Paul Meade has been promoted to vice president of hardware engineering, while Jon Andrews is Apple’s new vice president of software engineering. Meade has been leading hardware development for Apple’s future augmented reality headset, while Andrews oversees the architecture of Apple’s operating systems under Craig Federighi.

Gary Geaves, who runs audio technology development for AirPods and HomePod, has been named to a new acoustics vice president role, and Kaiann Drance, who was on stage during the iPhone 11 announcement, is now a vice president of marketing, reporting to Greg Joswiak.

Bob Borchers, a former iPhone executive who worked at Google and Dolby, has also returned to Apple to take on a vice president of marketing role. Borchers was around for the early days of the iPhone, serving as a spokesperson and appearing in Apple tutorial videos about the device.

According to Bloomberg, he will now oversee iOS, iCloud, and privacy marketing matters, also under Greg Joswiak.

None of these new appointments made Apple’s Leadership page, which is reserved primarily for senior vice presidents and some key VP roles. In total, Apple has around 100 vice presidents who report to its executive team.

Using a computer and modern software can be a chore to begin with for the visually impaired, but fundamentally visual tasks like 3D design are even harder. This Stanford team is working on a way to display 3D information, like in a CAD or modeling program, using a “2.5D” display made up of pins that can be raised or lowered as sort of tactile pixels. Taxels!

The research project, a collaboration between graduate student Alexa Siu, Joshua Miele and lab head Sean Follmer, is intended to explore avenues by which blind and visually impaired people can accomplish visual tasks without the aid of a sighted helper. It was presented this week at SIGACCESS.

The device is essentially a 12×24 array of thin columns with rounded tops that can be individually told to rise anywhere from a fraction of an inch to several inches above the plane, taking the shape of 3D objects quickly enough to amount to real time.

“It opens up the possibility of blind people being, not just consumers of the benefits of fabrication technology, but agents in it, creating our own tools from 3D modeling environments that we would want or need – and having some hope of doing it in a timely manner,” explained Miele, who is himself blind, in a Stanford news release.

Siu calls the device “2.5D,” since of course it can’t show the entire object floating in midair. But it’s an easy way for someone who can’t see the screen to understand the shape it’s displaying. The resolution is limited, sure, but that’s a shortcoming shared by all tactile displays — which it should be noted are extremely rare to begin with and often very expensive.

The field is moving forward, but too slowly for some, like this crew and the parents behind the BecDot, an inexpensive Braille display for kids. And other tactile displays are being pursued as possibilities for interactions in virtual environments.

Getting an intuitive understanding of a 3D object, whether one is designing or just viewing it, usually means rotating and shifting it — something that’s difficult to express in non-visual ways. But a real-time tactile display like this one can change the shape it’s showing quickly and smoothly, allowing more complex shapes, like moving cross-sections, to be expressed as well.

Joshua Miele demonstrates the device

The device is far from becoming a commercial project, though as you can see in the images (and the video below), it’s very much a working prototype, and a fairly polished one at that. The team plans on reducing the size of the pins, which would of course increase the resolution of the display. Interestingly another grad student in the same lab is working on that very thing, albeit at rather an earlier stage.

The Shape Lab at Stanford is working on a number of projects along these lines — you can keep up with their work at the lab’s website.

Motorcycle racing series Supercross isn’t quite ready to add an EV class.

The sport — where riders race high-performance machines on jump-filled stadium tracks — currently fields only gas-powered two-wheelers.

Supercross was poised to launch an all-electric class this month, by converting its junior program to a new e-moto manufactured by KTM — Supercross Director of Operations Dave Prater told TechCrunch in April.

“We haven’t one-hundred-percented it yet, but it’s fairly close and we’re…going to race that electric KTM in October,” he said.

That won’t likely happen for the upcoming 2020 season, but input from Supercross and KTM indicates the launch of a junior EV class could be imminent.

On why it didn’t kick-off in October, “That would be a KTM question,” Prater told TechCrunch on a call this week.

“As a company, we’re embracing EV racing. At the moment, we’re beholden to the OEM’s and how quickly they want to introduce it into the mix,” he added.

The first-mover OEM could still be KTM and the first electric class the juniors.

“The KTM Junior racing in Supercross is an incredible experience for a small group of kids and their parents. At some point we might start using the SX-E5,” KTM’s Group Marketing Manager for North America Tom Moen told TechCrunch in an email.

“We can’t have them racing something that is not readily available,” he added.

KTM’s SX-E5 launched in the U.S. this month, but won’t be available in dealerships until late November, according to Moen.

So for now, there appears to be a timing gap between Supercross and KTM.

Another area to watch for the introduction of e-moto competition — according to Moen — is outdoor dirt series Motocross, the rules of which (like Supercross) are governed by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).

“The AMA…is working on classes for the AMA Loretta Lynn’s championships for 2020, which is the national amateur MX series, the finals happen late summer, this is much more important racing wise,” Moen said.

TechCrunch has an inquiry into AMA for confirmation and will update accordingly.

One hurdle to entering electric motorcycles in AMA gas racing is how to classify battery powered two-wheelers compared to internal combustion engines that the AMA classes based on displacement, AMA off-road racing manager Erek Kudla explained to TechCrunch in April.

The other potentially larger hurdle (as Supercross’s Dave Prater alluded to) is the lack of an OEM-produced competition e-moto capable of racing at or near the specs of the high-performance gas machines that run in Supercross and Motocross.

California based EV startup Alta Motors had come the closest toward creating an e-moto toward that endeavor, but went bankrupt before getting there.

In addition to its junior SX-E5, KTM debuted its Freeride E-XC adult off-road e-motorcycle in the U.S. in 2018, but KTM didn’t indicate if this was the bike it was planning to reconfigure for motocross.

For the moment, it looks like seven to eight-year-olds racing KTM’s SX-E5 in Supercross could be the nearest bet for EV motorcycle competition.

And Supercross creating an all EV junior class has a spot of relevance in the overall transformation of global mobility — namely the conversion of the motorcycle industry to electric.

Factors such as declining sales among young people and competitive pressure from EV startups are pushing the big names toward E offerings. Harley-Davidson launched its first e-moto, the $29K  LiveWire, this year as part of a full EV pivot.

Zero Motorcycles is challenging HD with its new $19K SR/F.  And rumors have floated on Ducati developing an e-moto, after the Italian company debuted two e-bicycles.

Harley and e-moto companies such as Zero have spoken of the importance of early adopters to embrace e-motorcycles. Harley made moves this year to reach the earliest of early adopters when it acquired kids e-bicycle company StaCyc.

Launching one of motorcycle racing’s first all-electric classes with juniors and pairing it to Supercross’s stadium venues could become more than an EV gateway for OEM KTM.

It could actually start young riders on e-motos before they’ve ever ridden gas and keep them running on voltage into teen and adult years.

For the motorcycle industry at large, that means creating a future EV market versus trying convert one with preferences set in fossil-fuel the past.

Design wise, these chargers are fairly simple, made from a black plastic covered with a suede-like fabric for grip and protection from scratches. Mophie also makes a version that’s a glossy black plastic for those that don’t like the ultrasuede look, and it’s sold on the Apple online store.

I’m not a huge fan of the suede because of the way that it can look discolored depending on the lay of the fabric, but it’s a clean enough design and the suede keeps the devices properly in place while charging. I’m also not sure the black plastic is the best material given the price of these chargers, but again, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s simple and clean, if a bit boring.

The Dual Wireless Charging Pad is a simple oblong charging pad that houses a single iPhone in landscape orientation or two iPhones positioned in portrait orientation. There’s a line on each side, directing users where to place each iPhone for proper charging positioning.

The bottom features a rubber ring for stability on a desk or a table, and there’s a port for the charging cable and an additional spot to plug in another USB-A cable, such as a cable for charging an ‌Apple Watch‌. Both of Mophie’s chargers come with rather large power bricks that offer enough power to charge multiple devices.

The 3-in-1 Wireless Charger has a similar design with the same black suede base and a dedicated spot for each device. The right side, which is flat, is meant to charge an iPhone, while there’s an indentation where ‌AirPods‌ are meant to lie. This indentation was designed for the original ‌AirPods‌ and not the AirPods Pro, so I’m not sure if it’s going to work for Apple’s newest ‌AirPods‌.

Above the indentation for the ‌AirPods‌, there’s a little ‌Apple Watch‌ charging puck that’s actually a detachable piece that you need to snap into place, which isn’t my favorite design. It’s easy to get in the right area, and I suppose it’s there so you can remove it and charge something else, but it seemed to give me charging issues.

I had a problem where I needed to take it out and reseat it a few times to get my ‌Apple Watch‌ to charge right. I also noticed that at times, I have to take the ‌Apple Watch‌ off of the charger multiple times to get it to start charging, which is not ideal. I didn’t have issues with charging the iPhone on either charger, though, and the ‌AirPods‌ also charged fine.

The charging puck does allow the ‌Apple Watch‌ to be put in Nightstand mode, so you can glance over and see the time if it’s at your bedside. Both charging pads feature LED lights at the front so you can make sure a given device is charging properly

Mophie’s wireless chargers offer 7.5W charging speeds for Apple devices, including after the iOS 13 patch that seems to have limited some 7.5W wireless chargers to 5W instead of 7.5W.

With the 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad, the iPhone XS Max charged from zero to 23 percent after a half an hour, and 43 percent after an hour. The iPhone 11 Pro Max charged to 21 percent after a half hour and 38 percent after an hour, which is in line with other 7.5W wireless chargers.

I saw similar charging speeds from the Dual Wireless Charging Pad, which charged the ‌iPhone XS‌ Max to 21 percent after a half an hour and 42 percent after an hour. The ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌ charged to 22 percent after 30 minutes and 38 percent after an hour.

Bottom Line

Mophie’s charging products are always good quality and are typically reliable, but Mophie is known for its premium pricing and these wireless chargers are no exception.

The Dual Wireless Charging Pad is $80 and the 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad is $140, which is a lot to ask, even if it is in line with other higher-end wireless products like those from Nomad.

At these price points, it’s difficult to flat out recommend Mophie’s chargers, and with the 3-in-1 in particular, I have reservations because of the ‌Apple Watch‌ charging issues I experienced. There’s nothing that makes these wireless chargers stand out from other similar options on the market, which is disappointing.

I like Mophie’s products for the most part, but given the build quality, pricing, and charging issues, the Dual Wireless Charging Pad and the 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad feel like a bit of a miss. Mophie does sometimes have sales, so if you can get these at a cheaper price point, they’re a whole lot more appealing. Otherwise, I’d recommend shopping around for a better deal.

How to Buy

The Dual Wireless Charging Pad and the 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad can be purchased from the Zagg website for $80 and $140, respectively.

Note: Mophie provided MacRumors with a 3-in-1 Wireless Charger and Dual Wireless Charger for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these Mophie. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives is scheduled on Thursday to hold its first vote in the impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump. 

The measure calls for public hearings and the release of transcripts from closed-door proceedings. It also outlines what rights Republican politicians and Trump himself would have to participate as the process moves ahead.

More:

The impeachment inquiry focuses on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden, a former US vice president, and his son Hunter, who had served as a director for Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the inquiry a sham. There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens. 

The investigation examines whether Trump misused the power of his office for personal political gain and, if so, whether that rises to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors” that merit impeachment and removal from office under the Constitution.

Here are all the latest updates as of Thursday, October 31:

Giuliani responds to House vote formalising probe

President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, condemned the passage of a resolution formalising the House impeachment inquiry on Thursday. 

Giuliani has loomed large over the probe, with several witnesses testifying before Congress that his role as an unofficial emissary to Ukraine often blurred what was considered official statecraft. 

“This is Speaker Pelosi weaponizing the House against the president and Schiff trampling over our Democracy,” he wrote on Twitter, referencing leading Democrats in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff. 

Today’s vote was designed to deceive the American people.

This was NOT an impeachment vote.

This is Speaker Pelosi weaponizing the House against the president and Schiff trampling over our Democracy.

The American people won’t be fooled!

— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) October 31, 2019

Earlier in the month, Giuliani defied a subpoena from House panels leading the investigation. 

Analyst: House vote may help upcoming court cases

Michael Isikoff, chief investigative correspondent at Yahoo News, told Al Jazeera that the House vote formalising the impeachment inquiry may help in the upcoming court case of a Trump administration official who has defied a subpoena to testify in the inquiry. 

Charles Kupperman, a former deputy to former National Security Advisor John Bolton, had filed a lawsuit in federal court on Monday asking a judge to resolve the question of whether he can be forced to testify before the House panel since he was a close and frequent adviser to the president, who has invoked executive privilege.

“Having the house formally vote, gives the democrats more ammunition to argue that Kupperman’s testimony is needed in the impeachment inquiry. He was deputy national security advisor, and if the judge who hears the case … approves that it almost certainly gives the greenlight to John Bolton to testify as well,” Isikoff said. 

“If the Democrats get Bolton’s testimony, it could be political dynamite,” he added. 

A hearing for Kupperman’s case was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. 

Trump, White House denounce House vote

President Trump has condemned a House vote that formalised the impeachment investigation on Thursday. 

Trump took to Twitter just moments after the resolution, which sets the parameters for the inquiry and public hearings going forward, passed by a 232-196 vote mostly along party lines. 

“The greatest witch hunt in American history!” Trump wrote. 

The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2019

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement that the vote enshrined “unacceptable violations of due process into House rules”.

She further described the inquiry as “unfair, unconstitutional, and fundamentally un-American”.

Her statement was echoed by Trump’s re-election campaign which accused Democrats of trying to legitimise the investigation, which they have already been conducting for more than two weeks, after the fact.

The US Constitution does not require a vote for the House to launch an impeachment investigation. 

“Voters will punish Democrats who support this farce and President Trump will be easily re-elected,” Campaign manager Brad Parscale said. 

House passes resolution formalising impeachment inquiry

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted to approve a resolution on Thursday that sets rules for public hearings in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. gavels as the House votes 232-196 to pass resolution on impeachment procedure [Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press]

The resolution, approved by a 232-196 vote, authorises House committees to move forward with formal, public hearings.

The move has largely been seen as an attempt to nullify the Trump administration and Republican claims that the inquiry is not official without a vote. 

Legislators voted mostly along party lines, with all Republicans voting against the resolution and two Democrats breaking from colleagues and voting no as well. One Independent voted in favour.

Read more here. 

Trump, White House say ‘read the transcript’

In a tweet on Thursday, President Trump stood by his claims that the July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president, which is at the heart of the House impeachment inquiry, contained no wrongdoing. 

“Read the transcript!” Trump tweeted as the House prepared to vote on a resolution that would formalise the impeachment inquiry as well as lay out the parameters for the inquiry going forward. 

Trump was referring to a memo of the phone call, which the White House released after a whistle-blower’s complaint about the call. The White House, quoting Trump’s tweet, later tweeted a copy of the memo, which is a recreation from notes, and not a direct transcript of the call. 

READ THE TRANSCRIPT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2019

On Tuesday, an army officer and top Ukraine expert at the National Security Council told a closed-door House panel that the memo left out crucial words and phrases, the New York Times reported. 

Democratic, Republican House leaders give speeches before vote

Elected officials in the House of Representatives gave arguments on the House floor before Thursday’s vote to approve ground rules for their impeachment inquiry of Trump.

Standing next to a large US flag on the floor of the House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the impeachment inquiry was necessary to defend the Constitution and prevent an abuse of power by Trump.

“The times have found each and every one of us in this room,” Pelosi said. She urged legislators to vote in favour of the impeachment rules “to protect the Constitution of the United States. What is at stake in all of this is nothing less than our democracy.”

Today is about more than the fairness of the impeachment process. It is about the integrity of our electoral process.

Democrats are trying to impeach the President because they are scared they can’t defeat him at the ballot box.

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) October 31, 2019

Republicans largely portrayed the inquiry as a partisan attempt to undo the results of the 2016 presidential election, with House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in Congress, saying Democrats have tried to unjustly portray Trump’s “legitimate actions” with Ukraine as an impeachable offence. 

“For 37 days and counting they [democrats] have run and unprecedented undemocratic and unfair investigation, this resolution today only makes it worse,” he said. 

Trump’s top adviser for Russian and European affairs scheduled to testify

Tim Morrison arrived on Capitol Hill on Thursday to appear before House impeachment investigators. Morrison plans to leave his job at the White House, a senior administration official who was not authorised to discuss Morrison’s job told the Associated Press News Agency. 

Morrison is expected to corroborate the testimony of Ambassador William Taylor, who said last week that Morrison had notified him of a push by the president and his allies to withhold military aid and a White House meeting from Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into the gas company linked to Hunter Biden, the Washington Post reported.

Former top national security adviser to President Donald Trump, Tim Morrison, arrived for a closed-door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump [Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press]

Wednesday, October 30

Democrats summon Bolton

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton will not agree to a voluntary interview in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, his lawyer said on Wednesday, shortly after the former official was summoned by Democrats. 

The House committees leading the impeachment investigation had asked Bolton to appear behind closed doors next week. But Bolton’s lawyer, Charles Cooper, says Bolton will not appear without a subpoena.
Democrats have issued subpoenas to several other witnesses who ended up testifying.

Politicians want to hear from Bolton after other witnesses told them of his concerns with Trump’s dealings in Ukraine and the backchannel activities of Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer.

Read more here. 

State Dept officials offer further evidence of outside pressure to overthrow Ukraine envoy

Further evidence of private interests seeking the removal of former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch emerged on Wednesday in testimony to the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry. 

Catherine Croft, a Ukraine specialist at the State Department, said Robert Livingston, a former Republican congressman-turned-lobbyist, repeatedly urged that Yovanovitch be fired.

It was unclear why, she said in her opening statement to legislators, posted online by the Washington Post.

Read more here.