3d illusion arts: Walyou

Walyou

The new Apple TV is coming out mid-2015
Pioneer are making Android Auto happen
Mlais M52 Keeps Redmi Note and M1 Note in Check
Google, Intel and TAG Heuer Team Up Against the Apple Watch

The new Apple TV is coming out mid-2015

Posted: 23 Mar 2015 08:00 AM PDT

Apple’s set-top box, the Apple TV, is getting a major hardware update this year, and will bring new functionalities to the table.

Apple’s set-top box, the Apple TV is set to evolve and get an upgrade, which will be revealed at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), according to the website Buzzfeed, who have in turn gotten this information from inside sources. This new announcement will come along with a new software development kit which will in turn allow the box to run apps via the App Store, similar to the iPhone and iPad.

Ever since the original Apple TV debuted, Apple wanted to bring iTunes content to the users’ televisions but were refocused to do streaming instead – the latest version which dates from 2012. This version already offers access to iTunes and a few apps (namely YouTube and HBO Go), where users can purchase, rent and stream a variety of media. Apple is getting ready to double the bet on this system, though, and have agreed with HBO to release HBO Now on it next month, being the only device where users will be able to watch, for example, the latest Game of Thrones season without traditional cable.

Sine its inception, the Apple TV has gone down in price, and is now retailing for $69 USD across stores. Apple seems set on making it relevant again getting ready to launch a service later this year so users can stream shows from major networks such as ABC, CBS and Foxm turning it into a serious contender for Roku or Chromecast. Furthermore, the new Apple TV is coming with its own storage unit (8GB) that will allow users to store and run apps, and even use Siri’s voice control features.

The rest is shrouded in mystery: there is no official date for WWDC 2015, nor details on pricing or compatibility with the rest of the iOS ecosystem. Still, the rumor claims we only have to wait until June to know more…

Via CNET

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Pioneer are making Android Auto happen

Posted: 23 Mar 2015 06:00 AM PDT

Google had talked about their plans to sneak into the car industry a few months ago, and now we have concrete information about it. Android Auto is coming, and we can already see where they’re heading with this idea – and you can even download the app from the Play Store already.

The team behind Android Auto have already announced the availability of this preliminar, unfinished version, and it already has some requirements: only devices that are running Android 5.0 or superios, along with a compatible Pioneer gadget (as of now, only America, Australia & the UK have them).

What Android Auto does is reproducing or executing tasks related to the car’s wellbeing & systems, but they are sure to expand with each and every version of the cars & software. The system works via voice control, and users will be able to use it to access maps, send and receive calls, or even media files, in order to create a more connected but also safer experience.

Pioneer is only the first of Google’s tech partners to partake in this program, at least in a public way. We are sure more companies will eventually join in, because this does look like the way of the future. If we add on top streaming services like Spotify, Pandora or SoundCloud, this could even change the way we listen to the radio on our cars.

Google’s idea is that in time most carmakers will feature Android Auto on their vehicles, and have already agreed to work with some 30 companies that include Audi, Bentley, Fiat, Ford, Maserati, Renault, & Volkswagen.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories, USB-C is also coming to Android devices and Future Android Devices May Come with Waze Pre-Installed.

Mlais M52 Keeps Redmi Note and M1 Note in Check

Posted: 23 Mar 2015 05:30 AM PDT

Just when you thought that Chinese smartphones couldn’t possible be any more affordable, Mlais launched the M52 Red Note, a 64-bit 4G LTE Android smartphone that’s inspired by (and competes against) Xiaomi’s Redmi Note and Meizu’s M1 Note.

Mlais is a fairly new player on the Chinese smartphone market, having launched the sub-$100 octacore M9 not long ago. However, this company is very ambitious, as it wants to go against Xiaomi and Meizu, which are literal giants in the local industry. To do so, it launched the M52 Red Note, the most affordable 4G Android smartphone sporting Mediatek’s latest octacore 64-bit MT6752 SoC.

The 64-bit Cortex-A53 (ARMv8-A) CPU and the Mali-T760 GPU are paired with 2GB of RAM to deliver great performance on a 5.5-inch 1280×720 IPS display. Considering how high of a resolution modern smartphones have today, this might not sound like much, but the pixel density of 267 ppi is more than enough, especially considering that the human eye can’t discern anything higher than 300 ppi. Besides, HD displays are more forgiving on the battery, whereas their high-res counterparts often lead to shorter battery lives. Add to that the fact that the MT6752 is more power-efficient than Mediatek’s older chipsets, and you should get a lot of playtime out of the 3,200mAh battery the M52 Red Note comes with.

With an advertised Antutu score of 42,000, Mlais M52 is on par with the Meizu M1 Note and well above any version of Xiaomi Redmi Note, but we’ll have to wait until this phablet is available in order to see how it stacks against those two in real-life scenarios.

One aspect most people are concerned about is the software support. The Mlais M52 Note will get Android 5.0 Lollipop as an over-the-air update at first, and then it will come with this version out of the box, with the hope to get more OTA updates as they become available. Regardless if the phablet will come with vanilla Android or a custom ROM, it won’t be able to compete against Xiaomi’s MIUI or Meizu’s FlyMe OS, at least in the beginning, but assuming that Mlais will have a considering following that provides feedback constantly, the Android version might improve in time.

For the sake of diversity, the M52 Red Note will be available in four different colors: black, white, peach red and blue. While the overall build quality can only be assessed after the phablet is officially launch, one can’t help but notice how the design follows similar lines to the Xiaomi Redmi Note, while the color options could make one think of the Meizu M1 Note.

Mlais M52 Red Note can be pre-ordered on GearBest for $136 with the coupon code GBM52. The pre-sale will end on March 29 and orders will be shipped soon after. It should be noted that several other Chinese stores are running a pre-sale for this Android smartphone, but it’s nowhere as affordable as at this one.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Xiaomi smartwatch or the Xiaomi Yi action camera.

Google, Intel and TAG Heuer Team Up Against the Apple Watch

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 01:46 PM PDT

What do a search giant, a chip manufacturer and a Swiss watch maker have in common? Well, not much, besides all of them wanting to show Apple how wearables are done.

Come to think of it, each of these three companies can play a great role in the creation of a smartwatch. Google has plenty of experience with its Android Wear platform, while Intel has just dipped its toes into the wearable tech industry, but as the world’s main chip maker, knows a lot about hardware. TAG Heuer, on the other hand, is one of Switzerland’s most popular luxury watch makers, and the only one of them who knows how to design a head-turning timepiece.

David Singleton, the head of Android Wear development for Google, stated that “When I think about the watch, it’s always been a marriage of beauty and utility. We’re going to do that with our partnership.”

What’s completely ironic is the fact that not long ago it was rumored that TAG Heuer engineers are helping Apple to develop its smartwatch. As you can clearly see, Google, Intel and TAG Heuer want to prove Cupertino that delivering a smartwatch in a golden case and sticking a $10K price tag to it does not make it a luxury wearable, by any means.

“The difference between the TAG Heuer watch and the Apple Watch is very important. That one is called Apple, and this one is called TAG Heuer,” pointed out Hublot’s CEO Jean-Claude Biver. “Swiss watchmaking and Silicon Valley is a marriage of technological innovation with watchmaking credibility. Our collaboration provides a rich host of synergies, forming a win-win partnership, and the potential for our three companies is enormous.”

Another ironic thing is that if until now many celebrities endorsed Apple and its products, now there are quite a few who advise people against buying an Apple Watch, gold edition or otherwise.

Then again, Biver, the head of luxury brand conglomerate LVMH Group’s watch division that also includes TAG under its vast umbrella, called Apple’s Watch a “fantastic product, an incredible achievement,” and the “biggest threat for watches priced at less than $2,000,” despite having an exactly opposite opinion not long ago. All this suggests that TAG might join this partnership simply for the financial benefits.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about TAG Heuer’s $12K phone that never runs out of power, or the H1 hydromechanical wristwatch by HYT.