Month: July 2018

Apple Unveils New MacBook Pro 2018

New MacBook Pro 2018

On Saturday 21, Apple made a discreet introduction of its two new MacBook Pro. Both are equipped with the usual Touch Bar and offer better technical performance than their predecessors.

If the announcement was made without the show to which the brand has accustomed us, it is undoubtedly because the design does not present any real significant evolution. For this time, the apple company focused mainly on a definite improvement in performance.

MacBook Pro 13″

For the first model, whose size is 13 inches, it features an Intel Core i5 quad-core processor at 2.3 GHz, or i7 at 2.7 GHz, depending on the user’s choice. As a reminder, the previous chip provided in the other models offered only two cores. Therefore, no doubt the new MacBook Pro will be much more powerful and influential than the previous generation. As for the graphics chip, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is equipped with an Iris Plus Graphics 655 graphics chip.

This new range of MacBook Pro 2018 13″ is launched from 2000$.

MacBook Pro 15″

As for the 15-inch MacBook Pro, it also comes with an 8-core Core i7 clocked at 2.2 GHz and 2.6 GHz. A 2.9 GHz Core i9 is also available as an option. According to Apple, this would improve the power of the computer by 30 to 70%, depending on the activities of the user of the device. As for the graphics cards, they are Radeon Pro 555X or Radeon Pro 560X from AMD with 4GB of GDDR5 memory. For the autonomy, Apple made the choice of DDR4 strips, which offers 32 GB of RAM.

The new MacBook Pro 15″ 2018 is launched with a minimum price of 2800$.

Both computers have the innovative keyboard which uses the butterfly mechanism and is highlighted by Apple as quieter than before. It remains to be seen whether this new version will put an end to the problems of the past. The MacBook Pro also comes with a T2 chip for further Siri integration.

Available on both models, a True Tone screen will adapt the colorimetry to adjust to the ambient light.

Google Pay finally rolling out

Google Pay

Google officially deploys its new features and strengthens its Pay application. In this update, it will be possible to store concert tickets and boarding tickets; it will also be possible to make financial transactions between friends.

Sending money

No more Google Pay Send and Google Pay. From now on, just Google Pay. All Google Pay services are now available in a single application under a single name.

Google Pay then called “Pay With Google” was merely to facilitate online mobile payment using payment methods stored on its own Google accounts. At the same time, users could previously send and request money from their friends through the Google Pay Send application. From now on, this service will be directly available from Google Pay.

The update includes features that many people have been using for years through various services, including support for mobile ticketing and friend payments like Lydia or Apple Pay. Users can also share the addition of purchases and instantly ask their friends for money.

Access concert tickets, loyalty cards, gift cards and other airline tickets

In addition to transactions made possible by Google Pay, the service also provides access to concert tickets, loyalty cards, gift cards and other airline tickets if they have been saved on Ticketmaster or Southwest platforms. The number of “partner platforms” is expected to increase significantly over time and with the democratization (in other countries) of these functionalities.

In the field of ticketing and reservations stored on mobile phones, the Mountain View firm had fallen a long way behind. They are trying to catch up with their competitors, including Apple, which has been offering this service for several years already.

Please note that the update is only available in the United States. However, it is expected to be launched soon in the United Kingdom. No information was communicated concerning the other markets, so let us cross our fingers and hope that the deployment in France will be done quickly.

GDPR : How does it work ?

GDPR compliance

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which entered into force on 25 May 2018, strengthens the rights of EU citizens regarding their personal data. All companies and associations from the 28 Member States, as well as those from non-EU countries that collect and process data from European residents (e.g. Google, Facebook or Amazon), are subject to this data protection law.

The GDPR is based on three main principles.

Transparency

The site must clearly state why it collects your data, how it will be used, how long it will be kept and who will have access to it. All information should be written in an understandable format (concise, legible, written in simple vocabulary). Consent must be a positive act (not a default checkbox) that can be easily removed.

User Rights

Each user has a right of access to his data (form, email address, letter…). It is now possible, for example, to download from Apple’s website all the data that the company holds on you. You can exercise a right to forget (photo or embarrassing information, for example), a right to erase (when leaving an e-commerce site…) and request a search engine referencing. As with mobile telephony, there is a right to portability: once your data has been recovered, you can transmit it to another site.

Corporate Responsibility

Each company is responsible not only for the data it collects but also for data transmitted to subcontractors. It must prove that it has put in place all the appropriate means to protect your data and think upstream about what is relevant to collect or not. In the event of a data breach (hacking, leak, etc.), the company concerned must notify you and the competent authorities within 72 hours.

In the event of failure to comply with these obligations, citizens may turn to the referring authority. The penalties incurred are quite heavy since they can go up to 20 million euros or 4% of turnover.

More on GDPR in this video:

Find more here!

European search engine Qwant celebrates its 5th anniversary with a new design

qwant search engine

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the French search engine Qwant is undergoing a makeover and intends to capture up to 10% of the market share of European Internet users.

After five years of activity, Qwant got itself a big relooking for its 4th version. The search engine made in France that we have been following since its inception, was far from being a model of ergonomics for its users. Very dense, with its three thematic columns – Web, news and social networks -, the interface still uses the same display for results as Google. On the left, a large section listing search results by keyword. On the right, when the search lends itself to it, a column displays the Answers Instant overviews and summaries of the theme sought, the latest trends in relation on social networks, or news.

On the far left, a thin column of icons filters the results according to the type of content sought (images, videos, social networks, shopping, news, Web). This larger display greatly improves the reading of search results.

Vertical thematic research services

In a round menu button at the top right of the page, Qwant offers “verticals”. These are thematic services, such as Qwant Sport, Qwant Music, Qwant Shopping. The search engine also lists Qwant Junior, for ages 6 to 12, with a filter designed to neutralize the display of offensive or inappropriate content.

Finally, the search engine, which is now known to respect the privacy of its users, is taking this opportunity to develop its visual identity with rounded search fields and a new logo in the spirit of flat design with modified colors. By 2020, Qwant expects to recover up to 10% of market share in Europe. It currently has 5% in France.

Which WordPress theme for your future website?

divi and other web builders and templates

You want to create a website, good idea; I’m here! However, you don’t know which theme to select?

Some ways to help you find a design theme without ruining yourself!

WordPress is a content management system that is easy to administer even for neophytes.

About 33% of websites in the world are created with WordPress.

Beforehand, define your needs to present your activity and think about the content available in the pages. Sometimes inspiration is also found after visualizing a series of themes.

First option: a free theme.

You can search for themes directly accessible through the WordPress back office (site administration).

Go to Appearance then themes. Click on the “add” button. A wide choice of free design and responsive themes is offered to you among those “put forward,” “popular” or “last put online.” Some premium themes are subject to a fee. You can preview the theme and get an idea of what your future website might look like.

My future customers will have access to these features from a showcase site and can choose a theme or view my selection before making a final choice.

Second option: Search for a theme on the internet.

The themes proposed by a multitude of sites are for the most part paying.
ThemeForest offers a wide variety of themes selected by category. A preview feature is available. The choice is so vast that you will be spoilt for choice. The average price of a theme is 50$.

Other sites: beauthemes.com, Woothemes, templatemonster.com or Studiopress.

The third solution: find a site you like and search for the name of the theme.

If you like the website you are visiting, it may or may not be a WordPress site.
If this is the case, you will know it with this tool “What WordPress Theme Is That “which will allow you to know the name of the theme used.

Of course, each theme is customizable, and by changing the graphic charter, logo, content, font…the result will be different. Only the structure of the site will be identical.

Today, however, the themes are similar and have similar characteristics. As with fashion clothing, there are fashions that web designers follow. There are many “one page” or “parallax” themes; the whole site takes place on the same page but on a different background and responsive themes that offer more or less the same presentation of your content. Here is an example of a parallax theme: Test Manufacture.

However, don’t forget the 3 pillars that contribute to the success of a website :

– Your site must be well structured so that search engines index it.

– Its content must be relevant and contain keywords.

– External links must point to your site to make it better known.

A website is not just about putting photos and text on pages. For a site to reach your target and be profitable, you need professional advice to help you follow these 3 pillars. Contact me and let’s talk about it together.