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Apple’s first quarterly earning reports for 2018 are in and the company has reported that it sold 77.3 million iPhones in Q1 2018 (which includes the holiday season), down 1.24 percent year-over-year from the 78.3 million iPhones sold in the same quarter last year. But despite the slump in sales, iPhone revenue overall increased year-over-year — up 11.69 percent from $54.38 billion to $61.58 billion. While predictions for the average sale price of iPhone units sold during the quarter ranged from $710 to $755, the actual ASP was $796 (compared to $694 in Q1 2017) which directly explains the increase of revenue despite the decrease in sales . That said, despite the record revenue, analysts were still expecting a slight increase of... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2nuhIhU"

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here . Also, stay tuned for Wirecutter's special Valentine's Day deals covering everything from candles to high-end chocolates and even NSFW items. Head to Twitter at @wirecutterdeals for #TheSweetestDeals on February 5th from 8pm-12am ET. HiFiMan HE400i SE Open-Back Headphones Street Price: $250; Deal Price: $180 w/ code LISTENUP After our previous pick, the HE400S, were discontinued, the HE400i dropped from their $500 list price down to $250 last year. That makes these headphones an incredible value, and we recently saw them fall to $220. Now we're seeing an even better deal on the Special Edition Dark Blue Chrome color with a new low price of $180 when you use code LISTENUP . Grab these while they're available as this deal i...

You probably don't need to be reminded that Google makes the vast majority of its money from ads scattered across every corner of the internet. Other products are more recognizably Google-y, however, and Alphabet's new earnings release shows off some impressive growth in areas beyond just ad money. Alphabet raked in $32.3 billion in revenue in its fourth quarter, and just about $4.7 billion came from what Alphabet refers to as Google's "other revenues." For those keeping track, that's the most money Alphabet has pulled in from its "other revenues" segment, which is where you and I probably spend most of our money. "Other revenues" encompasses cash earned from the Play Store, subscription services like YouTube Red and Google's cloud offerings, not to mention Google's own hardware. We're still waiting for more details in Alphabet's customary post-earnings conference call, but if nothing else, we know that Google sold a ton ...

Apple brought in $88.3 billion in revenue this past quarter, on target with the $84 to $87 billion sales figure it projected in its last earnings report . The company sold 77.3 million iPhones, just roughly one million units shy of its last record of 78.2 units in Q1 2017 , and under analyst estimates of 80 million. Though Apple sold fewer iPhones compared to this period last year, it made more money thanks to the higher price of the iPhone X. With the 10th anniversary model, the average selling price of an iPhone is now $796 compared to $756 last year, prior to the device’s launch. Total sales are up 13 percent — Apple’s all-time sales record in a quarter. The company also kept more older iPhone models on sale during the holiday season,... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GAxlfs"

It’s business as usual at Google parent company Alphabet, despite a growing number of controversies surrounding the company’s firing of former employee James Damore and a reckoning over content policies at YouTube . Alphabet posted its 2017 fourth-quarter earnings today , showing sales of $32.32 billion and profit of $9.70 per share, coming in under Wall Street expectations of $9.96 per share. Wall Street reacted negatively to the profit miss, sending Alphabet stock down as much as 4 percent in after-hours trading. However, Google’s core ad business remains healthy, pulling in $27.27 billion in revenue and helping push Alphabet, of which Google’s ad business makes up roughly 85 percent of its business, to a 24 percent year-over-year... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EvAI6P"

The holidays were not kind to GoPro. The action camera company had already issued an earnings warning in January, dropping its projected Q4 revenues from $470 million to $340 million, that's a 37 percent year-over-year decline. The holidays were so dreadful, in fact, that GoPro has since decided to abandon its drone pursuits and a fifth of its workforce, roughly 300 positions . That said, the company did earn $1.18 billion in 2017, flat year-over-year, and the staff reductions did help drop GoPro's operating expenses by 30 percent, which left the company with $247 million in cash and marketable securities at the end of the year. That's $50 million more than it had on hand at the end of Q3. Neither the oft troubled Karma drone nor the existing Hero5 flagship camera managed to ignite the public's passions during the holidays. As a result, the company was forced to offer these products at a discount, further eroding its profit margins during the critical sales season...

This past holiday quarter was a particularly notable one for Apple: It released the iPhone X, probably the most hyped and anticipated device the company has launched in many years. And despite some grumblings in the financial and media world that the iPhone X isn't selling as well as expected, and indeed Apple slipped a little bit. The company just announced that it sold 77.3 million iPhones in its fiscal year Q1, down a scant 1.3 percent compared to the 78.3 million sold one year ago. It's the first time iPhone sales have declined during a holiday quarter since the phone launched, as best we can tell. That speaks both to how saturated the iPhone market is getting, how relatively incremental annual iPhone updates are getting, the massive iPhone X revision aside. Despite that, Apple says the iPhone X has been the top-selling iPhone every week since it shipped in early November. Mac sales also dropped slightly, to 5.1 million units -- good for a five percent year-over-year de...

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Tesla's electric race car series has been in the planning stages for awhile, and now it has been approved by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the organization that oversees Formula One. Eventually, the plan is to put together an all-electric series of racing events around the world. But because others' electric racing vehicles aren't ready yet, the Electric Car Production Series is starting with the Tesla Model S P100D. It was previously called the Electric GT Wold Series . According to The Verge , the organization is planning on conducting its first race later this year, but nothing has been finalized yet. Motorsport.com reports that the electric series race weekends will include a format of three heats to qualify and two races that are 30 miles long. These will take place during the daytime and in the evening. Tesla isn't close to the only car company with an electric racing model, though. Jaguar is planning on an EV racing line of cars i...

Citing a substantial increase in the number of passengers bringing emotional support animals on its flights, as well as an increase in incidents, United Airlines announced Thursday it’s tightening the rules on bringing such animals on planes. Starting March 1st, United will require passengers with emotional support animals to provide evidence the animal has “been trained to behave properly in a public setting and acknowledge responsibility for the animal’s behavior,” as well as proof of vaccination from a veterinarian. This is in addition to providing 48 hours’ notice to the airline and an enhanced letter for the passenger from a medical professional. There are no changes in United’s policy for service animals. “Year-over-year, we have... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2nsWnW2"

Snapchat has dabbled in merchandise before, with branded towels , backpacks, and the infamous dancing hot dog costume . But now the company is taking things a step further with a full-fledged merch store that launched today in the app, which was first spotted by Taylor Lorenz on Twitter . Accessible on the Discover tab of the app, the Snapchat store features Snap-themed items like a plush version of the dancing hot dog ($19.99, with posable arms and a removable bun), a fire emoji Snap streak hat ($29.99), a Winkface sweatshirt ($49.99), dog lens tee ($29.99), and a “Bring back best friends” sweatshirt ($49.99). The launch of the store was originally planned for October 21st, according to internal emails obtained by The Verge , but it was... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2DT65eC"

Google has been improving its Home devices for a while now. The company added better search, upgraded the Home app interface and enabled an intercom feature last November. It can also now match your voice to your own Netflix profile, too, a feature that builds upon Home's multiple voice recognition system. Now Google has added an update that adds a voice-powered alarm function and makes it a bit easier to find shows and music with your Home devices. If you link your Netflix account with Google Home, you can tell it to watch any of the streaming platform's shows with a voice command. Home will also answer any questions you might have about when a certain show airs or what network it's on. You can also control YouTube TV the same way. The update also adds new Google Play Music functionality, too; just ask for the track, album or artist and Home will play it, provided you've purchased or uploaded it to the service. You can also set a music-based alarm with your vo...

Microsoft announced its smaller Xbox Wireless Adapter back in August, but mysteriously delayed its summer launch to 2018. The adapter is now finally in the Microsoft Store in the US , priced at $24.99. It’s 66 percent smaller than the older version, and looks like a small USB data stick. Like the original, the new adapter supports up to eight controllers at the same time, as well as four regular chat headsets or two stereo ones. While the latest Xbox One controllers include Bluetooth support for Windows 10, this adapter lets Xbox fans use older Xbox One controllers and Microsoft’s Elite Xbox One controller wirelessly with any Windows 10 PC. It’s part of a broader Xbox Wireless initiative from Microsoft that aims to bundle its proprietary... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2BLhPKb"

Nintendo stunned the gaming world last month when it unveiled Labo, a system that uses the Switch and some cardboard to make lovably homely little minigames. Reception among the Engadget staff was... mixed . But Nintendo might have nullified a growing concern about the system's longevity with its latest announcement. At a hands-on press event earlier today, the company introduced the Toy-Con Garage , a feature in the Labo's base software that lets users essentially create their own Switch-empowered cardboard toys. It might be a complex process, though. Reports from the event explain that users can repurpose cardboard parts and apply new functionality to them through the Toy-Con Garage feature in the Labo software. During a demo, Nintendo showed how one could set the Motorbike cardboard-and-controller setup to drive the RC Car, or reconfigure the piano software and custom cardboard cutouts to make an electric guitar. I'm ready to play hard #NintendoLabo pic.twitter....

Netflix's team-up with broadcaster Univision on El Chapo was a hit (it became hugely popular both in Mexico and on Univision), and the two are determined to capitalize on this success. They've renewed their partnership with the promise of creating "at least" five more shows together. The productions will be available in both English and Spanish, with Univision getting the chance to air them on TV in the US before they stream worldwide on Netflix. The first show out of the gate will be Tijuana , a Spanish-language show about a "web of corruption" that unfolds when reporters investigate the assassination of a presidential candidate. It's not certain when the first shows from the production will arrive, although it may take a while when production on Tijuana doesn't start until April. Both sides have strong incentives to work together. Univision, of course, extends the reach of its Hispanic American-oriented programming beyond both its existing v...

The fast-growing travel company has also elevated its exec Belinda Johnson to the COO role Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GC9kEP"

Animals The real risks of a ‘traditional’ dog diet. A recent study has raised concerns about the health risks of these raw meat based diet products as possible sources of some bacterial and parasitic diseases. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2DUsXKB"

Spotify and gaming chat app Discord are joining forces so your entire channel can bump to the same music during a raid. Starting today, you can link your Spotify Premium account to your Discord account and keep the beats rocking for your entire community. "All users are now able to instantly highlight and share their favorite tunes with their friends across Discord," Spotify writes . More than that, whatever you're currently listening to will be attached to a tag on your profile so you don't have to keep answering the same question over and over again. All told, this sounds a lot like how Turntable.fm (RIP) or Dubtrack work. Previously, Spotify replaced Sony's Music Unlimited service on PlayStation, and just last year it was available on Xbox One. The partnership makes sense too, and it isn't much of a stretch to imagine Twitch streamers or other online communities offering the music feature for their respective subscribers. Regardless, it should make ...

Super Bowl LII is here, and it’s almost time to join millions of Americans in watching the Philadelphia Eagles challenge the reigning champions, the New England Patriots, for football supremacy. Also to eat chips, watch some beer commercials, and see if Justin Timberlake can make it through a halftime show without causing any major cultural incidents. Now, as has been the case for years, the rights to broadcast the Super Bowl rotates between the three major networks that air NFL games: NBC, FOX, and CBS. This year, it’s NBC’s turn to run the show — but given the crazy connected world we live in, with apps, streaming services, over-the-top TV networks, and cable logins, figuring out the best way to watch the game can be a complicated... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2DT1VDj"

Equifax still appears to have trouble wrapping its head around the concept of trustworthy software following its massive security breach . The company has launched its promised free credit report locking service, Lock & Alert, but there's one overriding problem: at least initially, the mobile app associated with it doesn't appear to work. The New York Times and Ars Technica both report pervasive problems with the app, ranging from the basic login to... you know, locking your credit report. In the NYT 's case, the tester gave up after the locking attempt stalled five times in a row. A company spokesperson told the NYT that it hadn't heard of widespread issues, but did say it was working on "isolated problems." It's a good thing the company has extended free credit freezes until June 30th, then. You can go the more traditional route until Equifax has (hopefully) sorted things out. The one consolation: Equifax is avoiding one of the legal mista...

Health You should get a flu shot. It's not too late to get a flu shot. You should get a flu shot. It’s not too late to get a flu shot. You can get the flu in every month of the year. It’s never too late to get a flu shot. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2DU3iSj"

The Super Bowl is almost here, and that means one thing in the tech world besides new ads : conveniently timed sports partnerships. The NFL and Sleep Number have unveiled an agreement that will offer every league player a Sleep Number 360 smart bed. The auto-adjusting design will theoretically improve their rest, of course, but the real star is the sleep tracking. Sleep Number will work with teams to incorporate the players' habits into their training regimens, so they'll know whether or not they're getting enough sleep to make the most of their performance on the field. The company has already been piloting efforts with the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. Sleep definitely isn't the most pressing health issue the NFL is facing right now -- more than a few people would argue the league should be addressing head injuries first. In that sense, this deal is trivial compared to the larger problems looming over American football. Still, it does take the sports fi...

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