9to5Toys Lunch Break: 12-inch MacBook 512GB $1,000, 9.7-inch iPad from $280, BeatsX Headphones $90, more
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HomePod Diary: The best party gadget ever, and the difference between ‘really good’ and ‘great’
Friday morning, my HomePod arrived; Friday evening, we had a small party. And the belle of the ball was the HomePod.
We had a group of friends round for drinks and pizza. That seemed a good opportunity to put HomePod to the test – both to see what others thought of it as a speaker, and to allow friends to try Siri control …
Alto’s Odyssey for iOS/Apple TV gets a brand new trailer & official release date
Alto’s Adventure is among some of the best and most interesting games on mobile. While it might employ the somewhat tired endless runner format, its incredible art-style and addictive gameplay take the experience to new heights. It follows Alto and his friends as they discover gorgeous alpine hills, villages, ancient forests and mysterious ruins. Around this time last year, the folks at Snowman studios released the first teasers for the sequel to Alto’s Adventure and today we have a brand new trailer with an official release date… more…
Verizon will begin locking iPhones to its network starting this spring
Verizon is currently the only major carrier that doesn’t lock its iPhones and other smartphones upon purchase, but that is now set to change this spring.
Apple moves from #5 to #4 in global laptop shipments, on track for double-digit share
TrendForce reports that Apple has overtaken ASUS in global laptop shipments, moving up from fifth to fourth place.
The firm is also predicting that Apple’s notebooks will achieve double-digit market share this year …
Google reportedly planning to mimic iPhone X notch in next-generation Android phones
We’ve already seen a couple of Chinese Android phones copy the iPhone X notch, but a report today suggests that Google is planning to do the same thing.
The report says that Google is specifically trying to persuade iPhone users to switch to Android by improving the look of its software and boosting the sensor tech …
AT&T offers BOGO Free iPhone X for Next customers
From 9to5Toys:
AT&T is currently offering buy one get one iPhone X. You’ll need to be a new customer on AT&T Next to claim this offer. Your equivalent $1,000 credit will be spread out over the course of your service agreement (up to 30-months). Full terms and conditions can be found below. iPhone X deals have been tough to come by, topping out at $699 off a second device. Learn more about iPhone X in our coverage here.
Latest Apple Park drone footage shows completed outdoor sports courts, bicycles & more
Not long after the city of Cupertino gave Apple permission to move employees into five of the 12 Apple Park sections, the latest drone footage shows that they won’t have any trouble keeping fit.
Among the recently-completed work are the outdoor sports courts, and we can also see bicycles scattered around the campus to provide a convenient and healthy way for staff to move between exterior locations …
New report explains the thinking behind Apple’s new focus on software quality
We heard last month that Apple was setting a new focus for iOS 12: prioritizing quality and reliability over shiny new features.
Apple had been working on updates to the Home screen, CarPlay experience, updates to the stock Mail app and enhancements to photo editing and sharing. These projects have apparently been shelved to free up engineering resources to focus on addressing performance and quality issues, with an aim to make iPhone more responsive and ‘less prone to cause customer support issues’.
A new report provides more detail on the thinking behind the change, and how it will be implemented …
HomePod teardown reveals durable but densely-packed speaker internals, LED array and more
iFixit has now posted its teardown of the HomePod, shining light on exactly what is beneath the seamless fabric mesh. The company says that the HomePod is built like a tank, so whilst it only scores 1/10 on the repairability scale it is made to last. It was apparently one of the hardest ever projects, with iFixit even resorting to a hacksaw at one stage.
The teardown reveals how the Siri waveform is formed on the top of the speaker; an LED matrix sits just below the surface with the light blurred by a diffuser. You also get to see Apple’s custom tweeters, including a special mechanism of powering them; the gold screw posts conduct electricity through the unit.