Eric_WVGG

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Eric_WVGG
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  • A MacBook Pro design refresh is probably years away

    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG
    it's bizarre to even speculate — Apple is very predictable about design changes. New iPhone chassis happen every three years, modestly changed Watch every three years, new MBP every four years. (iMac, Mac Mini and iPad practically never.)

    Every Macbook Pro design has had roughly four major releases (a fifth here and there for an extremely minor spec bump) since the 2004 Aluminum G4. Usually these design changes coincide with a major screen change (retina, micro-LED + notch). 

    Given that OLED panels are rumored to debut around the same that M5s should be due to release, it seems like a sure thing that we'll see a redesign in late 2025/early-'26.
    libertyandfreeAlex1Nwatto_cobra

  • Future Apple monitor could act as smart home display

    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG
    I was just lamenting that the Studio Display doesn’t work as a HomeKit hub… I was going to fire off a Feedback suggestion, when I realized that there’s no Wi-Fi in there. 

    Pity for all that A13 power to mostly go to waste. What a bizarrely over-engineered product.
    williamlondon9secondkox2watto_cobra

  • Why ISP email services are terrible, and what to use instead

    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG
    This article is silly, bordering on irresponsible.

    There are huge tradeoffs to using Google or Microsoft, and support is nonexistent.

    Actual good email services: Fastmail.com, Proton.me
    DooofusnumenoreancgWerks

  • Amazon releases new Kindle & Kindle Kids with USB-C

    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG
    future man said:
    I think that the progression of time has passed the Kindle device as an all-in-one iPad device offers so much greater device utilization!
    You can throw a kindle in a beach bag, get sand all over it, no worries.

    Shove it in your jeans pocket, don't worry about sitting on it, not even a huge deal if it gets stolen

    I am definitely an iPad reader as well, but I can't deny that the Kindle has a strong niche.
    gregoriusmlkruppwatto_cobrajony0

  • Lightning versus USB-C: Pros and cons for the iPhone

    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG
    This article doesn't mention two of IMO the most interesting properties of Lightning.

    The first is that Lightning isn't simply a proprietarily shaped USB connection. Instead, it's a system where the pins can be re-assigned to different communication protocols. For example, one might make a lightning-to-RGB-video cable. This wouldn't be like a dongle or a conversion cable, where a USB device is talking to an interface board (like the old style USB-to-serial or USB-to-PS/2 connectors of the nineties); rather, it would allow an iOS device to send a native RGB video signal down the cable.

    This move has its roots in how the old Apple Dock Connector could transmit raw video and audio signals, on top of the USB and other pinouts that were in that beefy plug. I've never seen any Lightning cables that did anything other than a USB signal in the wild, though.


    The other thing is regarding the design of the lightning connector. There's a little tab on the plug; that's the weak point in the connection, if it ever breaks, it's almost certainly going to be due to the tab breaking. It's not a big deal, though; the tab breaks, you just get a new lightning cable.

    Now most folks might not realize this, but USB-C has a little tab too; except that for USB-C, that tab is on the device. Look inside the port on your Macbook or iPad, you can see that little guy in there; the USB-C plug is actually a sleeve that fits over the tab. 

    The thing is, that tab is still the weak point in the connection; but now, when the tab breaks off, it's your Macbook or iPad that is damaged, and more likely than not it's a non-repairable part. (not the case with Mac Studio, actually, but I digress). Say what you will about industry compatibility or proprietary parts, but on a purely technical level, Lightning is a far better designed connector than USB-C.


    In an ideal world, Apple would have given away the license to the Lightning connector to the USB Consortium and said "hey, this should be your design for USB-C, have it, it's yours." USB-C would be a better plug, and Apple wouldn't be in this position of having to change ports and make an entire ecosystem of accessories obsolete. c'est la vie
    rob53appleinsideruserh4y3sregurgitatedcoprolitemaximaratwokatmewbshankAlex1Nanantksundaramauxio