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Twitter clone Pebble is shutting down just five weeks after a rebrand
Twitter clone Pebble, formerly T2 Social, is shutting down just five weeks after a rebrand. The shutdown is effective immediately, but current users will be able to download personal archives.
Apple fixes macOS Monterey flaw that bricked some T2 Macs
Apple has fixed a macOS Monterey flaw that prevented some T2-equipped Macs from starting, but affected users don't have an easy solution.
Apple says T2 chip can limit third-party repairs for recent Macs
Yes, the reports were true -- Apple's T2 chip can potentially restrict third-party Mac repairs. The company confirmed to The Verge that the co-processor can limit third-party repairs for certain components on recent systems, likely including the iMac Pro and MacBook Air. Apple didn't provide a full list of affected parts or say which machines were covered, but the T2 could regulate repairs for the logic board (aka motherboard) and Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
The biggest news from Apple's iPad and Mac event
As expected, Apple spent today's event in Brooklyn, New York, focused on the Mac and the iPad. The long-languishing MacBook Air finally caught up with the rest of the company's laptop lineup while the even-more-outdated Mac mini received its first meaningful update in years. And the iPad Pro, already the best pure tablet on the market by most measures, was completely redesigned again, adding USB-C and taking plenty of design cues from Apple's recent iPhones. Oh, and it's incredibly powerful. Apple even shows off the iPad Pro running attached to 5K displays now. While all these updates are meaningful, Apple is charging significantly more for them than it did for the products they replace. Get ready for some sticker shock. Whether these changes will be worth the cash is up to you: Read on to get details on the most meaningful changes Apple made today and how much the new hardware will set you back.
iFixit confirms you can still repair your own iMac Pro or MacBook Pro
Yesterday MacRumors and Motherboard reported on Apple service documents that indicated anyone replacing key parts on computers equipped with its custom T2 chip would require special diagnostic software to finish the job. While Apple has not commented on the leaks itself, the DIY repair folks at iFixit tested out the possibility by buying a brand-new 2018 MacBook Pro, pulling it apart and replacing the display. Shocker: it still worked, even without the software.
Apple ‘software lock’ prevents repairs on iMac Pro, 2018 MacBook Pros (updated)
In new Apple computers with its custom T2 chip (currently the iMac Pro and MacBook Pro 2018 models) it serves the purpose of "the System Management Controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller." That means it can handle the system's secure boot system and on the fly encryption, as well as image processing for the FaceTime camera. While the enhanced security is nice, it has additional implications. According to MacRumors and shown on documents posted by Motherboard, anyone doing significant repair work on these systems will be left with a nonfunctioning system until they run the "Apple Service Toolkit 2" diagnostic software. For the MacBook Pro that includes "display assembly, logic board, top case (the keyboard, touchpad, and internal housing), and Touch ID board," and on the iMac Pro, it's the logic board or SSD.
Dear Hollywood, we don’t need classics like 'Terminator 2' in 3D
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the greatest films ever made. So what's the point of adding a 3D veneer to bring it back to theaters? Not much, it turns out. In exchange for a slight touch of artificial depth, I found the remaster darker and occasionally blurrier than the original. But really, this isn't anything new. I had a similar experience a few years ago with the re-release of Jurassic Park -- another classic film that was brought back to theaters just for the novelty of seeing it in 3D. As I sat in Brooklyn's mostly empty Alamo Drafthouse theater this week, I couldn't help but wonder: When will Hollywood realize these 3D re-releases are a huge waste of time?
Smartisan's T2 phone is all about metal and minimalism
You may not have heard of Smartisan before, but this Chinese smartphone maker is already three-and-a-half years old and has released two devices so far: the premium T1 and the budget-friendly U1, both of which featuring an insanely long list of unique UI tricks that left us smiling. All good things take time: 19 months after its first flagship model, Smartisan is finally back with a fancy metallic upgrade, the T2, and this time it's less about specs, but more about refining the design in favor of minimalism. No power button, no exposed screws, no visible SIM tray and, most interestingly, no plastic bands on the smooth and subtly rounded aluminum frame. This seamless bezel alone is apparently the outcome of 588 days of research and development, so it's no wonder that this is also a first for Chinese smartphones.
EVE Evolved: Fitting Heavy Assault Cruisers in Odyssey 1.1
The Odyssey 1.1 patch landed this week in EVE Online, introducing several highly requested PvP tweaks and overhauling all of the Command Ships and Heavy Assault Ships. Active shield boosters, armour repairers and medium-sized long range turrets all received sizable buffs, but it's the newly updated Heavy Assault Cruisers that really took my interest. They've historically been used as highly mobile damage-dealers for fleet warfare, but now each has been targeted at a specific combat niche. The Deimos is a brawler for small-scale gang warfare, the Ishtar is a heavy drone platform, the Cerberus turns frigates into molten poop, and the Eagle is... well, nobody can really figure out what to do with the Eagle yet. All of the HACs have been augmented with a new role bonus that reduces the signature radius penalty of activating a microwarpdrive by 50%. This may seem pretty weak, but in practice it makes the ships a lot more viable in PvP. Activating your microwarpdrive will normally increase your signature radius size by 500%, making you a hell of a lot easier to hit and increasing the damage you take from missiles. The speed boost will counteract this to some degree, but it takes a while to reach that speed, and you're very vulnerable in the interim. Reducing this to only 250% means you get all the defensive benefit of the speed increase without much of the vulnerability. In most cases, you'll actually take less damage with the microwarpdrive on than off. In this week's EVE Evolved, I put together PvP setups for the at the newly revamped Deimos, Ishtar, Cerberus, and Eagle Heavy Assault Cruisers.
Native Instruments rolls out Traktor 2, Maschine 1.6 update
There isn't any hardware that will make you a better (or hell, a good) DJ, although we always seem to forget this whenever we see one of Native Instruments' invariably mind-blowing product demos. If you're a DMC-level DJ, it certainly looks like the newly available Traktor 2 will suit all of your needs nicely. If you're not? Well, you can always enjoy DJ Craze going wild on the video after the break (be advised, however, that the F-bomb drops about a gazillion times on the thing, so this might not be safe for your workplace). And while we're at it, if you own NI's Maschine, the 1.6 software that we first got a look at in early February is available: launch the NI Service Center app to upgrade.
PAX East: Hi-Rez Studios unveils new Tribes: Ascend title
Way back in October of 2010, we broke the news that Atlanta-based Hi-Rez Studios would be revisiting the Tribes franchise in an upcoming online persistent-world shooter. At the time, Hi-Rez was focused on Tribes: Universe, and our interview with CEO and lead designer Erez Goren shed a bit of light on the company's followup to Global Agenda. Today at PAX East, Hi-Rez officially took the wraps off a second Tribes game, and Tribes: Ascend is set to re-introduce the venerable franchise to gamers all over the world. "Before Halo, before Modern Warfare, and before Battlefield, there was Tribes," says Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO, before going on to reveal that the new game will be available in late 2011. Hi-Rez will distribute Tribes: Ascend as a digital download and is targeting Windows PCs as well as the Xbox 360 for the initial release. Why a second Tribes title? "We've had tremendous fun play-testing and realized the potential of a multiplayer-focused title ahead of Tribes Universe. The community has been waiting for a multiplayer shooter that is the modern successor to T2. Tribes: Ascend is that game," Harris said. Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 11-13, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR or Guild Wars 2 or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
T2 is not a cyborg, is the new more colorful Traktor
Native Instruments just unveiled a lot of enhancements to their current line of DJ software. Before, we didn't even know we were just dealing with T1, but it feels good to know that going forward, everything from Traktor Scratch Pro to Traktor Duo will have T2 inside, which features a more Serato-like waveform colorization scheme called TruWave. We'll leave it to DJ Rafik to give you the real low-down, though, in the video after the break. Also new today are the Traktor Audio 6 and 10 interfaces with new analog direct thrus -- expect them in April for $279 and $449, respectively. Now excuse us, we've got a couple of sequel ideas of our own to get cracking on.
Sarotech T2 offers NAS relief to media fanatics in a diminutive, HD-friendly package
Sarotech's newest might not be the wildest media player in town, but if you're looking to get down to business in a svelte (4.5 x 3.75 x 0.85-inch) package, the T2 should be more than up to the task. This bad boy sports a Sigma SMPS8653 CPU (500MHz), support for Full HD MKV, H.264 videos, DTS and Dolby sound, and 1080p HDMI 1.3 output. If that weren't enough, this will also apparently function as a NAS functions (including FTP and Samba), 802.11n WiFi, and it has a USB port for external storage. Available now in South Korea for 160,000 won (about $143).
Toshiba TG02 lives, drops by the FCC
Before the Nexus One and the HD2, there was the Toshiba TG01, sprinting along with a 1GHz Snapdragon in its belly and a 4.1-inch front end. Alas, that phone was hamstrung by a resistive touchscreen and a poorly thought-out skin atop an even worse OS (WinMo 6.1), but even by today's standards its hardware spec is top notch. Color us intrigued, then, to find its successor finally making its FCC debut -- with Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi (802.11b/g) connectivity in tow and a case outline suggesting some earlier leaked shots might still be accurate. It's a quad-band GSM handset, though from the tests we've seen it appears to sadly lack 3G frequencies for the US. The marketing name has also been confirmed as the TG02 and with MWC 2010 fast approaching, who's to say we're not going to have a brand new Toshiba handset to fawn over? Go past the break for more.
EVE Evolved: Research: Invention and Tech 2, part 2
Although the bare minimum required for an invention attempt is the Tech 1 blueprint copy, data interface and datacores, there are two optional extras that are often worth using. A base item can be added to improve the success chance of the research job. The worst named version of an item is meta level 1 and adds only a few percent to the success chance, while the typically more expensive meta level 4 item can improve success chance by up to 66%.
EVE Evolved: Research: Invention and Tech 2
In last week's first part to this multi-part guide to research in EVE Online, I covered the basics of Tech 1 blueprint research. Tech 2 blueprints are an entirely different animal and the way players get their hands on them has changed vastly over the years. The first system put in place was an agent-based lottery system. Players would set up research contracts with the various NPC R&D agents in EVE, who would then generate a certain number of research points per day. Whenever new Tech 2 items were released into the game, original blueprints were passed out via these agents. Each research point you had became a ticket in an on-going lottery and the prize was essentially a license to print money. After many player-run cartels, rampant price gouging and one incident of developer misconduct, CCP replaced the blueprint lottery with the "Invention" system. Although the invention system contains no way to get an original Tech 2 blueprint, it does allow players to upgrade Tech 1 blueprint copies into limited-run Tech 2 versions. In this second part of my guide to research in EVE, I look into Tech 2 blueprints. I delve into the invention system, explain how to make your own Tech 2 blueprints and look at all the variables that could help you get an edge in a competitive marketplace.
EVE's Quantum Rise expansion features page is live
The feature page for the forthcoming EVE Online expansion, Quantum Rise, is now live. The ninth free expansion for EVE will officially launch on November 11th, and brings with it some new features we've been reporting on in recent weeks, such as the long-awaited Orca and industrial ship changes, not to mention the guaranteed-to-spark-forum-rage speed rebalancing, and alchemy -- which is invention applied to minerals used in Tech II manufacturing. According to the Quantum Rise expansion's feature page, there are also some previously unmentioned features like new additions to the RealX in-game soundtrack, new stargates, a host of improvements for industry players like assembly array upgrades, ammunition cost changes (namely for bombs), and a more flexible user interface. See the new Quantum Rise features page for more on what's in store for EVE Online players in the expansion geared towards the game's industrialists.[Via Winterblink]
Massively's WAR Camp: Tier 2 Scenario Guides pt. 2
Mourkain Temple is the Tier 2 scenario for the Dwarf and Greenskin racial pairing. Its objective could be described as "murder-ball" -- there's an artifact to grab in the center of the map, and when you have it, everyone on the other team will be after your blood. The artifact provides bonus points to the holding realm when they get kills, and there is a bonus to the other realm if they can kill the carrier. This also gives them a chance to pick up the artifact themselves, if they're quick enough. Check out our gallery guide to see more of Mourkain Temple, and when you're done there, continue on for a look at the last Tier 2 scenario. To Mourkain Temple << Previous page Next page: Stonetroll Crossing >> %Gallery-34148%
Massively's WAR Camp: Tier 2 Scenario Guides
By now, people who picked up Warhammer Online at launch should have had a chance to play a bit, and many of them will be in Tier 2. This unfortunately means leaving the Tier 1 scenarios behind, but it also means that a whole new set of scenarios is unlocked. As in Tier 1, there is one scenario per racial pairing in Tier 2, totaling three new battlegrounds to visit. We've once again visited all three and documented our findings in gallery guides. Join us over the page, as we begin by looking at Phoenix Gate, the scenario for the High Elf and Dark Elf pairing. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Axiom Audio goes to the wall with its T2 speakers
Axiom Audio is certainly taking the custom install market to heart. Between its custom finishing services and the newly-announced T2 in-wall speakers, you should be able to fill out your custom install quite nicely with the brand. The 11.65- x 6.4-inch facade that stands a little more than 0.5-inches from the wall should blend in, that's for sure. But these are more than a pretty face, they've got audio cred as well. The T2 speakers are derived from Axiom's M2 bookshelf units and feature the same aluminum 5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter. The press release has these spec'ed at 22kHz - 70kHz response for your dog's listening pleasure, but we assume that's a typo and should be a more human-friendly 70Hz - 22kHz. Expect more models in Axiom's T-series in the future, but you can start off with these for $446 per pair.[Image courtesy ElectronicHouse]
