Tag Archives: iPhone

Apple is Coming: Facebook, Amazon and Google Surveillance facing US scrutiny and danger from New Software

Apple will expose the worst of predatory surveillance by Facebook, Amazon and Google with new privacy features

While wrong is wrong regardless of the perpetrator, when it comes to gargantuan tech behemoths, a company with a clearly defined mission such as Apple or Tesla are in a different category than Amazon, Facebook and Google.

While Tesla’s stated mission is to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” and Apple’s original mission statement, written by Steve Jobs was “to make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind”, predatory vultures hide behind ridiculous slogans like “aim to be Earth’s most customer centric company” (while decimating partners and competitors by any means necessary) and “don’t be evil” (don’t get caught) and “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together” (…all while stealing data for profit from every person on earth).

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It’s just not the same – particularly as Steve Jobs, while at Apple, pushed himself and his company to invent and build many powerful examples of “tools for the mind” and Elon Musk’s Tesla brought the electric car back from the dead (after it was nearly snuffed out by big oil) and is making incredible headway in revolutionizing battery and solar technology, all with a view to literally save the planet from a climate catastrophe.

Bezos? Became the richest living human via the destruction of millions of small business and jobs all while undercutting competitors by selling virtually anything he got his hands on at a significant loss; simply to cause the demise of any competitor or partner that might threaten his rise to idiotically massive personal wealth.

Zuckerberg? Pioneered ways to suck data from virtually every human with a view to monetizing every living soul exclusively for himself and his company. Illustration? Dividing Facebook’s market cap by the number of employees it has yields the sum of $14,906,500.00 per employee. Macy’s? That’d be $16,829. (Thanks to Scott Galloway for the numbers)

Read More: In Understatement of the Century, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says Amazon “destroyed the retail industry”

Google merely owns (91.75% as of June 2020) the search entryway to all web sites. It decides if you should or should not find them. If it can boost profits by hiding one and featuring another, either through “paid search” or by pointing you toward its own properties while hiding competitors from you, it will do exactly that. Ask the European Union’s anti-trust investigators. For them, this company is a convicted law breaker.

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/Safari-Privacy-BigSur.mov
EXCERPTs FROM APPLE PRESENTATION FOR privacy settings FROM WWDC 2020

The Beginning of the End for Infinite Tracking: Apple’s EcoSystem will Protect Users Privacy

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Announced at WWDC 2020, Apple is adding serious features to its various new operating systems. One big feature in Safari is the ability to track, and block as desired, all manner of data intrusions. These are not only identified, but shown and tracked and analyzed with a kind of professional dashboard, showing just how invasive and persistent these invisible spies are.

Apple is big, with more than 1.4 billion devices. Starting in around 2021 they will all be able to identify and block data surveillance by Amazon (the largest of all spies), Google and Facebook, among others. Thanks that’s not a big deal? Think again.

Read More: Cracks in The Wall: Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook Silently Declare Wars Against Each Other

…the overall stance being taken regarding online tracking and surveillance should be seen for what it is: the first step to correcting the mistake of history that allowed the internet to be kidnapped and held hostage by a handful of companies that pretend to be “free” or “customer obsessed” while they are, in fact, Robber Barons that make the Standard Oil monopoly look like Santa Claus.

– D.L.

Tracking the Trackers will Change Your Life

Tracking the trackers is a clear and aggressive privacy stance, taken by the one company among the big four, that does not have a huge stake in you being the victim of online surveillance and tracking.

Not to say that Apple is blameless. Many are complaining about its fee structure for software sold by third parties via the app stores. While this issue is certainly a valid one, the overall stance being taken regarding online tracking and surveillance should be seen for what it is: the first step to correcting the mistake of history that allowed the internet to be kidnapped and held hostage by a handful of companies that pretend to be “free” or “customer obsessed” while they are, in fact, Robber Barons that make the Standard Oil monopoly look like Santa Claus.


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iOS 14 Brings Pins, Threads, Mentions, Memoji and More to Messages App

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/iOS14-Group-Messages-29Sec.mp4
excerpt from APPLE PRESENTATION VIDEO FOR messageS FROM WWDC 2020

New ways to stay connected with Group Messages

Announced in late June at Apple’s World Wide Development Conference and currently running a beta trial before getting released next fall, iOS 14—the upcoming operating system for the iPhone—will offer users a lot of new experiences and options. Some of the most exciting changes it offers will come in the Messages app, where people go to send and receive most texts.

For years, iMessage has been a pretty simple and straightforward platform for sharing and exchanging messages via the iPhone. Group chats have always been an option on Messages, but still, users often opt to download Slack, GroupMe, or Facebook Messenger for more sophisticated or efficient groups.

Read More: AirPods Pro will have Spatial Audio and Seamless Switching in iOS 14 update, coming this Fall

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iOS 14 is aiming to change that, as its biggest upgrades in Messages focus on refining the group message experience. First, users will finally have the option to pin conversations in their Messages conversation screen. This means that you can select up to nine conversations to be at the top of the list when you open the app. It will certainly help users keep their closest contacts and most important groups highly accessible.

Within the conversations, users will also have the ability to create threads and mention people directly. Much like the “Reply” option on Facebook’s comment section, iMessage’s “unthread” utility will let people respond directly to individuals within a larger group message. This will save users the time of starting a separate message when they want to address someone in the group directly. Moreover, it will also make the group chats more efficient, as topics and messages will no longer avalanche and interrupt on top of each other without organization.

Mentions and Memoji Updates

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/iOS14-Memoji.mp4
EXCERPT FROM APPLE PRESENTATION VIDEO FOR memoji FROM WWDC 2020

As for the mention feature, people will now be able to call out individuals within the group. Much like how on Slack or Facebook you can highlight an individual by typing “@” before their name, iMessage under iOS 14 will let users carry out the same function, but with no “@” symbol necessary—the phone will just recognize the name when typed. Likewise, when someone is mentioned within a chat, iOS 14 will give that person a separate notification. That way the mentioned individual knows when he or she is brought up and becomes more aware of the conversation. It’ll be particularly useful when you’re mentioned in a thread that you’d otherwise would ignore or keep on mute.

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Lastly, for bells, whistles, and aesthetic’s sake, the new Messages will allow group chats to have Group Photos and it will offer a variety of new Memoji. Group Photos will provide conversations with fun identity signifiers as they sit in the app. Meanwhile, the Memoji will make for more visual communication options while using Messages. The new Memoji include 20 new hairstyles and face-coverings along with additional age and headwear options. There will also be three brand new stickers: a hug, a fist bump, and a blush.

Read More: Tons of Changes in Apple WatchOS 7: “Dance” in Re-named Fitness App at top of list

Many of these novel features and more will also be available on the iMac under the new macOS Big Sur, which will similarly come out sometime later this year.

The iOS 14 will also feature an updated home screen with widgets and a more organized app library, as well as a built in translator, a virtual CarKey app, picture-in-picture technology, and an upgraded Apple Maps with a long-overdue cycling option. All of this is exciting, but as aforementioned, Messages is (and always has been) one of the iPhone’s premiere utilities. Messaging is at the very core of what makes a SmartPhone a SmartPhone.

Therefore, under iOS 14, it looks like the SmartPhone is about to get little smarter.


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New Music Video by Lady Gaga “Stupid Love” Yields Eye Popping Views and All Shot on an iPhone

Photo Collage / Lynxotic

Listen and Watch below – Lady Gaga’s latest Pop Single from her upcoming album

official music video of “stupid love” by lady gaga

Lady Gaga  has just released the full version of her newest song called “Stupid Love” from her upcoming sixth album with an accompanying music video. The music video has also been reported to have been entirely shot on an iPhone (11). 

The official music video starts out with the caption that reads:

The world rots in conflict.  Many tribes battle for dominance.  While the Spiritual ones pray and sleep for peace, the Kindness punks fight for the Chromatica. 

Lady Gaga Video Caption

Gaga’s 6th album nicknamed LG6 is also rumored to be titled “Chromatica” – it’s still undetermined whether the new album will follow the same theme as “Stupid Love”.

Lady Gaga is covered from head to toe in hot pink: pink hair in a high pony tail, a pink medallion in the shape of a heart placed on her forehead, as well as pink eye shadow and lipstick no doubt from the artist’s new makeup line Haus Labs.

In an interview for Apple Music, she spoke about the message of the new song, stating “there’s nothing more powerful than love to heal the world”.

https://twitter.com/LadyGagaVegas/status/1233263749777305600?s=20

The fast paced dance song is very reminiscent of the singer/songwriters past pop songs. The video is a visual treat of vivid pink and many other colors set in an intergalactic / futuristic desert mixed with over the top and catchy choreography with dancers dressed in Mad Max-esque costumes.


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2019 Was a Huge Year for Apple: Here are some Milestones that will Lead to the “Apple Decade” in the 2020s

Apple’s Greatest Innovations Lie Ahead in the New Decade: 2019 Laid The Foundation

As is so often the case with Apple, the perennial over-achiever, nothing seemed to be quite enough to truly wow the public in 2019. That is not to say that monumental things were not happening at an astounding clip; they were. Early in the year, skeptics pounced on “weak” iPhone sales and then used one-dimensional linear extrapolation to predict Apple’s slow demise, as they have done many times in the past.

Once again, it was Apple that responded with a barrage of ideas and products that not only turned the year around but point to a new decade that has the potential to outshine even the 2010’s, which brought Apple to heights no one could have previously imagined.

As for 2019, the iPhone 11 Pro series “only” brought smartphone based photography to a whole new level, beyond the level, in some cases, that pro gear can provide. Obviously there is the convenience of a powerful photographic tool that resides in your pocket, but with Night Mode and Deep Fusion, alongside the improvements via 3 dedicated cameras (each with it’s own lens) and iOS 13’s editing and photo management features, for a broad swath of users the 11 pro series is a game changer, perhaps even life changing for some.

The Mac Pro upgrade, fittingly, with 2019 being the year that “pro” emerged and took over for Apple, was nothing short of monumental. There is a slow, currently unformed, realization that computational power and beauty of function will be essential in the next decade, possible even for the survival of the planet, if not at least the enjoyment of our world while we still live and breathe. Our upcoming series on the link between Sustainable energy and enhanced human networked communication, along with AI and machine learning, and how the rapid and profound development of these are the only hope for meeting the challenges that are looming, will begin in early 2020 and Apple has added the perfect exclamation point with its incredible addition at the top of the Mac product family. Expense is no object with everything, literally, in on the line, so, as time goes on, the prices will be seen to be justified.

MacBook pro upgrades, AirPods Pro, iPad and iPad OS, MacBook Air, the list goes on and on and that is only the hardware. Software and services are the real breakthrough story. There is literally so much that was launched this year that it would take a dozen articles to scratch the surface.

If nothing else, at least we can scratch that surface here and then, add links below to our in-depth coverage. Apple TV was huge, with “The Morning Show” getting a nomination for Best TV Series, Best Supporting Actor (Billy Crudup) while both Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon got a nod for Best Actress. As with most Apple projects Apple TV+ is a long term, serious commitment to production with, reportedly, a budget over $6 Billion. Apple Music expanded its offerings, and don’t forget the Apple Card which, added to Apple Pay, expands the foray in to Fintech.

The Next Decade will be about the Increased Benefits of the Total Apple Ecosystem

As we detailed in a thread running throughout our 2019 coverage, ultimately, it is the entire Apple ecosystem, Hardware, Software, Hardware Components, Supply Chain, Services and the innovative ways all the desperate elements are so skillfully integrated that sets Apple apart, now and even more so in the future.

And, further, all of Apple’s brilliance and success can be traced back to something that will be a huge story in 2020 and beyond. After the decade of WeWork and other scams, the shame of surveillance business models from Google and Facebook and the convoluted Pseudo-Ponzi-Scheme Monopsony that is Amazon, the 2020’s will be the decade that companies built on a higher purpose, such as Apple’s devotion to creating better tools on behalf of the entire human race, as envisioned by Steve Jobs and carried out to this day, will rise and the others decline and collapse from the weight their own corrupt conception. Only Tesla is among the largest companies that also have altruism at the heart of their business model.

Without further ado, our picks for the most significant and forward looking products and ideas from Apple in 2019:

iPhone 11 Pro Max/ Leading the Way to the Future of Media and Photographic Innovation:

The War is Over: The Good Guys Won – WWDC Day Explodes with Software and Hardware For The Ages:

Above: Photo Link to Article

8-core MacBook Pro and iPod Touch with A10 chip Released to Coincide With iOS and macOS Upgrade Announcements at WWDC

Above: Photo Link to Article

New AirPods Pro: plus Memes and a Deep Dive into the Innovative Auditory Technology:

Above: Photo Link to Article

MacBook Air and Pro Upgrades Harken Back to Steve Jobs Heroically Simplifying Apple Line Up in 1997

Above: Photo Link to Article

iPhone 11 Pro Max: Night Mode for all and Elon Musk’s Cyborgs come to life

Above: Photo Link to Article

Photo and Video examples shot with the iPhone 11 Pro Max: Manhattan Beach, CA

Above: Photo Link to Article


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iPhone 11, AirPods Pro, All Software and Services not seeing weak sales after all? It’s the ecosystem, (stupid)

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/airpods-pro/2019/1299e2f5_9206_4470_b28e_08307a42f19b/films/product/airpods-pro-product-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080h.mp4
iPods Pro clip – produced by apple

Same song and dance? First all the negative predictions and then….

In the 80s and 90s there was an almost unanimous consensus that Apple was inferior to Microsoft and that Bill Gates was a genius for choosing to forgo building hardware and creating an empire on selling operating system software and a suite of office applications. 

The choice and steadfast refusal by Steve Jobs to change the basic idea that Apple would build and back all aspects of the product and experience has, practically to this day, been seen as, at best, short sighted.

Ironically, the current wave of products for 2019: iPhone 11 Pro and Max, the Mac Pro with Pro Display XDR, the new MacBook Pros and Air and new iPads, AirPods Pro (still more to come) are all getting “better than expected” reviews and sales (at least the products that are available to date).

Although this is not an usual pattern. Like a blockbuster movie (Lion King?), as often as the negative reviews come flooding in, so the performance of the actual product shines in virtually inverse proportion to the dire predictions of the pundits and “experts”.

But this year, for Apple, it goes beyond that knee-jerk pattern. This year the chickens have truly come home to roost. 

At this very moment millions are upgrading to iOS 13+ (don’t worry, the bugs will be ironed out soon enough) and next we will see iPad OS and Mac OS Catalina.

Just because these are all “free” upgrades, don’t be fooled by the price. The beauty of a complete ecosystem is that the benefits of one entity within the system (such as system software) accrue in great measure to all others. 

And this year the interdependent innovations are nothing short of spectacular. Just take any individual device, service or function and the accelerated improvement virtually explodes in your face. 

MacBook Pro 16 inch

Buy another iPhone? Is that really necessary? Only for a better camera?

The iPhone 11 Pro? “Just” has a great camera? Really? Well yes, it’s 3 cameras, 3 lenses and looks like a TV news camera from the 60s. But it is the combination of the evolution of the processing software, the “deep fusion”, machine learning within the photos app, also interwoven through iCloud and proprietary internal components, that make features like that unbelievable night mode possible, and make it possible to shoot 60fps 4K videos with all three cameras simultaneously (wait, say that again?) and all of this is just the tip of an iceberg that can only be rendered if you happen to be the company that also designs and builds its own chips (A13 Bionic with neural engine).

But wait, that is just the headline, under the hood, all of these improvements and upgrades are echoed and mirrored in every apple produced stand-alone software application, every third party developer product quick enough to ride the waves that the new system and processor makes possible, every app, every add-on all the interconnected functionality, on and on and on. 

The buyers sense value – not just window dressing and hyped up bells and whistles but a complete ecosystem that was always better but now threatens to evolve at a pace that will be as mind-blowing as the original iPhone was just 12 years ago. 

Because it’s the sum of the entire system – a “feature” that can not be marketed or even listed on a stat sheet – that is the most powerful force that will draw in users and surprise the nay-sayers again and again. 

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”3″]

All across the device galaxy the upgrades are more than incremental, they are transcendental 

Take the iPad – particularly the iPad Pro, Not only will it take a quantum leap forward with added iPad OS features that push it into laptop-like functionality, but all the lame comparisons with the Surface are completely meaningless once you factor in the “Sidecar” function within Mac OS Catalina, not to mention the constantly evolving interconnected software (example: Photoshop and Affinity Photo both now on iPad). Sidecar allows the iPad to be used as an external, extra screen, or, if you have a recent Mac, for example a MacBook Pro or an iMac or a Mac Mini, and you are within 10 meters of it, you can use a mouse or Apple Pencil and you, literally, have a tiny mac in the form of an iPad Laptop. 

So, in essence, you have a mostly iPad touch system device with all the special uses that implies, and yet, with iPad OS you also have the option to use it as a touch screen Laptop or, using Sidecar, you can switch to an actual Mac with all the associated functions and capabilities. And, yes, did I mention that if you already have an iPad and a Mac this has a cost of $0 for the double upgrade?

During the coming months features of this type (benefits of the eco-system) will expand and improve and, yes, next year there will be yet another quantum leap. I am writing this on an iPad Pro from 2015 and it has improved in functionality constantly for the last 4 years, and that’s before this huge step forward coming in the next 30 days. Added cost, zero. A product that improves for years after you buy it for free? Only Tesla is even attempting to match such a business ethos.

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”7″]

Hardware, Chips and Components, Software, Services, Os’s All Evolving in Concert

It will take a series of articles to go into any kind of depth at all regarding how the machine learning and AI within the Apple ecosystem is evolving with amazing speed, how the various hardware design improvements are being optimized for just those uses. How a system which not only has constantly upgraded operating systems, but a growing and deepening array or application software (also “free”) all benefitting from each other.

“Buy any part, piece or product and you are pulled into a vortex of virtuous and redundant improvements, which obliterate cost comparisons.”

– D.L.

What this all adds up to is “just” better performance, functionality and expanded feature sets (as well as entirely new capabilities) across the entire constellation of devices, applications and services. Buy any part, piece or product and you are pulled into a vortex of virtuous and redundant improvements, which obliterate cost comparisons. Could this be the reason the most expensive iPhone is, once again, leading in sales volume? Why are people buying an iPhone 11 Pro Max with 256 GB? Why, indeed.

So, the genius idea to charge people every year or two for another bug filled monstrosity of an operating system is truly genius if you only care about money for nothing (hello windows and android universe).

If, on the other hand, you care about improved user experience, satisfaction and productivity, and have the increased creative and technological capabilities of the new cyborg army (that is the new human race) as job 1, well, to paraphrase a certain former President, it’s the eco-system, stupid. 


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iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone Photography Award Series Highlights

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
ABOVE: SHORT VIDEO INTRODUCING OUR IPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS SERIES
iPhone Photo Awards

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2019 iPhone Photography Awards: The Complete Collection Vol. 1-10

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
ABOVE: Short Intro Video for Our iPhone Photography Awards Series
Photo by Vicki White / iPhone Photo Awards

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Apple, 5G and Musk: iPhone 12 and 5G Revolution, Tesla Takes Berlin and Butterfly is Finally Toast

https://www.apple.com//105/media/us/macbook-pro-16/2019/fa0563a0-8534-4e01-a62a-081b87805fea/films/product/macbookpro-16-product-tpl-cc-us-2019_1280x720h.mp4
Apple Produced Video for 16-Inch MacBook Pro

Just in case you missed it, here’s our latest coverage on the newest cutting edge technology from Apple and Tesla:

Photo / 16-inch MacBook Pro /Apple

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T-Mobile to Launch 5G Network Nationwide in December: iPhone 12 could start 5G Revolution

5G Network to be Available in Over 5,000 Cities through T-Mobile in 2019…

Recently, T-Mobile announced that they are set to launch their 5G network nationwide in over 5,000 cities next month on December 6th. This comes after a successful trial period in select cities where their millimeter wave 5G was deployed for testing. For their official launch, they plan to use a 600MHZ band spectrum, which will slightly affect its 5G internet speed, but with the benefit of being able to cover more space and penetrate buildings.

The widest increase in coverage to date by T-Mobile, the new, slightly slower version will increase the initial overall coverage to over 200 million subscribers. In optimal conditions the network is predicted to ultimately reach speeds of up to 10 times the current LTE network at 450 mbps.

China’s carriers, China Unicorn, China Telecom and China Mobile all recently announced accelerated plans to launch 5G services in 2019, ahead of initial projections of a 2020 time frame. Services are currently available in 50 cities across the Middle Kingdom, and 130,000 5G base stations are planned to be activated by the end of the year, according to a government press release.

Currently, however, there are only a couple of smartphones that can take advantage of 5G. Models made by Samsung (Galaxy Note 10 ) and OnePlus (7T Pro 5G) are currently available. Naturally, this entire transition will be a multi-year affair, with 2024 being a date for eventual transition to a majority of users.

Network Build-out and Consumer Adoption could hit Initial Peak in 2021

This gradual, yet sooner than expected, expansion of 5G coverage comes at an interesting time for iPhone users as Apple continues to develop their 5G iPhone technology for their future launch in September 2020, after recently acquiring Intel’s smartphone modem unit for their upcoming 5G push back in July.

Although much has been made of the race to 5G and the battle between the U.S. and China for leadership in the area, it will likely be the adoption by consumers, dependent on the investment by same in the associated costs, that will ultimately determine the speed of the transition. The improvements to all forms of online communication, particularly when coupled with the planned rollout of global satellite systems, such as SpaceX’s Starlink, have the potential to spur major changes in the coming decade.

As 5G internet coverage becomes more widespread through the various carrier roll-outs, it has the potential to revolutionize audio and visual technology by making high-quality sound and video more accessible to the general public. Once this 10x optimal speed and bandwidth become “standard”, all forms of online media will become more viable, hence the current steaming wars.

Interestingly, this nationwide 5G coverage could possibly be even greater if T-Mobile and Sprint are able to merge successfully, especially after considering that they obtained the Federal Communications Committee (FCC) approval for the merger in the midst of anti-trust concerns and a multi-state lawsuit against it.


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Apple Special Event: Expect the Unexpected? Again?

Everybody Knows Everything that will Happen? Let’s Hope not and Expect the Unexpected…

What about the vaunted world class secrecy that Apple used to be famous for? Aside from a fiasco or two many years ago, and the attendant bru haha, shouldn’t there be some sense of dramatic reveal?

Sure, Ming-Chi Kuo, is known far and wide as predictor extraordinaire and has an uncanny ability to spill the beans with great accuracy. And, it seems, practically any Apple News Outlet seems to be able to tell you exactly what to expect. Or are they?

This year, we have a tile-like gadget which sounds pretty fantastic – and the rumor stems from iOS 13 code so there must be something there. Somehow Kuo and macrumors have determined that the findable gadgets will be “circular”.

imaginary concept for findable bluetooth device (Lynxotic)

Names, Specs, Features and Performance

As far as iPhones, the consensus is 3 models. Possibly called “iPhone 11” and “iPhone 11 Pro” and with better waterproofing, better camera with both hardware and software upgrades as well as video recording improvements related to the camera changes, appear to also be likely.

The list of changes to the specifications include items such as battery performance (with a larger battery), navigation and more ram and so on and so on. And this tiny partial list of what has been debated and discussed does not even include the already well known changes that iOS 13, macOS Catalina and iPad OS will all bring, and how those will interact with the new devices and new device features.

Naturally there are many possible and likely upgrades to the iPhone but also to a whole array of products, software and services.

As we detailed in a recent story the Apple TV+ launch is due, in all likelihood this month. iPad, MacBook, Mac Pro availability, much that was partially or fully announced at WWDC in May is bound to get some attention again.

As a matter of fact, 2019 is a year during which almost every non-iPhone product has been upgraded already. MacBook Air is another recent example. Even an emoji upgrade was announced recently!

Is Excessive Love A Crime?

Although further speculation towards more and better smacks of greed or at least excessive love, what if there are surprises that even the great Ming-Chi Kuo and Macrumors are not yet aware of?

What if the once formidable Apple security and anti-leak team was actually successful in keeping something under wraps?

Perhaps just even better secret details on the changes and improvements to the hardware, particularly the iPhones? Maybe the camera and its increasingly AI based software has something big in the offing?

Or, what if there is actually even one piece of hardware or one aspect of the iPhone “11 Pro” that literally no one has warned us about yet? If the one thing that we will all be talking (and writing and tweeting and posting) about Tuesday afternoon is not on the radar of any of the “what to expect” pundits that have already weighed in?

That is a “what if”, not only to keep in the back of our wide-open minds, but truly, for the faithful, as was in the days of Steve Jobs keynote addresses of yore, it would be one more thing, devoutly to be wished.


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Apple TV+ – Preview Clips and All That’s Been Revealed So Far about the Upcoming Launch

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/apple-tv-plus/2019/c5a05301_ed18_47f6_a7f8_bba47bf3e0f4/films/sneak-peek/apple-tv-plus-sneak-peek-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080h.mp4

Secretive Media Giant about to Awaken?

Although it’s been quietly hovering in the shadows since WWDC in May, Apple TV+ is about to explode onto the scene very soon, it would appear. As can be seen in the various teasers we’ve assembled here – big, nay, huge names and stars are onboard.

What’s not so well known, is that there are many, many productions already in the pipeline, presumably to be released over the next year. How many? Already outlined in available information are over 30 original series or features that are at various stages of production.

Here are just a few headline titles:

  • Amazing Stories (Spielberg revisits classic series from his childhood)
  • The Morning Show (see above, all star cast: Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell and Billy Crudup)
  • See (directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2), production budget rumored at $15 million per episode)
  • Little America (topical series of human stories that feature immigrants)
  • Helpsters (An educational entertainment series aimed at pre-schoolers)
  • Little Voice (J.J. Abrams executive produced comedy/drama series)
  • Truth Be Told (10-episode series based on the bestselling book: Are You Sleeping: A Novel)
  • Servant (produced by M. Night Shyamalan, 10 episode drama series)
  • Dickinson (comedy series about the early life of Emily Dickinson)
https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/apple-tv-plus/2019/ca7883f2_885a_42c7_b0cc_529b287c1925/films/morning-show/apple-tv-plus-morning-show-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080h.mp4
Preview Trailer for “The MOrning Show”, Starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon (Apple)

The service will be available in over 100 countries world wide, and the production war chest is rumored to be upwards of Six Billion Dollars.

The size and scope of this “hobby” project, as Steve Job’s once called the Apple TV device, is far larger, from all indications, than the somewhat underwhelming reactions from the press would have one believe.

“There’s truth pumping through your veins and into the story that you’re telling”

– Jennifer Aniston

Although there has not been much noise or hoopla yet, there are many indications that this could be a sleeping giant. Not necessarily an overnight success, but a long grinding campaign that will eventually reach higher and further than anyone is imagining at present.

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/apple-tv-plus/2019/c5a05301_ed18_47f6_a7f8_bba47bf3e0f4/films/creative-minds/apple-tv-plus-creative-minds-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080l.mp4

The Evolution of an Ecosystem, Decades in the Making

Sharing the “plus” with its smaller sister Apple News +, it looks like the plus designation will mark the first foundational bricks of a possible future media empire, while in hardware everything “pro” begins to emerge.

Current rumors indicate that a new “pro” model iPhone is imminent to go along with the already established iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, iMac Pro and newly updated Mac Pro.

It would stand to reason, therefore, that, in the very near future, the “gang of Pro” will meet up with the Plus sisters, and a new extended services based media, software expansion will unite with the upper echelon hardware empire, and, if successful, will reveal a truly balanced spectrum of offerings.

“A story should make you forget your surroundings, forget your agenda, your day and, hopefully, makes you forget yourself”

– Steven Spielberg

And for a company that invented desktop publishing, pushed digital music transmission and photography into the mainstream, not to mention, put the smart into smartphone, there is an unavoidable logic and symmetry that is emerging. As Apple increases its focus on service income, original entertainment and educational production a balance across all sectors begins to take shape.

Naturally, coming “late” on the heels of the extremely successful growth of Netflix Original productions, Amazon, HBO, Hulu and now Disney’s Streaming Service, many will say that Apple is behind the curve and not likely to dominate.

Now, it would be wrong to mention Nokia, Blackberry, or Steve Ballmer, and say that Apple is not a company that you’d be wise to underestimate, but, after all, coming “late” with a significantly better product is what Apple does best.

“Life often makes no sense. There is something about stories, that brings a sense of order and purpose to the world and allows us to live other lives than the life we’re living”

– J.J. Abrams

The hardware, software, media content production and distribution networks are, over a period of decades, evolving into the only ecosystem that has a benign, if not heroic purpose in it’s relationships with its user base as well as its professional partnerships.

Constant complaints that Apple earns too much money or somehow takes advantage of customers often have a hollow ring. When you look at the innovative accomplishments and world changing technology created, and compare that to empty, corrupt almost meaningless advertising empires such as FaceBook or Google, somehow it seems a different level of trust has been earned.

Yes, in a sense Apple is following the lead of other tech behemoths that have upended the Hollywood Power structure, but, at the same time, one gets the sense that the slow, deliberate moves can be traced all the way back to Steve Jobs, his days at Pixar and that, somehow, his superior vision guides the entire evolution, even the new “plus” wing, of the ecosystem to this very day.

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/apple-tv-plus/2019/c5a05301_ed18_47f6_a7f8_bba47bf3e0f4/films/o/apple-tv-plus-o-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080l.mp4

In then end, the broad array of product and service offerings that Apple is building, now being expanded into the realm of not just entertainment and educational distribution (as iTunes has had in place since 2001), but also into the production and financing of original programming, marks the beginning of a more complete and potentially better functioning ecosystem.

Overall, this is extremely positive, not only for Apple’s financial health but, indeed, for the vast legion of Apple adherents around the globe.


Find books on Big TechSustainable EnergyEconomics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

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iPhone Photography Awards Announced, Volume 9: People and Sunset

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
Above: short video introducing our iphone photography awards series

In this, the Ninth Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: People and Sunset

People and Sunsets. Two of the most loved categories for snatching photos while traveling or just in the neighborhood. Once again some incredible moments caught with humor and humanity and an eye for the aesthetic.

The top photos in these two categories are clearly extreme examples of being in the right place at the right time. But don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.

Read More: 2019 Was a Huge Year for Apple: Here are some Milestones that will Lead to the “Apple Decade” in the 2020s

Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!

First Place Winner, People : Wei Xiong

First place People photo shot in China on an iPhone X by Wei Xiong  – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Wei Xiong – IPPAWARDS

”A mobile phone photographer from Huangpi district, Wuhan, China. Although Huangpi is a small town, it is the sky city of him. He lives, works and takes photos with his mobile phone here, to keep memory, time, ordinary life and simple happiness forever.”

Second Place, Children : Christine L. Mace

Second place People photo shot in Cuba on an iPhone SE by Christine L. Mace – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Christine L. Mace – IPPAWARDS

”Christine L. Mace is a New York City based artist, who has worked in fashion, film and graphic design. She received an undergraduate degree in Fashion Marketing and a MA in Fashion Studies from Parsons The New School for Design. Mace’s photography has appeared in many publications. Recently, her work was a part of the Furies, Fairies, Visionaries exhibition curated by Alice Gray Stites at Pen + Brush gallery in New York City.”

”Dominoes in Havana was captured at the  Solar de Aguilar in Havana, Cuba. The building is a mere memory of what it once was, from the wrought iron curving around the grand stair case at the entrance of the building to the non-functioning fountain in the courtyard. Six families occupy the Solar de Aguilar and every afternoon the residents gather in front of the grand staircase to play dominoes. On this particular afternoon, I captured these four neighbors engaged in a friendly game.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: People

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”24″]

Third Place, People : Valeria Cammareri

Third place People photo shot in Lake Maggiore, Italy, on an iPhone X by Valeria Cammareri  – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Valeria Cammareri – IPPAWARDS

”I am Italian, born in Sicily , South of the Country, and raised in the North, in a little town on the Lake Maggiore where my parents still live. I currently live in Milan where I work as  a pediatrician. I didn’t cultivate any particular interest for photography until 2012, when I bought my first iPhone . Since then I have been using it  to write  the visual diary of my daily emotions.”

”I live in Milan and during the weekend I often go back to the lake to spend time with my parents. One of my favorite  things to do  is to take the ferry boat across the lake with no definite destination. I spend hours going back and forth with the sole purpose of observing passengers.  People look capivated by the beauty of the landscape. In one of these solitary journeys of mine  I focused on this man, as he reminded me of my father’s fragility.”

First Place, Sunset : Sreekumar Krishnan

First place Sunset photo shot in Bangalore, India, on an iPhone 6S by Sreekumar Krishnan – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Sreekumar Krishnan – IPPAWARDS

”Sreekumar Krishnan is an award winning professional photographer and teacher of photography based in Bangalore, India. His work Indian Sunshine was digitally displayed at the Louvre in France and National Geographic featured his photograph, “the mystical birds of Bharatpur” as Shot of the day. His works have also been displayed at various art galleries in Bangalore. When he is not shooting, he teaches meditation.”

”The evening sky marred by some solitary clouds provided a perfect backdrop to this shot. This is the statue of Lord Ram, Hindu God, shot in the outskirts of Bangalore just before sunset.”

Second Place, Sunset : Shirley Xu

Second place Sunset photo shot in the Baltic Sea on an iPhone 6 by Shirley Xu – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Shirley Xu – IPPAWARDS

”I am a professional photographer and photography teacher. Last year was my gap year, I left my job as an editor for a website and went to Finland, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Italy, Spain, The Czech Republic, Egypt and India. During this trip, I saw many beautiful views and took lots of photos, I also very lucky to see the northern lights many times.”

”While floating on the ice breaker I saw this marvelous sunset on the Baltic Sea.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Sunset

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”25″]

Third Place, Sunset : Chuangcheng Jin

Third place Sunset photo shot in Shantou, Guangdong, on an iPhone 6 by Chuangcheng Jin  – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Chuangcheng Jin – IPPAWARDS

”I’ve been passionate about mobile photography since 2014. My interest in photography brings me a lot of inspiration. I like to record the enthusiastic and moving parts of life by taking photos so that they can tell the stories of life.”

”This was taken by the river in my hometown of Shantou, China. The sunset passed through the leaves and reflected on the river, like a painting.”


Find books on Big TechSustainable EnergyEconomics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

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iPhone Photography Awards Announced, Volume 7: Trees and Lifestyle

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
Above: short video introducing our iphone photography awards series

In this, the Seventh Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: Trees and Lifestyle –

With photo submissions from over 140 countries around the world it is no surprise that some amazing shots were captured in incredible locations. – Bayan Ulgi, Mongolia, for example – The authenticity of the subject matter is on clear display and there is something about the light…

Naturally, unbelievable photos can happen anywhere, anytime, which is the beauty of having a camera that is always with you. Don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.

Read More: 2019 iPhone Photography Awards: The Complete Collection Vol. 1-10

Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!

First Place Winner, Trees : Christian Helwig

First place Trees photo shot in Rügen, Baltic Sea, on an iPhone 6S by Christian Helwig – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Christian Helwig – IPPAWARDS

”My name is Christian Helwig, I am 51 years old, I was born in Hamburg, Germany. Living in Berlin, Germany, married, father of two. I am working as a technical consultant in the banking sector. I’ve been taking pictures since I was 16 years old, having used only SLR until my first iPhone, the 4s. I always liked the easiness, the handling, the always-with-me in the iPhone.”

”This was taken on the island of Rügen, which is a german island in the Baltic Sea. The spot where I took the picture is on the northernmost coast of the island, close to the little village Schwarbe. There was a strong wind from the sea behind me with some snow, and the wind and the flakes produced this kind of “shadow” on the “lee” of the trees. Everything was very black and white, except the smaller bushlike trees in the back that were a little brown.”

Second Place, Trees : Neil Bennett

Second place Trees photo shot in Puglia, Italy, on an iPhone X by Neil Bennett – IPPAWARDS

Read More: “Wuhan Diary” reveals inside accounts of Coronavirus Lockdown During the Peak

Photo of Neil Bennett – IPPAWARDS

”Neil Bennett is a professional photographer and picture editor living in Sydney, Australia. He is from the UK originally and has worked in newspapers for 30 years on assignments or managing photographers – his career has taken him all over the world to New York, Ethiopia, Washington, Australia and Europe.”

”An early morning walk as the late summer fog weaves it way through old olive trees in Puglia, Italy. As the sun rose I went for a walk through the olive grove, hunting for an early morning coffee in the photographer’s golden hour.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Trees

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”20″]

Third Place, Trees : Zhang Xiaojun

Third place Trees photo shot in Songyang, China, on an iPhone 7 Plus by Zhang Xiaojun  – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Zhang Xiaojun – IPPAWARDS

”I am a travel planner and mobile phone photographer in Shanghai. I like to photograph the relationship between people and nature, and architecture and people during my travels. I think the best camera is your eyes.”

”It was a forest around an old village. In the morning magical plants crept out of the earth, the sky got brighter and brighter, the green leaves were a little transparent and a new ray of sunlight was pouring into all the gaps.”

First Place, Lifestyle : Biao Peng

First place Lifestyle photo shot in Wuban, Hubei, China, on an iPhone 6S by Biao Peng – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Biao Peng – IPPAWARDS

”Biao Peng is a graphic designer from Hubei Province, China, graduated from Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, like write poems and photography.”

”A man fishing by the lake, it feels like it came out of the movie called “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and I wrote a poem at the time:半山融水雾,深树隐渔翁。君钓江中鲤,吾观落日红。”

Second Place, Lifestyle : Lenny Yueng

Second place Lifestyle photo shot in Hongkou, Shanghai, on an iPhone 7 by Lenny Yueng

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Lifestyle

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”21″]

Third Place, Lifestyle : Hleb Drazdou

Third place Lifestyle photo shot in Lake Bobruysk, Belarus, on an iPhone X by Hleb Drazdou  – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Hleb Drazdou – IPPAWARDS

”I’m a instablogger from Minsk, Belarus and amateur photographer. I love to show our post-soviet reality at it’s best. In my blog, I tell about my life here in text and photos.”

”This is the former room of my grandfather in my grandparents’ house in Bobruysk, Belarus. Now he is dead and my grandmother has decorated it in his memory in a typical old soviet rural style which used to be chic and gorgeous when she was a child in the poor countryside after WWII. Nowadays we don’t have such interiors in our houses, and it is a kind of museum of those times: all those covered pillows, the abundance of carpets (on the walls as well), austere, neat and tidy.”


Find books on Big TechSustainable EnergyEconomics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

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

Apple iPhone Photography Awards Announced, Volume 6: News / Events and Floral

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
Above: short video introducing our iphone photography awards series

In this, the Sixth Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: News / Events and Floral

Once again, these photos show the dynamic advantages of a small, light, powerful camera in your pocket. Particularly for News / Events where “right time / right place” is essential, but even floral involves a process where unique and natural occurrences must be seen, and captured, at a precise time and place. And you don’t have to wait for the “iPhone 14xs” to produce high quality images, in fact, some of the winners used an iPhone 6s, such as Lianyu Lu, or 7, like Silveira, not necessarily iPhone 8 or XS Max.

In all the winning photos, in every category, it is the emotion and the beauty that has the power to transport the viewer into another world. Don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.

Read More: 2019 iPhone Photography Awards: The Complete Collection Vol. 1-10

Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!

First Place Winner, News/Events : Lianyu Lu

First place News/Events photo shot in Meizhou, China, on an iPhone 6S by Lianyu Lu – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Lianyu Lu – IPPAWARDS

”Lianyu Lu is a mobile phone photographer, videographer and colorist who prefers to use a mobile phone to record interesting moments in daily life.”

”This photo was taken at the Lantern Festival in Buzhai Town. It is the tradition of this small southern town to hold a dragon dance performance for Lantern Festival that dates back to the Qing Dynasty. It is a spectacular scene with the fire dragon being lifted by more than 30 adults while it dances and fireworks are set off from its body.  Thousands of people came to watch the event and to pray for their family to be safe and healthy for the New Year.”

Read More: 5 Books that Could Shed light on our Time: Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds

Second Place, News/Events : Yanan Li

 Second place News/Events photo shot in Aleppo, Syria, on an iPhone X by Yanan Li – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Yanan Li – IPPAWARDS

”This photo was taken in an abandoned house in Aleppo, Syria. In the Syrian civil war, almost the entire city of Aleppo became a ruin of war and there was hardly a building left intact. In January 2018, I walked into many rooms in the ruins. I found that lives were abruptly stopped by the war, and many rooms still retained the pre-war look.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: News/Events

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”18″]

Third Place, News/Events : Gabriel Ribeiro

Third place News/Events photo shot in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, on an iPhone 8 by Gabriel Ribeiro – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Gabriel Ribeiro – IPPAWARDS

”Gabriel Ribeiro is a photographer and videomaker in Campo Grande, MS. His main interest in photography is to record ephemeral moments that, by virtue of chance, happen daily.”

I photographed this wedding with my father in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul. During the religious ceremony, each person kneels to hold a prayer with all present for the purpose of blessing the wedding.

First Place, Floral : Dan Liu

First place Floral photo shot in Joshua Tree National Park, California, on an iPhone XS Max by Dan Liu – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Dan Liu – IPPAWARDS

”Dan Liu, a professional photographer living in China. I have been traveling around the world to more than 40 countries to conduct humanities and landscape photography projects, in which I focus on exploring and recording the independent features of different social and natural groups, as well as the relationship between them.”

”In Joshua Tree National Park in the United States, there is a valley called the Cholla Cactus Garden which is covered by a large number of Teddy-Bear Chollas. This species of Cholla grows freely under the scorching sun, unafraid of the heat and dryness.”

Second Place, Floral : Ted Silveira

Second place Floral photo shot in Santa Cruz, California, on an iPhone 7 by Ted Silveira – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Ted Silveira – IPPAWARDS

”Ted Silveira started in film photography (rangefinder), moved to digital photography (mirrorless), and is now an enthusiastically unprofessional mobile photographer. Less gear, more photos, more fun.”

”I’ve taken quite a few photos of this agave plant, which is tucked away in the corner of a courtyard in downtown Santa Cruz, and every time I walk by it, I take another. The close-up view, especially in black & white, seems to draw out a part of the agave’s beauty that’s easy to miss in real life when it’s surrounded by flowers and sidewalks and benches.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Floral

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”19″]

Third Place, Floral : Guoxi Chen

Third place Floral photo shot in Shenzhen, China, on an iPhone X by Chuangcheng Jin – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Chuangcheng Jin – IPPAWARDS

”I’ve been passionate about mobile photography since 2014. My interest in photography brings me a lot of inspiration. I like to record the enthusiastic and moving parts of life by taking photos so that they can tell the stories of life.”

”During a trip to Shenzhen, China I was captivated by these volcanic rock steps hidden in a secluded corner, embraced by strikingly red flowers on both sides.”


Find books on Big TechSustainable EnergyEconomics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

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

Apple Card is Now Available: Daily Cash Expanded, All USA can Apply in Wallet App

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/apple-card/2019/c90ec3fe-63dc-4557-b1ea-50d7539c76bd/films/this-is/apple-card-this-is-tpl-cc-us-2019_1280x720h.mp4

Uber and Uber Eats added to Daily Cash at 3%, more vendors expected soon…

As with most things financial, there are lots of details, but some interesting perks, particularly for frequent customers of Apple products.

Immediate sign up on your iPhone

First perk: no lengthily complicated application process. According to the pre-launch information (see video above), just go to the Wallet app and tap on the Apple Card interface (once the Card is live) and go through the simple activation steps.

Read More: 2019 Was a Huge Year for Apple: Here are some Milestones that will Lead to the “Apple Decade” in the 2020s

Once the sign up steps are complete, you can immediately start using the card as you would Apple Pay.

Small but expected caveat: For non-Apple Pay purchases in a traditional store setting you will need to wait until your physical card arrives in the mail. Also, although a pre-approved status will often be in place, availability is still subject to qualification, like any credit card.

Using the Card

The card will function as would any other card in your wallet for Apple Pay. This includes online purchases and in-store checkout where you normally would use Apple Pay.

You can designate the Apple Card as your default payment method in your wallet for purchases using your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch.

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/AppleCard_Keynote_M.mov
video of keynote announcing launch of apple card

The MasterCard Goldman Sachs Connection

The extended uses for the digital and physical version of the card are enabled through the partnership between MasterCard and Apple. You will be able to use the Apple Card anywhere that a MasterCard is accepted.

Goldman Sachs is the credit provider for your Apple Card and they will set your interest rate based, as would be expected, on your current credit score. Rates are projected to be in the range of 13.24% to 24.24% which is below the average in the US.

An extended fixed payment system is likely to be offered for large purchases according to the pre-release data.

Read More: 2020 Pulitzer Picks: “The Nickel Boys” Makes History, “A Strange Loop” and Susan Sontag Bio Take Gold

Main Perks and Advantages

There are many unconventional and improved aspects to the use and especially the user experience associated with the new card. In the keynote announcement earlier this year (see video above) a great emphasis was made on the ways that the project was focused on improving the experience and helping users attain a healthier financial lifestyle.

This includes various features designed to help reduce interest charges, not only by offering lower overall rates, but by giving the user options and calculations that can provide payment alternatives to the traditional “minimum monthly” payment currently the norm.

Payments can be made from your linked bank account or can be transferred from Apple Cash in your Wallet app.

There is no annual fee for the card, no international fees and no fee for exceeding your credit limit or making a late payment. Also, there is not increased interest rate penalty, per se, for late payment, which is common in some other credit card accounts. Late payment will, naturally, result in interest accrual, but based on your current rate.

There is an separate app, particularly useful on iPad, which does not have the Wallet app, where data on transactions, payments and other details are provided. This, in typical Apple style, is far superior to any credit card app interface from banks and lenders.

Rewards and “Daily Cash”

Rather than a points system commonly seen on traditional credit card accounts, the Apple Card has a cash back system which can kick back up to 3% on a daily basis.

They call this “Daily Cash” and, as the name implies, your rebated cash will be credited to your account every 24 hours and be directly transferred to your Apple Cash account. If you do not sign up for Apple Cash, you will get your rebates sent to your bank account monthly.

Percentages vary, 3% is for all purchases made directly from Apple, 2% for all Apple Pay transactions and 1% for using the physical card at any non-Apple Pay retailer.

There is no cost to transfer your rewards cash to your bank account and this can take from one to three days. There will be an option to get instant transfers, which will incur a 1% fee. The transfers are done through the Apple Cash card from the Wallet app to the linked bank account.

Best Features and Conclusion

The overall sense is that this is going to be a very popular offering, based on the positive attributes of the card and the deal.

Although the terms are clearly slanted towards encouraging financial activity benefiting the emerging Apple financial eco-system, with the reward percentage on direct Apple purchases and Apple Pay coming in higher than the “out of network” transactions made with the physical card only, the rest of the perks are more than enough to pique the interest of a great number of iPhone users.

The titanium card appearance, styling and feel will attract many for that reason alone. Quel chic! And it is likely that the card will cause an increase in Apple Pay transactions, with double cash back for pulling out your iPhone instead of the physical card.

Ultimately, the software tools enabling privacy – no data to Apple and Goldman Sachs promising never to use or sell your data – along with the fantastic tools for tracking transactions, spend, payments and interest are perhaps the most likely to create love.

Who doesn’t hate dealing with credit card companies and their antiquated interfaces and systems? Some credit card providers do not even allow automatic payment scheduling, apparently hoping you will pay late so they can rack up those late payment penalty fees. Doing away with even the worst, most evil, aspects of credit card accounts is already a huge step forward.

Let’s hope that Apple will manage this as well as it appears. It looks like a top flight offering that has plenty of advantages that make it head and shoulders above the pack, and, for iPhone users it seems like a “must have” if there ever was one.

  • Easy sign-up on iPhone
  • Accepted worldwide (wherever Mastercard is available)
  • Up to 3% cash back
  • Daily cash back
  • No fees
  • Engraved Titanium physical card with concealed numbers
  • Spending tracking
  • Clear transaction labeling with more data
  • Built-in Privacy

Find books on Big TechSustainable EnergyEconomics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

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

iPhone Photography Awards Announced, Volume 3: Architecture and Animals

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
Above: short video introducing our iphone photography awards series

In this, the Third Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: Architecture and Animals

Although the cameras built into iPhones have been improving, every year since 2007 when the first iPhone was released, what these collections of the best photos shot on iPhone each year show is how composition and choosing the moment stand out, much more than the technical achievements of the built in cameras themselves.

This installment, focusing on Architecture and Animals, displays perfect examples of those qualities. Mostly still-life such as architecture and elusive living subjects, such as animals, either way, it is the framing, composition and capturing the perfect angle with the perfect light that separates a great photo from a merely good one.

Naturally, unbelievable photos can happen anywhere, anytime, which is the beauty of having a camera that is always with you. Don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.

Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!

First Place Winner, Architecture : Kuanglong Zhang

First place Architecture photo shot in Jaipur, India, on an iPhone X by Kuanglong Zhang – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Kuanglong Zhang – IPPWARDS

I am a professional photographer and photography teacher. I teach many people mobile phone photography skills in China so that everyone can feel the fun of mobile phone photography. ”

”Janta Manta Observatory is very sci-fi looking. I captured the flying pigeon with the building to give the photo a dynamic feeling.”

Second Place, Architecture : Sally Ann Field

 Second place Architecture photo shot in Palm Springs, California, , on an iPhone X by Sally Ann Field – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Christian Horgan – IPPAWARDS

”Sally Ann Field is a commercial and fine art photographer who is influenced by human behavior and pop-culture. Sally is based in Hollywood, California, where she brings her art director’s eye to the viewfinder and the printed page.”

”I can’t get enough of the mid century modern architecture in Palm Springs, CA. This building is one of my favorites and I happened to be driving by mid day when the intense light, color and shadow caught my eye. The building does not have a bad angle, but for me it was the palm tree that made the composition complete.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Architecture

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”12″]

Third Place, Architecture : Shuo Chen

Third place Architecture photo shot in Xiamen City, Fujian, on an iPhone X by Shuo Chen – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Shuo Chen – IPPAWARDS

”After graduation from Victoria University of Wellington, I have become a professional photographer and designer from Xiamen, China. I’ m a contributor for many international photo agencies.”

This image was taken in the Xiamen, international shipping center. I was trying to create a futuristic battle scene of Star Wars (I’m a huge starwars fan). When a friend told me about this location, I thought it would be very good to shoot something like this with a lightsaber and two characters fighting. The lighting that afternoon was great, and we waited for the best natural light of the sun to light up the place.”

First Place, Animals : Diogo Lage

First place Animals photo shot in Porto, Portugal, on an iPhone SE by Diogo Lage – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Diogo Lage – IPPAWARDS

”My love for photography began years ago, with black and white film. Today I keep up that taste, including shooting the photos with the active black and white filter and only with rare exceptions do I revert to color. My background is in Art and Design where I always look for inspiration and references.”

”What made me take this photo was the unexpected balance of the composition that reinforces the sense of pride, place and charisma of this peacock. In this public garden, seeing these wild peacocks is one of the most exquisite experiences people can have, they are truly the lords of the garden.”

Second Place, Animals : Yoichi Sato

Second place Animals photo shot in Kisarazu, Japan, on an iPhone X by Yoichi Sato – IPPAWARDS
Image of Yoichi Sato – IPPAWARDS

”Photographer active in Tokyo Japan. I was previously a camera module designer and now takes snapshots of daily life using the iPhone.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Animals

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”13″]

Third Place, Animals : Deena Berton

Third place Animals photo shot in the Bahamas on an iPhone X by Deena Berton – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Deena Berton – IPPAWARDS

”Deena Berton has had an abiding interest in making images since high school. In college and business school she was a photographer and photo editor for her college newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun. She creates images in many different media. Her current passions are mobile digital image making, painting exuberant abstracts, Nerikomi ceramics and mixed analog and digital media.”

”I was captivated by the giant fish tanks at a resort in the Bahamas where the fish seemed to be observing people, mirroring the people observing the fish.”


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Launch of Apple Card is Imminent: Here’s What You Need to Know

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/apple-card/2019/c90ec3fe-63dc-4557-b1ea-50d7539c76bd/films/this-is/apple-card-this-is-tpl-cc-us-2019_1280x720h.mp4

The New Offering Will Take Off Fast, Based on the Perks and Details…

As with most things financial, there are lots of details, but some interesting perks, particularly for frequent customers of Apple products.

Immediate sign up on your iPhone

First perk: no lengthily complicated application process. According to the pre-launch information (see video above), just go to the Wallet app and tap on the Apple Card interface (once the Card is live) and go through the simple activation steps.

Once the sign up steps are complete, you can immediately start using the card as you would Apple Pay.

Small but expected caveat: For non-Apple Pay purchases in a traditional store setting you will need to wait until your physical card arrives in the mail. Also, although a pre-approved status will often be in place, availability is still subject to qualification, like any credit card.

Using the Card

The card will function as would any other card in your wallet for Apple Pay. This includes online purchases and in-store checkout where you normally would use Apple Pay.

You can designate the Apple Card as your default payment method in your wallet for purchases using your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch.

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/AppleCard_Keynote_M.mov
video of keynote announcing launch of apple card

The MasterCard Goldman Sachs Connection

The extended uses for the digital and physical version of the card are enabled through the partnership between MasterCard and Apple. You will be able to use the Apple Card anywhere that a MasterCard is accepted.

Goldman Sachs is the credit provider for your Apple Card and they will set your interest rate based, as would be expected, on your current credit score. Rates are projected to be in the range of 13.24% to 24.24% which is below the average in the US.

An extended fixed payment system is likely to be offered for large purchases according to the pre-release data.

Main Perks and Advantages

There are many unconventional and improved aspects to the use and especially the user experience associated with the new card. In the keynote announcement earlier this year (see video above) a great emphasis was made on the ways that the project was focused on improving the experience and helping users attain a healthier financial lifestyle.

This includes various features designed to help reduce interest charges, not only by offering lower overall rates, but by giving the user options and calculations that can provide payment alternatives to the traditional “minimum monthly” payment currently the norm.

Payments can be made from your linked bank account or can be transferred from Apple Cash in your Wallet app.

There is no annual fee for the card, no international fees and no fee for exceeding your credit limit or making a late payment. Also, there is not increased interest rate penalty, per se, for late payment, which is common in some other credit card accounts. Late payment will, naturally, result in interest accrual, but based on your current rate.

There is an separate app, particularly useful on iPad, which does not have the Wallet app, where data on transactions, payments and other details are provided. This, in typical Apple style, is far superior to any credit card app interface from banks and lenders.

Rewards and “Daily Cash”

Rather than a points system commonly seen on traditional credit card accounts, the Apple Card has a cash back system which can kick back up to 3% on a daily basis.

They call this “Daily Cash” and, as the name implies, your rebated cash will be credited to your account every 24 hours and be directly transferred to your Apple Cash account. If you do not sign up for Apple Cash, you will get your rebates sent to your bank account monthly.

Percentages vary, 3% is for all purchases made directly from Apple, 2% for all Apple Pay transactions and 1% for using the physical card at any non-Apple Pay retailer.

There is no cost to transfer your rewards cash to your bank account and this can take from one to three days. There will be an option to get instant transfers, which will incur a 1% fee. The transfers are done through the Apple Cash card from the Wallet app to the linked bank account.

Best Features and Conclusion

The overall sense is that this is going to be a very popular offering, based on the positive attributes of the card and the deal.

Although the terms are clearly slanted towards encouraging financial activity benefiting the emerging Apple financial eco-system, with the reward percentage on direct Apple purchases and Apple Pay coming in higher than the “out of network” transactions made with the physical card only, the rest of the perks are more than enough to pique the interest of a great number of iPhone users.

The titanium card appearance, styling and feel will attract many for that reason alone. Quel chic! And it is likely that the card will cause an increase in Apple Pay transactions, with double cash back for pulling out your iPhone instead of the physical card.

Ultimately, the software tools enabling privacy – no data to Apple and Goldman Sachs promising never to use or sell your data – along with the fantastic tools for tracking transactions, spend, payments and interest are perhaps the most likely to create love.

Who doesn’t hate dealing with credit card companies and their antiquated interfaces and systems? Some credit card providers do not even allow automatic payment scheduling, apparently hoping you will pay late so they can rack up those late payment penalty fees. Doing away with even the worst, most evil, aspects of credit card accounts is already a huge step forward.

Let’s hope that Apple will manage this as well as it appears. It looks like a top flight offering that has plenty of advantages that make it head and shoulders above the pack, and, for iPhone users it seems like a “must have” if there ever was one.

  • Easy sign-up on iPhone
  • Accepted worldwide (wherever Mastercard is available)
  • Up to 3% cash back
  • Daily cash back
  • No fees
  • Engraved Titanium physical card with concealed numbers
  • Spending tracking
  • Clear transaction labeling with more data
  • Built-in Privacy

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iPhone Photography Awards Announced, Volume 2: Portrait and Abstract

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
Above: short video introducing our iphone photography awards series

In this, the Second Article in a Series Featuring all the Winners, See Photos of the Top Three Awards for the Categories: Portrait and Abstract

With photo submissions from over 140 countries around the world it is no surprise that some amazing shots were captured in incredible locations. – Bayan Ulgi, Mongolia, for example – The authenticity of the subject matter is on clear display and there is something about the light…

Naturally, unbelievable photos can happen anywhere, anytime, which is the beauty of having a camera that is always with you. Don’t overlook the “honorable mentions” either. The two mosaic galleries below show how high the competitive artistry was and how difficult it must have been to choose.

Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. The deadline to enter the next years program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!

First Place Winner, Portrait : Mona Jumaan

First place Portrait photo shot in Bayan Ulgi, Mongolia, on an iPhone 7 Plus by Mona Jumaan – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Mona Jumaan – IPPAWARDS

”I am an amateur photographer/traveller based in Bahrain. Combining my passions, I aspire to create photos that connect the viewer to the places I have visited, and to give them the experience through my photographs what I have experienced firsthand. ”

”In Bayan Ulgi province in western Mongolia, eagle hunting is a tradition passed across generations. Boys start their training as early as 11 years old, and little Bakha is no exception as he makes his entrance into the world of eagle hunting with his prized falcon.”

Second Place, Portrait : Christian Horgan

 Second place Portrait photo shot in Margaret River, Western Australia, on an iPhone X by Chrisitan Horgan – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Christian Horgan – IPPAWARDS

”Christian Horgan is a story teller based in Western Australia.  He is a presenter and producer of Film, Television and Radio with his work reaching national and global audiences.  Christian uses his iPhone as another means to tell stories, capturing images from the tales that unfold around him.  He’s all about using his iPhone to see the world in a different light.”

”I take my nephew Eden on ‘Photo Safaris’, where we only shoot with our iPhones. Our trophies are the images we capture. My mum has a couple of bee hives in Margaret River, Western Australia, and I thought they’d make for an exciting safari.  As we dressed for this adventure I decided to take a portrait of Eden in his ‘photo safari suit’.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Portrait

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”10″]

Third Place, Portrait : Magali Chesnel

Third place Portrait photo shot in Gruissan, France, on an iPhone 7 by Magali Chesnel – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Magali Chesnel – IPPAWARDS

”Magali Chesnel is a French artist, painter and self-taught photographer. Born in Versailles and a native of Brittany – France. She is an award-winning and globally exhibited aerial photographer.”

”One of my favorite moments, perched on the tummy of my master. I have to confess, the view is awesome!! This cushion makes me feel secure. I can also warn other dogs and protect my master. Yeeaah! Who’s the boss?! I belong to him and he belongs to me.”

First Place, Abstract : Jiangying Guo

First place Abstract photo shot in Mexico City, Mexico, on an iPhone 7 Plus by Jiangying Guo – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Jiangying Guo – IPPAWARDS

”A recent graduate from Pratt Institute (Brooklyn, NY). I work as an interior designer, and I love taking pictures for memories.”

”A beam of sunlight shined on a swimming pool at 9:32am, when I was visiting the house designed by Luis Barragán.”

Second Place, Abstract : JuliAnne Kaplan

Second place Abstract photo shot in San Francisco, Califrnia, on an iPhone 7 Plus by JuliAnne Kaplan – I
Photo of JuliAnne Kaplan – IPPAWARDS

”JuliAnne Kaplan is an award winning photographer living in San Rafael, California. She is passionate about seeing and hopes that, through her art, she can help enable others to slow down and catch the moment. JuliAnne’s daily photography practice is about “Seeing . . . What Is”. What makes her come alive is capturing those fleeting perceptions with her iPhone camera and discovering magic in the process—what is revealed in the moment: direct, vivid and true.”

”Looking up, at the corner of Laguna and Hayes Streets, San Francisco. The midday sun casts an engaging abstract pattern of geometric shadows onto the quirky facade.”

Mosaic Gallery, Honorable Mentions: Abstract

[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”11″]

Third Place, Abstract : Samantha Byrd

Third place Abstract photo shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on an iPhone 8 Plus by Samantha Byrd – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Samantha Byrd – IPPAWARDS

”Texas born and bred but enamored with the world. I have an insatiable hunger for exploring and capturing the magic I find.”

”From the wrong angle, it looked chaotic, like someone had hung string frivolously. But from straight on, it was perfect. Serene and calming.”


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The 2019 iPhone Photography Awards: Here are the Top Winning Photos

iPhone Photographers of the Year and their Winning Images…

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
Above: short video introducing our iphone photography awards series

In this, the first article in our 10 part series highlighting all the prize winners, photos from the Grand Prize Winner and the three runner-ups are featured.

There are nearly 1 billion iPhones in the world today and almost as many iPhone photographers. With that many people, and, obviously, some with extraordinary talent, you’d think there’d be some pretty amazing shots out there, captured all around the world at the most opportune and magical moments.

And you’d be right. The proof we present below, and in a series of articles chronicling the winning photographers and photos from the 12th Annual iPhone Photo Awards presented by the IPPAWARDS. The best of the best are chosen from thousands of photos from over 140 countries. In addition to the top prize winning photos below, there are individual category winners that will be featured in upcoming articles. The images are truly amazing so, stay tuned.

Established in 2007, IPPAWARDS have featured the worlds best iPhone photographers and photos since the iPhone’s inception. Awards are also given for the best photos of the year in additional individual categories. The deadline to enter the next year’s program is March 2020, so, use these great images as inspiration to take your best shot. Who knows, it might be you taking the Grand Prize in 2020!

Grand Prize Winner: Gabriella Cigliano

Grand prize photo shot in Zanzibar, Africa on an iPhone X by Gabriella Cigliano Photo Credit: Gabriella Cigliano – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Gabriella Cigliano – IPPAWARDS

”I’m Gabriella, I’m 23 and I’m from Napoli, Italy. When I was a little girl and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always “traveling!”. Now that I’m grown-up, I’ve realized that beyond curiosity about the world, one of the reasons why I love to travel is to share with others what I see. I do this through the photos I take, I try to show others the world through my eyes, with no filters.”

”Last year I spent a month in Wasa, Tanzania, teaching a class of young, curious and amazing guys. Before heading back to Italy we stopped in Zanzibar, where this photo was taken. I still wonder how could I capture that exact moment in all its beauty. I was just observing, a few meters from them, but they were probably more curious about me than I was about them, and that’s probably why the girl was looking at me. We couldn’t talk much, except for a few words in Swahili I had learned in the previous weeks, but those kids could definitely talk with their eyes. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my life, and I’ll keep it in my memories forever. The best part was showing them and their mums the photos, for some it was the first time they were seeing their faces, and their excitement was unexplainable, unfortunately my iPhone was in their hands and I couldn’t capture that!”

First Place: Diogo Lage

First place photo shot in Santa Rita Beach, Portugal, on an iPhone SE by Diogo Lage Photo Credit: Diogo Lage – IPPAWARDS
Photo of Diogo Lage – IPPAWARDS

”My love for photography began years ago, with black and white film. Today I keep up that taste, including shooting the photos with the active black and white filter and only with rare exceptions do I revert to color. My background is in Art and Design where I always look for inspiration and references.”

”Sea Stripes was taken in Santa Rita Beach, Portugal where the striped beach tents are very typical and set the tone of the well organized and summery little villages. Playing along with this beachy mood, a bather in the distance embodies the spirit in a striped shirt.”

Second Place: Yuliya Ibraeva

Second place photo shot in Rome, Italy, on an iPhone 7 Plus by Yuliya Ibraeva – IPPAWARDS Photo Credit: Yuliya Ibraeva
Photo of Yuliya Ibraeva – IPPAWARDS

”My name is Yuliya Ibraeva. I’m 30 years old, live in Moscow & work as a photographer, photo editor and media producer more than 10 years. Photograph is my passion and profession.”

”It was a hot summer day in Rome, Italy, even the asphalt was melting. We decided to escape from the city center to see the ancient trees of the Borghese Gardens and watch an Italian movie, but when we arrived the pouring rain began. We didn’t see the film, but I took wonderful pictures. It was great travel moment I’ll never want to forget.”

Third Place: Peng Hao

Third place photo shot in Nevada, USA, on an iPhone X by Peng Hao – IPPAWARDS Photo Credit: Peng Hao
Photo of Peng Hao – IPPAWARDS

”My name is Peng Hao. I am a film director and also a photographer.”

”I took this photo in the desert in Nevada, USA, at the Burning Man festival. I stood on a bridge and saw two people lost in a sand storm, but after a while, something very special came along, a huge silver ball.”


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Apple Announces New Emoji Coming this Fall to iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch

Fifty-nine new emoji with a large number of additional variations are coming soon…

Here, scattered across your screen, are Emoji that you will be living with starting with the release of iOS 13, in the Fall. Featuring diversity and fun new additions for already well populated categories, including animals, activities, food and, of course, smiley faces. When it comes to emoji, as the saying goes, more is better and better is just fine.

In an update that smiles on progressive ideas and openness, the “Holding Hands” emoji now sports any combination of gender, skin tone and even personalities, allowing the creation of up to 75 variations on the relationship and couples theme. 

Based on a push from Apple, to add more emoji depicting disability themed icons, an ear adorning a hearing aid, a robotic, bionic-looking prosthetic arm and leg, wheelchairs, and a new guide dog will all be part of the new collection. Apple is dedicated to celebrating all forms of diversity and will take these steps to fill gaps in the current set of available emoji. Also exciting are the new animals: a flamingo, a sloth, a skunk and, likely to be a fan favorite, an orangutan.

Celebrating diversity in all its many forms with new emoji. Photo / Apple

“Many additional emoji categories are getting exciting updates with a new smiley face for yawning, a one-piece swimsuit, new food items including a waffle, falafel, butter and garlic, and new animals like the sloth, flamingo, orangutan and skunk.”

– APPLE PRESS RELEASE

In total, fifty-nine newly designed emoji will be included, after a free software update, on the iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch. These will be added to the thousands of emoji already available . These new designs are based on the approved characters in Unicode 12.0.

A Food lovers have more ways to communicate with the waffle, falafel, butter and garlic emoji. Photo / Apple

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A Remedy for the ScreenTime Epidemic from an Unlikely Source: A Neurophysiologist’s Experiments with Isolation, LSD and Dolphins

Long before Spas and health retreats popularized sensory deprivation as “Floating Therapy”, an early pioneer in the study of human consciousness, Dr. John C. Lilly, was pivotal in the exploration of the effects of sensory deprivation on the mind. These experiments where considered radical at the time, as was his use of himself as research subject and his parallel research into LSD and it’s effects on human consciousness, together with other famous names from the sixties such as Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg.

Lilly is best known for his intra-species communication studies, particularly with Dolphins, and even built a lab for humans and Dolphins to live together in order to attempt to communicate. These radical ideas and studies, chronicled in his two books: Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer: Theory and Experiments and The Center of the Cyclone, whose first publication in 1972, ultimately led to both the acknowledgement of high intelligence in Dolphin, as well as health and mental health benefits, to what is now commonly called “Floatation Therapy”, an apparently less negative name than “sensory deprivation”.

Fast forward to 2019 and we find ourselves in a world where over-stimulation of our senses, particularly our excessive visual and mental focus on “screen-time” is not only the norm, but a problem of epidemic proportions. Apple’s “ScreenTime” feature, designed to limit the use of its own products, is a testament to how all pervasive this issue has become.

With all the outside noise, commotion and our daily “endless” tasks to do, the mind and body can often feel the weight of life’s stressors. Popping up all across the country, spas are now offering services with float tanks as one of the ways to take a pause and detach for a little while from all of life’s distractions and relax.

At these centers, users enter a flotation tank, also known as an isolation or sensory deprivation chamber.  The enclosure is sound and light proof and filled with salt water, usually heated at around 93 or 94 degrees Fahrenheit, to best match skin temperature. The tanks are usually filled with water 12 inches deep and approximately 800-1000 pounds of magnesium sulfate (medical grade epsom salt) are added. The combination of warm water and salt create a higher water density and allows for optimal buoyancy that any body type can float upon.

Depending on your location, prices for a session can range from $40 to $100, yet owning your own isolation tank can cost upwards of $10,000!

Image of a man floating inside of a sensory deprivation isolation tank, also known as a salt water floatation tank, often used in meditation, therapy and alternative medicine. Photo / Adobe Stock

Read More: 2020 Pulitzer Picks: “The Nickel Boys” Makes History, “A Strange Loop” and Susan Sontag Bio Take Gold

The Science of Floating

Floatation Therapy was first developed in the 1950’s from the work of John Lilly’s research on sensory deprivation and the effects on the brain. Sensory deprivation involves significantly reducing or eliminating outside stimuli like light and sound. Other research studies refer to the phenomena as REST – restricted environmental stimulation technique.

Athletes are among one of the types of people that utilize the therapy, NBA star Stephen Curry floats to help relax, recharge mentally, and to create a clearer focus and relief from body aches. A pilot study in 2016, published in the Journal “Performance Enhancement & Health”, found that athletes that floated after exercise training showed some improvement in physical condition (muscle soreness) and mood.

The popularity of the therapy is growing fast, partially due to the benefits found by top level athletic performers such as Stephen Curry, mentioned above, and a host of celebrities, athletes and historical figures, such as Carl Lewis, Joe Rogan, John Lennon, Elle Macpherson, Rachel Hunter, Jeff Bridges, Kristin Wiig, Russel Brand and even Navy Seals.

Dr. Justin Feinstein, a Director at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR), studies the clinical impact floating has on people that have anxiety, and he is breaking new ground as one of the few researchers to study this phenomena.  In the 2018 study, Feinstein sampled fifty participants that had anxiety disorders and found that, post-float, the experience reduced self-reported anxiety amongst all the participants and showed mood improvements in subjects, compared to pre-float condition. 

https://youtu.be/VMxW8dKzG1s

Mental and Physical Benefits

Floating was created to artificially promote relaxation, engage meditative thoughts, and ultimately quiet one’s thoughts. However, while being in a relaxed state, additional benefits including reduced body tension, pain relief, positive changes in mood, decreased stress, better sleep and even increased creativity has been reported.

Brainwaves have been known to shift while in the water from Beta to Theta – taking the floater into the relaxed state both of body and mind. Our normal Beta stage occurs when we are awake and are utilizing our cognitive functions (e.g. communication and problem solving); compared to the Theta stage, a more unconscious state that occurs during light to REM sleep and has been linked to increased creativity.

Read More: Disney is Releasing an Avalanche of Star Wars Content on May 4th to Disney+

The “How-To’s” to Floating

Spas offer float experiences that commonly last for thirty to sixty minutes, however, more experienced floaters can have longer sessions.

Floaters have the option, based on personal preference, to go nude or wear a bathing suit. Most centers require that you shower before the session to remove any grooming products from your body, as well as showering after to remove the epsom salt.

To achieve the optimal relaxation, it’s best to close the door or lid completely, which will vary on the type of tank. Upon entering and lying down in the water you will immediately become buoyant, this, coupled with the dark will take a few minutes of adjustment, so do not worry if it initially feels awkward or uncomfortable.

For first time floaters, we would recommend that you do the following:

  • Insert waterproof ear plugs to avoid prolonged water exposure to the eardrum.
  • Apply petroleum jelly to any cuts or scrapes (since exposure of salt to open wounds will create a painful stinging sensation)
  • Do not shave prior to the flotation session

Whether you are an athlete, someone with anxiety, or busy and stressed, floating is a way to force yourself to literally do nothing. The wonders of what a little bit of nothingness can do has the potential to unlock many benefits to your mind and body. Learning to relax does take practice and trying out floating is just one way to learn!

**If you are a person that cannot handle enclosed spaces, (although the lid/door can be open) floating may not be a treatment to try.


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No Good Deed… The Saga of The Apple Pro Display XDR WWDC Debacle: The Stand Controversy De-bunked

Hilariously mis-understood marketing message

With all the amazing products and software updates unveiled at Apple’s WWDC 2019, you’d think the viral meme would be something related. You’d be wrong. The trending topic for the first several days was… the monitor stand.

More specifically, the price of the monitor stand. Before you get really confused, it’s more the fact that the price was quoted separately, not a usual thing in general for monitor pricing. But this is no usual monitor.

As the name implies: The Pro Display XDR is meant for professional use. Hence the fairly hefty 5k price tag. So far, no big deal, right? Had Apple just announced a professional monitor, comparable in specs to pro monitors costing upwards of forty thousand dollars for 6k$, we’d probably have seen articles lauding them for creating thirty-four thousand in “savings”.

Read More: 2019 Was a Huge Year for Apple: Here are some Milestones that will Lead to the “Apple Decade” in the 2020s

Lots of Bunk that needs De-Bunking 

Further, if they had announced that the $6,000 monitor could be purchased “sans stand” for only 5k$, again, it’s all good. Instead, it was accidentally implied that the average-joe (who wants to buy a professional stand) would have to pay 5k$ for the screen and then another 1k$ for the “optional” stand.

Once this was announced scribes and haters all across the land began to decry the injustice to the world that this “arrogant” company would have the nerve to charge “as much as an iPhone XS”for nothing but a chunk of metal.

The race was on to compile the most outrageous comparisons: “you can buy an entire gaming PC for the price!”, wrote one, “it’s everything wrong with Apple today“, screamed another. After many such articles, each more ridiculous than the last, the “grown ups” began to chime in.

Digital Deflation is a Tricky Business 

Finally, it was pointed out that professional video or film editing businesses, the folks for whom this stand was designed and priced, tend to have studio edit bays custom built for the purpose of high end editing, processing and color correcting, among other professional activities.

Read More: Big Tech headed for a Storm of Changes once the Novel Coronavirus Fades from Center Stage

These bays, generally designed by a high tech professional architect, who costs himself, many times the “outrageous” $999, and monitor screens (you know, those forty thousand dollar ones mentioned by apple in the presentation), are generally wall mounted or set up on proprietary house-owned stands that go for far more than $999. The bays also have professional lighting design (to prevent visual inaccuracies when evaluating high end content), and, more often than not, really cool (read: expensive), furniture.

The plot thickens…

So, wait, what was really announced is that those same pros described above could opt-out of a monitor stand they do not need and save the much whined about $999? You don’t say. How nice those Apple folks are. So thoughtful. Trying to help rich folks avoid paying $999 for a stand that will end up in a storage room.

Why so misunderstood then, if this is all so obvious? Digital Deflation. Yes, that nasty sounding trend that has changed the world around us for more than 25 years.

History of cost reduction to zero dollars

To make sense of this hilarious tale, it seems, we have to first go back. Waaaay Baaack. All the way to around 1996. At that time there was no 8k video to edit, let alone multiple streams of said 8k. Nevertheless, a professional workstation, absolutely necessary at the time to do any non-linear editing or EFX, would set you back around $100,000+. And those monitors? They’d likely be CRT and still cost 50k or some ungodly number.

Many of the processes that were routinely required in editing, color correcting and EFX generation could not be achieved on any computer or software alone. Everything had hardware add-ons, tally up another 50k here and 50k there.

So, once again, why the huge misunderstanding?

Fast forward to 2019. Your iPhone can shoot excellent 4k video anywhere, anytime, since it’s already in your pocket. Cost: zero additional dollars after owning the phone.

Add to that software, if you are on a budget you can forego the daunting challenge of coughing up a couple of hundred dollars to buy Final Cut Pro (there’s that pesky “Pro” again in the name), and go with Blackmagic Design’s “DaVinci Resolve” software, which happens to include excellent non-linear editing, EFX generation and management, color correction and much more. Price tag? For the functioning entry level version, zero dollars. For added professional functionality, a few hundred dollars.

Bottom line, if you already have an iPhone and some kind of Mac, zero dollars.

Tricky Business, Indeed

Here’s where it really gets crazy. Apple, and other tech companies, have, in essence, engendered this deflation by reducing the costs of everything needed for digital media creation, at a higher and higher level to, practically, zero$.

Great, right? Well, not entirely. It seems that when the cost of production nears zero, the monetization of the fruits of creation head south even faster. Translation? It’s damn hard to get paid if you are a freelancer producing and editing digital media products. Only the highest level creators (Hollywood Heavyweights, top of the charts, you get the idea) can garner much of anything, and, of course, they can afford many times that $999 for fruit toppings at breakfast.

Everyone else (a.k.a. “the rest of us”) live in side-hustle hell. Hence the moans, groans, and whining over the “dream” of having $999 to spare for a monitor stand.

So, to re-cap, the same people who were “gifted” by massive advances in technical capabilities spearheaded by apple, to the point where millions of dollars of production overhead for hardware was reduced to almost zero, were also victims of an unemployment epidemic, unleashed by the “barriers to entry” for their chosen profession being reduced to… wait for it… zero.

And, yea, by the way, all this applies double to writers working for digital media outlets. So let the angst flow freely next time an arrogant monolithic company has the audacity to release a pro product at a pro price. I feel ya, Dog, I really do.


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