wedgies
Latest
Netflix is going to raise prices for new customers, and come to US cable DVRs
Our latest update on how Netflix is doing is here, and buried within the earnings details the company revealed two announcements that have been a long time coming: it's raising prices for new customers, and it is (after years of rumors) going to offer service on cable-provided DVRs in the US soon. The price hike later this quarter will be for new members only and is expected to be a "one or two dollar" increase, while current subscribers will be grandfathered in at their current rates "for a generous time period." The big question for Netflix? Now at 48 million customers strong (37.5 million in the US), can it push through a price hike without the customer losses it experienced the last time it changed pricing? In January it increased prices in Ireland by one euro per month and grandfathered current customers in at their existing price for two years, and says it saw "limited impact" as a result. Netflix executives will take investor's questions live on YouTube in just a few minutes, watch here or check after the break for any interesting details.
Nike reportedly killing the Fuelband to focus on fitness software
Just days after Nike announced the launch of its Fuel Lab location in San Francisco to enhance partnerships with other digital services for athletes, there's a report that it's fired much of the team behind its FuelBand wristwear. CNET reports that, according to a person familiar with the matter, as many as 55 people from its 70-member hardware team are being laid off, and plans for another version of the FuelBand to follow the SE have been shelved. All of this comes just as the wearables market is heating up, with products already arriving from Samsung, LG, Motorola, Pebble and more, while activity tracking integrated with phones is also becoming more popular. At the same time, not all of Nike's tech initiatives have worked out, and Nike+ has largely disappeared from its shoes in the last year. A Nike spokesman confirmed to CNET a "small number of layoffs" as its "Digital Sports priorities evolve." (Update: In a statement, Nike says it "will continue to improve the Nike+ FuelBand App, launch new METALUXE colors, and we will sell and support the Nike+ FuelBand SE for the foreseeable future.")Given Nike's close relationship with Apple (Tim Cook is a member of Nike's board), one could wonder if the prospect of an upcoming wearable from Cupertino had a hand in swinging the apparel company's focus towards "simpler data-powered experiences" -- or they just spent all the money on tonight's sweet 3D projector intro to the Jordan Brand High School All-Star Game.
Facebook Paper got its first big update today, but is anyone using it?
Here's a shocker: Facebook's first major update to Paper, its socially augmented news-reading app, makes it more social. Specifically, the app's 1.1 update now allows users to comment on posts using photos, as well as added birthday and event notifications and tacked on an unread-message counter to help users keep track of Group activity. Facebook hasn't fiddled with the user interface much, but content from Bloomberg, Mashable, Popular Science and six other news sources has been gussied up with new, custom article covers. Oh, and the company says it's made the app run a little faster, too. It's not a game-changing update, but anything's better than forgetting your spouse's birthday -- assuming Facebook's main app didn't already remind you. Has Paper found its way to your home screen? We're running a quick poll: Skip past the break to drop in a vote or leave us a note.
Why Amazon is right to steer clear of Bitcoin
Amazon has quashed the idea that it would be accepting Bitcoin as a method of payment. "We have considered it," said Tom Taylor, Amazon's head of seller services in an interview with Re/code, "but we're not hearing from customers that it's right for them, and don't have any plans within Amazon to engage Bitcoin." That stance might sound strange, given the company's history of staying ahead of its retail rivals, but there are a number of reasons why it makes sense. Not only is Bitcoin a deeply unstable proposition, despite its growing fame, but it's also becoming clear that Amazon already has e-currency and payment-platform ambitions of its own.
Here's Amazon's phone: six cameras and a 4.7-inch screen
Rumors of an Amazon-made phone are nothing new, but today the rumors enter reality more firmly: what you see above is what BGR claims is the Amazon's first phone. "Whoa, that's super ugly!" you might be saying. Cool it, that's just an enclosure around the device itself preventing prying eyes (like our own) from seeing the actual design. The good news is we can still learn a few things about the device without the enclosure removed: five cameras up front (reportedly a sixth out back) and a trio of buttons along the left side handle power and volume. The screen is reportedly of the 4.7-inch variety -- which lines up with previous rumors -- and puts Amazon's first phone on the same scale as Motorola's Moto X (among others).
Anyone can sign up to buy Google Glass tomorrow; will you?
Tomorrow, as most everyone in the US knows, is tax day. It's also the one day where Google will open up the sale of its Glass wearable to the general public, meaning you won't need that Explorer invite to nab a pair. What you will need is $1,500, a US shipping address and a healthy dose of realism about the limitations of Google Glass as it currently exists. That's right; even though the curtain of exclusivity around the product is slowly but surely lifting, Glass is still very much in the beta stage, with short battery life and a limited number of apps. Plenty of you have voiced suspicions that Google made this one-day-only event for the sole purpose of selling out of units and making headlines. Maybe so, but it's still a good opportunity for the curious who may have hefty tax rebates heading their way. If you want to take the plunge, make sure to point your browser here tomorrow at 6AM Pacific on the dot, as supplies are indeed limited. In the meantime, tell us if you're planning to splurge tomorrow in our poll below the break.
A Very Special Episode of the Engadget Podcast is live at 4PM ET!
Nerds cannot live on tech news alone. That's why, every so often, we'll be hosting a Very Special Episode of the Engadget Podcast where we touch upon the cultural and social impacts of the technology that matters most to you. Sometimes, that means we'll even be talking about booze. We are all onions, after all... It's Friday and that means it's podcast time! But this week we've got an extra special treat for you. Mikael Mossberg and Stephanie Moreno from Distiller are in the studio and we're going to be talking about their app, craft whiskey and learning how to develop a palette for fine spirits. The whole thing is going to culminate with a tasting of three liquors: Hudson Single Malt, from its name sake river valley; Springbank 10, a lightly peated Scotch from the Kintyre peninsula; and Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Rye, a spicy beast bottled in bond from Kentucky.
My First Time on the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web. It sounds like such a silly thing when you actually spell out those consecutive W's. Nowadays, we just say "the internet," but once upon a time the web was a new and exciting thing. It was a massive communications breakthrough that captivated minds both young and old with the promise of an "information superhighway," and forced us to endure achingly slow dial-up connections. Last month, the web turned 25 years old. Yes, Tim Berners-Lee's simple creation has gone on to spawn this digitally connected world we live in: the social networks, mega e-tailers and search engines we all know and depend on today. Things were simpler when the web started out, but we assure you, our early experiences were no less weird.
April Fools' 2014 roundup: selfie-taking drones, smartgloves and more
For the last 24 hours (and likely the next 12), excitable company execs have been barraging our inbox, YouTube and your social media networks with their best shenanigans. Love it or loathe it (and you're probably starting to loathe it by now), the April Fools' tradition continues, even stronger, in 2014. Google went a little overboard, but hopefully, after today, selfies will die a death. Hopefully.
The Engadget Podcast is live at 12PM ET!
Oh Oculus, we hardly knew ye and now you're a part of the Zuckerborg. Whither goes your Rift? Is Virtual Reality now just a shill for status updates, virtual walls you can poster and an even more immersive way to experience other people's vacation photos? Shudder. This isn't how it was meant to be -- how we thought it would be -- but then again, we'd pretty much do anything for $2 billion, too. So, who are we to judge? Oh, that's right, we're the Engadget Enemigos! And we're here to sip some coffee and talk you through the surprise of Palmer Luckey's lucky stroke of Facebook fortune. We might even touch upon HTC's slippery and brand spankin' new One -- if you behave. It's all happening at noon today, so turn on, tune in and loves us, won't you? [Image credit: Denelson83 / Wikimedia Commons (Test Pattern)]
Microsoft releases Office for iPad, subscription required for editing docs
Rumors have been circulating for years that Microsoft was working on a version of Office for the iPad, with speculation getting so intense at one point that the company went out of its way to categorically deny it. Still, once Microsoft released Office for iPhone, an iPad version seemed more plausible; indeed, credible sources said it would arrive in the first half of this year. Turns out, there was something to all that scuttlebutt: Microsoft today announced Office for iPad, a trio of apps that bring Word, PowerPoint and Excel to tablets. Those should be showing up in the App Store shortly -- around 11AM Pacific (2PM Eastern), to be exact.
Can Oculus survive the Facebook effect?
The response was swift, and almost universally negative. Within minutes of Facebook's announcement that it was acquiring Oculus VR for $2 billion, the internet had begun to mobilize against the deal. From Twitter to Reddit to our own forums, the message from early commenters was clear: This was bad for Oculus, bad for virtual reality, bad for gaming -- just bad. Part of this was the normal reaction to any popular, independent startup being bought out by a big company. There's a natural -- sometimes justified -- suspicion that the acquirer will ruin everything that made the small company successful, and the onus is on the newly merged business to prove otherwise. In Oculus' case, however, there was more than the typical anti-acquisition backlash. Facebook has become known as a company that is built around one thing: monetizing your social interactions. On Facebook, you're the product, with everything you do sold to advertisers, and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. As Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson said in a tweet announcing that he had scrapped plans for a version of the hugely popular game optimized for Oculus' head-mounted display, "Facebook creeps me out."
Palmer Luckey says Oculus' future 'just became crystal clear,' but Facebook's impact is still murky
If you're reading this, you're likely already aware that social networking juggernaut Facebook has just announced plans for yet another multi-billion dollar acquisition. This time it's spending $2 billion dollars (that's $17 billion less than WhatsApp for those keeping track) to buy virtual reality headset maker Oculus. Just minutes after the announcement, the startup's founder, Palmer Luckey took to Reddit to provide some perspective about the deal: "When Facebook first approached us about partnering, I was skeptical. As I learned more about the company and its vision and spoke with Mark, the partnership not only made sense, but became the clear and obvious path to delivering virtual reality to everyone. Facebook was founded with the vision of making the world a more connected place. Virtual reality is a medium that allows us to share experiences with others in ways that were never before possible."
Facebook is buying Oculus VR for $2 billion, plans to 'unlock new worlds for all of us'
Mark Zuckerberg is following up his Whatsapp buy with another big acquisition: virtual reality company Oculus VR for $2 billion in stock and cash (curiously, news of the talks may have leaked on Reddit a month ago). In a post on Facebook, Zuckerberg talks at length about how Facebook plans to make Oculus a platform for "completely new kinds of experiences," and gaming is only the first one. Examples he suggests include sitting courtside at a big game, studying in a classroom with other students virtually or getting a face to face doctor consultation from anywhere. The idea that virtual reality may be the next big thing gained more credibility last week when Sony showed off a prototype VR headset for developers, Project Morpheus. That also means Oculus is suddenly staring down a massive competitor -- with others likely on the way -- and now it has the resources of the social network to rely on.
The Engadget Podcast is live at 11AM ET!
You guys, virtual reality is here. Like, it's really, really a thing now thanks to Morpheus -- Sony's prototype VR headset for the PlayStation 4. That doodad, gizmobob, whatsamajunkit was just unveiled at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco alongside a slew of other VR gadgetry, and our own Ben Gilbert lived through it all to tell the tale. So please join us, the Three Engadget-y Amigos, as we walk you back through the week in tech that was, make a few blue jokes along the way, and terrorize Terrence O'Brien with our mirth.
Using the PlayStation 4's virtual reality headset, Project Morpheus (update: now with video!)
The cat's out of the bag and... uh, on our head? Okay, we can do better than that, but what we're trying to say is that we just used Sony's new PlayStation 4 virtual reality headset: Project Morpheus. You already know the specs and all that good stuff; we're here to tell you what it's like using the still-in-prototype-form virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 4. Good news: It's pretty great! Surprise! Join us below for a closer look.
The new Oculus Rift costs $350 and this is what it's like
If you're still not paying attention to Oculus VR and the Rift headset -- the folks at the forefront of virtual reality's recent rebirth -- what are you doing? Okay, we'll forgive you. It's still just a development kit after all, and even the latest prototype ("Crystal Cove") is far from the expected final product. Today though, you've got one less excuse to stay in the dark: The second Oculus Rift development kit is available for pre-order; it costs $350; and it's really, really impressive. That's two reallys.
This is Motorola's new Android Wear smartwatch: Moto 360
LG went first, and now it's Motorola's turn to unveil its Android Wear smartwatch: the Moto 360. Putting an emphasis on the tried-and-true design of classic timepieces, Motorola's crafted a smartwatch that hews closely to a more traditional, premium look. The Moto 360 boasts a circular, digital watchface powered by Android Wear that grants users access to notifications with, presumably, gestures, as the company's official line mentions the need for a "twist of the wrist." There's also Google Now integration, much like on the G Watch, that'll make checking in on the weather, sports scores or flights a hands-free affair just by saying, "Ok Google." From the looks of it, Moto's made what's arguably the sexiest smartwatch we've seen to date, but that image above isn't the only form factor we'll be seeing. When the Moto 360 launches this summer worldwide, it'll come in a "variety of styles," and sport leather or metallic bands. If you happen to live in the US, you'll be getting first dibs on this Android Wear looker when it debuts.
We're live from SXSW Interactive 2014!
We're live on the ground at South By Southwest (#SXSW for short), the annual event that brings together everyone and anyone who's invested in the interactive arts. Those artists include the minds behind emerging startups (like Twitter was here in 2007), as well as established innovators like Mark Cuban and even Grumpy Cat. We're already off to a great start: we've seen a man get stunned by the Chaotic Unmanned Personal Intercept Drone and had a chance to punch virtual sharks with the Oculus Rift and Leap Motion. But, there's more to come over the next few days, including riding MarioKart in real life, separate virtual conversations with Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, Shaq and much more. Here's how to keep up with us at SXSW, after the break.
Where are they now? The travels and trash talk of Myspace Tom
It was 2009 and things weren't looking good for Myspace. According to comScore, Facebook logged 307.1 million visitors globally that April, while Myspace failed to reach even half of that with 123.3 million users. One month later, Facebook inched out ahead of its predecessor for the first time in the US. There was no turning back. Today, Myspace is showing growth with 36 million users last October, up from 32.6 million the previous June, but it's largely lost its cultural cachet and barely resembles the site that captured the world's attention years ago. Under new ownership, Myspace has refocused its vision as a platform for musicians, re-upped its design and landed itself a hot new celebrity spokesman/investor. Justin Timberlake is bringing the sexy back to the social network, but whatever happened to Myspace Tom?
