TECH

Google Provides $1,000 USD Allowance to Employees Working From Home

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Google will be providing its employees who are required to work from home, due to the coronavirus pandemic, $1,000 allowance. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai made the announcement in a blog post. There is a strong possibility that employees will be working from home for the rest of the year.

Our campuses are designed to enable collaboration and community—in fact, some of our greatest innovations were the result of chance encounters in the office—and it’s clear this is something many of us don’t want to lose

Sundar Pichai

Google’s plan is to start letting smaller groups of employees return to campus, functioning at 10% capacity and 30% by September.

Is This The Future? Singapore Hires Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog To Enforce Social Distancing In Parks

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As Reuters reports, the robotic dog ‘Spot’ was deployed in a public park as part of a two-week trial period. ‘Spot’ spots any park-goers not following social distancing guidelines and politely says in a woman’s voice, “Let’s keep Singapore healthy. For your own safety and for those around you, please stand at least one meter apart. Thank you.”

‘Spot’ can also estimate the number of people in the park with it’s cameras but won’t be able to track or record personal data.

Physical Render Of Apple’s iPhone 12 Design

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Popular YouTube channel EverythingApplePro made a video showing a 3D-printed rendering of the iPhone 12. The video spotlights the physical specs and performance capabilities of the upcoming smartphone based off of leaked schematics.

The iPhone 12 will reportedly take on a design similar to the shape of the latest iPad Pro, displaying a more sleek aesthetic equipped with flat metal frame and flat display. There will also be a large 6.7 inch display and LiDAR scanner that was seen on the iPad Pro.

These schematics are rumored to be only 70% complete according to EverythingApplePro. Check out the video above of the Apple iPhone 12 design.

Apple’s MacBook Pro Update Saves Battery Life

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Users will now be able to get more out of their MacBook Pro’s battery life with Apple’s new update.

With the macOS 10.15.5 update, the revamp will include a “Battery Health Management” tool which is designed to “improve your battery’s lifespan by reducing the rate at which it chemically ages.” This new installment will follow the “Pro Mode” macOS feature that the company introduced in January.

This new feature piggy-backed off of earlier iOS updates like iOS 13’s optimized charging. The new tool will be able to keep up with a battery’s temperature history as well as charging patterns. In doing so, the system will see the best way to charge the battery and reduce maximum charge usage. With all the capabilities of the update, the user will still be able to turn off the moderator if they need a full charge.

Apple Unveils New Second Generation iPhone SE

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Apple has just unveiled a $399 USD second generation model iPhone SE. The new iPhone SE’s design is reminiscent of the iPhone 8 and is equipped with a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, Touch ID with home button and thick bezels. One important note is that this model will have Apple’s new A13 Bionic processor, last seen on the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.

The SE is composed of aluminum and glass and will feature wireless charging via Qi wireless charge. The rear camera features Smart HDR capabilities while the front utilizes Portrait Mode. The iPhone SE will also be able to shoot 4K video at 60fps and encompass all camera functions such as slo-mo, time-lapse, and cinematic video stabilization.

Preordering for the new iPhone SE starts Friday April 17 in black, white, and Product(RED) for $399 USD at Apple’s online store.

2020 Apple iPhone To Get A Redesign

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Apple will now be adding 5G to its iPhone lineup. According to Bloomberg, there will be four additional models to receive the upgrade plus a new design.

This year’s successors to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will be joined by two lower-end models to replace the iPhone 11. At least the two high-end devices will have flat stainless steel edges instead of the current curved design as well as more sharply rounded corners like the iPad Pro introduced in 2018. Reminiscent of the ‌iPhone‌ 5 design, the new handsets will have flat screens rather than the sloping edges on current models, said the people asking not to be identified because the plans aren’t public.

Bloomberg

Apple’s upcoming smartphone will look similar to the iPad Pro and will feature flat steel edges and a flat screen reminiscent of the iPhone 5. The bezels however, will be smaller and the camera will be similar to the current iPad’s camera.

The upcoming iPhone 12 will also feature the iPad Pro’s new 3D LIDAR system for an improved AR experience. Also of note is the Pro models will have three rear cameras while the others will remain at two.

Check back for more info.

Is Apple Releasing Over-the-Ear Headphones In June 2020?

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According to Jon Prosser, who also leaked that a 14-inch MacBook pro is dropping in May 2020, we will soon see over-the-ear headphones from Apple as well. Prosser took to Twitter to announce the findings which one can assume that, if this is true, then it may be the end of the Beats headphones line.

Apple acquired Beats back in 2014 from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine for a staggering $3 billion USD. The tech company has since been offering Beats products to employees for 40% off to clear inventory, further advancing their Apple/AirPods product line.

Prosser further states that the over-the-ear headphones, codenamed B515, will be compared to the Bose 700 and will launch with a price point of $350 USD during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Turn Your iPad Pro Into A MacBook With The Brydge Pro+ Keyboard

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Apple’s new iPad Pro model is set to release soon which means many 3rd party companies will start to introduce their own products to compliment the tablet like Brydge’s Pro+ keyboard.

The Bridge Pro+ seamlessly matches Apple’s design aesthetic and is constructed from machined aluminum. An oversized trackpad is featured on the keyboard which is backlit with LED. Rounding out the details are Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, 3-month battery life per charge and lastly, compatibility with the 2020 Apple iPad Pro.

Check out the Bridge Pro+ above and head over to brydge.com to purchase the 11 inch iPad compatible keyboard for $199 USD and the 12.9 incher for $229 USD.

Students Now Get Adobe Photoshop and InDesign For Free

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Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, Adobe has decided to do their part and help out the students. Both Adobe Photoshop and InDesign applications are being offered to all students worldwide, from kindergarten all the way to Grade 12.

Adobe hopes this gesture would help those students during this time of confinement, especially for those that require an in-class setting to maximize their learning potential.

“Starting today, we are offering our customers from kindergarten to grade 12 institutions worldwide – who currently make Creative Cloud applications available to students – the ability to request a temporary home access for their students and educators.”

Adobe

This free access will be available until May 31, 2020. In order to receive access, a request has to be made by the IT admin of a school who’s a client of Adobe. Check out Adobe’s website to request access via an online form.