Apple’s first somewhat affordable display in years has had something of a rough debut, with some reviewers complaining about the quality of the webcam and others complaining about the high price tag. But if there’s one question we all have it’s this: Why is it so thick?
Now we have an answer. iFixit has performed its customary teardown of the new display and uncovered some interesting engineering maneuvers. Most notably, the site’s experts discovered that the Studio Display has a split power supply board inside the display that requires “massive fans” to stay cool.
That’s the main reason why the Studio Display is so thick—19mm vs 11.5mm on the 24-inch iMac. Even though the power supply is incredibly thin and took “a huge amount of engineering effort,” since it’s inside the Studio Display (meaning there’s no ugly power brick attached to the cord), Apple needed the extra space to dissipate heat. iFixit reckons that, had Apple gone with a standard external power supply, the Studio Display “could have been the same exact design as the iMac.”
Elsewhere, iFixit confirmed that the Studio Display has an A13 Bionic chip with 64GB of storage and runs iOS. The speakers are “impressive” for a display, but still not as thin as the iMac, though there are “exciting force canceling woofers” to minimize vibration.
All in all, iFixit calls the Studio Display an ”alternate universe iMac” and “an impressive testament to Apple’s ability to solve problems.” Still, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been—or might still be a few years down the road.
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Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.
Modern MacBooks and even the latest desktop Macs have a Touch ID sensor on their keyboards, which is really handy for logging into your Mac or entering your password when performing system-level operations like installing applications. It works well, but what about older Macs? Your Apple Watch may be the next best thing.
Even on a Mac with Touch ID, your Apple Watch could be more convenient–it logs you in without touching anything! It’s like having Face ID on your Mac. Here’s how you can unlock your Mac just by wearing your Apple Watch, and use it to quickly approve macOS system requests.
Fortunately, almost any Mac and Apple Watch these days will support this feature. You need macOS Sierra or later and watchOS 3 or later. That means nearly any Mac introduced after 2014 and any Apple Watch, as long as you’ve updated the operating system since 2016.
While nearly anyone with a Mac and Apple Watch will meet the hardware and OS requirements, there are some system settings you’ll need to check as well.
You’ve got to have certain settings enabled in order to use Unlock with Apple Watch. Check the following three items:
If all of those settings are correct, you should be able to enable the Unlock with Apple Watch feature. You may have to restart your Mac if you made some changes.
Once you’ve got all your settings in gear, you can turn on Unlock with Apple Watch by opening System Preferences, clicking on Security & Privacy, and checking the box labeled “Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac.”
Apple
Once you do this, you can unlock your Mac simply by being near it with your Apple Watch on (your watch needs to be unlocked already). This works when your display times out and turns off or switches to the screensaver, or any time your Mac goes to sleep. If you restart your Mac or log out, you’ll have to type your password when you log in the first time.
You can also use your Apple Watch to approve any macOS request that would ask you for your administrator password. For example, when unlocking a locked note, approving an app installation, or unlocking settings in System Preferences. You’ll get a prompt to approve with your Apple Watch, which will grab your attention with a little haptic feedback. Just double-click the side button on your watch to approve the request. If you would rather type in your administrator password, click the Use Password… button.
Apple
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I have written about technology for my entire adult professional life - over 25 years. I enjoy learning about out how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.
The iPad Air is no longer the runt of the litter. During its “Peek Performance” event, Apple gave its mid-range tablet the update it should have gotten six months ago. Now the iPad Air is up to date with the rest of Apple’s lineup, with a new processor, camera, and connectivity. But how does it compare with Apple’s other non-Pro tablets, the iPad and iPad mini? Here’s how they break down.
The ninth-gen iPad has the same design as it’s had for many years. Like the iPhone SE, it has a home button, giant bezels, and a tapered design in the classic iPad colors, silver and space gray. It’s not a bad design, but it’s an old one. Due to the giant bezels, it’s as big as the iPad Air despite having a smaller screen and is also the heaviest of the three models here, clocking in at 1.07 pounds.
The iPad mini and iPad Air, on the other hand, are as modern as Apple’s tablets get. They have an all-screen design like the iPhone, with slim, uniform bezels, rounded display corners, and flat edges. They come in a variety of colors (see the Specs table above) and are otherwise basically identical other than the size.
Other than the difference in size (8.3 inches versus 10.9 inches), the iPad mini and iPad Air have identical displays. They both use Apple’s Liquid Retina technology with rounded corners and fully laminated construction, with a wide color gamut and True Tone support. Due to the size, the resolutions are slightly different, with the iPad Air having a 2360×1640 resolution at 264 ppi and the iPad mini having a 2266×1488 resolution at 326 ppi. But your eyes will only see bigger and smaller.
The ninth-gen iPad is closer to the iPad Air with a 10.2-inch screen, but the screen is somewhat inferior. The resolution is similar (2160×1620 at 264 ppi), but the screen isn’t laminated, so the display isn’t flush and images aren’t as crisp (though it is still classified as a Retina display). All three displays feature True Tone and 500 nits max brightness.
The iPad Air has an M1 chip and a fantastic design.
IDG
The iPad mini has Apple’s newest A-Series chip, the A15 Bionic, while the iPad has the slightly older A13 chip. The performance difference is roughly 30 percent in benchmarks, but you likely won’t notice the faster speeds in real-world use. But the iPad Air is powered by Apple’s M1 chip, which is far more powerful than either A-series chip. But since they’re all running iPadOS, the differences in speeds are somewhat incremental.
All three iPads feature Touch ID, though in different ways. Since the ninth-gen iPad has a home button, the Touch ID sensor is on the front of the device, but on the iPad Air and mini, it’s built into the power button. Similarly, the iPad has a Lightning port like the iPhone, while the Air and mini have USB-C.
You’ll get Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 on the Air and mini and Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 on the iPad. All three models are rated for the same 10 hours of battery life. Finally, the iPad Air and mini have 5G support on the cellular models while the ninth-gen iPad has LTE.
All three iPads have the same front camera and it’s a good one: 12MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage, which uses machine learning to keep you in the frame during FaceTime and other video calls. And it’s good for selfies too.
On the back, the ninth-gen iPad has an aging 8MP Wide camera while the Air and mini have 12MP wide cameras with Smart HDR 3 You can record 4K video on the Air and mini and HD video on the ninth-gen iPad.
All three tablets support the Apple Pencil for drawing and writing, but only the iPad mini and iPad Air support the newer and more expensive second-generation Pencil ($129), which supports wireless charging and a slightly different design. The entry-level iPad supports the first-generation model, which charges via Lightning. Functionally, the styli are identical, with the same drawing abilities and battery life.
IDG
The difference between the iPads really shows with the keyboard. The iPad Air is the only one of the bunch to support Apple’s Magic Keyboard ($299), which brings a full-size backlit keyboard and MacBook-style trackpad. The entry-level iPad supports the Smart Keyboard, which doesn’t have any of the Magic Keyboard’s features, and Apple doesn’t make a keyboard attachment for the mini, but you can use any Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad.
All three models also support Universal Control so you can use your Mac’s keyboard and mouse to work on apps or transfer files when in Bluetooth range.
Each iPad is available in the same configuration: a base model with 64GB of storage and a 256GB update option. Each also offers cellular upgrades for $129 (iPad) and $149 (iPad mini and iPad Air). The higher price is due to 5G.
While your choice will ultimately come down to your budget, we recommend saving to get either the iPad mini or iPad Air rather than buying the entry-level iPad. It’s not a bad tablet—especially when compared to any Android tablet—but it has a two-generation-old processor, outdated design, and subpar display. You won’t be unhappy with the iPad—it’s still an iPad after all—but you’ll be much happier if you can save a few bucks to step up to an iPad mini or iPad Air.
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Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.
O Beats Flex é o fone de ouvido sem fio de entrada da marca Beats, de propriedade da Apple. O gadget apresenta chip W1 para integração mais rápida com o iPhone e o iPad e traz um cabo antiquedas, posicionado no ombro do usuário. O produto promete até 12 horas de reprodução de áudio sem precisar recarregá-lo e está disponível em opções com cores cítricas, além do preto e do branco tradicionais.
O fone de ouvido foi lançado em outubro de 2020 e pode ser encontrado por preços a partir de R$ 579 na Amazon. Veja abaixo todos os detalhes do fone “barato” da marca.
Beats Flex está disponível também na cor amarelo cítrico — Foto: Divulgação/Apple
O formato do Beats Flex tende a favorecer quem está sempre em movimento, mas não dispensa ouvir música o tempo todo. Sem fio entre o fone e a origem do áudio, o acessório tem um cabo que liga as duas ponteiras e fica por cima do ombro, para evitar quedas durante o trajeto ou as atividades físicas.
O fone de ouvido tem design compacto e está disponível no site oficial da Apple nas cores azul incandescente, preto, cinza e amarelo cítrico. O dispositivo tem padrão intra-auricular, controle de volume e microfone integrado no cabo, além de botão para comunicação por voz. Ele pesa 18,6 g sem a embalagem.
Funcionalidades
Beats Flex sincroniza automaticamente com iOS — Foto: Divulgação/Apple
Por ser um fone de ouvido simples e mais "barato", o Beats Flex não possui muitas funcionalidades diferentes. Entretanto, o usuário pode esperar a tradicional conexão Bluetooth para sincronizar com o celular e outros aparelhos compatíveis.
O aparelho é equipado com o chip W1 da Apple, responsável por controlar todas as funções "inteligentes" do produto, incluindo o pareamento automático entre ele e os outros produtos da empresa, como iPhone ou iPad. De acordo com o site oficial da Apple, o Beats Flex pode ser sincronizado com qualquer dispositivo da fabricante que esteja conectado ao iCloud.
Para completar, o fone de ouvido pode ser encontrado pela função "Buscar", a mesma utilizada pelo iPhone, por exemplo. Além disso, o Beats Flex permite que o usuário compartilhe a mesma música com outro amigo que estiver utilizando outro fone de ouvido Beats ou AirPods.
Qualidade do som
Beats Flex promete qualidade nos graves e imersão para conquistar os fãs — Foto: Divulgação/Apple
O Beats Flex possui, segundo a sua descrição oficial, acústica de câmara dupla e driver em camadas que, em outras palavras, pode ser capaz de melhorar a resposta de graves e deve trazer maior separação de estéreo. Não há, contudo, detalhes sobre potência e outras definições técnicas.
A Apple também informa em seu site oficial que o processador digital do fone de ouvido pode ajustar o áudio automaticamente para o usuário. Além disso, apresenta entrada e saída de ar de alta precisão e driver que promete melhorar os sons graves: tudo isso sem precisar de configuração manual.
Bateria
Apple promete até 12 horas de autonomia — Foto: Divulgação/Apple
Embora a Apple não revele a quantidade de mAh da bateria, a empresa aposta que o fone de ouvido pode reproduzir até 12 horas de música com uma única carga. Da mesma forma, a companhia garante que deixar o aparelho dez minutos recarregando deve ser o suficiente para até uma hora e meia de reprodução.
Vale deixar claro que esse resultado foi obtido em testes de laboratório, sob condições bem específicas. Vários fatores podem fazer com que a bateria dure menos do que o esperado, como a qualidade de áudio e o volume. Na análise da Apple, por exemplo, a música foi reproduzida com o volume em 50% de sua capacidade.
Preço e garantia
Beats Flex também pode ser encontrado na cor branca — Foto: Divulgação/Apple
O site oficial da Apple vende o Beats Flex por R$ 865 no pagamento parcelado, ou R$ 778 à vista, aplicando assim 10% de desconto no valor final. No entanto, o fone de ouvido pode ser adquirido na Amazon por valores que partem de R$ 579.
De acordo com a página de suporte, a fabricante oferece um ano de garantia para os produtos de hardware e acessórios da Apple e Beats.
Principais concorrentes
JBL Tune 215BT home — Foto: Divulgação/JBL
Um dos principais concorrentes do Beats Flex no segmento de fones de ouvido sem fio para o dia a dia é o JBL Tune 215BT, que também possui formato intra-auricular, cabo antiquedas, controles de volume no fio e microfone integrado. Ele é encontrado na Amazon por preços a partir de R$ 179.
Nota de transparência: Amazon e TechTudo mantêm uma parceria comercial. Ao clicar no link da loja, o TechTudo pode ganhar uma parcela das vendas ou outro tipo de compensação. Os preços mencionados podem sofrer variação e a disponibilidade dos produtos está sujeita aos estoques. Os valores indicados no texto são referentes ao mês de março de 2022.
A plataforma Steam, focada em jogos para PC, também reúne descontos convidativos em games selecionados, como Red Dead Redemption 2, Borderlands 3 e Hunt Showdown. O TechTudo listou, nas linhas a seguir, as principais ofertas da semana para você ficar por dentro das promoções.
Em sua promoção de Páscoa, que fica no ar até o final de abril, a loja da Sony traz ofertas convidativas tanto em jogos completos quanto expansões. O exclusivo Ghost of Tsushima entrou na lista com 33% de desconto, dias depois de aparecer de graça na PS Store brasileira por conta de um erro no sistema. A situação já foi controlada e a Sony não se pronunciou sobre o assunto.
O catálogo de promoções da Microsoft traz jogos variados e de diferentes gerações graças à retrocompatibilidade do Xbox. Dessa vez, os jogadores podem pagar mais barato em títulos como Far Cry 6, Dead Space, Edição Especial de The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order e Darksiders Genesis.
Far Cry 6 figura mais uma vez entre os principais descontos da semana nas lojas digitais — Foto: Divulgação/Ubisoft
Outros títulos disponíveis na promoção da Microsoft são:
Já a Steam, loja da Valve, traz uma promoção temática voltada para jogos simuladores. Entre os títulos ofertados, estão nomes como Arma 3, Euro Truck Simulator 2 e House Flipper. Também vale destacar BioShock: The Collection, que está listado com 80% de desconto e inclui os três jogos da franquia de sucesso da 2K.
BioShock Infinite está incluso em BioShock Collection e é considerado o melhor jogo da franquia — Foto: Reprodução/Steam
Na Steam, os jogadores também podem comprar com descontos jogos como:
Por Danilo Paulo de Oliveira (colaboração) e Thássius Veloso (TechTudo)
iPhones roubados ou perdidos que precisarem de consertos poderão ser recusados pela assistência técnica da Apple. Seria uma maneira de dificultar a vida de criminosos que negociam aparelhos ilegais. A nova diretriz está num memorando interno obtido pelo site MacRumors. O TechTudo apurou que a novidade deve impactar também os clientes no Brasil.
De acordo com o documento, os técnicos da companhia deverão verificar o número de série e o IMEI do iPhone na base de dados antes de prosseguir com o reparo. Hoje, as Apple Stores e assistências autorizadas já não podem fazer serviços caso o cliente não consiga desativar o status de "perdido" no serviço de rastreamento do Buscar iPhone.
Iniciativa da Apple tem como objetivo reduzir a receptação de dispositivos da empresa — Foto: Danilo Paulo de Oliveira/TechTudo
Para verificar se o iPhone é fruto de roubo, furto ou perda, o técnico da Apple irá conferir o MobileGenius e o GSX, que são sistemas internos que registram as informações do telefone. Novos aparelhos levados para reparo terão o número de IMEI checados com uma base de dados global para confirmar o status do produto.
A medida deve valer também para o Brasil porque a base internacional mantida pela GSMA, organização que representa o setor de telecomunicações, também tem os dados dos bloqueios realizados no Brasil, de acordo com técnicos da Anatel ouvidos pelo TechTudo.
O IMEI é como o "CPF do celular". Ou seja, é um número de identificação único que cada smartphone produzido no mundo possui. Esse código pode ser acessado na caixa do iPhone ou até mesmo no próprio aparelho, ao digitar *#06# no discador. A recomendação para usuários que foram vítimas de roubo é registrar boletim de ocorrência e realizar o bloqueio do IMEI do dispositivo na delegacia ou operadora de telefonia.
Usuários devem mostrar comprovante de compra caso desejem desbloquear iPhone em assistências da Apple — Foto: Danilo Paulo de Oliveira/TechTudo
Com a iniciativa, a Apple quer desencorajar que pessoas continuem comprando dispositivos de segunda mão por meios ilegais, limitando o acesso ao reparo e troca de componentes em assistências oficiais. Não é a primeira vez que a empresa tenta barrar o conserto de aparelhos obtidos de forma fraudulenta.
Hoje, para desbloquear a tela de alguma unidade em uma assistência técnica, o consumidor deve provar que tem posse legal do modelo através da nota fiscal de produto, que é o documento que comprova a compra. Até o momento, a companhia não confirmou de forma oficial as novas políticas divulgadas pelo relatório.
Nequi, a fintech neobank which allowed Colombian citizens to test all-digital financial services, has announced its plans for expansion after having parted ways with Bancolombia, the bank that gave it its origin. These plans include an entry into the cryptocurrency world while complying with the limits set by current regulators.
More and more neobanks are considering including cryptocurrencies in their service offerings. This is the case with Nequi, a fintech platform that is reportedly considering making an entrance into the crypto sector in Colombia. The platform, which has more than ten million customers, is now in talks to become an independent company and platform, separating itself from Bancolombia.
The announcement was made by Nequi’s CEO, Cipriano Lopez, in a webinar with Credicorp Capital, a holding company that also lends financial services to its customers. Lopez explained that Nequi wants to make a direct entry into the market, with compliance being one of its first concerns.
Nequi is currently awaiting regulatory approval to become an independent financial company in order to apply the improvements and new plans envisioned.
The inclusion of cryptocurrency and other new features in the app is part of Nequi’s strategy to keep growing and adding new users. The platform managed to grow enormously even during the pandemic, having gained over four million customers during this time due to its all-digital business model.
This new round of changes to the app are expected to be executed in Q3 2022, with the separation from Bancolombia being the catalyst for the new phase of its financial products. The CEO also declared that the app would be introducing new services that will allow Colombians to top up public transportation cards, make ticket purchases — among other services — and to power the adoption of the platform.
Lopez is certain that the company will be profitable in the next months, and these plans are directed to achieve this goal. But the company is not yet profitable, even after having received subsidies from the government due to its digital nature. The new strategy would include giving credits to heavy users of the platform that have sufficient liquidity to pay for them.
Colombia is currently seen as a growing crypto hub by companies like Bitso, a Mexico-based exchange that announced its expansion to the country in February.
What do you think about Nequi getting into the cryptocurrency business? Tell us in the comments section below.
Sergio is a cryptocurrency journalist based in Venezuela. He describes himself as late to the game, entering the cryptosphere when the price rise happened during December 2017. Having a computer engineering background, living in Venezuela, and being impacted by the cryptocurrency boom at a social level, he offers a different point of view about crypto success and how it helps the unbanked and underserved.
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
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