Apple Releases iOS 11.3 to Check Battery Health, Prevent Processor Throttling and Much More

Apple is releasing iOS 11.3 today. The software update includes the usual bug fixes and performance improvements plus some new features as well.

iOS 11.3 includes four new Animoji on the iPhone X, battery health features in beta on iPhones affected by performance throttling, Business Chat for iMessage in the US, new Health Records features, and HomeKit software authentication.

Apple faced harsh criticism when customers discovered that iOS was automatically slowing down iPhone processor performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns. With 11.3, now customers will be given the option to disable all throttling no matter how old their iPhone’s battery is. iPhone 6 or later users will see a new battery health screen that will recommend if a battery needs to be serviced. Because ultimately, replacing an iPhone’s battery is the best way to maintain peak performance and avoid throttling.

Apple’s latest software update also includes a new privacy icon that shows up whenever Apple is asking for your personal information. There’s also bug fixes. One major fix was random disconnects from Apple’s Smart Keyboard.

This is the biggest update for iPhones since iOS 11 originally launched in September of last year.

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New $200 GoPro Hero Action Camera is a Great Entry Point for Beginners

Today, the action camera company GoPro announced a bugdet friendly model. Simply called the GoPro Hero, this new $200 device will feature most of the best features of the Hero 5 and 6, at half the cost.

The primary difference will be no 4K video. Instead you’ll be limited to 1440p or 1080p. There’s also no shooting at high frame rates like 120 or 240 frames per second. The new GoPro Hero is shoot at 60fps or lower.Aside from that, it has all of the traditional features you see from the company including waterproofing up to 30′ without additional housing, voice control, video stabilization, and a 2″ touch display. Not to mention, it also works with the thousands of GoPro accessories already on the market.

According to reports, the company’s sales are hurting to a point where it is now licensing it’s technology to supplement its core business. With this more affordable option, sales could see a boost, plus help GoPro in the long run by positioning upgrades to developing enthusiasts for higher-end models.

Today, the action camera company GoPro announced a bugdet friendly model. Simply called the GoPro Hero, this new $200 device will feature most of the best features of the Hero 5 and 6, at half the cost. The primary difference will be no 4K video. Instead you’ll be limited to 1440p or 1080p. There’s also no shooting at high frame rates like 120 or 240 frames per second. The new GoPro Hero shoots at 60fps or lower. Aside from that, it has all of the traditional features you see from the company including waterproof up to 30' without additional housing, voice control, video stabilization, and a 2-inch touch display.

// via Instagram Today, the action camera company GoPro announced a bugdet friendly model. Simply called the GoPro Hero, this new $200 device will feature most of the best features of the Hero 5 and 6, at half the cost. The primary difference will be no 4K video. Instead you’ll be limited to 1440p or 1080p. There’s also no shooting at high frame rates like 120 or 240 frames per second. The new GoPro Hero shoots at 60fps or lower. Aside from that, it has all of the traditional features you see from the company including waterproof up to 30' without additional housing, voice control, video stabilization, and a 2-inch touch display.

Nintendo Switch Third-Party Dock Owners Are Experiencing Bricked Consoles

Third-party Switch dock owners are reporting bricked Switches after the recent 5.0 firmware update. Nintendo has received multiple calls about the devices being completely bricked and is offering to repair the device if it is under warranty although, Nintendo representatives are stating that recovering saved data would be unlikely.

The gaming company issued a statement recommending that Switch owners only buy officially licensed Switch products.

“Unlicensed products and accessories do not undergo Nintendo’s testing and evaluation process. They might not work at all with our game systems, and they could have compatibility problems with certain games, the Nintendo Switch system itself, and other licensed accessories and peripherals.”

Naturally, this isn’t cheap, $89 to be exact, whereas most decent third-party docks are around half that. Hopefully, Nintendo releases a more compact, sensible and less expensive docking station for its popular portable console soon. Although, this is highly unlikely.

Nintendo Switch Dock Set

By Nintendo of America (May 19, 2017) (nintendo_switch)

$66.97$89.99

Rated 4.5 out of 5 by 95 reviewers on Amazon.com

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Today Acer unveiled the Chromebook Tab 10, the first Chrome OS tablet. It’s aimed squarely at the education market and features a respectable spec list including a 9.7" display, a quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage plus microSD card slot. There's also a 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, Bluetooth 4.1, USB Type-C 3.1 port, and a 34Wh battery providing up to 9 hours of use. Acer also includes a stylus for writing, sketching, and working with interactive apps. Acer is launching the Chromebook Tab 10 in North America in April for a price of $329 in May. The Chromebook Tab 10 will be available to education and commercial customers only.

// via Instagram Today Acer unveiled the Chromebook Tab 10, the first Chrome OS tablet. It’s aimed squarely at the education market and features a respectable spec list including a 9.7" display, a quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage plus microSD card slot. There's also a 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, Bluetooth 4.1, USB Type-C 3.1 port, and a 34Wh battery providing up to 9 hours of use. Acer also includes a stylus for writing, sketching, and working with interactive apps. Acer is launching the Chromebook Tab 10 in North America in April for a price of $329 in May. The Chromebook Tab 10 will be available to education and commercial customers only.

Samsung's Galaxy S9 phones have only been on sale for over a week and some owners are reporting display dead zones. Numerous complaints describe how portions of the screen won't respond to touch input. It's still unclear if this is a widespread issue or one that affects a small batch. A company spokesperson said, "We are looking into a limited number of reports of touchscreen responsiveness issues. We are working with affected customers and investigating. We encourage any customer with questions to contact us directly."

// via Instagram Samsung's Galaxy S9 phones have only been on sale for over a week and some owners are reporting display dead zones. Numerous complaints describe how portions of the screen won't respond to touch input. It's still unclear if this is a widespread issue or one that affects a small batch. A company spokesperson said, "We are looking into a limited number of reports of touchscreen responsiveness issues. We are working with affected customers and investigating. We encourage any customer with questions to contact us directly."

Huawei and Sirin Labs May Develop A Smartphone With Blockchain OS

Huawei and Sirin Labs are reportedly considering developing a mobile phone to run an OS alongside Android that is specifically designed for blockchain applications, like secure exchange access and crypto wallets.

If true, the third largest smartphone producer, would be the first major manufacturer to support blockchain.

What is blockchain? Blockchain is a shared database based on a network of connected devices, rather than relying on a single trusted party to preserve it. Because the data stored there is “public,” and not located in one space, it offers incredible security. This technology was originally built to support cryptocurrency, like bitcoin for example.

Access to ultra-secure blockchain apps and services may offer Huawei further credibility as it makes efforts to prove its commitment to security by giving device owners some extra peace of mind when using their handsets.

Apple Still On Top After Amazon Passes Google As Second Most Valuable Company

On Tuesday March 20, Amazon’s stock rose 2.7% to while Apple declined .03% and Alphabet (Google) slipped .19%. As a result of this activity, Amazon passes Alphabet to become the second largest publicly traded company with a market cap of $768.04 billion. Alphabet is currently valued at $761.42 billion while Apple is atop with a current valuation of $889.17 billion.

Although, analysts estimate based on trends that Amazon will be first to hit one trillion in August with Apple hitting the mark one week later.

Fortnite launched in the App Store last Thursday to the excitement of gamers everywhere. The game is wildly popular on console and PC. The iOS version is one of a few mobile games to features support for cross-play, meaning iPhone or iPad users can play against their console friends. According to reports, Fortnite has already grossed more than $1.5 million worldwide on iOS, with $1 million of that earned during the first 72 hours after in-app purchases went live.

// via Instagram Fortnite launched in the App Store last Thursday to the excitement of gamers everywhere. The game is wildly popular on console and PC. The iOS version is one of a few mobile games to features support for cross-play, meaning iPhone or iPad users can play against their console friends. According to reports, Fortnite has already grossed more than $1.5 million worldwide on iOS, with $1 million of that earned during the first 72 hours after in-app purchases went live.

According to reports, Apple is designing and producing its own device displays for the first time, using a secret manufacturing facility near its headquarters in California. The company is developing and testing a small number of MicroLED screens. These screens use different light-emitting compounds compared to the current displays and promise to make future gadgets slimmer, brighter and less power-hungry. Creating MicroLED screens is extraordinarily complex, so its like it won't be ready for the world to see anytime soon. According to reports, the company has plans to release a second OLED iPhone in the fall.

// via Instagram According to reports, Apple is designing and producing its own device displays for the first time, using a secret manufacturing facility near its headquarters in California. The company is developing and testing a small number of MicroLED screens. These screens use different light-emitting compounds compared to the current displays and promise to make future gadgets slimmer, brighter and less power-hungry. Creating MicroLED screens is extraordinarily complex, so its like it won't be ready for the world to see anytime soon. According to reports, the company has plans to release a second OLED iPhone in the fall.

T-Mobile Nest Security System Review: How I Reduced the Price of the Nest Secure

It has been over seven years since Nest shook-up a stagnant industry with the release of their smart thermostat. The company is back with a new product for the home, hoping to accomplish the same feat. Enter the Nest Secure, a do-it-yourself alarm system that packs smart features and functionality into a clean, compact design.

It may be a little pricey compared to other options, but we decided to put our money where our mouth is and purchase a unit to conduct a hands-on test to see if it is worth it. Now before you watch the video review below, here is what you are getting into:

What’s in the Box?

• Nest Guard (main hub/keypad)
• Two Nest Detect door/window motion sensors
• Mounting brackets
• Two Nest Tags
• (Nest Indoor Cam) *Included in T-Mobile Bundle*
• (Nest Outdoor Cam) *Included in Best Buy Bundle*

Nest Secure Pros and Cons

• Pros
  • Quality Hardware
  • Simple Installation
  • Intelligent Detect Sensors
  • User Friendly App
  • Self Monitoring/Optional Professional Monitoring
  • Cellular Backup
• Cons
  • Price
  • No Google Assistant
  • No Enter/Exit Door Chime
    

How I Reduced the Nest Secure’s Price:

It’s no secret that the Nest Secure is one of the more expensive Smart Home Security systems available on the market today. At just under $500 for a hub, some tags and sensors, it is understandable if buyers scoff at it. But what if there was a way to get more for even less? That’s exactly what I found when I decided to purchase through my cellphone service provider T-Mobile. You see, when purchasing the security pack through them, you get the Nest webcam at no extra cost. That’s a $200 incentive.

Now usually when you upgrade or activate a new device at T-Mobile, the company also allows a trade-in to go toward the purchase cost. This applies to the Nest Secure as well! That’s right, if you have an old phone laying around, you can apply the trade-in value toward the Nest Secure. I traded-in a OnePlus 3T for a trade-in value of $160. This brought down the overall cost of the alarm system down to $340, which is a lot more reasonable right?

*Understand that T-Mobile does require a qualifying service plan with purchase of the Nest Secure. The plan is $15/month and includes cellular backup plus Nest Aware video recordings for the included webcam. This T-Mobile plan is non-contract and can be cancelled at anytime if desired. See your local store for additional details.*

Do We Recommend the Nest Secure?

Overall, with its top-quality hardware, beautifully-designed user experience that ensures simple installation and ease of use, the Nest Secure is one of the best do-it-yourself alarm systems on the market we can recommend. If you are comfortable spending the $500 on a home security system, and you’re already invested in the ecosystem or looking to join the ecosystem, then the Nest Secure will make a great addition to your smart home. I definitely plan to keep mine.

Graphene could be responsible for some dramatic upgrades to phone technology. Graphene isn't manufactured, but instead is extracted from graphite. It is 200 times stronger than steel and light than paper. It can be built into the batteries to improve energy storage and long-term performance. It can also act as a sort of superhighway for charging, allowing energy to pass through it so quickly that researchers believe it can charge a phone in 7 seconds. Unfortunately, researchers also believe it won't be readily available for another 10 years.

// via Instagram Graphene could be responsible for some dramatic upgrades to phone technology. Graphene isn't manufactured, but instead is extracted from graphite. It is 200 times stronger than steel and light than paper. It can be built into the batteries to improve energy storage and long-term performance. It can also act as a sort of superhighway for charging, allowing energy to pass through it so quickly that researchers believe it can charge a phone in 7 seconds. Unfortunately, researchers also believe it won't be readily available for another 10 years.

Today, Fitbit introduced two new products. The Fitbit Ace is a thin activity tracker for kids. It tracks steps, sleep, and the battery is said to last five days on a single charge. Kids will be able to collect badges by listening to prompts and increasing their activity level. The Fitbit Ace band will retail for $99.95. Next, the Fitbit Versa is the “lightest metal smartwatch” in the U.S. market right now. The smartwatch has a touchscreen with 1,000 nits of brightness and has a battery that can last more than 4 days on a single charge. It also 24/7 health tracking and the ability to load music directly onto the built-in storage. The Versa smartwatch will retail at $199.95.

// via Instagram Today, Fitbit introduced two new products. The Fitbit Ace is a thin activity tracker for kids. It tracks steps, sleep, and the battery is said to last five days on a single charge. Kids will be able to collect badges by listening to prompts and increasing their activity level. The Fitbit Ace band will retail for $99.95. Next, the Fitbit Versa is the “lightest metal smartwatch” in the U.S. market right now. The smartwatch has a touchscreen with 1,000 nits of brightness and has a battery that can last more than 4 days on a single charge. It also 24/7 health tracking and the ability to load music directly onto the built-in storage. The Versa smartwatch will retail at $199.95.

Mobile World Congress 2018 be like...

// via Instagram Mobile World Congress 2018 be like...