France objects to Windows 10 user tracking
France’s privacy regulator has stared into Windows 10 and feels that the software’s doing a bit too much staring back. CNIL has issued a statement saying that the operating system collects too much data about its users. For instance, it explains that Microsoft tracks usage statistics to identify problems, including apps downloaded and time spent in each one. Which, sounds quite reasonable, since most of our days are spent working inside Chrome, Firefox or Edge. But since this information isn’t necessary for the day-to-day operation of Windows 10, it’s considered to be an infringement on people’s privacy.
Officials also feel that Microsoft’s security provision for Windows 10 is too lax, thanks to the unlimited times you can enter a PIN. That opens the door for any enterprising attacker to simply brute-force the combination, which CNIL feels makes the operating software “not secure or confidential.” Then there’s the fact that Windows 10 applies a unique identifier for the purposes of targeted advertising. No guesses for how French officials feel about that, given all you know about ’em.
The last major objection is that Microsoft is still pushing personal data around following the principles of Safe Harbor. These were the set of EU-US privacy protections that were declared invalid late in 2015, with a replacement, called Privacy Shield, only coming into force this month. Naturally, that’s the point that Microsoft is fastest to refute, with deputy general counsel David Heiner telling The Register that it will “adopt the Privacy Shield,” in the near future. In addition, Microsoft will work with CNIL to ensure that it doesn’t have to suffer the pain of penalties.
Via: The Register
Source: CNIL
Without a new Apple Watch, smartwatch shipments decline in Q2
Until now, the smartwatch market had seen year-over-year growth each quarter since the devices made their debut. For Q2 2016 though, that wasn’t the case. Global smartwatch shipments were down 32 percent, totaling 3.5 million gadgets during the period. That figure is down from 5.1 million of the wearables shipped during the second quarter of 2015. Apple still led the pack with 1.6 million units, but it was the only top-selling company to experience an annual decline. It’s worth noting that Q2 2015 was when the Apple Watch launched and there hasn’t been an updated model yet.
Speaking of new devices, the lack of updated hardware is a key reason the for the drop in numbers. Improvements to Apple’s watchOS were announced back at WWDC, but they won’t arrive until this fall. There’s a new version of Android Wear on the way as well. Combine that with no new model from the top company and buyers are waiting to nab a wearable if they haven’t done so already. As IDC points out, Apple’s share of the market is nearly half (47 percent), so when it sees a decline that shift significantly impacts the entire segment of devices.
IDC also notes that only a select few traditional watchmakers have delivered a more modern spin on the timepiece. The likes of Casio, Fossil and Tag Heuer have done so, but the analytics company expects the smartwatch market stands to benefit if more of those companies join the tech OEMs that are cranking out the devices at a solid pace. A little brand recognition goes a long way.
That 32 percent figure may also seem like a significant drop, but that has to be considered alongside the overall size of the smartwatch market. 3.5 million total units shipped in a quarter for all vendors is still quite small when compared to other gadgets like phones. Sure, smartwatches have yet to take hold like handsets have, but the comparison shows that those wearables continue to be a niche item. In terms of other top-5 companies, Samsung still ranks number 2 behind Apple thanks to the Gear S2 and its ability to function without being tethered to a phone. Lenovo sits in third after nabbing Motorola as the Moto 360 continues to be a top choice for Android Wear fans who prefer a circular display.
Source: IDC (Business Wire)
Explore a 3D scan of the Apollo 11 capsule
It’s been 47 years since NASA first put a man on the moon and you can now get an idea of what astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins experienced. The Smithsonian Institute, working with Autodesk, has created a high-resolution 3D scan of “Columbia,” the Apollo 11 command module that carried the astronauts to the moon. Using the online viewer (or downloading the virtual reality or 3D print files) you can visit the hidden corners of the module in much more detail than in person at the museum.
The command module was the home of all three astronauts during most of the mission, and the only part to return intact to Earth. (In the film Apollo 13, it was damaged by an explosion, so the astronauts had to move to the lunar landing module.) It sits atop the service module, which is accessible by a dock shown in the 3D model. The astronauts can then traverse the service module and access the lunar module via a docking tunnel.
“The command module had many, many hidden nooks and crannies that are really hard to see,” says Vincent Rossi, the senior 3D program officer. It’s also composed of reflective surfaces that make scanning tough. The museum enlisted Autodesk, which created custom 3D scanning equipment and developed algorithms to pull all the data together. After removing the protective plexiglass from the module, the Smithsonian 3D team used seven scanning techniques to capture the interior of the module in sub-millimeter detail.
During the process, the museum’s curators saw parts of the interior they weren’t able to get to before, since the fragile capsule has barely been touched since 1971. That includes hand-written astronaut “graffiti” including a calendar, instructions from mission control and a note on a panel that reads “launch day urine bags.” According to the museum’s blog post, “seeing such details and studying the text have enhanced curators’ understanding of how the missions were conducted,” and possibly the astronauts’ senses of humor, too.
Via: The Verge
Source: Smithsonian (1), (2)
Periscope videos can now be embedded with a tweet
One key thing was missing from Periscope’s live video option: the ability to embed the video streams and archived footage in other places rather than sharing a link. Twitter’s livestreaming option is doing something about that today as Periscope videos can now be posted in a tweet. This means that so long as you’re willing to embed the tweet than contains the live video, you’ll be able to post them wherever you like. The app also got a Highlights feature, but it’s different from what Facebook’s live videos offer.
Rather than displaying a timeline of reactions, Periscope creates a short trailer-like compilation of the broadcast. The app uses “a variety of signals” to determine which parts make the cut, a process that the company says will continue to improve over time. There’s also a new Autoplay feature that will automatically start playback when you swipe over to the Watch tab and Global Feed. If you’re familiar with the Instagram video feed, you have an idea of how this works. Autoplay is only available on Android for now, but it’s coming to iOS “soon.” Those Highlights will be available in both versions of the app over the next few days though, so you won’t have to wait long to try it out.
LIVE on #Periscope: On the range with Jason Day https://t.co/0NhfLaEeNA
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 21, 2016
Source: Periscope (Medium)
SoftBank and Honda team up for cars that can read emotions
Japanese telecom company SoftBank is planning on teaming up with Honda for its latest bid for car tech: Cars that can not only talk, but also read their drivers’ emotions.
Detailing their plans during a special event in Tokyo, Softbank and Honda discussed their ideas, expressing a desire for a future where Honda’s cars could speak and interact with drives utilizing SoftBank’s Pepper robot. The adorable bot is life-sized and would ideally be utilized when it comes to assessing drivers’ speech and other data compiled via multiple sensors and cameras.
Vehicles would be given the autonomy to offer advice to drivers as well as company after assessing situations. If that sounds bizarre, think of it as having your own personal KITT in your car. With SoftBank’s push into robotics and AI, it wouldn’t be too far off to see additional sensors and other equipment to be entered into the “internet of things” as far as automobiles go.
Via: Reuters
Square Enix’s ‘Cosmos Rings’ is an RPG for your Apple Watch
After pulling installments of the Chaos Rings series from the App Store and then filing a trademark for a game called Cosmos Rings in Europe, Square Enix turned some heads. Now the publishing giant is bringing us an interesting new release: an RPG exclusively for the Apple Watch. Unsurprisingly, it’s called Cosmos Rings.
Announced via Famitsu, Cosmos Rings is releasing worldwide this summer as one of the first RPGs out there specifically for the Apple Watch. Said to utilize the Apple Watch’s pedometer, Cosmos Rings looks like a trippy and colorful good time that will hopefully utilize the watch’s special features.
Takehiro Ando (Chaos Rings) is producing the game, while Yusuke Naora is responsible for the artwork, which looks like a delightfully futuristic amalgam of old and new. It’ll be interesting to see how this Apple Watch exclusive will actually play.
Via: Kotaku
Source: Famitsu
Apple Car’s Rumored 2020 Launch Target May Have Slipped to 2021
In an in-depth profile about Brian, Kevin, and Michael Sumner, three brothers said to be working on the Apple Car, The Information reports that Apple’s rumored 2020 target for launching the much-rumored electric vehicle, codenamed Project Titan, may have slipped to 2021.
The group has run into challenges, say people briefed about aspects of Titan along with other reports. Its top executive left in January, a sign that things there weren’t going well. One person who worked briefly with the Titan team was told during their tenure at Apple that the company had been trying to deliver a vehicle by 2020 but the target slipped to 2021.
The report refers to the January departure of Apple VP of Product Design Steve Zadesky, who was believed to be leading Apple’s electric vehicle development efforts since 2014, as one of multiple challenges that may be pushing back the target date for launching the vehicle. Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously said the so-called Apple Car is unlikely to be ready by 2020, calling it a “missed opportunity.”
With seemingly another three to five years of research and development ahead, Apple’s roadmap could change. Last September, for example, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Apple Car was labeled as a “committed project” with a prospective 2019 shipping date. Tesla, meanwhile, has sold the Model S since 2012 and received some 400,000 pre-orders for its lower-priced Model 3 due in 2017.
The bulk of Apple’s electric vehicle development is believed to be underway in Sunnyvale, California, a short drive from the company’s Cupertino headquarters. Apple has reportedly recruited hundreds of engineers from Tesla, Ford, GM, Samsung, A123 Systems, Nvidia, and elsewhere to work on the project, said to have been approved by Apple CEO Tim Cook in 2014.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tag: theinformation.com
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Apple’s First Retail Store in Brooklyn Opens July 30
Apple has announced that its first retail store in the New York City borough of Brooklyn opens on Saturday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. local time. As rumored since late 2014, the store will be located at 247 Bedford Avenue in the Williamsburg neighborhood. The store hours are 10am-8pm on Monday-Saturday and 11am-7pm on Sunday.
Apple is nearly finished renovations at 247 Bedford Avenue (Thanks, Matthew!)
Apple has been renovating the building, situated at the corner of North 3rd Street, since earlier in 2015, and it posted retail job listings for the store in May. The location will mark Apple’s 9th store in New York City alongside six locations in Manhattan, one in Queens, and one on Staten Island.
Related Roundup: Apple Stores
Tag: New York City
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What’s new with Photos on iOS 10 – CNET
Discovering and resurfacing older photos and videos using the Photos app on an iOS device prior to iOS 10 was almost non-existent. You could narrow down images by date or albums if you took the time to manually sort your gallery. Truth be told, Google Photos was far superior to Apple’s Photos app.
With iOS 10, however, Apple added some smarts combined with new tricks to the Photos app and the end result is something that’s as fun as it is impressive to use.
New Albums
When you first open the Albums tab in the Photos app, you’ll find a new tile view displaying thumbnails for each album. Additionally, you’ll also find you now have two new albums: People and Places.
Each album contains photos and videos organized by the faces or location information contained in each item. Opening the People album allows you to do some pretty cool things.
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
When you first open the People album, you’ll see a grid of faces of people commonly found in your photos. You can drag and drop people to the favorites section at the top, as well as add, hide or merge photos containing the same person.
Tap on a thumbnail to view more photos of that person, add a name (at the top of the screen) and approve or deny other potential matches. Or you can play a video curated by iOS containing photos and videos of the person you’re currently looking at — all in all, this is a fun aspect of Photos that will surely get better over time and lead to discovering some old memories you all but forgot about.
Right now it seems the People section doesn’t sync between iOS devices, as any people I have merged and added a name to on my iPhone 6S have yet to sync to my iPad Pro. Hopefully that’s something that will be added before the official launch of iOS 10 this fall.
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
The Places album houses a map of your photos, which you can zoom in or out on to view exactly where you recorded a video or snapped a picture on your last trip.
Searching
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
Previously, you could perform basic searches based off dates or places in the Photos app. With iOS 10, you can now search for specific items in a photo. According to Apple, each photo undergoes 11 billion computations in order to identify just what a photo contains.
For example, say you remember winning a trophy at the company holiday party and want to show it off but have no idea what party or exactly when it happened. Tap on the search icon, type “Trophy” and wait for Photos to show you what it found. (This is a real-life example, and something I didn’t think Photos would find, but it did and it was amazing.)
You can search for other items such as mountains, dogs, cats, beach, theme park. Photos indexes thousands of different times. Try it after you install iOS 10, it’s fun to test just what Photos can find in your library.
Memories
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A Memory created by Photos on iOS 10 is downloaded before being watched.
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
A new tab along the bottom of the Photos app called Memories is part slideshow creator and Timehop-style memory surfacer.
Selecting the Memories tab will show you several different curated, well, memories. Each one is built around a specific time period or location.
You’re likely to find a memory created for your family vacation last summer, or another one showing you what happened “On This Day” several years ago (assuming your library is that old).
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
Opening a memory will give you the option to play a video, automatically created on your behalf. You can also scroll through photos and videos the Photos app based the memory off of.
After watching the memory, you can tailor it to your liking. You can change the length, add or remove photos and videos, change the music, customize the title and so on.
Once you’re done, you can save it as a favorite memory (thus creating a new album in the Albums tab for quick access), and share it across social networks, Mail, Messages or wherever else you find yourself sharing things.
Subtle changes
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
There are small design tweaks throughout the Photos app in iOS 10. Gone is the aptly titled Edit button, having been replaced with an icon consistent of sliders. Tapping on the Details button when viewing a photo now shows a map you where the photo was taken, related Memories, and the option to view more photos from that specific day.
16 shortcuts for a better iTunes experience – CNET
iTunes 12.4 introduced a number of design tweaks that may have meant the removal of a few buttons you relied on to navigate Apple’s music-movies-and-more app. With a few keyboard shortcuts in your arsenal, however, you can become an easy and efficient iTunes navigator.
You may already use some of these shortcuts and you probably won’t remember all of them, but hopefully you’ll find a handful of the below 15 keyboard shortcuts useful.
I use a Mac, so I have listed shortcut combinations for a Mac keyboard, but an equivalent Windows shortcut exists for most if you substitute the Command key for the Ctrl key. I note where a Windows shortcut does not exist or is drastically different from the Mac shortcut.
Matt Elliott/CNET
Playback controls
1. Spacebar to play/pause
No need to reach for the touchpad or mouse to pause or play the current song. Just hit the spacebar to pause a song and hit it again to resume playing.
2. A song so nice…
If you want to play the current song from the beginning, hit Return.
3. Skip to next track
To skip to the next track in your library or playlist, hit the right-arrow key. To skip to the previous track, hit the left-arrow.
Similarly, you can use Option-right arrow to jump to the first track of the next album in your library. Option-left arrow, however, acts just like Command-left arrow and moves you to the previous track.
4. Show song that’s playing
If you have a large music library, you likely peruse its contents while listening to a song and can lose your place. Whether you using the Artists, Albums, Songs or Genres view, you can return to the place in your library that shows the currently song playing by hitting Command-L.
5. Show Up Next panel
When you get curious about what songs you have queued up to play next, hit Command-Option-U to show the Up Next panel.
6. Full stop
While hitting the spacebar pauses the current track, using Command-[period] will stop the current track, which clears the status panel at the top of iTunes.
Playlists
1. Create a playlist
Hit Command-N to create a new playlist. The playlist gets added to the sidebar with the text highlighted so you can quickly give it a name.
If you have songs selected for a playlist, you can create a playlist starting with those songs by hitting Command-Shift-N.
To create a smart playlist that will select songs based on criteria you set, hit Command-Option-N.
2. Delete a playlist
With a playlist highlighted in the sidebar, you can just hit Delete to remove it. If you would like to kill a playlist without being asked for confirmation, hit Command-Delete.
And to delete a playlist and remove its songs from your library, hit Option-Delete.
Navigating iTunes
1. See your various types of content
iTunes has long been about more than just music. To jump to your various collections of various types of content, use these shortcuts:
- Command-1 — Music
- Command-2 — Movies
- Command-3 — TV Shows
- Command-4 — Podcasts
- Command-5 — iTunes U
- Command-6 — Audiobooks
- Command-7 — Apps
- Command-8 — Tones
- Command-9 — Internet Radio
2. Show Column Browser
iTunes has a useful panel called the Column Browser when you are using the Songs view of My Music that offers quick navigation by Genres, Artists and Albums. Hit Command-B to show and hide the Column Browser.
3. Show Status bar
The Status bar sits at the bottom edge of iTunes and shows the number of items, total runtime and size of the collection of songs you are currently viewing. Hit Command-/ to show and hide the Status bar.
4. Show Sidebar
The Sidebar sits along the left edge of iTunes and primarily displays your playlists. Hit Command-Option-S to show and hide the Sidebar.
5. Show Visualizer
Want to set up a playlist for a party and then hide it behind some trippy visuals? If so, hit Command-T to start up the iTunes Visualizer.
6. Get Info
If you want to tweak the name of a song, album or artist for a song or change its genre to better suit your music library organization, hit Command-I to show the Get Info window. You can also add album art and lyrics.
7. Get small
Hit Command-Shift-M to change the big iTunes window into the compact Mini Player, a great feature when you are using other apps on your computer but want to keep an eye on the song titles as they go by.
8. Minimize, hide, quit
Hit Command-M to minimize iTunes, which removes it from your desktop but keeps an icon on the right side of the Dock.
Hit Command-H to hide iTunes, which removes it from your desktop and keeps its icon out of the right side of the Dock.
Hit Command-Option-H to hide all windows except iTunes.
Hit Command-Q to quit iTunes.
AIVAnet 