Control your PlayStation 4 and TV with PDP’s newly announced Cloud Remote

This is a must-have accessory for PS4 streamers.

Customers have been ditching their cable companies and moving towards online streaming services more and more over the past few years. Some people buy a device like a Roku Streaming Stick or the Amazon Fire TV to begin accessing sites like Netflix and Hulu, however, gamers already know that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are also capable of that. It’s actually preferred in some homes to use your console to begin streaming shows and movies because you won’t have to constantly switch inputs or waste another port on the back of your TV.

These consoles aren’t shipped with a standard TV remote, of course, but with the rise of cord-cutting, it’s about time for console remotes to get serious. Luckily, PDP agrees, and today it has unveiled its latest device — the Cloud Remote for PlayStation 4. Using Bluetooth, it connects first to your PlayStation 4 and then programs itself to also work with devices plugged into your console, such as your TV, once you download the PDP Cloud Remote App.

You might recall a PlayStation 4 remote by PDP which looked similar to this one. That remote has since been refined and tinkered with to bring it to this point. The Cloud Remote features dedicated buttons for your console, including Action buttons, Share, Options, and PS buttons. Also built-in are controls for volume, input, and power which is really nice when it comes to turning everything off at the end of the night. You’ll just need one button instead of multiple devices.

PDP is also including a 30-day trial of PlayStation Vue with this remote when you buy it from Amazon or GameStop, which lets you try out the console’s live TV streaming service at no extra cost. It offers channels like ESPN, FX, AMC, Cartoon Network, and the NFL Network.

This remote will be released on September 18 with an MSRP of $29.99. It’s already available for pre-order at sites like Amazon.

See at Amazon

RHA introduces the CL2 Planar headphones with improved drivers and more

Two options to decide between!

RHA has just announced the CL2 Planar, the newest magnetic in-ear headphones from the company. These make use of planar magnetic drivers, which are able to offer a more complex, detailed sound quality that moves across the dynamic range. This is the first time RHA has been able to shrink it small enough to fit in an in-ear bud, and the company is going to be offering two different versions of the headphones: wired and wireless.

The CL2’s will come with a Bluetooth neckband that offers 12 hours of battery per charge, as well as a braided copper 3.5mm aux cable for those times where you’d rather have a wired connection. Pre-orders for these pricey headphones kick off now, and shipments will begin mid-September. When we say pricey, we mean it, though. RHA has priced these at $899.95, which is quite a bit more than most others are available for. The housings are molded from a ceramic compound called zirconium dioxide, which makes them blemish-resistant and allow for optimal sound quality without distortion.

At this price, you could buy five sets of Apple’s AirPods, 22 pairs of Anker’s SoundBuds Lite or five pairs of RHA’s MA750 Bluetooth headphones, any of which are likely a better use of your money if you’re not an audio engineer or hardcore audiophile.

See at RHA

Audio-Technica SonicSport Wireless Ear Bud Review: Get your sweat on

Finally, a comfortable pair of wireless workout headphones.

In my adult life, I’ve gone through a staggering number of headphones and earbuds — both the wired and wireless varieties. For a variety of reasons I just have not found a pair of headphones that’s lasted longer than a year or so without something going wrong with them. Sometimes it’s the drivers getting damaged from an extra sweaty run, and other times I’ve had cheaper headphones literally fall apart in my hands.

It’s easy to fall into a cheap accessory cycle where you replace a cheap and crappy product with another lesser product in an effort to “save money”. This doesn’t actually work, as you end up spending more in the long run. Fortunately, I think I’ve found a long-term replacement for my workouts in the Audio-Technica SonicSport Wireless In-Ear Headphones.

Audio-Technica SonicSport Wireless in-Ear Headphones

Price: $129

Bottom line: These wireless sport headphones are lightweight and designed to withstand your sweatiest workouts.

See at Amazon

The Good

• Lightweight design
• Adjustable ear hooks
• Tap for pass-through ambient sound
• Foam ear tips are secure and comfortable
• IPX5 waterproofing means you can clean them
• Carrying case included

The Bad

• Controls can be somewhat confusing at first
• In-ear style not for everyone
• Foam tips get nasty if you don’t clean your ears

Audio-Technica SonicSport What I like

My top three priorities in a pair of sports headphones are that they be lightweight and comfortable to wear over extended periods of time, designed to withstand sweat and abuse, and aren’t insanely expensive. These in-ear headphones from Audio-Technica check the first two priorities while coming in at about my upper limit for this style of headphone. In terms of audio quality, these deliver clear sound with a powerful low-end that’s great for bass-heavy tracks

I’ve tried in-ear headphones with the little hooks that slip behind your ear before, but I’ve never tested ones that felt as comfortable as the ones here. The rubberized plastic is lightweight and comfortable with an adjustable bit of wire built in so you can bend each side to perfectly fit your ear, and this makes all the difference. Whereas other headphones I’ve tried felt like they were almost hanging off my ear, these feel nice and snug and are lightweight enough that I can forget I’m wearing them over time.

Each pair of headphones comes with the standard assortment of silicone ear tips with three sizes available to accommodate different ear sizes, but I immediately gravitated to the included Comply foam ear tips. On top of providing protection from sweat, the premium foam tips felt amazingly comfortable compared to the silicone options and also help to cut out ambient sound.

The Comply foam ear tips greatly enhance the comfort wearing these headphones during a run or workout.

One of my favorite features is the ability to switch on an ambient noise hear-through function with a single tap of the left housing, which is a great feature if you’re out for a run with your tunes blasting but still want to be safe and aware of what’s going on in your immediate surroundings. The feature also works well if you’re walking through a public space and might want to hear whats going on around you without taking off your earbuds.

In terms of other specs, you get an in-line microphone and controls for answering calls and controlling your music, and you should expect to get about six hours of playback off a full charge. The headphones and included charging cable can all be stored in a compact shell that’s perfect for tossing into your gym bag or backpack. Oh, and they’ve got IPX5 water resistance which means you’re able to rinse them under running water to clean them without worry.

Audio-Technica SonicSport What I don’t like

As with any of these in-ear headphones, they’re going to get mighty gross if you don’t properly clean your ears before use — but things can get especially nasty if you’re using the foam ear tips. I’m also not entirely sure how you’re supposed to wear the wire that connects the two earbuds. The promotional images from Autio-Technica show the wire going behind the neck, but I’ve often found it more comfortable to have the wire under my chin — however, that look is significantly less stylish.

Also, there could be better documentation included into how to use the ambient noise pass-through — it’s a really cool feature but I honestly thought the tap controlled the volume at first before I recognized that those controls were with the in-line mic.

Audio-Technica SonicSport Wireless in-Ear Headphones Should you buy them?

Probably. If you’re anything like me and have been burning through headphones trying to find a reliable option that feels comfortable and won’t degrade over time, these are a great choice.

The price point is in line with other comparable options such as the Jaybird X3 or Beats by Dre Powerbeats 2 but the water resistance and design here make these the better pick.

4
out of 5

These are reliably awesome workout headphones that will let you enjoy your favorite tunes while remaining comfortable in your ear, and easy to clean after sweaty workouts.

See at Amazon

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom are out and they are amazing

Time to perfect your drone photography skills.

DJI makes some of the best consumer drones on the planet, and today the next two, the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom, have finally been released. The original Mavic Pro was an excellent drone with crazy good features, but it’s a couple years old at this point. Outside of some soft updates like the Mavic Air, which is still a pretty great drone, DJI has not refreshed the lineup in a while. So the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom are poised to be some of the best quadcopters released in a while.

Both of these new drones use the same basic body. Where they differ is in the camera, the gimbal, and some of the features. They both fold up, making them easy to travel with and fit inside backpacks like this lineup from Lowepro designed to carry them. Drones that fold up like that are not as common as you think but greatly enhance how easy they are to travel with and use, especially for photography and video hobbyists.

Both drones also have omnidirectional sensors, which is the first time we’ve seen that from DJI. The ten total sensors will help the drones avoid obstacles on all sides, including above and below. And DJI promises an upgrade to the Advanced Pilot Assistance System, too, which will help it avoid obstacles on its own. You’ll also get more flight time out of these drones, which is up to 31 minutes and a nice improvement over previous generations. The body also comes with 8GB onboard storage, a light that faces down for landing at night, and top speeds up to 44 mph. You can watch live feeds in 1080p up to five miles away with OcuSync 2. Hyperlapse Mode will also be a feature on both drones, which is a cool feature that can help you create a moving timelapse.

Like I said before, the differences come in with what’s outside the body. The Mavic 2 Pro comes with an onboard camera from Hasselblad that has a one-inch sensor and 20 megapixels for still imagery. That sensor is twice the size of the original Mavic Pro’s camera, and DJI said it has “four times as many levels of color per channel.” It also has an adjustable aperture and support for 4K and HDR. Considering the Pro is about $200 more expensive than the Zoom, this is where it looks like the money is going.

The Mavic 2 Zoom will be DJI’s first consumer-level drone to have a 2X optical zoom, believe it or not. Before this, you’d need to buy something like the $3,000 Inspire 2 to get the same opportunity. The camera will capture 12MP stills. It will also have a couple of neat features like Super Resolution mode that will allow you to create a 48MP composite using multiple images and a DollyZoom that will create a Hitchcock-level video effect that’s only possible because of the zoom.

The Mavic 2 Pro is going to retail at $1,449, and the Mavic 2 Zoom will only be slightly cheaper at $1,249. For right now, both drones are available through the DJI website, but you can also pre-order through Amazon for when they are released on September 3.

The features are well worth the price, but if you aren’t ready for that sort of investment you should look into some budget drones to get you started. The DJI Spark is a great place to start in the DJI ecosystem since it’s usually less than $350 these days. You could get the Ryze Tello for under $100 or go even cheaper with something like the Aukey Mohawk, which is a great budget drone we see on sale quite frequently.

See at DJI

You can now pre-order the Blue Camo PlayStation 4 Dualshock controller

It will be hard to pick just one of these!

Update: The Blue Camouflage option is now available at Amazon, and both the Sunset Orange and Berry Blue listings are showing, though you can’t order them just yet.

There’s no current shortage of color options on the Dualshock PlayStation 4 controllers, but if you weren’t really into one that you’ve already seen, maybe one of these new ones will do it for you. Sony has announced four new color schemes, Berry Blue, Blue Camouflage, Copper, and Sunset Orange, and they all look awesome. The Sunset Orange option has been available in the U.S. for a little, and will now be making its way to more regions, and the Copper color will be exclusive to GameStop in the U.S. Pre-orders will kick off soon, and they should be officially available to customers in the U.S, Canada, and more in September.

These colors are said to launch at $65. If you’re looking to add a new controller to your collection today, you could grab one from Amazon for $46.96 right now in black, silver, gold, green camo, or wave blue. Be sure to keep it locked here for more information as it becomes available, including a link to grab one of these for yourself.

Which one of the new colors interests you? I’ll be ordering one of the Berry Blue as soon as it’s available, personally.

See at Amazon

Rare Apple-1 Headed to Auction in September

The latest Apple-related auction will kick off on September 25, offering bidders the chance to get their hands on a rare Apple-1 computer. On sale by RR Auction, the Apple-1 is fully operational and one of around 70 Apple-1 computers that remain of the first 200 built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976.

Executive vice president at RR Auction, Bobby Livingston, says that the Apple-1 originates from a person who purchased it at The Byte Shop, the store where Jobs and Wozniak originally sold the computers for $666.66. The owner learned BASIC on the computer, wrote small programs, and decided to hold onto the Apple-1 after it became outdated, “realizing it could one day be a piece of computing history.” He then tried to sell the Apple-1 to Wozniak in 1982 for $10,000, which “went unanswered.”

The new auction will start at $50,000, and is estimated to end between $300,000 and $400,000.

This Apple-1 computer was restored to its original, operational state in June 2018 by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen, and a video of it running and functioning is available upon request. A comprehensive, technical condition report prepared by Cohen is available to qualified bidders; he evaluates the current condition of the unit as 8.5/10. The most remarkable aspect of this Apple-1 computer is that it is documented to be fully operational: the system was operated without fault for approximately eight hours in a comprehensive test.

Apple-1 computers have been up for auction a few times in the past few years, and the record auction price for an Apple-1 was established in 2016 when one of the computers sold for $815,000. That computer was the “Celebration” Apple-1 and was very rare due to its blank “green” PCB board that was never sold to the public and was not a part of a known production run. Slightly more common, publicly-sold units have recently sold for $130,000.

Additionally, the auction is being promoted with a unique digital “DNA” scan, performed by Invaluable with technology built by Artmyn. This technology scans artwork and objects like the Apple-1, capturing “tens of thousands of photographs” using various light sources and spectrums, including UV lights. The scan generates a “5D interactive file” and an immersive video that lets owners, auction houses, consignors, and buyers see greatly detailed angles, views, and textures for the scanned objects.

The video for the Apple-1 can be seen on Vimeo.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the sale of this historic piece of technology,” said Invaluable CEO Rob Weisberg. “The innovative scanning technology we’re showcasing is a giant step towards greater transparency in the art and collectibles market that we believe will increase buyer confidence in the online art market. To showcase it with an Apple-1 is just incredible and fitting.”

In the case of the Apple-1, the scan will allow a 5D look at the iconic desktop, offering zeroed-in views of distinguishing details on the top and bottom of the piece.

The auction for the Apple-1 will take place at 1 p.m. on September 25, 2018 at WeWorks in Boston.

Tag: Apple-1
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Apple Maps Now Features Indoor Maps of Boston Logan, DFW, and More Airports and Shopping Malls

Apple Maps has recently been updated with indoor maps of five airports across Canada, Finland, and the United States.

The new additions:

• Logan International Airport in Boston
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
• Dallas Love Field Airport
• Halifax Stanfield International Airport
• Helsinki Airport

Apple Maps also recently added indoor maps of various shopping malls in the Spanish cities of Barcelona, Bilbao, and Madrid, along with at least one mall in the Miami area and four in the Phoenix area:

• The Falls in the Miami area
• Paradise Valley Mall
• Arizona Mills
• Desert Sky Mall
• Scottsdale Fashion Square

This follows last week’s addition of indoor maps of 18 shopping malls in several Canadian cities and suburbs, including Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Montréal, Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Dieppe, New Brunswick.

Apple launched indoor maps at select airports and shopping malls in 2017, with a list of locations available on its iOS Feature Availability page. To view an indoor map, open the Apple Maps app on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 11 or later, search for a supported location, zoom in, and tap on “Look Inside” if necessary.

Indoor maps at shopping malls make it easier to find the exact location of stores, restaurants, and restrooms on each floor, in addition to guest services, parking, escalators, stairs, and so forth. Or, swipe up on the place card to browse by category, such as clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty, food, and drinks.

Likewise, at airports, Apple Maps users can zoom in to view terminals, boarding gates, security checkpoints, airline check-in desks, baggage claim carousels, information kiosks, restrooms, stores, restaurants, parking, and more.

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Lisa Brennan-Jobs Discusses ‘Coldness’ and ‘Moments of Joy’ She Had With Steve Jobs in Upcoming Memoir ‘Small Fry’

In just a few weeks, Lisa Brennan-Jobs will launch “Small Fry,” a memoir about her life that includes a focus on the tumultuous relationship she held with her father, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. As the book launch grows closer, Brennan-Jobs is in the midst of a publicity tour and today her latest interview has been shared by The New York Times, which also provides a few snippets from the book.

Naturally, much of Brennan-Jobs’ overview of her childhood includes numerous passages regarding her father’s “coldness.” Still, the author doesn’t want “Small Fry” to be regarded as a tell-all about Steve Jobs, but as more of a “nuanced portrait of a family,” as well a book about her own story and not her father’s.

Images of Lisa Brennan-Jobs and Small Fry via NYT
Brennan-Jobs says she began work on what would eventually become “Small Fry” in 2011, not long after Jobs passed in October of that year. She returned to Silicon Valley over the years, interviewing her family, her mother’s ex-boyfriends, and Jobs’ own ex-girlfriend. In an effort to ensure she’d finish the book on her own terms, she took a 90 percent cut in her book advance and switched from Penguin Press to a smaller publisher named Grove.

Brennan-Jobs focuses much of the memoir on her parents, and her mother Chrisann Brennan has already read the book:

Her mother, Ms. Brennan, is portrayed as a free spirit who nurtured her daughter’s creativity — but could be mercurial, hot-tempered and sometimes neglectful. “It was horrendous for me to read,” Ms. Brennan said in an interview. “It was very, very hard. But she got it right.”

Ms. Brennan said that her daughter has, if anything, underplayed the chaos of her childhood. “She didn’t go into how bad it really was, if you can believe that,” she said.

She also recounts numerous instances when her father would “frequently” use money to “confuse or frighten her,” during the years when he claimed paternity:

Ms. Brennan-Jobs describes her father’s frequent use of money to confuse or frighten her. “Sometimes he decided not to pay for things at the very last minute,” she writes, “walking out of restaurants without paying the bill.” When her mother found a beautiful house and asked Mr. Jobs to buy it for her and Lisa, he agreed it was nice — but bought it for himself and moved in with his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs.

Brennan-Jobs also recounts “moments of joy” that she had with Jobs, stating that ultimately she has forgiven her father, and her goal is that she wants the reader to forgive him too:

But “Small Fry” also contains moments of joy that capture Mr. Jobs’s spontaneity and unparalleled mind. When Ms. Brennan-Jobs goes on a school trip to Japan, he arrives unannounced and pulls her out of the program for a day. Father and daughter sit, talking about God and how he sees consciousness. “I was afraid of him and, at the same time, I felt a quaking, electric love,” she writes.

Triumphantly, she loves him, and she wants the book’s scenes of their roller skating and laughing together to be as viral as the scenes of him telling her she will inherit nothing.

“Have I failed?” she asked, in one of our conversations. “Have I failed in fully representing the dearness and the pleasure? The dearness of my father, and the outrageous pleasure of being with him when he was in good form?”

According to Brennan-Jobs, her father did grant her a “movie ending” by apologizing to her toward the end of his life for not spending more time with her, disappearing during her adulthood, forgetting birthdays, and not returning phone calls. She recalls the moment, stating that Jobs claims he acted the way he did in her adulthood because he was offended that she “didn’t invite” him to a matriculation event at Harvard during her first year. He ultimately stated “I owe you one.”

“Small Fry” will be available to buy on September 4, and you can read more from The New York Times’ interview with Lisa Brennan-Jobs right here.

Tags: Steve Jobs, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, Small Fry
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Apple Gives Straight to Series Order to Drama Based on Isaac Asimov’s ‘Foundation’ Novels

Apple has followed through with plans to create a television series based on Isaac Asimov’s famous Foundation novels and has recently given a straight to series order for the show, reports Deadline.

Apple first inked a deal for the TV series adaptation of Foundation back in April, but the show was still in development at that time.

The Foundation TV series is being developed by Skydance, with David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman serving as executive producers and showrunners. Goyer has previously worked on “The Dark Knight,” “Batman Begins,” Ghost Rider,” and more, while Friedman is known for “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” and “Emerald City.”

Foundation is Isaac Asimov’s most popular and well-known science fiction series, which includes titular novel Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation, along with additional books Foundation’s Edge and Foundation and Earth.

The series follows psychohistory expert and mathematician Hari Seldon who is able to predict the future. Seldon creates a group called the Foundation to preserve humanity’s collective knowledge ahead of the impending fall of the Galactic Empire. The novels span many years and cover the rise and fall of multiple empires, making it an ambitious television project.

In addition to the Foundation series, Apple has more than a dozen TV shows in development in total, and rumors have suggested we could see the first of these debut starting in March of 2019. For a full list of what Apple’s working on, make sure to check out the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Tag: Apple’s Hollywood ambitionsBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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DJI Debuts New Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom Drones

DJI today introduced the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom, two drones that are followups to the popular 2016 Mavic Pro.

Both of the two new drones feature an upgraded design that incorporates cameras with DJI’s latest three-axis gimbal technology for smooth, stable footage. The drones also feature the same convenient, foldable design that was first introduced with the Mavic Pro.

The body of the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom has a refined chassis with low-noise propellers, allowing for a smoother, quieter flight, and both support up to 31 minutes of flight time. The two drones can reach maximum speeds of 72 KPH in Sport Mode.

For the first time, the drones include obstacle sensors on all sides of the aircraft, which transmit data to a more powerful central processor for better obstacle avoidance. There are also new auxiliary lights at the bottom to assist the downward sensors in low-light conditions.

The Mavic 2 Pro, priced at $1,449, includes a 20-megapixel L1D-20c camera from Hasselblad, which includes Hasselblad’s Natural Color Solution technology for detailed aerial shots with rich colors. The camera features an adjustable f2.8-11 aperture lens, and uses a 1-inch sensor that’s the same size as the sensor in the Phantom 4. It also features support for a 10-bit Dlog-M color profile for better dynamic range.

DJI’s Mavic 2 Zoom, priced at $1,249, focuses on flexibility with a 12-megapixel 2x optical lens (24-48mm) with a 1/2.3-inch sensor. A dolly zoom feature is included for “an otherworldly warped perspective.”

Both the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom record 4K video with H.265 compression for more detail along with enhanced HDR photos. They also support several recording modes like Hyperlapse, Circle Hyperlapse, and Waypoint Hyperlapse, along with Active Tracking 2.0.

A new Ocusync 2.0 Digital Video Transmission System offers a 1080p transmission signal up to eight kilometers for editing full HD footage directly on a mobile device, and there’s an included controller that works with a smartphone.

The Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom can be purchased from the DJI website starting today for $1,249 (Zoom) and $1,449 (Pro), with DJI Googles also available for an additional fee.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with DJI. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

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