The headphone jack is being phased out from the iPhone, but Apple has introduced a new, proprietary system to work around the flaws of existing wireless audio technology. Along with it comes a new set of futuristic Apple earbuds that do more than just play audio (hint: Siri).

 

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

The headphone jack is being phased out from the iPhone, but Apple has introduced a new, proprietary system to work around the flaws of existing wireless audio technology. Along with it comes a new set of futuristic Apple earbuds that do more than just play audio (hint: Siri).

 

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

In addition to two shiny new iPhones, Apple has announced its second generation Apple Watch today, calling it the Apple Watch Series 2. The appearance is nearly identical to the original Apple Watch, with the exception of the new (optional) ceramic build material. The biggest changes can be found under the hood. The Verge reports: "The built-in GPS allows the device to perform mapping on its own, no phone required. The company also upgraded the processor in the device, now called the S2, and the display. The Series 2 has a dual-core processor Apple says is 50 percent faster than its predecessor, with double the graphics performance thanks to a new GPU. The display is now 50 percent brighter as well. The company also renewed its longstanding partnership with Nike with a special Nike+ version of the Apple Watch. It resembles a fusion of an Apple product with Nike's discontinued FuelBand fitness tracker, and it's designed for runners and workout junkies. The aluminum sport version of the Apple Watch Series 2 will start at $369, as will the Nike+ edition. The original Apple Watch is being rebranded as Series 1 and will start at $269, though it will come with the upgraded S2 dual-core processor. Preorders start on September 9th, while the watchOS 3 update will go live on September 13th."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

In addition to two shiny new iPhones, Apple has announced its second generation Apple Watch today, calling it the Apple Watch Series 2. The appearance is nearly identical to the original Apple Watch, with the exception of the new (optional) ceramic build material. The biggest changes can be found under the hood. The Verge reports: "The built-in GPS allows the device to perform mapping on its own, no phone required. The company also upgraded the processor in the device, now called the S2, and the display. The Series 2 has a dual-core processor Apple says is 50 percent faster than its predecessor, with double the graphics performance thanks to a new GPU. The display is now 50 percent brighter as well. The company also renewed its longstanding partnership with Nike with a special Nike+ version of the Apple Watch. It resembles a fusion of an Apple product with Nike's discontinued FuelBand fitness tracker, and it's designed for runners and workout junkies. The aluminum sport version of the Apple Watch Series 2 will start at $369, as will the Nike+ edition. The original Apple Watch is being rebranded as Series 1 and will start at $269, though it will come with the upgraded S2 dual-core processor. Preorders start on September 9th, while the watchOS 3 update will go live on September 13th."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Apple today announced pricing and ship dates for the fall line of new iPhone and Apple Watch models, along with a release dates for macOS Sierra, iOS 10, and watchOS 3. Apple also shared details of its forthcoming new AirPod wireless earbuds and new W1 Beats headphones.

 

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Officials say construction of UK-funded four-metre high, 1km-long wall in the French port will start this month.

Officials say construction of UK-funded four-metre high, 1km-long wall in the French port will start this month.

A new major report on agricultural productivity has documented success stories in a number of African countries.

A new major report on agricultural productivity has documented success stories in a number of African countries.

Two big giants in the cloud storage race are joining hands. Box, which leads enterprise content platform, on Wednesday announced a partnership with Google. The companies say they will collaborate on several initiatives to transform work in the cloud, including integrations between Box, Google Docs and Google Springboard, to deliver a seamless experience for working and collaborating on content in the cloud. Recode reports: Google and Box will also, per a press release, "work together to develop and deliver next-generation intelligence to Box users searching for content on Google Springboard" -- Google's new search-like function for all its enterprise apps. Is this a precursor to a Google acquisition of Box? Maybe. Box has a market cap of around $1.8 billion and Google has some $73 billion laying around.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Two big giants in the cloud storage race are joining hands. Box, which leads enterprise content platform, on Wednesday announced a partnership with Google. The companies say they will collaborate on several initiatives to transform work in the cloud, including integrations between Box, Google Docs and Google Springboard, to deliver a seamless experience for working and collaborating on content in the cloud. Recode reports: Google and Box will also, per a press release, "work together to develop and deliver next-generation intelligence to Box users searching for content on Google Springboard" -- Google's new search-like function for all its enterprise apps. Is this a precursor to a Google acquisition of Box? Maybe. Box has a market cap of around $1.8 billion and Google has some $73 billion laying around.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Petra Laszlo charged with disorderly conduct after she was filmed kicking and tripping refugees fleeing police.

Sony isn't done with the PlayStation 4. The company today revealed the PS4 Slim, a thinner version of its latest console that's been lurking around the rumor mill for months now. The Slim lands on September 15th for $300. The PS4 Slim features all the guts of a standard PS4 plus a few cosmetic and convenience upgrades, including a lightbar at the top, more space between the front-facing USB ports and the removal of the optical port, Engadget reports. From the report:The console is about 30 percent smaller than the standard PS4, which came out in 2013, and it plays all existing PS4 games. The company also launched a more powerful version of the PlayStation 4: the PS4 Pro, which offers support for 4K. It is priced at $399. The Verge reports: The PS4 Pro can output 4K and HDR video, which is powered by an upgraded GPU. Sony also boosted the clock rate for the new PS4 Pro. It will also come with a 1TB hard drive. "PS4 Pro is not intended to blur the line between console generations," Mark Cerny, the chief architect for the PS4, said on stage. "Instead, the vision is to take the PS4 experience to extraordinary new levels."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.