Apple Personal Pickup service takes on British market

Apple launched the Personal Pickup service in America to get the orders by consumers. This service was launched to remit the peak hours during the rush season for shopping, reports Macnn on November 26.

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Personal Pickup service allows consumers to make orders online, and pickup their packages from the offline Apple retail stores. One can get its package within one hour.

Personal Pickup service was released in 2011 in America. The consumers can check the storage of nearest Apple retail stores online before they place orders. Apple company will send them the self-help pickup emails or text messages after consumers confirmed their orders.

It is suggested to pick up their commodities at the nearest retail stores around their residence. They might need to show their emails or text messages to confirm when picking up the goods.

Canadians and Australians are also allowed to use the Personal Pickup service to take their commodities, reported 9to5Mac lately. In the meanwhile, Apple offered training courses to its retail store staffs concerned the Personal Pickup service in Australia, France and other countries.

Apple owns 460 Apple retail stores in 18 countries, including 200 retail stores in United States. It was revealed that Apple planned to introduce the Personal Pickup service to more countries in November. It is possible that it carries out this plan later.

 

It reported Samsung sharply cuts research staffs

It is reported that two-thirds of Samsung research staffs in Seoul will make space for its design team staffs.

Fudzilla quoted the reported from ChosunBiz on November 23, Samsung made great adjustment for its research center. It reproted that two-thirds of staffs there might be fired.

Those staffs are in high risks to lose their job from Samsung DMC and MSC departments. The research center can hold 10,000 staffs, while the company cuts the workforce to 3,500 now.

Judging from this news, Samsung seems to cut workforce on software launching. It might focus on the research on hardware in the near future.

Samsung command headquarter-Samsung Future Strategy Office announced its software engineers and staffs belong to design department will move from Seocho office to Umyeon-dong research center on November 26, reported Korea Times on November 23.

Seocho headquarter has been an important branch for Samsung financial and sci-tech subsidiaries. Now Samsung seems to move out its sci-tech department and brings in the whole financial sector.

According to the confirmed information from insiders, Samsung initially planned to arrange more electrical employees to Seocho office. Finally it made new plan for bringing in Samsung securities and Samsung Card.

Samsung spokesman did not confirm the above news yet.

 

Google remote reset passwords for 74 % of Android devices

According to a document from New York prosecution office, Google can easily reset passwords for older version Android system to obtain more details for investigating officers on the condition that the court required.

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This document concerns the Android system complete encryption will make effect to the work execution of American judicial department in the future.

The document indicates the Android 5.0 or advanced one will not be able to reset passwords remotely due to the complete encryption function. The encryption function is not open by default on many other devices. However, the older Android versions have high risk being able to remotely reset passords.

The judicial investigators can make short cut for obtaining the passwords for some Android devices via some judicial expertise technologies. They need to apply for search warrant from the court on some Android devices.

They have right to ask for Google to assist the data collecting by reseting their passwords. Google is able to reset their passwords by remote so that the judicial investigators will check the backup content.

According to the data provided by the Android developers panel, 74.1% of Android devices still run the older Android system which are under high risk being reset passwords by remote.

Such situation works better to iPhone users. Apple can not skip the passwords on iOS or advanced version. These systems open the encryption function by default.

If Android users wish to open the complete encryption function, please setting options are normally located in “security” or “storage”menu.

Google mobile search app updates

Google is testing a new way to make its mobile search more effective and convenient. Google chose a set of applications to support the mobile search.

When the users search on Google mobile search, all the typing contents will be searched and able to browse.

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For example, when users type ” Chicago hotels”, Google Now will offer the hotel reservation app HotelTonight for searching and display the hotels. Google could only display the application contents that were match with webpage contents in the past.

In addition to this, users can browse the application contents via streaming media right now. They have no need to download the app before they check the search contents. Users will be able to locate and book the hotel from the searching result. It is new and convenient to apply.

Google is pursuading the application publishers to allow Google mobile search obtains the application contents via Google deep links. If they deny Google’s reqeust, Google mobile search won’t be work effectively.

So far, there are 1,000 applications create the over 100 billion deep links, including Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

The updated Google mobile search will be more effective and powerful. It displays the application contents via searching and allows users to browse the contents without downloading the app.

Google updates this app in the hope of helping its mobile search engine to be the major channel for users to visit the websites.

First Apple Store will be set up in Singapore

Singaporean officer has confirmed that Apple will set up its first Apple Store there. It will be the first retail store that is supplied with solar power in South Asia.

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The solar power developer Sunseap Group claimed that it will install solar energy facilities on the roofs of 800 buildings to store such renewable energy so that to meet Apple’s demand from January of 2017.

Until now, Apple doesn’t reveal the location and commencement date of business for first Apple Store in Singapore. It is said that it will be supposed to start business in 2016. In the meanwhile, Apple doesn’t confirm whether it will fully apply solar power in its first Apple Store either.

“Sunseap and Apple teamed up as strategic partners which means Singapore is in a vantage point to use more competitive renewable energy,” said Goh Chee Kiong, the executive director of Economic Development of Board of Singapore.

” We start recruiting the work team for the first Apple Store in Singapore now, that is what we can tell so far,” announced Angela Ahrendts, retail director of Apple firm.

Apple will be the first company that fully relies on renewable energy in Singapore after it signed the agreements with Sunseap Group. Apple listed 14 job opportunities for Singaporean retail store on its official website, including store manager, business manager and technical assistant.

There was sign for the above rumor dated back to late October. Pure Fitness notified its clients that it would close 4-store shopping mall which locates in Orchard Road in order to offer convenience for first Apple Store.

Apple authorized two distributors to sell its products via their brick-and-mortar stores in Singapore. These two distributors have 18 brick-and -mortar stores altogether there. In addition to this, Apple also sell its products to Singaporeans via online stores.

Snapchat offers subscribed lens store features

Snapchat works hard to make more profit from its activate users. It reported that it obtains 100 million activate users each day. Snapchat keeps launching new functions to attract users and tries to charge subscription for the favorite features from its users.

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Snapchat launched the Lens Store last Friday. The subscribers can add more social elements or doodle on their snapshots by paying $0.99. It offers 30 lens options on the lens stores, including 7 free options.

Snapchat had offered the free lens service in the past few months. It teamed up with Fox to test the fist sponsored lens for Snoopy last month. Some popular lens might be disappeared after Snapchat release the lens store.

Those lens might not be so popular when it begins charging. Lens store is the second subscribed feature launched by Snapchat since September.

It created the mode of burn after reading and it started not saving the communications between friends. To make more profit, it allows users to spend $0.99 since September to check three deleted chatting records of the day.

It is so important for Snapchat to release the subscribed functions. Under some circumstances, it costs Snapchat $500,000 for its products’ ads on a single day. Its payment services are positive for its development. It might launch more subscribed services in the feature.

Many of its users are not satisfied with the subscription of lens store. They complained on Twitter. They felt that they are forced to use some lens features once they buy it. It is necessary to buy such lens.

Snapchat hasn’t make any official announcement concerns subscribed lens store yet.

 

 

John Gruber: Intel x86 is declining

John Gruber has been reporting Apple’s news for more than 10 years via his blog Daring Fireball. He admitted that it was the turning point for Apple as well as the whole computing industry for iPad Pro’s release.

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He felt that it meant the end of Intel x86 . Intel x86 has been the PC core since 1980s.

The price for top configuration of iPad Pro is $1097, it is $50 cheaper than the cheapest MacBook even purchase with the Smart Keyboard.

Gruber tested the performance of iPad Pro and found it works better and has higher definition screen. In addition, iPad Pro’s battery life can last longer than MacBook.

There are also advantages to use Mac, such as expansibility and more ports. iPad Pro uses the iOS 9.1 system, if you try to use iPad Pro as laptop, you might be disappointed.

Gruber assumes that the future for computer will be based on the ARM processor, instead of using x86 which is mostly applied by Mac and Windows PC. ARM processors are used in iPad and most of the smartphones.

He added that the life of x86 won’t last long. The application of x86 is declining. There will be more chances for ARM, and Apple A SoC will be one of the leader in the future.

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 falls in between laptop and iPad and it is similar to iPad Pro. Surface series products has developed to generation 4, and the experience of using its keyboard is nearly the same as the traditional one. Surface Pro runs Windows 10 operating system and it supports the common PC software.

Surface Pro 4 employs the Intel Core processor on the basis of x86. Its price is the same with iPad Pro in the condition that they use they set the same configuration.

 

Pinterest introduces a discovery engine

The photo sharing website Pinterest is considered as a social network site which is similar to Facebook. Pinterest even more wishes create more profit via the search Ads business as Google does.

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Its head quarter locals in San Francisco, Pinterest plans to launch a new technology on Monday. Such technology will allow users to search the related photos without typing any characters. For example, this new technology will help users to search the similar styles or colors for user for the lamps of a restaurant that he loves.

Pinterest claims that the new technology applies “a discovery engine”feature. Its senior manager addresses that it allows users to find those new things they have never met. Michael Lopp said this feature was launched by accidentally.

It is said that ” a discovery engine”feature will help Pinterest to sell its ads. This is why some investor evaluated Pinterest at $11 billion for its market value. Pinterest was founded 5 years ago and received over 100 million users and stored 50 billion photos. The spokesman indicates the company has added 1 billion photos into the new search engine. It will add all of its stored photos in the near future.

Pinterest introduced the Promoted Pins ads this May. The advertisers can pay subscriptions to have their pins in visible locations of the website. It announced to test a new project in June that any one or enterprises can promote their pins by paying subscriptions so that more and more people access to their ads.

Debrorah Aho-Williamson, analyst of eMarketer suggested if Pinterest plans to attract more search advertising budget, it must have an excellent search product. There are still many problems unsolved despite of Pinterest’s search products are doing better.

Pinterest shows that the visual search will be the major part for its development. Visual search is one of the difficulties that IT enterprises meet. Google has spent years to study to launch the visual search. It released Google Goggles in 2009. Users can search by taking photos or the information of objects without typing.

It considered developing visual search since last year. Pinterest also purchased VisualGraph. Kevin Jing and David Liu will join Pinterest engineering team when the acquisition is done.

Experdia will take over HomeAway

Expedia and HomeAway announced that they have made agreements for acquisition. Expedia will spend $3.9 billion to realize takeover, dealing with cash and stocks.

According to the terms of contact they signed, each HomeAway share amount to cash $10.15 and 0.265 share of common Expedia in view of its closing price on November 3rd.

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Both of the boards of director came into a deal, but this deal needs to be approved by supervision institute. Expedia estimated this deal will be done by the first quarter of 2016.

Expedia is a famous US traveling website that subordinates to Worldwild Travel Exchange. It offers flight ticket reservation, car rental and over hotel reservation of 3,000 worldwide tour sites services.

HomeAway is an online service website that provides holiday house rentals. It becomes the world leading, online service provider for holiday house rentals after a series acquistions and strategic expansion. It established business for over 1.2 million rental properties in 145 countries.

HomeAway cooperated with Expedia in 2013, posting its holiday rental properties on Expedia’s website. Expedia availed of the partnership to penetrate European market to battle booking’s competition.

“The market scale of alternative accommodation reaches $100 billion. We have been cooperating with HomeAway for two years, it is reasonable to merge it into Expedia,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Expedia.

“We have been transforming our business to a completely online booking platform and Expedia has profound experience in this field,”said Brian Sharples, CEO of HomeAway.

Amazon offers male employees 6 weeks’ paternity leave

Amazon will offer new welfare to those male employees who experience fatherhood: 6 weeks’ paternity leave, reported on November 3 Beijing time.

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According to its vacation policy that revised on Monday shows the parents who just have a new baby or adopt a child, they can have a 6 weeks paid leave regardless of genders.

To enjoy the 6 weeks’ paid leave provided that the employees has been working for Amazon for more than one year. It is the first time that Amazon offers male emplpoyees paid paternity leave.

There were some IT enterprises and other fields’ enterprises expanded the scope of family vacation in order to motivate and retain employees.

Amazon was criticized by the public as New York Times reported Amazon’s stressful working environment this summer. The article quoted the statement of its employees, suggesting Amazon’s working environment is stressful, unfriendly to eomployees or their families. Amazon then refuted the criticism.

Amazon’s spokesman denied to make any comment on this new policy, but Amazon claimed that this policy was revised after it investigated and interviewed employees. It is to match with the welfare against its rivals.

The females can enjoy 20 weeks’ paid maternity leave, including 4 weeks’ awaiting delivery.

This policy applies to all full-time hourly worker and salaried employees, including 100,000 customer service and storage employees. Employees are able to obtain restricted stocks during their vacations.

Amazon also launched vacation sharing project. It allows employees to share 6 weeks’ vacation with their spouses who are not eligible for this paternity leave.

Amazon gives the primary caregivers 8 weeks transitional period to adjust their work. During these 8 weeks, they don’t have to work full time.