Star Wars: The Clone Wars was an amazing series and showed just how great Star Wars story telling is done. There was still more to tell, so Disney announced at San Diego Comic Con that it’s coming back with 12 more episodes to truly wrap up the series. Dave Filoni is in charge of the new episodes, which is excellent because he’s the man behind it and Star Wars: Rebels. He’s also the guy—quite frankly—who should’ve been put in charge of the rest of the Star Wars franchise. It’s a safe bet these new episodes will be just as awesome as the original five seasons. Unfortunately, they’ll be available only on Disney’s own streaming service, so that’s another subscription you’ll have to get. Still, considering how great The Clone Wars was, it’ll be awesome to finally get a true wrap up for the series.
Data Transfer Project Will Make it Easier to Switch Platforms
The companies want to build an open-source data portability platform to make it easy for users to migrate between platforms.
Want to Name the European Rover That Will Go to Mars in 2020?
A European rover called ExoMars will travel to the red planet in 2020. Astronaut Tim Peake wants everyone to enter a name on a website designed for the purpose. Be warned though: There will be no Spacey McSpaceFace. Also, you have to be a European citizen to vote, as I found out when I tried to submit my name suggestion (Destiny).
Tim says thinking about the rover’s mission might be the source for a great name. “I often get asked, ‘is there life out there beyond Earth?’. It’s a very fundamental question, and it’s one that this rover is going to try to answer,” he told BBC News.
Dr David Parker, the director of human spaceflight and robotics at the European Space Agency, agreed: “The Americans called their Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity. We’ve tended in the past to name our missions after famous scientists.
It's Time to Let us Set Default Apps on iOS
Dan Moren writes that it’s about time that Apple let us set default apps on iOS. From the very beginning, the default apps have been Apple’s own. Although you can install third-party apps, you can’t set them as the default. This means that if you want to use Chrome, tapping on a link will still open it in Safari.
Developers who compete directly with Apple’s built-in apps (like Mail, Safari, and Calendar) have always had an uphill battle ahead of them. How do you take on an app that’s installed on every single iPhone for free? Especially when your app will always be a second-class citizen. Allowing users to choose their own default apps won’t fix all of those problems, but it will go a ways toward making these apps viable for even more people.
USB Wall Charger with Hidden Camera: $49.99
Here’s an interesting device called the LizaCam USB Wall Plug. It’s a wall charger—and looks like one with a USB port—but it also has a hidden camera and a motion sensor. It will alert you when it detects motion and record HD video to an SD card—not the cloud. You can access that video from your smartphone, too. It ships to the U.S., and is $49.99 through us.
Two Researchers Examined Phone Spying. What They Found Won't Shock You
Kara Swisher of Recode recently interviewed two researchers from Northeastern University about phone spying.
New Apple Ads Showcase iPhone Privacy, Sustainability
iPhone is the culmination of Apple’s ideals on privacy, recycling, energy efficiency, and more.
Chinese iPhone Knock-off, App Users and Subscription Pricing - TMO Daily Observations 2018-07-20
Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at a knock-off iPhone from China, plus they discuss app pricing and the issues users have with subscription models.
Apple Pay Summertime Discount Promo Includes Fandango, Grubhub, More
Apple has a new summertime Apple Pay promotion that’ll save you money when you buy movie tickets through Fandango, food through Grubhub, and more. The promotion runs from July 19th through August 1st.
Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who Looks Awesome
With San Diego Comic Con under way we’re getting first looks at new shows that are coming soon, including the new season of Doctor Who starring Jodie Whittaker. She’s the first woman to take on the iconic role, and if the trailer is any indication will be an excellent addition to the long running series. The new Doctor Who season is coming this fall from the BBC.