Visual Effects artist Joe Rosensteel has created augmented part of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan with Animoji. Joe knows what he is doing with visual effects and it is a really cool mixing of the old and the new.

Here are the changes for the iPhone X. This information is up to date as of 6:00AM Central Time on 11/14/2017.

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 1, 2017 to Dec 6, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 15, 2017 to Dec 13, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 8, 2017 to Dec 13, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 22, 2017 to Dec 20, 2017
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/13-12/1 to 11/17-12/1
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/10 - 12/8 to 11/17-12/8
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/13-12/1 to 11/17-12/1

When Apple holds its Fall event, it is likely to be full of a variety of updates to some of its products. One of the announced product updates was to the Apple TV.

Previous Apple TVs

The Apple TV is now a decade old, the same age as the iPhone. When the Apple TV was initial unveiled it was a modified Mac Mini and ran a variant of OS X 10.4. While this initially worked, it was determined to change the form factor.

The second-generation Apple TV was significantly reduced in size and the software changed from a version of OS X to a version of iOS. The size would remain the same for the 3rd generation and Revision A of the 3rd generation. The processor for each of the version was first a Pentium M, hence the OS X-based operating system. The 2nd and 3rd Generations had an A4, and A5 respectively. The release dates for the 2nd, 3rd, and 3rd Revision of the Apple TV were September of 2010, March of 2012, and January of 2013 respectively.

With the first three version of the Apple TV, Apple controlled all of the applications that appeared on the Apple TV boxes. The applications that appeared were able to be updated without actually needing to update the software on the Apple TV itself. This method would become the basis for the next generation of the Apple TV.

The form facto of the Apple TV changed again for the 4th generation. This version did something that normally does not happen with electronics; it actually got larger and not just by a bit, like the Apple Watch (0.25mm for the sensor glass). Instead, but a lot; as in 10mm, or 0.39 inches, which is considerable.

The 4th Generation Apple TV not only changed the physical dimensions, but also the software. The 4th generation Apple TV brought with it a new operating system, tvOS.

tvOS, is an iOS-variant that incorporates many of the same feature of iOS; most notably, games. The 4th Generation Apple TV included the A8 processor. The A8 is capable of handling many of the more intensive games. The latest iteration is the Apple TV 4K.

Apple TV 4K

The Apple TV 4K maintains the same physical form factor as the 4th Generation Apple TV. The Apple TV 4K has a couple a slight changes to the ports. The first change is that the wired ethernet port is now gigabit. This is an upgrade from the previous 10/100 port. The second change is that there is one port that has been removed; the USB-C port. This has some implications for some users.

The removal of the USB-C port means that if there is an error while upgrading the firmware on an Apple TV 4K, it will require you to contact Apple support to get it fixed. This was not the case when the port was there. Instead, you could use iTunes to download a restore image and restore the Apple TV. For most users this will not be an issue, however it was a lot easier to do a restore than to have to send it off to Apple for repair.

The internals have changed a bit as well. The Apple TV 4K supports Bluetooth 5.0 and HDMI 2.0a. The Bluetooth 5.0 is for future proofing, whereas the HDMI 2.0a is needed for the 4K. That is it for the port and internal changes. Let us move to the interface.

The Interface

The Apple TV 4K's interface is designed to be in 4K. Elements of the Apple TV interface have been updated to be displayed properly on a 4K TV. Apple could have opted to stick with 1080p assets, but this is not the Apple way of doing things. The most likely manner in which Apple accomplished this is to use scalable graphics. By using scalable graphics, the software can automatically choose the most appropriate size and use that. This is similar to the way that icons work on macOS.

Alongside the actual interface another aspect has been updated to 4K, the aerial videos. One of the more stunning pieces of the Apple TV, both 4K and non-4K versions, is the aerial screensavers. The screensavers show a top down view of a myriad of places. Some of these include London, San Francisco, Dubai, and China. All of these have been updated to be viewable in 4K. To see the difference, it is best to click on both of the images below to see the difference.

Additional Items

The Apple TV 4K has a couple of specific features that provide an even better experience beyond the 4K video and assets. One of those items is the High Dynamic Range, or HDR, support. HDR on a TV is similar to HDR when taking pictures. HDR on a TV will allow for even blacker blacks and even brighter whites. This means that all of the colors on a screen will be even brighter and clearer, which will see the picture even more life-like.

The Siri Remote

When Apple unveiled the 4th Generation Apple TV, it included a new remote, the Siri Remote. The Siri Remote has six buttons, Menu, Home/TV, Siri, Play/Pause, and Volume up and down. The top portion of the Siri Remote is a touch-based surface that allows you navigate the interface as well as makes it possible to use the touch pad for games.

One of the more controversial items with the Apple TV, besides the lack of games, is the Siri Remote. There are some who do not like the Siri remote. One of the main complaints with the first iteration of the Siri is that it was not always possible to determine which end of the remote you were holding. This complaint is not without merit.

To help rectify the situation, Apple has added a white ring around the menu button. If you are holding the new Siri Remote, you should be able to determine which end of the remote you are holding. Outside of this ring, the Siri remote has remained unchanged.

Content

If you are going to have a 4K box, it is also necessary to have content to go with it. The Apple TV 4K has ushered in 4K movies through iTunes. If you already have HD movies that have been purchased through iTunes, these will automatically be upgraded to 4K. There are two caveats to this. The first is that there must be a 4K version of the movie available. The second caveats is that the 4K only applies to streaming. You cannot download a 4K version through iTunes. For most people, this second limitation will not make a huge difference since their computer may not be able to support 4K.

Besides the native 4K support, there are some services that offer 4K content. Most notable amongst these is Netflix. If you have the Netflix app installed on your Apple TV and you subscribe to the appropriate plan, you should be able to stream in 4K.

Pricing

The Apple TV has had a myriad of prices over the course of its life. It started off at $299 for 40GB version, and the $349 for the 60GB, for the first generation. $99 for the second and third generations, with the price dropping to $69 in 2015. The fourth generation started at $149 for the 32GB and $179 for the 64GB. The Apple TV 4K starts at $179 for the 32GB model and $199 for the 64GB version. This is a bit more than most expected, and almost twice as much as some of the Apple TV's competitors.

Final Thoughts

There is not much else to say about the Apple TV 4K. The fact that the Apple TV is now able to stream in 4K is an improvement in terms of brining the Apple TV up to date with the latest technology. While 4K may not be in every single home yet, it is only a matter of time before it is. there are become more prevalent and will become the de facto standard. Even if you do not have a 4K TV yet, you may want to consider the Apple TV 4K, as it can still be used on a 1080p-based TV. By purchasing an Apple TV 4K now, you can prepare yourself should you end up buying a 4K TV this holiday season. If you do buy a new 4K TV this holiday season, make sure it supports HDR, it will make your Apple TV 4K experience that much better.

Here are the changes for the iPhone X. This information is up to date as of 6:00PM Central Time on 11/09/2017.

The last app updates for wwrite and wwriteFree was in May of 2017. A bit more than five months ago. When I began doing the update then, I decided to go with a new model for my apps. wwrite remained a paid application and wwriteFree would remain free but would be an older version of the app. After some thinking, and reflecting, I have decided to change things around again with a different model.

wwrite will still remain a paid application, $0.99 and is ad-free. wwriteFree is the app that will see the change. Versions 2.1 and prior versions were ad-supported by using Apple's iAd platform. Apple shut down the iAd platform in June of 2016, which prompted the update to wwriteFree to become ad-free. At the time that iAd was shutting down I looked into getting another advertiser. I would have gone with the juggernaut Google's Adsense. However, this is not possible due to an issue I had with Google. I have looked into other advertisers, but due to the small nature of the app, and the website, none of them would allow me to use their ad service.

As I pondered the ratio of paid versus free downloads of my apps, (97% free versus 3% paid), I came to the conclusion that I did not want to exclude the larger portion of my user base from the latest features. In order to make sure they got the latest features, I have shifted the models again.

I have opted to go back to wwriteFree being an ad-supported. Ultimately, what I have decided to do is to go with custom first-party ads. Every ad that is shown in the app is determined by me. The ads that I will start off with are advertisements for my own e-books. I will likely be adding a wider variety of items in the future, but that is where I will start. This change means that the version numbers of wwrite and wwriteFree are now the same, with the only difference being the ads, which really is how I prefer the applications to be.

If you would like to advertise, get a hold of my by either direct messaging me on twitter or send an email to sales@waynesworkshop.com.

As for the changes in wwrite and wwriteFree, Here are the changes:

New Features

• Requires iOS 11
• Adds support for iPhone X
• Support for drag and drop on the iPad
• You can drop a text file, or text, onto the file or into the "File List" to import
• You can drag text to and from the Files app or any other app
• Navigation is now consistent
• Adjusted Twitter support to use Safari

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that would hide the text of the file under the keyboard

and wwriteFree 3.1.0 are now available for download in the iOS App Store.

Here is the iPhone Availability for the November 5th, 2017. This information is accurate as of 6:00AM Central US Time. From here on out, I will only be indicating the changes for the iPhone X, but all of the availability for of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will still be in the table. If there is significant changes to the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, those will be added as well.

There seems to be some slight improvements for availability for the iPhone X on AT&T; excluding the 256GB Silver model. Sprint now has a range of dates for the iPhone X's availability.

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 1, 2017 to Nov 27, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 8, 2017 to Dec 11, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 8, 2017 to Dec 4, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 22, 2017 to Dec 18, 2017
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/8 to 11/10 - 12/8
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/8 to 11/10 - 12/8
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/8 to 11/10 - 12/8

I do not normally post initial thoughts on products. However, the iPhone X is worth of a first look. It has been just over 24 hours since I got my iPhone X and here are my thoughts.

The Notch

The feature that gives the iPhone X its distinct look is the notch at the top of the iPhone. You may think that you will always notice the notch. In my experience, you do not really notice it, unless you are watching a video full screen and it stretches over the notch.

The Size

The size of the iPhone X is 5.8 inches, this slightly larger than the 6 Plus, 6s Plus, or 7 Plus screen. Yet, even with the screen being bigger, the actual size of the device is just a bit taller and bit wider than the smaller iPhone 6, 6s, and 7. If you have been part of the "Plus" club, it could be a bit of an adjustment.

App Compatibility

One of the possible issues with a change in screen size is that developers must adapt their apps. In order to not have apps look completely horrible, Apple will put black bars at the top and bottom of applications so that the app is not obscured by the notch. Developers will need to update their apps to accommodate for the notch.

Face ID

The iPhone X does not have a physical home button. As part of the home button itself, is the Touch ID sensor ring. And without any sensor, you need another form of biometric authentication. This is where Face ID comes into play. In my short experience, I have not had Face ID fail, except when it cannot see my face.

So Far

So far, I am liking the iPhone X. Granted, it has only been 24 hours, but so far so good. I will do a full review of it in due course, but I really want to put it through its paces before doing so.

There are those photos that when you see them, you can tell they are just iconic. These could photos that you take, or ones that others have taken. There is an iconic photo that has become the de facto photo of Steve Jobs. Here is a short video (2 minutes and 15 seconds) about the photo from the photographer, Albert Watson.

Here is the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X Availability for 11/02/2017, the eve of the iPhone X release. One of the major change is that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus has slightly improved. The biggest change though is that the iPhone X has improved from 5 to 6 weeks to 3 to 4 weeks. This is a significant two week improvement.

Changes for Apple

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Sat Nov 4
• AT&T - 64GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• AT&T - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Sat Nov 4
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Sprint - 64GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Sprint - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• T-Mobile - 64GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• T-Mobile - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Verizon - 64GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Verizon - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 3-5 business days to Mon Nov 6
• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone 8 has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone 8 has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Gold iPhone 8 has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone 8 has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone 8 has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone 8 has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Gold iPhone 8 has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone 8 has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 7, 2017
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 10/30/17 to 11/06/17
• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 18, 2017 to Dec 1, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 18, 2017 to Dec 8, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 18, 2017 to Dec 8, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 18, 2017 to Dec 22, 2017
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/14 to 12/8
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/14 to 12/8
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/14 to 12/8
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/14 to 12/8
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/10/17 to 12/01/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/01/17 to 12/20/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/01/17 to 12/20/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/01/17 to 12/20/17
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from December to 12/01/2017
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from December to 12/06/2017
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from December to 12/01/2017
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from December to 12/13/2017

Here is the iPhone Availability for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. Here are the changes from this morning's post. The vast majority of changes have been to the iPhone X, as one might expect. Most iPhone X models now have a "December" time frame, excluding Sprint. Sprint still has mid-November ship dates. This is current as of 7:40pm US Central Time.

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone 8 has changed from Nov 10, 2017 to Nov 1, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Nov 3, 2017 to Dec 18, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Nov 10, 2017 to Dec 18, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Nov 10, 2017 to Dec 18, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 15, 2017 to Dec 18, 2017
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/3 to 11/14
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/3 to 11/14
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/3 to 11/14
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/3 to 11/14
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/03/17 to 11/10/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/10/17 to 12/01/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/10/17 to 12/01/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/10/17 to 12/01/17
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Available to December
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Available to December
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Available to December
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Available to December