Apple has published a lengthy post explaining and extolling the App Store's guidelines and developer program, following the Supreme Court's decision in an antitrust case related to its application emporium. On May 13th, the Supreme Court has ruled against the tech giant in a long-standing price-fixing suit, which accuses the company of maintaining a monopoly over iOS app distribution to keep prices high and to be able to take a 30 percent commission.
The court's decision allows customers to proceed with a lawsuit against Apple under antitrust laws -- something the company argued shouldn't be allowed, because it takes its cut from developers and not consumers themselves. After the ruling was announced, Apple released a statement to stress that the "App Store is not a monopoly by any metric" and that "[d]evelopers set the price they want to charge for their app[s]." It added: "[The company] has no role in that."
Today, Cupertino has reiterated those sentiments in its post, stressing that 84 percent of the apps in its Store are free and that it doesn't always earn anything from them. The company even detailed the pricing tiers developers can choose from, which all state that it only takes a 30 percent cut from paid apps or from in-app purchases and subscriptions within free ones.
All those lead to the final part of the post, which highlights a line that says the App Store is "[a] store that welcomes competition." The tech giant listed its own apps (such as Apple Music and Maps) alongside their competitors (such as Spotify and Waze) available on the App Store. Perhaps as a way to say that while it's true that the iOS platform doesn't allow downloads from third-party services, users still have a lot of non-Apple options to choose from. Apple also reminded everyone in the post that all those options went through a rigorous review process to ensure "that apps are held to a high standard for privacy, security, and content..."
While the Supreme Court sided with the plaintiffs in the antitrust case, that particular court battle is far from over, seeing as their victory only means they can proceed with a lawsuit. In its statement after the decision came out, Apple said it's "confident [it] will prevail when the facts are presented." The company's post likely gives us a glimpse of the "facts" it intends to present in court.
It’s been nearly seven years since Windows 8 first debuted, ushering in an era of weird and wonderful laptop designs. We witnessed the birth of Lenovo’s Yoga laptop, some crazy hinge gymnastics from Acer, and even the early beginnings of Microsoft’s Surface line. While most of the more wacky designs have come and gone, we’re now entering another phase of wild experimentation: dual-screen laptops.
Computex is one of largest computer and technology trade shows in the world, and it’s an annual event where PC makers like to show off their latest laptops and crazy concepts. Laptops have largely focused on better displays, trackpads, and battery life in recent years, but this year we’ve started to see laptops with multiple screens emerge.
HP led the way ahead of Computex by announcing a dual-screen gaming laptop for gamers that lets you watch Twitch and play games simultaneously. The secondary 6-inch display is housed above the keyboard, and it works like any regular dual-screen monitor setup you’d find on a desktop PC. Asus also introduced its new ZenBook Pro Duo laptop with two 4K screens this week. Asus thinks it has solved laptop productivity problems, thanks to a 14-inch screen above the keyboard and a regular 15-inch display where you’d normally find a laptop screen.
Asus has developed some window-management software to extend the main screen into the 14-inch panel above the keyboard, or to even use multiple windows across the wide display. Asus also morphed its traditional laptop trackpad into a 5.5-inch display last year, showing that it’s willing to experiment and push the boundaries of what you’d normally expect to find in a laptop.
Perhaps the most wild of them all is Intel’s idea for dual-screen laptops. “Honeycomb Glacier” is Intel’s concept of the future of gaming PCs, and it attempts to combine a 15.6-inch main display and a 12.3-inch secondary display into a single laptop with a unique double hinge. The result is a laptop where the displays stack at multiple angles thanks to a mechanical one-way roller clutch. Intel is unusually bullish about this design, and claims PC makers have shown an interest in adopting it for future laptops.
Intel is also pushing to build dual-screen laptops out of fabric, and just dual-screen devices in general. We’ve seen Microsoft use Alcantara fabric on its Surface Laptop, and HP is using leather and even wood on some of its laptops. Intel’s concepts are particular relevant if we’re truly entering a new era of dual- or even flexible-screen laptops. Lenovo has been developing a “foldable PC” for more than three years, complete with the foldable screen tech we’ve already seen start appearing on phones. It’s just a concept for now, but it does hint at where PC makers think this technology is heading.
All of these wacky designs and hardware are nothing without software, though. We saw that play out with Lenovo’s dual-screen Yoga Book last year, and Microsoft previously failed to popularize Windows SideShow, a way for developers to extend apps and notifications to small screens on laptops while they were powered off. Apple’s Touch Bar has also failed to gain much traction, despite it offering a touchscreen above the keyboard.
As much as PC makers can experiment with hardware they have to rely on Microsoft to get Windows to adapt to these new form factors. Microsoft has been dreaming of a pocketable dual-screen Surface device for years, but that project, codenamed Andromeda, has stalled inside the company.
Microsoft is now preparing for this new hardware with a new lightweight version of Windows for dual-screen devices and Chromebook competitors. Codenamed Windows Lite, Microsoft hasn’t officially even acknowledged its existence yet. Windows Lite is a more stripped-down version of Windows that is initially being prioritized for dual-screen devices.
Microsoft has seen the work OEMs and Intel are doing on dual-screen devices, and wants to be ready to properly support it. The Windows Lite interface will be similar to Windows as it exists today, but it will be more of a blend of what Microsoft uses with its Surface Hub shell and the simplicity of its Windows Phone Continuum user interface.
Microsoft has gradually been creating a new Composable Shell (C-Shell) and Windows Core OS, a more modular version of the existing Windows Shell that powers many parts of Windows 10 today. Microsoft was expected to talk about some of this work at the company’s Build conference earlier this month, but all it’s doing for now is hinting about a “modern OS” future for Windows.
The software work will be key to whether these new dual-screen laptops really take off. Some make sense for gaming laptops, but smaller devices that would compete against phones offer questionable benefit. Google is also planning to natively support foldables in Android, and it already has the mobile platform advantage to better bridge the gap between phones and tablets.
That won’t stop PC makers, though. We’ve seen years of wild 2-in-1 PCs, and with foldable displays, new hinges, and this push for dual displays we’re about to witness laptops getting really weird and wonderful again.
Microsoft still hasn’t officially confirmed the existence of its rumored Windows Lite operating system, but the software giant is dropping some pretty big hints about the future of Windows today. Nick Parker, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of consumer and device sales, appeared on stage at Computex today to detail the company’s vision for a modern operating system. While Parker didn’t unveil Windows Lite, a rumored lightweight version of Windows for dual-screen and Chromebook-like devices, he did reveal how Microsoft is preparing for new device types.
These new devices will require what Microsoft calls a “modern OS,” that includes a bunch of “enablers” like seamless updates. We’ve seen various promises about Windows Updates being improved over the years, but Microsoft is now promising that “modern OS updates are invisibly done in the background; the update experience is deterministic, reliable, and instant with no interruptions!” No interruptions and done in the background sounds very different from the Windows Update experience available on Windows 10 today, and it sounds far more Chrome OS-like.
This “modern OS” is also secure by default according to Microsoft, meaning the state is separated from the OS and compute is “separated from applications,” which sounds a lot more cloud-powered than what we’re used to today. Microsoft also wants this modern OS to work with 5G connectivity, and to include a variety of inputs like pen, voice, touch, even gaze.
Perhaps the most telling part of Microsoft’s Computex blog post is that the entire paragraph describing this “modern OS” never mentions Windows. “These enablers and delighters underpin our vision for a Modern OS, they will provide the foundational elements for an evolution of the PC ecosystem and enable partners to deliver the more human-centric experiences of tomorrow,” explains Parker.
Some of these hints at a modern OS could already apply to Windows as it exists today, but Microsoft also describes its focus on “enabling cloud-connected experiences that use the compute power of the cloud to enhance users experiences on their devices” for this modern OS. It’s clear that whatever Microsoft is working on for Windows Lite and beyond, it will involve seamless updates, security improvements, 5G connectivity, cloud-powered apps, new form factors, and AI support. Microsoft chose to bold all these important parts in its paragraph detailing its modern OS future:
These new modern PCs and innovative devices the ecosystem will continue to build and bring to market in the future require a modern operating system. An OS that provides a set of enablers that deliver the foundational experiences customers expect from their devices, and includes a set of delighters that deliver innovative human centric experiences. Enablers include seamless updates – with a modern OS updates are invisibly done in the background; the update experience is deterministic, reliable, and instant with no interruptions! A modern OS, is also secure by default, the state is separated from the operating system; compute is separated from applications; this protects the user from malicious attacks throughout the device lifecycle. Always connected -with a modern OS Wifi, LTE 5G will just work – and users never have to worry about a deadspot. All of a users devices are aware and connected to each other. A modern OS provides sustained performance, from the moment a user picks up their device – everything is ready to go – without having to worry about the next time the PC needs to be charged. These enablers will satisfy customer’s basic needs, but to truly differentiate we must also delight them. A modern OS does this by enabling cloud-connected experiences that use the compute power of the cloud to enhance users experiences on their devices. These experiences are powered by AI, so a modern OS is aware of what a user is doing tomorrow and helps them get it done, and it enhances applications making them more intelligent. A modern OS is also multi-sense. People can use pen, voice, touch, even gaze – what ever input method a user wants to use works just as well as the keyboard and mouse. Finally, a modern OS provides the ultimate in form factor agility. A modern OS has the right sensor support and posture awareness to enable the breadth of innovative form factors and applications that our partner ecosystem will deliver
Microsoft was rumored to be discussing plans for dual-screen devices and Windows Lite at the company’s Build conference earlier this month. Those plans never materialized, and it did feel like there was a lack of future Windows information at the developer event. Even the next major Windows 10 update, codenamed 19H2, is shrouded in secrecy. Although it’s expected to arrive in October, Microsoft has already publicly started testing a version of Windows 10 it won’t deliver until 2020. We still don’t know what’s coming in the October 2019 update, and it could be a very minor update this time around.
Microsoft’s Windows Lite plans may have been delayed somewhat by the company’s surprise decision to switch to Chromium for the Edge browser. If Windows Lite is more cloud-powered and relies on the browser for a lot more experiences, then a shift to Chromium will have impacted this more modern operating system. For now, Microsoft is only willing to drop hints about what we can expect from the immediate future of Windows.
Today MedaTek is making quite an unusual announcement: The company is the first to announce a SoC with an integrated 5G modem. Even more interesting is the fact that the new silicon is the first announced design to employ Arm’s brand-new Cortex-A77 cores and new Mali-G77 GPU that were both announced only two days ago.
The odd thing about today’s announcement is that this seems like a relatively early pre-announcement. MediaTek doesn’t divulge the actual product name of the new SoC nor does it go into detail of the specifications. What is divulged however is that the chipset is built on TSMC’s new 7nm process-node, and integrates MediaTek’s own Helio M70 modem IP.
The M70 modem supports 5G NR in the sub-6GHz spectrum with up to 2x carrier aggregation. The modem supports both standalone as well as non-standalone 5G network architectures. It’s to be noted that we won’t be seeing mmWave from MediaTek this early: In the markets that the company sees the SoC we won’t be seeing mmWave networks deployed for several more years, and in general the US is the odd one out with early mmWave deployments while the rest of the world focuses on sub-6GHz coverage.
The use of Arm’s new Cortex-A77 and Mali-G77 GPU means that the SoC will have the most up-to-date IP at release, something that MediaTek hasn’t been able to achieve in a few generations. Alongside the CPU and GPU, MediaTek will employ its third generation APU design, which uses the company own in-house IP.
Finally, the imaging capabilities of the SoC are said to have been greatly enhanced and now supports 4K60 decode and encode along with 80MP ISP capability.
We don’t know a lot more about the SoC, and exactly what product category its targeting, but we expect MediaTek to still largely target the mid-range. We should be seeing devices with the new SoC released in 2020.
Intel's Open House event at Computex was filled with Project Athena devices, prototype demos, new chips and more, but the company's dual-screen prototypes were the ones that drew the crowds. Its new Honeycomb Glacier form-factor concept is for some of the most discriminating (and most PC buying-inclined) customers: gamers and creators.
ASUS might have beaten the chipmaker to the punch with its ZenBook Pro Duo -- and that's here, too -- but Intel's own design was arguably a better sales pitch for dual-screen laptops.
So let's take a look at this laptop. Yes, despite what it looks like unfolded, this is still a laptop. The prototype design has a dual-display setup made of a primary 15.6-inch screen, at full HD resolution, and a 12.3-inch display at half the vertical height. Like the ZenBook Pro Duo, the full-width companion screen is above the keyboard. However, Intel's reference design has a more considered feel, attempting to reframe the design of powerful laptops.
I was a little obsessed with those hinges and how it transforms your display location without the need for an awkward stand or secondary keyboard. From closed, the screen neatly opens up like your usual laptop. However, the primary screen then tilts upwards, at any degree you like, pulling the secondary screen along with it. It'll then stay at whatever position you pull it to, with a subtle button on the hinge for unlatching and closing. It's already surprisingly well-finished for a mere prototype.
But, and if you've read about Intel concept devices before, you might agree -- so what? Concept models and display designs often struggle to convey their reasons for existing. With this Honeycomb Glacier concept, I'd say Intel has less of a problem.
The elevated screen brings everything up to the perfect eye height -- think iMacs and other all-in-one PCs, making it a comfortable fit for activities that need a lot of attention, like video editing, writing or gaming. My mediocre efforts playing League of Legends were hampered more by the trackpad without buttons than what I was looking at. Even at a trade-show, the screen positioning seemed spot-on, and less like I was playing awkwardly on a laptop.
Even at this prototype stage, this machine could certainly handle something a little heavier. Inside there's an overclocked 45W Core i9 processor as well as an NVIDIA GTX 1070. Under the hinge, a giant circular vent pulls air across the device, with further vents dotted around the sides of the base. It means Intel can keep its processors running overclocked and tap into some secondary benefits of that elevated screen.
Look a little lower and the 12.3-inch companion screen is just that -- a companion to the main event. You could keep your Slack chat app open while you focus on tasks, monitor your gameplay stats while fighting away on LoL or monitor Twitch chatter as you stream. Because it's also propped up, unlike the ZenBook Pro Duo, it's easier to casually scan -- it's already in your field of view.
That brings me conveniently to the next marquee idea, here: relevant Tobii eye-tracking. We've covered Tobii tracking before, but unfortunately, it's either been gimmicky or simply rarely used. The hinge that acts as a seam between the two displays is perfect for the cameras and sensors, and they neatly line the center of the hinge, conveniently at eye level.
Perhaps in part due to that, Tobii's interface was working with only minor hiccups even during this early demo and amid the Intel press scrum chaos. As I shifted my focus downwards, the secondary screen automatically drew keyboard input to shrunken (but fully featured) apps. If the companies involved can make it even more reliable, then this could be perfect for instant Slack responses or replying to commenters during your YouTube livestream. You can even draw your eyes to Cortana, and it'll start listening to your requests. It's a little uncanny.
This might be the most interesting, most achievable Intel prototype I've seen in recent memory. At this formative stage, too, Intel (and whichever PC company bites at the idea: Acer, maybe ASUS?) has ample time to ensure it is ready for prime time. Some little issues need addressing: Why aren't there buttons on the unusually vertical trackpad? And the eye-tracking software really has to nail its reliability problem.
With two screens, considered design and specifications similar if not exceeding what we're playing with in Taipei, the potential for a powerful new laptop format is rather exciting. And for Intel, it might be less of a hard sell to demanding PC shoppers. The company is speaking a lot of sense -- and companies are very much interested. Following on the heels of ASUS and HP, Dell announced today that it was also working on its own dual-screen devices. M
Catch up on all the latest news from Computex 2019 here!
Apple is due to hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote next Monday, but we’re already getting an early look at what the company will likely announce. 9to5Mac has obtained screenshots of iOS 13, and they show the new dark mode that Apple is rumored to be including. The dark mode appears to work across the dock in apps like Music and even in the built-in screenshot tool. Apple will reportedly include a switch in the Control Center or within the main iOS Settings page.
Apple’s Reminders app for iOS 13 also appears to be getting overhauled in the company’s next operating system update. The Reminders app now has separate sections for today, scheduled, flagged, and all, and you can also search through existing reminders. Apple is also reportedly combining its Find my Friends and Find my iPhone apps into a single “Find My” app, which will likely be revealed next week at WWDC.
iOS 13 is also rumored to include a revamped Health app, updated Maps app, and even native support to use an iPad as a secondary Mac screen. Dark mode will be the most obvious visual change across the iPhone and iPad, though, and it follows months of third-party app developers creating their own dark mode skins for their apps.
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