iPhone 8 Said to Have Enhanced Earpiece With Further Improvements to Stereo Sound and Waterproofing

Apple’s so-called “iPhone 8” with an OLED display and wireless charging will also feature an “enhanced receiver” with “further improvements” to stereo sound and waterproofing, according to new research shared this week by JPMorgan analysts, who track the company’s supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region.

For those unfamiliar, the receiver is the slim, meshed earpiece cutout above the screen that you hold against your ear during a phone call. Since the iPhone 7, it has doubled as a full-out speaker. With two speakers, Apple says the iPhone 7 delivers two times the audio output of an iPhone 6s with increased dynamic range.

JPMorgan didn’t specify what improvements will be made to the iPhone 8’s receiver, but it’s reasonable to assume it could be louder for phone calls and other audio at the very least. The earpiece will also be more waterproof, in line with a previous rumor claiming the iPhone 8 will have even better IP68-rated water resistance.

The research note also made the rather outlandish prediction that AirPods may come as a free accessory with the iPhone 8.

Apple including AirPods with the iPhone 8 isn’t something we’ve heard before, so treat the rumor with a healthy dose of skepticism. But, if the rumor proves to be accurate, AirPods would presumably replace Apple’s wired EarPods with Lightning connector that it includes in the box with current iPhone models.

AirPods cost $159 in the United States, considerably more than EarPods, which retail for $29 when purchased separately, and cost Apple barely anything to make, according to estimates by market research firm IHS Markit. It’s unclear how much it costs Apple to manufacture a pair of AirPods.

Multiple reports suggest the iPhone 8 will be expensive, with the base model costing at least as much as a maxed out iPhone 7 Plus. Given that many iPhone 8 configurations will likely exceed $1,000 in the United States, perhaps Apple will still be able to achieve a reasonable enough profit margin to include AirPods in the box.

Other iPhone 8 features expected by JPMorgan have all been rumored previously, including a stainless steel and glass design, faster processor, larger battery, wireless charging, and 3D sensing module for facial recognition. JPMorgan estimates the device will be $75 to $80 more expensive to manufacture.

This research note comes from a group of JPMorgan analysts in the Asia-Pacific region, including Gokul Hariharan. Not listed is Rod Hall, who covers Apple for JPMorgan in the United States. Hall is the analyst who believes there’s a highly likely chance Apple will preview the iPhone 8 at WWDC in June.

“iPhone 8” is a tentative name for Apple’s significantly redesigned, high-end smartphone rumored to launch in 2017. It has also been referred to as the iPhone X, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Edition.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: AirPods, JPMorgan
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Rumors Persist About Apple Placing Touch ID on Back of ‘iPhone 8’

Apple’s rumored “iPhone 8” with an OLED display and wireless charging will continue to have Touch ID, but there is a “high chance” it will be on the back of the smartphone, says Hong Kong-based equity research firm CLSA.

iPhone 8 mockup with rear Touch ID sensor and vertical camera by iDropNews
An excerpt from a research note distributed this week by CLSA analysts Sebastian Hou and Brian Chen:

iPhone to ditch fingerprint sensor? We don’t think so.
Both Samsung and Apple tried to enable in-display fingerprint sensing on full-screen OLED phones in 2017, but their optical tech seems immature and the major iPhone 8 bottleneck. Some thus speculate the fingerprint sensor will be removed and replaced by 3D sensing. Our latest supply chain checks indicate the iPhone 8 will still have the sensor given security, user-friendliness, and a need for payments infrastructure, but there is a high chance it will be on the back like Samsung’s Galaxy S8.

CLSA created a diagram showing Touch ID placed slightly below the Apple logo on the back of the iPhone.

Samsung included a fingerprint sensor on the back of the Galaxy S8, but some reviews found it to be awkwardly positioned next to the camera. Apple placing Touch ID lower down could make it easier to reach.

The diagram also shows a vertically-aligned dual-lens camera, a widely rumored iPhone 8 feature seen in previous renders. There also appear to be additional modules next to the front-facing camera, likely for rumored 3D sensing and facial recognition functionality. Other features shown are identical to the iPhone 7.

The diagram suggests the iPhone 8 will be 144mm tall and 71mm wide, making it slightly larger than an iPhone 7 but smaller than an iPhone 7 Plus as expected. With a depth of 7.69mm, the iPhone 8 would be just a hair thicker than the iPhone 5s, if the dimensions CLSA lists prove to be accurate.

Touch ID on the back of the iPhone 8 appears to be a fallback solution given Apple’s struggles to integrate the fingerprint sensor underneath the smartphone’s display effectively enough for mass production. Leaked renders suggest Apple has explored a rear Touch ID sensor on at least one iPhone 8 prototype.

Other manufacturing challenges may push iPhone 8 production behind schedule by at least one or two months, possibly delaying shipments until October or November. Nevertheless, most analysts still think Apple will announce the iPhone 8 in September alongside the so-called iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus.

While some Apple fans will quip that “this same rumor surfaces every year,” oft-reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities implied this year’s shortage could be much more “severe” than in previous years.

“iPhone 8” is a tentative name for Apple’s significantly redesigned, high-end smartphone rumored to launch in 2017. It has also been referred to as the iPhone X, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Edition.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: CLSA, Touch ID
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International mobile plans and phones: Everything you need to know

No one likes to get home from an overseas vacation to discover a huge phone bill, but if you don’t plan ahead it could happen to you. From the provider point of view, using your phone internationally is a hassle: It requires a lot of data coordination and leasing required technology according to every country’s unique laws and varying data standards, which raises expenses. In the past, providers preferred to pass these expenses onto buyers by creating separate, higher fees for international use.

We’re seeing this trend die out as the competing U.S. phone and data providers look for new ways to appeal to customers. The result: More affordable international phone plans than ever before (although rates still vary based on your service and location). Let’s take a closer look at your options!

Canada and Mexico

ryanking999/123RF

Canada and Mexico typically have their own set of roaming/calling rules. Since they are adjacent to the U.S., it’s easier to build and lease cell towers and expand coverage in familiar ways. As a result, you may not need to pay any additional fees in these countries (and sometimes with extensions to the Caribbean and Central/South America). Here’s where the major providers currently stand with their Canada and Mexico plans.

AT&T: If you have Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Choice plans (among other qualifying plans), you have unlimited talk and text in all of North America, with no roaming charges. Otherwise you will need to get a $10 Day Pass.

Verizon: If you have an Unlimited Plan, you get unlimited Talk, Text & Data in Canada and Mexico without an extra charge. Otherwise, you will need to pay $5 per device per day, with your in-country data limits still applying. If you want to pay as you go, it’s going to be $1 per minute of talk and the going rate of $2.05 per MB of data.

T-Mobile: T-Mobile offers a unique Stateside International Talk plan that gives you unlimited calling and texting if you are calling from anywhere in North America (and calling out to any of more than 70 countries). You’ll also get discounted call rates to the other countries T-Mobile covers. This plan costs $15 per month, per line. Otherwise, you may be interested in sticking with your current ONE or Simple Choice North America plan, since they apply to Canada and Mexico as well as the U.S.

Sprint: For $5 per month, per device, you can get unlimited texting and calls to NA mobile devices at $0.17 per minute, with calls to a landline at $0.07 per minute. This service acts as an add-on that you can add to existing plans, which makes it a bit more flexible, but also significantly more expensive than other options. There’s also the Open World plan if you don’t mind making a bigger change for unlimited calling and texting in North/Latin America without the extra fees.

Global Plans

Dennizn/123RF

These plans apply to the world — or at least, to all the countries where the provider can offer services. This varies between 100 to 200 countries, so coverage to most popular travel spots won’t be a problem. However, it’s important to note any extra costs.

AT&T: AT&T started out 2017 by reducing roaming charges and generally making it easier to use your AT&T phone services abroad. You can now buy a “Day Pass” that allows you to pay $10 per day to access your normal, in-country calling, text, and data limits in more than 100 countries, which is an ideal option for shorter trips (calls back to the U.S. are free). If the Day Pass doesn’t work for you, there’s a $40 option for a month-long Passport that applies to over 200 countries. Otherwise, you will need to pay per use, which works out to around $1 per minute for most calls and a starting price of around $2 per MB of data.

Verizon: Verizon requires $10 per day per device for international traveling. If your stay is extended, you can arrange for a $25 per device per month package instead, which gets you a 100 MB allowance of data. However, talking is $1.79 per minute and texts are $0.50 for each sent, so there are a lot of costs to consider here. A $40 per device per month plan gives you more freedom to use your device without these extra charges.

T-Mobile: T-Mobile offers unlimited data and texting, plus very cheap talk, in more than 140 countries if you have the Simple Choice or T-Mobile One unlimited plans, making this one of the simplest options if you qualify. Otherwise T-Mobile’s options are highly stratified by country, with prices around $2 per minute of talk and $0.50 for most countries. There are some prepaid roaming options if you want to head a bit more off the grid and don’t mind paying for it.

Sprint: Out of the major providers, Sprint has one of the most traditional international plans. You can get a Call & Text add-on for around $15 per month, that allows calls to landlines in 60 countries and mobile in 35 countries without additional charges, plus lower rates for certain countries and unlimited (but not free) texting for more than 180 countries. Otherwise, it’s best to look at individual countries and check out rates based circumstances. Sprint tends to charge less for Cuba and more for China than other providers.

Prepaid plans

Prepaid plans focus on monthly fees with no contracts, and work with unlocked phones if you prefer one of these for travel. These services tend to be localized, but several offer advantages when traveling outside the United States.

Project Fi: Google’s Project Fi offers some of the most competitive international rates on the market. For $10 per GB (yes, GB), you get 3G-4G data with unlimited texting and calling at around $0.20 for most countries. The plan covers 135 countries and counting, and if you’re a fan of prepaid it’s probably your best choice.

MetroPCS: MetroPCS offers $5 unlimited Canada and Mexico options available for those who have a base rate plan of $40 or more (with some limits on the type of phone you use). There is also a World Calling Service for $10, which gives you 200 minutes for calling, 200MB of data, and 200 outbound text messages for all applicable countries.

GoPhone: GoPhone is an AT&T prepaid service with a number of plans to choose from. The Unlimited version includes coverage for Mexico and Canada. There are also a number of Long Distance calling options, including paying $15 for unlimited (but not free) calls to East Asia/India.

SIM cards

The SIM card is both the heart and brain of your phone—and it can be replaced with another chip. That means you can buy a localized SIM card or an international SIM card, replace your current SIM card, and transform your phone into a local model without associated out-of-country fees. A new SIM card typically comes with a brand new phone number too, which creates some complications (remember to update friends and family!), but it’s a viable strategy if you really want to keep your current phone model but also save money.

Note: A new SIM card requires an unlocked phone, or at least a whole lot of flexibility on the part of your provider. AT&T and T-Mobile are usually the best at supporting international GSM formatting and unlock options, but the other providers are catching up too, so you should first see how safe or easy it is to unlock your current phone. Otherwise, procure an unlocked phone for your trip.

Prepaid SIM cards in your destination country: These are SIM cards that you buy in the country you are visiting. They are sold everywhere from grocery stores to dedicated phone emporiums, so finding one shouldn’t be a problem. Choose a compatible card for your unlocked phone, plug it in, and get going with your new local number and rates. This is a country-by-country solution, so it’s most suitable when you’re primarily staying in just one country.

International SIM cards: International SIM cards are special chips specifically developed for global travel where you plan on visiting a number of different nations. These cards typically come with pre-programmed numbers for a country or region, and then allow you to add more regional numbers as needed, based on your travel plans. It’s a great customization option for complex travel plans, allowing free incoming calls for hundreds of countries around the world, and data rates as low as $0.03 per MB. Check out providers like One SimCard or WorldSIM to learn more.

Marines’ online nude photo scandal leads to 21 criminal cases

Feds have filed a total of 21 criminal cases after two months of investigating the nude photo scandal that rocked the US Marine Corps. According to AP, the investigation team called Task Force Purple Harbor scoured 200 websites for nude and semi-nude images of male and female soldiers on their own and with the help of some tools and software. It was a tough task, since perpetrators keep posting, deleting and reposting under different pseudonyms. Plus, some websites are exclusive to members and kick anyone who doesn’t contribute.

Despite all the difficulties, they managed to find and examine 150,000 nudes, reviewing each one to identify their subjects. Out of 150,000, they determined that 20,000 have possible connections to the military. However, most of them were selfies and technically not illegal, since they were originally shared voluntarily.

Since there are tons more nudes out there, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) developed tools to make things easier. Some of them can analyze every photo on a website to look for military uniforms and signs of consent. In four particular cases, the agency’s facial recognition software identified the victims in the photos. We’re guessing the task force members plan to keep using those tools, seeing as perpetrators continue to upload nudes of soldiers online.

In addition to filing 21 criminal cases, the investigators also found 16 suspects that could have stalked the victims, extorted and threatened them for nudes or stolen personal photos from their devices. Nine of them are active-duty Marines, two are reserves, three are Navy sailors, one is a Navy reserve and one is a civilian. The Marine Corps started feeling the heat in March when it was revealed that the NCIS was looking into a Facebook group sharing nudes of servicewomen. It eventually compelled the military division to update its guidelines and explicitly forbid online sexual harassment.

Source: AP News

YouTube and Warner extend their streaming music deal

YouTube’s relationships with music labels have certainly been fraught, but it just managed to reach a truce with one of them… at least, for now. The streaming service and Warner have extended licensing deals that will make sure Warner and its artists get paid for legal streams. The terms of the deal haven’t been revealed, but a memo from Warner chief Steve Cooper suggests the label is being particularly cautious this time around. The deals are “shorter than usual,” he says, “giving us more options in the future.” And there’s no mistaking why Warner is reluctant to commit for the long haul — Cooper is convinced that YouTube is taking a lackadaisical approach to fighting piracy.

As with many others in the music business, Cooper argues that safe harbor laws (which spare companies from liability for content their users upload) have “hindered” musicians on YouTube. Users could still post bootleg songs even if there was no deal at all, the CEO argues. Warner isn’t necessarily going to cut the licensing deals short, but it clearly feels as though it was strong-armed into a sub-par agreement that lets pirates run amok.

YouTube isn’t saying too much about the nature of the deal, although it tells Recode that it’s “pleased” to have renewed its deals. It stresses how much money it has paid to labels (over $1 billion between November 2015 and December 2016) and that this is key to expanding the global reach of YouTube Red. With that said, it’s likely thanking its lucky stars that it hired former Warner exec Lyor Cohen as its music lead. Although we might never know how negotiations went down, it wouldn’t be surprising if Cohen’s deep connections to the music industry helped him keep Warner around when it would have otherwise been tempted to jump ship.

Source: Variety

Tick all the boxes with the 27 Wallyace ocean-crossing displacement yacht

Why it matters to you

If you’re okay with not having a boat for poker runs, this yacht has all the space and range you’ll need.

In October and November each year, some 4-5,000 yachts travel from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean to spend the winter in warmer climes, before heading back in April or May. The new 27 Wallyace displacement yacht, however, can carry 6-10 guests and four crew members either way across the Atlantic Ocean non-stop.

The 27.33-meter (90-foot) 27 Wallyace is the first Wally with features often found on much larger yachts, such as a full-beam owners’ suite and an amidships tender garage.

The owners’ suite is aft and opens onto the rear deck that Wally calls a “terrace-on-the-sea” with a “feet in the water” experience. The point is it’s a really cool suite looking over a deck that opens directly to the water. If you’re in the owners’ suite and no one’s swimming off the deck, there’s a sense of exclusivity and privacy.

The big deal about having an amidships garage is the RIB (rigid inflatable boat) tender and other watercraft and toys stored in the garage are launched from that location. Deliveries of food, supplies, and anything else are also received there.

The guest cabins are on the same level but aft of the garage. The engine is amidships and the service areas and crew quarters are forward.

The 27 Wallyace is powered by two 385-horsepower 287 bkW Caterpillar C12 Diesel Marine Propulsion Engines. That might not seem like much power for a 90-foot yacht, but according to Wally, the whole point is quiet operation and fuel efficiency. The 27 Wallyace has a top speed of 13 knots and cruises at 10 knots.

So the 27 Wallyace isn’t going to make it from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to the Bimini in the Bahamas in under an hour, as can the similar-sized AB 100. The AB 100 has a maximum speed of 54 knots and a 45-knot cruising speed from its three diesel engines, each rated at 1,900 horsepower and each paired with a waterjet thruster.

But the design purposes of the vessels are very different. The AB 100 is a semi-displacement yacht, built more for speed than space, and its bow rises out of the water at speed.

The 27 Wallyace stays level, pushing the water aside, and has more space onboard, and even though the AB100 is technically longer at 100 feet, it’s rated at 24 meters. The Wallyace has a wide, stable hull with loads of volume for its living, working, and social spaces.

The performance difference that favors the Wallyace is traveling range. At its 45-knot cruising speed, the AB100 has a 550 nautical mile range. The 27 Wallyace, however, has a 3,000 nm range at 10 knots per hour.

So what the 27 Wallyace can do, rather than just a lunch run to the Bahamas, is cross the Atlantic at cruising speed without stopping to refuel its 15,000-liter total capacity (3,962-gallon) fuel tanks.

There is a little confusion in the specifications because Wally’s material on the 27 Wallace claims the yacht can go from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean without refueling, but that’s beyond the listed specifications.

A crossing from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean is roughly 4,000 nautical miles, or about 1,000 more than the Wallyace’s range. Certainly, however, an Atlantic crossing from the Canary Islands to Hamilton, Bermuda (2,861 nautical miles) or from Tenerife to Hamilton (2815 nm) are within the rated range, although close to the limit.

The best smartphones for a killer VR experience

If you don’t have the Vive or Oculus Rift, your phone may be the next best thing.

This post was updated on 4/6 with more great VR friendly phones for you to check out!

If you don’t feel like shelling out $800 for an HTC Vive or $600 for an Oculus Rift, then your phone can be the next best VR option. With both Samsung and Google currently leading the pack, mobile VR is looking more promising than ever. These are our picks for the best mobile VR experiences!

Read more at VR Heads!

Get chatty in this weekend’s comments thread!

Sit back, relax and chat about stuff because it’s the weekend!

I 💖weekends. I know I’m not alone here. Even if you work Saturday and Sunday or both, you gotta love it when the boss isn’t around to keep you from pressing buttons and doing things and everything is just a bit relaxed.

And if your weekend is on different days because you’re busting your butt today and tomorrow (shout out to servers and bartenders and retail workers and everyone else who makes life great), we hope you get to come home and relax at least a little bit on the days that start with S and think about the rest of us when you’re off through the week.

So who is doing something cool this weekend? I’m going to balance working and writing with time trying to find out what’s needed to build my own Pi Hat board, because I want Google Assistant in a cardboard box (or a plastic Oscar the Grouch trash can!) and Google is being Google again and making the actual kits impossible to find unless you’re Richard Devine. (loveu hatchu Richard). But it’s cool, my Pi Hat might just have huge blinking lights and sirens and make noises that only the dogs can hear. Or something. (Take that, Richard!). Yeah, this is pretty much what a giant nerd does on the weekend. And it’s freaking awesome.

Scroll down to the comments and let loose with whatever cool thing you have planned or anything else you want to talk about. You can even drop a pic somewhere like Imgur and drop the text link in a comment so we all can see it. Let’s do this thing!

Seattle enacts broadband privacy rules where the FCC won’t

Just because the FCC and White House have rolled back broadband privacy rules doesn’t mean internet providers are free to sell your data without permission… if you live in Seattle, they’ll still have to ask nicely. City mayor Ed Murray has implemented a rule requiring that cable companies obtain your consent before sharing your web browsing history and other data whenever it’s needed for something besides essential service. As he explains, the city “will act” when it sees the national government stripping “critical consumer protections” — it’s filling in the gap the FCC has left open.

Firms will have until September 30th to show that they’re honoring the rule, and they’ll have to prove compliance on an annual basis after that. They’ll also need to explain how and why they need to aggregate or anonymize data.

Don’t expect this privacy safeguard to show up in many other places. Seattle is taking advantage of a municipal code that gives it the authority to oversee the privacy rules of cable operators. Also, this policy only affects cable services like Comcast, CenturyLink and Wave. If you use a wireless internet provider, you won’t be covered.

Still, moves like this could dictate American internet privacy going forward by moving rules to the local level. While internet providers swear they aren’t selling your web history, Seattle might not be giving them much of a choice. If they want to avoid trouble, they’ll have to enact opt-in data sharing policies — and it could be a pain to enact those policies just for one city. If other major cities follow suit, it may be easier to make opt-in the default than to account for numerous major exceptions.

Via: Seattle Medium, TechCrunch, GeekWire

Source: Seattle.gov