Intel’s Next-Gen ‘Kaby Lake’ CPUs Revealed, Likely Bound for Apple’s 2017 iMac and Mac Pro

Intel is expected to upgrade its forthcoming line of Kaby Lake CPUs, and quite substantially so, according to a new document that was briefly published to the CPU and component-manufacturer’s website earlier this week.

The document, which was intended for Intel’s partner companies like Apple and Microsoft, was first discovered by Anandtech, and reveals a total of 11 forthcoming, quad-core CPUs specifically designed for use in desktop computers — such as Apple’s iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro, for example. The Kaby Lake line includes a total of seven Core i5 processors, three i7 variants, and one Xeon E3 “v6” CPU.

The forthcoming CPUs, which are said to start shipping to manufacturers by the first quarter of 2017, are considerably faster than the Skylake line of CPUs they are intended to replace; with base frequencies, on average, clocking in at about 200 MHz higher than the company’s Skylake chips. Still unknown, however, are any additional details, including TurboBoost speeds or thermal design profiles (TDP). However, as AppleInsider points out, the TDP is unlikely to make any significant difference in the grand scheme of things, given the Kaby Lake chips are built around the same 14nm architecture as Intel’s current line of CPUs.

Apple’s current, 2015 iMac line employs the Santa Clara, California-based chip-maker’s i5-5675R or i7-5775R CPUs in the smaller, 21.5-inch models; while the i5-6500, i5-6600, or i7-6700K CPUs are employed within the top-tier, 27-inch 5K model.

That said, Apple’s forthcoming iMac — which could be released perhaps as early as the 2nd half of next year — will potentially employ either of Intel’s Kaby Lake i5-7500, i5-7600, or i7-7700K CPUs, respectively. As for the raw clock speeds of those quad-core chips, the i5-7500 processor clocks in at 3.4 GHz — up 200 MHz, from 3.2 GHz in the current, Skylake-equipped machine. Moving up the food chain, Intel’s i5-7600 is said to hum along at 3.5 GHz, while the i7-7700K — a powerful quad-core, eight-thread processor — clocks in at 4.2 GHz.

In addition to higher clock speeds, Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs will be the first to feature the company’s proprietary Shift v2 technology, which in itself is capable of drastically reducing the amount of time needed for the CPU to throttle — in some instances, by as much as 20 milliseconds.

As far as Apple’s top-of-the-line Mac Pro is pertinent, which hasn’t been updated since the fall of 2013, utilizes Intel’s E5-1620, E5-1650, E5-1680, or E5-2697 — all of which are built around the chip-maker’s “v2” Ivy Bridge architecture. Given that this technology is now over three years old, it’s possible (but not guaranteed) that Apple could upgrade the Mac Pro with Intel’s forthcoming Xeon v6 CPU — however, given the specific upgrade timeframe of Intel’s Xeon processors, there currently exists no sufficient chip to compare Intel’s forthcoming v6 technology.

Would you upgrade your iMac to one of Intel’s new Kaby Lake processors? Let us know in the comments!

 

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Rumors of Apple’s Augmented Reality Self-Driving carOS Gain Traction

We recently learned that Apple may be shifting focus in its pursuit to develop an autonomous, self-driving car — and that, in the grand scheme of things, the Silicon Valley tech-giant might not even be working on a car any longer. However, while the previous report was inherently short on specifics about the transition, an even more recent research note from a prominent, seasoned Apple analyst may shed some more light on the future of Apple and its self-driving car ambitions.

That’s according to Ming-Chi Kuo, the famed KGI Securities analyst, whose research note submitted earlier this week is loosely based on the same Bloomberg report that came to us earlier this month. Within that report, it was revealed that Apple has shifted its focus from the development of a physical, self-driving car, to the development of what Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman referred to as an “autonomous, self-driving system” — in other words, the software and interface components required to power such vehicles when they’re out on the road.

Example of in-car augmented reality

Kuo noted, in particular, how Apple has so far succeeded profoundly in developing and implementing immersive, human-machine interfaces, citing the Cupertino-company’s Multi-touch technology on the iPhone and iPad, and the pointer mechanism of Apple’s Magic Mouse, as prime examples. Therefore, Kuo added, if Apple is able to successfully develop some sort of augmented reality (AR) interface, as stated in the Bloomberg report, the company will in effect be one step ahead of the curve — since Apple, having developed its own, proprietary AR interface, will be able to implement it across a number of platforms, including macOS, iOS, and its supposed self-driving carOS.

“Assuming Apple successfully develops AR, we predict the firm will enjoy the following competitive advantages: (1) redefining existing key products and leading competitors by three to five years. For instance, this could happen for iPhone, iPad and Mac; (2) eliminating obstacles of Apple Watch and Apple TV by offering an innovative user experience; and (3) entering new business fields, such as autonomous driving system,” Kuo said. “We expect Apple to generate preliminary results for AR in the next 1-2 years at the earliest and working with iPhone may be the first step.”

In regards to the long-term evolution of AR, as a profitable endeavor for Apple, Kuo stated how he not only believes that Apple’s proprietary AR interface will be developed within the next few years, but that the AR and virtual reality (VR) markets, on the whole, will balloon into a whopping $150 billion business by as early as 2020.

AR and VR are extremely exciting, emerging fields. Players of Nintendo and Niantic Lab’s Pokemon GO title for iOS have already seen a faint glimpse of the potential for what AR can bring to the iOS platform; so if Apple can develop on that, creating its own, propriety AR interface that’s employable not only within Car OS, but across the company’s other platforms, as well, then I think it’s safe to say that Apple fans, and foes, are in for some pretty sweet surprises coming down the pike.

What do you think about the new direction of Apple’s self-driving car ambitions?
Let us know in the comments!

Featured Image: Yahoo News

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Apple’s Redesigned 2016 MacBook Pro Boasts 58% Louder Speakers, 250% More Bass

Of all the exciting new features and upgraded components utilized in Apple’s all-new MacBook Pro with OLED Touch Bar, perhaps the least talked about among them is actually one that might be of great use to buyers of the revamped, high-end notebook.

Apple reengineered the MacBook Pro’s built-in speaker system this year, employing a design meant to ensure the “maximization of air displacement,” according to AppleInsider. Cupertino’s new design is able to achieve that impressive feat by connecting the machine’s speaker system directly to it’s main power source — which, in turn, allows the system to output up to three times more peak power.

So what does that mean for you and your ears? Well, according to Apple, not only does this design allow the speakers to output up to 58% louder audio, but also up to 250% more bass — often considered a shortcoming of most laptop computers since they don’t generally feature their own, dedicated subwoofer.

Another shortcoming of the typical laptop experience that Apple sought to address with its speaker redesign, is expanding the high and low thresholds that the speakers can reach without distortion or other issues compromising the quality of audio output. To that end, the Cupertino-company says that its new speaker design allows for an audio output boasting ‘twice’ the dynamic range; however, Apple has yet to provide any quantitative assessments in regards to the frequency ranges that can or cannot be reached.

Apple released its redesigned, 2016 MacBook Pro featuring an OLED Touch Bar, faster internal components, a brighter screen, and more, just last Wednesday. Demand for the new machine has been strong despite its high price, with delayed shipment times for most of the new MacBook Pro models averaging 4-5 weeks — with the exception of the redesigned, 13-inch MacBook without the company’s new OLED Touch Bar, which is currently in stock for immediate shipping, at $1,499.

It appears that Apple — via the reengineering of MacBook Pro’s speaker system — is trying to deliver users a well-rounded cinematic experience. Apple laptops are adorned by everyone — from creative professionals, to college students, and even your teenaged kids still living at home. Call me crazy, but I think it’s nice to see the company stepping up its game in plenty of often overlooked areas.. Now, just to work out the kinks on that pricing structure, right?

How do your current laptop’s speakers sound?
Do you think the new MacBook Pro’s upgraded sound system makes the laptop a worthy investment?
Let us know in the comments!

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New Patent Suggests an iPhone Flip Phone Could Be in the Works

A patent that was recently awarded to Apple suggests that the company has been seriously exploring a new foldable form factor for the iPhone.

The patent award, which was uncovered by Patently Apple, describes an electronic device housed in fiber, aluminum, plastic, glass, or ceramic casing, which is all standard building material for Apple’s iPhone. What’s new are the carbon nanotubes detailed in the patent that would allow a device to bend in half without disrupting the signal paths housed within it: “Conductive carbon nanotube paths can form signal paths that are flexible and resistant to cracking.”

Using single-wall carbon nanotubes, multi-wall nanotubes, or a combination of both, Apple could potentially create flexible conductive paths for a wide array of structures commonly found in electronic devices, including signal cables, camera structures, antennae, printed circuits, and the flexible substrates used in touch sensors and displays.

Take printed circuits, for instance, which are used to route signals within electronic devices such as computers and smartphones. A flexible printed circuit with carbon nanotubes interposed between its polymer layers would be able to bend without cracking the signal lines. Although there are other methods to reinforce flexible printed circuits, they can lead to reduced flexibility and add undesired bulk, leading to a heavier device.

This isn’t the first we’ve heard of foldable smartphones. Apple’s chief competitor Samsung has notably invested heavily in its pursuit of similar technology. Patently Apple also found two other Apple patents relating to foldable phones that date back to 2013.

Even taken together, these patents don’t guarantee anything. Apple files patents all the time, sometimes simply to prevent others from claiming them. But filings do suggest that Apple has been seriously considering a clamshell iPhone form factor for the past few years.

Featured Photo: Martin Hajek

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Researchers Have Trained a Machine to Judge Faces Exactly Like Humans Do

Scientists have trained a machine-learning algorithm to judge people by their faces in almost exactly the same way that humans do, according to a new report published in a preprint archive of scientific material. The project was spearheaded by Mel McCurrie, and her colleagues at the University of Notre Dame, who trained their algorithm to decide whether or not a human face was trustworthy or dominant in the same way that you or I do.

The team used a dataset that their algorithm could learn from, created by using TestMyBrain.org — a crowdsourced science project that tests and measures psychological attributes of participants. It’s one of the most popular brain testing sites on the internet — over 1.6 million people have participated in testing using the platform.

Through the service, McCurrie and company asked subjects to rate over 6,000 grayscale pictures of various faces. The faces were rated by 32 participants for trustworthiness and dominance, and by 15 participants for age and IQ. They then further refined the results and the algorithm’s parameters. And then, finally, tested the machine’s ability to judge faces the same way people do.

They found that the machine — obviously — produces similar results that it learned from its human dataset. It comes up with, more or less, the same answers when given a face than humans did. The team was also able to assess what parts of a face that humans look to to make certain judgments. They did this by covering up parts of the human faces presented to the algorithm to see if there were any significant differences in its conclusion. Interestingly, the machine used pretty much the same parts of the face to render judgments as humans did.

The team’s research has a host of possible applications. For example, the researchers used the algorithm to judge cultural figures like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange — and then compared the findings to the actors who played them in recent movies, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Benedict Cumberbatch, respectively. The team found that their machine produced “remarkably” similar results between the public figures and their respective actors — perhaps as a testament to the accuracy of the actors’ portrayals. While opinions about movies, like all art, have remained largely subjective, it’s interesting to bring an objective type of judgment to the medium.

This type of technology could have broad applications. For example, it could be used to test how perceptions differ between different demographics and cultures, and what factors fuel those differences. As far as acting goes, the team went even further. They went frame-by-frame to study how perceptions can change over time. Obviously, similar technology could be used in the future of marketing and advertising, research applications, political campaigns, and so on.

This type of technology could help researchers pick out what various subtle factors lead to our gut-feeling judgments and preconceptions. A recent article in the MIT Technology Review even poses an interesting question: if you discovered that people judge your face as untrustworthy, could this technology help you change that perception by shifting various, subtle factors? Whatever the answer, this research might be the first in a line of studies that could help us learn about why and how human beings render judgments about each other.

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Apple’s AirPods Might Not Ship Until January, According to New and Inconsistent Rumors

Bad news for those of you who were hoping to snag a pair of Apple’s AirPods in time for the holidays, either for yourself or as a stocking stuffer. Apple still has yet to confirm a launch date for its first pair of wireless earphones, following its initial delay, and according to a Chinese-language report by the Economic Daily News, there’s a chance that Apple won’t rollout AirPods until January 2017.

The report, which was partially translated and cited by DigiTimes, stated that Apple supplier Inventec expects to begin shipping the AirPods in January 2017, based on information it received from “market watchers.” Inventec is a Taiwanese original design manufacturer that is believed to be handling the final assembly of the earphones, according to rumors, which caused its stock to spike 5.27% earlier in September. Its revenues are expected to grow 7% to $23.83 billion thanks to robust demand for AirPods.

This report was contradicted by Apple Insider, which dismissed its claims as “bogus” and quoted one source familiar with the company’s plans who declared that there was “no way that these are getting pushed to January.” Apple Insider also reported that several Apple retail stores already have customer demo units and have trained their staff on the product, further suggesting that Apple is poised to launch the AirPods before the end of 2016.

While the AirPods were originally slated to rollout by the end of October, an Apple spokesperson announced last week that the company needed “a little more time” to prepare its products for general release. Cupertino declined to elaborate further on the cause of the delay. Instead, the spokesperson commented matter-of-factly that Apple does not “believe in shipping a product before it’s ready”, leading some to speculate whether hardware or software issues were affecting the devices.

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2016’s MacBook Pro Lineup Features the Fastest SSD on the Market

Apple’s new MacBook Pro refresh might just have the fastest SSD on the market, according to several new reports.

Early benchmark testing of the 2016 MacBook Pro’s SSD seem to confirm Apple’s claim that it’s outfitted with the fastest-ever SSD. Cupertino claims that both MacBook Pro versions boast read speeds of 3.1 gigabytes per second, and write speeds of 2.2 gigabytes per second for the 15-inch model, and 2.1 gigabytes per second for the 13-inch model. OWC benchmarks seem to confirm Apple’s claims — at least, for the 13-inch MacBook Pro. In contrast, the 2015 MacBook Pro model benchmarked at 1.5 gigabytes per second when reading from the drive, and 1.3 gigabytes per second when writing to it, AppleInsider reported.

If Apple’s claims about its new MacBook Pro turn out to be verifiably accurate — and early reports seem to point to the claims being true — then the 2016 lineup will feature the fastest read and write speeds of any stock computer currently available on the market. In fact, Apple might just be two years ahead of its competition when it comes to drive read / write speeds, according to ComputerWorld.

The new MacBook Pro’s blazing fast SSD read and write speeds could also help users alleviate minor speed issues due to the MacBook Pro’s less-than-groundbreaking 16 gigabyte RAM cap, which supposedly helps the new MacBook computer save on battery life. Most users will notice a speed boost while booting up or running applications, but users who deal with large working files, such as video editing, should see a huge performance lift.

Apple unveiled the 2016 MacBook Pro refresh at its “Hello Again” event last Thursday. The lineup starts at $1,499 and is due to start shipping in two to three weeks, Apple said.

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iOS 10.2 Public Beta Officially Released with New Emojis, Wallpapers, and Other Improvements

Apple has released the first public beta of its upcoming iOS 10.2 to public testers today — and it includes new emojis, wallpapers, and a handful of other changes and improvements.

One of the biggest additions the new update brings to iOS 10 is a handful of new and updated emojis in Unicode 9. There are over 72 new emojis in all, including bacon, selfie, clown face, avocado, fox, butterfly, pancakes, a long-overdue facepalm emoji, and a handful of different professions in both male and female options. iOS 10.2 also updates existing emojis to be more detailed, or slightly redrawn to appear like more realistic representations of everyday things, according to AppleInsider.

You can see some of the changes to the food & drink section below.

Dang. The ancient Apple emoji — which were never really meant to be seen bigger than 32 × 32 — are redrawn quite well in iOS 10.2! Good job! http://pic.twitter.com/X6WskExq1D

— Cabel Sasser (@cabel) October 31, 2016

Cupertino also has included several other improvements and enhancements in iOS 10.2, including a dedicated widget for the stock Videos app. The new widget now shows your latest TV shows and videos that are available for viewing. There’s also a new option to have the Camera app remember the last setting you used — such as square, panorama or video — and use that setting automatically when you open up the app.

Additionally, iOS 10.2 adds a new Celebration full-screen effect for the Messages app, as well as a clearer headphone icon on the status bar — which was previously available to Beats Solo3 owners, but is now included for everyone to view. Also included are some slick new wallpapers that were originally used in marketing material for the iPhone 7. The wallpapers, which resemble a textured glass orb of sorts, are available in a few different colors for you to use.

Apple’s iOS 10.2 was first seeded to developers last week. It’s now available as an over-the-air update to beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s free public beta testing program.

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Thinking About Upgrading to Apple’s Latest MacBook Pro? Here’s Why You Might Want to Hold off (for Now)

Those all-new, OLED Touch Bar-equipped MacBook Pros — and even the new 13-incher, sans the Touch Bar — are pretty enticing, right? Well, of course they are; and with Christmas right around the bend, perhaps you’re giddy with excitement over the prospect of getting your hands on one. However, not to rain on your hopes and dreams, folks, but well-connected and historically accurate KGI Securities analyst, Ming Chi Kuo, is now sounding the alarm, loud and clear that, well, you might just want to hold off for another year or so before upgrading.

In a recent note to investors, Kuo noted how Apple will more than likely be dropping the price of its 2016 MacBook Pro line when the machines are refreshed with updated internals — a forthcoming 2nd generation MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, which is likely to be released by the fall of 2017.

Kuo noted how Apple has a tendency of puffing up the prices on its brand-new MacBooks, prior to dropping said price — in some instances, by hundreds of dollars — when the machines are refreshed with upgraded components a year later. The famed Apple analyst also pointed out how both USB-C compatible accessories and peripherals, as well as the functionality and usefulness of Apple’s new OLED Touch Bar, will have vastly matured by that time — laying out quite the compelling case for users to perhaps hold on to their socks, and current MacBooks, for just a little bit longer.

Many potential customers, myself included, who were hoping to pick up one of Apple’s new MacBook Pros were deterred because of the machine’s considerably higher price tag — especially in comparison to last year’s models — which in turn has lead Apple to vigorously defend itself amidst an onslaught of scrutiny.

As far as the internal components of next year’s MacBook Pro refresh are pertinent, Kuo suggested that Apple will likely employ Intel’s forthcoming Cannonlake CPUs — which, according to Intel, will not only save 15-25% more power, but directly because of that, will give Apple the internal wiggle room to squeeze in up to 32 GB of RAM. The current MacBook Pro, which was just released last Wednesday, maxes out at 16 GB, in comparison.

If for whatever reason Intel’s Cannonlake CPUs are delayed, however, Kuo noted that Apple would likely use the Santa Clara, California-based chip-maker’s Coffee Lake CPU, which unfortunately will only be compatible with a maximum of 16 GB RAM — despite being inherently more powerful, of course.

Are you going to hold off on picking up one of Apple’s new MacBook Pros until next year?
Tell us why or why not in the comments!

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Apple Designer Jony Ive Shares Ideas, Challenges, and Philosophy Behind the Touch Bar

Nestled conspicuously atop the newest MacBook Pro keyboard, where the function keys used to reside, is the Touch Bar. It’s an OLED touchscreen display with dynamic controls, dials, and buttons that change depending on the app in use. It’s also the closest thing to a concession that fans clamoring for a touchscreen Mac have been able to wring from Apple’s design team.

In a recent interview with CNET, Apple design chief Jony Ive offered his rationale for rejecting touchscreen Macs and explained the choices that drove the design and incorporation of the Touch Bar into Apple’s latest MacBook Pro reboot.

Ive explained that Apple decided “many, many years ago” to eschew touchscreens on Macs, even as Microsoft rushed to bring multi-touch PCs to market. Noting that dramatically differing from the status quo is actually quite easy, but not necessarily valuable, Ive said that his team didn’t believe it was particularly helpful or appropriate to bring multi-touch to the Mac. As he puts it, “We don’t limit ourselves in how we will push — if it’s to a better place. What we won’t do is just do something different that’s no better.”

Instead, Ive and his acolytes toiled on the Touch Bar prototype for over two years. One of the many challenges they faced was coming up with an input methodology that combined the flexibility and contextual specificity of touchscreens with the predictable, complete, and fixed set of inputs that mechanical keyboards offer. Rather than work to transform the entire keyboard, Ive decided that the function bar was a more attractive point of departure.

Even after the team had agreed on the Touch Bar concept, they were faced with the task of integrating it into slimmer and lighter MacBook Pro machines without compromising the final product, which was an entirely new undertaking in itself.

Ive averred in the interview that the Touch Bar “is the beginning of a very interesting direction” for the Mac. Whether or not you’re a fan of the new OLED strip, it’s clear that Apple has decided to tread uncharted waters when it comes to changing how users interact with Macs, especially if the rumors about forthcoming customizable e-ink keyboards are true.

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