Month: April 2018

C|Net: Source says Apple working on powerful AR/VR Headset

Dan Uff April 28, 2018 0

The headset, which would straddle the two technologies and tap into Apple’s own chips, is slated for 2020. It’s the biggest sign of Apple’s interest in virtual reality.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has nothing but praise for augmented reality, saying it's a technology that's potentially as important as the iPhone. It turns out he may have big plans for virtual reality too.

The company is working on a headset capable of running both AR and VR technology, according to a person familiar with Apple's plans. Plans so far call for an 8K display for each eye -- higher resolution than today's best TVs -- that would be untethered from a computer or smartphone, the person said.

The project, codenamed T288, is still in its early stages but is slated for release in 2020. Apple still could change or scrap its plans.

Apple declined to comment.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

How to open an URL quickly on a Mac

CompuScoop Staff April 28, 2018 0

Sometimes, you need to get to a web site quickly. Fortunately, Mac has a way to do this via its Spotlight search feature.

Here's how:

1. Activate Spotlight.

2. Type in an URL address (such as https://www.compuscoop.com).

3. The default web browser will open and go to the above URL.

4. That's it.

Apple pulls the plug on its WiFi Router Department

Dan Uff April 28, 2018 0

“Apple is ceasing production of its AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule Wi-Fi routers,” Rene Ritchie writes for iMore. ” I had a chance to speak to Apple briefly about the decision, and here’s the statement I was given: ‘We’re discontinuing the Apple AirPort base station products. They will be available through Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last.'”

“The AirPort Base Station line was last updated in 2013,” Ritchie writes. “Since then, we’ve seen the advent of mesh networking, which lets larger, more irregular, and more challenging areas enjoy better and more robust coverage. Rather than release AirPort Mesh, though, Apple chose to offer the Linksys Velop at its retail stores instead.”

Ritchie writes, “Over the next few weeks, Apple will also be posting knowledge-base articles to help customers transitioning away from AirPort products.”

Read more in the full article here.

Business

CNBC: T-Mobile and Sprint to announce merger next week

Dan Uff April 27, 2018 1

T-Mobile is closing in on a deal to merge with Sprint that will value Sprint near its current market price of $6.50 per share, according to people familiar with the matter.

The $26 billion deal could be announced as soon as Sunday, said the people, who asked not to be named because the negotiations are private. No deal has been signed and talks could still fall apart, said the people. The sides have agreed on an exact exchange ratio, although that figure couldn't immediately be determined.

SoftBank, which owns about 85 percent of Sprint, will allow Deutsche Telekom, which owns almost two-thirds of T-Mobile, to consolidate the new company's earnings, said the people.

A deal, if reached, would conclude several years of negotiations between the companies. Talks most recently broke off late last year after SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son decided he didn't want to lose control of a combined company.

Several things changed over the last few months that led Son to change his mind, including greater synergies from lower corporate taxes, an increased understanding of how much 5G deployment will cost Sprint, and a rapidly changing competitive wireless landscape that now includes cable providers, the people said. Last week, Comcast and Charter, the two largest U.S. cable companies, announced an extended partnership agreement that will allow each company to develop products and services.

A deal announcement doesn't mean a merger will actually happen. Combining the third- and fourth-largest wireless U.S. providers in a market with only four participants -- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint -- could be a hard sell for U.S. regulators. AT&T attempted to buy T-Mobile in 2011, only to have regulators block it on anti-competitive grounds.