Thursday 13 September 2018

The Morning After: Maximum iPhone excess

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Thursday, September 13, 2018.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Good morning! After Apple’s big iPhone showcase, we’ve got a lot to tell you -- even if the party was a spoiled a little early. There are three new phones, a new Watch and a powerful new chip from Apple. Meanwhile, we’re going to get all the details on Nintendo’s online-gaming service very soon, and Google teams up with Samsung for the future of messaging.

(View in browser.)

The biggest iPhone ever is here.

Apple’s iPhone Xs and Xs Max are all about the display

The iPhone Xs sticks with the same notched, 5.8-inch OLED display found on last year's model, which the Xs Max steps up to a massive 6.5-inch panel. Chris Velazco reports that, despite being super-sized, the Max is “surprisingly light, almost shockingly so.” Both phones are more dust- and water-resistant than before, and a 120Hz sensing rate in the touchscreen should make them feel smoother than ever to operate.

Inside, the new A12 Bionic chip powers everything, like new photo processing with depth of field that’s adjustable after the fact and on-by-default Smart HDR. Also new this year in all of Apple’s X phones is support for dual SIMs, while inside it’s using more renewable materials than ever. Of course, membership has its costs, and while the starting price is still $999, the fully-loaded 512GB Xs Max will cost $1,449 when these ship starting September 21st (as always, pre-orders will begin Friday morning).

Headphone jacks.

Apple isn’t packaging a headphone-lightning adapter with its new iPhones

If you’ve spent a fair few bucks on your latest wired headphones, you’re going to be frustrated by the new iPhone X series. Apple has killed the last holdouts of the headphone jack (the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6) from its lineup and won’t be bundling a Lightning adapter with the iPhone Xs, Xs Max and Xr.

The iPhone for everyone -- who doesn’t want to spend $1,000 or more.

Apple's iPhone Xr is an 'affordable' iPhone X

The iPhone Xr will be much more similar to the Xs than the numbered iPhones were. There’s no longer a physical home button, and the screen supports gestures like Tap To Wake and swipe up to the home screen. There's also a TrueDepth camera up front for Face ID authentication -- using the same sensor setup as the iPhone Xs and Xs Max and an A12 Bionic chip inside. There’s a 6.1-inch LCD up front and just a single 12MP camera in the back -- a good fit for this device’s $749 starting price.

7 must-have accessories for your favorite Apple products

Software matters, too.

iOS 12 arrives Monday, macOS Mojave on September 24th

Even if you’re not upgrading, the wait for Memojis, Photo search and sharing, a half-hearted digital wellness initiative and so much more is almost over. Tim Cook announced iOS 12 will be released September 17th, and it’s even supposed to improve performance on older devices. For Apple TV owners, an update will arrive at the same time, adding Dolby Atmos audio, while the HomePod is in line for a major upgrade, allowing owners to make phone calls, search music by lyrics and more. Last but not least is macOS, where the new Mojave software will make its official debut on the 24th.

It could even save your life.

Apple’s Watch Series 4 has a bigger screen, thinner body

Apple’s Watch Series 4 represents the first change in screen size since the smartwatch debuted, with 40mm and 44mm models packing larger displays (35 percent and 32 percent, respectively) with much less bezel. Because 2018. If the bigger size sounds off-putting, at least the device is thinner.

There are more customization options, and, crucially, Apple has managed to bake in an FCC-approved electrocardiogram (ECG), and thanks to a new accelerometer and gyroscope, the wearable can detect when you slip or fall. Editor in chief Dana Wollman tested the new model out and liked what she saw, even if there were no huge surprises. That said, the fancy ceramic Apple Watch Edition is no more.

In non-Apple news.

Nintendo's Switch Online service launches September 18th

The $20 per year subscription service will go live on September 18th (19th in Europe), with a week-long free trial available from the eShop at launch. Nintendo is offering 20 NES games with online play and save backups, dedicated Switch Online apps and special offers for members (most likely discounts on games and add-ons.) Expect more details tonight in a Nintendo Direct stream that will start at 6 PM ET.

Starting with the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Google and Samsung partner to take next-gen texting mainstream

As Google tries to take on iMessage and other chat apps with a new text messaging standard called RCS, it’s signed up an important partner in the fight: Samsung. As the supplier of so many mid- and high-end Android handsets, its support will be key in increasing access to the standard that brings more features to texting.

RIP

Google is discontinuing Inbox

Google launched Inbox in 2014 as a sort of incubator for new approaches to email, but it hasn't been quite so novel in the wake of steady Gmail upgrades, including April's big redesign. Appropriately, the company is sunsetting Inbox at the end of March 2019.

But wait, there's more...

1. The iPhone Xs Max vs. the competition: A huge step up in size

2. Comparing the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone Xr

3. Apple is happy to use women and people of color as art, not authority

4. Apple's AirPower wireless-charging mat is still MIA

5. Verizon media chief Tim Armstrong is leaving the company

6. BMW developed a self-driving motorcycle to further its safety efforts

7. A year on, the iPhone X looks ordinary

8. Security flaw left Safari and Edge users vulnerable to fake websites

9. E-cig makers have 60 days to show they aren't targeting minors

10. FDA and USDA will meet to debate the future of lab-grown meat

11. Aston Martin offers peek at all-electric Rapide E sedan

12. Spotify raises offline download limit to 10,000 tracks

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe.

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Wednesday 12 September 2018

Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Wednesday -- September 12, 2018

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
http://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
Sonos Welcomes Devs With Open APIs
Medical Device Insecurity: Diagnosis Clear, Treatment Hazy
To Resist Manipulation, Ask One Question
Cinnamon Mint for Debian Just as Tasty
E-Scooters: On a Road to Nowhere

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Today's Story Highlights

Sonos Welcomes Devs With Open APIs

Getting Sonos' top-shelf speakers to play nice with other connected
devices in the home has been challenging in the past, but that's about
to change. The company has announced the Sonos Sound Platform, which
includes new APIs, developer tools and documentation to make it easier
for Sonos products to operate with third-party hardware and software.
Sonos also announced integration with IFTTT.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85561.html

Medical Device Insecurity: Diagnosis Clear, Treatment Hazy

An increasing number of healthcare professionals have become alert to
the need for well-rounded medical device security in recent years, and
players throughout the industry have started putting more effort into
raising the bar. Developers have become aware of the most glaring holes,
and more information security researchers have been brought into the
fold.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85559.html

To Resist Manipulation, Ask One Question

The level of effort devoted to manipulating our opinions is
unprecedented. Granted, a lot of this has to do with the fact that most
of the "free" online services we use aren't free at all. They are
trading our ability to make measured opinions for advertisers' money,
and some of these "advertisers" are foreign governments. There is one
question we should be asking of any inflammatory story: Why?
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85555.html

Cinnamon Mint for Debian Just as Tasty

The official release of version 3 of Linux Mint Debian Edition hit the
download servers at summer's end, offering a subtle alternative to the
distro's Ubuntu-based counterpart. Codenamed "Cindy," the new version of
LMDE is based on Debian 9 Stretch and features the Cinnamon desktop
environment. Its release creates an unusual situation in the world of
Linux distro competition. Linux Mint developers seem to be in
competition with themselves.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85552.html

E-Scooters: On a Road to Nowhere

As summer winds die down here's hoping one of the season's most
ridiculous and unnecessary fads goes with them. Bird and Lime e-scooters
are just the latest twist on the foot-powered Razor Scooters that took
America by storm in 2000. Unlike Razor, which introduced electric-power
models back in 2003, Bird and Lime utilize a subscription model instead
of ownership.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85554.html

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The Morning After: It's time to meet the new iPhones, tune in at 1 PM ET

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

It’s new iPhone day, and as usual our team is preparing for Apple’s launch event, which is scheduled to stream live at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT. We’ll be operating under new leadership, so get acquainted with new EIC Dana Wollman before you check out one tech-filled Mercedes crossover and the details of a small manufacturing tweak from Tesla.

(View in browser.)

Engadget’s next chapter

A letter from the editor

Allow me to reintroduce myself: I am Dana Wollman, once Engadget's resident laptop reviewer, later managing and executive editor, and now editor in chief. I'm delighted to be taking the reins at the site I've called home for the past seven and a half years.

We’re looking for the rumored iPhone Xs, Xs Plus and Apple Watch Series 4

Get ready for Apple’s 2018 iPhone event at 1 PM ET

It’s that time of year again, when Apple launches a slew of new mobile devices and who knows what else. There will be a live video stream available from Apple Park, and this year it will be available on Twitter, too. Of course, we will have a liveblog from the scene (which you can find right here when it goes live) thanks to Chris Velazco and Dana Wollman. Some of the surprise has already been spoiled, thanks to a series of leaks, but we’ll be ready for whatever Tim Cook and company unveil this afternoon.

Customers will get first dibs on 5G Mobile devices when they launch.

Verizon's 5G Home internet and TV service launches October 1st

5G Home service uses the next generation wireless technology to offer home internet service without a cable or fiber hookup. Residents of "certain neighborhoods" in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento can pre-order access beginning on Thursday to get their service free for the first three months. It’s priced at $50 for people who already have Verizon wireless and $70 for those who don't, promising speeds of "around 300 Mbps" up to 1 Gbps, with no data caps. Early adopters will also be greeted by a combo of three months’ free YouTube TV access and either an Apple TV 4K or a Chromecast Ultra for free.

Set your alarm.

Watch NASA test Orion's parachutes by dropping it from a plane

NASA has been putting the Orion capsule's parachute system through rigorous testing for years -- it has to work perfectly if it's meant to ensure a safe landing for the spacefarers onboard, after all. Now the final test is scheduled to take place today, and you can watch it streaming live at 10:15 AM ET.

‘Sexual interactions and nudity’ included.

Valve approves first uncensored porn game on Steam

After outright blocking erotic visual novels from Steam in July, Valve again updated its work-in-progress content policy to include filters to remove games with Mature Content or those tagged Adults Only from search results. Fast forward a few days and a full-on porn title has made the cut: Negligee: Love Stories.

The 367HP six-cylinder engine is paired with a 22HP EQ Boost electric motor.

Mercedes' latest GLE melds tech with a super-smooth ride

This is billed as the first vehicle to combine a "fully networked," 48-volt active suspension with air suspension, giving it the unique ability to control damping and spring forces at each wheel. It can lean into curves to offset centrifugal force, scan ahead for potholes and counteract them or even rock itself free if it bogs down offroad.