Month: February 2020

Enlarge / Twitter returned to the Mac via Apple's Project Catalyst. (credit: Apple)

When Apple introduced Catalyst, its developers' toolkit for porting iOS and iPadOS apps to macOS, developers and users alike were quick to point out that they'd like to see universal iOS/macOS app purchases in the App Store. Now, Apple has told developers it plans to add that feature in March, along with a few changes to the App Store to accompany it.

The company will give third-party app developers the capability to distribute macOS, iOS, and tvOS apps as a universal purchase from a single bundle ID starting sometime in March of this year. Unified purchases can also apply to in-app purchases (IAP).

"You can choose to create a new app for these platforms using a single app record in App Store Connect or add platforms to your existing app record," Apple wrote in a note to developers. All of this requires the Xcode 11.4 beta at the moment, however.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | imaginima)

The Federal Communications Commission's broadband data dramatically underestimates the number of Americans without access to home Internet service, a new study has found. The actual number of people lacking home-broadband access is about twice as high as the FCC estimate, the study found.

The FCC has said that 21.3 million Americans live in areas without access to fixed broadband with 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload speeds. But FCC data is widely known to be flawed, because it counts an entire census block as served even if only one home in the census block can get service. Census blocks have an average of 4,000 residents.

The real number of Americans without access to wired or fixed wireless broadband is 42.8 million, slightly more than double the FCC estimate, according to the study released yesterday. The study was conducted by BroadbandNow, a company that provides an online tool for checking broadband availability.

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  When the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid goes on sale later this spring, it's expected to get a combined 52mpg. [credit: Jonathan Gitlin ]

It feels like the auto industry only cares about building big SUVs, but if you know where to look, there are still good sedans out there among the bluff-nosed behemoths. The current Honda Accord, for example, proves you can get a good midsized sedan without breaking the bank, as does Hyundai's latest Sonata. On Thursday morning at the Chicago Auto Show, Hyundai announced the latest addition to the Sonata line-up—a 52mpg* hybrid version, which goes on sale later this spring.

The MY2020 Sonata Hybrid combines a 2.0L, 150hp (112kW), 139lb-ft (188Nm) direct-injection gasoline engine with a 51hp (39kW), 151lb-ft (205Nm) electric motor, for a combined output of 192hp (143kW). That power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission, and in the more efficient Blue trim level, it should return a combined 52mpg (50 city, 54 highway) when the EPA rates it, Hyundai says. The SEL and Limited trims are expected to come in at 45/51/47mpg (city/highway/combined).

In part, that's thanks to a slippery 0.24 drag coefficient (Cd), made possible by a Hybrid-specific front grille that has active flaps that blank off openings when possible, plus a rear spoiler and particularly aerodynamic wheels. There's also some new control logic for the six-speed transmission (Hyundai is calling this Active Shift Control), which it says "aligns the electric motor with the rotational speeds of the engine and transmission to reduce gear shifts by 30 percent."

Enlarge (credit: Ars Technica)

Heading up today's Dealmaster is a new low price for our current top pick among Thunderbolt 3 docks, the CalDigit TS3 Plus. It's currently down to $230 on Amazon, which is a roughly $50 drop from its usual going rate over the past few months.

We like the TS3 Plus for offering a wide variety of ports in a relatively compact design. It comes with two high-speed Thunderbolt 3 ports, five USB-A 3.1 ports, USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 ports, a DisplayPort 1.2, an SD card reader, analog audio connectors, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and an uncommon S/PDIF digital optical audio port. Its data transfer speeds are among the fastest we've tested, it can drive up to two 4K displays at 60Hz, and it can charge newer MacBook Pros at close to full speeds. If you're a power user who often needs to connect various peripherals to your computer, the TS3 Plus should give you all the performance and connectivity you need.

If you don't need a full-on Thunderbolt 3 dock, though, we also have deals on wireless chargers, Dell and Lenovo laptops, the PlayStation 4 Pro, and more. Have a look at our full list below.

Enlarge / The Facebook app displayed on the screen of an iPhone. (credit: Fabian Sommer | picture alliance | Getty Images)

Almost a year after state officials formally asked Facebook to take action to remove a racist and anti-Semitic group page, the globe-spanning social network has finally taken the page down.

The offices of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy acknowledged Facebook's action against the page, "Rise Up Ocean County," in a joint announcement Wednesday.

State officials first expressed concern to Facebook about the page in a letter sent ten months ago, they write. "Since then, we've consistently and repeatedly made clear our view that the page appeared to violate Facebook's terms of service, and we appreciate that Facebook has now decided that this kind of hateful rhetoric has no place on its platform."

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  Left: the new Google Maps logo. Right: the old logo.

Google Maps is turning 15 this year, and Google is celebrating with a new icon and a few UI tweaks.

First, the Google Maps icon is no longer, well, a map and is now a multi-colored map pin. Like all of Google's other recent icons, Maps' icon follows a formula of outfitting a simple shape or letter with the colors red, blue, green, and yellow, and calling it a day. You can expect this new icon to pop up on your phone sometime soon.

The bottom tab navigation is going to switch from three tabs to five, with new tabs for "Saved" (Saved places), "Contribute," and "Updates." None of these sections really represent new features, they just used to live in the left-side navigation drawer and now they have top-level access via the tab bar. Speaking of the left-side navigation drawer, the hamburger button that used to open it is dead. Presumably, the settings and other miscellaneous menu options will live under the account switcher, accessible via your profile picture on the right side of the search bar.