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Get a Raspberry Pi Camera With This New $50 Product

Andrew Orr ·

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.

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Apple Could Let You Edit iMessages in the Future

Andrew Orr ·

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.

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Xcode For The iPad - What do Developers Think?

Charlotte Henry ·

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.”

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iPhone SE Camera vs Galaxy A51 Camera

Charlotte Henry ·

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.

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Epic Games Requiring Two-Factor Authentication to Claim Freebies

Charlotte Henry ·

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.

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Cellebrite Pitches its iPhone Hacking Tools as COVID-19 Surveillance Solution

Andrew Orr ·

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.

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Siri Gets German Voice Improvement That Was Promised Years Ago

Charlotte Henry ·

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.

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The Inside Story of How Apple and Google Worked on Contact Tracing

Andrew Orr ·

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.

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New iPhone SE Gets The Teardown Treatment

Charlotte Henry ·

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.