For your pre-WWDC entertainment, I present to you Naked Scanner, by Simon Pierro. You might remember him as the magician who specializes in doing amazing magic tricks with an iPad. He ventured into the realm of candid camera trickery Monday with the help of well-rehearsed models in a gag he called Naked Scanner. It’s likely obvious how the trick was done, but the reactions of the passers by is definitely worth a smile. He talks about the trick in a blog post, including a test-video from the development phase. And don’t fret, all the bits deemed naughty are blurred.
WWDC Keynote Line Takes Over McEnery Convention Center
It’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote day, and that means big announcements are on the way. Developers attending the event started lining up early this morning so they wouldn’t miss out and the line to get in quickly grew to take over the block in front of the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose. MacVoices host Chuck Joiner snapped this pic showing how long the line was around 7 AM pacific time. The keynote starts at 10 AM and TMO is on location to fill you in on all of today’s surprises.
Get Time Machine on Your iPhone With iMazing Mini
Time Machine on macOS is an amazingly elegant backup solution. When it comes to iPhone backups, there really hasn’t been anything like Time Machine. The team behind iMazing recognized this, and have recently released the public beta of software that brings Time Machine to iOS. iMazing Mini is available for download now, and it’s a free app. With iMazing Mini, you can take “snapshots” of your devices. These are incremental backups that you can roll back to at any time. DigiDNA optimized iMazing Mini to store dozens of backups without crowding your hard drive. You can view your data easily within the full-blown version of iMazing. Probably the best feature, though, is that you can go back in time and restore any specific version of your backup quickly and easily. Of course, it’s also nice that the software is free without any ads or paid cloud storage.
Apple Brilliantly Personifies iPhone Security
There are three new “Why Switch” videos on YouTube. Contacts is clever and does a pretty good job of conveying that it’s easy to move your contacts to iPhone from “your phone.” Smooth makes a good case that video is smoother on iPhone. But Security, now that one is brilliant. It personifies iPhone’s inherent security advantage over (the unnamed) Android in a funny, concise, and elegant way. It’s easy to understand, and I think it’s entertaining. You can watch it below.
Gene Munster Predicts New Apple Products at WWDC
The Apple analyst Gene Munster, now with Loup Ventures, has provided his predictions for new and updated Apple products at WWDC—which starts June 5th. He includes a probability with each of the four items. Personally, I think the probability for a 10.5-inch iPad Pro should be a little higher, just because Apple is way behind in its iPad refresh cycle. But check out Gene’s estimates and see what you think.
Steve Wozniak Talks Promising Moonshots (Video Interview)
Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak was interviewed on Bloomberg, where he was asked about promising moonshots. The interview took place from the floor of C2, a trade show in Montreal that “brings together Commerce and Creativity.” On Woz’s moonshot radar is artificial intelligence, especially with making them more like “a human friend,” game making, running companies, and autonomous vehicles. He cited Tesla, in particular, as the company most likely to have the next moonshot. He also talks about the value of companies building things for themselves, something Steve Jobs also believed in. It’s an interesting interview.
Apple Maps Adds 3D View for Apple Park Campus
Apple Maps is making it easier to pretend like you’re flying your own drone over Apple Park because now it offers a 3D view of the campus. Just search for “Apple Park” in Maps and do a two-finger swipe up to switch to 3D view. Now you can swipe and twist around to see the structures and landmarks, including the giant ring-shaped main building. It’s not quite the same as actually going there, but it’s still cool to see the campus from the perspective you want.
New Apple Cartoon Looks at the Liam Recycling Robot
Apple launched a new video called “Earth Day 2017 — Does my iPhone believe in reincarnation?” It’s part of the cartoon series the company started on Earth Day earlier in May, but this one takes a look at Liam. That’s Apple’s purpose-built recycling robot that pulls iPhones apart so the components can be reused. I like this series of environmentally-themed cartoons. They’re fun, interesting, and informative. Lisa Jackson, Apple Vice President Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, tweeted the video Thursday.
Apple Releases AirPods Firmware 3.7.2
Apple released firmware update version 3.7.2 for AirPods Wednesday. There are no patch notes for the update, but the educated guessensus is that it’s a performance and stability release. The release was first spotted by German site Macerkopf.de (via iDownloadblog). You can download the firmware update via your iPhone with your AirPods in their charging case. Your charging case will need to be plugged into a power source.
Apple Music Trailer for Sean 'Diddy' Combs Documentary 'A Bad Boy Story'
Apple Music bought the rights to Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story, a documentary about Sean “Diddy” Combs and his record label, Bad Boy Records. The film was debuted at the Tribecka Film Festival earlier this year, and Apple Music subsequently bought the rights to it. The focus of the film is a reunion show with The Bad Boy Family, the original group of artists that launched with Bad Boy Records. According to the Tribecka Festivail, “the film also looks back to trace the label’s emergence in Harlem and Brooklyn, it’s meteoric rise, the tragic killing of Biggie Smalls, and the lasting influence on music, fashion, marketing and culture.” Note Apple executive Jimmy Iovine’s brief appearance in the trailer. The film debuts exclusively on Apple Music on June 25th, 2017.
Apple's Driverless Test Car Caught in the Wild
Apple’s driverless test car—a Lexus SUV—was caught in the wild by a MacRumors reader. There’s nothing earth-shattering about catching Apple’s autonomous vehicle in the wild—it’s been done before. But, I enjoy these reminders that Apple is going full steam ahead on developing driverless technology. Project Titan leaks have dramatically slowed since Bob Mansfield took it over, but testing obviously continues apace. MacRumor‘s Juli Clover has some additional details on this particular spotting.
Stevie Wonder Plays Apple's Beer Bash, Here's Tim Cook's Tweet
Apple brought Stevie Wonder in to play the company’s Beer Bash this week, and Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted an image of him hugging the artist onstage. The concert capped a week of activities highlighting Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Mr. Wonder, who is blind, has long endorsed Apple because of the company’s extensive accessibility features in macOS and iOS. Apple often brings in big names for its Beer Bash, a long tradition for the company. This is likely to be of the Beer Bashes is held at Infinite Loop, as the company begins moving into Apple Park in the next few weeks. 9to5Mac rounded up some additional tweeted imaged from the event.
Thank you to the incomparable Stevie Wonder for lifting hearts and celebrating accessibility with us! #GAAD pic.twitter.com/WvePkgte5R
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 19, 2017
How to shoot with zoom on iPhone 7 Plus (Apple Video)
Apple published another new video in its “Shoot with iPhone” series. This one is called “How to shoot with zoom on iPhone 7 Plus.” It offers two methods I don’t know you could use. The first is to single-tap your display for a 2x optical zoom. The second method is to touch and hold your display to scroll through your zoom until you get it where you want it. There are now 20 videos in this series, and they’re great resources for making the most of your iPhone’s camera.
How to shoot a one-handed selfie on iPhone 7 (Apple Video)
Apple posted a new video in its “Shoot with iPhone” series called “How to shoot a one-handed selfie on iPhone 7.” It offers the three steps needed to take a quick selfie with your iPhone (works with all iPhones running iOS 10). 1.) Swipe left from the lock screen. 2.) Switch to front-facing camera. 3.) Press either volume button to snap your selfie. There are now 20 videos in this series, and they’re great resources for making the most of your iPhone’s camera.
Bloomberg Says Apple Will Announce New MacBooks at WWDC
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Alex Webb said on Tuesday that Apple will launch new MacBooks at its annual World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June. Unnamed sources said Apple will bump the processor in its MacBook Pro to Intel’s Kaby Lake. The company will also introduce a faster MacBook and maybe even a faster MacBook Air. Mr. Gurman is almost always right, and I hope he nailed it with this one. Updated MacBook Pros just 10 months after they were introduced would go a long ways to convincing us that Apple is as committed to the Mac as it says it is. The same goes for the other two models.
Tim Cook Charity Auction Raises Record $688K
Tim Cook’s 2017 charity auction for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights set a record Tuesday when it closed at $688,999. That’s more than the $605,00 a coffee date with Mr. Cook fetched in 2013, and well north of the $515,000 Mr. Cook’s auction raised in 2016. Charitybuzz, which conducted the auction, shows the “lot” of Mr. Cook closed, but MacRumors caught the action at the end, when it hit $688,999 with 30 bids. Mr. Cook has used his fame as Apple CEO to raise money for the RFK Center since 2013, but this is the first year the resulting hour with Mr. Cook will take place in the brand new Apple Park. Congrats to the winner!
iBooks Offers 30 Edgar Award Winning Mysteries for $3.99 or Less
Apple’s iBooks is offering 30 mystery novels for $3.99 or less, all of them past winners of the Edgar Awards. The Edgars—short for the Edgar Allan Poe Awards—are handed out by the Mystery Writers of America, an author’s guild. The sale is promoting eight 2017 Edgar winners (from $2.99 to $20.99) and 21 nominees (from $3.99 to $14.99), but the 30 past winners are all on sale. Authors in the sale catalog include Eliot Pattison, Otto Penzier, Allison Gaylin, S.J. Rozan, Melanie Rehak, James Patterson, and some fellow named Michael Crichton (A Case of Need), and many more.
Watch Apple's 'iPhone 7 Plus — Barbers' Video
Apple published a new iPhone 7 Plus video to its YouTube channel on Monday. The spot shows a barber shop using iPhone 7 Plus’s Portrait Mode camera to promote its business. It’s a charming pitch directly demonstrating a practical way for someone to use the feature in their business. The imagery is compelling and the message is accessible. The soundtrack is “Fantastic Man” by William Onyeabor, an artist who recorded in the ’70s and early ’80s.
Visual Timeline of Apple I Auction Prices Since 1976 to Now
The folks at LiveAuctioneers put together a (self-serving, but who cares because it’s fun) visual timeline of Apple I auction prices. It spans from the device’s 1976 introduction to the introduction of the Apple ][ (I’m not sure why that’s included, but again, cool), through three recent auctions in 2012, 2013, and 2014. There’s a few Apple I auctions missing—and the company’s focus was to illustrate increasing prices—but it does show how desirable these primitive computers are. The whole thing was made to promote a May 20th auction for what auction house Team Breker has called the “best preserved” Apple I to date.
Earth, Pale White Dot, Seen From Saturn's Rings
The rings of Saturn are about 10 meters thick. Yet they light up the solar system with wonder and awe. In this NASA image, the Earth is seen from the Cassini spacecraft through a gap in the rings of Saturn. It’s an encore of the famous Pale Blue Dot image of Earth seen from 6 billion km away back in 1990. In this new image, if you look closely, Earth’s moon is also visible. As astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson might say, this one photo provides a substantial cosmic perspective. We are tiny. We are alone. This is the only home we have.
Readdle Launches PDF Expert 6 for iPhone and iPad
Readdle announced Wednesday the release of PDF Expert 6 for iPhone and iPad. The update includes a new interface, the ability to password protect files, and you can work from and save to Dropbox. On the editing side, users can edit PDF text, add and replace images, add links to text and pictures, and redact content. The company put together a good video showing off the new features (below). PDF Expert 6 is available now on the App Store at $9.99.
The Last Jedi Trailer in LEGO is the Star Wars We Want
LEGO and Star Wars go together like, well, LEGO and Star Wars. So of course we’re seeing plenty of LEGO recreations of the Star Wars: The Last Jedi teaser trailer. My favorite so far comes from Workshop LEGO Animations, and it’s shot-for-shot spot on. Rolling LEGO oceans, LEGO Millennium Falcon and TIE Fighters, Rey, Finn, and Poe. I love it so much I want Disney to make all the Star Wars trailers with LEGO.
Blue Ships 'Satellite' Wireless Headphones with Built-in Amp
Blue Microphones shipped Satellite, wireless, over-the-ear headphones with a built-in analog amplifier. Satellite was announced at CES, where I was more focused on the wired Sadie and Ella models also introduced. Satellite is the company’s entry into premium wireless headphones, and they feature Bluetooth 4.1. They’re also foldable and support the Apt-X audio codec. Apple isn’t currently supporting Apt-X, but some Android devices do. I haven’t tested Satellite, but I’m a big fan of Blue’s other high-end over-the-ear headphones. Jeff Butts will be reviewing these for us, and I look forward to hearing what he thinks. Satellite is available now for $399.95.
Watch the Blade Runner 2049 Trailer with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner 2049 has an official trailer, and it’s out now (thanks to Rick Allen for the heads up). The movie takes place 30 years after the the events in the original Blade Runner (which came out 37 years ago, for those keeping score at home). Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard, but the star of the film is Ryan Gosling as LAPD Officer K. The trailer hints at a very dark film that emphasizes deteriorating conditions on Earth. That theme was central to the the Philip K. Dick novel (Amazon, iBooks) Blade Runner was based on, but it was largely absent from that movie. And all that said, this new trailer looks amazing! Blade Runner 2049 is scheduled for release on October 6th, 2017.