Apple Maps is collecting pedestrian level data in California. On Friday, a man wearing a Lidar rig, GPS and multiple cameras as well as an Apple Maps backpack, was spotted in San Francisco, according to MacRumors. On its website, Apple said [via AppleInsider] that Pedestrian teams will be in a number of California counties. While cars conducting mapping are not such a rare site spotted in Los Angeles earlier in the week, but as MacRumors noted: “This is the first time we’ve seen someone collecting mapping data on foot.”
The New iPad Pro Bends
YouTuber JerryRigEverything has taken a rather brutal approach to Apple’s new iPad Pro. In a new video, he tested the 11-inch version’s durability and found that it “doesn’t have any of that structural integrity stuff.” He concluded: “A tablet the size of a piece paper folds like a piece of paper.” It is quite painful to watch the beautiful device just give way, but worth knowing where the weak the points are. (Spoiler alert: they’re right in the middle, by the microphone and Apple Pencil charging dock.)
Apple News puts Humans First
The Sydney Morning Herald has taken an in-depth look at how Apple News is developing. Australia is one of only three countries in which the service is available, the others being the US and UK. The piece outlines the radically different approach Apple has taken to news compared to other tech giants. Its focus is on using human journalists, not algorithms, to curate news, not algorithms, in a bid to improve accuracy. That approach was summed up in a quote from Apple News Editor-in-Chief Lauren Kern:
“Misinformation can come out so quickly and spread so rapidly and that’s something that we take pride in not allowing to happen” says Lauren Kern, the platform’s editor in chief, who is a former executive editor of New York magazine. “Our mantra is that it’s better to be accurate than first.”
Tim Cook says Tech Regulation 'Inevitable'
Tim Cook conducted a major interview in which he said new regulation was “inevitable” and defended Apple’s relationship wtih Google.
SolarJuice 26,800mAh External Battery - with Solar Panels: $46.99
We have a deal on the SolarJuice 26,800mAh external battery from Zero Lemon. This large capacity battery has built-in solar panels, built-in emergency lights, and three charging ports. It also has a microUSB port for charging the SolarJuice directly. It’s $46.99 through our deal.
Hidden Setting: Enable Three Finger Drag to Move Windows with Ease
Today’s Quick Tip comes from Forum user Alphaman, who teaches us that the best trackpad gesture in macOS is hidden inside the Accessibility prefpane. Check out how to use this to enable three-finger dragging and never click-and-drag again!
Former Facebook Privacy Advisor says Silicon Valley Lost its Soul
Former Facebook privacy advisor Dipayan Ghosh argues that Silicon Valley prioritizes profits and conformity of thought over ethics.
Tumblr iOS App Missing From App Store
Over weekend iOS users found that the Tumblr iOS app had disappeared from the App Store. As of this writing it’s still not there.
Despite Privacy Stance, Tim Cook Defends Google on iOS
Despite Apple’s stance on privacy, Tim Cook defended Google on iOS during an interview with Axios that aired last night.
Tips and Tricks for Civilization VI
Jen Karner has some great tips and tricks for Civilization VI. Although her article specifically mentions the Nintendo Switch, these tips work for any platform.
I’ve been playing Civilization VI since it launched on PC in 2016, and with more than 700 hours logged I’ve got strong feelings on just about every kind of start, civilization and play style. During that time I’ve beaten the game a handful of times with Culture and Science victories and have restarted the game more times than I want to count — seriously.
The best tip on there is to play to your civilization’s strengths. Each civilization gives you a unique bonus, and you should take advantage of that.