December 11, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

🍏 iPad confusion

🩺 AI health check

🚀 Big rocket launch

🎢 Razr roller coaster

APPLE

Apple planning to simplify its confusing iPad lineup

After successfully simplifying its Mac laptop lineup, Apple is reportedly making moves to do the same with the iPad

Apple is believed to be working on simplifying its iPad lineup and associated accessories to limit confusion among customers when they pick one of the company’s tablets.

The news was shared in a Bloomberg report on Sunday by reliable Apple tipster Mark Gurman, who noted how the iPad lineup has gone from two main options a decade ago to a more packed lineup today with a dizzying array of specs and sizes.

Accessories such as the Apple Pencil further complicate matters, as compatibility issues between different Pencils and iPads mean that customers can be left scratching their heads when it comes to making a purchase.

Gurman said that Apple is planning to differentiate the iPad Pro, Air, and entry iPad across specs and design with changes that will begin to be seen with refreshed models in March ...

HEALTH

AI-powered health clinic-in-a-box offers DIY health checks

The CarePod cubicle will launch next year in Sacramento, California; Chandler, Arizona; and Chicago, Illinois

Imagine a self-service “AI doctor’s office” that you can visit for a full-body health check.

Destined for malls, office buildings, and gyms, the AI-powered CarePod is described in a report by Axios as a “DIY health clinic-in-a-box.”

The facility will conduct a biometric body scan, sequence your DNA, and test for hypertension, kidney disease, and heart issues, among other conditions, and a monthly fee of $99 allows for regular checks.

You can speak with a remote doctor while you're in the CarePod or have your results reviewed and sent to your phone later.

Its creator, Forward, says CarePods use "proprietary digital technology and AI-supported clinician reviews to develop highly personalized health plans and track progress via mobile phones" ...

COMING UP

SpaceX to launch its powerful Falcon Heavy today

The triple-booster rocket will deploy an experimental space plane for the U.S. Space Force

SpaceX has moved the launch of its Falcon Heavy rocket to Monday after unsettled weather at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida forced the team to abandon Sunday’s launch plan.

This will be the Falcon Heavy’s eighth flight since the first one in 2018, and the first lift-off since October.

The rocket will carry to orbit the U.S. Space Force's experimental X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle for its seventh flight, during which it'll complete a wide range of tests.

The launch window opens at 8:14 p.m. ET, and the flight will be live-streamed on SpaceX’s website. Be sure to check its social media feed for the latest updates on the status of the launch schedule ...

EXPERIENCE by Andy Boxall

Using this Motorola folding phone was an emotional roller coaster

'The Motorola Razr Plus is a lovely little phone, but it also likes to play on your emotions. Let me explain what I mean'

In psychology, there is something called "affective ambivalence," where two opposite emotions are experienced almost at the same time. It perfectly sums up the roller-coaster of feelings I’ve had for the Motorola Razr Plus since returning to it.

One moment I absolutely love it, but then it deeply frustrates me due to something silly or something Motorola should have fixed by now. But then I check how much it costs, and I go right back to being astonished by it.

Yes, my time with the Motorola Razr Plus has been emotional. Here’s why.

This small, red phone is utterly gorgeous, and I love the way the polished red metal surrounds the matte textured panel on the rear of the closed phone, which helps give it a tactility missing from smooth phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 ...

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