Good news for Apple and I hope it’s not bad news for Flipboard. Apple has made a lot of hires and moves in the field of health care. It’s going to be really interesting to see what fruit it bears.
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Atop the Golden Gate Bridge
I tell my photography students to find different angles for things that have been photographed to death. These pics definitely show a different angle of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Microsoft leaks its Golden Key, unlocking Windows Secure Boot and exposing the danger of backdoors
This story is less about Microsoft screwing up (but, to be clear, they absolutely did) and more about how it vindicates Apple’s stance regarding backdoors.
“I’m talking about the greatest tool ever”: The story behind the first Mac, and the social web Steve Jobs predicted years before it existed
This is a well-known story but this article still has some very interesting details.
The forgotten greatness of air hockey
I know it’s a low bar, but this may be the most well-written article on air hockey you’ll ever read. It was always my favorite game in any arcade I visited. At one point, I was the Air Hockey World Champion (Among Students From Capilano College in North Vancouver Who Hung Around One Particular Arcade). I’m quite proud of that achievement.
It’s really hard to make money as an Olympian
The lack of funding and the time, energy and effort it takes to reach the Olympic level in most sports makes these 16 days of competitions even more remarkable.
You can now talk to President Obama using Facebook Messenger
This seems like using technology just for technology’s sake and not because it’s a better or more efficient way to do something. Plus, in the political climate we find ourselves in right now, I wouldn’t want to be the intern who has to read those messages.
Will the skyscrapers outlast the pyramids?
It’s a question I’ve thought about often – what are we creating today that will last a thousand years?
One of Apple’s biggest weaknesses is becoming a strength
When Apple and IBM announced their partnership, many pundits expressed surprise. But they forget that Apple does things for the long term. That partnership is now bearing significant fruit for both companies.
The good and the terrifying things at Black Hat 2016
The Black Hat conference is a fascinating glimpse into an area of computing that should terrify many of us.
Apple says Australia’s banks pose a security threat to iPhones
With its focus on customer security, there’s no chance Apple backs down on this stance and allows the Australian banks the control they are looking for.
Apple Inc. gears up to distribute $3.2 billion in dividends to shareholders
I hope all you Apple shareholders spend your 57 cents wisely.
Deputies searching for suspects in burglary at Apple building in Cupertino
Anyone know where the guys at Gizmodo were this morning? If I read the news report correctly, the burglary didn’t happen at “Apple’s headquarters” at 1 Infinite Loop but at an ancillary building. Hopefully, the bad guys weren’t dumb enough to think they could steal the iPhone 7 prototypes.
Making a record with Duke Ellington
Here’s a priceless film from 1937 that shows Duke Ellington in the studio recording, and the process of making a vinyl record release afterwards. There’s a lot to notice in the video that will make you appreciate the recording process from back then.
This is absolutely fascinating. Certainly a truer sound than what we get today.
Medical pills dissolving in water under macro lens
This is a lot more fascinating than it has any right to be.
Pokemon Go eludes cloning attempts
Nearly a dozen executives at companies from Sony Corp (6758.T) to Angry Birds-creator Rovio said Pokemon Go would be a tough act to follow, and some even said a challenge would not be worth it. Gamers should not expect the quick release of a rival app anytime soon, some said.
I think this is a good thing. We’re not looking for clones, we’re looking for innovation in markets, including gaming. Instead of trying to figure out a way to clone a successful product, figure out how to make one yourself.
Netflix and the future of entertainment
Ben Bajarin on binge watching:
TV networks are, in my opinion and analysis, not well positioned for this shift given their business model. Due to their advertising focus, they are incentivized to release content over long periods of time due to how they structure ad deals. Netflix, HBO, and Amazon are not subsidizing these shows by ads but by my consumer dollars, so I’m paying for these stories as a service.
I don’t mind paying for services like Netflix because I can watch as much as I want, whenever I want. The ad focused model has to change at some point, whether the networks want it or not. I would have thought the DVR would have done more to change it already—I don’t watch anything live anymore, just so I can skip commercials.
The unrealistic expectation of total transparency in open source
An interesting post from the founder of Ruby on Rails, David Heinemeier Hansson.
Apple releases beta updates for tvOS, watchOS, macOS
In addition to release a new beta update for iOS 10 this morning, Apple issued updates for tvOS, watchOS, and macOS as well. All of the updates are for developers, and should be used with caution on a secondary device. The updates can all be downloaded from the device, if you have a previous beta installed, or from your developer account.
Twitter Moments creation opens to influencers, brands, and soon, everyone
Another example of Twitter trying anything to get more users and more user engagement. Twitter Moments can be interesting especially when focused on a narrow target but, for the most part, users don’t seem to care very much about them.
Apple releases iOS 10 Beta 5
Apple released iOS Beta 5 to developers this morning. If you have iOS Beta installed, you can download the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
It should go without saying, but you should only install betas on a secondary device. Although Apple betas are really good, like most betas, things may not work as expected.
Apple details iOS security at Black Hat conference
Apple engineer Ivan Krstić spoke on far more than Apple’s new bug bounty program at the Black Hat security conference, and delved into the inner workings of iOS hardware and software security features both in iOS 9 and the forthcoming iOS 10.
Security is such an important issue these days. It’s a great move for Apple to speak publicly about what they are doing to make its products secure.
Apple rejects iPhone price-fixing allegations in Russia
Apple, in emailed comments, said it did not oblige Russian resellers to fix prices for its products.
“Resellers set their own prices for the Apple products they sell in Russia and around the world,” the company’s press office said.
It just doesn’t make any sense that Apple would be involved in price fixing.
Vulnerability affects 900 million Android phones
Check Point today disclosed details about a set of four vulnerabilities affecting 900 million Android smartphones and tablets that use Qualcomm chipsets. The Check Point mobile threat research team, which calls the set of vulnerabilities QuadRooter, presented its findings in a session at DEF CON 24 in Las Vegas.
Be safe Android people. There is a safer way.
September sponsorships available
I just opened up sponsorships for September on the site, at a lower price for a limited time. If you want to get your product in front of The Loop readers, get in touch.
The incredible benefits of being bilingual
One of my biggest schooling regrets is not sticking with French in junior and high school. So many of us in Canada and the United States don’t speak a second language. To this day, I wish I could speak French or Italian. I’m working on the rudiments of Portuguese in preparation for a trip I hope to take next April.
This is what happens when you have a beard and look straight up
Looks like The Muppet’s character, Beaker.
Why are so many Olympians covered in large red circles?
When I was in high school, we just called these hickeys.
The Berlin Wi-Fi Project
The short story – For the past year and a half I’ve collected wi-fi names that caught my attention all around Berlin. Click on the green markers on the map to read the wi-fi names exactly where I found them, along with my unrequested comments/interpretation/research on their meanings.
Some of these are funny—the comments certainly make a big difference in understand the names.
AT&T pays FCC fine for allowing scam
AT&T has settled with the FCC over a “cramming” investigation that found the carrier allowed scammers to place unauthorized charges onto customer bills, and collected a fee from the sham companies involved in the scheme.
And carriers wonder why we don’t trust them.