2016
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GoPro is planning to release a Hero6 camera in 2017
If you've been following GoPro for the last few months through its Hero5 production issues and Karma drone recall (now back on shelves), you're probably not surprised by a disappointing earnings report showing a net loss of $116 million. Now, the company has closed offices and shut down its entertainment division with an eye towards returning to profitability this year. Of course, for fans of its products, the question is what new devices are on the way, and while CEO Nick Woodman didn't drop any specific details, he did confirm that there will be a new Hero6 action camera this year.
LG loses money, thanks to smartphones (Updated)
It no longer feels hyperbolic to say that LG's persistence with mobile, while laudable, is also a pretty toxic business decision. After all, the conglomerate has been propping up its flagging handset division for a good long while now. The final quarter of 2016 saw the company take a severe blow, actually losing $223.98 million, mostly thanks to its failing handset division.
The best of Engadget 2016: Editors' picks
We'll come right out and say it: 2016 wasn't the greatest year by any standards. In particular, divisive politics and celebrity death seemed to cast a long shadow over the last 12 months. There was the occasional ray of light poking through the clouds though. Especially in technology, which is what brings us all together here at Engadget. Over the last year, we've tried to bring you as many of those uplifting stories (even if they are bittersweet) as possible, to provide a little respite from 2016's emotional hailstorm. Here you'll find what Engadget's staff thinks are some of the best picks from the year. In the meantime, we'll see you in 2017!
ICYMI: Say farewell to 2016 with these favorite stories
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: We are rounding up some favorite stories from the year before it's lost to us all. When next you see ICYMI, it'll be from CES. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Twitter spent 2016 pouring gasoline on its fires
Twitter isn't a single entity, but a conglomeration of communities that use the same platform for various purposes. There's weird Twitter, political Twitter -- hell, there's even a cute animal pictures Twitter. Beyond communication in 140-character snippets, there's only one other thing that the service's disparate users can agree on: the fact that the site has failed to fix any of the fundamental problems that have dogged it for years.
2016: The year in winners and losers
2016 was an interesting one, that's for sure. To celebrate its quickly approaching end, we're going to spend the next two weeks looking back at the most important story lines of the year -- starting with the biggest winners of 2016. (Don't worry, next week we'll be taking shots at the biggest losers.) Over the next six days Engadget will take stock of who is entering 2017 in a much better position than in 2016. Facebook for one, has started to really pull away from its social media competitors, despite its struggles with fake news. And, after years of being promised that VR or AR would go mainstream, 2016 finally seems to have delivered. Oh, and we also saw emoji evolve from a bunch of silly pictures into a full-fledged language of its own -- one that represents the diversity of our society. So stay tuned through December 31st as we run down the biggest winners and losers of 2016. Check out all of Engadget's year-in-review coverage right here.
Nintendo sold 196,000 NES Classic Editions in November
The NES Classic Edition has become a tough gift to find during this holiday season. Cheers to those who've already located one (or two), but according to industry tracker NPD, Nintendo sold 196,000 pieces of nostalgia-bait to US customers between its launch and the end of November. Compare that to Media-Create's numbers, which showed Japanese sales of the Classic Mini Famicom surpassed 261k units in just one week. Clearly, the demand is there, but the question is if Nintendo will be able to make enough of the systems available before the holiday rush is over. (If it follows this up with an SNES Classic Edition, we'll probably be lining up all over again.)
Facebook was dominated by the presidential election in 2016
As the year winds down, companies like Twitter, YouTube and others have made a habit of reminding us of all the stories that dominated the conversation over the last 12 months. Facebook does the same and today the social network revealed the most popular topics that hit your News Feed in 2016. As you might expect, the US presidential election took the top spot while Brexit was the hottest subject in the UK.
Twitter in 2016 was a pretty depressing place to be
Let's not be mealymouthed: 2016 sucked. As a stark reminder, Twitter has released its "Top 10 Global Conversations" for the year, a change from last year's #YearOnTwitter format. This time, it lumped events into categories like #RIP, #Brexit, #Trump and #Oscars, perhaps as a way to give equal time to the rare good news stories. Otherwise, the list would be pretty much death, politics and Trump.
Zuckerberg says Facebook didn't influence the election
If you controlled a media publishing platform that connected to millions of people, it'd make you a pretty powerful individual. Not so, according to Mark Zuckerberg, who has come out against the notion that Facebook helped win it for Trump. TechCrunch reports that the CEO was challenged about his social network's laissez-faire policy towards stopping the flood of fake, bubble-reinforcing propaganda. He thinks that the notion that the torrent of fabricated stories "influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea."
LG would make more money if it wasn't for smartphones
You know it's bad when your mobile business gets trounced by the rival that sold a smartphone that actually blew up in its customers pockets. That's the situation over at LG, whose mobile communications division contrived to lose $389.4 million across the last three months. In the company's latest financials, it's revealed that LG shipped 13.5 million devices and saw US sales increase by 14 percent quarter-on-quarter. But that's pretty much the same thing the company achieved in every quarter since the start of 2014, and that plan stopped making a profit partway through 2015.
Analyst claims Apple Watch 2 due later this year
Across the land, armchair speculators are all talking about one thing: if we'll get a new Apple Watch this year, and what features it'll get. But Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities, believes that his wild speculation might be worth paying attention to. He's told his clients -- as reported by MacRumors and AppleInsider -- that a second Apple Watch will arrive in the second half of this year. His note suggests that the device will get a faster processor, GPS, barometer, better waterproofing and a bigger battery.
Sony's mobile division (sorta) makes a profit
Sony's most recent financial report is out and, if you squint, things almost look good for its moribund mobile division. Sony Mobile posted a profit of $4 million, which the company attributed to the fact that it's fired enough people to get its costs to break even. If you want to put a positive spin on things, it looks like a greatly-slimmed down phone business might generate just enough money to keep it going. Given that Sony's had to cover Mobile's losses with PlayStation's gains for the last few years, some executives may be reaching for the champagne.
Amazon Prime Day was 60 percent bigger than last year's sale
Amazon's Prime Day ended up being more successful than even the company could have predicted, with customer orders surpassing Prime Day 2015 by over 60 percent worldwide and 50 percent in the United States alone.
The Olympics will be shown in VR, but only on Samsung headsets
NBC began outlining its plans for broadcasting Rio 2016 yesterday, but a few more juicy tidbits have now filtered through. The AP (via ABC News) is reporting that around 85 hours of programming will be available to watch in VR, but only if you use Samsung's Gear VR. The brief report claims that the opening and closing ceremonies will get the 360-degree treatment, as will the men's basketball, gymnastics and track and field. Details beyond that brief outline are sketchy, although it's interesting that the footage is provided by a unit of the International Olympic Committee rather than the usual suspects, like NextVR. All of the content will be available on the NBC Sports app, assuming that you've got a Gear VR-compatible smartphone, of course.
Sony adds cheaper 4K TVs to its lineup
Sony started 2016 by showing off some high-end 4K TVs with HDR, and with the arrival of summer it's time to see cheaper versions pop up on store shelves. The company says the new 800D, 750D and 700D are entry-level models for its premium XBR line, however only the 800D TVs will ship with HDR-10 support that offers enhanced colors and contrast on things like Ultra HD Blu-ray, Netflix/Amazon streaming and even some games -- the other two versions will get it in a firmware upgrade later this year. They're all Android TVs just like their higher-end cousins, with support for Google Cast and even Logitech's Harmony Hub app.
Amazon's Prime Day clearout returns on July 12th
It's probably fair to say that Amazon's homegrown shopping event, Prime Day, wasn't the most exciting of retail events. For every discounted PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, there was a litany of deals for lawn chairs or to bulk-buy yoga mats. But even an underwhelming product line won't deter the world's biggest store from trying to make its mid-summer version of Black Friday an annual event. This year, July 12th will play host to more than 100,000 deals that are exclusively for Prime members in 10 countries. As before, the event will be structured around a series of lightning deals, some of which that will pop up as frequently as every five minutes.
Analysts predict the end of the smartphone boom
Gartner's latest research into the state of the mobile industry is a dire warning to all phone manufacturers. The financial analysis firm believes that the growth in smartphone sales will fall to a single digit, half the rate it was in 2015. It's hard to think that people buying 1.5 billion devices in a calendar year is a bad thing, but for companies who make profit on scale, it's a nightmare. Last year, LG made just 1.2 cents in profit for every phone it sold, and you need to sell a lot of phones at that cost before you can consider yourself a big deal.
John McAfee says he'll have 'no problem' becoming president
You know that it's a topsy-turvy year when John McAfee isn't the most preposterous candidate vying for the White House. The antivirus millionaire has been talking up his chances with US News and believes that he'll have "no problem" becoming president. He feels that America's dissatisfaction with the current political process gives a third-party candidate like himself a genuine shot at the title. In fact, he feels that if he can't win in 2016, then "the Libertarians should just give up."
Stripe wants to help you start a business in the US
Mobile payments platform Stripe has launched a new product that lets anyone in the world start their own business in the US. Stripe Atlas is designed to enable people or, more likely, startups from around the globe to get a foothold in America. Once you've paid a $500 one-off fee, Stripe will incorporate a domestic subsidiary of your business in Delaware. In addition, you'll be automatically enrolled with the IRS, as well as having an account opened for you at the Silicon Valley Bank.
