Apple’s Logic audio editor will use the MacBook Pro Touch Bar in 2017
The new MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar might already come in handy with video editing in Final Cut Pro X, but what if you’re a musician? If you depend on Apple’s Logic Pro X, you’ll have to be patient. The company has informed an AppleInsider reader that Touch Bar support will arrive in the audio production tool “by early next year.” It’s not certain what’s prompting the longer development process, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s a matter of complexity. It’s not just a question of adding a timeline control and calling it a day — Apple has to account for the many, many interface elements you need to produce album-worthy tracks.
Whatever the reason, the early 2017 window is a reminder that the MacBook Pro’s functionality will take a while to become useful across a range of professional apps. Adobe, Algoriddim, Microsoft and other early partners will have Touch Bar support before 2016 is over, but it could be considerably longer before you can assume that your preferred creative software takes advantage of the new hardware.
Source: AppleInsider
Apple temporarily cuts USB-C dongle prices to appease MacBook Pro buyers
Last week Apple announced its new lineup of MacBook Pros and revealed they include only new USB-C-style connectors, dropping all legacy ports (other than, oddly enough, the headphone jack.) While the aggressive move means owners can charge their laptop through any of the jacks, and have the new capabilities offered, it also means that simple things like plugging in an iPhone to charge will require an adapter of some kind, which is not included.
As my former podcast partner Ben Drawbaugh noted, stocking up on dongles to go with your new laptop gets pricey fast, and Mac buyers have responded angrily online in our comment sections and elsewhere, However, now Apple says it will help them make the switch by “reducing prices on all USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals we sell, as well as the prices on Apple’s USB-C adapters and cables.”
The new prices in the Apple Store:
- USB-C to USB Adapter drops from $19 to $9
- Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter drops from $49 to $29
- USB-C to Lightning Cable (1m) drops from $25 to $19
- USB-C to Lightning Cable (2m) from $35 to $29
- USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter from $69 to $49
- USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter from $69 to $49
- SanDisk Extreme Pro SD UHS-II Card USB-C Reader drops from $49 to $29
- All other third party USB-C peripherals ~25% off
Will not include Apple USB-C power adaptors or the USB-C Charge Cable (2m)
The only hitch remaining? These price drops are temporary. In a statement provided to Engadget on this lovely Friday afternoon, an Apple spokesperson said they would remain in effect through the end of the year, so even if you’re not buying a new laptop immediately, you may want to stock up on new cabling now. The Apple store page confirms this, saying “* Discount reflected in price. Subject to availability and quantity limits apply. Pricing effective October 27 – December 31, 2016.”
There’s also no word on credits for those who have purchased these products already, however as iMore points out, if you bought them since the announcement they should still be within the return period so you can contact Apple about that.
Update: MacRumors points out that prices on the LG 4K and 5K displays announced last week have dropped by about 25 percent. Apparently, they count as third-party USB-C peripherals? The UltraFine 5K Display is down to $974 from $1,300, while the Ultrafine 4K Display is down to $524, from $700.
Source: Apple Store
Apple Drops Prices on USB-C Adapters
To make it easier for customers who purchased a new MacBook Pro to make the transition to USB-C, Apple has dropped the prices on all of its USB-C adapters by $6 to $20.
The simple USB-C to USB Adapter, formerly priced at $19, is now $9, while the more expensive USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, formerly $49, is now available for $29. Even Apple’s newly released Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter has seen a price drop from $49 to $29.
A full list of prices on the adapters in the United States is below:
– USB-C to USB Adapter – Was $19, now $9
– Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter – Was $49, now $29
– USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter – Was $69, now $49
– USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter – Was $69, now $49
– USB-C to Lightning Cable (1m) – Was $25, now $19
– USB-C to Lightning Cable (2m) – Was $35, now $29
Apple is also dropping the prices on all third-party USB-C peripherals available from Apple,com and Apple retail stores. USB-C accessories will be discounted by about 25 percent, with some accessories, such as SanDisk’s USB-C SD card reader, seeing a steeper $20 discount, dropping the price from $49 to $29.
Apple’s price cut on USB-C adapters and accessories may assuage customers who have been dissatisfied with the high price of the MacBook Pro coupled with the need to buy a wide range of adapters to use the new notebook with older peripherals. Apple’s lower prices also make its adapters more competitive with the wide range of third-party adapters available on the market. Apple explained the pricing cut in a statement that was given to The Verge:
“We recognize that many users, especially pros, rely on legacy connectors to get work done today and they face a transition. We want to help them move to the latest technology and peripherals, as well as accelerate the growth of this new ecosystem. Through the end of the year, we are reducing prices on all USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals we sell, as well as the prices on Apple’s USB-C adapters and cables.”
Apple did not mention a solution for customers who have already purchased adapters to use alongside their new MacBook Pros, but recent purchases can still be returned to the Apple Store and repurchased at the new lower price.
Update: According to MacRumors reader Philip, Apple will refund the price difference for customers who have already purchased adapters for their MacBook Pros. Customers who still have orders pending will also automatically see a price drop.
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Apple is close to launching single sign-on for Apple TV
Apple wants to take the pain out of turning your Apple TV into a cable box, and is doing so with Single Sign On. It’s a system that promises to let you enter the username you use with your TV provider just once, and it’ll collate whatever apps and services you can access automatically. It was announced all the way back in June, but only now is the company ready to begin testing the feature publicly.
Both AppleInsider and 9to5Mac are reporting that Single Sign-on has been activated for beta testers using iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1. If you’re using those operating systems on the Apple TV, iPhone or iPad, you can head over to the settings pane and enter your provider details to get going. For now, the number of companies listed is limited to four: Dish, GTVC Communications, Hotwire and Sling TV. But now that Apple is letting folks in the real world kick the tires, hopefully it won’t be long before we all get to play.
Source: AppleInsider, 9to5Mac
New MacBook Pro Models Lack Optical Audio Out via Headphone Jack
Apple appears to have removed optical audio output support from the headphone jack on its new 13-inch MacBook Pro with function keys, suggesting it is unlikely to have made the transition in the Touch Bar equipped models either.
Optical audio output is used to link Macs to home theater setups and A/V systems capable of multi-channel surround sound, by way of a mini TOSlink adapter connected to the 3.5mm jack.
The removal of optical audio was first noted by AppleInsider, after it was discovered that Apple’s technical specifications for the headphone jack no longer mentions support for “audio line out (digital/analog)”.
Removal of the standard was confirmed by comparing the System Profiler report on a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, which makes no mention of S/PDIF Optical Digital Audio Output, against reports on 2015 models, which do.
Support for optical audio out, as it appears on a 2015 13-inch MacBook Pro
When queried about the removal, Apple said the feature was dropped due to a lack of customers using the functionality, noting that “plenty of USB-C zero-latency professional peripherals are available now, or coming very soon” with optical audio out connectivity.
The phasing out of the standard from the new MacBook Pro models follows a trend that began with the Apple TV. Apple ditched the optical audio port on the fourth generation Apple TV in favor of a USB-C port, preventing users from connecting headphones directly to the device.
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Single Sign-On Now Available in tvOS 10.1 and iOS 10.2
Sometime over the course of the last few hours, Apple appears to have quietly activated the much-promised Single Sign-On feature for the Apple TV and iOS devices, making it available to developers running the tvOS 10.1 and iOS 10.2 betas.
Single Sign-On, as rumored, appears to support only a limited number of cable services, including Dish, GVTC Communications, Hotwire, and Sling TV.
On the fourth-generation Apple TV, Single Sign-On settings can be accessed by opening the Settings app and navigating to accounts, where a TV Provider section is now available alongside Home Sharing. Customers can sign in to a service at this menu and will presumably be able to access all content associated with that subscription.
On the iPad and the iPhone, the same TV Provider section is available in the Settings app, located below the section for signing into social networks.
Single Sign-On is designed to allow users to sign in once with their cable credentials to access all live cable content available through their cable subscription, even when it’s spread across multiple apps. Apple’s aim with Single Sign-On is to simplify and streamline the television-watching experience on the Apple TV.
Dish and Sling TV are well-known television providers, while GVTC and Hotwire are smaller regional services. Hotwire is available in Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, while GVTC is only available in a small part of Texas, including north of San Antonio and the Gonzales area.
With the limited availability of Single Sign-On, it will only be available to a small number of Apple customers to begin with, but Apple is undoubtedly working to get more providers on board.
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Vine Creators Announce Live Video Streaming App ‘Hype’
The creators of discontinued short-form video service Vine have announced a new live streaming app for iOS called Hype.
Hype will have to compete with existing live video streaming platforms including Periscope and Facebook Live, but its creators Colin Kroll and Rus Yusupov are betting on its success because it offers some additional features that the others don’t have.
Going in its favor, Hype lets users add media to their live video streams, such as photos, music, and animated GIFs. Users can also play music from their iTunes library and choose themed backgrounds for their streams where text and emojis can be added.
Viewers meanwhile can comment on streams and participate in polls, while broadcasters can favorite comments, offering more interaction than Hype’s rival live streaming platforms.
Twitter announced plans to shut down Vine last week. The social media company plans to discontinue the mobile app in the coming months, but did not give a specific timeline.
Hype is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]
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The Morning After: Thursday November 3 2016
The past 24 hours of news here at Engadget was a heady mix of Pokémon Go bonuses, GIFs in space, Hulk Hogan and robot-selected wine. Definitely not just another Wednesday. We round it out with Facebook’s big success in mobile and why Russia is dropping Microsoft software. Spoilers: It’s all about politics.
House of CachingNetflix’s worldwide expansion could bring the addition of offline viewing
Streaming video on Netflix is fun … as long as your internet connection holds up. For years the streamer has resisted the urge to offer any ability to download and save videos, but comments by Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos yesterday made it seem more like a “when” than an “if.” Since Netflix is available pretty much worldwide, that could make watching cheaper for viewers in developing markets (and on airplanes or in the wilderness).
Yes, people are still playing“Pokémon Go’s” latest attempt to keep players hooked: daily bonuses
Sooner or later the temperatures will start dropping, so how will Niantic Labs keep players checking in at PokeStops and gyms? Try daily bonuses, with added bumps for seven-day streaks or checking in at the same stop repeatedly.
Well, I’m still not happyApple says SD card slots are clunky and that’s why the new MacBook Pro doesn’t have one
Apple’s senior VP, Phil Schiller, explained in an interview why the company axed the card reader. It was a “bit of a cumbersome slot.” He added that many newer cameras have built-in wireless transfers. (Although anyone who uses that feature knows that transfer is slow. Very slow.)
Everyone loves mobile adsFacebook nearly triples its profits
Facebook recorded yet another blockbuster quarter. Over the past three months, the social network made $2.38 billion in profits, an astounding 166 percent increase over this time last year. That’s largely thanks to mobile advertising, where 84 percent of its ad revenue comes from.
ÜberappThe new Uber is both bigger and faster
Soon you’ll see a redesigned Uber app rolling out. The company claims that it’s faster to use, with shortcuts that figure out where you’re likely headed and suggest destinations right away. It’s also trying to keep your attention with in-app access to features from UberEats, Pandora, Yelp, Snapchat, Foursquare and others.
From: Russia, with LoveRussia is dropping Microsoft because it’s an easy political target
There are a few reasons behind Russia’s plans to get rid of all of its Microsoft software. Vladimir Putin and his team are picking on Microsoft because it’s an easy target for anti-American sentiment. It’s a huge company that rules the tech sector, and it’s not hard to persuade Russians that the firm is collaborating with US spies, despite evidence to the contrary. Any domestic software could foster the local economy — and if Russia makes it, the government has more power to control that software.
The future of VR?Save $50 by pre-ordering Fove’s VR headset now
Why should you choose this VR headset over competition from Oculus and HTC? Fove uses eye tracking for increased realism, and its tech renders only things you can actually see. That means it doesn’t need as powerful a PC to render VR, while its screen has a higher resolution than the Rift. It’s mostly for developers right now.
But wait, there’s more…
- The makers of Vinfusion think this wine-blending machine can satisfy any oenophile’s tastes
- The International Space Station celebrates 16 years through the medium of GIF
- Gawker settles with Hulk Hogan for a reported $31 million
Apple Releases Minor Update to First macOS Sierra 10.12.2 Beta
Apple today seeded a second version of the initial macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta, which comes two days after the macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta was originally seeded to developers.
The build number of today’s update is 16C32f, while the original 10.12.2 beta build number was 16C32e, indicating a small incremental update that does not count as a full second beta release.
Because the new beta is not showing up as an over-the-air download in the Mac App Store for developers who have already installed macOS Sierra 10.12.2, it likely only includes minor tweaks and will be provided only to developers who are downloading the beta for the first time.
macOS Sierra 10.12.2 includes the same new emoji and emoji updates that are present in the iOS 10.2 beta, introducing support for Unicode 9 emoji and new profession emoji. Some of the new emoji characters include selfie, face palm, crossed fingers, shark, owl, butterfly, bacon, avocado, and croissant.
Apple has also updated many existing emoji with new artwork, adding detail and making them look brighter and more realistic.
The 10.12.2 update also includes under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements to address issues discovered since the release of macOS Sierra 10.12.1.
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The 12 best tech gifts for sports fanatics
Chances are there’s at least one die-hard sports fan in your life. And look, even if your idea of game-time small talk is “Hey, how about that local sportsball team” you can still get them the perfect gift. Whether they’re big NBA addicts, avid runners or trying to perfect that spiral and become an NFL quarterback, we’ve got you covered. And you don’t even have to betray your tech-geek roots to do it. There’s plenty of ways to get your game on while simultaneously getting your geek on. High-end TVs deliver football in 4K glory while wearables like the TomTom Adventurer let you turn that epic hike into epic reams of data. Check out the gallery bellow to see our 12 techie gift recommendations sports fans and athletes.
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