Tag Archives: Deep Fusion

2019 Was a Huge Year for Apple: Here are some Milestones that will Lead to the “Apple Decade” in the 2020s

Apple’s Greatest Innovations Lie Ahead in the New Decade: 2019 Laid The Foundation

As is so often the case with Apple, the perennial over-achiever, nothing seemed to be quite enough to truly wow the public in 2019. That is not to say that monumental things were not happening at an astounding clip; they were. Early in the year, skeptics pounced on “weak” iPhone sales and then used one-dimensional linear extrapolation to predict Apple’s slow demise, as they have done many times in the past.

Once again, it was Apple that responded with a barrage of ideas and products that not only turned the year around but point to a new decade that has the potential to outshine even the 2010’s, which brought Apple to heights no one could have previously imagined.

As for 2019, the iPhone 11 Pro series “only” brought smartphone based photography to a whole new level, beyond the level, in some cases, that pro gear can provide. Obviously there is the convenience of a powerful photographic tool that resides in your pocket, but with Night Mode and Deep Fusion, alongside the improvements via 3 dedicated cameras (each with it’s own lens) and iOS 13’s editing and photo management features, for a broad swath of users the 11 pro series is a game changer, perhaps even life changing for some.

The Mac Pro upgrade, fittingly, with 2019 being the year that “pro” emerged and took over for Apple, was nothing short of monumental. There is a slow, currently unformed, realization that computational power and beauty of function will be essential in the next decade, possible even for the survival of the planet, if not at least the enjoyment of our world while we still live and breathe. Our upcoming series on the link between Sustainable energy and enhanced human networked communication, along with AI and machine learning, and how the rapid and profound development of these are the only hope for meeting the challenges that are looming, will begin in early 2020 and Apple has added the perfect exclamation point with its incredible addition at the top of the Mac product family. Expense is no object with everything, literally, in on the line, so, as time goes on, the prices will be seen to be justified.

MacBook pro upgrades, AirPods Pro, iPad and iPad OS, MacBook Air, the list goes on and on and that is only the hardware. Software and services are the real breakthrough story. There is literally so much that was launched this year that it would take a dozen articles to scratch the surface.

If nothing else, at least we can scratch that surface here and then, add links below to our in-depth coverage. Apple TV was huge, with “The Morning Show” getting a nomination for Best TV Series, Best Supporting Actor (Billy Crudup) while both Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon got a nod for Best Actress. As with most Apple projects Apple TV+ is a long term, serious commitment to production with, reportedly, a budget over $6 Billion. Apple Music expanded its offerings, and don’t forget the Apple Card which, added to Apple Pay, expands the foray in to Fintech.

The Next Decade will be about the Increased Benefits of the Total Apple Ecosystem

As we detailed in a thread running throughout our 2019 coverage, ultimately, it is the entire Apple ecosystem, Hardware, Software, Hardware Components, Supply Chain, Services and the innovative ways all the desperate elements are so skillfully integrated that sets Apple apart, now and even more so in the future.

And, further, all of Apple’s brilliance and success can be traced back to something that will be a huge story in 2020 and beyond. After the decade of WeWork and other scams, the shame of surveillance business models from Google and Facebook and the convoluted Pseudo-Ponzi-Scheme Monopsony that is Amazon, the 2020’s will be the decade that companies built on a higher purpose, such as Apple’s devotion to creating better tools on behalf of the entire human race, as envisioned by Steve Jobs and carried out to this day, will rise and the others decline and collapse from the weight their own corrupt conception. Only Tesla is among the largest companies that also have altruism at the heart of their business model.

Without further ado, our picks for the most significant and forward looking products and ideas from Apple in 2019:

iPhone 11 Pro Max/ Leading the Way to the Future of Media and Photographic Innovation:

The War is Over: The Good Guys Won – WWDC Day Explodes with Software and Hardware For The Ages:

Above: Photo Link to Article

8-core MacBook Pro and iPod Touch with A10 chip Released to Coincide With iOS and macOS Upgrade Announcements at WWDC

Above: Photo Link to Article

New AirPods Pro: plus Memes and a Deep Dive into the Innovative Auditory Technology:

Above: Photo Link to Article

MacBook Air and Pro Upgrades Harken Back to Steve Jobs Heroically Simplifying Apple Line Up in 1997

Above: Photo Link to Article

iPhone 11 Pro Max: Night Mode for all and Elon Musk’s Cyborgs come to life

Above: Photo Link to Article

Photo and Video examples shot with the iPhone 11 Pro Max: Manhattan Beach, CA

Above: Photo Link to Article


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New iPad 10.2″ Retina Released – Video from Apple keynote Showcases the First 7th Generation iPad

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/iPad_Release.mp4
Above: Video of Apple September Special Event keynote announcing the new ipad 7th gen.

$329 price point for this size is groundbreaking

This new iPad will benefit greatly from the new, iPadOS 13.1. With a bump from 9.7 to 10.2 this new version is twice as fast and has a larger screen in the same size case. Not quite as powerful as the current iPad Pro model, but with the A10 Fusion chip it will have some power for all the new multi-tasking features in iPadOS.

The new OS is a huge and “under the radar” shift in the history of tablets and computing. The long running debate over the possibility of the iPad being considered a “laptop replacement” continues but the beginning of the end comes with iPadOS.

It’s not the features or performance, although those are impressive, but the commitment to building an OS that is neither a “touch-screen computer” or, well, an iPad.

Instead, the new direction (finally!) for iPadOS, is an attempt, often emphasized by Apple while few listened, to take advantage of possibilities that only the iPad could achieve. The workflow and User Experience will continue to grow and transform and, at the same time, remain a completely unique and new “thing” living between laptop, desktop and iPhone.

Photo / Apple

The Smart Keyboard is compatible with the new iPad, as is the Apple Pencil. The emphasis in the “September Special Event” this year, as we, unlike some others, expected, is the truly huge evolution of the entire Apple Ecosystem. A particular and spectacular new product? Well, that’s in the eye of the beholder. “Just a better camera, just more pixels? just a faster processors?, all of this is great, but we’ve all become jaded and unmoved.

It’s the “invisible” evolution of the infrastructure that is the real “one more thing” that is never mentioned. Although many can not or do not take full advantage (in all fairness, who can?) it is the slowly creeping, relentless improvement in how the various devices work and, most importantly, work together, that is the real “game changer”.

Photo / Apple

Also in stealth mode until the September Special Event unveiling, is what Apple is calling “Machine Learning” along with Deep Fusion which are sort of like forms of AI without the scary world ending Musk scenarios. The new chips in iPad, iPhone and Macs (don’t forget Apple Watch!) are extending and continuing this aspect of why intensely complex activities gradually become commonplace on and across devices.

Features enabled by Machine learning have been growing in the background in iPhone and iPad, particularly in new models from the last 2 years, but now this will go into overdrive. Add 5g next year and the second wave will be ready to commence.

Naturally, stay tuned for other new iPad models models that may arrive later in the fall.


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iPhone 11 Pro Max photo and video examples

We took out the new iPhone 11 Pro Max (that’s a mouthful, right?) for a spin on the first day of availability (delivered on time via online pre-order from Sept. 13th). Here are some of the results. Naturally these are all 100% “raw” in the sense that we used only the built-in apple camera app (third party camera and video apps are not yet functioning) and we did no post processing whatsoever.

The first thing that was noticeable was how the software adjusted for the light much more than in the previous combination of software (camera app) and hardware, and on last year’s XS Max. Well before “magic hour” would naturally turn everything golden, the sun gleaming off the ocean (see above) was already looking very stylized. With some very slight Photoshop or Lightroom adjustments this would “pop” for certain.

Photo shot using iPhone 11 Pro Max, Manhattan Beach CA on 9-20-19 using equivalent 52mm lens

Without more time with the machine and post production software etc. (not to mention the 3rd party apps which do make a huge difference) it is hard to say what the ultimate verdict is on how much better the output is compared to last year’s model. However, the first reaction is: wow. Also it should be noted that the very, very best place to view iPhone 11 Pro photos… is on an iPhone 11 pro (!). The screen resolution improvements are part of the immediate and obvious reaction if you are shooting and viewing the work on the same device. That’s is a little odd, but this is part of an overall disconnect that will be present during the ultra-early times in the Second Wave.

4k VIDEO SHOT USING IPHONE 11 PRO MAX, MANHATTAN BEACH CA ON 9-20-19 USING EQUIVALENT 52MM

For video we got similar, if somewhat less dramatic results. Bear in mind that 4k over YouTube can only be seen if you are using a chrome browser and you may need to manually dial up the setting. If you are looking at this for pro-test footage research you know what I am saying. Mostly you would be seeing this in 1080p and that does still look pretty luscious.

VIDEO SHOT USING IPHONE 11 PRO MAX, MANHATTAN BEACH CA ON 9-20-19 USING EQUIVALENT 13MM lens

Above you can see the same general scene using the ultra wide angle lens (equivalent to a 13mm) which is very wide and does create some distortion and enhancement of perspective – which always looks “cool” in music videos and some landscape settings.

The option to switch (without image degradation) between the three cameras / lenses: the ultra-wide 13mm, the wide 26mm and the 52mm “tele” is very handy, and having the ultra-wide angle will produce some great images not previously seen in iPhone photography. However, as a pro in “real life” with a full set up prime lenses there would definitely need to be an 80mm or 100mm for greater production of depth of field (bokeh and portrait styles) and to capture closer framing without resorting to digital zoom degradation. Also if they would have asked me I would have suggested something like 13mm, 40mm and 80mm. The 80mm is probably not possible due to the fact that it would be very thick (!) but the 26mm is a bit of an orphan getting skipped over, in many situations when looking for dramatic shots. But, hey ! It’s a smart phone!


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This Week in Apple: iPhone 11 Pro, Apple TV+ Release and More…


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