The huge iOS and iPad OS 15 update keeps yielding more tips and tricks to learn
We’ve all gotten so used to a slew of system software updates from Apple each year that we kind of just sleepwalk into them, it seems. With so many new features and new ways to use them, it would take an encyclopedia to catalog them all.
Live text is one of the best liked and most useful of this year’s mountain of changes. The ability to extract test from a photo or from the live camera feed – that can be accessed from an assortment of built-in apps, is something that may seem like a nifty trick, perhaps, at first, but when mastered in a deeper way, is something that will, one day, be hard to imagine having lived without. Like having a camera in your pocket at all times.
The interdependence and interaction between built in apps is key
In this how-to video, the second from Madison on Live Text so far, a business card is used as an example. This is a great choice as it contains a web address, a phone number, a street address and an email address, as most business cards do.
This allows the Live Text feature to get busy – and the video shows how you can, just from the camera app, extract the text from the card (or text on any visible object) and then “route” the information in the text to the best app to do what you want with it.
The, at times dramatic, examples include taking the address and sending it with a click to the maps app where a route can be generated to drive or walk there, immediately. Naturally, once the address is ingested into the maps app there are additional things that can be accessed, like the satellite view, or the 360 degrees look around feature. If it’s a business in a shopping center there is also a new “look inside” feature where hours of operation, photos and more can also be accessed.
The phone number on the card can be extracted and made “click-able” to call, copy, use to initiate a FaceTime session, add to contacts, and so forth.
Email addresses and web addresses can be instantly used to compose and send an email message or open a web page in Safari. These example only give one short peek into a single layer of what you might use LiveText for, in this case with a single business card.
While, like any high tech magic, there are times when LiveText seems like a million dollar way to avoid using a pen and paper, at other times it is, well, magical, when large amounts of inaccessible text can be instantly accessed, for example.
I have taken to using to extract text from a screen shot, one that I take when a week site has text that is not clickable and can’t be copied directly (so annoying!) and that alone is a life saver when dealing with data for life’s everyday chores and information gathering.
All in all the new iOS 15 update is one that we will all have to grow with and adapt to – and while that won’t always be smooth and bug-free, the ways that life’s little tasks are made just a tiny bit easier is what will make the extra effort ultimately worthwhile.
Here we go again, another end of the month nears and that means some movies on Netflix have to go in order to make way for new content. There are tons of brand new Originals comings this fall, however, the time comes, when nostalgia can kick in and watching some “oldies” but goodies feels like the right move.
Especially if you aren’t into watching scary or horror films for Halloween, there are a handful of additional genres to pick from. You can watch not one but two different Leonardo DiCaprio titles before they are gone, if you are more into Sci-Fi there is “Inception” (Trailer below) or Comedy/Action in “Catch Me If You Can”.
If you rather prefer something more light-hearted for some laughs, you have some good options with Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde”, Jack Black in “Tenacious D” or Matthew Broderick “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.
Here is the full list of Movies leaving Netflix Sunday at Midnight:
60 Days In: Season 5 Angels & Demons Battle: Los Angeles Beowulf Billy on the Street: Seasons 1-5 Catch Me If You Can The Da Vinci Code Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Forged in Fire: Season 6 The Heartbreak Kid The Impossible Inception Legally Blonde Mile 22 Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You Reckoning: Limited Series Snowden Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Yes Man
The metaverse is a network of always-on virtual environments in which many people can interact with one another and digital objects while operating virtual representations – or avatars – of themselves. Think of a combination of immersive virtual reality, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game and the web.
The metaverse is a concept from science fiction that many people in the technology industry envision as the successor to today’s internet. It’s only a vision at this point, but technology companies like Facebook are aiming to make it the setting for many online activities, including work, play, studying and shopping.
Metaverse is a portmanteau of meta, meaning transcendent, and verse, from universe. Sci-fi novelist Neal Stephenson coined the term in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash” to describe the virtual world in which the protagonist, Hiro Protagonist, socializes, shops and vanquishes real-world enemies through his avatar. The concept predates “Snow Crash” and was popularized as “cyberspace” in William Gibson’s groundbreaking 1984 novel “Neuromancer.”
There are three key aspects of the metaverse: presence, interoperability and standardization.
Presence is the feeling of actually being in a virtual space, with virtual others. Decades of research has shown that this sense of embodiment improves the quality of online interactions. This sense of presence is achieved through virtual reality technologies such as head-mounted displays.
Interoperability means being able to seamlessly travel between virtual spaces with the same virtual assets, such as avatars and digital items. ReadyPlayerMe allows people to create an avatar that they can use in hundreds of different virtual worlds, including in Zoom meetings through apps like Animaze. Meanwhile, blockchain technologies such as cryptocurrenciesand nonfungible tokens facilitate the transfer of digital goods across virtual borders.
Standardization is what enables interoperability of platforms and services across the metaverse. As with all mass-media technologies – from the printing press to texting – common technological standards are essential for widespread adoption. International organizations such as the Open Metaverse Interoperability Group define these standards.
Why the metaverse matters
If the metaverse does become the successor to the internet, who builds it, and how, is extremely important to the future of the economy and society as a whole. Facebook is aiming to play a leading role in shaping the metaverse, in part by investing heavily in virtual reality. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained in an interview his view that the metaverse spans non-immersive platforms like today’s social media as well as immersive 3D media technologies such as virtual reality, and that it will be for work as well as play.Hollywood has embraced the metaverse in movies like ‘Ready Player One.’
The metaverse might one day resemble the flashy fictional Oasis of Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One,” but until then you can turn to games like Fortnite and Roblox, virtual reality social media platforms like VRChat and AltspaceVR, and virtual work environments like Immersed for a taste of the immersive and connected metaverse experience. As these siloed spaces converge and become increasingly interoperable, watch for a truly singular metaverse to emerge.
Facebook Inc. has rebranded itself, now, as Meta, most likely as a means to separate the corporate identity of the social network that has been tied to a myriad of ugly controversies. The name change is meant to highlight the company’s shift to virtual reality and the metaverse.
CEO Zuckerberg spoke at the Facebook’s Connect virtual conference and commented on the name change, “From now on, we’re going to be metaverse-first, not Facebook-first.”
The new name change does not affect the company’s share data or corporate structure, however the company will start trading under the new ticker, MVRS starting December 1.
Needless to say, Twitter comments and memes instantly rolled in after the rebrand announcement:
Facebook has named itself Meta, a word that means "please forget about all the leaked internal documents that are currently showing all the horrors of social media"
Finally: the whole package – and a convenient way to prove vaccination status
Now that the iOS 15.1 update is available for the general public featuring the ability to add your proof of vaccination status to the Health app and then create a vaccination ID card in Apple Wallet.
Many businesses, venues, restaurants, and more are requiring proof of vaccination for entry. For example California is the first state where proof of COVID vaccination or negative test for indoor events over 1,000 people.
The new feature in iOS 15.1 is made possible by the support Smart Health Cards which are valid for California, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, Hawaii, and some Maryland counties, as do Walmart, Sam’s Club, and CVS Health.
Above: ID in iPhone Wallet
Therefore, using this system you would be able to to look up their information in state databases, if you are in any of the states listed above, but if you were vaccinated through at Walmart or CVS it will also be feasible to add your information to the Health and Wallet.
Once you have gone to the web site for your state, for example in California it would be found at https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov where you can type in personal information such as name and date of birth to get access to your records and status.
Though iOS 15 already had the ability to download the information to your Health app, and you could do that since the official launch of iOS 15, the last step, adding an ID to your wallet from the health app has not been possible until the new upgrade to iOS 15.1.
The record is locked to your name and can only be used by you. There will be a QR code that you will first download to your health app on the iPhone, then, once it is in the health app there will be a prompt to allow you to “add to wallet”. By clicking that link a vaccination ID car, with the QR code will be generated and added to your wallet.
iOS 15.1 is available under > General > software update in your phone’s Settings app starting today.
Tap the download link on your iPhone or iPod touch.
Tap Add to Health to add the record to the Health app.
Tap Done.
Once the ID is in the health app a button / prompt appears “add to wallet”.
Scammers Are Using Fake Job Ads to Steal People’s Identities
It has become a ubiquitous internet ad, with versions popping up everywhere from Facebook and LinkedIn to smaller sites like Jobvertise: Airport shuttle driver wanted, it says, offering a job that involves picking up passengers for 35 hours a week at an appealing weekly pay rate that works out to more than $100,000 a year.
But airports aren’t really dangling six-figure salaries for shuttle drivers amid some sudden resurgence in air travel. Instead, the ads are cybercriminals’ latest attempt to steal people’s identities and use them to commit fraud, according to recent warnings from the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission and cybersecurity firms that monitor such threats. The U.S. Secret Service, which investigates financial crimes, also confirmed that it has seen a “marked increase” in sham job ads seeking to steal people’s personal data, often with the aim of filing bogus unemployment insurance claims.
“These fraudsters, they’re like a virus. They continue to mutate,” said Haywood Talcove, chief executive of the government division of LexisNexis Risk Solutions, one of several contractors helping state and federal agencies combat identity theft. (ProPublica subscribes to public records databases provided by LexisNexis.)
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This particular mutation is an emerging threat, Talcove and others said. The numbers are small so far, but they’re rapidly increasing. In March, LexisNexis detected around 2,900 ads touting unusually generous pay, using suspicious email domains and requiring that one verify one’s identity upfront. The total had grown to 18,400 by July, and then to 36,350 as of this month. Talcove said these figures are based on a small sample of job ads and that the real number is likely much higher.
This form of scam is surging at a moment when targets for job application fraud abound. Millions of Americans are quitting jobs and looking for new ones. An all-time high percentage of workers — 2.9% — quit their jobs in August, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Meanwhile, huge numbers of laid-off workers are still looking for work, making for a historic churn in the labor market.
The ads reflect a tactical adjustment by cybercriminals. A massive wave of unemployment insurance fraud during the pandemic prompted authorities to heighten identity verification requirements. In most U.S. states, cybercriminals can no longer simply input stolen identity information into government websites and frequently collect unemployment insurance aid. Now, applicants whose names are used to apply for unemployment benefits often need to verify on their phones that they’re the ones seeking assistance, a process similar to two-factor authentication.
That means scammers may need help from their victims — and sometimes they go to elaborate lengths to mislead them. Some fraudsters recreate companies’ hiring websites. One fake job application site uses Spirit Airlines’ photos, text, font and color code. The phony site asks applicants to upload a copy of both sides of their driver’s license at the outset of the process and sends them an email seeking more information from a web address that resembles Spirit’s, with an extra “i” (spiiritairline.com). Spirit Airlines did not respond to requests seeking comment.
Other job scams are less elaborate and have more visible signs of inauthenticity. One fake ad for airport shuttle drivers on Facebook was posted by a woman who purported to be working at Denver International Airport. Diligent readers may have noticed that the only location linked from the woman’s Facebook profile was a Nigerian city called Owerri. (A spokesperson for the Denver airport reported the profile to Facebook after an inquiry by ProPublica, and the ad is no longer active.)
In other instances, unsolicited job offers simply land in applicants’ inboxes after they’ve uploaded their résumés to real job search sites, which scammers can access if they pose as potential employers. Jeri-Sue Barron has received a slew of emails since the start of the pandemic informing her that she was preapproved for a variety of jobs she hadn’t even applied for. Barron, a retiree in suburban Dallas, had uploaded her résumé to several job hunting sites in hope of finding some part-time work to supplement her Social Security income. She then received multiple job offers with nary a request for an interview. One email originated from a school in India’s Kerala state; another came from a Croatian website she’d never heard of. “They started coming in from places that were weird,” said Barron. “You almost don’t want to find out the next stage.” She ignored the offers.
As with fake unemployment claims more broadly, the fraud is being facilitated by an underground infrastructure, including online forums where cybercriminals share advice on how to perfect their techniques. A person using the handle “cleverinformation” on a U.K. forum called Carder put together a how-to video that recommends posting fake job ads using a generic job application that can be modified to collect personal data. In September, someone going by “mrdudemanguy” on another forum, known as Dread, offered this advice to a person seeking stolen identities: “Pretend to be a local business and post some job ads. When they send in their résumé, call them and ask some basic job application questions. Make them think they’ve got the job as long as they can do a background check. For the background check request they send you photos or scans of ID documents.”
In response to a query from ProPublica, mrdudemanguy did not answer questions about sharing fake ads and instead focused on explaining the source of his recommended technique and its success. “I have not tried this method myself,” he wrote. “It’s just a method that I know other people do and it does work. It can be done in any part of the world, the country does not matter. As long as the job ad looks legitimate, a person looking for a job will be likely to apply.” Questions sent to cleverinformation yielded a similar response. “It’s effective,” the person said, noting that it’s an underused technique. The person added: “Trying to start a group chat where we share our knowledge.”
The ubiquitous ad for airport shuttle drivers was discussed in a similar forum. One version of it was posted in a Telegram channel of a Nigerian scam group called Yahoo Boys Community, along with instructions on what to tell applicants to get them to share their Social Security number, photographs of their driver’s license and other personal details. The post urged the group’s 5,000 members to ask applicants generic questions via email and offer them the gig — but only if they first shared their personal documents to land the plum job. “Once the client gives you the details, buzz me on WhatsApp and let start work on it Asap,” read the July message, whose initiator could not be identified.
Job application scams have been around in various forms for years. Some entice applicants to buy equipment or software from the scammers in preparation for a nonexistent job. Others try to trick victims into working for free or reshipping goods bought with stolen credit cards. But, according to law enforcement agencies, using fake job ads to steal identities and using them to cash in on government benefits is a new wrinkle.
Alexandra Mateus Vásquez fell for one such scam in December 2020. An aspiring painter, Vásquez was thinking of quitting her sales job at a suburban mall near New York City. She applied for a graphic designer position at the restaurant chain Steak ‘n Shake via the widely used job website Indeed. She was elated when what appeared to be a Steak ‘n Shake representative invited her via Gmail to participate in an email screening test for the job.
Conducting an interview via email initially struck Vásquez as odd, but she proceeded because the questions seemed standard. They included queries like “How do you meet tough deadlines?” according to emails she shared with ProPublica, and she provided earnest answers. Hours later she received an email offering her the job and asking for her address and phone number so a formal offer letter could be dispatched. The offered pay was attractive: $30 per hour. When the letter arrived, it sought her Social Security number, too. Vásquez provided all the requested information.
Soon Vásquez was invited for a background check, via online chat, with a supposed hiring manager. She found herself trading messages with an account that had a blurry photograph of an old man and the name “Iran Coleman” attached to it. (Several other applicants described similar experiences in a discussion about the Steak ‘n Shake job on the hiring site Glassdoor.)
The person claiming to be the Steak ‘n Shake’s hiring manager requested copies of Vásquez’s personal records to verify her identity. She shared photographs of her New York state ID and her green card but grew suspicious when the person asked for her credit card number, too. As Vásquez hesitated, she got a call from ID.me, an identity verification vendor used by 27 states to safeguard their unemployment insurance programs. The company asked if she was applying for jobless aid in California. That’s when she realized she was being scammed. “I was so disappointed,” Vásquez said. “I really believed that that position was real.”
Steak ‘n Shake did not respond to messages seeking comment. (ProPublica was able to reach Iran Coleman, the purported Steak ‘n Shake manager cited in the scam. He said the Louisville Steak ‘n Shake he used to manage is closed and he hasn’t worked there since at least 2014. He said he hadn’t updated his cursory LinkedIn profile, which lists him as a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant manager, in years. Coleman said he now manages three Waffle House restaurants. “I feel for that person,” he said of Vásquez when informed of her experience.)
Vásquez reported the incident to the police and contacted the Social Security Administration, which informed her that it had denied multiple requests to create an account in her name. (A spokesperson for the agency said privacy laws preclude it from discussing individual cases.) She then gave up on her job search. “I started doubting if all the jobs I’m applying for are real,” she said. Vásquez recently launched a website to begin selling paintings online and still hopes to become a design professional.
Blake Hall, chief executive of ID.me, said the company has rolled out language on its systems that informs users when their identities are being used to apply for unemployment insurance benefits and warns them not to proceed if they are being offered a job. Hall said it’s ultimately up to users to heed such warnings. “We will do as much as we can to make it clear that they’ve been scammed,” he said, “but ultimately protecting somebody from themself is a really tall order.” He compared his company to a goalkeeper who also needs help from other members of the team, in this case the job websites where criminals post fake ads.
The Better Business Bureau said in an alert last month that Indeed, LinkedIn and Facebook topped the list of online platforms where users reported spotting fraudulent job advertisements that duped them.
Indeed removes tens of millions of job listings that do not meet its quality guidelines each month, according to a company spokesperson, and it declines to list employers’ jobs if they do not pass those guidelines. In July, the site published a blog post detailing how to spot scam job ads. “Indeed puts job seekers at the heart of everything we do,” the spokesperson said.
LinkedIn removed 10 fake airport shuttle job postings after they were pointed out by ProPublica. A spokesperson said that posting bogus job ads is a “clear violation” of LinkedIn’s terms of service and said the company is investing in new ways of spotting them, such as hiring more human reviewers and expanding a work-email verification system for potential employers.
Facebook took down some of the airport shuttle posts after ProPublica alerted the service, but the company did not respond to questions about its processes for spotting and removing fake ads.
In recent months, the social media platform has also been plagued with fraudulent pages masquerading as state unemployment agencies. Some states complained to the U.S. Department of Labor that Facebook was slow to act on their requests to remove such pages, according to a March email from the department to state workforce agencies disclosed under a public records request. A Department of Labor official said that in March the agency set up a new process for states to report fake unemployment insurance websites to Facebook and that “to date, Facebook has been responsive in taking down fraudulent pages” reported by states.
New ones, however, keep popping up: A fake version of California’s Employment Development Department Facebook page was live as of Oct. 12. The agency confirmed the page was not its own, and it was removed from Facebook shortly after ProPublica’s inquiry.
Even if online platforms clean up their job postings, other identity theft scams are proliferating. On Oct. 15, the FBI issued an alert warning about fake websites that cybercriminals created to resemble the state unemployment websites of Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico and Wisconsin. Criminals use the sites to steal victims’ sensitive personal information, according to the FBI.
When the iOS 15.1 update drops for the general public (likely soon as it’s already been seeded to beta testers since Monday) it will feature the ability to add your proof of vaccination status to the Health app and then create a vaccination ID card in Apple Wallet.
Many businesses, venues, restaurants, and more are requiring proof of vaccination for entry. For example California is the first state where proof of COVID vaccination or negative test for indoor events over 1,000 people.
The new feature in iOS 15.1 is made possible by the support Smart Health Cards which are valid for California, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, Hawaii, and some Maryland counties, as do Walmart, Sam’s Club, and CVS Health.
Above: ID in iPhone Wallet
Therefore, using this system you would be able to to look up their information in state databases, if you are in any of the states listed above, but if you were vaccinated through at Walmart or CVS it will also be feasible to add your information to the Health and Wallet.
Once you have gone to the web site for your state, for example in California it would be found at https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov where you can type in personal information such as name and date of birth to get access to your records and status.
Though iOS 15 already has the ability to download the information to your Health app, and you can do this today, the last step, adding an ID to your wallet from the health app will not be possible until you have upgraded to iOS 15.1.
The record is locked to your name and can only be used by you. There will be a QR code that you will first download to your health app on the iPhone, then, once it is in the health app there will be a prompt to allow you to “add to wallet”. By clicking that link a vaccination ID car, with the QR code will be generated and added to your wallet.
iOS 15.1 is likely to be available under > General > software update in your phone’s Settings app starting today.
Tap the download link on your iPhone or iPod touch.
Tap Add to Health to add the record to the Health app.
If you can grub up the cash you will want these insanely great machines
Better sell some Crypto, perhaps all your Shiba and Dogecoin, cause the beasts are loose, beefy and pricy.
In the scheduled “unleashed” event today, broadcast virtually from Cupertino, Tim, Craig and the gang managed to surprise, not with the fully expected hardware items unveiled, but with the specs and otherworldly power of what they so aptly dubbed the Beasts.
The event was billed as being about music and creativity, and yes there were new AirPods and HomePod Minis, but without any doubt it was the incredible mac upgrades, in the form of 14” and 16” MacBook Pros that stole the show.
The format was no different than previous recent virtual events, but the details that exposed the extent and depth of the technological leap forward blew the format off it’s own hinges.
Although every spec was touted, from the screen upgrades, to endless new ports, to upgraded battery life, still the focus and excitement returned, again and again, to the Beasts: the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips and the system architecture built for them.
The animal analogy is no flight of zoological fantasy, with, at the high end, the M1 Max having 6x the speed and power of the current M1 – which already blew away reviewers and users with it’s own shocking ability to best what came before.
photo credit / apple
The party is on, but without a doubt, it is also exclusive
There are only two “downside” caveats, both kind of interrelated reverse compliments: There was no Mac Mini announcement, which is extremely sad for the great unwashed (like me!) and the prices are almost more beastly than the machines themselves.
A fully Maxxed out 16” MacBook Pro comes in at a hefty $6099, though that is with 8TB of SSD storage and 64GB of unified memory). Even a more modest configuration, dropping the SSD storage down to 4TB, while retaining the exalted 64GB unified, the toll is still $4299.
These are no everyday machines, but truly in the realm of Pro, in both specs and financial exclusivity.
And, hey, Apple has been here before, so an M1 Max based Mac Mini is likely to be delayed, if for no other reason, than to make sure that as many Pro users drop in for the whole mobile package – rather than building a budget system with money saved on 3rd party monitors and other practical cost cutting tricks.
All in all there’s an excitement in Today’s unleashing that slams into the core of any creative professional’s very being. Beastly power is tantalizingly within reach, all for a mere four to six thousand dollars… Or 1/10th of a BitCoin.
Master the ways you can use it and information gathering on iPhone will never be the same
We are all cyborgs now, to paraphrase Elon Musk when speaking about his neural network project, neuralink. The implication is that we rely so heavily on the iphone in our pocket that it has been come a literal extension on our minds and bodies, like a bionic arm.
With live text features and functions using iPhone (or iPad) in iOS 15 and 15.1 there is a new and very powerful addition to our already amazing arsenal of sensory extension. But the use of these new powers is not always obvious, and since the iPhone comes without a user manual, or rather an infinite number of them via YouTube and the web, learning just how far this feature can take you is a journey in itself.
In typical Apple fashion, if there are 10 ways to use live text then there are 100
The first thing that is not immediately apparent but becomes clearer on repeated use is that you can extract text, including most handwriting, from any existing photo. It can be a photo you took to store some text (like a menu posted behind the deli counter or a for sale sign in front of the house you might want to bid on).
Less obvious is that you do not need to take a photo at all to activate the live text recognition options. You can just point the camera at the “thing” that has text on it that you want to extract. But taking this to it’s most extreme logical conclusion Apple has made it possible to access the camera from within various apps specifically to make it less of a hassle to get the text directly from that app you plan to store it in or send it from.
Examples in the video below include the Notes app, the Messages app (formerly iMessage) and the mail app.
It will also allow you to go directly to the phone app or Apple Maps to “act” on information that you gather, from any camera access node or from the camera app – such as extracting a phone number from a business card or a billboard and then just clicking call, or sending an address from either of those examples into Apple Maps and immediate get directions.
These are just a few of the “live” uses of the feature that come up amazingly often in real life. More detailed use cases will be in both the video below and in subsequent videos on this feature, already in the works.
iOS 15.1 is filled with features that have a myriad of use cases, almost too many to list or describe
Every year when a major upgrade is sent down from on high, there is adapting to do and bugs to avoid. Sometimes it seems like the effort to learn how to use the new features is nearly on par with the gains in productivity from the better performing software. Three steps forward and two steps back, as it were.
This is not the case with iOS 15 – it’s more like 10 steps forward and only four steps back! Seriously, there are so many new features that it is completely reasonable to want to slowly adapt to the improvements, no matter how exciting they may be.
But in the case of live text, as well as the extensive upgrades to nearly all the built in apps for iPhone, iPad and Macs, the future will reward those of us that proactively evolve with the software’s upgraded abilities.
For those that use iPhones and iPads with a mac laptop or desktop, the changes coming with iOS 15.1 and macOS 12 Monterey (scheduled to go public next week) are just the beginning of an intense evolution toward what we have been calling the “Apple OS ecosystem singularity”.
The added power from improved hardware in all Apple devices, along with the ever converging and evolving ability to interact with one another via software upgrades, is going to make the world feel like a very different (better?) place a year or two from now.
It’s only a question of if we, with our non-bionic brains and bodies, can adapt to the new powers that come our way fast enough to gain from them before the next wave of changes hits us with new challenges of adaptation.
Crypto converts are obsessed with price – Pi is not yet released but has a more important goal before an initial value is set: 100 million users / miners
Cryptocurrency and Blockchain are here to stay.
But does the world need yet another cryptocurrency?
Can a stable, safe currency be created that is more than just another speculative playground?
What if a coin could be mined by millions, even billions on their cell phones?
What if the mining proceeds were shared equitably by all?
What if transactions and trading could be administered and verified by the same billion users that are also the holders, traders and miners?
And what if the Pioneers would be able to use the Pi network to communicate and trade and brainstorm with each other?
Would that be a utopian fantasy?
The future is uncertain but Pi addresses many of the shortcomings of the current system
There are now so many crypto coins that just the names or the underlying concepts are difficult to list, let alone understand. With over 6,000 as of August 2021, it is not likely that very many will survive in the long term.
Cryptocurrency and Blockchain and the origins and technical backdrop that led to the current explosion of interest in buying, trading, owning and mining is maddeningly complex for beginners. For that reason please follow links from this page or see some of our previous articles for more information and background.
It’s natural that most of the attention by the media is focused on the top 10, even the top 2 cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin and Ethereum / Ether. Both are well established, and Bitcoin having a market cap (total of all outstanding coins multiplied by the current price in fiat dollars) of over 800 billion, is highly likely to survive
One issue for all crypto, however, is the way that they are mined, and how the blockchain ledger is maintained. The proof of work system for Bitcoin has pros and cons that have people debating if it can ultimately remain the standard.
Ethereum is undergoing a complex transition away from a similar system to a new variant, and this is touted by many as likely to lead to its ultimate superiority while others don’t see that as a given.
Above: Photo credit Pi / 1998 Artisan Entertainment
Price wars are getting all the attention but an alternative is quietly amassing millions of adherents
Meanwhile Pi (π), a little known alternative coin with a radical underlying concept, created by it’s core team based at Stanford, has a few very unique features. These deviations from the norm make for a new direction in how cryptocurrency can function. And the launch via a proprietary 3 phase plan is also unique and worthy of note.
While many alt-coins are fly-by-night fast buck scams, launched in weeks or even days, little more than an exercise in crypto-branding as an end in itself (Jake Paul has an NFT game coin launching September 1st, nuff said) Pi (π) is conceived with the polar opposite of this “wild west-fly-by-night” ethos.
Simply put, Pi (π) is a new cryptocurrency. Its claim to fame is that it was designed from the ground up to be “mined” by its users on their cell phones. It was also designed to be the most egalitarian and evenly distributed coin in terms of ownership.
Above: Photo credit Lynxotic / Adobe Stock
The founders, a group of P.H.D.s out of Stanford, wanted to design a next generation cryptocurrency that would solve some of the problems of the first generation, notably Bitcoin.
Perhaps due to the frenzy and mania surrounding the price increase, measured against the dollar, for Bitcoin and others, there has been precious little in the media taking the idea of wealth distribution among crypto coin holders (hodlers in the jargon of alt coins) and almost nothing about using millions (and eventually billions) cell phones to mine and what benefits could potentially be derived from doing exactly that.
One obvious benefit, which seems to solve the issue of massive amounts of electricity, particularly “dirty” electricity as opposed to sustainable power from solar, etc., currently used for Bitcoin mining.
A second related issue is the massive expensive machinery needed to mine even a single Bitcoin (currently around $50,000 in value) and the natural concentration of those mining proceeds going into the hands of a tiny number of huge companies.
Further, there is the problem of transaction difficulty and speed (slow) due to the system and the computer power required to maintain the blockchain ledger.
And with the massive and vast run up in price, that phenomenon that everyone’s so excited about, has put billions in USD$ value into the hands of early adopters and very few others, which is not desirable if you are one of the billions of people on earth who do not own any Bitcoin.
In phase 3 the potential of Pi will begin to be realized
The live launch of Pi (π) will come in stage three and until then the coin can not be bought or traded. The status of the project is currently in phase 2, known as Testnet, with over 23 million “pioneers” who mine and hold Pi on their cellphones.
A deeper level of the eventual expansion of the project, with a goal of 100 million users set, with an eventual billion user base not out of the question, is the fact that this base would automatically represent a “private” and separate internet of sorts.
There are plans in the works for trading, bartering and interacting much in the way social media and the web work today but without any intermediaries such a Zuckerberg, and no restrictions on interaction and transactions, other than the security built in to the system.
If this, or a similar system with the same goals and objectives, were to take off and take hold the level of potential impact on the world and especially existing the financial structures and even internet and social media communication would be mind boggling, to say the least.
Phase 3, known in Pi world as “Mainnet” is when the cryptocurrency will officially launch and be ascribed an initial value.
Here is an edited description for Phase 3 from the Pi official website:
When the community feels the software is ready for production, and it has been thoroughly tested on the testnet, the official mainnet of the Pi network will be launched. After this point, the faucet and Pi network emulator of Phase 1 will be shut down and the system will continue on its own forever.
Future updates to the protocol will be contributed by the Pi developer community and Pi’s core team, and will be proposed by the committee. Their implementation and deployment will depend on nodes updating the mining software just like any other blockchains.
No central authority will be controlling the currency and it will be fully decentralized. Balances of fake users or duplicate users will be discarded. This is the phase when Pi can be connected to exchanges and be exchanged for other currencies.
In development for over 2 years, the white paper was initially published on March 1st 2019, by the aforementioned team of Standford PhDs behind Pi.
Above: Photo credit Lynxotic / Adobe Stock
Pi is built on a unique concept from a legitimate source, looking to solve important problems
Currently there are 7,916 (as per CoinGecko) and if you want to dig deeper into why that number is not undisputed, and how the realm is still expanding at a very rapid pace, this is a good article to look into that.
However, the only question that matters for this article is why Pi is different than the rest and why the world might need it, even with so many contenders and pretenders already in the queue.
Pi is being developed at Stanford by a team headed by Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis, Head of Technology. A Stanford PhD and instructor of Stanford’s first decentralized applications class; combining distributed systems and human computer interaction to bring cryptocurrency to everyday people.
The primary and first raison d’être for Pi is built into its definition according to the Pi Network web site:
”Pi is a new cryptocurrency for and by everyday people that you can “mine” (or earn) from your phone”
Simple enough, but groundbreaking in consequence when seen from the perspective of the challenges and solutions that are being developed and promoted among the many others in the crypto space.
”Mining crypto is hard. Investing in crypto is risky. Too many of us are left out of the cryptocurrency revolution.”
— Pi Network
One big issue that has been on the radar relating to the future of crypto is how various mining (proof of work), ( proof of stake) or farming (proof of space & time)
Bitcoin is the top crypto currency and uses proof of work mining, Cardano is a coin that is based on proof of stake, as are also lesser known alt coins, including Polygon, Tezos, Polkadot and EOS. These proof of stake coins could all be overtaken in importance, however, by the project called Ethereum 2.0, which would take the second largest cryptocurrency which would be an alternative version of Ethereum that is based on proof of stake, rather than proof of work, as is currently the case for Ethereum (1).
Finally Chia is the most prominent example of farming using hard drive space and processing to maintain proof of space and time.
The current state of cryptocurrency conceptual frameworks and how Pi is different
Rather than going into a complex and contentious discussion of the various methods and coins listed above, suffice it to say that proof of work, which was built for Bitcoin and is the most established and recognized method for a blockchain solution to maintaining the security and privacy of the a cryptocurrency.
One of the reasons that these alternatives are cropping up, beyond the speculative frenzy and profit motives that accompanied the price peak in crypto earlier this year (2021), is the somewhat overblown outcry regarding the energy intensive process of proof of work mining as it is currently the norm for bitcoin mining.
This is a concern, and added to it is the fact that the most profitable method for mining bit coin is have an extremely large ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) farm which has reduced the goal of decentralization (DeFi) to a very large extent.
For these reasons and more, Pi is being developed to be the first truly decentralized crypto coin that is mined via cell phone and that does not therefore require special, extremely expensive, gear or huge amount of electricity.
“What do we do when we destroy the planet?” asked one demonstrator. “We have nothing else.”
Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Brussels on Sunday to demand Belgium’s elected leaders and others from around the world finally dispense with proclamations, broken promises, and half-measures and instead “act” on the climate emergency.
“We need a Belgian Green New Deal and we propose more than 100 concrete solutions to make it happen.”
With U.N. climate conference (COP26) set for next month in Glasgow, the estimated 70,000 or more people who took part in the march offered a dramatic show of force for the nation’s climate movement.
Zanna Vanrenterghem of Greenpeace Belgium toldThe Brussels Times on Sunday that her government’s climate pledges so far “are not ambitious enough,” but that words are no longer enough. “It is one thing to talk about climate,” she said, “and another to take concrete action.”
Ahead of the march, Vanrenterghem said the message from the Klimaatcoalitie (Climate Coalition), which she co-chairs and that organized the march, was a simple one: “We demand ambitious, solidarity-based and coherent measures. We need a Belgian Green New Deal and we propose more than 100 concrete solutions to make it happen.”
Up to 70 000 people took on the streets of #Brussels today for the #climate strike.
The first mobilization since the pandemic exceeded all expectations and sent a strong message to leaders ahead of #COP26 🌍
Thousands of people and 80 organizations took part in the protest, aiming for the biggest such event in the European Union’s capital since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which stopped the climate movement’s weekly marches in its tracks.
Cyclists, families with children and white-haired demonstrators filled city streets, chanting slogans demanding climate justice and waving banners in English, French and Dutch. One carried a stuffed polar bear on her head, and others were dressed as animals endangered by human-caused climate change.
The crowds was large—with the march often stretching further than the eye could see—and participants each sharing their various reasons for attending. Signs and banners said things like “Destroy the System/Not the Planet”; “Walk the Talk”; and “Protect What You Love.”
Lucien Dewanaga, a marcher who spoke with AP, asked the question: “What do we do when we destroy the planet? We have nothing else. Human beings have to live in this world. And there is only one world.”
According to Vanrenterghem, extreme weather within Belgium and elsewhere in the world over the past year have offered only more reasons for leaders to turn lofty rhetoric into the concrete policies that scientists say are necessary to stave off the worst impacts.
“The tough climate actions of the past few years have put the climate crisis high on the political agenda,” she said. “Now is the time for politicians to turn their promises into concrete action.”
Originally published on Common Dreams by COMMON DREAMS STAFF and republished under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Eagerly awaited M1x chip expected to star and be unleashed in new Macs
For the second time in October Apple is hosting a virtual event to reveal new products and software. On October 18, 2021 at 10 the show will start, streamed as usual, from Apple Park.
Virtual events have become the norm since the pandemic restricted the possibility for live audiences. A bright side for this is that the production values for the virtual event have improved drastically in the last year and that makes for great streaming and online consumption after the fact in various forms of edited clips and screen shots.
Coming hot on the heels of the big iPhone 13 extravaganza earlier this month, this is turning out to be a big year for long awaited new products, and the M1x will potentially be the crowning achievement of the year.
Already a hit in the initial release the M series was received with a near ecstatic reaction with many in a state of awe when the upgraded capabilities were tested and measured in the wild.
As is widely known, the Intel i-7 chip was the workhorse for many years, with added cores and clock speeds helping somewhat, but with the M1 there was finally something that could usher in a new era of processors, particularly when used with optimized software from Apple and others.
With the M1x (with being the projected moniker with the actual designation to be confirmed on the 18th) there could be an even larger leap into faster, more efficient processor performance.
Gear lined up according to rumors and best intel on the street
Highly anticipated are MacBook Pros, with various larger screens and possible other hardware upgrades in addition to the new M1x, a mac mini with updated specs would be huge and many have pointed to an AirPod 3rd generation with unknown improvements.
As is often the case, if there are additional announcements they are likely to be big surprises and very interesting, the consensus is so all pervasive that is there is any deviation (like the absence of any of the above) it is going to be a shock.
The tweet from Apple Mktng SVP Greg Joswiak has a fun video that sets the tone for the virtual presentation and is likely to be followed with great content live streamed on Oct. 18th, with the option to tune in later for replays.
Even without surprises this will be a very important event with immense repercussions for all mac users. We will be covering the action live with additional details so please stay tuned.
Prequel based on Game of Thrones: Fire will Reign, GOT fans will see the history of the Targaryens come to life
During a panel for Television Critics’ Association, the HBO network confirmed that the GOT prequel is happening and will begin filming, starting in April. The prequel, “House of the Dragon” is co-created by George R.R. Martin and based off his book “Fire & Blood”.
The series will have a total of 10 episodes and star Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen and will tell the story of the Targaryen war that happened 300 years before events in the series “Game of Thrones”.
Other characters include Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen played by Emma D’Arcy, Queen Alicent Hightower played by Olivia Cooke, Viserys’ and Prince Daemon Targaryen played by Matt Smith.
Another character, Aegon II Targaryen, who is Princess Rhaenyra’s half-brother, also it appears, will be pivotal for the series. The younger half sibling challenges her claim to the throne and is ultimately the cause of the civil war, however the actor that is to play the character has yet to be revealed.
Filming is set to begin in April and based on current information will be slated for release sometime in 2022 on HBO and HBO Max.
There have been months, where there are only one or at best two new incoming movies worthy of watching. October (and most likely the remainder of 2021) brings more than a handful of Netflix Original movies and TV shows that look… GOOD.
Whether its Jack Gyllenhall is the remake of the 2018 “The Guilty“, Andy McDowell is the limited series “Maid” or the prequel to Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” – “Army of Thieves”. And now that we’ve all been properly binged and got freaked out by “Squid Games” there is still plenty of content to keep us nice and entertained this month.
Several widely popular Netflix shows have new seasons coming our way. First is “On My Block” with, sadly the 4th and final season. And then “You” based on the YA novel and in my opinion is probably the best of the Netflix shows to grace the platform this month. Next is “Locke and Key” and “The Baby-Sitters Club” both coming in season 2.
There are of course incoming classic films including “Ghost”, “Gladiator”, “Malcolm X” and “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” to just name a few.
Below are the accompanying trailers for some of the must-watch, best, movies and/or TV shows coming to Netflix:
With live view in Find My and ETA in Maps, iOS 15 is on a whole new level with keeping track of traveling significant others
Find My App (left) in iOS 15
In an update that is “just there” there has been an upgrade to the performance of the oft overlooked Find My app for iOS 15. In case you don’t use it, it’s the app that will help you find your iPhone or other iCloud connected device, as well as AirTags (or third-party geolocation products) and the devices they are attached to.
When you are following a person, generally with an iPhone or iPad (though, again the above additions and exceptions apply) you can click on that person’s name or icon (once they’ve allowed you to see their location (by turning on share my location in the FindMy app on their iPhone), in Find My and the their current location will show on the screen.
This is especially helpful, of course, if they are driving home from work, or on a road trip and you would like to follow along to see when they arrive, as examples. This level of intimate knowledge may not be necessary or appropriate for every contact in your address book (!) but between significant others (one obvious example) it can be incredibly useful.
One caveat, however, is that since this is a “stealth” update that “just works” your actual results may not be the same. Our video example was accomplished with two connected iPhone 13 Pro Max phones, both having 5G connectivity. Your results may vary.
With live view and in conjunction with the Maps app location tracking is now in a whole new universe
The update, which has been in a gradual roll-out since the public release of iOS 15 and upgraded in iOS 15.1 is a live feature where you can literally see the person (the icon or photo they have set) as they are driving, or even walking, and follow along with a moving map that updates in real time.
If used, for example while driving and using maps for the route, the map will update incrementally, showing the progress with a highlighted route all the way to the destination, while in FindMy there will be a second by millisecond live map showing the actual location as it changes. See the video above for the full effect!
The Maps app will also send notices and updates with an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) and will re-notify if the arrival time is significantly sooner or later (the exact amount that is deemed enough of a change to trigger a notification is unclear.
Just plain fun to watch, but also useful if the movements of a loved on are critical
There is also a secret, exclusive tip that we can divulge, which we stumbled on through trial and error. If you are watching someone driving, say on a freeway with little traffic, and they are moving smoothly along, but you want to see them at full speed, you can do the following:
Use a two-finger pinch-and-zoom gesture 3-4 times – the 3 or 4th gesture will zoom in to-the-max
Repeat #1 to maintain zoomed in status
Allow Find My live view to re-set to the standard zoom (medium)
Repeat as desired
Using this technique the person / car will be seen in an extreme close-up of the road (highway, freeway, etc.) and will appear to be traveling at the actual speed they currently are in relation to the zoom.
Think of it like a virtual drone that is following the car / person and then dives in close and has to keep pace to keep the subject in frame. Crazy.
In zoomed in mode it is also possible to do a one-finger-swipe in the direction of movement in order to keep the car / person in view (rather than letting them drive starlight off the edge of the iPhone screen).
The future is out there, and already here on your phone (with enough bandwidth and other possible requirements).
Increasing this feature to this degree of intensely detailed functionality may not be much more than a basic useful feature on overdrive, but applications for the future, for example the same feature but with satellite imagery, or maybe a simulated live view, could be a metaverse standard communication activity. We might all need to get used to having the ability to stay literally connected (in a virtual way) even as we hurtle through space. In a self-driving Apple Car, perhaps?
Stephanie Grisham’s new book exposes everything she knows about the Trumps after extensive time working in the White House. Reporters with galley proofs are exposing and releasing details that paint a sordid and alarming picture of the time, even beyond past, admittedly shocking revelations.
Grisham served multiple roles during Trump’s solo term, including as aide to former First Lady Melania Trump, as Chief of Staff, in addition to an aide to Trump as his White House Press Secretary and Communications Director.
Many of the most recent revelations focus on the former First Lady.
Reports from those who got a sneak peak at excerpts from the upcoming book, say during the 2020 election race, Melania did not stay up for results by her husband’s side, but instead spent most of the night…. asleep.
“I knew by now how much sleep meant to her,” Grisham writes, “but still, I couldn’t imagine being asleep at a time like that. Maybe she thought that someone would wake her up if Trump won.”
(Obviously he didn’t win). Although only a small little nugget of gossip, it solidifies what many have felt about the ex-FLOTUS, as her infamous green jacket implied, she really doesn’t care.
It seems like Melania Trump DOES care about her outward reputation as both unflattering images of author Grisham were leaked to press along with a statement issued by her camp about the upcoming book:
“The intent behind this book is obvious. It is an attempt to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump.”
Bokeh into a corner; the coming of age for smartphone photography
Much has been said about the new camera system, and in particular, the top end iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max versions. Cinematic mode is one new feature that has generated a lot of interest, some admiration and some confusion.
Apple marketing has not helped to clarify – the emphasis with the name and all the marketing materials and ads are jumping into the claim that this is a high-end pro replacement for prime lenses and a human focus puller. And you should make professional movies with it.
This is a valid idea, to a point, and it’s a fantastic accomplishment to have a cinematic mode at all, especially in your pocket. And, perhaps, the limitation at HD video and no 4k capability will be overcome, either in software or with the iPhone 14.
But, in reality, none of that matters. In reality this mode was absolutely necessary, with or without the autofocus “robot-focus-puller” trick.
Including the telephoto camera made the cinematic effect absolutely mandatory
So taking a small step back for a moment, let’s look at the big changes in the iPhone 13 Pro cameras compared to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro. The big change was the ultra-wide camera / lens combo along with the 3X 77mm telephoto camera / lens. In total making 6x optical zoom range possible.
It’s the 77mm that is the huge move. Why? Well, if you are a photographer and have ever worked with a prime or zoom lens of 77mm or above you will be aware of a couple of things. The size, length and weight of the lens is massive. And to duplicate that in a tiny camera module as part of a three camera array on an iPhone presents a pretty big challenge.
Obviously the size limitation makes it impossible for a “real” 77mm lens to be strapped to the back of an iPhone. And, even if the magnification was possible, what about the “look” and the quality of the image?
And what constitutes, in photographic tradition, the beauty and style that makes a long lens like a 77mm artistically desirable? Because just having the ability to get a closer view or shot of an subject without moving the camera closer is a small and relatively insignificant part of the challenge.
Bokeh because it’s beautiful and highlights the subject (often a human or animal) in the video or photo.
Now, to be clear, we are really talking about video recording, not just photos. Because the portrait mode on iPhone has been around, and improving, for years, and cinematic mode is creating similar effect and adding a new level for video.
Adding a 77mm lens, however, if it was not getting the bokeh effect in the video recording, would have been a disappointment of monumental proportions for photographers and would not have been an option.
And, good news folks, the bokeh in cinematic mode when using the 77mm lens is very usable and takes the cinematic style potential into a creative realm that is “Pro”, with or without the focus pulling tricks, and / or the panning or dolly shots with a moving camera.
Both the addition of “portrait mode” backgrounds for FaceTime video, which is a look that has become standard for YouTube videographers, and, more impressively and more importantly, the ability to shift through the lens “kit” as a feature film director would, using different focal lengths (like swapping out prime lenses on a feature film shoot) is a game changer.
However, none of this would be even remotely possible if the switch from a virtual 26mm wide angle prime lens to a virtual 77mm prime did not have some emulation of the unique qualities such as depth or field and, above all, bokeh that shifted as well.
And, thankfully this works the way a director or DP would want – not the same, of course, as a rig that has lenses that cost as much as a dozen iPhone 13 Pro Maxes, but one that is unique and able to produce beautiful, soulful and human effects that are a computationally assisted approximation. That look, or at least something with a similar feel, is akin to what has inspired generations of filmmakers to love what a 77mm or 85mm or even a 100mm (my personal favorite) does for a human subject in the wild.
It is now possible to produce images that have the convenience of an iPhone and the creative mix of styles that could previously only be found in a full professional kit with multiple prime lenses, and that is something that will change and impact the quality and style of everything we watch, particularly in production areas where million dollar kits are not an option.
In any particular month, on any given streaming platform, besides the “endless” searching to find something you want to watch, there usually is one, or at best two, new incoming movies or TV shows “worthy” of watching.
This month may prove different, since, with the entertainment industry and movie production in full swing, there are buckets of better movies and shows to watch (and this state of affairs will potentially be the case for the remainder of the year).
We’ve broken down some Must Watch Movies and TV shows on each platform with and an overview:
Netflix
Whether its Jack Gyllenhall in the remake of the 2018 “The Guilty“, Andy McDowell is the limited series “Maid” or the prequel to Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” – “Army of Thieves” there is plenty of content to keep us nice and entertained this month. Netflix is the power hitter this month as far as watch-worthy streaming content.
Several widely popular Netflix shows also have new seasons coming our way. First is “On My Block” with, sadly the 4th and final season. And then “You” based on the YA novel and in my opinion is probably the best of the Netflix shows to grace the platform this month. Next is “Locke and Key” and “The Baby-Sitters Club” both coming in season 2.
The Guilty – October 1:
The Maid – October 1:
On My Block – Season 4 – October 4:
YOU -Season 3 – October 15:
https://youtu.be/xAN1ThhTWsE
Army of Thieves – October 29:
HBO
Streamers get to take advantage of all Warner Bros 2021 films that gives subscribers the chance to watch theatrical releases the same day (for up to 31 days) on their HBO Max accounts.
For October there are 2 must watch movies, the highly anticipated “Dune” and “The Many Saints of Newark“. For TV Shows, the third season of the dysfunctional Roy family returns in “Succession“.
The Many Saints of Newark – October 1:
Dune – October 22:
Succession -Season 3 – October 17:
Apple TV+
This streaming platform is bringing us Sci-Fi and extraterrestrial extravaganza. The long awaiting adaption of Isaac Asimov in “Foundation” is available to watch. In addition. On October 22nd (when the first 3 episodes will be released), sci-fi fans can experience “Invasion” what it would be like to live through an alien invasion. Joy!
Foundation – Weekly Episodes – available now:
Invasion – Weekly episodes starting October 22:
Amazon Prime
Since October is obviously the month to bring on the season of spookiness, Amazon Prime has made it a priority is bringing some new horror content to the platform. The biggest original series that it will bring is the latest reboot to the classic ’97 slasher movie “I Know What you Did Last Summer”.
Also starting on October 1st – “Welcome to the Blumhouse” features a total of 4 horror features: “Bingo Hell” and “Black as Night” and then a week later on October 8, an additional two horror indies ” Madres” and “The Manor”.
If you aren’t in the mood for anything ‘scary’ and rather a music fan, specifically a Bieleber – his documentary is also available on Amazon Prime
I Know What You Did Last Summer (Reboot) – October 15:
Welcome to the Blumhouse: (Black as Night and Bingo Hell -October 1 & The Manor and Madres – October 8):
Remake of the Danish Award winning hit will surely translate to big-time US success
Back in 2018, during the Sundance film festival, Jack Gyllenhaal watched a Danish film “Den Skyldige” (The Guilty). Immediately after experiencing the psychological thriller he knew it could be a hit in English.
The actor then quickly acquired the rights, and now he stars in the remake of “The Guilty“, which will get its premiere on Netflix October 1st, 2021.
During the time that production was initially set to begin for the film, suddenly covid-19 happened, and, as we all know, that put a halt to productions across the entertainment industry.
Yet this film, if it follows the original, is almost uniquely perfect for filming during a pandemic. The movie is primarily centered around one man in one location (everyone else is mainly heard over the phone) – thus the movie was ultimately produced by way of social distance, FaceTime and zoom chats by director and producers. (which is not to say he, at least, phoned-it-in, by any means).
Gyllenhaal plays a demoted police office that now works as a 911 dispatch operator named Joe Bayler. He receives a call from someone in danger, but throughout the call, which takes place in a single morning, nothing is as it seems.
Check out the trailer for the original 2018 version with English sub-titles, of course. The 2021 version set for the Netflix streaming platform does not, as of yet, have a trailer available. Aside from Gyllenhall, additional cast will mainly be comprised of voice performances by the likes of: Ethan Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard, Riley Keough, Paul Dano, Byron Bowers, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David Castaneda, Christina Vidal, Adrian Martinez. Bill Burr, Beau Knapp, and Edi Patterson.
Last Chance to watch on Netflix- Calling all Trekkies:
As what happens each and every month, the streaming platform needs more space for all the new incoming content and in order to do so Netflix needs to purge some titles out of its library. Midnight pacific time these titles will vanish.
The show Star Trek has been around for over 50 years. This might be some startling news if you have relied on Netflix to get your fix for the series. Three of the franchise series along with the 2009 movie are leaving. The TV show series had been streaming on the platform ever since 2011 and now, it seems its time on the platform has come to an end (possible forever).
Sci-Fi fans have all day today up until midnight to binge out on all things Star Trek: Star Trek the Movie, Star Trek: Enterprise (Seasons 1-4), Star Trek (Seasons 1-3) and Star Trek: Voyager (Seasons 1-7).
Don’t fret, Paramount+ currently holds the full library for all the Star Trek so there is still an option to stream, however that means it is very unlikely the title will return to the Netflix platform.
Or rather, if you are feeling nostalgic, there are additional classics that will be gone including the “Austin Powers” series: Goldmember, International Man of Mystery, The Spy Who Shagged Me, and The Karate Kid I and II.
Strek Trek:
Star Trek -Enterprise:
https://youtu.be/mdxynXpRyBw
Star Trek – Voyager:
https://youtu.be/KPCCEyvLaOo
In addition to all the Star Trek series about to disappear there are film “sequel groups” such as Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2, three Austin Powers movies: Austin Powers in Goldmember, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Karate Kid and Karate Kid II & III as well as Movies like Boogie Nights and The Pianist! Full list below.
List of Titles Leaving Netflix this Thursday at Midnight:
Air Force One Austin Powers in Goldmember Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Boogie Nights Cradle 2 the Grave Evil, Season 1 Fools Rush In Insidious The Karate Kid The Karate Kid Part II The Karate Kid Part III Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda 2 No Strings Attached The Pianist Prom Night The Queen Star Trek Star Trek: Enterprise, Seasons 1-4 Star Trek, Seasons 1-3 Star Trek: Voyager, Seasons 1-7 The Unicorn, Season 1 Why Do Fools Fall in Love
In what has become a monthly Netflix ritual, some great films have just hours left for you to stream them
As is customary when each month comes to a close Netflix is saying “out with the old, in with the new”. There are many new and exciting titles premiering in the Fall months, including October, before that though, the streaming platform is giving viewers a last call to watch some classic movies.
The large list of films and series going out and becoming unavailable is a long one. As of Thursday, September 30th at midnight PT (so dramatic!) no less than 24 items will cease to be available to stream on the Platform.
While some films might be available on other platforms, and they might one day return to Netflix, it is often the case that they switch to a pay-to-pay status during the time that Netflix removes them from its catalog.
In addition to the movies about to disappear there are film “sequel groups” such as Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2, three Austin Powers movies: Austin Powers in Goldmember, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Karate Kid and Karate Kid II & III as well as Star Trek Seasons 1-3, Star Trek: Enterprise Seasons 1-4 and Star Trek Voyager Seasons 1-7!
While many of these big-time sequel franchises are so well known that you might have already seen them all, the two films that we are featuring, though huge hits in the day, are unique & special and, if you have not seen them or want to revisit, we highly recommend that you go for it now, before Netflix retires them indefinitely.
These “double-view” films are great enough to see again…
Watch “Boogie Nights” one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s classics. This movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Heather Graham, Julianne Moore and John C. Reilly.
Or the Oscar-winning drama “The Pianist” directed by Roman Polanski. Adrien Brody stars as Wladyslaw Szpillman, a Jewish pianist that was confined to the Warsaw Ghetto and later forced into hiding as the Nazi’s invaded Poland.
Leaving Netflix this Thursday at Midnight:
Air Force One Austin Powers in Goldmember Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Boogie Nights Cradle 2 the Grave Evil, Season 1 Fools Rush In Insidious The Karate Kid The Karate Kid Part II The Karate Kid Part III Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda 2 No Strings Attached The Pianist Prom Night The Queen Star Trek Star Trek: Enterprise, Seasons 1-4 Star Trek, Seasons 1-3 Star Trek: Voyager, Seasons 1-7 The Unicorn, Season 1 Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic / J. Flavia / Unsplash
Ear related! 2nd best and more are also interesting
With so many new features on the iPhone 13 Pro models, and with so many of them made possible by iOS 15, the A15 bionic chip, the 16-core Neural Engine, which performs up to 15.8 trillion operations per second, and power features like Cinematic Mode and Smart HDR 4, machine learning and other hard to explain facets of the overall experiential upgrade, sound playback (and recording) are often barely mentioned, it seems.
Ever since there was the biggest Apple success story near the turn of the century there has been a special relationship between the fruit company and music / sound. I’m talking, of course, about the iPod.
Long before the iPhone was even a rumor, the iPod was a huge success, taking over the mp3 player market and, with the iTunes store for music downloads, launching the software and services division, for all practical purposes.
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was doubt that Apple could make it in the competitive cell phone market, with behemoths like Nokia and Blackberry so well established. It was the iPod’s success that made it seem plausible.
There was one thing that the iPod never had, however; speakers. And even the recent iPhones, with speakers for voice and music, if you didn’t use your AirPods for that, had speaker and sound quality that was not on the quality level of the larger iPads.
With a much larger area to hide speakers, the iPad was always an obvious choice for watching movies and listening “out loud” via the built in speaker system. With an iPad pro that could be pretty spectacular with a relatively full frequency spectrum and, more recently via software upgrades, spatial audio.
With iPhone 13 Pro models the audio barrier has finally been shattered
In a tiny, nearly forgotten passage at the very end of a list of new specs and enhancements in the iPhone 13 line, Apple adds one more thing; a stereo speaker at the top where the notch is located and a second stereo speaker at the bottom next to the Lightning port.
What it doesn’t mention is the improvement in the sound quality. Like so many features in the newer generation of devices and software, this unassuming, seemingly simple statement is just the tip of the iceberg and does not divulge what’s really going on.
Once more a combination of all the recent software and hardware upgrades combine to produce an experience that goes beyond what you could expect with these tiny, nearly invisible, speakers.
First, the two stereo speaker sets are, sound wise, equal in quality. So when you are watching a movie in landscape mode there is a distinct stereo effect. This is enhanced by spatial audio and dolby atmos depending on your set up.
The actual experience is noticeably “iPad like” and in some ways even goes beyond. Having the phone relatively near you, due to its size, and listening to a high quality movie score, there’s a feeling that your phone has morphed into a personal theater – as long as you can let the sound out into your local environment.
Try “SharePlay”, once it’s live in iOS 15.1, or just manually sync with your partner, assuming you each have a new iPhone 13 (!) and you will get a glorious room filling surround experience from the 4x stereo output (8 speakers?!) into the room.
And the mysterious mics also hidden in multiple places, are also a big upgrade – the seem to switch roles for video, calls etc and maximize the audio quality in live recording situations.
Apple’s software and service bundles and ambitions are driving hardware and iOS upgrades
As jubilant as this may sound, there is also an ulterior motive lurking. Some of the audio features work best (or at all) with an Apple Music subscription. And having more subscriptions, Apple TV, Apple News, Apple Music, iCloud Extra Storage, along connected devices, with so many available, it becomes an ecosystem of plenty for Apple, already the largest company by market cap.
On the optimistic side there’s always Apple One Premiere, the top of the line for bundled services (see below) and looking more and more like a steal at $29.95 per month.
Perhaps, one day not to far away, there will be a Apple One Premiere plan that also includes all Apple devices and you just trade them in every two years (every year?) or maybe you never own them at all?
The way the upgrades in hardware, software and the rest are becoming more interdependent and how crazy it already is to upgrade various devices (assuming you have more than one or two) yearly or bi-annually it’s an interesting idea to try and imagine.
And with an Apple Car perhaps on the way (self driving and outfitted with all the rest of the tech and service bundles) this could be a whole-house, whole-office (will there still be offices?) all transport bundle too. Apple haters will be in trouble, and have to move to Google Island, but otherwise, hey, why not?
Apple One Premiere example package:
Speakers after tear down by iFixit:
credit: iFixit
Audio Playback
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Spatial audio playback
User‑configurable maximum volume limit
Video Playback
Video formats supported: HEVC, H.264, MPEG‑4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG
HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG
Up to 4K HDR AirPlay for mirroring, photos, and video out to Apple TV (2nd generation or later) or AirPlay 2–enabled smart TV
Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p through Lightning Digital AV Adapter and Lightning to VGA Adapter (adapters sold separately)9
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