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News - page 847

This iPad synthesizer lets you play almost any sound

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SyndtSphere iPad synth
SyndtSphere lets you dial in sounds, and the sounds between sounds.
Photo: Cult of Mac

SyndtSphere may be just about the most flexible music instrument ever. It is also an iPad app. Klevgränd’s SyndtSphere can be a piano, a violin, a flute, a bass, but it can also be anything in-between. If you ever struggled to find the exact sound you wanted out of a synthesizer, then should try SyndtSphere, because you’ll probably find it there.

Apple reveals epic 3-year drive to perfect A11 Bionic chip

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A11 Bionic chip is Apple's most powerful smartphone processor ever.
A11 Bionic chip is Apple's most powerful smartphone processor ever.
Photo: Apple

The new A11 Bionic processor that powers the iPhone 8 and iPhone X is the most powerful smartphone chip Apple ever created. But making a processor that’s perfect for AI tasks took some big bets by Apple.

In a new interview with the company’s SVP of hardware tech, Johny Srouji, and marketing boss Phil Schiller, Apple reveals how it took three years to come up with the perfect solution.

iPhone X supply won’t balance with demand until next year

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iPhone X
That's nowhere near enough to meet early demand.
Photo: Apple

Getting your fingers all over the iPhone X’s edge-to-edge super Retina display won’t be easy during 2017.

According to one of the most accurate Apple analysts in the game, the new tech inside the iPhone X will cause the supply of units to be severely constrained. Even though the new device doesn’t go on sale until November, Apple’s going to be facing production shortages for quite some time.

Don’t even think about making Face ID apps for kids

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iPhone camera
Face ID is strictly for people 13 and over.
Photo: Apple

Thinking of producing an app aimed at users under the age of 13? Don’t think about getting them to authenticate their identity using Face ID, says Apple.

That’s according to the company’s newly updated App Review Guidelines for September 2017, which include new provisions designed to reflect the technologies Apple officially unveiled this week.

Series 3 vs. Series 1: Which Apple Watch is right for you?

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Apple Watch Series 3
Series 3 has landed, but is it the best model for you?
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch Series 3 is now on sale, with prices starting at $329. If you want LTE connectivity — and you will — you’ll be coughing up at least $399.

That’s not cheap. But is it worth it? And should you even consider last year’s Series 1 model, which remains on sale as a more affordable alternative?

Find out right here in our 2017 Apple Watch comparison, which will help you decide which option is the best for you.

6 reasons why you should order an Apple Watch with LTE today

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Apple Watch Series 3
Get yours for as little as $259.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch Series 3 is now available to pre-order ahead of its sales debut on September 22. If you move fast, you may still be able to claim one for launch day delivery.

But do you really need one? Maybe you already have a previous Apple Watch that’s still serving you well. Maybe you’ve never really seen the need for a smartwatch at all. Well, forget all that.

Here are 6 reasons why you should buy an Apple Watch with LTE today.

Face ID will recognize you even when you’re wearing (most) sunglasses

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sunglasses
These shouldn't prove a problem for Face ID.
Photo: Thomas Favre-Bulle/Flickr CC

Apple’s cutting edge Face ID facial recognition will even recognize users when they are wearing sunglasses (most of the time), Apple software engineering SVP Craig Federighi has revealed.

In an email to a developer, Federighi noted that the technology will work with “most, but not all” sunglasses — observing that the majority of sunglasses on the market with let through enough infrared light that Face ID can see through them to a person’s eyes.

iPhone X excitement makes people nostalgic for an 8-year-old phone

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Palm Pre iPhone X
It may look different to the iPhone X, but this is the one many people are reminded of.
Photo: Abul Hussain/Flickr CC

The iPhone X’s futuristic features have some folks thinking Back to the Future. Almost immediately after Apple’s big event this week, some were waxing nostalgic about an eight-year-old device that in some respects, resembles Apple’s latest handset.

iTunes now has 4K content for your new Apple TV

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4K
4K content is here!
Photo: Apple

Apple has started rolling out 4K content to iTunes users, just as it promised it would do at this week’s Apple media event.

Although the fifth generation Apple TV 4K won’t actually arrive with customers until next week, the new 4K content — including both movies and TV shows — is viewable in all its glory on the newer 4K and 5K iMacs.

Don’t forget, pre-orders for iPhone 8, Apple Watch and Apple TV 4K start tonight

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iphone 8
The iPhone 8 is nearly here!
Photo: Apple

Pre-orders of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple TV 4K and Apple Watch Series 3 are all set to open tonight at 12:01 a.m. Pacific.

Apple’s made a ton of improvements to the pre-order process over the years, but the past few years have taught these things can sell out quickly. Taking an extra few minutes to get your pre-order in could cause your shipment to be delayed.

Demand for the new iPhone 8 may not be as huge as in year’s past, but we’ve compiled a quick guide to help you get the iPhone you want and get back to sleep before Apple’s servers get crushed.

Here’s what to do:

This magical car mount wirelessly charges iPhone X

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Scoshe
The Scoshe MagicMount Charge works with iPhone X and Android.
Photo: Scoshe

The wireless future Apple is embracing is starting to look absolutely magical. And very convenient.

iPhone X and iPhone 8 owners that want to mount their device on the dashboard of their car won’t have to deal with a mess of wires and dongles to charge and listen to music at the same time, thanks to a brilliant new mount from Scosche.

iPhone X’s Face ID will only recognize one person

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Face ID
An extra layer of protection for your messages.
Photo: Apple

Only you will be able to unlock your iPhone X using Face ID.

When the new biometric security features makes its debut this November, it will support just one user, Apple has confirmed. If anyone else uses your device, they’ll have to enter the passcode.

The pros and cons of wireless charging

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wireless charging mat iPhone x
Why do you do this to us, Apple?
Photo: Apple

The new iPhone 8 and iPhone X support “wireless” charging. That is, you can toss them onto a charging mat instead of plugging in a Lightning cable. Obviously this is more convenient when you’re at home — you can put a pad on your nightstand, desk or hallway table.

But there are other advantages to iPhone wireless charging that aren’t so obvious. And there is also one big disadvantage — one that has the potential to cause major damage to the Earth.

Speck rolls out ‘toughest ever’ cases for new iPhones

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iPhone cases
Speck offers a range of colors, textures and patterns on its cases for iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X.
Photo: Speck

Pricey iPhones need good protective cases and Speck has introduced a line of cases for the newest iPhones the company says is its toughest ever.

The Presidio ULTRA cases for iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the thousand dollar iPhone X, features four layers of protection Speck says passed a drop test from a height of 15 feet.

International Apple Watch 3 won’t work with U.S. carriers

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apple watch
Don't buy a new Apple Watch on vacation.
Photo: Apple

If you want your Apple Watch Series 3 to work properly in the U.S., don’t buy it when you’re on vacation abroad.

Units purchased in other countries won’t connect to LTE networks in the U.S., and vice versa. That means you won’t be able to roam with your Apple Watch in the same way you can with your iPhone.

Innovative photo backpack is two bags in one

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camera backpacks
The Roamer, the Scout and the Runner make up the Hadley Series by Brevitē.
Photo: Brevitē

Photographers gripe about the ugliness of camera backpacks and a number of startups have cropped up on Kickstarter with designs that remove the bulk, improve functionality and give the genre a much-needed facelift.

Brevitē, pronounced like the word that means concession, had such a successful run with its first camera backpack in 2015, it immediately designed two more.

Now the Boston-based company started by three brothers is crowd funding to bring its most recent line to market. The Hadley Series appears to refine the minimalist design philosophy that motivates Brevitē.

Apple Watch Series 2 has been discontinued

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Apple-Watch-Series-2
You can still buy it from third-party retailers... for now.
Photo: Apple

Apple has discontinued Apple Watch Series 2 following the unveiling of its successor earlier this week. Series 1 models are still available, and will be sticking around for the foreseeable future as a more affordable alternative to Series 3.

iPhone X is going to be very hard to find around launch time

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iPhone X
The iPhone X could be X-tremely rare upon launch.
Photo: Apple

As virtually everyone predicted, the iPhone X was the undisputed star coming out of this week’s Apple media event — but don’t expect them to be in ready supply immediately following release.

According to a new report, the later shipping date of the tenth anniversary iPhone X is linked to production problems, and suggests possible supply constraints in the months ahead. In other words, if you want to get your hands on an iPhone X, you’ll need to be exceptionally quick off the mark when pre-orders open.

Craig Federighi’s apparent Face ID fail is nothing to worry about

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Want Face ID jokes? Twitter's got a million of them.
We guess this was the 1 in a million error. (Yes, we know that's not what this refers to!)
Screenshot: Apple

Apple technology “just works.” Except for when it doesn’t — as the world was reminded during this week’s iPhone X event when software boss Craig Federighi was unable to get Face ID to work on stage the first couple of times he tried it in front of the world.

Except, according to Apple, that’s not what happened at all. To paraphrase Apple’s late CEO Steve Jobs, we’re watching it wrong.

Jaybird Run wireless earbuds give runners an AirPods alternative

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With its new Run headphones, Jaybird finally cuts the cord entirely.
With its new Run headphones, Jaybird finally cuts the cord entirely.
Photo: Jaybird

Sports-centric wireless headphone maker Jaybird is ready to make a run at AirPods.

The company just fired the starting gun for Jaybird Run, a set of totally wireless earbuds aimed at runners and other sports fanatics. They’re bigger than AirPods, and differ in significant ways. But for runners and other athletes, they could offer keen competition for Cupertino’s wireless earbuds.

Sen. Al Franken wants Apple to be more transparent about Face ID

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Face ID
Face ID is raising questions from one U.S. senator.
Photo: Apple

Apple may claim that Face ID is its most secure biometrics system yet, but Sen. Al Franken wants the proof.

In a letter to Apple sent Wednesday, the Minnesota Democrat raised questions about whether Apple might use the faceprints it gathers to “benefit other sectors of its business, sell it to third parties for surveillance purposes, or receive law enforcement requests to access it facial recognition system — eventual uses that may not be contemplated by Apple customers.”