Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Morning Big Blue

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

The Tech Thread

I figured this would expand into other areas...but Apple announced iPhone 8 and their new flagship iPhone X today:

https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/12/iphone-x/

Apple’s iPhone X, like the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, comes with a brand new design, ditching bezels and opting for a glass front and back. Apple says there is a deeper strengthening layer in the glass that makes it the “most durable in a smartphone.”

Thanks to this new design, the iPhone X is sealed for water and dust resistance.

It’s made from surgical-grade, stainless steel and comes in two finishes: space grey and silver.

Following the current trend in smartphones, Apple has done away with the bezels on the iPhone X, offering an edge-to-edge 5.8-inch display. In fact, Apple is upgrading quite a bit in that department, offering an OLED display for the very first time, calling it the Super Retina Display. This brings with it all the standard benefits of OLED, including more accurate colors, better image uniformity across the screen, etc.

The iPhone X Super Retina display supports 2046×1125 resolution, with 455 PPI, and HDR in both Dolby Vision and HDR.

The company is reportedly paying around $125 per panel, which is part of the reason for the reports of a more expensive iPhone.

This is also the first iPhone that will not have a home button, with the new screen reaching across the entire front of the device. Users can wake up their device by picking it up or swiping across any part of the screen. To close an app, simply swipe up on the screen and throw it away. Users can also reach Siri by simply saying “Hey Siri” or by pressing the side button.

Given that the home button has historically been central to the iPhone’s security, the replacement comes in the form of a depth-sensing front camera which will unlock the phone by detecting the user’s face. Apple is calling it FaceID.

This means that the iPhone will know what your face looks like from all angles and can unlock the phone while it’s, say, lying on a table. It also means that the feature shouldn’t be susceptible to trickery, such as unlocking for a two-dimensional photo of you instead of the real thing. Apple says the chances that someone can trick FaceID and break into your phone are 1 in a million.

“You’re wearing glasses, or wear a hat, or do it up any way you want to do it…” FaceID still works, day or night, according to Phil Schiller.

FaceID is enabled by a True Depth camera system, equipped with an infrared camera, flood illuminator, dot projector and more all packed into the top of your iPhone.

The feature is used for Apple Pay now, as well as a new feature called Animojis for messaging. Animoji’s use FaceID to lay your facial expressions into emojis, giving them your own unique take. You can pick from a dozen different animated emojis.

As far as cameras are concerned, the iPhone X is about as locked and loaded as one can get. The rear camera features a 12-megapixel sensor, with dual-lenses at f1.8 and f2.8 apertures (which is brighter than the 7 Plus telephoto). It comes with dual-image OIS quad-LED TrueTone flash.

Because of the combination of the new A11 Bionic and the enhanced camera, Apple is introducing a new Portrait Lighting, letting users select their lighting effects. These aren’t filters, but rather a real-time analysis of the light hitting the subject’s face, and these lighting effects can be added before and after the photo is taken.

Video is vastly improved as well. Combined with that A11 processor, video can be captured at 60FPS in low-light mode, with faster frame rate support and 4K capture. Slo-mo videos shot in 1080p will have 240 FPS.

The front-facing camera is powered by that True Depth camera system that supports FaceID. But the big news here is that Portrait mode and Portrait lighting is now available on the front-camera.

The iPhone X, as well as the other new iPhones announced today, comes with wireless charging capabilities, thanks to that new glass back. Wireless charging is supported by Qi, which is considered as the standard in the wireless charging industry.

Plus, battery life is two hours longer than the iPhone 7, with most of the improvement coming by way of software enhancements. But because Apple likes to take things to the next level, the wireless charging on the new iPhones is coming with a new accessory called AirPower. It’s a larger mat that lets users charge their iPhones, Apple Watch and AirPods all at the same time.

The iPhone X is packed with the new A11 Bionic processor: 64-bit design, six cores, two high performance processors that are 25 percent faster than the A10 and 4-high efficiency cores (two more than the A10) that are 70 percent faster. The GPU is 30 percent faster.

Part of the bigger news here is improved photographs. As Panzarino noted in the live blog, “The Apple ISP is one of its secret weapons in photography. If you’ve loved an iPhone picture you’ve ever taken then thank the image processor inside the phone for that result.”

The iPhone X starts at $999 for the 64GB model, with a larger 256GB option.

Pre-orders begin on October 27 and regular sales begin November 3, just in time for the Holidays.

  • Replies 465
  • Views 92.4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Most Popular Posts

Featured Replies

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

YES!!!! I knew they would do this after they did one for Oregon Trail

 

that's super cool...I kinda wanna go back to an old style flip-phone that only does texting. As life goes on, I find myself more and more "over" the whole social media thing and having constant access to information at my finger tips.

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
26 minutes ago, tacklewasher said:

I've got Ring items and you need to protect it like any wireless device. Not a Ring issue per se, just that these have become popular, the setup is easy so consumers can do it and not secure it well. No different than a wireless printer.

Oh so you thought. It looks like they probably were hacked.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/19/ring-doorbell-passwords-exposed/

 

2 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Oh so you thought. It looks like they probably were hacked.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/19/ring-doorbell-passwords-exposed/

 

Maybe. But the two step authentication they have available is reasonable protection. The issue is most don't enable it. Again, consumers not understanding how to protect their privacy.

  • 2 weeks later...

What would you replace a plasma tv with?

My 10 yr old LG 60" plasma died. Will power on but won't turn on (screen is blank). Happened once before after a lightning storm and I repaired it, but getting a bit pricy for a 10 yr old TV, although I do love the plasma.

Would I be disappointed with an LCD and do I need to go OLED? Was just at the Brick and they had a E8 (last years model) sitting next to a LCD and the difference seem pretty clear, but I'm looking at $2.5 - 3K all in to go OLED.

Mostly for football, hockey, movies and some light gaming (Xbox One S)

 

Thanks

I'd probably fix it first and shop for OLED second.

  • Author
On 2020-01-04 at 4:27 PM, tacklewasher said:

What would you replace a plasma tv with?

My 10 yr old LG 60" plasma died. Will power on but won't turn on (screen is blank). Happened once before after a lightning storm and I repaired it, but getting a bit pricy for a 10 yr old TV, although I do love the plasma.

Would I be disappointed with an LCD and do I need to go OLED? Was just at the Brick and they had a E8 (last years model) sitting next to a LCD and the difference seem pretty clear, but I'm looking at $2.5 - 3K all in to go OLED.

Mostly for football, hockey, movies and some light gaming (Xbox One S)

 

Thanks

I have an OLED I got to replace my several year old LED.  I notice a difference when Im watching a great source.  But honestly, I doubt I'd lean towards a more expensive model in the future (I was able to get a deal cause I knew a guy who knew a guy).  

Check out Costco if you're able to.  They have some non-name brand TV's, great prices and ofcourse, their warranty is great.  I bought my mom a TV from there and it looks as good as mine (or at least comparable) for a fraction of the price.

Create an account or sign in to comment

Account

Navigation

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.