When someone tips me off to a new iPhone and iPad game that’s really cool I suddenly have a serious time management problem. That’s exactly what happened with Scalek, a puzzle game that’s easy to learn yet challenging enough to keep you playing without getting too frustrated. The goal is to put all the pieces in the correct place on three dimensional objects. Shapes can wrap around sides, fit inside each other, match colors, and more. It’s simple, challenging, and addicting all at the same time. Scalek is US$1.99 and available on Apple’s App Store.
Netflix isn’t holding back on its original content and could spend US$13 billion this year on its shows and movies. To put that in perspective, Apple is moving aggressively with its $1 billion investment in original content and still well above more traditional content creators. David Z. Morris writing at Fortune said,
Netflix will spend $12-13 billion on original programming this year. That’s much more than the $8 billion it planned to spend as of October 2017. It would also be vastly more than legacy studios are spending: HBO spent $2.5 billion on content in 2017, and even CBS spent just $4 billion.
The streaming media company has plans for 82 feature films this year, and could be spending $22.5 billion a year on content by 2022. That moves the bar for Amazon, HBO, Hulu, and now Apple.
iOS 11.4.1’s USB Restricted Mode blocks anyone from using the Lightning port to hack into your iPhone or iPad, but a security researcher says it’s stunningly easy to work around.
Apple released macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 on Monday, adding support for AirPlay 2. The update lets you play music through paired HomePods as well as multiple AirPlay 2-capable devices via iTunes.
John Martellaro and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to look at the Timehop data breach, plus they share their thoughts on the state of government surveillance with facial recognition.
With Apple’s Shortcuts app now available for iOS 12 developer beta testers, the big question is, “What sort of automated actions can you create?” You can get started by checking out the Sharecuts website where you’ll find Shortcuts for uploading App Store links to Trello, getting your current location, sharing your own Shortcuts on Sharecuts, and more.
Steve Jobs was an interesting and fascinating man, and his interviews reflect that. If you’re interested in checking out his insights going back to 1980—well before the internet and smartphones—check out the All About Steve Jobs website. Their collection of interviews includes magazine articles along with videos from Rolling Stone, Playboy, Fortune, Smithsonian, and more.
China is running headstrong in to surveillance with facial recognition and is already using the technology to identify and arrest criminal suspects. Right now the country is experimenting with facial recognition glasses police can wear to look for potential arrest targets. It’s pretty creepy and growing by leaps and bounds with China expected to have some 300 million cameras installed by 2020. Philip Elmer-DeWitt says on his Apple 3.0 blog that the iPhone and iPad maker is getting in on the game, too. He says:
I’m told by an analyst who tracks headgear technology that Apple is three to five years away from a marketable product. It sounds like the Chinese, unhampered by any privacy concerns—in fact, incentivized to surveil—may get there first.
Apple is highlighting Face ID on the iPhone X in a new ad where a quiz show contestant has to remember his bank account password. The pressure is on because time is about to run out and he can’t remember. The ad is called “Memory,” and it’s both a clever and fun reminder of how handy Face ID can be.
There’s a reason why you can’t stop reading Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. The apps have interfaces designed to be addictive, according to Silicon Valley insiders talking with the BBC. Aza Raskin, a former Jawbone and Mozilla employee and the guy who invented infinite scroll found on social networks, was just one of the many developers who spoke with the BBC for a new documentary program. He said,
It’s as if they’re taking behavioural cocaine and just sprinkling it all over your interface and that’s the thing that keeps you like coming back and back and back. Behind every screen on your phone, there are generally like literally a thousand engineers that have worked on this thing to try to make it maximally addicting.
Social networks need your eyes and your attention to keep revenue coming in, so the idea they would find ways to make us want to stay seems plausible. Other insiders say leaving social networks behind is a lot like quitting cigarettes. It’s no wonder so many people live for Facebook’s “like” button.
Kelly Guimont joins Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple not using Intel for iPhone 5G modem chips and the negative impact Twitter’s API changes are having on third-party app developers.
Apple’s iPhone 8 was the top selling smartphone in May 2018, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung’s Galaxy S9 Plus came in second, followed by iPhone X.
Along with iOS 12 Public Beta 2, Apple released tvOS 12 Public Beta 2 just in time for the weekend. The update is compatible with the fourth generation Apple TV and Apple TV 4K.
Apple released iOS 12 Developer Beta 3 for the iPhone and iPad earlier this week, and now iOS 12 Public Beta is available. iOS 12 Public Beta 2 looks to be the same as Developer Beta 3.
If you’re concerned about, or just aren’t sure, which apps and services have access to your Google account there’s an easy way see and even revoke access. Read on to learn how.
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on what could be behind Netflix’s test program for a new high end subscription tier.
