SCI-TECH

WOMAN WHO CAN SMELL PARKINSONS PROMPTS RESEARCH

The widow of a man who suffered Parkinsons has triggered new research into the condition after she discovered she could smell the disease. She told researchers, who dubbed her super-smeller, that she
could identify Parkinson"s sufferers from T-shirts they had slept in.

YouTube Red is Googles new

ad-free video, music service
The $10-a-month service is an attempt to take on rivals like Spotify and Hulu by leveraging the popularity of
YouTubers, while also giving the platform a new revenue source amid the ever-growing use of ad-blockers
ouTube has unveiled a new $10-amonth (approx. Rs 650) subscription
plan called YouTube Red that combines ad-free videos, new original series and movies from top YouTubers,
and on-demand unlimited streaming music.
After an inital US launch, Google plans to
expand YouTube Red globally.
Red builds on Googles existing music
streaming service by providing ad-free access
to YouTube programming, along with features
such as the ability to download videos to
mobile devices and have music playing in the
background while using other mobile apps.
Current subscribers to the Google Play
Music service, which also costs $10 a month,
will also get access to Red.
It's a major, major evolution of our
platform, YouTubes chief business officer,
Robert Kyncl, told journalists at an event at its
studio space in Los Angeles.
Red targets YouTube fans who want to skip
ads, while giving them a chance to pass along
some cash to their favourite video creators,
wholl share in the new revenues. It comes as
streaming services like Hulu, Pandora, Spotify
and TuneIn offer ad-free as a paid option.
The plan, which launches October 28 in the
US, includes exclusive access to new videos
launching next year as well as the YouTube
Music Key service to be called YouTube Music
after it launches later this year for music
videos and songs. The new YouTube Music app
will allow you to toggle music videos to play
audio only.
However, the new music app will have Red
features across YouTube platforms, with the
exception of the YouTube Kids app, starting
next week in the US. The apps, including the
existing YouTube app, are free to download.
The service will cost $13 a month if
purchased through Apples iTunes, but only
because Apple takes a 30 per cent cut,
executives said. If purchased through the
Google Play Store or on the web, the subscription will still work on apps running on Apples
iOS or Safari browser.
The original videos will range in length
from a few minutes to feature-length movies
and come from established YouTube stars such
as the Fine Brothers, who are creating a scripted

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2015
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MOBILEAPP

BROTHERS: A TALE OF TWO SONS

Brothers was originally released on PC and consoles and if
you didnt play it before, you absolutely must now that its on
iOS (and soon on Android). As the name suggests, you simultaneously control two brothers on screen, navigating the
world and overcoming challenges along the way in the hopes
of finding a cure for their ailing father. With a touching story
and unique controls that bring co-operative play to a singleplayer experience, Brothers is one of
the most unique games on the App
Store and well worth its Rs 300 price.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is
available for iOS devices. Scan the
QR code to visit the games App
Store page.

Apple Watch coming to

India on November 6
ech giant Apple will finally launch its smartwatch Apple Watch in India on November 6.
The smartwatch was launched in a few
countries, including the US, France, Japan, and the
UK, in April this year and has been rolled out to other
geographies in a phased manner.
While Apple disclosed the smartwatchs launch
date on its website, the variants that will be making
their way to India and prices for the same remain a
mystery.
The Apple Watch launched internationally in
three variants (Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch
and Apple Watch Edition) and two sizes (38 mm and
42 mm), priced between $349 (over Rs 23,000) to a
whopping $17,000 (about Rs 11 lakh) for the gold
model.

T
YouTubes chief business officer Robert Kyncl introduces original programming for YouTube Red
ten-episode series about a singing competition
show called Sing It. Another new show stars
video game-playing star Felix Kjellberg in a
reality series co-created by the makers of The
Walking Dead called Scare PewDiePie.'
Performer and comedian Lilly Singh said
that while YouTube helped pay for the creation
of a documentary of her world tour called A
Trip to Unicorn Island, the new service won't
drastically change how she serves her fans.
Is YouTube Red going to be the extreme
make of my financial career? No, she said.
But thats not why Im doing it. Im doing it to
give my viewers choice.
YouTube still intends for advertising
revenue to remain its core business, and
executives say they believe it could take a while
for paid subscribers to grow significantly.
Some original content will also be made
available to non-subscribers later with ads.
Kyncl said the subscription will bolster
YouTubes revenues and that of artists, and
said $10 a month is the upper limit of what
consumers would pay for such a plan. He said
YouTubes advertising revenues will not be

hurt, given that the number of users switching

to the new service wont likely make a dent in
YouTubes billion-plus users.
It wouldnt really impact the amount of
eyeballs were providing through our platform, he said.
The move comes amid a boom in consumer
appetite for ad-free experiences. Ad-blocking
software has become popular on personal
computers, and Apples iOS 9 operating system
update last month allowed ad-blocker apps to
run on its mobile Safari browser for the first
time.
Worldwide usage of ad blockers rose 41 per
cent last year to nearly 200 million people, according to PageFair, a firm that seeks to counter
ad blockers.
Red could boost the ranks of Google Play
Music subscribers, which stood at 815,000 in
the US at the end of last December. Thats far
short of leader Spotify with 20 million paying
subscribers globally. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that Apple Music has 6.5 million
paying subscribers and millions more still on
free trials following its June launch. AGENCIES

Pune Mirror, October 24, 2015 Pp.17

NASA closer to finalising most powerful rocket

N
ASAs Space Launch System (SLS), which
will be the most powerful rocket ever built
and the first vehicle designed to meet the
challenges of the journey to Mars, has completed all steps needed to clear a critical design review.
This is the first time in almost 40 years that a
NASA human-rated rocket has cleared a critical
design review (CDR).
Weve nailed down the design of SLS, weve
successfully completed the first round of testing
of the rockets engines and boosters, and all the
major components for the first flight are now in
production, said Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator of NASAs Exploration Systems Development Division.

Artist concept of the Block I configuration of SLS

The CDR examined the first of three configurations planned for the rocket, referred to as SLS
Block 1. The Block 1 configuration will have a
minimum 70-metric-ton lift capability and be
powered by twin boosters and four RS-25 engines.
The next planned upgrade of SLS, Block 1B,
would use a more powerful exploration upper
stage for more ambitious missions with a 105metric-ton lift capacity. Block 2 will add a pair of
advanced solid or liquid propellant boosters to
provide a 130-metric-ton lift capacity.
This is the last of four reviews that examine
concepts and designs. The next step is design
certification, which will take place in 2017 after
manufacturing and testing is complete.
PMB

Recently, Apple partnered luxury brand Herms

for a new edition priced $1,100 (about Rs 71,300)
onwards.
Though Apple enthusiasts in the country will finally be able to buy the smartwatch in India, reports
suggest the Cupertino-based firm is already looking
at introducing the second edition of the device by
the middle of next year.
Apple Watch delivers up to 18-hour battery life
and has a digital face that can look like a traditional
time piece. It allows users to make and receive calls,
read e-mails, control music, manage Instagram
photos and keep track of fitness.
Apple Watch is the first new product category to
be launched under CEO Tim Cook, who took over
after Steve Jobs stepped down. It is also Apples first
new device category since its 2010 entery the tablet
market with its iPad.
PMB