Enter our new international giveaway for a chance to win the brand new iPhone 16 Pro.
NASA is Sending a 'Helicopter' to Mars
NASA is set to launch the Mars rover Perseverance in the coming weeks. On board will be a small ‘helicopter’ which will be the first human vehicle to take-off from the surface of the Red Planet and fly in its skies. Forbes has the details, including an interview with one of the project managers involved.
Before the primary science phase of the mission begins, however, the rover will deploy its flying companion on the surface. Called Ingenuity, the small vehicle – just 0.5 meters tall – is equipped with two counter-rotating blades that will enable it to hover in the air. It will be deployed on the Martian surface at some point in the first 90 days of the mission. A team back on the ground will then command the helicopter to perform some checks, before attempting a first flight… It will be capable of one flight per day, with 30 days in total allocated for its mission. While it does have camerad on board and will take images, this is mostly a technology demonstration to see if rotorcraft could be useful for future missions to Mars, perhaps even human missions.
Apple TV+ Exec Who Oversaw The Morning Show Gets Promotion
Apple TV+ executive Michelle Lee has been promoted to become the streaming service’s director, domestic programming.
Former Apple Senior Director Michael Gartenberg (#11) - BGM Interview
Michael Gartenberg spent three years as Apple’s Senior Director of Product Marketing, reporting directly to SVP Phil Schiller. He is currently a freelance writer and has become a regular guest here on Background Mode. This BGM Interview is his 11th appearance.
We explored the WWDC 2020 Keynote in detail. We started with the production values and layout and how some elements of this new kind of presentation might show up in future events. Then we turned to the Mac on Apple Silicon transition and some of the considerations for users. Later, there was a healthy discussion of iOS 14, Scribble and then macOS 11 Big Sur’s design language and how that differs from the nature of the Mac for UNIX users. Michael always delivers keen insights on how Apple markets its products and always helps us better understand the WWDC Keynote.
Apple Watch Handwashing Feature Pre-Dates COVID-19
The Apple Watch’s handwashing feature, announced at WWDC 2020, had been in the pipeline long before COVID-19 struck.
The New York Times Quits Apple News
The New York Times has ended its participation in Apple News, focussing on driving subscribers and traffic to its own app and website.
Rumors Suggest iPhone 12 Pro May Support 4K Video at 240fps
The iPhone 12 Pro could support 4K video shooting at 240fps. That’s according to new leaks and rumors emerging from the EverythingApplePro YouTube channel and reported on by CultofMac.
[Filip] Koroy reportedly found evidence of the new high resolution, slow-mo format in the iOS 14 beta code. Whether this is accurate remains to be seen. If it is, it would be far above what is available in other smartphone models right now. It would also make it likely that Apple will sell a shedload of high storage handsets this year — or way more iCloud subscriptions. The report also mentions that the iPhone 12 Pro could boast a ProMotion 120Hz high-refresh display, citing information from Apple leaker Max Weinbach. Apple introduced the 120Hz ProMotion iPad Pro back in 2017. Like the iPad Pro, which first debuted ProMotion, the iPhone 12 Pro could dynamically switch between 60Hz and 120Hz to save on battery. The regular iPhone 12, meanwhile, may stick with a regular 60Hz display. ProMotion for the iPhone 12 was first rumored at the end of 2019.
Disney Research Outlines Neural Face Swapping Technique That May Offer Hi-Res, Photorealistic Video
A new research paper from Disney Research and ETH Zurich offers a possible neural face swapping technique that will result in hi-resolution, photorealistic video. That means the technique could be applicable in TV and film, according to Techcrunch. There is also a video displaying the technology in action.
The researchers specifically intend this tech for use in replacing an existing actor’s performance with a substitute actor’s face, for instance when de-aging or increasing the age of someone, or potentially when portraying an actor who has passed away. They also suggest it could be used for replacing the faces of stunt doubles in cases where the conditions of a scene call for them to be used. This new method is unique from other approaches in a number of ways, including that any face used in the set can be swapped with any recorded performance, making it possible to relatively easily re-image the actors on demand. The other is that it kindles contrast- and light conditions in a compositing step to ensure the actor looks like they were actually present in the same conditions as the scene.
iPhone as a Teenager – TMO Daily Observations 2020-06-29
Charlotte Henry and Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the iPhone anniversary and what is different (or not) then and now.
PSA: The Deadline to Add ‘Sign In with Apple’ is Tuesday, June 30
The deadline for developers to add Sign In with Apple into their apps is coming up tomorrow, June 30. Andrew has several guides available for readers.
Using Scribble for iPad on iPadsOS 14
Scribble for iPad is one of the features that really caught my eye when iOS 14 was demoed at WWDC 2020, particularly when I found out it is going to work with the Logitech Crayon too. AppleInsider has a good video show how the feature works in a beta version of iPadOS 14.
PSA: Don’t Install macOS Big Sur on the Same APFS Container as Older Versions
In our Mac Geek Gab forums, Brian Monroe has a warning for people wanting to try the macOS Big Sur beta.
InPaint Photo Editing App Bundle for Mac and Windows: $24.99
We have a deal on the InPaint Photo Editing App Bundle for Mac and Windows, a collection of photo editing apps. Those apps include InPaint, iResizer, iResizer, Multi-View, Multi-View, BatchInpaint, and PhotoStitcher. All apps work on either Mac or Windows, but note that the license is for one device only. You can read up on the details of each app in the deal listing. This app bundle is $24.99 through our deal.
Apple Announces Design Awards Winners for 2020
The winners of this year’s Apple Design Awards have been announced with developers of both apps and games receiving the accolade.
16 Web APIs Apple Avoided Over Privacy Concerns
ZDnet has a list of 16 Web APIs that Apple declined to add to Safari over concerns they could be used to track users.
The vast majority of these APIs are only implemented in Chromium-based browsers, and very few on Mozilla’s platform.
Apple claims that the 16 Web APIs above would allow online advertisers and data analytics firms to create scripts that fingerprint users and their devices.
Exxon Mobil Offers 3% Cash Back With Apple Pay
Exxon Mobil is offering a deal for Apple customers. When you use Exxon and Mobil stations you can get 3% cash back with Apple Pay.
Full Disks, Slow Speeds, and Low Batteries — Mac Geek Gab 822
Your questions haven’t stopped, and neither have our answers! How to deal with a full disk? What to do for slow internet speeds? How to best manage your battery? All of these topics are addressed, plus Cool Stuff Found, Quick Tips, and more. Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things with John and Dave this week!
Department of Justice Takes Hard Look at Apple's 30% Tax
As part of its ongoing antitrust investigation, the Department of Justice is examining Apple’s rules for the App Store, like the 30% tax.
How to Get Safari 14 Without Downloading the macOS 11 Beta
Andrew shows us how to get Safari 14 features like Privacy Report without having to download the macOS Big Sur beta.
WWDC 2020: Post-keynote Analysis With Craig Federighi
John Gruber’s edition of his Talk Show following the WWDC keynote is always worth a watch/listen. This year it was obviously recorded remotely, but Apple SVP Craig Federighi joined from a Apple Park to help dive into the all the announcements.
TikTok to Stop Reading iPhone Users’ Clipboards
TikTok is to stop reading the contents of users’ clipboards after the recent beta release of iOS 14 revealed the practice was still going on.
Apple Adds Encrypted DNS Support to iOS 14, macOS 11
A WWDC20 presentation shows how Apple is adding support for encrypted DNS to iOS 14 and macOS 11. It will support HTTPS and TLS.
Security Friday: Privacy Updates, Macworld All-Star Band Reunion – TMO Daily Observations 2020-06-26
Andrew Orr and Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the latest privacy changes from WWDC, and the Macworld All-Star Band reunion.
Brainstorm by Mapping Your Mind (Part 2)
In the thrilling conclusion to last week’s mind-mapping column, this week Dr. Mac talks about four macOS mind-mapping apps.
Universal Mobile Phone Screen Magnifier with Speaker: $21.99
We have a deal on a Universal Mobile Phone Screen Magnifier. This device features an acrylic lens screen that zooms your phone screen 2 to 3 times to avoid visual fatigue and better viewing. It also features a built-in Bluetooth speaker. Check out the details on the full deal listing. This device is $21.99 through our deal.