Apple has announced that the new MacBook Air will be available for order today, with shipping beginning on November 7. And the price? The refreshed laptop starts at $1,199.
You can order the new MacBook Air today, starting at $1,199
News
Apple says total Mac active base has hit an impressive 100 million units
Apple announced at today's media event in Brooklyn, New York City that its installed base of Mac computers has reached a new milestone by hitting a hundred million active units.
Apple unveils new MacBook Air with Retina display, Touch ID, and more
On Tuesday, Apple introduced a new MacBook Air. The update brings a Retina display with over 4 million pixels of resolution to the product for the first time.
Apple’s releasing iOS 12.1 on Tuesday, Oct. 30, features Group FaceTime and more
It's official. Apple is planning to release the iOS 12.1 update on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Available for iPhone and iPad, the update includes Group Facetime and over 70 new emoji and arrives on the same day Apple's holding its "There's more in the making" event in Brooklyn, New York.
Software glitch adds an extra notch on some Google Pixel 3 XL handsets
The recently released Google Pixel 3 XL handset ships with a notch like the one found on the iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. For some early Google Pixel 3 XL device owners, there are actually two notches present thanks to a weird software glitch.Â
Every Apple TV Aerial screen saver, including ISS footage, can now be enjoyed on your Mac
Version 1.4.4 of the free Aerial software for macOS brings improvements like tvOS 12's latest ISS footage, support for 4K HEVC aerials, a brand-new dusk/dawn mode and other perks.
Snap brings its AR lenses and face filters to YouTube, Skype, Twitch & other video chat apps
Snap, Inc. today introduced a new desktop app, called Camera, which brings the company's fun augmented reality effects and powerful face filters to a bunch of popular video chat apps on Mac and Windows, like YouTube, Skype, Google Hangouts, Twitch and more.
Concept: Mac mini pro + next-gen Apple Display & Touch Bar-enabled Magic Keyboard
Hungarian 3D artist and industrial design student Viktor Kádár has taken it upon himself to envision what Apple's next-generation Mac mini computer might look like in Space Gray and hooked up to an external Apple Display and a Magic Keyboard that sports a Touch Bar.
Twitter’s considering removing the Like icon, but not soon
Early Monday, The Telegraph published a compelling story that said Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had made the decision to remove his service's Like button "soon." Â The reason: to encourage more positive public debate on Twitter. The company quickly clarified that no change was imminent. Not surprising, even the thought of removing the iconic button hasn't gone down well with many Twitter users.Â
Apple iBeacon and similar technology hasn’t caught on despite early promises
It wasn't that long ago when companies like Apple and Google touted products like iBeacon and Eddystone. The technology, which is made up of tiny hardware transmitters, uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE) to interact with nearby smartphones, tablets, and other devices, to perform specific tasks. Unfortunately, beacons haven’t caught on nearly as quickly as once expected, according to VentureBeat.
First introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in 2014, iBeacon and similar products, were once off to a promising start. By 2016, for example, 93 percent of MLB stadiums in the United States had beacons, along with 75 percent of all NFL stadiums, 53 percent of NBA arenas, and 47 percent of NHL arenas. The technology is also still being used by large retailers such as Target, Walmart, and Starbucks.
Despite this, beacons haven’t caught on elsewhere.  The reasons cited include compatibility issues, power and range limitations, and the introduction of beacon spam. Some are also concerned about privacy.
Perhaps the biggest reason beacons aren't being implemented at a quicker pace is that they're app dependent.
App dependence was (and is) a major hurdle. It’s tough to convince customers to download a service they’ve never used, even with the promise of discounts — especially considering up to 70 percent haven’t heard of beacons.
Admittingly, before seeing VentureBeat's report, I had forgotten about iBeacon and I'm not the only one. After writing about beacon technology a lot in 2014 and 2015, iDB only covered a few stories about the topic since then, the last being in 2017.
https://youtu.be/7bXJ_obaiYQ
Moving forward, perhaps it's time for companies like Apple and Google to come together and develop a standard that everyone can use, then educate the public on what the technology can do. Otherwise, beacon technology will probably never grow or find long-term success.
What do you think can be done to improve beacon technology?
Apple investigating whether Quanta was illegally employing students to build Apple Watches
Apple has launched an internal investigation into damning reports alleging that its supplier Quanta Computer illegally employed high school students to assemble Apple Watch units in China's Chongqing, reportedly pushing employees to work overtime and night shifts.
Another icon found in iOS gives a more detailed look at Apple’s 2018 iPad Pro redesign
A tiny icon for iOS's Battery widget, discovered in August, showed an iPad Pro with no Home button and featuring thinner bezels. And now, another higher-resolution icon unearthed from the iOS code has given us a bit more detailed overview of the 2018 iPad Pro form factor.