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Xiaomi announces an international version of its Mi Band 5
For the first time ever, Xiaomi’s popular, low-cost wearable device Mi Band is officially available for sale outside of China.
Wisconsin firms hope to make radioactive isotopes for nuclear medicine (updated)
Certain cardiac stress tests and other nuclear medicine diagnostics depend on molybdenum-99, or Mo-99, a radioactive isotope that decays into the diagnostic imaging agent technetium 99m, or Tc-99m. The latter is used in more than 40 million medical imaging procedures each year, but Mo-99 is costly and difficult to make. Now, two Wisconsin firms say they've found a more efficient way to make the critical material.
The NFL's new TikTok account is all about highlights and sideline moments
The National Football League is hyping up its 100th season with a TikTok partnership. Today, the NFL is launching an official TikTok account with packaged highlights, sideline moments and behind-the-scenes footage. To get things started, it's promoting a #WeReady challenge. Today through September 5th, the NFL is asking fans to share videos about their favorite teams with the hashtag.
Renewable energy is on the rise, but so is demand for fossil fuels
Recent reports from major climate organizations are painting a very mixed picture for the future of global energy use. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says that renewable energy now forms one-third of the world's total energy capacity -- its highest level ever -- but at the same time, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that energy demand is growing at the fastest pace this decade, and fossil fuels are leading the charge.
Streaming now accounts for almost half of global music revenue
Streaming has driven the US music industry for a few years. Last fall, streaming was responsible for up to 75 percent of the country's total music industry revenue. The 2019 IFPI Global Music Report, released today, shows the global scale of that trend. Streaming revenue grew by 34 percent in 2018 and accounted for 47 percent of total music revenue worldwide.
South Korea wants to tax global companies like Apple and Google
It's getting harder for global companies like Amazon, Apple and Google to avoid paying tax around the world as more countries move to change their permissive corporate tax laws. Now, according to a report in the Korea Times, the South Korean government is looking at ways to collect taxes from foreign companies in the wake of domestic complaints about the practice. The Ministry of Economy and Finance created a taskforce with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to start talking about newer tax policies that focus on global tech firms.
Facebook borrows from Twitter this time with Polls feature
Polls check a lot of social media manager boxes like "engagement," "feedback" and "traffic lift." With all those buzzwords, it's truly a wonder that Facebook hadn't yet pilfered, I mean borrowed, the idea from poll-crazy rival Twitter. Expect to see them everywhere in your feeds from now on, however, as Facebook has launched Polls globally on iOS, Android and the web. Starting today, you'll be add surveys on any silly topic you like and add GIFs and photos to make them pop.
IBM's computing power will tackle the world's biggest problems
IBM's Watson is celebrated for winning at Jeopardy, cooking exotic meals and collaborating with Grammy-winning producers, but its capacity for doing good may its most important skill. The company's famous AI system is able to create cancer treatment programs that are as good as what human oncology physicians recommend. Watson also saved the life of a 60-year-old woman from leukemia last year in Tokyo. Obviously recognizing the potential, IBM announced Science for Social Good, a new program that will pair Watson's AI, cloud and "deep science" technologies with postdoctoral academic fellows to help solve the world's biggest challenges.
Facebook's 'Lite' app has over 200 million users (updated)
Just because you're using Facebook Lite, it doesn't mean you want to compromise on features. Neither do any of the 200 million users worldwide taking advantage of the bare-bones version of the app. Fortunately, there's an update that rolls out many missing features today such as the ability to Like, Comment and Share posts. Facebook created Lite as a pared down version of its main app in 2015 for lower-end Android phones with spotty network connections. COO Sheryl Sandberg was keen to outline the benefits that users of the standalone app are getting. Business users, for example, can use the more feature-rich update to reach mobile-only and mobile-first customers while using less data.
Global smartphone sales up by 6.6 percent in 2016
While smartphone sales have slowed in recent years as most markets become saturated, the industry is still managing to post positive figures. Market research firm GfK has released a report today showing phone sales increased 6.6% from 2015 thanks to strong growth in China and incremental improvements elsewhere, which they estimate will add up to 1.4 billion units sold in 2016.
Netflix is coming to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea
Netflix only just launched in Japan last month (that's the Japan office pictured above), and it's already lining up its next destinations in Asia. In early 2016 the streaming video service is coming to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea, although no exact dates or pricing are specified. It's planning to bring the usual suite of features and even Ultra HD streaming to these countries when it lands, thanks to their existing broadband infrastructure. Where it might go after that (China?) is still unknown, but its plan for global availability by the end of 2016 is apparently still on track. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Anyone in the world can buy an Ubuntu phone (but shouldn't)
If you were dismayed that Canonical's campaign to launch an Ubuntu-running smartphone crashed and burned, then today might be your lucky day. Spanish smartphone maker BQ has already been selling two Ubuntu devices to Europeans but, from today, it's opening that offer out to everyone in the world. The Aquarius E5 HD and E4.5 both run the much-feted Linux-based operating system and are available for just €199 ($218) and €169 ($185), respectively.
Spotify map compiles playlists from musical tastes around the world
If you're curious what kind of music folks in other parts of the world are listening to, Spotify now offers a handy tool that compiles just that. The streaming service gathers info from popular tracks around the globe and compiles them into playlists. Rather than list them in a boring in-app search, it plots them out on an interactive map for quick visual reference. This means that when you click on Durham, North Carolina, for example, you'll be greeted with a collection of tracks the folks there are listening to on the regular. Mandolin Orange and Future are quite popular in that part of NC, in case you were wondering. As you might expect, once you queue up a playlist in the app, you can add any notable findings to your personal collection for future use. Spotify says it updates the lists about twice a month, and each time it does, it sorts through 20 billion listener and song relationships.
Music releases move from Monday to Friday in the UK
The weekend is often the perfect time to listen to new music. Maybe you're getting ready for a night on the town, or sitting in the garden soaking up some rare summer sunshine. Whatever your plans, wouldn't it make the most sense if new music was released on Friday? Well, until today most albums and singles were released on Monday in the UK. Which was always a little confusing, given the date fluctuated depending on where you were in the world. Australia? Friday. The US? Tuesday. Thankfully, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has pulled the record labels, artists and retailers together to settle on a new, global release date: Friday. So now, when the next big album drops, there shouldn't be a scenario where it's available in the US version of iTunes and not the UK. To coincide with the shift, the UK is also moving its official charts (including the popular charts show on BBC Radio 1) to Friday, rather than Sunday. So say hello to "New Music Fridays" and wave goodbye to "Not Very Convenient Music Mondays."
BBC shuts down iPlayer service for subscribers outside the UK
The BBC has offered subscriptions to an international version of its iPlayer streaming service since 2011, but in the next month or so it will close its doors. In case you're wondering why you've never heard of the iPlayer Global service, that's because despite being offered in 16 countries (including Canada), the service never came to the US and stopped expanding back in 2013. Our best (legit) option for the public broadcaster's shows is still its cousin BBC America, which has closed the gap on airing new episodes of shows like Doctor Who from days to hours, and even has the occasional simulcast.
Sony: PS4 sales surpass 18.5 million following holiday boom
PlayStation 4 sales are now beyond the 18.5 million mark, according to Sony's announcement at CES 2015. The PS4's pubertal growth into the late teens (millions-wise) occurred in a prolific holiday season, with more than 4.1 million units shifted worldwide since November 23, 2014. Sony's numbers represent the company's estimates of units sold to consumers, as opposed to retail shipments. According to Sony, the PS4 "continues to demonstrate the fastest and strongest growth in PlayStation hardware history." To contrast and compare, the PS3 shipped 10.5 million units within a similar timeframe, and the PS2 10.6 million units. "We are absolutely delighted that so many customers around the globe have continued to select PS4 as their console of choice throughout this holiday season," said Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House. "We will continue to reinforce and deliver additional value on PS4 as the best place to play, by bringing even more exciting content and by enriching our wide array of service offerings."
AT&T's new travel plans let you text as much as you want
AT&T's international cellphone plans have become more affordable over time, but they've still been wildly expensive in some cases -- besides the low data caps, even frequent texting can cost a lot of money. Things just got a little more reasonable with the carrier's new Passport plans, however. The smartphone add-ons still ask you to pay between $30 to $120 per month for a paltry 120MB to 800MB of data, but they now include unlimited SMS messaging and WiFi service (on Android and iOS) in the bargain. In short, you won't run into any nasty overage fees simply because you got into a deep text conversation or uploaded too many vacation photos through one of AT&T's hotspot partners. These new one-time tiers are available now, and regular Global plans have received a matching upgrade if you routinely venture abroad. [Image credit: Shutterstock]
T-Mobile reportedly set to unveil global data plans with service in 100+ countries (updated)
Could this be the global data plan of our dreams? A fan site for Shakira, the artist set to perform at T-Mobile's UnCarrier event tonight, published a teaser on its Facebook page today. The image above suggests that the carrier will announce data plans that include global roaming in more than 100 countries, with no additional fees. That's all we have to report for now -- it's unclear whether or not data will be capped, which countries are included and what you'll need to pay for the plans -- but this Facebook post is consistent with a tweet from T-Mobile CEO John Legere this morning, declaring "Today is the day! The day we change the way the world uses their phones! You ready? #unleash." Update: It appears those rumors were spot on as T-Mobile's site is now showing a promo for free global coverage in over 100 countries, with plans to launch the service later this month. No other details are available just yet, but it does appear this will only apply to postpaid subs on the Simple Choice Plan.
Destiny of Spirits global beta starts October 24
Q Entertainment's monster-collecting Vita game Destiny of Spirits will enter a beta test phase on October 24. The free-to-play RPG has players engaging in turn-based combat with their upgradable minions, which players can trade or lend to others. The game encourages players to bring their Vitas with them while traveling, as the system's location-tracking tech is used to unlock spirits with every trip. The global beta program, which allows players to collect every spirit and access every location in the Destiny of Spirits, will end November 1.
LG Optimus F5 mid-range LTE smartphone hits France April 29, global dispersion to follow
LG's F-series handsets may not be in the same class an HTC One or GS4, but we can't help but appreciate the solid specs and LTE-goodness baked into these mid-range devices. Following a debut alongside its F7 sibling at MWC, the F5 will begin trickling out to French retailers on April 29th. While there's no mention of US availability -- despite a recent leak pegging it for Verizon -- we do know LG will soon be pushing it out to parts of Asia and Central / South America. Aimed at markets new to LTE, the smartphone packs a beefy 2,150mAh battery, 5-megapixel camera, 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 4.3-inch screen for showing off LG's skinned version of Android 4.1.2. If you're curious to give LTE a go and this looks like a winner, you'll find the full press release after the break.
