Space Gray 15-inch MacBook Pros with a Radeon Vega graphics are now available to purchase on the Apple Store. Users can choose from Radeon Pro 560x, Radeon Pro Vega 16 and Radeon Pro Vega 20 options. The Pro Vega 16 will add $250 to the cost of the machine, while the Pro Vega 20 options will add $350. Apple announced the introduction of the Radeon graphics following its October 30th ‘There’s More in the Making’ event.
Perfect for travelers, Unravel is a foldable wireless charging station with three 10W Qi charging pads, as well as one USB Type-C port. Powered by a cable many already have, a patent-pending hinge design that folds into accommodating orientations, and a non-slip grip surface, Unravel is the solution to long Facetime calls, cluttered laptop bags, and limited power outlets. When you’re done using it, you just fold it up and put it in the 2″ travel case. Unravel met its Kickstarter goal in 40 minutes, and sitting at nearly $300k raised with a 12 hours left on the campaign. Rewards start at US$59 to get a charging station, and the estimated delivery is December 2018.
B&H is today, Tuesday 13 November, offering massive discounts on MacBook Pros via its DealZone. A Mid 2017, Space Gray 15.4″ MacBook Pro with a 2TB SSD can be purchased for for $2,799, a reduction of $1,420 on the original price. Meanwhile, the 512GB model can be purchased for $2,199 – an $800 saving. The savings are only available until midnight Eastern Time on Tuesday, or while stocks last. Most US states also qualify for free shipping, while UK customers can get shipping from $5.46. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the market for a new laptop! More details, and other deals are available via the B&H website.
Legendary comic book writer Stan Lee passed away yesterday. Apple is featuring a story in the Today section of the App Store called Remembering Stan Lee. Today Apple celebrates Mr. Lee’s legacy with apps and games featuring his iconic crimefighters in all their masked glory. On the app side, we see Marvel Unlimited, Marvel: Color Your Own, comiXology, and Olli by Tinrocket. In the game section we see Marvel Contest of Champions, Marvel Strike Force, Marvel Battle Lines, and Marvel Avengers Academy. Finally, the story notes that Mr. Lee served in the Army during WWI, and two apps in this section include Sandboxx, to send a letter to service members, and Apple Books.
AirPods are hugely popular but, let’s be honest, the charging case is hardly the most chic item Apple has ever released. Accessories maker NOMAD may have solved that problem. On Thursday, they are going to release the Rugged Case – a fully leather outer case for AirPods. Available in brown or black, you can put the AirPod charging case intro the Rugged Case, providing extra protection and a little bit more style. Priced at $29.95, the Rugged Case is available to pre-order now. Distribution will commence on Thursday, 15 November.
The iPhone XS and XS Max came with a feature called SmartHDR that increased the dynamic range of photos. It also reduced the local contrast and the phone’s performance in low light. The lowlight issues were fixed by decreasing noise reduction, which, when combined with the lack of contrast created a smoothing effect. This was particularly noticeable in selfies and came to be known as ‘Beautygate’. With iOS 12.1 Apple tried to fix the problem. Did they succeed? A video from AppleInsider takes a look.
LifeEar hearing aids can be calibrated with your iPhone. The LifeEar app connects LifeEar CORE hearing aids and your mobile device. Use your smartphone or tablet to control settings and personalize hearing aids for your specific needs. Life sounds better when you’re in control. Use the LifeEar app to create a personal profile for each ear to calibrate programs, adjust the volume of your LifeEar hearing aids, select your hearing aid programs to suit your environment, view hearing aid battery levels, and update your profile as your hearing needs change over time. Ears are like people, no two are exactly the same. That’s why the LifeEar app allows you to customize the CORE for your unique ears. Based on your response to a series of tones, it creates your profile and then calculates your personalized settings. App Store: LifeEar – Free
Here is a feel-good story for a Friday. Apple has made public the story of Scott Leason—a US Navy veteran and keen surfer…who happens to be blind. The story details how by using an iPhone XR, and the VoiceOver application in particular, as well as an Apple Watch, Mr Leason is able to undertake a number of tasks and partake in his beloved water sports. He said,“When I’m at the end of a line behind a boat just like anybody else, I forget I’m blind. And then when I come into the beach and there’s people around [his dog] Snickers and I go yeah that’s my seeing eye dog and I got a board in my hand and they go, ‘you’re blind?’ That’s a cool feeling.” It might be easy for some to be cynical about Apple promoting this, but for most of us, it is equally easy to forget how crucial technology and the accessibility tools modern devices have are to people with a variety of disabilities. Surfs up, Mr Leason!
Whilst procrastinating and surfing through the app store on my MacBook Pro I came across a new game Pixel Starships made by Savvy Soda. Unable to resist anything that is a) space b) pixellated and silly, I immediately downloaded. The premise is simple. You are the captain of a starship and you must conduct missions, earning rewards and building your ship and crew as you go. Pixel Starships is fun, silly and totally addictive. If you spent hours playing Clash of Clans or similar on your phone, you will enjoy this. Available in the Mac App Store for free (with in-app-purchases).
Usually US$4.99, Pixomatic photo editor is free, and I’m not sure how long it will last. Pixomatic is the first-ever mobile app that brings desktop level quality for selecting and masking images. Now, you have no problems with cutting out even the most difficult picture elements, including hair. Smoothly select and mask even the trickiest hair edges. Also, they introduced hundreds of photo stickers that you can add to your photos with a single tap. In just a few minutes create funny pranks, visual art and social media posts for your business or stunning photo manipulations, viral memes and selfies to share with friends. Pixomatic has a full range of amazing photo editing tools for creative minds. Use smart cutout, add layers, apply blending modes and unique filters to create epic masterpieces. Let Pixomatic be your only all-in-one photo editor. App Store: Pixomatic – Free
LONDON – The new iPad Pro and MacBook Air are available for UK customers. Currys PC World is offering new iPads from £769 (US$1,011). The retailer is also offering customers £50 ($66) off the price of the new device if they trade in an older tablet. The new MacBook Air is also available, starting at £1,119 ($1,472). However, the 256 GB SSD model seems to be currently sold out. Currys PC World is also offering financing options on the new devices.
The iPad Pro will NEVER be a computer, do you hear me? Now excuse me while I type this CSF on my mechanical keyboard (forged in that girl’s tears) that will collapse my apartment building because of the vibration.
Sarcasm aside, the reason I like this iPad Pro review is because it’s from an artist, not a tech pundit. Ian Barnard covers the iPad Pro and the new Apple pencil. He doesn’t show off the art capabilities a whole lot, but he unboxes the devices and talks about them. Ultimately he likes the new model, and recommends upgrading to it, with the caveat that it might not be your cup of tea (British pun intended) and your wallet will have to decide.
Yesterday the creator of Photopea did a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). Photopea is free Photoshop online.
My name is Ivan Kutskir, I am 28 y.o. and live in Prague, the Czech Republic. I studied Computer Science and I enjoy programming. I am the author of www.Photopea.com , which is an advanced image editor, that works in a web browser. There was about 1.5 millions of visitors in October. After the first 7 000 hours of work (around 5 hours a day during 3.5 years), I haven’t made a single dollar (it was just my hobby during the college). Then, I put advertisement into it, and it makes me a decent income now (decent for a single person in Prague).
I had never heard of Photopea before, but I played around with it and it’s an impressive tool.
Apple put out a neat video over the weekend demonstrating how you can edit the Depth Control feature now available on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. It shows the 4 simple steps needed to apply the effect – choose a portrait, tap edit, slide to adjust the depth, tap done. The functionality works in portrait mode and adjusts the amount of blur in the background of a picture. This Depth Control effect can be applied to photos you have already taken, and iOS 12.1 will also have a real time Depth Control feature.
The number and variety of spaceships from TV and movie science fiction is legion. Here’s a list, from Space.com, of the 25 best, in order. While most are starships, capable of FTL, others are mere spaceships. Which one is your favorite? Did one of your own favs not make the list?
Remember at Apple’s keynote where we saw that a company had created a Mac mini server farm? That was MacStadium, and YouTuber Snazzy Labs visited the place. Besides Mac Minis, the company also has racks of the 2013 Mac Pro, and MacStadium recently added some iMac Pros. Since there aren’t a lot of companies doing this, MacStadium had to build custom server racks to house the minis. The company uses VM software in order to avoid needing expensive internal storage. The Mac Pros have had their internal storage removed entirely, and the minis boot off of the Mac Pros to create a giant external storage enclosure. The video is a fascinating glimpse into MacStadium, which is a company that provides the server farm as an “infrastructure-as-a-service.”
The BBC has launched a new app, BBC Sounds, that puts all its audio output into one place. The app officially went live on Tuesday and replaces the BBC iPlayer Radio App. Users can now access live radio, previously broadcast shows and podcasts via one app. It will even allow users to access some popular non-BBC podcasts, with more to be added in the coming months. Exclusive music mixes will also be published on the app, alongside archives of BBC radio comedy and drama. App Store: BBC Sounds (free)
The Surviving Mars game is now available in the Mac App Store. The game challenges players with building a sustainable future on Mars by relying on smart resource management, key colonists, and supplies from sponsors back on Earth. First, players select their space agency, each with its own strengths and goals, and begin determining a location for the ideal colony. Once the flag has been planted, players must get to work on building habitable domes and infrastructure, research new possibilities, and utilize drones to unlock more elaborate ways to shape and expand the settlement. Experience the drama around the lives of colonists, each with individual attributes that can aid in the colony’s progress or throw a wrench in the whole endeavor. There will be a myriad of challenges to face on the red planet, but most important of all is keeping your colonists alive. Not an easy task on a strange new planet, especially with unexplained mysteries sure to pop up. App Store: Surviving Mars – US$29.99
If you’re looking for an all-in-one wireless charging system for your iPhone and Apple Watch, check out the new NOMAD Base Station Apple Watch Edition. The new Base Station has a padded place for your iPhone and a built-in Apple Watch charger, no need to add your own. You can wirelessly charge your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time, and your watch is propped up so you can use it as a clock on your nightstand. The Base Station Apple Watch Edition is available now for US$119.95, unlike Apple’s AirPower, which we may never see.
A cool new app called Mister Lister lets you make lists out of anything, and rate items. From restaurants to movies, if you can think of it, you can rate it. Need more detailed reviews than just an overall rating? Split up your ratings into weighted categories. Want a movie list but want to split by genre, tag your movies. Have some extra notes about that restaurant you ate at, write them down. This sounds like a cool app to me, sort of a personal Yelp. It sounds great for people with hobbies like keeping track of your favorite wine, beer, coffee, books, etc. You can then share your lists with friends to rate things together. App Store: Mister Lister: Free
