Apple has released iOS 12.1.3 today with fixes for bugs. Other OS updates should also be available as well.
Recent Articles By Andrew Orr [RSS]
iPhoneographers: New Shot on iPhone Challenge
Apple is holding a new Shot on iPhone challenge that will run from January 22 to February 7. A panel of judges will review worldwide submissions and select 10 winning photos.
Post your best photo taken on iPhone to Instagram or Twitter with the #ShotOniPhone hashtag to participate in the the Shot on iPhone Challenge. Weibo users can participate as well using #ShotOniPhone#. In the image caption, note which model was used. Alternatively, you can also submit the photo in its highest resolution to shotoniphone@apple.com with the file format ‘firstname_lastname_iphonemodel.’
Homomorphic Encryption Gaining Traction
With homomorphic encryption, data could be encrypted and still worked with, greatly increasing security.
iPhone XS Max DxOMark Score Ranks it Fourth
The iPhone XS Max DxOMark score causes the iPhone to rank fourth in the list. With a score of 82 it barely edges out the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus.
Achieving a DxOMark front camera score of 82, the Apple iPhone XS Max puts in a solid performance for both still and moving images during our tests, and is a nice improvement over its predecessor, the iPhone X. For still photos, the device boasts some great strengths for selfie shooters, including excellent HDR, bokeh shots, and detail at close range, which are among the best results we’ve observed for front cameras.
Raised issues include noise, white balance, and skin rendering.
For 12 Years Apple Most Admired Company
Fortune has ranked Apple as the most admired company in the world. Apple has held this position for 12 years.
Google Hopes No One Notices it's a Digital Oil Baron
A day after the company got fined over privacy and consent practices, Google CFO Ruth Porat says data is more like sunlight than oil.
Most people know the phrase “data is the new oil,” a theory about how the world’s most valuable resource is information rather than petroleum. Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday morning, Google chief financial officer Ruth Porat said: “Data is more like sunlight than oil … It is like sunshine, we keep using it and it keeps regenerating.”
Google wants to ride the coattails of alternative energy instead of being associated with those nasty old oil barons in the hope that no one will notice similarities. Also the phrase “We keep using it and it keeps regenerating” underscores the belief that data can be collected from people and used for free.
Use Apple Pay to Buy Nacho Fries at Taco Bell
Now that Taco Bell is bringing back nacho fries, you can use your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for them.
Book Sale: Fossils, Finches, and Fuegians for $1.99
Fossils, Finches, and Fuegians is a narrative account of Charles Darwin’s four year voyage on the Beagle to South America, Australia and the Pacific in the 1830s that combines the adventure and excitement of Alan Moorehead’s famous (and now out of print) account with an expert assessment of the scientific discoveries of that journey. The author is Charles Darwin’s great-grandson. No biography of Darwin has yet done justice to what the scientific research actually was that occupied Darwin during the voyage. Keynes shows exactly how Darwin’s geological researches and his observations on natural history sowed the seeds of his revolutionary theory of evolution, and led to the writing of his great works on The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. Apple Books: US$1.99
Japan Wants Foreign Tech Companies to Follow its Privacy Laws
The country wants to impose “secrecy of communications” rules on foreign tech companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon.
AMD Radeon Navi GPU Support Coming to macOS
AMD Radeon Navi GPU support is coming to macOS. Code for four graphics cards is present, referring to Navi 9, Navi 10, Navi 12, and Navi 16.
The new device ID is 0x73101002. We need to keep our eyes on this kext development for more news and support as its getting close to the “Navi-dad”. we saw similar code in Sierra prior to the Vega release. Navi in 6 months?
Feliz navidad everyone!
Korean FTC to Let Apple Respond to Unfair Practices
The Korean FTC has found Apple guilty of unfair practices in its dealings with carriers, but it will let Apple respond.
Police Looking for WalMart iPhone Thieves
Police are looking for WalMart iPhone thieves who stole US$40,000 worth of iPhones and Apple Watches across multiple states.
The suspects are identified as James J. Jordan, 42, and Jahmir Andre Mitchell, 19, both from Philly. They remain at large, but face felony charges of participating in a corrupt organization, receiving stolen property and retail theft and a misdemeanor conspiracy charge.
Sounds like these guys are suspects in multiple cases. Hopefully they will be caught.
So Far Apple Giving Program Raised $365M for Non-Profits
Apple’s Newsroom entry, titled ‘Out of a culture of giving, a world of difference’, talks about some of the people helped by the program.
Pocket Build Update Brings Dragons and Other Monsters
I’ve been playing the sh*t out of Pocket Build lately. It’s a fun sandbox game where you can build your own fantasy world. There are castles, different types of people, trees, fences, farms, goblins, rocks, etc., and now a new series called Dragons & Monsters. Deploy people and goblins to harvest resources, which you can spend towards building. Pocket Build is similar to Minecraft but with a bit less adventure. Instead of having a main character, it’s more like one of those “be a god” simulations. You start with the default world called Pocket Town, which gives you a good head start with resources, people, and a farm. You can build your own worlds, and explore other players’ worlds if they are set to public. I think my favorite part is that there are no special gems or other currency where the developers make you spend real money on, like so many games do. You can tip the developers which will give you a certain amount of resources, but it’s not necessary to play the game. App Store: US$1.99 (Offers In-App Purchases)
Apple Maps Transit Expands in Europe
Apple Maps transit directions are expanding to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. This is the biggest combined update so far.
5 Drawing Apps for iPad Pro and Apple Pencil
Michael Calore’s list is a good follow up to my article of apps that put the ‘pro’ in iPad Pro. If you’re an artist, here are five drawing apps to look out for.
Whether you’re a casual scribbler or seasoned illustrator, the iPad Pro, paired with its Pencil, can be a serious artistic tool.
Coinstar Machines to Sell Bitcoin in the Future
Coinstar is planning to sell bitcoin through its machines found in places like grocery stores. It partnered with startup Coinme.
Google Investigation Shows Apple Was Right About Face ID
Take this with a grain of salt because this tweet is all I’ve seen about this. But David Ruddock of AndroidPolice mentioned a Google investigation trying to determine if certain types of fingerprint sensors are secure.
Another CES Story: I’ve heard Google is currently investigating whether current optical fingerprint sensor designs are secure enough to be used for TrustZone auth (mobile payments, banking apps, etc). There is real concern optical FPRs may be too easy to spoof.
Although facial recognition came to Android first, it was there for convenience as a way to unlock your device. But Apple added it for security, and it looks like they bet on the right horse.
Final Cut Pro 10.4.5 Released With Performance, Stability
Apple updated Final Cut Pro yesterday to 10.4.5 with improvements to performance and stability.
A List of macOS Touch Bar Apps
The Touch Bar on recent Macs doesn’t seem to get a lot of love, but David Nield writes about macOS Touch Bar apps that do make use of it.
We’re only going to limit ourselves to mentioning one Apple app in the list, but dig around, and you’ll find that pretty much every native macOS program includes some Touch Bar shortcuts you might find useful.
Personally I’m of the opinion that the feature is gimmicky and doesn’t add much functionality to Macs.
