Apple surprised customers with a sudden (but expected) hardware refresh of its 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros without an on-stage introduction. The updated models include the T2 security chip first introduced in 2017’s iMac Pro providing a secure boot, encrypted storage, live “Hey Siri” commands, and more.
The 2018 MacBook Intel Core i9-powered 15-inch Pro refresh strikes some chords with some long requested features, and as often is the case with Apple products, stirs up some controversy.
On the outside, the largest size MacBook remains utterly unchanged, but that's not a bad thing. It's still 17 percent lighter and 14 percent thinner than its 2015 predecessor, and feels as premium as ever.
While Apple's redesigned keyboards in the new MacBook Pro models are made to be quieter, they also appear to be designed to prevent another problem. According to a document sent to Apple Authorized Service Providers and obtained by MacRumors, the new keys have a "membrane" underneath that helps "prevent debris" from getting into the butterfly mechanism.
Toughened glass has long protected your phone against a singular drop, but one-and-done isn't how it works in real life -- we've all seen butterfingers users whose device falls to the floor on a seemingly weekly basis. Those not-so-coordinated people might have a little less to worry about going forward. Corning has unveiled Gorilla Glass 6, whose composition has been altered to better survive multiple drops without breaking. In tests, it could handle an average of 15 drops on to a rough surface from 3.3 feet.
Pull a USB flash drive out of your Mac without first clicking to eject it, and you’ll get a stern, shameful warning: “Disk Not Ejected Properly.”
But do you really need to eject a thumb drive the right way?
Just a few days ago Apple launched the latest additions to its MacBook Pro range, and the company talked about the fact that the keyboard is quieter. A teardown of the latest devices reveals not only why the keyboards are quieter, but also that the method used seems to serve a secondary purpose -- or maybe that the quietening is itself a secondary purpose.
As someone who spends a lot of time with smartphones, I often get asked, "Hey Ron, what Android phone should I buy?" The high-end answer is usually easy: buy a Pixel phone. But not everyone is willing to shell out $650+ for a smartphone, especially the types of casual users that ask for advice. Beyond the flagship smartphones, things get more difficult within the Android ecosystem.
Less than a day after Apple officially added an iPhone and iPad hack-preventing USB Restricted Mode to iOS, security researchers at ElcomSoft have detailed a simple workaround that can be used by law enforcement personnel to mitigate the feature. The workaround requires a Lightning connector accessory, such as Apple’s $39 Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter, but is expected to work with numerous other Lightning accessories, as well.
The introduction of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports and the transition away from legacy ports hasn't been smooth. PC and smartphone OEMs began using USB-C ports a few years ago because they allowed companies to make thinner devices with faster ports. Gargantuan in comparison, USB-A ports we all know and love from thumbdrives take up a lot of space on devices, they don't handle data transfer as efficiently as new ports, and they're limited when it comes to multiple connections and charging.
Notches are so early 2018 - or so Oppo's Find X would have you believe - but Google seems to remain steadfast in its opinion that the notch train don't stop for nobody. Indeed, based on the leaks that you're about to see below, the Pixel 3 XL appears to come with said unapologetic intrusion into one's precious screen real estate, but its smaller sibling the Pixel 3, takes a more old-school Samsung-esque approach with a more familiar forehead and chin.
