A few of Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks are on sale again, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which is down to $27. It went for $25 during July’s Prime Day, but that deal was only for Prime members — this one’s open to any one with the funds and inclination. This is a 51 percent discount off the $55 list price, and a sale we’ve seen a few times before. Two other streaming dongles are also on sale: the standard, HD-compatible Fire TV Stick is $25 instead of it usual $40, and the set-top Fire TV Cube is down to $120 as opposed to $140.
Of the lot, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is probably best for most people, as it offers a performance boost for just $2 more than the standard stick. The Cube is likely just for those who want to route other systems, like gaming consoles, through their streaming device. The 4K Max offers quick loading and response times and it’ll help you control your Alexa-enabled smart home devices, letting you view live interior or exterior camera footage directly from your TV screen. There’s even a picture-in-picture view so you can see who’s at the door without stopping the show. The 4K Max also includes support for Wi-Fi 6 — so if you’re already set up for that standard or plan to upgrade in the future, this can take advantage of the broader connections.
Our main concern with Amazon’s streaming devices is its less intuitive user interface. Fire OS isn’t as streamlined as Roku or Google’s streaming operating systems, and Amazon tends to favor its own content, heavily promoting its shows, services and products throughout the system.
Right now, we think Roku has the best UI of any streaming device, as we detail in our latest guide on the topic. The dongle we recommend, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, is currently seeing a modest, 20 percent discount, taking $10 off its usual $50 price tag. That’s well above the all-time low of $25 that we saw for last year’s Black Friday sales, but it’s still a decent buy on a feature-rich streaming stick.
io9 is proud to present fiction from Lightspeed Magazine. Once a month, we feature a story from Lightspeed’s current issue. This month’s selection is “Money in the Bank” by John Kessel & Bruce Sterling. You can read the story below or listen to the podcast on Lightspeed’s website. Enjoy!
Apple’s latest fall iPhone event — “Wonderlust” — is nearly here. Four new iPhones and a couple of Apple Watch models are expected to take center stage when the company showcases its latest products. USB-C should be in the spotlight as Apple changes its charging ports in response to new EU regulations. Although nothing is set in stone until Tim Cook takes the stage on Tuesday, we’ve gathered the most probable leaks and rumors ahead of Apple’s September 12 event.
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro
No matter what else Tim Cook and company reveal, new iPhones are practically guaranteed to dominate the day’s headlines. We can expect a high-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, along with a standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. There was an earlier report that Apple may rebrand the Pro Max model as “iPhone 15 Ultra” this year, but it isn’t clear if that’s still on the table.
First, screen sizes will likely stand pat. That means 6.1-inch displays for the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro and 6.7-inch screens for the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max (or “Ultra”). ProMotion, Apple’s branding for 120Hz variable refresh rate displays, will almost certainly remain exclusive to the top-tier models.
A change many foresee is Lightning cables becoming obsolete. Over a decade has passed since switching from 30-pin connectors to Lightning, and European regulations are forcing Apple to swap ports again — this time to USB-C. “Obviously, we’ll have to comply” with the EU’s requirements, Apple VP Greg Joswiak confirmed in an interview with the WSJ last year. Although Apple could wait for next year’s iPhone launch to make the EU’s deadline, leaks and well-sourced insiders indicate almost unanimously that this year’s iPhone 15 will be the one to kick off the USB-C iPhone era.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
However, connected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts only the higher-end iPhone models will see faster USB-C data transfer speeds. Kuo believes only the two pro models will support “at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3” high-speed wired connections, while the two standard models (iPhone 15 / 15 Plus) would use slower USB 2.0 speeds, the same as Lightning. At least some new models could also support faster (35W) charging speeds, although (predictably, some might say) you could need a proprietary Apple-made adapter to power up at those rates.
Dynamic Island, the display cutout that Apple launched on the iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max, is expected to carry over to all four models in 2023. A replacement for the “notch” on older full-screen iPhones, Dynamic Island is a floating black pill-shaped section just below the top of the screen. It not only masks the phone’s front camera and Face ID sensor, but it can also flash alerts, animations and shortcuts for tasks like driving directions, timers or music. Apple design VP Alan Dye tidily summarized that Dynamic Island can “display alerts, notifications, and ongoing operations in real-time without seeing the boundary between hardware and software.”
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Stainless steel may go the way of the Lightning port, as the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to switch to titanium frames. The material upgrade could make the new pro lineup “stronger, lighter and more premium,” as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman described in July. He said the titanium used in high-end Apple Watch models was “a test for bringing that material to its highest-volume device.” Although the phones are expected to keep the same frosted glass back, their corners could be more rounded than in previous models. In addition, Apple may drop the lineup’s gold hue for a “titan gray” colorway.
Thinner bezels are expected to accompany the pro series’ titanium frame. Apple is reportedly developing the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max displays with a process called low-injection pressure over-molding, or “LIPO.” First used in Apple Watch Series 7 manufacturing, Gurman reported that the technology could reduce the pro series’ bezels to 1.5 mm, down from the 2.2 mm ones found in current models.
The iPhone 15 Pro series could also have an Action Button like on the Apple Watch Ultra. The customizable toggle would replace the mute switch on the upper-left side of the pro-tier iPhones. Possible uses for the Action Button (based on code uncovered in iOS 17) include launching the camera, lighting the phone’s flashlight, activating Focus, opening accessibility features or standing pat with the standard mute function. Sources indicated Apple initially wanted to swap in haptic solid-state ones for the iPhone’s physical volume and power buttons, but the company reportedly canceled the feature after encountering “unresolved technical issues before mass production.” So expect standard volume and power / sleep buttons.
Apple
The most likely camera upgrade is a new periscope lens exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra). It would use a prism to bend or fold light captured by the sensor, leading to an optical zoom of 5x to 6x without making the phone beefier. The iPhone 14 Pro series supports up to 3x optical zoom.
One of the surest bets about a new flagship iPhone’s features is a faster, next-generation chip. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to use a 3nm chip, likely called the A17 Bionic. It would provide performance boosts (and maybe longer battery life). Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 / 15 Plus pair is rumored to repeat what the company did in 2022: recycling last year’s high-end chip. That means the iPhone 15 / 15 Plus would use the A16 Bionic, found in the iPhone 14 Pro.
If recent years are any indication, the new iPhones would be available for pre-order the Friday after the event, with shipments and general availability kicking off a week later. Although this year’s models may be more expensive.
Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra
This could be a minor year for Apple Watch updates. The primary hardware change in the Apple Watch Series 9 is rumored to be an S9 chip, marking the product’s first real processor upgrade since 2020. Gurman reported that the S9 will be based on the A15 chip that debuted in Apple’s iPhone 13 (2021) lineup. The S9’s full details aren’t known, but it’s rumored to move from a 7nm manufacturing process to a denser and more efficient 5nm or 4nm one. Expect performance boosts and (perhaps) longer battery life.
Reports suggest the new Apple Watch will otherwise be a largely ho-hum update, with Gurman saying this year’s model won’t offer any significant design changes or new features. A pink color option and Bluetooth 5.3 support are possible changes for the new model. Regardless, watchOS 10 — arguably the biggest software update in the wearable’s history — will likely stand as the biggest advancement for the Apple Watch in 2023.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
As for the Apple Watch Ultra, it’s also expected to receive an incremental 2nd-generation update. In addition to the S9 chip, a new Apple Watch Ultra could add a black titanium case. The current model ships in a “natural” color, expected to return alongside the darker option.
AirPods
Ken Pillonel
You probably want to keep your AirPods expectations in check, as Apple’s march away from Lightning and towards USB-C will likely be the only headphone upgrades at this event. The company will reportedly launch “new” versions of the current AirPods models, with charging cases that use USB-C instead of Lightning serving as the only difference.
Rumored changes to the AirPods lineup down the road include body-temperature sensors, accessibility features for people with hearing disabilities and a potential price drop for the entry-level model. But we won’t likely see any of that on Tuesday.
Software
Apple
You can expect the event to bring more details about Apple’s first big 2023 software updates: iOS 17, watchOS 10 and (possibly) iPadOS 17. Apple announced the operating systems at WWDC 2023, and their final versions should become available to the public sometime between the event and the iPhone 15 launch. Following recent years’ patterns, macOS Sonoma will likely launch in October — with iPadOS 17 joining if it isn’t included alongside iOS 17. A potential October event could consist of new iMac, MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models running the M3 chip.
iOS 17 includes a new StandBy mode, voicemail transcriptions, FaceTime video voicemails, contact posters, NameDrop and new in-line predictive text suggestions (among other additions). Meanwhile, watchOS 10 is arguably the platform’s most significant update since the wearable’s 2015 launch. The new software changes the Apple Watch’s fundamental control scheme: The side button now activates Control Center (instead of recent apps or the dock), and twisting the watch’s Digital Crown from the watch face scrolls through a customizable stack of glanceable widgets.
You can read more about the upcoming software in Engadget’s previews of iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10 coverage.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-to-expect-at-apples-wonderlust-iphone-15-event-181545715.html?src=rss
The proposed rule would update and clarify nondiscriminatory obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 50 years after it was signed into law.
Convenience food giant Nissin has formulated two new instant Cup Noodle meals with added caffeine and supplements targeted specifically to gamers. It probably goes without saying, but I will be eating nothing else from now on.
The ~$2 cups will be available in two varieties starting on September 18: Gaming Cup Noodle Energy Garlic & Black Pepper Yakisoba and Gaming Meshi Energy Ginger Keema Curry. The yakisoba features shrimp, pork, egg, and cabbage, and the curry contains ginger, onion, tomato, and pork. Am I going to mix the two together for a double shot of caffeine? Absolutely.
Both are sauce-based instead of soup-based, so “there is no need to worry about getting your hands or peripherals dirty, making them the perfect meal in between game-playing sessions.” Well, that’s a relief. And addition to the caffeine, both also contain arginine (helps the body build proteins) and niacin (helps with circulation). My goodness, it’s a miracle food! My doctor is going to be so proud of me.
io9 is proud to present fiction from Lightspeed Magazine. Once a month, we feature a story from Lightspeed’s current issue. This month’s selection is “Money in the Bank” by John Kessel & Bruce Sterling. You can read the story below or listen to the podcast on Lightspeed’s website. Enjoy!
Apple just announced that nearly every iOS app will automatically publish the Vision Pro store by default, which the company says will give early adopters access to “hundreds of thousands of iPad and iPhone apps.” This will be in addition to whatever actual Vision Pro apps launch on the official store.
Most apps can easily run on Vision Pro, but you won’t get a full futuristic experience. Instead, you’ll see what you’d normally see on your phone or tablet, just blown up via a fake screen in front of you. Apple says that “app experiences can easily extend to Apple Vision Pro from day one — with no additional work required.”
This is slightly underwhelming when you consider the usual apps, like Facebook, but actually provides some real benefits. This means, for instance, that every streaming app will automatically be available at launch, so you can watch whatever you want on the headset’s virtual screen. Incidentally, the screen can occupy a relative width of 100 feet, so those lightsaber battles on Ahsoka will really pop. Marry that with the comfort-forward lightweight design and you’ve got yourself one heck of an entertainment machine, and that’s before uniquely-made streaming apps begin showing up.
On the developer side, there’s a forthcoming visionOS beta launching this fall so devs can test their apps to make sure they work. Additionally, this toolset will allow developers to make adjustments to maximize integration with the headset. It’ll also let you know if your app isn’t eligible for some reason, though most will be.
Now onto the why of this. The Apple Vision Pro is set to be a niche product for at least the first generation, due to the exorbitant price tag and limited use case scenarios, so exclusive apps could be scarce at launch. This allows Apple to sort of inflate the Vision Pro app store numbers to entice consumers. It could also pressure some of the larger developers out there, like Meta, to push through features exclusive to the headset. No matter the reason, one of the primary clarion calls whenever any new technology is announced is a cry for backwards compatibility, and well, this’ll do it.
For the uninitiated, the Apple Vision Pro is the company’s forthcoming mixed-reality headset. It boasts eye-tracking, so you can control apps via minute ocular movements, and an OLED screen on the exterior to display a digital recreation of your eyeballs for others to interact with. It’ll cost a whopping $3,500 when it launches next year, which is equatable to purchasing seven Meta Quest 3 VR headsets.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ios-apps-will-publish-to-the-apple-vision-pro-store-by-default-183016666.html?src=rss
A company named Akash is changing how we use our computing power — They’re challenging the big cloud providers and introducing a new way to access computing resources, through a decentralized marketplace where anyone with powerful hardware can share their computing power and get paid with tokens (as of July, one token ($AKT) was worth $0.56).
Their Supercloud for AI platform features high-end GPUs like Nvidia H100 and Nvidia A100, which are essential for running advanced AI models and they also support top AMD GPUs and consumer-grade GPUs; Known as Mainnet 6, this Supercould for AI is creating an open-source marketplace specifically for high-performance GPUs.
Existing network providers (including both small operators and big players like hyperscalers), can now offer their GPUs alongside their existing services.
Akash’s console page.
A Growing Network
As this network grows, it becomes more robust, hosting a larger number of GPUs from providers worldwide. It’s becoming a crucial part of the infrastructure for AI development. Akash believes that having an open-source network is vital to prevent a handful of big corporations from controlling these resources.
Akash points out that a big issue with the current cloud market is that it’s dominated by just four providers — Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba — and that these top cloud providers charge way too much, not to mention that, according to the company, many of their data centers are underused.
The most powerful GPUs often end up with hyperscalers and big corporations (solidifying their grip on the public cloud market) so, with Akash’s Supercloud for AI GPU network, the future of AI model training could see some significant changes. Let’s wait and see what will happen in the following months.
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has extended its collaboration with Mercedes-Benz AG to incorporate Snapdragon Digital Chassis Solutions (we already mentioned it here in Ubergizmo) into the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan. This partnership aims to deliver a cutting-edge digital luxury experience to vehicle occupants, integrating technology and features that include 5G connectivity and cloud-based digital services for a more immersive and interactive driving experience.
Working alongside Bosch as the system integrator and Tier-1 supplier, Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms play a crucial role in powering the Mercedes-Benz E-Class User Experience (MBUX) multimedia system. This system runs on the MBUX Superscreen and offers improved graphics and multimedia support.
The Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms also drive the MBUX’s high-resolution widescreen unit, featuring touchscreen functionality, navigational displays, and augmented reality technology, enhancing convenience and enjoyment for passengers — Additionally, it incorporates Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 for wireless connectivity (including hotspot capabilities and high-speed gaming).
Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions within the Mercedes-Benz E-Class are expected to be available in the US at the beginning of 2024.
Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Automotive Connectivity Platforms will enable Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans to provide always-on, always-connected in-vehicle experiences. These platforms offer the high bandwidth required for multimedia streaming, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and multi-gigabit upload and download capabilities.
Magnus Östberg, Chief Software Officer at Mercedes-Benz AG, emphasized the speed of innovation delivery as a core principle for MB.OS and highlighted the partnership’s role in achieving this goal.
Nakul Duggal, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Automotive and Cloud Computing at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., lauded the enduring collaboration between Qualcomm and Mercedes-Benz, highlighting their joint ambition to revolutionize driving experiences with advanced features and capabilities, emphasizing the significance of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis in Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans as a testament to this shared ambition.
Vehicles equipped with Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions are expected to be available in the United States at the beginning of 2024.
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has expanded its Snapdragon Digital Chassis portfolio to cater to the growing demand for motorcycles, scooters, e-bikes, and various new vehicle classes worldwide. The newly introduced products, known as the QWM2290 and QWS2290 platforms, are designed to enhance safety, infotainment, cloud-connected digital services, personalization, and convenience for 2-wheelers, micromobility, and other motorized vehicles.
These platforms want to transform the user experience and the development and management of these emerging vehicle categories, which include electric and internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles, 3-wheelers, e-bikes, kick scooters, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and shared mobility e-scooters and e-bikes.
Laxmi Rayapudi, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, highlighted the significant opportunities presented by the evolving 2-wheeler and new vehicle class markets driven by sustainability, affordability, and the sharing economy. These markets demand connectivity, intelligence, and safety, and Qualcomm’s expansion of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis is geared toward meeting these requirements.
The QWM2290 and QWS2290 platforms incorporate technologies from Qualcomm Technologies’ existing Snapdragon Digital Chassis for the automotive sector, including:
Next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform: These platforms feature smart clusters powered by the next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform, offering benefits such as real-time navigation with points of interest, advanced safety features, and maintenance reminders for riders.
Snapdragon Auto 4G and 5G Modems: Utilizing Snapdragon Auto 4G and 5G modems, these platforms provide fast connectivity, ensuring quick network response times and reliability for safety, personalization, infotainment, and productivity features.
Snapdragon Cloud-Connected Digital Services: The integrated suite of connected car services offers OEMs, fleet providers, and riders some advantages, including service revenue opportunities, over-the-air updates, remote diagnostics, user authentication, geofencing, theft protection, and more.
Strong interest from OEMs
At IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich, Qualcomm Technologies has received strong interest from OEMs regarding the QWM2290 and QWS2290 platforms. Partnerships with companies like Gogoro and leading Tier-1 suppliers and ecosystem players, including Bosch, Cavli Wireless, Drover AI, Luna Systems, Marelli, MeiG, Quectel, SIMCom, Thundercomm, Valeo, and VVDN Technologies, are gaining momentum.
Qualcomm Technologies has also introduced a reference design based on the QWM2290 and QWS2290 platforms, featuring advanced technologies for computing, connectivity, and precise positioning. This reference design enables OEMs to expedite the development of safe and innovative products for 2-wheelers and new vehicle classes.
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