The Raspberry Pi Foundation announced a camera board built around a 12MP Sony IMX477 sensor, and it supports interchangeable lenses.
The High Quality Camera is compatible with almost all Raspberry Pi models, from the original Raspberry Pi 1 Model B onward. Some very early Raspberry Pi Zero boards from the start of 2016 lack a camera connector, and other Zero users will need the same adapter FPC that is used with Camera Module v2.
A patent filed in December reveals a method to let Apple customers edit iMessages as a method of correction. The edit history would also be available so everyone can see what the sender originally wrote.
The patent filing has an example to demonstrate Apple’s system for editing previously-sent texts. Two people are discussing a trip, and one of them accidentally writes and sends “Can I get a ridiculous up with you?”
They then press and hold on that text to bring up a windows with “Edit” as an option. They make the change so the text reads “Can I get a ride up with you?”
This is a great feature and I hope Apple adds it to iOS. Memojis and Animojis are fun, but Messages needs features like this that are actually useful to people.
Rumors abound that software building tool Xcode is coming to the iPad. AppleInsider asked a variety of developers what they think about that prospect.
Whilst I’m excited about the prospect of Xcode for iPad, it’s unclear how it would realistically build most existing projects,” says ITV Hub developer Steve Barnegren from the UK. “Many developers augment Xcode’s build process by inserting custom scripts in to the build process, or requiring some build steps to be performed on the command line before Xcode itself can build the project.” “On macOS, developers can leverage any command line tools installed on the system, and have unrestricted freedom to modify or generate files during the build,” Barnegren continues. “Without some sort of access to a command line, and more complete file system access, it’s difficult to envision how these types of workflows could continue to exist on iPad.”
CNET has done a nice comparison of the cameras on Apple and Samsung’s $400 phones. Both are good, but for video and detail when magnifying, the iPhone SE wins out.
The iPhone can also film at 4K/60fps, while the A51 can only film at 4K/30. Autofocus on the Galaxy A51 isn’t as smooth as it is on the iPhone SE… Both these $400 phones have capable cameras that bely the retail price. The Galaxy offers more flexibility if you want to be able to switch between different scenarios like using ultra-wide or macro. But the iPhone has stronger video recording and, in some cases, the camera captures more detail at full magnification.
We have a deal on the Project Manager’s Essential Certification Bundle, a training bundle that features Scrum, Agile, and PMP. It includes 10 different courses with 787 lessons, and 26 hours of content. The whole bundle is $49.99 through our deal.
Epic Games is requiring that users have two-factor authentication activated in order to claim free downloads, until May 21. The Fortnite developer said in a blog post that this was to help protect account security and is presumably because more people are downloading more free games at the moment.
If you do not have two-factor authentication enabled on your account, you will see the following message when attempting to claim a free game: “Two Factor Authentication Required Claiming this free game requires you to have Two-Factor Authentication setup on your account. Two-Factor Authentication provides an additional level of security to your Epic Games account and will help prevent unauthorized access.” In order to enable two-factor authentication, please head over to your Epic Games Account settings. Two-factor authentication can be used to help protect your account from unauthorized access by requiring you to enter a security code when you sign in.
Cellebrite, a company known for its iPhone hacking tools, is pitching its products to governments as a surveillance alternative to contact tracing.
When someone tests positive, authorities can siphon up the patient’s location data and contacts, making it easy to “quarantine the right people,” according to a Cellebrite email pitch to the Delhi police force this month.
This would usually be done with consent, the email said. But in legally justified cases, such as when a patient violates a law against public gatherings, police could use the tools to break into a confiscated device, Cellebrite advised.
I get the feeling that there are many who are unhappy that Apple and Google’s solution is private and opt-in. Companies like Cellebrite and Palantir can’t pass up such an opportunity.
Siri has had a voice upgrade in Germany. AppleInsider reported that this is particularly noticeably to HomePod users in the country and is courtesy of an update that was meant to arrive in… 2017.
Now German-language users are reporting that the Siri voice they hear every day has been noticeably improved to sound more human and natural than before. According to German site iphone-ticker.de, Siri has finally received an update that was actually promised back in 2017…. Readers of iphone-ticker.de say that the new Siri voice is more melodic, as well as natural, and that this is particularly noticeable on HomePods. However, there have been certain problems. Some readers are saying that since the update, “Siri always sounds like helium.” Apple has yet to comment.
CNBC has a report today on how a small team at Apple started developing ideas on how to help with the pandemic. It was codenamed Project Bubble.
In mid-March, with Covid-19 spreading to almost every country in the world, a small team at Apple started brainstorming how they could help […] Within a few weeks, the Apple project — code-named “Bubble” — had dozens of employees working on it with executive-level support from two sponsors: Craig Federighi, a senior vice president of software engineering, and Jeff Williams, the company’s chief operating officer and de-facto head of healthcare.
It’s a fascinating read.
It has arrived. Having outlined which iPhone 8 parts go in the 2020 iPhone SE, iFixit has published its teardown of the new device.
The two most commonly replaced components, display and battery, remain straightforward to access with the proper knowledge and tools. Most components are modular and independently replaceable, including many that are cross-compatible with iPhone 8. IP67 seals complicate repair, but make the need for difficult liquid damage repairs less likely. While the overall construction is pretty repair-friendly, you’ll still need up to four different driver types for many repairs. The fragile glass back is impractical to replace.
We have a deal on Aduro’s U-STREAM Home Streaming Studio, a bundle of products designed to help you make the perfect in-home video. It includes a tripod with a 10-inch ring light with 3 distinct lighting options and a remote. The tripod is adjustable, and stands from 18-inches to 52-inches. And the included smartphone holder has a non-slip rubber grip to hold your phone securely in place. This kit is $49.99 through our deal.
The team behind camera app Halide have taken a look at how well the iPhone SE can take Portrait Mode photos with a single lens camera.
The new iPhone SE can’t use focus pixels, because its older sensor doesn’t have enough coverage. Instead, it generates depth entirely through machine learning. It’s easy to test this yourself: take a picture of another picture.
A good write up, and interesting that it can do this purely with software, while the iPhone XR still had some hardware basis for these types of photos.
An eight year old has found an iPhone Screen Time workaround, after her older brother noticed something odd (His post on Reddit has since been deleted).
It turns out she’d developed a pretty simple trick to keep browsing videos: just access YouTube through the iMessage App Store…For example, the Reddit post specifies that the eight-year-old in question was unable to access YouTube on the iPhone’s Safari app or even in the iMessage version of YouTube. The kid had to go to some lengths to figure out that she could access YouTube by searching for it in the iMessage App Store.
She’s a security researcher in the making.
Verizon announced today that it won’t terminate service or charge late fees for customers through June 30.
Verizon today signed onto the FCC’s new “Keep Americans Connected” pledge. Verizon’s new customer commitment will help ensure connectivity and offer assistance to customers and small businesses facing challenges from the global crisis.
Good to know if you’re a Verizon customer.
We have a deal on an Apple Watch wireless charger keychain, a 950mAh Apple Watch charger that fits in your pocket. The charger is itself recharged via microUSB, and you turn it on with a long (3-second) press of its power button. There are 4 LED lights to indicate its current charge. And, it’s $19.999 through our deal.
Two years later, Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation has struggled with a lack of enforcement, not enough funding, limited staff resources, and stalling tactics by tech companies.
Privacy groups and smaller tech companies complain that companies like Facebook and Google are avoiding tough oversight. At the same time, the public’s experience with the G.D.P.R. has been a frustrating number of pop-up consent windows to click through when visiting a website.
I expected a lot more out of it as well. Sounds like the government needs to take it more seriously.
As has been widely noted, the 2020 iPhone SE has the same body as the iPhone 8. An iFixit teardown showed that you can swap certain parts of the old device into the new one.
The good parts first: iPhone SE’s cameras, SIM tray, Taptic Engine, and display assembly (including the microphone and proximity sensor) are all swappable with iPhone 8 parts. And that screen should be cheaper to replace than any new iPhone we’ve seen in years. However, as with any modern iPhone screen swap, you will lose True Tone unless you have access to a screen programmer. And home buttons are still not interchangeable—you’ll need to hold on to your original home button in the event of a repair, substitute an aftermarket home button with no Touch ID, or else pay Apple whatever they ask to fix it for you.
Apple disagrees with a report from security company ZecOps that found an exploit that took advantage of the default iOS Mail app.
In the now-disputed report, ZecOps had said the critical flaw was located in the Mail app and could be triggered be sending specially manipulated emails that required no interaction on the part of users[…]
The critics said if the exploit was able to delete the emails ,it would have been able to delete the crash log data as well. The critics said that failure and some technical details contained in the ZecOps report strongly suggested the flaw was a more benign bug that was triggered by certain types of emails. Also skeptical, the critics said, is that an advanced exploit would cause a crash at all.
An interesting update to this saga. The bug certainly caused these devices to crash, but it remains to be seen whether that resulted in stolen data.
We have a deal on the RAVPower RP-PB005 large capacity dual-port power bank, a portable battery with 10,000mAh capacity. It features two charging ports with 2.4A max speed on each. This device is just $14.99 through our deal.
There are more indications that the iPhone 12 will face delays. Available options may also differ depending on the availability of faster 5G networks, according to Cult of Mac.
Options also could be limited in the United States and in other countries, where faster mmWave 5G technology is available. Elsewhere, customers may have a complete iPhone 12 lineup to choose from, but with slower 5G technology, according to the source. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has placed question marks on whether Apple’s next-generation iPhone lineup will arrive on time. Many reliable sources remain confident that Apple plans to launch new phones in September, as is traditional.
Morgan Stanley thinks that Apple will announce better than expected revenue in its next earnings call. That’s according to a note by Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, seen by AppleInsider.
That assessment is based on several factors, including a normalizing of factory activity in China where production of the company’s iPhones appear to be outpacing estimates. Huberty is now forecasting 41 million units produced during the current June quarter, roughly 25% higher than her original 33 million unit estimate. Combined with a strong balance sheet and stabilizing expectations of a 5G iPhone later in the year, Huberty named Apple her top pick amongst the IT Hardware companies Morgan Stanley tracks as part of the group.
Facebook is no longer allowing advertisers to use pseudoscience as a category with which to target people.
The company eliminated the pseudoscience category from its “detailed targeting” list on Wednesday, the spokeswoman said by phone, after tech news site The Markup showed that it could advertise a post targeting people interested in pseudoscience.
The Markup demonstrated that Facebook was allowing such ads after saying it would police COVID-19 misinformation on its platform. More than 78 million Facebook users were interested in “pseudoscience,” it said, citing Facebook’s ad portal.
Good to see Facebook doing this. Now we just need YouTube to stop recommending conspiracy videos.
Some impressive news for Apple: Not only is the iPhone SE more powerful than the most expensive Android phones, it’s doing that while underclocked.
More powerful than Android phones:
Building your own mobile chipset brings many advantages, and Apple is leveraging them today. Google really needs to do the same, and soon.
Underclocked processor:
Looking at the result breakdown of the iPhone SE (2020), the CPU and GPU yield is closer to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max that are powered by an A12 Bionic platform. Memory speed is the only thing pushing the 256GB iPhone SE way ahead of the XS family with the result of 77,968, which is in line with the iPhone 11 trio.
No speculation on why it’s underclocked, but one possible reason is heat.
Following an investigation by PCMag and Bitdefender, a patch has been issued for the Netatmo Smart Indoor Security Camera.
The Bitdefender IoT Vulnerability Research Team discovered that the device is susceptible to an authenticated file write that leads to command execution (CVE-2019-17101), as well as to a privilege escalation via dirtyc0w—a local privilege escalation bug that exploits a race condition in the implementation of the copy-on-write mechanism in the kernel’s memory-management subsystem.
Many smart home devices are notoriously insecure, and this is the main reason why I don’t have any of them (Besides my robot vacuum, but I explained my reasoning).
