Apple’s Greg Joswiak Talks iPhone X Face ID, Display and A11 Chip

Tom’s Guide today shared its list of “2017 Innovation Award Winners,” which of course includes the iPhone X, among other products like the Nintendo Switch, the DJI Spark, and the Amazon Echo.

Apple’s iPhone X took the Tom’s Guide “Best Overall” award for its Super Retina Display, Face ID, and A11 Bionic chip, and the site’s iPhone X writeup includes some interesting commentary from Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of product marketing.

For the iPhone X’s Super Retina Display, which incorporates the first-ever OLED panel in an iOS device, Joswiak says Apple had to “do a lot of engineering” to come up with “panels that were better” to address traditional OLED issues like oversaturated colors.

The iPhone X is using its own color management system, a folding panel design that stacks circuits for minimal bezel, and other technology improvements to outshine competing smartphone displays.

Reiterating previous comments from Apple executives on Face ID, Joswiak says Touch ID was never planned for the iPhone X. Prior to the launch of the device, there were rumors suggesting Apple had tried and failed to embed Touch ID both under the display. Apple execs say Face ID was planned for the iPhone X from the beginning. “We had a line of sight on how to do real facial recognition, in a way never done before,” said Joswiak.

The “notch” on the iPhone X, which some believe is a questionable design decision, houses what Joswiak says is “one of the most densely packed technology areas” Apple has done. The notch includes a 7-megapixel camera, an infrared camera, a flood illuminator, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a speaker, a microphone, and a dot projector, all of which powers the TrueDepth system that enables Face ID and other features like Animoji.

At the heart of the iPhone X, there’s an A11 Bionic chip with two performance cores and four high-efficiency cores that work together to make the iPhone X incredibly fast. An included neural engine powers Face ID and other machine learning tasks, while an embedded M11 Motion coprocessor captures motion-based data.

Apple’s chip team “worked hand in glove” with the rest of Apple’s hardware and software teams to design chips that are “perfectly suited” for the iPhone X’s feature set. “That’s huge,” said Joswiak. “No one else can match that,” he added.

Josiwak’s full commentary on the iPhone X, which includes additional details about each feature, can be read over at Tom’s Guide. The Innovation Award list also highlights multiple other products across categories like Augmented Reality, TV, Graphics, Design, Game, Entertainment, CPU, Tablet, Peripheral, and more.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: Greg JoswiakBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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Comparison: Mophie and Belkin’s Wireless Chargers for iPhone X, 8 and 8 Plus

With the release of iOS 11.2, faster 7.5W wireless charging is available on the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.

Currently, there are two chargers that Apple has confirmed support 7.5W wireless charging: the Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad and the Mophie Wireless Charging Base, both of which are sold by Apple.

Now that 7.5W wireless charging has been implemented, we thought we’d take a look at both charger options for those of you who are considering a purchase following the update.

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Both the Mophie and Belkin wireless chargers are priced at $60 and offer the same charging speeds, but there are some distinct design differences between the two. The Mophie charger is smaller in diameter and is available only in black, while the Belkin model is larger and available only in white.

There are dozens if not hundreds of less expensive wireless chargers available, but it’s not yet entirely clear which of these – if any – support 7.5W wireless charging in Apple’s new devices at this point in time. It looks like there may be an Apple-controlled factor that prevents some existing higher-watt chargers from offering 7.5W charging speeds on the new iPhones, but that’s something we’re still investigating in a forthcoming post comparing wireless charging options.

We tested the Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad on both an iPhone X running iOS 11.1.2 with 5W charging speeds and on iOS 11.2 with 7.5W charging speeds, and we did notice a small difference, but wireless charging speed is dependent on many different variables and it can vary.

In our current testing, 7.5W wireless charging was faster than both 5W wired and 5W wireless charging, so iPhone owners who are looking for faster wireless charging speeds may be interested in considering one of the chargers offered by Apple.

Both the Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad and the Mophie Wireless Charging Base can be purchased from the Apple Online store and in retail shops around the world.
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Fisker is building a self-driving shuttle to replace our boring regular buses

Self-driving cars are going to be an important part of tomorrow’s smart cities, and electric vehicle automaker Fisker isn’t wasting any time cementing its position in this market. This week, the California-based company announced that it is teaming up with China’s Hakim Unique Group to create the Orbit, an autonomous electric driverless shuttle that can be used to ferry commuters around.

“Mobility choices will change dramatically in the near future,” Henrik Fisker, chairman and CEO of Fisker Inc., told Digital Trends. “It’s already on the way. There will be a time when people will select from a menu of choices, depending on their mobility needs. Fisker aims to offer a choice of mobility in as many diverse segments as possible – and we believe any type of mobility in a Fisker vehicle should be fun, exciting, and stylish. The Fisker Orbit electric autonomous shuttle is entering into the arena of short shared trips, an area that has traditionally been very mundane. We believe that it shouldn’t be that way as the future takes shape. Fisker aims to create an exciting vehicle that ushers in a new era of shuttle interior layout. Overall, the Fisker Orbit will be meant for college campuses, corporate campuses, airports, resorts, and smart city centers — where everything will be connected to each other via network and interacting intelligently.”

Autonomous shuttle buses aren’t unique to Fisker, of course. Similar schemes are being investigated around the world, and even giants like Apple have supposedly been exploring the technology. We don’t yet know too many technical details about Fisker’s Orbit offering, but Fisker tells us the company plans to offer a wide selection of dynamic interior layouts depending on environment, and will further customize the vehicles based on the needs of clients. “The interior will offer a variation of mood zones, depending on the customer’s or passenger’s preference, and the shuttle will offer new digital experiences within,” he continued.

Current plans call for the Fisker Orbit to be sold worldwide, starting in October 2018. It will initially be deployed in China at an as-yet-unspecified Hakim Unique-implemented smart city, but Fisker says that several corporate and college campuses in the United States have also already expressed interest.

Hey, it beats taking the Greyhound!

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Insta360 launches Android adapter for its 360-degree smartphone camera

The iPhone add-on Insta360 One immersive camera is no longer limited to just Apple fans — on Wednesday, December 6, Insta360 launched an Android adapter for the 360 smartphone camera.

While companies often launch one version and then create a completely new one to support the opposite operating system, Insta360 took a different approach. The Insta360 One for Android is the same exact device as the iOS-compatible camera, only Android users just need to add on a small adapter that converts the camera’s Lightning port attachment to a USB Type-C or Micro USB port.

With the adapter, the company brings the camera’s full range of features to the Android operating system, offering another option over the company’s Android Insta360 Air add-on camera. The Insta360 One offers 4K recording at 30 fps or 2.5K at the faster 60 fps frame rate along with 24-megapixel still photos, recording from two lenses. The camera also uses built-in six-axis image stabilization.

While the camera can now attach to both iPhone and Android devices, the 360 camera can also record without being attached to the smartphone, which allows for a handful of different features. One of those options is the ability to add the camera to the Insta360 selfie stick and hoist the camera up in the air for drone-free aerial shots.

The iOS app’s features will also soon be available to Android users. Along with controlling the camera, the app includes several editing modes, including the ability to split the 360 video into separate regular aspect ratio videos. Another edit allows users to convert to the standard view while choosing which parts of the 360 view to include when, making it possible to follow the action by cropping from 360. Another option, SmartTrack, will automatically follow a selected subject. Users also aren’t limited to one format for a single video, with the option to switch formats mid-recording, such as when going from immersive to that Tiny Planet effect.

The Android adapter is available for $30 for devices with a USB Type-C or a Micro USB port. Insta360 is also bundling the camera with the adapter for a limited time for $298, bringing the price of the camera to the same level as iOS users who don’t need that adapter. The discount, along with promotional prices for the standard iOS version and the Insta360 Nano and Insta360 Pro, ends on December 17.

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Drone footage of an insane big-wave surf rescue will make you kiss dry land

Few activities are as endlessly captivating as the white-knuckle sport of big-wave surfing. With surfers riding waves measuring anywhere from 30 to an astounding 60 feet, not only is the level of thrill sky-high but so, too, is the level of danger. At Portugal’s Praia do Norte coast in Nazare last February, a perfect storm of conditions produced a swell for the ages and — unsurprisingly — a few nasty spills. During one such tumble, a perfectly placed drone captured one of the most gripping rescue videos ever produced.

As Brazilian surfer Pedro “Scooby” Vianna catches one of the monstrous waves, he speeds across the water at an incredible clip of 45 miles per hour. After avoiding what appeared to be an inevitable crash, Vianna regains momentum before being caught up a bit by the crashing wave behind him. With the water violently churning beneath him, he loses his balance and goes flying off his board, into one of the spot’s most dangerous areas to be immobile.

Thankfully, for most big-wave outings, an assistance crew aboard nearby jet skis remain on-call to help (i.e. pull to safety) any surfer who has crashed or gone into the water. In Vianna’s case, fellow surfer Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca immediately rode out to pick him up. With a 40-foot wave barreling down on the two, Vianna hops onto the jet ski’s attached rear sled and Chianca pulls back on the throttle. On their way to assumed safety and with water continuing to stir furiously, Chianca attempts to steer the two of them toward shore.

That’s when the jet ski hits a series of bumps, tossing it into the air and dramatically capsizing it. Now, the two are back where Vianna originally started — stranded in an incredibly hazardous section of ocean with large waves bearing down on them as they inch closer and closer to a threatening stretch of rocks. Enter a second rescuer — another surfer named Everaldo “Pato” Teixeira — who quickly jet skis out and grabs Vianna. Because the sled is only so big, Teixeira can only take one surfer at a time.

After dropping Vianna off near shore and whipping his jet ski around, Teixeira realizes the onslaught of incoming surf is pushing Chianca closer and closer to the rocks. Though he attempts to find a good spot to grab him, the barrage of crashing waves from every direction continues to thwart his progress. Finally, Teixeira seizes on a short lull, speeding over to Chianca and escaping to shore just as another set began forming.

Incredibly, the drone captured every second of this hair-raising rescue mission and the Maquina Voadora-produced video was picked up by none other than Red Bull and National Geographic after going viral. After nabbing a nomination in 2017’s Los Angeles Drone Festival, the video took to top spot in the “News and Documentary” category.

Though ordinary people may think chasing waves of 50 or more feet is utter lunacy, the many surfers like Vianna who ride Nazare’s skyscraping swells view it as just another day at the office. Even if it’s a day at the office that occasionally brushes them with a near-death experience.

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Win one of two Jedi Challenges rigs from Lenovo and Modern Dad!

Same question, different year. What’s the hot-ticket item this holiday season? This. It’s this.

Most years I don’t have an answer for folks when they ask me what the cool nerd thing is to buy. Yeah, phones are great and you should have a great phone. TVs? Of course. Me? I want something different. Something fun. And not just fun for me, but something my kids can join in on, too.

When I got a chance to try out Star Wars: Jedi Challenges in Berlin earlier this year, I knew I’d have an answer.

This is one of those “augmented reality” games that uses your phone, along with visor and a controller. Your phone — Android or iPhone — runs the game and projects it onto the visor, through which you can still see the outside world. So you don’t get dizzy, and you shouldn’t trip on anything.

And the controller? A lightsaber. Say. No. More.

It takes just a few minutes to set up. I’ve had a blast with it. My 11-year-old has had a blast with it. It’s just a tad big on my 7-year-old, but she’s had fun with it as well. (And she still won’t even admit to liking Star Wars in the slightest.)

Do you have to be a huge fan of The Force to enjoy the three games in Jedi Challenges? Not at all. It’s worth the couple hundred bucks just to swing a lightsaber. (Holochess and Strategic Combat keep you from burning out from fighting Vader and the droids.)

Oh, and we’ve got a couple of them to give away. This contest is open until Dec. 16 and is available to anyone anywhere. So get to it, and good luck!

Win 1 of 2 Star Wars: Jedi Challenge kits from Modern Dad!

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Invest in Bitcoin and understand blockchain technology for only $19.

Decentralized currencies are becoming more popular, and have recently hit the mainstream thanks to Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that relies on blockchain technology to function. If you want to get serious about investing in Bitcoin, you need to understand how it all works.

Learn how to invest in Bitcoin! Learn more

Of course, to understand Bitcoin you also need to understand blockchain — the technology that Bitcoin is built on and that takes some serious class time. With this new currency and technology just emerging into the mainstream finding all this info can be confusing. Don’t worry; Android Central has a deal that will have you investing in Bitcoin in no time!

Right now, Android Central offers has a deal on a two-course bundle that contains all you need to become proficient in investing, trading, buying, selling, and understanding Bitcoin and blockchain. Instead of paying the regular price of $128, you’ll instead pay just $19. That’s 85 percent off the regular price!

Just look at some of the great opportunities this bundle gives you!

• Buy $5 of Bitcoin (BTC) on Coinbase.
• Send and receive Bitcoin.
• Setup a Trezor for cold wallet security.
• Understand how to speak about Bitcoin, Blockchain, Altcoins, Ethereum, and much more.

You may have heard that this past week Bitcoin made it to above $10,000 for the first time since its inception. Don’t hesitate to invest in Bitcoin, understand the market, and know how the technology works so you can make the smartest decisions going forward!

Save 85 percent on this valuable bundle of courses! Learn more

If you’d like to get into Ethereum while it’s still getting off the ground, the time is now. At just $29, you really can’t go wrong; developers are in high demand, and the profession is on course to become quite lucrative.

Step into the future with this 2-pack of smart plugs for $26

Future-proof your home today.

Although we don’t have flying cars or robot butlers yet, recent surges in smart home technology still make 2017 feel like we are living in an episode of The Jetsons. This two-pack of Etekcity Smart Plugs from Amazon will make your home a little bit smarter and a whole lot cooler, and right now they are only $25.89.

You can do a ton of neat things with these smart plugs. Track your power usage, set timers, and schedules, or turn off your TV with your voice instead of trying to find the remote. These are easy to set up and come with a two-year warranty as well. These smart plugs do not support Google Home, SmartThings, HomeKit or IFTTT at this time, though Amazon Alexa devices are compatible.

See at Amazon

This $80 power bank puts a bonafide AC outlet plus USB-A and USB-C ports in your pocket

And you thought you knew portable battery chargers…

This RAVPower AC Outlet portable charger is down to $79.99 on Amazon. It was selling as as high as $140 in early October and has been on a steady decline ever since, but $80 is an all new low.

You can also get this 2-pack of USB-A to USB-C charging cables for free by either adding both to your cart using the AC outlet’s product page or adding them individually. Either way you should see the $10 price discounted automatically during checkout. Just make sure the seller is “Sunvalley Brands” on both products.

Compare this price with slightly larger RAVPower models that only add an incremental power increase but cost almost twice as much or the popular Jackery PowerBar, which has the same milliampere hours but still charges $50 more.

Features include:

• New-and-Improved Version: 2-prong AC output with a power supply on / off switch indicator for devices up to 50W (To turn ON the AC power, hold the power button for 8 seconds)
• Charge Two Devices at Once: Type-C and iSmart USB ports allow for fast and simultaneous charging of a MacBook and another device (Type-C port only supports output)
• A 20100mAh Power Fortress: Enough juice to charge an iPhone 7 for 5.6 times, a Galaxy S8 for 3.7 times, or the 12″ MacBook 1 time
  Faster Recharge Between Uses: With the 19V/1.6A DC input, the battery recharges in just 3.5 hours while 5 LED lights indicate remaining battery
• Advanced Protection: Keep your gadgets safe from overcharge, short circuit, and power surges with air vents for heat dissipation

If you’ve ever bought a portable charger before, this is basically the same as any one of those except it also adds an AC Outlet to the mix. That greatly expands what you can charge beyond just USB gadgets. Keep your drone’s battery charger working while you’re out in the field or charge small appliances while camping.

See at Amazon

Google Sheets updated with new machine learning features

Sheets is gaining automatic suggestions to speed up your workflow.

If there’s one thing that’s been synonymous with Google this year, it’s been machine learning. Google’s gone all-in with machine learning and artificial intelligence for many of its services and apps, and the latest to be injected with these is Google Sheets.

Google made this announcement via a blog post on December 6, and the biggest changes coming as a result of this include automatically-suggested actions based on what you’re doing. Now, Sheets can automatically suggest a pivot table to visually represent your numbers, data for rows and columns when working with a pivot table, and formulas that are based around the data you’re working with.

Along with this, Google says financial professionals will be able to “use everyday language to ask questions of their data and have the answer returned as a pivot table.”

These new features will start making their way to G Suite users soon, and you can find more exact details here.

Android 8.1 Oreo exits beta, now available for Pixel and Nexus devices