Apple is partnering up with the National Hockey League for its latest "Shot on iPhone" campaign, which has seen billboards featuring hockey players put up at various hockey arenas in the U.S. and Canada.
As noted by Adweek, the billboards started going up this week and feature eight NHL teams: Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, and Philadelphia Flyers.
Each billboard features a candid photo of an NHL player captured on iPhone by a teammate.
Additional NHL Shot on iPhone images will be popping up on social media. On Instagram Stories, for example, Apple will offer a "day-in-the-life" look at NHL players' routines and pre-game prep.
Apple's "Shot on iPhone" partnership with the NHL comes just after the NHL promoted a new iPad Pro app that's designed to offer coaches real-time individual and team statistics like face-offs, time on ice, shot attempts, shootout success rates, and more.
Last year, Apple also did a "Selfies on iPhone X" campaign that featured Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.
Mattress company Casper recently introduced its first non-bedding product, the Glow Light. Designed to help you fall asleep and wake up, the Glow Light provides timed, smart lighting that gets gradually dimmer or brighter based on your needs for the purpose of improving your sleeping habits.
Design
Casper's Glow Light will look familiar to Apple users because the design is reminiscent of the HomePod. The Glow Light is cylindrical in shape, with a flat top and a flat bottom, but it's about palm-sized and smaller than the HomePod.
Made of a translucent plastic material, the Glow Light puts off a soft yellow light with several available brightness levels. Light emanates from the entire body of the lamp, with the exception of the top and bottom.
A wireless charging base provides power to the Glow Light, which does have a battery so it can be used when off of the stand. Both ends of the Glow Light can be used for charging purposes, so putting it on the charging base is hassle-free. Reversible charging is a nice touch because there's no need to pay attention to orientation.
The charging pads on the top and bottom of the Glow Light also double as buttons for certain gestures, but other than these areas, there are no other physical controls on the Glow Light. All adjustments are made via flips and turns thanks to a built-in accelerometer, though there are also iPhone control options.
The Glow Light puts off a soft yellow light and the color is not adjustable, but it can be made brighter or dimmer. At full strength, the Glow Light offers even lighting, but at its dimmer levels, the bottom lights up while the top remains dim.
Apple today launched a new article series in its Newsroom highlighting teachers and students who use innovative technology in the classroom.
The first article focuses on the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts (APA) in California, which hosts an annual student-created show called "Playlist."
Students at Huntington Beach APA use Apple hardware and software to prepare for the show, such as Final Cut Pro to edit music videos and Logic Pro X to for audio production. Students get hands-on training in theater tech, audio recording, video production, and more as part of their curriculum.
An iPad Pro in the theater powers a Yamaha CL5 digital mixer for controlling sound levels, and students have access to a recording studio and other music creation spaces.
Many of the students are in the Music, Media, and Entertainment Technology program, designed to prepare them to succeed in the music industry. Jamie Knight, who runs the program, says it's imperative to focus on both technology and art, a philosophy Apple has always agreed with.
"We don't just focus on the technology," Knight says. "It's that performing arts experience that gives them leadership skills, confidence, team work, all of those soft skills that businesses want. You have to perform to get that, and then when you marry that with the technology and you give the kids the ability to have a real recording studio to work with, they're going to be the next Steven Spielberg, or the next Paul McCartney."
The school uses Apple products because they are "equipped with tools to teach," such as GarageBand and iMovie.
Apple's full dive into the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts and its annual "Playlist" production can be read in the Apple Newsroom.
There are a few sales and offers going on this week, including the latest crop of discount codes from trusted accessory brands Aukey and Anker. These new codes offer discounts on USB-C wall chargers, portable chargers, Bluetooth headphones, and more. Check out these sales below, as well as discounts on the 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar, a SanDisk sale on Amazon, and a new Mac app bundle.
Aukey
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Soundcore Arc - $28.88 with code SDCARC3261, down from $39.88 (exp. 3/4)
Soundcore Life NC - $79.00 with code SDCLIFENC, down from $99.99 (exp. 3/11)
Best Buy Deals of the Day
In today's Deal of the Day, Best Buy has discounted the mid 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar by as much as $300. There are five configurations discounted today only (including one custom configuration), and the cheapest model (8GB RAM / 128GB HD) is priced at $1,099.99, $200 off from $1,299.99.
These prices beat rival retailers like Amazon and B&H Photo by as much as $100, and are the best available online for new versions of the MacBook Pro from a major retailer. Check out the full list below:
Best Buy also has the Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones for $159.99, down from an original price of $299.99 for today only. These headphones typically sell for around $239.99 (depending on the color) at Amazon and other retailers, so those who have been waiting to purchase a pair should definitely head to Best Buy's website before the flash sale ends later tonight.
StackSocial this week introduced a new bundle of eight Mac apps valued at $478.71 and available to purchase for just $29.99. Furthermore, those interested can discount the Epic Mac Bundle to just $22.50 using the promo code DOWNLOADIT. Apps in the bundle include Fantastical 2, PDF Expert, iLocker Pro, and more:
Fantastical 2 ($49.99 value): "The Apple Design Award-Winning Mac Calendar App That Helps You Bring Order to Your Life"
PDF Expert ($79.99 value): "This App of the Year Winner Will Revolutionize the Way You Work & Collaborate with Documents"
Flux 7 ($99.00 value): "Build Websites with This Powerful & User-Friendly WYSIWYG Tool"
Pagico 8 ($50.00 value): "The Elite Task Manager Is Even More Flexible & Powerful Than Before"
Command-Tab Plus ($34.99 value): "Move Between Many Apps Seamlessly with Just a Click"
iStat Menu ($14.99 value): "Get More System Info About Your Mac In an Easy-to-Digest View"
iLocker Pro ($79.80 value): "Lock Your Apps with a Password & Protect Your Data Smartly"
Ultdata Recovery ($69.95 value): "Never Accidentally Delete Files From Any of Your Devices Again"
Head to our full Deals Roundup for more information on other sales going on this week.
Specifically, we've been told that the Google Assistant and Google Home apps share various settings for music services. Due to a bug, Google opened up the Apple Music setting more broadly than it intended, including to Google Home app users.
In an earlier statement, a Google spokesperson said "Apple Music is currently only available for Google Assistant users on mobile phones. We have nothing to announce regarding updates to Google Home."
Back in December, Apple Music became available on Amazon's range of Echo speakers, so there was hope that the service would be expanding to Google Home speakers too. Many other music services are available on Google Home, including Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, Google Play Music, and YouTube Music.
Of course, Apple Music could launch on Google Home eventually, and the two companies could be simply hiding their tracks.
Apple Music is currently available on iOS, Android, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, and Amazon Echo and Sonos speakers. Apple Music can also be controlled with the Google Assistant app on iOS devices.
Just one day after exposing a handful of developers spamming the App Store with duplicate VoIP apps, a clear violation of the App Store Review Guidelines, TechCrunch reports that Apple has removed many of the apps from the App Store.
However, the report notes that plenty of duplicate apps remain available in other categories, such as photo printing. MailPix Inc., for example, has released three different apps that all offer same-day photo printing at nearby CVS or Walgreens locations. All three apps appear to be virtually identical in functionality.
By releasing duplicate apps on the App Store, developers are able to game the search results by using different names, categories, and keywords.
As the report mentions, the primary issue here is that Apple is not consistently enforcing its App Store Review Guidelines, which warn developers that "spamming the store may lead to your removal from the Developer Program." This can lead to an unfair playing field for developers who do abide by the rules.
With millions of apps on the App Store, it is likely that quite a few other duplicate apps have slipped through the cracks, but hopefully the increased awareness results in Apple cracking down more on these rule-breaking developers.
The screen protectors are designed with two-way mirrored glass that hides the contents of your iPhone screen from onlookers when viewed from the side, but provides full visibility when viewed straight on.
Apple, which began selling the screen protectors this week, says the screen protectors use ion-strengthened glass for improved durability.
The screen protectors are available for $44.95 on Apple.com for each iPhone model. An installation kit and cleaning cloth are included for self application, or Apple Stores can apply the screen protectors when purchased in store.
Keep in mind that many privacy screen protectors are available on Amazon, often at significantly lower prices, although quality varies.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon.
British broadcasters ITV and the BBC have announced joint plans to create "BritBox," a subscription streaming service for UK audiences to rival the likes of Netflix (via Reuters).
The two companies already offer a similarly named streaming service for the U.S., but today's news was about a new video-on-demand service for British audiences, which will offer subscribers a place to watch both well-known television series and original programming, according to ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall.
"This will provide an unrivaled collection of British boxsets and original series in one place," she said.
"We anticipate that other partners will be added to BritBox and we will both speak to regulators and the wider industry about our proposals."
The service is set to launch in the second half of 2019 and will be priced competitively, according to both broadcasters, although no further details were given.
BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub already provide British viewers with free catch-up streaming services featuring a limited range of programs, but the broadcasters claim research shows viewers embrace streaming and would be willing to add another service to current subscriptions, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky.
The BritBox streaming service for U.S. audiences is said to be ahead of expectations, having already broken through targets with over half a million subscribers.
The MacBook Air, last updated in 2018, is Apple's most affordable notebook machine, with pricing that starts at $1,199 for the newest hardware. Microsoft also makes a comparable machine, the Surface Laptop 2, which came out right around the same time Apple released its 2018 MacBook Air update.
In our latest video, we decided to pit the MacBook Air against Microsoft's Surface Laptop 2 to determine which machine is the better value and the best buy.
Both the MacBook Air and the Surface Laptop 2 are thin, light machines, with each one weighing in right around 2.75 pounds. The Surface Laptop 2 has a 13.5-inch display with a 2256 x 1504 resolution, while the MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, so all in all, design wise, these two machines are quite similar, though the Surface Laptop 2 offers a 3:2 display.
The Surface Laptop 2 comes in a matte black color (it's also in burgundy and blue) that we were a fan of because it's a nice deviation from the standard gold, silver, and space gray shades Apple uses for its notebooks. Inside, the MacBook Air is all aluminum, but the Surface Laptop 2 uses an Alcantara fabric design, which has become a key feature of the Surface lineup.
When it comes to key feel, the MacBook Air wins out, though those who are not fans of the butterfly key design might not agree. The MacBook Air also has a better trackpad, which is unsurprising because most PCs can't match the feel of the Force Touch trackpad with its haptic feedback.
Both laptops have a questionable port situation, with the MacBook Air limited to two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and Surface Laptop 2 featuring a USB-A port, a proprietary charging port, and, inexplicably, a Mini DisplayPort, an odd choice for a modern laptop. It has no USB-C ports, which is disappointing given that USB-C is the standard device and accessory makers alike are transitioning to.
The MacBook Air uses Touch ID in lieu of a password to make logging in faster, while the Surface Laptop 2 uses Windows Hello for facial recognition. Future Macs might adopt Face ID, but for now Touch ID is just as useful. Each of these laptops features a 720p webcam, which are both terrible, and while both have decent sound, the MacBook Air's speakers are crisper and clearer at max volume.
Each of these machines features similar internal specs, and both are designed for simple tasks rather than heavy duty video editing or 3D work. You can do light editing or use Photoshop on these machines, but that's not their primary purpose.
With these thin, light laptops with low-powered processors, battery life is impressive. Both the MacBook Air and the Surface Laptop 2 offer somewhere around 10 to 12 hour battery life for everyday tasks like using email and browsing the web.
Price is the major differentiator between the Surface Laptop 2 and the MacBook Air, and could push some to choose the Surface Laptop 2 instead of the MacBook Air.
The base model Surface Laptop 2 features a 1.6GHz 8th-Gen dual-core Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage all for $999, while the base 2018 MacBook Air, offering similar specifications with less storage -- a 1.6GHz 8th-Gen dual-core Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD -- is priced starting at $1,199.
The Surface Laptop 2 and the MacBook Air are similar enough that choosing one over the other ultimately comes down to ecosystem and operating system preference. Microsoft's machines, of course, run Windows, which an Apple product user might not prefer, while Windows users won't want a machine running macOS.
What do you think of Microsoft's Surface Laptop 2? Let us know in the comments.
The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), this week announced a rebranding of the USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 specifications, under the USB 3.2 specification. As outlined by Tom's Hardware, USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 will now be considered previous generations of the USB 3.2 specification.
Going forward, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s), which used to be USB 3.0 prior to a separate rebranding, will be called USB 3.2 Gen 1, while USB 3.1 Gen 2 (transfer speeds up to 10Gb/s) will now be known as USB 3.2 Gen 2.
What used to be considered USB 3.2 will now be USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 because if offers twice the throughput speeds of USB 3.1 Gen 2, now USB 3.2 Gen 2. If that sounds confusing to you, you're not alone. Tom's Hardware made this handy chart that shows the new branding scheme compared to the older branding.
If the swap between USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 to USB 3.2 wasn't confusing enough, each of these specifications also has a marketing term. The new USB 3.2 Gen 1 with transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s is SuperSpeed USB, while USB 3.2 Gen 2 with transfer speeds up to 10Gb/s is known as SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps. The USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 specification with transfer speeds up to 20Gb/s is known as SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps.
Introduced in 2017, USB 3.2 (now USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) uses two 10Gb/s channels for a total data transfer rate of 20Gb/s, a feature limited to USB-C cables because USB-C cables support multi-lane operations.
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 devices aren't out in the wild yet, and it's not yet clear when the first ones will arrive. Apple is often an early adopter of new USB technology and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 could potentially be supported by the next-generation Macs.
Last week, we reported on Apple's plans to close its retail stores in the Eastern District of Texas in April in an effort to avoid patent infringement lawsuits in the jurisdiction, perceived by many as being "patent troll friendly."
Ahead of the closures, Apple faces yet more patent litigation in the district. A group of limited liability companies under the Optis Wireless Technology, LLC umbrella filed suit against Apple on Monday in East Texas, accusing the company of infringing on a portfolio of seven patents related to LTE standards.
Optis Wireless and the other plaintiffs named in the complaint appear to be non-practicing entities that aim to generate revenue through patent litigation. These type of companies are commonly referred to as patent trolls.
The complaint, seen by MacRumors, alleges that all LTE-enabled Apple products, including various iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch models, infringe on the LTE patents. Optis Wireless and the other plaintiffs acquired many of the patents from Ericsson, Samsung, LG, and Panasonic — read the full complaint [PDF] for the exact patents.
The plaintiffs state that, not later than January 6, 2017, they sent Apple correspondence in an effort to license their essential patents to Apple on FRAND terms. The plaintiffs also allege meeting with Apple representatives on numerous occasions, but the parties did not reach a licensing agreement.
The plaintiffs are seeking "recovery of damages at least in the form of reasonable royalties" and have demanded a jury trial.
Last August, in the same court, a jury decided that Huawei willfully infringed many of the same LTE patents being asserted against Apple. The Chinese smartphone maker was ordered to pay $10.6 million in damages.
Apple is currently working on Swift 5.0, the next major version of its the coding language the company first introduced in 2014. As Apple prepares to release Swift 5.0, Ted Kremenek, who is leading the project, recently sat down for an interview with John Sundell on his Swift by Sundell podcast.
The new episode, titled "Pragmatic Priorities," is available to listen to starting today on iTunes and through the Podcasts app on iOS devices.
Kremenek is Apple's senior manager of languages and runtimes, and he is overseeing the release of Swift 5 and is Apple's voice on the project.
In the podcast, Kremenek covers topics that include how Apple plans new features for Swift, the process by which pitched ideas turn into release features, and of course, Swift 5.
Swift 5's major focus is long-awaited ABI stability (Application Binary Interfaces), and Kremenek goes into detail on how ABI stability was ultimately implemented and what changes needed to be made for Swift to become ABI stable.
With Swift 5, apps created with one version of the Swift compiler will be able to interface with a library built with another version, something that is not the case now.
The Swift by Sundell podcast with Ted Kremenek will be of interest to developers and those who use the Swift language and want to learn more about the changes and features coming in Swift 5.
Apple still doesn't offer an official online web player for Apple Music, but if you want to enjoy the streaming service on a computer that doesn't have iTunes installed (your office PC, for example) there is another solution.
It's called "Musish," a free third-party web player for Apple Music subscribers, created by software engineer Brychan Bennett-Odlum and his team, Raphaël Vigée, James Jarvis, and Filip Grebowski.
To play Apple Music on the web through Musish, you need to sign in using your Apple ID. If you're concerned about account security, don't be -– sign-in is handled in a separate window under the Apple.com domain and Musish doesn't request, log, or gain access to user information.
Once you've signed in, you'll see the usual Apple Music tabs on the upper left corner of the Musish interface: For You, Browse, Radio, and My Library. Bear in mind, though, that some categories are slimmed down compared to what you'll find in the native iOS Music app or iTunes. Social features like friend profiles are currently unavailable, for example, and there are no radio features yet.
That said, the For You tab features plenty to keep you busy, including your recently played songs, albums in heavy rotation, and personalized mixes, as well as the day's playlists, albums, and new releases.
Likewise, the Browse section includes top songs, daily top 100 playlists, top playlists, top albums, and a genres tab. If you're searching for something specific, you can also use the site's upper-right search bar, which remains open on every tab.
To play music, just click an album/playlist and then click Play, Shuffle, or select a specific song. playback controls will appear at the bottom left of the screen, where you can adjust volume, turn on repeat, turn on shuffle, check out lyrics, and select what's up next.
The team behind Musish is actively developing the web player and hopes to bring mobile compatibility, a dark mode, and a more populated Browse section soon. If you like Musish, consider offering feedback or feature suggestions on the project's GitHub page.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple a patent describing a "method for representing points of interest in a view of a real environment on a mobile device," and while there is no specific mention of so-called Apple Glasses, the patent describes a "head-mounted display."
As with many other augmented reality devices, the head-mounted display would be able to overlay computer-generated virtual information onto a view of the real environment. More specifically, the headset would have a camera that is able to identify and annotate points of interest and other objects.
One illustration in the patent shows a head-mounted display showing buildings, each identified with an overlaying label. In another embodiment, an iPhone is shown with detailed information about a specific point of interest.
While the head-mounted display looks like a pair of snowboarding goggles, patent illustrations are merely examples.
Apple files numerous patent applications every week, of course, and many of the inventions do not see the light of day. Patents are also very detailed, encompassing many possible ideas, even ones that Apple might not have any plans to advance. So, the exact implementation if any remains to be seen.
At this point, it's not entirely clear if Apple is working on Google Glasses-like glasses or a HoloLens-like headset. Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed more of an interest in augmented reality than virtual reality, however, and the patent does suggest that Apple is focused on augmenting the real world.
Mitsubishi isn't one of the biggest-selling car manufacturers in the U.S. these days, but the Japanese automaker has been rebounding substantially in recent years thanks in large part to its focus on the popular crossover segment, led by the Outlander.
The Mitsubishi Outlander has been offered in a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant for the last few years, and I've been testing out a brand-new 2019 model of the Outlander PHEV just as the first units are starting to roll out to dealers around the country.
In the U.S. at least, changes from the 2018 model are primarily cosmetic aside from some tweaks to the suspension, noise and vibration reduction, and comfort. 2019 models in other countries are seeing some more substantial upgrades under the hood, but those have yet to make their way into the U.S. models.
The U.S. version of the 2019 Outlander PHEV offers a 2.0 L 4-cylinder gas engine paired with dual 60 kW electric motors and a 12 kWh Li-ion battery. Operating solely on electric power, the Outlander PHEV can drive up to 22 miles depending on conditions, while it gets 25 MPG in gasoline-only mode, for a combined rating of 74 MPGe. But with a relatively small 11.3-gallon gas tank to make room for the batteries, overall range is only a little over 300 miles.
Level 1/2 (left) and CHAdeMO (right) charging ports
A 110–120 V Level 1 charging cable is included with the Outlander for charging from a standard electrical outlet, and it offers the ability to switch between 8 A and 12 A charging options. A full charge requires approximately 13 hours at 8 A or 8 hours at 12 A. For faster charging, you can use a 220–240 V Level 2 charging device, which takes about 3.5 hours for a full charge, or a CHAdeMO quick charger at a public charging station to deliver an 80 percent charge in about 25 minutes. The battery is also charged on the go through regenerative braking with steering mounted paddle shifters to adjust the regenerative braking force.
My test vehicle was the high-end GT S-AWC trim, which checks in at just over $42,500 before federal tax credits and includes a number of upgrades and option packages as part of the trim level. The lower-level SEL S-AWC trim starts around $35,000 before tax breaks.
Smartphone Link Display Audio
Mitsubishi offers a 7-inch touchscreen standard in the Outlander PHEV with an infotainment system it calls Smartphone Link Display Audio (SDA). CarPlay and Android Auto support are also standard on all PHEV trims, although SDA and CarPlay/Android are not available on the base ES trim of the regular Outlander.
Mitsubishi's Smartphone Link Display Audio (SDA) home screen
What's interesting about Mitsubishi's SDA system is that there is no embedded navigation available in U.S. models, with users instead needing to rely on CarPlay or Android Auto for their navigation needs. I spoke with Bryan Arnett, Mitsubishi's senior manager for accessory development and advanced technology, and he explained to me that the company made the decision to remove embedded navigation as an option in the United States as of 2016 models for several interrelated reasons.
One of the key aspects had to do with cost, as navigation packages frequently cost in excess of $1,000 on top of other options, so only a portion of users even purchased cars with built-in navigation. In addition, embedded navigation systems need to be regularly updated to ensure they have the latest maps and points of interest, and even when Mitsubishi offered map updates free of charge, users were slow to update.
Embedded navigation systems also can have difficulty competing with smartphone options that owners are already used to in terms of interface and the overall user experience, so Mitsubishi made the decision to go all-in on CarPlay and Android Auto to provide navigation using devices customers already have. Arnett told me that customer feedback on this move has been great, with users increasingly preferring their phones over embedded navigation.
That said, Mitsubishi is part of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, which late last year announced that it will be among a number of car manufacturers moving to adopt Google's Android OS to drive their future infotainment systems. The move will allow users to access built-in versions of Google Maps and other services, although CarPlay will continue to be supported. The Alliance is planning to start rolling out vehicles with Android OS-based systems in 2021.
SiriusXM screen in SDA
As for the current SDA system in the Outlander PHEV, the 7-inch display is framed by a small power/volume knob at the lower left corner and a vertical strip of fixed touch icons along the right side. These icons include a Home button to take you back to the SDA home screen from wherever you are, including in CarPlay or Android Auto, as well as an Apps button that offers a persistent, one-touch option to take you into CarPlay or Android Auto.
Pop-up menu in SiriusXM screen
There's also an Audio button to take you directly to the SDA audio functions and cycle through the various audio sources (including CarPlay's Music app), and a Menu button that pops up a panel at the lower right where you can access settings and other options depending on which SDA screen you're on.
FM radio screen in SDA
In general, Mitsubishi has worked to ensure that the SDA system is intuitive by limiting submenus and making sure everything you need should be no more than two taps away. That's certainly the case with most functions, but I feel like there are some areas where the interface could use some improvements.
Phone keypad in SDA
In particular, the SDA system could use a visual overhaul with modernization of icon and button designs, and some functions such as the SiriusXM screen feel quite cluttered. I recognize that SiriusXM offers a lot of features and I appreciate Mitsubishi's effort to make them all accessible, but I feel like there could definitely be some streamlining.
Second page of SDA home screen showing EV-related icons
As a plug-in hybrid, the Outlander PHEV has a good bit more going on technology-wise than most other cars, and so the SDA system has been augmented to handle that. There are a number of home screen icons for PHEV-specific functions such as vehicle info on charging state and power flow, timed air conditioning and charging settings, and more.
EV eco-related data
Climate controls are handled strictly through separate hardware controls located below the infotainment system, although you do get a brief climate setting overlay on the screen when you make an adjustment. There's also an Air Conditioning icon on the SDA home screen that displays the current climate control settings, but you can't make any adjustments through the touchscreen.
Hardware climate controls at bottom with display-only climate information app in SDA
CarPlay
CarPlay uses a wired connection in the Outlander PHEV, which is unsurprising given how slow wireless CarPlay has been to take off. There's a single USB-A port near the bottom of the center stack, which comes with a rubberized plug cover that feels a little unnecessary and just seems to get in the way if you plan to be plugging and unplugging a USB cable frequently.
CarPlay home screen
CarPlay behaves as you'd expect on the 7-inch screen, which is about middle of the road in terms of screen sizes. Some views such as in maps feel a little on the small and cluttered side if you're used to an 8-inch screen, but it's completely usable. CarPlay is operated strictly by the touchscreen, with no additional touch pad or control knob on the center console, and that's fine with me.
The dedicated Home and Apps buttons make it easy to jump in and out of CarPlay, although I'd prefer it if they were located on the left side of the screen for a little bit easier reach.
Now Playing screen in CarPlay
The Outlander PHEV does come with a digital driver's display centered behind the steering wheel that can offer information such as range, MPG, trip odometers, energy flow, and more, but unfortunately there's no option to display audio information, a feature I typically like to use when the main infotainment screen is taken over by other functions such as CarPlay navigation.
Driver's display between the speedometer and power/charge gauges
As with most other cars, the voice control button on the steering wheel serves dual duty, with a short press bring up the SDA voice assistant and a long press bringing up Siri.
SDA and Siri voice control button located at top of lower left cluster
The first time you hit the voice control button, a screen pops up letting you know how that works, and you can tap a checkbox to permanently prevent the introduction screen from showing up in the future.
Pop-up screen explaining how to activate SDA and Siri voice controls
Ports and Connectivity
As I mentioned in the previous section, there's a single USB-A near the base of the center stack, where you can connect a phone for CarPlay or Android Auto, or other devices like iPods for audio purposes.
USB port located at base of center stack and adjacent to console cupholders
A pair of cupholders are located very close to the USB port and serve as decent places to store a connected phone, but there's no dedicated phone storage tray. I do feel like Mitsubishi could have made room for a tray, as there is a fair amount of empty space on the center console even with some extra buttons and switches for managing the hybrid functions of the vehicle.
Center console layout
There's no USB port inside the center console compartment, which would have been another nice option to have for those who like to keep their phones hidden away while driving. You can certainly still store your phone in the compartment, but you'll have a USB cable running out from under the lid all the way up to the dash.
On the rear of the center console, you'll find a second USB-A port for rear passengers. It's a fully functional USB data port, so it can be used not only for device charging but also for CarPlay or a media source.
Mitsubishi does not offer any wireless phone charging or Wi-Fi hotspot option on the Outlander PHEV.
One thing that is available on the Outlander PHEV GT trim is a 1500-watt AC power system with one outlet on the rear of the center console and a second in the cargo area. When active, you can power all sorts of electrical devices using the system, which can be handy for camping, extended trips into remote areas, or even for household items during power outages. There's also a single 12V DC power port up front on the dashboard.
Wrap-up
Overall, I was impressed with the CarPlay integration on Mitsubishi's latest SDA infotainment system, which the company tells me has been included on over 400,000 vehicles worldwide and over 100,000 in the United States. Interactions with CarPlay are fluid, and dedicated touch buttons for hopping in and out of CarPlay make for a smoothly integrated experience.
As for SDA itself, it certainly offers a lot of capabilities, especially on the Outlander PHEV with all of its hybrid technology. I thought I'd miss an option for embedded navigation, but it's starting to make a lot of sense for companies to forego built-in navigation in favor of owners' own smartphones that can offer a better user experience.
But while Mitsubishi has emphasized a streamlined menu hierarchy to limit the number of taps needed to access any option or setting, the visual design of the system could stand to see some improvement. It looks dated, and some screens end up looking quite cluttered. The home screens are easy-to-use grids with colorful icons to help you pick out what you're looking for at a quick glance, but again, the user interface element designs are looking rather dated and could really use some freshening up.
I'm optimistic about Mitsubishi and other manufacturers moving toward Android OS in the next few years, as built-in Google Maps (and hopefully Waze) will be great additions to these systems. Cloud-based navigation systems do sometimes falter compared to embedded systems in areas of poor cellular coverage, but Mitsubishi tells me it's working on addressing that through caching and other means as it moves toward bringing built-in navigation back with Android OS.
The base gas-powered Outlander ES trim starts at a little under $25,000, but you'll need to step up to the SE trim for an additional $1,000 in order to get the SDA system with CarPlay. If you're interested in the PHEV version of the Outlander, that starts around $35,000 for the SEL S-AWC trim with SDA and CarPlay standard.
Stepping up to the higher-level GT S-AWC trim can push pricing up to around $42,000, with even more options and packages available on top of that. Keep in mind that the Outlander PHEV will qualify for federal electric vehicle tax credits of $5,836, so that'll go a long way toward making the PHEV version more price competitive compared to traditional gas models if you'd like to go that route.
Logitech today added a new 5.1 surround sound speaker system to its audio range featuring wireless multi-source connectivity.
Called the Logitech Z606, the six-speaker system offers 160 watts of peak power and includes 3.5mm audio jack and RCA cable connections along with a built-in Bluetooth 4.2 module for quickly connecting to TVs, smartphones, tablets, consoles and computers.
The system comes with a 5.25-inch 25 watt subwoofer and five 10-watt (50-watt in total) satellite speakers, including extra long 20-foot rear satellite speaker cables for best placement to get the optimal surround sound experience.
The Bluetooth connection works up to 33 feet away, while the included compact remote lets you play, pause and skip songs, control volume, select inputs, and switch between 2.1 and 5.1 sound interchangeably.
The Logitech Z606 5.1 Surround Sound costs $129.99 and is available to order from today from the Logitech website.
The winners are Alex Jiang, Blake Marvin, Elizabeth Scarrott, Andrew Griswold, Bernard Antolin, and LieAdi Darmawan from the U.S., Darren Soh from Singapore, Nikita Yarosh from Belarus, Dina Alfasi from Israel, and Robert Glaser from Germany. A variety of iPhones were used, from the iPhone 7 through iPhone XS Max.
Photos from the 10 winners will be featured on Apple billboards in select cities, in Apple retail stores, and on Apple's website and social media accounts. Each of the winners will receive a licensing fee from Apple.
Apple's international panel of judges included its marketing chief Phil Schiller alongside a group of Apple employees and well-known photographers Pete Souza, Austin Mann, Annet de Graaf, Luísa Dörr, Chen Man, Kaiann Drance, Brooks Kraft, Sebastien Marineau-Mes, Jon McCormack, and Arem Duplessis.
100 years ago today the Grand Canyon became a national park. It is a source of wonder and inspiration — one of America’s greatest treasures. “In God's wildness lies the hope of the world.” — John Muir #shotoniPhone by @austinmannpic.twitter.com/KcnUj4PEml
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 26, 2019
Toyota today announced that CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard features in its all-new 2020 Corolla in the United States.
CarPlay in 2020 Corolla
CarPlay will be accessible through Toyota's standard Entune 3.0 multimedia system alongside Android Auto and Amazon Alexa. The base model 2020 Corolla is equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen, while the LE trim and above feature a larger 8-inch display. All models use wired CarPlay via USB ports.
Toyota says the 2020 Corolla will be available at dealerships this March, starting at $19,500 in the United States.
Toyota was a longtime CarPlay holdout, but it now offers Apple's platform in the 2019 and later Avalon, Camry, Corolla Hatchback, C-HR, RAV4, and Sienna as well as the 2020 Corolla, Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, and Supra. Read our review of CarPlay in the 2019 Avalon and 2019 Corolla Hatchback.
CarPlay provides convenient access to frequently used iPhone apps such as Phone, Messages, Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, Apple Music, and Spotify directly from the dashboard. The platform was introduced in 2014 and is now offered in over 500 vehicle models in the United States, according to Apple.
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