Following in the footsteps of Anker, accessory makers Griffin and Aukey are at CES 2020 in Las Vegas this week to show off new portable wall chargers based on a material known as gallium nitride, or GaN. In short, GaN allows semiconductor components to be shrunk down, leading to smaller chargers.

Griffin has three new PowerBlock chargers based on GaN, including a 30W option with dual USB-C ports for devices like an iPhone or iPad, a 45W option with a single USB-C port for devices like a 13-inch MacBook Pro, and a 96W option with a single USB-C port for devices like the new 16-inch MacBook Pro.

The chargers are anywhere from 11 to 57 percent smaller than non-GaN versions, depending on the wattage, according to Griffin. All of them support USB-C Power Delivery for fast charging, and they all have folding prongs.

Griffin says the new PowerBlock lineup will be available in the second quarter of 2020, with prices ranging from $49.99 to $79.99.

Aukey is also launching a new line of GaN-based chargers in the second quarter of 2020. Full details and pricing have yet to be disclosed, but based on the image below, the so-called Omnia Series will include at least five portable chargers with various combinations of USB-C and/or USB-A ports.

Aukey will be showcasing its new chargers with more details on the CES 2020 show floor this week.

This article, “CES 2020: Griffin and Aukey Launching New Ultra-Compact GaN-Based Wall Chargers in Second Quarter of 2020” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Mophie today unveiled its newest powerbank, the Powerstation Go, which is designed to serve as a portable jump starter for any SUV or full-sized car.

It offers up 44,000mWh of power and it comes with mini jumper cables that can come in handy when a car battery runs out of juice. There’s a built-in LED flashlight, along with ports for charging other devices.

A wireless charging surface allows any Qi-based wireless device like iPhones or AirPods to charge at 5W, plus there are dual 2.4A USB-A ports and a 115V AC output port for charging laptops and other devices with up to 65W of power.

The Powerstation Go comes in multiple colors, including black, blue, rose gold, blue/purple, camo, and gold. Other features include charging indicator lights, spark proof cables, and automated safety checks.

Mophie’s Powerstation Go is priced at $160, though it is currently available from HSN.com for $110, with a launch coming to the Mophie website on January 9.

This article, “CES 2020: Mophie Unveils New ‘Powerstation Go’ Powerbank and Portable Jump Starter for Cars” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Intel at CES shared details on its upcoming 10th-generation 45W “Comet Lake” chips, which could be slated for future 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

As highlighted by AnandTech, the new 10th-generation chips will be built on the 14++nm architecture and will reach higher than ever speeds. The Core i7 chips will hit 5GHz speeds, while the Core i9 models will exceed 5GHz.

Intel hasn’t shared additional details on the chips yet, but AnandTech speculates that Intel will introduce Turbo Boost Max 3.0 and Velocity Boost technology to the chips.

There are already a few manufacturers such as Acer and Lenovo that have announced support for the new 45W chips, and Intel believes the hardware will be coming to the market soon, so these may be the chips Apple will use in a 2020 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ refresh.

This article, “Intel Unveils 10th-Generation ‘Comet Lake’ Chips With Speeds Over 5GHz” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Abode today at CES 2020 in Las Vegas introduced a new security camera that can be used both indoors or outdoors.

The modular security camera has many commonly seen features like 1080p video recording, a 152-degree field of view, infrared night vision, motion sensing, facial recognition, a built-in microphone and speaker for two-way communication, and IP65-rated water and dust resistance.

Abode said it has submitted the camera for HomeKit certification, which would allow live video to be streamed in the Home app and for the camera to be controlled with Siri voice commands. It is unclear how long this process will take.

An included doorbell mount allows the camera to be installed flush against the door and powered by existing doorbell wiring, or a corded attachment can be used to mount the camera outdoors and have it powered by a standard outlet. Abode will also be releasing a model with a built-in doorbell button in the future.

The camera will be available for $199 starting in the first quarter of 2020.

This article, “CES 2020: Abode Launching Indoor-Outdoor Security Camera, Doorbell Version and HomeKit Support Planned” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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LG today expanded on last week’s announcement of new 8K OLED TVs with new details on the full lineup of 13 new OLED models, including a new 48-inch size.

Most notably for Apple fans, LG says the new lineup of OLED TVs will include an Apple TV app, letting users access ‌Apple TV‌+, ‌Apple TV‌ channels, and iTunes video content. In addition to the new 2020 models, LG says the app will also be coming to 2019 and 2018 models later this year, although exact details on which models will be getting the app have yet to be shared.

New for 2020, the ‌Apple TV‌ app allows customers to subscribe and watch ‌Apple TV‌+ and ‌Apple TV‌ channels as well as access their iTunes video library and buy or rent more than 100,000 films and TV shows. Customers with 2018 and 2019 LG TV models will also be able to enjoy the ‌Apple TV‌ app this year.

While AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support have rolled out to a number of TV models from LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio, the ‌Apple TV‌ app has until now been exclusive to certain 2018 and 2019 Samsung models. The ‌Apple TV‌ app is also available on certain Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, providing owners of non-Samsung TVs with some alternatives beyond the ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box, but native integration with ‌Apple TV‌ on additional TV brands will be a welcome addition.

This article, “CES 2020: Apple TV App Debuting on 2020 LG OLED TVs, Coming to 2019 and 2018 Models Later This Year” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Arlo today unveiled its all-new Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight, the first wire-free variant of the camera on the market. Chosen as a CES 2020 Innovation Award Honoree, the device includes a variety of features that help identify who or what is outside a user’s home or business.

The Pro 3’s powerful LEDs illuminate a wide area and can be activated by motion or manually using the Arlo iOS app, from which users can zoom in on objects and see clear details and colors in 2K HDR, live or as recorded video.

Thanks to a dedicated ambient light sensor, the floodlight camera can also automatically measure the amount of surrounding light and dynamically adjust brightness accordingly, which has the added benefit of conserving battery life.

The camera has a 160-degree diagonal field of view, as well as color night vision with the option to see in traditional black and white, while two-way audio allows users to see and hear visitors.

A built-in smart siren can be manually triggered remotely or automatically during an event, and users can customize the floodlight and camera settings to suit. The camera is also powered by a long-lasting rechargeable battery for wire-free convenience.

The Arlo Pro 3 Wire-Free Floodlight Camera will be available to purchase in Spring 2020 at an MSRP of $249.99.

This article, “CES 2020: Arlo Debuts New Wire-Free Pro 3 Floodlight Camera” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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With 2019 coming to a close and the new year beginning, it’s a great opportunity to step back for a minute to look back at the biggest news from last year (or even the last decade) and get a big picture of what we might see in 2020.

But taking in the big picture doesn’t mean that the rumors stop, and recent days have seen a flurry of rumors about Apple’s potential plans for new low-cost “iPhone SE 2” models, updated iPad Pro models, a (PRODUCT)RED Apple Watch, and even a high-end Mac targeted at the esports market.

What to Expect From Apple in 2020: New iPhones, Refreshed iPads, Apple Watch Series 6 and More

Happy New Year! 2020 is upon us, marking the start of a new decade. Rumors suggest Apple has a lot in the pipeline this year, including new low-cost iPhone models, iPad Pro models with triple-lens rear cameras, Apple Watch Series 6 models, and possibly even a gaming-focused Mac, and make sure you let us know what you’d like to see this year!

With 2019 in the rearview mirror, we decided to look back at everything Apple released during 2019 and put together a list of 10 of our favorite Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps of the year. We have also rounded up a list of the best Apple products released in the past decade as picked by MacRumors readers.

Apple Predicted to Launch Two ‘iPhone SE 2’ Models in 2020

Apple plans to release as many as six new iPhone models in 2020, including four with OLED displays and two with LCD displays, according to hit-or-miss supply chain publication DigiTimes.

The report said one of the iPhones may be an LCD-based 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch model.

This rumor lines up with a recent prediction from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said that Apple plans to release a so-called “iPhone SE 2 Plus” with a nearly edge-to-edge design, a smaller notch, and a Touch ID power button on the side of the device in late 2020 or early 2021.

It’s unclear if Apple will actually use “iPhone SE 2” branding or if that is simply a placeholder name for the unreleased devices. It has been speculated that the devices could also be branded “iPhone 9.”

Sketchy Rumor Claims Apple Plans to Announce High-End Gaming MacBook or iMac at WWDC 2020

Apple plans to announce a high-end gaming computer at its annual WWDC developers conference later this year, according to a questionable and as-of-yet unsubstantiated report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News.

Details are slim, but the report claims that the computer may be a large-screen laptop or all-in-one desktop with a price tag of up to $5,000, suggesting that it could be either a MacBook Pro or an iMac Pro. The computer would supposedly be tailored towards esports, aka competitive video gaming.

WWDC 2020 will likely take place in June.

Renders Depict Alleged Design of 2020 iPad Pro Models With Triple-Lens Cameras

Apple is rumored to be readying updated 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with triple-lens cameras, and based on new renders from OnLeaks, the design will be similar to the iPhone 11 Pro.

Apple did not refresh the iPad Pro lineup in 2019, but rumors have suggested that new models could be introduced as early as March 2020.

Apple Watch Series 5 in (RED) Could Launch in 2020

Apple may be planning to widen its Apple Watch Series 5 lineup with a new (PRODUCT)RED model at some point this year, a new rumor suggests.

The report claimed the unreleased Apple Watch briefly appeared in an unspecified Apple database, and added that it would likely be an aluminum model with a similar red finish as the iPod touch.

(PRODUCT)RED supports funding for HIV/AIDS programs.

Hands-On With Salt’s Apple TV Remote Replacement

Apple unveiled its ‌Siri‌ Remote for the Apple TV in 2015, but it’s never been a particularly popular accessory. With that in mind, Swiss company Salt created an alternative ‌Apple TV‌ remote, which we managed to get our hands on over on our YouTube channel.

We’re also continuing to play with our new Mac Pro over on our YouTube channel, this week installing a speedy new SSD via PCIe. The design of the new Mac Pro makes it a super simple process to add expansion hardware like this, and we’ll be looking at more options in the days and weeks to come.

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Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we’ve covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

This article, “Top Stories: Apple in 2020: New iPhone SE, Triple-Lens iPad Pro, and Maybe Even a Gaming Mac?” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s annual shareholders meeting is set to take place at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park at 9:00 a.m. on February 26, 2020, Apple said today in a filing with the SEC.

Apple has been holding its shareholder meetings at Steve Jobs Theater since 2018, and because space is limited, the company requires shareholders to pre-register for the event.

Shareholders can register to attend the meeting at Proxyvote.com starting at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on February 4, 2020. Apple says that registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The record date for the meeting is January 2, 2019, and only shareholders as of the record date who have registered in advance and have a valid registration confirmation will be allowed to enter the meeting or vote at the annual meeting.

Apple’s annual shareholder meetings are not typically interesting to the general public, and Apple executives share little about Apple products. Apple CEO Tim Cook did make a few comments last year about Apple’s services business and roadmap, so similar information could be shared this year.

This article, “Apple’s Annual Shareholders Meeting to Take Place on February 26 at Apple Park, Pre-Registration Required” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple CEO Tim Cook earned over $11 million in salary in 2019 according to the 2019 proxy statement Apple filed with the SEC today.

Cook earned a base salary of $3,000,000 in addition to $7.7 million in incentives awarded for performance. Cook also received another $884k in “other compensation” for a total of $11,555,466.

Other compensation includes life term insurance premiums, contributions to a 401k plan, vacation cash out (totaling $92,000), $457,083 in security expenses, and $315,311 for his personal use of private aircraft.

Cook earned more than $4 million less than the $15 million he earned in 2018. The salary listed here does not include stock awards that were received in 2019, with Cook earning over $113 million from shares that vested in 2019.

Most other Apple executives received a base salary of close to $1 million, along with stock and incentives of $20 to $25 million. Luca Maestri, Kate Adams, and Jeff Williams earned over $25 million.

Angela Ahrendts, who left the company early in the year, earned $22 million, while her replacement, Deirdre O’Brien, earned $19 million.

All Apple executives earned significantly more than the median salary at Apple, which was $57,596 because of the large number of retail and support employees that work for Apple. Cook earned 201 times more than the average employee compensation.

The full proxy statement from Apple includes additional salary details, proposals that will be voted on at Apple’s upcoming 2020 shareholders meeting set to be held on February 26, 2020.

This article, “Apple CEO Tim Cook Earned Over $11 Million in 2019, Not Counting Stock Awards” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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