Wednesday
Jan032018

Screens for some Galaxy Note8, S8 users reportedly wake up on their own

There seems to be more battery-related issues for Samsung’s current flagships. This time though it seems to be related more to the display that could lead to some battery drain. Reports on Samsung’s forums and Reddit detail how some Galaxy S8 and S8+ units as well as Note8 phones continue to wake up even without user interaction or even when the flip cover case is in use for some. Restoring the phone to factory settings doesn’t seem to fix the issue. One user was able to fix the problem temporarily by wiping the cache but the problem started up again when the phone is used.

While OLED displays are much more efficient at saving power than LCDs, if the screen keeps turning on, that’ll still cause battery drain. It must be noted though that this bug isn’t related to the battery issue other users are experiencing. But here’s to hoping Samsung resolves both problems soon.

Source: BGR

Wednesday
Jan032018

Spotify reportedly filed to go public confidentially

Looks like its latest legal trouble isn’t stopping Spotify from going public. New report claims Spotify has already filed confidentially to go public and did so with the SEC at the end of the year. It’s been rumoured for a while that the music streaming company wanted to debut for the first quarter of this year and this report just lines up with that. Spotify is said to be taking a more unusual route and would be a “direct listing” instead of being a traditional IPO. It’s said they’re exploring the possibility of listing on the stock market without the fundraising event.

With a direct listing this means everyone gets equal opportunity to buy shares, whether you’re an average investor or one lined to large institutions. This could mean less fees for Spotify and the possibility of higher revenue from selling shares in the long run, at least theoretically. But this could also mean increased volatility and smaller short term returns.

Source: Gizmodo

Wednesday
Jan032018

Netflix confirms sequel for ‘Bright’

James Gillham/Netflix

While panned by critics, there seems to be a big market for Bright that Netflix greenlighted a sequel to the film. Will Smith and Joel Edgerton will be reprising their roles and David Ayer will write and direct the second film. Eric Newman and Bryan Unkeless will produce the film. Unfortunately, writer Max Landis won’t be coming back. The streaming service teased the announcement through a faux orc audition for the sequel.

According to Netflix, Bright is considered its highest-viewed original film on the service during its launch and is one of its biggest originals to debut on the service. Netflix claims it’s the No. 1 movie on Netflix in every country with more international than domestic viewers.

Source: Variety

Wednesday
Jan032018

Tesla Model 3 makes it from LA to New York in 50 hours

Alex Roy, editor-at-large for The Drive, has broken records and completed the quickest trip across the US. Making it from LA to New York City in 50 hours, 16, minutes and 32 seconds. The run was made on a Tesla Model 3 using the Tesla Supercharger network across the US. Roy spent roughly $100 charging the car tyhrough the trip. The Model 3 acquitted itself well in freezing conditions along the way. The Tesla Model 3 is starting to ship to buyers despite some delays and production issues.

Source: The Verge