Epson’s EcoTank printers come with ‘supersized’ tanks, two years worth of ink

Why it matters to you

Cartridge-free printers are growing in popularity because they offer what consumers have always wanted: inexpensive, refillable ink tanks.

Epson’s new ET-2600 and ET-2650 EcoTank models expand on the company’s cartridge-free printer line. The new all-in-one printers use four “supersized” ink tanks and include a generous helping of ink in the box — enough for 4,000 pages in black or 6,500 in color. In other words, it’s enough ink to last users up to two years, Epson claims.

Both the ET-2600 and ET-2650 offer the same print, scan, and copy capabilities. Printing speeds are as fast as 10 pages per minute with black ink or 4.5 pages per minute in full color. Maximum copying speed is 7.7 copies per minute in black and 3.7 copies per minute in color, with a maximum copy size of 8.5 x 11 inches. Maximum print width is also 8.5 inches, but panoramic media up to 47.2 inches is supported. Optical scanning resolution is 2,400 dots per inch, or up to 9,600 with interpolation. The printers support both wired and wireless connections, and users can print from their computers, phones, or tablets.

More: Epson’s portable DS-320 scanner can save 25 pages per minute

Where the two models differ is in usability features. The ET-2650 has several ease-of-use advantages over the ET-2600, including a built-in memory card slot, Wi-Fi Direct printing for wireless printing without a router, and a 1.44-inch color LCD for displaying printer settings. Both printers will be available later this month from retailers and the Epson online store. The ET-2600 will sell for $280, while the ET-2650 bumps the price up to $300.

Epson isn’t alone when it comes to tank-based printers. In December of last year, Canon finally brought its G series MegaTank printers to the U.S. Printer companies seem to be responding to the rise of cheap third-party ink cartridges and refill services. Refillable ink tanks aren’t just more convenient and longer-lasting than cartridges, they also offer significant savings: Epson says users will save up to 80 percent on ink costs with the ET-2600 series.

Touch Bar support added to Office 2016 for Mac Slow Ring Insiders

Why it matters to you

The MacBook Pro’s new Touch Bar just got more useful — Microsoft has added Touch Bar support for Office 2016 for Mac Insiders.

One of the more innovate and popular features that Apple added to the 2016 MacBook Air is the new Touch Bar, an OLED touchscreen display that replaces the old-school function keys and adapts to what a user is doing in MacOS or other applications. In order for the Touch Bar to be as valuable as possible, developers need to update their apps to support it.

Apple has added Touch Bar support to its own professional creativity applications, including Logic Pro X and Final Cut Pro X, and third-party developers are constantly adding support to their apps as well. Now, one of Apple’s most important third-party developers, Microsoft, has followed suit by adding Touch Bar support to its Office productivity suite.

More: 2016 Macbook Pros becoming more versatile as Touch Bar receives more app support

There’s a catch, however. If you want to use the Touch Bar in Office 2016 for MacOS, then you’ll need to be signed up for Microsoft’s Office Insider for Mac program. It’s the Slow Ring of that program that just received Touch Bar support, with the release of Office 2016 for Mac version 15.31 (170207).

You can sign up for the Office Insider for Mac program here. Once you’re an Office Insider, then you can choose to join one of two levels. The Office Insider Slow Ring is for those more risk-averse users who want early access to supported builds with minimal hassle. The Office Insider Fast ring is for risk takers who can live with more issues but want access to the absolute earliest preview builds.

If you’re already an Office Insider on the Slow Ring, then you might have already received the update automatically. If not, you can open any Office app. then go to Help > Check for Updates and kick off the update manually. Once you do, you’ll be able to more easily access Office commands using your MacBook Pro’s shiny new Touch Bar.

Beats X: What makes Apple’s W1-enabled headphones different?

When Apple unveiled the AirPods last autumn, it also showed off a custom-designed W1 chip specifically for wireless headphones.

Now, months later, Apple-owned Beats is launching the $149 Beats X, and naturally, they’re equipped with W1. The new wireless headphones — like the W1 chip — were announced last September. A number of delays have pushed back their launch date, making the Beats X the last in the first round of W1-enabled headphones to become available. The first ones were the Beats Solo 3, Powerbeats 3, and Apple AirPods.

Here’s everything you need to know about W1 and Beats X.

What makes Apple W1-enabled headphones different?

It’s weird to think about headphones launching with their own chips and the ability to get firmware updates over the air, but that’s the high-tech world we live in now, thanks to companies like Apple. Apple’s W1 chip is unique because it simplifies wireless Bluetooth pairing by automatically prompting you to connect through a paired iPhone, and then it shares pairing data with all your other iCloud-connected accessories and headphones. The proprietary chip also improves connectivity and range over standard Bluetooth.

According to Apple AirPod’s website, the W1 chip “produces extremely efficient wireless for a better connection and improved sound” while also managing battery life so that you can listen for five hours on a charge. Meanwhile, optical sensors and motion accelerometers work with the W1 chip to “automatically control the audio and engage the microphone, giving you the ability to use one or both AirPods”. This wireless technology also enables the AirPods to play sound as soon as they’re in your ears.

How do Apple W1-enabled headphones work?

The first thing you do when you get a pair of W1-headphones such as the Beats X is turn it on next to your unlocked iOS 10-powered iPhone or iPad, then click “connect” to seamlessly pair it with any other Apple gadget that’s signed in to your iCloud account. From there, switching from iPhone to Mac and back takes a click. You can learn more about how Apple AirPods work, specifically, from Pocket-lint’s in-depth review.

The W1 chip basically just makes Bluetooth a lot more user-friendly. While it debuted on the AirPods last autumn, it’s also available for the Beats Solo 3 Wireless, Powerbeats 3, and new Beats X. In many ways, all these W1-enabled headphones are standard Bluetooth headsets. They’ll work with any Android phone, Windows PC, or whatever other type of gadget you might happen to have lying around. But you’ll get the most bang for your buck if you use W1-enabled headphones with an Apple device like iPhone or Mac.

When used with an Apple device, the W1 chip is supposed to significantly boost your range. You should be able to vacuum your entire house with your phone still charging in a room, and you won’t lose any audio. And because of the optimisation technology, you’ll get a greatly extended battery life. With the W1, Apple is trying to provide something different and convenient, as well as something that encourages you to buy Apple devices. The W1’s it-just-works experience is meant to sway you from an Androids and PCs.

When will the W1-enabled Beats X be available?

The $149 (£129.95) Beats X will be available for purchase in the US and UK on 10 February. The shipping date was announced by the Beats Twitter account. You can get them in black or white at launch, with blue and grey versions coming at a later date.

They promise up to 8 hours of playback from a battery charged via a Lightning port. They also feature a “Flex-Form cable” and magnetic ear buds, both of which allows them to hang tangle-free around your neck. And they easily coil into a case for storage.

AVAILABLE FEB. 10. #BeatsX @TrvisXX pic.twitter.com/5LBNajwoK9

— Beats By Dre (@beatsbydre) February 7, 2017

Vevo pauses its music video subscription plans

You probably aren’t champing at the bit to pay for a music video subscription service, but if you are… well, you’ll have to keep champing. Vevo chief Erik Huggers tells Variety that his company is putting its subscription plans on hold in favor of international expansion. Paid viewing is “still in the cards,” but Vevo wants to lay the groundwork for it through a larger presence on the world stage.

Huggers notes that about 80 percent of Vevo’s viewers are from outside the US, but that it only has localized content in 14 countries. The streaming service wants to double or triple that footprint by the end of 2017.

The pause also gives Vevo a chance to build up an original library that extends beyond music videos. It won’t try to challenge Hulu or Netflix, but it’s already working on short-form clips that include animated short films, interviews and mini documentaries. Think of this the way you might Apple’s expansion into video originals — it’s about giving you a steady stream of exclusives that make it more than just a straightforward music service.

But is it enough? That’s hard to tell. There are still many factors up in the air, such as price and the perks you get besides the occasional singer Q&A. Music videos typically aren’t as important to fans as the music itself, and it may be hard to break the habit of a generation used to watching music videos on YouTube for free. Whenever Vevo’s paid service launches, it’ll have to be both a significant improvement and inexpensive enough that people won’t mind the video-only focus.

Source: Variety

California Republicans want to block high-speed rail funding

A 14-member contingent of the California GOP have sent a letter to newly-installed Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao, asking that the DOT halt approval of a $650 million dollar grant for a proposed bullet train running between San Francisco and San Jose. That grant would have gone to California’s Caltrain agency (as early as this week) and be used to install a power system for the future train system. The letter cites cost increases and a lack of private funding as reasons to defund the project.

The GOP letter points out that the high-speed rail plan, one of Governor Jerry Brown’s signature projects, was originally slated to run from Sacramento to San Diego and cost around $33 billion. However, the plan has since been revised to stretch from San Francisco to San Jose, while costing $64 billion. The letter also cites concerns from the Federal Railroad Administration that warns against a potential $3.5 billion bump in the first part of the project, running from Merced to Shafter.

“Providing additional funding at this time to the authority would be an irresponsible use of taxpayers dollars,” the GOP letter reads. “In light of the new revelations from the confidential FRA report, we request no further monies be granted to the [California High-Speed Rail] Authority or the state of California for high speed rail until a full and complete audit of the project and its finances can be conducted and those finding be presented to the public.”

The Democrats quickly fired off their own letter to Secretary Chao, arguing that the GOP letter was filled with “inaccuracies and innuendo” and that defunding the project would hamper Californians’ mobility within the state. Defunding the plan would make getting from Silicon Valley to The City “dirtier, slower and more crowded,” their letter read.

This grant is part of a larger $2 billion grant that would electrify the route and enable Caltrain to convert its entire system from diesel power to electric. The problem is that the high-speed rail project has already signed contracts that require it provide formal notice to begin work by March 1st. If this grant isn’t approved by then, the penalties that would be invoked would make the project nearly impossible to fund. At best, the bullet train project would have to electrify the route with private financing to the tune of $2 billion in the coming years. This outcome would hamstring the state’s efforts to improve commutes for its residents for decades to come. At least we still have HyperLoop.

Source: LA Times

Tesla’s Model 3 won’t have a 100 kWh battery to start

Tesla’s started off 2017 with a bang, officially opening its Powerpack-filled 20-megawatt energy storage station in Mira Loma, California last week as it looks to start production of its Model 3 at the end of the year. Just don’t expect its new, more affordable electric car to come with the larger batteries they stuck in their existing vehicles last year: CEO Elon Musk himself finally confirmed that the Model 3 won’t initially come in 100 kWh.

@jovanik21 @Veidit No, will be lower. Wheelbase can’t fit 100.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2017

For its Model S and Model X cars, Tesla expanded beyond the 60 kWh baseline batteries, which get about 218 miles of EPA range, into the larger 100 kWh version last August, extending it to 315 miles. But the Model 3’s economical design has a smaller wheelbase, which won’t fit the bigger power source, Elon Musk said. Neither he nor the company specified which size battery their new vehicle will ship with.

Source: SlashGear

Apple vs. Samsung Case to Return to Lower Court for Possible Damages Retrial

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit today ruled that a lower district court must decide whether a damages retrial is required in the long running legal battle between Apple and Samsung, reports CNET.

The case will return to the same San Jose, California court where it was originally heard by Judge Lucy Koh. From today’s ruling:

Both parties filed statements urging us to take different actions. While Apple requests continued panel review, Samsung requests that we remand to the district court for a new trial on damages. For the reasons explained below, we adopt neither suggested course of action. Instead, we remand this case to the district court for further proceedings, which may or may not include a new damages trial.

Apple’s dispute with Samsung dates back to 2011, when Apple sued Samsung for copying the iPhone’s design. Apple was initially awarded nearly $1 billion in damages, but a significant part of that decision was reversed in 2015, leaving Samsung owing $548 million.

Samsung paid the $548 million in 2015, but also asked the Supreme Court to hear the case in the hopes of reimbursement, claiming it was asked to pay a “disproportionate” sum for violating Apple’s design patents. $399 million of the $548 million was awarded for the design patent violation, and in December, the Supreme Court sided with Samsung, overturning that particular damages ruling.

The Supreme Court remanded the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals to reconsider the $399 million portion of the ruling, and the lawsuit was officially reopened in January of 2017. The U.S. Court of Appeals was charged with redetermining the amount Samsung owes Apple for infringing on the design patents, a task that will now fall to the district court because the appeals court says the district court is better suited to make such a decision.

The original damages award was calculated based on the profit Samsung earned from the sale of infringing galaxy devices, but Samsung has claimed the amount should not have been based on the total profits of each device, but rather the individual components that violated the patents, which the Supreme Court agreed with.

The District Court for the Northern District of California will now consider arguments from both Apple and Samsung and determine what additional proceedings, if any, are necessary in the case.

Tags: Samsung, Patent lawsuits
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Tim Cook Visits ‘Kitchen Stories’ Developers and Furniture Maker Dula on German Trip

Following a trip to France, Tim Cook today toured Germany, where he made a number of stops to visit furniture maker Dula, the developers behind the Kitchen Stories app, and the team at Refinery29.

Cook has been documenting his trip on Twitter, sharing a number of photos at each site. Before leaving France, he made one last stop to visit the Marché Saint-Germain Apple Store, where he met with staff, iOS developers, and Apple customers. It was his second visit to an Apple Store following a stop in Marseille earlier this week.

He then headed to Vreden, Germany, where he met with Dula. Dula is a furniture manufacturer that works with Apple to create some of the furniture and hardware used in Apple’s retail stores.

Bewundernswerte, außergewöhnliche Handwerkskunst bei unserem Zulieferer Dula heute Morgen in Vreden 🇩🇪. Vielen Dank für die Tour! pic.twitter.com/va4n6oqtCn

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 7, 2017

Cook took a tour of the factory and then headed to Berlin to meet with the developers behind the Kitchen Stories app. Created by two women in 2014, Kitchen Stories is a recipe app that walks users through each step using photos and videos.

During his time at Kitchen Stories, Cook also met with Refinery29 for an exclusive interview where he talked about women in the workplace, diversity, wage gaps, and more.

Cook was specifically questioned about the German start up scene, where just 13.9 percent of lead roles are held by women. According to Cook, improving that rate hinges on a work environment that “encourages and motivates women to participate.” He went on to say that it’s a problem that needs to be tackled early in life, in schools, with young women encouraged to enter the STEM field.

Pay equality was also a subject, and Cook explained that Apple pays all employees equally regardless of gender, something all companies should do.

You know, we’re probably an outsider, but we pay well and we pay 100% the same. We make a long-term evaluation every year, in order to maintain that. And if we only notice once that someone earns only 99.8% of the salary of another, then we do everything we can to make up for it. I think every company should try to do it. It’s just not right and not fair that women still earn so much less than men.

Cook’s full comments can be read over at Refinery29, but the original interview is in German and will need to be translated.

Following his short trip to Germany, Cook will head to Scotland on Wednesday where he will accept an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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New 2018 Dodge Durango SRT Includes CarPlay Support and BeatsAudio Sound System

Ahead of the Chicago Auto Show, Dodge today announced that its new 2018 Durango SRT will come equipped with support for Apple CarPlay, making it the first Durango model to offer the feature.

Branded as the “fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV,” the Durango SRT includes a 475-horsepower engine, a new exterior design, new interior options, and more.

It will include an 8.4-inch Uconnect touch screen media center with CarPlay support, Android Auto, HD Radio, downloadable apps, and a 5-year trial of SiriusXM Travel Link and Traffic, plus it will be equipped with a BeatsAudio-branded premium sound system with nine speakers, a subwoofer, and a 506-watt amplifier.

Dodge has previously implemented support in the 2017 Challenger and the 2017 Charger. The 2018 Durango SRT will be available from dealers starting in the summer of 2017.

Related Roundup: CarPlay
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PayPal’s Slack bot makes recouping the office bar tab easy

Slack is a popular way for teams to communicate in the office and bots make the app a lot more helpful with a number of tasks. Thanks to PayPal, there’s a simple way for you to send money to a colleague or friend if they grab your coffee or pick up a bar tab after work. With the PayPal Slack bot, all you have to do is type “/PayPal send $5 to (insert username here)” and the funds will be on their way.

You can also include a reason for the payment, like “for Friday’s beers,” but it’s not a requirement. To take advantage of the PayPal bot, you’ll need to install it in Slack, connect your account and configure transaction settings — like when you want to review and approve any funds that are about to change hands. For now, the bot is available to Slack users in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. To see the feature in action, take a gander at the video down below.

Source: PayPal