Top Bananas | Monthly Archives: October 2018

Apple’s October 30th Event

Posted on October 19, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Apple is holding a product announcement on October 30th that will likely focus on the new iPad models.

Apple just recently announced new iPhone and Apple Watch models. Now Apple plans to release new iPad models and possible other products such as new Macintosh models.

The new iPad models are to be expected, and with Adobe porting Photoshop to iOS, you can expect to see the full version of Photoshop available on iOS. The significance of this is that more professional apps will move from macOS to iOS, making iOS far more lucrative and important than macOS. In other words, macOS is slowly dying but will likely linger for years as the world shifts to iOS.

The new iPad models are rumored to use FaceID along with USB-C ports instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning port. By standardizing on USB-C ports, the iPad will then be able to accept numerous third-party accessories such as a keyboard or an external hard disk.

So new iPad models with USB-C support and Photoshop is to be expected. What’s also likely is that the new iPad Pro models will come in the standard 12.9 and 10.5-inch sizes. That also likely means a new version of the Apple Pencil too.

Beyond the iPad, expect new Macintosh models. Apple will likely introduce lower cost laptops similar to the aging MacBook Air. The goal will be to offer a low-cost laptop for the Christmas season. The only question is whether Apple will update the MacBook Air design or come out with a newer version of the MacBook, which starts at a much higher price of $1,299 compared to the MacBook Air price of $999. Whatever Macintosh laptop Apple introduces, it will likely target the low-end consumer market.

A new iPad and new Macintosh laptop will be expected. What might also arrive will be Apple’s Mac mini or iMac Pro model. These desktop Macintosh models should come with improved specifications, but the Mac mini might be interesting because it’s rumored to be modular for professional users to upgrade later.

If you’re in the market for a new iPad, October 30th should meet your expectations. If you’re in the market for a low cost Macintosh laptop, you should also be happy on October 30th. If you’re a desktop Macintosh user, you may or may not be happy with any announcements coming October 30th because Apple may not have updated Mac mini or iMac Pro models ready for sale.

The sure news is that the iPad will become more of a portable computer that will be nearly as fast as today’s laptops running Intel processors. That means next year’s generation of the iPad should be even faster and more powerful, which means the age of Intel processors is coming to an end.

When the iPad Pro can beat a PC laptop, then you’ll know the conquest of iOS will be nearly complete.

To learn more about Apple’s October 30th event, click here.

The Foldable Phone is the Future

Posted on October 18, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Apple recently piled a second patent for a foldable phone.

The future is easy to spot if you just open your eyes and watch with no preconceived judgements. At one time, most people used a PC for everything so it was only natural that people thought PCs would be around forever. They’re still around but now everyone has shifted to mobile computers in the form of smartphones and tablets.

The problem with smartphones and tablets is that they’re bulky to lug around. Smartphones initially started off small but started to grow in size until now they can barely be used with one hand. Of course, smartphones can’t keep growing because there’s a limit to the size of any phone you can conveniently carry. That’s why Apple and other companies are looking at foldable phones as the future.

In the early days of mobile phones, flip phones were popular because they bent in half but opened to provide a full-size phone when needed. Foldable phones will provide that same option. So instead of lugging around a huge smartphone, you can carry a smartphone half its size, then fold it open to use it when you need it. When you no longer need it, just fold it back down again.

Foldable phones will initially be inferior to today’s phablet phones because the hinge will cause the screen to offer lower resolution. As foldable screen technology improves, then the screen resolution and quality will keep increasing until it nearly equals or even surpasses the quality of today’s phablet phones. When that happens, foldable phones will have taken over for good.

Foldable phones are inevitable because we can’t keep carrying massive smartphones around any more and there’s only so large a smartphone can get before it becomes too unwieldy to carry and use. The future is foldable phones. It’s just a matter of wondering when they’ll arrive in the next few years.

The ARM-Based Macintosh

Posted on October 17, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, claims Apple will introduced an ARM-based Macintosh in 2020.

For the past few years, Apple has let their Macintosh lineup lag. The Mac mini hasn’t been updated in four years and the Mac Pro “trashcan” design hasn’t been updated since it was introduced. Many people wonder if Apple is simply ignoring the Macintosh but another reason might be because Apple is planning to shift the Macintosh from Intel processors to ARM-based processors.

Apple’s own A12 Bionic processor used in the latest iPhone is nearly as powerful as a standard Intel processor. With each new generation of the A-series processor, Apple keeps improving the speed and power of their processor far faster than Intel has been able to improve their processors. If this trend continues, then it’s only a matter of time before the A-series processors will be more powerful than Intel processors while also using less power too.

The rumor is that Apple will shift the Macintosh to their own ARM-based processors to lower costs, maximize efficiency, and differentiate the Macintosh from Intel-based PCs. The big question is how will these new ARM-based Macintoshes work?

One theory says that Apple will port macOS to ARM processors. This would require an emulation feature to allow tuning today’s Intel-based macOS apps. In addition, this would also limit the appeal of the Macintosh that can run both Windows and macOS software because they share an Intel processor.

A second theory says that Apple will eventually abandon macOS and focus on a Macintosh running iOS. This would greatly simplify software development since developers could focus on a single operating system (iOS) instead of dual operating systems (iOS and macOS). This option would have the drawback of completing eliminating Windows compatibility though.

Since Apple created a software framework to make it easy to transition iOS apps to run on macOS, it seems far more likely an ARM-based Macintosh will run macOS. That means Apple could sell various ARM-based Macintosh models to satisfy the needs of different consumers.

For most people, an ARM-based Macintosh will run Intel-based programs in emulation mode, much like Apple did with their Rosetta software that allowed PowerPC programs to run on Intel-based Macintoshes. For people who absolutely need Windows compatibility, Apple could sell a professional Macintosh version that uses Intel processors.

Eventually as ARM-based Macintoshes become more popular and more powerful, Apple could drop the Intel-based Macintosh models. Then the shift to ARM processors will be complete with a minimum of hassle.

ARM-based Macintosh computers are coming sooner than later. The only question is how will Apple make this transition smooth for its customers?

Disney-Backed Virtual Reality Company Switching to Augmented Reality

Posted on October 15, 2018 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware, Software, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Jaunt, a Disney and Google-backed startup in virtual reality is laying off employees.

Jaunt is a virtual reality startup that raised $100 million by promoting themselves as a virtual reality pioneer. The huge problem with virtual reality is that nobody has defined a specific use for it. Technology needs to solve problems and right now, virtual reality solves no distinct problem. While virtual reality has use in specialized applications such as training astronauts or soldiers, it’s too expensive and cumbersome for everyday use.

That’s why Jaunt has laid off employees and is shifting to augmented reality. The huge problem with virtual reality is that it requires an expensive and bulky headset to use, and by blinding the user, can only be used in safe areas such as a home or office. That means virtual reality ties you to a specific location. Even worse, nobody has defined a specific purpose for virtual reality beyond gaming and expensive simulation such as training potential astronauts to explore other planets.

Virtual reality is failing for the following reasons:

It solves no specific, pressing need
It requires expensive, dedicated headsets
It blinds the user, limiting its use to fixed, immobile locations

Augmented reality has a far brighter future because it can be displayed on smartphones and tablets that people already own, it can provide directions overlaid on real images, and it can be used practically anywhere.

For Jaunt to raise $100 million without having a clear business goal shows how blinded people are to the benefits of virtual reality. They’re enamored of technology without identifying what problem that technology actually solves. Until people know what problems virtual reality can solve, virtual reality companies like Jaunt literally have no future.

The future isn’t virtual reality but augmented reality, and that’s why Apple is heading in the right direction with augmented reality on mobile devices and eventually on wearables like smart glasses. Augmented reality is far more flexible, versatile, and practical so it’s going to be used more often than virtual reality can ever be used. Augmented reality enhances reality. Virtual reality replaces reality. Augmented reality will always have a brighter future than virtual reality.

Apple Buys Danish Augmented Reality Firm

Posted on October 10, 2018 by admin Posted in Business, Software, User Interface Leave a comment

What is is: Apple recently acquired a Danish augmented reality firm called Spektral.

It’s no secret that Apple is moving ahead with augmented reality as the next big feature of mobile and wearable computers. The initial use for augmented reality will bur in mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, but the long-term use for augment4ed reality will lie un wearable computers such as smart glasses.

To bolster their technology in augmented reality, Apple recently acquired aDanish company called Spektral. This company was working on technology that relied on machine learning and computer vision technology, handling object separation for video running at 60 frames per second.

Basically, it appears that the technology can block out unwanted areas and replace it with a green screen effect, replacing a background with a different background.

For example, you could point your camera at a person and remove the background to make it look like they’re standing in front of an ancient jungle filled with living dinosaurs. Spektral touted their technology as enabling mixed reality.

How green screen effects will be used will appear in the future, but for now, it’s obvious that Apple is pushing its resources into augmented reality for more than just the iPhone and iPad. Expect smart glasses in a few years that will eventually surpass mobile devices in the same way that mobile devices have largely supplemented desktop/laptop PCs.

Augmented reality and mobile computing (along with wearable computing) is the future, and Apple’s acquisition of Spektral simply confirms this.

Colleges Uses Wearables for ID

Posted on October 2, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Several US universities are using Apple Wallet for student IDs.

In the old days, people used metal keys and photo ID cards to access certain buildings on a campus such as a dormitory. Now several universities in America are experimenting with using Apple Wallet instead.

Rather than force students to carry around an ID card, students can now use Apple Wallet in an iPhone or Apple Watch. Then they can simply scan their device to unlock doors in their dormitory.

Apple Wallet provides a safer, more secure way to verify that only students can access their dormitory. Unlike keys and ID cards that can be lost, stolen, or forged, t’s far more difficult to spoof Apple Wallet. This provides additional security and convenience for students.

Duke University, the University of Alabama and the University of Oklahoma are using Apple Wallet and more schools will likely follow. Of course, the big question is if schools require Apple Wallet, what will they do for students who don’t own any Apple products at all?

Most likely they can use Android instead, but in any event, this proves that wearable computers and smartphones are the hot new computing market while traditional desktops and laptops are not.

If you want to know where the future is going, it’s mobile today and wearables tomorrow. then again at the speed at which things change, wearable computers are already here and growing in use and popularity.