Google plans software update to fix another Pixel 2 audio issue

Google just announced software updates are incoming to deal with issues Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners are reporting with their screens and speakers, and now there’s another one on the list. Its audio recordings seem to have an issue that makes them suddenly turn tinny and garbled, as noted in a thread on the support forums. Company representatives tell CNET and Android Police that Google is aware of the issue, and plans to fix it with a software update that will roll out in the next few weeks. That should be quite a patch when it arrives.

Source: CNET, Android Police

Best Buy bets you’ll pay $100 extra for an iPhone X

After half an hour of iPhone X preorders going live, the first ship date of November 3rd had already filled up. New owners were told they would have to wait 4-5 weeks for their new Apple device to ship. Maybe that has something to do with Best Buy’s surprise price hike of $100 extra for folks who pre-ordered either model of iPhone X on the retailer’s site.

Apple priced its iPhone X at $1000 for the base model, or $1150 for more storage. Best Buy is charging $1100 and $1250 for the same models, respectively. Best Buy defended its higher prices, which are identical to what Apple quoted would be charged to customers on carrier installment plans. Basically, if you were going to pay monthly for a phone, it would end up being the same price as what Best Buy is charging up-front for the same device.

“Our prices reflect the fact that no matter a customer’s desired plan or carrier, or whether a customer is on a business or personal plan, they are able to get a phone the way they want at Best Buy,” Best Buy spokesperson Danielle Schumann told Bloomberg in an email. “Our customers have told us they want this flexibility and sometimes that has a cost.”

Via: Bloomberg

Source: Best Buy – iPhone X

Apple Sending Emails to iPhone Upgrade Program Customers Who Had iPhone X Pre-Order Failures

Apple this evening began sending emails to customers who attempted to pre-order an iPhone X through the iPhone Upgrade Program but ran into a problem during the process.

In the email Apple asks customers to place a new iPhone Upgrade Program order and to reply to the email with the order number. It’s not clear why Apple is asking for order numbers, but it could be that the company is planning to expedite these orders in some way.

The email says Apple is working to get iPhone X models out as soon as possible, but the wording doesn’t necessarily suggest an order upgrade or faster shipping, so it’s possible Apple is just making sure its iPhone Upgrade Program customers have the chance to place an order.

Customers receiving these emails seem to have been told during ordering that their loan applications with Citizens One were taking longer to process than expected, and many later received notice that their orders were not initially approved. These customers were forced to order at a later date and now have delivery estimates of five to six weeks for their new devices.

If it does turn out Apple is planning to expedite the orders of these customers in some way, we’ll update this post, but at the current time, it’s unclear what Apple’s plans are.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: iPhone Upgrade ProgramBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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Pixel 2 At a Glance widget now available with Action Launcher

The v30 update also brings enhanced customization to the search bar, more adaptive icons, and better performance on Samsung devices.

Chris Lacy’s Action Launcher is one of the most popular launchers on the Google Play Store, and with the app’s latest v30 update, it’s gaining even more Pixel 2-esque features to help make your home screen look as great as possible.

As you can tell by the title, the biggest addition here is the new At a Glance widget that Google introduced with the Pixel 2. The At a Glance widget shows the current date, weather conditions, and any upcoming calendar appointments in a sleek and attractive package. It looks exactly how it does on the Pixel 2, and it’s a great way to quickly make your phone look a lot like Google’s latest.

However, the At a Glance widget isn’t the only goodie included with this latest update. The last v29 update gave users the ability to move Action Launcher’s Quickbar below the dock, and v30 introduces some wild customization controls for it. There’s a new icon editor that allows you to change the appearance of individual icons on the Quickbar, and the number of options present here is insane.

The dock search bar has also been tweaked to more accurately match its size on the Pixel Launcher, Action Launcher’s compatibility with the Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note 8 has been “improved markedly”, and there are also 250 new icons for Chris Lacy’s AdaptivePack icon pack.

Action Launcher’s v30 update is available in the Google Play store now, and you can download it here.

Action Launcher gains Pixel 2-style search bar with latest update

A bad look for Google and the Pixel 2 XL [#acpodcast]

Writer and analyst Daniel Matte from techspecs.blog joins Daniel Bader, Alex Dobie, and Russell Holly to discuss the issues, real and perceived, with the display used on Google’s Pixel 2 XL. They also talk about the software changes Google has promised to help address problems with the device.

To wrap things up, the crew chats about the Pixelbook, OnePlus 5T rumors, and the Android 8.1 beta!

Show Notes and Links:

• Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL review

• Google to address Pixel 2 XL screen issues with several software changes

• Google extending manufacturer warranty for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 XL screen burn-in is real, Google working on software fixes to mitigate issues

• Assessing the Pixel 2 displays

• Google has a software fix for the Pixel 2 speaker ‘clicking’ problem

• Google Pixelbook review

Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral358.mp3

Now T-Mobile is working with Project Loon in Puerto Rico

Last week AT&T announced it was the first carrier working with Alphabet’s balloon-distributed wireless setup in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and now T-Mobile customers have access too. Project Loon started off in the X Labs at Google — which are now a part of its parent company Alphabet — and uses balloons floating 20km high in the stratosphere that beam internet to people below. T-Mobile didn’t specify which phones are compatible so far, but this should provide daytime access to limited internet service (text messaging, basic web access and email) in areas where the towers are still out.

The Team at X tweeted that Project Loon has already delivered access to “tens of thousands” of people in Puerto Rico, and this should add many more to that number. Residents who use it won’t necessarily know they’re on Project Loon however, since the team says it appears on their just like any other LTE connection.

.@TMobile has joined #ProjectLoon to deliver emergency internet service in Puerto Rico pic.twitter.com/Il0e2sOGgj

— The Team at X (@Theteamatx) October 28, 2017

Very proud of @TMobile’s dedication to restore service & help customers, employees & all affected by the hurricanes. https://t.co/LZfpbUk98p

— Neville (@NevilleRay) October 28, 2017

Source: T-Mobile, X company (Medium)

Final Cut Pro X 10.4 Coming Later This Year With Improved Color Tools, HEVC and VR Support

At the Final Cut Pro X Creative Summit, which includes a visit to Apple’s Cupertino Campus. At the event, Apple today announced the next version of its video editing software aimed at professionals, Final Cut Pro X 10.4. Details about the announcement were shared on Twitter by FCPX experts Peter Wiggins, Alex Gollner, and Richard Taylor, giving us a hint of what’s coming later this year.

Image via Richard Taylor
The update will include new color tools, like and color wheels and a white balance picker, with new controls for the color board. It will include support for HEVC, the new video format introduced in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, and direct import of iOS for iMovie timelines. The new version of the software will support VR and HDR workflows.

Apple gave a sneak peek of #VR video features in next versions of Motion 5 and Final Cut Pro X at 1 Infinite Loop today pic.twitter.com/vAtZeeuY4o

— Alex Gollner (@Alex4D) October 28, 2017

Apple shared several demos of the new version of Final Cut Pro X in action, including an 8K timeline on the new iMac Pro.

No specific release date for Final Cut Pro X 10.4 was announced, but Apple did say that it’s coming before the end of 2017. Final Cut Pro X can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $299.99. [Direct Link]

(Thanks, Olivier!)

Tag: Final Cut Pro X
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Apple releases new leather sleeve for the 12-inch MacBook

Why it matters to you

Protective cases can sometimes detract from the refined design of a computer like the MacBook, but that’s not the case with this official sleeve by Apple.

If you’re buying a MacBook, you probably want a case that’s going to live up to Apple’s high standards for design. To cater to these needs, the company has released a stylish new sleeve that will keep your laptop protected without impinging on its good looks.

The leather sleeve for the 12-inch MacBook is broadly similar to the leather sleeve for the iPad Pro that’s offered by Apple. However, unlike that product, it features a slit across the horizontal edge of its perimeter to ease the insertion and removal of a laptop, according to a report from 9to5Mac.

The product page for the sleeve on the Apple website states that the material is high-quality European leather, and that the inside of the case is lined with a soft microfiber covering to ensure that the outer surface of your MacBook isn’t scuffed or scratched during use.

Its design also allows for users to charge their laptop while it’s inserted into the case. The sleeve really is quite aesthetically pleasing, with its sleek leather surface only interrupted by a few indentations to cater to the MacBook’s feet, and an understated embossed Apple logo on the top.

Apple doesn’t sell a wide range of protective cases for its laptops – most of those stocked on its official web store are produced by other manufacturers like Incase and Decoded. It remains to be seen whether the release of this sleeve will be followed by similar products for the other sizes of MacBook that the company produces.

Many users will perhaps prefer to opt for a slightly cheaper option that isn’t an official Apple product, as it has to be said that this sleeve does carry the high price tag you might expect from the company. Still, devotees will be glad to have the choice.

The leather sleeve for the 12-inch MacBook costs $149, and is available in the same two color schemes as the sleeve for the iPad Pro; Saddle Brown and Midnight Blue. It’s available online from Apple right now, and it will be available in the company’s brick and mortar locations from November 1.

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Outlook.com now knows where you live, and will move your data accordingly

Why it matters to you

Microsoft eliminates the step of manually changing your settings in Outlook.com when you permanently move from one region to another.

In an effort to improve the responsiveness of Microsoft’s Outlook-branded email service, the company updated the backend to automatically determine your physical location, and store your emails and attachments in a nearby data center. But don’t get creeped out just yet: The disclosure simply means that if you move to a different country, Outlook.com will eventually realize what happened and migrate your account to a nearby data center for better performance.

“Historically, we have determined locations based on the country you selected as your place of residence when you created the account,” the company said. “But in a world where migration is increasingly common, relying on you to manually keep that place of residence information up to date doesn’t make sense.”

In other words, when users previously created an Outlook account, they manually provided their current regional location. The only way Outlook could move your data to a different region was after you manually changed the information within the Outlook account. Now Outlook streamlines the process by determining your location automatically, so you don’t have to lift a finger (or digital suitcase).

What you won’t see with this backend “upgrade” is the Outlook service moving your account between data centers every time you travel from region to region. If you live in the United States and take a trip to Paris, France, the account will remain in the data center located in the U.S. If you actually move to Paris at some point, the account will eventually shift overseas with you as well.

But this update doesn’t just focus on moving data from one continent to another. Microsoft’s is referring to specific areas across the globe, such as eight regions within the U.S., two in Canada, two in Germany, two in the U.K., and so on. Thus, if you move from North Carolina (East US 2) to Washington (West US 2), your account will move to that region’s datacenter as well.

“Our data center capacity is also increasing, providing more opportunities to host your data closer to where you are located,” the company added. “Accordingly, we made updates that improve our ability to maintain your Outlook.com data closer to you with greater accuracy.”

According to Microsoft, the company is still working on six data centers for central and southern France, the northern and western parts of South Africa, and two locations in central Australia. Currently, Microsoft’s data centers cover 29 regions across the globe.

Microsoft’s Outlook email service started out as Hotmail in 1996, but was acquired by the company in 1997 for $400 million, and immediately renamed as MSN Hotmail. Eventually, Microsoft rebranded the service as Windows Live Hotmail until finally landing on the Outlook.com name in 2013. The online version copies the interface of the offline Outlook client, and crams in other services such as Skype, OneDrive, Outlook Calendar, and the online versions of the Office 365 suite.

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T-Mobile will reportedly carry HTC’s U11 Life

According to a T-Mobile store manager, the HTC U11 Life will be available through everyone’s favorite Un-Carrier.

Google’s Android One program is all about offering quality, affordable devices with clean builds of Android and speedy software updates. The Moto X4 is the first Android One phone to make its way to the United States, and at some point in the near future, we’re expecting the HTC U11 Life to make its debut as the program’s second entry.

A previous rumor already gave us a pretty clear idea of what specifications to expect from the U11 Life, but availability for the phone has remained a mystery. However, according to a store manager over on Reddit, the U11 Life will be making an appearance on T-Mobile when it is eventually released.

Tylerjames09 (the Redditor that shared this info) reportedly got a shipment notification indicating that the blue variant of the U11 Life and a lot of accessories for it were on the way to his store. Tylerjames09 also uploaded an image of the notification he received, and sure enough, the description of “HTC U11 LIFE BLU DEMO” can be seen clear as day.

We’re still taking this with a grain of salt as this is the first time we’ve heard any report of the U11 Life coming to T-Mobile, but it’d certainly be a welcome addition to the Un-Carrier’s lineup if it did. We aren’t expecting the phone to cost any more than $400, and for that price, we’ll likely see a 5.2-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 630 processor, 2600 mAh battery, Edge Sense, IP67 dust/water resistance, and Android 8.0 Oreo.

HTC U11 Life rumored to have Android Oreo, Edge Sense, IP67 rating around $400