What’s new
BlackBerry’s global phone market share is now 0%
New data from research company Gartner shows that of 432 million devices shipped in Q4 2016, just 207,900 of them were BlackBerry OS products. The research also found that Google, which allows Android to be used by phone makers for free, has 81.7% of market share. Apple, meanwhile, secured 17.9% of market share for its iOs.
You can read more here.
Apple acquires facial recognition firm RealFace
RealFace, a Tel Aviv start-up, specializes in deep learning facial recognition technology. Times of Israel reported that Apple purchased the company for an estimated $2 million. Exactly what Apple plans to do with the technology remains to be seen, but it’s the third facial recognition-related acquisition the company has made in the last two years.
More info are available here.
New products
The LG G6
The phone will have two 13 MP cameras on the back with wide-angle lens. It will also come with a 5.7-inch “QHD+” display, Snapdragon 821, water resistance and Google Assistant.
More info here.
Samsung Exynos 9 SoC
The new Exynos chipset currently in production is being fabricated on the 10nm node, allowing for higher performance with lower power consumption. The new Exynos SoCs are likely to be integrated into the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.
More info here.
You might want to know about this
Apple patents screen technology capable of reading fingerprints without dedicated sensor
Apple has been granted a patent for an “interactive display panel with IR diodes”. This technology could replace the physical home button because would allow Apple devices to read fingerprints directly through the screen, instead of by relying on a dedicated fingerprint reader.
You can read more here.
YouTube will stop 30-second unskippable ads
According to a new report, Google has confirmed that it’s going to phase out the 30-second unskippable preroll ads on YouTube starting 2018. The company also added that it aims to provide a better advertising experience for online users and so it is going to focus instead on formats that work well for both users and advertisers.
More info can be found here.
Fun stuff
Flyte creates a levitating clock
The Story clock levitates horizontally, vertically, or at a 60-degree angle and has three modes: journey mode, clock mode, and timer mode. In addition to its modes, the clock also has an LED display that shows digital time in the center of the clock. If you connect it to the mobile app, the clock will illuminate real time meteorological data.
You can read more here.
