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Apple's September 12th event roundup: iPhone 5, new iPods, iOS 6, Lightning and everything else
The rumored iPad mini didn't rear its mythical seven-inch screen today at Yerba Buena, but no matter, as the iPhone 5 brought a potent smack of thunder Lightning. A few mere hours ago, the oft-leaked smartphone was officially been revealed by Apple, along with the next-generation iPod Nano, a redesigned iPod Touch packed with a Retina display and iOS 6 in its final form -- and those were just the main announcements. Of course, scrolling through Engadget's homepage might not be ideal if you're looking to sift through the day's news from Cupertino's favorite tech company in one fell swoop -- and that's why we've rounded it all up here, in one convenient spot. You can re-live the event at our archived liveblog here, otherwise you'll find a full listing of the news from it after the jump.
iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S (and old Dock Connector vs. Lightning): a photo tour
We knew the iPhone 5 was thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4S, but seriously, it's thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4S. By a pretty notable margin. Picking up the iPhone 5 is almost jarring -- it's barely heavy enough to feel "premium," and it'll probably make you handle it with care for free of breaking it in half with too tight a tug. The new Dock Connector -- also known as Lightning -- is most certainly smaller, and looks most at home on the new iPod nano. Without further qualifying, have a look at the comparison gallery below. %Gallery-165147% %Gallery-165148%
Apple unveils Lightning, its new, smaller dock connector for the iPhone (Updated)
As foretold by our own Richard Gaywood, Apple unveiled a new dock connector for the iPhone 5. Called Lightning, the new connector is 80 percent smaller than the current 30-pin version. Besides being smaller, Lightning features an 8-signal design and improved durability. Lightning's connector is reversible so you don't have to monkey around when you are trying to charge your device. Apple is working with accessory makers to get the new dock connector into third-party products. There will also be an adapter for older 30-pin products. Update: The Lightning to 30-pin adapter will sell for $29, or for $39 with a short attached cable for tight installations.
Apple's new iPhone 5 dock connector: It's called Lightning and it's 80 percent smaller, but the adapter is $29
The new iPhone deserves a new dock connector. Say hello to the reversible, 80 percent smaller, Lightning. The likes of Bose, BLW and B&O are already working on new compatible docks while the new connector itself is now easier to connect, more durable, all digital, with an adaptive interface which warrants some closer inspection. Naturally, an adapter will also be made available for your existing iPhone peripherals, but if you have a number of devices to connect, it's likely to put a hurt on your wallet -- the adapter is now for sale in the Apple Store for a whopping $29. At least it'll pair well with that Thunderbolt connection, right? %Gallery-165083% Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2012 event hub!
WeatherBug Elite for iPhone adds real time lightning sensors
As I see it there are two kinds of weather programs. There are the 'pretty' weather apps with beautiful animations and graphics that are somewhat short on in-depth data, and there are the apps that dive very deeply into data like precipitation totals and trends. Then there are a lot of in-between apps that try to blend both approaches. Put WeatherBug Elite (US$1.99) in the 'plenty of information' category. It packs just about everything you would want to know about the weather into a few compact screens, and touching portions of those screens often brings up even more data. The newest incarnation of WeatherBug Elite adds My Storm Tracker Alerts, which are updates on the proximity of lightning, and it gives you a threat index based on your GPS derived location. The app also provides Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts (DTAs) which monitors high winds, hail, tornadoes and large volume rain rates. The app features live cams in your area, so you can actually see the weather, and of course there are radar plots and extended forecasts. You can add several locations to monitor for weather, or you can drop a pin on a map to get current weather at that position. As you travel, the app will provide weather for where you are using the iPhone GPS, so you don't have to enter that information. Weather alerts can be shared on Facebook. This app is about as complete as a weather app can be. It is for iPhone only, but there is a separate version for the iPad which we have reviewed favorably in the past. There is also a free version of WeatherBug for the iPhone, but it is not as feature rich and is ad supported. WeatherBug Elite requires iOS 4.2 or greater. %Gallery-163530%
LG Optimus G revealed: 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, ICS, LTE, 4.7-inch screen with in-cell touch
LG has been teasing its upcoming Optimus G smartphone for weeks after promising LTE phones that would be "second to none" and now we finally have the full specs. When it arrives in Korea next month it will be the first with LTE mounted to a quad-core CPU, thanks to the 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 at its center. The display is also groundbreaking, featuring LG's fully integrated touch technology -- sounds like its new in-cell touch to us --for a thinner screen and bezel. It's a True HD (1280 x 768) IPS LCD, and LG claims the 3mm bezel and body of the phone match the screen seamlessly when it's turned off. Just as the leaks indicated, it also has 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera and 2,100mAh battery, all while measuring only 8mm thick. The only bad news so far? It will arrive in Korea next month (and on NTT Docomo in October or November as the L-01E in black and red, seen after the break) with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, not Jelly Bean. The software will be as we've seen on other high-powered LG units like the Optimus Vu, with the addition of a "live zoom" feature on video and Dual Screen Dual Play mirroring for external displays. The real triumph for LG however, is its ability to vertically integrate technology from its various units to create the device. LG Chem provided a battery that is the first to offer a lifespan of 800 cycles, while LG Display created the screen and partnered with LG Innotek on the G2 Touch Hybrid Display unibody tech that eliminates the gap between the glass and the LCD panel. A worldwide launch is promised later in the year, although we'd expect to hear more soon at IFA 2012. Update: The English PR is now available and embedded after the break. Check it out for the full specs, including the Optimus G's Adreno 320 GPU, Bluetooth 4.0, MHL and NFC capabilities and more software enhancements including Time Catch Shot picture selection and Cheese Shutter voice command to take a picture.
Final Fantasy XIII's Lightning story to continue in a 'new direction'
On September 1, during a Final Fantasy anniversary event in Tokyo, Square Enix will present some kind of "new information about the direction of Lightning's story." The Final Fantasy XIII protagonist was last seen in XIII-2 DLC "Requiem of the Goddess," which at the time acted as a conclusion to her saga.The new Lightning material is currently in the care of "Key members of the FINAL FANTASY XIII development team including the Producer, Director and Art Director."Final Fantasy XIII was originally announced as a multi-part "Fabula Nova Crystallis" universe, consisting of FFXIII, FF Versus XIII (which we're still waiting for) and Final Fantasy Agito XIII – which was renamed Final Fantasy Type-0 and released last year on PSP in Japan. Though the Fabula Nova Crystallis thing hasn't quite panned out, Square isn't letting that get in the way of expanding the Final Fantasy XIII series.
Visualized: Sandia National Laboratories' Z machine erupts in a web of lightning
Sandia National Laboratories' Z machine sounds like it belongs in a James Bond movie more than it does an Alberquerque research facility. Based on what it can do, that's not as far-fetched as it seems. What you see isn't the handiwork of some electric spider -- it's what you witness in the immediate fraction of a second after the Z's electromagnetic pulse kicks in and forks of lightning burst across the 108-foot distance inside. The pulse in question is key to Sandia's studies of fusion and the effect of very intense magnetic pressures on materials that normally refuse to change states. Even in 2006, the Z was putting out pressure more than 10 million times that of the atmosphere, and it successfully melted diamond at roughly half that strength. It goes without saying that we don't want to be anywhere near this kind of energy when scientists flick the switch, but we're glad to see that something so pretty and deadly can help us understand physics. [Image credit: Randy Montoya, Sandia National Laboratories]
NASA captures red sprite, puts it in a jar
Lightning doesn't always shoot downwards. Just occasionally, a thunderstorm will be accompanied by a red sprite: a huge, momentary electrical explosion that occurs around 50 miles high and fires thin tendrils many miles further up into the atmosphere. Sprites have been caught on camera before, but a fresh photo taken by arty astronauts on the ISS helps to show off their true scale. Captured accidentally during a timelapse recording, it reveals the bright lights of Myanmar and Malaysia down below, with a white flash of lightning inside a storm cloud and, directly above that, the six mile-wide crimson streak of the rare beast itself. Such a thing would never consent to being bottled up and examined, but somehow observers at the University of Alaska did manage to film one close-up at 1000 frames per second back in 1999 -- for now, their handiwork embedded after the break is as intimate as we can get.
LIPC weapon combines lasers and lightning, proves soldiers are a bunch of nerds
The problem with laser weapons is this -- they need a lot, a lot of power. Seriously. Some of those big, plane-mounted prototypes choke down enough juice to power a whole city. Not so with the Laser-Induced Plasma Channel weapon being developed by researchers at Picatinny Arsenal. While still using plenty of electricity, this more moderately specced laser is just powerful enough to strip electrons off the air molecules around it generating a thin filament of plasma. Its not the high-intensity laser pulse that does the damage, though. Instead, the channel of plasma is used as a conduit for a high-voltage blast of electricity. That laser-assisted bolt of lightning could disable vehicles, people and even IEDs. There are plenty of obstacles, including making the weapon rugged enough for battlefield use and reliable enough to keep the plasma channel from leading the blast of electricity back into the laser and damaging it. Now, if only we could find the video that still above was taken from.
Strike like Lightning with PlanetSide 2's latest vehicle reveal
In PlanetSide 2, wars are not won by infantry alone. Sometimes you've gotta bring in the big guns, and sometimes you've gotta attach those big guns to even bigger tanks that can turn unwitting enemy foot soldiers into a fine crimson smear on the ground. For those times, Sony Online Entertainment has announced the latest Nanite Systems vehicle, the Lightning. The lightning is a lightweight 75mm tank that uses its mobility and obscene rate of fire to rain havoc upon the battlefield while avoiding enemy counterattacks. The one-man tank can fire up to six rounds in under three seconds, "allowing the driver to quickly adjust [his] aim after [his] first shot." The modular turret can be swapped out for a variety of other turret types for those times when you just want to mix it up a bit, and the Lightning's Skyguard turret is "the most effective ground-to-air weapon on the battlefield, as it's fitted with 40mm cannons with an elevation range of 80 degrees." To top it all off, the Lightning is one of the fastest ground vehicles, which makes it just as useful for tactical retreats as it is for vehicular manslaughter. The vehicle will be available to all three factions, so no matter which side you're fighting for, you can rest assured that you'll have some speedy firepower at your disposal. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]
DC Universe Online's Lightning Strikes DLC pack announced
DC Universe Online has had a lot to say about its recent free-to-play transition, with the game boasting a one million player increase since the change took place. But that's in the past already; what's en route in the near future? Well, today Sony Online Entertainment is announcing the latest round of DLC for the freshly F2P superhero game. The new DLC is entitled Lightning Strikes, and it focuses on everyone's favorite speedster, Flash. The update will bring a variety of new content for veteran and fledgling players alike. So what can players look forward to when Lightning Strikes? We sat down with some of the game's developers to find out, so follow on past the cut and have a gander.
NASA's Cassini can hear it when lightning crashes on Saturn
Some folks can fall asleep to the calming pitter patter of gentle rain. Yeah, we're not those people. But we could be swayed into a somnolent stupor if those sounds came from epic storms -- on Saturn. Captured by NASA's Cassini probe last March, this 11-second clip of AM radio-like electrostatic is actually the agency's first glimpse into storm activity on the planet's Northern Hemisphere. Alright, so we admit the recording's more of a weak 'snap, crackle and fizzy pop' than outright terror-inducing awe, but still these are the noises of another world. Would it help if we told you this storm's been raging since December 2010 and hasn't shown any signs of stopping? Shocking, we know. It's not all doom and gloom, though as the folks behind Cassini think this is simply a sign of impending summer. So basically, it's spring break at the saturnine Señor Frogs. Check the source for a sample of otherworldly rumbles.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Lightning!
Stormy weather, as long as we're not talking hurricanes or tornadoes, can be quite beautiful from a safe vantage point. Whether it's flashes of lightning dancing across the sky, or the rumbling claps of thunder that accompany them, there's something majestic about electrical storms. Lightning! attempts to capture that visceral beauty. The app is simple, simulating the flashes of fork-and-sheet lightning to give you the sensation of seeing lightning through a window. If you've got your Mac hooked up to a large screen monitor or a TV, the effect is truly beautiful. The storm intensity can be adjusted to your liking, from "intense" through "natural" and "calm." Lightning! will also showcase freeze frames, allowing you more than the glimpse you'd get in real life. A screen saver is included with your purchase, but must be downloaded separately from an "install screensaver" menu option. For those worried about resources, Lightning! used less than 10 percent of CPU time on a 2011 MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, there's no option for audio effects to go along with the on-screen flashes for either the screensaver or the standard app. In other words, no rumbling thunder. But I've never been a fan of screensavers with sound tracks, so that's fine with me. If you're a storm lover, and want something with a bit of a zap for a screensaver, then Lightning! is available from the Mac App Store for US$0.99.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Brain-shaped bulbs, houses that fly, and hydrogen bolts from the sky
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week Inhabitat showcased several hot new eco vehicles including the world's fastest plug-in hybrid and an insane screwdriver-powered tricycle that sends you flying through the streets headfirst. The field of alternative fuels also advanced by leaps and bounds as the U.S. Department of Energy announced a new breed of cost-effective biofuel and a team of researchers discovered a way to efficiently produce hydrogen from urine. From flying houses held up by balloons to skyscrapers that harvest energy from bolts of lightning, this week we also showcased some of the world's most incredible buildings. We were wowed by the futuristic finalists of the eVolo skyscraper competition, which included underwater spires made from plastic debris and massive megaprojects that contain entire cities. This week we also spotted several exciting new examples of green consumer tech - from a clever brain-shaped CFL bulb to ASUS' new line of cardboard computers to a wearable mix tape you can pin on your sleeve. We also celebrated the launch of Apple's latest tablet by rounding up 14 of the best eco-friendly iPad cases, sleeves and bags. Finally, we kicked off a contest where you can win a beautiful recycled leather iPad case from Dewdrop Designs, and we shared 11 chic travel essentials for jet-setters on the go.
Unlocking The 3rd Birthday's hidden Lightning costume is a chore
A costume modeled after Final Fantasy XIII's surly heroine, Lightning, is hidden in fellow Square Enix offering The 3rd Birthday. To unlock it, all players have to do is sign up for the game's official members site after completing the game -- or, if you're a madman, by beating the game 30 times.
Lightning photographed by superfast X-ray camera, Nikola Tesla nods with approval
You know, we could just leave you with the image above and be done here, but its backstory is almost as cool. Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology have built a 1,500-pound X-ray camera that can shoot ten million frames a second and then pointed it at a nearby flash of lightning to try and learn more about it. How did they know where the lightning would strike? Well, in true scientific fashion, they caused it themselves! This was done by shooting rockets into thunderstorms, with attached wires directing the flow of energy down into their target zone. The imagery produced from the X-ray sensor is actually extremely low-res -- a 30-pixel hexagonal grid is all you get -- but it's enough to show that X-ray radiation is concentrated at the tip of the lightning bolt. What good that knowledge will do for the world, we don't know, but we're sure it'll provide nice fodder for the next round of superhero empowerment stories.
Dissidia 012 [duodecim] trailer full of feats (also, some feet)
Here's the latest trailer out of Japan for the upcoming Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy, featuring lots of Final Fantasy-flavored fighting and fan service. Make sure to turn on captions (not that they'll help), and stay tuned at 4:38 to see some feet that fans claim belong to Yuna.
Dell Venue Pro launches November 8th at Microsoft stores, November 15th at Dell website?
We're finding it hard to hold back our enthusiasm for Dell's Windows Phone 7 slider, but come launch day the 4.1-inch Venue Pro may be a tricky one to find -- you'll need to line up at one of only seven Microsoft retail stores on November 8th (a likely date) if this allegedly leaked document is right. If you're willing to wait until November 15th, however, there's also Dell itself, which will apparently double as the only place you'll be able to go to get any support for the T-Mobile device. Neither niggle will stop us from nabbing one, however. For all we know, Lightning might not strike Windows Phone 7 twice. [Thanks, Ryan]
Windows Phone 7 launch guide
Windows Phone 7. We came, we saw, we took lots and lots of photos. Today, Microsoft unleashed its global domination plans on the world, and we wanted to give readers some insight into what happens now, what happens next, and what the more distant future holds for Redmond's smartphone play. As we saw today, the WP7 push is going to happen in multiple countries (more than 30), on multiple carriers (more than 60), and involve lots and lots of hardware. Ten devices to start -- all announced today -- and a slew of others likely to follow. Overall, the first approach of Windows Phone 7 into the marketplace looks strong. Microsoft has built a surprisingly solid new OS (which we previewed in-depth back in July), has a strong set of carrier relationships in place, and is introducing hardware that if not revolutionary, is certainly competitive. So, where are the holes in the plan right now?
