Tech Support Showdown Crowns Apple for Third Year in a Row

When it comes to Apple, you get what you pay for. While many people argue that their products are overpriced, there's no denying that support is likely included in that price. A successful Twitter account dedicated to providing support helped bridge the transition from phone support to Twitter support. This provided quick, direct support from Apple. Apple has also created a great support website and app as well. It's reasons like these that Apple has topped Laptop Mag's Tech Support Showdown list for their third year in a row. Apple scored a 93 out of 100.

WeberHaus Becomes First HomeKit Homebuilder in Europe

The smart home is quickly becoming a reality for many people. Homebuilder WeberHaus has announced that they will be the first HomeKit homebuilders in Europe. It's only a matter of time until more homebuilders catch onto the trend. Who knows what IKEA will do? Their first HomeKit houses will be available by the end of the year.

National Mario Day 2017

National Mario Day comes every March 10. Why? March abbreviated is "Mar" and 10 looks like "IO." Today, Nintendo is celebrating by partnering with the Starlight Children's Foundation to bring new gowns for hospitalized children. They feature designs of Mario and his companions. In addition, Nintendo is offering discounts on some Mario games.

App Store Celebrates Indie Games

Indie games have recently become a bigger and bigger part of the gaming industry. Individuals or small groups of people who make a game by themselves or with crowdfunding. Apple has decided to celebrate this genre by showcasing them in the App Store. This promotion is likely to promote how developers use iOS to help bring their creations to fruition.

Twitter Adds Ability to Clear Cache

Apps like Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks often take up way too much space because they are constantly caching posts. To fix this, often times you would have to delete and reinstall the app. However, Twitter has added the ability to clear the cache in-app. It's currently being rolled out, but it appears in a menu called "Web Storage." While it's great Twitter has added this, it worries me that companies will get into the habit of having the user habitually clear the cache, when the app should honestly be managing its own storage better. There's no reason Twitter should ever take up more than half a gigabyte. Hopefully, someone will eventually break the trend.

Image Credit: MacRumors

iPhone Edition

According to Mac Otakara, the iPhone 8 could be called the iPhone Edition. This would be to possibly justify its high price of what could potentially be over $1,000. The Apple Watch Edition was a series of Apple Watches priced over $1,000 and even over $10,000 for Series 1. This would be the first time an iPhone would have just a single English word after the brand name. 

Thoughts on USB-C for iPhone

I do want to see USB-C on iPhone. It is the new standard. It's always a growing pain when Apple and the industry change the ports used on any device. It'll be a whole different nightmare when USB-D is a thing. But standardizing the iPhone would be a cool thing to see. Apple may not do it now because it may increase the width of their phones. Maybe now isn't the right time to do it. Most people are still transitioning to USB-C from USB-A. But when it is a popular standard, Apple would be able to change the iPhone to USB-C with minimal repercussions because the cable is so widely used. Perhaps in one or two years, the time will be right.

Touch Bar for iPhone

With the iPhone 8 having much more real estate for display, Apple will certainly have a way for developers to make the most of it. Ming-Chi Kuo has reported that the space next to the digital home button will have areas for developers to add buttons, similar to the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar. Something like this would make perfect sense considering how voice messages through iMessage became possible just before the Apple Watch. This design also allows grandfathered apps to still use the same space as it would have on any other phone.

Image Credit: deuxani

iPhone 8 Will Use Lightning, With USB-C Fast Charging

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 8 will have a Lightning port. However, it will support USB-C fast charging. I believe this means that using a Lightning to USB-C cable will speed up the charging process. This makes sense as USB-C cables are made with this power-delivery capability in mind. What's interesting is that Lightning to USB-C cables likely already had this in mind. The cables may very well be in circulation already. This is just my speculation, but it is possible.

Nintendo Switch and MacBook Pro

The Nintendo Switch uses USB-C as a charging port. MacBook Pro's newest model uses USB-C as a multipurpose port. So, one would think that the MacBook Pro would charge the Nintendo Switch when plugged into each other. According to Mike Murphy via Twitter, the Nintendo Switch actually charges the MacBook Pro. Furthermore, if the Nintendo Switch is turned off, the MacBook Pro will charge the Nintendo Switch.

Lol if you plug a Nintendo Switch into a new MacBook Pro, the Switch charges the laptop, not the other way around pic.twitter.com/YJhMct6fKO

— Mike Murphy (@mcwm) March 1, 2017

Nintendo Switch Released

It's been a very long journey but the day has finally come. The Nintendo Switch has been released in the east parts of America. And it certainly has an amazing launch title. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has gained unprecedented scores, earning perfect scores by nearly every major gaming publication. The Nintendo Switch marks Nintendo's pivot from their traditional ways and creating a new Apple-like style of continuity. It has the unique feature of being both a console and a handheld, all while playing fully-fleged console games. The Nintendo Switch officially launches at midnight on March 3 and is priced at $299.99.

Apple's Home Film

Apple's Home app is quickly becoming integral to Apple's vision of a smart home. To promote this, Apple has released a film on their Home site. This video shows a woman using the Home app throughout her day. It's cool to see Apple's vision for a smart home enabled lifestyle.

Apple Releases 'No More Printing' Ad

In line with their other Twitter-based iPad Pro ads, another ad has surfaced in the series. This one touches on how instead of printing, you can digitally annotate a document and send it. I'm sorry, this just isn't a selling point. I don't spend $99 on the Apple Pencil to sign documents. I would use it to draw, personally. Printing is going nowhere. Most people will only take signed documents printed. And, based off my school's printing system, printer queuing isn't the biggest issue. While the Twitter concept is clever, I'd like to see Apple tackle more creative aspects of the iPad Pro, especially considering the recent Windows 10: Creators Update.

10 Minute Mail

If you've ever needed a temporary email, like for a quick verification email for an account, try 10 Minute Mail. Upon entering the site, you are assigned a randomly generated email immediately. A countdown timer starts from 10 minutes and any email sent to that generated email will appear. You can also reset the timer if you need more time. Definitely a useful tool if you ever find yourself in the situation. 

Clinical Document Architecture

In the Health app for iOS, you can now store health records. However, it requires a CDA file to work. You may ask, "What is CDA?" It stands for Clinical Document Architecture. It works as a format for health records to follow. It's written in a standard markup language, with special attributes for the medical field. It may change how medical records work forever. The hope is that it will become a standard across all doctors and hospitals. In addition, part of the intention is that this file could have legal integrity, and could be used to confirm medical information. It's easy for the patient to read on a phone. I'd like to see this take off one day, and that day may be soon.

Third-Party Screen Repairs No Longer Void iPhone Warranty

Previously, if a third-party performed an iPhone screen repair, your warranty would be voided. This changes with the condition that the issue being fixed is not because of the display. If it was a display-related issue, you will be charged out-of-warranty prices for future repairs.

Apple S'well Bottle

S'well Bottles are very popular today. They definitely have a e s t h e t i c. Well, Apple has picked up on the trend and has custom S'well bottles with their logo on them in their Company Store in Cupertino. I'm hoping I can get one if they still have them the next time I go. It comes in Space Grey and White.

Image Credit: pollo3571 via eBay

iPhone 7 Explosion Video Goes Viral

Brianna Olivas claims that her iPhone 7 Plus started smoking an exploding yesterday. In the video she posted (viewer discretion advised), the iPhone can be seen smoking and melting the case. According to Mashable, the phone started squealing next to Olivas while in her bed and her boyfriend threw it in the bathroom, where it exploded. The reason I'm talking about this is to give my stance. Obviously, after the Note7 explosions, this wouldn't look good for Apple. However, I, along with many other people in the tech community, don't buy this video. Not to the point where it was directly Apple's fault anyways. I could use my fancy AP Lang and AP Lit skills and analyze the tone of Olivas voice in the video. I even have a thesis statement. "In the video, Olivas' tone is very monotone and shows very little concern for the smartphone burning in front of her, using particular diction and imagery to describe the situation." But I take things from a technological standpoint. Could it be a one in a million chance of a faulty battery? Possibly. More likely, the phone was put through conditions no phone should be able to go through (microwaves?) or an off-market, bootleg charger was used to charge it. Who knows? Maybe people will catch on and these will be the next "1000 Degree Knife" videos. Apple will have a cause for the situation within a week.

Apple Park

Apple has announced that Apple Campus 2 will be called "Apple Park." The new campus will open in April. In addition, the theater within Apple Park will be named the "Steve Jobs Theater," in honor of the late CEO, who would've turned 62 this Friday. The campus definitely looks Apple. I'm looking forward to visiting it eventually.

Snapchat Spectacles Available Online

After being sold in popup vending machines, Snapchat Spectacles are now available online for $130. The glasses that take 10 seconds of video come in three colors: coral, black, and teal. In my opinion, these seem way more overpriced and gimmicky than AirPods, but to each their own, right? Spectacles are available online for $130 with 2-4 weeks shipping [Direct Link].