There's heaps of Apple related stuff in this issue, so this is a warning, if that sort of thing offends you.
NEWS
iOS 10, tvOS 10 and watchOS 3 are now out of beta and ready to install
Apple has released iOS 10, tvOS 10 and watchOS 3. MacStories and Anandtech have huge stories about all the new stuff in iOS 10. 9to5Mac look at what's new in tvOS 10, which missed out on the much wanted single sign on feature for the .0 release. There's not much around about watchOS 3, just reports that it's noticeably faster than watchOS 2.
Discuss
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus reviews break loose
Also Apple related, all the first iPhone 7 reviews are out. TechCrunch and Arstechnica have good ones and locally, The Australian, SMH and News.com.au put up their opinions too. Everyone seems to like it and reckons it's Apple's best iPhone. The home button not being an actual physical button is a bit annoying and the lack of a 3.5mm headphone socket doesn't seem to bother the reviewers. The AirPods are pretty good too. Personally, I'm looking forward to Anandtech's. Also looking forward to Chipworks tearing down the A10 Fusion SoC, that's gonna be a ball-tearer I reckon.
Discuss
Hands on reviews of pre-production Chevy Bolts
GM has let a few journalists drive a pre-production Chevy Bolt. This is pretty much the same design and spec as will be in US showrooms by the end of the year and the first relatively affordable pure EV with 200+ miles of range. Wired, The Verge, MotorTrend and Car and Driver all have reviews. I haven't read them all yet, but from the quick read through, it seems just like any other small car, but with all the advantages of an electric motor. Perfect. This sort of thing is the near future of mass produced cars, not Tesla.
Discuss
Samsung sending OTA updates to Note 7s to limit battery charging
Samsung's quest to ensure nobody else is harmed by the Note 7's exploding battery has extended to a new software update to prevent the battery charging beyond 60% capacity. This over the air update will hit South Korea first, with other countries getting it whenever telcos decide to release it. Samsung is also hoping that the fact the phone is limited to 60% battery annoys people enough to get their Note 7 swapped over for a new one.
Discuss
Adblock Plus confirms its new shakedown monetisation strategy
Adblock Plus is now officially taking money to pre-whitelist ads. They're calling it the Acceptable Ads Platform and all ads Adblock Plus lets throuth will be non intrusive. I don't know how this is any different to mafia protection rackets. Pay me and I'll let your ads through, otherwise, no ads.
Discuss
COOL SHIT
Concorde parts and memorabilia auction
A French auction house is having a special Concorde themed sale, with hundreds of Concorde related paraphernalia up for grabs. There's Concorde instrumentation, models, parts, commemorative pins, coins and books. It takes place on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of November, which happens to be my birthday. The full catalog of items available is on the Marc Labarbe website.
Discuss
Mac Pro hits 1,000 days without a spec update
The Mac Pro has hit a sad, sorry and pathetic 1,000 days since it received a spec bump. After all the fuss Apple made about innovation not being dead when they released the new "trashcan" design, the Mac Pro you buy now is identical in performance to the one you could purchase over 3 years ago. What the fuck is going on over at Apple? I get the iPhone and iPad is where the cash is, but don't forget the Mac Pro! Chuck in some new Xeon CPUs, get - don't even get me started on the Mac Mini...
Discuss
iPhone 7 Plus camera samples from pro photographers
Apple has given a few photographers the iPhone 7 Plus to show off how amazing the camera on it is, for such a small sensor and lens. First we had Sports Illustrated take a few snaps at an NFL game. Then ESPN took it to the US Open. Now the iPhone 7 Plus has been used by Outside magazine, to take photos of people doing stuff outside, because that's the name of the magazine. From these samples, it looks like all those nifty 1" cameras like the Sony RX100, Panasonic TZ100 and Canon G7 X II don't have much of an advantage over a smartphone besides their zoom lenses and maybe a little low-light performance. With iOS 10's new raw capabilities, apps like the just updated Lightroom can improve picture quality even further if you know what you're doing.
Discuss
Here endeth the sizzle (until tomorrow!)
--Anthony
The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "@decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon. Today's subject line is from X.Y.U, by The Smashing Pumpkins. Like The Sizzle? Tell your friends!