Razer Phone 2, Photoshop for iPad, Netflix's Big Win: The Week in Tech News — Technically Speaking By Mashable

Hello everyone, this is Technically Speaking, where we break down the latest in all of the tech news. I'm Jake Krol and I'm here with-- - Matt Binder. - Definitely and we're in another crazy week here at Mashable with the tech cycle. We're in the midst of Tech-tober I think is what we've been calling it. - Right, right. - Around the team where we're just getting this onslaught of all of these phones and I don't know.

- It's too many phones, too much. - It's too much, it’s supreme fragmentation. So let's kick it off with, I know you got to see the Razer phone. - Right, right, and this is a phone from, obviously, Razer. They're a behemoth in video gaming today.

You know, they first were like a peripheral company and then they came out with their line of gaming laptops and then last year they came out with, really, a phone that sort of created a whole subsection of mobile phones. They were really the first to create the niche now known as the gaming phone. - Yeah. - The Razer Phone 2 just came out and that phone basically is an upgrade from their previous generation of phones and this phone is basically the perfect gaming phone for the hardcore gamer. Now we're not talking about a phone made for the games that came up with the Apple's App Store for the iPhone where we had, you know, Candy Crush and Clash of the Titans.

You know, those are fun games, but this is a phone made for gamers who play PC games and games made for consoles. PUBG, Fortnite, Tekken. These are games that run on this phone and they run just as smooth, just as... The performance is there just as if you were playing on your desktop computer. - Got it and it is also a phone so you can make phone calls on it.

You got Android on it, I believe. - Right, they sort of downplay the phone aspect I guess, but yes it is also a phone. - Okay, neat. - Hence the name, Razer Phone 2. - I guess that's why they're putting it in there.

- Right, right, right. - So do you think there's room for two? ‘Cause Asus does with their Republic of Gamers Phone which is launching soon on AT&T, but do you think gaming phones are the future? I mean, we already have the iPhone, you know, we have the Pixel, we have Samsung's Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9. Do you think there's room for a gaming phone? And it's coming at a time when we just have countless number of phones being released. - Right, there's so many phones in general and they all serve a different purpose. It seems like the new sort of standard is that most phones have to have a good camera now.

- Yeah. - Like that seems to be the feature for phones based on how people like to create content for the internet with their phones. But, you know, in a niche like gaming, mobile gaming especially, I would say there's room for two. Razer is the standard bearer I guess you can say right now of an industry that's sort of their own, the mobile gaming phone. But certainly there's room for more and may the best phone win, Jake.

- May the best phone win. And I know you mentioned cameras and you know, content creators are... Everyone is a content creator now. - Right. - Really with Instagram, Snapchat, just everything being you know there and we saw LG announce the V40 ThinQ which I handled the review for, and that had three cameras on it, but Samsung announced the Galaxy A9 which has four cameras.

- Right, you can't have enough cameras anymore. - And it's a mid-range handset, I mean so it's gonna be here but do you... The hardware, I mean like... I mean Google's still using one camera. - Right.

- Apple has two. Do you think there's a need for a four-camera phone? I believe it's a standard, a wide-angle, a telephoto, and one just for like that popular portrait mode bokeh effect which is the key to winning Instagram as everyone knows. - Right. - But, what's your take? - I sort of feel like if I say that four cameras is overkill for a phone and then in five years Apple announces that the iPhone XXXL has a four cameras, I feel like I'd be a bit hypocritical ‘cause I'd probably be like, "Oh, cool! Apple's new phone has four cameras!" So, you know, I think if it's put in the phone... Four cameras are put in this phone and they're all used to their max performance and they all have a purpose, then why not? Go for it.

- And do you think-- - The sky's the limit. - It really is. Do you think it's an interesting take for Samsung to be putting this on mid-range phone? So not like the high-end Galaxy Note 9. That has two. S9 has two.

Do you think the S10, whenever that arrives, might have like an additional set of like two or three cameras on it or? - I mean, why not? I mean, you know, phones are too expensive to begin with now. - Yeah. - They're just getting way too expensive so if, you know, the lower-end models of these companies' phones start having more of these premium features that previously may have been only reserved for a higher-end model, give the consumers more bang for their buck and I think it's a win for the people. Then it's a win for the company 'cause they'll probably sell more phones. - Definitely.

Which is always the end goal. And if you're looking for something that's not gonna break the bank, OnePlus announced their event for October 30th where they're rumored to be announcing the OnePlus 6T which is estimated to start at around, like a little over $500 unlocked and it's supposed to have good hardware that's not gonna break the bank. An in-display fingerprint sensor, which I think is kind of like, the future of tech is finally here to some degree, but so... Do you think... I mean, it's not gonna... It may or may not have a U.

S. partner. So it might not be available direct from a carrier but, do you think you need a carrier still to kind of push these phones in the market? - I mean, I came from an era where the subsidized phone was still a big thing. - Yeah. - So, I haven't actually purchased a new phone since the Apple subsidization from these companies like AT&T.

- Which phone are you using right now? - I have an iPhone 6s. - The last good one as some people say. - The last good one, yes. The last one with the headphone jack. And, you know, these newer phones all seem very cool.

They all have great new features. They're probably... Not even probably. Certainly faster than my iPhone 6s. Especially its performance when the battery gets low, but you know, I just don't see a need yet for me personally to upgrade.

It will probably come sooner than later, but for right now, I'm good with my 6s. But, you know, with all these phones coming out in October, I personally, like I said, am invested into the Apple ecosystem with the iPhone and how they have their Apple Store. Their App Store I should say. But, with all these phones coming out at the same time, I think it's actually pretty good. It might annoy people like us who have to cover all these events at once.

- Yeah, definitely. - And know all these different phones and their different specs, but for consumers they'll be able to choose which phone best fits them pretty much from an array of models that all come out at the same time. No need to buy a phone that you think is the perfect fit and then six months later, a different company comes out with a new Android phone that you go, "ahh, that phone would have been the one. " - Definitely. - And, you know, most people can't afford to upgrade a phone every six months let alone every two years.

- For sure, for sure. But I think we will be able to survive Tech-tober to some degree. I think we're gonna make it through it. We'll be okay and we'll be providing the content for our readers. - I think we're good.

- Definitely. So moving on, you have some interesting internet usage reports in regards to like Netflix and YouTube. So, are we seeing a change here? - Right, and I feel like that we live in a society meme, but I'm gonna go there. People are consuming more and more content thanks to the internet. And the real medium here that has really risen from this excess of consumption over broadband has been video.

- Yeah. - People are really absorbing video at a rate previously unseen. Video is everywhere. - Binge watch. - And a recent report has come out from a bandwidth management company known as Sandvine called the Global Internet Phenomena Report.

And this basically takes a look at which services and also what type of internet usage is consuming most of the world's data, and the real shocking point from this study is that 15% of the entire internet's data usage is being taken up by Netflix. - So that's across home internet connection and mobile? - That's across-- - So data, so everything. - All the internet. All data, excuse me, across the globe. - So do I need to stop binge watching shows on Netflix now? Like do I need to like cut it off do you think? - No, no, no.

'Cause the interesting... One of the interesting stats here is that this report also took a look at other services like, you know, iTunes and like Hulu. - And I subscribed. - And took a look basically at how long... How big, I should say, a file for a two-hour movie was on those services compared to Netflix and they found that, for example, a file for a two-hour movie that would be on iTunes, that came out to maybe 4.6 gigs for a HD film. Again, this is a two-hour, high-definition movie.

- It's a long, 1080p. - Was basically only 459 megabytes on Netflix. - Netflix's compressing tech must be insane. - Exactly, Pied Piper might be wanting to look into what Netflix is doing. - That's true.

- Right, so with Netflix, you know, they are really maximizing how they compress data and still, with this in mind, they are using more data than these other services.15% for one service is huge. - It's astonishing and I have to think it comes to the fact Netflix has this original content push but they also have like the original Arrested Development and The Good Place. You know, it's on there if you want to go start binge watching something, but it's also, they make it super easy to download a show to your phone now and just consume it. So it's almost like you don't even think and you probably don't think it's counting into the internet usage report, but you're downloading that file. It has to stream at one point.

I mean, it's astonishing, 15%. - Right, and when you look at video as a whole, video takes up about 58% in total. - Wow. - All these services combined. Even websites that host their own video taken into account.58% of the world's data is used up by video now. - So this is like the new medium.

This is what consumers are liking. This is what companies and content producers are really going after. - Right, and it's important to note too that the video right now, that's being pushed out, most of it's probably 720p, you know max 1080p. It's high-definition quality but we're not even pushing out 4K really yet. - Yeah, the crispier content.

- Right, can you imagine what these files are gonna look like then-- - It's gotta be huge. - And then how much data is taken up. Right. - I mean... - Right, and then another interesting stat from this study is that while YouTube is about 11% of the internet's data.

YouTube's massive. It's the actually, you know, the second most trafficked website in the world. - So crazy. - But, Netflix still uses up more data. - Yeah.

- But when you look at that 11%, you know, Netflix pushes out, you know, 30 minutes for TV shows. About an hour and a half to two hours for a movie. - I guess for TV, for a movie. Yeah. - YouTube is taking up that 11% with a median video length of four minutes and 20 seconds.

- So, so, much more shortened down. I mean like... - Right. - So do you think YouTube... I know we see like Facebook trying to push people for longer videos and for people to livestream like we see on Twitch, but do you think the tide will ever turn on YouTube? Like is this study gonna cause YouTube creators to start doing longer and longer videos now? - Right well, in many ways actually, that's sort of a... Regardless of this study, YouTube itself, the platform, has actually been pushing for creators to make longer videos.

- I know they've done like the YouTube Original stuff now with some of the bigger names. - Right, and also if you want to keep your monetization now, you have to hit a certain number of hours watched. - Oh okay. - So people are finding that it's a lot easier to do that when you are able to record maybe one 30-minute to an hour-long video than having to break that up into many four and a half minute videos. - Definitely.

- But, that aside, when you talk about Twitch even. You know 7.8% of the internet's data is taken up by gaming. And those files are much larger, but that world is only growing. So, you know, Twitch is considered part of that video consumption but Twitch itself will certainly benefit from that video gaming number rising as well because as you know, if you're familiar with Twitch, Twitch may be video platform, but it's primarily used as a video game streaming platform. - Yeah, so do you think it'll ever come to the point where for the videos, that YouTube might cross over and beat Netflix? - I would say it's certainly possible, but you also have to look at the fact that Netflix is a subscription service.

So the fact that that many people are paying. - Monthly. - For them to beat the free platform, or I should say, being that YouTube now does have some pay options, to get rid of ads or to stream ad-free music. It's still insane that this paid for subscription service is outperforming all these free services. - But do you think it's that individuals are using their own Netflixes or Netflix accounts or do you think they're doing some of that sharing stuff? I mean I've shared with me brother and you know... - Oh, it's definitely.

- Do you think it's individual 'cause-- - It's definitely. Definitely both. - Definitely both. - It certainly adds to that number for sure. That's a great point that Netflix does allow you to use your one account on more than one device.

- Definitely. - Although there are some limits to that even. - Yeah, so I guess final thought: when do you think... If we're gonna see an increase here, do you think Netflix has got it for in a couple more years? - Oh, I think Netflix-- - Number one? - Is in the clear for now. YouTube is actually the number one when you just consider European traffic.

- Interesting, okay. - So there is a difference in usage based on location. - Definitely, yeah. - But, YouTube is up there too for in the US so, you know, all things considered... I actually don't think the two are really competing for that.

I think the worry actually should be... And this is a whole 'nother conversation for another time, but will those services... The amount of data just those few services use up, will that fuel the conversation on net neutrality. - That'll be interesting to see. - And things like that because certainly players like Netflix and YouTube, without net neutrality laws, making all this content equal in the eyes of the broadband provider.

- Yeah. - You know, Netflix and YouTube are the primary reason for all this data usage. - That's true. - But they also will be able to afford throwing some money at these broadband companies if they have to pay for this priority delivery of their content. The question will be, you know, will they push forward these laws that would make... With net neutrality laws being pulled back in the U.

S. , will these companies be the catalyst for harming smaller companies? - Definitely. - Who would not be able to pay these premiums to get their content delivered. - And that's kind of the downside of it, but I guess... - Right, and that's a whole 'nother conversation.

-Yeah, but I guess time will tell on that one. - Right. - For sure. And I guess next up, Photoshop... I'm truly very excited about this.

Is finally coming to the iPad. Not in 2018, it'll be 2019, but Adobe has announced that a full version of Photoshop, made from essentially the same core code as the desktop version will be arriving to the iPads. And it's exciting. I think it's, you know, Apple's been making the iPad Pro for a couple years now and this seems like a really Pro application. But I think the coolest thing about it, and for creators and artists and graphic designers out there you'll be able to pick up your files and start from anywhere.

So if you're finishing up at the office on the desktop and you're like me, popping onto NJ transit, later in the day for a terrible commute home, you'll be able to quickly just pick it up right on your iPad and just continue it. But, I guess... It's been a while. The iPad's been out for many years. What's taken so long? - You know, I think the thing was that for so long, a lot of these app developers... Not even just the app developers, the companies themselves were creating these tablets, like Apple, were not really looking at the iPad and other companies with their tablets, like the Surface from Microsoft.

- Definitely. - Although, I do think Microsoft may not be the best example for this, let's stick with Apple. You know, Apple didn't view the iPad as really analogous with their desktop offerings or their laptop. - Until later. - Until much later, yeah.

- Yeah. - You can just tell by the fact that it uses iOS instead of OS. - Yeah. - Like it doesn't use the-- - Doesn't use the MacOS. - Desktop.

Yeah, doesn't use the desktop operating systems. It uses the mobile operating system. And so, I guess, a lot of these companies saw how, the actual product was being built and what it was being built for and made their products to fit that. - Yeah. - Why create a full Photoshop application for the iPad when Apple is telling Adobe that this more like the iPhone because it uses iOS.

- Definitely. - Do something that's more tailored for the mobile audience who would be using this on the go and wouldn't probably be using a full featured software. - 100% and I think at times it's... Apple has had the iPad right? And they've had the App Store and Photoshop was a missing piece I think for some people who really wanted to get behind it even when the Apple Pencil came out, but know, there's all these other apps like Procreate that are made by these indie, third-party developers who have a strong following on the platform, but what do you think Photoshop will do to them? I know for Photoshop, it's gonna be called Photoshop CC, so Photoshop Creative Cloud. So you will need that subscription for it.

And it's probably gonna work for those long term Adobe people but I think these new generation of designers might be going for these cheaper apps. - Right, that subscription is the killer really for, I guess, many... At least the younger, upcoming graphic design audience, who possibly can't afford to pay that subscription fee. - Yeah, and I think it's around $19.99 a month but we don't know pricing yet that includes this. And we don't know if Adobe's gonna do a standalone price point.

- And as someone who's used Adobe's Creative Cloud suite of products, many times, especially in the world we live in now where young professionals need to be adapted to... Adept in many different of Adobe's products. You can't just know Photoshop. You need to also know Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Premiere. - You need to know everything.

Full creative suite. - So it's not only that $20 for that one app, it turns into the payment for the entire suite of products. And again, Adobe is the category killer, I guess you can say for the creative field. - Yeah. - They've created a amazing set of software and it really is the standard.

But at the same time, as younger people are always looking to adapt to the latest software that can possibly save them a buck of two, then... And in this case, a monthly subscription, then they'll probably go for the cheaper option as long as they can do, at the very least, 90% of what they can do-- - Yeah, like the basic cutting cropping, all that stuff. - Right, so as long as the basics are there right? - Yeah, so to that point, do you think Adobe's coming at this too late? I mean, it's been rumored for a while. We had, those different smaller Photoshop apps which brought like, let's say popular... Most three or four most popular features over in separate apps, but it's coming in 2019 where there's rumored to be new iPads coming before the end of the year.

That should be even more more powerful. Maybe an updated Apple Pencil, you know, where you can do some cool brush stuff, but do you think it's too little too late at some point? Or do you think those Adobe stronghold will continue through and they'll be able to bolster up a big marketing campaign? - Right, right. I mean everything I just said about young professionals using alternatives, that really takes into mind maybe a start-up or freelance graphic designers. - 'Cause Creative Cloud, it's expensive. - Right, right.

- I mean it's always been the top tier, but there's definitely a price barrier at some points. - Right. But when you consider probably, the major design agencies, or the major internet firms that would be using graphic design software, they're not going from Adobe so Adobe basically is creating this software knowing that end. That entire audience that is already so invested into the Creative Cloud. This will certainly be huge for them and will definitely keep them the best.

- And I think, you know, going off that Creative Cloud audience, I think the ability to take your project from one place to the other with these new cloud PSD files is gonna be huge. - Right. - I think that'll be big and that's what I'm most excited about it. I mean, I think it'll be cool to use on the tablet. I'm not the best with Photoshop, but you know, you like to play around with it.

Goof around with it a little. - Right, right and for me... For me personally like with speaking about tablets more broadly in the context of app creators like Adobe bringing their full desktop versions to the mobile platforms I think Apple also needs to move away from that mindset for the iPad. If it truly is going to be this sort of in between. - Yeah.

- This sort of... Truly mobile yet, in the same realm as their laptops at the very least. - Definitely. - I still think it's way too limited. I think while that walled garden that works for the iPhone, is going to come up against a lot of these app companies who might want to bring more full-featured apps to the iPad.

- Yeah. - I think they're very different products and also just by how Apple views the iPad, they also sometimes try to push it as the replacement for the MacBook. - For sure. - But you just can't do so much on it that you can do on the operating system that runs on your MacBook. - Yeah, definitely, so last note: are you gonna get it? Are you gonna try it out once it comes out in 2019? I'll be... I want to demo it at least.

- Right, I'll definitely try it. I don't have an iPad because of all the reasons listed. I have a MacBook Pro. I have an iPhone. I don't need a device that's sort of neither and somewhere in between.

But, I will definitely try it to see if Adobe has been able to pour it over, that desktop experience, to that iOS running... That iPad running that iOS operating system. - Thanks again for tuning in this week. We'll be back next week on Technically Speaking with more of the latest tech news.

Source : Mashable