Apple Launches ‘Apple Support’ iOS App in Netherlands

Apple today released a specialized Apple Support app in the Netherlands, which is designed to give iOS users another way to get support for their Apple devices.

The app closely mimics the design of Apple’s dedicated support website, providing a list of the products owned by each user along with options for scheduling repairs in an Apple Store or chatting with Apple’s support staff. It also has a section for recent repair requests and other information related to Apple product maintenance.

Need help? Apple Support app is your personalized guide to the best options from Apple. Find answers with articles tailored to your products and questions. Call, chat or email with an expert right away, or schedule a callback when it’s convenient. Get a repair at an Apple Store or a nearby Apple Authorized Service Provider. Apple Support is here to help.

Apple Support appears to be limited to the Netherlands at this time, but Apple may be testing it in a single market before opting to roll it out to other countries. Rumors late last year suggested a support app was in the works, but it wasn’t clear at the time if it would be a standalone app or something built into an existing app.

Tag: Apple Support
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Save up to 50% on these awesome PNY storage products today!

Right now PNY is offering up to 50% off a variety of its storage products at Amazon. The deal will save you big on microSD cards, SD cards, flash drives, and even external computer drives as well. Each category has a variety of storage capacities available to meet your needs, from 32GB all the way up to 408GB depending what you need.

If you are in the market for a new card for your phone, tablet, camera, or other device, be sure to check these deals out.

• 64GB microSD card with USB OTG reader – $19
• 128GB microSD card with USB OTG reader – $34
• 32GB SD card – $10
• 128GB SD card – $33
• 32GB Flash Drive for iPhone & iPad – $28
• 480GB Portable SSD – $110

These are just some of the deals. To check out the full list of available products at up to 50% off, hit the link below.

See at Amazon

I’m gifting this adorable USB-C tripod to all my friends this year

Stand your phone up straight with Kenu’s Stance USB-C tripod.

I’m not a fan of gimmicks, which led me to a high degree of skepticism over Kenu’s Stance USB-C tripod. This is not the company’s first go around the bases with a product like this, and after reading negative reviews of the Micro-USB model, I moved beyond skepticism to concern over potential damage to my Pixel XL’s USB-C port.

Thankfully, I was wrong in both cases.

The Stance is pretty simple when it comes down to it: a combination of metal and plastic, with rubberized nubs on the feet and a flexible ball-and-socket joint that plugs into the USB-C port for stability.

Obviously, this means you can’t use the tripod while charging, but the Stance, at 34 grams and a built-in keychain attachment, doesn’t have to be hard to find when not in use.

There’s also a bottle opener, because what good keychain accessory doesn’t have a bottle opener?

It’s also quite flexible, both physically and attitudinally. It can stand the phone up straight as a true tripod for portrait photos, video calls, or just to go hands-free in general; it can also work as a stand to hold the phone at a convenient angle while in landscape, for watching videos or lining up a shake-free nighttime shot. There’s also a bottle opener, because what good keychain accessory doesn’t have a bottle opener?

So the question is, is it worth the $24.95? When inserted correctly — and it took me a couple of tries to realize the mount, which must be pressed in with a bit of force, holds the phone very securely — the legs pivot to allow for the phone to stand at myriad angles. After several weeks of almost daily use, the mount doesn’t seem to be damaged or frayed, and the socket still feels like it has a long life ahead of it. It has a limited vertical range of motion, so it’s easy to keep the attached phone straight, and the legs have enough resistance that there doesn’t appear to be any risk of them flopping around in your pocket, bag or wallet.

The major difference between the USB-C version of the Stance and its Micro-USB predecessor seems to be the robustness in the mounting mechanism, which, though it was reportedly made with the same “Grilamid” polymer, didn’t hold up so well over time. It also wasn’t, unlike USB-C, reversible and therefore the same shape throughout, which helps with longevity. (As an aside, the company that produced Grilamid, Swiss-based EMS-GRIVORY, calls the heat- and electricity-resistant compound “a noble polymer,” which is immediately one of my favorite phrases of all time.)

The Kenu Stance has quickly become one of my favorite tools to carry around.

At 1.2 ounces and barely an inch wide, the Stance is both a great party trick and a pretty handy tool. The bottle opener is a bonus, and is certainly an extra incentive to spend the $24.95 asking price. Kenu also makes a Lightning version for iPhones, and still sells the less-commendable Micro-USB model, but for my money the USB-C version is the best option, if your phone supports it.

The Kenu Stance has quickly become one of my favorite tools to carry around, and is definitely going to be high on my gift list this year.

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Google might torpedo Qualcomm Quick Charge in future Android versions

New Android compatibility definitions warn manufacturers against using nonstandard USB charging methods.

Between Qualcomm Quick Charge, MediaTek Pump Express, Oppo VOOC, OnePlus Dash Charge, Huawei SuperCharge, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging and Motorola Turbo Charge, fast charging methods on Android phones are kind of a mess. Some of them overlap, but not all are interoperable, and when you consider that some require not only a custom charger but a specific cable, it’s a confusing situation for consumers.

When you also consider the potential safety issues with dodgy USB-C chargers and cables, it’s easy to see why Google, as a platform holder, might want to step in.

In the latest Android Compatibility Definition Document — which lays out the rules manufacturers must adhere to in order to ship Google-approved Android 7.0 devices — the company lays out some strong recommendations intended to nudge phone makers away from nonstandard USB-C charging methods like Qualcomm QuickCharge. The references, first spotted by Android Police, suggest such changes may come into force in future Android versions.

From the Android 7.0 CDD:

Type-C devices are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to not support proprietary charging methods that modify Vbus voltage beyond default levels, or alter sink/source roles as such may result in interoperability issues with the chargers or devices that support the standard USB Power Delivery methods. While this is called out as “STRONGLY RECOMMENDED”, in future Android versions we might REQUIRE all type-C devices to support full interoperability with standard type-C chargers.

The first part of that quote basically describes Qualcomm QuickCharge over USB-C, as used today on devices like the HTC 10 and LG G5. And the second part telegraphs that device makers should prepare for the hammer to be brought down in some future release.

USB Power Delivery, the standard used by Google’s Pixel phones, is clearly the preferred way to bring interoperable fast charging to future Android devices. But needless to say, a hard requirement to ditch the likes of Quick Charge over USB-C is sure to ruffle a few feathers. (Qualcomm, for instance, makes money licensing the tech to manufacturers.)

AP also notes that the new docs require Android 7.0 devices with USB-C to detect both 1.5A and 3.0A chargers, including changes in how much power the charger can send. In theory, this means that standard 3A Type-C chargers should be a relatively reliable way to rapid-charge a vast majority of USB-C Android devices in future.

Who knows exactly when Google’s “strong recommendations” against the likes of Qualcomm Quick Charge might turn into a hard requirement. It’s possible this could come as soon as Android 7.1.1 (Nougat Maintenance Release 1) when that’s finalized in December. More likely, we’ll be looking at a longer trajectory, with such a change taking effect in Android O.

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
• Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
• Pixel + Pixel XL specs
• Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
• Join the discussion in the forums!

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Nanoloop’s cartridge turns your Game Boy into an analog synth

Nanoloop has been providing ways for music and gaming enthusiasts to create tunes with a Game Boy for years now. The company is back with a new card for the original Game Boy handheld: the Nanoloop Mono. With the €69 (around $76) accessory, you can transform that classic gaming device into an analog mono synth. Thanks to one pin of Game Boy’s cartridge connector working as an audio input and a built-in amplifier, the Nanoloop Mono can generate sound and output it through the headphone jack in a completely analog fashion.

The Nanoloop Mono packs in three analog filters and a noise generator on its hybrid sound chip. There’s also a step sequencer with per step control of the parameters and eight memory banks than can each hold 15 patterns per channel. While the card works best with the OG Game Boy, it will also provide some noise when used with the Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color. However, Nanoloop says sound quality suffers with those gadgets. It doesn’t work at all with the Game Boy Advance, but the company makes another card for that handheld: the Nanoloop 2.0. While you decide whether or not to turn your collector’s item into a music making machine, the video below shows the Mono in action.

Via: FACT

Source: Nanoloop

Huawei could be next to create a bezel-free phone

Bezel-free phones are starting to become like buses, wait long enough and three come along at once. Xiaomi unveiled the first one, the Mi Mix, at the end of October, then images of an alleged smartphone from Meizu leaked.

The Meizu phone appears to have its entire front taken up by screen, exceeding the 91.3 percent screen to body ratio of the Mi Mix. Now Huawei could be getting in on the game as well, at least that’s according to a post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo.

We haven’t been able to track down the original post ourselves, but several media outlets are reporting the news. Huawei’s phone is said to come with what it’s calling a “quad-edge display” which would see all four edges of the phone curve around towards the back. It could mean, like the Meizu phone, that Huawei’s is virtually all screen on the front with not a bezel in sight.

There’s also rumours suggesting Huawei will actually release the phone under a whole new brand, or at the very least, its Honor sub-brand.

Of course for now you should take these rumours with a very large pinch of salt, although if bezel-less phones start to become popular among consumers, we wouldn’t be surprised is Huawei wanted to exploit that.

• Huawei Mate 9 vs Huawei Porsche Design Mate 9: What’s the difference?

Huawei is also due to launch the Mate 9 and a new Mate 9 Pro in China on 14 November. We already know about the Mate 9, but the Mate 9 Pro may be an entirely different device to the Mate 9 Porsche Design that was recently unveiled in Munich. The Mate 9 Pro is said to come with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage for $679 or 6GB RAM and 128GB storage for $767. Unfortunately for us, the Mate 9 Pro is expected to be limited to China.

Electric Jukebox launches, bringing millions of songs to your TV

 Electric Jukebox is the latest music streaming player to hit the UK. It’s backed by celebrities including Robbie Williams, Stephen Fry, Sheryl Crow and Alesha Dixon and aims to add nearly 30 million songs to your TV.

• Which is the best music streaming service in the UK?

The Electric Jukebox TV Stick plugs into an HDMI port on your TV and then connects to your Wi-Fi network. You then use the included controller to point and click on songs and albums you want to listen to, or use the built-in microphone to issue voice commands.

You also get the option of creating your own personal playlists and mixtapes and there’s even curated content which is tailored to your personal preferences.

Electric Jukebox has signed deals with the major record labels Warner Music, Sony Music and Universal Music, as well as several others, so you can be pretty confident in knowing the music you want will be available on the surface.

For £169, you get the Electric Jukebox TV Stick and controller, as well as a 1 year Premium ad-free subscription. After the year is up, you can buy another year’s membership for £52, making it cheaper than its major rivals Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Deezer. You can choose to not pay the £52 and instead use the service but with adverts. Electric Jukebox will be available to buy from tomorrow in red, blue and charcoal finishes for £169.