image a whole lot faster. The Android version has also got a few general performance improvements, camera roll redesign and improved OnePlus and Samsung S10 device support. The company even made an impressively aesthetic video showing off what can be done through the app with the S10.

New features for both iOS and Android include zebra stripes and focus peaking. With zebra stripes you'll be able to see at a glance, through the viewfinder, over and underexposed areas of a shot. With focus peaking, you can dial in focus in both photo and video mode, and when you're manually focusing you'll see the sharpest edges highlighted in the viewfinder, so you can be sure your image is crisp in all the right places. Get it on iOS for $5.99 and Android for $3.99.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/01/moment-pro-camera-update-android-app-features/

2019-05-01 13:00:22Z
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Moment overhauls its camera app with even more manual controls - The Verge

Moment has updated its iOS and Android camera apps with a swathe of new features to give you both more control and more information about your photos and videos. What started as little more than a software companion to Moment’s range of smartphone lenses has since evolved into a capable camera app in its own right. With today’s update, Moment has gained more of the features of other advanced camera apps like the iOS-exclusive Halide and Filmic Pro.

Both the iOS and Android versions of the Moment app are getting new visual cues designed to show you which areas of your image are correctly exposed and in focus. Zebra stripes show any under or over-exposed parts of an image, while focus peaking shows which areas of the image are sharp.

On Android, users are getting a couple of extra features in this update. The most useful of these is the ability to set separate focus and exposure points in an image. For example, you could expose an image for a background while still focussing on an object in the foreground. You can also now save images in both RAW and JPG file formats simultaneously, and there’s a new RGB histogram to give you a better idea of your video color, balance, and exposure levels at a glance. Finally, Samsung and OnePlus owners will benefit from better device support with this update.

The Moment camera app is available on both iOS and Android where it now costs a single upfront fee of $5.99 or $3.99 respectively on both. Moment is running a 15-percent sale in its store for any new customers who download the app, making it cheaper to pick up one of the company’s lenses or smartphone accessories from other manufacturers.

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/1/18525085/moment-camera-app-update-focus-exposure-points-zebra-peaking-rgb-histogram-raw-jpg

2019-05-01 13:00:00Z
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