Today Bryan Chaffin, Charlotte Henry AND Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Disney+ and how it compares to other services.
Patents Suggest Face ID Coming to Mac, Touch Bar Coming to Magic Keyboard
Newly published Apple patents revealed that Face ID could be coming to Macs. The documents, reported on by 9to5 Mac, also suggested the Touch Bar could be coming to the Magic Keyboard.
The patent application spotted today by Patently Apple is actually for Face ID using a retina scan rather than a 3D map of the face. This is a type of technology used in some high-end security systems. Apple notes in patent claim #86 that devices with the Touch Bar may also use a biometric sensor that is “a facial detection sensor.” In patent claim #87 Apple notes “wherein the biometric sensor is a retina scanner.” This may be a genuine interest on the part of Apple to switch to a new technology for Face ID, or it may simply be the company covering all the bases – as it usually does in patent applications.
Disney+ Likely Coming to Apple TV, Bob Iger Staying on Apple Board
In a fascinating interview with Bloomberg TV, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger discussed the new Disney+ streaming service. In the course of the conversation, he revealed that the service will be available via Apple TV. He also confirmed he will be staying on Apple’s board. That is despite the fact the two firms are going to be competing directly against each other in streaming.
The new Disney+ app will “in all likelihood be available through traditional app distributors, Apple being one of them,” Disney chief Bob Iger said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang. While the studio behind “Star Wars” and Marvel movies said during an earlier presentation that consumers will be able to subscribe on Roku and PlayStation, it held back from naming others. Disney didn’t make announcements about other platforms because they “haven’t made deals with all of them yet,” Iger said. He also suggested that he isn’t planning to step down from the Apple board despite the companies going head-to-head in streaming
News+: Fixes and Enhancements With Affinity Photo
I’ve been using Affinity Photo for several months now, and I’m still getting used to using it. In the latest issue (May 2019) of MacFormat magazine, they share photo fixes and enhancements with Affinity Photo.
As well as using Affinity Photo to fix common problems, you can produce more creative results using selection and compositing tools such as layers and masks.
Unfortunately, this magazine is in PDF form instead of using Apple News Format. So you’ll have to swipe to page 28 (As opposed to me being able to share the singular article).
This is part of Andrew’s News+ series, where he shares a magazine every Friday to help people discover good content in Apple News+.
Dr. Katie Bouman - The 29-year-old Scientist Who Beamed a Black Hole Back to Earth
The image of Dr. Katie Bouman clasping her hands in glee next to her MacBook Pro as data from space downloads is almost as famous as the image she helped create. Dr. Bouman wrote the algorithm that helped produce the first-ever image of a black hole. The Telegraph published a biography of the acclaimed computer scientist and electrical engineer.
Dr Bouman’s CV reveals an impressive academic record in electrical engineering and computer science. She has studied at some of the best institutions in the world, getting an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, and a Masters and PhD at MIT, winning prizes and scholarships along the way. In 2017, as a graduate student, she took up her role leading the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team – which made the black hole picture possible – based out of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, in Massachusetts
Tree-Planting Drones Shoot the Forest Back
Startup Biocarbon Engineering use tree-planting drones that shoot the forest back in Myanmar and other places around the world.
The drones first fly over an area to map it, collecting data about the topography and soil condition that can be combined with satellite data and analyzed to determine the best locations to plant each seed. Then the drone fires biodegradable pods—filled with a germinated seed and nutrients—into the ground.
Amazon's Alexa is Listening to You - More Than You Might Know
Bloomberg reports:
Tens of millions of people use smart speakers and their voice software to play games, find music or trawl for trivia. Millions more are reluctant to invite the devices and their powerful microphones into their homes out of concern that someone might be listening.
Sometimes, someone is.
The article goes on to explain how Amazon employs thousands of people around the world to listen, transcribe and annotate conversations with Alexa. All in an effort to improve Alexa’s ability to understand human speech. Of course, Amazon has strict policies and the user identities are anonymized. But still… Seriously?
Oprah, Prince Harry, and JJ Abrams on Apple TV+, Ming-Chi Kuo's Mac Predictions, with Charlotte Henry - ACM 509
Queen Oprah and the UK’s Prince Harry are doing a docu-series on mental health for Apple TV+, and Bryan Chaffin is joined by Charlotte Henry to talk about what that says about Apple’s video efforts. Charlotte also brings some across-the-pond context about Prince Harry and the royal family and how this news was greeted in England. They also talk about JJ Abrams saying that working on Apple TV+ was like the Wild West. They cap the show by discussing Ming-Chi Kuo’s most recent Mac predictions.
Humm.ly Music Therapy App 1-Year Subscription: $19.99
We have a deal on Humm.ly, a musical therapy app designed to upgrade your mindfulness practice and boost well-being. All content is designed by certified music therapists and music producers, and it will serve up music calibrated to your desired goal. Read more about the app in the deal listing. You can get one year subscription to the service for $19.99 through our deal.
Foxconn is Confusing People in Wisconsin
People in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin may have initially been happy when they heard Foxconn was coming. The company promised 13,000 jobs would be created. But, according to the Verge, things have all got a little confusing.
Mount Pleasant residents engage in Kremlinology based on overheard conversations at local bars and which contractors are seen coming and going from the site, which is heavily patrolled by private security. Even then, appearances can be misleading. Most of the construction that was visible from the roads in Mount Pleasant this winter wasn’t being done by Foxconn, but by government contractors building roads and utilities. As for the innovation centers announced across the state, Foxconn has bought property, but beyond that, much is unclear, including what an “innovation center” actually is.
