NVIDIA reminds us that it has the best set-top box
Earlier this week, Apple introduced new Apple TV hardware that includes support for gaming. Other platforms such as Android TV have been offering gaming capabilities well before Apple’s. The SHIELD set-top box, for example, is really the ultimate gaming set-top box. NVIDIA’s Android TV device allows for console-level gaming, 4K streaming, and access to Google Play’s hefty catalog of games, music, movies, and television shows. So NVIDIA decided to point out all of the advantages that its set-top box has over Apple’s.
Here are the SHIELD set-top box features that match or best Apple TV:
- Inclusiveness of Android TV (supports iOS devices)
- Voice search, voice commands
- Google Play
- 4K streaming
- NVIDIA GRID, GameStream access
NVIDIA finished its explanation with a graphic that shows which device is a fit for you. Unaware of what “streaming” is? Stick with just a television. Don’t require decent performance? Something like a Chromecast or Roku set-top box will do. If you made it past those questions, NVIDIA feels you are ready to choose between its SHIELD set-top box and Apple TV.
NVIDIA’s conclusion
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Google and Twitter working on ‘Instant Articles’ solution for their platforms
In this fast-paced world, every second seems to count. Google and Twitter have started working together to trim down the seconds that smartphone users may wait for an article on their smartphone to appear from a few seconds to zero seconds. So-called “instant articles” are part of a push by social media and tech giants like Facebook, Apple and Snapchat to make it easier to connect content publishers with readers. The apparent Google and Twitter partnership adds a couple different wrinkles to the concept of instant articles as the companies plan to open source their publishing tools and they do not plan to host the content themselves, relying instead on cached web pages.
Sources have pointed out that the use of cached information has a couple benefits, notably for Google. First, this may head off some complaints connected to Google providing results from their own hosted content, like the news snippets many European publishers object to, instead of sending users to other sites. Second, the use of cached pages means the original ads will continue to appear next to a story, helping them to retain their value longer.
Sources close to the project say Google and Twitter are speaking of the new instant articles as “accelerated mobile pages” during this development stage. They also point out that the companies do not plan to launch separate, standalone solutions or apps for the presentation of this content – it will just launch from within the Google or Twitter framework.
No details have been revealed about what ad revenue structures may be like for the new service and both companies have declined to comment on the project.
source: Re/Code
Come comment on this article: Google and Twitter working on ‘Instant Articles’ solution for their platforms
MacRumors Giveaway: Win an Incase Apple Watch Travel Folio, Icon Backpack, or Portable Power 5400
For our next giveaway, we've partnered with Incase, the maker of sleek, modern accessories for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more. Incase is generously offering three items from its product line-up: the new Incase x Parabellum Apple Watch Travel Folio, an Icon backpack, and Portable Power 5400 battery pack.
The Apple Watch Travel Folio is Incase’s newest product that’s made in partnership with Parabellum, a maker of premium leather goods. Its exterior is full-grain North American bison leather and its interior is genuine suede. It has a snap closure and features cut-outs and a magnetic flap to hold the Watch in place and charge it while it’s inside the folio. The Folio is available in black and pumpkin and retails for $250.
The Icon Backpack has a padded compartment for laptops up to 15 inches, adjustable padded shoulder straps, and a dedicated side-access iPad pocket. Made of sturdy 840D nylon, it’s available in black, moss green, gray, and red and retails for $199.95.
The Incase Portable Power 5400 is a battery park for charging USB devices on the go and works with the iPhone, iPad, and more. It features a 5400 mAh battery and a built-in USB cord to make it easy to charge, and offers 2.1 Amp charging via its USB port to charge your iPhone or other device quickly. The Portable Power 5400 retails for $79.95.
Three winners will be chosen for this giveaway. The first winner selected will receive the Portable Power 5400 battery pack. The second winner selected will receive an Icon backpack. The third winner selected will receive a black Apple Watch Travel Folio.
To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter your email address. Your email address will not be given to any third party and will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
http://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
This contest will run from today (September 11) at 12:00 pm Pacific time through 12:00 pm Pacific time on September 18. The winners will be chosen randomly on September 18 and will be contacted by email. The winners have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address. The prizes will be shipped to the winners for free.
Incase is also offering a spectacular deal for MacRumors readers. With the purchase of an Apple Watch Folio, MacRumors readers will get a Portable Power 5400 battery pack for free with coupon code MacRumor915, a value of $79.95.
3D Touch Brings Trackpad Shortcut to iPhone 6s Keyboard
Apple introduced the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus with several new features this week, one of the most significant being 3D Touch. The pressure-sensing technology enables iPhone users to perform additional multi-touch gestures called “Peek” and “Pop” to access Quick Action shortcut menus or preview content within apps.
Apple added a 3D Touch page to its website earlier this week with some examples of what Peek and Pop gestures can be used for, including previewing emails and websites, viewing photos you’ve taken while taking new ones, quickly accessing your contacts, taking a selfie, quick compose and more.
One of the more useful actions that 3D Touch makes possible is pressing the iPhone screen to turn the on-screen keyboard into a virtual trackpad (pictured on left).
One press turns your keyboard into a trackpad.
Press the keyboard within apps such as Notes, Mail, and Messages, and your keyboard behaves just like a trackpad. You can then use a cursor to easily select and manipulate text with precision.
Existing iPads running iOS 9 will also have similar functionality, with users able to control an on-screen cursor by moving two fingers anywhere on the screen, including over the QuickType keyboard, to select, edit and move text.
3D Touch also enables iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users to press the left side of the Home screen to switch to multitasking view, press lightly for finer lines or more deeply for thicker ones in Notes, swipe left to delete an email or swipe right to mark it as unread in Mail and more.
iPhone 6s Roundup Updated – Pre-Orders Start Tonight
We’re just hours away from iPhone 6s and 6s Plus pre-orders. Check out our newly updated iPhone 6s roundup to learn about all the new features the phones have to offer before you buy.
http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone–6s/
Apple Pencil Offers High Precision and Low Latency, Gains 30 Minutes of Use From 15-Second Charge
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously dismissed the need for a stylus when introducing Multi-Touch on the original iPhone over eight years ago, touting the finger as the best pointing device in the world.
“Who wants a stylus? You have to get them, and put them away, and you lose them. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus. So let’s not use a stylus.”
Macworld 2007 was quite awhile ago, however, and Apple on Wednesday ultimately reversed course and introduced the Apple Pencil for iPad Pro, which it refers to as a creative tool for scribbling, sketching, annotating and editing.
Apple Pencil features a pointed tip with highly responsive sensors that allow for precise input down to a single pixel. To achieve this, Apple engineered the Apple Pencil and iPad Pro display to work together to detect position, force and tilt.
For example, as seen in the video below, you can press lightly for a thinner stroke, or press harder for a darker, bolder stroke. Likewise, you can draw with the Apple Pencil on an angle to produce broad, shaded strokes.
The iPad Pro’s subsystem scans the Apple Pencil’s signal 240 times per second, providing the tablet with twice the data points it would normally collect for a finger. This results in the Apple Pencil being very responsive, with almost indistinguishable latency, as seen in TechCrunch‘s hands-on video below.
Apple Pencil has a built-in rechargeable battery that lasts up to 12 hours on a single charge, but more interesting is its ability to gain 30 minutes of battery life from just 15 seconds of charging. A magnetic cap hides a male Lightning connector that allows the Apple Pencil to be plugged into the iPad Pro to charge.
Apple Pencil will be available in November for $99 alongside the new Smart Keyboard. While the Apple Pencil is officially compatible with the iPad Pro, it remains to be seen if the tool will work with older iPads as a traditional stylus.
Apple Shares Full Video of Fall ‘Hey Siri’ Event on YouTube
Two days after its jam-packed “Hey Siri” event that saw the debut of several new products, Apple has uploaded a full video of its presentation to its YouTube channel. The same video is also available on Apple’s own event website.
Apple’s “Hey Siri” event presentation was well-organized but fast-paced, as it covered the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the iPad Pro and its Pencil/Smart Keyboard accessories, the iPad mini 4, the Apple TV, and several new Apple Watch products, from new Rose Gold/Gold finishes for the Apple Watch Sport to exclusive Hermés Apple Watch models.
Rumors have suggested Apple’s big fall extravaganza will be its final event this year, meaning there won’t be a second event in October as there has been in years past. Apple has, however, split its upcoming product releases up over September, October, and November. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will launch on September 25, while the Apple TV will come in late October and the iPad Pro will launch in November.
Two New Apple Stores Opening in Nanjing and Florence in Late September
Apple has announced that two new Apple Stores will hold their grand openings in Nanjing, China and Florence, Italy on September 19 and September 26 respectively at 10 AM local time. Each store will offer traditional services such as the Genius Bar, Workshops and JointVenture.
Apple’s upcoming retail store in Florence, Italy opens September 26
The new Florence store will be located in Republic Square (Piazza della Repubblica) and open on Monday-Sunday between 10 AM and 8 PM local time. Meanwhile, the store in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu, will be located at the Rainbow Joy shopping mall and open on Monday-Sunday between 10 AM and 10 PM local time.
(Thanks, Lapo!)
Apple Watch heads to more UK retailers by way of Currys & PC World
It seems you’ll soon be able to buy an Apple Watch from Currys and PC World stores across the UK. As 9to5Mac notes, the retailer is now teasing the wearable on its homepage, with the messages “Coming Soon” and “Pre-Register” in tow. If you click the banner, however, you’ll be sent to a page where you can register your interest in all new Apple products — so it’s not clear exactly when the smartwatch will be available.
Regardless, the move represents a significant shift in Apple’s sales strategy. When the Watch first launched, Apple was keen to promote the luxury shop it had set up in London’s Selfridges department store. The company wanted the wearable to feel like a premium timepiece — something on par with a Rolex, Omega or Breitling. You had to create an appointment just to try one on, and in its stores, Apple offered large mats where you could compare different combinations. It was a glamorous departure from the usual Apple Store experience, and set the Watch apart from its Android Wear contemporaries.
Apple still does those things, of course, but it’s relaxing the rules a little bit. For instance, you don’t need an appointment anymore. Soon, you won’t need to be in an Apple Store (physical or online) either. Maybe that’s Apple reacting to sluggish Watch sales, or maybe that was part of its plan all along. I suspect the latter. Apple wants to sell as many Watches as possible, because that’s ultimately how it makes money and attracts developers. Now that it’s established a “premium” image, the company is switching to full-blown sales mode. With that in mind, selling the Watch through Currys and PC World isn’t surprising at all.
Via:
9to5Mac
Tags: Apple, applewatch, currys, pcworld
Apple Pay Now Supported by Halifax, Lloyds, and Bank of Scotland in the UK [Updated]
A few banks out of the United Kingdom today have announced Apple Pay support for their customers, including Lloyds Bank, Bank of Scotland, and Halifax (a division of Bank of Scotland). Lloyds had previously told its customers that Apple Pay support would be coming “very soon” back in August.
The three new banks join a growing list of UK Apple Pay participating issuers including: American Express, MBNA, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, Ulster Bank, First Direct, and HSBC.
Still listed on the Coming Soon section of the UK Apple Pay website are M&S Bank and TSB, and although Barclays confirmed “imminent” support of Apple Pay in the UK back in July, it has yet to join in support of the service.
Apple Pay officially launched in the UK on July 13 with more than 250,000 retail locations backing the contactless payments service. In the weeks following its announcement, the service has grown its roster of supporting retail partners and financial institutions, along with expanding the upper limit for transactions on the service to £30 per transaction instead of £20.
Update: M&S Bank has begun a roll-out process of support for Apple Pay, mentioning that some customers will be able to add their M&S Bank-issued credit and debit cards into Apple Pay during the roll-out.
AIVAnet 
