Monday, November 18, 2019

Amazon Echo Studio Review: The Smart Speakers For The Audiophile In You


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Four more 8-Core MediaTek Chromebooks on the way


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iFixit Shares Full 16-Inch MacBook Pro Teardown

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Following a brief initial teardown of the 16-inch MacBook Pro on Friday, repair site iFixit today shared its full teardown of the new machine, giving us insights into the changes that Apple has made with the keyboard and other components.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ features the largest display that Apple has introduced in the MacBook line since the 17-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ was discontinued, and it also features a brand new scissor keyboard called the Magic Keyboard, a new thermal architecture, and some other design tweaks.


When it comes to the keyboard, Apple has reverted to the same scissor switch mechanism used in older ‌MacBook Pro‌ models and the standalone Bluetooth Magic Keyboard for the iMac. It's slightly thinner than the prior scissor key design, but iFixit says the two scissor mechanisms look identical other than the thickness and some keys between the two keyboards are even interchangeable.

Scissor switches are more reliable than butterfly switches and are not prone to breaking from dust or other small particulates. In fact, iFixit says there's no dust-proofing membrane on these keys, suggesting Apple doesn't expect these keyboards to fail.


Aside from the new scissor switch mechanism, the keyboard looks quite similar to the keyboard from the prior ‌MacBook Pro‌, though there is a separate physical Escape key, a separate Touch ID button, and an updated inverted "T" design for the arrow keys. Underneath, there's an Apple-designed rubber dome, a backlight assembly, and a black gasket for blocking out excess light.

The keyboard assembly is riveted down, which means the keyboard itself isn't more repairable than the butterfly keyboards, even though they're less prone to failure.

Apple added a new speaker system to the ‌MacBook Pro‌, and there's a longer speaker enclosure with opposed woofers on the top and bottom, which are meant to cancel out each other's vibration. iFixit isn't sure why there's a longer enclosure, but speculates that it's to redirect sound to improve quality. The new three microphone array is also "beefier," but otherwise the same as what was found in the 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Apple is using a 99.8Wh (11.36V, 8790mAh) battery in the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, which is the largest capacity that's still allowed on planes by airlines. That's a 16.2Wh increase over the prior 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the largest battery that's ever been used in a MacBook. To get the extra capacity into the new machine, Apple made each battery 0.8mm thicker.


Overall, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ earned a repairability score of 1 because the processor, RAM, and storage are soldered to the logic board, while the keyboard, battery, speakers, and Touch Bar are secured with glue and rivets.

iFixit's full teardown of the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, which has some additional information on the internal components of the machine, can be read on the iFixit website.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Tag: iFixit
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

This article, "iFixit Shares Full 16-Inch MacBook Pro Teardown" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 13.2.3 With Bug Fixes for Messages, Mail and More

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Apple today released new iOS and iPadOS 13.2.3 for the iPhone and the iPad, updates to the iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.2.2 software that was released last week on November 7.

The new iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.2.3 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update.


iOS and ‌‌iPadOS‌‌ 13.2.3 are minor updates focusing on performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that were not able to be addressed in iOS 13.2 and iOS 13.2.2 rather than major outward facing changes.

According to Apple's release notes, the update fixes a bug that could prevent Mail from fetching new messages and it addresses a bug that caused photos, links, and other attachments to not display properly in the Messages details view. The iOS 13.2.3 and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.2.3 release notes are the same.
iOS 13.2.3 includes bug fixes and improvements for your iPhone. This update:
Fixes an issue where system search and search within Mail, Files, and Notes might not work
Addresses an issue where photos, links, and other attachments might not display in the Messages details view
Fixes an issue that could prevent apps from downloading content in the background
Resolves issues that may prevent Mail from fetching new messages, and fail to include and quote original message content in Exchange accounts
iOS 13.2.2, the prior update released last week, addressed an issue that caused apps running in the background on the iPhone and ‌iPad‌ to unexpectedly quit, leading to background apps that refreshed more often than normal.

Apple is also beta testing an iOS 13.3 update that includes Communication Limits for Screen Time and other minor feature tweaks.

Related Roundups: iOS 13, iPadOS

This article, "Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 13.2.3 With Bug Fixes for Messages, Mail and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhone 12 (late 2020) release date, price & specs rumours

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We collect and analyse rumours about the iPhone 12, which we expect to launch in autumn 2020 and feature 5G

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TikTok Hits 1.5 Billion Downloads on Android and iOS , Forays into Social Commerce with these New Features


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Apple Reiterates Commitment to FRAND Licensing of Standards-Essential Patents Following Intel Deal

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In light of its acquisition of the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business earlier this year, including many cellular patents, Apple has shared a letter on its website to reiterate its stance on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory or FRAND licensing terms for standards-essential patents.

Intel 5G Modem
Apple says it values intellectual property and recognizes the important role of developing industry standards, noting that its engineers participate in over 100 standard-setting organizations. Apple touts its own contributions to a wide range of standards, including, for example, cellular, Wi-Fi, and USB-C.

Apple adds that it has "long sought to bring a balanced perspective to the promises and perils of standardization" and is committed to licensing its own cellular standards-essential patents on FRAND terms.

Apple believes owners of standards-essential patents should make licenses available on FRAND terms to any and all interested parties that request a license, adding that standards-essential patent licensees should not be forced to take bundled or portfolio licenses as part of an agreement.

There should also be an objective, reasonable royalty rate that applies equally to all standards-essential licensees, according to Apple.

Following its agreement with Intel, Apple said it would hold over 17,000 wireless technology patents, ranging from protocols for cellular standards to modem architecture and modem operation. Apple is widely expected to release its first 5G-enabled iPhones with Qualcomm modems in 2020.

Tag: Intel

This article, "Apple Reiterates Commitment to FRAND Licensing of Standards-Essential Patents Following Intel Deal" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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