‘Minecraft: Education Edition’ to Launch on iPad in September

Mojang’s classroom-focused “Minecraft: Education Edition” will launch on the iPad in September, allowing teachers to incorporate the game into their lesson plans for the new school year (via GeekWire). Minecraft: Education Edition first launched in November 2016 on macOS and Windows platforms, and since then teachers have used the game as a tool to teach students science, engineering, math, history, art, and more.

Image via GeekWire
Deirdre Quarnstrom, general manager of Minecraft education at Microsoft, confirmed that students on Windows, Mac, and iPad will all be able to play and connect to one another. The company says it decided to launch Minecraft: Education Edition on iPad due to the number of school districts that already support Apple’s tablets in classrooms.

The reason Microsoft added iPad support was straightforward: School districts have iPads and want students to be able to learn about STEM and other subjects with Minecraft on Apple’s tablets in addition to the Windows 10 and Mac OS devices that can already run Education Edition.

However, making the Education Edition work with iPads required optimizing it for “pure touch input,” said Deirdre Quarnstrom, general manager of Minecraft Education at Microsoft. After testing it with a couple of schools, she said, “we’ve made sure it’s a great experience for touch” and will support newer Education Edition features introduced earlier this year.

Minecraft: Education Edition costs $5 per user, although volume pricing is available for larger schools. Those eligible to download Minecraft: Education Edition extend beyond normal public schools, and include libraries, museums, and individuals who are part of “nationally recognized home-school organizations.”

There are also a few features that first launched in the Education Edition version of Minecraft that have begun appearing in the normal edition of the game, including a “Chemistry Resource Pack.” With this pack, players have access to the full periodic table and can use a “Compound Creator” to build basic or complex substances.

Eventually, Quarnstrom says that Microsoft’s goal is to “bring over all of the education features and give access to all players,” except for the administrative classroom tools for teachers. “Bedrock” Minecraft (what the company refers to as the consumer version) is on 21 platforms, compared to Education Edition on three with the upcoming launch on iPad.

For teachers getting started with Minecraft: Education Edition, the game’s website includes resources like pre-made lesson plans, helpful tutorials, and starter worlds that’ll make it easier to acclimate students into the game’s mechanics. There’s also a “Minecraft Mentors” program that educates teachers on all of the basic principles of the game, along with how it can be adapted to their classrooms.

Tag: Minecraft
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World’s first flexible smartphone: unveiled

You know when you’re playing a game on your phone and you find yourself tilting it to one side, as if that would magically make the scene move or your character swing?

We’ve all done it at least once, it seems to be a natural and instinctive act although we are not exactly sure why: we do understand that physically moving the phone will not affect the result of the game at all and that the only way to make the character move is by giving it virtual instructions through the touch screen controls of our smartphone.

But what if we could explore also that dimension and bend our phone for a more sophisticated experience? Well, this might happen sooner than you think!

A Canadian team of researchers at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab has been working since 2016 on a prototype that has a unique and attractive feature: its screen is flexible and can be bent (without breaking, of course).

This prototype has soon evolved into an almost tangible reality and now we’re sitting with ReFlex, a flexible smartphone that allows the user to interact with the apps also by bending the phone from side to side. When the device is bent, the pages on the screen will flip as those of a book; depending on the angle and the “strength” applied to the bending, the pages will go faster or slower.

This idea is revolutionary and creates a fantastic and more tactile user experience that goes beyond the actual screen.

The ReFlex smartphone is built with a high definition 720p LG Display Flexible OLED touch screen and is powered by an Android 4.4 “KitKat” board, mounted to the side of the display. We have to admit that the whole device looks a bit bulky and requires two hands to be held, not unlike a tablet or e-book reader, but this is certainly something the creators are keeping in mind and will work on to optimise user experience.

The implications are endless, and the real question is not whether this technology will be available, because we already know it is, but when and most importantly how it will be used. Just imagine how much our standard of mobile networking and entertainment will change! Reading an e-book will be an even closer experience to reading an old-school book, for example. Playing and gambling online will have a more tangible flare, especially as this industry is renowned for embracing new technology with the sole purpose of enhancing the user experience. So it is safe in assuming innovative brands such as mFortune, who create their very own bingo games, will already be thinking about how this exciting technology can be incorporated into its service.

Of course, we will have to wait for a bit to see how the main mobile brands employ the new tech in their devices. We suspect like everything else in the mobile world, developments will quickly come to the fore, with perfection not far behind. This is a very inviting pie and the main brands are all on a race to get the biggest piece. Huawei, Samsung, LG… who will win the race?

How to Share Files Stored in Your iCloud Drive

You can share files you’ve synced to iCloud with friends and colleagues who have an Apple ID using the step-by-step guide below. Whether you’re sharing from a Mac or an iPhone, you’ll be able to give people one-way access to the file, or allow them to modify the document if you’re collaborating on a piece of work.

The sharing options you choose automatically sync across your devices, so you could, for example, share a file on Mac and change access permissions on your iPhone or on iCloud.com at a later time. The following steps assume Mac users are running macOS High Sierra or later and that iPhone or iPad owners are on iOS 11 or later.

How to Share iCloud Files From Your Mac

Open a Finder window and locate the file in iCloud that you want to share. It could be in iCloud Drive or another folder that you sync to iCloud, such as Desktop or Documents.
Click the file to highlight it.
Click the Share button and select Add People from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, right-click (or Ctrl-click) the file and select Share -> Add People.

Choose how you’d like to send your invitation to access the file. In our example, we’re sharing a link via email. You can also click the chevron next to Share Options to control who can access the file (Only people you invite / Anyone with the link) and their permissions (Can make changes / View only).
Click Share.

Depending on how you chose to share the invitation, the relevant app will open containing a link to access the file. In our example, an email compose window appears, ready to add recipients and click Send.

How to Share iCloud files on iPhone and iPad

Launch the Files app on your iPhone or iPad.
Locate the file in iCloud Drive that you want to share.

Tap Select in the upper right of the screen.
Tap the file to check it in the selection.
Tap the Share icon in the lower left of the screen.

Tap Add People in the second row of the Share Sheet.
Tap the method you’d like to use to send your invitation. You can also optionally tap Share Options to control who can access the file (Only people you invite / Anyone with the link) and their permissions (Can make changes / View only).
Depending on how you chose to share the invitation, the relevant app will open containing a link to access the file, ready for you to share.

How to Change Access Rights to a Shared iCloud File

Changing file sharing permissions via Mac or iOS is easy. Once you’ve shared an iCloud file, the Add People option you used in the above steps is replaced with a Show People option. Selecting this will display who has access to the file, including an option to Stop Sharing the file completely.

If you’re on Mac, click the dotted icon next to a person’s name to reveal options to change their permissions or Remove Access. If you’re on iPhone or iPad, simply tap a person in the People list to access the same options.

Tags: iCloud, iCloud Drive
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Apple aficionados, these cute pillows are made just for you

Admirers of all things Apple might like the idea of cuddling up with one of these specially designed pillows as they tap away on their iPhone, iPad, or some other device in their possession that was produced by the tech titan.

Created by Seattle-based startup Throwboy, the “Iconic Pillow Collection” features designs resembling Apple products from yesteryear, namely the Apple II from 1977; the first Macintosh computer from 1984; the iMac G3, released in 1998; the iPod, launched in 2001; and the original iPhone from 2007.

Launched recently on Kickstarter and already funded, the cute-looking pillows feature many of the details found on each of the famous products, including the iPod’s scroll wheel, the G3’s distinctive splashes of blue, and the Macintosh’s 3.5-inch floppy disk slot. Trademark issues, however, prevented the Apple logo from appearing on any of the pillows.

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Throwboy designer and founder Roberto Hoyos describes his pillows as “a cuddly tribute to the tech that changed our lives,” and suggests using them as “a cuddly pal, a home decor conversation piece, a collector’s item, or all of the above.”

And no, this isn’t Throwboy’s first effort at producing tech-inspired pillows. Ten years ago, Hoyos had an idea to make a new kind of pillow “that let people express the things they love.” With that in mimd, he set about hand-sewing seven of them in the design of different computer icons as a gift for his girlfriend. When photos of the pillows went viral, Hoyos decided to turn his hobby into a business.

According to Hoyos, the pillows, which measure about 13in x 5in x 13in (33cm x 13cm x 33cm), feature “precision embroidery rather than low-grade printing techniques” and will be manufactured using the same outfit Throwboy’s been working with since 2013.

Assuming the project to launch the Iconic Pillow Collection runs according to plan, a pledge of $39 will bag you a design of your choice for delivery in February 2019. This represents a $21 saving on the expected retail price.

If you do choose to back Throwboy’s Kickstarter effort, you should of course do so with the kind of caution you’d apply to any other crowdfunding project.

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Spectacular twisting tower aims to become Australia’s tallest building

A spectacular twisting structure bedecked with trees and plants is on course to become Australia’s tallest building.

The so-called “Green Spine” was recently announced as the winner of an international design competition organized by property developer Beulah International, which hopes to build the 356-meter-tall structure in the center of Melbourne.

So long as it secures the necessary planning permission, the Green Spine, the brainchild of Dutch company UNStudio and Australia’s Cox Architecture, will become the focus of Melbourne’s skyline in the early 2020s.

The striking design features a glass facade and twisting cascades of greenery among two towers rising above Melbourne’s Southbank neighborhood, located just across from the city’s Central Business District and Royal Botanic Gardens.

A publicly accessible terraced park is also part of the design, as is a botanic garden atop the tallest of the two towers. The Green Spine includes space for apartments, a hotel, offices, restaurants, bars, and a “BMW experience center.”

‘A city in itself’

The designers describe the ambition of the Green Spine as twofold: “A building that is a city in itself, with its multitude of programs and connectivities, as well as being fully integrated in the existing city network of cultural, entertainment, leisure, and commercial offerings.”

The winning proposal, which was selected last week by a panel of seven judges, beat six other shortlisted designs that included entries from other major architecture firms, among them Bjarke Ingels Group and OMA.

Beulah International executive director Adelene Teh praised the winning effort for its bold yet thoroughly considered efforts.

“At the macro scale, the two-tower silhouettes with twisting forms provide a new, site responsive and elegant visual beacon in the precinct,” Teh said.

He added: “In its details, the scheme displays a strong intent for well-considered public and private amenity, and at street level, the proposal displays qualities that will truly transform the public realm by eroding the hard edges that is prevalent in Southbank.”

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Cox Architecture director Phil Rowe said it’s the city’s public spaces and civic infrastructure “that makes Melbourne ‘Melbourne,’” adding, “Our green spaces are key to this … they are our city’s lungs, its shade from the sun and our verdant green.”

Rowe said that such features “must be retained, nurtured and allowed to grow with the city … and that is the driving idea behind the Green Spine.”

Australia’s current tallest building is the Gold Coast’s Q1, which stands at 322 meters. The Green Spine, should the building work go ahead, will rise 24 meters higher. As a comparison, the Empire State Building stands at 381 meters (443 meters to the tip).

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iPad battery explosion prompts Apple Store evacuation in Amsterdam

The battery inside an Apple iPad exploded in an Apple Store over the weekend, causing an evacuation, the fire brigade to attend, and several people to complain about respiratory issues. The incident took place at the Apple Store located in Leidseplein Square in Amsterdam, one of three official Apple stores in the Netherlands.

It’s believed a “leaking” battery pack overheated and caused the explosion, according to a member of the local fire brigade. However, there was apparently no smoke or fire involved; but three members of staff at the Apple Store complained about breathing problems. An ambulance attended to assist them. Local news outlet AS Media said the evacuation caused, “panic,” and shows a photo of the location with the public waiting outside the store.

What remained of the iPad and its battery was safely placed in a container filled with sand, and the fire department deemed the area would be safe for business once it had been completely ventilated. The Apple Store opened again late on Sunday afternoon. It’s not clear if the iPad was a model on display for use by the public, or if it was a model in for repair. The immediate presence of a sand-filled container, and only staff being afflicted by fumes, does suggest it may have been in the workshop, rather than out in the store itself.

This is at least the third example of battery fires or small explosions happening in Apple Stores around the world this year. An iPhone battery exploded in the Apple Store in Zurich, Switzerland in January, which also saw employees require medical treatment. Soon afterwards, another battery exploded in Valencia, Spain’s Apple Store. On that occasion, the incident was dealt with by staff, and no emergency services attended. There have also been reports of iPhone batteries exploding after being damaged, or when replaced by non-authorized Apple service centers, potentially using third-party replacement parts.

Despite these reports, lithium-ion batteries are used without a problem by millions of people around the world; but risks increase when they aren’t used properly. The London Fire Brigade advises you to always use the included charger and cable, or to buy genuine replacements, and not to leave phones on charge, unattended, for long periods of time.

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Airport’s low-tech solution to digital chaos involves the humble whiteboard

There are times when low-tech is the only way to go, a point proven by staff at Gatwick Airport, after the computer system that supplies information to the departure boards suffered an problem, leaving travelers without crucial details about their flight. The digital displays most of us are familiar with from airports around the world show flight status, departure time, and of course, the gate where once must wait ahead of boarding. If all this disappears, what can be done?

Staff @Gatwick_Airport are currently writing the flight times by hand. pic.twitter.com/DduPg1IIn9

— BBC South East (@bbcsoutheast) August 20, 2018

The team at Gatwick Airport has resorted to a low-tech and reliable, if time-consuming, alternative — whiteboards. Staff apparently resort to other rare forms of old-school communication, such as relaying verbal messages between each other, to pass information to those writing on the whiteboards, and directly to waiting passengers.

The unusual situation at the airport has turned it into a trending topic on Twitter, with passengers — some disgruntled, and others quite upbeat — sharing photos of the situation. In the departure hall, airport staff are using the same kind of whiteboards many of us will recognize from meeting rooms at work to write out the flight information. Crowds of people surround them, eager not to miss their flights.

@Gatwick_Airport two whiteboards for the entire south terminal on a monday morning! #gatwick pic.twitter.com/XRa7PkWVUn

— Ayla Herbert (@AylaHerbert) August 20, 2018

Some passengers complain that the whiteboard isn’t up to the job of displaying the required information, while others say it’s “calm and ordered,” due to airport staff’s diligence and organization.

What has caused the problem? According to Gatwick Airport’s official Twitter account, “an ongoing issue,” with Vodafone, which provides both the business and public data services, has stopped the flight information screens from showing data. A possible lack of mobile coverage may also make it difficult for people to use their phones to find other sources of flight information online. In a subsequent tweet, it’s stated the airport expects Vodafone to fix the problem soon, and the carrier told the BBC a damaged fibre cable was to blame. The issues began at around 9 a.m. on August 20, during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Currently only a handful of passengers have reportedly missed flights due to the confusion. In 2017, the airport served more than 46 million passengers.

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How to control what ads Google shows you

Interest-based ads are best when they are things you’re actually interested in.

We know Google as the company who gives us great services like Gmail and Google Photos (literally the best Google product ever), and of course, Android — the software that powers the phones we all love. But Google is a search and advertising company at its heart. It has combined the two things into a giant internet machine that basically prints money for the company, and it does so by trying to figure you out in a way that lets you see ads for the stuff you might want to buy. Things like electronics, and headphones, and anything else you’ve ever looked at on the internet.

Ads are what make free products “free” and that’s not likely to change anytime soon.

Anything means anything. I don’t have much interest in women’s shoes other than buying a pair for my wife when she tells me what brand and style she would like to have. But since I will happily hit Google to search for that particular pair of shoes Google thinks I’m super interested in them and at the bottom of any website there’s a good chance I’ll see ads for wedges, espadrilles (my wife is going to love these), and flats that I can buy. Those ads would be a better fit for my wife, but because of the way Google collects all my data, it thinks I should see them.

More: Does Google sell your personal data?

I’m not adverse to seeing ads for women’s shoes, but I’d rather see ads for fishing poles or Corvette parts. I knew why I was seeing them, so I started digging around to see how I could change it. I found it, and I’m about to tell you how you can do the same and take control of what sort of ads Google shows you.

How to block a specific ad

We’ll start here because it’s slightly more complicated. Don’t worry, though. It’s still really easy.

Imagine that you’re doing a bit of web browsing and come across an ad you never ever want to see again. Maybe it’s a product you hate or an ad for a politician from the “other side” or anything else that you don’t want to have to tolerate. All you need to do is see it once and know how to get rid of it.

Ads inside Google services

• When you’re using Google Search on your phone or tablet and see an ad you want to block forever tap the symbol. Then tap Why this ad and Turn off ads from this advertiser.
• When you’re using YouTube, tap the symbol. Then tap *Stop seeing this ad**.
• When you’re using Gmail tap the symbol. Then tap Control ads like this and Block this advertiser.

Google ads on other websites

• At the top right corner of a Google ad, tap or click on the symbol and choose Stop seeing this ad.
• If you think an ad violates Google’s policies, tap or click on the symbol and choose Report this ad.

Now say goodbye to ads you never want to see again. The final step is to tell one other person how to do it so eventually, we all can stop seeing one thing we hate on the internet. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to tell you how to get rid of everything else you hate on the internet.

Control interest-based ads

Google gives you a place to choose what interest it thinks you have when it comes to showing you ads. Visit your personalized Ad Settings page and prepare to be surprised at how well or how wrong Google got it when it comes to the things you like. It did pretty good with mine, once I removed shoes, that is.

The bigger the icon and higher the placement, the more weight a category has when it comes to you. I watch a lot of YouTube and play a lot of Action and Platform games and am also a male between 45 and 54. Nailed it. To get rid of a category so google doesn’t think you have an interest:

• Click or tap on the category icon in the list.
• Click the Turn Off button.
• Fin.

Google makes money by showing us ads for products it thinks we will like. It’s almost impossible to remove every ad on the internet and once someone figures that out advertising companies will do something new. That’s how things can be “free” and it’s not likely to change.

Since we have to see them, at least we can set things up so we see the right ones.

Philips Hue Reveals New ‘Signe’ and ‘Play’ Collections to Light Up Your Entertainment Area

Coming off the recent reveal of Philips Hue’s latest fixtures, the lighting company today announced two new collections that will be available to purchase in October: “Hue Signe” and “Hue Play.” While still providing all of the expected features of Hue lights — including HomeKit support — the new products have unique hardware builds and are aimed to enhance entertainment areas.

Starting off, the Hue White and Color Ambiance Signe Collection is a slim fixture with a solid base that comes in a Floor Light (standing at about 59 inches tall) and Table Light (just over 24 inches tall). The Signe is designed to be placed around an entertainment area and facing a wall, with indirect lighting reflection that reaches “up to the ceiling,” according to the company.

This means that two Signe lights bordering a television can also provide bias lighting while you watch a movie or play a video game. Because the collection supports Hue White and Color Ambiance, you’ll be able to choose from 16 million colors and 50,000 shades of white light to light up your room.

The Signe does not support multi-zone lighting, so you can only emit one color from one lamp at a time, but the company notes that with multiple Signe lights set up in a room you will be able to mix and match colors from multiple sources.

The Signe Table Light will cost $159.99 and the Signe Floor Light will cost $249.99. Both fixtures will be available for pre-order in early September and then launch in early October.

Secondly, Philips Hue has revealed the Hue Play Collection, which is also aimed at family rooms and entertainment areas. The company describes Hue Play as a “light bar” that can be placed on an entertainment center, mounted behind a TV, or simply laid on the floor to add lighting to any space.

Three light bars can be plugged into the power source that comes in the fixture’s base kit, which Philips Hue says was an effort to reduce the amount of electrical sockets needed for the lights behind your entertainment center.

In these setups, Hue Play can be placed both vertically and horizontally, providing even more opportunities for bias lighting behind a TV and pathway lighting in a hallway. The Hue Play measures 9 inches in length.

There are two kits that will be available for Hue Play: a Single Base Kit with one fixture for $69.99, and a Double Base Kit with two fixtures for $129.99. Pre-orders for Hue Play will go up in mid-September and then the collection will launch in mid-October.

If you purchase either one of these kits, Philips Hue will also sell a $59.99 Hue Play extension, which is simply another light bar at a slightly reduced price that you can add onto your existing setup by plugging it into the base kit’s power source.

Like previous Philips Hue products, Hue Signe and Hue Play can be added into your existing HomeKit ecosystem, allowing you to control the fixtures with Siri, automate them to turn on and off at specific times of the day, and add them into your favorite HomeKit scenes. Philips’ recently redesigned iOS app will also provide full control over the light color, scenes, rooms, automation, and more for Signe and Play.

Additionally, today is also the day that a variety of new Philips Hue lights and fixtures launch on the company’s website. These include the Adore Vanity Mirror, Adore Ceiling Light, Being Pendant, and Enchant Pendant Light. Anyone looking to expand their outdoor space with smart lighting can also pre-order the Hue Outdoor Lightstrip beginning today, ahead of an early October retail launch.

Tag: Philips Hue
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Apple Watch Series 4 Models Filed With Eurasian Database Ahead of September Launch

Apple today filed six new Apple Watch model numbers with the Eurasian Economic Commission, including A1977, A1978, A1975, A1976, A2007, and A2008, according to French blog Consomac. All of the models run watchOS 5.

Apple Watch Series 4 mockup via Ben Geskin
The filings are legally required for any encrypted devices sold in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

These model numbers likely correspond with the widely rumored Apple Watch Series 4 lineup, expected to be unveiled at an Apple Event in September alongside a trio of new iPhone models, new AirPods, and more.

In the past, similar filings with the Eurasian Economic Commission have been submitted for the lower-cost 9.7-inch iPad, 10.5-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple Watch Series 2, AirPods, and 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, usually within one to two weeks before each product was released.

At this point, it was already pretty obvious that Series 4 models are coming next month, but the filings eliminate any remaining doubt.

The only unique aspect of this year’s filings are that there are currently only six unreleased Apple Watch Series 4 model numbers, whereas the Series 3 lineup has eight model numbers: two aluminum GPS-only models, and six LTE models, including aluminum, stainless steel, and ceramic variants in two sizes.

Naturally, this has led to some speculation that there might not be ceramic Series 4 models, but there are many possibilities.

Earlier this year, well-connected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple Watch Series 4 models will feature 15 percent larger displays, longer battery life, and improved health monitoring capabilities.

If past is predicate for the future, Apple will likely hold its next event on Wednesday, September 12, with invites to the media going out in the last few days of August. MacRumors will provide live coverage as usual.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4, watchOS 5Tag: Eurasian Economic CommissionBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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