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How Apple Arcade Shows an OS Merger Isn’t Wise

Andrew Orr ·

Alex Blake of Digital Trends writes how the nature of Apple Arcade shows the pitfalls of merging iOS and macOS.

You see, Apple Arcade is a showcase for all that’s wrong with taking two very different operating systems and mashing them together into a mixed-up medley where no one wins. Because developers have to make games that work on the tiniest iPhone and the largest iMac, they are forced into compromises that weaken the games on both platforms.

I see his point and I think I agree with him. No one wins except maybe the lowest common denominator. Maybe the more powerful M1 chip would change that, but probably not. iPadOS apps haven’t yet taken full advantage of the chip, as one example.

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Windows 11: What Apple Can Learn From Microsoft's Upcoming OS

Charlotte Henry ·

Microsoft recently unveiled Windows 11. With the first test builds now available, Mac user Parker Ortolani decided to give it try for 9to5Mac and see if there is anything Apple can learn from it.

Windows has never looked “beautiful.” It’s always been a mashup of different eras going back to the ’90s with some paint on the surface. Windows 10 did a nice job of covering up some of the mess and it made the OS more usable. But Windows 11’s biggest feature by far is its new design language that extends across the system. It’s still familiar and recognizable as Windows, but it feels like they really care about the way this operating system looks and feels in a way they haven’t before. The company has implemented a fresh new look for the task bar and the start menu. Icons have fun new playful animations, and many also have a new look with more personality and depth. The default wallpapers included in Windows 11 complement the new taskbar really nicely as well.

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Hackers Sell Personal LinkedIn Data From Leak Affecting 700M Users

Andrew Orr ·

Hackers are selling the personal information of over 700 million LinkedIn users. Here are the data types that were leaked:

Email Addresses; Full names; Phone numbers; Physical addresses; Geolocation records; LinkedIn username and profile URL; Personal and professional experience/background; Genders; Other social media accounts and usernames

On June 22nd, a user of a popular hacker forum advertised data from 700 Million LinkedIn users for sale. The user of the forum posted a sample of the data that includes 1 million LinkedIn users.

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VSCO Releases Set of Three Infrared Photography Presets

Andrew Orr ·

VSCO announced on Tuesday the release of three presets designed to emulate infrared photography.

The first filter is built for landscape images to ensure that plants whose color so often spills past green into yellow still turn to red and pink with the filter. However, people may turn odd colors in some situations with this look, and for that reason, we’ve created a second filter that is similar to the first but with more consideration for skin tones remaining natural colors.

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‘Best days’ For Both Mac and iPad Still to Come, says Analyst

Charlotte Henry ·

The “best days” for both the Mac and iPad may still be ahead. That’s according to a new analysis from Loup Ventures, seen by AppleInsider.

Loup Ventures cofounder and analyst Gene Munster recently analyzed Mac and iPad lead times, or the expected shipment date after an order is placed. Spot checks of estimated order delivery suggest that Apple was correct in its guidance that demand would be supply gated, and not demand-gated. Although the extended lead times are attributable to ongoing chip supply constraints, Munster sees them as a positive indicator of iPad and Mac demand. The analyst believes that both lineups are continuing to see tailwinds from a work-from-home and remote education environment, despite the lifting of stay-at-home orders and other restrictions in many regions.

Camera+ 2 is Currently 50% Off at $3.99
Cool Stuff Found

Camera+ 2 is Currently 50% Off at $3.99

Andrew Orr ·

LateNiteSoft announced that its Camera+ 2 app is available for 50% this week for US$3.99. Here are some of the features: The Lab contains many photographic tools that allow you to fine-tune the exposure, boost the shadows, sharpen your photo, and adjust curves among many others. Dozens of built-in filters help you get that final look. RAW mode provides maximum flexibility for editing, by saving the exact image captured by the sensor at its full precision. The RAW Editor includes tools such as Curves and a White Balance picker. Camera+ 2 adapts to your style and technical savvy. If you like the system camera, select the Auto preset to use a simple, clear interface that will let you concentrate on your shot.

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Pixelmator Pro 2.1 Update Comes With ML Crop, Quick Fill

Andrew Orr ·

The Pixelmator team has released its 2.1 “Coral” update for Pixelmator Pro. New features include ML Crop, Quick Fill, Stroke with Brush, and an improved Type tool.

The new Quick Fill feature lets you drag and drop colors from colors wells onto layers to quickly fill them with colors. It’s incredibly fun and so convenient when you want to quickly change the color of a shape, some text, or even an image layer.

As of this writing, Pixelmator Pro is also 50% off.

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Glenn Close Joins Cast of Apple TV+ Thriller 'Tehran'

Charlotte Henry ·

Glenn Close is joining the cast of Apple TV+ Israeli thriller Tehran. She will be a regular in the forthcoming second season, Variety reported

Close, who has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards, will be a series regular in the upcoming second season of the show, which aired on Apple TV Plus last summer and has become a global hit for the platform. The show originally premiered on Israel’s KAN public broadcaster last June. Variety understands that Apple TV Plus picked up the title from distributor Cineflix Rights as an acquisition, but following its success for the streamer, boarded the show as a co-producer. Close is slated to play the role of Marjan Montazeri, a British woman living in Tehran, according to Apple. The first season of the series told the story of Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan), a young Mossad agent undercover on a top secret mission in the heart of Tehran.

[Image credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com]

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Opossums on Parade: Linux 5.13 Adds Support for Apple M1 Silicon

Andrew Orr ·

The Linux 5.13 kernel is shipping under the code name “Opossums on Parade” and it adds preliminary support for Apple M1 Silicon.

Linux 5.13 brings initial but still early support for the Apple M1 with basic support but not yet accelerated graphics and a lot more to iron out moving ahead. There are also new Linux 5.13 security features like the Landlock LSM, Clang CFI support, and optionally randomizing the kernel stack offset at each system call.