The Butterfly Effect: Apple launches 16-inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard

Apple is replacing the 15-inch MacBook Pro with a new 16-inch MacBook Pro featuring a return to scissor-type keyboard which it is calling a "Magic Keyboard," that combines a slimmer version of the chiclet-type keyboard with improved stability introduced in the previous MacBook lines.

Apple says this is the most powerful MacBook Pro it has released and it features both 6-core and 8-core 9th generation Intel Core processors, up to 64GB of RAM and up to 8 Terabytes of storage which can push pricing to an extreme $6,000 for the top-of-the line spec. The showcase feature of this laptop is the 16-inch Retina Display made to fit in a 15-inch chassis. With a resolution of 3072×1920 pixels, P3 wide color gamut, and 500 nits of brightness, this MacBook Pro is well suited to creators, coders, video and photo editors.

The best news about the new MacBook Pro even for users who aren't interested in this pro-level device, is that Apple is veering away from the much reviled butterfly keyboard, which while quiet and excessively thin, was prone to catchng dust and being very difficult and expensive to fix. The new 'Magic Keyboard" will hopefully trickle down the line to smaller laptops in Apple's stable, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. Pricing for the new MacBook Pro 16-inch starts at CAD $2,999.

Disney+ shows release dates for missing MCU movies

With yesterday's launch of the Disney+ streaming service, a handful of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies have not been made available yet. Some of these are still available on rival service Netflix. But at least now we know when to expect most of them. The app's title pages for the following films display the release dates: Thor: Ragnarok will be available on December 5, 2019, Avengers: Infinity War will be available on June 25, 2020, and Ant-Man and the Wasp will be available on July 29, 2020. What we don't have information on right now are the releases of The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Source: CNET

Toronto-based Foodymart supermarket to use facial recognition payment system

A Toronto-based Chinese grocery store chain wants to use a facial recognition payment system to make the checkout process a bit quicker. Foodymart, which has six locations in Toronto and two in British Columbia, plans to buy facial recognition machines from SnapPay with hopes of having the system in one of its stores by early 2020. SnapPay is another Toronto-based business specializing in bringing international payment methods like AliPay and WeChat Pay to Canadian retailers.

SnapPay launched this facial recognition technology earlier this month. They want to lessen the time you need to pay for goods. The system will take a photo of your face when you're about to pay for your items. What you need to do beforehand is submit a three-dimensional scan of your face and link this to your payment account. 

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Apple reportedly aims to release AR/VR headset in 2021

The excitement over augmented and virtual reality seems to be dying down, at least in the public eye. But a new report from Bloomberg claims Apple is developing its own AR/VR headset with a scheduled 2021 release. And then a couple of years later, the company will supposedly release its own smart glasses. The focus for the AR and VR headset will be around gaming, watching videos, and virtual meetings. The headset were supposedly supposed to come out in 2020, but it got pushed back.