Everyday Experiments with Flowers Shot on iPhone 12

· Charlotte Henry · Cool Stuff Found

In a new video, Donghoon J. and James T. of Incite show some of the iPhone 12’s camera capabilities. They conducted a variety of experiments using flowers and the camera’s features to produce stop motion, slo-mo, and time-lapse content. The end results are pretty impressive, especially as they didn’t even use a pro model.

Purple iPhone 12 Begins Shift to Randomized Serial Numbers

· Charlotte Henry · Link

The transition towards Apple using randomzied serial numbers has begun. The recently released iPhone 12 model is the first device to have them, MacRumors  reported.

With assistance from Aaron Zollo, host of the YouTube channel ZolloTech, we can confirm that the purple iPhone 12 released last month has a new 10-character serial number format, compared to the usual 12 characters for most other Apple products. Apple previously said its randomized serial numbers would initially be 10 characters long, so the purple iPhone 12 appears to be the first Apple product with a randomized serial number. The change likely extends to the purple iPhone 12 mini, but we’ve yet to confirm this.

Twelve South Introduces Forté MagSafe Charger for iPhone 12

· Andrew Orr · Cool Stuff Found

Snap your MagSafe Charger into Forté and you instantly have a clever way to dock your iPhone 12 while it wirelessly charges at a speedy 15 Watts. It magnetically holds your phone vertically or horizontally for hands-free use. As a bonus, the platform tilts up to 70-degrees to create the perfect viewing angle or charging pedestal for your AirPods. When it’s time to travel, your MagSafe charger easily pops out to go. You can preorder it today for US$39.99 and it starts shipping on May 5.

Twelve South Introduces Forté MagSafe Charger for iPhone 12

Create AR Spaces With LiDAR in ‘Clips’ Update 3.1

· Andrew Orr · Cool Stuff Found

Shown during Apple’s Spring 2021 event, Clips update 3.1 adds a feature called AR Spaces. Using the LiDAR sensor on your iPhone 12 Pro | iPad Pro, you can scan a room and see a live preview of effects that bring dynamic lighting, falling objects, and immersive scenes to life. You will see effects appear on walls, floors, surfaces, furniture, and objects. Using AR segmentation and occlusion, Clips recognizes people in the video and projects the AR Spaces effects in front of and behind them, making it feel as if the effects are all around the space and subjects. AR Spaces can also be combined with all of the animated stickers, text labels, and emoji overlays — and can be recorded in all aspect ratios in Clips, including 9:16 vertical, 16:9 horizontal, and square.

Create AR Spaces With LiDAR in ‘Clips’ Update 3.1

No mini in 2022 iPhone Lineup, Says Ming-Chi Kuo

· Charlotte Henry · Link

iPhone 12 mini

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that there will be no iPhone 14 mini, in a new note seen by MacRumors. Despite its relatively poor performance, a smaller model is expected to be in the 2021 lineup.

“We predict that the new 2H22 iPhone will come in four models: the high-end 6.7″ and 6.1″, and the lower-end 6.7″ and 6.1″,” wrote Kuo. If there is no so-called iPhone 14 mini next year, the iPhone SE would regain the title of smallest iPhone with its 4.7-inch display. However, the current iPhone SE is actually slightly larger than the 5.4-inch mini model due to having thicker bezels and a Touch ID home button. The iPhone SE also has only a single-lens rear camera and is equipped with an LCD screen, whereas the iPhone 12 mini has a superior OLED display.

iPhone 12 Holds Its Value Better Than Rival Samsung Galaxy S21

· Charlotte Henry · Link

Smartphones in the ‌iPhone 12‌ range have lost value by between 18.1 to 33.7 percent since they launched in October last year, according to data from SellCell (spotted by Macrumors). Meanwhile, devices in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, which only launched in January 2021, have already seen a 44.8 and 57.1 percent drop in value.

We can say with some confidence that the reason the iPhone 12 series has held its value better than the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, is because the demand is still there even after that initial sale. Apple owners looking to upgrade their device will, in the majority, stick to the Apple brand. In that sense, demand is high for pre-owned iPhone 12 handsets, meaning that they keep their value as consumers are happy to pay a premium, even for a refurbished or pre-owned iPhone 12. On the other side, not only do Samsung owners show less loyalty to the brand, but 26% of them are happy to consider jumping ship to an Apple device once they’re done with their Android handset. This has two effects. It decreases demand for Samsung’s handsets, driving the value down, while at the same time increasing Apple demand even further, slowing the rate of iPhone 12 value shrinkage.

Ceramic Shield Protecting iPhone 12 if You Fumble

· Charlotte Henry · Cool Stuff Found

Apple has released the latest advert promoting the iPhone 12’s Ceramic Shield feature, continuing the theme from a recent clip set in the kitchen. Called ‘Fumble’, this one recreates the heart stopping moment we’ve all experienced – when your device is falling from your hands and there is nothing you can do about it. It is soundtracked by The Conference by Nitin Sawhney.

Ekster Releases Leather MagSafe Wallet for iPhone 12

· Andrew Orr · Cool Stuff Found

I reviewed an Ekster wallet a couple years ago and I thought it was a good, high quality wallet. I still have it and use it daily. Today the company informed me of its latest release: a leather MagSafe wallet for the iPhone 12. It has room for at least three cards and cash and is thinner than Apple’s wallet (3mm) at just 1mm. It’s also more affordable at US$33. The leather is suitability-sourced and features the same thumb slot so you can easily access your cards.

Ekster Releases Leather MagSafe Wallet for iPhone 12

New 'Cook' Video Highlights Durability of iPhone 12 Ceramic Shield

· Charlotte Henry · Cool Stuff Found

Apple released a new video over the weekend highlighting the durability of the iPhone 12 range. Called ‘Cook’, the short clip shows how Ceramic Shield helps the device withstand whatever might get thrown at it in the kitchen. (I’m still keeping reenacting the clip firmly in the ‘don’t try this at home’ category, though!)