Computers

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ARM-Based 12-inch MacBook Specs Include A14X Bionic SoC, up to 16GB RAM, 20-Hour Battery Life & More

To me it would make sense if the first Macintosh to sport Apple’s ARM system on a chip was the basic MacBook. It’s entry level enough to support up selling more powerful machines, and down low enough to write it off if the horse power cells to wow everyone’s eyes out of their sockets.
“Looking at these rumored specs, it honestly looks like Apple wants to repurpose the discontinued 12-inch MacBook to sport its own A14X Bionic SoC. Since the A14X Bionic is expected to be made on the 5nm process and not have a ridiculously high TDP, the 12-inch MacBook’s chassis should be sufficient to cool the chip“
Which would also be inline with modern Apple and Samsung devices. Not to mention, if it’s not busted: why fix it?
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It’s probably telling that with my laptop less than three meters away, and my tablet’s keyboard/mouse more like seven meters away; I opted to go with the tablet approach.

For sitting on my couch: tablets are generally an ideal formfactor. For being at a desk often the lure of a large keyboard and an even larger display is hard to pass out. But there are times where I’d rather be at my couch just like there are times I would rather be at my desk.
Generally, I’ve found that my laptop and desktop aren’t devices I reach for as often for their form factor as I do for the ease of using an X-Terminal, or simply doing things on it through a glorified X-Terminal and associated trappings. Or for very specialized tasks: because good luck cramming a massive GTX into a tablet, lol.
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Microsoft’s Edge browser is crashing if you have Google set as default search – There’s a temporary workaround

Considering how much of Edge is Google, and both companies histories, I do find this kind of amusing. Given the isolation it almost makes me wonder if some Googly interface somewhere has changed its response in a funny way, or if a Microsoft change relative to Chromium induces a crashola.
In any case, looks like people using Edge should stop sending their address bar inputs to Google ala Chrome.
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Apple Watch continues to help save lives in a variety of ways

While I’d doubt a wristwatch will ever replace a hospital for something like an electrocardiogram: I’d like to think that as far as canaries go an Apple Watch is better than feeding it to the cat.
Coming from a family tree where hearts are among leading cause of death, the health features are about the only aspect of the device I find intriguing. But then in lays the real problem: even if you could convince me to pay that much for a watch the fact remains that I do not want an iPhone to go with it.
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The Next Phase: Apple Lays Out Plans To Transition Macs from x86 to Apple SoCs

Kind of happy to see this. While I don’t envision Apple ever releasing a Mac that both appeals to me, and falls within my price range, I do very much want to see more “Conventional” computers with ARM processors.
Based on my iPad Pro, and nearly a decade of working Android tablets to death, I think the crossover point works. High end ARM SoCs are up to snuff for missions like the MacBook Air and iMac. For the general computing tasks the problem is more that ARM based PCs aren’t really a thing you can go out and buy. Not so much a lack of horse power. The processors kickass at this point.
Rather the main use case I see for x86 in Apple’s world: is for devices like the Mac Pro. Where uncompromising horse power should be what comes along with that absurd price tag. For regular people, we just want our computers to do our job promptly.
And I’m pretty sure that even the basic iPad far out sells the Mac Pro, lol. For better or worse the demand for Uber powerful computers often go hand in hand with the software packages for highly specific and very resource intensive business tasks. Not Joe Blow checking his email or doing office files.
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Here’s what Bill Gates said about the internet in a Microsoft internal memo 25 years ago today: It’s a ‘tidal wave’

I find this timing a touch interesting myself. Until circa 1998 our family PC was an old Tandy 1000. But it was Web TV that introduced us to the World Wide Web in around 1995 or 1996. It wasn’t that long before this became known as MSN TV, after already getting strong influences from the new corporate overlords.

Actually, I find it kind of interesting that Microsoft was an ISP for a time. In the era between getting our first Pentium based machine, and eventually going to aDSL, they were actually one of the better dial up options available in our area.

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The other day, I decided to plug in my old Thor model HDX7, since I couldn’t remember the last time I had bothered to charge it. Was surprised to find it with 6% remaining. But, my relationship with it regarding battery life has been kind of like the Energizer Bunny commercials with “Going, and going, and going”; or whatever it is they use as a slogan. I don’t think I ever managed to really ding its battery, aside from leaving it idle for a couple weeks.

Extra surprising: the last update it got for Fire OS was 4.5.5.3 installed February, 2019.

That’s really not bad for a device I got free from a Dolby developer raffle. Still running a form of Android 4.4/K, but considering the device came out around 2013, and had internals on par with the Nexus of the day—I’d say the little thang has faired pretty well.

I suppose one of these days, I should probably finish turning it into a digital picture frame, or something.