SpaceX delays its return to flight until early January

So much for SpaceX resuming rocket launches before 2016 is over. Elon Musk’s spaceflight company now expects to launch a Falcon 9 rocket in early January, when it will carry Iridium-1 into orbit. Iridium had previously hinted that the rocket might be ready as soon as December 16th, but SpaceX says it’s using the extra time for both vehicle prep and “extended testing” to make sure this return to flight goes according to plan.

The firm also adds that it’s “finalizing the investigation” into the September launchpad explosion that prompted the pause on rocket launches. What that entails isn’t clear, but investigators narrowed down the cause to liquid oxygen fuel freezing and triggering a chain of explosions. It’s a novel problem, according to Elon Musk, but it’s something that can be solved through different conditions for loading helium into the vehicle. Suffice it to say that SpaceX will be crossing its fingers with the January launch — another incident would undermine claims that it has learned its lesson.

Source: SpaceX

Apple Believes MacBook Pro Graphics Issues May Be Fixed in Latest macOS 10.12.2 Beta

Last week, we reported an increasing number of early adopters experiencing concerning graphics issues on the new MacBook Pro.

All late 2016 MacBook Pro models appear to be affected, including standard 13-inch and 15-inch configurations with AMD Radeon Pro 450 or AMD Radeon Pro 455 graphics, but the issues appear to be most prevalent on the high-end 15-inch model with built-to-order AMD Radeon Pro 460 graphics.

15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar exhibiting graphics issues (jscooper22)
User complaints have continued to surface over the past five days, with new videos emerging showing the usual symptoms, ranging from brightly colored flickering and full-screen checkerboard patterns to screen tearing and visual artifacts. Affected systems sometimes become unresponsive or crash due to a kernel panic, requiring some new MacBook Pro users to perform a hard restart.

Separately, a number of users continue to report brief glitches during the boot up process on new MacBook Pro models, particularly along the bottom of the screen. It appears this issue is related to FileVault 2 startup disk encryption, as the glitches go away for many of these users once the feature is disabled.

Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge or comment on the graphics issues, but in a supposed email response to a MacRumors forum member, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi allegedly said he believes the problems have been resolved in the latest macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta released on Monday. As a point of emphasis, this email response has not been verified.

Hi,

Thanks for your note! We believe we have addressed all of these graphics issues in the latest beta of Sierra 10.12.2 (available at beta.apple.com).

I hope that you enjoy your new MacBook Pro — it’s a fantastic machine!

– craig

While we have yet to verify the authenticity of the email beyond a reasonable doubt, there is some unscientific evidence to suggest it could be real:

• Although it could easily be faked, the response appears to resemble previous email responses sent by Federighi
• The user who shared the email response is a longtime MacRumors forum member who registered his account in June 2007
• Apple executives appear to be increasingly using email as a vehicle to subtly address customer questions and concerns
• MacRumors viewed a lengthy follow-up email the user received from Apple’s Executive Relations team, which appears to be legitimate

Reports from affected users running the latest macOS Sierra beta are slim at this point, but at least one forum member claims to still be experiencing graphics issues on the fifth and latest macOS Sierra beta.

macOS Sierra 10.12.2 should be publicly released later this month, so additional user reports should soon prove if the graphics issues have truly been fixed.

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 19 With Touch Bar Support for Webkit

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

Safari Technology Preview release 19 includes bug fixes and updates for HTML Form Validation, Pointer Lock API, Input Events, URL Parser, Web Inspector, Shadow DOM, Rendering, and more. Preview 19 also adds Touch Bar support in Webkit.

The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s goal with Safari Technology Preview is to receive feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.

Tag: Safari Technology Preview
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Leaked renders of the Galaxy A3 2017 show off 2.5D curved glass at the front

New models in the Galaxy A series inbound.

It’s getting to be that time of the year where we’ll see new models in the mid-range Galaxy A series. Like this year, Samsung is expected to introduce 2017 editions of the Galaxy A3, A5, and A7. Before the official unveil, we’re being treated to leaked renders of the Galaxy A3 2017, giving us an early look at the design of the device.

Based on the renders, it looks like the Galaxy A3 2017 will sport a 2.5D curved glass front, power button and speaker on the right, and the volume rocker on the left.

The phone is likely to retain a glass back, and earlier leaks suggest we’ll see a 4.7-inch 720p Super AMOLED display, octa-core 14nm Exynos 7870 SoC, 2GB of RAM, microSD slot, 13MP camera, 8MP front shooter, and USB-C connectivity. Thankfully, it looks like Samsung isn’t getting rid of the 3.5mm jack in the A3 2017.

Galaxy S7 on Nougat: Exploring the new notifications and quick settings

Samsung brings a fresh visual style to a familiar part of Android — along with a bunch of new features.

Notifications are a staple part of the Android experience, and they’ve been changed up in a big way in version 7.0, Nougat. Notifications are more functional and information-dense than ever, with inline replies and bundled notifications allowing you to see and do more without opening the app.

In its Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, Samsung has expanded upon Android’s base feature set, and overhauled its quick settings panel in the process.

Here’s what we’re currently seeing in the Android 7.0 beta for the Galaxy S7. All this stuff is subject to change, but most this will likely carry over to the final Nougat update.

Everything we know from stock Nougat

Samsung hasn’t messed too much with Nougat’s standard notification layout. You get big, full-width notifications with ample information density. Alerts for many messaging and email apps like Gmail, Hangouts and Samsung’s own SMS app can be expanded to show bundles of notifications. And inline reply makes it easy to respond to messages directly from within the

Elsewhere, the color scheme has been tweaked somewhat, in keeping with Samsung’s new, lighter design language, and there’s a button to jump straight to notification settings alongside the standard “clear all” shortcut.

New quick settings and customizations

Samsung has completely overhauled its quick settings area, and the result is something that behaves a lot more like stock Nougat — with a bit of added visual flair, and some extra functionality thrown in. Swiping down from the notification shade expands the single line of shortcuts into a full grid layout, and from there you can scroll horizontally to see even more settings shortcuts. In addition to moving the icons around, it’s possible to change the arrangement of the grid — 3×3, 4×3 or 5×3 icons — and swap around the placement of the brightness slider, so it’s always at the top.

As well as standard options like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the new quick settings area adds shortcuts for the blue-light filter mode (for reducing eye strain), high-performance mode, battery-saving mode, the Always-On Display and private mode.

Search

Samsung has been quietly been building out in-app search features throughout its software, and there’s now a top-level search bar located at the top of the quick settings area.

This lets you find nearby devices, apps on the phone, files on your internal storage, contacts in your address book, appointments in your calendar and just about anything else you can think of.

The implementation isn’t perfect in the current build, often throwing up a lot of irrelevant info in no particular order. But it’s an improvement on the old S Finder setup included on older Samsung phones.

Quick connect

Samsung’s quick connection assistant has moved from being a persistent bar at the bottom of your notification area — something we’d often turn off shortly after setting up the phone — to a smaller and less intrusive toolbar that only appears when it’s got something useful to show.

Quick connect shows devices, like Bluetooth speakers or headphones, or Wi-Fi printers, that are connected to the device, along with relevant options. For instance, with audio devices, you can choose where you want to have you media and call audio piped to, and quickly jump to Bluetooth settings to configure things further.

The new notification area us just one of the many new features in Android 7.0 Nougat on the Galaxy S7. Be sure to check out the rest!, and let us know what you think down in the comments!

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Android Pay is now live in Ireland

Now available for MasterCard and Visa users.

Android Pay is now live in Ireland for AIB and KBC customers, with support for more banks set to be added in the coming months. With Android Pay, customers in the country will be able to pay with their phones at thousands of retail stores, including Eason, McDonald’s, Tesco, SPAR, Londis, Boots, KFC,and more.

The mobile payments service should work anywhere contactless credit and debit cards are accepted. Android Pay can also be used to make payments within apps like Adverts, Hotel Tonight, Uber, Deliveroo, Fancy, and more.

From Pali Bhat, global head of payments products at Google:

We feel it’s going to provide Irish users with a lot of choice in using their device and being able to pay. We expect Irish users to start adopting mobile payments en masse.

Whenever you use Android Pay at store, you never share your credit card info with the store. If there is any sort of breach at the store, you’re protected because you haven’t shared your card info with them.

If you have a compatible card, you can now download Android Pay.

Google’s Daydream performance promises are falling short

Not all Daydream-ready phones are created equal.

News that Google had cleared Lenovo’s Moto Z and Moto Z Force for Daydream was cause for celebration. Users who had already purchased a great phone were being granted access to Google’s new VR platform without needed to buy new hardware, and the existence of MotoMods meant you could strap a massive battery to the back of your Moto phone and enjoy Daydream for much longer than any other phone. Google’s vision for Daydream, a platform that delivers high quality VR to many people without requiring a specific brand, seemed to be coming true faster than originally expected.

And then I used a Moto Z in Daydream.

Read more at VR Heads!

Pebble shuts down following Fitbit acquisition

Fitbit picks up Pebble’s software assets and IP.

Following reports from earlier today, Fitbit has officially announced that it is acquiring “specific assets” of Pebble that includes “key personnel and intellectual property related to software and firmware development.” No monetary terms were disclosed, but Bloomberg’s report suggested the deal was valued under $40 million.

Fitbit co-founder and CEO James Park said in the official announcement that Fitbit is now “well positioned to accelerate the expansion of our platform and ecosystem to make Fitbit a vital part of daily life for a wider set of consumers, as well as build the tools healthcare providers, insurers and employers need to more meaningfully integrate wearable technology into preventative and chronic care.”

Following the acquisition, Pebble will cease to operate as an independent entity. The company has already stopped taking any new orders, and has mentioned that warranty support is no longer available. Pebble has also clarified that Kickstarter customers awaiting their orders will receive refunds within 4-8 weeks.

Here’s the breakdown, straight from Pebble:

• Pebble is no longer promoting, manufacturing, or selling any devices.
• Pebble devices will continue to work as normal. No immediate changes to the Pebble user experience will happen at this time.
• Pebble functionality or service quality may be reduced in the future.
• Kickstarter backers who have not received their rewards will receive a full refund within 4-8 weeks as a chargeback to their credit cards. No further action is needed. For more information, please visit our Support page.
• Orders from pebble.com are no longer being accepted or fulfilled, including Pebble 2 pre-orders, which have not yet been charged or shipped.
• Warranty support is no longer available for Pebble watches. How-to information and troubleshooting can still be found on our Support page and in the Pebble Forum.
• Returns of pebble.com orders that were successfully completed before December 7, 2016 will be refunded by our Support Team.
• Pebble watches purchased at retail may be returned or exchanged based on the retailer’s return policy.
• Pebblers can still find replacement charging cables and other compatible accessories (bands, skins, etc.) from Amazon.com and third-party vendors like GadgetWraps and Clockwork Synergy.
• If you have any other questions about Pebble’s wind-down of operations, please visit this page.

Despite its troubles, the company managed to carve out a niche in the wearable segment, and will be sorely missed. Read Pebble founder and CEO Eric Migicovsky’s statement in its entirety below.

Dear Pebblers,

Thank you all for being such loyal supporters and champions of the Pebble community and brand. You helped start something fantastic when you backed our first Kickstarter project (and shout-out to the first inPulse users). Since then, we’ve shipped over 2 million Pebbles around the world!

However—due to various factors—Pebble is no longer able to operate as an independent entity. We have made the tough decision to shut down the company and no longer manufacture Pebble devices. This news has several major implications, and we hope to answer as many questions as possible here, in Kickstarter Update #17, and on our Support site.

Making Awesome Happen will live on at Fitbit. Our developer community set Pebble’s wearable technology ecosystem apart from the rest. No other wearable platform was more open or gave developers more freedom to create, experiment, and delight the world with beautiful watchfaces, useful apps, and unique experiences. The Pebble Dev community’s mission was to Make Awesome Happen, and they accomplished that beyond our wildest dreams.

Wearables have evolved tremendously since our Kickstarter project in 2012. Significant advancements and exciting new products on the horizon will drive the continued growth of the category. In evaluating our future, we wanted to align with a company that shared our take on how wearable technology can bring delight and utility to our lives.

While dissolving Pebble as you know today is difficult, I am happy to announce that many members of Team Pebble will be joining the Fitbit family to continue their work on wearable software platforms. Pebble’s successful approach to third-party wearable development is undeniable, and Fitbit is welcoming our expertise in this space wholeheartedly.

It is because of the close collaboration with the Fitbit team that the Pebble user experience will continue. Fitbit will maintain services so that Pebble devices continue to work as normal. Pebble functionality and service may be reduced in the future. We applaud their efforts as we collectively work to streamline this transition for Pebblers everywhere.

For nearly ten years, Fitbit has been the pioneer and leader in creating innovative health and fitness-focused devices and experiences that help people reach their wellness goals. They differentiated themselves from the competition with broad, cross-platform compatibility, a range of price points, long battery life, and a focus on design so that devices can integrate seamlessly into our lives. These are all values we championed at Pebble, so aligning with Fitbit felt natural. The arrangements were finalized today for Fitbit to acquire our technology, software, and other intellectual property (IP). Fitbit will share more about their plans in the future, but from what I’ve seen so far, it’s very exciting.

Developers have an exciting opportunity to reach and delight over 50 million users and counting. The team joining Fitbit will help the company accelerate development of the tools and resources devs need to enhance future Fitbit products with experiences that can take wearables to new heights of utility and appeal. If this opportunity excites you too, join us for the ride! The Pebble Developer Blog has more detail on how we’re bringing Pebble’s expertise in this realm to Fitbit.

It’s a bittersweet day, but I want to extend my biggest thanks to the Pebble community. Personally, one of the best feelings ever is spotting you on the train, running through an airport, or finishing a bike ride and checking your Pebble. If you catch me staring at your wrist (I’ll be the tall guy wearing a Pebble t-shirt), stop me and say “Hi.” If you’re wearing your Pebble, a drink is on me!

Thank you as well to all of Team Pebble—past and present. You’ve worked incredibly hard over the last 8 (!) years and created something amazing. It’s been a pleasure working with you and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the future.

Yours,

Eric Migicovsky