Thursday, August 20, 2020

Epic Games Throwing a 'FreeFortnite Cup' Bash Before iOS Users Lose Access

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With Fortnite currently banned from the App Store and Epic Games on the verge of having its Apple developer accounts terminated for violating ‌App Store‌ rules by rolling out its own payments system for in-game currency, Epic is hosting a #FreeFortnite Cup this Sunday for "one more Victory Royale with friends across all platforms."


Fortnite users who already have the game installed on their iOS devices are currently able to continue playing the game, but they will be "left behind" when Chapter 2 - Season 4 launches on August 27 as Epic won't be able to push the game update to those users.

As part of #FreeFortnite Cup, Epic is offering a host of prizes ranging from an in-game outfit and a physical "Free Fortnite" hat to hardware such as Alienware laptops, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 tablets, OnePlus 8 phones, and Xbox One X and Nintendo Switch gaming systems.
If you’re left behind on iOS after the Chapter 2 - Season 4 launch, the party continues on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, GeForce Now, and through both the Epic Games App at epicgames.com and the Samsung Galaxy Store. Join the fight against @AppStore on social with #FreeFortnite.

All of your friends. Awesome prizes. And one bad apple. We’re droppin the #FreeFortnite Cup.

Finally, Epic is sharing tips for iOS users worried about being unable to continue playing Fortnite, recommending that they make sure their game data is stored in their Epic accounts and investigate alternative Fortnite-compatible devices where they can simply pick up where they left off. For Android users, Epic notes that users can still install it through other means such as Samsung's Galaxy Store or sideloading, despite the game having also been pulled from the Google Play store.
This article, "Epic Games Throwing a 'FreeFortnite Cup' Bash Before iOS Users Lose Access" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Kuo: Apple Looking to Save on Costs in iPhone 12 With Simpler Battery Board Design

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Apple is looking to put a pricing squeeze on component suppliers for the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup to help offset increased costs for new 5G technology and minimize the need for price increases across the flagship lineup, according to a new research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo viewed by MacRumors.


Kuo says adoption of Sub-6GHz 5G technology will increase Apple's costs by $75–$85, while millimeter wave technology will incur a $125–$135 cost for Apple, so the company is cutting costs on other components wherever it can.

While Apple has broadly been putting "higher bargaining pressure" on its suppliers, the battery board is one area where Kuo believes suppliers will see the biggest cost trimming with Apple reportedly moving to a simpler and smaller design with fewer layers. The hybrid hard and soft battery board for the ‌iPhone 12‌ will reportedly be 40–50% cheaper than the equivalent part in the iPhone 11 series, although this component is likely a small contributor to Apple's overall costs.

Looking out further into the future, Kuo says Apple will push the envelope even more with the "iPhone 12s" lineup in 2021, adopting a purely soft board design that will shave off an additional 30–40% compared to the ‌iPhone 12‌ board price.

Apple has also been putting pricing pressure on its circuit board suppliers for the AirPods, Kuo says, with the average price of soft and hard boards in the ‌AirPods‌ 2 declining by 25–35% since the first half of the year.

Apple's current suppliers will face even more issues when the ‌AirPods‌ 3 launch in the first half of 2021, according to Kuo. He reiterates his previous claims that the next-generation earphones will follow the AirPods Pro in adopting an integrated system-in-package (SiP) design rather than the surface-mount technology (SMT) found in the current ‌AirPods‌ 2.
Related Roundups: AirPods 2, iPhone 12
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)

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Apple Reportedly Acquired Israeli Photography Startup Camerai Last Year

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Apple quietly acquired Israeli photography startup Camerai around a year and a half ago for several tens of millions of dollars, with many of its employees joining Apple's computer vision team in Israel, according to Calcalist. A separate source confirmed the story to TechCrunch, but Apple has yet to offer an official statement.


The report claims that Camerai developed photography-related technologies, including advanced capabilities in deep learning and computer vision, that have already become "a significant part of every Apple camera" and "made life easier for developers who wanted to include AR capabilities in their various apps."

TechCrunch listed some of these technologies:
Its tech included the ability to detect different objects in the picture, and outline them with precision to alter them cosmetically; the ability to outline and apply filters across the whole image; a "skeleton tracking" neural network API that could detect and draw body joints in real time overlaid on a picture of a human; and its own version of selective focus for enhanced portrait modes…
Originally named Tipit, the company was founded in 2014 by Aaron Wetzler, Erez Tal, Jonathan Rimon, and Moty Kosharovsky.
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