TECH

Apple Introduces The ‘AirPods Max’ Over-Ear Headphones

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Apple continues to revolutionize its AirPods lineup with the introduction of the all-new AirPods Max. The new wireless headphones will now have the over-ear design with the functionality of its predecessors.

Standout features of the AirPods Max include Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode and spatial audio. The headphones are composed of a knit mesh that distributes weight evenly, thus reducing the pressure that the user would normally feel.

Another stand-out is the battery life of the AirPods Max as these headphones will be able to hold 20 hours of audio which can be applied to movie playback or talk time. A Smart Case is included with the device which will be able to preserve the battery by putting them in an ultralow power state. Consumers will have their choice of five distinct colors including the ever-popular “Space Gray,” “Silver,” “Sky Blue,” “Green” and “Pink.”

The all-new Apple AirPods Max headphones can now be ordered from Apple at a price of $549 USD and will release on December 15.

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Pharrell Williams Launches Black Ambition Initiative To Help Black and Latinx Start-Ups

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Super producer Pharrell Williams has launched Black Ambition, an initiative to help Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. The main goal of this non-profit venture is to provide entrepreneurs of color with the right tools to succeed in the world of tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products/services start-ups.

Accompanying the announcement of Black Ambition, comes the addition of two prize competitions with the first being The Black Ambition HBCU Prize and the second being The Black Ambition Prize. Overall, the competitions will have an end result that will be revealed in one major national event.

A grand prize of $1 million in funding will be awarded as well as nine additional teams will receive other awards for The Black Ambition Prize. Find more information at the Black Ambition website.

Porsche Design Creates A Wireless Speaker Made From A Single Block of Aluminum

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Porsche Design has created an aesthetically pleasing wireless speaker that is made of aluminum. The PDS50 wireless speaker even keeps a charge for up to 20 hours.

Composed of a solid block of aluminum, this wireless speaker keeps the minimal feel in tow but still adds a bit of high-end luxury to any setting. An LED strip compliments the subtle high-gloss detailing, accompanied by an all matte finish on the overall body.

The Porsche Design Wireless Speaker PDS50 retails for €399 EUR or $474 USD and can be purchased on Porsche Design’s website.

Twitter Board Keeps Jack Dorsey as CEO

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The Twitter board committee has elected to keep Jack Dorsey as its CEO after reviewing the social media company’s management. According to Bloomberg, the review’s results show the support for Dorsey in the CEO position as he is also the CEO of Square, Inc. which is a payment company he co-founded.

Dorsey faced criticism for his management style, encouraging employees to work remotely from home even before the pandemic began. Unlike other tech CEO’s, Dorsey has encouraged social justice and actually held culprits responsible for posting fake news and has started to flag those responsible.

Activist investor Elliott Management Corp. and private equity consultancy Silver Lake has chosen to stand by Dorsey after their respective reviews. The two companies began to review Twitter’s management practices after becoming investors.

“The committee expressed its confidence in management and recommended that the current structure remain in place. The board will continue to evaluate company and management performance according to a range of factors, including the company’s operating plan and established milestones.”

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Apple Ordered to Pay $502M USD to VirnetX for Patent Violations

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According to reports, Apple has been ordered to pay $502.8 million USD to VirnetX, a Nevada-based internet security software company. The ongoing legal battle between the two companies has been going on for roughly 10 years in which VirnetX has been filing continuous suits against Apple for patent infringements, including FaceTime and iMessage.

Details of the lawsuit states that the Apple feature VPN on Demand violates VirtnetX’s patents that they originally developed for the CIA. VirtnetX originally asked for $700 million USD but was quickly countered by Apple’s claim that they only owed $113 million USD but the jury had the final say, ruling $502.8 million USD in royalties as the amount. Subsequently, Apple was also ordered to pay $450 million USD to VirnetX, stemming from a separate lawsuit.

NASA Discovers Water On The Sunlit Surface Of The Moon

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A huge achievement has been made as NASA has discovered water on the sunlit surface of the Moon. Making the observation from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the groundbreaking discovery has confirmed what the agency has always suspected.

The Clavius Crater, which is one of the largest observable craters on the Moon’s surface, was where the water was discovered. About 12-ounces of water was trapped inside a cubic meter of soil. Per NASA, the Sahara desert has 100 times more water than what SOFIA found.

We had indications that H2O – the familiar water we know – might be present on the sunlit side of the Moon. Now we know it is there. This discovery challenges our understanding of the lunar surface and raises intriguing questions about resources relevant for deep space exploration.

Paul Hertz, NASA director of the Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate in Washington

Water is a valuable resource, for both scientific purposes and for use by our explorers. If we can use the resources at the Moon, then we can carry less water and more equipment to help enable new scientific discoveries.

Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist for NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate

Garmin Introduces Its Instinct Esports Smartwatch

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Streamers and players will now be capable of can broadcasting their biometric stats to their viewers with Garmin’s new Esports Instinct smartwatch.

With the Instinct Esports Edition, esports athletes can tap into that same technology to track and examine how their body responds to intense competition. Players can also use Instinct’s data to make adjustments in their daily lives, whether it be altering sleep patterns or activity levels, which can result in increased cognitive and physical performance during play.

Garmin

Players will be able to update viewers on their live stress levels and heart rate with Garmin’s STR3AMUP function. This function comes in handy when engulfed in playing intense match-ups. Other functions include smartphone syncing and a Body Battery Energy Monitor which determines energy through sleep. The Body Battery Energy Monitor lets the user know if they should be playing or resting.

The watch will have a suggested retail price of approximately $300 USD. Check out the Garmin website for more info.

Google Introduces Price Tracking and Comparisons Tool for Shopping Online

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Google is implementing a new tool to make your online shopping experience easier to find the best deals. The new feature the tech company is introducing is called Price Insights. This feature lets shoppers of the product see if the price is higher or lower than average.

Price Insights positions Google to strategically battle competitors that have similar ways of showing consumers the average price of items. Users will be able to select a product and, in turn, sign up to be notified whenever there is a price drop. The tool also digs throughout the internet instantaneously to see if there are better prices.

Google’s plan is to gradually roll out its Price Insights tool to selected regions first and then make it available around the world.

Apple Takes The Crown As The World’s Most Valuable Company

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Apple is now the most valuable publicly-traded company in the world. The tech giant surpassed Saudi state oil giant Aramco at the close of Friday’s market per NBC News.

We’re conscious of the fact that these results stand in stark relief during a time of real economic adversity.

Tim Cook, Apple CEO

Apple shares closed up by 10.47 percent, resulting in a market valuation of $1.84 trillion. Subsequently, Saudi Aramco now stands at $1.76 trillion.

Apple boasted a bold third-quarter fiscal earning of $59.7 billion with a 4-for-1 stock split which brought shares up to over 44 percent this year. March saw the company at one of its lowest points due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but all that seems like an afterthought with its strong performance the last couple of months.

Translate Languages With C-FACE Mask

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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people and businesses to put more of a focus on cleanliness, and just as important, companies are taking innovation and technology to another level in terms of preserving health and well-being.

The C-Face Mask allows you to talk in multiple languages as well as being able to clean and purify the air you breathe. The mask is designed by Japan-based Donut Robotics and is made to fit on top of a standard face mask. In addition to translating multiple languages and purifying air, the C-Face mask can also connect to your smartphone, opening up even more smart features.