Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 04/17-04/23

YouTube going hyper immersive with 360-degree live streaming and spatial audio

Web-based Skype calling now available on Microsoft Edge browser

Apple's WWDC to kick off on June 13th

Apple updates MacBook line with latest processors and new Rose Gold colour

Turo's peer-to-peer car rental service launches in Canada

Messaging service Viber now has end-to-end encryption and PIN protected chats

Intel's major restructuring effort will result in 12,000 layoffs

Airbnb launches new products to inspire people to live like locals in places they are visiting

Netflix to feature more content in eye-popping HDR

Toronto's NewCo Festival and business conference is scheduled for September 15

BMO launches “Next Big Idea in Fintech” with the DMZ at Ryerson University

Microsoft stops making Xbox 360 consoles

Facebook brings group calling to Messenger

VW to buy back 500,000 Diesel cars in the US in $10 billion deal

Spin Master buys Toca Boca and Sago Mini, makers of apps and games for young children

Google's Chrome browser has 1 billion monthly users on Android and iOS

Snapchat on iOS lets you swap faces with any photo in your camera roll

Mailbird now allows users to use various Game of Thrones inspired House Sigil Themes

Curved screen and bigger battery rumoured to be coming to the Samsung ‘Galaxy Note 6’

New Apple Watch apps need to work without an iPhone

New Apple Watch apps need to work without an iPhone

A new requirement for Apple Watch developers will be a boon for users. Apple sent out a notice that new apps for the Apple Watch will need to run natively on the smartwatch before it’s submitted to the App Store. This means the apps will work on the Watch itself without having its paired iPhone nearby. Previously, Watch apps were streamed from the iPhone, meaning you needed to have the phone with you at all times and apps were slow to launch and a bit sluggish. Having apps run natively on the smartwatch will result in quicker response time and the ability to run more smoothly.

Developers who want to submit starting June 1^st will have to adhere to this. The apps will be built with the new watchOS 2 SDK because support for the 1.0 SDK and any apps built with that will be discontinued.

Source: SlashGear

Curved screen and bigger battery rumoured to be coming to the Samsung ‘Galaxy Note 6’

With the release of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, all eyes are now on Samsung’s next Galaxy Note device. What could be called the Galaxy Note 6 is said to have two variants at the moment that the South Korean brand is testing. One has a curved screen while the other has a flat one; both featuring Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution displays. The thing is, according to SamMobile, is Samsung will only be releasing one version of the Note 6. It’s said this will have a 5.8-inch display (which is 0.1 inches larger than the Note 5, 0.7 inches larger than the S7, and 0.3 inches larger than the S7 Edge) and a larger 4,000mAh battery (the Note 5 only has 3,220mAh).

Other rumoured specs include both a Qualcomm Snapdragon 823 processor and Exynos 8890 chip, 6GB of RAM, and 32GB internal storage. It’s said to run on Android N and will most likely have the same camera sensor as the S7 and S7 Edge: 12-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front shooter, both with f/1.8 aperture for better low light performance. It won’t come as a surprise if microSD slot makes a comeback alongside water-resistance and fast wireless charging make an appearance. Of course, these are all rumours at this point and we have to wait until around July to get a look at the new Note.

Source: SamMobile

Baidu brings autonomous driving unit to Silicon Valley

Heading right into Google’s turf, Baidu is forming a self-driving car team in Silicon Valley. This unit will focus on research, development, and testing of its own autonomous vehicle. Baidu is calling its Autonomous Driving Unit in Silicon Valley as ADU-US. The team, which they plan to grow to over 100 researchers and engineers by the end of 2016, will tackle things like planning, perception, control, and systems. They’ll take an “incremental approach,” starting with small “autonomy-enabled” regions and then design cars that will recognizable, like what we get from Google’s own fleet.

ADU-US will be working alongside Baidu’s Research team and they’re looking to have machine learning researchers with knowledge in both hardware and software, ranging from robotics and computer vision to onboard computers and sensors. They are looking for people with experience in the automotive industry as well.

Source: Market Wired