Microsoft is worryingly cagey about Surface Book benchmarks
The new baby in Microsoft's Surface family is the Surface Book. The convertible device has a striking look, as well as a striking price -- particularly if you opt for the newly announced 1TB model -- but Microsoft has been keen to promote performance.
At launch, the claim was made that the Surface Book is twice as powerful as a MacBook Pro. When the $3,199 1TB model was announced, Microsoft repeated the claim. Being quite a fan of evidence, I was intrigued by the fact that the claims were not being backed up with raw data from benchmarks. I asked Microsoft for more details, and found the company to be really quite cagey (and repetitive) in what it had to say.
Privacy and usability problems with the iPhone 6s? You’re using it wrong
Over the past couple of days I’ve read two interesting iPhone 6s stories from my colleagues. Brian Fagioli says Apple’s Live Photos has a big privacy issue, while Joe Wilcox says the way the Nexus 6P’s fingerprint scanner works is superior to that of the Touch ID scanner on the iPhone 6s.
With respect to both writers, they are wrong. The problems they refer to with the iPhone 6s aren’t problems of Apple’s making, they are user errors, pure and simple.
Nexus 6P or iPhone 6s Plus?
If you asked me two months ago about using a Huawei smartwatch or smartphone, I would have scoffed. Yet, here I am doing just that. Timing on the latter is ironic. On Oct. 15, 2015, I bought a 128GB silver (and white) iPhone 6s Plus using Apple's 24-month finance plan, rather than paying in full up front. Huawei-made, Google-branded 64GB Nexus 6P arrived the next day for review. The following morning (the 17th), I hauled down to Apple Store and returned the iPhone for full refund. That act sums up my reaction to the new Android flagship running "Marshmallow".
I didn't expect to be so wooed by Nexus 6P, but Google got me by delivering superior contextual experience. This device, and Android 6, is all about context, starting with what for me is the killer function I couldn't part with: the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. Picking up the device and placing my forefinger on the circular indentation wakes and unlocks the 6P. Wow-way is right! The mechanism beats the Hell out of Apple's two-handed jimmy from the Home button.
Apple 'Live Photos' has a big privacy issue -- should iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users worry? [Update]
The iPhone 6s Plus is my first-ever Apple smartphone and I am loving every minute of it. While I was a bit nervous about leaving Android, my worry was for naught. Quite frankly, I am mad at myself for not switching sooner -- it is a wonderful experience.
One of the coolest features of the newest iPhones, besides 3D Touch, is Live Photos. If you aren't familiar, these are animated photos which complement the still. This works by appending 1.5 seconds of "video" to both the beginning and end of the picture. The user can then make the photo "move" by hard-pressing on the screen. While it is a wonderful thing on paper, I have discovered a rather big privacy issue in practice.
Apple's Magic Mouse 2 is a design abomination
Apple is a company synonymous with not just design, but thoughtful design. At least that's usually the case. With the Magic Mouse 2, however, the company has got something so unbelievably wrong that it almost defies belief.
Forget the absurdity of the name for a moment and just consider what the Magic Mouse 2 is. It's a wireless mouse. Like other wireless mice, it needs power, and this is provided by a rechargeable battery; plug in a Lightning cable and juice up that peripheral. Here's where Apple gets it wrong. The charging port is on the underside of the mouse. On the bottom. So you can't use the Magic Mouse 2 while it charges up.
Microsoft adds $3,199 1TB Surface Book, repeats MacBook Pro comparison
When Microsoft unveiled the Surface Book recently there was surprise that the largest capacity hard drive was just 512GB -- as intakes of breath at the breath-taking price. Now this has been rectified with the addition of a 1TB model to the line-up.
Of course, upping the hard drive from 512MB to 1TB involves paying a premium, and Microsoft is charging an extra $500 for the privilege. The new top-of-the-range model pushes the top price of the Surface Book to $3,199 and if you are interested, you'll have a bit of a wait on your hands.
Apple hit with $234 million charge for patent infringement
A jury has ordered Apple to pay $234 million to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation after an earlier ruling that the company had infringed patents. A few days ago it was found that Apple had used technology owned by WARF in iPhones and iPads chips.
The resulting charge is much lower than the $862 million that had previously been suggested; it is also less than the $400 million WARF had been seeking in damages. Apple intends to appeal against the verdict, but there is still another court case looming.
App Store revenue is 80 percent higher than Google Play
App Annie has released its mobile app market report for Q3, and the headline news is that Apple continues to make more money with iOS, whereas Google’s download numbers are increasing with Android.
It is, though, the money made which really counts, and the global indexed revenue from Apple’s App Store is now 80 percent higher than Google Play, according to App Annie’s figures.
iPhone 6s users can now share Live Photos as animated GIFs
Live Photos is one of the big new features available in Apple’s latest iPhones. As a quick refresher, these are a cross between a photo and a video -- 1.5 seconds of footage is recorded before and after the shot is taken, and when you press down hard on a Live Photo, using 3D Touch, it plays.
There is one big problem with Live Photos though, and that’s while you and other iOS 9 and Mac OS X El Capitan users can enjoy them in all their animated glory, share one with users on other platforms -- Windows or Android, for example -- and all the recipient will see is the standard still image. Where's the fun in that? Thankfully, Live Photos can now be shared as animated GIFs. Here’s how.
Apple faces $862 million bill as iPhone and iPad chips infringe patents
A jury has decided that Apple infringed on patents owned by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. The A7, A8, and A8X processors used in iPhones and iPads since 2013 included technology owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's licensing arm.
US District Judge William Conley had previously indicated that Apple could be hit with a bill of up to $862.4 million, but it is now down to the jury to determine the levels of damages that must be paid. The chips feature efficiency-improving technology, and can be found in some iPads as well as the iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus.
iPhone 6s camera isn't the best there is, but that's fine
No matter which flagship smartphone you get, you are very likely to be happy with its camera quality. According to DxOMark, this year's crop of premium handsets from Apple, Google, LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony is extremely close in terms of photo and video quality.
But, while other makers have shown major improvements in this area over their previous efforts, Apple seems to have stagnated with its new iPhone 6s, which is no more better than last year's iPhone 6 despite having a new rear-facing camera. (DxOMark has not yet tested the iPhone 6s Plus phablet, but it is unlikely to be significantly better than its predecessor either.)
Apple's no longer court monitored in ebook antitrust case
Apple’s e-book division will no longer be overseen by a court-appointed monitor after the US Justice Department ruled that the company had made improvements to its antitrust compliance program.
Despite the positive outcome for Apple, the Justice Department was critical of the company’s "challenging relationship" with the appointed monitor Michael Bromwich, claiming that the iPhone maker "never embraced a cooperative working relationship".
How to jailbreak iOS 9 with Pangu
As with every previous version of iOS, it had to happen -- jailbreak instructions for iOS 9 have been released. Rumors have been circulating for a little while that a group called Pangu was on the verge of releasing a jailbreak tool, and now it's available.
Pangu Jailbreak for iOS 9 cracks open iOS in next to no time, opening up the possibility of installing apps and applying tweaks that would not otherwise be possible. Whether you're rocking a new iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, or you have an iPad or older handset the whole process can be over in less than five minutes. Here's what you need to do.
Elon Musk changes tune of Apple talk
Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has been dropping quite a bit of shade on Apple over the past few months, claiming the company is a graveyard for sacked Tesla employees and that he is not afraid of a car built by the same engineers that created the Apple Watch.
On Twitter earlier this week, he backtracked on those claims, saying he does not hate the company. Musk said that Apple had a lot of talented engineers, the Apple Watch has an excellent design, and he is glad they’re working on an electric car.
Apple refreshes iMac line with Retina displays, faster hardware, new peripherals
Apple has refreshed its iMac line for late-2015, making Retina 5K displays standard on 27-inch models and introducing a new 21.5-inch version with a Retina 4K screen. The new iMacs also get faster processors and graphics, new internal storage options and two Thunderbolt 2 ports.
The Retina 5K display was first available on a more-expensive 27-inch iMac, initially priced starting at $2,499, that Apple introduced a year ago, and is now being made available as standard equipment on iMacs costing as little as $1,499. Meanwhile, the Retina 4K display is available for the first time on a 21.5-inch iMac, be it as an option.
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