News
Apple quietly unveils the new iPad Pro
Now with better cameras, LiDAR Scanner, and Trackpad Support
It’s been a while since Apple updated the iPad Pro. Six months ago, there was a leak that showed the new camera setup a la iPhone 11 Pro — and now it’s finally confirmed as Apple quietly announced the new iPad Pro for 2020.
Pro performance and trackpad support
The new iPad Pro features a newer A12Z Bionic Chipset. Built to meet your needs, it can handle tasks like 4K video editing or even 3D modeling. It’s currently the highest performing iPad in the market. Apple even claims that it performs faster than most Windows laptops.
With its incredible performance, the power-efficient eight-core chipset also saves battery life by up to 10 hours of usage. Although it doesn’t support 5G yet, it promises faster Wi-Fi connectivity and LTE speed is 60 percent faster with more LTE band support.
With the newer iPadOS 13.4, it now has a trackpad support. It’s responsible for making the user’s typing experience more natural, while text selection is more precise. The cursor displays as a circle which highlights UI elements, text fields, and even apps on both the home screen and dock. It also lets you enjoy web scrolling, photo viewing, organizing mails, text editing, presentations, spreadsheets, and more.
Pro audiovisual experience

Image by GadgetMatch
Just like its predecessor, the new iPad Pro features an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina Display that comes in two sizes — 11-inch and a bigger 12.9-inch. TrueTone still exists to automatically adjust screen tint. Thanks to ProMotion technology, you’ll still enjoy fluid animations with 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports P3 wide color display gamut with vivid colors and better contrast which makes it the world’s “most advanced mobile display”.
As the new iPad Pro are made for professionals and content creators, the audio experience is also upgraded. You get five studio-quality microphones for a cleaner and more dynamic audio. Other than that, you also get a four-speaker setup which brings an immersive audio experience right in front of you.
Pro cameras

Image by GadgetMatch
Even though the new iPad Pro has an iPhone 11 Pro-like camera bump, don’t be mistaken as it only features a dual camera setup instead of three. Nonetheless, it’s still an upgrade from last year’s iPad Pro. There’s a 12-megapixel wide camera for your regular shots, combined with a 10-megapixel ultra-wide camera for a wider shot perspective. It improves not just photo capabilities, but also video shooting meant for the creative pros.
The third sensor you’ll find on the square cutout is the LiDAR Scanner — a breakthrough feature of the new iPad Pro. The scanner is responsible for measuring distance of objects around you of up to 5 meters away. Whether indoors or outdoors, you’ll have a great AR experience with Apple’s new tablet.
It also improves your usage with the Measure app. The scanner can automatically calculate someone’s height while measuring the width and length of objects is faster and more accurate. The app now comes with Ruler View that displays precise measurements and allows the user to save everything through screenshots for future use.
Pro accessories

Image by GadgetMatch
The new iPad Pro comes with new accessories including the second-generation Apple Pencil and an updated Smart Keyboard Folio. Other than those accessories, the new Magic Keyboard now features a floating design with cantilevered hinges that allow smooth adjustments of viewing angles up to 130 degrees. The keyboard design relies on scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm travel and has backlit support.
The new keyboard also features USB-C pass-through charging which keeps the USB-C port on the new iPad Pro free for accessories like external drives and displays. There’s also the click-anywhere trackpad for easy navigation and precise touch experience and adjustments.
Pricing and availability

Image by GadgetMatch
You can order the new iPad Pro on Apple’s website right now. Starting with the 11-inch new iPad Pro, the base model (128GB + Wi-Fi only) starts at US$ 799 while the Wi-Fi + Cellular model with base storage has a retail price of US$ 949. Meanwhile, the base configuration of the bigger 12.9-inch new iPad Pro starts at US$ 999 and the Wi-Fi + cellular model retails at US$ 1,149.
New iPad Pro “virtual” hands-on! #iPadPro2020 #AR pic.twitter.com/AQxGql0wdV
— Michael Josh (@michaeljosh) March 18, 2020
Other than the 128GB storage option, you also get to choose between 256GB, 512GB, and even a 1TB configuration. Color options are limited to silver and space gray only.
For the accessories, the new Magic Keyboard will be available starting in May for US$ 299 (11-inch model) and US$ 349 (12.9-inch). Meanwhile the new Smart Keyboard Folio is being sold for US$ 179 and US$ 199 respectively. Lastly, the second-generation Apple Pencil retails at US$ 129.
News
Is the Pixel 11 copying a feature from Nothing?
A new ad is hinting at something like the Glyph interface.
August 12 cannot come soon enough. On that date, Google is set to launch the upcoming Pixel 11 series. There isn’t much to indicate that the brand is changing the formula this year. Now, a rampant rumor, now seemingly confirmed by Google’s own ad, is hinting that a popular feature from Nothing is making its way to the Pixel.
Besides the transparent rear, Nothing prides itself with numerous iterations of the Glyph interface, a lighting system that serves as customized notifications for your phone. It’s mostly a novelty, but the feature is a unique take in a smartphone market plagued with too much sameness. It looks like Google wants to take a page from that same notebook.
For a while now, it’s been rumored that Google is adopting a version of the feature for the Pixel 11 series. The so-called Pixel Glow will reportedly add a light-based notification feature. Now, Google itself has seemingly confirmed the rumors.
In a new ad, titled “The Obvious Next Move,” Google is teasing a new feature coming to the flagship series. Though the ad leaves the feature untitled and without a description, it’s clear that it’s a circular glowing thing similar to Nothing’s take. The glowing thing is right on the Pixel’s iconic camera bar, just like Nothing.
But again, Google didn’t name the feature. However, if it helps, the ad says that we already use the Pixel for Gmail, Maps, Search, Calendar, and Docs, so the next evolution is whatever is depicted in this ad. August 12 really cannot come soon enough.
News
HONOR debuts refreshed brand identity ahead of Robot Phone launch
New imaging engine announced; HONOR, ARRI team up to bring cinematic workflow to mobile creation
Ahead of the launch of its Robot Phone, HONOR has revealed a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo and the slogan “Dare to Be.”
The brand new logo represents breaking through an endless circle, as mentioned on the description in HONOR’s posts.
It’s about forging a path unlike any other, and continuously innovating instead of settling. This way, it also represents HONOR’s long-term vision for the AI era and its ambition to build an intelligent ecosystem that extends beyond smartphones.
The HONOR Robot Phone is set to launch in China on August 12. It will officially bring an entirely new form factor for smartphones, designed to redefine the relationship between AI and mobile devices.
More recently in Hengdian, China, HONOR hosted the HONOR Imaging Technology Launch where the company introduced its latest mobile imaging technologies.
During the event, HONOR introduced the Optics-Intelligence Evolution principle behind its imaging strategy.
It also showcased its HONOR AiMAGE chip-device-cloud imaging engine, and announced a joint imaging technology lab with ARRI.
New AiMAGE imaging engine
Instead of only focusing on camera specifications, HONOR is building a more complete mobile imaging technology system across professional image capture, AI-powered processing, cinematic color science, and creator-focused workflows.
To support such workflows, HONOR has built a chip-device-cloud AiMAGE imaging engine. This connects the full imaging chain from physical capture to intelligent creation.
HONOR is developing a self-developed Transformer-based native AI ISP to reconstruct the image processing pipeline from the ground up.
This works alongside a next-generation pixel array and EVS sensor technology, designed to improve original image capture.
On the device side, HONOR is combining physical imaging hardware with real-time algorithms. As with the upcoming HONOR Robot Phone, there’s a titanium alloy three-axis gimbal, precision sensing hardware optical technologies, and real-time image processing algorithms.
Lastly, on the cloud side, HONOR is expanding imaging capabilities through RAW-domain image enhancement, spatial imaging technologies, and Imaging Agent tools.
ARRI image science, professional workflows for mobile creation
Furthermore, the partnership with ARRI enables HONOR to integrate selected elements of professional cinema workflow into mobile imaging.
This includes ARRI LogC3, ARRI Wide Gamut 3, and ARRI Looks. These bring a more professional color and workflow foundation to the Robot Phone.
Unlike simple filters, LogC3 and Looks are part of a professional imaging workflow. The former is designed to preserve more brightness and color information for post-production.
Meanwhile, Wide Gamut 3 provides broader color space. ARRI Looks, on the other hand, helps creators apply controlled cinematic styles.
Together, these add-ons support a workflow that gives creators greater flexibility from capture to editing, while helping mobile footage retain more creative information.
To deepen the connection, HONOR and ARRI have also announced a joint imaging technology lab.
This will focus on three key areas:
- sensor-level optics and dynamic range;
- end-to-end cinema industry workflow from capture to post-production; and
- imaging realism and aesthetic standards in the AI era
Entertainment
UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October
Determination arrives in October.
For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.
On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.
The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.
In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.
Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.
SEE ALSO: The hunt begins: The Witcher in Concert hits Manila with surprises in tow
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