Sir Apfelot newsreel week 44, 2020

It goes into the second lockdown, but the Sir Apfelot newsreel is still there. Even during the corona crisis, you will receive the Apple and tech news here that I have particularly noticed in the past few days. In the issue for calendar week 44 of 2020, the following topics are included: a new Mactracker update, conversion of combustion engines to electric cars, Starlink goes online, drug trafficking via Telegram, Apple's new quarterly figures, review of the iPhone 12 mini, retro Recordings from public broadcasters and a few more. 

Network coverage from Telekom, Vodafone and O2 in one tool

When choosing the right mobile network provider for the new tariff, there are various factors to consider - such as the included high-speed volume, the all-network and SMS flat rate and the monthly fee. However, it is also not entirely unimportant in which cellular network the tariff is implemented, since Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica (O2) can broadcast differently in the same region. Which provider is active in which network, you can find out here. The Federal Network Agency is now using a new map tool to show what network coverage looks like in comparison. You achieve this with this link.

Update for the Mactracker: iPhone 12 and iPad Air

There has been a lot of concern about this lately Mactrackertool for macOS and iOS. Because Ian Page's app hasn't been updated for a while, the data from current Apple products was missing from the overview. But that happened at the beginning of October Update to version Mactracker 7.9.6, which also included the devices presented at the September event. Like me in one Post I have read about iFun, in addition to the September devices, the October publications have now arrived in the Apple Lexicon. The data of the iPhone 12 models and other current devices from Cupertino can be viewed. The new iPad Air is now also included. The Mactracker app is available free of charge in the App Store.

Turn combustion engines into e-cars with the help of Chevrolet

Meanwhile, one of them is about more sustainable cars Entry by t3n. According to this, conversion kits from Chevrolet should ensure that combustion engines can be replaced with electric motors. The kit should offer the possibility of "to transform any combustion engine into an electric car“, So for example also oldtimers. An engine from Chevrolet Bolt with 150 kW power is offered, which should correspond to t3n after about 200 hp. The set with the name "Electric-Connect-and-Cruise" should also include a 60 kWh battery, current converter, current inverter and the necessary cables. You can find more details and pictures in the linked source.

Satellite Internet “Starlink” is now offered as an official beta

I also have one at t3n Post found on SpaceX's website. Accordingly, the satellite Internet "Starlink" is now officially launched for $ 99 a month. To implement the offer, SpaceX has sent almost 900 satellites into orbits around the earth in the past few months. The article refers to a Entry from CNBC. In this it is also described at the beginning that the offer that has now started is supposed to be a test run called "Better Than Nothing Beta" and that in addition to the monthly costs of $ 99, an initial $ 499 will be charged for the Starlink Kit. For Germany, the Starlink start of t3n is forecast for 2021.

Police disbanded nine black market groups on Telegram

Not only in darknet you can buy drugs, order forged documents or do other illegal business. Messenger groups can also be used for these purposes. This shows, among other things, Golem at this point on. The article is about the fact that the police disbanded nine Telegram groups in which, for example, drugs were traded. But not only the digital rooms were searched and hops taken - there were also searches of 28 suspects, it is reported. The article refers to a press release from the public prosecutor in Frankfurt am Main, which you see here can.

AirPower has apparently been finally buried

The AirPower charging mat, which was supposed to use several charging coils to ensure that Apple devices stored on it can be charged wirelessly using Qi technology, now finally seems to be a thing of the past. The accessories announced in 2017 were repeatedly postponed, re-announced with adjustments and then hushed up again. As the Apple leaker and insider Jon Prosser announced on Twitter, further tests and prototypes have probably been deleted from the schedule for 2021 without replacement. The tweet you can find here.

Apple's results for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year

"Services and Mac sales hit new all-time high“, Apple writes in a current issue press release to the new quarterly figures. The financial year therefore ended on September 26, 2020; quarterly revenue for Q4 was $ 64,7 billion. In addition to quotes from Tim Cook (CEO) and Luca Maestri (CFO), the message also reads: "Apple's board of directors has approved a dividend of $ 0,20 per share of the company. The dividend will be paid out on November 12, 2020 to those shareholders who own ordinary shares at the end of the business day on November 9, 2020.“The consolidated financial statements as a PDF are also available at a linked location.

Review of the iPhone 12 mini has been removed from YouTube

The iPhone 12 mini is not yet available in stores. Corresponding tests with advance models are logically subject to an embargo. Either the YouTuber George Buhnici from Romania didn't want to take this seriously or he accidentally uploaded his video to YouTube publicly with the iPhone 12 mini Review. The iPhone ticker has some screenshots and information about the video at this point collected. It is not entirely clear whether Buhnici removed the video of his own free will or whether this happened at the urging of Apple. If it was just a mistake and Apple does not take any sustainable action against the YouTuber, the video will probably go online again in mid-November - when the iPhone 12 mini comes on the market. 

Retro media library of the public broadcasters

Interesting, historical, terrifying - depending on what you are looking at, television recordings from the last century can give you various things to take along. Because in addition to the type of reporting, many views and thus society as a whole have of course also changed. Not to mention the way content is presented, the fashion on TV and so on. Retro recordings can now be seen in the media libraries of some public broadcasters. Here is a brief overview:

• Retro in the ARD media library
• Retro in the WDR media library
• NDR retro in the ARD media library
• BR-Retro in the ARD media library
• And more, including GDR recordings

Johannes Domke

After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.