Plus a big step for flying cars |
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Today's newsletter is all about dreams. In particular, we've got stories about Apple's failed dreams for Apple Arcade, a laptop that's a dream machine for working from home, and finally, chasing the dream of flying cars. Enjoy! |
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Despite calls from the press and some members of the public for Apple to merge iOS and MacOS, the tech giant continues to plug its fingers in its ears and insist it's not happening. And you know what? It's the right approach. But weirdly, Apple is accidentally demonstrating what a disaster this merger would be using one of its own products: Apple Arcade.
You see, Apple Arcade is a showcase for all that's wrong with taking two very different operating systems and mashing them together into a mixed-up medley where no one wins. Because developers have to make games that work on the tiniest iPhone and the largest iMac, they are forced into compromises that weaken the games on both platforms.
To be clear, there are reams of excellent Apple Arcade games. My beef is more with the way the platform works and its attempt to cater to all possible audiences. If Apple has any sense, it will take its own advice and fix this problem. |
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The HP Elite Dragonfly has never been your average business laptop. The name alone suggests that this is no ThinkPad clone. A unique design made the original Elite Dragonfly a fantastic 2-in-1 for businesspeople who didn't want to sacrifice design for business features.
HP updated the machine in 2020 to the G2 and then again in 2021 to the latest 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake CPUs. But now we have a specialized version, the Elite Dragonfly Max, which offers the same basic design and feature set as the G2, but with enhanced videoconferencing capabilities — specifically, an upgraded webcam and an additional world-facing microphone.
I received a review configuration of the Elite Dragonfly Max with an Intel Core i7-1185G7 with vPro, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), and HP's Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) Sure View Reflect privacy screen. The configuration comes in at $2,939, a very premium price that's aimed — again — at a specific kind of business user. But with these kinds of specs and price, can the Max stand up to the G2? |
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A vehicle capable of flying in the sky and driving on the road completed a momentous journey this week.
Stefan Klein, founder and CEO of research and development company Klein Vision, drove his prototype AirCar to Nitra international airport in Slovakia before motoring down the runway and taking off. He then flew the 35-minute route to Bratislava and, after landing at the city's airport, drove the two-passenger vehicle to the downtown area three minutes away.
A video (here) shows key moments from the incredible ride. Klein has been developing a flying car for the last 20 years. His vehicle has already taken more than 140 test flights, but this week's outing was the team's most ambitious effort to date. |
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TIPS, TRICKS, & TECHNIQUES |
by Michael Bizzaco and Tyler Lacoma |
The modern smart home supports a number of web-connected devices, including lighting, locks, and thermostats. Chief amongst the hardware, under a mighty umbrella all its own, is smart security. This is everything from cameras to motion sensors, video doorbells, and floodlights. Once this bevy of gear is connected your home network, you can view live footage on the go, receive motion-trigger alerts, and even communicate with couriers and other front-door dwellers using two-way audio chat.
If you can't spare the dough for an all-hands-on-deck security suite but want the ability to monitor your home, a new smart display may be all you need. Smart displays are equipped with innate video chat functions including cams and mics — so they're already a natural fit for indoor security cams. Both Alexa and Google Home have options to turn their respective smart displays — Echo Shows and Nest Hubs — into security cams under the right conditions. Here's how to enable these security modes and what you should know about using them! |
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