The quality of the photos smartphones capture has become increasingly important, and Apple just acquired a company called Spectral Edge to ensure future iPhone photos look even better.
As Bloomberg reports, Spectral Edge is based in Cambridge, England and focused on developing technology that improves the photos we take automatically. It does this using a combination of capturing an infrared version of each photo taken and then using machine learning to use it for image enhancement. The end result is a crisper photograph with more accurate colors.
Clearly Apple is impressed by what Spectral Edge was doing because it acquired the company. Although there’s been no official announcement yet, Peter Ronald Denwood is now listed as a director at the company. He’s better known as one of Apple’s corporate lawyers. It’s also telling that all other board members have been terminated, leaving Apple in control. Read more…
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Tiny apartment-havers face a unique dilemma during the holidays: How do you set up a Christmas tree when your home is smaller than one?
That’s when it’s a useful time to consider some Christmas tree alternatives. Wreaths, branches, a big leftover pumpkin that you’ve wrapped in tinsel (don’t do that one) … rest assured you can make your space festive without also making it unlivable.
Please note that none of these items are intended to replace a Christmas tree. Nothing can replace a Christmas tree! These are simply fun alternatives for those whose living rooms can’t accommodate a full pine.
And if it’s the smell you’re after, just light a pine-scented candle. Read more…
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Aiming to lower the environmental impact of farming, Aero Farms has created an indoor growing system that uses 95% less water than field farming systems. Read more…
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A new Star Wars movie is coming out around the same time German carmaker Porsche will deliver its first all-electric vehicle, the Taycan, to U.S. customers.
So on Friday, Porsche and Star Wars released a behind-the-scenes look at its new “starship,” the Tri-Wing S-91X Pegasus Starfighter. The Taycan shape seems to be in there, somewhere. Sure.
You’ll have to wait until Star Wars: The Rise of Starwalker‘s premiere in Los Angeles next week to see the actual model the designers made. Read more…
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Pastry chef and collective internet crush Claire Saffitz took on another challenge: Milky Way bars. Unfortunately, it involves tempering chocolate.
In the latest episode of Gourmet Makes from Bon Appétit, Saffitz had to recreate three key components of the candy bar — chocolate, nougat, and caramel.
As usual, Saffitz underestimated how much reverse engineering would break her.
“I think I got this,” a hopeful Saffitz said early on day two of this project. “I think I’m gonna make it today.”
At that point, there were still 25 minutes of the video left — reader, she did not finish the gourmet Milky Ways. Getting the nougat on point took an entire day. Read more…
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The Vilnius Airport in Lithuania is celebrating the holidays in the way only an airport can.
While families all over the world have been placing stars and angels atop their Christmas trees, the Lithuanian airport has fashioned a tree of its own. However, you may notice a slight difference between this tree and the traditional one.
Image: Martynas Jaugelavicius
SEE ALSO: Banksy unveils Christmas artwork drawing attention to homelessness
This tree is decked with items confiscated from passengers during security screening, according to Marius Zelenius, Lithuanian Airports’ Head of Communication. Knives, lighters, and scissors (oh, so many scissors) take the place of ornaments, lights, and ribbons. It’s five feet tall and took over two weeks to craft, BBC News reported. Read more…
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Hey, Facebook employees, Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t deserve you.
That much was made abundantly clear today with the news that the Zuckerberg-helmed behemoth waited two full weeks to notify about 29,000 current and former employees of a massive theft of their personal data.
Specifically, Bloomberg reports that unencrypted hard drives containing 2018 payroll data were stolen from a car belonging to a member of Facebook’s payroll department on Nov. 17 of this year. It took until Nov. 29 for someone to realize that employee payroll data was on the drives and then another two weeks for the company to start notifying those affected. Read more…
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The only thing more important to runners than their sneakers is a quality pair of headphones and a killer playlist. Running without music is like some form of medieval torture: it sucks. And cheap, crappy headphones just aren’t going to cut it.
When shopping for a quality pair of headphones to wear while running, you’ll want to look at a few key factors: Are they sweatproof/waterproof? Will they stay in your ears? Are the volume controls easily accessible? If you answer no to any of these questions, then you know the headphones aren’t going to work. Read more…
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IMAGE: Amazon
BEST FOR WORKOUT TRACKERS
Bose SoundSport Pulse Wireless
While sound quality and flexibility are always good features, a great pair of headphones will do more than that.
$199 from Amazon
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BEST MID-PRICED WIRELESS OPTION
Jabra Elite 45e
The Elite 45e headphones are an example of quality at an affordable price.
$99.99 from Amazon
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BEST TRULY WIRELESS EARBUDS
Bose SoundSport Free Wireless
These truly wireless ear buds can charge while you’re using them, and the app can help you locate them in the event that they fall out.
$199 from Amazon
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BEST BUDGET WIRED HEADPHONES
JBL Endurance RUN
These are the kind of headphones you buy in multiples so you don’t have to fret once you’ve inevitably lost a pair.
$19.95 from Amazon
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BEST NO-FRILLS OPTION
ROVKING Sport Headphones
These super-cheap headphones have an earhook design that keeps them on your ears, and are also sweatproof.
$14.99 from Amazon
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MOST FIT OPTIONS FOR WIRED HEADPHONES
Sony MDRXB510AS/B
These Sony earbuds offer multiple sets of covers and hooks to hold the earbuds securely in place.
$59.99 from Amazon
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BEST AUDIO QUALITY FOR WIRED HEADPHONES
Bose SoundSport
Bose SoundSport are a great set of headphones to buy when the clarity of audio really matters to you.
$99 from Amazon
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BEST OVER-EAR OPTION
Levin Bluetooth 4.1 Wireless Headphones
The Levin Bluetooth 4.1 Wireless Headphones deliver an affordable and reliable option for anyone who prefers over-ear headphones.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer was on hand at The Game Awards on Thursday night with a big surprise: a first look at the next Xbox.
Xbox Series X is its name, and it looks like a tall, black box with a small slit where discs will go. There’s a trailer. Look at it here.
Not much to go on! But there’s a whole, entire year for Microsoft to share more info. The presence of what looks to be a disc drive means disc-based games aren’t going anywhere with the Xbox Series X (which shouldn’t be confused with the Xbox One X).
It also looks the widely loved Xbox controller design isn’t changing much. The one that pops up in the trailer looks almost like an Xbox One trailer, except there’s a slightly different directional pad and a seemingly new button placed right in the center of the controller, below the Xbox button. Read more…
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