Hardware

Apple refreshes retina MacBook Pro, drops price

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ZDNet:

Prior to this upgrade the base version of the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display featured a 2560-by-1600 resolution at 227 pixels per inch retina display, 2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU, 4GB of 1600MHz DDR3L RAM, and 128GB of PCIe-based flash storage, and it had a price tag of $1,299. For the same price this model now comes with a 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5 chip and 8GB of memory.

The base version of the beefier 15.4-inch with Retina display model came with a 2880-by-1800 resolution at 220 pixels per inch display, 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 CPU, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L RAM, and 256GB of PCIe-based flash storage, all of which would have set you back $1,999. Following the refresh this now comes with a 2.2GHz CPU and 16GB of RAM.

The price of the high-end MBPr has dropped from US$2,599 to US$2,499.

Android Wear fail, no way to install paid apps

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Android Police:

App Encryption was added to the Play Store to encode paid apps with a device-specific key, making them more difficult to crack or transplant by would-be pirates. Despite some early issues that lead Google to temporarily take App Encryption offline, it has gone mostly unnoticed since it was re-enabled. That is, until now. It seems the Android Wear install process runs into a road block with paid apps because it doesn’t know how to extract the file of the encrypted apk. Since the installer fails to recognize the payload, it assumes there is nothing to install and silently aborts. This behavior appears to match another known issue that occurs if the Wear app is compressed more than once before it is published.

Seems to me, this is a real weak point in the Android Wear testing methodology.

Swiss watch exec leaves for Apple iWatch opportunity [VIDEO]

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[VIDEO] CNBC:

Apple has hired the sales director of luxury Swiss watch maker TAG Heuer to help with the launch of its new iWatch, as the technology group intend on using the prestigious “Swiss made” label to market its new gadget, the head of LVMH’s watch brands Jean-Claude Biver told CNBC.

Check out the video in the original post, in which Biver talks about the importance of talent. I think Biver has the right attitude here. He regrets losing a talented person, but he recognizes the value in moving on for a better opportunity.

These are not the wearables we’ve been waiting for

Written by

Dan Frommer:

Never mind the watches themselves, which seem awkwardly large, must be charged daily, don’t handle sunlight very well, and simply aren’t cool.

This last bit, “simply aren’t cool” says a lot.

Apple brings 5 megapixel iSight camera, $199 price to iPod touch

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Apple announced a 16GB iPod touch with a 5 Megapixel camera for $199. Not too shabby. Though it’s clearly not a replacement for the iPhone, if you have regular WiFi access, this is a pretty nice alternative, one that doesn’t come with a monthly contract.

The Daily Show crushes Google Glass

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[VIDEO] Kyle Russell writes for Tech Crunch and covers Google Glass, among other things. Worlds collide as Kyle appears on a crushingly satirical Daily Show piece (embedded in the original post) on Glass.

The linked article gives an insider’s view on the making of the video.

Rather than respond to the show’s criticisms of Glass (because, let’s face it, they have a point), I thought it would be fun to shed light on what it’s actually like to film a segment on The Daily Show.

First off, we all knew exactly what we were getting into. I was contacted by a producer of the show who identified himself as such. There were no attempts made to trick any of us with claims that they were a news team from out of town.

An entertaining read. Watch the video first.

Apple’s 5W European USB power adapter exchange program

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Apple is offering a free exchange for certain of its European USB power adapters:

Apple has determined that, in rare cases, the Apple 5W European USB power adapter may overheat and pose a safety risk. This adapter came with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S models shipped from October 2009 to September 2012 in the countries listed below. It was also sold as a standalone accessory.

To learn more, visit Apple’s official adapter exchange page.

Sony’s $99 PlayStation TV will challenge Apple TV this fall

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I just can’t see this succeeding in the mainstream consumer market. Sony’s brand just doesn’t have the same relevance, same strength as it used to have. I can see Sony getting some traction with console gamers, but they’ll still have to battle Apple, Google, and now Amazon for even that mindshare.

Kickstarter significantly improves speed of your existing charger

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The Legion Meter plugs into your existing USB charger, and your device plugs into it. The Legion Meter interacts with your device’s charging system and optimizes the flow of current into your device, significantly reducing the time it takes to charge your device.

Driverless car testing coming to California roads on September 16th

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The California Department of Motor Vehicles produced a set of testing regulations for manufacturers of driverless cars. Those regulations went through a period of public comment and were then submitted for legislative approval. The regulations were approved this week and will become effective on September 16th, 2014.

Apple updates MacBook Air lineup with speed bump, battery boost, drops price $100

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The big stories here are the $100 price drop and the battery boost:

The new models also received a slight bump in battery life for iTunes movie playback, with the 11-inch model jumping from 8 hours to 9 hours and the 13-inch model from 10 hours to 12 hours.

That’s a nice little boost. Love this update.

Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World

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[VIDEO] The wah-wah guitar pedal emerged in the 60s as a huge influence in the guitar universe. I still have mine. A fantastic invention.

Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World tells the story of the wah wah effect pedal, from its invention in 1966 to the present day. Musicians, engineers, and historians discuss the impact of the pedal on popular music and demonstrate the various ways it has been used, as well as how its evolution has improved the ability of artists to express themselves musically. The film features interviews with Brad Plunkett, the inventor of the pedal, plus many other musical luminaries such as Ben Fong-Torres, Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Buddy Guy, Art Thompson, Eddie Kramer, Kirk Hammett, Dweezil Zappa, and Jim Dunlop. These professionals explain how a musical novelty transcended convention and has become timelessly woven into the fabric of modern pop-culture.

Video embedded in the original post.

Alpine to sell stand-alone CarPlay consoles

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Nikkei.com:

While a slew of carmakers will soon start offering vehicles that come standard with a CarPlay interface built in, the Japanese company’s device is to be the first aftermarket product compatible with the system. It will first be available in the U.S. and Europe and likely cost around $500 to $700.

The device will connect to an iPhone 5 or later by wire. Drivers will be able to view maps on its screen, likely 7 inches, and use voice commands to access messages, make calls and play music. The system will be able to read messages and directions aloud.

This looks pretty cool. A real boost for CarPlay.

How to use Voice Search with the Apple TV

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When Amazon introduced the Fire TV yesterday, much was made about the ability to do voice search on the device. In the linked post, Kirk McElhearn walks through the process of doing the same thing on Apple TV, using the iOS Remote app. Cool beans.

United Nations uses iBeacons to simulate a minefield at NY museum

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For the UN’s International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action taking place on April 4, New Museum in New York City will host an exhibit that uses iBeacons to simulate a virtual minefield and let anyone experience the danger of land mines.

Fantastic use of iBeacons.

Neurosurgeons successfully implant 3D printed skull

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This is absolutely fantastic.

A 22-year-old woman from the Netherlands who suffers from a chronic bone disorder — which has increased the thickness of her skull from 1.5cm to 5cm, causing reduced eyesight and severe headaches — has had the top section of her skull removed and replaced with a 3D printed implant.

How fortunate is this woman that 3D printing technology was available to her surgical team. I can’t get over how cool this is.

Apple patents iPad smart cover with built-in gesture aware keyboard

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On March 27, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals an all-new iPad smart cover configuration that includes a keyboard panel. One of the aspects of this design which differentiates itself from Microsoft’s Surface tablet cover is that Apple’s keyboard has been uniquely designed to double as a multi-touch gesture keyboard eliminating the need for a touchpad.

I like the premise, the idea that you can gesture on the surface of the keyboard itself.