Wyze was aware of a major camera security flaw for three years - Engadget

Tech companies don't always disclose security flaws in a timely fashion, but Wyze apparently didn't disclose one at all. As Bleeping Computer and The Verge explain, Bitdefender has revealed that it informed Wyze of a major security vulnerability in the Wyze Cam v1 in March 2019, but that the device maker didn't inform customers, recall the product or fully patch the problem in the three years since. In fact, Wyze couldn't completely fix the issue — while it did mitigate the problem with patches, it's now clear the company discontinued the camera in January as "hardware limitations" prevented a proper update.

The vulnerability let attackers remotely control the camera without knowing the value normally needed to authenticate. While they couldn't watch live video as it was encrypted, they could steer the camera, switch it off and access videos saved on the SD card. Wyze patched the bug for its v2 and v3 cameras in late January.

Wyze was slow to respond and didn't fully share the nature of the security hole. Bitdefender noted that Wyze only acknowledged reception of the warning in November 2020, a year and a half after it was delivered. And while it did tell customers that it discontinued the Wyze Cam v1 due to incompatibility with a security update, it didn't tell users this was a known three-year-old flaw. It Wyze spokesperson Kyle Christensen told The Verge that the company had been transparent and "fully corrected" the problem, but in practice the firm only told owners that using the v1 camera after February 1st carried "increased risk."

It's not clear if any hackers took advantage of the flaw, but the potential consequences were serious. An intruder could have looked at past activity in the home or disabled the camera ahead of a burglary.

There are also questions surrounding Bitdefender's very late disclosure. The company's PR director Steve Fiore told The Verge that it delays publishing reports when it's not clear a vendor can properly address an issue. It didn't want to expose "potentially millions" of Wyze Cam users by sharing details of the exploit to with the public. However, security researchers typically disclose flaws within weeks, not years — even Google's more cautious Project Zero shares technical details within 90 days. While it's not always easy for tech firms to address vulnerabilities quickly, disclosures can help pressure companies into fixing security issues that might otherwise go unresolved.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Google Search's new highly cited label helps you get to the source of a story - The Verge

Google is adding a new “highly cited” label to search results frequently sourced by other publications, the company is announcing today. Anything from local news stories, to interviews, announcements, and even press releases will be eligible for the new label being added to the search result’s preview image, so long as other websites are linking to it. More info is also being added to Search’s “rapidly evolving topics” and “About this Result” notices.

The search giant’s hope is that its highly cited label will help highlight original reporting, which can include important context that’s stripped out when a story gets picked up more widely. But it should also be helpful to find press releases, where you can get information directly from companies themselves. Google says it hopes the label will help readers find “the most helpful or relevant information for a news story.” It’ll launch “soon” in the US on mobile for English-speaking users, and will start appearing globally “in the coming weeks.”

Alongside the highly cited label, Google is expanding its attempts to help search users critically evaluate the results they’re being shown. The notice it shows on searches relating to “rapidly evolving topics” will now remind users to check whether a source is trusted, or simply tell them to come back later when more information is available. This change is launching today for English searches in the US. It’s also rolling out improvements to its “About This Result” feature announced last year (which offer more context about each website in search results), in the coming weeks.

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Apple's Studio Display guts feature a remarkable feat of over-engineering - Engadget

It may look a lot like the redesigned iMac, but Apple’s new Studio Display is in many ways a more complicated device once you open it up. Next to the company’s all-in-one desktop, the monitor is about 50 percent thicker, and there’s an interesting reason for that.

Following its recent Mac Studio teardown, iFixit took apart the Studio Display to see the engineering that went into Apple’s first dedicated monitor since the Pro Display XDR. What ends up making the studio display thicker than the iMac is a complicated, multi-board power supply board that’s housed within the monitor. Unlike with the iMac, you don’t need an adapter to power the Studio Display. It's one of those features that might seem small on the surface, but it ultimately leads to a better user experience.  

“If [Apple] had gone with an external power supply, this could have been the same design as the iMac,” iFixit said. It notes Apple likely invested a significant amount of engineering effort and cost to design a power supply that is as slim as the one found in the Studio Display. 

In taking apart the Studio Display, iFixit also discovered a few other interesting tidbits about the monitor. Almost every review of the Studio Display has complained of poor web camera quality. Apple has said it will release a software update to address the problem. In the meantime, iFixit says the Studio Display’s camera module looks nearly identical to the one found in the iPhone 11. “Hardware-wise, a three-year-old sensor is perfectly capable of packing a better punch than all these reviewers are seeing,” the company said. That’s something to keep in mind if you’re thinking about purchasing the Studio Display.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Google Debuts New Chrome OS Launcher—and It Has Serious Windows Start Menu Vibes - Gizmodo

Gif: Google/Gizmodo

Google is reinventing the Chrome OS launcher for the first time in years as it marks the one-hundredth update of its Chromebook operating system.

The Launcher, Chrome OS’s version of the Windows Start Menu, is where you access apps, web apps, recent programs, and the search function. In recent Chrome OS versions, the app launcher would span the entire screen horizontally, taking up valuable space even when it wasn’t in full-screen mode.

With update 100, the launcher opens as a compact overlay on the left side of the screen instead of from the bottom. As a result, browser windows or open apps aren’t covered every time you want to conduct a search or find a new app. From the clips Google sent us, the new Launcher looks similar in many ways to the Windows 11 Start Menu in that it’s a small, floating translucent rectangle.

The changes aren’t just skin deep. Finding and organizing apps should be easier now that you can arrange apps by name and color along with the option to list them manually. Newly downloaded apps will adhere to your organization method instead of being tacked on to the bottom as they are now.

Also improved is the search function, which shows a more detailed preview of your search term so you can get relevant information without leaving the launcher. I could see this being useful when you want to quickly check the current temperature, stock prices, or define a word. Google says you can use the search previews to bring up Chrome OS shortcuts, like the button combo for taking a screenshot (ctrl+shift+show windows) or turn on caps lock (alt + search). You can even use search to scan through Chrome tabs instead of flipping through each one only to realize what you’re looking for is in a different window altogether.

Google didn’t provide a firm release date for the new launcher, only committing to “coming soon.” It joins a handful of upcoming Chrome OS additions, including the ability to edit text using your voice via the dictation feature and create and share GIFs from the default camera app.

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Dyson Zone Noise-Canceling Headphones Feature a Built-in Air Purifier - IGN

Dyson has created a pair of noise-canceling headphones that feature a built-in air purifier to help protect its users from air pollution.

The technology company shared an initial overview of its new Dyson Zone audio device, which has been designed to deliver pure air and pure audio by combining over-ear headphones with a contact-free visor to supply "a continuous stream of purified air to your nose and mouth" in a bid to help battle various pollutants in the air, from "industrial emissions to car exhausts."

Dyson Zone Noise-Canceling Headphones with a Built-in Air Purifier

Dyson Zone features a two-stage purification system that tackles city fumes and pollutants by using high-performance filters and two miniaturized air pumps. The compressors in each earcup are said to "draw air through the dual-layer filters and project two streams of purified air to the wearer's nose and mouth, channelled through the non-contact visor."

In addition to the air-purification system, the headphones fulfil their traditional purpose of delivering rich, immersive audio. Dyson Zone's headphone cushions mold around the listener's ear to reduce unwanted disturbance with "advanced noise cancellation, low distortion and a neutral frequency response, to faithfully replicate music or audio as the creator intended."

Get in the zone with Dyson’s latest technology.

30 years of air filtration expertise pioneered into a wearable, high-end audio device. With a contact-free visor to supply a continuous stream of purified air to your nose and mouth. So, you can breathe cleaner air, anywhere.

— Dyson (@Dyson) March 30, 2022

Dyson engineers have been working on these air-purifying headphones for the past six years, and there have been over 500 prototypes in that time. The team started out by analyzing data on air pollution in cities and drawing up an initial concept for such a device, before then moving into user testing to fine-tune the design and ensure optimal product performance.

"Air pollution is a global problem – it affects us everywhere we go. In our homes, at school, at work and as we travel, whether on foot, on a bike or by public or private transport. The Dyson Zone purifies the air you breathe on the move," Chief Engineer Jake Dyson said of the new tech. "And unlike face masks, it delivers a plume of fresh air without touching your face."

Dyson is known for harnessing innovative new technology and bringing devices that may once have been regarded as futuristic fiction into the world of reality, such as its 360 Eye robot vacuum. The Dyson Zone headphones are set to become the firm's newest invention to hit the market, with the product due to go on sale in Autumn for an as-yet-unannounced price.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

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YouTube TV is testing surround sound on Android TV, Google TV, and Roku - The Verge

YouTube TV is testing support for Dolby 5.1 surround sound on Google TV, Android TV, and Roku devices. In a tweet, the platform said 5.1 audio will “launch on those devices next” if “everything runs smoothly” during the test.

If you were hoping to get surround sound while watching YouTube TV on your Apple TV, Fire TV, Xbox, or PlayStation, however, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. The platform says it’s still working “internally and with partners” to get 5.1 support on these platforms.

We’re still working internally and with partners to enable 5.1 on Apple TV, Fire TV, and game consoles. We don’t like keeping you waiting, but we’re excited for you to hear 5.1 audio soon. Our current compatible devices can be found here: https://t.co/kfARTipLUG

— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) March 28, 2022

YouTube TV currently supports 5.1 surround sound on Samsung, LG, and Vizio TVs, as well as on traditional Chromecast streaming devices. For it to work, you’ll need Cobalt version 20 or later, which you can check by selecting your profile photo in the YouTube TV app, clicking About, and then hitting App Version. It also requires a speaker system that supports 5.1 audio.

Last June, YouTube TV announced that it would bring 5.1 surround sound to “select devices.” It seems the service is following through on its promise, although it’s taking quite a bit of time to roll the highly anticipated feature out.

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Breath Of The Wild Sequel Delayed To 2023, Nintendo Apologizes - Kotaku

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1. Breath Of The Wild Sequel Delayed To 2023, Nintendo Apologizes  Kotaku
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Delayed to 2023 - IGN  IGN
3. Nintendo delays Breath of the Wild sequel until spring 2023  The Verge
4. 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' sequel delayed to spring 2023  Engadget
5. Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Fans Already Have Theories About That Broken Master Sword - IGN  IGN
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

Breath Of The Wild Sequel Delayed To 2023, Nintendo Apologizes - Kotaku
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Intel's unlocked Core i9-12900KS processor claims to be the 'world's fastest desktop processor' with 5.5GHz speeds - The Verge

Intel has officially announced its new Core i9-12900KS processor, an unlocked version of its flagship Core i9-12900K that ups the maximum boosted clock speed even higher to 5.5GHz for what the company claims is “the world’s fastest desktop processor” and “the ultimate gaming experience.”

The Core i9-12900KS has a lot in common with its predecessors’ hardware, including the same 16 cores (split up between eight Performance-cores and eight Efficient-cores) and 24 threads and 30MB of L3 cache memory. But Intel has boosted the base power from 125W to 150W and allowed the Core i9-12900KS to run unlocked, allowing it to hit up to 5.5GHz on up to two cores (compared to the maximum 5.2GHz speed on the regular i9-12900K).

For those keeping track at home, AMD also recently claimed the title of the “world’s fasted gaming CPU” earlier in March when it announced the availability for its new Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor. Like Intel, AMD is offering a souped-up version of its older model (in this case, the Ryzen 7 5800), although AMD’s differs by introducing a new, 3D V-Cache technology to deliver speeds that it claimed would be able to top the Core i9-12900K.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is significantly cheaper than the Core i9-12900KS, with a $449 price tag compared to Intel’s $739 sticker price. But Intel does AMD solidly on sheer processing frequency — the Ryzen 7 5800X3D only touts a maximum boosted clock speed of 4.5GHz, compared to the 5.5GHz maximum speed on Intel’s new chip.

How the Ryzen 7 5800X3D stacks up again the newly announced Core i9-12900KS, however, will have to wait until both chips arrive in April and can be put to the test head to head. AMD will also get another shot at the crown later this year, too, when its Ryzen 7000 desktop chips arrive in the second half of 2022.

The Core i9-12900KS will be available starting April 5th for a recommended consumer price of $739. That marks a significant increase over the recommended $589 price tag for the Core i9-12900K, which itself is almost impossible to find at Intel’s recommended price (most retailers charge at least $600, if not more, for the Core i9-12900K today). In other words, you should probably expect to have to shell out some extra cash beyond that $739 number for the Core i9-12900KS when it arrives next month.

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RTX 3090 Ti Founders Edition leak shows Nvidia's future GPU plans aren't pretty - TechRadar

Several new leaks have emerged that give us a better idea of the upcoming Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti, which will likely be the most powerful – and expensive – gaming GPU in the world.

While the mighty Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti is likely to be a niche product, it could still be a very important release, as it may give us an idea of what future Nvidia GPUs will be like. If that is indeed the case, then these new leaks have got us a little bit worried.

The most recent leak shows off the Founders Edition of the Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti, a reference card made by Nvidia itself. 

While we were shown the Founders Edition at CES 2022 when the RTX 3090 Ti was first announced, things had gone a bit quiet on that front, and recent leaks concentrated on showing us aftermarket RTX 3090 Ti designs (and performance benchmarks) from third parties.

This led some people to think that there may not be a Founders Edition of the RTX 3090 Ti after all, or at least not one for consumers to actually buy.

However, VideoCardz has published a series of photographs of the RTX 3090 Ti Founders Edition, giving us a closer look at the GPU, including a box shot which essentially confirms that this model will also go on sale.

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(Image credit: VideoCardz.com)

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(Image credit: VideoCardz.com)

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(Image credit: VideoCardz.com)

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(Image credit: VideoCardz.com)

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(Image credit: VideoCardz.com)

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(Image credit: VideoCardz.com)

As many of us suspected, the Founders Edition RTX 3090 Ti looks almost identical to the RTX 3090 Founders Edition, and it will once again by a hefty three-slot GPU. 

So, if you weren’t a fan of the sheer size of the RTX 3090, or have a smaller PC case where space is at a premium, you may be disappointed.

There is a noticeable difference, however, as the RTX 3090 Ti Founders Edition comes with a PCIe Gen5 16-pin power connector, rather than the 12-pin connector the RTX 3090 Founders Edition sported.

This means you’ll need an adaptor for your PSU (power supply unit), and one will likely be included in the box. 

The new 16-pin connector already looks like it will be more widely used than the 12-pin connector, as third party RTX 3090 Tis have been pictured using it, whereas the 12-pin connection was only found on Nvidia’s own RTX 3090 and a few GPUs based on Nvidia’s reference design.

It’s highly likely that high-end models of Nvidia’s next generation ‘Lovelace’ graphics cards, like the rumored (and, let’s face it, practically inevitable) RTX 4080 could use the 16-pin connector. 

This could worry some people, as not only does it mean using an adaptor, but it also means next gen Nvidia GPUs could be seriously power hungry - the RTX 3090 Ti could have a huge TDP of 450W, compared to the already-high 350W of the RTX 3090. 

For PC gamers with rigs powered by a PSU that offers less than 1000W of juice, it means a new PSU will more than likely be needed. 

That’s not only a pricey upgrade, but it can be a complete pain as well, as the PSU connects to a variety of components, including the GPU, SSDs and motherboard, so swapping them out can be time consuming and fiddly.

With rapidly rising energy increases, this move could also have longer-term cost impacts for gamers as well, especially if the trend of evermore power-hungry GPUs continues.

However, another RTX 3090 Ti leak emerged over the weekend, which if true has us a bit more worried.

Big price, small gains

These rumors, again reported by VideoCardz, suggest that that the RTX 3090 Ti will offer a performance increase of between 5% to 10% over the RTX 3090 at 4K. 

While this makes the 3090 Ti, which looks to offer 43 teraflops of power an incredibly impressive GPU, people hoping for a larger leap over the older card will likely be disappointed.

Some performance numbers RTX 3090 vs RTX 3090 Ti, first impression!▶️ Ti ~10% faster at 4K▶️ 450W power▶️ 2GHz boost@BauduinSven @3DCenter_org @VideoCardzMarch 25, 2022

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This will definitely be the case if the RTX 3090 Ti launches at a much higher price than the RTX 3090, as some rumors suggest.

However, another source claims the RTX 3090 Ti will launch at the same MSRP as the 3090: $1,499 (around £1,150 / AU$2,000).

This would be a (nice) surprise, which the source claims is due to the minimal performance increase over the RTX 3090. 

It would also suggest that the RTX 3090 could get a price drop. That would be another nice development, though while GPU prices are dropping globally, it’s still very hard to find graphics cards selling for MSRP.

We also hope that this incremental upgrade isn’t a sign of things to come. Nvidia’s RTX 4000 GPUs, which are expected to launch later this year, will need to offer a substantial performance boost over the current generation of RTX 3000 graphics cards to justify launching at a time when getting hold of GPUs remains difficult.

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Apple Is Making Us Want to Buy the iPad Pro Again - Gizmodo

Photo: Caitlin McGarry/Gizmodo

Apple refreshed the iPad Air at its “Peek Performance” event earlier this month, trading the tablet’s A-series processor for an M1 chip. With the iPad Air matching the Pro’s performance, purchasing the more expensive model seemed like a waste of money. Apple could soon give us a reason to buy it in the form of even faster performance, though.

The tech giant is reportedly planning to release a new iPad Pro with an M2 chip between September and November, according to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter. If these details are accurate, the iPad Pro is months away from getting its biggest update since its 2018 redesign.

A direct successor to the chip powering the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13, and Apple’s more premium tablets, the rumored M2 processor is said to have the same 8-core CPU as the M1 but with greater efficiency due to TSMC’s 4-nanometer processor. It should also deliver slightly better graphics performance with 9- and 10-core CPU options, up from the current 7- and 8-core versions of the M1.

Gurman expects the M2 processor to find its way into the MacBook Pro 13, Mac mini, and 24-inch iMac later this year. It may also power the next MacBook Air 13, though another notable Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, believes the entry-level laptop will retain its M1 processor.

Looking beyond performance, the iPad Pro will also reportedly adopt MagSafe charging. This rumor has been tossed around over the last year or so, though last we heard, Apple was considering scrapping the idea. 9to5Mac reported that the company was “uncertain” about using a fragile material like glass on the rear of the iPad Pro to enable wireless charging.

Gurman previously predicted that the company was planning its “wildest array of new hardware products in its history” for later this year.

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GPU prices are at their lowest in 15 months, could fall to 'attractive' level already in May - VideoCardz.com

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 and AMD Radeon RX 6000 GPU are now ‘just’ 25% more expensive than MSRP in Germany and Austria

A fresh report from 3DCenter team shows historically the lowest GPU prices for current-gen GPUs. 

Ever since 3DCenter started analyzing graphics card pricing (January 2021), the latest graphics cards were never cheaper. It all began with increased US tariffs on electronic components, a sudden popularity of working from home and increased value of cryptocurrency. The tariffs have been dropped last week, the cryptomarket has stagnated and people are going back to their workplaces.

This means that graphics cards can finally return to the originally intended price levels, and there is a good reason to believe that will happen soon. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 and AMD Radeon RX 6000 series are now both at 25% over MSRP on average. This means that they are at the lowest price in 15 months.

While the price trend analysis by 3DCenter focuses on German and Austrian GPU markets, such prices are likely to be seen in other countries and regions.

NVIDIA RTX 30 & AMD RX 6000 GPU Pricing in Germany and Austria, Source: 3DCenter

The current price levels correspond to the late 2020 pricing. Since January this year, both the AMD and NVIDIA GPUs are dropping by 20 to 10 percent point each price analysis.

On track to reach ‘attractive’ pricing in May

As reported by TechRadar, retailers are still reluctant to predict when could GPU prices reach MSRP. However, the editorial team managed to push a representative of one of the ‘big-name’ retailers to say more. Tyler Davies from Box.co.uk expects GPU prices to be ‘attractive’ to customers already in May.

“I do expect GPU pricing to realign with where the market used to be, given the boom in the market is now coming to an end. By the end of April, beginning of May, we should start to see things return to a more attractive price.”

— Tyler Davies at Box.co.uk

It is indeed a vague statement, and the fact that other retailers are not as eager to make similar predictions likely suggest that May be still be optimistic. However, the facts are we are seeing double digit percent changes in GPU prices on a monthly basis now. Thus, by the end of the second quarter, we might finally see some good deals on RTX 30 and RX 6000 GPUs, not to mention Intel’s Arc Alchemist is expected to make an appearance as well.

Source: 3DCenter.org, TechRadar

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GPU prices are at their lowest in 15 months, could fall to 'attractive' level already in May - VideoCardz.com
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You could get a new iPhone every year with ‘Netflix-style’ Apple subscription - New York Post

The service would allow fans to pay a monthly fee to get the latest Apple gadgets as and when they’re released.

It could launch in late 2022 or early 2023, sources told Bloomberg in a report published Thursday.

Apple already runs a monthly payment plan for gadgets – including iPhones and iPads – purchased from its website.

Customers on the program effectively spread the price of the device over a period of 12 or 24 months.

According to Bloomberg, the new service would be different in that it wouldn’t simply cover the cost of the device divided by 12 or 24 months.

Instead, members would pay a still-undecided monthly cost that may come with an option to upgrade to new hardware as its released.

Currently, Apple’s monthly plans do not automatically roll over to new devices as they’re launched.

Bloomberg said the change would “make device ownership similar to paying a monthly app fee”.

Like Apple’s other subscriptions, it would be tied to a user’s existing Apple ID account.

It’s possibile customers will have the option to bundle in AppleCare or Apple One services, too.

It could end up saving you money in the long-run with small discounts offered to those who combine services into one subscription.

The iPhone plan is part of drive by the company to shift towards subscription services, which it sees as a largely untapped source of potential revenue.

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Apple has previously focussed on selling iPhones at full cost outright. New devices can cost well above $1,000.

The iPhone remains the company’s biggest source of revenue, generating $192billion last year.

The iPhone plan is part of drive by the company to shift towards subscription services, which it sees as a largely untapped source of potential revenue.

Customers on the program effectively spread the price of the device over a period of 12 or 24 months.

Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In 2020, the firm launched Apple One, which bundles a number of its digital services together into a single subscription tier.

Users get access to Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, Apple News Plus and more all for a monthly fee.

You can select from one of three tiers depending on how much you want to spend and who will be using it.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced here with permission

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Leica’s new camera puts skill back into focus - Ars Technica

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Leica

Leica's new M11 digital rangefinder camera may as well come from an entirely different era. Don't get me wrong; the technology inside of it makes it feel plenty modern. The M11 has a high-resolution sensor (a 60-megapixel backside-illuminated full-frame CMOS sensor to be precise), sophisticated metering tools, and even some of the usual digital accoutrements of cameras in our age. But in many ways, it works like the film cameras your parents owned. It thumbs its nose at autofocus, it doesn’t capture video, and it’s perfectly happy to accept lenses that are decades old.

More than that though, the Leica M11 just feels like, well, an old Leica. The new M11 is very much true to the heritage of the M series camera, which launched in the 1950s and went digital in 2006. It's compact and understated, a box to which you attach a lens.

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Leica

The M11 is also true to its legacy when it comes to price, which is high. The retail price of $8,995 is more than most of us are ever going to spend on a camera. And that price is just for the camera body; Leica lenses, which range from $2,500 to $12,000, are sold separately. But even for those of us who cannot afford and will never own a Leica M11, I think this is a device we should notice and talk about. It deserves more discussion than a simple product review.

This is because the M11 shows that the engineers at Leica are trying to keep something alive, something that I think the rest of the camera world has forgotten: that the camera doesn't matter, but rather the photographs matter. The camera is just a tool, and any tool is only as good as the person using it.

A wrench is just a wrench. Some wrenches may be better than others, but if you want to do anything useful with a wrench, you need a person with the skill to use a wrench. That skill might come in different forms and guises. I know what I'm doing with a socket wrench in an internal combustion engine, but I have no skill at all when using a plumbing wrench on the pipes in the basement.

In much the same way, a camera comes to life when it’s picked up by a person with the skill to use it. Put an outdated digital camera from the early 2000s in Maggie Steber’s hands and odds are you'll end up with a great image. Put the brand-new Leica M11 in my hands and the odds of getting a great image are less favorable.

Leica loaned me an M11 and I shot with it for one week. The reason I say the Leica M11 feels more like a film Leica than a modern digital camera isn't because it isn't capable, but because it has been engineered to be used in conjunction with human skill. Specifically, your skills as a photographer.

Cameras are increasingly designed to remove the human factor from the act of taking a picture. With the addition over the last several decades of features like autofocus, auto white balance adjustment, and auto light metering, the engineering effort of most camera manufacturers has gone into replacing the learned choices of the individual photographer with algorithms. These algorithms turn the act of producing a great image into something that’s no longer a challenge you must rise to or adapt to, but a series of options you can choose between.

Enlarge / An exploded view of the camera.

Leica

This is the path many technological advancements have taken in our consumerist society, where hard-earned human skills are abstracted into a set of features that claim to remove the need for skill. And yet, some photographs are better than others. Which is to say, human skill and human experience are still necessary to make great photographs. This is true on both sides of the equation. Some photographs tell a story so well that technical perfection isn’t necessary. No one looks at the drama in an image of two eagles in flight, locked together by their talons and thinks, hey, the white balance is a little off there. On the flip side, no amount of autofocus speed is going to make your image tell a story if you have no story to tell.

The Leica comes from a time before picture-taking had morphed into a means for social approval, a time when photography was about narrative, drama, and tension. It told stories the world needed to hear, stories the world would not have been able to hear any other way.

The work of photographers like Sebastião Salgado brought the world into my sheltered high school photography class in a way unlike anything else I'd ever seen. I would sit for hours leafing through his book, An Uncertain Grace, staring at the same photographs day after day until I knew every corner of them. Same with Susan Meiselas, whose sometimes shockingly brutal images brought home the conflicts in Central America in a way that the circus of Oliver North on TV (which happened around the same time) never could and never would. TV was sanitized. Meiselas' photography collection seared raw emotion onto the page in a way that no viewer could fail to understand. These were the things that made me want to be a photographer.

Enlarge

Leica

I don't want to give the impression that no one is doing the kind of work Salgado and Meiselas did. There are plenty of truly great photographers working today. In fact, the winner of the Leica Oscar Barnack Newcomer Award for 2021, Emile Ducke, is a great example. Watch this video interview with him. You will notice that no one asks him which camera he uses. You know what no one asked Salgado back in his day? No one asked him which camera he used. No one asked Meiselas what lenses she preferred, because it didn't matter. The images are all that matter, and we all know that just owning a Leica M series camera—which it turns out both Salgado and Meiselas used, at least some of the time—isn't going to get you those images. Practice, experience, tutelage, reflection, and more practice, always more practice, is how you get those images.

That's why I don't know if you should buy the Leica M11. It's an opinionated camera. It won’t do everything for you. You’re going to have to bring heaps of skill to the table. You’re going to have to study your surroundings, twist the dials, then spin the focus ring. It's a camera from a different time, when what mattered was the image. The highest praise I can give any tool is the praise I'll give the M11: It did what I asked it to do. It never failed. I failed plenty, but the tool kept on being the tool, waiting for me to rise to the occasion.

This story originally appeared on wired.com.

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Apple will reportedly release an iPad Pro with an M2 chip this fall - The Verge

Apple is reportedly planning to release an iPad Pro with the rumored M2 chip sometime between September and November of this year, according to Apple tracker Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter. Gurman expects Apple to issue a major update for the upcoming generation of iPad Pros, which will supposedly include support for MagSafe charging.

As Gurman points out, Apple last gave the iPad Pro a significant update in 2018, when Apple introduced a design with harder corners, an edge-to-edge display, and a USB-C connector. This update came about a year and a half after the release of the iPad Pro 10.5 in 2017.

Apple is on track to repeat the same pattern this year, as it launched the most recent generation of M1-equipped iPad Pros in May 2021. A rumored launch date between September and November 2022 means Apple will spend anywhere between one year and four months and one year and six months prepping the new model.

During Apple’s “Peek Performance” event earlier this month, the company showed off its newest iPad Air but left out an updated model of the iPad Pro. Last year, Gurman predicted the iPad Pro would come with wireless charging capabilities and a glass backing. A report from 9to5Mac corroborates this claim, but its sources say Apple may have abandoned the glass back design, potentially opting for an aluminum back with a glass Apple logo instead.

There hasn’t been much information about the rumored M2 chip either, as it still hasn’t been confirmed by Apple. Gurman thinks the chip’s CPU will be slightly faster than its predecessor and come with the same eight-core architecture. He also expects Apple to add the M2 to both the new iPad Pro, as well as to the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and 24-inch iMac that are rumored for release later this year. Predictions for an M2 chip powering the redesigned MacBook Air are split — Gurman says it will include the rumored chip, while Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks it will come with the M1.

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HODINKEE Went Global For The Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Launch - HODINKEE

The Omega x Swatch collaboration launched today, and went straight to the damn moon. 

We knew it was going to be big when we received more than a thousand comments on our Introducing post a couple days ago. And sure enough, lines began forming outside of Swatch retailers in London, Singapore, and New York City well before the $260 piece officially went on sale. Since it wasn't available online, collectors pitched tents to be among the first to take delivery of the hottest watch of this very young year.

Starting as early as yesterday, reports started to come in. In Melbourne, the watches apparently sold out in under 10 minutes and the police were called due to heavy crowds. Cops also showed up in Singapore to handle the many eager future MoonSwatchers. London had to call off its proceedings due to health and safety concerns. In Toronto, more than a thousand people lined up, stretching three city blocks, in the cold and the rain, just to get their paws on this BioCeramic chronograph.

In New York City, crowds formed at every single Swatch location from downtown to Times Square. A colleague here at the 'dink noted a packed house at Grand Central Terminal. One of our own board members turned an early morning dog walk (we're talking 3 AM) into a spontaneous trip to his nearby Swatch store in lower Manhattan, where he remained far past dawn.

Supply and Demand

Rumors swirled about just how many watches were stocked in every store. The hopefuls on Fifth Avenue claimed their location only had 150 units total, not nearly enough to accommodate the fans queued up around the block. As a result, every store limited each customer to one watch apiece. And every New York Swatch location opened up early, at 8am, to help with the crowds.

It's worth noting that this isn't the last we'll see of the MoonSwatch. It's not limited, and it's really not even sold out. Each of the stores will get new shipments, and Swatch itself has said that it will end up selling the collection online in a few weeks. But the excitement generated by an in-store launch, and the turnout, suggest that this marks a moment of real mainstream crossover for watch collecting. It's very rare to see this kind of global excitement for any kind of non-limited product launch – even a Jordan or Supreme drop. You certainly never see it for a watch release. To find a precedent, you might have to go all the way back to when the iPhone arrived back in 2007. 

I spent the morning in Times Square to see just how many people would show – and it far surpassed my expectations. But mine weren't the only boots on the ground. HODINKEE dispatched photographers across the globe – on three continents – to capture the most anticipated watch launch of the year – maybe of all time. From Toronto, where our own James Stacey stood at the ready, to London to Singapore, we were there. 

Times Square – New York City

I witnessed a crowd of nearly 2,000 fans stretched all around the nearby Broadway theaters. Each one of them with stickers on their hands representing their position in line.

By now you've heard that the MoonSwatch is fetching pretty insane prices on the secondary market, like eBay (the highest I saw was $187,000) – but what if told you that wasn't the only commodity? In the Times Square lines, enthusiasts were being offered cash for their stickers – for their spots in line. "People are just walking around proposing random amounts," said a fan who told me his name was Michael, and who had been in line since midnight the night before. "I heard someone say $1,000 … that's the market price," said another named John Smith, who also insisted that was his real name.

The author, holding a MoonSwatch Moonwatch for the first time.

Kasia Milton trying on the Mission to Uranus.

I was able to make my way inside the store and witness the lucky few, who'd spent all night in the city's brightest and loudest neighborhood, enter the inner sanctum – two groups at a time. I asked the store manager how many units they had available. The answer: Just 287. Definitely not enough for everyone. And no, I didn't get one either. 

It was easy to be blinded by the moment, and to vicariously share in the excitement of the crowds. Some of the new MoonSwatch owners had put in serious work just to be there.

A photo so nice, we had to use it twice. Father and son Rhyan and Lynell Washington pose with their new Mission to the Moon models. 

The coolest guys in the room kept this hair going for nine hours. Find them on instagram @andybearv8 and @barry_nadia

I even met a gentleman who paid someone to hold his place in line overnight. Anything for a MoonSwatch.

Oh, and about the watches themselves: Slipping inside the store meant I was able to get my first hands-on impressions of the little hotties. And I have to say, they are just as exciting as I hoped they would be. Sure, they're light, basically plastic, and come fitted to a Velcro strap – but boy if they don't ooze charm by way of the classic Moonwatch design ethos.

Angel Higareda and his new Mission to Mercury

In real life the watch that stuck out was the Mission to Mars, with the classic Mission to the Moon coming in close second. Both were my favorites in press photos, so I was glad they delivered IRL. The surprise watch was actually the Neptune – the entirely blue design just works.

But before I close out this chapter of the MoonSwatch mythology, I have to give a shoutout to Zhao Daviddy, one of the first in line in Times Square who waited all night to pick up his Mission to Uranus. Good for you, buddy. Don't let anyone's juvenile jokes about Uranus ruin this moment. Not even mine.

Zhao Daviddy poses with his Mission to Uranus

Now let's see the sights from the other cities around the world.

New York City photographs by Kasia Milton (@kwmilt)

---

Lines Around The World...

Miami

Miami is always nothing short of a fun scene and the line at the Lincoln Road store was packed full of great watches, smiles, and more than a handful of happily newly-minted MoonSwatch owners. I suppose it comes as no surprise that if you need to wait in line, you might as well do it in Miami Beach, right?

Miami photographs by Ysa Perez (@ysaperez)

Las Vegas

Thao from Orange County in line at the Swatch Store in Las Vegas wearing her G-SHOCK. She drove in with her husband and has been in line since yesterday afternoon.

The dry desert heat didn't keep these folks from the Vegas Swatch shop. In fact, with the time difference, they had ample notice of what the crowds would look like ... and went anyway. That's dedication, and it certainly beats the cold damp, early spring chill of New York and Miami. There's something different about a MoonSwatch under the Las Vegas sun.

Tim Tietjen drove into Vegas from Los Angeles and was first in line at the Swatch Store inside the New York-New York casino. He opted for the Mission to Mars version.

Tim Tietjen drove into Vegas from Los Angeles and was first in line at the Swatch Store inside the New York-New York casino. He opted for the Mission to Mars version.

Brandon from Los Angeles with his ticket for the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch at the Swatch Store on the Las Vegas Strip. He came sporting his Rolex Datejust 41.

Las Vegas photographs by Joe Buglewicz (@joebuglewicz)

London

The scene at the Carnaby Street Swatch boutique in London featured a crowd of more than 500 people and a line that had been forming for more than 48 hours. Police had some trouble managing the growing crowd, especially as the 9AM opening grew close. The store took one customer at a time, but later closed citing "health and safety" concerns stemming from the large and unwieldy crowd. Word on the street was that the store had as few as 100 total units.  

The third customer to get a Moonswatch at the Carnaby Street location (@houdeifathephysio). 

The growing crowd at the Carnaby Street location. 

Our friend and consummate watch enthusiast Justin Hast rocking the Mission to Venus, his prize for camping out at the London location. 

London photographs by Jide Smith (@spottedbymrsmith).

Singapore

Similar in some ways to the scene in London, a massive crowd formed at Ion Orchard location in advance of the shop's opening. Police officers were on site to keep as much order as possible as fans waited and snapped photos of the new MoonSwatches. 

Singapore photographs by Ore Huiying (@orehuiying).

Toronto

The front of the line on Yonge St at Toronto's downtown mall, the Eaton Center. 

The line at Toronto's Eaton's Center wrapped around Yonge St and then progressed beyond the length of the entire shopping center. Inside, at the Swatch boutique, the staff were forming a contact list for future availability. Word among the crowd was that there were less than 100 units available when the doors opened this morning. Our man James Stacey described the mood as "cold, wet, and hopeful." 

The line stretched around the corner of Yonge and James and continued north, passing the far side of the shopping center. 

At  10AM this morning when the doors finally opened, the line had grown all the way down James Street and into Trinity Square. 

Inside the Eaton Center, those not waiting for one of the few available watches look through the front window at the complete Moonswatch collection. 

Toronto photographs by James Stacey (@jestacey)

Keep your eyes on HODINKEE for our continuing coverage of the MoonSwatch launch.

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The HODINKEE Shop is an authorized retailer of Omega and Swatch watches. For more information, visit the Swatch website.

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