MacRumors

Beta testing of the upcoming Pokémon GO game for iOS kicked off in the United States today, with Niantic Labs sending out beta invites to customers who signed up to be field testers earlier this month. Beta testing is already underway in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Pokémon GO, first announced last year, is being developed by Niantic Labs in collaboration with The Pokémon Company. It will allow Pokémon fans to search real world locations to collect, battle, and trade more than 100 different Pokémon.

As was detailed in previous posts, Pokémon Go will notify players when they're near a catchable Pokémon, with the iPhone used to throw a Poké Ball. PokéStops around the world, located at places like public art installations and historical markers, will allow players to stock up on Poké Balls and discover Pokémon Eggs.

Alongside the launch of the U.S. beta test, more details have been revealed about the way the battle mechanics will work in the game. Each Pokémon Go user will be encouraged to join one of three teams to engage in Gym battles with other teams. Gym battles can be undertaken once a team is joined, and Gyms, like Pokémon, are located in real world locations around the world. Evolving Pokémon has also been added to the game.

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Battling is essential to any Pokémon game, and Pokémon GO is no different. Players can battle using the Pokémon they've caught to gain control of a Gym. By using their own Pokémon's attacks and dodging incoming attacks by swiping left and right on the screen, Pokémon GO players can defeat the defending Pokémon to reduce the Gym's Prestige.

Once the Gym's Prestige reaches zero, the defending team loses control of the Gym, and the victor's Pokémon can be assigned to defend the Gym. When a team has control of a Gym, team members can increase its Prestige and level by training their Pokémon with other defending Pokémon. As the Gym gets to a higher level, the defending team gains the ability to assign more Pokémon to defend it. They can also team up with friends and battle together at a rival Gym to take down stronger Gyms faster.

Pokémon Go will be free to download when it launches later in 2016. In-app purchases will be available, allowing players to buy PokéCoins for power-ups and extra items. No concrete release date has been provided for Pokémon Go, but with the expansion of the beta test, a launch is growing closer. Customers who want to sign up for the field test can do so on the Niantic Labs website.

Tesla-SuperchargerApple has been engaged in discussions with charging station companies about their underlying technologies, according to Reuters.

The talks are largely unsurprising given that Apple is widely believed to be researching and developing its own electric vehicle, which could enter production by 2020.

Apple would of course need to provide a way to charge the so-called Apple Car's battery, possibly akin to Tesla's network of Supercharger partners in the U.S. and around the world.

Charging firms are treading carefully, the person added, wary of sharing too much with a company they view as a potential rival.

It is unclear whether Apple would want its own proprietary technology, such as Tesla Motors' Supercharger network, or design a system compatible with offerings from other market players.

The report offers few specific details about the discussions, but it does confirm that a "global engineering and construction firm" has already contacted Apple to offer its services. It remains unclear, however, if Apple would be open to a charging partner or prefer to create its own proprietary network.

"It would be natural to assume if Apple is going to have a full battery electric vehicle that creates a seamless consumer experience the way Apple does, the charging infrastructure and its availability would be of paramount importance," the source said.

The report also reflects upon a series of charging-related hirings that Apple has made in recent months, based on LinkedIn profiles, such as Nan Liu, described as "an engineer who researched a form of wireless charging for electric vehicles," and former Google charging expert Kurt Adelberger.

As more electric vehicles begin to arrive on the roads, it is expected that EV automakers will have to expand their charging stations to accommodate. Tesla, for example, currently has around 600 charging stations worldwide, which pales in comparison to the nearly 400,000 reservations for its lower-priced Model 3.

Apple is on track to spend a record $10 billion on R&D this year, which analyst Neil Cybart believes is a clear indicator of its electric vehicle plans. Cybart predicted the odds of Apple releasing an electric vehicle are at least 80 percent, adding that Apple has likely already spent at least a few billion dollars on the project.

"Apple is not spending $10 billion on R&D just to come up with new Watch bands, larger iPads, or a video streaming service," he wrote. "Instead, Apple is planning on something much bigger: a pivot into the automobile industry."

The majority of R&D may be taking place in Sunnyvale and the surrounding Santa Clara Valley area, near Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, with a recent report claiming the company is looking to purchase "large expanses of real estate" in the San Francisco Bay Area for the project.

Related Roundup: Apple Car

A new wearable Bluetooth earpiece has been gaining traction on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, recently surpassing $1 million in funding and easily breaking its original goal of $75,000 from its backers. Called the "Pilot," the insertable earpiece translates languages in real time between users speaking with one another, all through a connected smartphone app.

The Pilot comes with two earpieces, and when used together the system can function as a traditional set of wireless earbuds with basic audio and music playback through a Bluetooth-connected smartphone. When in need of its translation ability, users can hand off one of the earbuds to another person so their conversation is filtered and translated to each user through the Pilot's real-time language translator.


To start off, the earpiece's creators -- Waverly Labs -- will include language packages for English, Spanish, French and Italian, with other languages introduced as paid downloads in the future. The app will initially be required to connect online when it launches this summer (as a basic translator sans Pilot earpieces), but will eventually store its language database offline so users won't have to worry about a constant internet connection fueling Pilot. There's even an option to funnel the translated conversation through a smartphone's speaker so everyone nearby can hear what a foreign speaker is saying.

The Pilot's FAQ mentions that translation isn't currently perfect, but that the more people use the device, the smarter Pilot will become. There's also "a couple of seconds of delay" between when a user speaks in their native tongue, and when it is translated to the second Pilot earbud wearer, which Waverly Labs says will be an aspect of the device it works hard at shortening through app updates.

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Although there were early bird specials at discounted prices, all of them are sold out. Pilot is currently selling for $199 as a pre-order on its Indiegogo page. With that bundle users will get the two earpieces, a portable charger, and three different sized eartips. Other backer levels include bundles of extra Pilot earpieces, and the chance to meet the team at Waverly Labs and get a glimpse behind the scenes of the technology's creation.

The Pilot could be delivered, at the earliest, by Christmas of 2016, although Waverly Labs is telling backers to expect the first shipment of Pilot earpieces to arrive in Spring of 2017.

X12While several rumors point towards Apple switching to Intel as its primary supplier of LTE modems for the iPhone 7 series, the consensus remains that longtime supplier Qualcomm will continue to share a portion of orders.

Assuming at least a percentage of orders go to Qualcomm, which has been the exclusive provider of LTE modems in iPhones for over three years, its X12 modem is a likely candidate for LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity on iPhone 7.

Qualcomm's X12 chipsets, announced in September 2015, feature theoretical LTE category 12 download speeds up to 600 Mbps and LTE category 13 upload speeds up to 150 Mbps. The lineup, including the MDM9x45 and MDM9x40 chipsets, also support LTE Advanced carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO, LTE-U small cells, and automatic LTE and Wi-Fi switching.

4G+

LTE Advanced enables data transfer across multiple frequencies to allow for higher data rates with lower latency across the network, translating to faster speeds for browsing the web, downloading apps, streaming video, and other data-related tasks.

The MDM9x45 would be an appropriate successor to Qualcomm's MDM9635 modem in the iPhone 6s series, which provides theoretical downlink speeds up to 300 Mbps and uplink speeds up to 50 Mbps. The X12 has already been adopted in several flagship Android smartphones equipped with the Snapdragon 820 processor, including the Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5, and Xiaomi Mi5.


Comparatively, Apple is rumored to use Intel's XMM 7360 LTE modem [PDF] with theoretical download speeds up to 450 Mbps and upload speeds up to 100 Mbps. The chip also features LTE Advanced with 3x carrier aggregation and support for up to 29 LTE bands overall, VoLTE, dual SIM cards, and LTE and Wi-Fi interworking.

Provided that rumors about Apple sourcing LTE modems from both Intel and Qualcomm are accurate, it remains unclear how the chipsets will be divided. The split could be based on certain iPhone models or SKUs, or perhaps Apple will elect to use Intel modems in certain regions and Qualcomm modems in others.


Qualcomm also introduced the X16, the world's first announced Gigabit-class LTE modem, in February 2016, but the chipset is unlikely to make its way into iPhones until at least late 2017. The X16 supports 4x20 MHz carrier aggregation to achieve unprecedented theoretical download speeds up to 1 Gbps and peak upload speeds up to 150 Mbps. Real-world speeds, however, are often limited by carriers.

The bottom line for end users is that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus/Pro will likely have much faster peak LTE and Wi-Fi speeds, regardless of whether the chipsets are sourced from Intel, Qualcomm, or a combination of the two. While true speeds ultimately rely upon carriers, the upgrade should be a welcomed improvement for data-heavy users in the U.S. and around the world.

Tags: LTE, Qualcomm
Related Forum: iPhone

Kanex has introduced a new GoPower rechargeable 15,000 mAh USB-C battery pack capable of delivering one full charge to the 12-inch Retina MacBook.

The slim aluminum battery pack also has a traditional USB port that can provide multiple charges to iPhones, iPads, and other USB devices.

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USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables are included for charging the GoPower itself. A four-LED status indicator lets users know the power level of the battery pack based on 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent intervals.

Kanex has also included a built-in circuit protection board with priority charging detection technology that enables pass-through charging to plugged in devices when the battery pack itself is plugged into a power source.

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The battery pack's USB-C output is 5V at 3 Amps, while its USB output is 5V at 2.4 Amps.

GoPower retails for $99.95 on Amazon and Kanex's website.

Related Forum: MacBook

Hugely popular toys-to-life business Skylanders announced its first mobile card game on iOS yesterday, as its seeks to further penetrate the $1.2 billion digital card market.

Officially launched by parent company Activision Blizzard, Skylanders Battlecast takes the traditional formula established by the former's wildly successful Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and injects a grab bag of classic RPG elements into its cartoonish game environment.

Skylanders Battlecast
Players control a team of three characters and compete with another group in turn-based combat. Each character represents one of eight different combat elements, and players can change which character takes the lead role for each round, which affects which cards can be played. The goal is to knock out the opposing group by casting spells with cards and directing characters to attack individual opponents.

As with most card games, Skylanders Battlecast is free to play, but expanding card collections requires players to spend money to buy the game world's virtual currency. A 22-card "battle pack" for instance costs 1,400 virtual coins, or $14.99 in real terms.

Skylanders also lets players buy packs of physical cards which they can then import into the game world using their device's camera. The scheme works out cheaper than buying digital cards, with $4.99 for booster packs and $9.99 for battle packs.

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Mobile card games have experienced seemingly unstoppable growth in recent years, with Activision Blizzard's Hearthstone reportedly earning $20 million a month. Translating the toys-to-life Skylanders franchise into the digital arena will likely drive even more growth for the parent company as it seeks to reach a new audience.

Skylanders Battlecast is a free download for iPad and iPhone on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Microsoft has laid off hundreds of employees tied to its smartphone business, as the company finally exits the consumer phone market and attempts to streamline its worldwide mobile division (via The Verge).

The move will impact up to 1,850 jobs worldwide, said Microsoft's head of Windows and devices Terry Myerson, while up to 1,350 of the positions will be in Finland. The cuts are expected to be completed by the year's end.

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The move signals the final nail in the coffin for Microsoft's Nokia business, which the company acquired under former CEO Steve Ballmer's management for $7.2 billion in 2014. Today's announcement will see $950 million written off, adding to the $7.6 billion the company wrote off last year when it cut 7,800 jobs to refocus its Windows Phone plans.

Microsoft is now shorn of almost all of its 25,000 former Nokia employees, and will only retain a small number in R&D roles. Last week, the company announced it was selling off its feature phone business to FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn, for $350 million.

All indications point to an end of Microsoft's Lumia phones and a focus on a single Surface phone, with Myerson promising "great new devices" in an internal memo to employees, although he withheld any specific timeframe. The immediate focus for Microsoft and its new CEO, Satya Nadella, is more likely to remain on bringing the company's software and services to iOS and Android devices, rather than risk another consumer phone failure anytime soon.

Microsoft has been scaling back its consumer phone ambitions ever since its ill-fated Nokia mobile acquisition two years ago. Nokia meanwhile has shown far loftier ambitions, last month announcing its acquisition of French health tracking company Withings for an estimated $192 million, as it seeks to expand into the consumer electronics market while maintaining its networking and commercial VR business.

Swiss startup Wrio has launched a new keyboard app for iOS which claims to speed up typing by between 20 and 70 percent compared to standard Qwerty layouts.

The developers of Wrio say they achieved this typing feat by throwing out the rulebook that says keys should be square, and instead adopting a honeycomb-like layout of hexagonal keys. This allows individual keys to be a little larger than usual, which reduces the incidence of mistyped characters.

WRIO keyboard
Users will notice there's no typical spacebar in the Wrio keyboard either. This functionality is divided into two single space keys at the centre of the layout. The delete key has been removed, and users swipe from right to left to delete a character, holding the swipe at the end to continue deleting characters.

A swipe right restores deleted characters, and holding the swipe restores multiple characters. And instead of relying on shift keys which have also been removed, swiping up on a character types a capital version of it.

Eight of the most commonly used punctuation symbols can be found in two primary keyboard keys, which serve up a secondary symbol with a hold, a third with a hold and swipe up, and a fourth with a hold-swipe to the right.

Wrio keyboard
Elsewhere, holding down on a key invokes any accented variations available for the character, while a new double-function key takes users to the secondary keyboard and swiping up on the same key takes them to the emoji deck.

Wrio also supports 30 languages, and boasts a custom user dictionary that learns what languages are regularly typed and makes predictions based on usage patterns.

The developers claim that after one or two weeks, users should be familiar enough with the Wrio keyboard to start making significant gains in typing speed over traditional layouts.

Wrio currently costs $2.99 on the App Store as part of a limited "40 percent off" introductory offer, and is available for iPhone and iPad. [Direct link]

In February, Seattle-based law firm Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala (PCVA) brought a class action lawsuit against Apple over the "Error 53" bug, which bricked iPhone 6 models with select third-party components. Apple quickly responded, confirming the error and issuing an updated version of iOS 9.2.1 to fix the error. Earlier this month, Apple moved to dismiss an amended version of the class action lawsuit. However, PCVA and the plaintiffs have now moved to keep the lawsuit alive, according to AppleInsider.

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Apple argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because the company issued a fix for the error and offered to reimburse customers who had paid to have their devices replaced or repaired. However, the plaintiffs are now arguing that Apple failed to properly alert users to the reimbursement program. They argue the "vague" announcement on Apple's website and a support document published in April isn't sufficient enough to inform affected customers.

The plaintiffs also claim having trouble in getting touch with Apple about reimbursement, with one plaintiff claiming they were never sent a reimbursement notice and another saying they were disconnected from Apple support twice when trying to contact the Cupertino company about the program.

The controversy first started in February, when users who had their iPhone 6 models repaired by third-party technicians were seeing the mysterious "Error 53" that bricked their phones. The error showed up when devices had parts replaced with components not sourced from the original device, with the not-matching components affecting the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and causing iOS to fail Touch ID validation checks.

Several law firms considered suits against Apple, but PCVA brought its forward. The parties will meet in a motion hearing on June 16.

Apple Pay launched in Singapore in April through a partnership with American Express, and at the time, the Apple Pay website in Singapore said Apple Pay would be available to Visa card holders and major banks in the near future.

Starting today, Apple Pay support is expanding beyond American Express. Apple Pay can now be used with major Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit and debit cards from five of Singapore's major banks, including POSB, DBS, OCBC, Standard Chartered, and UOB.

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According to The Straits Times, the five banks account for more than 80 percent of the Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards issued in Singapore. Customers with an eligible card can add it to the Wallet app on the iPhone to make purchases within retail stores.

Apple Pay vice-president Jennifer Bailey told The Straits Times: "Now, almost everyone can leave their wallets at home. Apple Pay will be a natural extension of what users have been doing at payment counters."

Apple Pay can be used at more than 30,000 retail locations in Singapore that accept contactless payments, and Apple's Apple Pay Singapore website lists several official partners like Starbucks, FairPrice, BreadTalk, 7 Eleven, Toast Box, TopShop, Uniqlo and more.

Apple is working to bring additional banks on board to further expand Apple Pay support in the country.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

ResearchKit iconApple is looking to fill a "Privacy Counsel" position with an attorney who has expertise in the health field and HIPAA compliance, according to a new listing on the company's job site discovered by Business Insider. The job description calls for someone who has "health privacy expertise" and 5 to 9 years of experience as an associate at a top-tier law firm or business, among other qualifications.

Apple's privacy counsel will help the company navigate U.S. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws, which include a strict set of standards for managing the privacy and security of all health-related information. The listing also asks for CIPP certification, the first certification offered for information privacy law, and lists the following potential projects:

- privacy by design reviews and projects
- assist with privacy complaints and breaches
- support compliance and auditing frameworks
- advise on privacy aspects of licensing and procurement deals and corporate acquisitions
- assist with drafting of policies and procedures surrounding privacy laws

Apple has taken a significant interest in healthcare in recent years, introducing the Apple Watch and both ResearchKit and CareKit, two frameworks designed to help researchers and doctors interface with patients and gather invaluable health-related data. Given that interest, it is unsurprising Apple is looking for a lawyer with expertise in these areas, but it does perhaps signal Apple's intention to further delve into medical research that would require HIPAA compliance.

As Business Insider points out, none of Apple's current products require federal medical regulation and Apple does not offer a HIPAA compliant database for CareKit developers.

Earlier today, Apple CEO Tim Cook said health is an area where Apple is "very focused." "We believe that health is something that is a huge problem in the world, a huge issue, and we think it is ripe for simplicity and sort of a new view," he said. "We'd like to contribute to that."

Hyundai is releasing a software update that brings CarPlay support to eight new vehicles, including the 2016 Elantra GT, 2015 and 2016 non-hybrid Sonata, 2017 Santa Fe Sport, 2017 Santa Fe, 2015 and 2016 Genesis Sedan, and the 2016 Tucson.

The vehicles gaining CarPlay support through a software update join Hyundai's previously announced CarPlay models, the 2016 Sonata, 2017 Elantra, and the 2017 IONIQ. Hyundai has not officially announced the news, but dealers were sent a notice about the update on May 19. Dealer information suggests the update is supposed to be available as of today, May 24.

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Hyundai owners with an eligible vehicle can download the CarPlay update through the Hyundai website and are encouraged to go through the installation process themselves. A Mac or PC with an SD card slot or an external SD card reader is required to download the software and transfer the update to the vehicle's in-dash system. Software download times range from 25 minutes for Display Audio to more than three hours for Navigation if a map update is required.

CarPlay took several years to roll out to new vehicles, but there are now dozens of 2016 and 2017 vehicles available with CarPlay support. Apple maintains a list of vehicles that come equipped with CarPlay on its website, which sees updates every few weeks.

Update 5/25: Several MacRumors readers have confirmed that the CarPlay software update is now available for eligible vehicles.

(Thanks, Brad!)

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.6 beta to public beta testers, just a day after releasing the first OS X 10.11.6 beta to developers and one week after releasing OS X 10.11.5, the fifth update to the OS X 10.11 operating system.

The new beta is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who are enrolled in Apple's beta testing program. Those wishing to join the program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website.

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Like many of the previous updates to the OS X 10.11 El Capitan operating system, OS X 10.11.6 appears to be minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance improvements. No obvious outward-facing changes or bug fixes were discovered in the first developer beta.

Related Forum: OS X El Capitan

airport_utility_iconApple today released a new firmware update for all of its 802.11n Wi-Fi base stations, including the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule. According to Apple's release notes, the update includes bug fixes and is designed to improve the stability and performance of the products.

This update:
- Fixes an issue which may prevent communication between clients on the same network
- Improves performance with an extended guest network
- Addresses potential naming conflicts with Bonjour Sleep Proxy

Apple has also released a 7.7.7 update for its 802.11ac Wi-Fi Base stations, including the latest AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule models. It fixes the same issues.

The firmware updates can be installed through the AirPort Utility app for iOS or OS X.

Related Forum: Networking

amazonecho2Apple is actively developing a product that would compete with the Amazon Echo and Google Home, reports The Information. Citing a source with direct knowledge of Apple's plans, the report suggests Apple is working on a Siri-based device that would include a speaker and microphone that could be used for features like listening to music, getting news headlines, and more.

In addition to developing such a device, Apple is planning to improve Siri by opening the voice assistant up to outside developers. Apple is said to be preparing to release a Siri software development kit that would allow developers to make their apps and their app content accessible through Siri voice commands. Apple plans to require developers to use the tool responsibly.

Opening Siri up to third-party developers will go a long way towards expanding the capabilities of Apple's virtual assistant. Right now, Siri only works with a handful of apps like OpenTable and Yelp, and Apple has been hesitant to develop a Siri API and improve Siri's functionality because of privacy concerns.

According to The Information, a Siri SDK could be introduced as soon as WWDC, meaning third-party Siri access would be built into iOS 10 and perhaps OS X 10.12, which is also rumored to be gaining Siri support.

Both Amazon and Google have developed robust in-home personal assistant devices built around their respective AI platforms, which Apple hopes to compete with. The products are able to perform a wide range of features, from giving weather reports and answering queries to controlling smart home devices like light bulbs and thermostats. The Amazon Echo has been well-received, and Google's Home product, just announced at Google I/O, supports similar features.

Apple has reportedly been working on an Echo competitor since before the Echo debuted last year, and it will perhaps include features like a speaker, Internet access, and the ability to control HomeKit products. It is not known when Apple will be ready to debut its home accessory or how it will fit into the company's existing product lineup.

Related Roundups: WWDC 2024, HomePod
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Buy Now)

Apple today released the first beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3.3 update for public beta testers, one day after seeding the first iOS 9.3.3 beta to developers. iOS 9.3.3 comes one week after the release of iOS 9.3.2, an update focusing primarily on bug fixes.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 9.3.3 update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and OS X betas.

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As another minor 9.x.x update, iOS 9.3.3 appears to include mainly under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements to address issues that have been discovered since the release of iOS 9.3.2. iOS 9.3.3 is not yet available for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro due to an iOS 9.3.2 issue that has caused some 9.7-inch iPad Pro devices to be bricked.

No outward-facing changes or immediately apparent bug fixes were discovered in the first developer beta of iOS 9.3.3.

Related Forum: iOS 9

Adonit, known for its line of styluses, today announced the launch of the Pixel, a stylus it's calling its "most advanced stylus to date." The Pixel features a 1.9mm Pixelpoint tip that's been improved with predictive touch technology for better accuracy and responsiveness, and "paper-like drag" to mimic the feeling of writing on paper.

Combining features from the Jot Script and the Jot Touch, the Pixel features Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity with support for 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity, palm rejection in supported apps, offset correction, and dedicated shortcut buttons that can perform functions like undo, redo, and erase.

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"A stylus should do more than just replace a user's fingertip when working with a tablet, but rather enhance the experience so users can create and work without boundaries," said Rafael Gomez, Marketing Manager for Adonit. "With the introduction of Pixel in particular, we wanted to make sure we addressed all our users' needs and incorporated them into a stylus that works with the entire modern line of iPads. Users will be able to take notes, draw, mark finite details, or simply maneuver through their iPad more precisely with Pixel. Whatever their needs may be, Pixel provides consumers with a high performing experience."

An SDK for the stylus can be used by developers to incorporate support into third-party apps, and a built in sensor feature turns the stylus on when it's picked up and off when it's inactive to conserve battery power. The Pixel, which Adonit says is designed to be ergonomic, is available with a Black or Bronze 10.5mm body.

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The Adonit Pixel is compatible with the following devices: iPhone 4s, 5, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, iPad 4, iPad Mini, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro 12.9.

Apple makes its own stylus, the Apple Pencil, but it is only compatible with the 9.7 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. The Pixel cannot be used alongside an Apple Pencil due to the potential for interference and screen protectors are not recommended.

The Pixel stylus can be purchased from the Adonit website or from Amazon.com for $79.99.

Tag: Adonit

Following its very public encryption battle with the FBI, Apple has rehired software engineer and and security expert Jon Callas, reports Reuters. Callas, who has previously worked at Apple, is known for co-founding encrypted communications services Silent Circle, Blackphone, and PGP Corporation.

Apple's decision to rehire Callas comes amid rumors the company is working on improving the security of its iOS devices. Apple has said it will continually improve security to keep ahead of hackers, and its dispute with the FBI is said to have spurred the company begin work on implementing security measures "even it can't hack."

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Earlier this year, Apple was ordered to assist the FBI in the unlocking of the iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, an order it fought because the FBI was asking for new software that would bypass iPhone passcode security measures. Apple insisted the software was "too dangerous to create," setting dangerous precedents that could lead to a weakening of overall device encryption. The FBI eventually dropped the case after finding an alternate method to breach the iPhone, but the fight over encryption is far from over.

According to Reuters, Callas supports Apple's position and is opposed to companies being compelled to break their own encryption by the government, but he believes law enforcement officials should be able to take advantage of software vulnerabilities, the method the FBI ultimately used to get into Farook's iPhone 5c.

Callas has said he is against companies being compelled by law enforcement to break into their own encrypted products. But he has also said he supports a compromise proposal under which law enforcement officials with a court order can take advantage of undisclosed software vulnerabilities to hack into tech systems, as long as they disclose the vulnerabilities afterwards so they can be patched.

An Apple spokesperson confirmed the hiring, but did not offer details on what Callas is working on. Callas was formerly employed at Apple in the 1990s and from 2009 to 2011, working on cryptographic security products for OS X and iOS.

Prior to its dispute with the FBI, Apple also acquired security company LegbaCore to improve the security of its software.