Facebook working on an Android-based video chat device
Last year, Facebook poached Regina Dugan, the head of Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects, to lead a new hardware group. Building 8’s first products are now coming into light as a new report notes the development of a HomePod smart speaker competitor and a video chat device. For those that remember Mark Zuckerburg’s security advice from last year, the rumors of these new products come with some irony.
Spark email client for Mac gains new Smart Search features, better performance
Readdle is out with a new update to Spark for Mac that brings new Smart Search features to the desktop email client. Spark 1.3 delivers a new way to easily find files, attachments, and other message content from emails with a visual indicator of where content is in an email.
Hands-on: The entry-level Mid-2017 5K iMac is a great deal with room for future growth [Video]
For $1799, the entry-level 5K iMac is a very good deal for anyone looking for a powerful machine that can be upgraded to some extent. Of course, when it comes to an all-in-one machine like the iMac, the term “upgrade” is used loosely, but it’s still fairly remarkable how much headroom you can garner from Apple’s entry-level 27-inch 5K machine.
In this hands-on post and video walkthrough, we’ll consider several reasons why the base-model 5K iMac is such a compelling proposition for those in need of a new Mac. In fact, it’s arguably the best deal in Macs that Apple currently offers. more…
Apple Pay picks up another 20+ banks around the world
New banks and credit unions across the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan have joined Apple’s list of participating partners as part of the first expansion of Apple Pay this month. Check out the latest Apple Pay banks below:
9to5Toys Lunch Break: new iPad Pro $600, Apple Watch Bands $9, MacBook Air 13″ 256GB $950, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. more…
Mophie’s new 30W Powerstation USB-C XXL promises to power MacBooks up to 14 hours
With Apple’s MacBooks moving from special MagSafe connectors to universal USB-C ports for charging, it’s now possible for accessory makers to easily make battery packs for expanding laptop power. Mophie’s new $149.95 Powerstation USB-C XXL is a high-capacity external battery that promises to charge new MacBooks…
Honda’s all-electric Clarity arrives at select dealers today, with CarPlay as standard
Apple requests tax-breaks for suppliers as it seeks to establish ‘mini-Shenzhen’ in India
Apple has asked the Indian government to extend the tax breaks it has been granted for its own operations to its suppliers. This would enable the company to move from mere iPhone assembly in India – with the actual parts still made in China – to more of a true manufacturing operation.
We described recently how Apple relies on an entire network of suppliers centred around the Chinese city of Shenzhen. Tim Cook’s discussions with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi have extended to establishing a kind of Little Shenzhen within India …
Demo created with ARKit and Unity3D shows the potential of AR for film-making [Video]
We’ve already seen how ARKit is helping developers create some impressive augmented reality apps, from virtual tape measures and navigation to fun things like games. But it’s looking increasingly like we might see film-makers employing the technology to blend virtual characters with real ones.
We got a taste of this recently with a demo app replicating an 80s music video, and now indie game developer Duncan Walker has put somewhat frighteningly realistic robot soldiers onto the streets of London …
Apple & Google pull 300+ financial trading apps after thousands of people scammed
Apple and Google have removed hundreds of financial trading apps from their app stores following an investigation suggesting that thousands of people may have been scammed – many of them seniors. Some have reportedly lost their entire life savings.
The action follows an investigation by a newspaper and a review by a securities & investment body …