Apple Updates Privacy Website with macOS Mojave and iOS 12 Details

Apple updated its privacy website on Wednesday. The site now details security improvements in macOS Mojave and iOS 12, end-to-end encryption for Screen Time and Group FaceTime, improvements to no-tracking for websites, and more. It also includes links for managing your privacy with Apple devices and services, and Apple’s transparency in privacy report. It’s great to see the effort Apple is putting into protecting user privacy, especially since so many other companies are playing fast and loose with our data.

Aspyr Brings Civilization VI to iPhone

Civilization VI on an iPhone? Really, it boggles my mind that Civ VI can played on an iPad, but Aspyr announced Thursday that it’s now available for iPhone, too. What these “phones” we carry with us everywhere can do is really something else. In any event, Civ VI for iPhone is free download—the free version lets you play 60 turns, enough to see if you’re going to like it. You can unlock the full game for $23.99 as an in-app purchase. It’s a hybrid app, too, so if you already bought it for iPad, you can download it on iPhone.

Happy 2018 Birthday Siri! Apple's Virtual Assistant is 7

Happy 2018 Birthday Siri! Apple’s virtual assistant made her debut on October 4, 2011 which makes her seven years old today. Siri is now more powerful than ever, and with the release of iOS 12 users can work to customize the assistant a bit with the Shortcuts app. Siri can make calls or send texts for you whether you are driving, have your hands full, or are simply on the go. It also offers proactive suggestions, like texting someone that you’re running late for a meeting, so you can stay in touch effortlessly. Set alarms, timers, and reminders. Get directions. Preview your calendar. Siri can do it all without your ever having to pick up a device. Based on your routine, Siri can even anticipate what you might need to help you breeze through your day. Machine learning is constantly making Siri smarter. And you can personalize Siri to make it even more useful. Choose to have Siri speak one of 21 different languages. Teach Siri who your family members are. And spell out unusual words so Siri can recognize them in the future.

TMO Background Mode Interview with Former Apple Software Engineer James Dempsey

James Dempsey worked at Apple for fifteen years before setting out on his own in August 2011. As a software engineer at Apple, he worked on iOS, Aperture, and macOS releases Leopard through Lion, including half a decade on the Cocoa frameworks team. He’s the founder of Tapas Software, developer of iOS and Mac software. We talked abut his “aha” moments in life starting with his college roommate’s Mac Plus in 1986. His dream to work for Apple was eventually fulfilled in 1996, and James described what it was like to be an Apple evangelist in those days. But James is also an accomplished comedian, vocalist, ukulele player and has a published album. He’s also routinely written special songs for WWDC each year. If you ever wanted to work for Apple, this show is must listening.