Intel’s new desktop processor reaches 6GHz without overclocking

Intel has just introduced a new desktop processor, the Core i9-13900KS, that can reach up to 6GHz without overclocking, making it the fastest desktop processor available. This is made possible by the processor’s Thermal Velocity Boost feature, which al…

Astell & Kern’s latest mobile DAC brings 32-bit audio with fewer sacrifices

If you’re determined to listen to high-resolution audio on your phone using high-end earphones, you’ll want a DAC — and Astell & Kern thinks it has one of the better options. The company has introduced its third USB DAC, the AK HC3, and this one may finally nail enough features to satisfy most users. It promises very high-quality 32-bit, 384kHz audio like its HC2 predecessor, but you can finally use your headset’s microphone. You won’t have to choose between pristine sound and making phone calls.

The AK HC3 also uses ESS’ newer ES9219MQ dual DAC. A built-in LED even shows if you’re using a high-res audio format. The USB-C connection supports Macs, Windows PCs, Android phones and many tablets (including recent iPads), but there’s an included Lightning adapter in the box for your iPhone. Android users get a dedicated app to fine-tune the output.

Astell & Kern will sell the AK HC3 for $229, with pre-orders starting January 20th and a release estimated for February 13th. This isn’t the absolute highest-quality DAC (Fiio’s Q3 can manage 768kHz), but it’s better than many mobile options and is relatively easy to carry.

There are two similarly new headphone amps if you’re more interested in quality than size. The Acro CA1000T is a second-gen “carriable” model that uses ESS’ new high-end ES9039MPRO dual DAC and a triple amp system that lets you switch between dual vacuum tubes, normal amping and a hybrid that combines both technologies. It arrives alongside the HC3, although the $2,299 price will limit it to well-heeled audiophiles.

The AK PA10 portable, meanwhile, is Astell & Kern’s first device with a Class-A amp. The choice promises the “best” linear output and a warm, natural sound for 12 hours of battery-powered use. It also won’t be cheap when it arrives on February 13th for $599, but it may be worth considering if you want a balance between portability and raw technical prowess.

The best tablets for 2023

Following the release of the 2022 Apple iPad Air and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 line last year, there hasn’t been a ton of movement in the tablet world. At IFA, Lenovo announced refreshed versions of the Tab P11 and P11 Pro featuring updated internals and…

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro owners can now record videos with 360-degree audio

You now have an easy way to record movies with surround sound using your phone, provided you’re immersed in the right ecosystem. Samsung is releasing an update for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro that enables 360-degree audio capture while you’re recording video. While this won’t match professional surround (you’re using a mic on each earbud), it could present a truer impression of what you heard during a concert or hike.

Only a handful of people will get to try this feature at first. The update is initially rolling out to Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 users, and it will be included with the “upcoming Galaxy smartphones” (read: Galaxy S23 series). You’re out of luck if you own an S22 or other older hardware.

You’ll have more success with an impending upgrade for Samsung’s smartwatches. An update arriving in February will bring zoom to the Camera Controller app on Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 models. Make a pinch gesture or rotate the bezel and you can remotely steer your phone’s camera zoom from your wrist. You won’t have to return to your handset (or move closer) just to properly frame a group photo.

The new functionality will only be immediately useful if you’re a fierce Samsung devotee. However, the company is undoubtedly hoping that the tighter integration will give you an incentive to buy more than just its latest phones. There will be perks you might not get from rivals, at least not for a while.

Apple 終於讓商家能自訂自己在地圖、訊息、銀包等 app 的資訊內容

Apple Business Connect 讓店家可以自行修改在自己在地圖、訊息、銀包等 app 的資訊內容，讓使用者在透過 Apple 產品查找店家時，能獲得更準確、及時的銷售內容，甚至可以連結外部系統，像是餐廳訂座工具。…

Apple TV and Apple Music apps quietly appear on the Microsoft Store

Apple Music and Apple TV apps have quietly arrived as preview versions on Microsoft Windows 11, according to a tweet from @ALumia_Italia seen by Thurrott. It’s now possible to download the apps from the Microsoft Store, along with another preview app called Apple Devices that lets you “manage Apple devices from your Windows PC,” according to the description. 

At its 2022 Surface event, Microsoft announced that the apps would be coming to Windows 11 this year, so the news isn’t a huge surprise. Apple’s standalone Windows media apps have been a long time coming — it was recruiting engineers to build them as far back as 2019. Those apps replaced iTunes on Mac, and the aim is to eventually replace them on Windows as well.

All the apps appear to require Windows 11 Build 22621 or higher, but they seem to function well, according to 9to5Mac. Apple TV works much like the app on Xbox or Smart TVs, giving access to Apple TV+ and Apple TV Channels, along with movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store. Apple Music is missing the lyrics feature, but is otherwise the same as the macOS version.

As for Apple Devices, it also replaces iTunes for sync and backup. It’ll allow you to back up Apple devices, sync local media and restore firmware without the need for iTunes. 

When launching them for the first time, you’ll be warned that iTunes for Windows will stop working (you need to uninstall the apps to continue using iTunes). That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as iTunes for Windows doesn’t exactly offer a terrific user experience. 

The Morning After: The Webb Telescope discovers an exoplanet almost the same diameter of Earth

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has recorded another inaugural milestone: its first confirmed discovery of an exoplanet. LHS 475 b is just 41 light years away and has a diameter 99 percent of Earth’s. But there’s more work to be done. The JWST should be able to figure out the atmospheres of Earth-sized exoplanets. The research team is still working to determine what, if any, sort of atmosphere the rocky mass may have. However, the planet’s surface appears to be around 300 Celsius, more than a little warmer than Earth, so don’t expect colonies. If they discover cloud cover, it could mean a greenhouse world climate closer to our neighboring planet Venus.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

The biggest stories you might have missed

Apple may start making its own displays for its watches by 2024

Reports suggest these displays will make their way to other mobile devices.

TMA
Engadget

Apple may start replacing its mobile devices’ displays with in-house screen technology as soon as next year. The tech giant will reportedly start with its highest-end Apple Watches in late 2024 and will swap the devices’ current OLED screens with its own microLED technology. Bloomberg says Apple’s homegrown display tech will also make its way to its other devices, including the iPhone.

Apparently, Apple was originally working to introduce its technology in 2020, but it was hampered by development costs and technical challenges. Back then, those same concerns also prevented the company from including larger displays in its plans.

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FAA grounds US flights following NOTAM computer outage

It ordered airlines to pause all domestic flights until 9 AM ET.

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures in the US, stopping all flights until 9 AM ET, because it had to restore its Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. On early Wednesday morning, the agency issued a notice through an Air Traffic Control System Command Center Advisory that the US NOTAM system had failed. “Operations across the National Airspace System are affected,” the FAA said in a tweet, then announced it was working to fix the outage. It’s the first time the US NOTAM system has failed.

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OpenAI is planning a paid ‘pro’ version of its hit ChatGPT bot

You’d have guaranteed access to the chatbot.

OpenAI has shared a waitlist for an experimental ChatGPT Professional service that, for a fee, would effectively remove limits on the advanced chatbot. The AI tool would always be available, with no throttling and as many messages as necessary. The startup hasn’t said when the pilot program might launch, and it’s asking would-be participants for feedback on pricing.

As TechCrunch noted, the company said on its Discord server it’s “starting to think” about how it will make money from ChatGPT and keep the technology viable in the “long-term.” CEO Sam Altman recently pointed out that ChatGPT costs OpenAI a few cents for every chat.

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Microsoft reportedly axes dual-screen Surface Duo 3 in favor of a ‘true’ foldable

You may also see more conventional smartphones.

TMA
Engadget

Windows Central sources claim Microsoft has canceled a twin-screen Surface Duo 3, which was allegedly meant to launch late this year. The company has apparently switched to focus on a “true” foldable phone. The new device’s specs and name aren’t known, but it would have a 180-degree hinge with an outside cover display, like the Vivo X Fold. The canceled Surface Duo 3 was “finalized,” according to the sources. It would have supposedly addressed some of its predecessor’s shortcomings with narrower edge-to-edge screens and wireless charging. But now, we’ll probably never know.

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