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Apple TV's 'TV guide' app expected to appear tomorrow
Add one more thing to our list of anticipated announcements during Apple's launch event tomorrow: a new "guide" for Apple TV. First reported by Recode in August, now sources tell it and USA Today that an app built to help people discover TV shows from multiple services at once will be revealed.
WSJ: Time Warner's latest suitor is AT&T (update: deal is done?)
AT&T's next step to telecom dominance? Buying Time Warner, it seems. Before the next episode of Westworld airs, theoretically, AT&T could own HBO, CNN, Hulu, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures among others, according to The Wall Street Journal. Over the past few years pretty much any multibillion dollar corporation has flirted with the idea of buying Time Warner. Apple and Fox have both been heavily rumored, for example. And considering that Time Warner turned down $80 billion from the latter, it gives us an idea that the asking price is going to be northward of that.
Google rumor hints at 'Unplugged' streaming TV service
Since rumors about Apple's TV attempts are in their ebb phase, now it's time for Google to take the stage. In a pattern that seems very familiar, sources tell the Wall Street Journal, Reuters and CNBC that Google has cut a deal with CBS to include its channels in a streaming "skinny bundle." The rumored service is apparently planned for launch in 2017 under the name "Unplugged." While Apple's long-rumored service has yet to appear, we have seen similar efforts appear in the form of Dish Network's Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and the upcoming DirecTV Now.
Jack Dorsey calls Twitter the 'people's news network'
One of the reasons that Twitter has struggled with its investors is because nobody, not even its leaders, really knows what Twitter is for. In a memo sent around to employees, CEO Jack Dorsey seems to have stumbled across his vision for the embattled company. The note, which was sent to celebrate a year running the company, describes the site as "the people's news network," with a combination of "news and talk."
Reuters: Twitter seeks a sale decision by October 27th
Twitter's flat growth and falling profits made for a dim outlook until a few weeks ago when sources close to the social media platform said that Google, Salesforce and other tech luminaries were looking to buy it. The company's stock jumped 20 percent that day, and speculation has continued as to which would be the best buyer. But it seems time is of the essence: Twitter wants to conclude sale deliberations before October 27th, the day it reports its third quarter earnings, sources told Reuters.
'Spectacles by Snapchat' leak shows camera-equipped sunglasses
As if a report that Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel had been spotted wearing a pair of camera-packing sunglasses wasn't enough, now Business Insider says it has an ad or demo video showing the product. Apparently posted to YouTube until it was taken down by a Snapchat claim, it shows "Spectacles by Snapchat" briefly, then video from the perspective of the wearer. There's no indication of any augmented reality capabilities, but if you were creeped out by Google Glass you may get a similar feeling here. What we can see however, is that the round camera and logo shape may be an indicator of circular or spherical video, that displays correctly whether you're watching on a display that is in landscape or portrait.
DirecTV Now streaming rumored to supplant satellite by 2020
AT&T is planning to release a DirecTV-branded streaming video service later this year, but according to Bloomberg, it also expects for that to become its primary video platform soon. Earlier this week, its CEO Randall Stephenson confirmed the DirecTV Now launch is still on track for 2016, calling it an exclusively over the top product, with no truck roll, no set-top box or anything else. The report claims that at launch it will be limited to two simultaneous streams, with pricing similar to the $40 - $55 per month PlayStation Vue service.
Mysterious Apple device surfaces in FCC filing
What is the A1844? We don't know, but an FCC filing for the Apple-built hardware popped up, revealing a few interesting details that raise more questions than answers. Revealed by the French website Consomac, the device is similar in size to an Apple TV 4th-gen box (the new one with the Siri voice remote), but there are no full pictures or other details to explain exactly what it does. AppleInsider points out that tests reveal Bluetooth and NFC (which is not currently included in the Apple TV) capabilities, but didn't note WiFi, which could be a result of re-used hardware or that it's not present. The diagram included in the filing shows a shape and screws that appear to be similar to the current Apple TV.
Action Launcher brings Google's rumored Android tweaks early
Why wait for Google's rumored Pixel / not-Nexus phones, when you could use some of their software right now? The latest release of Action Launcher has arrived, and it cribs some of the features noted in Android Police's leak of the software Google is apparently preparing for its Android devices. According to its developer Chris Lacy, the new release is entirely inspired by the leaks. The reason? As soon as Google makes a change, many of his users request similar features in Action Launcher, but this time, he's getting out ahead of the curve.
NYT: Apple car 'reboot' involves dozens of layoffs
The latest rumor surrounding Apple's fabled Project Titan car comes from the New York Times, which reports "dozens" of layoffs as parts of the initiative have been shut down. This follows an earlier Bloomberg report that under new leadership by Bob Mansfield, the focus has changed from building an entire car, to focusing on developing self-driving car tech. According to the NYT, the layoffs were described internally as being part of a reboot, while Apple figures out what it can bring to a self-driving car that will stick out (probably not an AUX cable).
Apple's high-end wireless earbuds may not ship with iPhone 7
The long-rumoured death of the iPhone's headphone jack has left everybody wondering: What's going to become of Apple's EarPods? Well, they'll probably go wireless, but according to one analyst, they won't come with your iPhone. They'll be sold separately -- and they might be expensive. KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple will announce a pair of high-end "AirPod" earbuds tomorrow as a premium accessory for iPhone 7 buyers. They won't come in the box like Apple's current earbuds, he says, and may not even use Bluetooth.
Here's how the iPhone 7 Plus' dual cameras could work
Apple's 2016 iPhone launch event may be just days away, but that isn't stemming the tide of leaks and rumors. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who is frequently, though not always, on the mark with Apple launches) has published a last-minute report claiming very detailed knowledge of Apple's handset plans, including a few tidbits that have remained unclear. He now says he understands how the larger 5.5-inch model's (for sake of reference, the iPhone 7 Plus) long-reported dual rear cameras would work. The two 12-megapixel sensors would reportedly be used for both zoom and "light field camera applications" -- typically, that means after-shot refocusing. This would be at least somewhat similar to the dual-camera setup on the Huawei P9, where you can play with focal points and simulate different apertures. Huawei doesn't offer an enhanced zoom, though.
Google rumors point to 'Pixel' phones, 4K Chromecast
The answer to the question of what Google will call its upcoming Nexus phones may turn out to be not Nexus at all. Android Central first reported a name change last week, while tonight Android Police notes sources saying there will be two devices, one 5-inch phone called the Pixel and a 5.5-inch phone called the Pixel XL. More importantly, it also has a date (seconding a previous report by Droid-Life) for their debut: October 4th.
Apple iPad, Mac rumors suggest upgrades for power users
While we prepare to see the next iPhone on September 7th, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has delivered another batch of rumors centered around Apple's iPad and Mac plans. According to his sources, along with a standalone 5K monitor the company is working on with LG (that would surpass even the 21:9 screens just announced) the next step for iMacs are the option of AMD GPUs built-in, while the Macbook Air is expected to get a USB-C upgrade that could mimic the current Macbook.
GM reportedly tried to buy Lyft
General Motors is serious about gaining a foothold in the ride-sharing industry. Not only has the company established its own car-lending app and purchased the defunct Uber competitor, Sidecar -- but according to The Information, it's also been toying with the idea of buying Lyft. An interesting idea, but it isn't happening. Sources familiar with the matter say that car-hailing service has already turned GM down.
Bloomberg: iPhone 7 gets new home button, drops headphone port
Another report has suggested that Apple is taking a different tack with this year's iPhone. Bloomberg reporter and renowned Apple scooper Mark Gurman has published a story claiming that the new handset will have a design "similar to the 6 and 6s." We've heard this before -- it suggests that Apple is holding back on a big aesthetic change until next year, when the iPhone celebrates its 10th birthday. Gurman is also reporting that the next iPhone will ditch the headphone jack -- again, something that's been rumored for some time -- switching instead to "connectivity via Bluetooth and the charging port." (Get ready for lots of Lightning headphones.)
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.
Latest Apple TV rumor points to a TV guide for video apps
At the WWDC 2016 event, Apple revealed a number of improvements on the way for the Apple TV, including a new feature called single sign-on. That would let cable TV subscribers log in once, and immediately have all their supported apps authorized without needing to log in (often repeatedly) within each individual app. Now Recode cites industry sources saying that Apple is working on "digital TV guide" for the Apple TV and its other devices that would display content from sources like Netflix and HBO all in one place.
Apple's negotiation tactics might be hurting its TV plans
We're nearly a year into the era of the newest Apple TV, which packs plenty of power, access to apps and a reworked remote with Siri voice control. Despite the new hardware, rumors of a big Apple push into TV still haven't turned into anything real. A report from the Wall Street Journal may help explain why by claiming negotiations with companies like Comcast and Time Warner Cable fell apart over things like how much the cable companies would pay Apple and how they would share customer information.
The next iPhone reportedly starts with twice the storage
Apple maintained that a 16GB iPhone was enough last year, but the company might be singing a different tune in 2016. A Wall Street Journal source claims that the next iPhone will start with 32GB of storage -- at last, buyers of the base model won't have to be quite so thrifty with their free space. That kind of entry capacity is far from new, of course (HTC, LG, Samsung and others have had 32GB starters for a while), but it'll be more than welcome if you prefer iPhones and can't justify more expensive versions.
