Author: batteryforpc

Apple earlier this month introduced a surprise update to its MacBook Pro line, overhauling the entry-level 13-inch machine to bring it in line with more expensive models that were updated back in May.

We went hands-on with the new MacBook Pro to take a look at the new features, including a Touch Bar, an updated processor, a new keyboard, and more.

Prior to the update, the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro hadn’t been refreshed since 2017, so it was the last remaining MacBook Pro still using older keyboard technology that retained a row of function keys.

The new model replaces that row of function keys with a Touch Bar, bringing it in line with the rest of the MacBook Pro models. Other than that, physically, the new MacBook Pro looks much like the older model.

There is, however, an updated third-generation butterfly keyboard identical to the updated third-generation keyboard used in the May MacBook Pro refresh and the new 2019 MacBook Air.

This keyboard is made from updated materials with a new membrane that Apple says will cut down on failure rates that impact other earlier butterfly keyboards. MacBook Prousers should see fewer repeating and stuck keys, but the problem isn’t entirely solved so these machines are already covered under Apple’s keyboard repair program.

Internally, the new MacBook Pro is equipped with a 1.4GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, a 128GB SSD, and it continues to offer two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left side of the machine rather than the four found in the more expensive MacBook Pro models.

At first glance, the 1.4GHz processor looks like it might be slower than the earlier models that were available, but in practice, it’s speedier because of the newer technology and the fact that it’s using a four-core chip rather than a two-core chip.

Our tests found that it’s faster than the earlier equivalent MacBook Pro models and quicker than some of the older 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar. It’s not even too far off some of the current 15-inch MacBook Pros. The video in this article, which is 4K and about five minutes in length, took approximately 4 minutes to export.

The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro promises 10 hour battery life, which seemed accurate in our testing. That number is, of course, going to drop for processor intensive tasks like video editing.

Price wise, the new MacBook Pro is the most affordable notebook in the MacBook Pro line, with pricing starting at $1,299. What do you think of the new entry-level MacBook Promodels? Let us know in the comments.

Good sound and great noise cancelling make for a solid AirPod competitor — particularly for Android users

I would have had a review of the WF-1000XM3s up sooner, but they arrived while I was traveling. That was a bummer for two reasons. First and most obviously is the fact that I hate being late with a review. Second and more selfishly, I really wanted to try them out on those 16-hour flights I just took to Hong Kong and back.

It’s a use case for Sony’s new fully wireless earbuds. The company’s clearly got the Bose market firmly in its sights with a pair of premium buds sporting plentiful battery life and active noise cancelling.

As I noted in our preview a couple of weeks back, companies tend to go in one of two directions with these devices. There are the more active fitness products (see: Jaybirds and Powerbeats) and the general lifestyle ones (Airpods, et al.). It’s clear which market Sony is going after here — it’s exactly the same one it went after with its QuietComfort-besting over-ear headphones.

The XM3s (as we’ll refer to them from here on to save our poor “0” key) lack obvious fitness features like waterproofing and ear stabilizers for those who like to take their headphones for a run. If that last bit applies to you, these will do in a pinch, but you’ll want to look elsewhere for a running partner (Sony’s got the equally pithily named WF-SP700N for that).Those looking for a travel buddy, on the other hand, could do much worse.

As Beats did with the Powerbeats Pro, Sony opted for battery life over portability with the XM3 case. Sony’s case isn’t quite as massive as Beats’, but it’s still probably too large for most pockets. The good news there, however, is that with a rated six hours of battery with active noise cancelling on (eight without), you should be fine leaving the case at home much of the time.

Add the charging case into the mix and that number comes out to a full day of music playback with ANC and 32 hours without. Using the USB-C port on the bottom should get you 90 minutes of playback with a 10-minute charge. There’s no wireless option for charging — much like AirPods, that’s got “gen two” written all over it.

The XM3s maintain a similar oblong design as the sportier 700N. They’re small and subtle in black or silver, unlike the attention-grabbing bright white AirPods. In fact, they look a bit like Bluetooth headsets. To get the right fit, insert them into the ear facing down and twist up 90 degrees. I admit that I left it facing down the first time I tried them on in a demo. Rookie mistake.

The earbuds ship with swappable silicone tips, though I found the default set to be a pretty good fit for my own ears. There’s no mechanism for keeping them in place, but they’re small enough that they shouldn’t move around much, even with some light jogging. Though, again, I’d caution against that, as Sony hasn’t offered up anything in the way of sweatproofing here.

Audio quality has come a long way since the earliest days of the Bluetooth earbud. I was impressed with what Sony was able to pack into such a small form factor. This latest generation of earbuds has made it clear that the smaller size no longer means having to compromise on sound. And indeed, the XM3s offer solid sound for a pair of Bluetooth buds, with a full and rich sound featuring a good balance and plenty of bass.

More impressive is the active noise cancellation — something that, up until recently, one assumed would have to be sacrificed on a pair of small wireless buds. A tap of the touchpad on the side will toggle in and out of noise cancelling and an ambient mode which lets in more sound for those instances when it’s required. The latter is probably another step toward a world where we carry on in-person conversations without taking the earbuds out. But we were heading that way anyway. At least Sony’s done a good job implementing the tech here.

Interestingly, the two earbuds form their own individual Bluetooth link to the synced device. That helps cut down on lag and also means they can operate independently from one another. In a few cases, I had issues with one bud cutting out, which was a bit annoying, but there’s something to be said for having the other one maintain its connection. The independence of left and right also means that audio reports like battery levels are reported separately.

At $230, the XM3s slot in between AirPods and Powerbeats. iPhone users will miss the lack of automatic pairing with the W2 chip, but NFC means quicker pairing for Android users. All told, there’s a lot to like from these buds. They’ve got good sound, excellent noise cancelling and a long battery life.

They’re not great gym companions like the Powerbeats — but they’re not really designed to be. For those who travel a lot or are simply looking for a solid day to day headphone, the XM3s are among the best out there.

We’re weeks away from the Samsung Note 10 launch on August 7, but the rumor mill is running at full steam. The latest claims the smartphone will get a few radical new features, like gesture controls through the S-Pen audio and video that only records audio from one source.

Other details seem to confirm previous rumors, like a two-model release (the standard Note 10 and a larger Note 10 Pro), but the more exciting claims are new. According to Greek site TechManiacs, which cited a knowledgeable source, the S-Pen will support gesture controls to navigate and produce context-appropriate sounds (if you’re using it to highlight text, it will make sounds like a highlighter marker, for example).

The rumor also mentions the Note 10’s video will include ‘Zoom Audio,’ a feature first introduced in the LG G2 way back in 2013. It essentially promised to record one source of sound and block out the rest, but the results were mixed.

Perhaps the most concrete prediction is the removal of the Bixby button. Instead, you’ll allegedly be able to summon the voice assistant with the power button, sort of like we could do – briefly – with the delayed Samsung Galaxy Fold.

The ‘normal’ predictions are still out there

Even the lower-key predictions seem a bit out of step for the Note line. For instance, the source claims the larger Note 10 will weigh 198g, while the smaller will be 168g – which is far lighter than the 201g of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Further, the source claims the smaller Note 10 will only come in FHD+ and the larger in QHD+, which is also odd given the Note 9 had a QHD+ (1,440 x 2,960) resolution. In other words, the source predicts that the smaller model will be a bit downgraded compared to the flagship specs of its predecessor.

Heck, the rumor even predicts the more diminutive model will have a 6.3-inch screen (compare that to the 6.4-inch Note 9). This could align with a prior rumoralleging that Samsung has a smaller Note 10 planned to exclusively launch in Europe, but even that sounds a bit odd.

Some claims are less crazy: eliminating the 3.5mm audio jack gave Samsung room to add 100mAh of capacity to both Note 10 and Note 10 Pro’s battery, enlarging the former’s battery to 3,500mAh and the latter to 4,300. That capacity gap alone suggests a noticeable size difference between the models, though the disparity affects recharging, too, with the smaller capping out at 25W while the larger allegedly reaching 45W of fast-charging potential.

Other predictions are in line with previous rumors, like starting the larger Note 10 Pro at 256GB of storage and only giving the option of 12GB RAM.

It goes without saying that this set of rumors is the wildest we’ve heard yet for the Note 10 – and we’ve only got a couple weeks before we find out whether they’re true.

iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 come with a new feature that makes it much easier to share audio with your friends. Sure, you can go the “two of you use one half of a pair of earbuds” route, but that isn’t the best way to experience music or watch videos—both listeners miss out on one channel of audio, after all. And while you could always get a 3.5mm splitter, we doubt you’re rocking out with your friends that much.

The new iOS (and iPadOS) audio-sharing feature uses Bluetooth to split audio between two different devices. Specific requirements change depending on which sharing method you use (more on that in a bit), but both users will need a pair of AirPods or Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones, as well as one of the following devices (running iOS or iPadOS 13):

iOS 13: iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS, or XS Mini; or an iPod Touch (seventh-generation).

iPadOS 13: iPad Pro 11-inch; iPad Pro 12.9-inch (second-generation or later); iPad Air (third-generation); iPad mini (fifth-generation).

There will technically be two ways to share audio in iOS/iPad OS 13 when the final versions release for the public later this year. The first isn’t yet supported in the betas, but here’s how it will work:

Option 1: Audio sharing by proximity

Put the two iOS/iPadOS devices near each other while one is playing media from an app like Apple Music or YouTube.

Both devices will get a pop-up; Tap “Share Audio”

You can now share media between the two iPhones or iPads. Both users have separate volume controls on their respective devices.

The second method, though clunkier, works in the current iOS 13 beta:

Option 2: Multi-device Bluetooth pairing

The final iOS/iPadOS 13 release will also allow users to share audio by syncing up two sets of Bluetooth headphones to a single handset.

Put both pairs of Bluetooth headphones into pairing mode (this varies by model—check your user manual or do a quick internet search if you don’t know how to do this).

On the iOS/iPadOS 13 device you wish to use for playback, go to Settings > Bluetooth

Tap the names of each unpaired device to connect both headphones.

Both headphones will now play the same audio simultaneously, but volume and playback can only be controlled on the iPhone/iPad.

With the latest SUPER upgrades from Nvidia joining the company’s extensive lineup of graphics cards, there has been some speculation that the green team could also release a SUPER variant of the top-end GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Although an Nvidia executive has categorically stated there are no plans to release such a product, it may depend on what AMD has in store.

The graphics card market struggle between Nvidia and AMD has been particularly vigorous this year so far, and that state is unlikely to change throughout the rest of 2019. While AMD has its Navi-based offerings to tempt gamers with, Nvidia has been working on filling gaps with the SUPER variants of its Turing-based GeForce RTX 20 series.

Recently, Nvidia executive Jeff Fisher was quizzed on whether there would be a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti SUPER SKU to complement the range. The company’s senior VP of PC business answered in a firmly negative manner, which would leave the “vanilla” RTX 2080 Ti as Nvidia’s top-end consumer-grade option. But that hasn’t stopped speculation about the potential release of a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti SUPER to counter AMD’s upcoming products.

VideoCardz has opined that Nvidia could be keeping the launch of an RTX 2080 Ti SUPER in reserve in case AMD unveils a card that is faster than the regular RTX 2080 Ti. The same source has offered up some possible specifications for a potential RTX 2080 Ti SUPER graphics solution:

4408 – 4608 CUDA cores (RTX 2080 Ti: 4352; Titan RTX: 4608)

12 GB G6 384 bit (RTX 2080 Ti: 11 GB G6 352 bit; Titan RTX: 24 GB G6 384 bit)

14.0 Gb/s (same as both the RTX 2080 Ti and Titan RTX)

It’s a tricky situation for Nvidia in terms of business, with AMD holding strong cards at the moment. The red team could go ahead and release a graphics card monster that properly challenges the RTX 2080 Ti’s dominance in performance benchmarks, arguably forcing Nvidia to release a SUPER variant just to trump an AMD usurper.