Kano Computer Touch Kit vs. Piper Computer Kit: Which should you buy?

Computer kits are a great way to learn about coding and building, and they’re perfect for adults and kids! So we want to make sure you know which kit is best for you (or your child).

Kano Computer Touch Kit

Smart on the go.

$280 at Amazon

Pros

• Slim-built
• A variety of programs to try out
• Program on the go!
• Easy to build

Cons

• Doesn’t teach STEM on the same level as the Piper Kit.
• Lack of touchscreen support for some apps

The Kano Computer Touch Kit has nearly everything that the Piper Kit has, but with the added bonus of being able to program on the go. Not only is it slimmer, and thus much lighter, but it takes a lot less time to build. The only downside is that it costs $10 more, but for the added interactivity and movement, I reckon that makes it worth it.

Piper Computer Kit

Minecraft Wonderland

$270 at Amazon

Pros

• An LCD screen
• Handcrafted wooden case
• Raspberry Pi Edition of Minecraft included

Cons

• Instructions are far too difficult for certain age groups.
• Battery drains quick
• Takes more time to build than the Kano
• Much larger
• No full keyboard

If you or your kid are real avid fans of Minecraft and are fond of LCD screens, then you most definitely won’t be ashamed to show that off with the Piper Computer Kit.

Which should I get?

The Piper Computer Kit assumes that you know some things about STEM, and thus doesn’t hold your hand all of the time. The price of it can be off-putting, but the components involved are valuable. The Kano Computer Touch Kit, however, is $10 more and possesses the ability to move around and the use of a touchscreen. So, not only are you able to access near enough the same things as the Piper Computer Kit, the Kano Computer Touch adds more interactivity. Plus, it’s easier to build for those looking into their first computer kit.

Of course, the packaging of the Piper Computer Kit is a lot more appealing. For children, the Minecraft advertisement may win them over more than the actual kit. The Kano Computer Touch Kit is great to look at but is somewhat generic looking in comparison to the Piper Computer Kit.

Kano’s story mode is hard not to like.

Depending on who you are, you may feel more frustrated that building the Piper Computer Kit takes a lot more time than putting together the Kano Computer Touch Kit. While the Piper adds much more to do, even giving you your very own screwdriver, the assembling time in comparison to the Kano is much, much longer. The Piper gives you screws, hinges, binders, and ledges to assemble, which is great, but the Kano gives you far less without losing even an ounce of quality.

Battery Life	2 Hours	3 Hours
Monitor	Yes	Yes
Screen Resolution	800 x 480	1280×800
Mouse	Two Button Mouse	Touchpad
Keyboard	Buttons/not a full keyboard	Yes
On the go	No	Yes
SD Card	32GB	16GB

It may be complicated, but the Piper excels in giving an introduction to electronics and a huge amount of games, which is perfect for young children. However, the Kano Computer Touch Kit goes that step further by providing a level of interactivity that, to be frank, the Piper Computer Kit just can’t match. The Kano cannot only help you hack Minecraft and make games, but you can create your own art, learn how to animate and even make music — all with the use of your finger.

The simplicity of the Kano is also one of its stronger points. While you can do most of everything with a mere touch, the addition of a full keyboard can be helpful. However, the Piper lacks even that and overcomplicates with not having a full keyboard at all, just buttons. While this can be seen as creative, it can also be very unwieldy and frustrating for those who only want to do simple tasks with the kit.

Overall, I’d have to say that the Kano Computer Touch Kit left this showdown as the victor. While the Piper Computer Kit offers more for advanced users, its poor battery life and chunky build make it a poor match to the Kano Computer Touch Kit’s smooth, slim interface. The lack of portability for the Piper Computer Kit is also hard to ignore, especially as it comes in such a massive box. The Kano Computer Touch Kit is practically a tablet, and thus portability is not an issue. Even though the Piper kit has Minecraft, the Kano Computer Touch Kit truly stands out as a kit that is a must-have, no matter the age of the person using it. Its simple design doesn’t complicate what it sets out to do: teach you something new.

Kano Computer Touch Kit

Touch and go.

Everything you need, no added price.

$280 at Amazon

The Kano Computer Touch Kit lets you do what you want on the go. You can even get a stylus to use for it, in case you don’t want to dirty the screen.

Piper Computer Kit

Worth a look.

$270 at Amazon

A serious price for serious coding

A product that, while expensive, deserves your attention if you have the money to buy it. The already-installed Minecraft is also an added bonus

Best wallet cases for the Pixel 3 XL

Given how reliable mobile pay options are in 2018, it’s actually not that big of a deal if you forget your wallet at home. Our phones can now store most credit and/or loyalty cards, with your photo ID being the only physical card you actually need to have on you. This makes a wallet case a fantastic option for the new Pixel 3 XL, and I’ve rounded up some of the best case options from cheaper options made from synthetic leather to the premium Bellroy Leather Wallet Case.

Budget folio case

Abacus 24-7 Flip Cover Wallet Case

Made of synthetic leather with a clear ID pocket and a hidden money pocket, this folio-style wallet case may just check all your boxes. It can store up to three cards along with some cash, and the front cover doubles as a kickstand.

$10 at Amazon

Sleek design

Torubia Wallet Case

Plan to use Google Pay for most of your purchases and only need a slot for your ID card? Check out this slim case that doesn’t add much bulk to your pocket carry.

$7 at Retailer

Classic style

ProCase Vintage Wallet Flip Case

ProCase is known for their wallet cases made with genuine leather, and if you’ve used one before, you’ll know what to expect here. You get the standard folio style with a magnetic clasp and storage for two cards and a cash money pocket. Get that real leather feel for less.

$30 at Amazon

Premium, dude!

Bellroy Leather Phone Wallet

You went all-out on the larger Pixel 3 XL, so why not go the distance with a premium wallet case? From Bellroy, this Made for Google case features four card slots — two on the front cover, and two more hidden between the case and the back of your phone. It’s made from environmentally certified leather and available in five beautiful colors.

$99 at Bellroy

Another look

Maxboost folio-style case

This case has great stitching, which is a lovely white contrast to the black. It also has a triangular magnetic closure, and the front cover flips back into a kickstand, so you can watch videos hands-free. There’s room for three cards and some cash, and your Pixel 3 XL is held in place by a TPU bumper.

$10 at Amazon

We’ll be updating this list with other wallet-style case options as they emerge, but for now it’s hard not to swoon over that Bellroy Leather Wallet case. It’s definitely worth picking up if it fits in your budget,

Get a free 3rd gen Echo Dot with the $199 Nvidia Shield TV gaming edition

Brand new combo we’ve never seen before.

Right now on Amazon you can get a free 3rd-generation Echo Dot with the purchase of a Nvidia Shield TV 4K gaming edition for $199. This is a brand new bundle being offered on Amazon and no where else. The 3rd generation is the latest version of the Echo Dot, which makes this combo more current than a previous deal we saw that offered a free Google Home Mini with the Nvidia Shield. That’s a definite $50 in value since the Echo Dot hasn’t really dropped in price outside of bundles like this.

If you don’t care as much about gaming, you can forget the controller and knock $20 off the total price while still getting a free Echo Dot. Or you could upgrade to the Nvidia Shield Pro for $299. It also comes with a free device.

The Echo Dot pairs with the Shield quite well. In fact, you can use it to launch games, navigate apps, stream music, and more. If you want to expand your smart home devices with Zigbee or Z-Wave wireless protocols, add the SmartThings Link for even more smart home communication.

Need to add more storage to your Nvidia Shield? Use this article to find out exactly how.

See on Amazon

Add SanDisk’s 256GB microSD card to your device for just $55

Store all the data on this card.

Amazon has the SanDisk Ultra 256GB microSD card marked down to just $54.99 right now. This card has been selling for around $65 since September and was going for as much as $90 in July. This price is one of the best we’ve ever seen and only the second time it has gone this low. MicroSD cards are great to have around to add storage to your phone, tablet, action camera, dash camera, Nintendo Switch and more, and at this price, there’s very little reason not to scoop up this large capacity option.

You can easily store 256GB of your personal files, favorite movies, music, videos, and more on it. It comes with a full-sized SD card adapter, so you can use it in a laptop or digital camera with ease, and the card can easily record all of your adventures in stunning 4K without a problem.

See on Amazon

Nightscape, Studio Lighting, and new nav gestures reach OnePlus 6 Open Beta

Wondering what’s new in the latest Open Beta? You’re in the right place.

There are a lot of reasons to like OnePlus phones, but one aspect that’s remained since the beginning is the excellent software experience they offer. All OnePlus phones now run OxygenOS, and if you want to test out new software features before anyone else, you can sign up for the OxygenOS Open Beta.

OnePlus updates the Open Beta quite frequently, with each new version including bug fixes, security patches, and feature galore.

To make sure you never miss a beat, here’s everything new in the beta right now.

October 30, 2018 — OxygenOS Open Beta 6 for OnePlus brings Nightscape, Studio Lighting, and new navigation gestures!

Yesterday was the OnePlus 6T announcement, and not even a day later, two of the most interesting software improvements — Nightscape and Studio Lighting modes for the OnePlus camera app — are rolling out to users of the regular OnePlus 6. Nightscape brings new processing magic to improves shots in low-light conditions, similar to the Night Sight that Google announced on the Google Pixel 3, while Studio Lighting helps to improve your composition and lighting for those ever-important selfies.

OnePlus is also bringing some of their new navigational magic from the OnePlus 6T to the original with new gesture options that our own MrMobile praised in his OnePlus 6T first look. Gesture navigation is still something that’s a work-in-progress for Google, and OnePlus is taking full advantage of the Open Beta to let more users test out their take on the concept.

The change notes listed on the OnePlus forums list out the improvements in full:

• System
  • New navigation gestures
  • Improved UI for About phone
  • Updated Android security patch to 2018.11
  • Improvements for taking screenshot experience
• Launcher
  • New Google quick search box design
• Camera
  • Added Nightscape and Studio Lighting
• Gallery
  • Gallery smoother and improved zooming gesture and magnification

The Open Beta updates are already pushing out as OTAs to those already enrolled, and as a reminder, here’s how to flash the beta on your OnePlus 6 to receive future Open Beta updates as OTAs.

October 21, 2018 — OxygenOS Open Beta 5 for OnePlus 6 tweaks screenshot and power off menus

This month’s Oxygen OS Open Beta 5 update is on the smaller side — the October security patch and two UI tweaks — which is fine because that means that the OnePlus 6 is getting more stable and less buggy. Or maybe that more of the OxygenOS team is working on polishing up the software on the OnePlus 6T before it is unveiled later this month, that’s a possibility, too.

• Updated Android security patch to 2018.10
• Improved UI for power off menu
• Improved UI for screenshot interface

The Open Beta updates are already pushing out as OTAs to those already enrolled, and as a reminder, here’s how to flash the beta on your OnePlus 6 to receive future Open Beta updates as OTAs.

September 16, 2018 — Open Beta 3 for OnePlus 6 brings new Google Assistant trigger

Despite being in the Developer Preview for Android Pie, OnePlus is still working out the bugs with its Oxygen OS update to Pie, but the Open Beta 3 update that rolled out this weekend for the OnePlus 6 is bringing some small changes along with the usual smattering of bug fixes.

• Fixed stability issues with ambient display
• Improved stability for face unlock and fingerprint scanner
• Added support to launch google assistant or other third party assistant app by holding power button for 0.5 seconds
• Added support for more apps (Telegram ,Discord,IMO, Uber, OLA) in parallel APPS
• OnePlus Switch v2.1.0
  • Added manual connection method if unable to connect switch with QR code on the old device
  • Supported backup and recovery for application data including home screen, lock screen and APP layout
  • Bug fixes and support for more Android models
• Known Bugs
  • Some applications may not function as expected when running on this beta version
  • Google Pay service is not working

Using the power button to trigger Google Assistant — or any other assistant app, if you’re using Alexa or Cortana — might take some getting used to, but hiding it in the power button should make it easy for your fingers to find once you get down your timing. The Open Beta updates are pushed as OTAs to those already enrolled, and as a reminder, here’s how to flash the beta on your OnePlus 6.

August 29, 2018 — OnePlus 5 and 5T get portrait mode for the front-facing camera, August security patch, and updated Gaming Mode

OnePlus has announced that Open Beta 17 and 15 is rolling out now for the OnePlus 5 and 5T. This is a pretty big update, with one of the most notable changes being the addition of a portrait mode for the front-facing camera — something that was first introduced with the newer OnePlus 6.

This update also includes Gaming Mode 3.0 that offers improvements in the form of a call suspension notification, text notification mode, and UI + interaction optimizations.

Along with all that, you’ll also find:

• August 2018 Android security patch
• Refreshed Weather app with hourly forecasts, improved accuracy, and 8 units of meteorological data including precipitation probability and perceived temperature
• Note app has a new UI and an optimized process for sharing notes as an image
• UI optimization for OnePlus Switch
• Added Toast message source for Toast messages sent by background apps
• Added description about sleep standby optimization when the function is turned on for the first time
• Optimized background power consumption control
• Fixed call recording issue in India

July 16, 2018 — Google Lens comes to the OnePlus 5/5T

Open Beta 14 and 12 have been announced for the OnePlus 5 and 5T, respectively, and while this is a much smaller update compared to the previous one, the two changes that are here are more than welcome.

First off, this Open Beta adds a shortcut to Google Lens right in the main OnePlus Camera app. To access it, open the camera, swipe up from the bottom, and tap the new Google Lens icon.

Along with this, OnePlus also says that it’s “improved photo clarity and optimizations to reduce oil painting effect.”

July 9, 2018 — The final Open Beta for the 3/3T adds minor launcher and camera improvements

A new Open Beta for the OnePlus 3 and 3T is rolling out now, specifically Open Beta 39 and 30, respectively.

With this Open Beta, both phones are getting a few upgrades to the OnePlus Launcher. Search tags in the app drawer have been improved, there’s a “New installs” section in the app drawer, and OnePlus says its improved the app list for the hidden space and toolbox.

The camera app has been optimized for switching between the front/rear camera and there’s a new feature that lets you scrub through AAC audio files.

As OnePlus noted in late June, this is the final Open Beta that the 3/3T are getting. Later this month, OnePlus will issue an update to anyone on the Open Beta that reverts them to a stable build of OxygenOS.

July 3, 2018 — Project Treble and a new UI come to the OnePlus 5 and 5T!

Open Beta 13 and 11 for the OnePlus 5 and 5T is rolling out to users now, and it certainly sounds like one of the most exciting upgrades we’ve seen in a while.

Right off the bat, this Open Beta brings Project Treble support to both phones. This is the new update system from Google that allows for much faster turnaound times with new software, so it’s great to see that it’s making an appearance with the 5 series.

OnePlus highlights a “brand new user interface” that changes the appearance of the Phone app, settings, power menu, and more. The UI is still recognizable as OxygenOS, but the subtle visual improvements are a welcome touch. Even more exciting, there are now considerably more pre-made accent colors to choose from and you can finally customize your own colors to your exact liking.

Here are some of the other goodies you’ll find:

• Improved search tags in the app drawer.
• A “New installs” category tag in the app drawer.
• Improved app list for hidden space and toolbox.
• Optimized log for the contacts page (Phone app).
• Brand new design + improved user experience for the Weather app and all forecasts are now integrated under a single interface leading to a fully immersive experience.

As always, Open Beta 13 and 11 are rolling out to users incrementally right now and will expand to everyone enrolled in the beta over the next few days.

June 13, 2018 — OnePlus 5/5T and 3/3T get June 2018 Android security patch and camera enhancements

There’s a new Open Beta in town for the OnePlus 5, 5T, 3, and 3T! Here’s what you need to know!

For all four phones, you’ll get the June 2018 Android security patch and bug fixes for the OnePlus Switch app.

Specifically for the 5 and 5T, there’s “camera clarity improvement and optimizations to reduce ‘oil painting effect.’”

May 30, 2018 — OnePlus Switch and File Manager get updated for OnePlus 5/5T and 3/3T

The OnePlus 5/5T and 3/3T received updates through the Open Beta recently, offering similar improvements to the OnePlus Switch app and the built-in File Manager.

OnePlus Switch is getting UI improvements, better support for data migration from your apps, and general bug fixes/stability improvements. For the File Manager, you can now manage Parallel Apps files.

Looking specifically at the 5/5T, OnePlus added a heap of System updates, including:

• Added disable peek notifications option for Do Not Disturb
• Added disable peek notifications option in reading mode
• Optimized PIN code confirmation process
• Optimized sleep standby power consumption

As for the OnePlus 3/3T, there’s a new Camera UI that should bring it up to speed with more recent OnePlus phones.

May 15, 2018 — OnePlus 5 & 5T get group MMS, May security patch, and new launcher goodies

OxygenOS Open Beta 10 and 8 for the OnePlus 5 and 5T, respectively, is here and comes with a fair amount to check out.

In regards to user-facing changes, the OnePlus Launcher now has a Toolbox Card in the Shelf, Hidden Space section in the app drawer, and dynamic app icons (such as the calendar, clock, and weather) can now be edited. The OnePlus Switch app has a tweaked UI for the Backup & Restore section, as well as a more accurate time remaining timer and other general bug fixes.

This Open Beta also fixes a bug that was preventing group MMS from working on the 5 and 5T, and last but not least, the May security patch is here in all of its glory.

April 25, 2018 — Double-tap for lock screen comes to OnePlus 5/5T

With Open Beta 9 for the OnePlus 5 and Open Beta 7 for the 5T, OnePlus made very minor changes.

The most notable addition to this version is a new double-tap gesture that’ll turn on the lock screen when your display is off. This can be useful for quickly checking notifications if you don’t want to fully unlock your phone, so it’s nice to see something like this make an appearance.

Other than that, the only other items included is an improved search history when searching for apps in the app drawer and “optimized scanning logic for large files” with the File Manager.

April 9, 2018 — Earphone Mode is introduced and a new Shelf widget

Open Beta 8 for the OnePlus 5 and Open Beta 6 for the 5T have arrived, and the biggest feature here is a new Earphone Mode. With Earphone Mode, any paused music will automatically play once your phone’s connected to a pair of headphones, you’ll find options for notification ringtones, and incoming calls will be announced through your earbuds/headphones, too.

OnePlus is also including a new Membership widget for the Shelf, minor UI updates for the OnePlus Clock, and the security patch has been upgraded to the April 2018 one.

How do you install the Open Beta?

If you’ve got a OnePlus phone, enrolling in the Open Beta is fairly simple.

You’ll need to manually download the latest available version for your device from OnePlus’s website and sideload it, but once you do this, any future versions will be sent to you as over-the-air updates.

Harish wrote up a step-by-step guide walking you through the whole process, and I highly recommend checking it out to ensure nothing goes haywire.

How to install the OxygenOS Open Beta on your OnePlus phone

What phones are supported?

Right now, the list of phones supported by the OxygenOS Open Beta include:

• OnePlus 3
• OnePlus 3T
• OnePlus 5
• OnePlus 5T

The Open Beta isn’t available for the OnePlus 6 quite yet, but that should be changing in the very near future.

OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5

• OnePlus 5T review: Come for the value, not the excitement
• OnePlus 5T specs
• Should you upgrade from the OnePlus 3T?
• OnePlus 5T vs. Galaxy S8: Beast mode
• All of the latest OnePlus 5T news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

2018 iPad Pro With 1TB Storage Has 6GB RAM, Lower Capacities Have 4GB

Following Apple’s event in Brooklyn this morning, more information has come to light about the new iPad Pros, particularly how much RAM is included in each model of the updated tablets. Using Xcode, developer Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered that the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with 1TB of storage have 6GB of RAM, compared to 4GB for previous generation iPad Pros.

The new iPad Pros both have 6GB of RAM, according to Xcode (technically the kCoreThemeMemoryClass enum doesn’t map 1:1 but CoreUI only knows about 6GB devices so the iPad must be 6GB if not any prior value) pic.twitter.com/Oas1nOM5BM

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) October 30, 2018

This is the first time that any iPad Pro model has supported 1TB of storage, and 6GB is the highest amount of RAM seen on Apple’s pro-level tablets, if the data is accurate. For any storage capacity below 1TB, including 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB, each iPad Pro model retains the previous generation’s 4GB of RAM. RAM isn’t an aspect of the iPad that Apple details to customers, so this information hasn’t been confirmed, but the Xcode test appears largely accurate.

At 1TB, Apple sells the 11-inch iPad Pro for $1,549.00 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro for $1,749.00, making them the most expensive iPad models ever sold. Apple has increased the RAM in both iPad and iPhone over the years. The iPhone X, for example, had 3GB RAM, while the iPhone XS and XS Max have 4GB RAM. The lower-cost iPhone XR retains the iPhone X’s 3GB RAM.

Related Roundup: iPad ProTag: October 2018 eventBuyer’s Guide: 10.5″ iPad Pro (Buy Now), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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iOS 12.1 Addresses Two Major iPhone XS/XR Issues: ‘BeautyGate’ and Cellular Connectivity

Amid product refreshes for the iPad Pro, Mac mini, and new MacBook Air, Apple today released iOS 12.1, a major update that brings features like eSIM support for the new iPhones, Group FaceTime, real-time Depth Control, and new emoji.

iOS 12.1 also addresses a couple of bugs that iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR users have been facing since the new devices were released. We mentioned these new features in our full iOS 12.1 release post, but we didn’t want anyone to miss out on the news that Apple has implemented fixes for two key problems.

Image via Reddit
Following the launch of the iPhone XS and XS Max, new iPhone owners began complaining about excessive skin smoothing when taking selfies with the two new devices, an issue dubbed “BeautyGate” after people began speculating that Apple was using some kind of beauty filter for the camera.

As it turns out, the new Smart HDR functionality on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR was to blame. Apple said Smart HDR, which is designed to preserve more detail in highlights and shadows by combining multiple images into one, was picking a base frame that wasn’t sharp enough, resulting in excessive blur and noise reduction.

In iOS 12.1, Apple introduced a bug fix that chooses a sharper reference frame that should result in less skin smoothing when taking photos. From Apple’s release notes:

Fixes an issue where the sharpest reference frame was not always selected in front-facing photos for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR

The second issue addressed in today’s update relates to LTE. iPhone XS and XS Max users have been complaining of significant LTE connectivity issues after noticing different cellular reception between iPhone XS and older iPhone models.

According to Apple’s release notes, today’s update introduces unspecified improvements to LTE connectivity.

Improves cellular connectivity for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR

Hopefully customers who were affected with poor cellular connectivity will see some significant improvements following the update to iOS 12.1.

Have you updated? Is your LTE connection better? Do you see less skin smoothing with the front-facing camera? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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PSA: Group FaceTime’s Video Chat Not Available on Older iOS Devices

Apple today released iOS 12.1, which reintroduces the Group FaceTime feature that was removed during the iOS 12 beta testing process.

Group FaceTime is designed to let iPhone, iPad, and Mac users conduct video and audio chats with up to 32 participants at one time, with new camera effect features like filters, stickers, Animoji, and Memoji included.

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Unfortunately, Group FaceTime is limited on older Apple devices. On the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus, it is available in an audio-only capacity with no video. In its recently released iOS 12.1 user guide, Apple says that Group FaceTime video is not compatible with these devices.

“Note: iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus support only audio Group FaceTime calls. Group FaceTime may not be available in all regions.”

Group FaceTime is also limited to audio-only on the iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, and iPod touch.

According to Apple’s official Group FaceTime support document, Group FaceTime with full video is limited to the iPhone 6s or later, iPad Pro or later, iPad Air 2, or iPad mini 4, and iOS 12.1 is, of course, required for the feature to work.

Group FaceTime calls can be initiated via the FaceTime app or through a group conversation within the Messages app. When you’re on a Group FaceTime call, the interface is organized into tiles, with the tile of the person speaking at the time getting larger so you can focus on each person.

Like regular FaceTime calls in iOS 12, Group FaceTime calls support a range of camera effects so you can use stickers, Animoji, Memoji, and filters during your calls.

Group FaceTime supports ringless notifications to let people join calls without disrupting conversations already in progress, and there are built-in tools for seamlessly adding or removing people from your chat. For more details on how to use Group FaceTime, make sure to check our our Group FaceTime walkthrough and how to.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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Apple Shares T2 Security Chip Guide Detailing Privacy Features ‘Never Before Seen on Mac’

Apple’s event today included brief details about the company’s T2 security chip coming to the MacBook Air and Mac mini (it’s already in the 2018 MacBook Pro), but a new security guide has shed light onto what exactly the chip does for user privacy (via TechCrunch). According to the guide, on MacBook Air and Pro the chip includes a hardware microphone disconnect feature that ensures the microphone is disabled when the lid is closed.

This is accomplished through hardware so that the microphone becomes physically disabled from the rest of the MacBook hardware every time the lid is closed, preventing any software from engaging the microphone when the user shuts the MacBook. Apple points out that the camera is not disconnected in hardware, because its field of view is already completely obstructed when the MacBook lid is closed.

All Mac portables with the Apple T2 Security Chip feature a hardware disconnect that ensures that the microphone is disabled whenever the lid is closed. This disconnect is implemented in hardware alone, and therefore prevents any software, even with root or kernel privileges in macOS, and even the software on the T2 chip, from engaging the microphone when the lid is closed. (The camera is not disconnected in hardware because its field of view is completely obstructed with the lid closed.)

Apple says that the T2 chip gives Macs a solid foundation for encrypted storage, secure boot, and Touch ID, all based on dedicated security hardware and the Secure Enclave coprocessor included on the T2 chip. Combined with the security and convenience of Touch ID, Macs with the T2 chip provide “a level of privacy and security protections never before seen on Mac,” according to Apple.

Besides its security features, the new 13-inch MacBook Air includes a Retina Display, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a headphone jack, 50 percent smaller display bezels, a reduced footprint, and more. Pre-orders for the device are live today, starting at $1,199.00, and the MacBook Air will officially launch on November 7.

Related Roundup: MacBook AirTag: October 2018 eventBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Air (Buy Now)
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AppleCare+ for New iPad Pro Models Priced at $130, Out-of-Warranty Repairs Cost Up to $649

Alongside the release of updated 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, Apple has increased the price of AppleCare+ for the iPad Pro from $99 to $129 in the United States.

AppleCare+ for all 10.5, 11, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, which is the entire device lineup, will now cost $129.

AppleCare+ extends the warranty on the iPad Pro to two years from the date of purchase, and it covers two incidents of accidental damage subjected to a $49 service fee. The protection plan also covers the Apple Pencil.

AppleCare+ must be purchased alongside a new iPad Pro or within 60 days, with Apple using an online or in-store verification process for AppleCare+ purchases made after an iPad Pro purchase.

Sans AppleCare+, out-of-warranty repairs on the new iPad Pro models are expensive. Repairs on the new 11-inch iPad Pro will cost $499, while repairs on the new 12-inch iPad Pro will cost $649. Repairs for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro will cost $449.

The new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models can be purchased today from the Apple online store, with shipments set to arrive on November 7. The 11-inch model is priced starting at $799 and the 12.9-inch model is priced starting at $999.

Related Roundup: iPad ProTag: October 2018 eventBuyer’s Guide: 10.5″ iPad Pro (Buy Now), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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