It’s no longer illegal to ‘hack’ your electronics to repair them
Battles over the “right-to-repair” movement continue to intensify, but those in favor of it have just scored what appears to be a huge win. That’s because the Librarian of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office just proposed the introduction of new laws which will give both customers and independent repair shops the ability to carry out legal hacks on the software on devices in order to carry out repairs or maintenance.
What it means is that people are free to break digital rights management (DRM) and embedded software locks for the express purpose of maintaining a device or system “in order to make it work in accordance with its original specifications” or to return it to a “state of working in accordance with its original specifications.”
There is a whole lot to unpack in the massive 85-page document, which lays out all the new exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It seems fairly broad and comprehensive, however. Heck, it even includes a section dedicated to video games, in which it is noted that some these exemptions cover legally owned video games, “when the copyright owner or its authorized representative has ceased to provide access to an external computer server necessary to facilitate an authentication process to enable gameplay.”
In such situations, copying and modification of the program is permitted “to restore access to the game for personal, local gameplay on a personal computer or video game console.”
While these laws are a definite win, though, the battle is far from over. Tech giants with some seriously deep pockets aren’t all in favor of handing over the keys to the repair kingdom, and these exemptions don’t necessarily mean this is going to be easy. For example, Apple has reportedly started introducing software which could brick MacBook Pros if they are repaired by someone not authorized to do so by Apple.
Not being legal experts, we don’t know how scenarios like this will play out. Still, this is a definite step in the right direction for anyone who thinks consumers should have the ability to continue using the products they have bought for as long as possible.
Editors’ Recommendations
- iFixit meddles with a Mac, tests Apple’s block on third-party repairs
- IrisVision uses VR to help people with fading eyesight to see again
- How to run a free background check
- The best free first-person shooters
- How to fix a scratched DVD or CD
It’s no longer illegal to ‘hack’ your electronics to repair them
Battles over the “right-to-repair” movement continue to intensify, but those in favor of it have just scored what appears to be a huge win. That’s because the Librarian of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office just proposed the introduction of new laws which will give both customers and independent repair shops the ability to carry out legal hacks on the software on devices in order to carry out repairs or maintenance.
What it means is that people are free to break digital rights management (DRM) and embedded software locks for the express purpose of maintaining a device or system “in order to make it work in accordance with its original specifications” or to return it to a “state of working in accordance with its original specifications.”
There is a whole lot to unpack in the massive 85-page document, which lays out all the new exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It seems fairly broad and comprehensive, however. Heck, it even includes a section dedicated to video games, in which it is noted that some these exemptions cover legally owned video games, “when the copyright owner or its authorized representative has ceased to provide access to an external computer server necessary to facilitate an authentication process to enable gameplay.”
In such situations, copying and modification of the program is permitted “to restore access to the game for personal, local gameplay on a personal computer or video game console.”
While these laws are a definite win, though, the battle is far from over. Tech giants with some seriously deep pockets aren’t all in favor of handing over the keys to the repair kingdom, and these exemptions don’t necessarily mean this is going to be easy. For example, Apple has reportedly started introducing software which could brick MacBook Pros if they are repaired by someone not authorized to do so by Apple.
Not being legal experts, we don’t know how scenarios like this will play out. Still, this is a definite step in the right direction for anyone who thinks consumers should have the ability to continue using the products they have bought for as long as possible.
Editors’ Recommendations
- iFixit meddles with a Mac, tests Apple’s block on third-party repairs
- IrisVision uses VR to help people with fading eyesight to see again
- How to run a free background check
- The best free first-person shooters
- How to fix a scratched DVD or CD
It’s no longer illegal to ‘hack’ your electronics to repair them
Battles over the “right-to-repair” movement continue to intensify, but those in favor of it have just scored what appears to be a huge win. That’s because the Librarian of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office just proposed the introduction of new laws which will give both customers and independent repair shops the ability to carry out legal hacks on the software on devices in order to carry out repairs or maintenance.
What it means is that people are free to break digital rights management (DRM) and embedded software locks for the express purpose of maintaining a device or system “in order to make it work in accordance with its original specifications” or to return it to a “state of working in accordance with its original specifications.”
There is a whole lot to unpack in the massive 85-page document, which lays out all the new exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It seems fairly broad and comprehensive, however. Heck, it even includes a section dedicated to video games, in which it is noted that some these exemptions cover legally owned video games, “when the copyright owner or its authorized representative has ceased to provide access to an external computer server necessary to facilitate an authentication process to enable gameplay.”
In such situations, copying and modification of the program is permitted “to restore access to the game for personal, local gameplay on a personal computer or video game console.”
While these laws are a definite win, though, the battle is far from over. Tech giants with some seriously deep pockets aren’t all in favor of handing over the keys to the repair kingdom, and these exemptions don’t necessarily mean this is going to be easy. For example, Apple has reportedly started introducing software which could brick MacBook Pros if they are repaired by someone not authorized to do so by Apple.
Not being legal experts, we don’t know how scenarios like this will play out. Still, this is a definite step in the right direction for anyone who thinks consumers should have the ability to continue using the products they have bought for as long as possible.
Editors’ Recommendations
- iFixit meddles with a Mac, tests Apple’s block on third-party repairs
- IrisVision uses VR to help people with fading eyesight to see again
- How to run a free background check
- The best free first-person shooters
- How to fix a scratched DVD or CD
Do we even need 5G at all?
Faster phones, easier access to on-demand video, simpler networking — on the surface, 5G sounds like a dream. So why is it more of a nightmare?
Hear me out.
5G: The promise of faster bandwidth
At least on paper, everything about 5G makes sense. The technology, short for fifth generation and the latest cellular technology you’ll need to know about, is a smart evolution from the current 4G LTE network you’re most likely using. Current 4G networks power the latest iPhone and Android smartphones, they’re increasingly baked into cars, and we use them for video downloads and to watch the Red Sox win the World Series on our mobiles. And some people worry that they’re running out of room.
5G promises much faster speeds: 1 gigabit per second downloads, compared with the national average of about 20 Mbps on today’s networks. Yeah, that’s just a promise, but it’s a good thing. It means you’ll be able to download that first episode of Game of Thrones in a few seconds, rather than a few minutes. Sure, 4G networks are faster than they were in 2016, but are they fast enough?
Beyond mere speed, 5G promises incredibly low latency, a measure of the time it takes data to travel from point A to point B and back again. With today’s 4G networks, it’s just 10 or 20 milliseconds – the blink of an eye or the pop of a camera flash, really. 5G may drop it to just a single millisecond, potentially 10× less latency. Why does that matter? If you’ve ever tried VR and noted that the scenery doesn’t move as fast as you do, or were irritated when the audio and video on a stream you’re watching are out of sync, you’ve experienced the pains of latency.
Networking companies believes the incredibly low latency of 5G paired with its fast speeds will enable all sorts of uses, from controlling manufacturing machines in real time to facilitating car to car communication to the dream of IoT, where everything talks to everything else at the speed of thought.
“Low-latency services and massive IoT scale will thrive … [meaning] more connected services and devices, and higher broadband capacity that can benefit our entire society,” says Nicki Palmer, chief network engineering officer and head of wireless networks for Verizon Wireless. Mo Katibeh, Chief Marketing Officer for AT&T Business, is equally ebullient, describing a recent experience gaming over 5G “…using mmWave spectrum and edge compute technology. The demo was a two-player hardware-intensive video game where the entire experience was being powered by 5G. No on-premise equipment—the game itself (for both players) was housed in the cloud. It was a truly remarkable experience.”
So yeah, that all sounds good. But hear me out.
The messy downside of 5G
To achieve all that low-latency goodness and deliver those delicious download speeds, network companies have been looking at millimeter wave bandwidths, meaning high frequency spectrums: 30 GHz to 300 GHz. Verizon uses 28 and 39GHz, for example. The challenge is, those waves don’t travel far at all. Remember when cordless phones went from 2.4GHz to 4.8GHz? You couldn’t walk in the next room and keep a call going. These frequencies present technical hurdles that researchers are still struggling with.
Remember when cordless phones went from 2.4GHz to 4.8GHz? You couldn’t walk in the next room and keep a call going.
To address this issue, carriers anticipate using “small cells” instead of enormous antennas that blanket city blocks or whole neighborhoods. Small cells are bricks or maybe toolbox-sized pieces of gear that can fit outside your house, on buses, high on telephone poles, wherever. And to guarantee the type of coverage consumers will expect, they’ll need to. In order to build a 5G network (which will sit alongside of the 4G net for the foreseeable future), carriers will need small cells on every flag and telephone pole, street sign, building, whatever. Finding places to put all those antennas will be a preposterous challenge in itself.
Oh, and here’s a fun fact: Since every carrier is using different spectrum for their 5G experiments, you probably won’t be able to use a 5G phone on different networks. “It’s not because there isn’t a desire and we don’t want to have cross-compatibility,” said Gordon Mansfield, AT&T’s vice president of radio networks and device design, recently. ” It’s just that nobody has figured out how to cram the 28GHz 5G that Verizon and T-Mobile are using, and AT&T’s 39GHz 5G, into one box yet. And while T-Mobile and Verizon are using similar 28GHz bands, T-Mobile is also putting 5G on the 600MHz band, which Verizon is not.”
Oh, and here’s another fun fact: Did I mention that the signals are easy to block? Steven J. Vaughn Nicols put it well in Computerworld: “That stop sign in front of your car? Bleck! There went your signal.”
Sprint stands alone with a unique plan: run 5G on the same 2.5GHz spectrum it currently uses for 4G. Sure, that sounds smarter, but the company will still have to upgrade every cellular tower with new radios to support that plan.
Oh yeah, one more thing: In order to get 5G, you’ll need to upgrade. Your current phone can’t just be “turned on” to the new tech, nor can all of the IoT devices you currently own that networking companies want to interconnect with it. It may be simpler some day to use, but to capitalize you’ll have to replace everything. Every smart doorbell, every connected cooker, every thermostat. That’s not smart. That just sounds wasteful.
What about Gigabit LTE?
Then there’s the speed thing. That 1Gbps speed is theoretical, just something in the labs. It’ll take a while to hone 5G to make it that fast. Meanwhile, network operators have been doing exactly that with 4G. Remember the LTE part of 4G? That stands for Long Term Evolution, and in the long term, it keeps getting better. According to Fierce Wireless, upgrades to AT&T’s 4G network that will be in place by the end of the year should bring a 400 Mbps theoretical max speed.
“That stop sign in front of your car? Bleck! There goes your signal.”
Meanwhile, there are plans to boost current networks even faster, thanks to technologies like carrier aggregation and MIMO and more. They call it Gigabit LTE, and network operators are working on it right now. So remind me: why do we need 5G?
Research and development are crucial to advancing our networks, and there’s reason to keep iterating around the ideas and concepts of 5G. Faster? Lower latency? Yes please! But for now, why not keep improving 4G, and ensure more widespread adoption of broadband technologies across the rural areas of our country? Because winter is coming – and my network damn well better be prepared for the download demands.
The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the beliefs of Digital Trends.
Editors’ Recommendations
- Verizon 5G Home promises gigabit internet speeds for as low as $50
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MacRumors Giveaway: Win a ‘Side Winder’ Cable Organizer for MacBook Pro or MacBook Air
For this week’s giveaway, we’ve once again teamed up with Fuse to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Side Winder cable wrangler, designed to let you quickly and easily wind up your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro’s charger cord.
The reel-style construction of the Side Winder keeps your power adapter, cord, and attached extension cable in a neat, compact package with zero tangles and no hassle. It’s perfect for use at home or work and it’s great for when you need to travel because it makes it so quick to pack up.
When traveling with a traditional Power Adapter and cable setup in a bag or backpack, winding the cord and the extension cable is an exercise in futility because it constantly comes unwrapped, leading to a messy, knotted tangle of cable. That cable tangle is the problem the Side Winder solves.
Side Winder works by enclosing the Power Adapter of your MacBook with a reel that holds the cable. When you need to wind extra cable, a simple twist of the top piece pulls it in. When more cable is needed while the MacBook is in use, you can pull out as much cable as you need to reach a power outlet.
Fuse says that it takes less than six seconds to fully wind a cable using the Side Winder, and the design of the device provides protection against cable damage and fraying by preventing stress at weak points.
Side Winder is compatible with all 45W, 60W, 61W, 85W, and 87W MacBook Pro and Air chargers, with both MagSafe 1 and 2 and USB-C versions available. The MagSafe versions are available for $29.99, while the USB-C version is $33.99. The USB-C model includes a USB-C cord, but neither model includes a power adapter or extension cable.
In addition to offering Side Winders to MacRumors readers in our giveaway, Fuse is also providing a 20 percent discount on all Side Winder purchases. To buy one at a discount, just use this link.
We have 20 Side Winders to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (October 26) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 2. The winners will be chosen randomly on November 2 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Discuss this article in our forums
First Impressions From New iPhone XR Owners
We’ve seen plenty of iPhone XR reviews from media sites that Apple invited to test the new device ahead of its release, but now that the iPhone XR has officially launched in all countries around the world, iPhone XR first impressions from regular Apple customers are now available.
New iPhone XR owners on Reddit, Twitter, and the MacRumors forums have been sharing their opinions on the new device, and for those considering a purchase, thoughts from average consumers provide useful insight.
iPhone XR image via Reddit
On iPhone XR Size, Color, and Design
MacRumors reader Kendo warned that the iPhone XR isn’t a middle ground between the XS and the XS Max due to the size of the device’s bezels. If you wanted the iPhone XR because the iPhone XS Max was too big, you may still be unhappy with the size.
Because the bezels are one mm thicker (two if you include both sides) and with the 6.1″ screen, the width is pretty much identical to the XS Max. It is only a little shorter but also significantly thicker. I was originally in the market for a slightly bigger phone than the XS and a slightly smaller phone than the Max (the cheaper price was just icing on the cake). However because the width is essentially the same, you are better off just getting a Max if money wasn’t a concern and you only wanted an “in between” size between the XS and the Max. If you’re going to handle a bulky phone anyway, you might as well get the bigger screen on the Max since the width and weight are really similar to the XR.
MacRumors reader tks900 said that he’s having second thoughts about his iPhone XR due to its size compared to the iPhone 6s even though the display is gorgeous.
However: It’s quite big. And heavy. Coming from the 6S, this is a really different animal. I have large hands and am used to handle my phone with one hand. Impossible with the XR. This bulkiness of this thing becomes even more obvious when I use it with a case. I know many people won’t, but to me, the phone is just too slippery without a case and actually even harder to handle.
Redditor Meerkatch said the iPhone XR feels like a toy version of the iPhone XS due to the bezel size.
The bezels on the sides are noticeably big in real life, the bezels are like how a glass screen protector is on an iPhone 6, but the screen protector is the actual screen of the phone excluding the home button and the camera and including a notch (if that makes sense). I wouldn’t say it’s enough justification to get the Xs. I felt like it’s a toy version of the Xs for some reason, it feels like an Apple Watch Sport compared to the Apple Watch Edition (Xs).
Redditor downwardCorgi said that the red color is brighter than blood red and that the bezels aren’t noticeable. Using it one handed in some situations is difficult, he says.
It is a slightly darker shade than a typical rainbow flag red. It’s maybe slightly brighter than actual blood red. And yeah now that everything is rounded, it’s kinda cute. If the display was small the same bezels would look larger, but the phone itself is already big, you just look at the content on the screen, not the bezels.
Reaching top is fine if you use reachability. It’s another step but I think it’s a fine compromise. Reaching the left edge with the right hand thumb to go back to the previous page is kinda hard but it’s possible. So in short, vertically it’s fine if you use reachability, it’s quick and easy, horizontally, reaching all the way to the other side with a thumb is a bit hard when one-handed. When using with just left hand, probably not as much an issue cause I don’t think there’s gestures to swipe from the right edge. But typing with one hand still is hard due to the horizontal length.
MacRumors reader c.s. pointed out that the iPhone XR is much easier to grip than older aluminum iPhones, for customers who are coming from an iPhone 7 or earlier.
Just picked up an iPhone XR at the Apple store to replace my iPhone 7. No line at noon, it was an easy buying experience. I’ve always used the Apple leather case on my 7, and I was pleasantly surprised when handling the XR. My 7 always felt slippery when out of the case, but the XR is much more grippy to me. In fact, I’m opting to go caseless and just got AppleCare in case I regret that decision.
I’ve got my iPhone xr setting up right now. First thing I liked, even though it’s heavier it doesn’t feel as heavy as the 7 plus. First thing I don’t like, the bevel around the screen is pretty thick.
— Probably not a Hero (HSH) 💛 (@HalfSh3ll3dH3r0) October 26, 2018
On the iPhone XR’s Display
Redditor 3mbersea shared images of the iPhone XR and iPhone XS Max screens side by side in portrait and landscape mode. 3mbersea says there’s a “big difference” in screen quality when watching high quality videos, but not in regular use.
MacRumors reader Nitefly shared some details on the display of the iPhone XR, pointing out that there’s some color shifting, but it’s slight.
I am posting this from an XR. Phhwooooar what a phone!
There is some colour shift. However, the point at which it makes a material difference is the point at which you would never choose to use the screen at that angle.
In other words, the colour shift is slight in a generous viewing field. At extreme angles, ones you couldn’t even watch TV shows from, it is more pronounced. I’d say the screen dimming is more obvious than the colour shifting. Likewise, it’s really quite immaterial.
My god, the camera is ace. Also, I viewed this screen right next to an XS and could not see a difference in sharpness at a sensible, ‘phone using’ distance.
Redditor MonstersUGrad98 confirms that the XR uses the same iOS layout as Plus-sized iPhones, showing a two-column split view in apps like Messages and Mail.
MacRumors reader gig090 said that the iPhone XR’s display resolution is “fine” and nothing that you need to worry about, even compared to the XS. The bezels, though, are “a little bit too fat” in comparison to the iPhone XS.
Got my iPhone XR a few hours ago. Very happy with it so far. A big upgrade. The display comments were highly exaggerated – it looks beautiful. Great job @Apple
— aphel (@itsaphel) October 26, 2018
MacRumors reader sjperformance said the LCD display is great, but he prefers the smaller bezels of the XS and XS Max.
Overall good LCD display. Probably best LCD display on an iPhone. The Max a little bit taller. Width is about the same. Weight is good on this XR too. Now the bezels…I don’t like them but it’s ok. Prefer the smaller thinner bezels of the OLED displays.
On the A12 Bionic Processor
Redditor imagineJack, who came to the iPhone XR from Android, says it’s super fast and responsive.
The phone is extremely snappy, fast and responsive. Every app I’m opening stays in memory for ages. (Not sure if this is just a general iOS 12 thing but it’s great.) The speakers are great, the camera is great.
iPhone XR first impressions: It’s a bit too big, but I think I’ll get used to it. FaceID is amazing, speed is amazing, screen is amazing, camera is amazing. It’s all amazing. Battery life is excellent too. Now I just have to not drop it!
— Orion Edwards (@borland) October 26, 2018
Have a new iPhone XR? Feel free to share your first impressions and your photos in the comments below.
We’ll be sharing a more in-depth look at the iPhone XR and comparing the iPhone XR’s camera to the iPhone XS camera, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors for more iPhone XR coverage.
Related Roundup: iPhone XRBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XR (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums
Snap Launches Snap Camera App for Mac With Twitch, Skype, and YouTube Integration
Snap today announced the launch of Snap Camera for Mac, which brings Snapchat’s well-known collection of lenses and filters to Macs and PCs.
The Snap Camera app, which can be downloaded from Snapchat’s website, offers up a simple interface with a camera field and access to hundreds of Snapchat lenses that add fun effects to your face using the Mac’s camera.
The different lenses available in new Snap Camera app for Mac can be used with Twitch when streaming video content, and it is compatible with YouTube, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Zoom as well. Using the lenses does not require a Snapchat account.
Snap’s new Snap Camera app features lenses created by Snap, lenses from third-party companies, and lenses created using the Lens Studio tool for Snapchat.
Lenses are available in a list in the app that you can scroll through, but there are also options to search for lenses by keyword, mark favorites, or assign lenses to shortcuts.
Snap Camera is a free download from the Snap website.
Tags: Snapchat, Snap
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iFixit Gives Us a Peek Inside iPhone XR With New Teardown
Apple’s new lower-cost flagship smartphone, the iPhone XR, launched today, and iFixit picked up one of the new devices to take it apart for one of the site’s traditional teardowns that are designed to give us a peek inside Apple hardware.
An x-ray provided by Creative Electron offers a look inside the fully assembled iPhone, showing where each component is located.
Opening up the iPhone XR is similar to opening up the iPhone X, with Apple using its standard pentalobe screws that can be bypassed with iFixit tools. iFixit says that surprisingly, the screws don’t match the color of the iPhone XR, and compared to the iPhone XS, the SIM slot is lower.
In fact, the SIM tray in the iPhone XR is modular, which is a first for an iPhone. iFixit says that this will allow for faster swapping of a dead SIM reader and a reduction in cost when replacing the logic board.
iFixit says that it’s not entirely clear where the iPhone XS got its extra IP-68 water resistance from, given the fact that opening the XR and the XS is similar.
The internals of the iPhone XR look like a cross between an iPhone 8 and an iPhone X, according to iFixit, with a rectangular battery and a rectangular logic board.
iFixit is doing its iPhone XR teardown live, and it’s still in progress. We’ll add additional information to this post as iFixit proceeds through the iPhone XR’s disassembly.
Related Roundup: iPhone XRTag: iFixitBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XR (Buy Now)
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Review: Kano’s Harry Potter Coding Kit Teaches Kids to Code in a Fun, Engaging Way
Kano, a company that makes a series of coding kits for children and those new to programming, recently released a $99 Harry Potter-themed kit complete with a programmable wand that’s perfect for Harry Potter fans who want a fun and engaging way to learn some basic coding techniques.
The Harry Potter Coding Kit is designed to let users build a wand and then program that wand with various gestures that can be used within the Kano app on iOS devices, Android devices, PCs, or Macs.
Kano’s Harry Potter Coding Kit starts off by walking users through putting together the pieces of the wand and explaining the different components. There are two black plastic wand pieces, included batteries, a rubber button, and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
In the instructions, Kano explains all of the components of the Printed Circuit Board, such as the power controller, the micro controller, various sensors, a Bluetooth connector, a light, and a vibration motor.
Users are walked through putting together the pieces of the wand, from inserting the batteries into the PCB to putting the PCB inside the wand enclosure and sealing it all up. It’s a simple process, but the way that Kano walks through each step and explains each component makes the experience fun and interesting.
The wand is equipped with a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a magnetometer that let it calculate orientation, direction, movement, and movement speed, all necessary components for casting virtual spells. Kano explains that all of this data is transferred to the computer (or iPad), where it’s turned into code that can make effects happen within the Kano app.
Kano’s wand is made of a black plastic material and it has a simple tapered hexagonal design. There’s a button at the base and an LED light that changes color. An optional lanyard is included too, which can be wrapped around the wrist so the wand doesn’t fly out of the hand when waving it around to cast spells.
Unfortunately, the wand does not look like any of the wands that the characters in the Harry Potter movie use, which are all made of wood (in the movies/books) or resin (the amusement park replicas) and fairly distinctive. I do wish more clever wand design could have been incorporated as I’m sure most people would prefer a wand more like Harry’s or Hermione’s, but there is a faux wood grain and it does look decently wand-like.
The wand is powered through AAA batteries that come with the kit (along with one extra set), and in my experience, battery life was not great. Kano recommends taking the batteries out when the wand is not in use, but that’s a hassle. Taking the wand apart requires fidgeting with a connector on the top to pull the two pieces together, which I didn’t find easy to do. I did not take the batteries out and they died after about a week, even when I wasn’t using the wand much.
Once the wand is put together, the rest of the coding kit experience relies on Kano’s software, available on iPad and on PC/Mac. The software is similar on either platform, but with drag and drop gestures on the iPad. For some of the app interaction, you will need some type of stand to prop the iPad up.
I tried both the iPad app and the Mac app, and while I preferred the Mac experience, both apps worked similarly well. Kano says its iPad app is still in beta, though, so there are some bugs that have yet to be worked out. As a note, I found that a bigger screen works better because there’s a lot on the screen to deal with.
The Mac app can’t be opened by default without changing Mac settings to allow unidentified developers, which some parents might not be a fan of. Your progress is saved through a Kano account, so you can switch devices anytime.
Kano’s app takes the form of a map of Hogwarts and its surrounding areas, with different unlockable challenges available in each area.
The app starts off with a tutorial that jumps right into the coding process, asking kids to start by changing the color of the light in the wand. Each coding challenge breaks the code down into a series of puzzle blocks that need to be fit together to create workable code.
The idea is to drag the different coding blocks onto the screen and connect them together in the proper way to complete the challenge in question. Before you can cast a spell with the wand to affect what’s on the screen to finish a challenge, you need to do all of the coding bits.
In the Harry Potter universe, learning a spell takes quite a lot of practice, and same is true with the Kano Coding Kit, so the coding experience feels a little bit like going to Hogwarts. You can’t levitate a feather without the proper pronunciation of Wingardium Leviosa (it’s Wing-GAR-dium Levi-O-sa) in Harry Potter, and you can’t levitate a feather in the Kano app without first putting together the right coding steps.
Through the coding lessons, there are a lot of different coding aspects to learn, which should give users a good idea of the kinds of things that can be done through code and the way things fit together when writing code, though there is no actual writing of code within the app. You can, however, see the Javascript at any time.
Events, logic, math, variables, color, objects, physics, speaker sound, loops, wand vibration, and more are different aspects of coding that the app advances through with each tutorial.
Coding challenges get more and more complex as progress is made through the app, and it’s important to really read the text blocks and pay attention to what’s going to be able to complete the increasingly difficult coding puzzles that come after finishing several coding tutorials.
A tutorial is included for each small challenge, but then it culminates in puzzles that must be solved sans instructions using the coding blocks to create code based on what was learned through the prior lessons.
With all of the challenges, wand position is displayed on the screen and there are options to make the visual and interactive portion of the challenge — such as coloring pygmy puffs, levitating a feather, multiplying chocolate frogs, or setting off fireworks — full screen.
Some of the coding puzzles that must be solved can be difficult, and because there’s no included hint or help system or a way to skip past the hard content, it can be frustrating. The trick is to go back and try coding tutorials again until all of the necessary aspects of the puzzle can be worked out. I do think the app would benefit from a hint system, though.
Each challenge and tutorial can be enhanced with coding additions if desired, and the movements and steps can be practiced over and over again. You can also save your creations, but it’s worth noting that everything you save is uploaded to an online service where anyone can comment on it. There’s no option to turn this off that I saw, which seems like an oversight.
As progress is made through coding challenges, experience is earned and items are unlocked that can be used with a customizable avatar within the app. The avatar also levels up as coding tutorials and challenges are completed, which provides a sense of accomplishment and progress.
Kano has some pre-made scenarios to experiment with for users who want to test out complex coding that can be done with the coding kit, and there are also options to try content created from other users. In my experience, though, much of this was the basic content that I’d already gone through in the tutorials because as mentioned before, every time a person saves after a tutorial, it’s uploading it to this database for all users to access. Some curation here would be nice.
For the most part, the app was bug free and the experience went smoothly. My wand connected to my Mac and was recognized by the Kano app, though I did think that it was difficult to do some of the wand movements for various spells. I did have some trouble with getting my wand oriented in the right position on the screen at times to complete the more complex challenges, but other than that, it worked well.
I only ran into one major bug. On a challenge that required levitating library books, when changing a variable, the game wouldn’t let me progress. With no way to skip past it, I couldn’t finish the content in the area because the rest of it was locked.
The Kano app has great Harry Potter-themed graphics and content, and I didn’t mind the simple graphic style, but I do wish it adopted a bit more from the Harry Potter film universe in terms of music and voice acting. It would have been great to hear some of the iconic music, but all in all I thought it was a fun and immersive experience.
Bottom Line
I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and like many other fans, I’ve always fantasized about what it would be like to go to Hogwarts to learn spells and potions and magic. I’m a sucker for anything Harry Potter themed, and the Harry Potter Coding Kit was no exception. It made learning the basics of coding engaging and entertaining because there’s so much that can be done with a programmable wand in a magical app.
Kano’s app could use some work and there are areas where things could be improved, but overall, it’s a fun way to get kids into coding.
Kano says the Harry Potter Coding Kit has a recommended age of six and up, but I think this is going to be most appealing to kids in the pre-teen and teen age group. At six, it might be a little tough to grasp some of the more difficult concepts, especially with no help system, but really, it’s never too early to start learning to code.
The Coding Kit isn’t limited to kids, of course. Adults who are Harry Potter fans that want to learn some coding basics are also going to enjoy it.
How to Buy
The Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit can be purchased from the Kano website or from Amazon.com for $99.99.
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What to Expect at Apple’s October 30th Event: New iPad Pros, Mac Mini, Low-Cost Retina Notebook and More
While Apple introduced iPhones back in September, there are still a number of products that the company is planning to refresh before the end of the year, necessitating a second fall 2018 event, set to be held on Tuesday, October 30 in New York City.
Apple’s October event will focus on the iPad and the Mac, and below, we’ve rounded up everything we expect to see along with a few other products that might possibly make an appearance at the keynote.
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iPad Pro
Apple is working on updated iPad Pro models that adopt an iPhone XS-style design with slimmer bezels and no Home button, with the iPads instead set to gain a TrueDepth camera system that will replace Touch ID with Face ID for biometric authentication purposes.
Though the iPhone XS uses a notch for the TrueDepth camera, the upcoming iPad Pro models are expected to feature slim top, bottom, and side bezels all around the display. Apple is not planning to use an OLED display for the new iPads due to cost and production issues.
2018 iPad Pro mockup via iDropNews
Recent CAD drawings sourced from a case maker along with additional leaks have given us some insight into the dimensions of the new iPad Pro models. The smaller iPad Pro is expected to be 7 inches wide (178.52mm) and 9.7 inches tall (247.64mm), while the larger model will be 8.5 inches wide (215mm) and 11 inches tall (280.66mm).
The smaller of the two iPad Pro models may be as thin as 5.86mm, and it’s not clear how thick the larger iPad Pro model will be. It could be as thin, or somewhat thicker like the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Bezels for both iPad Pro models could measure in at around 6mm at the top, bottom, and sides.
Based on multiple leaks, Apple is apparently relocating the magnetic Smart Connector on the new iPad Pro models from the side to the bottom near the Lightning port, which could perhaps require a new vertically oriented Smart Keyboard. It’s not clear why Apple is making this change, and it’s not known if Apple is indeed releasing a new Smart Keyboard that connects differently.
Originally, it was thought that Apple was relocating the connector because Face ID would be limited to portrait orientation since that’s the way it works on the iPhone, but code in iOS 12.1 suggests that after being set up vertically, Face ID will work on the iPad in both portrait and landscape modes.
Design wise, the new iPad Pro models are said to feature a “diamond cut” at both the front and the back, which suggests the tablets could have a design similar to the iPhone SE with beveled edges. Antenna lines on the device may also be located at the top and bottom, similar to the iPhone 7, rather than in a block at the top.
Renderings of 12.9-inch iPad Pro based on alleged CAD drawings
There are other major changes in store for the iPad Pro. Apple is said to be planning to eliminate the headphone jack from the iPad lineup like it did in the iPhone starting with the iPhone 7, and it’s rumored to use a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port.
A USB-C port would allow for faster charging and new functionality not possible via Lightning such as the ability to drive a 4K monitor.
Inside, the new iPad Pro models are said to be equipped with an A12X Bionic processor that’s even faster than the A12 chip in the new iPhone lineup.
Renderings of 12.9-inch iPad Pro based on alleged CAD drawings
For more on the iPad Pro, make sure to check out our iPad Pro roundup.
Apple Pencil 2
Alongside new iPad Pro models, Apple is said to be planning to introduce a second-generation Apple Pencil with a new design.
Little detail is known about the new Apple Pencil, but it could feature an AirPods-like pairing experience with the ability to switch the Apple Pencil between devices without the need to plug it into a Lightning port.
iPad mini
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple is working on an upgraded iPad mini that features an upgraded processor and a lower-cost display panel, which suggests it will be more affordable than the current version.
Kuo wasn’t entirely sure if Apple plans to release the iPad mini at its October event or at a later date in 2018 or early 2019, but there’s a possibility it will be unveiled alongside new iPad Pro models.
We don’t have any other information about the new iPad mini at this point in time, but it sounds like it’s not going to get the same design refinements that are coming to Apple’s iPad Pro lineup.
For more on the iPad mini, check out our iPad mini roundup.
MacBook Air
Apple has a 13-inch MacBook Air replacement in the works, which has been the subject of rumors for more than a year now. It’s still not clear whether Apple plans to label the machine as MacBook Air or a MacBook, but some concrete details about the upcoming notebook can be gleaned from everything we’ve heard.
Positioned as an entry-level low-cost machine in Apple’s product lineup, the notebook will be 13 inches in size and it will feature a Retina display. It is said to be similar in design to the current 13-inch MacBook Air, but with slimmer bezels.
It’s not entirely clear how Apple will distinguish this machine from the 12-inch MacBook if it’s going to be a MacBook Air with a Retina display, but if the design is similar to the current MacBook Air, the 12-inch MacBook will still be Apple’s lightest machine, justifying its higher price tag.
Various pricing rumors have suggested that it could be available for anywhere from $799 to $1,200, but the most reliable source, Bloomberg, believes it will cost under $1,000.
Whiskey Lake chips appropriate for a MacBook Air-like machine were announced by Intel in August, and so Apple could potentially be planning to use these chips in the device.
For more on the mixed rumors we’ve been hearing about the 13-inch low-cost notebook, check out our MacBook Air roundup.
MacBook
Regardless of whether the rumored lower-cost 13-inch notebook is positioned as a MacBook Air or a MacBook, rumors suggest Apple is planning to maintain the 12-inch MacBook lineup and a MacBook refresh is said to be in the works.
Upgraded 12-inch MacBooks are likely to feature Intel’s 8th-generation Amber Lake Y-series processors, announced in August. These chips bring processor and battery improvements, so new MacBooks could offer both faster performance and longer battery life.
Aside from upgraded Intel chips, there’s been little information on what else Apple might add to a refreshed MacBook lineup.
For more on the MacBook, check out our 12-inch MacBook roundup.
iMac
Apple refreshes its iMac lineup on a regular basis, and reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said that an updated model is in the works and set to launch at Apple’s October 30th event.
We’re expecting new iMacs that feature upgraded 8th-generation Intel processors, improved GPUs, and perhaps the adoption of the T2 chip that was introduced in the iMac Pro and has since been added to the MacBook Pro.
For more on the iMac, make sure to check out our iMac roundup.
Mac mini
Apple is working on a refreshed version of the Mac mini that’s focused on the pro user base. The upgraded device will feature new storage and processor options, and because Apple is aiming it at pro users, some models could be more expensive than previous Mac mini products.
We don’t have a lot of additional information available on what to expect from the Mac mini, but one rumor suggested the higher-end model “won’t be so mini anymore,” hinting at one configuration with a larger size to accommodate higher-end components.
Given that the new Mac mini is going to be a pro-focused machine, it’s not clear what chips it will adopt, but Intel this year has announced 8th-generation processors appropriate for both desktop and notebook machines. Past Mac mini models have used the same chips as the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but Apple may be planning to opt for more powerful chips for a pro Mac mini model.
For everything we’ve heard on the Mac mini, check out our Mac mini roundup.
Other Possibilities
Mac Pro Preview
Apple last year announced work on a high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro that will facilitate regular upgrades to meet the needs of Apple’s pro user base.
Apple has said this new, redesigned Mac Pro will launch at some point in 2019, but in the past, the company has provided us with early previews and the work on the Mac Pro is no secret, so it’s possible we’ll get a little taste of what to expect at this fall Mac-focused event.
Modular Mac Pro concept from Curved.de
For more on Apple’s work on a redesigned Mac Pro, check out our Mac Pro roundup.
iMac Pro
As should come as no surprise, Apple is working on a next-generation iMac Pro model, which Bloomberg confirmed this afternoon. There are no new chips available that would be appropriate for an upgraded iMac Pro right now, but it’s possible Apple will give us some details on when we can expect a refreshed iMac Pro machine.
AirPower and AirPods
We’re still waiting on the AirPower, the three-device charging mat that Apple introduced in September 2017. When it made its debut, Apple said it would launch at some point in 2018, and we’ve got a few months to go, so it could potentially make an appearance at the October event.
We’re not counting on it though, as Apple made no mention of the AirPower at its September iPhone-focused event, where a launch would have made more sense.
The AirPower is designed to charge the Apple Watch (Series 3 and 4), glass-backed iPhones, and AirPods all at the same time, with a wireless charging case required to enable wireless charging for the AirPods.
Alongside the AirPower, Apple is supposed to be introducing a new AirPods Charging Case that adds wireless charging to the earbuds, so if we see the launch of the AirPower, AirPods are likely to launch alongside it.
In addition to wireless charging, refreshed AirPods could gain an upgraded wireless chip that supports hands-free “Hey Siri” functionality. With “Hey Siri” support, AirPod owners will be able to activate Siri without needing to double tap on the AirPods with a finger.
Existing AirPods Charging Case next to redesigned AirPods Charging Case with wireless charging capabilities
No other major changes are rumored for the AirPods this year, but there have been some hints that Apple is working on a set of Apple-branded high-end over-ear headphones that could launch in late 2018 at the earliest, so we may see a mention of them. Rumors on a launch date have been mixed, though, so Apple may not be ready to debut these until 2019.
For more information on the AirPods, check out our AirPods roundup.
How to Watch
Apple’s event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, three hours earlier than events are normally held. This year’s event is happening earlier because it’s taking place on the East Coast instead of the West Coast.
Apple is planning to live stream the product unveilings on its event website and through the Events app on the Apple TV.
For those unable to watch, MacRumors will have live coverage both here on MacRumors.com and on our MacRumorsLive Twitter account, along with continuing coverage over the course of the next few weeks.
What are you most looking forward to seeing Apple introduce this year? Let us know in the comments.
Related Roundups: iPad Pro, iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Air, MacBookTag: October 2018 eventBuyer’s Guide: 10.5″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy), iMac (Don’t Buy), Mac Mini (Don’t Buy), MacBook Air (Don’t Buy), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy), MacBook (Don’t Buy)
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