Worldwide sales of personal computers are projected to slump for a fourth consecutive year, according to a new report from the International Data Corporation. The report estimates that PC shipments will decline by 6.2 percent this year. While the upcoming Windows 10 release may encourage some computer users to upgrade their PCs, any jump is expected to be temporary, notes Digital Trends, “as consumers will continue to prioritize mobile devices — namely phones, tablets, and smartwatches like the Apple Watch — over standard desktops or laptops brandishing the Windows logo.”
Facing a decline in download sales, Apple plans to launch a competitor to Spotify and other music streaming services. The announcement will likely be made at next week’s Worldwide Developers Conference. In 2003, the iTunes Music Store revolutionized how consumers buy music. While Apple currently sells about 80-85 percent of global music downloads, music consumption has changed, and the company only has a small fraction of the streaming business. Meanwhile, Spotify accounts for 86 percent of on-demand music streaming in the United States. Continue reading Apple Plans Music Streaming Service to Compete with Spotify
Kollekt.fm is a Dutch-based playlist generator that allows users to collect and play music from blogs, Facebook, Soundcloud and YouTube via a single interface. The platform does not host any music, but streams content from partner services. It also includes social features that allow users to follow what others are listening to and access new feeds such as ‘Cosmic Disco’ and ‘DJ Kicks.’ “While the service isn’t new, the creators have introduced a handy new ‘feeds’ feature, which allows users to listen to infinite, highly curated playlists that combine personal listening preferences with those of music tastemakers,” reports Digital Trends.
Introduced at CES Asia, Cool Glass One is a new wearable similar to Google Glass from Chinese company Beijing Palo Alto Tech. The wearable is slated for online ordering in August for about $330-$500. “It has a touchpad on the side, allowing users to control the device by swiping through an interface displayed onscreen,” explains Business Insider. “There is also a camera, which takes photos and records 1080p HD video.” According to the short video report, the glasses can charge in a mere 15 minutes and are currently only available for mobile phones using Android systems.
According to a new report by broadband networking company Sandvine, Netflix continues to dominate North American Internet traffic. The streaming service currently accounts for 36.5 percent of downstream fixed network traffic during peak evening hours. YouTube also accounts for a significant share with 15.56 percent of peak downstream traffic. The report notes traffic growth for HBO and Amazon Instant Video, while BitTorrent file-sharing traffic is declining, accounting for 6.3 percent of total traffic in North America. Continue reading Netflix Continues to Dominate Internet Traffic in North America
While Netflix and YouTube combined account for roughly half of all Internet bandwidth consumed during peak hours in North America, the latest projections from Cisco suggest even greater growth for online video. The company predicts that in five years, video will be responsible for 80 percent of the world’s Internet consumption (and 85 percent in the U.S.). Cisco explains that the growth will be the result of cord-cutting, mobile expansion, Internet users consuming more (and higher quality) video, and an increase in the overall number of global users. Continue reading Cisco Projects 80 Percent of Internet Will Be Video by 2019
Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group unveiled its Project Jacquard initiative at Google I/O last week. The goal of the project is to invisibly integrate computers into wearables and other materials, objects, furniture, and more. The idea is that everyday items could be converted to interactive surfaces with the introduction of touch-sensitive fabric. The objects would then transmit info to a smartphone or other device via Wi-Fi. The company’s first partner is Levi Strauss, which is interested in creating jeans that fit into our digital lives. Continue reading Google to Partner with Levi’s on Interactive Clothing Project
Qualcomm announced that its Snapdragon 810 CPU and Adreno 430 GPU will power Google’s next generation Project Tango smartphone, coming out in the third quarter of 2015. The new phone promises to offer the same capabilities of the Nvidia-powered Project Tango tablet, but in a smaller form factor. “We’re excited to work together with Google and Android developers to help deliver new, innovative visual experiences using depth-sensing technology on mobile devices,” said Raj Talluri, SVP of product management, Qualcomm. Continue reading Qualcomm Tech to Power Next-Gen Project Tango Smartphone
Congress allowed three counterterrorism laws to expire just after midnight last night, which will impact how the NSA conducts wiretaps and requests records from businesses. However, there is a grandfather clause for investigations that began prior to June 1 and the FBI could still use a grand jury subpoena to obtain records in most terrorism-related cases. “The fact that Congress allowed the laws to lapse — the most important of them is the purported legal basis for the bulk records collection program — is an extraordinary moment in the story of the tensions between post-9/11 policies and privacy rights,” suggests The New York Times.
According to The Wall Street Journal, “The Senate on Sunday advanced legislation ending the National Security Agency’s collection of millions of Americans’ telephone records in a key test vote, setting up its passage later this week, in a reversal for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and a victory for the White House.” Yesterday, the Senate voted 77-17 in favor of the House bill (last week the measure was three votes short of advancing). McConnell said the bill is “not ideal,” but “it’s now the only realistic way forward.” The newly proposed U.S.A. Freedom Act would replace the 2001 Patriot Act, provisions of which expired last night.
New York Judge Louis Stanton has ruled that music streaming service Pandora must pay BMI a royalty of 2.5 percent of revenue through next year. The new figure represents a 43 percent increase over the previous fee. “Pandora had sought to pay between 1.70 percent and 1.85 percent of revenue,” reports Inside Radio. “The closely watched trial was the latest confrontation in an ongoing battle over royalty payments between Pandora and the songwriters and composers who create the music.” Pandora tried to be recognized as a radio station owner in order to qualify for a lower royalty rate, but the maneuver was not successful.
Although somewhat lacking in major device announcements, this week’s Google I/O developers conference featured some interesting news. Google unveiled Android M with simplified permissions, support for its Android Pay mobile payments system, and a promised boost to battery life and charging times. As expected, the company announced Project Brillo, its “underlying operating system for the Internet of Things,” and Google Now, which aims to “make the smartphone smarter.” The company also introduced Google Photos and a new version of its Google Cardboard VR viewer. Continue reading Google Unveils Android M, Project Brillo, Google Now and More
Periscope, Twitter’s new mobile live streaming app (and Meerkat competitor), is starting to draw the attention of advertisers and programmers. The app, which Twitter purchased this year for a reported $100 million, allows users to live stream content directly to and from their smartphones. The app was initially released only for iOS devices, but went live on Android phones this week. VH1 recently used the social tool to promote the wedding of two stars on “Love & Hip Hop” by providing users access to the ceremony’s red carpet arrival. Continue reading Now Live on Android, Periscope Part of New Social Strategies
Reports recently surfaced that Twitter has been in talks this year to purchase Flipboard, in a deal that would value the company at more than $1 billion. The acquisition would bring an experienced product team to Twitter as well as an heir apparent to CEO Dick Costolo in Flipboard co-founder Mike McCue. However, updates to the news have suggested that talks between the two companies have stalled, and other companies, including Google and Yahoo have since had discussions about possibly acquiring the newsreader app. Continue reading Interest in Acquiring Flipboard Heats Up with Tech Companies
Official FIDO certification for 31 products — from physical devices to login services — has been issued to 18 companies, marking the first certification under the new spec that aims to foster alternatives to password authentication and provide new opportunities for interoperating services. Systems compatible with FIDO can accept logins from any certified device, such as a fingerprint reader or voiceprint detector. Google’s all-purpose login service was certified as a universal two-factor server, and Yubico received certification for two USB security keys. Continue reading FIDO Certification is First Step for a World Without Passwords