The Morning After: Cheaper MacBook hopes and dreams


Hey, good morning!

Welcome back. MWC has wrapped up, but now Engadget is already preparing for what's next: a trip from Spain to Switzerland for the Geneva Auto Show. Insert obligatory engine noises, then replace with the hum of far too many electric and hybrid machines.

Spoiler alert: Not all of them are phones.
These are a few of our favorite things (from MWC 2018)

What did you miss from the world's biggest phone show. Here's our esoteric picks that you may have missed.

Art by Samsung Galaxy S9's AR Emoji.

LG's interim 'creators' phone isn't a huge leap forward, but it's not without its charms.
Testing LG V30S ThinQ's hit-or-miss camera tricks

The LG V30S ThinQ isn't a completely new phone, but there are enough new goodies to warrant taking another look at its camera ahead of a deeper dive on the phone in its entirety. We've seen how the Galaxy S9 handles the nightlife of Barcelona, but how about LG's newly introduced camera features? Are they worth having? Is the AI cam better than my own judgement? Can algorithms save blurry night shots? Mat froze his ass off one night to try it all out.

AgeID could be the de facto gatekeeper for porn in the country.
Pornhub's owner reveals its age-verification tool for the UK

Pornhub owner Mindgeek has unveiled what might become the default gatekeeping tool for porn in the UK. AgeID will ask porn-site visitors to create an encrypted login that verifies their age across any compatible site, saving them from having to prove they're 18 or older every time they want to view something a little racy. The system uses third-party age-verification companies, but Mindgeek promises that AgeID won't store any personal info -- it'll only keep "standard technical data" to prevent fraud.

It would be the first drop below the thousand-dollar mark in years.
Apple might offer lower-cost MacBook Air in spring

Apple has left the MacBook Air mostly untouched for years, including its price. Ever since the 11-inch model disappeared in 2016, you've been looking at $999 or more for Apple's starter laptop -- a tough sell given the aging design. It might become better value before long, however. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who has a mostly solid track record for Apple leaks and rumors) has claimed that Apple is preparing a MacBook Air with a "lower price tag" for release this spring. This is still in the rumor camp for now, but we're betting there are plenty out there angling for a modern, cheap MacBook of some kind.

But wait, there's more...

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