The Wall Street Journal today reported that Samsung plans to announce three new Galaxy S10 models along with an all-new foldable smartphone dubbed the "Galaxy Fold" at the event, with a simultaneous keynote in London. A fourth model with 5G network support will allegedly be released later in the spring.
Rumors point towards Samsung unveiling a lower-end Galaxy S10 Lite with a 5.8-inch display, Galaxy S10 with a 6.1-inch display, and Galaxy S10+ with a 6.4-inch display. The devices are expected to be released in March as usual.
Samsung typically unveils its Galaxy S smartphones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which takes place February 25-28 this year. Samsung reportedly decided to move up its announcement since Chinese smartphone maker Huawei plans to introduce a competing foldable smartphone at the trade show.
Leaks suggest Galaxy S10 models will feature a so-called "hole-punch" display with a small cutout for the front camera instead of a notch. More cameras are also expected across the lineup, with up to a four-lens rear camera and dual-lens front camera expected on at least one Galaxy S10+ variant.
Galaxy smartphones are one of the biggest rivals to the iPhone, which is also expected to gain a triple-lens rear camera in 2019. Apple is unlikely to switch to a hole-punch display, however, due to the various sensors required for Face ID.
Apple AirPods offer around five hours of listening time and two hours of talk time (or with second-generation AirPods, three hours of talk time) on a single charge. And if you pop your AirPods for 15 minutes in their case, you can get up to three hours of listening time or over an hour of talk time.
During use, you'll hear a tone when your AirPods' batteries are low, and another tone just before they run out. But you don't have to wait for these tones to know how much charge they have remaining. Here are a few other ways that you can keep a closer eye on your AirPods' battery life.
On iPhone
If you're not using your AirPods, open the charging case lid with the AirPods inside and hold the case close to your iPhone. The charge status of your AirPods and their case should appear on the device's screen, and if you take out an AirPod, you'll see individual percentages for the two earpieces.
You can also check the charge status of your AirPods using the Batteries widget in your iPhone's Today View, accessed by swiping right on the Lock screen or on your Home screen's first screen of apps.
If you're wearing both AirPods, the Batteries widget will show a single percentage for the two of them that's rounded down to the earpiece with the lowest battery. If you place one of the AirPods in your charging case, the widget will show you individual percentages, as well as the current charge level of the charging case itself.
If you don't have it installed already, you can add the Batteries widget manually. To do so, enter the Today view, scroll to the bottom of the column of widgets and press the Edit button. Then simply tap the green plus button in the list next to Batteries and tap Done in the upper right of the screen.
If you're a fan of Siri and you're wearing your AirPods, you can always ask the virtual assistant "How is the battery life of my AirPods?" and you should get an answer.
On Apple Watch
You can check the battery level of your AirPods from your wrist, whether they're paired with your iPhone or directly with your Apple Watch.
To do so, bring up the Control Center on your Apple Watch: Swipe up on a watch face, or when in an app, press the bottom edge of the screen then drag up the Control Center. Then tap the Apple Watch battery icon, indicated by a percentage.
Your AirPods' battery level will be displayed as a ring below the Apple Watch battery percentage, and if you place a pod in its charging case, you'll see individual percentage charges for the lot.
On the Charging Case
If your AirPods are in their case, the light inside the case shows the charge status of your AirPods. (On second-generation AirPods, this light is located on the front of the case.)
If not, the light shows the status of the case. Green means charged, and amber indicates less than one full charge remains.
Hulu is about to update its streaming app to make it easier to navigate and discover new content, according to TechCrunch.
The big change coming in the next few weeks will be to the Hulu Lineup screen that users see when the app is launched.
Hulu wants to trial two different variations to see which one has the most engagement: a "Hulu Picks" collection that will be curated by staff, and an "Unwatched in My Stuff" option that will show users things in their list that they've yet to watch.
Hulu told TechCrunch it will test both options with a portion of users in the coming weeks in order to determine which one sees the best response.
Elsewhere, other upcoming changes will include enabling users to view content while they search the thumbnail interface for something to watch.
Subscribers can also expect a larger, more prominent "Details" button on content within collections like Kids, News, and Sports. More metadata will be available, too, including things like genre, rating, and release year.
In addition, the Details button is set to feature quick user actions such as playing the next episode in a series, adding items to "My Stuff," and other show-specific settings.
When browsing the Live TV channel guide, users will be able to view two weeks ahead, rather than just what's on now and next. In general, users will also see a refreshed palette for the interface, including background artwork and movie posters.
Instagram is rolling out a new feature that allows posting content to multiple accounts at the same time. The social network confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature is now rolling out to all users of its iOS app:
An Instagram spokesperson confirms this option is becoming available to all iOS users, telling TechCrunch, "We are rolling out this feature to provide a better experience for people who often post to multiple accounts."
The ability to select which accounts to simultaneously publish the same post to is being made possible through the use of simple toggles that appear when the New Post option is selected.
The new feature is likely to be welcomed by users who have multiple accounts for whatever reason (to separate content, for instance) but it's sure be a hit with marketing companies who manage various social accounts.
Whether users will be able to publish Stories to multiple accounts simultaneously is yet to be confirmed.
Apple has added turn-by-turn navigation to Apple Maps for India. The app now offers the detailed directions for driving and walking, with options to book a ride through Uber and Ola also showing within the app.
Still missing for users in India is public transit information, lane guidance and speed limits, although given that the addition of turn-by-turn directions is part of an ongoing improvement to Apple Maps, these are likely to follow.
Rival Google Maps has been the de facto navigation app in India for some time, thanks to its driving, walking, and public transport modes. Users of the app have also benefited from the development of region-specific special features like "two-wheeler" mode which provides motorcycle and scooter users with shortcuts across cities.
By contrast, Apple's navigational contributions in the country have come in for some criticism, with some users calling out the app's sparse data for a number of cities and towns, including missing landmarks.
The introduction of turn-by-turn directions comes nearly three years after Apple announced the opening of a Hyderabad-based development center focused on improving Apple Maps in India.
Pioneer today announced the U.S. launch of the SPH-10BT, a new in-dash digital media receiver designed to work with a smartphone as a display.
The SPH-10BT is Pioneer's first receiver of this type equipped with a built-in smartphone cradle that integrates your own iPhone or Android device into your car's entertainment system.
While in the cradle, the smartphone becomes "visually combined" with the receiver, turning it into a full high-resolution LCD display for accessing Pioneer Smart Sync Driving functions via touch controls when paired with Pioneer's receiver.
"The single-DIN chassis size is almost universal, with the ability to be installed in both older and newer vehicles. However, given its compact size, a single-DIN receiver often lacks a large touchscreen or the ability to integrate well with the smartphone," said Ted Cardenas, vice president of marketing for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "The SPH-10BT offers a very unique solution by integrating the smartphone both electronically and physically."
The SPH-10BT smartphone setup is compatible with Pioneer's ND-PS1 rear parking sensors and will provide both audible object warnings and visual indicators when connected to sensors installed in the rear vehicle bumper.
While the smartphone integration offers up simple touch controls, the SPH-10BT is also equipped with physical buttons for switching between music sources, activating voice control, accessing navigation apps, reading incoming messages, making phone calls over Bluetooth, and launching into the Pioneer Smart Sync app.
A smartphone is able to connect to the SPH-10BT over Bluetooth, allowing for access to hands-free calling and music streaming. The SPH-10BT also features an anti-theft detachable panel, a customizable user interface, and MIXTRAX integration for "non-stop mix of your music library complete with DJ-inspired effects and club-style illumination."
Pioneer plans to launch the SPH-10BT in the U.S. in February, and it will cost $150, with installation costs not included in that price tag. The SPH-10BT is already available for purchase in Europe.
Apple CEO Tim Cook in an interview yesterday said that Apple had not been in any kind of settlement talks with Qualcomm since the third calendar quarter of 2018, which ended in September.
Cook was referencing November comments from Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf, who said during a November 7 earnings call that Qualcomm has "continued to have discussions with Apple to try and reach a resolution" and in an interview later in the month that the two companies were "really on the doorstep of finding a resolution."
After Cook made it clear yesterday that no settlement talks had taken place when those comments were made, Qualcomm in a statement told Reuters that what Cook had to say was "misleading" and that the company stands by Mollenkopf's statement.
"We have been consistent for the last 18 months in making clear that we have, at various times, been in discussions with Apple about a possible resolution to our licensing dispute," a Qualcomm spokesperson said in a statement. "We have also stated clearly on several occasions that we believe it will be resolved, one way or the other, in the near future, either through a settlement or court decisions."
In response, Apple said that Cook's comments were accurate. "Qualcomm is desperate to obfuscate the tales it has been telling its investors. Their accusations are a red herring," said Apple.
Cook yesterday had no kind words for Qualcomm, calling its policies "illegal."
The issues that we have with Qualcomm is that they have a policy of no license, no chips. This is, in our view, illegal. And so many regulators in many different countries agree with this. And then secondly, the obligation to offer their patent portfolio on a fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory basis. And they don't do that. They charge exorbitant prices. And they have a lot of different tactics they use to do that. And that's not just us saying that. I mean, you can see what's coming out of the FTC trial here in the United States.
Cook also spoke about Qualcomm's alleged tactic of spreading fake news, which came to light after a November report from The New York Times and subsequent followup reports suggested Qualcomm may have hired a research firm (Definers Public Affairs) to share negative stories about Apple.
"This is stuff that should be beneath companies," said Cook. "This is not how things should operate."
Apple and Qualcomm have been involved in an increasingly bitter legal battle since the beginning of 2017, with Apple refusing to pay unfair royalties to Qualcomm and Qualcomm countering with patent lawsuits and other litigation.
Qualcomm has achieved a preliminary import ban against the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 8 in China and Germany. Apple was able to sidestep the China ban with a software update, but has stopped selling its devices in Germany.
In addition to its ongoing dispute with Apple, Qualcomm is this week facing an antitrust trial levied by the FTC. The FTC, like Apple, claims that Qualcomm uses its position and portfolio of patents to impose anticompetitive supply and licensing terms on manufacturers.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 73 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web API, JavaScript, CSS, Media, WebRTC, Web Animations, Web Authentication, WebGPU, and Web Inspector.
The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was released to the public in September 2018.
Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Alpine Electronics at CES 2019 this week debuted two new in-car multimedia receivers with wired CarPlay and Android Auto support.
The new iLX-W650 receiver features a seven-inch anti-glare capacitive touchscreen with a shallow chassis that measures 2.4-inches deep, allowing for the system to fit into vehicles that do not have a lot of depth behind the dashboard. The receiver has a so-called mech-less design with no CD/DVD slot.
iLX-W650
The iLX-W650 also features an amp-stacking capability that enables Alpine's new KTA-450 amplifier to fit in the open space behind the receiver using an included bracket. The combined depth of the iLX-W650, KTA-450, and mounting bracket equals less than the depth of a standard double-DIN chassis.
The iLX-W650 in tandem with the KTA-450 amplifier won a CES 2019 Innovation Award in the In-Vehicle Audio/Video category.
Other features include standard Bluetooth music playback, SiriusXM readiness, and three 4V pre-outs that allow aftermarket speakers, subwoofers, additional amplifiers, and sound processors to be added. Two camera inputs sold separately allow for the addition of multiple cameras, including a rear-view camera.
Alpine also added a second model to its Halo9 product lineup. Like last year's iLX-F309, the new iLX-F259 receiver features a nine-inch capacitive touchscreen that "hovers" over the dashboard, allowing the oversize screen to be added to a variety of vehicles without the need for custom installation.
The screen is attached to an adjustable mount that is connected to a traditional single-DIN chassis. It can be tilted at four pre-set angle points to better match the tilt and height of the dashboard and can be positioned up to 20mm deeper and up to 30mm lower than the default position during installation.
Other features of the iLX-F259 include a mech-less design with no CD/DVD slot, standard Bluetooth music playback, SiriusXM readiness, and one rear-view camera input with the option to add additional camera inputs sold separately.
Over the past few years, the number of streaming TV services has grown exponentially, to the point where it can get overwhelming to figure out which platform is the best for you. Major offerings include DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, Hulu With Live TV, and FuboTV.
Starting out with a focus on soccer and streams from other live sports channels, FuboTV has since grown into a full-featured over the top streaming service with support for many major channels, a cloud DVR, family sharing, and more, starting at a competitive price of $39.99 per month (for the first month, $44.99/month afterwards).
FuboTV (left) and DirecTV Now (right) on Apple TV 4K
In order to compare some of these services, in this article we've looked at FuboTV and DirecTV Now specifically. Like most streaming TV services, FuboTV and DirecTV Now have many similarities, but a few key differences that could lead you to choosing one over the other. As a note, we're focusing mainly on the Apple TV app for each service, unless otherwise mentioned.
User Interface
FuboTV
When the FuboTV Apple TV app is first opened, a menu screen with a horizontal list of live tv channels is displayed (seen below). The selected channel starts automatically playing at launch, but the UI hovers over the playing video (akin to Netflix's autoplay videos), and to go full screen you have to tap once on the channel.
In terms of user interface as a whole, FuboTV excels with a clear and easy-to-grasp menu system, although tab organization is questionable and the app can feel bloated due to the amount of real estate dedicated to specific movies, TV shows, and sports.
On the bottom of the Home tab in the Apple TV app, FuboTV has a list of numerous TV shows and films for you to check out. There's featured content that'll be airing soon or is live now, live news, popular shows and movies, and categories like "best shows of the 90s" and "best shows of 2018."
Each show's page has a list of episodes and seasons (if previous seasons are available on FuboTV, which is a bit of a mixed bag in my experience), and if an episode is marked as “Upcoming,” you can record it.
After Home, there are tabs for Sports, Shows, and Movies before you get to FuboTV's live Guide tab. These three tabs show live events happening now, and ones you can watch on demand. I found this to be one of the more cumbersome aspects of the app's design, because I typically just wanted to jump directly into a live TV guide to check out what was playing now, and not have to navigate three separate tabs to get an idea of what to watch.
This navigation frustration is compounded due to FuboTV's lack of a slide-to-select menu bar; each time you want to go to a new tab you have to move to it and then click in on the Siri Remote. While not a deal breaker, because the app forces you to navigate tabs so often, it does become a bit of an annoyance over time.
In the guide, FuboTV retains the horizontal UI with a list of channels that scroll from right to left, while time stamps are listed vertically. You can jump to a different day within the next four days, browse your favorite channels, and check a list of the networks you're subscribed to. When watching a live channel, you can swipe up to see a list of what else is on, and in one of my favorite UI navigation options for FuboTV, you can tap and hold on the Siri Remote to jump back to the previous channel.
Due to the Siri Remote's limited buttons, many OTT services have a tough time implementing basic features, like a recall button, so FuboTV's execution is neat and very welcome. FuboTV has a handful of useful shortcuts like this, like tapping and holding to record a show, and overall it feels like the app's developers were more aware of the platform they were building for in comparison to DirecTV Now.
DirecTV Now
For DirecTV Now, the UI as a whole is much simpler than FuboTV. DirecTV Now loads right into a channel (typically the last one you were watching), and you press the Menu button on the Siri Remote to bring up the app's UI. This quick loading into a live feed (when it works) is a great way to easily get background noise going in your home, without having to fuss through additional menus. The experience is something taken from traditional cable boxes, and one part of DirecTV Now I've always liked.
In the menu, the central tab is Watch Now, which is a recommended list of your most and recently watched channels that are easy to jump into. This area has trending and best-of show lists, similar to FuboTV.
Left of Watch Now is the guide, which is opposite of FuboTV with a vertical list of channels and horizontal list for timestamps (just like a traditional cable guide). Although I used to rely entirely on DirecTV Now's guide when navigating the app, when Watch Now was added I found that the app remembered the channels I liked to watch pretty well and was always able to quickly jump into my top 5-6 favorite channels without ever going to the guide.
In this regard, I prefer DirecTV Now's interface over FuboTV, since it more quickly and easily put me into a show without needing to click around a menu too much. At the same time, DirecTV Now's Apple TV app is overly reliant on the Siri Remote's Menu button, and even a few years into using the service, I'm still sometimes unclear on how many times I need to hit it to go back to a live video feed, and more often than not end up on the Apple TV home screen.
Cloud DVR
FuboTV
FuboTV offers 30 hours of free cloud DVR storage in every basic package, or you can pay an extra $9.99/month for 500 hours of storage. These recordings are stored indefinitely, or until you delete them.
Although FuboTV's cloud DVR beats DirecTV Now's in a few key areas, FuboTV lacks a huge feature that made it difficult for me to rely solely on the service: it doesn't have a series recording option in the DVR. Although you can find a specific show and select an upcoming episode to record, FuboTV at this time does not allow you to record every new episode (or old episodes) of a show, but the company informed me that this feature will be added soon.
Given that one of the most enticing aspects of a DVR is the set-it-and-forget-it feature of season passes, this is a huge oversight for the app. In the weeks I used FuboTV exclusively, I used Apple's Reminders app to give me a heads up about recording the latest episode of a show I was watching. Even Apple's own TV app — which pulls in new episodes automatically from third-party apps — makes this process painless.
DirecTV Now
DirecTV Now offers all subscribers 20 hours of free storage on its "true cloud DVR", which is still marked as in beta at the time of writing. At this point, there is no option to expand this storage, and after 30 days DirecTV Now deletes your recordings. You can still opt to watch them on demand, but if the show isn't available on demand then you will be left unable to watch a show you previously recorded.
Although DirecTV Now's true cloud DVR has its share of problems, including consistent audio glitches in recordings and an inelegant fast forward option, it does have a series recording option and the interface feels largely similar to a traditional cable box. Given DirecTV Now's overall performance issues, however, I still have never felt entirely confident in relying solely on the app as my only DVR.
Performance
FuboTV
Since you're relying on an internet connection to watch these services, stream quality and performance is something that varies person to person, but overall I've had far fewer issues with FuboTV in this regard. Streams rarely went dark, audio remained consistently in sync, and the service didn't go down. There are a handful of odd glitches, however, like one that caused my stream to pause every time I left the app and re-opened it on a live stream. To get the video to play, I had to leave the channel and return to it.
Each app suffers from some occasional stream stuttering where quality lowers for a few seconds before it picks back up again. FuboTV also has 4K playback on select channels (not available to record, however), while DirecTV Now doesn't support 4K at this time.
DirecTV Now
This is one of DirecTV Now's big weak points. Most days when I turn on the app and leave it to go cook or clean, I'll come back to my living room to a black screen a few minutes later. After I press the Menu button, select a different channel (or just re-select the same channel), the app refreshes and the stream comes back on. This is most frustrating when I'm actually watching something and the app goes dark.
That's not to mention other consistent issues like the guide not loading properly, weird playback bugs in the DVR, audio glitches, and complete service outages. My Apple TV has no issues streaming in other apps and my internet connection to it has always been solid, and given that many users report similar streaming frustrations and downtimes with DirecTV Now regularly in the service's subreddit, I'm inclined to believe that this is simply a downside of the service's performance and not something I could fix with a router reset (which I've tried).
What makes DirecTV Now most perplexing is that sometimes, in my experience, these glitches and bugs simply disappear for a few days at a time, and I get to see a hint at what the best version of the service can be: videos load in a snap, blackouts never happen, and the true cloud DVR never stutters during playback. The crux of DirecTV Now, at this point in time, is that it's inconsistent; you never know exactly what quality of service you'll get on any particular day, and for a platform built entirely around leisure and entertainment, that can get pretty frustrating.
Channels
Channel availability — particularly for local channels — is one aspect of any streaming TV service that greatly varies by region. For me, in southern Louisiana, DirecTV Now offered my local FOX affiliate only, while FuboTV had local FOX and CBS channels. Unless you're in a big city with more affiliate coverage, local channels typically aren't a selling point for these streaming services.
Otherwise, FuboTV's basic package offers just over 75 channels at $39.99 per month for your first month, but the price increases to $44.99/month afterwards. DirecTV Now's Live a Little $40/month package offers just over 65 channels. These two packages lined up pretty much exactly, offering most of the same channels and covering many of the big offerings like FX, AMC, HGTV, Syfy, and USA. One big channel missing from FuboTV is Freeform.
FuboTV also caters to Latin American and Portuguese audiences with Fubo Latino ($17.99/month) and Fubo Português ($19.99/month) channel bundles. The basic bundles also come with a collection of sports packages like Sports Plus (22 channels for additional $8.99/month), International Sports Plus (4 channels for $5.99/month), Fubo Cycling (5 channels for $11.99/month), and more. Despite this bevy of sports-focused offerings, FuboTV has one major weak spot: it doesn't include any ESPN channels in any plan.
DirecTV Now's offerings are a more straightforward tiered system, including ESPN from the base plan onwards. Following Live a Little, there's "Just Right" at $55/month for 85+ channels, "Go Big" for $65/month for 105+ channels, "Gotta Have It" for $75/month for 125+ channels, and a Spanish language "Todo y Más" bundle at $45/month for 90+ channels. With these tiers, DirecTV Now can easily cost as much as a normal cable bill, especially if you add more premium channels.
For premiums, FuboTV only has Showtime at $10.99/month added on, while DirecTV Now has all the big premium channels, and at a much lower cost. HBO is $5/month added on, Showtime is $8/month, Starz is $8/month, and Cinemax is $5/month.
Miscellaneous
Episode pages - On pages for upcoming episodes, FuboTV has a helpful option to jump directly into the current live stream of that channel, while DirecTV Now simply lets you record the episode.
Stream count - FuboTV offers two concurrent streams on the same account, and you'll have to pay $5.99/month to add a third stream. DirecTV Now offers two concurrent streams as well, and you can upgrade to three for $5/month.
Background stream - FuboTV cuts off sound of the live stream when you navigate its menus, while DirecTV Now keeps noise from the live channel running as you browse. I found FuboTV's method a bit jarring, but this is another feature that will depend on personal preference.
Favorites - FuboTV automatically pulls your favorites up to the top of the guide, while DirecTV Now offers a filter to show all channels or just your favorites.
DVR controls - FuboTV's fast forward options in the DVR were far more snappy and reliable in my testing compared to DirecTV Now, which always requires me to hit play/pause a few times once I jump to section of video I want to be in. Both apps still offer less-than-stellar fast forward options in comparison to traditional cable boxes.
Background app refresh - FuboTV tends to load back into the Home menu if you leave the app for longer than 30 seconds, while DirecTV Now will pick up the live video or recording you were watching even if you left the app minutes prior.
Recap
DirecTV Now continues to be riddled with bugginess, playback issues, and other problems, but AT&T's streaming TV service offers a ton of channels at a decent price, and the days that it works well truly rekindle a cable set-top box feeling. If the company expands its true cloud DVR with more storage at a reasonable price, finally makes the platform more stable, and offers some UI tweaks for slicker playback controls, DirecTV Now will have a bright future.
On the other hand, FuboTV already has a more stable streaming service and a bevy of channels (although major options are missing) at a mostly competitive price tag. The Apple TV app's UI can be cumbersome when you just want to jump into a show quickly, but the menus you navigate through are nice to look at and the app overall feels more responsive than DirecTV Now on an Apple TV 4K. FuboTV's most glaring error is the lack of series pass recordings in the cloud DVR, making it hard to recommend to hardcore TV watchers who are looking to cut the cord, but still keep track of their favorite shows.
In the end, each service has a large list of pros and cons, and the option you decide on will offer a largely competent replacement to traditional cable TV, with a few caveats. The perfect over-the-top streaming TV service doesn't exist, yet, so finding the right one that fits your viewing habits can be a trial and error process. Luckily, both FuboTV and DirecTV Now offer free trials that last one week, which is plenty of time to test out all of the major features of each service before you begin paying for one.
Elgato parent company Corsair at CES 2019 this week unveiled its new Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock. The dock connects to the latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with a single Thunderbolt 3 cable and provides a wide variety of additional I/O connectivity options, eliminating the need for multiple adapters.
The dock is equipped with two USB-C ports with transfer speeds up to 10Gb/s, two USB-A ports with transfer speeds up to 5 Gb/s, two Thunderbolt 3 ports with transfer speeds up to 40 Gb/s, one DisplayPort 1.2, one Gigabit Ethernet port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and audio output, and SD and microSD card readers.
The dock can drive a 5K external display at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or two 4K external displays simultaneously, with one connected via DisplayPort and the other via Thunderbolt. 4K at 60Hz is also supported via HDMI 2.0 with an adapter.
The new Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock is available now for $349.99 from Amazon, Corsair, and select other retailers and distributors around the world.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple plans to relocate its oft-crowded store at the Eaton Centre shopping mall in Downtown Toronto to a much larger space in the mall that is currently occupied by apparel chain Abercrombie & Fitch, which will also be relocating within the mall as part of the shuffle, according to people familiar with the matter.
A view of the existing Apple and Abercrombie & Fitch stores at the Eaton Centre
It is certainly possible that Apple could also take over a few additional units surrounding Abercrombie & Fitch for an even larger store.
Just this week, Abercrombie & Fitch erected a temporary barricade for its new store, slated to open in spring 2019. This suggests Apple could take over Abercrombie & Fitch's current space within three to five months from now and begin constructing its new store for a potential grand opening by 2020.
Apple is currently located on the third floor of the Eaton Centre, while the existing Abercrombie & Fitch is situated almost directly beneath Apple on the second floor near the Queen Street entrance to the mall. Apple's mall-based stores are frequently in prime locations near entrances and escalators.
The biggest reason for Apple's planned move would be additional space. Abercrombie & Fitch has a 10,680-square-foot unit, more than twice the size of Apple's current 4,977-square-foot unit, according to an Eaton Centre floor plan.
Eaton Centre is North America's busiest shopping mall, with more than 50 million people passing through its atrium in 2017 according to one study. It is also home to Apple's only store in Downtown Toronto. An expansion would surely be a sigh of relief for not only customers but the team staffing the busy store.
Apple's current store at the Eaton Centre
Apple has greatly expanded both its product lineup and retail initiatives since the store first opened in 2006, one year prior to the iPhone. The additional space would better accomodate customers in many ways, ranging from Apple Watch try-ons to Today at Apple sessions to Genius Bar appointments.
The new store would also have an updated aesthetic. Apple's latest retail design typically includes large glass doors, large video screens for Today at Apple sessions and product marketing, and wall-mounted sequoia wood shelves called Avenues that display Beats headphones, iPhone cases, and other accessories.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment. Eaton Centre owner and management company Cadillac Fairview declined to comment.
Taller Ambitions
Another move that could help with the traffic at Apple Eaton Centre is Apple's rumored flagship store at the ground level of The One, a super-tall 85-floor condominium under construction at the corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street, one of the busiest intersections in Toronto and bordering the downtown core.
A render of The One upon completion
Early last year, Toronto-based photographer, writer, and urban planning aficionado Pedro Marques uncovered a reference to Apple in a planning document for the condominium. The architecture firm behind the project is Foster + Partners, which has partnered with Apple on many retail stores and its Apple Park headquarters.
The brochure claims that The One will be "the future home of Apple," with the longest side of the store opening to Bloor Street's upscale shopping area Mink Mile. Excavation is underway for construction of the condominium, expected to be completed by late 2022, but its retail space may open as early as 2020.
The southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor is the former site of men's clothing store Stollery's, which closed in early 2015 after 114 years in business.
Apple has four existing stores in Toronto at Yorkdale, Sherway Gardens, Fairview, and the aforementioned Eaton Centre, but all of them are within shopping malls. The One would finally provide Toronto with a long-desired street-facing Apple Store.
After testing some apps on an old iPhone 6 recently, I started to notice the device's Home button was becoming less and less responsive to finger presses, especially when it came to double-clicking it. Sure enough, after a few more days' use, the Home button stopped working completely.
In memory of the Home button
Now, ordinarily this would have left me in the unenviable position of having to power off my iPhone and turn it on again whenever I wanted to exit out of a launched app, until I relinquished the device and sent it away for a costly repair.
Fortunately, however, the event jogged my memory of a friend who was able to continue using their iPhone even after a drop had left its Home button dangling by a wire (by some miracle, Touch ID still worked). They had set up iOS's Assistive Touch feature as a virtual Home button while they waited until they could afford a replacement.
If your iPhone's Home button is dead or dying and you want to take similar action, or if you just fancy reminding yourself what using a Home button was like before Apple removed them from its latest iPhones, here's how to set up Assistive Touch to mimic a virtual one.
Note that if your Home button is already broken and your iPhone is stuck in a launched app, simply power off the device and turn it on again to boot back into the Home screen and follow these steps.
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap General.
Tap Accessibility.
Scroll down and tap AssistiveTouch.
Slide the AssistiveTouch toggle to the green position to turn it on.
Next, under Custom Actions, select Single-Tap.
In the next screen, tap Home to check it in the list.
With the AssistiveTouch virtual button enabled, simply touch it and it will behave just like a physical Home button.
Note that you can drag it around the screen to another location, and it will remain there until you move it again. You can also access it in running apps, as well as the Control Center.
Apple will express its gratitude to Korean police for seizing fake accessories worth 1 billion won ($892,000) by presenting a plaque to officers at a local police unit, reports The Korea Herald.
As a token of thanks, Donald Shruhan, senior regional director for Apple's Asia-Pacific operations, will visit the Bucheon Sosa Police Station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday to deliver a plaque of appreciation to investigators who arrested local distributors of fake Apple charging cables and earphones.
The fake products are said to have come from China, although authorities are still trying to work out how they made it into the country. The distributors are reportedly under investigation on suspicion of fraud and trademark violation, said the paper's sources.
Apple has a history of suffering from counterfeit Apple products originating from China, with authorities breaking up counterfeit iPhone rings and shutting down fake Apple Stores in the country down the years.
Apple has recruited a former Facebook employee who went on to become one of the social network's most ardent critics, reports The Financial Times (paywall). Sandy Parakilas monitored the privacy and policy compliance of Facebook developers for 18 months before leaving the social network in 2012.
Sandy Parakilas talking to Bloomberg
During his time at the company, Parakilas felt his concerns about its data-sharing policies were downplayed, according to FT.
Last year, following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Parakilas also gave evidence to the British parliament's digital, culture, media, and sport committee, and told MPs that Facebook's data protection practices were "far outside the bounds of what should have been allowed" between 2010 and 2014.
Mr Parakilas has urged the tech industry to improve its data protection practices, increase the use of encrypted messaging and "verify the truth of statements that can be viewed by millions of people".
"We now live in a world where racist demagogues and their dictator buddies can cynically exploit our tools to seize power," he wrote in a blog post in late 2016. "There is no such thing as a 'neutral platform'. Facebook, Twitter and Google all profited from this perversion of democracy."
According to FT's sources, Parakilas will work in Apple's privacy team as a product manager, an internal-facing role designed to ensure that new products in development protect users' privacy and minimize data collection.
Apple has made much of its privacy focus in recent years. In 2018, CEO Tim Cook singled out user privacy a "core value" of Apple's that reaches way back to before smartphones had become a feature of people's daily lives.
Recently, in the heart of Las Vegas where the Consumer Electronics Show is currently underway, Apple put up a giant sign touting the security of its devices to remind the tech industry of its heavy emphasis on privacy.
Apple does not have a presence at the show, but CES attendees will be seeing products from companies with less of a privacy focus like Google and Amazon.
The Gardena Smart System is gaining support for Apple's HomeKit, with HomeKit integration coming to Gardena devices like the Smart Water Control, Smart Irrigation Control, Smart Sensor, and Smart Power.
Gardena accessories are gaining HomeKit compatibility through a software update, allowing existing Gardena Smart System owners to upgrade their systems to work with the Apple Home app and Siri voice commands.
Gardena's Smart System consists of a range of products, including watering sets for various areas like hedges and bushes or balconies, irrigation controls for controlling multiple irrigation zones, a control set for managing water usage, a water controller for automatic irrigation, sensors for measuring soil moisture and other parameters, and a smart power adapter.
The Gardena devices, available since 2016, are designed to allow gardeners to precisely monitor everything that goes on in their homes while also automating care in many ways. All of the devices have been able to be controlled via the Gardena app, but HomeKit offers more versatility and allows for integration with other HomeKit devices like outdoor lights, sensors, and more.
HomeKit compatibility will be added by the end of the first quarter of 2019.
Apple is telling its suppliers to cut production on new iPhones by 10 percent over the course of the next three months, reports Nikkei.
Apple made the request of its suppliers late last month, asking them to produce fewer iPhones for the January-March quarter.
This is the second time that Apple has recently cut down on iPhone production, and Nikkei says Apple made the decision prior to issuing its guidance downgrade last week.
The production revision applies to all of Apple's new iPhone models, including the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. "The level of revision is different for each supplier and depends on the product mix they supply," an unnamed source told Nikkei.
A second source said that overall production volume of both new and old iPhones will be reduced by approximately 40 to 43 million units for the January-March quarter, down from an earlier projection of 47 to 48 million units.
Due to weak iPhone sales in China, the effects of the U.S.-China trade war, cheap battery replacements, and other factors, Apple cut its Q1 2019 revenue guidance to $84 billion, down from the $89 to $93 billion guidance issued in November, and with the production cuts, those issues may continue further into the year.
Apple CEO Tim Cook just today said, however, that reports suggesting the iPhone XR is a flop or selling poorly are "bologna," and that the device has been the best selling iPhone every day since it launched.
In an interview with Mad Money's Jim Cramer that aired tonight, Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed a wide range of topics, including Apple's future product plans, its health ambitions, wearable sales, and Siri improvements.
According to Cook, Apple's product pipeline has "never been better," a line that he often repeats. Apple is, in fact, working on new services that are coming this year, says Cook, though he declined to provide additional detail.
I believe it'll be material over time. I'm not gonna forecast precisely, the ramps and so forth. But they're things that we feel really great about, that we've been working on for multiple years.
We do know that Apple has a major TV-related service in the works, with more than a dozen original television shows and movies being produced right now.
Cook also said that health is a major focus of Apple, and that health may actually end up being "Apple's greatest contribution to mankind."
We are taking what has been with the institution and empowering the individual to manage their health. And we're just at the front end of this. But I do think, looking back, in the future, you will answer that question, Apple's most-important contribution to mankind has been in health.
Cook pointed towards Apple's work on Research Kit and CareKit for increasing research pools and improving bedside care, along with the Medical Records feature that allows users to access their medical records from multiple providers right on their iPhones.
Cook also mentioned the Apple Watch earlier in the interview, and said that he regularly reads emails from customers who tell him how the Apple Watch has changed their lives by motivating them to be more fit or finding heart problems through the new ECG feature that detects atrial fibrillation. "These are life-changing things," said Cook.
Apple's wearables business, which includes the Apple Watch and the AirPods, has already exceeded the iPod business by 50 percent at the iPod's peak, Cook went on to say.
And so already, exceeded it by 50 percent at its peak. At its peak. Also, if you take AirPods and the Watch separately, and you sort of back these up and align it to the launch date of iPod, as well, and, you know, where all of them have a comparable amount of time, you would find that each one, independently, is, like, four to six times ahead of where iPod was at a comparable period of time.
Cook was also asked about Siri, and whether Apple would throw more money at it if the company had "unlimited capital." In response, Cook said that Apple is "putting a ton of investment" in Siri.
There are more than 500 million devices using Siri in 21 languages and 30 countries. Cook says Apple wants Siri to be in every country, and that "quality is going up."
You know voice is a never-ending journey. We all speak a bit differently. I have a southern dialect, not as southern as I used to. But there's a lot of stuff to do there. But I'm highly confident in our ability to keep innovating like crazy there.
Apple today 
