Phil Schiller: Apple Working With Consumer Reports to Understand MacBook Pro Battery Test
Yesterday Consumer Reports revealed that Apple’s 2016 MacBook Pro became the first MacBook to fail to achieve a recommendation due to inconsistent battery life. Apple SVP Phil Schiller today tweeted that the Cupertino company is working with Consumer Reports to understand the battery tests.
“Working with [Consumer Reports] to understand their battery tests, ” Schiller tweeted. “Results do not match our extensive lab tests or field data.” Apple claims its internal testing has seen the new MacBook Pro providing up to 10 hours of battery life when watching iTunes movies or browsing the web.
Working with CR to understand their battery tests. Results do not match our extensive lab tests or field data. https://t.co/IWtfsmBwpO
— Philip Schiller (@pschiller) December 24, 2016
Consumer Reports’ test has come under scrutiny since publication of the non-recommendation. The tests were conducted by opening a series of 10 web pages sequentially on Safari. This tests’ inconsistency had the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar registering 16 hours, 12.75 hours and 3.75 hours of battery life. A 15-inch MacBook Pro ranged from 18.5 hours to 8 hours of battery life.
When Consumer Reports tried the test with Chrome rather than Safari, it found consistently high battery life. “For this exercise, we ran two trials on each of the laptops, and found battery life to be consistently high on all six runs,” the report said. Consumer Reports did not think it was enough data to draw a conclusion, though they also point out their test results only take default browsers into consideration.
Critics, like iMore’s Rene Ritchie, argue that inconsistent test results require more testing to ferret out whether the issue is easily fixable, like a Safari glitch. Consumer Reports noted in its report that if Apple issues a software update that it claims will fix battery life inconsistency, they will conduct fresh tests.
Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo completes second glide flight
Two years ago, Virgin Galactic’s first SpaceShipTwo tragically crashed during a test flight, killing one pilot and severely injuring the other. The company unveiled its successor back in February, the VSS Unity, which has additional safety features to prevent another crash. It completed its first glide test two weeks ago, gathering precious data about how the reusable craft behaves in the air, and just performed a second unpowered flight to round out the year.
Virgin Galactic president Mike Moses said in October that they would need to hit all their test objectives before progressing to powered flight, which could take between 8 and 15 total staged glides. Assuming no other delays, Unity could move on to rocket-propelled tests sometime in 2017.
There’s still too much testing for Virgin Galactic to state when they’ll begin commercial flights, or even an outline schedule for future tests. Despite the program’s delays, the company claims that it has about 700 customers who have signed up for a flight on SpaceShipTwo.
VSS Unity’s second glide flight test occurred yesterday. Here she is gliding home. Thanks to our pilots & crew & you all for cheering us on. pic.twitter.com/L5zzSyDAUS
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) December 23, 2016
Source: SpaceNews
iFixit ranks repairability of 2016 flagships, LG G5 comes out on top
The LG G5 received the repair-friendly score of 8/10.
The LG G5 may not have garnered the lion’s share of love from critics (or sales) in 2016, but it is the easiest phone to repair.
People who are good at the business of taking things apart and putting them back together again — iFixit — gave the G5 a repairability score of 8 on a 10 point scale in their 2016 roundup. They cite the removable back and battery and modular components — the circuit boards inside and not the outer modules in this case — as the reason why it’s so easy to take the phone apart.
Things like standard screws and easy-to-remove screens also garner points in the judging, while excessive adhesive, soldered components and “complex opening procedures” make the process more difficult and result in a lower score.
The full results for 2016 were (in order):
- LG G5 (8/10)
- Pixel and Pixel XL (7/10)
- iPhone 7 and 7 plus (7/10)
- iPhone SE (6/10)
- Galaxy Note 7 (4/10)
- Galaxy S7 and S7 edge (3/10)
We won’t suggest you take your phone apart and try any repairs yourself unless you know what you’re doing, but if you have a G5 it’s going to be a lot easier to do.
LG G5
- LG G5 review
- LG 360 CAM review
- LG G5 complete specs
- LG’s G5 Friends modules are a neat idea, but they won’t matter
- LG G5 Hi-Fi Plus w/ B&O
- Join the LG G5 discussion
AT&T
Unlocked
Sprint
T-Mobile
Nintendo says it plans to release up to three mobile games every year
Super Mario Run released for iOS recently and was a massive success, so it’s no surprise to learn Nintendo has more mobile games in the works.
Super Mario Run racked up 40 million downloads in its first four days – beating the instant success of Pokemon Go from this past summer. It officially topped 50 million downloads as of Friday and is more than likely generating tonnes of revenue for Nintendo, especially considering the title costs $9.99 to fully unlock and play. App Annie said Super Mario Run’s revenue estimates are in the $14 million range for its first three days.
Now, Nintendo has said it is keen to release two to three new mobile games every year starting in 2017. According to a new interview (via MacWorld) with Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo’s president, Nintendo already has a couple games on the roadmap for next year: Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem. Those two are in addition to the Android version of Super Mario Run, which released in December for iOS devices only.
Keep in mind Niantic’s Pokemon Go launched this past summer and was massively hyped. While it’s not exclusive to iPhones and iPads (it launched cross-platform), it is available across the globe and hit 30 million downloads in two weeks. And it’s free to play, though there are in-app purchases.
- Super Mario Run: How to play
- Super Mario Run: Tips and tricks
- Super Mario Run cannot be played offline, the non-mobile mobile game
- Pokemon Go is coming to Apple Watch by end of 2016
- Pokemon Go for Apple Watch: How to play and when can you get it?
Kimishima also said he believes Super Mario Run will eventually reach 100 million downloads.
Tesla hides two Easter Eggs in its latest software update
Tesla’s latest firmware update comes with more than just bug fixes — there are a pair of fun surprises just in time for the holidays hidden in there as well.
Model X owners can activate a secret light show that transforms the SUV into a four-wheeled disco ball. To activate it, you simply press the Tesla icon at the top of the screen for 5 seconds and then enter “Holiday” in the passcode screen that pops up. Once you exit the vehicle and lock the doors, the X will set off its exterior lights while playing music.
Both Model X and Model S owners can try the other hidden feature. Just enter “Mars” into the navigation’s destination zip code field and it will replace your local map with one from the surface of the Red Planet. As you drive, the surface map will pan accordingly but, alas, you’ll never actually get any closer to Mars that way. You’d need a spaceship for that.
Source: TechCrunch
If you ask Alexa, Tim Curry will read you ‘A Christmas Carol’
The Amazon Echo might be sold out everywhere this holiday season, but those who’ve picked one of the smart speakers up prior have a treat in store. From now through January 3rd, saying “Alexa, read A Christmas Carol from Audible” will do exactly as the command suggests — for free. And not only that, the Dickens classic is read by none other than Tim Curry — the dastardly hotel manager from Home Alone 2 and voice of Ebeneezer Scrooge in the animated version of the story, from 1997. Pair this with the Eye of Sauron yule log, a glass of (boozy) egg nog and you’ll be all ready for the big day.
From now until Jan. 3, 2017, Alexa customers can listen to a holiday classic for free. #JustAsk “Alexa, read A Christmas Carol from Audible” pic.twitter.com/fSIu6V1Xsv
— Amazon Echo (@amazonecho) December 23, 2016
Source: Amazon Echo (Twitter)
Apple Pulls All Withings Accessories From Apple Online Store Following Nokia Lawsuit
In the wake of its legal dispute with Nokia, Apple has pulled all Withings-branded accessories from its online store and presumably from all of its retail stores around the world.
Apple appears to have pulled the accessories in the last day or two, eliminating Withings products like the Body Cardio Scale, the Smart Body Analyzer, and the Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor. When searching for these products on Apple’s site, they are no longer listed as available for purchase.
Apple has stopped offering all Withings products because Withings is owned by Nokia following a spring 2016 purchase worth an estimated $192 million. The Withings brand has been integrated into Nokia’s Digital Health unit and is led by Cedric Hutchings, formerly the CEO of Withings.
A cached version of the listing for the Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor, no longer available from Apple.com
Earlier this week, Apple filed an antitrust lawsuit accusing Nokia and several patent assertion entities of illegally transferring patents to attempt to extort excessive royalty fees from the Cupertino company. Apple had established FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory) deals with Nokia, but by transferring patents to patent holding companies, additional royalties can be demanded.
In response, Nokia filed 40 patent infringement lawsuits against Apple across 11 countries, accusing the Cupertino company of failing to establish licensing deals for Nokia patents that cover displays, user interface, software, antenna, chipsets, and video coding.
According to Apple, Nokia has been conspiring with patent assertion entities (Acacia Research and Conversant Property Management) in an “illegal patent transfer scheme” to wring money out of Apple because Nokia’s cell phone business is failing. Nokia, meanwhile, says that it has not been able to reach a licensing agreement with Apple and must defend its rights.
Tags: Withings, Nokia, Patent lawsuits, lawsuits
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Evie Launcher 2.0 brings the best of Apple, Android and Nova
Evie launched version 2.0 of its launcher earlier this week – I’ve been using it for a couple days now, and thought you all might be interested in giving it a try, yourselves. What follows are my thoughts, and my thoughts alone:
The first thing that comes to mind when using Evie is iOS – and by that, I mean it’s clean, snappy and uses a similar aesthetic to Apple’s OS.
There are a couple basic features in Evie that set it apart from the stock Android launcher: universal search (with automatically populating Google search results and content cards, detailed later), icon pack support, notification count badges, swipe to search, and customizable column/row configurations. A pretty standard set of options, to be sure, but the universal search function deserves a bit of focus.
When you tap the search bar (or swipe down on the screen), Evie seamlessly enters search mode, complete with a tasteful blurring effect on your wallpaper. Typing into this field instantly generates results from Google, as well as pulling media, restaurant and contacts from your phone and internet. This content generates ‘cards’ similar to Google Now, that contains relevant information about the item searched. For example, searching Rogue One brings up the following card…
…With Tomatometer, Fandango, IMDB and reviews cooked right in. Searching Ariana Grande (puke) brings up Listen Now (with the ability to favorite your preferred method of listening), Watch Now, Social Media, and Learn More. Searching for a restaurant offers Directions, Get a Ride (using Uber or Lyft), and Reviews. It should also be noted that searching a term also looks in the Google Play Store, saving you the hassle of having to go into the app to search. It’s not perfect, but it is really cool.
Evie is both lightweight and buttery smooth (like that hasn’t been said before, right?), with a clean, simple interface and menu system. While its customization is nowhere near the likes of Nova or Apex, it does offer more than the standard Google offering. When it comes down to it, Evie straddles a the line between customization and usability, and strikes a nice balance of both.
With aesthetic and features of both Android and iOS, and customization features to set it apart from both, Evie 2.0 is definitely worth a look. Check it out.
Evie Launcher – Google Play Store
Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse review – CNET
The Good The Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse is one of the most complete indoor kits you can get with plenty of convenience features, like adhesive and a replaceable cable, included in the box. It was able to pull in more channels than any other of the models on test.
The Bad In our test locations it didn’t fare much better than the $10 antenna in regards to signal strength. The Amplified (+$20) version may cause you to lose channels.
The Bottom Line The Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse offers everything you could want in an indoor antenna, but be sure to shop around on price.
Putting the “bunny ears” aside, the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse is the most distinctive-looking antenna in our indoor antenna lineup. But it’s not just about head-turning looks: the Antennas Direct packs a lot of features and performance into this relatively small antenna.
The ClearStream Eclipse is half of a flattened Moebius strip with the option of a black or white side. As far as convenience features, it’s the best of all of the models we looked at. There’s not only the option to add a longer cable (with a coaxial port at the bottom of the antenna) but it also includes a cable in the box, unlike the similarly priced Channel Master Smartenna.
This antenna is designed to be stuck on a window and it includes a number of sticky pads in the box to help you do this. No need to buy poster putty!
Sarah Tew/CNET
When affixed to our window it performed near the top of the pack. Its greatest strength: its ability to pull in far-flung channels that the other antennas couldn’t find. It found the highest number of channels of any model in our inner-city test — 75, or five more than the Flatenna.
With signal strength it did reasonably well with five usable channels out of 11, which is the same as our budget pick, the Channel Master Flatenna.
While you could buy the amplified version for an extra $20, we found that using it didn’t actually help in our two test locations. In fact, it was much worse at bringing in channels and maintaining a watchable picture. It may help, however, if you live in a rural area, but experiment with the cheaper one first and add an amp later if you wish. As a result our recommendation is for the unamplified version, but try and buy it from Antennas Direct, as it’s currently $20 off at $40.
See how the Antennas Direct fared in our cord-cutters guide to indoor antennas here.
Pokemon Go made it easier to catch those new Pokemon for the holidays
Forget about opening gifts. Niantic wants you to catch ’em all on Christmas.
Pokemon Go recently launched for Apple Watch and introduced new Pokemon for you to catch, and in effort to get you up and using that new app or at least finding all those new Pokemon, Niantic has announced a new holiday event.
From 25 December to 3 January, Pokestops will award a single-use Incubator each day after your first Photo Disc spin. Also, when you visit PokeStops during this time period, you will have a better chance at finding Eggs that hatch Togepi, Pichu, and Johto-based eggs.
As if that wasn’t enough, come 30 December, t will be easier to find the original starting Pokemon (Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle and their evolutions) will be easier too: “As a way to increase your chance to encounter one of these Pokemon, Lure Modules will also last for 60 minutes instead of 30 minutes,” announced Niantic Labs in a press release posted on 23 December.
Pikachu will also continue wearing adorable Santa hats until the beginning of January.
Happy Holidays indeed!
AIVAnet 