Thursday, September 26, 2019

HP Chromebook X360 12b, 14b officially announced at $359/$379


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Apple Arcade vs. Google Play Pass

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With the launch of iOS 13, Apple released Apple Arcade, a new $4.99 per month gaming service that provides unlimited access to new and exclusive games.

Less than two weeks later, Google announced its own gaming service called Play Pass, which also offers unlimited access to games. In our latest YouTube video, we went hands-on with both services to compare them.

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Both Apple Arcade and Play Pass are priced at $4.99 per month. Apple offers a one-month free trial while Google offers a 10-day free trial, but for the first year, Google is offering a deal that drops the price of Play Pass to $1.99 per month.

Though the prices are similar, the two services are quite different. Apple Arcade features new and exclusive games, some of which were funded by Apple, while Google's Play Pass offers up older games.

Play Pass includes some super popular titles like Stardew Valley, Reigns, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Terraria, and more, but the problem with older games is that many people may have already played them.

Play Pass is also not limited to games -- Google is including apps too. AccuWeather, Pic Stitch, ISS HD, and Tunable are some of the apps offered.

Apple Arcade only offers gaming titles, but all of the games are fresh, new, and exclusive to Apple Arcade. In some cases, though, some of the games are also available on consoles, but on mobile platforms, Apple Arcade gets exclusive access. That means no Android equivalent.

It's not clear if apps can leave Apple Arcade, but Google warns that apps can leave Play Pass. If that happens, users will need to buy the game to continue to use it if it's a paid game, and for free titles, ads and in-app purchases may show up.

Google says there are hundreds of apps and games included with more being added every month. Apple Arcade launched with right around 60 games, and Apple has also promised new content on a monthly basis. Both services offer offline gaming, so no internet connection is required.

With both services, content is ad free and features no in-app purchases. Apple titles were designed from the ground up with no additional purchases, but for Play Pass, these gaming elements have been removed from titles that previously offered them.

Apple allows up to six family members to share games through a single Apple Arcade subscription using Family Sharing, and Google allows for up to five family members to share content through its Google Play Family Library.

Apple Arcade has launched in multiple countries around the world, while Play Pass is limited to the United States at the current time. Google does plan to expand, however.

One other aspect worth noting is privacy. Apple specifically mentions privacy protections and says that users are able to choose to share data, while Google's Play Pass materials don't mention privacy or data sharing. "Every game must meet Apple's high privacy standards," reads Apple's press release for Apple Arcade.

Most people are locked in to either Android or iOS and few have both, so most people won't need to choose between services.

Apple users who have a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV can access Apple Arcade on those devices, while Google Play Pass requires a smartphone, laptop, or tablet with Android 4.4 or above and Play Store version 16.6.25. Google Play Pass games can't be played on the larger screen of a television, which gives Apple Arcade a bit of an edge when it comes to non-mobile gaming.

Do you prefer Apple Arcade with its fresh selection of titles, or Google Play Pass with its larger library of already available games? Let us know in the comments.


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GarageBand for iOS Gains Dark Mode, External Hard Drive Support

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GarageBand, Apple's music making app designed for iPhones and iPads, was today updated to version 2.3.8, introducing support for iOS 13 features.

The app now works with Dark Mode, and because GarageBand already had a darker interface, there are new lighter interface elements when used in Light Mode.


GarageBand also now supports accessing files from external hard drives, SD card readers, and USB drives through the files app.

Along with these iOS 13 features, GarageBand has improved audio fidelity of Apple Loops when making tempo and key changes, and a new downloadable "Skyline Heat" sound pack with a collection of more than 350 Hip Hop loops and six drum kits. Release notes are below:
- Support for Dark Mode and new Share sheet in iOS 13
- Access files from external hard drives, SD card readers, and USB drives
- Improves audio fidelity of Apple Loops when making tempo and key changes
- New downloadable "Skyline Heat" sound pack with a collection of over 350 new Hip Hop loops and 6 drum kits
GarageBand can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]


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CLAW SM100 Studio Monitoring Headphones Review: For The Comfort & The Value


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HP announces new Chromebooks with USI stylus, magnetic pen dock, and attractive price


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Flipkart’s Big Billion Days Sale: Here Are The Best Offers On Smartphones


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40mm Apple Watch Series 5 Features New Battery Design, 10% More Capacity

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A teardown of the 44mm Apple Watch Series 5 conducted by repair site iFixit found few design changes compared to the 44mm Apple Watch Series 4, but a subsequent teardown of the 40mm model has found some more significant design deviations.

The battery inside of the Apple Watch Series 5 has a new metal casing, likely constructed from aluminum, rather than the foil pouch that surrounds most lithium-ion batteries.


Based on an Apple patent, iFixit suggests that the new metal casing is designed to be a more space-efficient method for sealing batteries. The size of the battery compartment in the Series 5 doesn't appear to have changed significantly over the Series 4 model, but the battery in the Series 5 offers 10 percent larger capacity than the Series 4 (0.944Wh vs. 0.858Wh).

Foil pouches feature a larger seal than the metal enclosure, so with the design change, Apple may have been able to use the space saved for a slightly larger battery.

New battery design on left, old design on right

iFixit says that the metal casing also makes the battery physically stronger, which is ideal for repair purposes. An aluminum enclosure makes it more difficult to puncture during repairs.

The new design is limited to the 40mm Apple Watch Series 5 and was not seen in the 44mm Series 5 model. iFixit says that it's not clear why the updated design was used in one watch and not the other, but it could be that the smaller watch needed additional battery or Apple wanted a "low-key" way to test the design.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 6
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

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