Selasa, 02 April 2019

iPad mini 5 Teardown: A12 Bionic Processor With 3GB of RAM, Bluetooth 5, True Tone Sensors, and Same Battery... - Mac Rumors

iFixit today shared a teardown of the new iPad mini, confirming specs and providing some additional details about the component parts of Apple's smallest fifth-generation tablet, which is compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil.


iFixit notes that the only exterior clue that distinguishes the new iPad mini from the earlier model is its model number, A2133, and the removal of regulatory markings on the back, which can now be found in software.

Inside, the new mini has an 8-megapixel rear camera and inherits the 7-megapixel ƒ/2.2 front-facing camera setup that first appeared in the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, offering a big step up from the 1.2-megapixel sensor in the iPad mini 4.

Other changes in evidence include a faster A12 Bionic processor, 3GB of RAM (up from 2GB), True Tone sensors, a migrated set of microphones now centered near the front-facing camera, and a different battery type in the iPad mini 5, although its 19.32 Wh rating matches that offered by the previous iPad mini.

Like the iPad Air (iFixit teardown due tomorrow), the iPad mini features two speakers for stereo sound, dual microphones, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 802.11ac, Gigabit class LTE on cellular models, and eSIM technology.

While many components are modular and can be replaced independently, iFixit notes that gobs of adhesive hold many parts and cables in place, including the Home button, complicating all repairs. Replacing the battery is also said to be possible, but still unnecessarily difficult. As a result, iPad mini earns an iFixit repairability score of 2/10.

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https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/02/ipad-mini-5-teardown-a12-bionic-cpu-3gb-ram/

2019-04-02 10:41:00Z
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[Update: S10+ support] Energy Ring wraps a battery indicator around the Galaxy S10's hole punch camera - Android Police

The hole-punch shaped front cam on the Galaxy S10 family might have been an eyesore for some, but that only lasted all of two minutes. Soon, creative users were making wallpapers to fit perfectly with the cutout, then they established a subreddit for them, and Samsung got in on the fun in an official manner. But if wallpapers aren't your thing, or if you want something to hide that camera in other apps, there's now another approach. Energy Ring, a new app, puts the battery indicator right around the camera hole, almost making you forget about it.

The app comes from IJP, a developer who has experience making custom battery indicators for Android such as Energy Bar and its curved equivalent for the S8, S9, S10+.

With Energy Ring, you can customize everything about the battery circle: color, thickness, direction, and even choose different colors for each 25% increment. A setting lets you disable the indicator on fullscreen apps so you don't have it there when watching videos or playing games.

The app is currently optimized for the Galaxy S10 and S10e, but support for the S10+ and its larger dual front-facing cam module is in the works.

The developer is quick to point out that even though the app requires notification access, it only uses it to actually do its thing, and that the app's own battery use is minimal. If that answers your doubts, you can grab Energy Ring for free from the Play Store. Some IAPs let you unlock the more special customizations of the app.

Galaxy S10+ support added

The app has received a few updates over the past week to add support for the Galaxy S10+'s dual front-facing cameras. It still seems to be in "beta" (not an official beta, just the dev's way to say it's not perfect yet), but after a few iterations, some fixes to alignment and landscape orientation, it seems that things are working well enough now for you to give it a try.

Energy Ring - Battery indicator for Galaxy S10/e/+
Energy Ring - Battery indicator for Galaxy S10/e/+
Price: Free+

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https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/04/02/energy-ring-wraps-a-battery-indicator-around-the-galaxy-s10s-hole-punch-camera/

2019-04-02 08:13:00Z
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Senin, 01 April 2019

It's not an April Fools' joke; Samsung's unlocked Galaxy S10+ is $180 off today - Android Central

Samsung's latest Galaxy S10+ smartphone has been well-received by tech reviewers and customers alike. Packed with 8GB of RAM, the device is equipped with a large 6.4-inch AMOLED display featuring an integrated ultrasonic fingerprint sensor hidden underneath to keep it secure from prying eyes. With an unlocked retail price of $999.99 direct from Samsung and other stores, it's not one of the most affordable devices out there, though today's deal at eBay could snag you the smartphone at its lowest price so far.

Via the Top-Rated seller Never-MSRP, you can pick up the unlocked 128GB Samsung Galaxy S10+ in white or green for just $819.99 while supplies last. That's a discount of $180 off its regular price. Free shipping is included, along with eBay's Money-Back Guarantee.

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https://www.androidcentral.com/thrifter-deal-samsung-galaxy-s10-plus-unlocked

2019-04-01 20:09:42Z
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Google stops selling the Pixel 2 and 2 XL - Engadget

Chris Velazco/Engadget

Google is no longer selling the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL through its store, in the hope you might instead buy the Pixel 3. As spotted by Android Police, the older devices are no longer visible on the Phones section of the Google Store, and if you try to visit the Pixel 2 page directly, you'll be redirected to the Pixel 3 listing. The devices are also no longer available through the Google Fi store.

The move might not come as too much of a surprise. Google discounted Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL over Valentine's Day, seemingly as part of an effort to shift some of the remaining stock. It removed the original Pixel from its store around this time last year, also about 18 months after announcing that handset. However, you can still find Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL at third-party retailers. It's an interesting strategy that stands in contrast to Apple, which continues to sell some of its handsets several years after release.

All products recommended by Engadget were selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company, Verizon Media. If you buy something through one of our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/01/google-store-pixel-2-pixel-2-xl-removed/

2019-04-01 15:13:52Z
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Apple's next iPhones will have significantly larger batteries: Top analyst Kuo - CNBC

Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup could include new iPhone models with significantly more battery capacity, according to a research note from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

If Apple were to include higher-capacity batteries in its newest iPhones, as predicted in the note, it could serve as a major selling point as iPhone sales growth has slowed in recent years. Some surveys point to battery life as the top reason that consumers upgrade to a new device.

Apple's iPhone lineup is expected to look a lot like its current lineup, according to the note. Kuo expects Apple to release a 5.8-inch iPhone (an improvement on the current iPhone XS), a 6.5-inch iPhone (like the current iPhone XS Max) and a 6.1-inch device with a lower-cost screen (which corresponds to the iPhone XR).

"Battery capacities of new 6.5" OLED, 5.8" OLED and 6.1" LCD significantly increase by 10%-15%, 20%-25%, and 0%-5% compared to last year's new models," Kuo wrote in the March 31 note.

The note suggests that the batteries would be the same physical size as this year's models, but they would have a higher power capacity in the same amount of volume.

One reason why Apple might stick larger batteries into its 2019 phones is that they could gain a two-way wireless charging feature, according to Kuo.

Two-way wireless charging would enable a user to place their AirPods, Apple Watch or other wireless-charging devices on the back of an iPhone and draw charge from it. Samsung and Huawei recently released phones with two-way wireless charging.

"Though the iPhone is not the first high-end smartphone to be equipped with two-way wireless charging, this new function could make it more convenient for users to charge the new AirPods and create a better integrated user experience of the iPhone and AirPods," Kuo wrote.

Kuo's research is aimed at investors who buy shares in the companies that supply Apple with parts, and he is well-known for predicting Apple products before they launch.

Apple usually launches new iPhones in September every year.

Last week, Apple cancelled AirPower, a wireless charging mat that was supposed to charge three devices at one time. It was originally announced in 2017.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/01/kuo-apples-next-iphones-will-have-significantly-larger-batteries.html

2019-04-01 17:45:48Z
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Gmail continues to define email 15 years on - Engadget

Today is April 1st, a day for pranks and corny jokes. One of the biggest culprits is Google, which comes up with a hoax every year (remember YouTube Snoopavision or Google Play for Pets?). But on April 1st, 2004, Google debuted a product that was decidedly not a joke: Gmail. It was a service that revolutionized web mail, so much so that it has become an integral part of our daily lives.

Gmail began as invite-only, to the point where invitations were actually bought and sold on eBay as if they were some sort of precious commodity. Invitations would remain the sole way of signing up for the service until 2007. While webmail services like Hotmail and Yahoo Mail existed back then, Gmail had a killer selling point: a gigabyte of free storage. We might laugh at that now, but that was a huge amount of space at the time. (Google now offers 15GB standard, with the option to purchase more.) The thought of never having to delete or manage your email ever again was, and still is, an enticing one.

It wasn't just the gigabyte of storage that had people clamoring for gmail.com addresses. Google's email service offered other unique features too, like threaded conversations, fully integrated search and the ability to send attachments up to 25MB in size. Thanks to a javascript technique called AJAX, it also refreshed automatically. Gmail truly felt like a full-fledged email app, though it was entirely web-based. Even when Hotmail and Yahoo Mail were around, many people still used clients like Outlook or Eudora. Gmail signified the start of something different. Slowly, users were moving away from desktop apps and relied just on the web.

Gmail

Gmail in 2004

Gmail also helped introduce the idea of "the cloud" to the masses. You no longer had to rely on your dinky computer hard drive for storage; you could put it all online instead. At the time, the speed of searching through your emails in a desktop client was dependent on your computer. Gmail, on the other hand, had built-in search that ran on Google's servers. And the notion that you could access all of your email no matter what computer you were using -- all you needed was your browser -- was liberating.

Throughout the years, Gmail grew to encompass other aspects of everyday life. Instant messaging service GChat, for example, first appeared on it in 2005. (It eventually evolved into Hangouts.) Gmail was also integrated into other Google services like Google Tasks, ticket confirmation emails are instantly converted into events in Google Calendar and you can now share large files over email with Google Drive. The arrival of G Suite, Google's enterprise solution, in 2006 made Gmail even more indispensable, as it's now part of people's work lives too.

That's not to say Gmail is flawless. One of the reasons it's able to serve millions as a free service is by using data it gleans from your emails to display automated advertisements. It wasn't until 2017 that Google announced it would phase out email-scanning and would instead rely on data gathered through its other services instead.

Gmail

Gmail in 2019

Other privacy-related mishaps included its integration with Google Buzz and Google+, two failed social networking projects. Buzz was a Gmail-integrated social network that unfortunately shared people's contacts without them knowing about it. In 2011, Google+ was so integrated with Gmail that you couldn't have an account on one platform without the other. In 2015, you could also email someone on Google+ even though you didn't know their email address.

Yet, despite the occasional fumble, Gmail remains as the number one email service. One of the reasons behind Google's success is its constant evolution, like adding more storage, smarter spam controls and Android and iOS support. No matter the controversy, users have stuck with Gmail because it's become so hard to quit.

One of the biggest Gmail highlights over the past few years has come from a particularly popular innovation: Inbox by Gmail. It's a separate email and app that was originally born from Google's acquisition of Sparrow, an email client that had many clever ideas around sorting email. Inbox, therefore, inherited many of those same features. It was a separate web interface and app that was aimed at helping users manage and organize their email better.

Inbox by Gmail

And, it turns out, people really liked it. One of Inbox's key features is that it intelligently bundles emails of similar types together, like promotions and tech news, without you having to do a lot of that sorting yourself. It also nudges you to follow-up on sent emails, lets you snooze emails for later and, perhaps my favorite, helps you unsubscribe from a mailing list with a single click. There were also "Smart Reply" and "Smart Compose" features that auto-generates predictive text as you type. Inbox was like Gmail, but more intelligent.

Ultimately, however, Gmail absorbed many of Inbox's features, which was likely Google's plan all along. Matthew Izatt, Gmail's product manager, stated in a blog post on September 12th 2018 that "Inbox by Gmail has been a great place to experiment with new ideas" but it also wants to "take a more focused approach" to email. This meant, unfortunately, that the company was going to sunset Inbox, sending it to the Google graveyard where it will rest alongside Reader and Google+ tomorrow.

This isn't entirely a bad thing, as there are rumors that other Inbox features like reminders, email pins and bundling are coming to Gmail too. But there are still those that preferred Inbox's minimalist style and simpler interface and claim that Gmail's implementations pale by comparison. One reader left a comment: "Seems like Google should have just switched to Inbox rather than using it to test features to move into Gmail."

But what are they going to do -- not use Gmail? Yes, you're free to use your own email clients and perhaps your own email provider too, but you'd be one of a few. Much like how Google has remained the world's most-used search engine, Gmail will likely remain the king of email for the foreseeable future, no matter the obstacle.

In this article: gear, gmail, google, inbox, internet, mobile

Raised in the tropics of Malaysia, Nicole arrived in the United States in search of love, happiness and ubiquitous broadband. That last one is still a dream, but two out of three isn't bad. Her love for words and technology reached a fever pitch in San Francisco, where she learned you could make a living writing about gadgets, video games and the internet. Truly, a dream come true. Other interests include baseball, coffee, cooking and chasing after her precocious little cat.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/01/gmail-15-years/

2019-04-01 18:46:02Z
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No joke, Google is killing off the Pixel 2, Inbox, goo.gl URL shortener, and Google+ this week - PCWorld

If there’s one thing Google doesn’t joke about, it’s killing off its products. Google may be celebrating 15 years of Gmail, but it has an equally long history of suddenly paring down its catalog of products and services, both loved and forgotten, and it’s at it again. This time Google is taking the axe to several popular apps and devices as it moves on to bigger and better things.

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

While Google has been selling the Pixel 3 and 3XL for about six months now, the Pixel 2 and 2 XL are still very good phones, especially at discounted prices. But if you want one, you’ll have to act fast. Google has stopped selling the Pixel 2 and 2XL through its online store, which means whatever remaining stock at store like Best Buy and B&H Photo are sure to be extremely limited.

Inbox by Gmail

When the Inbox by Gmail app launched in 2015, it was a revelation. A completely new way to view and organize your messages, Inbox boiled your emails down to a smart task manager, with bundles, pins, scheduling, and shortcuts that made managing your inbox a breeze. But over the years, Google’s interest in Inbox faded, and it never really got the attention it deserved. Most of its unique features are now part of the Gmail app (though we’re still waiting for bundles), and several third-party apps have adopted Inbox’s style. Apparently that’s good enough for Google, because as of this week you won’t be able to use it anymore.

Google URL Shortener (goo.gl)

Back in 2009, link shortening was still a novel idea, and Google was one of the first to bring the concept to the masses with the Google URL Shortener. It was a simple way to turn a lengthy web address into a short one that consisted of goo.gl and a short string of letter and numbers. With the rise of bit.ly and similar services, Google’s own URL shortener became less important to people’s work flow and now, nearly 10 years later, it’s gone for good.

Google+

Google+ was once supposed to be the one-stop shop for social and support among Google users, but it never really caught on. And then it was revealed that some 50 million users may have had their name, email address, occupation, and age exposed to third-party developers, which accelerated its demise. Now it’s going away for good, but we can’t imagine that anyone will actually notice.

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https://www.pcworld.com/article/3385091/no-joke-google-is-seriously-killing-off-the-pixel-2-inbox-googl-url-shortener-and-google-this-week.html

2019-04-01 16:44:00Z
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