Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman got the goods on Apple’s WWDC software plans. Highlights include several improvements to Maps that I’m looking forward to. Apple is also improving the Health app, Reminders, adding audio book support to Apple Watch, a standalone app for the Apple Watch App Store on the watch itself, new Watch complications and faces, improved share sheet in iOS, combined Find my Friends and Find My iPhone, improved iMessage, an updated Books app with a reward system, and much more. There’s a ton of information in this piece, and it’s a good read.
Drones Help Find The Victims of Mexico's Drug War
Mexico’s drug war is infamous the world over. The Verge reported on how a group of mothers in the country used drones to find victims’ graves.
When the members of family collectives like Solecito search for a mass grave in places like Colinas de Santa Fe, they go in groups. Often, dangerous people would prefer the bodies not be found. The sites are isolated, making the visits conspicuous, and it’s hard to say for sure whether the visitors are being watched. There is some safety in numbers. Drones have become a crucial part of the routine. The families sail them over the land to scan for signs of human presence, like a smoldering campfire or discarded cans of food — signals that they could come under attack because a criminal group is still there.
Warren Buffett and Apple Team-up For New Game
Apple released its own iOS game for the first time in over decade, starring Warren Buffett and a newspaper tossing contest.
Apple Sapphire Glass Supplier Charged With Fraud
In 2014 Apple loaned US$578 million to GT Advanced Technologies to create sapphire glass displays. Now the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed the supplier is being charged with fraud for allegedly withholding key information from stockholders.
“GT and its CEO painted a rosy picture of the company’s performance and ability to obtain funding that was paramount to GT’s survival while they were aware of information that would have catastrophic consequences for the company,” said the Anita B. Bandy from the SEC’s enforcement division.
2019 FlexSafe Portable Travel Safe: $59
We have a deal on the 2019 FlexSafe Portable Travel Safe. This is a clever little device designed to keep your valuables secure on the go. It features a reprogrammable lock, is cut-resistant, and it’s made with RFID blocking material to help keep your digital assets secure, too. It’s $59 through our deal.
Spotify vs Apple, Journalism vs Spoilers – TMO Daily Observations 2019-05-06
Andrew Orr and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to talk about the EU investigation into Apple Music, and journalism versus surprises.
Tim Cook: Apple Buys a Company 'Every Two to Three Weeks'
Apple acquired between 20 and 25 companies in the last six months and makes a purchase every two to three weeks, Tim Cook revealed.
Amazon Fired Pregnant Women. Now They Are Suing.
Working conditions in Amazon’s fulfillment centers have long been a matter of controversy. Now, a number of pregnant women who worked in the warehouses are filing lawsuits. CNET looked into the cases.
CNET reviewed seven lawsuits against Amazon filed by pregnant warehouse workers who were fired over the last eight years and alleged that the company failed to accommodate their needs. The requests included longer bathroom breaks and fewer continuous hours on their feet, according to the lawsuits, but in all of the cases the expectant mothers were fired after telling their managers they were pregnant. Six of the cases were settled out of court. These cases fuel the perception that Amazon and CEO Jeff Bezos have created grueling conditions at their US fulfillment centers in the rush to build the online marketplace for everything.
macOS: How to Disable Homebrew Analytics
Homebrew has recently started to collect data, which helps the developers. But if you don’t like this you can disable Homebrew analytics.
App Usage Can Predict Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
An Apple research paper called “App Usage Predicts Cognitive Ability in Older Adults” says that iPhone usage can help predict cognitive decline in older adults [PDF].
To characterize smartphone usage among older adults, we collected iPhone usage data from 84 healthy older adults over three months. We find that older adults use fewer apps, take longer to complete tasks, and send fewer messages. We use cognitive test results from these same older adults to then show that up to 79% of these differences can be explained by cognitive decline, and that we can predict cognitive test performance from smartphone usage with 83% ROCAUC. While older adults differ from younger adults in app usage behavior, the “cognitively young” older adults use smartphones much like their younger counterparts. Our study suggests that to better support all older adults, researchers and developers should consider the full spectrum of cognitive function.
