Directors of Apple TV+ ‘Boys State’ Discuss ‘Girls State’ Sequel

The directors of documentary “Boys State” on Apple TV+, Jesse Moss and Amanda Mcbaine, discuss the film. They also mention they are actively developing a sequel to examine a similar program called “Girls State.”

We’re actively developing what we call a sibling, or sequel, to this film which is a look at a Girls State program.  Had there been, as Steven Garza says early in the film, a “people’s state,” we might have been drawn to an experiment that brings both girls and boys together in the same space. The film we made does provide an unexpected and we think valuable look at masculinity in this moment. It’s hard to know how the dynamics would be different, either within an all female space, or a space in which there was equal representation. It’s something we think about a lot.

New Level Touch Lock Lets You Unlock With Your Finger and Voice

Level introduced a new lock on Tuesday called Level Touch that lets you unlock it with your finger, voice, or programmable keycard. It also has an app that works with HomeKit and Siri. Features include auto-lock, auto-unlock, sharing access, recent activity, passes, and audio confirmation. With HomeKit you get features like remote connectivity, voice control, automations, and notifications. You can order one today for US$329.

Astronomy Professor Dr. Emily Levesque - BGM Interview

Dr. Emily Levesque is a professor in the University of Washington’s astronomy department. Her research program is focused on improving our overall understanding of how massive stars evolve and die. She received her bachelors in physics from MIT and a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Hawaii.

Emily knew she wanted to be an astronomer from the moment she saw Halley’s comet in the night sky as a child. As an undergraduate at MIT, she was already developing a technical interest in massive stars, the focus of her career. And so we explored massive stars in some detail: formation, evolution and the final fate for many: supernova. Is Betelgeuse, in our own stellar backyard, about to go supernova? Emily weighs in. We finished with a discussion of her new book The Last Stargazers.. It shares the tales and experiences of astronomical observing. And, finally, spiders and lasers.

Sign Documents and Get Signatures on Any Device $49.99

We have a deal on a 1-year subscription to DottedSign Pro, an electronic signature platform. With this service, you can import documents with your device camera, or from your photos, email, Google Drive, Dropbox, Kdan Cloud, or other apps. It offers real-time status updates for each signer, as well as reminders and automatic expiry dates. It’s $49.95 through our deal.


‘Mintegral’ iOS App SDK Caught Hijacking Ad Clicks

An iOS app SDK called Mintegral was found to contain malicious code that would hijack ad clicks so that iOS thinks a user clicked on one of its ads, instead of those belonging to a competitor. This SDK is used by over 1,200 apps representing over 300 million downloads per month.

The malicious code was uncovered in the iOS versions of the SDK from the Chinese mobile ad platform provider, Mintegral dating back to July 2019. The malicious code can spy on user activity by logging URL-based requests made through the app. This activity is logged to a third-party server and could potentially include personally identifiable information (PII) and other sensitive information. Furthermore, the SDK fraudulently reports user clicks on ads, stealing potential revenue from competing ad networks and, in some cases, the developer/publisher of the application.

Apple Extending Legal Proceedings Against Firm With Green Pear Logo

Apple has escalated its claim objecting to the green pear logo of the Prepear app, filing new opposition with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. Patently Apple has the latest on a case it thinks it is not doing much for Apple’s reputation.

The logo in question is owned by a company called Super Health Kids, Inc. The company created a meal planner and grocery list app called “Prepear” that helps people discover recipes and more. Unless Apple is planning to offer a similar app expanding their reach into health related apps and features, it’s difficult at this point in time to believe that Apple is trying so hard to stop a logo that has no resemblance to an Apple. It’s clearly a pear. No one will ever say, except for the Apple lawyer filing this nonsense: oh look, Apple has a new logo. It’s not going to happen. It’s not a logo found on a desktop, a notebook, a smartwatch, a tablet or smartphone.

 

This ‘Clear Clipboard’ Shortcut Empties Your Clipboard Automatically

Redditor u/SpamSencer created a Clear Clipboard shortcut that does exactly what the name says: It automatically clears your clipboard. With iOS 14 Apple introduced a feature that shows when an app accesses the clipboard, like TikTok and Microsoft. You could even set it up as an automation so that whenever you open any app of your choosing, the shortcut will run (an iOS 14 feature). You’ll just have to painstakingly tap on every app you have installed if you choose to automate it.