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Selasa, 16 April 2019

iPad Air and iPad mini 2019 review: Apple's tablets strike an ideal balance - Ars Technica

The 2019 iPad Air and iPad mini, side by side.

Samuel Axon
Comparing the 2019 iPad Air to the very first iPad Air from years ago.

Samuel Axon
From left to right: the 2019 iPad mini, the first iPad Air, the 2019 iPad Air, and the 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Samuel Axon

Apple's iPad lineup has had a gap in it lately.

At the top end, you had the 2018 refresh of the iPad Pro—an immensely powerful, envelope-pushing tablet priced and positioned as a laptop replacement. At the bottom, you had the entry-level iPad, which lacked many of the best features in newer Apple products and shipped with a CPU much slower than what's in the latest iPhones.

You were either buying a monster of a tablet for a monster price, or you were getting a tablet that compromised a lot to compete with Chromebooks at the low end. Apple was still making an iPad mini last year, but it was woefully outdated.

Many of us wanted more than the entry-level iPad offered but nevertheless saw a tablet as a secondary device, not a replacement for our main workhorses. That meant we weren't willing to pay iPad Pro prices. As a result, I held on to my aging, first-generation iPad Air (2013) through last year. I probably wasn't alone.

But with the launch of the new iPad Air and iPad mini last month, Apple finally filled the gap. These two tablets seemingly served up the best the iOS platform had to offer, ditched the pretense of replacing your laptop, and didn't break the bank (much).

After spending some time with the devices recently, the result seems clear: Apple's latest tablets are likely the best fits for most people.

Specifications

These updates are more than a spec bump, but the most notable addition to both the iPad mini and the iPad Air is Apple's A12 system-on-a-chip, which houses the CPU, GPU, Neural Engine for machine-learning tasks, and more.

Specs at a glance: Apple iPad Air and iPad Mini
Screen	2048×1536 7.9-inch (326PPI) pressure-sensitive touchscreen for the mini, 2224×1668 10.5-inch (264PPI) pressure-sensitive touchscreen for the Air
OS	iOS 12
CPU	Apple A12 Bionic (2x high-performance cores, 4x low-power cores)
RAM	3GB
GPU	Apple-designed A12 Bionic GPU
Storage	64GB or 256GB
Networking	802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5 (LTE optional add-on)
Ports	Lightning, 3.5mm headphone jack
Camera	8MP rear camera, 7MP front camera
Size	8"×5.3”×0.24" (203.2×134.8×6.1mm) for the mini, 9.8''×6.8''×0.24'' (250.6×174.1×6.1mm) for the Air
Weight	0.66 pounds (300.5g) for the mini, 1 pound (456g) for the Air (imperceptibly more for the LTE models)
Battery	19.1-watt-hour for the mini, 30.2‐watt‐hour for the XS Max
Starting price	$399 for the mini, $499 unlocked for the Air
Other perks	Augmented reality sensors, computational photography features, Apple Pencil support, Smart Keyboard support (Air only)

It's the same chipset found in last year's iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, and apart from the extremely speedy A12X in the 2018 iPad Pros, it's the fastest consumer mobile CPU on the market right now. We'll get more into benchmarks later in the review, but performance shouldn't be a problem on these devices any time in the next few years.

The screens are another area of improvement. The Air has a 10.5-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2,224×1,668 pixels, and the mini comes in at 7.9 inches and 2,048×1,536. That means the mini has a higher pixel density (326 pixels per inch to the Air's 264), but that difference is hardly noticeable.

Both displays have a wide color gamut (P3) and a maximum brightness of 500 nits, and both are fully laminated. That last point makes a subtle but desirable difference over the base iPad—and it makes a big difference to Apple Pencil support, which we'll go over shortly.

Both tablets come with two storage options: 64GB and 256GB. 64GB is not enough for most people, but 256GB is probably too much for some folks, so a 128GB option would have been nice. (The entry-level iPad offers that, but it comes with many other compromises.)

The port options are either a relief or a disappointment, depending on your priorities. One all-around win: there's a headphone jack. You'd think that would be a given on a tablet, but Apple omitted it in last year's iPad Pro.

But the Air and mini come equipped with Apple's proprietary Lightning port for charging, data transfer, and accessories. I'd been hoping that Apple would move the entire line to USB-C after it did so with the iPad Pro, even though that implementation was half-baked. USB-C is so much more common and more flexible than Lightning.

On the other hand, this means you won't have to buy new cables and the like if you're coming from an older iPad.

All told, these are big leaps over the previous versions of either tablet—but that's not hard, given that neither of these product lines had seen new entries for several years. We've already talked at length about the efficiency and power of Apple's custom silicon, and I'll get into it a bit more in the performance section of this review. But it suffices to say that these are extremely fast, energy-conscious tablets.

Apart from sticking with the Lightning port, the specs are a win pretty much across the board, and they justify the purchase price for both devices.

Design

Neither of these tablets has a brand-new design in Apple's lineup.

The Air's design is pretty much the same as that of the 2017, 10.5-inch iPad Pro. That means 9.8×6.8×0.24 inches, weighing in at exactly one pound (1.02 for the LTE model). The mini is very close to its 2015 predecessor: 8×5.3×0.24 inches, and 0.66lbs (0.68 for LTE).

Both tablets come in three color options. First, there's the space gray Apple has been offering in most of its new Macs. That finish includes black bezels. The original "silver" color for the back is also available, but that comes with white bezels. And finally, there's gold with white bezels. The gold is the gold most people know from the iPhone 8 (among other things), not the striking PVD (physical vapor deposition) stainless-steel gold of the iPhone XS and XS Max.

Below: Photos of the iPad Air.

The front of the 2019 iPad Air.

Samuel Axon
The back of the 2019 iPad Air.

Samuel Axon
The Lightning port is back, for better or worse.

Samuel Axon
The Smart Keyboard connector.

Samuel Axon
The camera is flush with the chassis.

Samuel Axon

As is the case with other iPads, the backs are made of aluminum and the fronts are made of glass. There's no wireless charging, but that's not a priority for devices of this size anyway.

Both iPads have home buttons with Touch ID, and they lack Apple's TrueDepth camera-array system used for Face ID. If you were expecting Apple to ditch the home button completely in all new devices, that's surely a surprise.

While Face ID scores high in the cool factor, and it's (in theory) more secure in many situations than Touch ID is, it's not a distinction that's going to matter to most users. Both technologies are responsive and secure enough for the vast majority of people. Yeah, it's neat to never have to even think about taking any specific action to unlock your device (as is the case with Face ID), but the fingerprint reader works so quickly it's far from a burden.

It does mean you miss out on a few apps that use the TrueDepth sensors in interesting ways, but developers haven't exactly been cranking those out in huge numbers to date.

Of course, these iPads support all the same touch gestures and swipes that the home-button-free iOS devices do. So you're not missing out on any functionality at all.

The iPad Air's design looks quite modern. No, it doesn't have the rounded screen edges and almost-nonexistent bezels of the iPad Pro or the newest iPhones. But while those things are striking, I wouldn't expect them in a $499 tablet. I don't think anyone was complaining that the 2017 iPad Pro looked dated—at least, I wasn't—and 10.5 inches is a happy medium size for a tablet display.

The mini, on the other hand, looks quite dated—so dated that when I brought it out in front of someone who is far from a techie, she immediately commented on how "old" it looked. I know reviewers sometimes get flak for focusing more on bezels than is really necessary, and sometimes that might be fair. But in this case… it really does look like a design from the past.

The 2019 iPad mini. It looks like the last iPad mini.

Samuel Axon
The view from the back.

Samuel Axon
It has the same thickness as before, too.

Samuel Axon
The home button remains, unlike some new iOS devices, and Touch ID is still in place here.

Samuel Axon
Like the Air, the camera is flush with the body.

Samuel Axon
And it has a headphone jack!

Samuel Axon
Those bezels, though.

Samuel Axon

Having an up-to-date small tablet option in Apple's lineup is very handy—it's the perfect size for reading books and magazines, I'd argue. And the 7.9-inch display is certainly adequate, though it feels cramped when using the latest multitasking features in iOS. But it's disappointing that Apple didn't find a way to (or choose to) get more screen real estate out of this chassis for an even more optimal small-tablet experience.

A short rant about device and screen sizes

I'm consistently frustrated that the devices that get edge-to-edge displays and massive bezel reductions are frequently larger devices that don't need them as much. If you have a smaller tablet or phone, reducing these bezels for more screen real estate makes a huge difference. But if you have a big tablet, the display is usually already big enough to be comfortable. So you're just adding icing to the cake.

I have a dream sweet spot in my head where we could have a convenient, small form factor but an edge-to-edge display. Then we could enjoy the benefits of a highly portable and flexible device at the same time we enjoy the benefits of a roomy screen.

But when Apple introduced edge-to-edge displays to iPhones, it axed the iPhone SE. And it didn't reduce the bezels at all in the iPad mini. Imagine what an iPhone SE would have been like with an edge-to-edge display. Imagine what an iPad mini would be like if its screen was closer to the size of the base iPad's screen.

Yet Apple seems to cling to this notion that smaller means entry-level, so smaller devices don't get the top-level features. I personally find that endlessly disappointing, even though I understand the business reasons for it. Yes, the iPad mini has the A12, and that's welcome. But that screen is smaller and less usable than it needs to be.

Some users want small devices with high-end features, and they would be willing to pay for it. But Apple's not giving them all of its best here.

Listing image by Samuel Axon

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https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/04/ipad-air-and-ipad-mini-2019-review-apples-tablets-strike-an-ideal-balance/

2019-04-16 12:50:00Z
52780269500868

More Avengers AR Playmojis arrive just in time for the Endgame [APK Download] - Android Police

The highly anticipated grand finale of Marvel's Avengers series is just around the corner with its US release on April 26, and the hype train is fully deployed. Google has jumped right on it and published new Playmoji characters to hop around in your Pixel camera's viewfinder: War Machine, Thor, Black Widow, Rocket, and Captain Marvel.

These heroes join the existing team of Avengers in Playground's Marvel Endgame pack, available in the Play Store and on APK Mirror. You can place them in your surrounding area like any other Playmoji in your Pixel's camera: Tap "More" there and then "Playground." The characters can be resized and rotated, and will make some signature moves and sounds. For example, Rocket likes to laugh and point at people around him.

We've covered the revamped AR Stickers in depth before when they were rebranded to Playground back in October 2018. Back then, the first round of Avengers was introduced along with some quirky Google-made Playmojis, stickers, and the option to add custom text. Today's addition shows Google's continued commitment to the platform, although it would be interesting to see more movies or fandoms besides Marvel's Avengers here.

Playground: Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame

Price: Free

Price: Free

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https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/04/16/more-avengers-ar-playmojis-arrive-just-in-time-for-the-endgame-apk-download/

2019-04-16 11:55:00Z
CAIiEKCAq__v35QdUK_ShJl3Y2sqFggEKg4IACoGCAowu5gUMNLMAjCOyQQ

More Avengers AR Playmojis arrive just in time for the Endgame [APK Download] - Android Police

Price: Free

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https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/04/16/more-avengers-ar-playmojis-arrive-just-in-time-for-the-endgame-apk-download/

2019-04-16 11:09:00Z
52780268894314

Logitech's Harmony Express is a sleek Alexa-powered universal remote - Engadget

Logitech's popular Harmony universal remotes have long been the go-to solution for tech-savvy nerds who want to replace the bounty of ugly rectangles littering their coffee tables with a single, all-powerful option. But universal remotes are still pretty complex on their own, with dozens of buttons and, in some cases, LCD screens. You're basically swapping several remotes for something that looks like it belongs in one of NASA's Mission Control Centers. Now, there's something simpler: the Harmony Express, a compact universal remote that replaces a slew of buttons with Amazon Alexa voice controls.

Logitech Harmony Express

The $249 Express isn't meant to replace the Harmony Elite, which Logitech released back in 2015 and is still one of the best high-end universal remotes around. Instead, the company is aiming for consumers who want to reduce the clutter in their living rooms, but don't want to deal with another complex controller. And of course, it's also significantly more modern since it supports Alexa voice commands (the Elite doesn't even have a microphone). All you need to do is hit the voice button on the remote and say "Play Netflix," and your TV and home theater equipment will start up, head to the right inputs and launch the app.

Like the previous Harmony devices, the Express relies on an infra-red blaster base that sits underneath your TV and spits out control signals to nearby devices. There's also a smaller IR blaster that can sit elsewhere in your home theater to reach gadgets on other shelves. A companion app guides you through the setup process, which involves plugging in your TV and AV receiver models, and confirming other devices in your setup. It automatically detected the Apple TV 4K, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One X, and Denon receiver in my living room, but I had to manually add my Nintendo Switch through a drop down menu.

Logitech Harmony Express

After that, I used the app to place my receiver under the right TV HDMI input, and then dragged the rest of my devices under my receiver's HDMI connections. The entire setup process took around 10 minutes, but it was relatively painless. After connecting the Harmony Express to my Alexa account, I held down the voice button on the remote, said "Turn on Xbox," and my TV and receiver automatically switched to their appropriate inputs. Saying "Play Hulu" switched everything over to my Apple TV 4K and automatically launched the streaming service app.

At first, the Harmony Express felt like everything I'd ever wanted in a modern universal remote, my entire entertainment system at my beck and call. But it wasn't too long before I noticed limitations: It can only launch apps, it can't play a specific movie or TV show. And it's not compatible with any of the Apple TV or Roku's voice commands, which means it can't take advantage of either boxes' voice search. Basically, you'll still need to keep your Apple and Roku remotes around. Logitech says it's working on getting deeper integration with those platforms, but it's unclear when, or if, that will happen.

As a standard remote, the Harmony Express feels comfortable to hold, with a rounded bottom half and smooth plastic finish. It's thicker and chunkier than the Apple TV remote, which means you're less likely to lose it in the couch, but it's also slimmer than Roku's bulbous controller. A circular ring on the top serves as your directional pad, while the center holds your standard "OK" button. Hold that down, and blue LEDs light up, telling you it's ready for voice commands.

The remote has only nine other buttons -- a breath of fresh air when compared to Logitech's previous controllers. On top of the expected volume and playback controls, there are back, home and menu buttons. A few also do double duty, a long press on the mute button turns off everything, while holding down Menu opens up options on some devices. There's a speaker on the back for Alexa's responses, which can get surprisingly loud (you control its volume through the app). Finally, a micro-USB port on the bottom lets you recharge the remote.

The Harmony Express is a serviceable remote for navigating the Apple TV's menus, my LG TV's options, or the Xbox One X's interface. But since it's relying on IR to control everything, there's a slight delay between hitting a button on the remote and the on-screen response. Apple and Roku's remotes are wirelessly connected to their set-top boxes directly, so they'll always be faster. Simply put, the main reason you'd want a Harmony Express is for simple voice controls.

Gallery: Logitech Harmony Express press images | 5 Photos

That being said, it's also a tempting option for anyone already relying on Alexa. The Express has all of the power of Amazon's virtual assistant behind it, so you can just as easily control the smart devices in your home as you can change streaming apps. The Alexa integration also works in reverse -- you can shout the same commands to an Echo in your home to control your TV setup. But it's worth noting that's something the Harmony Elite can already do with its Alexa skills, even though it doesn't have a microphone of its own.

I'll need to spend more time with the Harmony Express before I can fully judge it, but for now it seems lie an intriguing step forward for Logitech. Unfortunately, it's held back by limited integration with Apple and Roku's set-top boxes, something we might never end up seeing. At this point, the Harmony Express seems best suited for Amazon Alexa addicts who've dreamed of controlling TVs with their voices.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/16/logitech-harmony-express-alexa-universal-remote/

2019-04-16 07:01:50Z
52780269897128

Logitech’s new $250 Harmony Express remote puts Alexa in control - The Verge

Logitech just announced a new remote control that shakes up what consumers have come to expect from the company’s Harmony lineup. The $249.99 Harmony Express, which starts shipping today, has a revamped, tiny design that gets rid of the touchscreen and many programmable buttons of other Harmony remotes. Instead, Logitech is betting everything on Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.

Alexa is built right into the remote itself; yes, there’s a microphone in there, along with a speaker so you can hear Alexa’s responses. If Logitech’s other Harmony remotes are aimed at the home theater enthusiast crowd, the Express is meant for casual consumers who want to walk into their living room, turn on the TV, and get to Netflix or Prime Video with voice commands. That sounds great in theory, but my time with the Express so far shows that Alexa might not yet be ready to handle all that responsibility.

Also, why in the world is this thing $250? Plenty of TVs and streaming platforms like Roku and Fire TV already support Alexa. Is Logitech’s ability to control a vast number of living room devices worth such a premium? Voice search is a nice bonus to have on remotes, but making voice the central user experience is also taking quite a leap.

For the launch of the Harmony Express, Logitech is starting fresh. The company created an all-new companion app that offers an extremely simple setup process and streamlined interactions thereafter. For now, that app only works with the Express. This remote isn’t compatible with Logitech’s older Harmony app, nor is its hub cross-compatible with older remotes. It charges over Micro USB, but you’ll rarely have to worry about a dead remote battery.

To get started, you power all of your devices on, and then the app scans for them. It successfully recognized my TCL Roku TV and Xbox One; I had to add my PS4 and Vizio soundbar manually. Then, you drag and drop each device onto its respective HDMI port so that the Express knows where to find everything. It supports most popular devices including Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku. You can even choose which device you prefer using for each of the popular streaming apps. After this comes the Alexa setup, where you’ll need to link the Harmony Express to your Amazon account.

Once everything’s done, you can say something like “go to Netflix,” and your TV will power own, switch to the right HDMI input, and load up the app. You can open any number of streaming apps, but you can’t tell Alexa to play a specific show. So you’ll find yourself using the circular four-way navigation pad often to actually start watching something. The Express can also tune to specific channels (by channel number or name) on many cable boxes or, in my case, through the antenna plugged into my Roku TV. You can do basically any command your device supports — but it requires talking to the remote instead of tapping a touchscreen or shortcut button as you would on another Harmony.

The remote itself feels nice. I found that my thumb rested naturally on the OK / voice button. It weighs barely anything, and there’s a matte soft-touch finish on the back for added grip. Alexa’s voice comes through the speaker clearly, as well, if a bit sharp at times.

And of course, you can always just ask the Express general Alexa questions about things like the weather or sports scores. Logitech designed its Alexa integration to be press-and-hold-to-talk, so it’s not like the remote will constantly be listening for “Alexa” like an Echo speaker might. You can adjust the volume of Alexa’s responses, but the voice can’t be fully turned off.

Logitech includes a hub / IR blaster in the box, which is what connects to Logitech’s server and pulls in all the commands for each of your devices. Once you’ve set up the Express, those smarts extend to your Echo speakers, so you can similarly tell those devices to turn on your TV, for example. Your TV or game console might already support Alexa individually — my TCL TV and Xbox One do (no IR blaster required) — but there’s definitely a convenience in chaining everything together.

However, there’s also opportunity for crossed streams and conflict among Alexa skills. If both your TV and the Harmony Express understand “go to Netflix” as a command, which one wins and actually performs the request? How does Alexa know to use the Logitech Express instead of just controlling your Xbox One with Microsoft’s own skill? Logitech admits this is an area where consumers might get inconsistent results from time to time, and it’s something Amazon also needs to have a hand in solving. If you prefer just using the remote like a remote, the physical buttons on the Express will control whatever app or device you’re using at that time, and they’re all backlit. You can also customize each button to do a different device command with either a short press or long press, which is useful since there aren’t many of them.

I haven’t spent enough time with the Harmony Express to offer a review just yet, but I’m very confused about who is going to buy this product. I get the concept and who it’s for: people who want a universal remote that’s not overly complex. But... $250? At the price, wouldn’t home theater power users prefer the customizability and more advanced automation capabilities of the Harmony Elite? Alexa isn’t yet quite reliable enough for that crowd, and having to constantly talk to a remote control can get pretty annoying.

Likewise, I don’t see many casual consumers handing over that much just for some added Alexa convenience in their lives. For $100? Sure, you could make a far better argument to give the Express a shot. It’s done what I’ve asked so far without many issues or hiccups. But I don’t think Alexa has evolved enough in the living room for Logitech to be asking for $250. As it stands, the Harmony Express isn’t replacing any member of the Harmony lineup. The Harmony Elite still remains the flagship, and there are cheaper options if you prefer a more traditional universal remote. But if you want to give Logitech’s newest approach a try, you can order the Express starting right now.

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/16/18311894/logitech-express-alexa-remote-control-announced-features-pricing

2019-04-16 07:01:00Z
52780269897128

Samsung Galaxy Fold hands-on: Bridging the gap between tablet and phone - Android Central

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd3zECAG-F4

2019-04-16 05:12:28Z
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Makan Dua Belas

Selasa, 16 April 2019

iPad Air and iPad mini 2019 review: Apple's tablets strike an ideal balance - Ars Technica

Table of Contents

Specifications

Apple iPad Air

Apple iPad Mini

Design

A short rant about device and screen sizes

More Avengers AR Playmojis arrive just in time for the Endgame [APK Download] - Android Police

More Avengers AR Playmojis arrive just in time for the Endgame [APK Download] - Android Police

Logitech's Harmony Express is a sleek Alexa-powered universal remote - Engadget

Gallery: Logitech Harmony Express press images | 5 Photos

Logitech’s new $250 Harmony Express remote puts Alexa in control - The Verge

Samsung Galaxy Fold hands-on: Bridging the gap between tablet and phone - Android Central