Apple - Page 69 of 167

Test of the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G smartphone with the Exynos 2100 chip: I did not expect such a successful continuation of the flagship series

The product portfolio of the South Korean manufacturer of consumer electronics has expanded to include three new flagship smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G is available in Basic, Plus and Ultra options. I had the pleasure to test the S variant 21 5G in the Phantom Violet color, which, in the opinion of me and my friends, is the most attractive. Yes, the model with the note Ultra in the name offers a higher resolution, a larger battery and 108 MP wide-angle photographic unit and 40 MP selfie camera, however S 21 5G absolutely not nothing to be ashamed of. In addition, the basic version of this year’s flagship from the Galaxy S family costs “only” 3899 PLN. Although for many it may seem like a high amount, it is an acceptable amount in relation to other market flagships.

Author: Marcin Karbowiak

Samsung offers two flagship lines of smartphones. The Galaxy Note series, which is distinguished by a more formal character, is addressed to the broadly understood business and creative individuals. The S-Pen stylus support is also important here, as it guarantees access to many useful software solutions in applications. Notes, sketches, and spreadsheet handling with a stylus can convince you. The Galaxy S series is a slightly looser approach. This form can be directed to virtually all customers who expect a complete device that works perfectly and looks the same. Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G, the newest representative of the series, represents it with dignity, as I found out during the tests. Of course, not everything is perfect here, but more on that in a moment.

We tested the latest flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G. We already know how the Samsung Exynos chip 2100 has proven itself in everyday use and in synthetic tests . Although the set does not include a charger, the manufacturer made sure that we could call the equipment complete.

“src =” http://www.purepc.pl/image/artykul/2021 / 01 / 21 _ smartphone_ test_samsung_galaxy_s 21 _ 5g_with_ukladem_exynos _ 2100 _ not_expected_yes_successful_flag_continue_0.jpg “>

Samsung Galaxy S smartphone test 20 FE – cheaper, not worse

Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G works under the control of the latest Exynos chip 2100 made in a 5nm technological process. There is also a variant with Snapdragon 888, but it is not available in Europe. The manufacturer ensures that Exynos is equally efficient in terms of efficiency and work on battery and this is largely true. The device is supported by 8 GB RAM and Mali-G graphics 78 MP 14. The “battery” with a relatively low capacity 4000 mAh is responsible for energy efficiency. However, there is no reason to worry – the cell performed great in the tests. Pictures taken with a photo unit of 12 MP wide angle, 12 Ultra Wide Angle MP and 64 Telephoto MP we will write to 128 GB or 256 GB of fast memory UFS 3.1. The second of these variants takes part in the tests.

Samsung Galaxy S series smartphone technical specification 21 5G:

	Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G	Samsung Galaxy S 21 + 5G	Samsung Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G
Display	6.2 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 20: 9 2300 x 1080 pix 120 Hz GG Victus	6.7 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 20: 9 2300 x 1080 pix 120 Hz GG Victus	6.8 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 20 : 9 3200 x 1440 pix 120 Hz GG Victus
Processor	Samsung Exynos 2100 5 nm 1x Cortex-X1 – 2.9 GHz 3x Cortex-A 78 – 2.8 GHz 4x Cortex-A 55 – 2.4 GHz	Samsung Exynos 2100 5 nm 1x Cortex-X1 – 2.9 GHz 3x Cortex-A 78 – 2.8 GHz 4x Cortex-A 55 – 2.4 GHz	Samsung Exynos 2100 5 nm 1x Cortex-X1 – 2.9 GHz 3x Cortex-A 78 – 2.8 GHz 4x Cortex-A 55 – 2.4 GHz
Graphics processor	Mali-G 78	Mali-G 78	Mali-G 78
Data storage	128 GB 256 GB (UFS 3.1)	128 GB 256 GB (UFS 3.1)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB (UFS 3.1)
RAM	8 GB	8 GB	12 GB / 16 GB
Battery	4000 mAh 25 In	4800 mAh 25 W	5000 mAh 25 In
Main camera	12 MP f / 1.8 wide angle 12 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 64 MP f / 2.0 telephoto	12 MP f / 1.8 wide angle 12 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 64 MP f / 2.0 telephoto	108 MP f / 1.8 wide angle 12 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 10 MP f / 4.9 telephoto 10 MP f / 2.4 telephoto
Front camera	10 MP f / 2.2	10 MP f / 2.2	40 MP f / 2.2
Dimensions	151, 7 x 71, 2 x 7.9 mm	161, 5 x 75, 6 x 7.8 mm	165, 1x 75, 6 x 8.9 mm
Weight	172 g	202 g	228 g
Colors	Phantom Gray Phantom White Phantom Violet Phantom Pink	Phantom Gray Phantom White Phantom Violet	Phantom Black Phantom Silver
Price	3899 PLN	4799 PLN	5749

For Samsung Galaxy S smartphone 21 5G version with 128 GB of memory you have to pay 3899 PLN for the data. Option with 256 GB of memory is an expense 4099 PLN. The difference is not huge, but the profitability of the surcharge is a highly debatable matter. The cheaper option will be successful for the lion’s share of users. The title device is basically the direct equivalent of the Apple iPhone 12 in the Android world. The equipment, however, is several hundred zlotys cheaper than the product of the Cupertino giant. However, we can get the Samsung Galaxy Note for a similar amount 20 and ASUS ROG Phone 3, which are in some respects more efficient than the aforementioned device. Galaxy S 21 5G wins in terms of design and photographic possibilities.

Apple is allegedly planning high-priced virtual reality headsets

Apple supposedly wants to get involved in VR headsets in the future: In addition to AR glasses, which are still in an early stage of development, Apple is also working on a self-sufficient virtual reality headset, such as the financial news agency Bloomberg reported with reference to informed persons. Just like Facebook’s Oculus Quest, Apple’s VR headset neither needs a PC nor a console as a base and works independently.

VR headset for games, videos and communication The device with the condename N 301 is already available as an advanced prototype, but has not yet been finalized, writes Bloomberg , an idea is off 2022 expected. The group could change the plans or discard the product entirely. Apple’s VR headset is similar in size to the Oculus Quest and designed for games, videos and communication, according to the report – but Apple is also still wrestling with the content and functions such a product could offer. Last year, Apple took over a company that wanted to bring sports and music events as live streams to VR headsets.

With integrated External cameras should also allow individual augmented reality functions, for example tracking of the hands is being tested. Apple plans to integrate high-performance chips into the headset, along with a fan. The displays have a much higher resolution than existing VR headsets, according to the sources of the financial news agency. Apple wants to position the device far higher in price than the competition, which usually sells their VR headsets for well below 1000 euros. Headset without space for glasses In order to save space and weight, Apple wants to use the housing materials Set fabric elements. In addition, the VR headset can allegedly not be used in conjunction with glasses. If necessary, optical corrective lenses with the required prescription can be used.

The VR headset will be followed by AR glasses intended for the mass market , so Bloomberg. The device with the code name N 421 is still at an early stage of development and will take years to be ready for the market

(lbe)

Beeper: Chat app wants to combine 15 messengers in one interface

An app instead of numerous messengers on the smartphone – Beeper wants to be this dream. 15 Services including iMessage are to be combined there in one interface. So far, the project was called NovaChat, which Eric Migicovsky, CEO of the former smartwatch manufacturer Pebble, announced on Twitter Beepers can then be controlled include WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Matrix, Skype, Slack, Twitter, Discord, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and iMessages. “Yes, iMessage runs on Android, Windows and Linux with a trick,” tweeted Migicovsky. The trick is to use a permanently running device from Apple as a bridge on which the Beeper app is installed. If such a device is currently unavailable, Beeper helps out with discarded and jailbroken iPhones.

Open source and yet not secure The messenger itself uses the matrix protocol. The client is not open source, however, the connections that are used to the other messengers are. To use it, you have to pay ten US dollars a month. In return you get a “clean interface” with search and filter for the chats, it says on the website. Bots can be created for beepers via Matrix API and extensions can be connected. You can also host yourself. End-to-end encryption is likely to be lifted in all cases.

The app is still not easy to use. You first have to submit an application online and enter at least the ID of your “favorite network” and other usage habits. Perhaps the dream of a new Adium-croaking duck is not quite fulfilled after all. Apple is unlikely to be happy about a service that publicly issues jailbreak iPhones and thus uses its messaging function. There have already been similar attempts, but so far they have not prevailed.

(emw)

AirPods Max teardown shows the inner workings of Apple’s wireless headphones

(Image credit: Apple)

The Apple AirPods Max aren’t just some of the finest over-ear headphones you can buy – they’re the most repairable AirPods ever, too. That’s according to the website iFixit, which has opened up the cans to see what makes them tick.

It actually started work on the teardown before Christmas, but has only now completed it.

These teardowns are meant to tell you how repairable a device is. But really, it’s a chance to peer inside all sorts of gadgets to see what they’re made of.

iFixit also dismantled a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 at the same time to see how they compare.

(Image credit: iFixit)

The result? Well, it’s fair to say Apple fared very well indeed. In fact, thanks to their “obsessive craftsmanship”, the AirPods Max make those rivals “look like toys by comparison,” iFixit writes. They also fared much better than Apple’s previous AirPods, all of which have failed to score a single point on iFixit’s repairability scale. The AirPods Max, by comparison, scored a very respectable six out of 10.

Highlights include the ear cushions, which attach via magnets so are easy to swap out when they need replacing. And the headband hinge mechanism can be removed with just a single SIM card removal tool – you don’t even need to open up the ear cup. Not only does this make them much easier to repair, but it also hints at swappable headbands in the future.

Lots of the internal components are also secured using screws rather than messy glue, making them easier to swap out and repair yourself. Though we wouldn’t advise doing so – it will invalidate your warranty. If your headphones do break, your first port of call should really be the manufacturer.

MORE:

Put off? Here’s why the Apple AirPods Max price makes perfect sense

Spec off! AirPods Max vs Sony XM4 vs Bose 700: which are better?

These are the best noise-cancelling headphones money can buy

Samsung Galaxy S21

Our Verdict

The S21 gives here and takes there, but ultimately strengthens the Galaxy reputation

For

Rich, smooth display
Solid battery life
Superb all-round camera

Against

No microSD slot, earbuds or charger
Sony rival sounds better

With flagship smartphones from the likes of Samsung and Apple reliably refreshed every year, it’s perhaps unrealistic to expect every handset to make giant strides in terms of performance or specifications. So, it’s little surprise that the new Samsung Galaxy S21 is more of a refinement of its predecessor than a revamp.

Last year’s Galaxy S20 line-up marked a thorough overhaul, bringing in 5G support and 120Hz refresh rate displays for the first time, plus significant camera upgrades. But for the S21 range, the gains are more marginal – the camera software has been enhanced, the design is arguably better and it packs the company’s most advanced processor yet (the 5nm Exynos 2100).

Of the three-strong, 5G-supporting Galaxy S21 range, you’ll want to consider the two more premium models, the S21+ S21 Ultra, if you’re after a large screen, a top-spec camera (offered by the S21 Ultra), or are particularly excited by the prospect of using your phone to unlock your car (both support the UWB tech that makes this possible).

But for those who are happy with a 6.2in screen and relatively affordable price tag, the ‘standard’ S21 offers the bulk of the S21 features in the smallest, most affordable package of the three.

Pricing

For in-range comparison, the S21+ costs £949 and £999 for the same RAM and storage sizes (for the US or Australia, add $200 or AU$200 onto the cost of each S21 model). The S21 Ultra starts at £1149 ($1200, AU$1849) for the 128GB and goes up to £1329 ($1380, AU$2149) for the 512GB variant.

The Galaxy S21 (alongside the S21+ and S21 Ultra) is available from 29th January – its Galaxy S20 predecessor began shipping at the beginning of March 2020. Those who pre-order the handset before this date will get a free pair of Galaxy Buds Live true wireless earbuds, plus a free Galaxy SmartTag.

The Galaxy S21 has 8GB RAM and is available in 128GB and 256GB storage options, priced £769 ($799, AU$1249) and £819 ($850, AU$1349) respectively. That’s considerably less than the price of the 5G, 12GB RAM version of the S20 at launch last year, and slightly less than the 4G, 8GB version of the S20.

That considered, Samsung has priced the S21 pretty nicely, however, the microSD card slot for expanding the devices’ built-in storage is no more for the S21 and S21+.

Screen

(Image credit: Samsung)

In terms of its screen, the series’ biggest evolution is that the S21 Ultra now offers the 120Hz refresh rate at its maximum resolution (3200×1440). That rate alongside the Galaxy S21’s lower resolution (2400×1080) still works wonders for responsiveness and smooth motion performance.

Samsung Galaxy S21 tech specs

(Image credit: Samsung)

Screen 6.2in

Resolution 2400 x 1080

Cameras x3 (12MP, 12MP, 64MP)

Finishes x4

Dimensions (hwd) 7.1 x 15.2 x .8cm

Weight 171g

The S21 Ultra is the only handset in the series to get the S-Pen, as it debuts in the Galaxy S series. However, don’t rule out the accessory coming to smaller phones in the future, as Samsung president TM Roh hinted that the company plans to expand the S Pen “across additional device categories”.

Samsung has stuck with the screen sizes of its S20 line-up, meaning the S21, like its predecessor, has a 6.2in display. The Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O screen supports HDR10+ and has a Full HD resolution of 2400×1080, rather than 3040×1440. This results in a slightly lower pixel density, but that shouldn’t put you off.

In our review of the S20, we called its screen ‘richly colourful and impressively detailed’, and thankfully it’s more of the same this time around. In fact, the S21’s display is very similar, in character if not in resolution.

We watch the Kilauea volcano erupt in the BBC’s Perfect Planet documentary and find it a great advert for the S21’s punchy colour palette, the yellow and orange hues of the lava eye-dazzlingly bright and saturated. The picture is crisply sharp, and that’s backed up with decent levels of detail in rubble, sea and smoke.

However, in comparison, both Sony’s similarly priced Xperia 5 II and more expensive flagship Xperia 1 II boast better all-round screens. We prefer the Samsung’s enthusiastic colour palette – we play the second episode of WandaVision on Disney+ and as colour floods the house and washes over the screen, reds, greens, yellows and oranges look more solid – but the Sonys are sharper and deliver better overall contrast, their OLED displays doing a particularly great job of producing deep blacks that don’t sacrifice dark detail.

Sound

(Image credit: Samsung)

Similarly, the two Sonys better the Samsung for sound quality. We plug in our wired Sennheiser Momentum earbuds via the Sony’s 3.5mm headphone jack (the Samsung’s USB-C output also requires a dongle adapter) and play coney island by Taylor Swift and The National. The Sonys serve up more space around the acoustic plucks and drum and greater vocal expression. Their dynamic and rhythmic superiority mean they also keep a better musical handle on the composition underneath the vocals.

While the S21 isn’t quite as sophisticated a sound, it’s perfectly listenable. There’s clarity and detail throughout the presentation, but particularly in its open midrange, and the delivery isn’t bereft of punch and solidity. The Samsung performs well for a smartphone, the Sonys simply perform more like a dedicated music player. Note that Samsung has removed the bundled earbuds (as well as the charger plug) from the box, so you’ll need a pair of your own.

Features

(Image credit: Samsung)

The Samsung manages to outperform the Sonys in terms of its camera performance, as the Galaxy S21 proves one of the best camera phones around. Like the S21+, the S21 pairs a triple-lens rear camera comprising ultra-wide 12MP (capable of a 120-degree field of view), wide-angle 12MP and 64MP telephoto lenses with a 10MP front snapper – but Samsung has taken further strides in the AI processing department to get even more out of it.

The S21‘s luscious colour capture makes the Sonys’ seem washed out in comparison, while the Samsung takes the spoils when it comes to sharpness and clarity too. Compared with the S20, shots are a little brighter – sometimes at the expense of some shadow detail and depth – and slightly sharper. It’s a close call though, which shows how well Samsung did with the S20’s shooter.

Thanks to an improved Night Sight mode, our attempts at night-time photography with the S21 surface more brightness and highlights. The S20 might grasp some of the night hues more accurately, but its successor digs up more detail overall.

Samsung has also tweaked its Portrait Mode, which now lets owners adjust the lighting and add background effects to their selfies, while Single Take, which works to create a portfolio of all the ‘best moments’ you capture in one shot, now includes a slow-mo capture and Highlight Video reel. The 30x Space Zoom now has a ‘lock’ to help steady photo capture at its maximum reach, too.

For video recording, not only is there 8K video recording at 24fps (or 4K shooting at 60fps), an all-new Director’s View lets you see and switch between all four lenses during recording – handy for making short movie clips. Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds can also enhance the movie-making experience by allowing you to capture both ambient sounds (through the S21’s mic) and your voice (through the Buds Pro’s mic) at the same time.

The rear camera is the most noteworthy design development of the S21, with its all-new contoured bump in the top left-hand corner blending into the metal frame. Our Phantom Violet sample (a new colourway for Samsung) looks sleek, with the rose gold bump and frame an attractive match for the purple matte-finished rear panel. It looks just as good with the alternative Phantom Grey, Phantom Pink and Phantom White colour options.

The plastic casing – one of the sacrifices for the lower pricing – doesn’t make the device feel as premium as the glass-backed S20, but it is lightweight (171g) and easy to hold in the hand. And its IP68 rating, which is standard for Galaxy S devices in recent years, means it should be well protected from water, dirt and dust. Officially, they should be resistant to submersion up to a depth of 1.5m underwater for up to 30 minutes.

Verdict

While not offering any notable AV upgrades over the S20, the Samsung Galaxy S21 shuffles the S series along nicely with camera enhancements, aesthetic improvements and some modest functionality boosts. It sacrifices some screen spec, premium build and accessories in order to hit a lower price tag, but there is still an excellent balance between performance and value.

The S21 is far from an overhaul of its predecessor, and certainly not a reason for S20 owners to upgrade, but Android fans with older handsets looking for an all-new shiny device can’t go far wrong here – especially if camera performance and value are high on their priority list. Either of the Sony Xperias are better bets for those who place greater importance on music listening, so that’s one area we would hope Samsung advances for the next generation of Galaxy S phone. For now, though, the line’s reputation as one of the market’s best all-rounders remains intact.

SCORES

Screen 5
Sound 4
Features 5

MORE:

Read our guide to the best smartphones

Read our Sony Xperia 1 II review

Read our Sony Xperia 5 II review

Read our Samsung Galaxy S20 review

Renders of iPad mini 6 suggest two punch holes: for the selfie camera and for the FP reader

Leaked renders of the iPad mini 6 suggest that Apple is on the verge of a major change in direction – for its tablets and perhaps later on for its phones too. The images come @xleaks7 and CoverPigtou, a collaboration that has a good (though not perfect) track record when it comes to leaking designs of upcoming devices.

Look at the renders and notice what is there and what isn’t there. This tablet could become Apple’s first device to feature a punch hole front camera. And there is no FaceID hardware, the mini will keep using a fingerprint reader.

And not just any FP reader, this one that appears to be inside a punch hole itself (as in, not an under-display reader). Two punch holes and on an iPad mini of all things? These renders should be approached with a healthy does of skepticism.

Apple iPad mini 6 (unofficial renders)

Even if the selfie camera does go in a punch hole, the FP reader could be relocated to the power button, just like on the new iPad Air. Under-dispay readers are quite cheap too and won’t require the UI to go around the permanent circle of such a reader (they would require a switch to OLED panels, though).

Perhaps, this is less crazy than it sounds – last week Bloomberg published a report, saying that the iPhone 13 will have an in-display reader. That report implied an under-display reader rather than a punch hole though.

Size comparison – iPad mini 6 vs. iPhone 12 Pro • Bottom view of the iPad mini 6

Anyway, the last iPad mini had very chunky bezels. Slimming those down will allow the display to grow to 9.15” (up from 7.9”) while keeping the slate’s dimensions essentially the same – 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.25 mm.

Last year Ming-Chi Kuo did predict a 9-inch mini, but the analyst made no mention of such major design changes. Most of the predictions have been centered on the arrival of microLED panels and those are headed to an iPad Pro.

Apple is expected to unveil new iPads in March, so we’ll see how much of these punch hole and microLED rumors prove to be true in a couple of months.

Source (in Italian)

Linux has been ported to Apple computers with the M1 chip. Ubuntu works but lacks GPU acceleration

Corellium, an American ARM-based device virtualization startup, has launched one of its Linux distributions on the latest Apple Mac Mini. This is no mean feat, which is only the first step to conveniently installing Ubuntu and other system variants. Of course, the solution can also be used in other Apple computers with this system, i.e. in MacBook Air and MacBook Pro from the end of last year. All we need is a system image in rpi format and a USB data carrier. Although the experiment can be called a fully successful one, not everything works as it should at the start. Here are the details of the enterprise.

Linux on Apple computers with M1 chip. Ubuntu has been ported to the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini models. We owe the achievement to Corellium from Florida.

Apple MacBook with induction charging for smartphones – A brilliant idea, but there is one serious problem with it

Some specialists working on Apple computers with macOS also need access to other platforms such as Windows or Linux distributions. You can run them through a so-called virtual machine, but sometimes you need to “set the system up completely”. This is not possible on new Apple computers with the M1 chip, and in fact it was not, because such a process was successfully carried out by the team from Corellium. Chris Wade, one of the company’s directors, boasted of an achievement that can be treated as a good start for further activities.

Apple Macbook Air with ARM M1 runs much longer on battery

The installation can be run from an Ubuntu image saved in rpi format on a USB drive. The system can easily cope with the full processor power, while software rendering is responsible for graphics support. Unfortunately, the specialists failed to force the GPU to accelerate, but this is only the first version of the solution. Perhaps in the near future it will be possible to solve this problem and eliminate the inconvenience. You can find the necessary files here.

Source: Chris Wade, Corellium

More faster storage space: Sonnet's “M.2 4×4 PCIe Card silent” in the test

Sonnets M.2 4×4 PCIe Card silent comes in an x 16 slot and offers four places for common SSDs (M.2 modules) with NVMe protocol. If a PCIe slot is occupied, this allows internal and very fast memory space expansion by up to 32 TByte. An internal switch shares the 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes of the card in 4 × 4. With a software RAID you can speed up access (RAID 0) or increase data security by mirroring (RAID 1).

The PCIe The card is suitable for use with macOS, Windows and Linux, but seems to be primarily designed for Apple’s Mac Pro: Apple can only increase additional SSD capacity by removing the old modules and replacing them with new, also very expensive cards – for 8 For example, TByte gives Apple a good 3. 200 Euro. Many users find it more practical to expand the storage space with PCIe cards.

Fast in RAID With only one Samsung SSD 970 We were able to use Evo Plus 1 TByte in the Mac Pro (year of manufacture 2019) Data already with 2544 Write MByte / s and read with 3011. With two of the small memory bars in RAID 0, the transfer rates increased to 5217 and 5105 MByte / s, with three Evos on 6338 and 6750 MByte / s and with four on fantastic 6884 and 7928 MByte / s. For comparison: A SATA SSD creates around the 450 MByte / s.

M.2 4×4 PCIe Card silent (PCIe card for 4 PCIe SSDs) Manufacturer Sonnet Capacity 4 × PCIe SSD with NVMe protocol and M.2 form factor System requirement PCIe x 16 – Slot Price (manufacturer) 450 € Buyers of the Sonnet card must procure the SSDs themselves. Which SSDs are suitable can be found in the manufacturer’s list, which you should follow. Unfortunately, macOS can only be booted from the Sonnet card if no RAID has been set up on it. In addition, it is recommended to only use SSDs of the same type for a RAID, as different cache strategies and controllers can significantly reduce performance in practice.

Faster in Windows – 10 – PC As the suffix silent suggests , the card works without a fan. Instead, a large heat sink with thermal pads dissipates heat to the general airflow inside the Mac Pro. According to the manufacturer, the card also works in Thunderbolt 3 boxes or the Mac Pro from 2012, but then slower. However, it was faster in a PC under Windows 10, where we write about 8.4 GB / s with four SSDs in RAID 0 and 13, 4 could read.

Sonnet’s fanless card is designed for the Mac Pro, but does not achieve its maximum performance in it due to the slowing software RAID of macOS. 8 GByte / s helps a bit and is sure to be gladly accepted by every video creator. In our test of Apple’s Afterburner with several 8K streams, the card with four SSDs was not the limiting factor.

(lbe)

New update available for the VLC media player

The popular VLC Media Player is now available in the third version. The approximately 20 year old free software supports various audio and video codecs as well as file formats. Now, with the release of update 3.0. 12, there are important security updates in addition to some optimizations.

As can be seen from the release notes, Apple’s silicon is now officially supported. Crashes in combination with the Direct3D video filter should also be a thing of the past. Audio distortions have also been fixed when playing on macOS. The RIST protocol is also supported from version 3.0. 12. Both the You-Tube and Vocaroo scripts have been updated. All users of macOS Big Sur can look forward to visual improvements.

Data protection notice for Youtube

At this point we would like to show you a YouTube video. Protecting your data is important to us: YouTube sets cookies on your computer by embedding and playing them, with which you may be tracked. If you want to allow this, just hit the play button. The video will then be loaded and then played.

Your Hardwareluxx team

From now on, display YouTube videos directly

If you currently have an older version of the VLC Media Player should definitely update it. The highlights of the VLC 3.0 include the hardware decoding activated by default in order to play 4K and 8K content. In addition, HDR with 10 bits is supported. The player also allows audio passthrough from HD audio codecs. Blu-ray Java menus (BS-J) can also be played.

A free download can be found here.

AirPods Max, the headband can be removed with the SIM pin: in the future, replaceable arches?

A future function of AirPods Max may be the possibility of replacing the headband with new models. There are several clues that make you think, starting from the teardown made by iFixit

of Nino Grasso published on 21 January 2021 , at 14: 01 in the Apple channel

Apple

The headband of the AirPods Max , the very expensive Apple headphones with cancellation noise, can be removed with very little effort by the user. The particular feature of the new Apple device was disclosed by iFixit, which carried out the usual teardown revealing that the operation can be performed with a tool we all have: the pin for removing the SIM , present on all smartphones sold in recent years.

AirPods Max are over-ear headphones that have already done the talking for many aspects, including audio quality and customization possibilities, as well as the exorbitant price compared to other comparable products for the consumer market. The part that encloses the pads is magnetically attached, and you can buy new pads to get a great variety of possible color combinations, for your personal version of AirPods Max.

L Any future possibility of replacing the headbands with after-market products would significantly increase the customization possibilities for Apple headphones. As revealed by iFixit it is in fact possible to remove the headband without performing any disassembly operation : they must be removed the pads, fold the earpads and insert the SIM removal pin into a small hole positioned just above one of the speakers.

Will there be after-market headbands for AirPods Max in the future?

The operation it serves to “compress two small springs inside the joint”, thus freeing the clamp that holds the earpads and headband hooked. In doing so, a connector similar to Lightning (but smaller) is exposed which is used to transfer data and power between the two headphones. The user can replace the headband with that of other AirPods Max to obtain new color combinations not initially foreseen by the manufacturer, in a much easier way than expected.

The novelty is rather curious because the possibility of customizing the headband was announced by several rumors , before the launch of the AirPods Max, but it seems that it has been removed on the final product. The relative simplicity with which the operation can be carried out, however, suggests that Apple really thought about the “feature” and then eliminated it later to simplify and speed up production work, as Bloomberg had said.

It is possible that the simplified headband removal system is reminiscent of the original AirPods Max design, and that in the future Apple could use it to introduce an ecosystem of headbands to replace the originals. It is also possible, however, that Apple has kept the system only and simply to facilitate the repair works, even if it seems a stretch given the way in which the system is developed, too refined to be thought for the insiders.

At the moment, however, we absolutely recommend that AirPods Max owners do not do the operation, as it is not clear whether the procedure invalidates the product warranty.

keyword: Apple

Test of the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G smartphone with the Exynos 2100 chip: I did not expect such a successful continuation of the flagship series

We tested the latest flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G. We already know how the Samsung Exynos chip 2100 has proven itself in everyday use and in synthetic tests . Although the set does not include a charger, the manufacturer made sure that we could call the equipment complete.

Samsung Galaxy S smartphone test 20 FE – cheaper, not worse

Samsung Galaxy S series smartphone technical specification 21 5G:

Apple is allegedly planning high-priced virtual reality headsets

Beeper: Chat app wants to combine 15 messengers in one interface

AirPods Max teardown shows the inner workings of Apple’s wireless headphones

Samsung Galaxy S21

Our Verdict

For

Against

Pricing

Screen

Sound

Features

Verdict

Renders of iPad mini 6 suggest two punch holes: for the selfie camera and for the FP reader

Linux has been ported to Apple computers with the M1 chip. Ubuntu works but lacks GPU acceleration

Linux on Apple computers with M1 chip. Ubuntu has been ported to the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini models. We owe the achievement to Corellium from Florida.

Apple MacBook with induction charging for smartphones – A brilliant idea, but there is one serious problem with it

Apple Macbook Air with ARM M1 runs much longer on battery

More faster storage space: Sonnet's “M.2 4×4 PCIe Card silent” in the test

New update available for the VLC media player

Data protection notice for Youtube

AirPods Max, the headband can be removed with the SIM pin: in the future, replaceable arches?

Will there be after-market headbands for AirPods Max in the future?

Face ID with face heat mapping of smartphone user. Apple biometrics will not be terrible with protective masks

Apple patents a completely new method of biometric security of smartphones. Face ID will be enhanced with face heat mapping.

Apple iPhone test 12 – a smartphone that cuts itself off from the past

Test Apple iPhone 12 – a smartphone that cuts itself off from the past

Merkel defends the data protection level of the Corona warning app

Pebble founder promises iMessage on Android and Windows with universal chat app

Apple’s first VR headset reportedly includes a fabric design, a fan, and expensive price tag

Apple Car: this is what the car's internal display could look like with Car Play

Apple Car: what if the internal display is like this ?