Last year Google introduced Night Sight, a mindblowing combination of camera hardware and intelligent image-processing software that allows photos taken in darkness to have amazing detail and color. Plenty of us wished Apple would respond right away with a feature of its own, but the company took its time and has only now replied to Google with Night Mode on the iPhone 11.I took an iPhone 11 Pro and an iPhone XS out into the dark streets of my hometown to see how Night Mode fares, since the lobby of the Steve Jobs Theater was too well lit to get a proper demo last week. The results were impressive. Night Mode seems to have been worth the wait.How it worksNight Mode works by using sensor, processor, and software to gather as much information as possible from a dark scene. It starts with the new sensor in the iPhone 11’s default camera—what Apple calls the “wide” camera. On the iPhone 11, this 12-megapixel sensor comes with “100% focus … [Read more...] about Hands on with iPhone 11 Night Mode
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iOS 13: The first 6 things to do after you upgrade
If you’ve got an iPhone, September 19 is a big day. It marks the release of iOS 13, which brings with it a host of new features, improvements, and app updates. You’ll be discovering new features for weeks to come, but these are ones you'll want to try out first.First, should you even update?There’s a good chance you’re reading this before downloading the iOS 13 update, trying to figure out if it’s worth getting now or waiting for a bit.There are always a few bugs here and there in new iOS releases, and they get ironed out in subsequent updates. For most users, the new features usually outweigh their inconvenience. And it could be weeks before a major revision...nobody wants to wait that long, right?This year, Apple has already announced a release date for iOS 13.1, which brings a few of iOS 13’s promised features that aren't in the initial release, and cleans up some known issues and bugs. It’s coming just ten days after iOS 13, on September … [Read more...] about iOS 13: The first 6 things to do after you upgrade
iOS 13 resource hub: FAQs, tips, guides, and more
iOS 13 is a huge release full of new features and major app updates. It’s made only bigger by its association with the launch of two new Apple subscription services: Apple Arcade and Apple TV+.When you finally update your iPhone or iPad, you may be overwhelmed. Don’t know where to begin? Let this serve as your iOS 13 (and iPadOS 13) hub. You’ll find up-to-date links to all our related FAQs, guides, tips, and how-tos. FAQsiOS 13 FAQ—Everything you need to know about the major features of iOS 13, when it is being released, and how to install it.iOS 13.1 FAQ—Apple will follow iOS 13 with another release just 10 days later, bringing multiple features that were pushed back from the iOS 13 release.Apple’s fall OS update schedule—The release of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS are all staggered throughout the fall. Some devices get updates at a later date, and some major features aren’t coming in the initial releases. This timeline … [Read more...] about iOS 13 resource hub: FAQs, tips, guides, and more
Huawei’s Thursday event lineup apparently leaks in full
Huawei is running out of surprises for its Mate 30 launch event on September 19th. Not only has the Mate 30 Pro itself leaked in new images posted on Weibo as well as a pair of videos, but Android Headlines has reported what it claims is the entire announcement lineup for tomorrow’s event. The report claims Huawei will announce the Watch GT 2 smartwatch, a new fitness band, a TV, and the worldwide release of the MediaPad M6 Android tablet. Since Evan Blass tweeted a collection of renders of the Mate 30 lineup, including the Mate 30, Mate 30 Pro, and Mate 30 Lite, there aren’t many details left for photographs to reveal. They do confirm a display that curves around the edges of the Mate 30 Pro, rear cameras contained within a circular camera bump, and a large notch at the top of the display, which a tweet from Blass suggests is due to the additional sensors required for Huawei’s face unlock technology. As well as photographs, we’ve also seen a pair of videos of … [Read more...] about Huawei’s Thursday event lineup apparently leaks in full
Starbucks Japan is selling pens with built-in NFC wallets
Starbucks is releasing a new hardware product in Japan this month, and it’s a pen. Not a stylus or anything — an actual pen, with “coffee brown” gel ink, a drip coffee machine-inspired design, and the built-in ability to pay for things at Starbucks. “Starbucks Touch: The Pen,” for that is its name, contains an NFC reader that’s linked to a digital wallet. It works with FeliCa technology, which is ubiquitous in Japan and powers Starbucks’ popular domestic card system. I’m not totally sure how this is better than using mobile payments, but I guess if you want to leave your phone at home and get down to Starbucks for a hardcore study session, this could be useful. This is actually the fourth product in the Starbucks Touch line in Japan, which has also included a phone case and a flask. Most recently, Starbucks launched a tiny NFC-equipped handbag called “The Hug” that was only available by lottery for a few days in July. … [Read more...] about Starbucks Japan is selling pens with built-in NFC wallets