Apple offers glimpse inside audio lab it used to test HomePod, iPhone and iPad speakers
Apple gave The Loop a look inside the audio labs the company uses to test speakers for its iPhone and iPad devices, as well as the company’s new HomePod smart speaker which trumpets sound quality as its number 1 feature. Apple said that the HomePod project began six years ago. All parts inside HomePod are custom designed by Apple, even including the fabric that wraps around the outside.
Review: The $129 DJI Osmo Mobile 2 is the best-value iPhone gadget available right now [Video]
If you’ve got any recent model iPhone, you’ve got a great camera – both for still photos and for video. So good, in fact, that many independent filmmakers use it to shoot both shorts and full-length movies.
But such reports can give a somewhat misleading impression. Very often, the iPhone is the capture device, but it’s coupled to far more expensive supplementary kit like professional lenses, and gimbals to smooth footage.
What DJI has done with its latest gimbal is to bring smooth mobile shooting – and more – down to a price level that makes it extremely affordable. So much so that, when you consider all the things it can do, I’d say it qualifies as the best-value iPhone accessory on the market at the moment …
France bans handheld smartphone use in cars, even when stationary with the engine switched off
In what seems a very misguided attempt to address the problem of road deaths and injuries in France, the government has just banned handheld smartphone use even when the car is stationary and the engine switched off …
Snapchat continues cautious roll-out of redesign, plus new fonts and Do Not Disturb
Snapchat is continuing its gradual rollout of a major app redesign. It is treading cautiously, with a widespread rollout of the the redesign limited to a handful of countries to date, perhaps mindful of the poor reviews it has been receiving.
In the US and elsewhere, Snapchat continues to drip-feed new features, with one quietly rolled out in the last few weeks and another on the way …
HomePod sells out on Australia Apple Online Store, new orders ship next week
As anticipation for HomePod builds, Apple’s smart speaker has sold out in Australia. Apple’s website reports that new orders for the HomePod in White or Space Gray will now deliver from the 12th in the country (which is the 11th in most parts of the world due to timezone differences).
iPad boosts market share as tablet market declines; Amazon overtakes Samsung – IDC
The iPad boosted its market share in the final quarter of last year, achieving very slight growth as the tablet market as a whole declined, reports IDC.
The company attributes Apple’s ‘solid lead’ to a balance of entry-level and iPad Pro shipments.
Apple maintained a solid lead in the holiday quarter driving growth both through its lower-priced 9.7-inch iPad as well as its newly refreshed iPad Pro products. While the lower-price iPad has continued to drive a strong consumer upgrade cycle, the shifting focus is to iPad Pro and its potential in the commercial and education segments …
Some developers receiving Search Ads report emails for apps that aren’t theirs
In a rather embarrassing screw up, some developers are receiving report emails from Search Ads Basics featuring details for apps that aren’t theirs. This includes information that is usually confidential such as number of installs from the ad campaign as well as how much was spent.
There doesn’t seem to be any kind of systemic Apple ID hack; it just looks like a buggy email daemon is sending out the wrong information to different people.
NYPD begins deploying iPhone 7 & 7 Plus to officers as it officially moves on from Windows Phone
As initially reported last year, The New York Police Department is moving away from Windows Phones after two years with the platform. Replacing some 36,000 Windows phones are iPhones, which are now being rolled out to police officers…
