iOS 13 supports a wide range of Apple devices. But some of the “more older” devices can’t update. Luckily, iOS 12.4.2 is here for them.
Should Apple Buy Sonos?
Writing for TechCrunch, Darrell Etherington argues that Apple should acquire Sonos, a company known for its speakers.
From an outsider perspective, it’s hard to find two companies who seem more philosophically aligned than Sonos and Apple when it comes to product design and business model. Both are clearly focused on delivering premium hardware (at a price point that’s generally at the higher end of the mass market) and both use services to augment and complement the appeal of their hardware…
I’m not much of an Apple pundit but I’m not seeing the need for Apple to buy Sonos. I think it would’ve made more sense for this acquisition in the past, but Apple already has the HomePod. Aside from the price and platform-specific complaints, I don’t think I’ve heard anything bad about the sound quality.
Huawei Making 5G Base Stations With No U.S. Parts
Huawei is already producing 5G base stations that do not use parts from the U.S. Reuters reported on comments made Thursday CEO Ren Zhengfei:
Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms gear maker, has been on a U.S. trade blacklist since May over concerns that its equipment could be used by Beijing to spy. Huawei has repeatedly denied such allegations, but has taken steps to minimize the impact. U.S. sanctions cut off Huawei’s access to essential U.S. technologies. The latest version of its Mate 30 flagship phone, unveiled last week in Europe, will not come with Google Mobile Services…. Ren said Huawei would still like to use U.S. components if possible because it has “emotional ties” with long-time U.S. suppliers.
France Could Force Apple and Others to Disclose How Much Profit They Make There
Authorities in France could force Apple and other tech giants to disclose how much profit they make in the country.
Here's How to Fix iPhone 11 Wi-Fi Calling
Sometimes when you get a new iPhone you might find that Wi-Fi calling no longer works. Luckily there’s a quick fix for that.
Cloudflare, Chrome, and Firefox Launch HTTP/3
HTTP/3 launches today, and it’s an evolution of Google’s QUIC protocol. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox support it.
It Looks Like Apple News+ Could be Coming to the UK Very Soon
It looks like Apple News+ may be headed to the UK in the very near future after a tab for the service briefly appeared in the News app.
Be Cautious of AltStore, the New Alternative App Store
There are reports of an alternative App Store that doesn’t require jailbreaking. It’s called AltStore, and it lets you download these alternative apps via a server you install on your Mac. While the developer says that the code for AltStore is open source, that doesn’t mean the apps within are. I urge caution about installing unknown apps outside of the App Store. If they can’t make it through the app review team, there’s probably a reason for that. For example, this quote from the blog:
From the beginning, AltStore was intended to serve as a way for developers to distribute entirely new apps that push the boundaries of iOS in ways not possible with Apple’s app review system.
Hopefully, “pushing the boundaries” doesn’t include apps full of malware.
Amazon Unveils Echo Buds Amid Host of New Hardware
Amazon unveiled a host of new and upgraded hardware at an event on Wednesday. The Verge has a rundown of what waas announced, including the new Echo Buds headphones.
The company announced 15 new products, including the Echo Buds truly wireless headphones, the Dolby Atmos-equipped Echo Studio speaker, and the Echo Frames, which have built-in microphones so you can chat with Alexa. A few of the announcements were minor revisions, like the Echo Dot smart speaker with an integrated clock, and the Alexa Smart Oven that can convection bake and air fry food items (in addition to being a regular microwave). But there were more than a few unexpected surprises, including the Echo Loop smart ring, the new, affordable Eero mesh Wi-Fi router, the Amazon Fetch pet tracker, and more.
Teardown of the Apple Watch Series 5
Thinking of getting an Apple Watch Series 5? Got one on the way? iFixit have a very interesting teardown of the device.
The Series 5 uses Apple’s new S5 system-on-chip, which packs in twice the storage and the new compass. But it also contains the same CPU and GPU as the S4 chip in the Series 4, and the overall performance specs are the same. Other than that, the Series 5 is very similar to the Series 4 on the inside. But Apple has made enough minor changes that many parts are not interchangeable, thanks to redesigned connectors on the taptic engine, display and battery. Now, about Apple’s claim that the Series 5 Sport cases are made from “100% recycled aluminum.” While using recycled materials is great, the truth is most of the world’s aluminum is already recycled, and recycled aluminum is dramatically cheaper than the freshly-mined variety. The real question is whether Apple uses any recycled aluminum that wouldn’t have been recycled anyway. And after analyzing Apple’s statements on the matter, the answer seems to be no.