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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

10/31/2018 10:47:00 PM

Microsoft Fixes Windows 10 October 2018 Update Zip File Bug in Latest Cumulative Update

Other bugs squashed


Microsoft has just released a cumulative update for Windows 10 Insiders in the Slow and Release Preview rings which addresses several problems, including the ZIP bug in Windows 10 October 2018 Update that was causing people to lose data.

The update is Build 17763.107 (KB4464455) and is available for Windows Insiders who have signed up for early versions of Windows 10.

While the ZIP file bug, which allowed people to accidentally overwrite existing files when moving.ZIP files into folders with files of the same name without warning is the headline fix in this update, another problem has also been addressed.

Roaming profiles

According to Microsoft’s release notes for the cumulative update, “We fixed an issue causing roaming profiles to not work correctly.” For anyone who has encountered issues with their profile when logging into Windows 10, this fix should hopefully sort that out.

Other fixes include fixing wrong details being shown in Task Manager, compatibility issues with anti-virus software and driver compatibility problems.

If you’re a Windows Insider you can install the update by going to Settings > Windows Update and checking for updates.

Hopefully, these fixes will be brought to regular users soon.


SOURCE:
10/31/2018 09:25:00 PM

New 2018 Mac Mini: Pro Machine in a Tiny, Upgradeable Package


The new Mac mini is a powerhouse little machine, complete with Pro features and the ability to add a 10GB Ethernet port and 64GB RAM. And -- check this -- RAM is upgradeable after purchase.

After more than four years unloved and un-updated, the new Mac mini is back, with a vengeance. What's interesting is just how close my spec for what I called the Mac mini Pro, way back in April came to what Apple announced today, including the Space Gray color.

Must read: Apple's new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini: Can features, specs retain business momentum?

What Apple announced today is, essentially, a Mac mini Pro. This new machine starts at $799, but fully maxed out, it can cost as much as $4,199.

PROCESSOR BUMP

First, let's start with the processor. The base Mac mini now starts with a 3.0Ghz 4-core Coffee Lake i3 processor. It can be configured for up to a 3.2Ghz 6-core Intel Core i7 (which Apple claims can be Turbo Boosted up to 4.6Ghz). Moving from the i5 to the i7 will cost you an extra $200.

The new Mac mini also includes an Apple T2 security processor, which allows for "enabling on-the-fly data encryption, secure boot and up to 30 times faster HEVC video transcoding." Usually, the T2 also enables "Hey Siri," but Apple didn't mention that in its announcement for the Mini.

mac-mini-memory.jpg
Yep, it's upgradeable.

MEMORY TO 64GB

Memory, which previously maxed on the Mac mini at 16GB, can now be configured up to 64GB. The base model ships with 8GB RAM, but Apple specifically mentioned that memory is on SO-DIMMs.

I reached out to Apple about this and was told: "Yes, Mac mini is configurable up to 64GB and uses industry-standard DDR4 SO-DIMMs. While we don't consider the memory directly end-user accessible, service providers can access the internals of the Mac mini to upgrade the memory."

This is the best of both worlds because Apple's RAM upgrades cost $200 to go to 16GB, $600 to go to 32GB, and a whopping $1,400 to go to 2666MHz DDR 4-based 64GB RAM.

If RAM is upgradeable after purchase, this is a big thing. A quick look at the Crucial site today (RAM prices change constantly) shows that that same 64GB upgrade can be had for $879, $521 less than Apple charges. Even better, it means you can get an affordable Mac mini and later, as your needs change, can grow your RAM footprint.

STORAGE UP TO 2TB SSD FLASH

Storage also can be increased (but it looks like only during purchase). The base model starts with 128GB SSD flash storage (which is way faster than the spinning platters that used to ship on the old Mac minis and is also faster than the SSD upgrades I did to my Mac minis).

Upgrades cost $200 to go to 512GB, $600 to go to 1TB, and a painful $1,400 to go to 2TB SSD.

ETHERNET UP TO 10GB

Here's an exciting development. You can get a standard 1GB Ethernet port standard. But for a surprisingly reasonable $100, you can upgrade to a 1GB/10GB Ethernet port. This essentially future-proofs the Mac mini for a while.

PORTS, PORTS, AND MORE PORTS

This new beast actually adds ports over the previous Mac mini. There are four Thunderbolt 3 ports (which also support USB-C). In addition, I am thrilled to see two USB 3 ports available, for compatibility to older devices. Add to that an HDMI 2.0 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and this becomes a very versatile device.

WIRELESS NETWORKING

Rounding out the specs for this powerful little machine are 802.11ac Wi-Fi networking compatible with 802.11a, b, g, and n. It also includes a Bluetooth 5.0 radio as well.

BUILT-IN GRAPHICS

The device has Intel UHD Graphics 630, which is fine for most tasks. Power video folks are likely to want to add an external GPU, which is possible with the new Mac mini's USB-C ports.

CONCLUSION

So there you go. It's a long time coming. I won't say it was worth the wait, because waiting four years without even a processor upgrade is insane. That said, it's a relief to see this machine back in the lineup with new life.

And since I know you're going to ask, yes I'm going to buy one (more, if memory can be upgraded after purchase).


SOURCE:
10/31/2018 07:40:00 PM

Telstra Restores Cloud Services After Outage

Telstra's cloud services are back up and running after a six-hour outage.


Telstra has confirmed that its cloud services are back up and running following an outage.

"We have resolved an issue which impacted access to our cloud services for some of our enterprise customers and access to some of our online services," a Telstra spokesperson said in a statement.

"Services are back online and should be working normally. We sincerely apologize for the impact and we continue to investigate the cause."

The statement came six hours after the telco originally confirmed on Twitter that it was "working to fix an issue that is currently impacting access to some Telstra apps and http://Telstra.com."

Telstra also noted that the outage had not impacted 000 call services.

The cloud services outage follows the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) last week saying its investigation into Triple Zero emergency call services had found that Telstra breached the rule to ensure all 000 calls on its network are carried to emergency call operators.

According to the ACMA, Telstra failed to deliver 1,433 calls to the emergency service operator on May 4 due to a network outage, breaching s22 of the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2009 and the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999.

The outage had been caused by fire damage to fiber cables, causing mobile voice connection interruptions across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland for a period of around nine hours.

In June, Telstra wholesale mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) customers were also impacted across 3G and 4G services as a result of a "vendor platform issue".

The wholesale mobile outage followed a fiber cable cut earlier in June, which affected wholesale mobile and fixed-line services and several thousand broadband and ADSL services.

Telstra in May also said yet another mobile outage was caused by a software fault, which it said: "triggered multiple elements across the network to fail". Its 4G voice network was also affected following "technical changes made ahead of upgrades to mobile traffic control equipment in Telstra's Exhibition Street exchange in Melbourne" in early May.



SOURCE:
10/31/2018 03:28:00 PM

Apple finally Comes up for Air

To those for whom the MacBook Air is indispensable, Apple's event offered enormous relief.


My MacBook Air is writing this article on its own.

The keys are moving faster than my fingers can go.

You see, my Air has been wanting to retire for some time. It's looking worn. It's feeling worn.

You can't even see the A on its A Key.

And now finally, finally, Apple announced at its Brooklyn Event today, there's a replacement.

Naturally, it's still called the MacBook Air. The Air doesn't get the new names phones do. That's because Apple seems rarely to have known what to do with it, leaving it neglected.

At the event, Tim Cook had the excitable gall to waffle on about "adventurous and cutting-edge performers" -- gosh, Serena Williams and Paul McCartney both use Macs -- yet omitted to mention how little Apple had done for the Mac lately.

And how even less of it had been good.

Apple's presenters kept going on about what customers have been asking for. Why, those customers wonder, has it taken so long?

Oh, the phones are more important, right?

My current Air looks at the new one and is envious of its fuller screen. The aluminum bezels have gone. The display has staggered into the modern world with Retina. Yet it appears there's only one size, the 13.3-inch screen.

My 11-inch screen MacBook Air bows gracefully and hopes I'll be able to deal with something a little bigger.

But not heavier. It's 0.25 lbs lighter. I wonder if I'll be able to feel it. I wonder if I'll be able to deal with the Force Touch Trackpad.

I've never had to force anything with my Air. It's been the most reliable and excellent Apple product I've ever owned.

And this new one is made of 100 percent recycled aluminum. Does that mean it's made from old MacBook Airs?

The supposedly wise had warned my Air -- and me -- that the Air would be retired. My Air feared it would have to work till it dropped. Who wants to do that?

Yet now Apple has suddenly noticed that people are still using it.

And, having noticed, it's noticed that it can charge you an extra $200 for the new MacBook Air. It's now $1,199.

I'll have to buy one. It's the least I can do for a machine that's been loyal, light and lively every day.

It deserves a perfect retirement.

Scenes from Apple's iPad Pro and Mac eve...



SOURCE ZDNet:
10/31/2018 01:09:00 AM

Apple October 2018 Launch Live Blog: Keep up to Date With the Whole Announcement

Keep up with what happens on stage


Apple is having yet another launch to round out its 2018 announcements, and the good news is you're in the right place to follow along with all the unveilings live.

This is our live blog, and once the event starts we recommend sticking here and refreshing the page to keep abreast of all the latest news on rumored the MacBook 2018, Mac mini 2018 and iPad Pro 2018.

If we're lucky, we may even hear of a MacBook Air 2018 and perhaps a few other surprises too.

Apple is hosting the event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House in New York. We'll be there in the room to keep this updated with the latest, and the good news is it's earlier in the day than other normal Apple launches.

It's all set to start at 10AM EDT /  7AM PDT / 2PM GMT today or 12AM AEST Wednesday October 31. Check out our how to watch the Apple October 2018 event live stream to find out more.

Apple October 2018 launch live blog

All times in Eastern Standard Time (ET)

6:30 - It's worth reminding you now that you can watch the launch later through a variety of live streams from Apple. You can use Safari, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, and even Twitter to watch the launch.

Here's our guide on how to watch the Apple launch, but be sure to keep this live blog open too so you can read alongside while you're watching it.

6:20 - OK, we're up and ready to go. This is being written from the UK, but our US team is going to be out of bed very soon to shower, and more importantly eat, ahead of today's big launch.


SOURCE TechRadar:

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

10/30/2018 10:40:00 PM

Oppo Wants to Release the First 5G Smartphone

Oppo wants to beat LG to the punch after successful 5G tests.


Oppo is aiming to be the first smartphone manufacturer to launch a commercial 5G handset after achieving a significant milestone in its lab tests of next-generation mobile networks.

The Chinese phone maker was able to connect one of its devices to a 5G network for the first time, overcoming one of the final hurdles in development and paving the way for a release in 2019.

“Oppo made the connection successfully between an R15 smartphone terminal and the 5G network, in [its] 5G communication protocol laboratory environment,” the company said in a statement.



Oppo 5G smartphone

“The connection was carried out on a pre-commercially available 5G smartphone developed on the basis of Oppo [Release-15]. It was customized with fully integrated 5G components including System board, RF, RFFE, and antenna. The "5G" logo also appeared in the top right corner of the screen.”

It is keen to stress its contributions to the 5G standard and its R&D efforts, with its Oppo Research Institute exploring 5G applications in the fields of 3D vision, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented (AR) reality. It believes these three technologies will combine to create a ‘Ubiquitous Reality’ that will be used for 3D video calls and online gaming among other use cases.

On top of this, the firm is working with chipmaker Qualcomm on a ‘5G Pilot’ programme to jointly investigate 5G innovations.

Oppo will have stiff competition to be first to market from LG, which has previously stated it plans to launch a compatible device with US operator Sprint. Oppo is one of the world’s leading device manufacturers, but its success has so far been limited to its homeland and emerging markets like India.

The first 5G network has already gone live in the US, offering Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) broadband in major cities, with others set to come online in 2019.



SOURCE:
10/30/2018 09:31:00 PM

Apple's new iPad Pro aims to keep Enterprise Momentum

Apple's iPad Pro refresh will feature new specifications and design, but the real purpose is to keep the company's massive enterprise flywheel going.


Apple's iPad Pro launch in Brooklyn is about providing a refresh for fans of the tablet as well as the Mac, but there is a bigger picture worth noting. Apple needs an updated iPad Pro to drive enterprise adoption and ensure its iOS ecosystem continues to be the go-to mobile platform for business.

Sure, the iPad Pro is likely to have more screen and less bezel. There will also be options for keyboards and multi-tasking will be easier. Toss in Apple Pencil and the iPad Pro may be able to lure creative pros. Adobe's move to preview "full Photoshop" for the iPad with availability in 2019 certainly won't hurt.

However, the importance of the iPad Pro refresh launch isn't necessarily about some big-bang upgrade cycle. The iPad Pro--a quasi-laptop experience for some--is about keeping enterprises interested in the ecosystem. Apple has been slower with its Mac and iPad hardware upgrades relative to the iPhone. But if Apple wants to keep business pros interested it needs some real meat and potatoes--especially when you consider the competition from Microsoft Surface and its alternatives.

photoshop-cc-ipad.png

The iPad Pro launch fits the bill. If anything the new iPad Pro is likely to keep the enterprise ecosystem flywheel rolling.

Apple in the Enterprise: A Strategic Guide | Best Apple iPad Pro alternatives you can buy right now

Consider recent events:


  1. Adobe at its Max conference outlined how Photoshop CC updates will fully support the iPad. Adobe executives even noted that Photoshop was more natural on the iPad given its Apple Pencil and power. Clearly, Adobe has built Photoshop CC for the new iPad Pro.
  2. At the Jamf User Nation Conference, IBM CIO Fletcher Previn announced that his company will open source its Mac@IBM enrollment app. IBM has invested for three years on deploying the macOS in its company. In 2015, there were 30,000 IBM employees using Macs. In 2018, that IBM Mac user base is 134,000. IBM also took the lessons from the Mac@IBM program and used it for its PC deployments at the company.
  3. Jamf said SAP will use Jamf Pro to manage its Apple devices as one ecosystem. SAP has 17,000 Macs, 83,000 iOS devices and 170 Apple TVs in the field.
  4. Microsoft will connect its Microsoft Enterprise Mobility _ Security platform with Jamf Pro to enable users to log into a new Mac with Microsoft Azure Active Directory credential.
  5. Salesforce is the latest enterprise giant to partner with Apple on optimizing apps for iOS. Salesforce joins Cisco, Accenture, SAP, and IBM. as enterprise partners.


With that backdrop, it seems obvious that the iPad Pro launch with a few Mac updates isn't about the tech press, consumer buzz or influencer relations. These hardware launches are all about keeping the enterprise gravy train going.


SOURCE:
10/30/2018 07:29:00 PM

US bans exports to Chinese DRAM maker citing national security risk

US official fears supply chain attack on US military systems.


The Trump administration on Monday announced it was banning US exports to a Chinese semiconductor firm named Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Company, Ltd., citing national security concerns.

In a statement released by the US Department of Commerce (DoC), officials said the Chinese chipmaker posed "a significant risk of being or becoming involved, in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States."

DoC officials are now barring US companies from selling any products to Fujian Jinhua, which was recently nearing completion of a new dynamic random access memory (DRAM) factory project.

US hardware maker Micron Technology has repeatedly accused Fujian Jinhua, and its Taiwanese partner United Microelectronics Corp (UMC), of stealing its chips designs [1, 2]. The three companies are currently duking it out in the US and Chinese courts.

Now, the Trump administration is taking action "in light of the likely U.S.-origin technology" that "threatens the long-term economic viability of U.S. suppliers of these essential components of U.S. military systems."

"When a foreign company engages in activity contrary to our national security interests, we will take strong action to protect our national security. Placing Jinhua on the Entity List will limit its ability to threaten the supply chain for essential components in our military systems," said Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce.

Fujian Jinhua is nearing completion of a mammoth $5.7 billion factory in China's Fujian province, a factory that is said to dwarf any existing plants.

The Chinese chipmaker is the second major tech company after ZTE to have landed on the Trump administration export ban list --known as the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) Entity List.

The first was ZTE after the company was caught exporting products to Iran and North Korea. The Trump administration revoked the ban after ZTE agreed to pay a $1 billion fine.

The Trump administration has also banned government agencies from using Huawei and ZTE devices on the fear they may contain backdoors that allow Chinese spies access to US government networks.



SOURCE ZDNet:
10/30/2018 03:37:00 PM

Windows Phone: Why Microsoft built this E Ink second screen for its Lumia 640

Sadly, you'll probably never get to buy one of these handy, second-display Windows 10 Mobile covers.


If Microsoft hadn't called it quits on Windows Phone, the company might have developed its newly revealed prototype phone cover with a secondary low-power E Ink display.

The cover is the work of a team at Microsoft Research in the UK, which revealed the display cover at a conference this month on ubiquitous computing.

While Apple's and Google's recent updates encourage users to spend less time looking at their phones, Microsoft's found that users "want a larger, always-on screen".

Microsoft's answer to this problem is a second-screen prototype in the form of a 3mm thick Alcantara cover with an E Ink display that runs off a Lumia 640 smartphone.

As to why Microsoft Research is using the three-year-old Lumia 640, the company was actually carrying out research into secondary displays back in 2015, the year the Lumia 640 was released.

To save time, the researchers didn't bother adding a touch overlay to the E Ink cover but rather included five touch 'buttons' at the bottom of the display.

"The touch buttons and display connect to interface circuitry added to the rear of the phone -- a Lumia 640 -- via flat-flex cables which run through the flip cover 'hinge' along with a bend sensor," the researchers explain.

"The cover itself consists of a bezel of soft-touch fabric, which is heat-bonded to the display and to the rear surface of Alcantara using custom-made heated tooling. To reduce cost and lead time we 3D-printed this tooling in stainless steel at Shapeways."

The E Ink cover was motivated by the results of interviews where people reported wanting quicker and easier ways to access information stored on their phones. Interestingly, given the trend towards larger display phones, people reported not wanting a physically larger phone.

The five buttons on the E Ink display allow users to press and hold a button to pin screens to the display. Users can then save different items like an air ticket, a to-do list, the weather, or even Cortana to the various screens.

The researchers also detail ideas that weren't supported by a non-touch E Ink screen for dual-screen actions, such as using the E Ink display to research online while writing on the main screen, using the E Ink display as a keyboard, or editing a document across two screens.

"The users we worked with during this project were genuinely surprised to learn that a display could be integrated in such a thin form factor and without materially affecting battery life," the researchers note.

"Despite the limitations of our basic 'screenshot' experience and the lack of full-screen touch interaction, anecdotal evidence from our user trials showed the value of easy access to previously stored information such as electronic boarding passes, train timetables, and shopping lists."

Other contributors to the project were from Porsche, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Northumbria University, and Oxford University.



Microsoft was carrying out research into secondary displays back in 2015, the year the Lumia 640 was released.

Monday, October 29, 2018

10/29/2018 10:38:00 PM

Black November: How Black Friday Grew, and Grew, and Grew

How Black Friday became a retail behemoth


Back in 1952, two American policemen had a conversation. “Gee,” said one. “There sure is a lot of traffic today, and also a lot of people are off work.” “Yup,” said the other, who might have been on a horse. “It’s the first weekend of the holiday shopping season.” “Dang,” said the first one. “This is going to be a Black Friday indeed.”

That’s more or less how it happened, and more or less how it stayed for a couple of decades. In the US, Black Friday was the Friday after Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

The term itself didn’t really stick until the late 1980s: the New York Times used it to describe Philadelphia’s busiest shopping day of the year in 1975, but as recently as 1985 retailers in LA hadn’t heard of the term.

They knew what it described, though. All over the US, retailers offered “doorbuster” deals immediately after Thanksgiving to get excited customers through their doors. Sometimes the customers got a little too excited, and tales of Black Friday fisticuffs appeared in the newspapers throughout the 2000s.

And then in 2009, Black Friday discovered the internet.


How Black Friday broke the internet

Black Friday wasn’t always the biggest event on the internet. That was Cyber Monday, the Monday after Black Friday when everybody went back to work and did their online Christmas shopping on the work PC.

Retailers noticed this, and in a trend that would repeat years later with Black Friday, they started extending their deals. Coining the term Cyber Black Friday in 2009, the eCoupons website noted that “Cyber Black Friday sales are typically the largest of the season. Online retailers are hoping that by offering early discounts, consumers will shop early and often.”

It was 2009 when the online Black Friday frenzy really kicked off in the US, although it took longer to reach other places: Amazon UK had a fairly desultory Black Friday sale in 2010, but things didn’t really get interesting until 2011 when the likes of Currys, Comet and PC World got on board and the first big Black Friday in the UK was in 2015.

By 2015 Black Friday was huge online on both sides of The Atlantic, and some retailers were clearly wondering how they could beat the competition on an incredibly busy retail weekend.

Some chose to opt out of Black Friday altogether. In the UK in 2015, Asda decided not to bother. And some firms that did take parts, such as Tesco and Currys, found sales disappointing. But some firms found a way to really make Black Friday pay in 2015. They decided to meddle with the very fabric of time to make Friday last a week ...or even longer.


Turning Friday into a fortnight

Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals were offered for longer every year, and for some retailers in 2015, the whole thing had become a fortnight-long frenzy. Most retailers stuck to a week rather than two, but it was clear that one day simply wasn’t long enough anymore.

That year wasn’t just remarkable for the ever-lengthening Black Friday period. It was also noteworthy for being one of the most boring Black Fridays ever. Where 2014 saw retailers charging about like headless chickens, discounting things apparently at random in between catastrophic website crashes, Black Friday 2015 was a distinctly sober affair.

As we reported shortly afterward, while some sites raised eyebrows with “oh! We’re so busy you’ll have to queue!” warnings that seemed more about marketing than reflecting actual demand, most retailers had a strategy in place.

Where 2014 saw retailers charging about like headless chickens, discounting things apparently at random in between catastrophic website crashes, Black Friday 2015 was a distinctly sober affair.

From 2015 onwards, retailers approached Black Friday just like any other sales event. They planned well in advance, negotiated deals with suppliers and generally approached it like grown-ups.

Dull, yes, but effective. By 2016, most big-name retailers ran a week of Black Friday deals and we spent accordingly. In the UK alone, we spent £6.45 billion over the Black Friday week.

Give give give me more more more

Retailers have always known that Black Friday isn’t a magic money machine that adds extra spending into the retail year. It just moves existing spending about a bit. Previously we’d shop throughout the holiday season, buying some things here, some things there. But, as Black Friday became bigger and bigger, more and more of us started doing more and more of our Christmas shopping during the Black Friday period.

As Experian’s Richard Jenkins told the BBC in 2016, “The Black Friday promotions at the end of November are the start of a longer, more drawn-out peak season, which begins with most of the activity online and then moves in-store as we get closer and closer to Christmas day.”

It turns out that concentrating so much spending in such a short period of time can be a real pain for retailers, especially if they don’t have the sheer scale and marketing budgets of firms like Amazon.

Even Amazon is feeling the Black Friday pain now that pretty much everybody in retail is running some kind of Black Friday day, week or month promotion. Since 2015, it’s been focusing its energy on a completely different day: the entirely invented Prime Day, which takes place in July.

Globally, Prime Day 2018 was the biggest sales day in Amazon’s history. So naturally it’s doing what it did with Black Friday, and really stretching the definition of “day”. Prime Day 2017 was a day; Prime Day 2018 was a day and a half. If we were betting types we’d be putting money on there being a Prime Day Deals Week in 2019.

Amazon is still doing Black Friday. But like most big retailers it’s approaching it as a busier than normal month, not a magic day of irresponsible discounting. It’s a day where you discount carefully because everybody else is doing the same.

Black Friday 2018: where it’s at

Black Friday is now an institution, a key part of the retail calendar. It’s less exciting than before and likely to involve fewer punch-ups in provincial supermarkets, but there are still plenty of Black Friday deals to be found.

The trick is to separate the wheat from the chaff, the genuine bargains from the impossible RRPs, the good stuff from the guff. And that’s something we’ve become particularly good at - whether it’s a day, a weekend, a week or an entire month. Send coffee. We’re going in.


SOURCE:
10/29/2018 09:34:00 PM

Apple Confirms Group Facetime, Dual Sim Support Is Coming in Ios 12.1

But some older models get left out



If you're eagerly waiting to start some group video chat conversations with your friends over FaceTime, you'll be pleased to know the feature is finally reaching Apple-made devices with the launch of iOS 12.1, which should be any day now.

The newly updated iPhone User Guide for iOS 12.1, available through Apple Books, mentions posted by Apple mentions the new feature, as well as support for dual SIM access in the 2018 models – the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR (the last of which just went on sale on Friday).

However, not all the devices that get iOS 12.1 will get Group FaceTime – as 9to5Mac notes, the iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air won't get the feature, and group calls will be limited to audio-only on the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.

One SIM good, two SIMs better

It sounds as though the older models just don't have the hardware grunt to be able to support up to 32 people video chatting on the same call, so bad luck if you're using Apple devices that are a few years old – you'll have to wait for a device upgrade.

Meanwhile, dual-SIM support on the newer iPhones will enable you to manage two numbers rather smartly on the same device, with apps like FaceTime and Messages separating out calls and texts depending on the number they're going to. It uses a special virtual eSIM rather than a second physical SIM card (check your carrier for details).

We don't know exactly when iOS 12.1 is going to hit, but right after Apple's event on Tuesday seems like a sensible bet. The company is expected to unveil another bundle of devices, including new iPad Pros and MacBook models.


SOURCE:
10/29/2018 07:31:00 PM

Google Could Be Readying a "Play Pass" Subscription for Android Apps and Games

Netflix for apps, sort of


Would you pay a flat monthly fee for all the Android apps and games you wanted? Google could be asking you the same question very soon – code buried in the Play Store app makes reference to a "Play Pass" service, as discovered by XDA Developers.

With no official word from Google, we don't have much to go on here, but the idea could be to offer Android users a certain amount of apps and games for one fixed monthly fee. Just like Netflix, in other words, but instead of getting movies and shows streamed to your devices, you get your pick of goods from the Play Store.

It's possible that some premium apps and games would be excluded from the deal, but this is all speculation at the moment. The hidden code suggests something new is on the way, but whether Google finally gives it the green light remains to be seen.

Subscribe here

What we do know is the subscription model is certainly hit right now – with the likes of Netflix and Spotify leading the way. Apple is rumored to be working on a new subscription service, while Amazon, of course, has its own Amazon Prime membership.

The code was actually spotted a few months ago, but one Android user has recently been quizzed in a survey from Google about a possible app store subscription service, XDA Developers reports. It would seem Google is at least toying with the idea of offering a subscription package, though presumably individual purchases would still be allowed.

With Apple's App Store famously pulling in much more cash for itself and for developers than the Google Play Store, perhaps Google is thinking about ways of trying to redress the balance, though we'll have to wait and see whether Play Pass sees the light of day.


SOURCE:
10/29/2018 03:27:00 PM

Snapchat Lenses Are Coming to the Desktop and Twitch Streams

More funny faces in more places


Your favorite Snapchat filters are no longer restricted to your mobile phone – Snap just pushed out a new desktop app for Windows and macOS that applies the same effects to your webcam, and you don't even need to log into Snapchat to use it.

Brighten up your video calls, enhance your YouTube vlogs, or just mess around with the effects – it's up to you. Snap has also announced a special partnership with Twitch that means the Lenses can be used alongside live video game streams and can be changed on the fly while you're playing pretty effortlessly.

"With Snap Camera for desktop, choose from thousands of Lenses, including classics made by Snapchat as well as new designs created daily by the Lens creator community through Lens Studio. This means more streaming and sharing with Lenses," says Snap.

Get your lenses here

The new app is a rather obvious push to get Snapchat in front of more users – Lenses are no longer unique to Snapchat, but they remain one of the most fun features inside the app. Maybe a few desktop users will start picking up Snapchat on mobile again.

In another move to broaden its appeal beyond vanishing photos and videos, Snapchat has partnered with the Hooked startup to produce a five-chapter, sci-fi mystery thriller set in Silicon Valley called Dark Matter, available through the Snapchat Discover page. The first chapter launched on Friday, with new episodes appearing once a day.

We'll have to wait and see whether desktop apps, short-form entertainment, and wearable gadgets are enough to help Snapchat fight back against the might of Instagram and Facebook. If you want to use Snapchat Camera, it's available to download for free now.


SOURCE:

Sunday, October 28, 2018

10/28/2018 11:30:00 PM

Shure's Next-Gen Headphone Cable Elevates Wireless Listening

But you'll need a pair of their earphones to use it


Shure's sound-isolating earphones are unmistakable with their one-of-a-kind design. From the immense value of the entry-level SE215 earphones all the way up to the high-end clarity of the quad-driver SE846, Shure has established a lineage of impressive sound and fit, complete with that uniquely-shaped module and detachable cable.

And since last year, they've been wireless too. No, not in an Apple AirPods-like, free-floating manner. Instead, Shure's RMCE-BT1 Bluetooth Enabled Remote + Mic Accessory Cable let you swap out the original wired 3.5mm cable for a Bluetooth tether that linked up the earphones with a remote in between but then connected wirelessly to your device for freedom of movement.

It was a great start, and according to Shure, the unexpected demand for the Bluetooth device convinced them that wireless connectivity was going to be a key part of their future in earphones.

Now Shure is back with the RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable, and it's more than just a new look and version number: it's been retooled and rebuilt to deliver better performance, especially on the higher-end Shure SE models. Ahead of the launch, we visited Shure's Chicago-area headquarters and downtown offices to try out the RMCE-BT2 cable and find out about their mission in expanding their Bluetooth footprint.


The future of the headphone cable

As innovative as the new RMCE-BT2 cable is, Shure would consider it a minor innovation on its previous effort, the RMCE-BT1. Before, the two earphone connectors were joined by a single cable, which both an in-line remote and a small module hanging off of it. Now, however, the connectors emerge from a larger module with a metal clip and grippy texturing, ensuring that it'll stay put when hooked onto your shirt collar. And the in-line remote is still there on the right cable.

Of course, appearances are deceiving: What's inside is what really counts here, as Shure has redesigned the technology to maximize wireless playback performance.

"The first model was a very efficient, cost-effective model that met Shure's standards for things like reliability, build quality, and functionality," explains Matt Engstrom, Shure's category director for microphones, earphones, headphones, and phono. "For the second generation, we decided to go a little bit deeper on some of the componentry."

Coming off of the BT1, Shure saw an opportunity to build a higher-end version of its Bluetooth cable and create something that comes closer than ever to duplicating the output of a wired device.

The key difference is a dedicated headphone amplifier, which exists separately from the other components. Many wireless headsets use a single chip for the amplifier, antenna, Bluetooth radio, and other components to minimize size and expense. Coming off of the BT1, Shure saw an opportunity to build a higher-end version of its Bluetooth cable and create something that comes closer than ever to duplicating the output of a wired device.

"These days, it's possible to get a very good quality package all in one. They'll put a Bluetooth radio, they'll put an antenna, they'll put a codec to convert digital to analog, and then they'll put an amplifier all on one chip. And they get pretty good," Engstrom explains. "The performance of them is admirable considering how inexpensive they are and what they do."

"Our products that can connect to these Bluetooth devices offer a very, very high level of performance. And that performance can't necessarily be achieved with an all-in-one solution," he continues. "So we chose to break out some of the critical components, namely the headphone amplifier, as a separate component. And what that headphone amplifier is going to do is provide a more full-range signal and better sound quality with fewer things like noise and distortion—a much better-matched signal."


Wireless for the discerning ear

For years, audiophiles derided wireless technology—and for good reason. Before better codecs came along, basic Bluetooth wasn't enough for high-resolution music to maintain its integrity during transmission. But, now that we have technology like aptX and AAC, that's a different story.

That said, despite the advanced codecs, you might not be able to tell the difference between the BT1 and BT2. I couldn't tell the difference while wearing Shure's SE535 earphones, which start at $449, using the BT1 ($99) first and then switching the cable over to the BT2 ($149). Honestly, both sounded excellent to me.

But I'm not an audiophile and this isn't a review. (The SE535s cost more than twice as much money than the AirPods and other earbuds and headsets I typically pop onto my head.) For those listeners who demand a high-end audio experience, and who may have spent significant time with Shure's products lodged tightly within their ears, they may notice the subtle enhancements.

But they are subtle, for sure.

"It does take a discerning ear, and for some products, it's not an immediately noticeable difference."

Matt Engstrom

"It does take a discerning ear, and for some products, it's not an immediately noticeable difference," says Engstrom. "The more demanding product—in our case, it's the more you spend: the single-driver, the dual-driver, the triple-driver, and the four-driver [models]. As you go up that line, the demands of that product become more substantial, especially up to the four-driver."

"It has an impedance—impedance is the resistance at which the system operates. It's very, very low, and unfortunately you also need an amplifier that's also extremely low-impedance to match that. The amplifier in this new wireless product is optimized for something that has a very demanding specification, like our high-end products. The difference you might notice is a more complete frequency response; the difference you might notice is extremely low noise floor when no music is playing, and a very strong capability to match very complex passages at loud volumes."

In addition to the hardware upgrades, the RMCE-BT2 also adds support for Qualcomm aptX audio codecs (along with AAC and SBC), with three modes available on compatible devices: standard aptX audio, aptX HD, and aptX Low Latency. "[aptX HD] offers a fidelity that's almost matched by cables. You get basically almost as good as a cable with something like HD," says Engstrom. Meanwhile, the Low Latency option is ideal when listening in locations with a lot of other Bluetooth devices around, to reduce any stuttering from congestion. The BT1 only had SBC support, so there are a lot more codec options this time around.

The BT2 also bumps up to Bluetooth 5 with this model, for improved connectivity, and packs in a couple more hours of battery life—it's up to 10 hours, from eight in the previous model.


Shure to continue 

Shure's biggest focus is on high-end listening tech, and the RMCE-BT2 only furthers that aim in the wireless space. Your average listener might not notice the aural advantages over the previous BT1 model, but for those Shure listeners who both want to squeeze every bit of added quality out of a device—while also embracing the freedom of Bluetooth connectivity—it may be an upgrade worth investing in.

"We continue to, after more than 20 years in the earphone business, try to improve the audio quality, fit and comfort, and durability," Engstrom affirms. "We make products that have very, very high standards of audio quality, so it only made sense to add this next-generation wireless adapter for our transducer platform."

This ensures that SE earphone owners can listen however they please, easily replace a busted cable or component without trashing the entire device, and enjoy a high-end product for a potentially long stretch of time.

Rather than release new, dedicated Bluetooth earphones, Shure continues to build upon its proven platform. This ensures that SE earphone owners can listen however they please, easily replace a busted cable or component without trashing the entire device, and enjoy a high-end product for a potentially long stretch of time.

Wireless may still be a new market for Shure, but the RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable shows that the company is serious about providing a way for new and existing users alike to adapt to the growing demand for wireless connectivity.

"We were surprised at how many people bought our first-generation wireless [connector] last year, and that really helped us decide to double down in this market and come up with a new product," says Engstrom. "I think we're here to stay now."


SOURCE:
10/28/2018 09:36:00 PM

Dell XPS 15 2019: What We Want to See

Predicting the next Dell flagship


When the Dell XPS 15 2018 launched earlier this year, it was filled to the brim with 8th-generation H-series Intel CPUs, speedy SSDs, and some beautiful displays. And, it turned out to be one of the best laptops of 2018.

However, now that Whiskey Lake has hit the street and Nvidia’s Turing graphics architecture is here, we thought it was the perfect time to concoct a wish list for what the Dell XPS 15 2019 will look like. No matter what the result is, it’s going to be way faster than the Dell XPS 15 2018.

We know next to nothing about the Dell XPS 2019 as of right now. But, we can still do some speculation, and craft a wishlist of what we want to see from the Dell XPS 15 2019. So, keep it locked to this page, and we’ll update it just as soon as we hear any new information. Maybe CES 2019?

Cut to the chase 


  • What is it? The 2019 version of the Dell XPS 15 
  • When is it out? Likely Q1 2019 
  • What will it cost? Probably starting around $1,059 (£1,179 AU$1,699) 


Dell XPS 15 release date

It’s too early to try and point out an exact Dell XPS 15 2019 release date, but instead we’ll look to the past to try to predict the future. Things could shift a little one way or the other, but the next Intel mobile platform is here, so it’s only a matter of time. We’ll probably start to see movement once Intel gets its supply issues under control.

Over the last few years, the Dell XPS 15 has had a bit of an uneven release history. While the Dell XPS 15 2018 came out in May of this year, past XPS 15 models haven’t been totally consistent.

In February 2017, we got the Dell XPS 15 2017, but before that, the 2015 model dropped in October. It’s kind of all over the place, and it could mean we have to wait a very long time for the next one. However, we’re sure that if a ton of new hardware comes out, Dell will be close behind with a hardware refresh for the Dell XPS 15.


Dell XPS 15 price 

The current XPS 15 starts out at $1,059 (£1,179, AU$1,699) for a quad-core, 8th-generation Intel Core i5 chip, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB 5,400 RPM hard drive. However, you can spec it out for up to $2,959 (£2,279, AU$3,999) for a Core i9, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Dell will probably follow the same pricing trend as the current model for the XPS 15 2019 – bring out an entry-level notebook for about $1,050 and let users configure it however they want. However, we could see Dell raising the price a bit for the entry model, as it has for the last few years – plus, computer hardware keeps getting more expensive.

Again, we won’t know what the pricing is going to be until we get closer to launch, so stay tuned.


What want to see from Dell XPS 15 2019 

The Dell XPS 15 is already one of the best Ultrabooks you can buy today, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have room to improve. So, we went ahead and created a wishlist of things we want to see from the Dell XPS 15 2019, to really elevate it into the laptop stratosphere.

Better cooling

The biggest drawback that the Dell XPS 15 has faced for the last few years is the thermal limitations introduced from its increasingly thinner designs. Don’t get us wrong, we love having such a portable notebook with this much horsepower behind it, but if you’re doing a lot of video editing or other workstation-class tasks, the Dell XPS 15 2018 likely won’t last very long.

Because the Dell XPS 15 is a high-end device, we’d love to see a cooling design that, well, keeps it cool. If it comes at the cost of keeping the same thinness as this years model, or even thickening it up a bit, we could live with that – it’s already easy to carry around, we just don’t want to thermal throttle anymore.

More ports

For a 15-inch laptop, the 2018 Dell XPS 15 is a little light on port selection. It’s more robust than the MacBook Pro, as it actually features USB Type-A and an SD card reader. But, for a laptop with this spec and size, we’d love to see some Ethernet and maybe even a DisplayPort. We know, we’re entering the age of the dongle – we would just like to see a bit more flexibility out of such a premium device.

Move that webcam

At this point, it kind of feels like we’re beating a dead horse, but that webcam has got to move. Nobody who uses their webcam on a regular basis for video conferencing, or even the occasional hangout with friends, is going to appreciate a webcam that perpetually gazes up their noses.

It’s not an ideal situation for either end of the conversation, and it even makes Windows Hello kind of a pain. Please, Dell. We know you are all about that bezel-less design, but other laptop manufacturers have figured out a way to move their webcams to the top of the display with thin bezels. We have faith in you.

Unlimited power

We know that we just talked about Dell’s thermal solution, but we still want more power. This might be hypocritical, but with Whiskey Lake, Coffee Lake Refresh and Cannon Lake rumored to be around the corner, we’re hungry for stronger performance. If there’s a way that Dell can find a middle ground – include a beefier processor while creating a more robust cooling solution, we’d be very happy.

That’s not to mention graphics. Nvidia just launched its GeForce RTX lineup, and we suspect that mobile RTX chips will start to make their way to market by the end of the year, which should improve graphics performance drastically. Still, this is all just wishful thinking, so be sure to keep it locked to this page, as we’ll update it with new information as it comes in. 
10/28/2018 07:16:00 PM

Microsoft launched Azure 10 years ago and lots (but not everything) has changed

Microsoft launched Azure in October 2008. In the ensuing decade, Microsoft's cloud platform has come a long way from its 'Red Dog' beginnings.


Ten years ago this week at its Professional Developers Conference (PDC) 2008 in Los Angeles, Microsoft officially launched its Azure cloud platform. Since then, some of the associated product names have morphed and some, but not all, of Microsoft's plans for it have materialized. But Azure undeniably has become a core Microsoft service over time.

When Microsoft originally outlined what was then known as "Windows Azure," many of us thought of it as an adaptation of Windows Server that Microsoft would run in its own datacenters. (Not a bad first attempt at a description, in my view.)

The Azure operating system, codenamed "Red Dog" -- and named after a seedy club in Silicon Valley -- was designed by a team of Microsoft OS experts including Dave Cutler, the father of VMS and Windows NT. (Fun fact: The Azure team at PDC wore red shoes as a tribute to the Red Dog name.)

I explained the OS piece this way back in 2008:

"Red Dog is what networks and manages the set of Windows Server 2008 machines that comprise the Microsoft-hosted cloud. At the highest level, Red Dog consists of four 'pillars': Storage (like a file system); the 'fabric controller,' which is a management system for modeling/deploying and provisioning; virtualized computation/VM; and a development environment, which allows developers to emulate Red Dog on their desktosp and plug in Visual Studio, Eclipse or other tools to write cloud apps against it. The way Red Dog is architected is Microsoft only has to deploy Red Dog on a single machine and then multiple instances of it can be duplicated on the rest of the servers in the cloud using virtualization technology."

Of these four pillars, the fabric controller was/is the secret sauce, according to Cutler, who spoke with me via an email exchange. Cutler said:

"The one component that we think provides RD (Red Dog) with a significant advantage is the fabric controller. The fabric controller owns all the resources in the entire cloud and runs on a subset of nodes in a durable cluster. It manages the placement, provisioning, updating, patching, capacity, load balancing, and scale out of nodes in the cloud all without any operational intervention."

Over time, Microsoft ended up decoupling "Windows" from the "Azure" name. It still hasn't moved some of its key cloud services, including Office 365, to run on Azure, as planned. (Some newer Office 365 services do run on Azure, but not the core services like Exchange, SharePoint, etc.) And after initially denying plans to allow customers to host Azure in their own data centers, Microsoft ended up releasing Azure Stack, an Azure appliance platform, which does that very thing.

It's easy to forget, but Microsoft originally launched Azure as a Platform-as-a-Service play only. Later, officials saw the money -- and potentially the low-hanging customer fruit -- was in the Infrastructure-as-a-Service space. That's when Microsoft began offering Linux on Azure. Currently half of Azure VMs are running Linux, not Windows Server.

By most industry accounts, Microsoft is currently the No. 2 cloud vendor, after Amazon. There are hundreds of services currently available on Azure. Microsoft operates 54 Azure regions worldwide. Azure is a key component of Microsoft' "Commercial Cloud" revenue stream (though Microsoft continues not to say how much of that now more-than-$30 billion annual Commercial Cloud run rate is attributable to Azure).



SOURCE:
10/28/2018 04:32:00 PM

Need to fix an iPhone or Android device? You can now break DRM under new US rules

The Copyright Office removes some obstacles to repairing your device in the face of DRM protections.


It's now legal for consumers and repair firms to break an electronic device's DRM protections to repair it, according to a ruling by the US Copyright Office.

The rules are part of newly adopted exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which prohibits circumventing digital rights management (DRM) protections used to safeguard copyrighted works.

Every three years the Copyright Office makes a ruling on petitions for new exemptions or the cancellation of existing ones.

The new ruling, which comes into effect on October 28, affects the legality of owners and professional repairers bypassing access controls on devices for specific purposes, for example, for repairs, jailbreaking, unlocking a device from a carrier's network, accessibility, and education.

The ruling covers an array of devices, including smartphones, tablets, mobile hotspots, wearables, smart TVs, vehicles -- including cars and tractors, as well as smart home appliances like refrigerators, Nest-like devices, and HVAC systems.

Specifically, the rules permit circumvention of access-control features to maintain or repair them.

The Copyright Office explains that the repair-related exemptions cover "computer programs that are contained in and control the functioning of a lawfully acquired motorized land vehicle such as a personal automobile, commercial vehicle or mechanized agricultural vehicle, except for programs accessed through a separate subscription service, when circumvention is a necessary step to allow the diagnosis, repair or lawful modification of a vehicle function."

Security researchers are also exempt from the rules when hacking computer programs, such as electronic voting systems, so long as the activity is carried out in good faith and doesn't break the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Jailbreaking smartphones were already allowed under existing exemptions, and now this situation has been expanded to include smart speakers, like Google Home and Amazon Echo devices.

While the exemptions will be welcomed by right-to-repair advocates, there are still practical limitations and contradictory elements.

As Motherboard notes, companies have made it hard to acquire the tools needed to fix devices and put in obstacles that make it difficult to bypass manufacturer-made restrictions, even if it's now legal to bypass them.

For example, the recently discovered 'kill switch' in MacBook Pros could be used by Apple to brick a device if it were repaired by an unauthorized repair shop.

Also, the Copyright Office, part of the Library of Congress, says it can't make an exemption on a rule that makes it illegal for anyone to manufacture or supply tools that could be used to break copyright protection systems.

As Cory Doctorow puts it: "You're allowed to jailbreak your iPhone, but no one is allowed to give you an iPhone jailbreaking tool, and if you make a tool for your own use you can't share it or even tell people how it works."

A worker tries to repair an iPhone in a repair store in New York.


SOURCE:

Saturday, October 27, 2018

10/27/2018 11:01:00 PM

Leaked Slide Suggests Microsoft is Still Working Away on Andromeda OS

Azure DevOps presentation gives up some interesting clues


It seems that Microsoft is continuing to beaver away on Andromeda OS, the potential future version of Windows 10 which does things very differently, and is pitched to span across multiple devices, potentially including the company’s foldable dual-screen Surface phone/tablet hybrid (or ‘pocketable device’ as it has also been referred to).

As spotted by prolific Microsoft leaker WalkingCat, a Reddit user attended a Microsoft presentation on the subject of Azure DevOps, and one of the slides on ‘understanding dependencies’ carried a reference to Andromeda (see the image below).

The slide also mentioned WCOS – Windows Core OS, which Andromeda is part of – in a couple of places, as well.

This would seem to indicate that work is progressing on Andromeda OS, although obviously, we’d be foolish to attempt to draw any concrete conclusions from the appearance of a few words on a slide at a conference.


Sleek and streamlined

Andromeda OS is designed to be a customizable and more streamlined operating system, which will be able to adapt to various different devices. That supposedly includes the aforementioned rumored dual-screen effort, where the operating system will be able to adjust itself depending on how the foldable screens are being used.

We most recently heard about an Andromeda OS Productivity Mode which points to the fact that the operating system will run different modes you can flip between, and this particular mode could potentially make it easier to type on a device without a traditional keyboard like our rumored foldable dual-screen friend.

The last we heard, the Andromeda hardware and software was expected to be unleashed in 2019, so fingers crossed it stays on track – but at least it certainly appears that Microsoft is still working on this project.

These are the best laptops of 2018

Via MS Power User


SOURCE TechRadar: