How I Switched from iOS to Android and I’m Enjoying It
Recently I was so disappointed by Apple that I decided to switch from iOS to Android. I was an iPhone user for many years, starting from the iPhone 3G. I always loved the image of Apple as a maker of products for the creative professionals?—?designers, visual artists, musicians: “the troublemakers, the rebels”. But I think this narrative is now over, and Apple lost its touch with their former main user base. They are now all about money and they are focusing on making “premium” products for the rich people, and that's it. Good for them. Now every middle manager wants to use a MacBook in their mostly PCs companies, because it’s a symbol of status today. And they are using it to just run Outlook and Microsoft Office.
After Apple’s apology many people are ready to forgive them, but I think this is serious and needs legal investigation. (They will have some trouble because of it in the European Union at least, because we still care about customer rights here.) There were no unexpected shutdowns with iPhones 3G or 4. I was using my iPhone 4 for almost 4 years without such problems. And while there is a battery replacement program for some iPhones 6s (up to 3 years after the purchase), why not for the iPhones 6 and later models, if they are affected with the same problem?
I don’t believe in planned obsolescence conspiracy, but I think there is something not quite right with power management in iOS 11 on older devices, which Apple don’t want to admit. Apple is a capitalist machine looking for infinite growth and they are always focusing on new devices and new features. Last year things are already obsolete for them. Perhaps they didn’t have time to test properly on older devices in real life situations, and they didn’t care, because it’s not a priority for them, and deadlines to deliver new stuff are tight. And now they are paying the price for it.
I still prefer MacOS to Windows, and it’s hard for me to leave this platform, because a lot of software I use is available only on the Mac (like Sketch). But I’ve decided that my new mobile device will be an Android device, and so far I’m happy with it.
WRITTEN BY DH DH
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Apple confirms iPhones with older batter will take hits in performance
Reddit users have noticed that Apple appears to be slowing down old iPhones that have low-capacity batteries. While many iPhone users have experienced perceived slowdowns due to iOS updates over the years, it appears that there’s now proof Apple is throttling processor speeds when a battery capacity deteriorates over time.
Geekbench developer John Poole has mapped out performance for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 over time, and has come to the conclusion that Apple’s iOS 10.2.1 and 11.2.0 updates introduce this throttling for different devices. iOS 10.2.1 is particularly relevant, as this update was designed to reduce random shutdown issues for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S. Apple’s fix appears to be throttling the CPU to prevent the phone from randomly shutting down. Geekbench reports that iOS 11.2.0 introduces similar throttling for iPhone 7 units with older batteries
WRITTEN BY DH DH
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Intel’s processors have a security bug and the fix could slow down PCs
A security flaw in Intel processors has led to a redesign of Linux and Windows kernels. Programmers have been busy for the past two months patching the Linux kernel’s virtual memory system to protect against a hardware bug in Intel CPUs that could let attackers exploit security weaknesses and access security keys, passwords, and files cached from a disk. The Register reports that software updates are required for both Windows and Linux systems, and performance of a machine will be affected.
Reports suggest information around the specific bug has been kept confidential between software and hardware vendors, and patches for the Linux kernel include comments that have been redacted to prevent attackers discovering the precise weakness. The security bug could be present on Intel processors manufactured over the past 10 years, meaning many systems will require updates
WRITTEN BY DHON DHON
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Chrome OS will soon be able to run Android apps in the background
One of the biggest shortcomings of Chrome OS, and a drawback to using a mobile and web-first operating system, is applications that don’t act like desktop software should. Google is working to remedy this, according to 9to5Google, with an upcoming update to Chrome OS that should make Android apps run smoothly in the background. Currently, these apps — part of Google’s broader push to unify certain aspects of Android and Chrome — will pause if you switch away from them, creating some issues for people who like to heavily multitask on desktop.
ChromeUnboxed first noticed the feature, called Android Parallel Tasks, within Chrome OS 64, which is currently only available on Google’s beta channel. We can expect the feature to make its way to the public version of Chrome OS some time in the near future, but it’s not clear exactly when. Still, it’s refreshing to see that Google is taking steps to make Android apps on Chrome OS more robust and desktop-like, especially after the
WRITTEN BY DH DH
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Hisense’s 2018 smart TVs are getting Amazon Alexa
Hisense — the world’s third-largest TV manufacturer — is starting to preview its 2018 lineup of smart TVs that’ll be announcing at CES this year. The big addition this time around seems to be Amazon’s Alexa smart assistant, which is coming to some existing models, including the 100-inch 4K laser TV that the company announced late last year.
In addition to the usual suite of Alexa features for music playback, smart home controls, and third-party skills, Hisense says that users will be able to directly control their TV’s hardware, using Alexa to do tasks like change inputs or control volume with voice commands.
While the company hasn’t detailed yet which models of its lineup will be getting Alexa integration, expect more details on that news next week at CES. Hisense isn’t the only TV company promising new smart assistant integration for its 2018 models, either — LG has already announced that it’ll be bringing Google Assistant over to its new OLED displays at CES, too.
WRITTEN BY SABINA
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Samsung’s new curved monitor has Thunderbolt 3
Thunderbolt 3, the high-bandwidth interconnect that works using the USB-C connector, is still struggling to break into the mainstream, but Samsung is giving it a helpful nudge today. Announced in the buildup to CES 2018, the latest curved QLED monitor from Samsung supports Thunderbolt 3, allowing it to both receive video from your laptop and charge it with up to 85W of power. It has the unglamorous title of CJ791 and measures in at 34 inches diagonally, with a 21:9 aspect ratio, 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, and a 4ms response time.
The big advantage of Thunderbolt 3 is in streamlining the number and size of cables required to connect a series of peripherals to your computer. Combined with Samsung’s minimal design of the CJ791 and a USB-C laptop, it promises to deliver some extremely tidy and efficient desktop working environments. Samsung has yet to disclose the full specs, price, and availability of the CJ791, holding on to those details until the monitor’s full unveiling at CES in Las Vegas next week
WRITTEN BY SABINA
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aving Lagos from the waves
This week we take you to Lagos, where rising sea levels are threatening to engulf densely populated coastal areas, and ask what can be done to stop the forces of nature. One project in Nigeria's largest city is planning to build an exclusive development on sand and land dug up from the ocean. Needless to say, it is controversial.
Our eco hero this week also understands the challenges of implanting a green mindset into a city. He is encouraging people in Ivory Coast to plant more trees to off-set the impacts of urban development.
Staying in Africa, we head to Mozambique where a professor is exploring the insect population as a means of assessing the state of the country's nature two decades after the end of the civil war there.
In Germany, we meet Berlin's honey bees who have found refuge on the rooftops of some of the city's most presitgous public buildings, explore the organic food movement, and look at the real possibilities of biofuel.
Join us. Before the event, during the event, or thereafter. You can't afford not to. We only have one environment.
WRITTEN BY DHON
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