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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.

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16 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

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.

I've got a power board on the way.

But for how I watch tv/sports, I know I want OLED. Dark room, lights off etc. I looked at 2 tv's on clearance at the Brick side by side, both LG, one OLED and one LCD. Clear difference in the blacks (both playing same source Age of Ultron). OLED suffers in bright rooms as they don't get bright enough, but this is for the basement with blackout curtains.

If I can't fix it (and I'm pretty sure I can), then Costco is a good choice for the warranty. Price between them and others is the same on the same model, but $100 to extend the in home warranty to 5 yrs vs. $500 and other stores. They don't quite have the model I'm looking for. They have the LG B9, but I want the step up C9.

  • Author
26 minutes ago, tacklewasher said:

I've got a power board on the way.

But for how I watch tv/sports, I know I want OLED. Dark room, lights off etc. I looked at 2 tv's on clearance at the Brick side by side, both LG, one OLED and one LCD. Clear difference in the blacks (both playing same source Age of Ultron). OLED suffers in bright rooms as they don't get bright enough, but this is for the basement with blackout curtains.

If I can't fix it (and I'm pretty sure I can), then Costco is a good choice for the warranty. Price between them and others is the same on the same model, but $100 to extend the in home warranty to 5 yrs vs. $500 and other stores. They don't quite have the model I'm looking for. They have the LG B9, but I want the step up C9.

Mine is a 65" LG OLED.  Its our primary TV and is in our living room.  I hear what you mean about brightness as we have a large window opposite the TV and I always have to pull the black out curtains.  But it does look awesome with those deep inky blacks.  I paired it with an OPPO 4K Blu Ray Player which was a splurge as at the time it was the best rated player but pretty expensive.  There are lots of options now but its pretty awesome to throw in an older Blu Ray (as I did with the Sopranos) and have it be practically a new viewing experience!

Let us know what you get if you do get a new one!

On a semi related topic, Im slowly working on our basement.  We bought my parents home and the basement was finished by my dad about 40 years ago (wood panneling, stucky, mirrors etc).  I want to tear it all out and do a simple dry wall & carpet combo for a nice dark home theatre.  I've always shied away from projectors but I'd like to go with a very large screen for a movie theatre experience.  Anyone do this?  (If I can afford it, we'd do an Atmos surround as well).  Probably a year off at best.

2 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Mine is a 65" LG OLED.  Its our primary TV and is in our living room.  I hear what you mean about brightness as we have a large window opposite the TV and I always have to pull the black out curtains.  But it does look awesome with those deep inky blacks.  I paired it with an OPPO 4K Blu Ray Player which was a splurge as at the time it was the best rated player but pretty expensive.  There are lots of options now but its pretty awesome to throw in an older Blu Ray (as I did with the Sopranos) and have it be practically a new viewing experience!

Let us know what you get if you do get a new one!

On a semi related topic, Im slowly working on our basement.  We bought my parents home and the basement was finished by my dad about 40 years ago (wood panneling, stucky, mirrors etc).  I want to tear it all out and do a simple dry wall & carpet combo for a nice dark home theatre.  I've always shied away from projectors but I'd like to go with a very large screen for a movie theatre experience.  Anyone do this?  (If I can afford it, we'd do an Atmos surround as well).  Probably a year off at best.

@kelownabomberfan has a nice setup with a projector. My room is too small for one as I'm under 10 ft from the TV. I like my 60" but would go 65 if I went OLED. Price jump to 77 is insane (IMHO)

I painted the wood paneling instead of replacing it. When the basement was done (long before I bought it) it was framed for drywall, but then they put up thin paneling. So the put in scrap strapping to get the depth right. So if I pulled out the paneling I'd be having to tear out thousands of pieces of strapping. I just am finishing the ceiling, but left it a kind of home made drop ceiling in case I need to get up there again.

dKUx17P.jpg

RIP Windows 7.

Although there is a way to get updates via hack or paid third party services.

Edited by FrostyWinnipeg

  • Author
On 2020-01-08 at 11:16 AM, tacklewasher said:

@kelownabomberfan has a nice setup with a projector. My room is too small for one as I'm under 10 ft from the TV. I like my 60" but would go 65 if I went OLED. Price jump to 77 is insane (IMHO)

I painted the wood paneling instead of replacing it. When the basement was done (long before I bought it) it was framed for drywall, but then they put up thin paneling. So the put in scrap strapping to get the depth right. So if I pulled out the paneling I'd be having to tear out thousands of pieces of strapping. I just am finishing the ceiling, but left it a kind of home made drop ceiling in case I need to get up there again.

I have this great fear of tearing open the walls but I'd like to replace the insulation as its 40 years old too.  And I've always loved a normal drywall ceiling but yeah, probably just leave the drop ceiling (maybe replace the tiles with something a bit more modern)...makes it easy.  Especially if/when I install the ATMOS system lol

  • 2 weeks later...
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The absolute best/cheapest cellphone provider is Zoomer wireless out of Vancouver. The wife and I get new phones and a very nice (for our needs)  plan for $50.00 per month. We have been very happy with our service for the past 5 years.

  • 1 month later...
On 2020-04-15 at 5:33 PM, Tracker said:

The absolute best/cheapest cellphone provider is Zoomer wireless out of Vancouver. The wife and I get new phones and a very nice (for our needs)  plan for $50.00 per month. We have been very happy with our service for the past 5 years.

Hey just joined up here.

uBJzLqH.png

Day before it was 6GB data.

Edited by FrostyWinnipeg

  • 4 weeks later...
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  • 5 weeks later...

Last year, Canada’s Big Telcos asked the government to block a key CRTC decision that will make Internet prices more affordable for millions of Canadians. You joined over 150,000 Canadians who spoke up, and told the government you deserved lower internet and cell phone bills. Bad news: the Government caved to pressure from the Big Telcos and Internet prices are already on the rise. Shouldn’t the government look out for your interests, not Big Telco profits? Click the link below to visit OpenMedia.org and make your voice heard:

https://openmedia.org/BigTelecomBains/

Edited by FrostyWinnipeg

  • 3 weeks later...

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