Google’s Chromecast Turns One, Boasts Over 400M Casts To Date

Google’s Chromecast Turns One, Boasts Over 400M Casts To Date

Darrell Etherington

TechCrunch 

Google launched the Chromecast exactly one year ago today, and the $35 streaming stick has made some impressive progress in the intervening 365 days. The media player has added a ton of features, but Google also revealed that it has powered over 400 million Casts thus far, which involve users running software on their Android, iOS or PC device to displays connected to the Chromecast.
The device is also now more international than ever, with sales extending across 20 countries including the latest addition, Ireland, as of this writing. 30,000 stores now stock the Chromecast, too, in addition to its online availability through Google Play devices store. The app now has support for scores more apps than it did at launch, can mirror the screens of select Android devices, and has sold “millions” of units according to Google.
Chromecast is becoming more and more of true streaming over-the-top device replacement thanks to lots of iteration and feature additions, but its special power of Casting from Android devices is being baked into Android TV means that the Chromecast could become a transition device as its features are rolled into third-party settop boxes, TV sets and other devices. If Android TV succeeds as I’m sure Google hopes it will, users should be able to get their casting elsewhere. In the meantime, however, $35 remains an amazing price to pay for an accessory that does what Chromecast can do, especially given how keen Google seems to be on continuous improvement for the gadget.

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5 Must-Download Apps Before Visiting Disney World, Universal Studios And More

5 Must-Download Apps Before Visiting Disney World, Universal Studios And More

Louis Bedigian

Benzinga 

These are the apps that everyone should download before their next big vacation.

1. My Disney Experience
Up until now, Disney World (NYSE: DIS) might have been the one place where consumers didn't need a smartphone. It is, after all, the happiest place on Earth. Why would anyone want to distract themselves with a gadget they can use when they get home?
Well, with My Disney Experience app for Android and iOS, Disney visitors will be even happier. Designed to help consumers get the most out of their vacation, My Disney Experience allows users to get wait times for attractions, show times for fireworks and parades, peruse character greeting locations, and modify their FastPass+ experiences.
Users are also be able to manage their Disney Resort reservations, organize the day with My Plans, and share their plans with other users. Interactive maps are also available.

2. Universal Studios
Universal Studios attendees have been frustrated by imitation apps that claim to deliver accurate wait times at the company's theme parks. Those apps can finally be discarded now that the official app has arrived.
Related Link: Target + Instagram = In A Snap
Available for Android and iOS devices, the Official Universal Orlando Resort App allows users to check wait times (for rides, shows and attractions), view maps, plan each day, create a favorites list, and receive in-park notifications. The app also claims to provide "hidden surprises" throughout the parks.

3. National Parks
The National Parks by National Geographic app is one of the best ways to explore a national park. The app allows users to view global and interactive map views (which can be filtered by activity and season), look up thousands of points of interest (all of which are tagged with GPS coordinates), and peruse the top must-sees and must-dos of each park.
In 2012, National Parks won an Apple Design Award for its "strong design and attention to detail." Apple praised the app's production quality, including animations, transitions, and a number of "stunning" photo galleries.

4. USA Today Travel Experience Las Vegas
If you're headed to the gambling capital of the world, you might want to download USA Today's snazzy Vegas app.
The app (which is powered by customer engagement firm MyCityWay) has features for foodies and partygoers, as well as those who are on a budget. This allows users to identify their traveler type and build a tailored trip.

5. Stay.com's Travel Guides
City guide builder Stay.com has created one of the most effective apps for visiting new cities.
Available for iOS and Android, the Travel Guides and Offline Maps app offers 1,000 different travel guides that span 150 different cities. The app claims to "hand-pick" the best each city has to offer, including restaurants, cafes, free Wi-Fi hotspot listings, bars, nightlife, landmarks, museums, and more.
Users can also create their own personal travel guide to ensure that they don't miss anything on their next vacation. Best of all, the app comes with offline, GPS-enhanced maps that do not require an Internet connection.

Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.
2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Xiaomi Unveils its Latest Flagship Mi4 Smartphone

Xiaomi Unveils its Latest Flagship Mi4 Smartphone in Pakistan:

Xiaomi, a renowned Chinese electronics company, has announced its latest flagship device Mi 4 during an event in Beijing.

The latest phone is said to be the fastest and the most striking device in the Mi phone series. It packs the top notch hardware and now the build quality has been improved by the addition of metal.

Have a look at some of key features of this device:

• 5-inch 1080p IPS display
• Stainless steel frame and Swappable back plates (plastic, wood, bamboo, marble, fabric, leather)
• Snapdragon 801 chipset (quad-core 2.5 GHz CPU, Adreno 330 GPU)
• 3GB RAM and 16/64GB internal memory (No memory card slot)
• 13MP rear camera, f1.8, real-time HDR, 4K video recording
• Secondary 8MP front camera, f1.8, 80-degree wide angle
• 3080mAh internal battery, quick charging at 9V/1.2A or 5V/2A
• 4G LTE Support, Bluetooth 4.0,  FM radio
• Android KitKat 4.4 with MIUI v6 on top

The 16GB version is priced at $320 and the price for 64GB version is approximately $400. This device is currently available only in China, its likely that prices in other markets will be the same.

Smartphone enthusiasts in Pakistan can expect this phone to be available in local markets around September 2014.

The company has also announced a water resistant Mi fitness Band. It offers fitness monitor & sleep tracking features and can unlock you Mi phone without a password. It is priced at $13 and will be available in different colors with stylish band options.

It merits mentioning here that Xiaomi is headed by Hugo Barra, a key former Google Android executive. The company is currently selling its products in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and India.

Many devices including Mi 3, Redmi and Redmi Note are also available worldwide — including Pakistan — either through authorized stores or grey channel.

According to the statistics shared by company’s founder Lei Jun, Xiaomi has sold 57.36 million phones in its first three years of operation and 26.1 million of them were sold just in the first half of 2014.

The Mi 2 smartphone launched in 2012, happens to be the most successful product by the company, 17.4 million units have been sold to date.

Xiaomi products are not officially available in Pakistan, but you can find most of them in the market or buy from local online shops (sold at inflated prices).

The company has recently started its operations in India and got a very positive response. So its safe to assume the company will consider the Pakistani market very soon.

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Swatch Denies Working With Apple on 'iWatch' Smartwatch

Swatch Denies Working With Apple on 'iWatch' Smartwatch

Reuters

Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group has denied a media report saying it was working with technology company Apple on a smartwatch, a wearable device with interactive functions.

Technology website VentureBeat said in a report on Wednesday Apple was working with "at least one partner, Swatch" on a smartwatch project, citing an unnamed source.

A spokeswoman for Swatch Group said on Thursday the report was unfounded. She said the only business relationship Swatch Group had with mobile phone makers was as a supplier of integrated circuits and other electronic components.

Signs are mounting that Apple, which landed huge successes with its iPhone mobile phones and iPadtablets, is preparing the launch of an iWatch, following the commercialisation of smartwatches by rivals such as Samsung and LG Electronics.

Swatch Group shares rose 2 percent to 510 Swiss francs by 1045 GMT, outperforming a 0.2 percent higher European sector index.

"I have no doubt that Swatch is up on the back of these press reports - against a rather dull market and sector performance today," Exane BNP Paribas analyst Luca Solca said, adding smartwatches seemed to be at the centre of attention in the investment community.

JPMorgan analysts said in a note the VentureBeat article looked questionable because they would find it surprising if Swatch launched products under its own brands to link them to Apple applications, as the report had suggested.

"One of (Swatch Chief Executive Nick) Hayek's main concerns over smartwatches, repeatedly stated in analysts conference calls in the last six months, is the possible dependence on software and applications from other companies," they said.

Hayek told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday he was not interested in teaming up with a tech group to develop a smartwatch.

© Thomson Reuters 2014

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At least 15 dead in Israeli shelling of Gaza school: Health Ministry

At least 15 dead in Israeli shelling of Gaza school: Health Ministry

Israeli forces shelled a U.N.-run school sheltering Palestinians in the northern Gaza strip, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and raising the conflict's death toll to nearly 750.

Israel Radio said, without citing a source, that most of those killed at the United Nations school were children.

There is no one to stop this bloodshed everyone is just pretending that these people don't even exist. You do not have to be a Muslim to stand up for Gaza you just need to be a Human!

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'Sinister Six' spinoff to come next for Spider-Man

'Sinister Six' spinoff to come next for Spider-Man

Associated Press

 NEW YORK — The Spider-Man franchise will detour next with a "Sinister Six" spinoff in 2016, pushing "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" to 2018, Sony's Columbia Pictures said Wednesday in announcing an updated schedule.

By ordering "Sinister Six" ahead of the next "Spider-Man" movie, the studio hopes to expand the franchise with the group of Marvel super-villains.
Released in May, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" accumulated $706 million worldwide and only just surpassed $200 million domestically. That was considered a disappointing result, since it failed to top its 2012 predecessor, which made $758 million. It was also less than all of the box-office hauls for Sam Raimi's trilogy.
"Sinister Six," to be directed by Drew Goddard, is one of two spinoffs planned for the Spider-Man universe. No date has been set for the other offshoot in development, "Venom."
Sony had previously pegged "Spider-Man" sequels for 2016 and 2018, but "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" will now be pushed to 2018. In its place, Sony has slotted in "Uncharted," an action film based on the PlayStation video game.

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One Direction's Major Style Changes Over the Past 4 Years

 We can't believe how much the guys have grown up in the years since their days on X Factor, and their maturity even reflects in their fashions. In the past four years, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson's hairstyles have grown into long manes, Liam Payne has gone from wearing polo shirts to rocking dapper suit jackets, Niall Horan had his braces put on and removed, and Zayn Malik got more tattoos than we can count!

Niall Horan

Credit:

Tumblr, Getty

Louis Tomlinson

Credit:

Tumblr, WireImage, Getty

Harry Styles

Credit:

Tumblr, Getty

Liam Payne

Credit:

Tumblr, Getty

Zayn Malik

Credit:Tumblr, Getty

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Happy Anniversary To One Direction:

July 23, officially marks the four year anniversary of One Direction forming their band. Fans can't believe how much the guys have grown up in the years since their days on X Factor, and their maturity even reflects in their fashions. In the past four years, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson's hairstyles have grown into long manes, Liam Payne has gone from wearing polo shirts to rocking dapper suit jackets, Niall Horan had his braces put on and removed, and Zayn Malik got more tattoos than we can count!

Niall Horan was the first to chime in on their anniversary, tweeting about how he couldn't believe the band only got together four years ago. He finished off with a shocking photo from their X Factordays, saying that his 1D bandmates are "family" to him now

But it wasn't just Niall who expressed his love. Harry Styles and Liam Payne also posted adorable statuses in honor of One Direction's fourth anniversary. Harry gushed about how "lucky" he feels to be a part of the band, and seriously thanked their fans.

Meanwhile, we already know how much Liam loves his fellow 1D members, but we were still touched to hear that he appreciates the band and their Directioners. He echoed Niall and Harry, tweeting that he couldn't believe they had already been together for four years.

As if that wasn't heartwarming enough, Louis Tomlinson recently told Top of the Pops that the band has a little 1D family. "I think 'family' is probably the best way of describing us," he said. "It's different to friendship.”

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Most Stylish Selfie of the Week

Most Stylish Selfie of the Week

"Hi cutie"  Bella Thorne showed off an adorable new selfie on her Instagram page where she showcases her wispy hair and glowing makeup! Fans also love her layered dainty necklaces and her floral top.

Credit: Twitter
Demi Lovato looked so stunning rocking a stylish hat, cool shades, and a floral top in a new Twitpic she posted. In her photo, she was enjoying a yummy green smoothie as a delicious way to eat her vegetables!

Credit: Twitter
Demi Lovato shared a selfie on Twitter showcasing her new haircut, and fans are totally obsessed with her layered, shoulder-length 'do. Her purple ombre is still going strong, but she added some major texture and volume to her bangs and shorter strands.

Credit: Instagram
Fifth Harmony's Camila Cabello looked so funny showing off a silly face selfie on Instagram! fans love her gorgeous powder blue shirt with its crochet detailed sleeves, and her hair and makeup are perfect too!

Credit: Instagram
Little Mix's Perrie Edwards showcased her glossy makeup perfectly in a cool black and white selfie. Even without color in the photo, Perrie's  lipstick and eye makeup are highlighted in the shot, which also features pretty rays of sunlight.

Credit: Twitter

Can a baby be the most stylish star of the day? He can if he's Niall Horan's nephew Theo Horan! We decided to dedicate the day's stylish selfie title to Theo in honor of his first birthday today.

Credit: Instagram

Bella Thorne looked absolutely cool in new selfie she shared while at an oceanside photo shoot.

Credit: Instagram

Harry Styles looked cool rocking a printed shirt and wearing a turban-style headband to keep back his messy hair in a new photo posted on One Direction's Instagram page!

Credit: Instagram 

Ariana Grande's latest Instagram pic has us seeing double!

Credit: Instagram 

Did Taylor Swift get a whole new hairstyle? She showed off a cool new Instagram pic where her hair looks green on top and fiery red ombre at the ends! Tay explained in the photo's caption that it was actually the beautiful sunset making her hair look so colorful

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Ariana Grande's Grandfather Passes Away

After a long battle with cancer that caused Ariana Grande to cancel her UK tour dates, Grandpa Grande has passed away. The singer posted a heartbreaking series of tweets announcing her grandfather's death, thanking her fans for their support and expressing her feelings about losing someone so important to her.

She said, "This is the hardest thing imaginable, but I'm so grateful that I got to spend time with him and my family, taking care of him and loving him."

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The Guardians of the Galaxy are Coming to Disney Infinity

The Guardians of the Galaxy hype is real. In just over a week, Marvel’snew super team will be heading to theaters. Yeah, we’re more than just a little excited.

And the universe is about to get bigger in Disney Infinity as well. It was announced today that the Guardians of the Galaxy will be joining the Disney Infinity 2.0universe. The Guardians of the Galaxy playset will be the third in the Marvel line of Disney Infinity 2.0, along with The Avengers and Spider-Man.

Down below, you can catch the first trailer featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy. Watch out later this year for the Guardians figures to land on shelves  We are so pumped for their big debut :)

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Facebook low in customer satisfaction, while Pinterest ranks high, survey says

By Brandon Bailey

San Jose Mercury News

Pinterest users have a high rate of customer satisfaction, according to a new survey by an independent research group. Facebook and LinkedIn users? Not so much.
Ads and privacy are big concerns cited by Internet users who ranked Facebook and LinkedIn lowest among social media sites, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, an economic research program affiliated with the University of Michigan.
The rankings are based on a survey of 6,200 Internet users conducted in May — which, the survey group notes, was before Facebook ran into fresh criticism for a controversial study in which it tested users' emotional reactions to change in their news feeds.
Social media companies received somewhat higher marks than they did last year, as a group, but they still rank pretty low for customer satisfaction when compared with other industries, according to the researchers, who said only airlines, cable TV companies and Internet service providers ranked lower in 2014.
It's hard to know what to make of the findings: While the ACSI says customer satisfaction correlates with a company's financial performance, Facebook has made a pretty good showing in earnings and stock performance this year. (It was scheduled to report second-quarter earnings Wednesday.) And as Pinterest continues to build up its relatively small ad business, it will be interesting to see if its satisfaction ranking changes.
Meanwhile, the ACSI reports that Google's search engine far outranks its competitors — including Bing, Yahoo and AOL — in the category of Internet portals and search engines. The ACSI said users like Google's format for presenting search results, on both desktop and mobile computer screens.

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