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Why Apple TV+ Film 'CODA' is a Crucial Moment For Deaf Representation

Charlotte Henry ·

The latest edition of The Hollywood Reporter is dedicated to CODA, which is set for release on Apple TV+ and in theaters on August 13. The film is about a family that is deaf except for one child, who has ambitions to sing but has to decide whether to stay and help her family or pursue her own dreams. In the piece, the cat and crew explain why the film is such a groundbreaking moment in onscreen representation and filmmaking.

On the set of CODA, gaffers learned to never backlight actors or stand them against windows so that the actors’ hands did not get lost in the shadows, and the director of photography reframed shots so the signing was clearly visible and the costume department stayed away from fringe and other clothing that could hinder signing. When not shooting, [Marlee] Matlin asked [Emilia] Jones, who is British, to speak with her onscreen American accent because it was easier to understand when it came to reading lips. And when the on-set ASL master, Anne Tomasetti, stepped into the Rossi family living room for the first time, she quickly pointed out that in a deaf household, the couch would be facing the front door. “Suddenly, we were moving furniture around and setting up the living room in a way that you would have sight lines to the entrances and exits,” since anyone who walks in through the door can’t be heard, recalls Heder. “It was like this ‘of course’ moment.” Adds Matlin, “That poor set decorator.”

 

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Here's What Apple's AirPower Charging Mat Actually Looked Like

Charlotte Henry ·

Remember AirPower, Apple’s wireless charging mat that never made it to release? Well, The Verge has was sent pictures of a prototype and took a closer look…

Giulio Zompetti, a 28-year-old from Italy, says he has been able to purchase a prototype AirPower unit from Chinese e-waste sources. “The unit lacks all of its exterior housing, and shows this beautiful and heavy stainless steel chassis,” says Zompetti. In photos supplied to The Verge, you can see the AirPower mat powering a prototype iPhone, with its 22 coils on the front-facing side and 22 controller circuits on the rear. In order for this AirPower prototype to work, it has to be paired with special prototype iPhone hardware to activate the coils. “It doesn’t work with production devices, because the coils are woken up by the device,” explains Zompetti, who says he’s been able to charge two prototype devices simultaneously so far. Zompetti says he received the unit in December and was able to interact with it initially through a serial lightning cable.

(Image Credit: Giulio Zompetti)

Cool Stuff Found

This Hardware Hack Gives iPhone Dual-SIM Support

Jeff Butts ·

In China, owners of the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone 12 models enjoy dual-SIM support. This means they can insert two nano-SIMs, even from different carriers, into their phones. This feature is only available in China, and Apple doesn’t provide the configurations anywhere else. In the iPhone 12, of course, you have the possibility of using your physical SIM card along with a second, digital eSIM. YouTuber Hugh Jeffreys , however, had the idea to try swapping the SIM reader and tray in a non-Chinese iPhone for one from China. Surprisingly, the hardware hack works and provides dual-SIM support for non-Chinese iPhones. It’s definitely an advanced-level task, since it requires removing the display from your device. Still, if you want to have support for two physical SIM cards in your iPhone, it definitely seems within reach.

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Backup Tool ‘iMazing’ Updated to Detect Pegasus Spyware

Andrew Orr ·

The team behind iMazing has updated their tool to detect NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. You don’t have to buy an iMazing license to scan for it.

It would therefore be possible to relatively quickly re-implement MVT’s methodology in our toolkit, and integrate a user-friendly ‘wizard’ in iMazing’s user interface. And because iMazing can already perform iOS backups and decrypt backup files, the tool we envisaged had the potential to dramatically reduce the technical barrier of entry whilst enhancing performance and promoting backup encryption.

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WhatsApp One Time View Photos and Videos

Charlotte Henry ·

WhatsApp began rolling out photos and videos that can only be used on Wednesday. It will become available to all users, according to a blogpost from the Facebook-owned messenger.

On many phones, simply taking a photo means it will take up space in your camera roll forever. That’s why today we’re rolling out new View Once photos and videos that disappear from the chat after they’ve been opened, giving users even more control over their privacy. For example, you might send a View Once photo of some new clothes you’re trying on at a store, a quick reaction to a moment in time, or something sensitive like a Wi-Fi password. As with all the personal messages you send on WhatsApp, View Once media is protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot see them. They will also be clearly marked with a new “one-time” icon.

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Facebook Bans Accounts of Researchers Investigating its Disinformation Problem

Andrew Orr ·

Facebook has banned the accounts of researchers who were studying the platform’s political ads and disinformation.

The tools were the subject of a long-running standoff between the social network, which claimed scraping violates its terms of service, and the researchers, who argued that more digital advertising transparency is essential to understanding and protecting elections.

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Two Years of Apple Arcade

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple Arcade is fast approaching its second birthday. AppleInsider has a nice overview of where the gaming service sits in the marketplace, how it’s changed, and what some of its hits are.

There are multiple competing viewpoints around how to address gaming on mobile devices like iPhone and iPad. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google have all moved in the exact opposite direction of Apple Arcade by offering console-quality titles on mobile. These companies use game streaming as a distribution method rather than on-device downloads. This ensures games will work the same regardless of device performance. Only Netflix seems to be taking the mobile-first route in its gaming service. It plans on launching mobile games that subscribers can play as long as they have an active Netflix subscription. So far, the fledgling streaming services appear to have captured a particular market of gamers. However, Apple Arcade and its mobile-first platform have a much broader market appeal, lower entry price, and a constantly growing library. Apple’s approach also accounts for those who don’t have high-bandwidth internet at their disposal. Rather than needing the internet to play games, Apple Arcade games can be downloaded all at once and played offline.

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Malware Dubbed ‘Raccoon Stealer’ Targets Crypto Wallets

Andrew Orr ·

Researchers at Sophos have been tracking a piece of malware called Raccoon Stealer. A recent update means it can target cryptocurrency wallets.

Raccoon can collect passwords, cookies, and the “autofill” text for websites, including credit card data and other personal identifying information that may be stored by the browser. Thanks to a recent “clipper” update, Raccoon Stealer also now targets cryptocurrency wallets, and can retrieve or drop files on infected systems.

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Apple TV+: Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ Adds Brendan Fraser to Cast

Charlotte Henry ·

Brendan Fraser (No Sudden Move) has joined the cast of Killers of the Flower Moon, reported Deadline. The Martin Scorsese-directed picture, which we got a first look at back in May, is set for release on Apple TV+.

The former title from Apple TV + and Paramount Pictures is a crime drama, based on the bestselling book of the same name by David Grann. It’s set in 1920s Oklahoma and will examine the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation—a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror. Fraser will appear in Killers alongside Oscar winners Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, Emmy nominated Jesse Plemons, and more. We hear that he will play lawyer WS Hamilton.

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Photo Service ‘Mimeo Photos’ Surpasses 1 Million Downloads on macOS

Andrew Orr ·

Mimeo Photos announced on Tuesday that it surpassed one million app downloads in the Mac App Store. Sean Doherty, General Manager of Mimeo Photos:

We are beyond thrilled to have achieved one million downloads in the Mac App Store. From the inception of Mimeo Photos, we have been available to Apple Photo users who want to create beautiful photobooks, cards and calendars directly from their Mac computer. It’s always been our top priority to allow our customers to create superior photo products no matter where they are or what device they’re using, and this achievement is a testament to that goal we continually set for ourselves.

I think it’s a great photography service and I’m glad to see a milestone like this.