Feral Interactive today announced that Barbarian Invasion, the standalone expansion for the acclaimed historical strategy game ROME: Total War, is out now on iPhone.
Originally developed by Creative Assembly and published by SEGA for Windows PC, Barbarian Invasion was previously brought to iPad by Feral.
Barbarian Invasion takes place in 363AD during the height of the Roman Empire, when the Barbarian hordes began fighting back against Roman supremacy in an attempt to reclaim lost territory.
Players can choose to take on the role of a Barbarian commander determined to bring down the Empire, or take up arms as a Roman General and fight to extend the civilization into a new age.
Woven into the historical narrative are clashes with Christian, Pagan, and Zoroastrian religions, along with a new Horde mechanic that commands factions to raid and plunder opposing settlements to sustain their nomadic lifestyle.
Barbarian Invasion requires an iPhone 5s or later, iOS 12, and 4GB of free space to install. The full list of supported iPhones is as follows: iPhone 5S, iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone 6S/6S Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS/XS Max, iPhone XR, and iPod Touch (6th Generation).
Barbarian Invasion for iPhone is available from the App Store for $4.99 (£4.99 / 5.49 euros). It's a universal app, so players who have previously purchased the game on iPad will be able to install it on their iPhone at no additional cost, and transfer their save games.
Third-party case renders for Apple's 2019 OLED iPhone lineup appeared on Slashleaks this morning. The images match previous alleged leaks suggesting the successor devices to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will feature rear triple-lens cameras in a triangular array and housed within a square bump.
Case manufacturers often create renders of iPhones ahead of their debut in order to be the first to come out with accessories for the newly launched devices. These kinds of leaks are often accurate because there's a lot of money at stake, but that's not to say there can sometimes be costly errors.
These case images come with no accompanying information, so there's no way to know for sure whether or not the design accurately portrays what Apple's 2019 OLED iPhones will look like. However, The Wall Street Journal has confirmed that Apple is planning on introducing a triple-lens camera system in at least one of the new iPhones coming this year. In addition, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said both the 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED iPhones will feature triple-lens rear camera setups with a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, and a 12-megapixel super wide-angle lens.
We don't yet know what Apple will call the new iPhones, but "iPhone XI" or "iPhone 11" are possibilities for the iPhone XS successors.
Apple is no longer offering the 5K LG UltraFine Display from the Apple Store in the United States, with the monitor now listed as "Sold Out" and unavailable for pickup in any retail location.
The 5K LG display was in stock and available to be shipped just recently, so the stock shortage happened within the last few days. The listing for the display has not been eliminated from Apple's site, so it's not entirely clear if Apple plans to restock the monitor or if Apple is done selling it for good.
Apple last month removed the online listing for the 4K LG UltraFine Display, and prior to when it was pulled, the 4K monitor had been listed as "Sold Out" for some time, so Apple could be planning to remove the 5K monitor from the site in the near future as well.
The 4K and 5K UltraFine Displays were designed by LG in partnership with Apple and were created to be used with the 2016 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, which supported Thunderbolt 3 for the first time.
The 27-inch 5K UltraFine Display featured a resolution of 5120 x 2880, P3 wide color gamut, and 85W of power delivery for charging a MacBook Pro. Apple was selling it for $1,299. The 27-inch 5K UltraFine display continues to be available from Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Amazon, and it is still listed on LG's website.
Apple is potentially phasing out the LG displays because they're several years old at this point and because there is a new Apple-branded display in the works. Apple is developing a high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro and is said to be planning on a 31.6-inch 6K display to go with it.
The new display has been described as a high-end display aimed at Apple's pro user base, so it's likely to be expensive and may not be a suitable replacement for the 4K and 5K displays that are no longer available from Apple.
While Apple Park was being constructed, drone pilots like Duncan Sinfield followed Apple's progress on the buildings and landscaping, allowing us to see the campus as work progressed.
Apple Park has been done for some time now and drone videos have largely stopped, but Duncan Sinfield stopped by Apple Park this morning and captured a great-looking drone video that we thought we'd share with MacRumors readers.
The main ring-shaped building has all of its completed landscaping, and the video also shows off auxiliary buildings like the Steve Jobs Theater and on-campus parking structures. Hundreds of trees cover the interior and exterior of the ring-shaped building, and there's a large central pond. Everything is looking lush and green thanks to heavy rains in the Bay Area over the course of the last few months.
Of particular interest is an event stage with a rainbow arch and multiple lights that's located right in the middle of the campus. It's not clear what this is for, but it's likely an upcoming employee-only concert event of some sort, as visitors to the site aren't allowed onto the campus.
There's no word right now on what the event might be, but Apple often hosts beer bashes and other employee events at Apple Park. The Apple Park Visitor's Center is closed on Friday, May 17, so that may be when the event is set to take place.
Eve, a company that makes HomeKit-enabled smart home products, launched its latest accessory, the Eve Energy Strip, in April.
The Eve Energy Strip offers three HomeKit-connected outlets, each of which can be controlled independently through the Eve app, the Home app, and through Siri, so you can make standard home products and appliances smart.
Design
Design wise, the Eve Energy Strip feels a bit large and overly thick for a three outlet power strip, but it has an attractive and well-made aluminum enclosure with a black plastic top, so it looks sharp enough that it doesn't need to be hidden away. It measures in at 10.9 inches long, 2.5 inches wide, and 1.3 inches thick.
There are three well-spaced sockets on the Eve Energy Strip, which are placed far enough away that even multiple larger power adapters can fit as long as you're careful with placement. As with most power strips, horizontally oriented power adapters have the potential to block other outlets, depending on position.
There are indicator lights for surge protection and grounding at one end, along with three power buttons and LED status indicators. Each button has one, two, or three dots, corresponding to each of the sockets on the Energy Strip.
There's a thick 6.3-foot black cable at one end, which is about standard for power strips. 6.3 feet is long enough that it can be placed behind a desk or TV stand while remaining accessible for use. With app and Siri controls available for remote access, the Energy Strip does not necessarily need to be put in a fully accessible place.
Standard protections you might expect from a power strip are included, such as overcurrent, overvoltage, and surge protection.
Overall, this is a nice looking power strip that's ideal if it needs to go in a place where it might possibly be visible. I tuck my power strips and cables away in boxes to hide them as best I can, but if I had to have a visible power strip, I'd want a design like this. As I mentioned above, I do wish it were smaller, but there's a lot going on under the hood to justify the size.
Functionality
Each of the three outlets on the Energy Strip is HomeKit-compatible, which means you can add HomeKit connectivity to three devices that wouldn't otherwise be able to be controlled using HomeKit features.
I have a lot of HomeKit devices already so I don't have much that's not already connected to HomeKit, but the Energy Strip is ideal if you have a less connected setup because it offers three outlets in one device. Fans, humidifiers, heaters, fancy lamps, and other appliances that are not normally able to be connected to HomeKit are ideal for this kind of setup.
HomeKit functionality in this case is limited to on and off controls and automation, so that's something to be aware of. You'll be able to power lamps, appliances, or other devices on or off through this Energy Strip using the Home app, Eve app, or HomeKit commands, but there are no other direct control options.
You can add the outlets to HomeKit scenes with other HomeKit products and you can set up automation schedules, so you can do something like have a fan come on at a specific time or turn off a computer at night.
The Energy Strip connects to a HomeKit setup over WiFi, and you're going to need a 2.4GHz network because it won't connect to 5GHz. I had to switch my phone over to 2.4GHz to connect, and that's always a hassle, especially if you don't have your 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks split and easy to connect to. On the plus side, since this is a direct Wi-Fi connection, there's no need for a bridge.
In addition to turning devices off/on and adding automation controls, the major feature the Energy Strip boasts is power monitoring. You can tell exactly how much power your devices are consuming, their estimated total cost, and an estimate of how much it will cost to run your devices over a period of a year.
The power consumption and cost estimate metrics are for the entire Eve Energy strip, so you cannot see a breakdown for each outlet.
Eve App
The Eve app offers full control over the Energy Strip, allowing you to change its name, assign names to each plug for Siri voice control purposes, and turn outlets on and off, but what you're going to want to use the Eve app for primarily is checking on those above mentioned in-app metrics, because that info is not available through the Home app or via Siri commands.
In the Eve app, you can see power status (aka if an outlet is on or off), current consumption (energy being drawn right now), total consumption (energy draw over time), projected cost (what it might cost to run for a year based on the last week, day or minute), and total cost (the total estimated cost of energy use to date).
There is, unfortunately, no way to break down energy usage on a per outlet basis, with the Eve app calculating these figures based on the entire energy draw of all of your items that are plugged in.
You can see total consumption broken down further by hour, day, week, or month, and export power usage measurements from each day into another app if you like.
The total cost estimate can also be broken down by hour, day, week, and month so you can see your projected cost estimates in the way that makes the most sense to you.
My Eve app estimates a lamp and a computer have cost me $0.14 over the course of the last week or so, and will cost somewhere around $16 to run for the entire year. These totals are calculated on a projected cost per country and can be customized in the Eve app's settings.
Cost per kilowatt hour varies by location, so you will want to customize this setting. Here in California, we pay somewhere around 19.82 cents per kilowatt hour, while in other states, that rate is much lower.
Home App
When it comes to the Eve Energy strip, Home app controls are limited. You can turn each individual outlet on or off using in-app toggles, but that's just about all you can do.
You can also rename outlets, change their room, change what they identify as, and do other similar management things, but you can't see power usage.
In both the Home app and the Eve app, you can automate the outlets to come on at a specific time and incorporate them into HomeKit scenes with other HomeKit products.
Siri
Siri controls are limited to turning each individual outlet on or off and getting the power status, aka if a particular outlet is turned on or off.
Bottom Line
If you have a few non-HomeKit devices that you've been wanting to hook up to your smart home setup, the Eve Energy Strip is a good way to do it.
It's also useful if you want to make sure a particular appliance isn't drawing too much energy or using energy when it's off, making it ideal for suspect appliances like fans, computers, and more.
Being able to control each outlet individually in HomeKit is useful, because you can turn off one item that's plugged in without affecting the others, something not usually possible with a standard power strip.
The Eve Energy Strip is expensive and is going to cost more than individual HomeKit-enabled smart plugs, but it is one of the few HomeKit-enabled power strip options on the market.
The Apple Watch Series 4 was today named one of the Displays of the Year by The Society for Information Display (SID) during the 2019 Display Industry Awards announced at Display Week, a yearly symposium and trade show.
The Displays of the Year awards highlight "the high-quality innovative work taking place in the display industry at every level." The specific category the watch won focuses on "the most significant technological advances and/or outstanding features."
The Apple Watch Series 4 received an award because it features an OLED display that's 30 percent larger than the previous display, without an increase in device size. Additionally, it uses a new display technology called LTPO for improved efficiency, leading to longer battery life.
While retaining the original signature design, the fourth-generation Apple Watch has been refined, combining new hardware and software enhancements into a singular, unified form. The striking display, which is more than 30 percent larger at 40 mm or 44 mm, depending on the model, seamlessly integrates into the thinner, smaller case, while the new interface provides more information with richer detail. The display is the defining feature of Apple Watch, and Series 4 pushes that feature farther than ever. The challenge for designers was to make the display bigger without noticeably increasing the size of the case or compromising the battery life. Narrower borders enable a viewing area that's more than 30 percent larger, while a new display technology called LTPO improves power efficiency, helping users get through the day on a single charge.
The 2019 awards cover products that were available for purchase during the 2018 calendar year, and no other Apple devices received awards this year. Last year, both the iPhone X and iPad Pro won "Displays of the Year" awards.
Other 2019 winners include Samsung for "The Wall" modular microLED 8K display, and Sony for its Crystal LED Display System that also uses microLED technology.
Apple claims that its new Powerbeats Pro earbuds feature a "reinforced design" that makes them sweat and water resistant, but there are still a lot of questions about what that specifically means given that past Beats headphones have experienced failures due to moisture exposure.
As it turns out, the Powerbeats Pro feature an IPX4 water resistance rating, which means they're certified to hold up to water splashing against the enclosure from any direction, but have the potential to fail when immersed or exposed to jets of water.
The IP4X rating, as iMore points out, is mentioned in a reviewer's guide that was provided to media sites that have early access to the earbuds. It is not included in Apple's official marketing materials.
Apple promotes the Powerbeats Pro as being resistant to sweat and water, making them ideal for working out and other fitness-related activities. The Verge was told in April that the Powerbeats Pro have been engineered to handle "all of your sweat without fail."
It does not appear that Apple's earlier headphones, such as the BeatsX or the Powerbeats 3, have official Ingress Protection ratings, which may mean that they weren't subjected to testing.
Apple's Powerbeats 3 earbuds were marketed as sweat and water resistant, but there have been reports of failures after extended sweat exposure, which leaves some questions about the Powerbeats Pro.
With an IPX4 rating, the Powerbeats Pro should be able to survive sweat exposure, but we're not going to know how they hold up until users have had time to properly test them out over time.
For comparison's sake, the current 2018 iPhones have an IPX7 rating and can survive total immersion in water. Powerbeats Pro should not be submerged in liquids with an IPX4 rating, and you're going to want to keep them as dry as possible.
Avoiding sweat during physical activity is impossible, but keeping them out of the rain and the shower is advised, as is drying them off after a long workout.
The iTunes Store, App Store, Apple Books, and the Mac App Store are experiencing an outage, according to Apple's System Status page.
Some customers may be unable to make purchases, which is in line with reports about downtime on Twitter. We've also heard complaints about Apple Music and other services, though Apple isn't listing problems outside of the App Stores.
Apple's developer website confirms that TestFlight and App Store Connect are affected as well, so developers and testers may be unable to use these services at the current time.
The outage has been ongoing since 1:40 a.m. Pacific Time, and it's not clear how many customers are affected. We don't know when the issues will be fixed, but we'll update this post when all services are up and running.
Update: According to Apple's System Status page, the issues affecting the App Store, Mac App Store, iTunes, TestFlight and App Store Connect have been resolved.
Apple recently hired Lindsay Rothschild to Head of Creative Services for Apple Music's North American division (via Variety). Rothschild is joining Apple from Google, where she led songwriter and publisher relations for YouTube.
The new Apple Music executive will be tasked with building and maintaining working relationships with artists in the songwriter community, as well as publishers. Rothschild officially started at Apple on April 29, and she was the first hire on Apple Music's Music Publishing Creative Services team.
Rothschild's hiring follows a few months of reports about streaming music services fighting against the United States Copyright Royalty Board, which ruled to increase the royalties paid to songwriters by 44 percent. Companies like Spotify, Google, Pandora, and Amazon all fought against the decision.
Apple remained out of the fight, favoring the increased royalty payments for songwriters and earning praise from various artists and those in the music industry.
Now, Rothschild will continue working on expanding Apple's good graces in the community, which she appears ready to accomplish. According to sources, she is able to "speak and understand the language of songwriters," and has a "great track record" during her previous jobs, including the Disney Music Group prior to her spot at Google.
Apple has greenlit a new project from producer/director Jon Favreau for Apple TV+, called "Prehistoric Planet." The series is said to provide a look at the last days of the dinosaurs using CGI to recreate the events (via Variety).
Image by John Salangsang via Shutterstock/Variety
Favreau is known for directing films like "Iron Man," the live-action version of "The Jungle Book" and the upcoming reboot of "The Lion King." He will partner with "Planet Earth II" producer Mike Gunton on Apple's new series, which will be produced by BBC Studios' Natural History Unit.
Apple announced Apple TV+ in March during an event filled with various celebrities, including Oprah, Jason Momoa, and Steven Spielberg. The company's streaming service is set to launch in the fall of 2019 and it will be housed in the existing TV app.
Besides documentaries and natural history series like "Prehistoric Planet," Apple TV+ will include numerous scripted dramatic and comedic shows. These include "The Morning Show," "See," "Truth Be Told," "Dickinson," an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" book series, and more. You can see every show coming to Apple TV+ right here.
In partnership with Pricebaba.com, @Onleaks today released a series of high-quality renders of the next-generation iPhone XR expected to launch this coming September. The renders are based on rumors and alleged leaks regarding the device's outward design.
The iPhone XR successor depicted in the renders could easily be mistaken for last year's iPhone XR, if it wasn't for the addition of the dual-lens cameras, arranged vertically with the LED flash on the right and housed in a large square bump.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the 6.1-inch iPhone XR successor is said to feature a dual-lens rear camera setup rather than a triple-lens setup, which will be exclusive to the next-generation iPhone XS and XS Max models.
Renders of the latter 2019 devices have included a square bump housing the three lenses, but this is the first time we've seen the same controversial housing for the upcoming dual-lens iPhone XR. All three of the front-facing cameras in the 2019 iPhones are expected to be 12 megapixels, up from 7 megapixels in the 2018 models.
While some rumors suggest Apple may go with an all OLED lineup, doing away with the LCD displays of the iPhone XR, other rumors believe Apple will stick with its Liquid Retina LCD display because of the high price of OLED displays.
All 2019 iPhones are likely to adopt upgraded A13 chips from TSMC, Apple's chip supplier. The A13, like all chip upgrades, should bring performance and efficiency improvements.
As for dimensions, OnLeaks suggests the iPhone XR 2019 will measure 150.9 x 76.1 x 7.8mm, with the camera bump being the thickest point, at 8.5mm.
Rumors suggest Apple is planning to make changes to the front-facing TrueDepth Camera System that enables Face ID in the 2019 iPhones. Kuo believes 2019 iPhones will feature a new flood illuminator that will improve Face ID by lowering the impact of the invisible light from the environment.
Despite some rumors suggesting a smaller notch or no notch at all, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes there will be no change to the size of the notch in the 2019 iPhone lineup.
The iPhone XR was Apple's best-selling iPhone in 2018, accounting for an estimated 32 percent of U.S. iPhone sales, according to sales data by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. Comparatively, the iPhone XS and XS Max, Apple's more expensive iPhones, were responsible for 35 percent of sales combined.
Apple is expected to unveil its new 2019 iPhone lineup in September, likely launching the phones in the weeks following the announcements.
Apple has finalized a list of locations for its first retail store in India, according to sources who spoke to Bloomberg.
The vetted locations are said to include several upscale sites in Mumbai that are comparable to iconic Apple stores on Fifth Avenue in New York, Regent Street in London, or the Champs-Elysees in Paris. A final decision on the plans is expected to come "in the next few weeks," said Bloomberg's sources.
In the Indian market, Apple ranks 11th and accounts for just one percent of India's phone sales, selling fewer than one million iPhones during the first half of 2018. Comparatively, rival smartphone maker Xiaomi sold "more than 19 million" during that period, according to data gathered by Counterpoint Research.
In an effort to revamp the company's presence in India, Apple CEO Tim Cook is believed to be working behind-the-scenes to "remold Apple's failing India strategy," according to both current and former Apple employees who spoke to Bloomberg.
This strategy includes better and longer-lasting retail deals with higher sales targets, the opening of official Apple retail stores in India, "overhauling" the company's relationship with independent retailers, and improving apps and services "aimed more closely at Indians." For retail, the official Apple stores are said to open in 2019 and will eventually include locations in New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.
While the Indian government's rules for foreign companies opening shops have previously prevented Apple from launching local stores, the company now builds some of its iPhone SE and iPhone 6s models in India, which is believed to help it meet India's rule requiring these companies to manufacture 30 percent of their products locally.
Apple Pay arrived unexpectedly in Iceland today, allowing bank customers to use Apple's mobile payment system for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch wherever they see the contactless logo.
International payment solutions company Valitor is said to have played a key role in bringing Apple Pay to the country, with Landsbankinn and Arion banki among the first Icelandic banks to announce support for the digital wallet.
As to which country will get the next Apple Pay rollout, it's currently a toss-up between The Netherlands and Portugal, where regional banks have teased that Apple's contactless payment system is "coming soon."
Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014 and is also available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in March that Apple Pay will be available in more than 40 countries and regions by the end of 2019.
The manufacturer of rigid-flex printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in Apple's AirPods 2 is ramping up production of the technology into early 2020 at least, despite rumors that Apple will launch two new AirPods models as early as this year with a different internal design.
DigiTimes reports that Apple supplier Unitech Printed Circuit Board still sees the rigid-flex PCB combination as the mainstream technology for truly wireless headphones, and will expand its production capacity in Taiwan by 25-30 percent in 2019 to meet increased demand from clients.
In contrast, Apple's two new AirPods models are expected to make use of SiP (system in package) technology, which will improve assembly yield rates, save internal space and reduce cost.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasts that the two new models will likely go into mass production between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.
Kuo has said one of the new AirPods models will feature an "all-new form factor design" and a "higher price" than the second-generation AirPods, which cost $159 with a standard charging case and $199 with a wireless charging case. The other model is expected to be a more iterative update to AirPods 2 with the same pricing.
In March 2019, Apple launched its second-generation AirPods powered by an Apple-designed H1 chip, enabling hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality and up to 50 percent more talk time compared to the original AirPods. The second-generation AirPods feature the same outward design as the original.
Bloomberg reported that Apple's third-generation AirPods will feature a new design and perhaps improved water resistance that will allow the AirPods to hold up to "splashes of water and rain."
The AirPods aren't likely to be entirely water resistant, however, and won't be able to be submerged in liquid. These third-generation AirPods are also rumored to include noise cancellation features and increase the distance that AirPods can be listened to away from an iPhone or iPad.
Samsung, Huawei, Sony and Google are all actively developing their own truly wireless headphones, many of which are expected to use the older rigid-flex PCB technology. Apple now dominates nearly 70 percent of the truly wireless headphone market, according to DigiTimes, suggesting Apple's adoption of the new SiP tech could give the company an even greater advantage over rivals as the market continues to grow.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today visited the Mall at Millenia Apple Store in Orlando, Florida, where he met up with 16-year-old Liam Rosenfeld, one of the WWDC scholars who will be attending Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference this June.
Cook was in Florida for an event that saw SAP and Apple announce an expanded partnership focused on new enterprise apps taking advantage of technologies like machine learning and AR. Cook apparently visited the Apple Store after the conference. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Cook had a short chat with Rosenfeld, who called the meeting "an amazing surprise."
Rosenfeld runs a coding club at his high school, and he's created an app that converts images into ASCII, plus he has two additional apps in the works. Cook said that the teenager had impressed him.
"He has a quality that I think is on a short list of characteristics that drive success, and that is curiosity," said Cook, after talking with Liam about the creation of the coding club.
Cook went on to say that WWDC scholarships provide Apple with a way to contribute to the growing need for a tech workforce.
"You need public, private, non-governmental organizations working together because this is not a trivial transformation that needs to happen here," he said. "We have an obligation. We are fortunate to have had some success."
Apple offered 350 scholarships to students and STEM organization members for WWDC 2019. Each scholarship includes a free WWDC ticket, free accommodations in San Jose, California, near the McEnery Convention Center, and a free one-year membership to Apple's developer program.
Apple's new wire-free Powerbeats Pro are set to launch this Friday after pre-orders became available last week, and ahead of their official debut, we were able to get a pair to test out to find out whether Apple's latest Beats-branded earbuds are worth the $250 price tag.
While Apple is planning to sell the Powerbeats Pro in four colors, including ivory, moss, navy, and black, only the black version is available right now, with the other options coming later in the summer.
Powerbeats Pro share many features with the AirPods, but the design is totally different because they're aimed at vigorous physical activity like sports and working out. There are a set of earhooks that wrap around your ear to keep the Powerbeats Pro in place, along with four sets of ear tips for a customized fit.
Multiple tips means the Powerbeats Pro will fit most people, and while it's early, we found them to be lightweight and comfortable overall, though any earbud is going to cause ear fatigue after long periods of usage. This kind of around the ear fit isn't going to appeal to everyone, and it can take a bit of practice to be able to get them positioned in your ears correctly.
The Powerbeats Pro fit on the ears super securely, and it's unlikely these are going to fall out of your ears during physical activity. Powerbeats Pro fit in the ear canal unlike the AirPods, and will drown out ambient noise, which is something to be aware of. We tested these out with sunglasses and found them comfortable, so these may work well for those who wear glasses regularly.
As for sound quality, with the tips positioned correctly in your ears, the Powerbeats Pro sound impressive. Everything is full, crisp, and clear, and parts of songs remain distinguishable. Bass sounds great and is not muddy, which can be an issue with other wire-free headphones.
Powerbeats Pro have a carrying case, but it's a lot bigger than the AirPods case. It's not really pocketable, and it's worth noting that wireless charging is not an included feature. You need to charge this case using a Lightning cable. Opening up the case causes the Powerbeats Pro to pair with your device just like the AirPods and thanks to the H1 chip, easy pairing, easy device swapping, and "Hey Siri" support are all Powerbeats Pro features.
We were impressed with how quickly the Powerbeats Pro were able to pair with an iPhone, and it's worth noting that the Live Listen feature available on the AirPods is also available on Powerbeats Pro. Live Listen is designed to let the iPhone serve as a microphone, amplifying the ambient noise around you and beaming it to your earbuds.
Automatic play/pause functionality will pause audio when you remove an earbud and play it again when it's put back in place, a super handy feature, and there are some physical buttons for doing things like playing music, pausing music, adjusting volume (these buttons are at the top) and skipping tracks. Physical buttons are nice, but it's not always easy to use the button on the first try and it takes a bit more effort than the tap controls on the AirPods.
Powerbeats Pro offer up to nine hours of listening time per earbud along with 24 hours of additional battery life from the charging case, plus there's a fast fuel feature that offers up 1.5 hours of playback with a five minute charge. We haven't had the Powerbeats Pro long enough to test the battery life sufficiently, but we'll be providing more detail in a future video.
So are the Powerbeats Pro worth the $250 price tag? We think the answer is yes if you're looking for a set of earbuds that have a secure, comfortable fit with all of the features offered by the AirPods. They're perfect if you live an active lifestyle or are looking for a more traditional earbud fit than the AirPods offer.
We'll be doing a follow up video comparing the Powerbeats Pro to the AirPods, so make sure to keep an eye out for that tomorrow, and for more info on Powerbeats Pro, check out our Powerbeats Pro guide.
Apple's chief designer Jony Ive is set to speak at the Dalkey Book Festival in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday, June 15 at 6:00 p.m.
Ive will be joined by actor and comedian Stephen Fry for a session titled "The Object of Language and the Language of Objects."
Actor, comedian, raconteur, and author, Stephen Fry shares his wit and wisdom with Jony Ive, the man who, by designing three of the most iconic products of our age - the iPod, iPad, and iPhone- has changed your world probably more than any other single living human being.
Truly a one-off event featuring treasured polymath, Stephen Fry, and Apple design guru, Jony Ive. Two global superstars mark the tenth anniversary of the festival by sharing one stage at Dalkey!
Tickets were available for the event from the Dalkey Book Festival website for 30 euros, but have all sold out at this time.
Stephen Fry and Jony Ive know one another, and in 2015, Fry wrote a profile on Ive following the announcement of his chief design officer title. In the past, Fry has also profiled Steve Jobs, and he's long been acquainted with Apple executives.
Google's annual I/O developer conference took place today, and the Mountain View-based company announced a number of changes and updates, some of which will be coming to Google products available on iOS devices and others that are of interest as services that compete with Apple services.
Google Search
Google plans to enhance Google Search with the addition of "Full Coverage" news, providing a more balanced view of news when searching for something. Right now, Google News has a timeline and a feature that displays different viewpoints of the same story, and these options are coming to Search as well.
ARe you seeing this?! With new AR features in Search rolling out later this month, you can place, view and interact with 3D objects right in your own space. #io19pic.twitter.com/Q61U0r2Hvg
— Google (@Google) May 7, 2019
Google Search is also going to index podcasts in the future, allowing users to search for podcast content, not just title. Podcast episodes will be able to be listened to in search results.
New augmented reality features will be available in Google Search, with 3D augmented reality models coming to search results. You'll be able to do things like view a pair of shoes you're searching for in the real world while shopping. On stage, Google showed off an animated shark that was pulled from the web and broadcast into the room using AR.
Retailers that already use 3D assets will be able to add 3D models to Google Search results with just a few lines of code, and Google is working with NASA, Samsung, Target, Wayfair, and others.
Search is getting an Incognito feature that will allow you to make Google searches without having the data added to your Google account.
Google Duplex
Google is updating Duplex, the service that makes calls for you, with web support, which will allow it to make rental car bookings, reserve movie tickets, and fill in web forms, similar to existing auto fill features.
You'll be able to say something similar to "Hey Google, book a rental car from Hertz for my next trip," and Duplex will pull up the website and start filling out all the necessary information. You'll be prompted to fill out information that it doesn't have, but it's able to pull data from calendar, Gmail, and Chrome. It's a feature coming to Android phones later this year, and an iOS device launch date isn't known.
Google Maps
Incognito mode, which has long been available in Google's Chrome browser, is being expanded to the Google Maps app so you can get directions privately.
Coming soon to @googlemaps, when you turn on Incognito mode in Maps, your activity—like the places you search or get directions to—won’t be saved to your Google Account. Just tap from your profile picture to easily turn it on or off. #io19pic.twitter.com/z7GRkkmDbn
— Google (@Google) May 7, 2019
On Pixel devices, Google Maps is getting an AR walking mode, which shows walking directions in real time overlaid over the real world.
Google Lens is being updated with some new features, such as the ability to read a menu and highlight the most popular dishes, or to read a receipt and automatically calculate a tip.
Today's special: Google Lens. 🍽️ Automatically highlighting what's popular on a menu, when you tap on a dish you can see what it looks like and what people are saying about it, thanks to photos and reviews from @googlemaps. #io19pic.twitter.com/5PcDsj1VuQ
— Google (@Google) May 7, 2019
Privacy
Google plans to make Google Account information more easily accessible from your profile in all major Google products. This is in addition to the recently announced feature that will automatically clear search and location history every three months or every 18 months.
Google Assistant
Google showed off a next-generation version of its Google Assistant, which is much speedier (Google says 10x faster) than it was previously, and smarter as well. In a demo on stage, Google Assistant was able to accurately and quickly respond to rapid fire requests, which is something Apple's Siri voice assistant can't do.
Running on-device and coming to new Pixel phones later this year, the next generation Google Assistant can understand and process your requests up to 10 times faster, making operating your phone, multi-tasking and even composing email easier than ever. #io19pic.twitter.com/iNPpOvwDM2
— Google (@Google) May 7, 2019
The "Hey Google" wake word wasn't required for this process, which ran through commands like checking the weather, bringing up a contact, turning on the flashlight, and taking a selfie all within seconds. Personalization features will bring up tailored voice results using a "Picks For You" feature, which can suggest personalized recipes, podcasts, and more. Google's updated Google Assistant is coming to new Pixel phones later this year.
Google Assistant is also coming to Waze in the next few weeks, and on Android devices, Google is implementing a new Driving Mode for Google Assistant, coming this summer.
Android Q
Google shared some details on Android Q, the next-generation version of the Android operating system that runs on Android devices.
A Live Caption feature will add real-time subtitles for any audio that's playing on an Android device, and it's available with or without an internet connection because it's done on-device.
A Smart Reply feature will offer up suggested actions, similar to how Siri suggestions work on iOS devices. Android Q, like iOS 13, will have a built-in system-wide dark mode option.
Google is aiming to address privacy concerns and bring Android privacy more in line with iOS privacy with a comprehensive set of privacy tools for limiting developer access to personal information. There's also an Android OS Framework that will provide over-the-air security updates from Google that will work without a reboot of the device and that will be installed in the background.
Screen Time-like features are coming to Android Q with Focus Mode, which will limit access to apps that are distracting, such as social media apps. Parental Controls are also being improved, with options that will let parents restrict apps on an app by app basis. Android Q is available today on 21 devices in a beta capacity, including all Pixel smartphones.
Google Home
Google today announced that all of its smart home products will be unified under the "Nest" brand, which it purchased a few years back. Under the new brand, Google debuted the Nest Hub Max, a device with a 10-inch display that's designed to be a home control hub with a dashboard for controlling smart home products.
It also works like a Nest Camera, but is set up for multiple people with Face Match technology. It has privacy controls so nothing is streamed or recorded sans permission, and there's a green light that comes on when it's recording.
When not in use, it can display photos, serving as a digital photo frame, and it can be used to play YouTube videos and other TV/movie content. Nest Hub Max is launching this summer for $229. Google's original Nest Hub is also now available for $129, a $20 discount.
Google Pixel
Google announced two new lower-cost smartphones, the Pixel 3a and 3aXL, with prices starting at $399. It includes many features the Pixel line is known for, including high-quality cameras with front and rear portrait modes and the well-known Night Sight feature. Call screening and adaptive battery life are also included, with the latter feature allowing the Pixel 3a to get up to 30 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Google on stage threw some shade at Apple, comparing the Pixel's Night Sight Mode to an iPhone X image, and pointing out that it continues to have a headphone jack for those who prefer a greater range of headphone options.
Apple's developer website confirms that TestFlight and App Store Connect are affected as well, so developers and testers may be unable to use these services at the current time. 
