The creator of the entire Android platform, Andy Rubin, is the person behind the Essential Phone. His vision was to build a smartphone from scratch that would make up for all the shortcomings in today’s industry. Usually, even a high-end phone nowadays doesn’t offer flexibility for instance. Therefore, the team behind this project implemented a modular concept. The result is a $699 flagship smartphone that will start shipping preorders as early as this month.

The Essential Phone Will Be Shipped without the Complementary Essential 360 Camera

On Wednesday, Essential startup started emailing customers that they can receive an Essential PH-1 that they preordered in seven days. On the other hand, the Palo Alto-based manufacturer didn’t reveal the official date when the shipments start heading to their new owners. Nonetheless, the company reassured its customers that new details would emerge soon.

However, the preorders will not be able to include the special camera Essential 360 that can be mounted on the smartphone. The company announced that this piece would have its own separate shipment. Therefore, those interested in this technology should file for a different pre-order. They are likely to receive their assets by the end of this month.

On Friday, Sprint will start selling the flagship smartphone at retail price. The preorder cost consumers $699, yet the market can generate a price increase. On the other hand, Affirm is already offering a financial program for 24 months.

Those who apply for this service will have to pay $29.13 per month for the Essential phone for two years. Amazon and Best Buy are also other two companies that are considering including the brand new product in their offerings.

Andy Rubin Scheduled the Launch Close to the Release of Other Highly Anticipated Smartphones

The moment shipments receive green light next week, U.S. customers who preordered would have to wait an additional number of up to three days, depending on their location. Rubin intends to make his smartphone available in other corners of the world as well such as Western Europe, Japan, and U.K. The market of smartphones so far indicates that the $699 price tag for a high-end flagship is just the right number.

On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how this phone will perform. The Essential launch is in the proximity of the release of other much-awaited products such as LG V30 or Galaxy Note 8. Considering that these brands come from tested companies, Andy Rubin’s startup faces broad competition.

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Valve Corporation has been around in the game industry for 20 years. In this time, the company created some pretty addictive products, including Counter-Strike series, Team Fortress series, Half-Life series, and others. However, one of their greatest successes is Dota 2. The company has just released a teaser for an upcoming card game that is going to be based on the universe of Dota 2.

Upcoming Dota 2-Based Card Game Is Known as Artifact

During the largest tournament of the year for Dota 2, The International 7 which is valued at $23 million, Valve announced the creation of a new project. This time, it is about a card game dubbed as Artifact. In actuality, this is an extension of Dota 2 Universe that stumbled upon a new gaming genre. Unfortunately, it is too early for producers to announce too many details about it. Nonetheless, the teaser revealed that it would appear sometime next year.

Artifact is going to develop its games on three distinct boards. Players will be able to choose and battle against all types of characters. These will be popular heroes with their own consolidated history around them as they will descend from the universe of Dota 2.

The announcement was made just before the biggest attraction of The International 7, namely the final match. It was the event host Sean ‘Day9’ Plott who offered a few details about Dota 2 card game to the crowds of enthusiasts.

Dota 2 Is Thought to Be the Most Successful Game on Steam Platform

The game seems to have the mission to create creeps, lanes, and barracks. The association between Valve’s secret project and Hearthstone was inevitable. Blizzard Entertainment was the first to turn part of the lore around the Warcraft series into an online game with cards. This move turned out to be quite a successful phenomenon which was ignited at first by the large community of players addicted to Warcraft.

It seems that Valve has similar plans for Artifact. The company might want to create another ramification to the success Dota 2 enjoys. The game is believed to be the most played on the Steam platform. On the other hand, many are wondering if the company can replicate the same impact Hearthstone brought to its Warcraft community.

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Facebook made a public announcement that the company has some changes in mind for the News Feed of its social media platform. The main goal is to offer quality articles that don’t waste users’ time anymore. Therefore, speed will be the key for publishers to get more attention on their articles. The company admitted that this decision would impact links with slow load times.

The Upcoming Algorithm for News Feed Is Going to Promote Facebook’s Instant Articles

Facebook is resolute in its decision to update the platform. However, the changes will happen gradually over the following months. This way, publishers have time to streamline their online content and adapt to these latest requirements.

Even though the company revealed no connection to it, Facebook seems to promote its Instant Articles through this move. This is a mobile format that strips unnecessary code and comes with a cap on a number of ads that can appear on it. This way, mobile users obtain a better, faster experience than before and they are able to read one story after another.

On the other hand, publishers used to avoid this format. That’s because they feel that this strategy impairs their monetization plans. However, Facebook heard these complaints and began rolling more ads, restored subscription options, and intends to test a paid subscription paywall feature this fall.

It Is Unknown What Makes a Webpage Slow In the Eyes of Facebook

Therefore, Facebook will begin keeping track on the loading time of webpages on its platform. It will also take into account other factors such as the Internet connection of the user and the average speed of the selected page. If the link ranks as a fast page, then Facebook will make sure users will see it in their News Feed.

The company warned publishers that the moment this algorithm rolls out, those with slow pages will see a drop in reach. On the other hand, Facebook didn’t define what exactly makes a slow page. The statement only encouraged professionals to use tools that analyze and suggest improvements for their websites.

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A district court judge in America ruled a case between tech giant Apple and the University of Wisconsin. The plaintiff alleged that the company replicated the same microprocessor technology IP that pertains to the institution’s patent licensing portfolio. On Monday, the Wisconsin judge ordered a multi-million settlement with Apple due to WARF patent infringement.

The University of Wisconsin Won Other Cases Based on Same Allegations

On Monday, U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled in favor of the University to receive compensation for the damages inflicted by Apple. A-series CPUs under the brand of the company were the main subject of the lawsuit. The court found that the original patent belonged to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and was filed in 1998. The document tackles an innovative computer microarchitecture.

However, the University won another case back in October 2015 which was based on same allegations. The court released a similar ruling which forced Apple to cover damages with a punitive payment of $234 million. However, the latest decision underlined the fact that the initial penalty wasn’t enough. That’s because the company continued to practice its WARF patent infringement. This issue went on until the IP expired in December 2016. Therefore, the company is liable for an additional penalty of $272 million.

According to the institution, the original microarchitecture introduced a new way to streamline power efficiency and performance. The technology behind it is dubbed as “predictor circuit” and can boost the power of modern design for computer processors. The university built a similar case against Intel back in 2008. The company then had to compensate the plaintiff as well.

Apple Still Denies WARF Patent Infringement

The 2015 case against Apple deemed the patent infringement as willful. That’s because the company introduced the ‘752 patent property in one of its filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. On top of that, WARF claimed that the institution had attempted to solve the case amicably. However, the company refused to license its IP in the first place.

On the other hand, Apple still denies all these allegations. Apple sought to prove that the IP is not valid.  Therefore, the company intends to appeal the latest decision and the 2015 verdict as well.

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Google’s video platform took one more measure against all sorts of damaging cultures that spread extremist and terrorist messages. Instead of resorting to censorship and eliminating this type of content altogether, the company thought of a more proper solution, namely education. Every time a user will search for a certain violent terrorist content, the used keywords will trigger a redirection to different results that discredit such aggressive narratives.

Terrorist Content Employs Propaganda to Attract Vulnerable People as New Members

On Thursday, YouTube launched the Redirect Method effective immediately. The goal of this campaign is to educate any online user who feels isolated and views terrorist groups as communities he or she can join.

In such cases, people are usually spending hours of their time watching so-called informative videos about such groups. However, almost all such material available on the platform is propaganda created with the purpose to radicalize and convert users through violent recruiting messages. However, watching educational content instead can help them discover the risks they expose themselves to by falling for extremist rhetoric.

YouTube’s Combative Strategy Is Redirection to Educational, Curated Videos

Alphabet’s Jigsaw together with Moonshot CVE worked on this project as a method to use technology as a protective layer against global threats. At the basis of the Redirect Method stands a list of keywords and phrases. If any search query includes one or several such notions, the platform will automatically display curated videos. Each of these materials has facts by its side to debunk the messages that terrorist content use to gain members by their side.

YouTube is confident in the influence of its campaign as the company ran beta test previously. During this process, there were around 320,000 users who activated the Redirect Method. They watched a total of half a million minutes of the 116 videos YouTube chose as part of their mission to limit the influence of such damaging cultures.

Now that the project is active, YouTube will work alongside on empowering such efforts with additions such as educational material in other languages. On top of that, machine learning will continue to update the list of keywords or phrases that users in vulnerable states can use.

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Louis Vuitton created a product that is at a crossroad between fashion and technology. This marks a new entry in a trend that introduces luxury fashion brands into the world of Android Wear watches. Other companies that joined this move are Hugo Boss, Diesel, Montblanc, Tag Heuer, and more. Therefore, there’s no surprise that the giant designer followed them into the smartwatch market with a $2450 gadget.

Former Apple Music Executive Ian Rogers Is the Present CDO of Louis Vuitton

On Tuesday, Louis Vuitton introduced on the market its own wearable watch. The product is intended to be a premium luxury item that addresses only to a select pool of customers. That’s because the price tag is eight times higher than an Apple Watch. Therefore, it doesn’t seem to fit in a budget that most people allot for smartwatch market.

Louis Vuitton started to invest in tech industry two years ago. While its rivals in the luxury market are ahead of the game, the company made some small yet precarious steps forward. In 2015, the French company recruited former Apple Music executive Ian Rogers as its chief digital officer. Under his guidance, the organization created two e-commerce platforms, bought a suitcase producer specialized in electronic tags, and created accessories for iPhones.

Tambour Horizon Specs Are a Common Sight Across the Smartwatch Market

The new Tambour Horizon is based on Swiss quality as any other traditional Louis Vuitton watches. However, the technology that powers this expensive gadget comes from Silicon Valley. The company didn’t disclose who is in charge of inner workings. Android and Qualcomm are the technologies that power all features of the smartwatch.

Louis Vuitton reveals through its marketing material that its target public is constituted of wealthy travelers. The advertising video focuses less on technology and more on the aesthetics that follow the voyagers around the world. The smartwatch looks like a trustful friend that offers updates in real-time on flights and city guides.

The luxury gadget runs on Android Wear 2.0 and features a 390 x 390 AMOLED touchscreen on a 42 mm stainless steel case. Customers can choose from a palette of 60 different premium Louis Vuitton straps to adorn their luxury watches. The battery can last a full day while the 4GB internal storage adds value to it. The display shows phone calls, emails, messages, yet it has no pedometer which casts the product out of the sports industry.

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The world of games is supposed to prevail over any borders and limits even those that imagination can have. Despite this, they are still captive to certain platforms. However, Sony intends to change that. The company announced earlier this year that they are working on a cross-platform project. As of July 6, Sony kept its word and offered 20 PS4 games for Windows PCs.

Sony Introduced 20 PS4 Games for the Time Being for PCs

PlayStation Now subscribers will be able to enjoy some games on two platforms from now on. Some of the titles in the lineup are The Other Side of the Sky, Evolve, Super Mega Baseball, God of War 3 Remastered, Killzone Shadow Fall, Broken Age, and others.

Even though this is a bold move in the world of gaming, the available productions might be a little out of date. Despite this, such an event is still innovative enough for these times and the company promised to return with more goodies in the future.

Newcomers to PlayStation Now Will Enjoy a Price Deal for Their First Month of Subscription

Those who want to experience the thrills that PS4 games offer still need a PlayStation controller to connect to their PCs. First and foremost, enthusiasts need to install and sign up for PlayStation Now client app from the official website. PlayStation Network executive Eric Lempel claimed that the team needs more time to decide some final details for this new project.

“But we also haven’t set any firm criteria around when titles can come into the service.”

Nonetheless, Sony plans to introduce new titles with each content update every month. Subscription plans require $19.99 per month or $99.99 for a year. Those new to the service are eligible for a price deal of only $9.99 for the first month. Those who already have an account for PlayStation Now will receive the new titles automatically for no extra fees.

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Virtual reality is the latest trend that will surely transport the present into a high-tech future. Tech giants have barely scratched the surface of the potential of such a novel industry. While many rivals are busy working on their prototypes, Google has recently presented plans to entice more publishers on their VR advertising platform.

Google Welcomes Publishers into VR Through Its Own Advertising Platform

On Wednesday, Google claimed that it is going to introduce on the market a new product that combines the advertising world with VR. This new project is dubbed Advr which beautifully blends the two concepts at its core together. The idea stems from the company’s internal incubator Area 120.

The new Advr project wants to be an ad format system in the shape of a Cube. Users will be able to experience advertisements in virtual reality conditions. This makes publishers’ efforts seem more immersive and captivating for their target public. On the other hand, this is a virgin territory with no clear rules and projections yet.

Nonetheless, this announcement marks a new monetizing system that takes advantage of the latest technology. On the other hand, there are many challenges even for publishers. First of all, they would need to submit large budgets for the creation of VR ad films. Secondly, consumers aren’t yet so hooked on VR headsets to turn it into a profitable advertising platform.

The Company Will Gain More Influence in The Industry Through New Line of VR Cameras

However, this is not the only strategy Google intends to use to conquer this market. The tech behemoth announced only last week that it would launch brand new cameras. These gadgets are special as they can snap pictures directly in an 180-degree view. In addition, their price range is similar to those of point-and-shoot cameras. The Daydream VR team is taking care of this project in collaboration with Lenovo, Yi, and LG.

On top of that, Google will also offer software to edit the results of such VR cameras. This pair of products will work best for producers, creators, and advertisers and help them come up with more catchy content.

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Assassin’s Creed started off from a compelling idea. Its producers wanted to incorporate gamers into the fascinating world of the human legacy called history. The game transports people into the past which works by different laws than those in our modern society. This was enough to make the production seem like a thrilling mission into a science fiction realm. Ubisoft extended this successful product into numerous other versions based on new stories or that work on different platforms. As of recently, the company created a mobile edition that has many chances to conquer this format as well.

Players of the Mobile Edition Will Get to Manage Teams of Assassins

The new Ubisoft project is the Assassin’s Creed Rebellion. This is a free-to-play mobile game based on a strategy for both iOS and Android systems. The story line will place users into the époque of the Spanish Inquisition. The main mission is to consolidate a brotherhood of skillful assassins and take care of the headquarters.

The more time players invest in the game, the more exciting features they will unlock. As the headquarters expand, there will be more available assassins up for recruitment. Each character will come with its own special skills and equipment that offer a thrilling new combat strategy.

After their period of training, players will be able to group their characters into teams and send them to accomplish various missions. The success of these endeavors depends greatly on how well their skills complement each other and how well trained they are.

There Is No Official Release Date Yet

Even though the main story focuses on events from the 15^th century Spain, fans of this universe will get to play with some of their favorite heroes, be it Shao Jun, Ezio or Machiavelli. There will be a total of 40 available characters. The context that made this combination possible is an improved Animus machine that can combine the experiences of several characters together.

There is no official release date for this game production, yet the company mentioned that it would appear soon at a worldwide level. However, the good news is that the download files will work smoothly even on 2GB of RAM.

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While the company is busy revolutionizing the young market of the autonomous vehicle, there are some talks between executives and record labels for a side project. However, this potential music app would be to the benefit of car owners as well. Therefore, future Tesla drivers can expect to have an exquisite auditory experience along with their fewer responsibilities behind the steering wheel.

Tesla Officials Met with Major Record Labels for Its Own Deal

As of recently, sources close to the matter claimed that Tesla met with several major record labels for a possible contract. The company seeks to license a proprietary music service. This new offer would round up a full-fledged experience that comes with an innovative Tesla vehicle. The music service will also be followed by other already confirmed features such as internet connectivity and top-notch tech dashboard.

However, it is not clear yet how the carmaker intends to leverage this new addition. However, it is believed that Tesla has several plans for this single service, including a web radio similar to Pandora service. This move is peculiar given that there are already many comprehensive such offers out there that would not refuse a collaboration with Tesla. The carmaker was also in talks with Spotify to streamline the service for Model S owners. However, it seems there is a change of plans.

Tesla Clients Might Be Able to Use Their Music App on Any Platform They Want

A spokesperson for the company stated that they are having only the happiness of customers on their minds. Therefore, by investing in their own service, they can bypass current market standards that limit a service to a certain device. With their own music app, Tesla will allow its clients to enjoy quality content whenever and wherever.

For the moment, Apple Music and Spotify dominate the market as music leaders with 27 million and 50 million respectively paying subscribers. If Tesla gives this new project a go, it will have a starting audience of 500,000 customers. This summer only, the company has to honor 400,000 preorders for Model 3 while the rest of them are waiting for their new cars in January.

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