Devices

 

BBC to Launch Digital Voice Assistant Next Year (BBC News)

It will not be a hardware device in its own right but is being designed to work on all smart speakers, TVs and mobiles. The plan is to activate it with the wake-word Beeb, although... More

Netflix Has Shipped 5 Billion Discs (Engadget)

Streaming dominates Netflix's universe, but don't think its disc-based service is dead yet - in fact, it just marked a big milestone. The other part of Netflix's business just ship... More

Instagram’s Latest Assault on Snapchat is a Messaging App called Threads (The Verge)

Facebook is developing a new messaging app called Threads that is meant to promote constant, intimate sharing between users and their closest friends, The Verge has learned. Thread... More

Three Quarters of U.S. Consumers Expect to Stream Video Via 5G (TV Technology)

As 5G rolls out internationally, a new report has found that there quarters of U.S. consumers say they will expand their video streaming activity as they adopt the new technology.... More

Report: Apple Will Unveil Overhauled MacBook Pro, ‘Pro’ iPhones This Fall (Ars Technica)

Apple has already had a busy year with the launch of the Apple Card and the reveal of the above-pictured Mac Pro, but it's about to get much, much busier. A new report by Bloomberg... More

Open Source Codecs, Wi-Fi 6 Will Transform In-Home Wi-Fi Video Performance (Technicolor Blog)

When it comes to connected home applications, video remains the all-important killer app for consumers. Network service provider (NSP) subscribers assume that they will have the ab... More

Sony Acquires Insomniac Games (CNET)

Sony has announced its acquisition of Insomniac Games. Insomniac, which has made games including Marvel's Spider-Man for the PS4, Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet and Clank, will join ... More

Netflix Adds Upcoming Titles Section to Its TV App (Variety)

Netflix is making it easier to keep track of all of its new releases: The company is adding a new “Latest” section to its TV app that includes both listings of newly released t... More

Apple Software Hints at Sept. 10 Announcement for the Next iPhone (CNBC)

The date for Apple’s newest iPhone announcement may be hidden in its latest beta release of its new operating system. Apple released its newest iOS 13 beta to developers on Thurs... More

Amazon Launches Custom Interfaces for Alexa Skills to Deepen Connections With Games, Gadgets (VentureBeat)

Amazon has maintained a steady focus on connecting home devices with its Echo smart speakers, from forging ties with more than 60,000 smart home devices to efforts to make Alexa a ... More

eSports Revenues to Top $5B in Five Years (Digital TV Europe)

Revenues from esports are expected to skyrocket from US$900 million in 2018 to US$5.05 billion in 2024. According to a new report, the revenue rise is set to be split between game ... More

British Airways Offering VR Entertainment on Flights (Engadget)

British Airways is set to trial VR entertainment on select first class flights from London Heathrow to New York JFK. From now until the end of the year, customers on these flights ... More

Adobe Fresco Brings the Joy of Painting to the iPad (The Verge)

Formerly called Project Gemini, Adobe Fresco’s main selling point is its Live brushes, which use Adobe Sensei’s AI platform to produce those realistic watercolor and oil paint ... More

Bringing Live 4K Streaming Sporting Events to Life at Scale (VDMS Blog)

Today, the vast majority of live and streaming content is either 720p or 1080p. Despite the widespread availability of affordable 4K screens, broadcasters are still struggling with... More

App Challenges Rise as People Spend More Time in Them (Media Post)

The average person will spend the majority of their time on a mobile device using apps rather than web browsers, with the average person spending 2:57 in apps vs. 0:26 on a mobile ... More

Apple’s AirPods Business is Bigger Than You Think (Fortune)

Apple's AirPods wireless earbuds may be small in size, but they're a huge business. This year, the company will sell 50 million AirPods, at $159 for a pair, according to Wedbush an... More

Apple Faces Life After iPhone (AdAge)

Apple generated less than half of its total quarterly revenue from sales of the iPhone for the first time since 2012—a sign the company is entering life beyond its flagship produ... More

Toshiba Launches New 2019 TVs With Dolby Vision HDR Support (TR)

Beginning with Toshiba’s flagship, the UL7A features an ELED (Edge Emitting LED) panel and supports Wide Colour Gamut (WCG), HDR10 and dynamic metadata in Dolby Vision HDR. Audio... More

TikTok’s Parent Company Confirms Plans for a Smartphone (Engadget)

Yes, the company behind TikTok really is making a smartphone. ByteDance has confirmed that's producing a handset in a "continuation" of a project from Chinese phone maker Smartisan... More

Apple Lost the 5G Battle, But Paid Intel $1B to Win the War (CNBC)

Apple may have lost the 5G battle to Qualcomm, but it’s now in a position to win the war. Apple said that it will buy Intel’s smartphone modem business, which includes several ... More

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