U.S. government sues California to stop its new net neutrality regulations

After California passed what many consider to be the toughest protections in net neutrality this past weekend, the United States Department of Justice announced it will sue the state. California’s SB822 was signed by Governor Jerry Brown to reverse many of the net neutrality protections that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dismantled under agency Commissioner Ajit Pai earlier in 2018. In its lawsuit, the Justice Department argued that the bill “unlawfully imposes burdens on the Federal Government’s deregulatory approach to the internet” and that because the internet itself can be categorized as a function of interstate commerce, regulation of this area falls under federal jurisdiction.

“Under the Constitution, states do not regulate interstate commerce — the federal government does,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement denouncing California’s bill. “Once again the California legislature has enacted an extreme and illegal state law attempting to frustrate federal policy. The Justice Department should not have to spend valuable time and resources to file this suit today, but we have a duty to defend the prerogatives of the federal government and protect our Constitutional order.  We will do so with vigor. We are confident that we will prevail in this case — because the facts are on our side.”

However, because the FCC in the past has taken conflicting positions about its role in regulating the internet, this may be a harder argument to prove. Even though the FCC repeal of neutrality specifically included language that banned states from protecting consumers, the agency also said it had no power to regulate broadband providers when it repealed the 2015 Open Internet Order. “An agency that has no power to regulate has no power to preempt the states, according to case law,” Stanford University law professor Barbara van Schewick told Motherboard. “That means the FCC cannot prevent the states from adopting net neutrality protections because the FCC’s repeal order removed its authority to adopt such protections.” The FCC’s repeal of net neutrality is being challenged in court by 22 state attorney generals.

California passed SB822 after the FCC dismantled net neutrality protections despite growing bipartisan support in keeping the internet free and open. Under the California law, internet service providers must treat all web traffic equally, and the state places restrictions on zero-rating practices and discriminatory practices in the past that throttled Netflix connections. Zero-rating is a practice that can give an unfair advantage to larger companies. DirecTV streams on AT&T’s wireless network, for example, do not count against a user’s data caps because of zero-rating agreement between the satellite provider and its parent company AT&T.

The telecommunications industry led by USTelecom had urged Brown to veto the bill, leaving the matter of regulation to the federal government.

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Attention, space gardeners: Simulated Martian soil now on sale for $20 a kilo

University of Central Florida

Have you got $20, plus postage, burning a hole in your pocket? If so, you may be interested in an offer from astrophysicists at the University of Central Florida: Martian soil that’s on sale for research purposes, priced at 20 bucks per kilogram. Okay, so it’s not actually soil taken from the Red Planet, but rather dirt created using the first scientific, standardized method to make a simulant material which will act in the same way as the real thing.

“We’re creating simulated, or artificial, soils that mimic those found on Mars, the Moon, and asteroids,” Kevin Cannon, a post-doctoral researcher who helped develop the material, told Digital Trends. “They’re made up of different minerals that occur naturally on Earth, but mixed up in unique proportions that are very unlike terrestrial soils.”

The University of Central Florida formula soil is based on the chemical signature of materials gathered on Mars by the Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012. UCF Physics Professor Dan Britt, who also worked on this project, built two calibration targets which were part of the Curiosity rover.

But why exactly is a renowned university drumming up a few extra bucks by selling dirt? As it turns out, it’s less about pulling in money than something a whole lot more important: standardization. At present, a number of institutions, organizations and startups are researching topics like how best to grow food on Mars. However, they’re not using standardized simulants, which makes it difficult to compare experimental results in any meaningful way. By creating its more accurate space soil simulant, the UCF researchers hope to advance research in a more practical, useful manner.

“We work mostly with planetary scientists and engineers at universities, NASA centers, and private space companies,” Cannon continued. “There are all kinds of applications, including testing robotics, extracting resources like water from planetary materials, and learning to grow plants on future missions to Mars or the moon.”

It turns out that making Martian soil isn’t exactly a niche industry, either. To date, the university has gotten requests from more than 50 different groups, totaling more than half a metric ton of simulant. “We’re planning on having the capacity to make between hundreds of kilos and several tons per year,” Cannon said.

A paper describing the work is available to read online.

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HP Spectre Folio hands-on review

Research Center:

HP Spectre Folio

HP claimed it was “reinventing the PC” ahead of the launch of the new Spectre Folio convertible laptop. That’s hardly the case. Microsoft did that in 2013 when it rolled out the Surface Pro, a laptop that converted into a tablet (or was it the other way around?), worked with a digital pen, and was designed to be picked up, carried around, shared, and most important, drawn directly on.

What HP did do, is take Microsoft’s idea and turn it up to 11. At an event in New York City Monday morning, HP unveiled the Folio, a laptop that replaced the soft fabric with beautiful pebbled leather, evolving the idea of a kickstand into a device that snaps smoothly into several different positions, and in general adding the polish and pizzazz you’d expect from a device that costs $1,300 or so.

That’s hardly reinventing the PC – but it may just be perfecting it.

Wrapped in leather or made of leather?

When he announced the new Folio, Stacy Wolff — global head of design at HP – stressed that the product may not be what you think it is. “I want to be clear, this is not a PC that is wrapped in leather. This is a PC that is made of leather. The leather that you see provides its flexibility, its versatility,” he told the crowd.

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

And that’s mostly true. The Folio is composed of two parts, a keyboard that’s wrapped in leather and a screen that’s wrapped in leather. So, yeah, it’s a PC wrapped in leather. But to Wolff’s point about flexibilty, a fulcrum at the screen’s halfway point allows the Folio to convert between several positions. It’s a traditional laptop; or the screen can sit in front of the keys at a sharper angle, ideal for movies; or it can fold flat in a Z shape to enter tablet mode. And a leather bound hinge does seem pretty damn integral to that folding.

Folded up like a traditional notebook, the Folio felt classy.

The Folio’s leather feels nice against the hand, and before you ask, yep, it does have that new leather jacket smell – officially making this the first laptop you’ll tell your friends to sniff. The leather comes in two colors, Cognac Brown and Bordeaux Burgundy. We checked out the brown one, which was almost exactly the color of melted chocolate.

Convertibles have switched modes in a variety of ways over the years, from the kickstands in Surface Pros which have locked into different positions to hinges that allow you to pick a variety of positions. The Folio really targets those three shapes (four if you count “closed” as a position), and magnets in various places help it lock directly into position. There’s no click sound or anything, but it’s very satisfying to feel it lock in place. And overall, it switches between modes quickly and smoothly.

HP Spectre Folio Compared To

HP Spectre x360 13-ae002xx

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2018)

HP EliteBook X360 G2

Dell Latitude 13 7370

Lenovo ThinkPad P50 20EN-001RUS

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon (3rd Gen)

Lenovo Z40

Acer TravelMate TMP645-MG-9419

Lenovo ThinkPad T440s

Lenovo ThinkPad T431s

HP EliteBook 8560p

Toshiba Satellite M300-S1002X

Lenovo ThinkPad T60p

Gateway NX570

Lenovo 3000 V100

Folded up like a traditional notebook, the Folio felt classy. Most people have carried a laptop between conference rooms or meetings while open, held by one corner and poised to crash to the ground. We do this even though they fold up, because the act of closing the laptop means little — and we don’t want to lose our work, of course. Closing this laptop makes a statement: The leather doesn’t quite meet with the metal of the chassis, creating a channel for airflow and making it feel less like a computer and more like a work of art. It feels and looks great closed. More manufacturers should embraced the importance of looking good when closed; I use a Dell XPS 13, which doesn’t lock shut with magnets, the cover simply flops against the keys. It is not a great look.

Speeds and feeds

We didn’t have enough time to test the performance of the Folio, but we did spend some time typing on the keyboard, which has a reasonable travel. Given the overall depth of the product, the keys can only travel so far; go too far and they’d be coming out the back of the computer. So travel is notably shallower than on the XPS 13, but still surprisingly good. They also felt firm; typing was very comfortable.

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

The Folio has a 13.3-inch Full HD 1,920 × 1,080 touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 4; it  The maximum brightness is 400 nits. It looked great to our eyes: Sharp and colorful, with dark blacks, although we had very little time to study it. HP touted the Folio as coming with a 4K panel, which turns out to be an option that won’t be available until later this year – a shortcoming of this product. Yes, 4K doesn’t make that much of a difference when viewed from a foot or so away. But it does make a difference and would have matched the premium look this laptop’s trying to push.

Under the hood, there’s an 8th-gen Core i5 or i7 Y-Series processor (Amber Lake), 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage, all of which made it feel peppy. These are Intel’s latest dual-core processors, but offer some enhancements such as better battery life and optional 4G LTE connectivity. One other point of note: There’s no fan, making this a very quiet system. We look forward to some long term testing to ascertain whether leather helps dissipate heat or simply builds it up. Anyone wearing a leather jacket in the summer would tell you the material doesn’t breathe too well.

So, does it “reinvent” the PC? Hardly. This design is elegant and well thought out, and once you’ve touched the pebbly leather, you’ll wonder how (and why) you ever went without. HP may not have reinvented anything, but this is nonetheless one of the classiest takes on convertibles we’ve ever seen.

The Surface Pro will go back to black, Microsoft event listing confirms

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

If you had any doubt that Microsoft will announce a refresh its Surface hardware at its October 2 event tomorrow, you should rest easy. Microsoft has all but confirmed that the Surface will be going “back to black.”

While Microsoft initially launched its Surface RT and Surface Pro in a black-coated VaporMg build, the company eventually switched to silver. Microsoft more recently added more color options to some of its hardware, including the Surface laptop, and it looks like it will now add black to the color mix again, confirming earlier reports of the return of the color.

A Microsoft event listing scheduled for October 16 in Auckland New Zealand, spotted by WalkingCat and published on Windows Central, revealed that black will be making a triumphant return to the Surface lineup after an absence of several years.

“In April 2012, Microsoft launched the Surface RT, its sleek black chassis, detachable keyboard and integrated kick stand started a wave of innovation that has no signs of slowing down,” Microsoft detailed in its New Zealand event invitation. “Surface devices have inspired people to draw on their screens, work anywhere, collaborate across the world on 84-inch Hubs, crank the volume with dial and even float their all-in-one screen up and down with a zero-gravity hinge. It is safe to say the devices have come a long way in 6 years. But in October 2018, Surface goes Back to Black.”

Earlier rumors suggested that Microsoft may reveal updates  to at least two Surface PC products. Updated versions of the Surface Pro and the Surface laptop are widely believed to be delivered at its October 2 event in New York City. Earlier rumors for the Surface Pro suggested that Microsoft may be working on a radical design for its detachable hybrid tablet, but more recently, it is speculated that Microsoft may not have the redesigned Pro completed in time for the October event.

It is likely that Microsoft will unveil more modest updates to the Surface Pro 2018, which has also been referred to as the Surface Pro 6. The update will likely come with newer processors from Intel, but at this time it’s unclear if Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C connectors will also be present. The first product with USB-C onboard was the Surface Book 2, which Microsoft unveiled earlier this year.

Other products that will likely get refreshed include the Surface Dial, which was also mentioned in the New Zealand invitation, and the Surface Studio, Microsoft’s all-in-one desktop solution that’s targeted at creative professionals. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait too much longer to see what Microsoft has been working on. The October 2 event kicks off at 1 p.m. PT, or 4 p.m. ET.

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Step back in time with Google’s secret text-adventure game

Are you feeling a bit nostalgic for the days of Zork and other classic text adventure games? If so, then Google has you covered with an Easter egg embedded in its website. A Reddit user discovered that searching for a particular phrase on the site and then accessing the developer console in your browser presents an option to begin a text-based quest. Best of all, in true 1980s fashion, the console starts off by asking, “Would you like to play a game?”

To access the text-based adventure game, head to Google in your favorite web browser, and search for the phrase “text adventure.” Once the search results page is displayed, open your browser’s developer console. If you are using Google’s Chrome web browser, you can access the developer tool by heading to the View menu, selecting Developer, and then Javascript Console.

Once you have acknowledged that you would indeed like to play a game, you are thrown into a world of text-based fun. Your adventure begins with you playing as the Google logo, although you aren’t quite yourself as you are missing the majority of your letters. Finding yourself inside a building, you must navigate the world and seek out your missing letters.

Step back in time with Google’s text-based adventure game.

If you never played a text adventure game before, take the time to enjoy Google’s blast from the past. From a time when graphics weren’t yet able to stand up to the challenge, gamers played interactive stories in text consoles, using their imaginations to dive deep into mystical worlds. With the latest gaming graphics being continuously touted as essential for complete immersion, text-adventure games are a fun way to remember that a game’s story is just as important.

The Google Easter egg itself doesn’t seem to be available on international sites, so if you want to give the text adventure a try, be sure to head to Google.com and not one of its global variations. Some speculation has lead players to guess that the setting the game is set within is Google’s Mountain View, California, campus and the surrounding area. Additionally, those who have completed the game say it takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.

We’re not sure how long Google intends to keep the Easter egg in its site code, so be sure to head on over and have some fun, just in case time is limited.

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Lighter and tougher, graphene may be the future of wheelchairs

Ever since it was first isolated by researchers at the University of Manchester earlier this century, graphene has been viewed as a “wonder material” by everyone from material scientists to entrepreneurs. While the first generation of uses was primarily research-based, businesses are now starting to catch on to the amazing strength possibilities offered by an ultra-thin single layer of graphite.

Having already seen everything from experimental aircraft to experimental footwear adopt graphene, now we’ve got another case of a company jumping on board the graphene bandwagon — with Swiss wheelchair company Küschall introducing the so-called “Superstar” wheelchair. This next-generation wheelchair promises to use the futuristic material to create a wheelchair that, with a frame weighing just 3.3 pounds, will be 30 percent lighter than classic carbon wheelchairs but an impressive 20 percent tougher.

“We are redefining the rules with innovation, by using aerospace materials and working in partnership with a Formula 1 manufacturer to secure the most unprecedented and ultimate driving performance available on the market today,” Küschall claimed in a press release.

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It’s not just the use of ultralight, yet immensely tough, materials that make the Superstar a promising wheelchair, however. It also boasts an X-shape geometry intended to improve performance and agility, with “outstanding” vibration and absorption capacity, and one of the best weight-to-acceleration performances on the market. In addition, its creators suggest that its design will help minimize the risk of upper extremity injuries; something which can affect a massive 50 to 70 percent of wheelchair users after around a decade of using a wheelchair. To make the experience as smooth as possible, Küschall says that every Superstar wheelchair will be bespoke tailor-made to each customer.

All of this going to come with a price tag, of course. Digital Trends contacted the company, but it wasn’t willing to share details — including how much the wheelchairs will cost or when they might be made available. Will it live up to the space-age promise of graphene, or is a graphene wheelchair more of a hype-driven gimmick? We’ll have to wait and see.

One thing’s for sure: With innovative wheelchairs like this shapeshifting model that transitions from seated to standing positions, or this autonomous wheelchair created by robotics researchers, it’ll have its work cut out for it in the quest to the most futuristic, high tech wheelchair on the market.

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What to expect from the Google October event in New York City

It’s the spookiest month of the year, but for tech-lovers there’s a big event to get excited about before anyone starts carving pumpkins — Google’s annual hardware event. It takes place on October 9, and it will be broadcast live from New York City.

While Google I/O tends to showcase Google’s latest software developments — like the latest version of Android — Google’s October event has always been a carnival of the company’s latest hardware. In previous years we’ve seen the reveal of the Google Home, the mighty Pixelbook, and the reveal of the newest Pixel phones. This year, there have been an endless stream of leaks leading up to the October 9 event, so we have a strong idea what the new Pixel phones will be like and more. Here’s what to expect.

How to watch the event

Interested in watching Google’s newest hardware be revealed in real time? You’ll be able to watch a livestream of the event from 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT) on October 9 from Google’s YouTube channel. We’ll have people on the ground at the event, so make sure to follow Mobile Editor Julian Chokkattu and Associate Computing Editor Luke Larsen for the latest hands-on information, and keep an eye on the Digital Trends Twitter account for the latest news.

Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL

OnLeaks/MySmartPrice

It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that we’ll be seeing the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL take center-stage at the event on October 9.

We’re expecting two new Pixel models from Google — the Pixel 3 and the super-sized Pixel 3 XL. Early rumors suggested there would be a third, lower-cost Pixel phone in the vein of the iPhone XR, but the idea seems to have been laid to rest.

According to some pretty conclusive leaks, we’ll see some fairly significant differences between the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL. The Pixel 3 will look similar to the Pixel 2, but will feature slimmed bezels, curved display corners, and a 5.3-inch screen with a longer aspect ratio. The Pixel 3 XL has courted a little more controversy with a deep notch cut into the large 6.2-inch display, and a rather sizeable chin at the bottom. There’ll be an edge-to-edge screen on the XL, which won’t be present on the Pixel 3.

It’s not so different on the inside of each phone though, and we expect to see both models powered by the mighty Snapdragon 845 processor. Both will also come with a slightly modified version of Google’s Android operating system, which should ensure super-smooth performance and provide some extra fun features. Rumors seem to be unsure about the rest of the specifications, but most agree that the Pixel 3 will likely start at 4GB of RAM and a 128GB hard drive, while the Pixel 3 XL will probably come with at least 6GB  of RAM — similar to the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus.

Google’s still not bowing to the dual-lens trend, and the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will come with just a single camera lens on the back. However, both phones will apparently also come with two front-facing lenses, one of which is a wide-angle lens for group selfies.

Read more:

Google Pixel 3 news

Google Home Hub Smart Display

Google hasn’t really released a home device since the debut of the Google Home Max last year, so it makes sense that now would be the time for Google to throw out another Google Home device — and our money is on a Google-branded smart display.

Rumors on this are actually fairly sparse right now, but there have been renders of a Google-branded smart device leaked, and it’s looking pretty impressive. Named the Google Home Hub, the smart display is comprised of what looks like a tablet mounted on a stand base. Powered by the Google Assistant, this device would be able to tell you the weather, show you the latest news, Nest video feeds, and other such actions. However, there’s no camera listed in any of the spec sheets, and it’s currently unknown whether the screen will be detachable from the base — essentially making it a tablet with a dock.

We’ve seen other smart displays powered by the Google Assistant — which may be why Google’s allowed Amazon to get a head start with its own Echo Show — but we’re still excited to see what a Google-built smart display will entail.

Read more:

Google Display Speaker

Pixel Stand

In a very similar vein to the Google Home Hub, we’re also expecting to hear more details about the Google Pixel Stand — a way to turn a Pixel phone into a fully-fledged Google Home device.

Details on the Pixel Stand are fairly scarce, but it seems the stand will allow a Pixel phone to work more intimately with Google Assistant, allowing the Assistant to function with a locked screen, and potentially increasing the number of personalized responses. It’s also likely the stand itself is a wireless charger, and will keep the phone’s battery topped up while docked — which means the stand may not work with earlier Pixel devices as they don’t support wireless charging.

It also doesn’t appear the stand has any built-in speakers or other functionality.

Read more:

Google Pixel Stand news

Pixelbook 2

Last year’s October event saw the release of the very first Pixelbook, so it’s natural to expect a follow up this year for the Pixelbook 2.

This upgrade is expected to come with upgraded internal components, including a probable upgrade to 8th-generation Intel processors replacing the older 7th-generation chips in the first Pixelbook. Interestingly, there could be the possibility of a lower-cost Pixelbook model armed with Intel’s Y-series processors — though there’s nothing solid on that yet. However, it does seem that the new Pixelbook will come with an upgraded 4K display — making it one of the few 4K Chromebooks out there — as well as much reduced bezels to maximize the amount of screen real estate available.

Also expect to see improved LTE support on a new Pixelbook — possibly through Google’s Project Fi — and security upgrades, such as fingerprint scanning or even facial recognition. With Chrome OS slowly making paving the way to become “Android for tablets,” expect more support for using the Pixelbook as a tablet.

Read more:

Pixelbook 2 news

Pixel Slate 2-in-1 Chromebook

Google Pixelbook in tablet mode

But the Pixelbook might not be the only Chrome OS-based Pixel device at the event. Rumors that Google was working on a convertible 2-in-1 Chromebook have persisted for a while, with the codename “Nocturne” being completely separate from the “Atlas” Chromebook we’re not fairly sure is the Pixelbook 2.

Named the Pixel Slate, this product will be Google’s first ever Chrome OS tablet, and will potentially be equipped with the same 8th-generation Intel processor we expect to see in the Pixelbook 2. However, the most interesting rumors concern the OS the Pixel Slate will run. Not content with just Chrome OS, some rumors contend the Pixel Slate will also ship with the ability to dual boot into Windows 10 — dramatically increasing the range of options open to users.

However, don’t expect the same bezel-trimming design we expect to see in the Pixelbook 2. While slimmer bezels are great in most devices, tablets need them for grip, so you’re unlikely to see as dramatic a reduction on this device. Still, we’re extremely interested to know more about this device.

Read more:

Google Pixel Slate news

Chromecast 3

Credit: /u/GroveStreetHomie

A third-gen Chromecast wasn’t on anyone’s radar — until someone walked out of a Best Buy after accidentally buying one. Now it looks like an upgraded version of Google Cast-powered Chromecasts will be unveiled at Google’s October event.

But despite the device having already been sold to someone, details on the new version are still fairly elusive. It seems the Chromecast 3 will sport a slightly different look to older models, with a matte black finish and Google’s “G” logo in place of the Chrome swirl, as well as being slightly thicker. It’s also rumored to come with more Bluetooth support than older versions, which could mean support for game controllers and other such devices. It doesn’t seem like a major overhaul, unlike Amazon’s Fire TV Cube.

Read more:

Google Chromecast 3 news

Pixel Buds 2

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

There isn’t much to suggest that Google intends to release a second generation of the wireless Pixel Buds, except for a tweet from noted and usually-accurate leaker Evan Blass. In that, he claims that Google will be looking to release a new version of the Pixel Buds alongside the Pixel 3 phones. However, it’s worth noting this tweet also mentions a Google Pixel Watch releasing at the same time — which Google confirmed won’t be happening.

So while we’re not convinced the Pixel Buds 2 will be in attendance on October 9, we do expect Google to eventually get around to releasing an upgrade for its original wireless headphones. If the Pixel Buds 2 do show up, expect Google to have tackled some of the common criticisms of the originals — which might include cutting the cord between the earbuds, upgrading the charging case into something more practical, and improving the fit. There’s also a chance the new Pixel Buds are included with the Pixel 3 smartphones as wired USB-C earbuds with Google Assistant functionality.

Google’s October 9 event kicks off at 11 a.m. ET.

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Apple’s free ‘Everyone Can Create’ curriculum is now on Apple Books

Back in March, Apple held an education-focused event in Chicago where the company debuted a 9.7-inch iPad, along with educational apps for the classroom. Among these was its ‘Everyone Can Create’ curriculum — a program that provides teachers with free project guides to help boost student creativity and engagement — and it’s now officially available on Apple Books.

Teachers can use Everyone Can Create in conjunction with their already existing lesson plans regardless of the subject —  math, history, social studies, language arts, and even coding. Within each guide (all of which are available for free), teachers are provided with a series of projects that help students build upon their knowledge of the topic with the ability to incorporate drawing, music, video, and photography.

Using Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad and apps like Clips or iMovie, students can take advantage of the built-in camera to produce videos based on historical events or work with light and shadow to capture photos. With support for the Apple Pencil, students can also draw with the iPad while learning about many of the elements of art, including symmetry, shading, color, and texture. Teachers can also take advantage of GarageBand, to help teach students how to identify melodies or harmonies, and make their own music.

When it comes to core curriculum subjects like math, teachers can help students learn what can sometimes be tricky concepts like measuring a parabola. To teach that concept, the app encourages the use of the iPad camera and burst mode to capture the arc of a basketball being thrown through a hoop. With over 300 lesson ideas, teachers can choose which ones they’d like to incorporate into the classroom.

At its event, Apple also introduced its software platform known as Classkit complete with Schoolwork integration. This allows teachers to easily assign an activity within an app and then check on the status of a student’s progress. With Apple Pencil, iWork allows teachers and students to do more — like adding smart annotations and drawings when using Pages or writing in Numbers when creating lab reports.

The Everyone Can Create curriculum also isn’t the first of its kind for Apple. In 2016, the company launched Everyone Can Code which provides students (ranging from kindergarten to college) with a program focused specifically on helping teach them how to code. With teacher guides and lessons, the curriculum starts by introducing students to basic skills before allowing them to eventually build real apps on Mac.

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Halide Developer Takes a Deep Dive Into iPhone XS Camera and Skin Smoothing Rumors

Sebastiaan de With, the developer behind photography app Halide, has taken an in-depth look at the front and rear-facing cameras in the iPhone XS and XS Max, providing some insight into complaints about a possible skin smoothing “beauty mode” that results in less realistic selfies than prior iPhone models.

A soft filter on selfies “doesn’t exist,” says de With, with the smoother look attributed to more aggressive noise reduction techniques and the merging of exposures that eliminates sharp light and dark contrasts where light hits the skin.

Camera differences between iPhone X and XS Max demoed by a Reddit user
Both the front and rear-facing cameras in the iPhone XS and XS Max are using computational geography to improve photo quality, a feature that takes multiple shots at once and then merges them into a single perfect photo.

Apple’s iPhone XS website explains all of the different things that are going on behind the scenes when an image is captured, and part of the process involves taking shots that are underexposed, overexposed, and captured at different times, with the camera taking the best elements of each shot and combining them.

Apple says the iPhone XS performs 1 trillion operations per photo
According to de With, this results in a “whole new look” for photos that represents a “drastic departure” from images captured with previous-generation iPhones. As the Halide blog post explains, the small areas of contrast seen in photos from older iPhones can make images look sharper, but these areas of deep contrast have been eliminated in the iPhone XS models.

Using the exposure merging techniques, the iPhone XS reduces the brightness of the bright areas and the darkness of the shadows. While the detail is still there, we see it as less sharp because of this loss of contrast. Skin ends up looking smoother because the “light isn’t as harsh.”

The iPhone XS and XS Max are also using much more aggressive noise reduction techniques than in previous iPhones. de With says this is because the iPhone XS models prefer a faster shutter speed and a higher ISO level, capturing photos quicker but resulting in more noise. Taking care of that noise sacrifices some detail and contrast.

Noise in a RAW iPhone X image (left) compared to RAW iPhone XS image (right)
In the front-facing camera specifically, which uses a smaller sensor than the rear-facing camera, the heavy noise reduction paired with the image merging techniques leads to the noticeably smoother selfies that people have seen with the iPhone XS camera.

The tradeoff is that selfies, which traditionally are worse in mixed or harsh lighting (the majority of lighting!) are now no longer blown out, and in most cases it just looks better, if just a little on the smooth side.

According to de With, Apple can tweak these settings through software updates if the majority of people are unhappy with the selfie camera, so we may see a better compromise between noise reduction and the filtering of harsh lighting in the future.

All in all, de With believes the iPhone XS camera is better than the iPhone X camera thanks to its superior dynamic range, with some post processing able to re-add the contrast where necessary.

There are issues with RAW image capture because of the noise level. When taking RAW photos with an app like Halide, de With says it is a must to do so manually and to reduce the exposure. Otherwise, RAW images will end up looking worse than Smart HDR JPEGs.

To account for the changes to RAW image capture, Halide is gaining a new Smart RAW feature that uses the new sensor tech in the iPhone XS to get better images. It avoids Smart HDR all together to cut down on noise reduction and pull out more detail.

Halide’s full blog post is well worth a read for anyone interested in an in-depth look at the camera changes Apple has introduced in the iPhone XS and XS Max. The Halide app can be downloaded from the App Store for $5.99. [Direct Link]

Related Roundup: iPhone XSBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XS (Buy Now)
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MacRumors Exclusive: Save on Anker’s Portable Batteries, Lightning Cables, Speakers, and More

MacRumors and Anker have partnered up again this week in a new sale that nets our readers as much as 42 percent off the popular accessory maker’s iPhone cases, portable batteries, headphones, Lightning cables, and more. There are twelve total items in this sale, and all of the accompanying promo codes will last for about two weeks, expiring on Sunday, October 14.

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

To take part in the exclusive sale, add one of the below items to your cart on Amazon, proceed to checkout, enter the relevant promo code into the Gift cards & promotional codes field, and then click “Apply.” Discount prices in this article don’t include taxes or shipping costs, but Amazon Prime subscribers can get the typical free two-day shipping on their orders.

Note that only one code can be used per order, so if you’d like to order more than one type of item, you’ll need to place separate orders.

iPhone Cases

• iPhone X Breeze Case – $3.99 with code RUMORS07, down from $7.99

• iPhone X Shield Case – $3.99 with code RUMORS07, down from $6.99

Lightning Cables

• PowerLine+ Lightning Cable with Pouch (3ft, Red) – $9.49 with code RUMORS92, down from $13.99

• Powerline+ II Lightning Cable with Pouch (6ft, Black) – $13.49 with code RUMORS53, down from $17.99

Wall and Wireless Chargers

• PowerPort Cube with 3 Outlets and 3 USB Ports – $20.79 with code RUMORS63, down from $25.99

• USB-C Wall Charger with 5 Ports – $39.99 with code RUMORS56, down from $49.99

• PowerWave 7.5 Stand Wireless Charger – $39.99 with code RUMORS25, down from $49.99

Portable Chargers

• PowerCore II 20,100 mAh Portable Charger – $47.99 with code RUMORS26, down from $59.99

• PowerCore Speed 20,100 mAh Portable Charger + 30W Power Delivery Wall Charger – $79.99 with code RUMORS75, down from $99.99

Audio Accessories

• Soundcore Spirit Pro Sports Headphones – $39.99 with code RUMORS88, down from $49.99

• Soundcore Vortex Wireless Headset – $44.99 with code RUMORS03, down from $59.99

• Soundcore Flare Portable Bluetooth 360-degree Speaker (Black) – $50.99 with code RUMORS31, down from $59.99

You can also head to our full Deals Roundup for information on other sales going on as we head into the fall.

Related Roundup: Apple DealsTag: Anker
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