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Saturday, August 29, 2015

Inside Google's master plan for faster, sharper streaming video - CNET

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California -- We've all been there: After clicking or tapping a YouTube link, we're greeted with a long wait, then video marred by blurry details and distracting blocky patterns.
Google has been trying to improve the situation with technology called VP9 that compresses the video data so they can move across networks faster. And with a successor called VP10 due in a couple of years, it's promising an even bigger boost to image quality -- not just sharper images, but also richer color and a better ability to span from bright highlights to dark shadows.
Google's free-to-use VP technology is the proverbial underdog to the established standard for data compression, known as H.264. But it is getting new attention because of new patent fee problems afflicting its major rival for next-gen video, a technology called HEVC or H.265. What's shaping up is a potential battle for how video gets compressed and distributed.
Compression standards and video patents are arcane matters, but they matter to anyone who watches video -- which is to say just about everybody. Video compression is crucial to the shift from DVDs and Blu-ray discs to online video; to the arrival of video services like HBO Now that let people cancel expensive cable TV subscriptions; and to the livelihoods of Michelle Phan and other YouTube stars that younger viewers watch on smartphones and Web browsers. Figuring out the right standard that everyone can agree on is a critical step in ensuring that "House of Cards" streams to your television crisply and clearly.
Compared to H.264, VP9 roughly halves the network capacity needed to send video of a certain quality. And in an interview here at Google headquarters, engineering product manager James Bankoski revealed that Google expects a similar improvement with the forthcoming VP10. "We are trying to cut it in half again," Bankoski said.

VP9 and VP10 are no shoo-ins. HEVC still has major momentum, especially when it comes to broad support extending to cameras, smartphone processors, Blu-ray discs and other domains beyond streaming video. And significant players including network giant Cisco Systems and Firefox maker Mozilla chose to launch their own HEVC/H.265 alternatives rather than rely on Google.
But Google is trying to move fast with its compression technology. Already this month, Google engineers began adding the first VP10 changes to the VPx software project.
"We're hoping to hit the performance target by the end of next year," Bankoski said. It'll take some time after that for Google's hardware and software partners to bring their VP10 support to market after that.


Inside Google's master plan for faster, sharper streaming video - CNET

Friday, August 28, 2015

Living with USB-C | Android Central

I was working in a mobile tech store when microUSB began its slow dominance of the mobile ecosystem. Everyone I worked with at the time glared at the massive wall of barrel connectors, weird plastic plugs with copper bits on the sides, and those huge 20-pin plugs with equal degrees of hatred. MicroUSB changed all of that, and eventually made it possible for almost every phone and tablet to use the same connector over the last couple of years.
It's been a good run, but after using what comes after microUSB for the last few weeks I am finally ready to say goodbye to this industry-changing port and welcome USB-C as the way of the future.
USB-C


Living with USB-C | Android Central

New Nexus 5 Leaked Specs and iPhone 6s Camera Upgrades

Tested In-Depth: Pebble Time Smartwatch

Multiple Sources Now Indicate That Android Wear Will Launch For iOS Soon

Android Wear support for iOS has been rumored for some time now. It seems as though the Apple Watch will be getting a bit of competition on its home turf soon - something I'm surprised Apple, in its infinite wisdom, will be allowing into the shiny aluminum walls of the App Store.

Research finds falling consumer interest in wearables

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Grim forecast for computer, tablet sales takes a turn for the worse - CNET

When was the last time you were excited about a tablet or PC?
That's an enduring question the consumer electronics industry has to grapple with, and the news isn't getting any better: Research firm IDC on Wednesday forecast that sales of both products will fall faster than previously expected. PC shipments are expected to tumble 8.7 percent this year, and won't stabilize until 2017. Tablets, meanwhile, will see an 8 percent decline in shipments.
The sobering forecast underscores a broader problem in the industry: an overall lack of excitement and enthusiasm in either the tablet or PC markets. Consumers are hanging onto their old PCs and tablets longer -- and why not? There have been few innovations in the tablet business to drive a new purchase, and the 3-year-old Window 8 software for laptops and desktops was never much of a lure. Microsoft's decision to offer free upgrades to its new Windows 10 software, which debuted in late July, meant most consumers didn't need a new device to take advantage of its latest bells and whistles.
The PC business has struggled for years as consumers and businesses spent their money elsewhere, including smartphones. But the market has also been beset by a glut of inventory, a lack of new models and a spike in the currency exchange rate that made the devices even pricier. As a result, IDC said it sees the market slowing further next year before showing a "modest recovery" in 2017.


Grim forecast for computer, tablet sales takes a turn for the worse - CNET

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Samsung on Galaxy Note 5's broken stylus slot: read the manual | The Verge



Samsung on Galaxy Note 5's broken stylus slot: read the manual | The Verge

New wave of Android Wear watches aims to make up for lost time - CNET

Can't get enough of smartwatches? Well, a whole new batch is on its way.
Asus, Huawei, LG and Motorola will introduce their newest smartwatches next week at the IFA electronics trade show in Berlin, according to people familiar with the companies' launch plans. The devices will all run Google's Android Wear software, which was created to power wearable products like smartwatches.
You might be forgiven if you don't remember Android Wear, which Google introduced last year with much fanfare, but which hasn't resulted in any blockbuster products. Next week's releases will mark the second big wave of Android Wear devices, following on from that dismal showing in 2014. Android powers the vast majority of the world's smartphones, and Google and its partners are hoping for similar success in the burgeoning market for wearables.


New wave of Android Wear watches aims to make up for lost time - CNET

Google Chromebook Pixel 2 is ready to be your work laptop [REVIEW]



Google Chromebook Pixel 2 is ready to be your work laptop [REVIEW]