July, 2017

• 6 July

  Fender Play aims to keep guitar players going with subscription lessons

  

  Most people ditch trying to play a guitar after the first year, according to Fender CEO Andy Mooney. That’s the inspiration behind Fender Play, a subscription-based app and teaching platform that’s launching today, July 6. At $20 a month, it’s trying to gamify the art of rock, and also beat YouTube’s free offerings. I’m not …

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• 6 July

  Pokemon Go turns one: an interview with CEO John Hanke

  

  One year ago today, Pokemon Go took the world by storm. By many measures, it was the fastest growing app of all time.  One year later, is Pokemon Go dead? Was Pokemon Go a fad?  Not even close: According to developer Niantic, 65 million people play the game each month. To put that in perspective: Uber has only 40 million …

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• 6 July

  Jawbone going out of business, report says

  

  It might be time to say goodbye to Jawbone. The electronics company, known for its fitness trackers and portable speakers, has started liquidation proceedings after years of financial struggle, The Information reported on Thursday. A notice sent to creditors reportedly said the company entered into insolvency proceedings under California law on June 19.  Jawbone co-founder and CEO Hosain Rahman has …

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• 6 July

  The rise and not

  

  You don’t play Pokemon Go anymore. Neither do your friends. Neither does practically anyone you know. You haven’t seen anyone playing it in the park, or on the street, for months.  Clearly it’s a fad, right? Wrong. I thought that, too — until I asked two major app tracking companies to paint me a better picture. According to Apptopia and …

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• 6 July

  ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ will be Disney’s first 4K Blu

  

  Director James Gunn has confirmed that his Marvel movie “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” will be the first 4K Blu-ray released by Disney. The director indicated in April that he was lobbying Disney to release the film with the extended color and contrast that the format allows. “LIGHT and COLOR are such important elements of ‘Vol. 2’s’ story, and …

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• 6 July

  Are you still playing Pokemon Go? (The 3:59, Ep. 251)

  

  Pokemon Go may not be the worldwide sensation it once was, but it’s still a hugely popular mobile game. One year after its launch, we look back at what Pokemon Go influenced and some of our favorite memories from the game. We also discuss the development of robots to help the elderly and diagnose diseases, and plug CNET’s new iHate package, which …

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• 6 July

  Bixby, Samsung’s Siri rival, behind in releasing English

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Samsung’s S8 assistant still isn’t ready 1:27 Samsung’s Bixby is still a no-show.  The consumer electronics giant told the Korea Herald on Tuesday that the English version of its digital assistant will be delayed — again — because it lacks enough big data to teach it to work properly. Bixby Voice was supposed to launch in late …

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• 6 July

  Nokia, Zeiss team up for phone cameras

  

  Nokia phones of the future, you could pack a stellar camera as a headline feature. Phone maker HMD on Thursday announced an exclusive partnership with imaging experts Zeiss that will see the two work together to develop cameras for upcoming Nokia phones. Frustratingly, we don’t yet know when exactly we we’ll see a high-end flagship Nokia phone, but at least …

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• 6 July

  What we remember about Pokemon Go, one year later

  

  It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since Pokemon Go (iOS/Android) took the world by storm. It happened in a matter of hours after launch: groups of people started coming outside in droves to catch Pokemon with their friends, compare notes on where to go around their respective neighborhoods, and even passed on tips about the right type …

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• 6 July

  HBO comes to Hulu, brings winter with it

  

  Call in winter in July, perhaps, but Hulu is now offering HBO to its subscribers for the standard rate of $15 a month — just in time for the new season of “Game of Thrones.” You love it. We love it. TV loves it. HBO has arrived on Hulu. Start your free trial: https://t.co/8bgK3Uowc7 pic.twitter.com/ppKhZNE6hM — hulu (@hulu) July 6, …

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