Bryan Chaffin, Jeff Gamet, and John Kheit take a retrospective look at what—in hindsight—have turned out to be the most important features in iPhone OS/iOS.
iPhone
Rapper Soulja Boy Claims Steve Jobs Personally Delivered an Original iPhone to Him
Rapper Soulja Boy claims that Steve Jobs visited him on set whilst shooting the video for 2007 hit ‘Crank That (Soulja Boy)’. Cult of Mac did some digging and the story might, at least in part, be true…
On the surface, the story sounds kind of bogus. But Soulja Boy isn’t totally making this up. One Twitter user dug up some 2007-era footage of Soulja Boy flossing with an original iPhone on the day of release. That certainly makes Soulja Boy one of the first people (rappers included) to own an iPhone. But was he the absolute first? Probably not. The “Crank That” video premiered on BET’s 106 & Park on August 9, 2007. That was a couple months after the iPhone went on sale in June 2007. Cult of Mac asked “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” video director Dale Resteghini about the project. Resteghini said, based on his records, the video was shot on July 17, 2007. This would be roughly two weeks after the iPhone went on sale in America. But Resteghini said he remembers Apple representatives (he didn’t specify whether this included Jobs) showing up in person.
Check Out These New iPhone Battery Wallpapers
Ben Vessey has released some new iPhone battery wallpapers as part of the Dynamo series. These wallpapers use shortcuts automation to automatically change depending on the state of your battery: Full, Low, and Charging. There are two new packs available: an album pack for music fans based on popular music icons; and a Mac-themed pack inspired by the Apple Macintosh. Each pack includes three sets of wallpapers optimized for the iPhone 6s and later. You install them using iCloud and Shortcuts running on iOS 14, with instructions included in the download.
iOS 15: A First Look at Automating With Shortcuts
Shortcuts is getting some new features with iOS 15 as well as appearing on macOS Monterey this fall. Here are some of the new changes.
iPhone 12 Low-Light Photography, Movie-fication of TV, Jeff's Shortcuts Tips, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 549
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet talk about iPhone 12 Night Mode and low-light photography, Loki and the movie-fication of TV, and Jeff’s Shortcuts tips.
iOS 15 Public Beta is Now Available for Everyone
At WWDC21 Apple said that the iOS 15 public beta would be released in July, so it’s possible this early release means that the OS is fairly stable.
Try Out T-Mobile's Network For Free With eSIM
T-Mobile is offering iPhone users a new way to test drive its network by downloading an app that installs an eSIM.
LifeProof Introduces its NEXT iPhone Case With MagSafe
LifeProof has announced its latest protective case for iPhones. It’s called NËXT and it’s available with built-in MagSafe for the iPhone 12.
The First iPhone Went on Sale 14 Years Ago Today
On June 29, 2007 the first iPhone went on sale, with customers in the U.S. finally able to get their hands on it.
Snapchat Crashing for iPhone Users But Fix on Way
Snapchat users on iPhone have started to notice the popular app crashing repeatedly, 9to5 Mac reported. However, a fix is said to be on its way.
The influx of complaints correlates to the release of version 11.34.0.35 of the Snapchat application, which was pushed out less than one day ago. According to many users, the Snapchat application will immediately crash upon being opened, and no fix is currently available. Snapchat acknowledged the issue in a post on Twitter this morning, saying that it is working on a fix that will be released to the App Store soon.
HYPER Crowdfunds 4-in-1 Magnetic iPhone Charging Stand
HYPER has launched a 4-in-1 charging stand that can charge four devices at the same time. It’s currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter.
How to Unlock and Extract Data From iPhones Using GrayKey
Instructions for iPhone cracking tool GrayKey have surfaced online and it appears they were written by the San Diego Police Department.
Incipio Group Offers Deals on iPhone Cases for Amazon Prime Day 2021
Incipio Group is offering deals for Amazon Prime Day for June 21 and June 22. They include cases for iPhones, cases for AirPods, and more.
22 New Actions Coming to Shortcuts in iOS 15
Matthew Cassinelli shared a post on his website sharing 22 new actions coming to shortcuts for iOS | iPadOS 15, and 21 Mac-only actions. The full post requires a subscription but he shared an image with details.
With the release of iOS 15 and the associated betas across Apple’s platforms, the Shortcuts app has received 2 automation types and 22 new actions that work across iPhone, iPad, and macOS as well as 21 Mac-only actions.
I think I’m most looking forward to Get Folder Contents, Rename File, Overlay Text, Extract Text From Image, and probably Get File From Folder.
MOFT O Combines an iPhone Grip With a Stand
MOFT’s latest product is really clever. It’s called the MOFT O and it’s an iPhone grip that can also function as a stand. It’s MagSafe compatible or seamlessly snaps on any phone via the reusable MOFT Snap Sticker – a patented silicone pad with magnetic-like functionality. The slim multi-disc design object folds into a sturdy three-dimensional phone stand that rotates 360° for 3 viewing angles and snaps off to act as a 90° kickstand for live streaming. It’s available to purchase for US$19.99.
Invisi Mini Selfie Stick: $29.99
We have a deal on the Invisi Mini Selfie Stick. This device extends up to 26-inches, includes an internal battery for triggering the shutter button, can swivel at 90°, and it supports landscape mode. It’s $29.99 through our deal, and it comes in five colors.
Twelve South Introduces iPhone 12 Leather MagSafe Wallet
Twelve South is launching an iPhone 12 leather MagSafe wallet called SurfacePad. It’s available to purchase for US$49.99.
Should You Digitize Your ID With iOS 15?
One of the updates to Apple Wallet in iOS 15 is letting people scan their driver’s license. But is that a good thing?
One major question is how Apple users and law enforcement like TSA agents will actually interact with these digital IDs. If your driver’s license is on your phone, you could potentially have to present your fully unlocked device to a law enforcement agent in a transaction like a traffic stop or at airport security. That could, in turn, expose you to incidental search of your data, social media accounts, or anything else the agent flicks to.
Content Consumption in Our 'Always Own' World — Media+
Rory Cellan Jones, BBC Technology Correspondent and author of ‘Always On: Hope and Fear in the Social Smartphone Era’, joins Charlotte Henry to discuss the launch of the iPhone and how Apple became a content creation company.
Why You Should Drill a Hole Into Your iPhone or iPad
Over the weekend, Nikita Mazurov for The Intercept reminds us that a good way to wipe our iDevices is to drill a hole through it.
If you can’t access your device, the most careful approach to wiping it is to destroy the flash memory chip that houses your data. This way you don’t have to lose sleep if you didn’t use a strong passcode, or worry about a forensics vendor being able to recover any of your personal information.
Apple's OS Announcements, Favorite New Features, and Directions, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 548
Bryan Chaffin is joined by Jeff Gamet to discuss Apple’s WWDC keynote and software announcements, their favorite new features, and where they think Apple may be taking their products.
The iOS 15 Device Support List - Can You Run the New OS?
In one sentence: If you can run iOS 14 you can run iOS 15. The iOS 15 device support list includes iPhone 6s and later.
Mozilla Brings Firefox Redesign to iPhone and iPad
When Mozilla redesigned Firefox for desktop in the version 84 release, it did the same overhaul for the mobile versions.
We’ve rebuilt parts of Firefox in native components, making it feel more iPhone and iPad-like than ever before. You’ll notice design elements that look and work identically to those found in many other apps, so our browser feels instantly familiar. We’ve also taken a major step up in accessibility. Firefox now supports more text sizes and integrates better with screen readers.
Speck Introduces Presidio Perfect-Clear Case Compatible with MagSafe
Speck recently announced its newest line of smartphone cases. These Presidio Perfect-Clear cases are compatible with MagSafe iPhones such as the iPhone 12.