NEWS
A "leak" of iOS 11 reveals loads of info about the upcoming iPhone X
Apple has sprung a leak, days before their big new iPhone reveal event! Someone "found" the iOS 11 golden master on Apple's website and sent the URL (again, this is off Apple's server) to 9to5 Mac, MacRumors, Daring Fireball and interestingly, the BBC. As a result, we have a huge insight into what Apple's new iPhone - now dubbed iPhone X - will contain. Wireless charging, "Face ID" (facial recognition login/auth), 4K 60fps video, "portrait lighting" (something to do with the camera flash) and OLED display. Also, new Apple Watches with LTE and a 4K Apple TV. The lot will be revealed properly at 3AM Wednesday morning.
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China to go on a big electric car push
China is planning to cease production and sale of internal combustion engined cars. They haven't announced anything beyond "we plan to, at some point, we're working on it", but damn, what a signal that the internal combustion engine has had its day. Simultaneously, the State Grid Corporation of China (i.e: China's power company) will install 120,000 electric car chargers by 2020. Toyota's CEO said over the weekend that he feels a "sense of crisis" about EVs and that it will be a struggle to make one EV unique from another. The honesty is nice, but, fuck, get your shit together Akio-san.
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Victoria to set up IT project watchdog
Victoria has a shameful history of pissing money away on IT projects that go nowhere. Ultranet, Vicpol Link and the crowning glory, Myki - just to name a few. In an attempt to avoid shambolic IT projects, the Victorian government will "set up a high-level portfolio management office function within the enterprise solutions division of the Department of Premier and Cabinet by early 2018". For what it's worth NSW and federal governments already has this. Still, good to see that this stuff is starting to get taken seriously.
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PewDiePie said a racist thing again
I regret to inform you that PewDiePie said something racist again. He was playing Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds on a YouTube stream and let the n-word slip *sadtrombone.wav*. Alright, fair enough, he apologised and said the he didn't mean it "in a bad way" - just like the other times, I guess. The creators of Firewatch are now suing PewDiePie for copyright infringement (i.e: using content from their games on his channel) because they're "sick of this child getting more and more chances to make money off we make". God speed to them.
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Equifax fail continues
Last week's Equifax data-breach is still taking up time in the news. Equifax has handled it about as awfully as possible. Their offer of free credit freezes is pissweak, as the PINs that allow you to lock/unlock the freeze are simply sequential numbers. The site to check if your data was pilfered just returns the same "yes" output regardless of the details you enter. If you're wondering, Equifax's AU operations weren't implicated. This time at least. The share price, of course, has tanked, down 15%, but it doesn't look like it'll be that big of an impact to be honest. Equifax is so entrenched in US credit business, it'll still have customers and keep doing its thing. Damn.
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COOL SHIT
Oh look, it's another eBay sale. Yay.
Yet another eBay sale. Use code PICNIC and use this link to search only stores participating in the sale (search field is in the middle of the page). Some starter bargains: Intel NUC7i3BNH - $327.20. Xiaomi Power Bank 2 20,000mAh with QC3.0 - $37.41. Nvidia GTX 1060 - $255.20. PlayStation VR kit & VR Worlds game - $508.51. PS4 ProiPad Pro 10.5" 64GB Wi-Fi - $743.20. I'll dig up more of course, I need that sweet, sweet affiliate cash.
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ShotBox is everything Skitch should be
Are you a Mac user that takes screenshots? "Yes!" Do you need to annotate those screenshots? "Fuck yeah I do" Do you morn Skitch? "Every goddamn day" Well ShotBox is for you. It's free, it's good and it's the Skitch for 2017 that we all want. Get around it.
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Yeah baby, trackballs are back and better than ever
Logitech's new MX Ergo combines the lovely MX Master mouse we all know and love with an honest to god trackball on top. Some youngins may not remember, but once upon a time, it was fashionable to use a trackball to move a cursor around your fancy new windowed GUI. Supposedly it's more ergonomic to spin a ball with your thumb than slide a mouse around on a table. Dunno whey trackballs went out of fashion, but I really want to try this new one out.
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--Anthony
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