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Get your credit cards ready as Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S console preorders are about to kick off tomorrow around the world Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S consoles will be available for preorder around the world on September 22nd — and depending on where you live, that’s happening very soon.

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Apple looking to sell Macs powered by custom ARM chips as soon as 2021

Apple looking to sell Macs powered by custom ARM chips as soon as 2021

Apple Inc. is planning to start selling Mac computers with its own main processors by next year, relying on designs that helped popularize the iPhone and iPad, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple is preparing to release at least one Mac with its own chip next year, according to the people. But the initiative to develop multiple chips, codenamed Kalamata, suggests the company will…

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iPhone SE (2nd Gen) who is it for

iPhone SE (2nd Gen) who is it for

Design:

The design is familiar, if you owned an iPhone 6,7, or 8. Then the design is the same. While to some, this is a deal breaker, to others they will appreciate the smaller phone size. While its nowhere near the size of the earlier iPhone SE, which had a 4-inch screen, the 2020 iPhone SE has the same 4.7-inch screen. The Body is made of machined aluminum, and now features a glass back,…

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Verizon will offer an extra 15GB of data to customers through May

Verizon will offer an extra 15GB of data to customers through May

Verizon announced today that it’s extending its pledge to provide an additional 15GB of high-speed data to customers with a wireless plan through May 31st due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Verizon notes that customers will not have to perform an additional action to opt into the extended offer as it intends to automatically add the additional data to both consumer and small business accounts.…

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Santa Clara Public Health report suggests that the virus was in California much earlier than originally thought

Source: Santa Clara County Public Health

Source: Santa Clara County Public Health

I wish I could find the rather long but detailed thread I came across on Twitter. Where it counter argued that idea that the virus had been in California since the beginning of the year. (If I find it once again, I will post it here) Till I do find it. The Sant Clara Public Health report is interesting. It not…

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iPhone 12 are experiencing delays which could possibly push back the launch date

Production on the mmWave iPhone may be pushed back because of changes to the antenna package that were made in early April, and delays in qualification process services. The mmWave ‌iPhone‌ will be pushed back because the design of the antenna in package (AiP) changes in early April. Additionally, the test lab is closed and…

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The Smart Keyboards are iPad covers you can type on. The Magic Keyboard is a portable keyboard stand, not a cover — when you want to use your iPad as a tablet, not a laptop, you must detach it. Apple advertises the iPad Magic Keyboard as supporting viewing angles from 90 to 130 degrees. Using a simple protractor (hooray for having a high-schooler in the house), fully open, it appears to be…

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Apple uploads a new iPad Pro video titled “Float” showing off their new Magic Keyboard

With reviews of Apples new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro coming out just after a week ago going on preorder, Apple has once again made an elegant ad showcasing the Magic Keyboard. I can’t stress this enough, out of all the tech companies that create ads for their products. Apple somehow manages to balance, simplicity, and elegancy all in a single video. I’d say Microsoft is right behind on making…

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Tim Cook will form part of a panel alongside Gov. Gavin Newsome dedicated to getting the states economy back up and running

Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, who launched an expensive unsuccessful presidential campaign, will co-chair a task force in California that will focus on getting the economy up and running again. The panel, announced on Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will be composed of more than 70 members including former Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen, Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Steyer’s co-chair will be Newsom’s chief of staff Ann O’Leary, a former senior advisor to Hilary Clinton. The task force’s goal is to help Californian’s recover as fast as possible from the economic calamity resulting from the coronavirus. The economic task force will meet twice a month through 2020. Yasmin Khorram writing for CNBC I’m curious to know the full list of names that are on the 70-member panel. I wouldn’t be surprised to find all of the big CEO technology company’s being included, Tim Cook, being one of the very few names actually being mentioned. It’s not surprising that Cook is on the panel considering just after he held a virtual companywide meeting, emphasizing that the company will come out of the current situation stronger than ever. Plus considering Tim Cooks background on supply chain, I’m sure it could prove to be a valuable asset in helping the economy get back on its feet whenever we come out of the coronavirus shutdown Read the full article

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Google might be getting back into the financial services, with Google pay, possibly a direct competitor to Apple Pay

A source provided TechCrunch with the images seen here, as well as proof that they came from Google. Another source confirmed that Google has recently worked on a payments card that its team hopes will become the foundation of its Google Pay app — and help it rival Apple Pay and the Apple Card. Currently, Google Pay only allows online and peer-to-peer payments by connecting a traditionally issued payment card. A “Google Pay Card” would vastly expand the app’s use cases, and Google’s potential as a fintech giant.Josh Constine writing for TechCrunch On one hand, Google stepping into the bank card game can further push even more company’s and business alike to embrace Apple Pay and now Google Pay. However, there is one difference between both company’s approach, and that’s data.  While Apples approach isn’t reliant on data, Google has always been a data driven company. With Google going into the financial space, they would potentially have even more access to our data. Granted, I’m sure they have more than enough information on us from just using their Google software and services. The point here is, not only would Google potentially have data on what we do online, but what we do outside of their services.

Image: Apple I could imagine a scenario where I’m at the mall, and I walk into a brand name store and pay with my Google Pay. When I get back home, Google could start showing me adds on my computer from the brand name store I just made a purchase at the mall. And for me, that is a little too much information that a single company could have over me.  I’d be curious to see what exact data they will eb seeing from purchases made, and if Google Pay would offer any incentives similar to what Apple pay offers. In the meantime, we wait with bated breath. Read the full article

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Tim Cook assure investors, and most importantly their employees that everything will be okay

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook led a companywide virtual meeting on Thursday to address concerns about the impact of Covid-19 and discuss the iPhone maker’s plan to return to work.During the meeting, Cook called the pandemic an “uncertain and stressful moment,” but expressed confidence that the company will emerge strongly from the crisis, as it did after the 2008 recession and following a near-bankruptcy in the late 1990s.He said that Apple “isn’t immune to worldwide economic trends,” but that it entered the coronavirus pandemic with a robust balance sheet and stressed that the company will keep investing in a “really significant way” in research and development and future products, according to Apple employees who attended the meeting. A company spokesman declined to comment.Mark Gurman writing for Bloomberg Tim Cook is doing what needs to be done to keep investors calm, but most importantly, this helps Apples employees stay calm as well.  It gives them a sense of comfort knowing that Apple is trying to do everything it can to keep them safe, while continuing assure them that everything will be okay. If you’re an Apple employee, whether you work at Apple Park or in one of their retail stores, this is certainly a breath of fresh air, in these tremulous times. This is what a great CEO does. Read the full article

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Apple might unveil a swappable high-end over the ear wireless headphone later this year

Apple Inc. is developing over-ear wireless headphones with parts that can be swapped in and out, seeking to augment its AirPods business with a high-end audio product, according to people familiar with the matter.                          The Cupertino, California-based tech giant is working on at least two variations, including a premium version with leather-like fabrics and a fitness-focused model that uses lighter, breathable materials with small perforations, the people said.Mark Gurman and Debby Wu writing for Bloomberg If Apple does indeed release two different styles of wireless headphones, a leather fabric, and fitness oriented one. Then Apple could use a similar marketing strategy like Apple Watch. Where the base model is an aluminum material, oriented more towards fitness. The higher-grade materials, like stainless steel, and titanium are for more formal wear. The same idea could apply here, the fitness oriented wireless headphone would be the base model, while the leather one is more fashion oriented.  The ear pads and headband padding attach to the frame of the headphones magnetically so they can be replaced by the user. That approach is similar to some headphones from Master & Dynamic and Bowers & Wilkins, though those models only have magnetic ear pads. Apple’s more modular design will allow users to customize their headphones like they do with the Apple Watch. The design may also mean the same set of headphones would be convertible from comfort to fitness use and back again, the people said.Mark Gurman and Debby Wu writing for Bloomberg

Image: Master & Dynamic  So, I had to actually look up Master & Dynamic, sorry I’m no audiophile. All I can say is, these headphones are not to my taste, and one model with active noise cancelling, goes for $499. Which I guess could sort of give us an idea of what these Apple styles headphones might be running for. The only saving grace is that being Apple, they might look a lot better and simpler Read the full article

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LIDAR might not be as mainstream but Esper could perhaps change that for the iPad Pro

When the iPad Pro launched a couple weeks ago, it featured a LIDAR sensor, or 3D Time of Flight (TOF for short). While the vast majority of consumers might not really see the appeal for having a LIDAR sensor on the back of their iPad Pro, I saw a huge potential opportunity. Today the creators of one of the best RAW and manual camera apps for iPhone, could have possible just laid the groundwork for that opportunity, and im extremely excited for it

Image: Halide On a blog post, posted today. They gave a proof of concept based on the idea of 3D scanning your environment. They use their kitchen as an example of scanning the area and showing a refined 3D model of it. What instantly caught my eye was this could easily be applied to various applications, primarily the Architecture and real estate industry.

3D models and Architecture

The idea of 3D scanning an environment isn’t new, Autodesk current offer their Recap Pro software that allows you to create 3D models from photographs or laser scans, and is ready for CAD or BIM editing. The software is available for $325 per year, and still requires that you have a laser system.  Now imagine walking into an area, you pull out the iPad Pro, and begin to 3D scan the room, and within a few minutes, depending on the size of the area, you now have a fully 3D modeled room, that’s ready to be uploaded to Revit, or any CAD/BIM software.

Real Estate

As I was looking for a new home, I sometimes came across listings that offered a 3D view of the interior of the home, and for the most part was done very well. However, this come back to the same issue that most face. You still need a LIDAR scanner, and you need to know how to use it. I can easily see a time where real estate market is changed with just how easy it could be for the interior of a 3D home to be scanned and uploaded to their online listing.  With the proof of Concept app Esper, it’s not a photography driven app, it’s an app that’s driven by augmented reality, and that’s perfectly fine. From what I saw in the blog post, I’m extremely excited to see just how great Esper can be, should they proceed further with the app. Besides the Measure app that comes included with all iPhones, Apple is going to need more apps that take advantage of the LIDAR sensor, and I think Esper could possibly be one of the very first in taking that step towards being a fantastic app. Click here to read the entire blog post, which is full of useful information.  P.S. Send me a beta invite please. ;) Read the full article

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iPhone SE 2nd Gen is evrything the iPhone 11 is, but in a smaller form factor

The iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch retina HD Display, A13 Bionic (same in the 11 Pro), it features a single 12MP camera module, TouchID, IP67 rating, Qi Wireless Charging, and comes in Black, White, and Red. iPhone SE offers just about every single feature the majority of consumers want, in a phone that’s compact, and most importantly affordable

Image: Apple I can easily see this phone being just as, if not more popular than the iPhone 11. It’s the phone that is easy to use in your hand, but still delivers powerful performance, and takes amazing pictures. It starts off at $399, with preorders starting this Friday the 17, and available April 24. Read the full article

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Google will default your video camera quality in order to ease the strain on the internet bandwidth.

Google may start adjusting the quality of video captured by your Nest security camera to help ease the strain put on broadband networks. The company is making the changes at a time when more people than ever are using internet-connected devices at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.  “To answer the global call to prioritize internet bandwidth for learning and working, in the next few days we’re going to be making a few changes,” Google said in a statement to The Verge. “We believe these changes have the potential to help make it easier for communities to keep up with school, work, and everything in between.”Jay Peters writing for The Verge Considering my entire house is surrounded by Nest cameras, and they are all set to High, I won’t be surprised now when they go back to their default setting, which isn’t bad quality either, I just prefer having it at the best possible setting. I wonder though how many have change their nest cameras to the highest video setting, I suppose many consumers set up the camera and really don’t mess with the settings. Earlier this month YouTube announced that it would default to 480p video playback in order to help ease strain on the internet bandwidth, just as many companies have in Europe, since so many more people are at home streaming Netflix. So if you own Nest cameras, and notice slightly less quality video, there is nothing to be alarmed at. Read the full article

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California, Oregon, and Washington are working together on a plan to open the economy once the population is able to.

Shortly after this announcement, the east coast also announced a similar initiative that consisted of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island. While I doubt, we are over the peak, specifically in California, and with each state being in slightly different stages of the pandemic. It’s a sigh of relief knowing that some steps are being taken to lay out a plan for when we do begin to slowly open back up the economy. I say slowly, because I can’t imagine, opening the gates all at once, would result well. I want to street however that, just because states are making plans on how we would eventually open the economy back up, this does not mean that we can, or should, stop practicing the social distancing guidelines and rules that these states have enacted. We are announcing that California, Oregon and Washington have agreed to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies – one that identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business. While each state is building a state-specific plan, our states have agreed to the following principles as we build out a West Coast framework: –Our residents’ health comes first. As home to one in six Americans and gateway to the rest of the world, the West Coast has an outsized stake in controlling and ultimately defeating COVID-19. –Health outcomes and science – not politics – will guide these decisions. Modifications to our states’ stay at home orders must be made based off our understanding of the total health impacts of COVID-19, including: the direct impact of the disease on our communities; the health impact of measures introduced to control the spread in communities —particularly felt by those already experiencing social disadvantage prior to COVID-19; and our health care systems’ ability to ensure care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This effort will be guided by data. We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening, and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this. –Our states will only be effective by working together. Each state will work with its local leaders and communities within its borders to understand what’s happening on the ground and adhere to our agreed upon approach. Through quick and decisive action, each of our states has made significant progress in flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19 among the broader public. Now, our public health leaders will focus on four goals that will be critical for controlling the virus in the future. Protecting vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infected. This includes a concerted effort to prevent and fight outbreaks in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.Ensuring an ability to care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This will require adequate hospital surge capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment.Mitigating the non-direct COVID-19 health impacts, particularly on disadvantaged communities.Protecting the general public by ensuring any successful lifting of interventions includes the development of a system for testing, tracking and isolating. The states will work together to share best practices.Office of Governor Gavin Newsom Read the full article

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Disney Plus now has 50 million subscribers, arriving much quicker than thought to the goal

Disney Plus has surpassed 50 million subscribers in the five months since it launched, the company said Wednesday. By comparison, Netflix -- the biggest subscription video service in the world -- had 167 million global subscribers as of the end of last year. That's three times the size of Disney Plus now, but Netflix began streaming more than a decade ago.Joan E. Solsman  writing for CNET Disney Plus launched with great success and has been slowly launching across several country’s since then. However, I am not surprised that it has reached 50 million subscribers this quickly.  Taking into account the global problem that is affecting all of us, more people are subscribing to the service in attempts to keep their children entertained, while they also juggle working from home. Read the full article