Monday, 13 January 2020

Report: 51 Members of Congress and Their Spouses Collectively Own Millions in Defense Stocks

51 members of Congress or their spouses own between $2.8 million to $5.3 million worth of stock in the top 30 defense contractors worldwide, Sludge reported on Monday, thus placing them in a position to potentially profit from the U.S. military contracting process or wars waged with the firms’ equipment.

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Apple Releases New 'Reality Converter' App



Apple has announced the release of a new 'Reality Converter' app for converting common 3D file formats to USDZ 3D objects.

The new Reality Converter app makes it easy to convert, view, and customize USDZ 3D objects on Mac. Simply drag-and-drop common 3D file formats, such as .obj, .gltf and .usd, to view the converted USDZ result, customize material properties with your own textures, and edit file metadata. You can even preview your USDZ object under a variety of lighting and environment conditions with built-in IBL options.

Click here to download Reality Converter beta and hit the link below for some example 3D models.





Spotlight Deal:
New iPad Pro On Sale for Up to $199 Off [Deal]

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AirPods Pro 2C54 Firmware: Worse Noise Canceling, Improved Frequency Response and Bass Accuracy

On December 16th, Apple released a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro bumping the firmware from 2B588 to 2C54. After the updates, there were several anecdotal reports that the AirPods Pro noise cancelation may have been affected adversely by the update. Adding to the confusion is that Apple has since pulled the 2C54 update, so not everyone with AirPods Pro may have the latest update.

Users asked tech review site RTINGS.com to reevaluate their previous testing of the AirPods Pro with the new firmware to confirm any changes in the new firmware.


RTINGS published its findings today and does confirm that the 2C54 objectively worsens the AirPods Pro active noise canceling feature:
Update 01/10/2020: After updating to Firmware 2C45, we retested the headphones and our results showed a fairly significant drop in isolation performance, primarily in the bass-range. This means that with ANC turned on, these headphones won't do nearly as good a job blocking out the low engine rumbles of planes or buses as they did before this update. This review reflects these changes.
The news is not all bad, however. In other areas of testing, the 2C54 Firmware appears to improve performance in frequency response and bass accuracy. Note: RTINGS incorrectly refers to the firmware as version 2C45, not 2C54.

Apple pulled the 2C54 firmware only days after its release, so is presumably working on the issues described. You can tell what firmware version you have by going to Settings -> General -> About -> AirPods Pro.


This article, "AirPods Pro 2C54 Firmware: Worse Noise Canceling, Improved Frequency Response and Bass Accuracy" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Upcoming Fall 2020 5.4-Inch iPhone Will Be Similar in Size to iPhone 8

Japanese site Mac Otakara today shared a somewhat confusing rumor about Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup, suggesting the 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ that Apple is working on will be sized similarly to the iPhone 8.

Citing Apple suppliers exhibiting at CES, Mac Otakara says that Apple "might be developing Face ID models beside Touch ID models as an updated version of ‌iPhone 8‌."


This confusingly seems to refer to the low-cost "iPhone SE 2" or ‌iPhone 8‌ successor Apple has in development, but a further mention of the 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID suggests that it actually refers to the higher-end 5.4-inch device rumored for the fall of 2020.
The body size returns to ‌iPhone‌ 7, and the receiver size is in between the iPhone 11 series and the iPhone XS series. The rear camera is much bigger compared to ‌iPhone 8‌, and the LED True Tone flash size returns to ‌iPhone‌ 7.

By employing TrueDepth camera, the verticle width of the active area size for the display expands and thus becomes 5.4-inch size, and the possibility of it being the model buzzed about increases.
Prior rumors have indicated that Apple is working on devices in multiple sizes for its flagship 2020 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, including a 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌, a 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ (or two devices in this size, based on one rumor), and a 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌.

Mac Otakara says that the 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ will have an ‌iPhone‌ 7 body size and a rear camera that's "much bigger compared to ‌iPhone 8‌." By using the TrueDepth camera system and eliminating the Home button, the display's active area measures in at 5.4 inches, though the device's size will be similar to the ‌iPhone 8‌.

The ‌iPhone 8‌ (and the ‌iPhone‌ 7) features a 4.7-inch display along with thick top and bottom bezels that provide room for the front-facing camera and the Home button. By eliminating the bezels, Apple can offer a larger display in a smaller body. The 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ will be the smallest ‌iPhone‌ Apple has offered since the 2017 ‌iPhone 8‌.

There are mixed ‌iPhone‌ rumors right now, but in a nutshell, it seems that Apple will release four to five new iPhones in 2020. The first will come in the spring of 2020 and will be an "‌iPhone SE 2‌" or ‌iPhone 8‌ successor is meant to be a low-cost ‌iPhone‌ with ‌Touch ID‌ and a single-lens camera. This ‌iPhone‌ won't have Face ID and will continue to have thick top and bottom bezels.

In the fall, Apple will introduce three or four new flagship iPhones in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch size options, and these iPhones will feature edge-to-edge displays, 5G connectivity, multi-lens cameras, and more. Most rumors have suggested we can expect three iPhones in the fall of 2020, but a JPMorgan analyst recently said there could potentially be two 6.1-inch iPhones, though this has yet to be confirmed by another source.

Apple's 2020 fall lineup will be similar to the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, with iPhones available at multiple price points starting at around $700, while the rumored early 2020 ‌iPhone 8‌ successor could be priced as low as $399.


This article, "Upcoming Fall 2020 5.4-Inch iPhone Will Be Similar in Size to iPhone 8" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Concept Art Comes to Life in Sleek Sci-Fi Animation Migrants

High above Mars, the terraformers of short film Migrants go through a well-polished routine, knowing that they’re not preparing for their own futures on the planet, but for children in the generations to come.

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