Nate Nanzer interviewed during the Overwatch League finalsPhoto: Bryan Bedder / Getty Images
The Overwatch League’s founding commissioner, Nate Nanzer, announced on Friday night that he is leaving one of the most-hyped pro esports leagues in the world. The news was first broken by ESPN, which reported that Nanzer is joining Epic Games to work on competitive Fortnite.
“This has been the toughest decision of my life, because it means I won’t get to work with the best staff, players, teams, owners, partners, and fans in esports anymore,” Nanzer said on Twitter last night.
Nanzer has overseen a league that has been aggressively promoted by Overwatch’s developers and publishers at Activision Blizzard and saw its first season capped out with a packed stadium event in Brooklyn, New York last summer.
Nevertheless, questions linger about whether viewership and attendance at glitzy competitive esports events like the Overwatch League can sustain the cost of business. Overwatch League has been pushed as an expanding business with a plan for teams to start playing in their home cities, instead of all in Anaheim, starting next year.
An Epic spokesperson confirmed to ESPN that Nanzer is heading to their company to work on competitive Fortnite. The move is another sign of the strength of Epic’s ubiquitous game but also of Epic’s need to improve its approach to Fortnite esports, which, young a scene as it is, has been beset by cheating and is in a state of unusual flux as its organizers experiment with the rules of play.
Google's been heavily working on improving its Messages app, by enriching it with advanced features such as context-aware recommendations, a dark mode, RCS support, and a web interface. Thanks to these, it's only natural for the software to be one of the most installed messaging apps on the Play Store, as it's in the top 25 communication software on the Play Store according to App Annie. It's actually so popular it's been downloaded more than 500 million times by Android users.
It's essential to bear in mind Messages isn't part of the GMS (Google Mobile Services) package, which means manufacturers often pre-install their own texting app on their phones instead of this one. In fact, only Pixels and Android One devices like Nokia handsets come preloaded with Google apps such as Calendar and Messages. Therefore, this means there are a whole lot of users out there that chose to replace their default messaging software with this one.
If you haven't given Messages a try, download it from the link below, and you probably won't go back to your manufacturer's solution again.
The yearly cycle of smartphone software updates is once again underway. Apple has just announced that its yearly developer conference WWDC, where iOS 13 is set to be unveiled, will take place at the start of June but Google is one step ahead.
The first beta of Android Q was pushed to developers and early adopters in March and since then another two versions of the operating system have been made available. We've been testing out the latest software of Q on a Pixel 3 XL.
At this stage, it's still early days for Android Q but there's one addition that's going to change everything – and please die-hard operating system fans. It's dark mode.
For the first time Google has decided to introduce a system-wide dark theme. Instead of menus being white with black text sitting on top, the colours have been inverted. And it's beautiful. Google's designers have clearly spent time thinking about how the dark mode should look and feel.
Instead of a straightforward inversion of colours the design changes are more subtle. Swipe down from the top of your phone's screen and the settings tray is a mixture of white, grey and blue icons on the black background. If you dive deeper into settings menu, each icon (battery, display, sound etc) has been given its own colour. They all pop against the black background and the text that accompanies them alters between white headings and a grey subheading.
The attention to detail in Android's dark mode is what makes it satisfying to use. Both the app selection menu and Google's Now feed, which is a swipe right from the home screen, are predominantly black but also use muted levels of transparency. The effect is polished and gives the dark mode a fresh feel, despite its introduction being half a decade too late.
As well as the execution, dark mode is also an improvement because of its potential impact on your vision. Navigating Android in dark mode, particularly with the larger sized phone screens that are used now, feels as if there is less strain being placed on tired eyes. The science on this is currently debateable but anecdotally I perceive it to be better.
The dark theme isn't perfect though. It's far from it. At the moment the limited development of the overall Android Q beta means the dark theme isn't universal. The UI, menus and settings are some of the few on-device displays that have been treated to the black, white and blue mode at the moment. But by the time Q is given a name and made public this Autumn there'll be more capability.
Google has just released dark modes for Google Calendar and Keep, a note taking app. Turning dark mode on in Android Q's settings will automatically turn the Google apps dark. There are plans to let third-party app developers automate dark modes for their own apps too. The Android guidance that's been issued for developers says the dark mode can reduce power usage on a phone or tablet and improves visibility for low vision device users.
To encourage devs to support dark mode Google is introducing a Force Dark option. "Force Dark analyses each view of your light-themed app, and applies a dark theme automatically before it is drawn to the screen," Google says on its developer blog. "Some developers use a mix of Force Dark and native implementation to cut down on the amount of time needed to implement Dark theme."
Despite the curent restricted nature of dark mode it's one of the most significant changes Google has thrown into Android for several years. Android Pie, the current iteration of the operating system, was largely a performance and stability update. (Google did flex its AI-muscle and added some personalisation features.) Android Oreo before it had some barely noticeable battery improvements and notification control changes.
They're all useful features but aren't exactly exciting. Dark mode on Android Q is core to the user experience. If you turn it on, you can't miss it. The light text on a dark background smacks you in the face and if you haven't joined the dark mode revolution, it's good enough to convert you.
But what about the rest of Android Q? The operating system on my Pixel feels like it runs more smoothly and transitions between menus and apps are slightly quicker. Google has given the gesture navigation it introduced last year in Pie an overhaul. The back button is slowly being phased out and when you swipe in either direction across the tablet-shaped button at the bottom of the screen it will take you forward or backwards among the most recently opened apps. It works much in the same way as iPhone navigation does.
And speaking of artificial intelligence additions there's one in Android Q that will make your phone-based life more productive. Now when a notification appears on your device, Google will provide a suggested action.
My experiences of these so far have mostly been limited to messages but they are proving to be useful. When my partner messaged me a link to an article to read, the notification gave an option to open the link in Chrome with one tap. When I was sent an address for a coffee shop meeting, it could be instantly opened in Google Maps. It's a neat touch that once you've used a few times will become something you notice isn't there on other pieces of tech.
There's other new additions to Q – a focus mode, enhanced privacy settings and 5G compatibility – but none of these are dark mode. That's the first thing you should try once you install Android Q.
In today's roundup we're dissecting Apple's latest patent filing, which reveals new details of Touch ID 2.0 and could come to the next generation of iPhones. We're also breaking down all the most important changes to the new MacBook Pros, including what the company's doing about the keyboard. And in case that wasn't enough, Apple also sent out WWDC invites this week and possibly revealed some clues about what it's announcing at the developer's conference.
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Apple could bring Touch ID back to the next iPhone
There have been plenty of rumors about an in-screen fingerprint scanner on the next iPhone, dating back to the pre-Face ID days. But Apple's latest patent all but confirms the company's plans to bring back Touch ID in the future. Just maybe not all that soon.
The latest patent, published in Patently Apple, shows how the company plans to embed pinhole cameras behind the screen of the phone, which would be capable of creating a 3D map of your fingerprint regardless of where you position your finger.
Apple likely wouldn't be replacing Face ID anytime soon, but it this new in-screen Touch ID could be used as a supplementary form of biometric identification to make your iPhone even more secure.
What's exciting about this patent is that it shows pictures of a working prototype, meaning Apple is pretty far along in the development process. The bad news is that it likely wouldn't be ready to go into mass production until the 2020 cycle. The iPhone 11 is rumored to have very few design changes, aside from a three-camera array on the back. That's too bad. An in-screen fingerprint scanner might have helped entice users to upgrade with the next iPhone release.
Apple's new MacBook Pros get a power boost
Apple announced its new MacBook Pros this week with important but practically imperceptible upgrades. On the outside they could be easily confused with last year's models, but they're now powered by Intel's ninth-generation Core i7 and Core i9 CPUs, in both six-core and eight-core versions, making them the first MacBooks with an eight-core processor, the most powerful ever.
As for the keyboard on the new machines, they still have the traditional butterfly switch mechanism that has caused so many keyboard issues for Apple in previous models, but this time around it's using a new material Apple says will help solve its sticky key problem.
Apple's plan to fix its keyboard issue for good
The new material wasn't Apple's only attempt at fixing its keyboard problems. The same day the company launched the new MacBook Pros, it also announced it would be extending its Keyboard service program to replace all MacBooks' faulty keyboards from 2015 onward, and that the repair program would be sped up to get users back up and running faster.
In 2015, Apple switched from the traditional scissor mechanism to a butterfly-switch keyboard. This new solution debuted on the 12-inch Retina Macbook and allowed Apple to build a thinner machine. Soon after, users began to complain about unresponsive or sticky keys and letters or characters that would repeat unexpectedly when typing or would just flat-out refuse to type.
After years of brushing the issue aside, Apple finally acknowledged in June of last year that " a very small percentage of keyboards" were experiencing issues and offered free repairs.
But the fix only covered first-generation and second-generation keyboards, and repairs could take over a week. The news now extends the repair program to all models, including third-generation keyboards as well as the ones in the newest MacBooks. And those who've already paid for repairs can contact Apple for a refund.
Apple sends out official WWDC 2019 invites
We've known the dates of Apple's next developers' conference for a while now: the first week in June, just like every other year. But this week the company sent out the official invitations for its opening keynote, which is set to take place at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose on June 3 at 10 a.m. PT.
This is where the company usually announces its new software updates for iOS, MacOS, WatchOS and TVOS, and this year will be no exception. But the details of each update are still vague, which is why the invite is important. Apple often likes to hide clues as Easter eggs hinting at what it will announce in the invitation. And if you like teasers, CNET editor Patrick Holland disusses what Apple's WWDC 2019 invite teases about the next iOS and MacOS in this article.
Apple surprised us with a MacBook Pro refresh earlier this week. 2019 models feature faster Intel processors with up to eight cores for the first time, as well as "new materials" added to the keyboard to hopefully reduce issues such as sticky and repeating keys that prompted Apple's worldwide repair program.
Whereas the membrane in the 2018 MacBook Pro is "semi-opaque" and "feels like silicone," iFixit says the cover in the 2019 model is "clearer and smooth to the touch." Based on infrared analysis, it appears the 2018 membrane was made with polyacetylene, while the 2019 covers uses polyamide, aka nylon.
iFixit also found that the metal dome over each key switch is "subtly different" as well. "It could be a new surface treatment, and/or a tweaked alloy, possibly to alleviate problems with durability, bounce-back, or other issues," they said.
2018 MacBook Pro parts on left, 2019 MacBook Pro parts on right in each image
Beyond the keyboard, the 2019 MacBook Pro has few changes, as this was merely a spec bump. The notebook still earns iFixit's lowest repairability score, as the processor, RAM, and flash storage remain soldered to the logic board, while the keyboard, battery, speakers, and Touch Bar are glued together.
According to iFixit, Apple made two changes to the new keyboards that are on its just-announced, spec-bumped MacBook Pro. The changes seem to amount to a new material underneath the key on the switch cover and a new dome switch that might be more resilient. And though it’s much too early to say whether or not those changes will make a difference in improving the keyboard’s reliability, what is clear right now is that Apple is still just tweaking its design instead of overhauling it.
The iFixit teardown was necessary to find out what Apple’s design changes were because the company refused to actually explain them beyond telling reporters that it had utilized a “new material.” So the teardown commenced, and the results are subtle enough that it has taken special scientific equipment (and will take even more in the future) to determine the difference.
The first of iFixit’s discoveries is that Apple is, in fact, using a new material inside a component of the key inside the keyboard. There’s a polymer over the actual keyboard switch that previously a complex polymer now appears to essentially plain old nylon, according to an FITR analysis. Apple began using a silicone membrane inside the keyboard last year. The company insisted it was there to reduce noise, despite patent filings and service documents confirming that they were intended to protect against debris. This new material doesn’t change that overall membrane, but instead this is a second kind of polymer that lies underneath it.
The newer material is “clearer and smooth to the touch,” according to iFixit. Though why the change might help is anybody’s guess. Perhaps it’s better at not allowing dust to get stuck under it? At this point, only Apple really knows for sure.
The second change is even more mysterious. On Apple’s butterfly keyboard, there is a metal dome switch underneath each key. It’s the thing that makes the electrical contact that registers a keypress. Apple appears to have made minor changes to these switches in the new keyboard.
iFixit says that “The difference in surface finish from the 2018 version (left) to the 2019 (right) indicates Apple may be using a revised heat treatment, or alloy, or possibly both.” However, a full analysis of what’s changed will require much more sophisticated equipment than iFixit currently has access to. Again, it’s a question that Apple could answer at any time.
What does seem clear, however, is that these metal switches are likely the culprits for many (though probably not all) of the keyboard failures people have been experiencing. They’re just tiny and delicate — they work by popping down and pushing back up “like a really tiny jam lid or Snapple cap,” iFixit notes. It’s not hard to imagine the world’s tiniest Snapple lid deforming under the kind of stress all laptop keyboards have to endure.
So it makes sense that Apple would be iterating on this part and trying to make it as resilient as possible — but it’s also surely true that there’s a limit to how effective that strategy could possibly be. As for what could be breaking those switches on current keyboards, theories run from dust to grit to metal fatigue. A very popular Reddit post from earlier this month lays out the case for the latter.
Apple’s butterfly keyboards have undergone several revisions since their debut on the MacBook in 2015, but none have managed to fix the underlying reliability issue. The second generation came with the 2016 MacBook Pro, with a slight update in 2017 to dampen noise. Problems persisted, and the 2018 MacBook Pro came with a third-generation keyboard with silicone membranes. Now, in 2019, the third generation has been tweaked with the new switch cover and switch materials.
Every one of those keyboards sold in the past four years, as well as the new 2019 models, are now covered under a new repair program, and Apple has said repair times for keyboard issues have been shortened as well. It’s up to you to decide whether the more comprehensive repair program should be cause for relief or concern.
It’s impossible to know right now whether the new design detailed by iFixit will solve the reliability problems once and for all. What we can say for sure is that the fundamental design of the butterfly keyboard hasn’t changed. That means that when one breaks — even if that happens more rarely now — it will require an intensive repair.
At the end of the day, Apple’s butterfly keyboard has a much bigger flaw, one that this model’s tweaks cannot fix: too many people have simply lost faith in this design. Apple could theoretically combat that loss of trust with more candor, but it certainly hasn’t been forthcoming thus far. Getting the company to even admit that there might be a problem has been a years-longprocess.
When it comes to consumer trust in Apple’s butterfly keyboards, different materials won’t make a material difference.
Correction: The original version misidentified the polymer change as being on the silicone membrane, not the switch cover. The third paragraph has corrected and we regret the error.
Samsung’s Galaxy Fold faced a huge problem even before the company started shipping the product to customers. The company later announced it will be postponing the launch of the device, cancelling pre-orders.
And now, one of the biggest retailers in the United States is also cancelling pre-orders of the Galaxy Fold. The Verge reports that Best Buy is now cancelling pre-orders of the Galaxy Fold after Samsung decided to postpone the launch of the device.
Because Samsung is still uncertain about the new release date for the Galaxy Fold, Best Buy has decided to cancel all the current pre-orders of the Galaxy Fold. And until the device is available for purchase once again, the company will not be taking pre-orders for the phone.
“With breakthrough designs and technology come many hurdles and the possibility to face a plethora of unforeseen hiccups. These hurdles have led Samsung to postpone the release of the Galaxy Fold, and Samsung has not provided a new release date. Because we put our customers first and want to ensure they are taken care of in the best possible manner, Best Buy has decided to cancel all current pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Fold,” Best Buy said.
A recent teardown of the Galaxy Fold suggested that the device’s internals are incredibly fragile, and it would have to go through a large redesign for it to be useable by actual, real people.
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