Techmeme: Apple's R&D spend is $10B+, 6.8% of revenue in 2016, up from 2.6% of revenue in 2013, hinting at major new products, pivot from iPhone-dependent business model (Neil Cybart/Above Avalon)

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May 12, 2016, 12:05 PM

Top News

Rajan Patel / Official Google Blog:

Google unveils GBoard in US, an iOS keyboard app that lets you search the web, find GIFs, emojis, places, and more from the keyboard — iPhone users—this one's for you. Meet Gboard, a new app for your iPhone that lets you search and send information, GIFs, emojis and more, right from your keyboard.

Mark Bergen / Recode:

Sources: Google's answer to Amazon Echo is code-named “Chirp” and expected to launch this year — ‘Okay, Google,’ your turn. — A product team at Google is working on a hardware device that would integrate Google's search and voice assistant technology, akin to the Amazon Echo, Recode has learned.

Jeff John Roberts / Fortune:

What's at stake in Google and Oracle's $9.3B fair use fight over Java APIs — Gather round tech folks, it's time for an epic rematch between two industry giants. At stake is not just billions of dollars in copyright claims, but also a controversial legal concept that could roil the entire software industry.

Jack Nicas / Wall Street Journal:

Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Schwartz and Andy Rubin testify at outset of second Oracle v. Google trial — Oracle accuses Alphabet unit of improperly using software in Android mobile-operating system — SAN FRANCISCO—Google's past efforts to license Java software emerged as a key point …

More: Ars Technica, Business Insider, Phandroid, Courthouse News Service and Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check

Neil Cybart / Above Avalon:

Apple's R&D spend is $10B+, 6.8% of revenue in 2016, up from 2.6% of revenue in 2013, hinting at major new products, pivot from iPhone-dependent business model — People are focusing on the wrong thing when analyzing Apple's path forward in the face of slowing iPhone sales.

More: ZDNet, iMore, MacRumors, iPhone Hacks, Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Silicon Republic and BGR

Tweets: @ldignan and @ericjackson

Kurt Wagner / Re/code:

A look at Snapchat's secretive culture and the controlling leadership style of CEO Evan Spiegel — It's Evan Spiegel's world — we're all just snapping in it — Before Evan Spiegel was Evan Spiegel, there were times he wanted to fit in. — Like in June 2012, when Spiegel walked across …

Tweets: @edmundlee, @bbhlabs, @mylesudland and @hannahkuchler. Thanks:@waqasaday

Peter Kafka / Recode:

Apple denies report that it will end iTunes music downloads within the next few years — The future of music is streaming, not downloads. — But that doesn't mean Apple, the company that essentially invented the market for music download sales, is going to stop selling downloads anytime soon.

Chris O'Brien / VentureBeat:

Kantar: Android marketshare in Q1 grew 7.3% YoY in US, 7.1% in top five European markets, and 6% in China; Galaxy S7 said to be selling well in the US — As if Apple wasn't facing enough headwind this year, now comes word that Android smartphones are making big market share gains around the world.

More: Kantar Worldpanel, ZDNet, Tech Insider, Phandroid, Pocketnow, SlashGear, PYMNTS.com, ZDNet, CNET, ITWire.com, WinBeta, Windows Central, MSPoweruser, PhoneArena, Neowin and Softpedia News

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: Tencent-backed music-streaming service China Music Corp. plans US IPO as soon as this year, could raise $300M-$600M — China Music Corp. could raise $300 million to $600 million — HONG KONG—A music-streaming service backed by Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd …

More: hypebot, Digital Music News and Music Ally

Josh Constine / TechCrunch:

Facebook now lets you upload panoramas along with photos from 360 cameras for viewing as 360 Photos in News Feed and on Gear VR headsets; Gear VR hits 1M users — Those panoramas trapped on your phone will finally get a better viewing experience, both on News Feed and the Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR.

More: Digital Trends, UploadVR, Engadget, Phandroid, Oculus, The Verge, Fone Arena, Tech Times, The Tech Report, Mashable, BGR, SiliconANGLE, SlashGear, Android Authority, ZDNet, VRFocus, Android Central, The Verge, Digital Trends, SlashGear, Ubergizmo, Wired, SocialTimes, VentureBeat, VRFocus, Road to VR, The Next Web, BuzzFeed, CNET and Engadget

Tweets: @kentbye, @dshankar and @natgeo

Thanks:@lucas_matney

Ross Miller / The Verge:

Vuze 360-degree 3D 4K VR camera available for pre-order for $799, ships in October — With few exceptions, the traditional camera market has a product for pretty much every price imaginable. Virtual reality cameras, on the other hand, tend to be either a few hundred dollars (e.g. …

More: Engadget, Business Insider, TechCrunch, Digital Trends, VentureBeat, SiliconANGLE, Tech Times and VRFocus

Dan Levine / Reuters:

Lyft agrees to double its settlement to $27M in California driver lawsuit — Lyft has agreed to pay $27 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by California drivers who claimed they should be deemed employees instead of independent contractors, after a U.S. judge rejected a previous $12.25 million deal as too small.

More: The Verge and Engadget

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