Climate Change Books: Why 04-22-22 will mark the Beginning of a New Era in Human History

For 50 years warnings have been ignored: now it will be actions and solutions that matter As a child I was fascinated with the Geodesic Dome and other inventions, such as the Dymaxion Car by R. Buckminster Fuller. I devoured his books but one stood out in particular. ‘Utopia or Oblivion‘, an obscure title that … Continue reading Climate Change Books: Why 04-22-22 will mark the Beginning of a New Era in Human History

These energy innovations could transform how we mitigate climate change, and save money in the process – 5 essential reads

Stacy Morford, The Conversation To most people, a solar farm or a geothermal plant is an important source of clean energy. Scientists and engineers see that plus far more potential. They envision offshore wind turbines capturing and storing carbon beneath the sea, and geothermal plants producing essential metals for powering electric vehicles. Electric vehicle batteries, … Continue reading These energy innovations could transform how we mitigate climate change, and save money in the process – 5 essential reads

How fast can we stop Earth from warming?

Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, University of Michigan Global warming doesn’t stop on a dime. If people everywhere stopped burning fossil fuels tomorrow, stored heat would still continue to warm the atmosphere. Picture how a radiator heats a home. Water is heated by a boiler, and the hot water circulates through pipes and radiators in the … Continue reading How fast can we stop Earth from warming?

How Trump Could Actually Steal the 2024 Election

The same people behind the January 6 insurrection are now trying to overthrow the government in a slow-motion coup.

If they succeed, you can kiss our democracy goodbye. 

Trump ultimately failed to overturn the 2020 election because a few election officials — secretaries of state in particular — rightfully certified the results despite heavy pressure from him and his enablers to overturn them.

In 37 states, the secretaries of state are the chief elections officers. That means they oversee elections and voter registration. In 2020, they held the United States’ rickety democracy together by certifying Joe Biden’s win.

But what happens if secretaries of state won’t protect democracy? 

In most states, they are elected. And it’s precisely those elections that Trump and his cronies are targeting.

Trump’s choice in Georgia is Jody Hice (high-se), who voted against certifying the 2020 election in the Georgia House.

His choice in Michigan is Kristina Karamo (kah-rah-mo), who falsely claimed to have witnessed election fraud as a pollster.

In Arizona, Trump has endorsed Mark Finchem (fin-chum), a QAnon-supporting member of the Oath Keepers militia who participated in the January 6 insurrection.

At least 20 other candidates now running for secretary of state do not believe in the legitimacy of the 2020 election.

They’re part of a quiet movement kicked off by former Trump advisor Steve Bannon

The plan is to take over the machinery of our democracy from the ground up – so that in the 2024 presidential election, only Trump loyalists will be certifying elections. 

[CLIP: “We’re taking action. And that action is we’re taking over school boards, we’re taking over the Republican Party through the precinct committee strategy. We’re taking over all the elections.”]

Thousands of Republicans who have taken up Bannon’s call have also signed up to be local elections officials and poll workers. 

We can’t allow our democracy to be overtaken like this. 

These positions, especially secretaries of state, are the last lines of defense in a democracy. 

And we’ve seen what happens when secretaries of state put partisan interests ahead of election integrity.

In 2018, Brian Kemp ran Georgia elections as its secretary of state — while he was running for governor against Stacey Abrams. During his tenure, Kemp oversaw the purging of almost 1 and a half million voter registrations and the closing of more than 200 polling places. In the weeks leading up to the election, he put more than 50,000 voter registrations on hold, 70% of which belonged to Black people. He won by 55,000 votes.

And remember back in the 2000 presidential election, when Al Gore won the popular vote? Nonetheless, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who had been co-chair of George W Bush’s statewide campaign, ended up calling Florida for Bush, which handed him the election. 

Trump and Bannon’s goal is to replicate these abuses across America and put into power Trump loyalists who care more about electing Trump than upholding democracy. 

Voter suppression is nothing new. But it’s now occurring on a scale we haven’t seen before: an entire party’s election strategy aimed at thwarting the will of voters.

So what can we do about this?

First, spread the word about the GOP’s authoritarian plan. Make sure your friends and family know what the stakes are this fall.

Next, get involved locally. Volunteer to be a poll worker or join a campaign. From school boards to secretaries of state, every position matters.

And of course, vote! Check your registration early and make a plan to cast your ballot.

In 2020, millions of people organized, volunteered, and voted to keep American democracy alive. We, the people, must  work to elect public servants who will uphold democracy and stand up to those who are hellbent on undermining it. 

Let’s get it done.

Related Articles:


Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

Ten Insanely Useful New Features in iOS 15: videos of top tips

The list is long and the potential is deep: learning the most useful tricks that can help clarify the options

Above: Photo by Apple

At the bottom of this post is a list of just some of the new features, as compiled by Apple. These are the ones that they deem important enough to be considered “Key Features and Enhancements” for iOS 15.

Just to scroll through hundreds of entries and even just casually browsing the features and enhancements would be a lengthy endeavor, but to exhaustively learn to use even the top 10 or 15 most interesting features would require a real investment of time and energy.

Fortunately we have begun the process of converting the best tips and new software capabilities into how-to videos has yielded a batch of simple, quick and easy explanations to make it easier to get an iPhone iOS 15 diploma cum laude. See videos and features list below:

Here are just a few of them:

Apples Key Feature List Below:

Recent articles for more reading:

Find books on Political Recommendations and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

New features
available with iOS 15.

iOS 15 brings amazing new features that help you connect, focus, explore, and do even more with iPhone.

Key Features and Enhancements

FaceTime

SharePlay: Watch together

Bring movies and TV shows into your FaceTime calls and enjoy a rich, real-time connection with your friends while watching the same content.

SharePlay: Listen together

Share music with your friends right in your FaceTime calls.

SharePlay: Share your screen

Share your screen to bring web pages, apps, and more into your conversation on FaceTime.

SharePlay: Synced playback

Pause, rewind, fast-forward, or jump to a different scene — everyone’s playback remains in perfect sync.

SharePlay: Shared music queue

When listening together, anyone in the call can add songs to the shared queue.

SharePlay: Smart volume

Dynamically responsive volume controls automatically adjust audio so you can hear your friends even during a loud scene or climactic chorus.

SharePlay: Multiple device support

Connect over FaceTime on your iPhone while watching video on your Apple TV or listening to music on your HomePod.

SharePlay: Connect through audio, video, and text

Access your group’s Messages thread right from the FaceTime controls and choose the mode of communication that matches the moment.

Portrait mode

Inspired by the portraits you take in the Camera app, Portrait mode in FaceTime blurs your background and puts the focus on you.1

Grid view

Lets you see people in your Group FaceTime calls in the same-size tiles, and highlights the current speaker so it’s easy to know who’s talking. You’ll see up to six faces in the grid at a time.

Spatial audio

Creates a sound field that helps conversations flow as easily as they do face to face. Your friends’ voices are spread out to sound like they’re coming from the direction in which they’re positioned on the call.1

Voice Isolation mode

This microphone mode spotlights your voice by using machine learning to identify ambient noises and block them out. So a leaf blower outside or a dog barking in the next room won’t interrupt your call.1

Wide Spectrum mode

This microphone mode brings every single sound into your call. It’s ideal for when you’re taking music lessons or want your friend to hear everything that’s happening in the space you’re in.1

FaceTime links

Invite your friends into a FaceTime call using a web link you can share anywhere.

Join FaceTime on the web

Invite anyone to join you in a FaceTime call, even friends who don’t have an Apple device.2 They can join you for one-on-one and Group FaceTime calls right from their browser instantly — no login necessary.

Calendar integration

Generate a web link for a FaceTime call while creating an event in Calendar, so everyone knows exactly where to meet and when.

Mute alerts

Lets you know when you’re talking while muted. Tap the alert to quickly unmute and make sure your voice is heard.

Zoom

An optical zoom control for your back camera helps you zero in on what matters when you’re on a FaceTime call.

Messages

Shared with You

Content sent to you over Messages automatically appears in a new Shared with You section in the corresponding app, so you can enjoy it when it’s convenient for you. Shared with You will be featured in Photos, Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and the Apple TV app.

Shared with You: Pins

For content that’s especially interesting to you, you can quickly pin it in Messages, and it will be elevated in Shared with You, Messages search, and the Details view of the conversation.

Shared with You: Continue the conversation

Alongside shared content in the corresponding apps, you can see who sent it and tap the sender to view the associated messages and continue the conversation — right from the app — without going to Messages.

Shared with You: Photos

Photos sent to you over Messages automatically appear in your Photos app. Your library includes the photos you care about most — like the ones you were there for. And in For You, the broader set of shared photos will be featured in a new Shared with You section, your Memories, and your Featured Photos.

Shared with You: Safari

Interesting articles, recipes, and other links sent over Messages automatically appear in the new Shared with You section on the Safari start page. Articles that can be found in Safari and Apple News conveniently appear in Shared with You in both apps — so you can enjoy them in either place.

Shared with You: Apple News

Interesting stories sent over Messages automatically appear in the new Shared with You section in the Today and Following tabs in Apple News. Stories found in News and Safari appear in Shared with You in both apps — so you can enjoy them in either place.

Shared with You: Apple Music

Music sent over Messages automatically appears in the new Shared with You section of Listen Now in Apple Music.

Shared with You: Apple Podcasts

Podcast shows and episodes sent over Messages automatically appear in the new Shared with You section of Listen Now in Apple Podcasts.

Shared with You: Apple TV app

Movies and shows sent over Messages automatically appear in the new Shared with You section of Watch Now in the Apple TV app.

Photo collections

Enjoy multiple photos as beautiful collections in your Messages conversations. A handful of images appears as a glanceable collage and a larger set as an elegant stack that you can swipe through. Tap to view them as a grid and easily add a Tapback or inline reply.

Easily save photos

You can quickly save photos sent to you by tapping a new save button right in the Messages conversation.

SMS filtering for Brazil

Messages features on-device intelligence that filters unwanted SMS messages, organizing them into Promotional, Transactional, and Junk folders so your inbox can stay clutter‑free.

Notification options in Messages for India and China

Turn notifications on or off for unknown senders, transactions, and promotions to determine which types of messages you want to receive notifications for.

Switch phone numbers in Messages

Switch between phone numbers in the middle of a conversation on an iPhone with Dual SIM.

Memoji

Clothing

Customize your Memoji with over 40 outfit choices to reflect your style, mood, or the season — and choose up to three different colors. Show it off using Memoji stickers with expressive body language that include the upper body.

Two different eye colors

Now you can select a different color for your left eye and your right eye.

New glasses

Customize your Memoji with three new glasses options, including heart, star, and retro shapes. Select the color of your frame and lenses.

New Memoji stickers

Nine new Memoji stickers let you send a shaka, a hand wave, a lightbulb moment, and more.

Multicolored headwear

Represent your favorite sports team or university by choosing up to three colors for headwear.

New accessibility options

Three new accessibility options let you represent yourself with cochlear implants, oxygen tubes, or a soft helmet.

Focus

Focus

Match your devices to your mindset with Focus. Automatically filter notifications based on what you’re currently doing. Turn on Do Not Disturb to switch everything off, or choose from a provided Focus for work, personal time, sleep, fitness, mindfulness, gaming, reading, or driving.

Focus setup suggestions

When you’re setting up a Focus, on‑device intelligence about your past activity suggests apps and people you want to allow notifications from.

Focus contextual suggestions

Get intelligent suggestions about selecting a Focus based on your context, using different signals like location or time of day.

Focus customization

Create a custom Focus to filter notifications based on what you’re currently doing. Choose an icon for your custom Focus and name it whatever you like.

Focus across your devices

When you use a Focus on one device, it’s automatically set on your other devices.

Matching Home Screen pages with Focus

Dedicate a page on your Home Screen to a specific Focus and organize your apps and widgets in a way that reduces temptation by making only related apps visible. The page appears when you’re in a Focus and hides everything else.

Allowed notifications

Select the notifications you want from people and apps so that they get through to you while you’re focusing.

Status

Contacts outside the notifications you allow for a Focus will be told that your notifications are silenced. Your status appears the moment someone tries to contact you in Messages, so they know not to interrupt.

Driving auto-reply

Turn on an auto-reply for your contacts when they message you while you’re using the Focus for driving. You can customize your auto-reply to say whatever you like.

Urgent messages

If someone’s status is turned on, signaling that they have notifications silenced with Focus, you can break through with an urgent message. If you’re on the receiving end, you can prevent an app or person from breaking through.

Status API

For conversations in third-party messaging apps, developers can use your status to reflect that you’ve stepped away.

Notifications

New look for notifications

Notifications have a fresh new look, with contact photos for people and larger icons for apps.

Notification summary

Receive a helpful collection of your notifications delivered daily, in the morning and evening, or scheduled at a time you choose. The summary is intelligently ordered by priority, with the most relevant notifications at the top, so you can quickly catch up.

Mute notifications

Mute any app or messaging thread temporarily, for the next hour, or for the day.

Muting suggestions

If a thread is really active and you aren’t engaging with it, you’ll get a suggestion to mute it.

Communication notifications

Notifications from people across your communication apps now feature contact photos to make them easier to identify.

Time Sensitive notifications

Time Sensitive notifications from apps are always delivered immediately, so you won’t miss out on timely alerts like a fraud alert, car waiting outside, or reminder to go pick up your kids.

Notification APIs

New notification APIs for developers allow them to automatically send Time Sensitive notifications and adopt the new look for notifications coming from people.

Maps

Interactive globe

Discover the natural beauty of Earth with a rich and interactive 3D globe, including significantly enhanced details for mountain ranges, deserts, forests, oceans, and more.1

Detailed new city experience

Explore cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London with unprecedented detail for elevation, roads, trees, buildings, landmarks, and more. Road details like turn lanes and crosswalks and 3D views for complex interchanges help you navigate.3

New driving features

A new dedicated driving map highlights details like traffic and incidents, and a route planner lets you view your upcoming journey by choosing a future departure or arrival time.

Immersive walking directions

Get where you’re going with step-by-step directions shown in augmented reality.1

Redesigned transit

The transit map has been redesigned for the new city experience and now shows key bus routes. While you’re riding transit, a new user interface makes it easy to see and interact with your route with one hand. And when you’re approaching your stop, Maps notifies you that it’s almost time to disembark.

Nearby transit

Frequent transit riders can now get one-tap access to all departures that are near them. They can even pin their favorite lines so that they always show up at the top if they are nearby.

All-new place cards

Completely redesigned place cards make it easy to find and interact with important information for businesses, explore details about cities, and learn about physical features like mountain ranges.

Editorially curated Guides Home

It’s now easier to discover great places with the all-new Guides Home, an editorially curated destination where you can find Guides for places you’ll love.

Improved search

When looking for places like restaurants, you can filter your search results by cuisine or whether they offer takeout. Or you can choose to see only places that are open right now. When you move the map while searching, Maps automatically updates your search results.

User account

Maps users can now find their most used settings all in one place, including their preferred mode of transit, reported issues, favorites, and more.

Redesigned Maps contributions

With an all-new design, it’s faster and easier to report an issue in Maps.

Safari

Bottom tab bar

The bottom tab bar puts controls right at your fingertips. Swipe left or right on the address bar to move between tabs. Or swipe up to see all your open tabs.

Tab Groups

Save and organize your tabs in the way that works best for you. Switch between Tab Groups in the tab overview.

Tab Group syncing

Tab Groups sync across devices so you have access to your tabs from anywhere.

Customizable start page

Customize the start page to make it your own. You can set a background image and select new sections to display, like Privacy Report, Siri Suggestions, and Shared with You. Customizations sync across devices, so you can have the same Safari everywhere.

New privacy protections

Intelligent Tracking Prevention now also prevents trackers from profiling you using your IP address.

HTTPS upgrade

HTTPS upgrade automatically uses HTTPS whenever available.

Pull to refresh

Refresh a web page by pulling down from the top of the page.

Web extensions on iOS

Personalize Safari on iOS with web extensions. Web extensions can add functionality and features to Safari. You can install extensions through the App Store.

Voice search

Search the web using your voice. Tap the microphone in the search field and speak your search to see suggestions or be taken directly to the page you’re looking for.

Tab overview grid view

The tab overview now displays your open tabs in a grid, making it easier to see the tabs you have open and switch between them. Tap the Tab Overview button or swipe up on the tab bar to see all your tabs.

Wallet

Home keys

Add home keys to Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, then simply tap to unlock a compatible HomeKit door lock for seamless access to your home. Home keys live in the Wallet app with other important items like your car keys and credit cards.4

Hotel key

Hotel keys can be added to Wallet from the participating hotel provider’s app. Add your hotel key in Wallet after making a reservation, use it to check in so you can skip the lobby, and use your iPhone and Apple Watch to tap to unlock and access your room. Wallet automatically archives your pass after you check out to keep passes organized as you travel.4

Office key

For supported corporate offices, add your corporate access badge to Wallet and then use your iPhone and Apple Watch to access locations where your corporate badge is accepted. Tap to unlock your office doors and use your corporate badge in Wallet.4

Car keys

Unlock, lock, and start your car without having to take your iPhone out of your bag or pocket. Ultra Wideband provides precise spatial awareness, ensuring that you won’t be able to lock your iPhone in your car or start your vehicle when iPhone isn’t inside. Even honk your horn, preheat your car, or open your trunk using controls in Wallet when you’re a short distance from your vehicle.4

ID in Wallet

You can add your driver’s license and state ID to Wallet on your iPhone and a paired Apple Watch and present them securely at TSA checkpoints.5

Archived passes

Your expired boarding passes and event tickets will be automatically moved to a separate list so you can easily access your relevant cards and passes without having to deal with the clutter of old passes.

Multiple-pass downloads

Using Safari, you can now add multiple passes to Wallet in one action instead of manually adding one pass at a time.

Live Text6

Live Text in photos

Text is now completely interactive in all your photos, so you can use functions like copy and paste, lookup, and translate. Live Text works in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, and Safari and in live previews with Camera.

Visual Look Up

Swipe up or tap the information button on any photo to highlight recognized objects and scenes. Learn more about popular art and landmarks around the world, plants and flowers out in nature, books, and breeds of pets.

Spotlight

Rich results

Brings together all the information you’re looking for in one rich result. Available for contacts, actors, musicians, movies, and TV shows.

Photos search

Spotlight uses information from Photos to enable searching your full photo library by locations, people, scenes, or even things in the photos, like a dog or a car. Find images shared through Messages by including a contact name in your search.

Web images search

Spotlight allows you to search for images of people, animals, monuments, and more from the web.

Lock Screen access

Pull down from the Lock Screen or Notification Center to open Spotlight.

App Clips in Maps results

For businesses that support App Clips, you’ll see an action button on the Maps result in Spotlight. Action buttons include Menu, Tickets, Reservations, Appointments, Takeout, Order, Delivery, Waitlist, Showtimes, Parking, Availability, and Pricing.

Improved App Store search

Quickly install apps from the App Store without leaving Spotlight.

Photos

Memories: Apple Music

In addition to the hundreds of newly included songs, Apple Music subscribers can add any of the tens of millions of songs from the Apple Music library to enjoy on their devices.

Memories: Song suggestions

Apple Music song suggestions are personalized just for you, combining expert recommendations with your music tastes and what’s in your photos and videos. Song suggestions can even recommend songs that were popular at the time and location of the memory, songs you listened to while traveling, or a song from the artist you saw for a concert memory.

Memories: Memory mixes

Customize your memory by swiping through Memory mixes, which let you audition different songs with pacing and a Memory look to match.

Memories: Fresh new look

Memories has a fresh new look including animated cards with smart, adaptive titles, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages for a cinematic feel.

Memories: Memory looks

Inspired by the art of cinematography, 12 Memory looks add mood by analyzing each photo and video and applying the right contrast and color adjustment to give them a consistent look — just as the colorists at film studios do.

Memories: Interactive interface

Tap to pause, replay the last photo, skip to the next, or jump ahead, and the music keeps playing and the timing adjusts to keep the transitions on the beat. Change the song or Memory look or add or remove photos, and the adjustment happens in real time, without the need for the movie to recompile.

Memories: Browse view

View all the content from your memory in a bird’s-eye view where you can add, remove, or change the memory duration or jump ahead to another part of the memory.

Memories: New memory types

New memory types include additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories, including recognizing individual dogs and cats.

Memories: Watch next

Memories suggests related memories to watch next after your memory finishes playing.

Memories: On-device song suggestions

Song suggestions are determined on device to protect your privacy.

Shared with You

The Shared with You section in the For You tab allows you to view photos and videos that have been shared with you in Messages. Photos taken when you were present also appear in All Photos and in Days, Months, and Years views and can appear in your Featured Photos and Memories, including the Photos widget. Save a photo to your library or respond to the sender in Messages.

Richer Info pane

Swipe up on a photo or tap the new info button to view information about the photo, such as the camera, lens, and shutter speed, the file size, or who sent a Shared with You photo in Messages. You can also edit the date taken or location, add a caption, and learn about items detected by Visual Look Up.

Faster iCloud Photos library initial sync

When you upgrade to a new device, iCloud Photos syncs more quickly, so you can get to your photo library faster.

Limited Photos Library improvements in third-party apps

Third-party apps can offer simpler selection workflows when you grant access to specific content in the Photos library.

People identification improvements

The People album has improved recognition for individuals.

People naming workflow

Correct naming mistakes more easily in the People album.

Selection order in the Photos image picker

The Photos image picker, including in the Messages app, now allows you to select photos in a specific order for sharing.

Suggest less often

Tap Feature Less to let Photos know you prefer to see less of a specific date, place, holiday, or person across Featured Photos, in the Photos widget, in Memories, or highlighted in the Library tab.

Health

Share health data with others

Share your health data with people important to you or those who are caring for you. Choose which data and trends to share, including heart health, activity, labs, vitals, Medical ID, cycle tracking, and more.

Share notifications with others

People you share health data with can view health alerts you receive, including high heart rate and irregular rhythm notifications. You can also share notifications for significant changes that are identified in the shared data categories, such as a steep decline in activity.

Share health trends with Messages

View trend analysis of someone’s health data that’s been shared with you and easily start a conversation with them about changes in their health by sharing a view of trend data through Messages.

Share health data with your doctor

Securely share the health data you store in the Health app with your healthcare provider. Your doctor will be able to view the data you share in a dashboard in the provider’s health records system.7

Trends

Trend analysis in the Health app lets you see at a glance how a given health metric is progressing, whether it’s increasing or decreasing over time. You can choose to receive a notification when a new trend has been detected in your health data.

Walking Steadiness

Walking Steadiness on iPhone is a first-of-its-kind health metric that can give you insight into your risk of falling. It uses custom algorithms that assess your balance, strength, and gait. Choose to receive a notification when your walking steadiness is low or very low. You can also learn how to improve your walking steadiness with curated exercises.8

Lab results enhancements

When you view your lab results through Health Records on iPhone, you can now see a description of the lab to help you understand what it means. You’ll also receive lab highlights in your health summary, including whether they are in range. You can pin labs that are most important to you for quick access.7

COVID-19 immunizations and test results

Scan a QR code from your healthcare provider and store your COVID-19 immunizations and test results securely in the Health app.

Blood glucose highlights

Receive highlights that show your blood glucose levels from a connected blood glucose monitor during sleep as well as during exercise. Interactive charts make it even easier for you to review your blood glucose data.7

Mail

Mail Privacy Protection

Mail Privacy Protection helps protect your privacy by preventing email senders from learning information about your Mail activity. If you choose to turn it on, it hides your IP address so senders can’t link it to your other online activity or determine your location. And it prevents senders from seeing if you’ve opened their email.

Privacy

App Privacy Report

A section in Settings lets you see how often apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts during the last seven days. It also shows you which apps have contacted other domains and how recently they have contacted them. This is a good complement to an app’s privacy label, so you can be sure you’re comfortable with how it’s treating your privacy.9

Secure paste

Developers can allow you to paste content from another app without having access to what you’ve copied until you want them to have access.

Share current location

Developers can let you share your current location with a customizable button in their apps. It’s an easy way for them to help you share your location just once, without further access after that session.

Limited Photos Library improvements in third‑party apps

If you’ve granted limited access to your Photos library, third‑party apps can offer simpler selection workflows when you allow access to specific content in the library.

Siri

On-device speech processing

The audio of your requests is now processed entirely on your iPhone unless you choose to share it. The power of the Apple Neural Engine enables speech recognition models with the same high quality as server-based speech recognition.10

On-device personalization

Siri speech recognition and understanding improve as you use your device. Siri learns the contacts you interact with most, new words you type, and topics you read about — all privately on your device.11

Offline support

Siri can now process many types of requests offline without an internet connection, including Timers & Alarms, Phone, Messaging, Sharing, App Launch, Control Audio Playback, and Settings.10

Fast on-device processing

Processing on device means that Siri is incredibly fast.10

Sharing

Share items onscreen like photos, web pages, content from Apple Music or Apple Podcasts, Apple News stories, Maps locations, and more. For example, just say “Send this to Vivek” and Siri will send it. If the item cannot be shared, Siri will offer to send a screenshot instead.

Refer to contacts onscreen

Siri can now use onscreen context to send a message or place a call. For example, if you’re looking at a contact in the Contacts app, a conversation with someone in Messages, or a notification of a message or missed call from someone, you can say “Message them I’m on my way” and Siri will send it to the appropriate contact.

Maintaining context

Siri is even better at maintaining context between requests, so you can conversationally refer to what you just asked. For example, after asking “Is Glacier National Park still open?” you could ask “How long does it take to get there?” and Siri will make the connection.

Announce Notifications

Siri automatically announces Time Sensitive incoming notifications on AirPods. You can also have notifications that are not Time Sensitive enabled for any app through Settings.12

Announce Messages in CarPlay

Siri can announce incoming messages in CarPlay. You can turn announcements on or off when a message is read and Siri will remember your preference. Or you can set announcements off or always on through Settings.

Control smart home accessories at a specific time

You can ask Siri to control a HomeKit accessory at a specific time. For example, say “Hey Siri, turn off my bedroom lights at 7 p.m.” or “Hey Siri, turn off all the lights when I leave.”

Neural text-to-speech voice in more languages

The latest neural text-to-speech voices are now available in more languages: Swedish (Sweden), Danish (Denmark), Norwegian (Norway), and Finnish (Finland).

Mixed English and Indic language support in Siri

Ask Siri to play your favorite song, call a friend, and more using a mix of Indian English and your native language. Nine languages are supported: Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, Malayalam, and Punjabi.

Apple ID

Account Recovery Contacts

Choose one or more people you trust to become an Account Recovery Contact to help you reset your password and regain access to your account.

Digital Legacy program

The Digital Legacy program allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your account and personal information in the event of your death.9

iCloud+

Beta

iCloud Private Relay

iCloud Private Relay is a service that lets you connect to virtually any network and browse with Safari in an even more secure and private way. It ensures that the traffic leaving your device is encrypted so no one can intercept and read it. Then all your requests are sent through two separate internet relays. It’s designed so that no one — including Apple — can use your IP address, location, and browsing activity to create a detailed profile about you.13

Hide My Email

Hide My Email allows you to create unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox so you can send and receive email without having to share your real email address.

HomeKit Secure Video

Connect more security cameras than ever to record, analyze, and view your footage in the Home app. iCloud will store your recordings in an end-to-end encrypted format automatically, so that only you and people you choose can view it. None of the video footage counts against your iCloud storage — it’s part of your subscription.14

Custom email domain

Personalize your iCloud Mail address with a custom domain name, and invite family members to use the same domain with their iCloud Mail accounts.

Even More

Accessibility

Explore images with VoiceOver

Explore people, objects, text, and tables within images in more detail with VoiceOver. Navigate receipts and nutrition label values intelligently in logical order. And move your finger over a photo to discover a person’s position relative to other objects within images.

VoiceOver image descriptions in Markup

Markup lets you add image descriptions that can be read by VoiceOver. Image descriptions persist even when shared and can be read in a range of supported apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Sound actions for Switch Control

Sound actions for Switch Control let you control iPhone with simple mouth sounds — such as a click, pop, or “ee” sound — without the need for physical buttons, switches, or complex verbal commands.

Background sounds

Background sounds play balanced, bright, or dark noise, ocean, rain, and stream sounds continuously in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise and help you focus, stay calm, or rest. The sounds mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds as you use your device.

Per-app settings

Customize display and text size settings on an app-by-app basis. Bold or enlarge text, increase contrast, invert colors, add color filters, and more for only the apps you want.

Import audiograms

Import paper or PDF audiograms in Settings and quickly customize Headphone Accommodations to amplify soft sounds and adjust certain frequencies based on your hearing test results.

Magnifier app

Magnifier becomes a default app on iOS, so you can use your iPhone as a magnifying glass to zoom in on objects near you.

Accessibility Memoji

Memoji represent more of your look and style with new customizations, including oxygen tubes, cochlear implants, and a soft helmet for headwear.

New Voice Control languages

Voice Control adds new language options including Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong), Japanese (Japan), French (France), and German (Germany). These languages use Siri speech recognition technology for incredible accuracy as you dictate your commands.

App Library

Reorder Home Screen pages

Personalize your Home Screen by reordering pages.

App Store

In-app events

Discover timely events within apps and games — such as a game competition, a new movie premiere, or a livestreamed experience — right on the App Store. Events are discoverable in editorial curation and personalized recommendations on the Today, Games, and Apps tabs, in search results, and on the app product page.

App Store widget

See the stories, collections, and in-app events from your Today tab right on your Home Screen.

Apple Card

Advanced Fraud Protection

With Advanced Fraud Protection, Apple Card users can have a security code that changes regularly to make online Card Number transactions even more secure.

Improved card number discoverability

Now quickly view your card number by opening Apple Card in Wallet and tapping the card icon.

Apple Pay

Apple Pay new payment sheet design

A redesigned Apple Pay payment sheet lets you add new cards inline, without ever leaving the Apple Pay experience. You can now enter coupon codes into the payment sheet, helping you save more whenever you use Apple Pay. And the enhanced summary view lets you see more detailed information, such as payment items, discounts, and subtotals, giving you the confidence to shop with Apple Pay.

Augmented Reality

RealityKit 2

Apply custom shaders, add post rendering effects, and build more immersive AR experiences with RealityKit 2 — Apple’s 3D rendering, physics, and spatial audio engine built from the ground up for AR.15

Books

Search redesign

Search results come up as soon as you start typing and will correct spelling mistakes. Enjoy personalized showcases of top books, audiobooks, and genre collections within your results. Buy directly from the Search tab to get started on your book faster.

Camera

Improved Panorama captures

Panorama mode in iPhone 12 models and later has improved geometric distortion and better captures moving subjects while also reducing image noise and banding.

Zoom in QuickTake video

Swipe up or down while taking a QuickTake video to zoom in or out.16

Select from UPI payment apps in India

Choose from up to 10 of your most recently used UPI payment apps when you scan UPI QR codes using the Camera app for merchant payments.

Car Keys

Ultra Wideband support for car keys

Unlock, lock, and start your car without having to take your iPhone out of your bag or pocket. Ultra Wideband provides precise spatial awareness, ensuring that you won’t be able to lock your iPhone in your car or start your vehicle when iPhone isn’t inside.4

Remote keyless entry controls

Lock or unlock your car, honk your horn, preheat your car, or open your trunk using controls in Wallet when you’re a short distance away from your vehicle.4

CarPlay

Announce Messages in CarPlay

Siri can announce incoming messages in CarPlay. You can turn announcements on or off when a message is read and Siri will remember your preference. Or you can set announcements off or always on through Settings.

Control Center

Shazam

Shazam music recognition in Control Center now automatically saves songs you’ve recently discovered. Touch and hold the control to open your history view.

Dictionary

New dictionaries for India

Bilingual dictionaries for India include Urdu–English, Tamil–English, Telugu–English, and Gujarati–English.

New thesaurus and idiom dictionary for China mainland

There’s a new Simplified Chinese thesaurus with synonyms and antonyms as well as a dictionary of idioms.

New dictionaries for Hong Kong

Dictionaries now include a Traditional Chinese–English dictionary of Cantonese colloquialisms and a Traditional Chinese dictionary of Standard Mandarin with Cantonese pronunciations.

Find My

Live locations for family and friends

See your family and friends’ locations with continuous streaming updates. This provides an immediate sense of direction, speed, and progress when viewing people’s locations.

Locate when powered off

Locate your devices using the Find My network for up to 24 hours even after they have been turned off. This can help you locate a missing device that may have been turned off by a thief.

Locate after erase

The Find My network and Activation Lock can locate your device even after it has been erased. To help ensure that nobody is tricked into purchasing your device, the Hello screen will clearly show that your device is locked, locatable, and still yours.

Separation alerts

Enable separation alerts, and if you leave a device, AirTag, or compatible third-party item behind, your iPhone will alert you with notifications and Find My will give you directions to your item.

Find My network support for AirPods

Use the Find My network to get an approximate location of your missing AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. This will help you get within Bluetooth range so you can play a sound and locate them.*

Find My widget

Keep track of your friends and personal items right from the Home Screen with the Find My widget.

5G

Enhanced connectivity on 5G

More app and system experiences are enhanced by faster 5G connectivity, including support to back up to iCloud and restore from an iCloud backup, stream audio and video on Apple and third‑party apps, download higher‑quality Apple TV+ content, sync photos to iCloud Photos, download Apple News+ magazine issues for offline reading, and download machine learning models.17

5G preferred over Wi-Fi

iPhone 12 models and later now automatically prioritize 5G when Wi‑Fi connectivity on networks you visit occasionally is slow, or when you are connected to captive or insecure networks, so you can enjoy faster, safer connections.

Gaming

Game Center recents and groups invitations

Bring your most recent Messages friends and groups into Game Center–enabled games with the new multiplayer friend selector.

Game Center friend requests

See incoming requests in the Game Center friend request inbox. Navigate to the App Store or within your Game Center profile in a game.

Game highlights

With a press of the share button, save a video clip of up to the last 15 seconds of gameplay using game controllers like the Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense™ Wireless Controller.

Game Center widgets

The Continue Playing widget displays your recently played Game Center–enabled games across devices. The Friends Are Playing widget helps you discover the games your friends play.

Focus for gaming

Choosing the Focus for gaming lets you stay fully immersed in your game by filtering out unwanted notifications.

Home

Home keys

Using iPhone, simply tap to unlock a compatible HomeKit door lock for seamless access to your home. Home keys live in the Wallet app with other important items like your car keys and credit cards.4

Siri-enabled accessories

HomeKit developers will be able to enable Siri in their products through HomePod. You can easily and securely ask Siri to send a message, set a reminder, or broadcast an Intercom message to the family from more devices in your home.18

Package detection

Using HomeKit Secure Video, your security cameras and video doorbells can now detect and notify you when a package has arrived.14

Inclusive Language

Choose your term of address

Choose your term of address for Spanish to make your device feel more personal. In Language & Region settings you can choose how you would like to be addressed throughout the system: feminine, masculine, or neuter.

Keyboard

Magnification loupe for text cursor and selection

Select exactly the text you want with an improved cursor that magnifies the text you’re looking at.

QuickPath language expansion

New keyboard layouts

Enhanced 10-key layout includes improvements that let you quickly switch to QWERTY, access symbols more easily, and type words that share the same keys with greater accuracy by allowing you to select the exact Pinyin for more than just the first syllable in the phrase.

Keyboard Dictation

Continuous dictation

With on-device dictation, you can dictate text of any length without a timeout (previously limited to 60 seconds).20

Lock Screen

Media playback controls

Media playback controls automatically appear on the Lock Screen of your iPhone when a HomePod mini playing music is nearby.

Music21

Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking

Listeners with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max can now get an even more immersive experience of Dolby Atmos music with Apple’s dynamic head tracking.22

Shared with You

See all the music your friends have shared with you in one place, right in the Music app. And when browsing music, quickly jump back to Messages to keep the conversation going.

Photo Memories

Bring memories to life with Apple Music. Select tracks from your library or from the catalog to create the perfect soundtrack to accompany your memory and share it with your friends.

SharePlay

Use SharePlay in FaceTime to listen to music together in real time. You can pick out songs with your friends, and everyone can pause, rearrange, or skip tracks in the SharePlay queue.

News

Redesigned News feed

A new design makes it easier to browse and interact with your News feed. Information like publication dates and bylines are more prominent, and you can save and share stories right from the feed.

Shared with You

Interesting stories sent over Messages automatically appear in the Shared with You section in the Today and Following tabs in Apple News. Stories found in News and Safari appear in Shared with You in both apps.

Notes

Tags

Tags are a fast and flexible way to categorize and organize your notes. Add one or more tags by typing them directly in the note — like #activities or #cooking.

Tag Browser

The Tag Browser lets you tap any tag or combination of tags to quickly view tagged notes.

Custom Smart Folders

Custom Smart Folders automatically collect notes in one place based on tags.

Activity view

See what others have added to your shared note while you were away. The new Activity view gives a summary of updates since the last time you viewed the note and a day-to-day list of activity from each collaborator.

Highlights

Swipe right anywhere in your note to reveal details of who made changes in a shared note. View edit times and dates with highlighted text color-coded to match collaborators in the note.

Mentions

Mentions make collaboration in shared notes or folders more social, direct, and contextual. Type or handwrite an @ sign and the name of a collaborator anywhere in your note to notify them of important updates and link them back to the note.

Quick Note: Easy to access

Find and edit the Quick Notes you created on Mac and iPad in Notes.

Other

Drag and drop

With support for drag and drop across apps, you can pick up images, documents, and files from one app and drag them into another.

Passwords

Built-in authenticator

Generate verification codes needed for additional sign-in security. If a site offers two-factor authentication, you can set up verification codes under Passwords in Settings — no need to download an additional app. Once set up, verification codes autofill when you sign in to the site.

Podcasts

Personalized recommendations

Discover new podcasts about topics you’re passionate about. The best podcasts, personalized for you, grouped by topics you care about.

Shared with You

Share your favorite podcast episodes in the Messages app and find all the episodes shared with you in Listen Now.

Reminders

Tags

Tags are a fast and flexible way to organize your reminders. Add one or more tags, like #errands, to your reminders to make them easy to search and filter for across your Reminders lists.

Tag Browser

The Tag Browser lets you tap any tag or combination of tags to quickly view tagged reminders.

Custom Smart Lists

Create your own Smart Lists to automatically include reminders that matter most to you by selecting for tags, dates, times, locations, flags, and priority. Choose more than one tag (such as #gardening and #errands) and combine them with other setting filters for more specific lists.

Delete completed reminders

Access quick options to easily delete your completed reminders.

Improved natural language support

Type more advanced phrases to create reminder settings. Try something like “Jog every other morning” for a specific, recurring reminder.

Expanded suggested attributes

Choose tags, flags, priority, and people you message with a quick tap when creating a reminder.

Announce Reminders with Siri on AirPods

Siri can announce your reminders when you’re wearing AirPods or compatible Beats headphones.

Screen Time

Screen Time API

Developers can use the Screen Time API in parental controls apps to support an even wider range of tools for parents. The API provides developers with key features like core restrictions and device activity monitoring, all in a way that puts privacy first.

Downtime on demand

Turn on downtime on demand. During downtime, only phone calls and apps you choose to allow will be available. A five‑minute downtime reminder will be sent and downtime will be turned on until the end of the day.

Settings

Software Updates

iOS may now offer a choice between two software update versions in the Settings app. You can update to the latest version of iOS 15 as soon as it’s released for the latest features and most complete set of security updates. Or continue on iOS 14 and still get important security updates.

Setup Experience

Temporary iCloud storage to transfer your data

Now when you buy a new device you can use iCloud Backup to move your data to your new device, even if you’re low on storage. iCloud will grant you as much storage as you need to complete a temporary backup, free of charge, for up to three weeks. This allows you to get all your apps, data, and settings onto your device automatically.

More content transferred from Android

Move to iOS can now also move your photo albums, files and folders, and Accessibility settings so your new iPhone feels even more like your own.

App discoverability

It’s easier than ever to get the Move to iOS app. Simply scan the QR code, and you’ll be taken to the Google Play Store where you can download the app.

Shortcuts

Cross-device management

Build and manage shortcuts on iPhone, iPad, or Mac for any of your devices — shortcuts automatically sync across all of them.

Improved sharing

Share shortcuts as easily as sharing a link and download them for your own use without managing complicated security settings. If you’re the recipient, smart prompts allow you to share only the data you want.

Smarter Shortcuts editor

Next Action Suggestions help you complete the shortcut you’re building.

System Font

SF Arabic system font

The new SF Arabic system font features a refined, contemporary design that is integrated with the SF font, providing a clear, cohesive reading experience.

Translate

System‑wide translation

Translate text by selecting it and tapping Translate. Then copy, save, replace selected text, or open the translation in the Translate app. You can also translate selected text in photos.

Auto Translate

Translate speech without tapping the microphone button in a conversation. Auto Translate automatically detects when you start speaking and when you stop, so the other person can just respond.

Face to face view

Change the conversation view when chatting face to face so that each person can see the conversation from their own side.

Redesigned conversations

Start a conversation using the Conversation tab in landscape or portrait view. The redesigned conversation view has chat bubbles so you can follow along more easily.

Easier language selection

Selecting languages is now easier with convenient drop‑down menus.

TV

Shared with You

The Apple TV app now helps you see all the shows and movies your friends and family have shared with you in Messages. See them in a new dedicated section called Shared with You on Watch Now and easily keep the conversation going directly from the Apple TV app.

SharePlay

The Apple TV app works seamlessly with Messages and FaceTime so you can watch your favorite shows and movies together with friends and communicate using text, voice, or video while you watch. SharePlay lets your friends join in from their iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV — so everyone can watch together wherever and however they want.

Now works with streaming apps in Japan

The Apple TV app now works with popular streaming apps in Japan. Connect your favorite apps and use Up Next to continue where you left off from all your favorite shows and movies all in one place. Browse each service through the Apple TV app to easily discover and watch the best of what’s on TV.

Voice Memos

Playback speed

Speed up or slow down playback of Voice Memos recordings.

Skip silence

Voice Memos analyzes your recordings and automatically skips over gaps in your audio with a single tap.

Improved sharing

Share multiple Voice Memos recordings at once.

Weather

Weather maps

View full-screen weather maps showing precipitation, air quality, and temperature. Animated precipitation maps show the path of a storm and intensity of upcoming rain and snow. And air quality and temperature maps make it easy to see different conditions near you.23

Next-hour precipitation notifications

Get a notification when rain, snow, hail, or sleet is about to start or stop.24

New design

The layout adjusts to show the most important weather information for that location and includes new maps modules, an updated 10‑day forecast, and new graphical weather data.

New animated backgrounds

There are now thousands of variations of animated backgrounds that more accurately represent the sun position, clouds, and precipitation.1

Widgets

Find My widget

Keep track of your friends and personal items right from the Home Screen with the Find My widget.

Contacts widget

Stay connected to family and friends from your Home Screen with the Contacts widget. Reach them via Phone, Messages, FaceTime, Mail, or Find My. With Family Sharing, you can take additional actions, like approving purchases or Screen Time requests from your kids.

Game Center widgets

The Continue Playing widget displays your recently played Game Center–enabled games across devices. The Friends Are Playing widget helps you discover the games your friends play.

App Store widget

See the stories, collections, and in‑app events from your Today tab right on your Home Screen.

Sleep widget

See data about how you slept and review your sleep schedule with the Sleep widget.

Mail widget

Glance at your latest email and get quick access to one of your mailboxes with the Mail widget.

Default widgets

When you upgrade, you’ll see a new default layout, with widgets from the apps you use most arranged in Smart Stacks.

Intelligent widget suggestions

Suggested widgets for apps you already use can automatically appear in your Smart Stack at the right time based on your past activity. An option lets you add the widget to your stack so it’s always there when you need it.

Reorder Smart Stacks

Easily reorder the widgets in your Smart Stacks right from the Home Screen with new controls.

Here are the Best Gardening Books to start Reading

Tend to your inner Green Thumb with these Great Reads It’s never a bad time to try your hand in gardening. Now is actually the perfect time, spring, to get your hands in the dirt, whether it be to spruce up your garden in the way of planting flowers or growing your own produce. Being … Continue reading Here are the Best Gardening Books to start Reading

‘The Northman’ with Alexander Skarsgård: Viking Vengeance at Epic Scale

“The Northman” is a bloody Scandinavian Viking’s tale of revenge.  The film follows  Prince Amleth (played by Alexander Skarsgård) who vows to avenge his father’s death at the hands of his uncle.

While, perhaps, not everyone waits with baited breath for the next bloody Viking saga, this particular outing might have a shot at a wider audience due to the elevated filmmaking and stunning visuals.

The trailer (below) will give you a taste of this, and based on how you feel once having viewed it you may have a better idea of why you might want to visit a theater (later this month, only in theaters) to get the full treatment.

Along with Skarsgård comes a hard-hitting cast including: Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hake (plays King Aurvandil), Anya Taylor-Joy, Claes Bang and William Dafoe (witch). 

Reviews for the film, directed by  Robert Egger, are coming out now, since the theatrical release of the film will hit screens at the end of the month. Rotten Tomatoes calls it “bold, unflinching and visually breathtaking”. Eggers is known for the historical fables / period setting pieces that push the genre, such as in his previous films, for example, “The Lighthouse” and “The Witch”. 

“The Northman” is set for theatrical release starting April 22.

Related Articles:


Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

How to read Mick Herron Books in order: Slough House series

In the event you haven’t heard, the Slough House Thrillers (inspired by the book set) is now an Apple TV+ Original series titled after Book #1: “Slow Horses“. The series stars Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas.

The British mystery/thriller novelist, Mick Herron is responsible for the 8 book Slough Houses series that tells the story of MI5 “Misfits”. His last book “Bad Actors” is available for pre-order and will be released in May 2022.

As is the case with many television series, inspiration comes from reading a book. If you want to start from the beginning, we have provided the book order to read, I greatly enjoy reading a book first and comparing how stacks up when adapted to the screen. And if you get hooked into the TV series, you have 7 more novels to keep you nice and entertained until Season 2 comes about!

Slow Horses (Deluxe Edition)

Click photo for more on”Slow Horses” on Bookshop.

London, England: Slough House is where washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what’s left of their failed careers. The “slow horses,” as they’re called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated there. Maybe they botched an Op so badly they can’t be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle–not unusual in this line of work.

One thing they have in common, though, is they want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there─even if it means having to collaborate with one another. When a young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten to broadcast his beheading live on the Internet, the slow horses see an opportunity to redeem themselves. But is the victim really who he appears to be?

Dead Lions

Click photo for more on “Dead Lions” on Bookshop.

The disgruntled agents of Slough House, the MI5 branch where washed-up spies are sent to finish their failed careers on desk duty, are called into action to protect a visiting Russian oligarch whom MI5 hopes to recruit to British intelligence. While two agents are dispatched on that babysitting job, though, an old Cold War-era spy named Dickie Bow is found dead, ostensibly of a heart attack, on a bus outside of Oxford, far from his usual haunts. But the head of Slough House, the irascible Jackson Lamb, is convinced Dickie Bow was murdered.

As the agents dig into their fallen comrade’s circumstances, they uncover a shadowy tangle of ancient Cold War secrets that seem to lead back to a man named Alexander Popov, who is either a Soviet bogeyman or the most dangerous man in the world. How many more people will have to die to keep those secrets buried?

Real Tigers

Click photo for more on “Real Tigers” on Bookshop.

London: Slough House is the MI5 branch where disgraced operatives are reassigned after they’ve messed up too badly to be trusted with real intelligence work. The “Slow Horses,” as the failed spies of Slough House are called, are doomed to spend the rest of their careers pushing paper, but they all want back in on the action. 

When one of their own is kidnapped and held for ransom, the agents of Slough House must defeat the odds, overturning all expectations of their competence, to breach the top-notch security of MI5’s intelligence headquarters, Regent’s Park, and steal valuable intel in exchange for their comrade’s safety. The kidnapping is only the tip of the iceberg, however–the agents uncover a larger web of intrigue that involves not only a group of private mercenaries but the highest authorities in the Secret Service. After years spent as the lowest on the totem pole, the Slow Horses suddenly find themselves caught in the midst of a conspiracy that threatens not only the future of Slough House, but of MI5 itself.

Spook Street

Click photo for more on”Spook Street” on Bookshop.

These are the paranoid concerns of David Cartwright, a Cold War-era operative and one-time head of MI5 who is sliding into dementia, and questions his grandson, River, must figure out answers to now that the spy who raised him has started to forget to wear pants.

But River, himself an agent at Slough House, MI5’s outpost for disgraced spies, has other things to worry about. A bomb has detonated in the middle of a busy shopping center and killed forty innocent civilians. The “slow horses” of Slough House must figure out who is behind this act of terror before the situation escalates.

London Rules

Click photo for more on “London Rules” on Bookshop.

At MI5 headquarters Regent’s Park, First Desk Claude Whelan is learning the ropes the hard way. Tasked with protecting a beleaguered prime minister, he’s facing attack from all directions: from the showboating MP who orchestrated the Brexit vote, and now has his sights set on Number Ten; from the showboat’s wife, a tabloid columnist, who’s crucifying Whelan in print; from the PM’s favorite Muslim, who’s about to be elected mayor of the West Midlands, despite the dark secret he’s hiding; and especially from his own deputy, Lady Di Taverner, who’s alert for Claude’s every stumble.

Meanwhile, the country’s being rocked by an apparently random string of terror attacks. Over at Slough House, the MI5 satellite office for outcast and demoted spies, the agents are struggling with personal problems: repressed grief, various addictions, retail paralysis, and the nagging suspicion that their newest colleague is a psychopath. Plus someone is trying to kill Roddy Ho. But collectively, they’re about to rediscover their greatest strength–that of making a bad situation much, much worse.

Joe Country

Click photo for more on”Joe Country” on Bookshop.

In Slough House, the London outpost for disgraced MI5 spies, memories are stirring, all of them bad. Catherine Standish is buying booze again, Louisa Guy is raking over the ashes of lost love, and new recruit Lech Wicinski, whose sins make him an outcast even among the slow horses, is determined to discover who destroyed his career, even if he tears his life apart in the process. 

Meanwhile, in Regent’s Park, Diana Taverner’s tenure as First Desk is running into difficulties. If she’s going to make the Service fit for purpose, she might have to make deals with a familiar old devil . . . And with winter taking its grip, Jackson Lamb would sooner be left brooding in peace, but even he can’t ignore the dried blood on his carpets. So when the man responsible for killing a slow horse breaks cover at last, Lamb sends the slow horses out to even the score.

Slough House

Click photo for more on “Slough House” on Bookshop.

At Slough House–MI5’s London depository for demoted spies–Brexit has taken a toll. The “slow horses” have been pushed further into the cold, Slough House has been erased from official records, and its members are dying in unusual circumstances, at an unusual clip. No wonder Jackson Lamb’s crew is feeling paranoid. But are they actually targets? With a new populist movement taking hold of London’s streets and the old order ensuring that everything’s for sale to the highest bidder, the world’s a dangerous place for those deemed surplus. Jackson Lamb and the slow horses are in a fight for their lives as they navigate dizzying layers of lies, power, and death.

Bad Actors

Click photo for more on “Bad Actors” on Bookshop.

In London’s MI5 headquarters a scandal is brewing that could disgrace the entire intelligence community. The Downing Street superforecaster–a specialist who advises the Prime Minister’s office on how policy is likely to be received by the electorate–has disappeared without a trace. Claude Whelan, who was once head of MI5, has been tasked with tracking her down. But the trail leads him straight back to Regent’s Park itself, with First Desk Diana Taverner as chief suspect.

Has Taverner overplayed her hand at last? Meanwhile, her Russian counterpart, Moscow intelligence’s First Desk, has cheekily showed up in London and shaken off his escort. Are the two unfortunate events connected?
Over at Slough House, where Jackson Lamb presides over some of MI5’s most embittered demoted agents, the slow horses are doing what they do best, and adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation . . . There are bad actors everywhere, and they usually get their comeuppance before the credits roll. But politics is a dirty business, and in a world where lying, cheating and backstabbing are the norm, sometimes the good guys can find themselves outgunned.

Watch Trailer for Apple TV+ for “Slow Horses”:

Related Articles:


Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

Noam Chomsky books: Where to start?

The renowned American philosopher, historian and social critic, Noam Chomsky, has been a free-thinker almost all his life and has written books challenging the many ways society has programed us to think and believe. Chomsky is among one of the most cited living authors across the globe. Growing up in a politically active household, he … Continue reading Noam Chomsky books: Where to start?

Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are all-the-way-back for ‘Better Call Saul’ Final Season

Get ready for Jimmy McGill’s transition into the iconic  crooked criminal lawyer – Saul Goodman (played by the one and only Bob Odenkirk).   The plot details have been kept hush hush so far, but below is what we do know about the official plot synopsis as of publication of this post:

“From the cartel to the courthouse, from Albuquerque to Omaha, season six tracks Jimmy, Saul and Gene as well as Jimmy’s complex relationship with Kim, who is in the midst of her own existential crisis. Meanwhile, Mike, Gus, Nacho and Lalo are locked into a game of cat and mouse with mortal stakes”. 

It has also been confirmed that the farewell season of “Better Call Saul” which is the prequel for “Breaking Bad” will, wait for it!, absolutely feature appearances from both Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and  Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). 

The announcement broke at the PaleyFest LA during a panel discussion with co-creators Peter Gould and Vince Galligan. 

The first 5 seasons are, as before, available to watch on AMC+ and Netflix if you want to catch up or even start binge-watching before the final season airs. 

The final season of “Better Call Saul” premieres on AMC on Monday April 18 starting at 9 P.M. ET/PT. 

Sean 6 is set to be split into 2 parts; the first 7 episodes starting the 18th weekly and then the final 6 episodes will begin July 11th. 

Related Articles:


Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

Former Trump Aide Mark Meadows involved in ongoing voter fraud allegations

The former Trump chief of Staff has been “administratively removed” from the voter rolls in the state of North Carolina.  Officials are currently investigating whether or not he was fraudulently registered to vote and cast a ballot for the 2020 presidential election. This comes as county election officials discovered he was registered in both North Carolina … Continue reading Former Trump Aide Mark Meadows involved in ongoing voter fraud allegations

Cannabis: how it affects our cognition and psychology – new research

Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years and is one of the most popular drugs today. With effects such as feelings of joy and relaxation, it is also legal to prescribe or take in several countries. But how does using the drug affect the mind? In three recent studies, published in The … Continue reading Cannabis: how it affects our cognition and psychology – new research

Books about Quanah Parker: Empire of the Summer Moon and more

One of the most fascinating topics related to the control of the american west in the 1800s is that of Quanah Parker, the greatest chief of the Comanches. While other tribal names Apache, Souix, Cherokee, may have a rightful and important place in that historical time, and in our minds as a result, it’s the … Continue reading Books about Quanah Parker: Empire of the Summer Moon and more

New Block Cash App Feature called ‘Paid in Bitcoin’ announced at Miami Bitcoin 2022

During the 2022 Bitcoin conference in Miami the mobile payment service Cash App (developed by Block, Inc.) announced they would allow its customers to receive their paycheck earnings in bitcoin.  The feature is called “Paid in Bitcoin”. ‘Paid in Bitcoin’ would allow customers with Cash Cards to customize an amount, a percentage (1% to 100%) … Continue reading New Block Cash App Feature called ‘Paid in Bitcoin’ announced at Miami Bitcoin 2022

Airbnb’s Ukraine moment is a reminder of what the sharing economy can be

As desirable vacation destinations go, war-torn Ukraine must surely rate low. But in the first month of Russia’s invasion, Airbnb bookings in Ukraine boomed, as people around the world used the accommodation platform to channel more than US$15 million in donations to the country. As with other forms of direct donation, using Airbnb to channel … Continue reading Airbnb’s Ukraine moment is a reminder of what the sharing economy can be

Trump Interview touches Ivanka, Jan. 6th Regrets and More

In new interview with The Washington Post today, ‘former guy’ Donald Trump ramped up his replies like someone about to run for re-election. He commented on the fact that his daughter, Ivanka, was interviewed by the January 6th committee for eight hours this week and declared that this was a “shame and harassment”, while also … Continue reading Trump Interview touches Ivanka, Jan. 6th Regrets and More

NY Attorney General files for Trump to be held in Contempt and $10,000 daily fine

The New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, filed a motion requesting from a state judge to hold Donald Trump in contempt. The former president has continually failed to comply with the official ruling that he turn over necessary documents. The details were in a press release published today by the office. The judge had ordered Trump … Continue reading NY Attorney General files for Trump to be held in Contempt and $10,000 daily fine

Dozens Arrested as Scientists Worldwide Mobilize to Demand ‘Climate Revolution’

“If everyone could see what I see coming,” said one scientist, “society would switch into climate emergency mode and end fossil fuels in just a few years.” More than 1,000 scientists across the globe chained themselves to the doors of oil-friendly banks, blocked bridges, and occupied the steps of government buildings on Wednesday to send an … Continue reading Dozens Arrested as Scientists Worldwide Mobilize to Demand ‘Climate Revolution’

Remind me again, why is salt bad for you?

Evangeline Mantzioris, University of South Australia Despite most of us knowing we should cut down on salt, Australians consume on average almost twice the recommended daily maximum per day. Salt has been used in food preservation for centuries, and idioms like “worth your weight in salt” indicate how valuable it was for preserving food to … Continue reading Remind me again, why is salt bad for you?

Five exciting additions to Marvel’s cinematic universes – according to a comics expert

Alex Fitch, University of Brighton Two new Marvel heroes have been brought to the big and small screens that may be quite new to many people. The first is the titular character in the Disney+ series Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac, which is set in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. The other is Morbius, an … Continue reading Five exciting additions to Marvel’s cinematic universes – according to a comics expert

Rebellious Climate Scientists Have Message for Humanity: ‘Mobilize, Mobilize, Mobilize’

In face of the “escalating climate emergency,” the advocacy group Scientist Rebellion warns that IPCC summary to global policymakers remains “alarmingly reserved, docile, and conservative.” Amid a weeklong global civil disobedience campaign to demand climate action commensurate with mounting evidence about the need for swift decarbonization, Scientist Rebellion is highlighting specific gaps between what experts say is necessary and what … Continue reading Rebellious Climate Scientists Have Message for Humanity: ‘Mobilize, Mobilize, Mobilize’

Watch the Ultimate Nicolas Cage Experience: ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’

Nicolas Cage is an actor and in his next role – which is to say, he also plays as an actor, a fictional one who just-so-happens to go by the name of Nick Cage, yes, extremely meta.

In the film, Cage is an unfulfilled actor that is on the brink of financial ruin (familiar, right?). The actor is propositioned with an offer he can’t refuse, $1 million to attend a super-fan named Javi’s (played by Pedro Pascal) birthday party. 

Then things get ever-more-stranger when Cage is approached by a CIA operative (played by Tiffany Haddish) and asked to go on an unusual mission. The trailer is packed with expletives and outrageousness and looks like a buddy slash comedy slash Nick Cage-style action movie. In order to do so, Cage finds himself channeling his most iconic characters (referencing to his real life movies he’s played including: “Face/Off”, “The Rock”,  “Leaving Las Vegas” and “The Wicker Man”) he’s played to save himself and those he loves. 

The film was met with major praise during the South by Southwest festival (SWSW) and has already generated a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. The action comedy has also attracted major buzz ahead of its theatrical release on April 22. 

Related Articles:


Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page