Dominique Luchart's Blog, page 740
October 13, 2020
Apple’s iPhone 12 event: the 7 biggest announcements,
Apple has just finished its “Hi, Speed” event, where it finally took the wraps off the four new iPhone 12 phones, which have all-new designs and will all support 5G wireless networks. Apple also unveiled the HomePod mini, a smaller and more affordable version of the HomePod smart speaker.
If you want to read the play-by-play of the event, check out our live blog with commentary from Dieter Bohn and Nilay Patel. But if you just want to read the biggest news from the show, we’ve got you covered right here.
Image: AppleThe iPhone 12 has a new design with flat edges that harkens back to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. The standard 6.1-inch iPhone has two rear cameras, and both of them will now support night mode. It, and the entire iPhone 12 line, support 5G. And the iPhone 12 lineup’s screen also has a new “Ceramic Shield” glass cover that Apple claims will make the screen more durable. You can preorder the iPhone 12 on October 16th for $799ahead of its October 23rd release.
Image: AppleApple also revealed a new smaller iPhone, the iPhone 12 mini, which has a 5.4-inch screen and similar specs to the full-sized iPhone 12. You can preorder it on November 6th for $699, and it will be released on November 13th.
Image: AppleApple announced a new Max-size iPhone, and its 6.7-inch screen is the biggest on an iPhone yet. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has three back cameras that offer a 5X optical zoom, a LIDAR sensor for things like improved augmented reality apps and faster autofocus, and a stainless steel outer band. It will be available to preorder on November 6th for $1,099 and will launch on November 13th.
Apple is also launching a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, which will cost $999 and will be available for preorder on October 16th ahead of an October 23rd release date.
Image: AppleThe new HomePod mini is smaller than the original model with a new rounded shape. Like the full-size HomePod, the mini has touch controls on the top, integration with Siri, and comes in two colors (space gray and white). It’s powered by an S5 chip, which first debuted in the Apple Watch Series 5. The HomePod mini will be out on November 16thfor $99, and you can preorder it on November 6th.
Verizon said that it’s now rolling out its nationwide 5G network, which it says will reach 200 million people. Previously, Verizon 5G exclusively used mmWave technology, which can be very fast but has limited coverage. Verizon’s nationwide 5G will take advantage of dynamic spectrum sharing” (DSS) technology, which allows the carrier to run both LTE and 5G side by side.
Apple has reintroduced MagSafe charging, though this time, it’s in the form of wireless charging pads for the new iPhone 12 lineup. There are two different options: the MagSafe Charger for charging one device at a time and the MagSafe Charger Duo for charging two at a time, including a flip-up spot to charge your Apple Watch.
Apple’s iPhone 12 cases also have a magnet inside so you can still use MagSafe chargers and also attach additional accessories like a wallet clip.
Like with the Apple Watch, Apple has chosen to remove the wall charger from the iPhone 12’s box, and the wired EarPods won’t be included, either. The included cable will be USB-C to Lightning.
The post Apple’s iPhone 12 event: the 7 biggest announcements, appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.
Here are the best Prime Day 2020 deals you can get right now,
Amazon Prime Day 2020 is here, happening now and lasting until 11:59PM PT on October 14th. We’ve listed the best deals below happening in all of the major tech categories, including phones, gaming, storage, PC, TVs, tablets, drones, headphones, and more. We’ve highlighted particularly good deals. Looking for non-Amazon retailers? Check out our anti-Prime Day deals.
Most of what you’ll find below will be on sale throughout both days of Prime Day 2020. However, we’ll be putting limited time Lightning Deals up near the top so you can easily find (and, if you want, buy) those products. For all of our coverage, including what kinds of deals are happening outside of Amazon, you can see it all here.
For more deals on fashion, home goods, and other items, check out The Strategist’s roundup here.
Current Lightning Deals
VAVA’s 4K HDR laser ultra short-throw projector (2,500 lumens) is $2,200 (usually $2,800)
Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 3 Bluetooth speaker is $130 (usually $200)
Sennheiser’s Momentum 3 wireless noise-canceling headphones are $298 (usually $350). This deal lasts until 6PM ET.
Moment’s 18mm wide lens attachment is $77 at Amazon (usually $120) until 3:15PM ET today. You’ll need a Moment phone case to attach it to.
Phone deals
Samsung’s Galaxy A71 with 5G support (unlocked, 128GB) is $420 at Amazon (usually $500), beating its lowest price
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 (unlocked, 128GB) is $750 at Amazon (usually $1,000), beating the previous best price
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Plus (unlocked, 128GB) is $900 at Amazon (usually $1,200), beating the previous lowest price
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (unlocked, 128GB) is $1,050 at Amazon (usually $1,200), beating the lowest price
The Google Pixel 4 (unlocked, 64GB) costs $449 at Amazon (usually $600), beating its previous best price by $50
The Google Pixel 4 (unlocked, 128GB) costs $549 at Amazon (usually $899), also beating the lowest price on record by $50
The Google Pixel 4 XL (unlocked, 128GB) costs $649 at Amazon (usually $999), beating the lowest price yet by $50
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeAmazon devices
Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite (with ads, 8GB) is $80 at Amazon (usually $130), beating the previous lowest price of $85
The Amazon Echo Dot (third generation) smart speaker is $19 (usually $40) at Amazon, beating the lowest-ever price by $3)
Amazon’s Fire TV Cube streaming device is down to $80 (usually $120), which beats its previous best price by $10
Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet is $80 (usually $150) at Amazon, which is $20 less than the previous lowest price
Eero’s three-pack of mesh Wi-Fi routers is $174 at Amazon (usually $249). It’s not as low as the best-ever $160 price, but it’s still a rare deal.
A single Eero mesh Wi-Fi router is $69 at Amazon (usually $99). This matches the lowest price yet.
Ring’s Stick Up Cam smart camera with a free Echo Dot is $80 at Amazon (usually $100), beating the previous lowest price of $85
You can get a Ring Video Doorbell 3 and an Amazon Echo Show 5 together for $150 at Amazon (usually $290 together)
Amazon’s Echo Studio smart speaker is $150 (usually $200) at Amazon, beating the lowest price yet
Fire Emblem: Three Houses for Nintendo Switch rarely gets a discount, but it’s $15 off.Gaming
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (physical or digital) for Nintendo Switch is $40 at Amazon (usually $60), beating the previous best price by $5
You can get a one-year family subscription to Nintendo Switch Online and a 128GB microSD card for $40 . Considering the Switch Online service costs $35 per year, paying $5 more for extra Switch storage is an excellent value.
The Last of Us Part II is $40 at Amazon (usually $60)
Yoshi’s Crafted World (physical or digital) for Nintendo Switch is $40 at Amazon (usually $60). The lowest was $30, so this is not the best but still a good deal.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (physical or digital) for Nintendo Switch is $40 at Amazon (usually $60). The lowest was $30, so not the best but still a good deal.
Splatoon 2 (physical or digital) for Nintendo Switch is $40 at Amazon (usually $60), matching the lowest price yet
You can get a one-year subscription to PlayStation Now game streaming service for $42 at Amazon (usually $60)
Genki’s Covert Dock for Nintendo Switch (with support for other USB-C devices) is $55 at Amazon (usually $70, clip the on-page coupon to save)
PowerA MOGA phone and Xbox One controller clip is $10 (usually $15)
The Razer Basilisk Ultimate (left) next to the Basilisk X Hyperspeed (right). Both are featured in Prime Day 2020 deals.Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergePC peripherals
Razer’s Basilisk X Hyperspeed wireless gaming mouse is $40 at Amazon (usually $60), matching the best price yet
SteelSeries’ Arctis Pro + GameDAC wired gaming headset is $140 at Amazon (usually $250), which is $37 cheaper than the best price yet
Razer’s Mamba wireless gaming mouse is $60 at Amazon (usually around $90), not quite beating its $55 best price, but coming close enough to warrant telling you about it
Razer’s DeathAdder V2 wired gaming mouse is $56 at Amazon (usually $70), beating the best price by $10
Razer’s Naga Trinity wired gaming mouse is $60 at Amazon (usually $74), costing $5 over the best price yet, but it’s still a good deal
Razer’s Huntsman TE tenkeyless wired gaming keyboard is $90 at Amazon (usually $130), beating the previous best deal by $10
Razer’s Viper Ultimate wireless gaming mouse is $100 at Amazon (usually $130), matching the lowest price
Razer’s Basilisk Ultimate wireless gaming mouse is $100 (usually $150), falling below the lowest price by $20
Logitech’s G502 SE Hero wired gaming mouse is $35 at Amazon (usually $50)
Corsair’s Void RGB Elite wired gaming headset is $55 at Amazon (usually $80), falling $19 below the lowest price
Das Keyboards is knocking 15 percent off all of their mechanical keyboards at Amazon
Monitors
ViewSonic’s 27-inch XG2760 1440p gaming monitor (G-Sync, 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time) is $385 at Amazon (usually $600), down from its previous best of $418
Samsung 49-inch CJ890 ultrawide monitor (3840 x 1080, 144Hz refresh rate, USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI) is $700 at Amazon (usually $963), down from its previous best of $750
Internal / external storage
Western Digital’s SN750 2TB NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD is $249 at Amazon (usually $310), lower than its previous best price of $310
SanDisk’s 1TB Plus SATA SSD is $88 at Amazon (usually $110), down from its previous best price of $99
Toshiba’s 4TB Canvio portable hard drive is $80 at Amazon (usually $98), down from its previous best price of $85
Samsung’s 1TB 860 Pro SATA SSD is $200 at Amazon (usually $280), down from its previous best price of $233
LaCie’s 5TB Rugged Mini portable hard drive is $115 at Amazon (usually $165), down from its previous best price of $137
LaCie’s 2TB Rugged Mini portable hard drive is $62 at Amazon (usually $95), $15 cheaper than the best deal we’ve seen yet
SanDisk’s 400GB microSD card that works with Nintendo Switch and other supported products is $45 at Amazon (usually $60), matching the lowest price yet
PNY’s 512GB microSD card is $70 (usually $100) at Amazon
Seagate’s 4TB Game Drive for Xbox is $88 at Amazon (usually $105), beating the previous lowest price by $12
Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The VergeWindows laptops and Chromebooks
Razer’s Blade 15 Advanced (i7-10875H, RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, 300Hz refresh rate, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is $2,100 at Amazon (usually $2,600), beating the previous best price by about $100
Razer’s Blade 15 Base edition (i7-10750H, GTX 1660 Ti, 144Hz refresh rate, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is $1,300 at Amazon (usually $1,600), down from its previous best of $1,466
Gigabyte’s Aero 15 (i7-9750H, GTX 1660 Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, UHD OLED panel) is $1,150 at Amazon (usually $1,529), down from the previous best price of the $1,300
Asus ZenBook Duo UX481 is $1,000 at Amazon, below its usual price at $1,150
The Asus Chromebook Flip C434 is $400 at Amazon (usually $500), beating its previous best price by $100
Tablet accessories
Brydge’s Pro 12.9 Bluetooth keyboard for the iPad Pro (2018, 2020) is $100 at Amazon (usually $169), beating the lowest price by $30
Brydge’s Pro Plus 12.9 Bluetooth keyboard with a trackpad for iPad Pro (2018, 2020) is $160 at Amazon, which is well below its usual price of $230
Brydge’s Pro Plus 11.0 with a trackpad for the smaller iPad Pro (2018, 2020) is $140 at Amazon, which is $60 less than its usual price
If you have the latest 10.2-inch iPad, Brydge’s 10.2 Bluetooth keyboard for that size of tablet is $80 at Amazon (usually $130), which is $20 cheaper than the previous best price
The 2017 iPad Pro and the iPad Air (2019) are 10.5-inch tablets. If you have either of those, Brydge’s 10.5 Bluetooth keyboard will fit just fine. It’s just $60 at Amazon, which is just a little less than its usual $65 price.
Photo by Chris Welch / The VergeHeadphones
The new Sony WH1000X-M4 wireless noise-canceling headphones are $298 at Amazon (usually $350) and include a free $25 gift card. This is an awesome deal.
Bose’s QuietComfort 35 Series II wireless noise-canceling headphones are $200 at Amazon (usually $300), which is $79 less than their previous best price
Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones are $175 at Amazon (usually $250), falling $25 below their lowest price yet
Apple AirPods with a wired charging case are $115 at Amazon (usually $125), beating the lowest price by $10
Amazon’s Echo Buds are $80 at Amazon (usually $130), beating the lowest price yet by $10
Razer Opus wireless noise-canceling headphones are $180 at Amazon (usually $200), matching their best-ever price
Sony’s WHXB900N wireless headphones are $123 at Amazon (usually $248), matching the lowest price we’ve seen yet
Sony’s WHCH710N wireless headphones are $88 at Amazon (usually $200), beating the previous lowest price by $10
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The VergeWearables
Garmin’s Fenix 5S Plus GPS smartwatch is $350 at Amazon (usually $671), which is almost $200 off its previous lowest price
The Garmin VivoActive 4S GPS smartwatch is $200 at Amazon (usually $280), falling $70 below its previous best price
Misc. gadgets
Amazon is offering Prime members an extra 20 percent discount on pre-owned, used, and open box products in the Amazon Warehouse. You should check out the selection of tech you might be interested before spending more on a new product.
The Synology 4-bay NAS DiskStation DS920 Plus is down to $440 at Amazon (usually $550)
Zendure’s SuperTank 100W portable battery bank is $83 at Amazon (usually $130) if you use the on-page coupon, beating the previous best price by almost $20. And if you purchase two Zendure products, you’ll get 15 percent off in the cart.
The Doxie Go SE portable paper scanner is $139 at Amazon (usually $179), which is the best price this product has sold for since last October.
DJI’s Mavic Mini combo that includes several accessories is $400 at Amazon, which is $100 less than the usual price
The DJI Osmo Pocket with a charging case is $300 at Amazon, which is $98 less than its usual price
DJI’s Osmo Action camera is $200 at Amazon, falling $39 below its usual cost
DJI’s Osmo Mobile 3 gimbal with accessories is $105 at Amazon, which is $13 less than the usual price
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A (10.1-inch, 2019, 64GB) is $180 at Amazon (usually $280), matching the best deal we’ve seen yet
The 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab A with 32GB of storage is $100 (usually $118) at Amazon
Satechi’s USB-C hub that supports two 4K 60Hz monitors is $35 at Amazon (usually $50), beating the previous lowest price of $49
The post Here are the best Prime Day 2020 deals you can get right now, appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.
Beats announces $50 Beats Flex earbuds with USB-C and 12-hour battery life,
Beats is today announcing what the company says are its “most affordable premium wireless earphones to date.” The new $49.99 Beats Flex earbuds are an evolution of the neckband-style Beats X from 2017; they now charge via USB-C, have longer battery life (12 hours), and the internals have been reworked for better sound quality and improved mic performance. They’ll be available starting on October 23rd in black, yellow, blue, or gray.
Like the Beats X, the Beats Flex have a lightweight “Flex-Form” cable that rests around the back of your neck when worn, and the earbuds can magnetically attach to each other when not in use. Beats has taken a cue from OnePlus this time around: your music will automatically pause when the buds are magnetically linked, and playback resumes once you put them in your ears.
Image: BeatsAs for the sound quality refinements, here’s what Beats says is new:
Beats Flex employs a proprietary layered driver with dual-chamber acoustics to achieve rich, balanced sound with outstanding stereo separation. Laser cut micro-venting and an optimized driver angle ensure ear pressure relief and accurate sound delivery. Additionally, an advanced digital processor fine-tunes the audio for accurate bass, precise mids, and low distortion across the frequency curve.
The Beats Flex earbuds charge over USB-C, marking a move away from Apple’s Lightning connector, which was used on the Beats X. But they retain the Apple W1 chip for instant pairing with iPhones or iPads and software features like audio sharing. Plugging them in for just 10 minutes will get you an hour and a half of listening time.
Image: BeatsBeats is announcing the Flex earbuds on the very same day that Apple is set to reveal the iPhone 12, which has been rumored to ship without any earbuds bundled in the box for the first time. If AirPods aren’t your thing, Beats is happy to try to fill that void with these new $50 earbuds.
But the move to USB-C is also a sign that Beats is making more of an effort to appeal to Android phone owners. The company offers an Android app that can be used for quick pairing and firmware updates. With Apple expected to unveil its own set of premium, noise-canceling headphones in the coming months, it makes sense for Beats to branch out beyond the Apple ecosystem.
The post Beats announces $50 Beats Flex earbuds with USB-C and 12-hour battery life, appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.
Best Prime Day deals for upgrading your PC setup,
Have you recently purchased a gaming PC? Are you looking to buy some new equipment for working from home? Amazon’s Prime Day event has a ton of great accessories that will spice up your PC setup.
Whether you’re looking to find a new gaming mouse or keyboard for your rig, a hard drive to bulk up your computer’s storage, or an extra-wide monitor for getting work done, the online retailer has you covered. There are even some motherboards on sale for bringing new life to old systems. Check out our main deal post that features several more product categories.
Current Lightning Deals
Razer’s BlackWidow Elite mechanical keyboard is $90 at Amazon (usually $170), lower than the best-ever price
Image: RazerGaming headsets / mice / keyboards
SteelSeries’ Arctis Pro + GameDAC wired gaming headset is $140 at Amazon (usually $250), lower than the best-ever price
Logitech’s G502 SE Hero wired gaming mouse is $28 at Amazon (usually $50), lower than the best-ever price
Corsair’s Void RGB Elite wired gaming headset is $55 at Amazon (usually $80), lower than the best-ever price
Razer’s Basilisk X Hyperspeed wireless gaming mouse is $40 at Amazon (usually $56), matching the best-ever price
Razer’s DeathAdder V2 wired gaming mouse is $56 at Amazon (usually $70), lower than the best-ever price
Razer’s Basilisk V2 wired gaming mouse is $64 at Amazon (usually $80), matching the best-ever price
Razer’s Naga Trinity wired gaming mouse is $60 at Amazon (usually $74)
Razer’s Huntsman TE tenkeyless wired gaming keyboard is $90 at Amazon (usually $130), lower than the best-ever price
Razer’s Mamba wireless gaming mouse is $60 at Amazon (usually $89)
Razer’s Viper Ultimate wireless gaming mouse is $100 at Amazon (usually $130), lower than the best-ever price
Razer’s Basilisk Ultimate wireless gaming mouse is $100 at Amazon (usually $150), lower than the best-ever price
Das Keyboards is knocking 15 percent off all of their mechanical keyboards at Amazon
Monitors
ViewSonic’s 27-inch XG2760 1440p gaming monitor (VA, G-Sync, 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time) is $385 at Amazon (usually $550), lower than the best-ever price
SanDisk 1TB Plus SATA SSD.Storage
The Synology 4-bay NAS DiskStation DS920 Plus is down to $440 at Amazon (usually $550), lower than its best-ever price by $110. The product is also marked down to the same price at Newegg with the offer code 2FTSTECH462 used at checkout
Western Digital’s SN750 2TB NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD is $249 at Amazon (usually $310), lower than the best-ever price
SanDisk’s 1TB Plus SATA SSD is $88 at Amazon (usually $110), lower than the best-ever price
Toshiba’s 4TB Canvio portable hard drive is $80 at Amazon (usually $99), lower than the best-ever price
Samsung’s 1TB 860 Pro SATA SSD is $200 at Amazon (usually $280), lower than the best-ever price
LaCie’s 5TB Rugged Mini portable hard drive is $115 at Amazon (usually $165), lower than the best-ever price
LaCie’s 2TB Rugged Mini portable hard drive is $62 at Amazon (usually $96), lower than the best-ever price
Motherboards
The Asus TUF B550M-Plus PCIe 4.0 Micro ATX gaming motherboard that supports AMD’s AM4 CPU sockets is $128 at Newegg (usually $155), matching Amazon’s own price during Prime Day 2020
The Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite PCIe 4.0 ATX gaming motherboard that supports AMD’s AM4 CPU sockets is $160 at Amazon (usually $195), lower than the best-ever price
Graphics cards
Zotac’s compact GeForce RTX 2060 6GB graphics card is $310 at Newegg (usually $340)
Power supplies
EVGA’s 750W 80 Plus Gold modular desktop power supply is $100 at Newegg, which is $30 off of its usual price
Memory
Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-pin DDR4 3600 RAM is $120 at Newegg (usually $140)
The post Best Prime Day deals for upgrading your PC setup, appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.
Apple’s new iPhones won’t ship with earbuds or wall chargers,
Apple’s new iPhone 12 lineup will ship without wall chargers or Lightning EarPods in the box to reduce the phone’s environmental impact, the company announced today. Instead, they’ll come with just a USB-C to Lightning cable.
Apple says it’s not including a charger or earbuds with the iPhone 12 series on environmental grounds; similarly, it didn’t include a charging brick with this year’s Apple Watch models. The company says the move means it has to consume fewer raw materials for each iPhone sold. It also allows for a smaller retail box, which means 70 percent more units can fit on a single shipping pallet and reduce carbon emissions. Overall, Apple estimates the changes will cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, the equivalent of removing 450,000 cars from the road each year.
Earlier reports of the change have been met with outrage online, with some suggesting that it has more to do with increasing Apple’s margins and decreasing its shipping costs rather than protecting the environment. Regardless of Apple’s motives, however, the move is likely to decrease e-waste either way.
As part of its announcement, Apple said there are already 700 million Lightning headphones out in the world, as well as 2 billion Apple power adapters, suggesting most people will already have both accessories.
The post Apple’s new iPhones won’t ship with earbuds or wall chargers, appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max announced with larger displays, updated design, and 5G,
Apple has officially announced its 2020 flagship iPhones: the $999 iPhone 12 Pro and $1,099 12 Pro Max, featuring support for 5G and a new squared-off design that’s reminiscent of the iPhone 4. It’s also the first major redesign for Apple’s full-screen smartphones since it introduced the bezel-less design with the iPhone X in 2017.
Both the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are bigger than last year’s 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro and 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max. The 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, in particular, is notable for taking the crown as Apple’s biggest phone to date. The Pro models features a stainless steel design (instead of the aluminum on the iPhone 12), in four colors: gray, stainless steel, gold, and a new blue.
The new iPhone 12 Pro models will feature Apple’s A14 Bionic chip — first introduced on the refreshed iPad Air last month — which VP Greg Joswiak has previously said was the “most powerful chip ever made” by Apple. The new chip is Apple’s first to use a 5nm process (instead of the 7nm process used on last year’s A13 Bionic). Apple says that both the new 6-core CPU and the four-core GPU are the fastest ever, with performance that the company claims is up to 50 percent faster than any other phone.
One of the biggest new additions on this year’s models is 5G. The iPhone 12 Pro will support both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G, meaning that both phones should work with all the various types of 5G networks from all three major US carriers. Apple says that it offers “the most 5G bands of any smartphone” promising that it’ll support a wide array of cellular carriers around the world and their various 5G standards.
Also new — and exclusive to the iPhone 12 Pro models — is a LIDAR sensor, which, similar to the iPad Pro, will be used for additional AR effects. Apple also says that the LIDAR scanner will be used to help focus in low-light situation, making autofocus for low-light photography up to six times faster. It also enables Night Mode portrait photography shots.
The new iPhone 12 Pro models also offer “Ceramic Shield” technology, which Apple says offers glass that’s tougher than any other smartphone display, with four times better “drop performance” when it comes to preventing your phone from cracking when dropped.
Like last year’s iPhone 11 Pro models, Apple is once again offering a triple-camera system on both the iPhone 12 Pro, with 12-megapixel wide, telephoto, and ultra-wide camera lenses. The wide camera now offers a faster f/1.6 aperture, which Apple says offers 27 percent improved low-light performance, while the 52mm focal telephoto now offers 4x optical zoom.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max builds out the camera system even further. There’s a new 12MP telephoto with a 65mm focal length, that can optically zoom in up to 2.5 times. There’s a new wide camera with a f/1.6 apeture and a new OIS system. The wide sensor is also 47 percent larger, which combines with the lower aperture for 87 percent better low-light performance.
Apple also teased a new feature it calls “Apple ProRAW” that will be available on the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max later this year. The company says that it’ll offer existing computational photography benefits like its Deep Fusion and Smart HDR along with the flexibility of RAW photos. The format will be available across all four cameras, and will let users adjust things like sharpening, color highlights, and more while still taking advantage of Apple’s existing photography enhancements.
The new iPhone 12 Pro phones will also be able to shoot in HDR video, a first for the product line, including support for shooting directly in Dolby Vision HDR. The iPhone 12 will also be able to edit Dolby Vision HDR video straight from the Photos app.
Like the iPhone 12 and 12 mini, the two iPhone 12 Pro models will also be compatible with Apple’s newly announced MagSafe wireless chargers and accessories, which offer magnetically-attached cases, charging pads, and even attachments like wallets.
Apple will also be removing its included USB wall bricks and wired EarPod headphones from the box on the new iPhones as part of the company’s ongoing environmental goals, a change that mirrors the company’s move in removing wall bricks from its Apple Watch smartwatches earlier this year. Apple will, however, still including a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box for charging.
Along with the two flagships, there are also a two more new iPhones. The iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 mini, which are set to replace last year’s iPhone 11 model, can be read about here.
The iPhone 12 Pro will start at $999, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will start at $1,099, with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options. Preorders for the iPhone 12 Pro will start on Friday, October 16th and will ship a week later on October 23rd, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max will see preorders on November 6th and ship on November 13th.
Developing… we’re adding more to this post, but you can follow along with our Apple iPhone 12 live blog to get the news even faster.
The post iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max announced with larger displays, updated design, and 5G, appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.
Netflix no longer offers free trials in the US,
Netflix has removed the option for potential subscribers in the United States to test the service with a free trial, the company confirmed to The Verge.
The company started phasing out the option for US-based subscribers this month, but has spent the last couple of years phasing out the option in a number of countries around the world. To replace the free trial, Netflix is introducing new ways to try and attract potential subscribers, including posting some educational content on YouTube for free and other forms of content sampling.
“We’re looking at different marketing promotions in the US to attract new members,” a Netflix spokesperson told The Verge.
With the free trial offer gone, Netflix is going to test even more forms of content sampling promotions for people within the United States. Recently, Netflix launched a portal to watch a number of episodes from its top series for free. Netflix also made one of its films, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, available to watch without a Netflix subscription.
Netflix’s decision to cancel its free trial comes at a time when other streaming services are leaning heavily on trials to build their initial subscriber bases. Apple just extended the initial free period for Apple TV Plus subscribers by three months to February 2021, while services like Quibi and Disney Plus launched while touting free trials.
For Netflix, the company is exploring other ways to try and build out that subscriber base. Those experiments will continue into 2021.
The post Netflix no longer offers free trials in the US, appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.
Apple announces iPhone 12 mini, the ‘smallest and lightest 5G phone in the world’,
Apple is announcing a new iPhone 12 mini today. It’s the first time Apple has used the “mini” moniker on its iPhone line, after using it on the iPod mini, iPad mini, and Mac mini previously. The new iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch screen, which means Apple has squeezed a larger display than the 4.7-inch screen found on this year’s iPhone SE into an iPhone 12 mini handset that’s smaller overall.
Apple has made the $699 iPhone 12 mini smaller by removing Touch ID and replacing it with Face ID, alongside a significant reduction in bezels around the display. Apple claims it’s the smallest, thinnest, and lightest 5G phone in the world.
iPhone 12 mini vs. iPhone SE (2020)AppleLike the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 mini uses Apple’s A14 Bionic, a 5nm chip with better energy efficiency and performance than the A13. It includes a six-core CPU (two high and four low) that Apple claims is 50 percent faster than the A13 chip. It also includes a four-core GPU, which Apple claims will enable “console-quality games.”
The iPhone 12 mini shares the rest of the main iPhone 12 specs and design, too. The iPhone 12 mini has flat aluminum sides that now match the iPad Pro and iPad Air (and are similar to the iPhone 4 from 10 years ago).
iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 12 mini.AppleThe shared specs include a 12-megapixel f/1.6 main camera — the fastest aperture in any iPhone yet — and a 12MP ultrawide. Apple has improved low-light performance on the iPhone 12 mini, and the front-facing camera will also include its own Night Mode.
The display glass on the iPhone 12 mini is also coated with what Apple describes as a “Ceramic Shield” for better durability. Water and dust resistance has also been improved to an IP68 rating.
Apple’s wallet accessory for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.AppleApple is also using the new MagSafe magnet system on the iPhone 12 mini. It supports wireless chargers (including Qi-enabled devices), case accessories, and even leather wallets that all snap onto the rear of the device.
Apple’s iPhone 12 mini is priced starting at $699 and will be available in five color options: blue, green, black, white, and red, Preorders for the iPhone 12 mini will begin on November 6th at 5AM PT / 8AM ET, with the handset shipping on November 13th.
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September 17, 2020
Amazon reportedly sold drugs used for doping months after promising to crack down,
Amazon has removed dozens of listings for peptides, drugs that can be used for doping, after an investigation from The Markup found 66 examples of such products on the site. Peptides are made naturally in the body, but synthetic versions, which can be sold in vials and then reconstituted and injected, are often used as performance-enhancing drugs since they can speed recovery from injuries.
According to The Markup, in recent weeks Amazon had been carrying listings for peptides not on the US Food and Drug Administration’s list of approved drugs, months after telling the publication in May that it would start cracking down, and several of those drugs have been classified by the World Anti-Doping Agency as doping drugs. The drugs were labeled for “research” or “lab” uses, but questions on the products’ pages suggested people were ingesting the drugs.
Amazon told The Markup it decided to remove the products “out of an abundance of caution,” even though the listings tried classifying the products as “not for human injection or consumption.” Amazon has a policy banning the sale of injectable drugs. The company did not immediately return a request for comment from The Verge on Thursday.
A Wall Street Journal report last year found that Amazon was listing products via its third-party sellers that had been banned, mislabeled, or otherwise declared unsafe by US government agencies, including some imported prescription drugs.
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Lego finally realizes it doesn’t need to use plastic to package its tiny plastic bricks,
If you ever purchased a Lego set, you’ll know the box comes with an uncomfortable amount of plastic bags to separate each set of pieces included. Personally, I felt it was way too much plastic for just one product, and it’s nice to now see Lego has finally come to its senses: the company plans to ditch the single-use packaging starting next year, Lego announced on its website earlier this week.
Going forward, Lego plans to package its tiny bricks in recycled paper bags. The company says they are looking to make “all packaging sustainable by 2025.” Lego CEO Niels Christiansen said the company received “many letters” from kids asking the toymaker to stop using plastic bags in their packaging.
Alongside its plans to use sustainable packaging, Lego is also working on sustainable bricks no longer made of plastic. The company aims to use sustainable materials in its core products by 2030, according to Lego.
In 2018, Lego began selling brick pieces made from plant-based plastic. Yet that material makes up a small percentage of Lego’s product lineup (less than 2 percent, actually) compared to its more recent releases such as the interactive Super Mario sets and the customizable Lego Art posters. Oh, and did I mention there’s a complete replica of the Nintendo Entertainment System made entirely with the tiny plastic bricks, too?
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