While the official 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s Alien was back in May, horror junkies and film buffs alike should mark their calendars for this October. The classic movie that started a hit-or-miss franchise of Xenomorphs, space jockeys and milk-blooded androids will be hitting the big screen in select theaters across the US.
Those of you lucky enough to live somewhere this is playing owe it to yourself to go see this in a theater.
Are you tired of updating your iPhone or iPad yet? This year’s iOS release has been a whirlwind: Apple released iOS 13 and then iOS 13.1 and iPadOS in the span of just a few days. After you’ve updated your iPhone or iPad to the latest software and caught your breath, make sure to try out the new dark mode (huzzah!), the gesture keyboard and improvements made to Safari, along with anything else we cover in our complete guide to iOS 13. Those features are great and all, but we’ve also found a handful of features Apple didn’t announce that are just as good, if not better.
My favourite new features are the new volume indicator and being able to delete apps from the Update screen.
A security researcher has released today a new jailbreak that impacts all iOS devices running on A5 to A11 chipsets — chips included in all Apple products released between 2011 and 2017, spanning eight generations of devices, from iPhone 4S to iPhone 8 and X.
The jailbreak uses a new exploit named Checkm8 that exploits vulnerabilities in Apple’s Bootrom (secure boot ROM) to grant phone owners full control over their device.
On Twitter, he described Checkm8 as “a permanent unpatchable bootrom exploit,” making the Checkm8 jailbreak one of the most extensive and efficient rooting tools of its kind.
This is moderately bad. It is said to be unpatchable but the attacker needs physical access to your phone and it doesn’t survive a reboot.
tvOS 13 is a surprising release. For years Apple has been pushing the TV app as the main draw of the Apple TV, then earlier this year it brought the app to Samsung TV sets with the promise of further expansion to Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, along with a smattering of other TV sets. The proliferation of the TV app made the Apple TV seemingly less important to Apple, but in fact with tvOS 13, available now, Apple has launched the biggest tvOS update ever. Before getting too excited, know that the bar for “biggest ever” is extremely low in the case of tvOS, but nevertheless in a year when the Apple TV felt more marginalized than ever, it’s great to see new life breathed into the device.
I don’t use my AppleTV to nearly its full potential but, if you do, there’s a lot to like in the latest tvOS.
Apple Inc. is looking to make a splash in Hollywood by bringing feature-length films to theaters before releasing them on its streaming TV service, according to people familiar with the plans.
The company has made overtures to cinema chains and consulted with an entertainment executive as it pursues a traditional theatrical-release plan that would keep its movies in theaters for weeks before becoming available on Apple TV+, these people said.
By reaching out to theater-industry representatives now and releasing films early, Apple is hoping to attract big-name directors and producers and avoid some of the tension created by another Hollywood newcomer, Netflix Inc., people familiar with Apple’s strategy said.
I’m always wary of stories that only refer to “people familiar with the plans” and the like and I’m doubly wary of any stories written by Tripp Mickle but this makes complete sense. The wider reach and greater visibility, especially for “awards contenders”, could help draw talent to Apple and better differentiate itself from Netflix.
Apple in iOS 13 introduced a new Sign in with Apple feature, which is designed to let you create accounts for apps and websites using your Apple ID, so you don’t have to give away your personal information.
Sign in with Apple is an alternative to the existing sign in with Google and Facebook options that apps and websites often offer. Apple’s version protects your privacy and even lets you mask your email address.
I’ve seen some developers complaining about having to implement this but any developer who doesn’t want to give users this option is one whose software I wouldn’t trust or use.
Apple’s new iOS 13 update adds a new privacy measure that requires apps to get your consent in order to use your device’s Bluetooth. After installing the latest version of iOS, trust me when I say you’ll be surprised by the number of apps asking for Bluetooth permission the next time you open them. Some might seem very strange (like Dunkin’ Donuts in my case), but others probably won’t make you think twice about giving the thumbs-up.
The reason Apple implemented this is because Bluetooth has enabled companies to sneakily track your location over Bluetooth by using beacons in stores, shopping malls, and even on popular city streets if they’re placed within range of a place you’d walk by.
While this is a good feature, Apple has done a poor job of explaining to average users like my wife why these notifications are suddenly popping up on her iPhone.
AltStore works by fooling your device into believing that you’re a developer sideloading test apps. It uses an app on your Mac or Windows PC to re-sign apps every seven days, using iTunes’ WiFi syncing framework to reinstall them on your device before they expire. You only need a free Apple ID (a throwaway will do) to install apps that Apple would never allow, such as Testut’s Delta emulator for Nintendo consoles.
One of the advantages of the App Store is the vetted apps. I feel 99% safe in downloading any app from there. This is going to be the wild west of unregulated and potentially harmful apps for your iOS devices. I wouldn’t go near it with a ten-foot pole.
Word Laces is not a typical game, and in this case that’s not exactly a good thing. This word-puzzle game can range from fun to downright bothersome as you try to mix and match a variety of different letters or combinations of letters to spell specific words based on the picture you see on your screen.
Word Laces does good things. The difficulty is perfect, the images are all high quality, there are no bugs that I’ve seen, and it does entertain at first. Unfortunately, the grind in the game is unreal and the lack of variety makes it less fun the more you play it. The game has its strong points and would be great for helping children learn spelling and vocabulary, but for the general public it’s just not good enough.
The never-ending Japan Display saga continues today, with a report that the rescue plan is once again in doubt — though there is some good news for the company in the form of iPhone 11 orders.
Japan Display has long been a LCD supplier for Apple, but was very late to diversify into OLED.
Nikkei Asian Review reports that the rescue plan is once again in doubt as the company leading the bailout has reportedly pulled out. That potentially also put Apple’s investment in doubt, as that was coming via Harvest — though a separate Wall Street Journal report suggests that the Cupertino company may actually increase its stake.
This company seems so important to Apple, I’m surprised they simply haven’t bought it.
The United Nations has recognized Apple for its environmental efforts, including the move to using renewable energy sources. Apple is one of 15 firms or projects announced as winners of the 2019 UN Global Climate Action Award.
“At Apple, we take our responsibility seriously to leave the world better than we found it,” said Lisa Jackson, vice president, environment, policy and social initiatives. “By running 100% of our operations on renewable energy and driving our entire global supply chain to do the same, we’ll bring more than 6 gigawatts of clean power online next year.
“Thank you to the United Nations for recognizing our commitment to clean energy and reducing the carbon footprint of our products,” concluded Jackson. “We promise to keep leading the charge for bold climate action.”
One of the things I am most looking forward to doing, once I have my iPhone 11 Pro (in Boba Fett Midnight Green, of course) in hand is heading down to the water, where it gets really dark, and taking pics of the stars at night.
The video embedded below does a nice job of both showing off the results you can achieve with just the iPhone and a tripod, as well as giving a good sense of the Night mode interface.
There’s a lot of background noise, but bear with it.
Amazon introduced a lot of new product yesterday, including Echo Ring and Echo Buds. But, to me, the most significant product they announced was a pair of glasses under the name Echo Frames.
Echo Frames brings Alexa to your ears, with new speaker designs that allow you to hear Alexa and listen to music, even in a noisy environment. Most significantly, Echo Frames are designed to take prescription lenses, so they’ll actually replace your own glasses, along with their treated lenses (my glasses are also my sunglasses, so this is important to me).
Apple does not have a solution like this. Yet. True, there’s Siri on your wrist, and in your pocket. And in your ears, at least some of the time.
Echo Frames is Alexa within whispering distance, every minute you are awake.
Watch the video below to get a sense of this. Follow the headline link to see the Echo Frames product page, and to sign up for the chance to be one of the testers when the product starts its rollout later this year.
We got around to opening up the 40 mm model and noticed a significantly different battery. This one has a snazzy new metal casing, as well as 10% more battery capacity than the Series 4 40 mm model. We’re going to spend some time researching and trying to figure it out. If nothing else, it seems to provide a tougher outer shell that is more resistant to pry damage. We doubt that’s its primary purpose, but we’re rummaging through patent filings for clues.
Always amazed at how much tech can fit in such a tiny enclosure. Even more so with AirPods.
Apple’s iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max will offer up a new warning if a repair technician ever uses a non-genuine Apple display when repairing a broken device.
“Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple display” will show up in the General > About section of the Settings app if a repair shop uses an unverified display component.
Good to be aware of this if you:
do your own repair,
get your screen replaced by a 3rd party shop or service,
buy a used iPhone
Per that last, if you do buy a used iPhone, that’s the first thing I’d check.
Sitting between two national parks in Kenya, the Chyulu Hills are home to large populations of elephants and other wildlife. The area is also the site of Apple’s latest donation, as the tech company looks for new solutions to climate change that can be replicated at scale.
And:
“By restoring tens of thousands of hectares in the Chyulu Hills, we can remove carbon from the air, protect a critical wildlife corridor for elephants, and support the livelihoods of the Maasai people,” says Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental, social, and policy initiatives, who formerly served as head of the EPA.
Love this. And props to Lisa Jackson for her work guiding Apple down this path.
The tvOS 13 update for Apple TV set-top boxes rolled out yesterday, and now Apple has started rolling out the new ‘under the sea’ screensavers produced in coordination with the BBC.
There are ten new underwater ‘Aerial’ screensavers offering a beautiful look at corals, shoals of fish, and generally stunning imagery of sea life. There are ten new underwater videos, showing many different species, coral reefs and more. All the videos are available in 4K on the Apple TV 4K.
Mayo has made all the screensavers available for viewing on his website.
I’ve been on a skateboard exactly two times in my life and both times I eventually fell off and almost busted my head open so I’m never going to try these tricks but it is interesting to watch them in slow motion with Hawk’s expert commentary.
With its rigid beat and dry, monotone vocals, the song sounds like a synth-pop hit you would have heard in a dance club in the Eighties. (Or at least on an Eighties Spotify station.) Close your eyes and you can imagine a music video: awkwardly lip-synching musicians, exploding lightbulbs, foggy streets. It’s familiar. But the name of the artist or band doesn’t come to mind.
That’s because, right now, no one knows anything about it: who wrote it, who sang it, or even when it came out. And for about a dozen years, a dedicated gaggle of music obsessives from around the world has been searching for any information about these three minutes of music. Throughout this quest, which intensified this summer, thousands of man-hours have been devoted to unearthing anything at all about what these zealous investigators are calling “the most mysterious song on the Internet.”
It’s that time of year when artists the world over take up their pens, pencils, brushes, and digital styluses and participate in Inktober. Started by illustrator and animator Jake Parker in 2014, Inktober encourages people to draw 31 drawings in 31 days, one for each day in October.
Digital drawing apps like Linea Sketch for the iPad make participating in Inktober easy and fun and this year we’re taking it a step further. We’ve created a set of free downloadable templates that you can easily import into Linea Sketch.
Linea’s Inktober templates are completely free, easy to set up, and should quickly get you on your way to joining in on the inking fun.
There are all kinds of these “30-day challenges” – photography, writing, even mustaches. If you have someone who loves to draw, this might be of interest to them. My 13-year-old loves drawing and I’m going to see if I can get him interested in this. I can’t draw worth a damn but I want to buy a new iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil 2 for him just so he can use the Linea Sketch app.
On January 9th, 2007, Steve Jobs took to the Macworld stage and showed off the iPhone to the world.
The linked article is the Reddit page reacting to that reveal. It’s an amazing slice of history. There’s this Engadget review, worth reading all by itself, but then, best of all, are the comments below the Reddit post.
Disney CEO Bob Iger was a guest on Mad Money. It’s a long segment, well worth the watch, but towards the beginning, Iger digs into his friendship with Steve Jobs.
There’s one moment in particular, where Bob talks about the pending purchase of Pixar, when Steve takes him for a walk, puts his arm around him, and tells him his cancer has returned. It’s poignant, and telling, an anecdote about integrity. Watch it.
Go back in time to that original iPad rollout, then watch the video embedded below. Think about how far the iPad operating system and user experience has come.
