Cross-Platform Newton Mail Service to Continue Life Under New Ownership

Newton Mail is continuing to operate beyond its original closure date after the service was bought by new owners (via The Verge).


Newton was originally set to shut down on April 30, following previous owner Essential's decision to cease all operations earlier this year. Essential originally came in possession of the mail app through its acquisition of the CloudMagic team in 2019.

The new owners are software designers Maitrik Kataria and Justin Mitchell, who concede in a Medium post that they're not a "well-funded VC backed company" but are simply big fans of Newton Mail.

Like many of you, we were gutted to learn that Newton was shutting down, yet again. This time though, we had to do something. We scrambled to get in touch with Essential as fast as possible. After a rollercoaster of a bidding process, we were lucky enough to be chosen as the new owners of CloudMagic.

This wasn't easy for us. We aren't a well funded VC backed company. Nor are we a big corporation looking to acquire assets we can use. We are just an indie app development agency that loves building products.

Both Justin and I have years of experience in designing and building beautiful software products for startups and companies. We understand the ins and outs of product design and development but M&A (mergers and acquisitions) was a new rodeo for us.

Lucky for us, the circumstances around the buyout and recent economic situation, accelerated the sale and let us take over ownership of what we think is one of the best apps developed.

Existing users of Newton Mail shouldn't see any differences in the short term and the service will continue to cost $50 a year to use, but the new owners plan to bring better communication and customer support to users, as well as fix some bugs in the software. After that, they intend to roll out new features including a new dark mode within three to six months.

Users can also expect a revamped privacy policy that will help give them better control over their data and bring the service in line with GDPR compliance. In addition, existing users are being offered three free months of service, a 20-percent discount for lapsed subscribers who want to give Newton Mail another go, and a referral program for new customers.

The new owners are promising that if their attempts at running Newton Mail fail, they'll open-source the app and "find a way for self-hosted servers to support the product indefinitely."
This article, "Cross-Platform Newton Mail Service to Continue Life Under New Ownership" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/2WJxx50

What to Expect for iPhone 12 Models Featuring a 120 Hz ProMotion Display

Multiple rumors are converging upon the possibility that at least two models in Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 lineup will feature faster 120 Hz displays.


The rumors reach back to July 2019, when Notable Samsung leaker "Ice Universe" first suggested that 2020 iPhones could feature faster displays made by Samsung and LG that would allow for a smoother on-screen experience.

Also last year, DigiTimes linked the then-nascent era of 5G with the wide adoption of higher refresh rate smartphone displays. The Taiwan industry publication based its prediction on the penetration rate of over-120Hz panels in the gaming notebook segment, which was prompting panel makers to step into the sector and develop panels with refresh rates ranging from 120 Hz to 240 Hz.

This year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested faster 120 Hz displays could be coming to two high-end ‌iPhone 12‌ models, and over the weekend, Twitter leaker Max Weinbach suggested that the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro, which is expected to come in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes, will exclusively feature a high refresh-rate 120Hz display.

An increasing number of phones launched in the last 12 months have boasted panels with faster refresh rates than the standard 60 Hz panel, which remains a holdover from traditional CRT displays that required the refresh rate to match the power supply frequency and thereby avoid potential interference.

Apple already uses proprietary variable refresh rate technology in its iPad Pro models under the moniker "ProMotion," which dynamically adjusts the display to the movement of content for fluid scrolling, greater responsiveness, and smoother motion.

The ‌iPad Pro‌'s display refresh rate changes on the fly depending on what's being viewed, which conserves battery life. If you're watching a movie or playing a game, for example, the refresh rate is at 120 Hz, but if you're reading a web page or looking at a photo, you don't need a 120 Hz refresh rate, so it adjusts accordingly. This adaptivity means the refresh rate also matches the viewed content more precisely, eliminating judder and distortion.

Of course, Apple's ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ models use LCD panels rather than OLED, and rumors have suggested Apple will complete its transition to an all-OLED iPhone lineup in 2020 with new 5.4-inch, (two) 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models, so this would be the first time we have seen ProMotion tech in an OLED panel.

The implications for the ‌iPhone‌ viewing experience are hard to overstate. Current pixel resolutions as high as they are, doubling the refresh rate would bring a whole new fluidity and realism to viewed content. In that sense, combined with HDR10 support and a wide color gamut, Apple's wider adoption of 120 Hz ProMotion tech could do for OLED iPhones what the company's Retina Displays achieved for LCD iPhones in 2010.

Related Roundup: iPhone 12

Tag: ProMotion

This article, "What to Expect for iPhone 12 Models Featuring a 120 Hz ProMotion Display" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/2zwwCN6

HYPER Introduces Updated HyperDrive DUO 7-in-2 USB-C Hub for Mac Notebooks

USB-C hubs that attach directly to Apple's notebooks have become quite commonplace in recent years, but Sanho Corporation's HYPER brand is today releasing an updated version of its HyperDrive Duo hub that includes a couple of new twists.


As with most USB-C hubs, the new HyperDrive DUO includes an array of expansion ports for your Mac, including an HDMI port, a pair of USB-C ports (one capable of Thunderbolt 3 with 100W power delivery), a pair of USB-A ports, and slots for both SD and microSD cards. New in this updated Mac version of the HyperDrive hub is support for 4K 60Hz HDMI.

Another new feature of the new HyperDrive DUO is that it comes with a new removable magnetic grip that is inserted between the hub and the notebook that increases the sturdiness of the attachment to help prevent accidental disconnects that can result in loss of data transmission or even data corruption. A similar grip can be found on the company's iPad Pro USB-C hub.


The HyperDrive DUO itself is equipped with longer than normal USB-C connectors that extend through the magnetic grip, but the design also means that the accessory can be used with many MacBook cases by simply removing the magnetic grip, with the MacBook's case serving as the extra spacer for the connectors.

And for those who want to use the HyperDrive DUO hub with non-MacBook USB-C devices like an iPad Pro, it also comes with a short extension cable that gives flexibility for connecting to any single-connector USB-C device. A vegan leather pouch helps keep the hub, grip and extension cable protected and organized for travel.


The HyperDrive DUO is launching today for $99.99 in silver and space gray through HyperShop.com, B&H Photo, and other retailers.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Tag: Hyper

This article, "HYPER Introduces Updated HyperDrive DUO 7-in-2 USB-C Hub for Mac Notebooks" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3csIu1C

Microsoft Word and PowerPoint for iPad Now Support Split View

Microsoft today released updates to its suite of Office apps for iPad, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Notably, Word and PowerPoint for ‌iPad‌ now support Split View, which allows you to open two documents simultaneously side-by-side.


Split View can be accessed by touching and holding on a document in any file view and then dragging it to the left or right side of the screen. To exit Split View, grab the slider in the middle of the screen and drag it to either the left or right to close one of the documents and take the remaining one full-screen.


Microsoft is also said to be working to implement full support for the new trackpad controls introduced in iPadOS 13.4, but these are not yet available. Basic trackpad functionality is present, but Microsoft still has some work to do to roll out support for the complete set of trackpad features.

(Thanks, Nelson!)

Tag: Microsoft Office

This article, "Microsoft Word and PowerPoint for iPad Now Support Split View" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3dAxsHG

HomePod Now Available for Sale in India

After announcing back in late January that the HomePod would be coming soon to India, the company today began sending out emails to customers letting them know that the Siri-powered smart speaker is now available.


Apple's HomePod page in India now has a "Buy" button, although with the company not yet operating its own online storefront in the country, the button redirects to a search tool for local and online resellers. We're not yet seeing ‌HomePod‌ stock at major retail partners Amazon.in, Flipkart, and Paytm, but presumably listings should be popping up shortly.

‌HomePod‌ is priced at ₹19,900 in India, which is equivalent to about $263 in the United States. That is roughly 10 percent below the normal $299 price in Apple's home country, although we have been seeing some deals as low as $199 in recent weeks.

Siri support for an Indian localization of English was added to the ‌HomePod‌ with software version 13.3.1 back in late January.

(Thanks, Anmol and Karamjot!)

Related Roundup: HomePod

Tag: India

Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Neutral)

This article, "HomePod Now Available for Sale in India" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories https://ift.tt/3fzW5pz