The fate of a hole smaller than the head of a thumbtack has been stirring a heated debate among technology fans in recent months.
That hole, of course, is the headphone jack — which, if the early reports are to be believed, will be missing from Apple’s next iPhone. Apple has yet to confirm it’s doing away with the iPhone’s headphone port, but tech blogs are already rife with hot takes arguing it’s a a smart move or a terrible idea.
Let’s assume Apple takes the bold approach and does indeed release an iPhone sans-jack. Judging by history — Apple has always included iPhone-compatible headphones with its handsets — it’s likely the company will still include a pair of earbuds that will work with such a device, likely by connecting through the phone’s charging port.
For casual listeners that only plug in their headphones when commuting or going for a run, the change won’t make for a much different experience. And there are even some benefits from doing away with the headphone jack. Namely, a thinner and more durable iPhone. Fewer ports, after all, means fewer opportunities for phone-killers like water and dust to damage your device.
At the same time, the move wouldn’t exactly be consumer friendly. Have a pair of wired headphones you love? Or maybe you frequently plug an external microphone into your phone’s headphone jack for recording music, lecturers or interviews? If you answered yes to either of these, you’ll probably need to buy an adapter to use your old gear with a jack-less iPhone. Apple hasn’t shared any plans for its upcoming product, but Apple Stores are littered with all sorts of adapters for connecting older devices to newer ones. Few are cheap, and they can be cumbersome to carry around.
Audiophiles, take note: It isn’t clear how or if the change might impact audio quality. Swapping out the 3.5mm headphone jack for a Lightning port means switching from analog to digital audio. When you plug a pair of headphones into your phone’s 3.5mm port, your smartphone’s digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and amplifier process the sound to enable your phone to produce noise the way it does, as Engadget explains here. But a digital connection like Apple’s Lightning or USB Type-C bypasses your phone’s DAC and amplifier, leaving the components inside your headphones or adapter with the heavy lifting. (USB Type-C is increasingly common on Android phones.)
The technology industry is already thinking about ways to address such a change. Intel, for example, recently proposed adding what it calls “multi-function processing units” to USB Type-C headphones. Headphones with such tech would get features like noise suppression and acoustic echo cancellation, according to AnandTech. And they might be upgradable via software, meaning they could improve over time like your smartphone does.
What will a jack-less world really be like for users? Some new phones already on the market offer a hint. Motorola’s pair of Moto Z phones include only a single USB Type-C connector and are otherwise port-free, although the phone comes with an adapter for standard 3.5mm headphones. Chinese tech company LeEco unveiled three audio port-free models in April. When using the Moto Z and its adapter with my traditional headphones, the only noticeable change was how much longer the cord felt during my morning commute. My listening experience was otherwise unaffected. I imagine many people would probably feel the same way, though surely some will gripe about needing the adapter.
All said, Apple has a rich history of spurning legacy technology in favor of newer standards. The original iMac lacked a Floppy disk drive, an omission that seemed outrageous in 1998. Apple’s laptops have since shed all sorts of ports, with its latest MacBook down to a single USB Type-C connection. The company argues that’s suitable for a world where files are increasingly kept in the cloud, but manycritics, myself included, believe one port just isn’t enough for most laptop users. We’ll likely hear similar concerns when the next iPhone is unveiled later this year. But I doubt the naysaying will deter the perennially huge number of people who scramble to buy Apple’s latest tech as soon as it’s available.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
May: I Want To Guarantee EU Citizens' Rights
The Prime Minister says she wants to guarantee EU citizens' rights in the UK but will be seeking the same guarantee for Britons abroad.
Theresa May said she hoped to be able to address the issue early on in Brexit talks to provide certainty for those living in Britain and UK nationals living in EU countries.
She reiterated that the UK must be able to control immigration, but also get the "best possible deal" for its economy.
She said: "I want to be able to guarantee their rights in the UK. I expect to, I intend to. But it's not possible if the rights of UK nationals living in other EU states are not guaranteed.
"I'm looking at this with an open mind. I think we should be developing the model that suits the United Kingdom and the European Union.
"Not adopting, necessarily, a model that is on the shelf already."
Mrs May was speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in the latest stage of her whistle-stop tour of European leaders.
Theresa May said Britain must maintain close economic ties with the EU
Mr Renzi said the negotiations must be as "efficient as possible" and called for a specific timeline to be set out.
He added: "It's in everybody's interest to succeed in the end, to succeed in having a vision or a specific timeline which will make this pass easier.
"Of course we are saddened by this and we, to a certain extent, understand the public opinion.
"It's a decision that was made by the British people and we respect it, however painful it is. Now we have to deal with it with common sense."
Italy is the UK's eighth largest export market and trade in goods was worth £24bn last year, Mrs May said.
She told the news conference she had chaired the first meeting of a Cabinet committee on exiting the EU to "plan for an orderly departure".
The Prime Minister has been accused of using EU nationals living in the UK as "bargaining chips".
It comes as MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee warn that Britain could face a "surge" in migration from EU nationals rushing to come to the UK before Brexit restrictions are imposed.
They urged Mrs May to impose a "cut-off date" for them to settle permanently in the UK to avoid a spike in applications.
Explosion Near Migration Office In Germany
An explosion has been reported near a reception centre for migrants in Zirndorf, Germany.
A suitcase believed to have been filled with aerosols exploded outside the centre in Bavaria, according to local media.
The BR24 news website reported witnesses as saying several Arab-looking men ran away from the scene after the blast.
The explosion came just days after a Syrian with suspected links to Islamic State blew himself up near a bar in Ansbach, also in Bavaria.
Germany had already seen nine people killed in a shopping centre shooting spree in Munich on Friday and four passengers on a train and a passer-by wounded in an axe attack in Wuerzburg on July 18.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Charity Boss' Prince George Comments Probed
A senior British Council employee is being investigated after allegedly criticising Prince George for living "on public money".
Angela Gibbins, head of global estates at the charity - of which the Queen is a patron - was reported to have commented on a Facebook picture of the three-year-old Prince captioned: "Prince George already looks like a f****** d***head".
Ms Gibbins is alleged to have posted: "White privilege. That cheeky grin is the innate knowledge he's royal, rich, advantaged and will never know *any* difficulties or hardships in life.
"Let's find photos of 3yo Syrian refugee children and see if they look alike, eh?"
The British Council, which has a Royal Charter, has said the comments have "absolutely no connection" to the organisation, but that it will investigate the remarks.
In a statement, the charity said: "The British Council expects the highest standards of our staff and in accordance with our code of conduct we have started disciplinary procedures with the individual concerned.
s comment was made on a private social media account. It has absolutely no connection to the British Council and does not represent our views and values."
When challenged for her apparent comments, reported in The Sun, Ms Gibbins is said to have replied to other users: "I'm sound in my socialist, atheist and republican opinions.
"I don't believe the royal family have any place in a modern democracy, least of all when they live on public money. That's privilege and it needs to end."
The British Council works to promote the UK and build links with the rest of the world, operating in over 100 countries.
Prince George's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, met French schoolchildren who had been taking part in a programme organised by the Council last month.
Founded in 1934, it received £154.9m in annual government funding according to its most recent figures.
UK To Open Three US Offices To Boost Trade
The UK Government is to open three new offices across the US to promote British business and develop economic ties following the vote to leave the EU.
The Department for International Trade said the cities of Minneapolis, Raleigh and San Diego have been chosen because of their economic productivity and established research and development centres.
Each office will be staffed by one person, recruited locally in the US, who will work to promote UK business, economic and political ties.
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said: "Our ambitious vision for an open and outward-looking UK economy includes growing our footprint in the most important markets around the world and these three cities offer exciting opportunities to boost trade and investment."
He made the announcement during a three-day visit to the US.
Similar offices are already located in Denver and Seattle.
The Government said the Seattle office alone had supported £8m in capital investment and 1,000 UK jobs over the past year.
US Warns North Korea Over Nuclear Tests
The US has warned North Korea that it faces "real consequences" over its continuing nuclear and missile tests.
Tensions have risen since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches - the latest was last week - which analysts say show it is making progress towards being able to strike the US mainland.
At a meeting of the 10-members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "Together we are determined ... to make absolutely certain that DPRK (North Korea) understands that there are real consequences for these actions."
The issue is a major theme of talks in the Laotian capital, which are attended by 10 Southeast Asian nations and key players in the region including China, the US, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
Mr Kerry continued: "(The) issue that came up in nearly every meeting I had so far this week is the provocative and deeply concerning behaviour of the DPRK.
"North Korea's actions present a very serious threat, not just to this region but to international peace and security."
John Kerry (L) with South Korean foreign minister Yun Byung-se at the talks
UN sanctions against North Korea have been tightened following the tests but Pyongyang has defiantly continued with its programme.
Washington and Seoul agreed earlier this month to deploy a sophisticated anti-missile system in South Korea, which can shoot down incoming enemy projectiles.
That, in turn, is worrying Beijing and Russia who are unhappy about having a US-made system so close to their territory.
Beijing is Pyongyang's main friend, both diplomatically and economically, but reports say even it seems to be growing impatient at its neighbour's refusal to pull back on its tests.
North Korea's new foreign minister and former nuclear negotiator Ri Yong-Ho has met his Chinese counterpart Yi - but is seen as unlikely that Mr Kerry and Mr Ri will meet.
But a US State Department official emphasised: "I think that the North Korean foreign minister will again hear from not only the Secretary of State but from others in the room that the world is not prepared to accept North Korea as a nuclear state."
US Warns North Korea Over Nuclear Tests
The US has warned North Korea that it faces "real consequences" over its continuing nuclear and missile tests.
Tensions have risen since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches - the latest was last week - which analysts say show it is making progress towards being able to strike the US mainland.
At a meeting of the 10-members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "Together we are determined ... to make absolutely certain that DPRK (North Korea) understands that there are real consequences for these actions."
The issue is a major theme of talks in the Laotian capital, which are attended by 10 Southeast Asian nations and key players in the region including China, the US, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
Mr Kerry continued: "(The) issue that came up in nearly every meeting I had so far this week is the provocative and deeply concerning behaviour of the DPRK.
"North Korea's actions present a very serious threat, not just to this region but to international peace and security."
John Kerry (L) with South Korean foreign minister Yun Byung-se at the talks
UN sanctions against North Korea have been tightened following the tests but Pyongyang has defiantly continued with its programme.
Washington and Seoul agreed earlier this month to deploy a sophisticated anti-missile system in South Korea, which can shoot down incoming enemy projectiles.
That, in turn, is worrying Beijing and Russia who are unhappy about having a US-made system so close to their territory.
Beijing is Pyongyang's main friend, both diplomatically and economically, but reports say even it seems to be growing impatient at its neighbour's refusal to pull back on its tests.
North Korea's new foreign minister and former nuclear negotiator Ri Yong-Ho has met his Chinese counterpart Yi - but is seen as unlikely that Mr Kerry and Mr Ri will meet.
But a US State Department official emphasised: "I think that the North Korean foreign minister will again hear from not only the Secretary of State but from others in the room that the world is not prepared to accept North Korea as a nuclear state."
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