512 Pixels

I still think the iMac Pro could be the next device from Apple to ship with Face ID, but the iPad Pro is an obvious member of that succession plan as well.

Like the MacBooks, there may be a depth issue to overcome when it comes to fitting the Face ID hardware behind the device’s cover glass. Here are the depths of both iPad Pros compared to the iPhone X:

iPhone X12.9" iPad Pro10.5" iPad Pro7.7 mm6.9 mm6.1 mm

If there’s anything Apple excels at, it’s making technology thinner and lighter. I assume they can trim the Face ID hardware to fit into the chassis of the iPad without any problems.

The more interesting thing is the problem of orientation. The iPad is the most orientation-agnostic device Apple ships. The home button can be at the top, bottom, left or right of the screen.

I think most people use their iPad in portrait mode, with the home button at the bottom or in landscape, with the home button to the right, as it is when clipped into the Smart Keyboard.

Currently, Face ID is decidedly not orientation agnostic. If the user is sitting or standing, the iPhone X must be in portrait orientation to unlock. If the phone is upright and the user is laying down on their side, or if the user is walking through the woods and the iPhone X is in a tripod mount, it won’t unlock.

That’s not a huge deal with the iPhone X, but on an iPad it’s a bigger issue. I don’t know the technical details of why Face ID is orientation specific, but it’s something Apple would need to overcome before stuffing Face ID into an iPad.

I have no doubt Apple is fully aware of these issues and is already well down the road of advancing Face ID so it can show up in an iPad. I’m ready for it; Touch ID already feels old-school on my iPad Pro.

There’s a bunch of nice details about Apple’s new HQ in this in Wallpaper magazine interview, but this bit about the iPhone X jumped out at me:

I wonder, then, if Ive misses the physical click and scroll of the first iPods, that fixed mono-functionality, the obvious working parts, the elegance of the design solution. But I’ve got him all wrong. ‘I’ve always been fascinated by these products that are more general purpose. What I think is remarkable about the iPhone X is that its functionality is so determined by software. And because of the fluid nature of software, this product is going to change and evolve. In 12 months’ time, this object will be able to do things that it can’t now. I think that is extraordinary. I think we will look back on it and see it as a very significant point in terms of the products we have been developing.

‘So while I’m completely seduced by the coherence and simplicity and how easy it is to comprehend something like the first iPod, I am quite honestly more fascinated and intrigued by an object that changes its function profoundly and evolves. That is rare. That didn’t happen 50 years ago.’

Earlier this week, I picked up Samsung’s $25 Qi wireless charger, based on Wirecutter’s review to use with my iPhone X.

I have not been impressed. While I like the white design, the charger is tall, with my iPhone sitting a good bit off the surface of the table. The top is slippery, and my caseless-iPhone wants to spin around the top of the charger if I don’t sit it down slowly.

The big deal breaker is the LED. Most wireless chargers have a light to indicate that the phone is placed correctly, but the Samsung’s LED is a bright blue that glows at the front edge of the charger. There’s a blue glow that extends out and down across the surface of the desk.

Sigh. pic.twitter.com/anUlMj1yps

— Stephen Hackett (@ismh) November 6, 2017

I could tape over the LED, but that would be pretty ugly looking in and of itself.

I don’t like the light, but it’s not a big deal here in my office. However, the Samsung is way too bright for use on my nighstand, so I picked up the $60 Mophie option from the Apple Store.

It’s more expensive, but better in every way. The height is far less, so the iPhone sits closer to the surface of the table its on. There’s one small LED that is not very bright. I haven’t minded it on my nightstand at all.

Best of all, the top of the black charger is covered in grippy rubber, so the iPhone doesn’t want to move around.¹ If you’re looking for a Qi charger, I’ve been happy with the Mophie.

About the new version of the backup utility:

Have no fear. SuperDuper v3.0 is here, and it includes full High Sierra HFS+ and APFS support!

Dave Nanian has written about the changes under the hood required to support APFS+ on his blog.

3.0 is a free update to owners of SuperDuper and is out now.

Christian Davenport at The Washington Post:

SpaceX is investigating why one of its rocket engines exploded during a test earlier this week at the company’s facility in Texas, the company confirmed Wednesday.

The explosion involved the next generation of the company’s Merlin engine. The mishap occurred Sunday during what the company called a “qualification test.” No one was injured, but now the company founded by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk once again has to figure out what went wrong with its hardware.

This motor is a “Block 5” version of the company’s Merlin engine, used on the Falcon 9. The upgrade was due to fly next year, which may be in jeopardy now. The accident shouldn’t affect the company’s upcoming customer launches, however, and thankfully no one was hurt.

This fortnight on Ungeniused:

People have raced hamsters, pigs and even turtles for years. Dive into the world of illegal betting on backyard race tracks and … whatever it is turtles do when they are in competition with one another.

My thanks to Squarespace for sponsoring this episode. Enter offer code UNGENIUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

This week on Query, we’re back with our iPhone X impressions, answers about the cameras, Face ID and more.

Aliza Rosen at Twitter:

In September, we launched a test that expanded the 140 character limit so every person around the world could express themselves easily in a Tweet. Our goal was to make this possible while ensuring we keep the speed and brevity that makes Twitter, Twitter. Looking at all the data, we’re excited to share we’ve achieved this goal and are rolling the change out to all languages where cramming was an issue.

During the first few days of the test many people Tweeted the full 280 limit because it was new and novel, but soon after behavior normalized (more on this below). We saw when people needed to use more than 140 characters, they Tweeted more easily and more often. But importantly, people Tweeted below 140 most of the time and the brevity of Twitter remained.

I tried reading the rest of this but it’s all about hashtag engagement so I came here instead.

This week on Liftoff:

SpaceX is returning to Launch Complex 40 and the GRACE mission is coming to an end while Dawn has a new lease on life. Then, discussion of the Gemini capsule and the two uncrewed launches of the program.

My thanks to our sponsors this week:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code LIFTOFF for free overnight shipping.

This week on Connected, we cover one big topic:

We have the iPhone X. We have the iPhone X. We have the iPhone X. We have the iPhone X. We have the iPhone X. We have the iPhone X. We have the iPhone X. We have the iPhone X. We have the iPhone X.

My thanks to our sponsors, for helping us be able to afford shiny new toys from time to time:

• Balance Open: Find out more about Balance Open and get $2 in Ethereum.
• Casper: Start sleeping ahead of the curve. Get $50 off with the code ‘CONNECTED’.
• TextExpander, from Smile: Communicate smarter with TextExpander. Get 20% off your first year when you tell them you came from this show.

Peter Bright at Ars, writing about the upcoming 8th-generation H-series chips:

The chip package will contain multiple pieces of silicon: an Intel CPU, a custom-built AMD Radeon GPU, and stacked second-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM2). Connecting the GPU and its memory is Intel’s new “Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge” (EMIB), a high-speed, short-range interconnect that Intel has designed to join different chips within a single package. Intel says that EMIB enables the creation of faster, thinner packages, enabling the multi-chip module to fit into slimline laptop form factors.

This would rock in a certain set of notebooks I’m very familiar with.

Hard to believe this was just twenty years ago, honestly:

Designed with additional memory, the MessagePad 2100 has 4 MB of DRAM, which is 3MB more than its predecessor, the MessagePad 2000. The expanded system memory allows the MessagePad 2100 to run more applications simultaneously, permitting users to work more efficiently. The upgraded memory and communications software are expected to be especially useful for customers who tend to use large applications, like to work on their MessagePads with a variety of applications open at one time or use communications applications such as Internet email or web browsing.

The latest generation of the MessagePad also includes version 3.2 of AllPen Software’s NetHopper® graphical Web browser. The new version provides proxy support, enabling users behind a corporate security firewall to access the Internet. The software also supports authentication, enabling users to access sites requiring a password, such as news and travel websites, and the ability to download Newton packages over the Web, such as system updates and applications.

The MessagePad 2100 comes bundled with the latest version of Newton Internet Enabler (NIE 2.0), Apple’s TCP/IP software that provides Internet/intranet connections. NIE 2.0 benefits corporate users by providing a direct connection to both Ethernet and AppleTalk networks, as well as support for PAP and CHAP authentication when using a modem (not included) to connect with an Internet Service Provider.

Don’t miss the FAQ.