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With the iPhone 16 Pro, the big announcements were the cameras and Apple Intelligence. The problem is Apple Intelligence isnt quite here yet. We can test some features in the developer beta, but thats not necessarily what well get when the update rolls out in October. So our focus is more on iOS 18 (deep dive on the beta here) and the hardware changes. The big hardware change is the camera button. But its not just a button, really. Located on the right side of the device, it has touch and pressure sensors to give greater control with swipes and semi-presses. (Thats in addition to the Action Button, which is still on the left edge of the iPhone). Engadget It was meant to (and eventually will) let you push lightly on the button to trigger focus, similar to half-pressing a DSLR shutter button. Sadly, that function isnt available at launch. You can swipe the button to tweak exposure, zoom levels and tone, and with the half-press, you can still select options or leave menus in the new Camera Control interface. Without Apple Intelligence features at launch, however, the iPhone 16 Pro seems like a more incremental update than most years. But if youve held out on upgrading for a year or two, the camera improvements (and eventual AI features) might tempt you. Mat Smith The biggest headlines you might have missed Solid-state battery prototype boosts energy density by nearly 25 percent Five features that caught our eye from todays YouTube livestream Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are suing Palworld creator Pocketpair Did the design of Nintendos next console leak? Magnetic JoyCons? X/Andy Robinson Recent rumors suggest a design pretty close to the original Switch. Spotted by VGC, photos of the console have appeared online, and they show an 8-inch screen and magnetic Joy-Con controllers. There looks to be SL/SR buttons and front-facing player LEDs on those controllers. Weve pulled it into our collection of rumors and leaks read on for more. Continue reading. MrBeast and Amazon are being sued by contestants of their planned competition show The lawsuit is seeking class-action status. Five unnamed contestants who participated in YouTuber MrBeasts Beast Games filed a lawsuit on September 16 against MrBeast and Amazon, which plans to distribute the show. Its also seeking class-action status. This game show, almost Squid Game-style, had participants go through challenges for a shot at $5 million in cash, with one winner from 1,000 participants. The five have cited poor conditions, mistreatment and harassment. Among the 14 complaints are failure to pay minimum wages, sexual harassment, false advertising and failure to provide uninterrupted meal and rest breaks. They also arrived on set to discover that instead of 1,000 total competitors, there were far more people playing for the prize, thus lowering everyone's chances of coming out a winner. According to The New York Times, the total number of contestants was about 2,000, which MrBeast said was the plan all along. Continue reading. Apple reveals how its made the iPhone 16 series (much) easier to repair Its simpler to replace batteries and far easier to swap out components. Apple has released new updates on iPhone 16 repairability, and these appear to have addressed issues with battery replacement and parts pairing. The company says it focused particularly on the repairability aspect of its latest devices. Theres now an entirely new, supposedly easier way to remove the battery. By running a low-voltage electrical current through the new ionic liquid battery adhesive (using a 9V cell, for instance), the battery will release itself from the enclosure. Apple also made changes to the Face ID sensor hardware, starting with the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Now, the TrueDepth Camera can be swapped from one unit to another without compromising security or privacy. Before, only Apple was able to do that type of repair. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-our-verdict-on-the-iphone-16-pro-111535436.html?src=rss
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Solid-state batteries have the potential to make EVs far more affordable and practical, but their commercial development has a record of false promises that would make Tesla's full self-driving blush. That means reporting on them is tricky, but we're seeing some promising news from Imec, a well-established R&D giant based in Belgium. As part of its SOLiDIFY project, the EU-supported firm and its 13 partners have manufactured a prototype solid-state battery with a 1070 Wh/L energy density, nearly 25 percent higher than the best lithium-ion cells (800 Wh/L). Better still, it uses a manufacturing process that works at room temperature, is adaptable to current lithium-ion battery product lines and is projected to cost less than 150 euros (about $167) per kWh, compared to about $140/kWh for current batteries. "This process holds promise for affordable industrial transfer," Imec wrote in a press release. The breakthrough was something called "liquid-to-solid" solidification. That means the prototype's solid electrolyte uses a "doped polymerized ionic liquid" in a thin 50 micrometer layer. The electrolyte is flanked by a high-capacity composite cathode on one side and a thin lithium metal anode on the other, resulting in a compact battery cell stack. The consortium was able to boost the cell's charge rate to three hours and lifetime to 100 cycles, overcoming mechanical strength and cathode impregnation challenges. Use of cobalt was also reduced thanks to the application of nanometer-thin protective coatings. Clearly the charging times and number of cycles need to improve (modern li-ion car batteries can be charged 2000 times and some in well under an hour). In addition, the technology requires further upscaling to be practical on an industrial level. It's worth the effort, though, as solid-state batteries could eventually deliver improved energy density, lower charging times and better safety, all at a lower price. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/solid-state-battery-prototype-boosts-energy-density-by-nearly-25-percent-080057028.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
A new action group called The Dad Shift is going viral thanks to a stunt in central London. Activists attached slings holding baby dolls to bronze statues of famous men. Their goal? Improving the UK's paternity leave, which is the skimpiest in Europe: new fathers currently get two weeks of statutory leave, during which they're paid GBP 184.03 a week (less than half the minimum wage).The Dad Shift is campaigning for paternity leave that's both longer and more affordable, and not just for dads but parents in every relationship same-sex, heterosexual and adoptive. As explained in an open letter/petition to Prime Minister Keir Starmer: "One in three fathers take no leave at all when a new baby arrives, while one in two who do report struggling financially because of it. Proper parental leave for fathers and co-parents is good for mothers, good for babies, good for fathers and good for society, too, including improving health outcomes for all. Countries with 6 or more weeks paternity leave also have a gender pay gap that's 4% smaller and a workforce participation gap that is 3.7% smaller, too, meaning change can help grow the economy while helping British families."Like the garlands that flower delivery network Fleurop draped on women's statues in Germany earlier this year, The Dad Shift's stunt serves as a masterclass in low-budget, high-impact guerrilla marketing. By choosing public spaces and creating an unexpected juxtaposition stoic, dark statues wearing babies in colorful slings the group crafted a visually striking and highly shareable moment that gets the message across in an instant.
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