Cool Stuff Found Archive

Get Free Photoshop Online With Photopea

Andrew Orr · November 7, 2018

Yesterday the creator of Photopea did a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). Photopea is free Photoshop online.

My name is Ivan Kutskir, I am 28 y.o. and live in Prague, the Czech Republic. I studied Computer Science and I enjoy programming. I am the author of www.Photopea.com , which is an advanced image editor, that works in a web browser. There was about 1.5 millions of visitors in October. After the first 7 000 hours of work (around 5 hours a day during 3.5 years), I haven’t made a single dollar (it was just my hobby during the college). Then, I put advertisement into it, and it makes me a decent income now (decent for a single person in Prague).

I had never heard of Photopea before, but I played around with it and it’s an impressive tool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jokp7Siwtkw

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Here's How to Edit Depth Control on your iPhone XS/XS Max/XR

Charlotte Henry · November 5, 2018

Apple put out a neat video over the weekend demonstrating how you can edit the Depth Control feature now available on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. It shows the 4 simple steps needed to apply the effect – choose a portrait, tap edit, slide to adjust the depth, tap done. The functionality works in portrait mode and adjusts the amount of blur in the background of a picture. This Depth Control effect can be applied to photos you have already taken, and iOS 12.1 will also have a real time Depth Control feature.

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Inside Look at MacStadium's Mac Mini Server Farm

Andrew Orr · November 2, 2018

Remember at Apple’s keynote where we saw that a company had created a Mac mini server farm? That was MacStadium, and YouTuber Snazzy Labs visited the place. Besides Mac Minis, the company also has racks of the 2013 Mac Pro, and MacStadium recently added some iMac Pros. Since there aren’t a lot of companies doing this, MacStadium had to build custom server racks to house the minis. The company uses VM software in order to avoid needing expensive internal storage. The Mac Pros have had their internal storage removed entirely, and the minis boot off of the Mac Pros to create a giant external storage enclosure. The video is a fascinating glimpse into MacStadium, which is a company that provides the server farm as an “infrastructure-as-a-service.”

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NOMAD Intros Wireless Charging Base Station for iPhone and Apple Watch

Jeff Gamet · October 31, 2018

If you’re looking for an all-in-one wireless charging system for your iPhone and Apple Watch, check out the new NOMAD Base Station Apple Watch Edition. The new Base Station has a padded place for your iPhone and a built-in Apple Watch charger, no need to add your own. You can wirelessly charge your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time, and your watch is propped up so you can use it as a clock on your nightstand. The Base Station Apple Watch Edition is available now for US$119.95, unlike Apple’s AirPower, which we may never see.

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New App Mister Lister Lets You Make and Rate Lists

Andrew Orr · October 30, 2018

A cool new app called Mister Lister lets you make lists out of anything, and rate items. From restaurants to movies, if you can think of it, you can rate it. Need more detailed reviews than just an overall rating? Split up your ratings into weighted categories. Want a movie list but want to split by genre, tag your movies. Have some extra notes about that restaurant you ate at, write them down. This sounds like a cool app to me, sort of a personal Yelp. It sounds great for people with hobbies like keeping track of your favorite wine, beer, coffee, books, etc. You can then share your lists with friends to rate things together. App Store: Mister Lister: Free

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Here's a Wallpaper Generator Shortcut For Those Apple Logos

Andrew Orr · October 29, 2018

Redditor u/wexford001 made a neat wallpaper generator shortcut. It uses the Apple logos (all 370 of them) that Apple created for tomorrow’s event. Every time you tap the shortcut it generates a random image based on your device. There are both white and black versions, in case you have an iPhone with an OLED screen.

All the code to actually get the image from imgur was the work of u/hinapupina in his “imgur downloader” shortcut. I modified it a bit, but i don’t understand it well enough to have done this on my own. Thanks!

You can download the shortcut for white wallpapers here, and the black version here.

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This Website Lets you Compare Smartphones in 3D

Andrew Orr · October 26, 2018

A website called Hotspot 3D lets you compare smartphones in 3D. It’s really neat because you can compare different iPhone and Android models to give you an idea of how they compare in terms of size. The phones are displayed side by side and you can spin them every which way around. The available iPhones are: iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X/XS/XS Max, and iPhone XR. The Android phones are: Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S8/S8 Plus, Galaxy S9/S9 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Huawei P20/P20 Lite/P20 Pro, Sony Xperia XA2/XA2 Ultra, Huawei Mate 10/Mate 10 Lite/Mate 10 Pro, and the LG Q6. You can also compare every phone to a credit card.

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T2M2 Utility Sheds Light on Time Machine Operations/Errors

John Martellaro · October 25, 2018

When macOS Time Machine works, it does so swimmingly. But when it goes wrong, it can be hard to diagnose the problem. Worse, according to the developer, “Before Sierra brought the new unified log, it was easy to check for problems using Console. But from Sierra on, that has become increasingly complex, and most users would rather undergo root canal treatment than try to make any sense of what they now see in Console.”

“My solution is a free tool, The Time Machine Mechanic, or T2M2, which I built to analyse Time Machine entries automatically in [macOS] logs.”

And it now looks great in Mojave’s Dark Mode.

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TunnelBear Gets Password Autofill, Easy iOS 12 Siri Shortcut Setup

Jeff Gamet · October 25, 2018

The iPhone and iPad version of the VPN app TunnelBear got an update this week that adds in support for autofilling passwords from RememBear, plus a new button for adding TunnelBear to Siri for voice control. Tapping the button creates a Siri Shortcut to connect to the last used TunnelBear server, and lets you record your own Siri trigger phrase. The TunnelBear app is free, and the VPN service is free for up to 500MB usage a month. The unlimited data plan costs US$9.99 a month, or $49.99 a year.

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Volocopter Coming To Your Location

John Martellaro · October 24, 2018

I’ve written about Volocopter before. Now, progress is being made, and it’ll be undergoing autonomous trials in Singapore next year. The expectation, according to engadget, “If the Singapore tests go well, the technology progresses as planned and the company can get regulators on board, you could be hopping into a Volocopter for your commute in about five years.” The best part? You won’t have to tip the autonomous pilot.

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Apple Celebrates Mickey Mouse's 90 Anniversary with Limited Edition Beats Solo 3 Wireless Headphones

Jeff Gamet · October 17, 2018

It’s the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, so Apple and Disney teamed up for a limited edition version of the Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones showing off the iconic mouse. The headphones include a gray felt case with Beats and Mickey emblems, a special 90th anniversary Mickey pin, a decal, and of course Mickey is printed on the headphones, too. You can pick up the 90th anniversary Mickey Mouse Beats headphones for US$329.95.

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Apple Updates Privacy Website with macOS Mojave and iOS 12 Details

Jeff Gamet · October 17, 2018

Apple updated its privacy website on Wednesday. The site now details security improvements in macOS Mojave and iOS 12, end-to-end encryption for Screen Time and Group FaceTime, improvements to no-tracking for websites, and more. It also includes links for managing your privacy with Apple devices and services, and Apple’s transparency in privacy report. It’s great to see the effort Apple is putting into protecting user privacy, especially since so many other companies are playing fast and loose with our data.

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This Tool Lets You Install macOS Mojave on Unsupported Macs

Jeff Gamet · October 15, 2018

Just because Apple’s installer won’t let you install macOS Mojave on your older Mac doesn’t mean you can’t. The dosdude1 website has a special tool that patches the installer so you can install Mojave on unsupported Macs, just in case that’s your thing. The site also has patcher tools install macOS Sierra and High Sierra on Macs that don’t support those operating system versions. It’s pretty cool, but remember that just because you can make the installer run you shouldn’t expect the best performance, or that every feature will work.

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Check Out the Apple Watch Faces Steve Troughton-Smith Designed

Jeff Gamet · October 15, 2018

Steve Troughton-Smith does more than post Apple product leaks. He’s also a professional coder, and his latest pet project shows why it would be cool to get third-party faces for Apple Watch. He’s come up with some pretty interesting watch faces, plus he posted the example code on Github so you can experiment with your own—assuming you’re a developer. I get Apple not wanting horribly garish watch faces, but maybe they could partner with some developers or make a watch face screening process. I know I’m ready for some options outside of Apple’s limited pool.

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Introducing Salto, Another Terrifying Robot

John Martellaro · October 12, 2018

Robot technology often invokes sophisticated mechanisms, in order to perform a task, that mimic those of living creatures. When done right, the visual effect can be startling, even creepy. Mark Serrels writes: “Meet “Salto-1P” a robot being designed by the Biomimetic Millisystems lab at Berkeley, University of California. The work is being supported by an Army Research Office Grant, which makes me wonder if one of these things is gonna kill me one day.” Better check under your bed again, Mark.

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Apple Music Trailer for Carpool Karaoke with Jamie Foxx and Corinne Foxx

Bryan Chaffin · October 12, 2018

Apple has a new trailer out for Carpool Karaoke promoting an upcoming episode with Jamie Foxx and his daughter Corinne Foxx. The trailer feature’s Foreigner’s ~~ripoff of Deep Purple’s “My Woman from Tokyo”~~ “Hot Blooded.” The theme of this episode is father-daughter clashes over what gets played on the car’s radio, which will surely resonate with lots of folks. Jamie Foxx is a great singer, too. Here’s the trailer.

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BostonDynamics's Atlas Robot Can Now Use Parkour Tactics (to Hunt Us Down)

Bryan Chaffin · October 11, 2018

I both love and am terrified by the astounding work BostonDynamics is doing with its future masters-of-us-all. The company has a new video our showing its Atlas robot on a parkour outing, something they will no doubt find useful when they turn on us at some point in the not-too-distant future. OK, I mostly kid, but seriously: watching this video is both amazing and weirdly creepy (and scary). The way Atlas uses its arms to balance and help lift itself…it’s so human-like. BostonDynamics, by the by, is the company that makes dogbots that can open doors, another ability they will no doubt find useful.

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Carpool Karaoke: The Series Season 2 Starts October 12

Jeff Gamet · October 9, 2018

The second season of Apple’s Carpool Karaoke series starts on Friday, October 12th. The series puts celebrities together in a car to talk with each other and sing along with songs. This season includes Snoop Dog with Matthew McConaughey, Andy Samberg with Weird Al Yankovic, the Star Trek: Discovery cast, Jason Sudeikis with the Muppets, and more. The episodes will be available for free through the TV app on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. Check out the season trailer.

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Dark Sky gets Apple Watch Series 4 Complications

Jeff Gamet · October 5, 2018

Dark Sky, my favorite local weather app on the iPhone, was updated on Thursday with new complications for Apple Watch Series 4. That means fans of the Infograph watch face get a slick complication that matches the new look Apple is pushing. It looks like the update also fixed a problem where the app defaulted to New York City for forecasts, which kind of defeated the purpose of hyper-local data. Dark Sky costs US$3.99 and is available on Apple’s App Store. The update is free for current users.

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Aspyr Brings Civilization VI to iPhone

Bryan Chaffin · October 4, 2018

Civilization VI on an iPhone? Really, it boggles my mind that Civ VI can played on an iPad, but Aspyr announced Thursday that it’s now available for iPhone, too. What these “phones” we carry with us everywhere can do is really something else. In any event, Civ VI for iPhone is free download—the free version lets you play 60 turns, enough to see if you’re going to like it. You can unlock the full game for $23.99 as an in-app purchase. It’s a hybrid app, too, so if you already bought it for iPad, you can download it on iPhone.

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Happy 2018 Birthday Siri! Apple's Virtual Assistant is 7

Andrew Orr · October 4, 2018

Happy 2018 Birthday Siri! Apple’s virtual assistant made her debut on October 4, 2011 which makes her seven years old today. Siri is now more powerful than ever, and with the release of iOS 12 users can work to customize the assistant a bit with the Shortcuts app. Siri can make calls or send texts for you whether you are driving, have your hands full, or are simply on the go. It also offers proactive suggestions, like texting someone that you’re running late for a meeting, so you can stay in touch effortlessly. Set alarms, timers, and reminders. Get directions. Preview your calendar. Siri can do it all without your ever having to pick up a device. Based on your routine, Siri can even anticipate what you might need to help you breeze through your day. Machine learning is constantly making Siri smarter. And you can personalize Siri to make it even more useful. Choose to have Siri speak one of 21 different languages. Teach Siri who your family members are. And spell out unusual words so Siri can recognize them in the future.

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Sid Meier's Civilization VI Now on iPhone and It's on Sale

Andrew Orr · October 4, 2018

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is a popular turn-based game and part of the Civilization game series. The company behind the game—Aspyr Media—recently reengineered the game to make it available for the iPad. And now it’s available for the iPhone as well. To celebrate the game is 60% off at US$23.99, when it’s normally US$59.99. Download now and play your first 60 turns for free. Purchase the full game to build an empire that stands the test of time. Civilization VI requires iOS 11 and an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, or any iPad Pro. The game offers new ways to interact with your world, expand your empire across the map, advance your culture, and compete against history’s greatest leaders to build a civilization that will stand the test of time. Play as one of 20 historical leaders including Roosevelt (America) and Victoria (England).

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UAG Project PNK Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Andrew Orr · October 2, 2018

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and smartphone case maker UAG is supporting the cause with UAG Project PNK. The company is releasing limited edition Product PNK cases. 100% of profits from Product PNK cases will be donated to breast cancer charities to help raise awareness and aid in breakthrough research. Product PNK was designed to support a mission that saves lives and invests in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer. Meeting military standards (MIL STD 810G-516.6) for drop and shock, each iPhone case is as strong as the cause it represents. Each case is has an armor shell and impact-resistant soft core, air-soft corners for cushioning impact, feather-light composite construction, oversized tactile buttons and easy access to touchscreen and ports, scratch resistant skid pads and screen surround, and they are compatible with Apple Pay and wireless charging.

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Manage Color Palettes on Your Mac with Swatch

Jeff Gamet · October 2, 2018

Bit Lasso just released Swatch to make it easier to manage the color palettes on the Mac. The app lets you import colors from multiple sources, add colors with Apple’s Color Picker, and by entering color values. You can organize palettes, export colors and palettes, and more. Swatch lives in your menu bar for quick access. The app requires macOS High Sierra or Mojave and is available on Apple’s Mac App Store for US$9.99.