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.