The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple a patent describing a "method for representing points of interest in a view of a real environment on a mobile device," and while there is no specific mention of so-called Apple Glasses, the patent describes a "head-mounted display."
As with many other augmented reality devices, the head-mounted display would be able to overlay computer-generated virtual information onto a view of the real environment. More specifically, the headset would have a camera that is able to identify and annotate points of interest and other objects.
One illustration in the patent shows a head-mounted display showing buildings, each identified with an overlaying label. In another embodiment, an iPhone is shown with detailed information about a specific point of interest.
While the head-mounted display looks like a pair of snowboarding goggles, patent illustrations are merely examples.
Apple files numerous patent applications every week, of course, and many of the inventions do not see the light of day. Patents are also very detailed, encompassing many possible ideas, even ones that Apple might not have any plans to advance. So, the exact implementation if any remains to be seen.
At this point, it's not entirely clear if Apple is working on Google Glasses-like glasses or a HoloLens-like headset. Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed more of an interest in augmented reality than virtual reality, however, and the patent does suggest that Apple is focused on augmenting the real world.
Mitsubishi isn't one of the biggest-selling car manufacturers in the U.S. these days, but the Japanese automaker has been rebounding substantially in recent years thanks in large part to its focus on the popular crossover segment, led by the Outlander.
The Mitsubishi Outlander has been offered in a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant for the last few years, and I've been testing out a brand-new 2019 model of the Outlander PHEV just as the first units are starting to roll out to dealers around the country.
In the U.S. at least, changes from the 2018 model are primarily cosmetic aside from some tweaks to the suspension, noise and vibration reduction, and comfort. 2019 models in other countries are seeing some more substantial upgrades under the hood, but those have yet to make their way into the U.S. models.
The U.S. version of the 2019 Outlander PHEV offers a 2.0 L 4-cylinder gas engine paired with dual 60 kW electric motors and a 12 kWh Li-ion battery. Operating solely on electric power, the Outlander PHEV can drive up to 22 miles depending on conditions, while it gets 25 MPG in gasoline-only mode, for a combined rating of 74 MPGe. But with a relatively small 11.3-gallon gas tank to make room for the batteries, overall range is only a little over 300 miles.
Level 1/2 (left) and CHAdeMO (right) charging ports
A 110–120 V Level 1 charging cable is included with the Outlander for charging from a standard electrical outlet, and it offers the ability to switch between 8 A and 12 A charging options. A full charge requires approximately 13 hours at 8 A or 8 hours at 12 A. For faster charging, you can use a 220–240 V Level 2 charging device, which takes about 3.5 hours for a full charge, or a CHAdeMO quick charger at a public charging station to deliver an 80 percent charge in about 25 minutes. The battery is also charged on the go through regenerative braking with steering mounted paddle shifters to adjust the regenerative braking force.
My test vehicle was the high-end GT S-AWC trim, which checks in at just over $42,500 before federal tax credits and includes a number of upgrades and option packages as part of the trim level. The lower-level SEL S-AWC trim starts around $35,000 before tax breaks.
Smartphone Link Display Audio
Mitsubishi offers a 7-inch touchscreen standard in the Outlander PHEV with an infotainment system it calls Smartphone Link Display Audio (SDA). CarPlay and Android Auto support are also standard on all PHEV trims, although SDA and CarPlay/Android are not available on the base ES trim of the regular Outlander.
Mitsubishi's Smartphone Link Display Audio (SDA) home screen
What's interesting about Mitsubishi's SDA system is that there is no embedded navigation available in U.S. models, with users instead needing to rely on CarPlay or Android Auto for their navigation needs. I spoke with Bryan Arnett, Mitsubishi's senior manager for accessory development and advanced technology, and he explained to me that the company made the decision to remove embedded navigation as an option in the United States as of 2016 models for several interrelated reasons.
One of the key aspects had to do with cost, as navigation packages frequently cost in excess of $1,000 on top of other options, so only a portion of users even purchased cars with built-in navigation. In addition, embedded navigation systems need to be regularly updated to ensure they have the latest maps and points of interest, and even when Mitsubishi offered map updates free of charge, users were slow to update.
Embedded navigation systems also can have difficulty competing with smartphone options that owners are already used to in terms of interface and the overall user experience, so Mitsubishi made the decision to go all-in on CarPlay and Android Auto to provide navigation using devices customers already have. Arnett told me that customer feedback on this move has been great, with users increasingly preferring their phones over embedded navigation.
That said, Mitsubishi is part of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, which late last year announced that it will be among a number of car manufacturers moving to adopt Google's Android OS to drive their future infotainment systems. The move will allow users to access built-in versions of Google Maps and other services, although CarPlay will continue to be supported. The Alliance is planning to start rolling out vehicles with Android OS-based systems in 2021.
SiriusXM screen in SDA
As for the current SDA system in the Outlander PHEV, the 7-inch display is framed by a small power/volume knob at the lower left corner and a vertical strip of fixed touch icons along the right side. These icons include a Home button to take you back to the SDA home screen from wherever you are, including in CarPlay or Android Auto, as well as an Apps button that offers a persistent, one-touch option to take you into CarPlay or Android Auto.
Pop-up menu in SiriusXM screen
There's also an Audio button to take you directly to the SDA audio functions and cycle through the various audio sources (including CarPlay's Music app), and a Menu button that pops up a panel at the lower right where you can access settings and other options depending on which SDA screen you're on.
FM radio screen in SDA
In general, Mitsubishi has worked to ensure that the SDA system is intuitive by limiting submenus and making sure everything you need should be no more than two taps away. That's certainly the case with most functions, but I feel like there are some areas where the interface could use some improvements.
Phone keypad in SDA
In particular, the SDA system could use a visual overhaul with modernization of icon and button designs, and some functions such as the SiriusXM screen feel quite cluttered. I recognize that SiriusXM offers a lot of features and I appreciate Mitsubishi's effort to make them all accessible, but I feel like there could definitely be some streamlining.
Second page of SDA home screen showing EV-related icons
As a plug-in hybrid, the Outlander PHEV has a good bit more going on technology-wise than most other cars, and so the SDA system has been augmented to handle that. There are a number of home screen icons for PHEV-specific functions such as vehicle info on charging state and power flow, timed air conditioning and charging settings, and more.
EV eco-related data
Climate controls are handled strictly through separate hardware controls located below the infotainment system, although you do get a brief climate setting overlay on the screen when you make an adjustment. There's also an Air Conditioning icon on the SDA home screen that displays the current climate control settings, but you can't make any adjustments through the touchscreen.
Hardware climate controls at bottom with display-only climate information app in SDA
CarPlay
CarPlay uses a wired connection in the Outlander PHEV, which is unsurprising given how slow wireless CarPlay has been to take off. There's a single USB-A port near the bottom of the center stack, which comes with a rubberized plug cover that feels a little unnecessary and just seems to get in the way if you plan to be plugging and unplugging a USB cable frequently.
CarPlay home screen
CarPlay behaves as you'd expect on the 7-inch screen, which is about middle of the road in terms of screen sizes. Some views such as in maps feel a little on the small and cluttered side if you're used to an 8-inch screen, but it's completely usable. CarPlay is operated strictly by the touchscreen, with no additional touch pad or control knob on the center console, and that's fine with me.
The dedicated Home and Apps buttons make it easy to jump in and out of CarPlay, although I'd prefer it if they were located on the left side of the screen for a little bit easier reach.
Now Playing screen in CarPlay
The Outlander PHEV does come with a digital driver's display centered behind the steering wheel that can offer information such as range, MPG, trip odometers, energy flow, and more, but unfortunately there's no option to display audio information, a feature I typically like to use when the main infotainment screen is taken over by other functions such as CarPlay navigation.
Driver's display between the speedometer and power/charge gauges
As with most other cars, the voice control button on the steering wheel serves dual duty, with a short press bring up the SDA voice assistant and a long press bringing up Siri.
SDA and Siri voice control button located at top of lower left cluster
The first time you hit the voice control button, a screen pops up letting you know how that works, and you can tap a checkbox to permanently prevent the introduction screen from showing up in the future.
Pop-up screen explaining how to activate SDA and Siri voice controls
Ports and Connectivity
As I mentioned in the previous section, there's a single USB-A near the base of the center stack, where you can connect a phone for CarPlay or Android Auto, or other devices like iPods for audio purposes.
USB port located at base of center stack and adjacent to console cupholders
A pair of cupholders are located very close to the USB port and serve as decent places to store a connected phone, but there's no dedicated phone storage tray. I do feel like Mitsubishi could have made room for a tray, as there is a fair amount of empty space on the center console even with some extra buttons and switches for managing the hybrid functions of the vehicle.
Center console layout
There's no USB port inside the center console compartment, which would have been another nice option to have for those who like to keep their phones hidden away while driving. You can certainly still store your phone in the compartment, but you'll have a USB cable running out from under the lid all the way up to the dash.
On the rear of the center console, you'll find a second USB-A port for rear passengers. It's a fully functional USB data port, so it can be used not only for device charging but also for CarPlay or a media source.
Mitsubishi does not offer any wireless phone charging or Wi-Fi hotspot option on the Outlander PHEV.
One thing that is available on the Outlander PHEV GT trim is a 1500-watt AC power system with one outlet on the rear of the center console and a second in the cargo area. When active, you can power all sorts of electrical devices using the system, which can be handy for camping, extended trips into remote areas, or even for household items during power outages. There's also a single 12V DC power port up front on the dashboard.
Wrap-up
Overall, I was impressed with the CarPlay integration on Mitsubishi's latest SDA infotainment system, which the company tells me has been included on over 400,000 vehicles worldwide and over 100,000 in the United States. Interactions with CarPlay are fluid, and dedicated touch buttons for hopping in and out of CarPlay make for a smoothly integrated experience.
As for SDA itself, it certainly offers a lot of capabilities, especially on the Outlander PHEV with all of its hybrid technology. I thought I'd miss an option for embedded navigation, but it's starting to make a lot of sense for companies to forego built-in navigation in favor of owners' own smartphones that can offer a better user experience.
But while Mitsubishi has emphasized a streamlined menu hierarchy to limit the number of taps needed to access any option or setting, the visual design of the system could stand to see some improvement. It looks dated, and some screens end up looking quite cluttered. The home screens are easy-to-use grids with colorful icons to help you pick out what you're looking for at a quick glance, but again, the user interface element designs are looking rather dated and could really use some freshening up.
I'm optimistic about Mitsubishi and other manufacturers moving toward Android OS in the next few years, as built-in Google Maps (and hopefully Waze) will be great additions to these systems. Cloud-based navigation systems do sometimes falter compared to embedded systems in areas of poor cellular coverage, but Mitsubishi tells me it's working on addressing that through caching and other means as it moves toward bringing built-in navigation back with Android OS.
The base gas-powered Outlander ES trim starts at a little under $25,000, but you'll need to step up to the SE trim for an additional $1,000 in order to get the SDA system with CarPlay. If you're interested in the PHEV version of the Outlander, that starts around $35,000 for the SEL S-AWC trim with SDA and CarPlay standard.
Stepping up to the higher-level GT S-AWC trim can push pricing up to around $42,000, with even more options and packages available on top of that. Keep in mind that the Outlander PHEV will qualify for federal electric vehicle tax credits of $5,836, so that'll go a long way toward making the PHEV version more price competitive compared to traditional gas models if you'd like to go that route.
Logitech today added a new 5.1 surround sound speaker system to its audio range featuring wireless multi-source connectivity.
Called the Logitech Z606, the six-speaker system offers 160 watts of peak power and includes 3.5mm audio jack and RCA cable connections along with a built-in Bluetooth 4.2 module for quickly connecting to TVs, smartphones, tablets, consoles and computers.
The system comes with a 5.25-inch 25 watt subwoofer and five 10-watt (50-watt in total) satellite speakers, including extra long 20-foot rear satellite speaker cables for best placement to get the optimal surround sound experience.
The Bluetooth connection works up to 33 feet away, while the included compact remote lets you play, pause and skip songs, control volume, select inputs, and switch between 2.1 and 5.1 sound interchangeably.
The Logitech Z606 5.1 Surround Sound costs $129.99 and is available to order from today from the Logitech website.
The winners are Alex Jiang, Blake Marvin, Elizabeth Scarrott, Andrew Griswold, Bernard Antolin, and LieAdi Darmawan from the U.S., Darren Soh from Singapore, Nikita Yarosh from Belarus, Dina Alfasi from Israel, and Robert Glaser from Germany. A variety of iPhones were used, from the iPhone 7 through iPhone XS Max.
Photos from the 10 winners will be featured on Apple billboards in select cities, in Apple retail stores, and on Apple's website and social media accounts. Each of the winners will receive a licensing fee from Apple.
Apple's international panel of judges included its marketing chief Phil Schiller alongside a group of Apple employees and well-known photographers Pete Souza, Austin Mann, Annet de Graaf, Luísa Dörr, Chen Man, Kaiann Drance, Brooks Kraft, Sebastien Marineau-Mes, Jon McCormack, and Arem Duplessis.
100 years ago today the Grand Canyon became a national park. It is a source of wonder and inspiration — one of America’s greatest treasures. “In God's wildness lies the hope of the world.” — John Muir #shotoniPhone by @austinmannpic.twitter.com/KcnUj4PEml
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 26, 2019
Toyota today announced that CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard features in its all-new 2020 Corolla in the United States.
CarPlay in 2020 Corolla
CarPlay will be accessible through Toyota's standard Entune 3.0 multimedia system alongside Android Auto and Amazon Alexa. The base model 2020 Corolla is equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen, while the LE trim and above feature a larger 8-inch display. All models use wired CarPlay via USB ports.
Toyota says the 2020 Corolla will be available at dealerships this March, starting at $19,500 in the United States.
Toyota was a longtime CarPlay holdout, but it now offers Apple's platform in the 2019 and later Avalon, Camry, Corolla Hatchback, C-HR, RAV4, and Sienna as well as the 2020 Corolla, Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, and Supra. Read our review of CarPlay in the 2019 Avalon and 2019 Corolla Hatchback.
CarPlay provides convenient access to frequently used iPhone apps such as Phone, Messages, Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, Apple Music, and Spotify directly from the dashboard. The platform was introduced in 2014 and is now offered in over 500 vehicle models in the United States, according to Apple.
Apple is said to be testing a sleep tracking app for a future Apple Watch, according to a new report today filed by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The company has been using the sleep-tracking feature for several months with testers at secret sites around its Cupertino, California, headquarters, according to people familiar with the work. If the functionality is successful in the testing stages, the company plans to add it to the Apple Watch by 2020, according to one of the people.
Rival smartwatches from the likes of Fitbit have long touted sleep-tracking capabilities, but Apple's watchOS has never offered a native sleep tracking feature. Initially, this was for good reason: battery life on the first Apple Watch rarely lasted beyond the advertised 18 hours, meaning the device had to be perched on a charging dock as you slept.
However, since the release of the Series 3 and 4 models, many owners find their smartwatches can last two full days or more on a single charge, which has led third-party developers to step in with sleep-tracking apps.
Future Apple Watch models could well have improved battery life, enabling users to wear them for longer and track time in bed. Alternatively, Gurman speculates that overnight sleep-tracking could even feature as part of a special new low-power mode.
Apple's iOS Health app already includes a tab for sleep analysis data, which is pulled from either the alarm clock function in the iPhone's Clock app or a third-party sleep-tracking app.
Apple Music may be soon be available as an option on Google Home devices, according to an image that was shared by MacRumors reader Jason.
We were able to track down the Apple Music listing within the Google Home app for iOS devices, but at the current time, it can't be linked to a Google Home device.
In previous versions of Google's software, Apple Music was listed in a separate "limited availability" section of the app and also "Only available on iOS devices". The updated listing suggests that Apple could soon make Apple Music an available option for Google Assistant-powered playback on Google Home devices, much like it did with the Amazon Echo.
Back in December, Apple Music became available on Amazon's range of Echo speakers, allowing Alexa voice commands to be used to control Apple Music playback.
The Apple Music listing appears to be relatively new, and given that it's not working, it suggests an upcoming feature.
Apple Music expanding to Google Home speakers would make Apple's music service more accessible across all of the most popular smart home speakers that are available at the current time, expanding access far beyond just the HomePod. Many other music services are available on Google Home, including Spotify, Pandora, Google Play Music, YouTube Music, and Deezer.
Update: In a statement to VentureBeat, Google said that Apple Music is limited to Google Assistant and there is no new announcement regarding Google Home: "Apple Music is currently only available for Google Assistant users on mobile phones. We have nothing to announce regarding updates to Google Home."
Update 2: Apple Music is no longer showing up as an option in the Google Home app.
Energizer, best known for its line of batteries, recently announced a whole slew of new smartphones, including one that comes with a massive 18,000mAh battery. Energizer is showing off its smartphones at Mobile World Congress, and UK site ExpertReviews shared some amusing photos of the battery-focused device.
Image via ExpertReviews
The new Energizer Power Max P18K Pop is an absolute brick, and it looks something like a huge power bank with a screen attached. At 18,000mAh, the Power Max P18K Pop is over five times bigger than the 3,174mAh battery in the iPhone XS Max.
Energizer's smartphone, which runs Android 9.0, is supposedly 18mm thick (aka 0.7 inches) but in photos, it looks even larger than that. There's no weight listed anywhere, but it likely weighs right around a pound, which is hefty for a smartphone.
Image via ExpertReviews
Of course, with such a large battery, the Power Max P18K Pop has the potential to last for days without needing to be recharged, and its battery life is unparalleled by other modern smartphones on the market. Energizer says that you can watch videos for two days, listen to 100 hours of music, or talk on the phone for 90 hours. It also offers 50 days of standby time.
Some MacRumors readers and iPhone users have been wanting Apple to stop focusing on thinness to improve battery life through the inclusion of larger batteries in its devices, but Energizer's smartphone is the device that no one is asking for.
Image via ExpertReviews
Energizer has focused so heavily on battery life that other components in the device are less than impressive - it features a mediocre 2GHz processor from MediaTek, no waterproofing, and no shockproofing. This is probably a device you'd want to use outdoors when away from power sources, but it's not exactly equipped for that purpose.
It does have 6GB RAM, a 6.2-inch display, a triple-lens rear camera, and a pop up dual-lens selfie camera, but on the whole, it is unimpressive compared to other modern smartphones with the exception of its insane battery.
Energizer is planning to release the Power Max P18K Pop in June, and it will cost 600 euros, which converts to $682.
Four and a half months after launch, the iOS 12 operating system is installed on 83 percent of devices released in the last four years, according to updated iOS 12 installation statistics shared on the App Store support page for developers.
Since the launch of iOS 12, Apple has been presenting its data in two ways, offering up installation rates on both recent devices and older devices.
While 83 percent of devices from the last four years are running iOS 12, 80 percent of total active iOS devices have the update installed. 12 percent of devices continue to use iOS 11, while five percent of devices from the last four years run an earlier version of iOS.
At the beginning of January, iOS 12 was installed on 78 percent of devices, so adoption rates have grown five percent over the course of the last several weeks.
Apple has released iOS 12.1.3 and iOS 12.1.4 since the beginning of January, along with the iOS 12.2 beta. iOS 12.1.3 and iOS 12.1.4 were bug fix updates while iOS 12.2, which is also available to public beta, expands Apple News, brings new AirPlay 2 features for TVs, introduces new Animoji, and more.
People have been adopting iOS 12 faster than iOS 11. In April 2018, iOS 11 was still only installed on 76 percent of devices, perhaps because of the myriad bugs that plagued the iOS 11 operating system over its lifetime.
Though just released in September, focus on iOS 12 will be shifting to iOS 13 in a matter of months. Apple will preview iOS 13 at its Worldwide Developers Conference, and the new update is rumored to feature some promising changes such as a long-awaited dark mode and important interface updates for the iPad.
Mophie's Juice Pack Access battery cases for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR are now available for purchase from the Mophie website, Mophie announced today.
Similar in design to Apple's own battery cases, Mophie's Juice Pack Access offers additional battery life for Apple's 2018 iPhone lineup.
Priced at $99.95, the Juice Pack Access charges the iPhone using 5W wireless charging capabilities, leaving the Lightning port on the device free for Lightning-based accessories. This is the first of Mophie's cases that leaves the Lightning port accessible.
Compared to Apple's line of Smart Battery Cases, Mophie's Access options are more affordable ($29 less) but do not have quite as much battery capacity, charge slower (though not a huge issue with a battery case), and do not have the same deep integration with iOS. The Smart Battery Case lets you check battery level right on your device, but on Mophie's, you'll need to use the small LED battery indicator on the side.
There's a 2,200mAh battery in the Juice Pack Access for iPhone XS Max and a 2,000mAh battery in the cases for the XR and XS. Apple's Smart Battery Case, meanwhile, offers more power due to the two 1,369mAh batteries in the device.
The Juice Pack Access for iPhone X and XS offers up to 25 hours of total talk time, while the Juice Pack Access for iPhone XR provides up to 31 hours of total talk time (these figures include the built-in battery in the iPhone as well).
You can charge the Juice Pack Access using a Qi wireless charger or through the built-in USB-C port if you need faster recharging speeds.
Mophie has the Juice Pack Access cases available in black on its website starting today, with other colors coming in the near future.
A few years ago, it was difficult to find a USB-C battery pack capable of charging a MacBook at a speed of 30 or 45W, but with Apple and other companies increasingly embracing USB-C technology for everything from smartphones to laptops, high-powered USB-C battery packs have become more readily available.
Higher-watt USB-C battery packs are ideal for fast charging iPhones and iPad Pros, providing power for MacBooks and MacBook Air models, and even charging up a MacBook Pro when charging speed isn't an issue.
In this guide, I'll be comparing 27, 30, and 45W battery packs with capacities ranging from 19,000 mAh to 26,800 mAh from companies that include Mophie, Anker, RAVPower, Jackery, and ZMI to help MacRumors readers find the best USB-C battery packs.
All USB-C battery packs suitable for use with devices like the MacBook or MacBook Pro are large in size and generally just under or over a pound in weight. You're not going to want to stick one of these in your pockets, but they fit into a bag or a backpack.
Each of the battery packs we tested are 45W or less, because there are no higher watt battery packs available on the market. They all come in at under 100Wh, which is the limit that you can take on a plane in your carry-on luggage (power banks like these can't go in checked baggage).
All of these battery packs have additional USB-A ports so that you can charge more than one device at a time, but keep in mind that the maximum power for each one is distributed between devices when you have more than one thing plugged in. If you want the fastest charging for something like a MacBook that takes all of the available power, charge it alone.
For recharging these battery packs, you're going to want a USB-C PD power adapter that provides 30 to 45W of power. Some of them come with an appropriate power adapter, while some of them don't. You're going to get the fastest recharging speeds over USB-C, and when dealing with a power bank of this size, faster recharging is essential. Most of these will recharge in 2 to 4 hours using a 30 or 45W power adapter.
While all of these battery packs are between 19,000 and 26,800 mAh, no battery pack provides the maximum stated capacity because some power is always lost when transferring charge from one device to another.
Charging iPhones
All of these USB-C battery packs are able to fast charge compatible iPhones, which includes the iPhone 8 and later. With fast charging, if you use a USB-C to Lightning cable, you can charge an iPhone to right around 50 percent within 30 minutes, and to about 80 percent in an hour.
Charging slows as an iPhone's battery gets fuller, which is why it doesn't get to 100 percent within an hour.
I tested all of these battery packs with an iPhone XS Max and an iPhone X just to make sure everything was functional, and every single one was able to charge these devices to 50 percent in a half an hour with very little deviation, and to about 75 to 80 percent in an hour.
As for capacity, these battery packs are able to charge an iPhone multiple times over. Expect to see at least three charges for an iPhone XS Max from the smaller ~20,000mAh battery packs, and somewhere around 4 to 5 charges from the 26,000mAh battery packs. You'll get more charges for the iPhone 8, iPhone X, and iPhone XS, and similar performance from the XR.
Charging iPads
For the current-generation 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, if you use a USB-C to USB-C cable, you can charge them faster with one of these USB-C battery packs than you can with the standard 18W charger that comes with them.
On average, the 18W USB-C power adapter from Apple charges my iPad Pro to 45 percent in an hour. With a 30 or 45W USB-C battery pack, the iPad Pro consistently charges to 65 to 66 percent in an hour. The higher capacity battery packs provide about two full charges to an iPad Pro, while the lower capacity ones are about a charge and a half.
Older iPad Pro models that support fast charging capabilities will be able to fast charge using these USB-C power banks paired with a USB-C to Lightning cable.
Charging MacBook and MacBook Air
All of these USB-C battery packs will charge the USB-C MacBook and MacBook Air at the same speed that you would get with the standard MacBook or MacBook Air power adapter. There's no benefit to using over 30W, so each of these offers about the same charging speed with the only difference being capacity.
The higher capacity battery packs will charge a MacBook or a MacBook Air one and a half to close to two times, while the smaller capacity models offer about a full charge and then another 20 percent.
Charging MacBook Pro
Because the 15-inch MacBook Pro models ship with a 85 or 87W Power Adapter for charging, it might come as a surprise that you can also use all of these 30W and 45W chargers with the MacBook Pro.
Charging is a good deal slower than what you get with the more powerful 15-inch MacBook Pro power adapter, but it works. In fact, as you'll see in my testing below, it even works when the MacBook Pro is in use for tasks that are not super system intensive like web browsing, using social media, writing, sending emails, light graphics editing, watching YouTube videos, and more.
I have seen people ask whether using a lower-powered power adapter is going to damage the battery of the MacBook Pro, and from what I can tell from my research, the answer is no. It will charge slower, but it shouldn't ultimately impact performance compared to a standard charging method.
Most battery packs from major brands like Anker and Mophie max out at 45W, but there are some 60W options on the market that are more expensive but would offer faster charging speeds for MacBook Pro models. There are also a few Kickstarters for 100W chargers, but these battery packs are not yet widely available for purchase.
I didn't test these battery packs with the 13-inch USB-C MacBook Pro because I don't own one, but everything that pertains to the 15 inch model is also true of the 13-inch model. These battery packs will charge the 13-inch MacBook Pro even faster (though not at 61W speeds) and will provide more capacity than with the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
30W vs. 45W
Most of the USB-C battery packs available are 30W, with a few 45W options on the market, so both options are included in this review.
For most Apple devices, there is no functional difference between 30W and 45W because MacBook, MacBook Air, iPad Pro models, and iPhones are not going to charge faster with a 45W power bank than with a 30W power bank. All of these devices max out at 30W, and some, like iPhone, max out at 18W.
Where 45W does make a difference over 30W is charging a 13 or 15-inch MacBook Pro. MacBook Pro models will charge noticeably faster with the 45W power bank than with a 30W version. 45W is, of course, lower than the 61W or 85/87W chargers 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models ship with, so don't expect standard charging speeds with these power banks.
Testing Parameters
I wanted to test these batteries in real world conditions with real world devices rather than relying on testing equipment to give potential buyers an idea of the actual performance they can expect from a USB-C battery pack.
Tests were conducted with a 15-inch MacBook Pro from 2016 (76Wh), a 12-inch MacBook from 2016 (41.4Wh), an 11-inch USB-C iPad Pro from 2018 (29.37Wh), and a 2018 iPhone XS Max (12.08Wh). iPads and iPhones were discharged to 1 percent before testing, and Macs were discharged to 5 percent. Charging tests were done in Airplane Mode and with displays off, with the exception of the in-use MacBook Pro test.
BBEdit, the popular and long-running HTML and text editor for Mac, was today updated to version 12.6. The new version of the software introduces important feature changes and bug fixes.
Starting with today's update, BBEdit is a sandboxed app, which is a change that Bare Bones Software needed to make because it plans to bring BBEdit to the Mac App Store in the future.
Sandboxing on macOS limits apps to their intended use and is a protection implemented to prevent malicious software from working. BBEdit will require explicit permission to access files and folders on the Mac.
To work properly, though, BBEdit often requires advanced access to file and folder contents, a problem Bare Bones Software is solving with a prompt to enable Sandbox Access. This setting, says Bare Bones Software, will allow for the full functionality of BBEdit without compromising security.
Without unrestricted access to your files and folders, many of BBEdit's most useful features, from the basic to the most powerful, won't work at all; or they may misbehave in unexpected ways. At the very least, this hinders your ability to work done.
In order to resolve this fundamental conflict between security and usability, we have devised a solution in which BBEdit requests that you permit it the same sort of access to your files and folders that would be available to a non-sandboxed version.
For this reason, the first time you start BBEdit, it will prompt you to allow this access. The prompt will not be repeated; so if you decline to allow this access and later reconsider, go to the Application preferences, and click on the "Allow" button in the "Sandbox Access" section.
Due to the changes, BBEdit is no longer able to access support folder items in iCloud Drive, so those previously using iCloud Drive/Application Support/BBEdit will need to make some manual changes as outlined in the update's release notes.
The new version of BBEdit also includes a number of tweaks to the app and a whole slew of bug fixes, all of which are also listed in the release notes.
T-Mobile won't be making a serious push into launching and promoting its 5G network until the second half of 2019, T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray said in an interview shared by CNET today.
The carrier had initially planned to promote 5G in the first half of 2019, but it is delaying that rollout because smartphones able to take advantage of its 5G network won't be available until later.
Image via CNET
According to Ray, T-Mobile had hoped that smartphone makers and chip manufacturers would have 5G devices ready to use the lower-band 600 megahertz spectrum that will power much of its 5G network, but that hasn't quite happened. The company instead plans to "go big" with 5G later in 2019.
The 5G version of the Galaxy S10 from Samsung, which will come in April, offers millimeter wave support compatible with Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint, but not T-Mobile. T-Mobile is deploying millimeter wave, but coverage at the moment is "too minimal for the company to promote."
T-Mobile is planning to use the 600MHz spectrum to power most of its 5G network because while it offers slower peak speeds, it provides better coverage than the millimeter wave spectrum that Verizon and AT&T are currently focusing on more heavily.
Early 5G devices like the Galaxy S10 5G will use millimeter wave spectrum. T-Mobile plans to sell the Galaxy S10 5G, but given that its millimeter wave deployment is so limited at this time, Ray is not sure the company will promote Samsung's newest smartphone.
CNET's original story suggested T-Mobile was delaying its 5G launch entirely, but Ray says that is not true. On Twitter, Ray clarified that 5G will still start rolling out in the first half of 2019, but that it will get "more meaningful" in the second half of the year when there are actual devices that can take advantage of the 600MHz 5G spectrum.
Sorry, Roger. That's wrong. We've always said we'd launch when phones are available and they will be in H1. H2 is just when it gets more meaningful ... but there's no delay and no change of plans.
— Neville (@NevilleRay) February 25, 2019
The network differences put T-Mobile a bit behind other cellular companies. AT&T has rolled out 5G in 12 cities, Verizon has a 5G home broadband service in a limited number of cities, and Sprint is planning to launch its 5G network in May.
T-Mobile isn't worried about AT&T and Verizon having an edge in the race to deploy 5G just because millimeter wave spectrum has such a limited range. "You can't go to a US consumer and charge them a big premium and it works on three street corners," Ray told CNET.
Full 5G rollout with faster overall speeds will require carriers to offer 5G connectivity across multiple spectrums, with the fastest, millimeter wave, limited to dense urban areas. AT&T is also planning to offer 5G on low-band spectrum starting in 2019, with nationwide coverage planned for 2020.
For Apple users, the 2019 rollout of 5G means little because there won't be iPhones able to use 5G networks until at least 2020. Rumors have suggested Apple won't introduce a 5G-capable iPhone in 2019, and Intel recently confirmed that its 5G hardware won't be in consumer products until 2020. Apple is currently using Intel's modem chips in its iPhone lineup due to an ongoing legal spat with Qualcomm.
As with introductory offers for new subscribers, there will be three categories of promotional offers for previous subscribers:
Free Customers access your subscription for free for a specific duration — for example, a 30-day trial for a subscription with a standard renewal price of $4.99 per month.
Pay As You Go Customers pay a promotional price for each billing period for a selected duration — for example, $1.99 per month for three months for a subscription with a standard renewal price of $9.99 per month.
Pay Up Front Customers pay a one-time promotional price for a specific duration — for example, $9.99 for the first six months of a subscription with a standard renewal price of $39.99 per year.
Developers will be able to offer up to 10 different promotions at once to test the waters.
The promotional offers will also be available to existing subscribers, allowing developers to both retain and win back subscribers. A customer who has yet to subscribe to an app will not have access to the promotional offers, but may be presented with an introductory offer if the developer offers one.
Using receipt validation, developers will be able to identify subscribers who have turned off auto-renewal so that they can act quickly with a promotional offer in an attempt to win them back before the end of their current subscription period.
Once the promotional period ends, the subscription auto-renews at the standard price, according to Apple.
Promotional offers for previous and existing subscribers will be available in iOS 12.2, macOS Mojave 10.14.4, and tvOS 12.2 and later. Developers can get ready now by creating offers in App Store Connect and by downloading the Xcode 10.2 beta and implementing the new StoreKit APIs into their apps.
Sprint today at Mobile World Congress announced that its commercial 5G network will launch in May, starting in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Kansas City. The carrier plans to expand service to Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. in the first half of 2019.
5G coverage will initially be limited to select areas of each city:
At launch, Sprint's highly mobile, on-the-go customers can expect mobile 5G coverage ranging from nearly 30 square miles covering Midtown and lower Manhattan, to approximately 230 square miles spanning the greater Dallas Fort Worth area, for a total initial 5G coverage footprint of more than 1,000 square miles across all nine cities.
Sprint said its first 5G smartphone will be the new dual-screen LG V50 ThinQ 5G unveiled at Mobile World Congress this week, followed by the HTC 5G Hub hotspot in the spring and the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G in the summer.
Sprint also announced that it will offer 5G service to Google Fi customers with a compatible device, but there is no timeframe for the rollout.
Sprint's network will operate on the 2.5GHz spectrum and use Massive MIMO radio equipment supplied by Samsung, rather than use millimeter wave technology. Sprint chief technology officer John Saw said the carrier saw speeds of 430 Mbps in one demo, according to The Verge, significantly faster than LTE.
Australians looking to take advantage of Apple's limited time iPhone XS and iPhone XR trade-up promotion should act fast, as the offer ends Monday, March 4 in Australia, according to an update to Apple's website.
As in the United States, Apple is offering higher trade-in values for select older iPhone models towards the purchase of a new iPhone XR or iPhone XS. The iPhone XR starts at $1,229 in Australia, for example, but customers can purchase the device for as low as $849 when trading in an iPhone 7 Plus until next week.
Apple has been heavily promoting iPhone XR and iPhone XS trade-ins with a prominent banner on the homepage of its website, store signage, App Store editorials, emails to older iPhone users, and more since the smartphones launched last year.
In a letter to shareholders last month, Apple said it saw fewer iPhone upgrades than it anticipated last quarter, primarily due to greater-than-expected economic weakness in the Greater China region. Apple said making smartphone trade-ins at its stores easier is one step it would take to improve results.
No end date has been specified for the U.S. promotion as of yet.
During his time as Apple CEO, Steve Jobs was well known for personally responding to some of the customer emails he received, which has even led to some of his best replies being collected in a book.
Customers who email current Apple CEO Tim Cook also occasionally receive responses, and a CNBC report over the weekend reveals how these emails are processed and often shared with other executives within Apple.
According to people familiar with how the process works, Cook has an assistant whose job it is to read the mail, forward some to him for personal attention, and share others to a group distribution list of executives on the relevant teams. They forward the letters to their reports, and so on down the chain. Many of these "Dear Tim" letters are ultimately passed around by rank-and-file employees, according to one current and two former employees.
In an example of how customer emails can influence product decisions, the report highlights how some of these messages played a particularly influential role in the development of the Apple Watch.
After the Apple Watch launched in 2015, the company promoted a variety of features on it, including communications, entertainment, and health and fitness tracking. But then the missives started pouring in from users, describing how the device alerted them to potentially serious medical conditions and even saved lives. After this, Apple began shifting the emphasis of the watch more toward health features.
One former Apple employee reportedly described the emails as a "surprise," given that the Apple Watch wasn't developed to pick up heart-rate irregularities at the time. Another former employee said similar emails showed Apple that the device could have a more positive impact on health than anyone at the company had previously realized.
The report also goes on to note how the emails often help to maintain staff morale, especially for those employees who don't have an external-facing role and can't talk about the products they're working on. You can read the full full article here.
Over the last month we've learned that Apple is readying an Apple News service that will provide access to paywalled news content and magazines for a monthly fee. As we understand it, Apple will keep 50 percent of all subscription revenue and the other half of the revenue will be split among publishers.
Apple is said to be launching the service in March, but despite magazine publishers reportedly already on board with the 50/50 revenue agreement, other reports suggest the company is having trouble negotiating financial terms with news-focused publishers.
A new report today by Digiday offers further insight into the struggle news publishers have been consistently facing on the platform, with some admitting monetization on Apple News "remains a slog." Many of the challenges boil down to their larger dependence on ad revenue and how Apple News is inherently incompatible with traditional online ad targeting sales strategies.
Ad revenue is bogged down by advertisers’ disinterest in the ad inventory that publishers are selling directly, and by remnant ad fill rates that many publishers describe as abysmal, even after a modest improvement to start the year, sources said. One source said their publication earned “low five-figures” every month from Apple News; another said they earned less than $1,000 per month.
According to sources that spoke to Digiday, publishers are having trouble selling Apple News ad inventory directly because of the platform's limited user targeting, which doesn't allow the use of third-party data or IP addresses, and an inability to reconcile current sales strategies that rely on programmatic advertising (something Apple News also prohibits).
One publisher source said that until the beginning of 2019, the fill rate on their remnant Apple News inventory was less than 20 percent, which was considered an "atrociously low" number that made it less lucrative than publishing through Google’s AMP format or even Facebook Instant Articles, which many publishers abandoned because of monetization issues.
Despite the challenges, all the publishers who spoke to Digiday reported steady audience growth over the past year and more referral traffic from Apple News than Facebook. Getting articles in the Top News widget can drive "enormous" boosts in traffic, said one source. Another said that articles featured in the platform's content recirculation widget, which recommends stories for users to read next, can make a story one of the highest-read stories a publisher can share in a month.
Dampened excitement for Apple News among publishers is said to have pushed some to look at working with the platform in other ways not directly tied to monetization, such as how it can be used to encourage users to download podcasts, encounter paywalls, and convert readers to newsletter subscribers.
Apple News is said to have around 90 million regular users, comprising nearly 70 million monthly unique users in the U.S. and 20 million international users. Regardless of the challenges in penetrating such a huge potential market, some publishers told Digiday they appreciate where Apple is coming from. "I respect Apple and that they believe in privacy," one source said. "It just makes it incredibly challenging to sell there."
During his time as Apple CEO, Steve Jobs was well known for personally responding to some of the customer emails he received, which has even led to some of his best replies being 
