Forget hands — this 3D-printed clock keeps time using nothing but marbles

Thanks to wearables like the Apple Watch, there’s no doubt that our timepieces are getting smarter and more high-tech. However, if you really want an attention-grabbing way to tell the time (albeit a slightly less convenient one), look no further than student Görkem Bozkurt’s amazing 3D-printed clock. Based on a “rolling ball clock” design by Harley Mayenschein dating back to the 1970s, it tells you where you are in the day courtesy of a smart rail system, some marbles, and a whole lot of 3D-printed components.

The clock features three rails: One row for hours, marked 1 to 12; one for 5-minute increments, marked 5 to 55; and one for single minutes, marked 1 to 4. As balls are dumped from one level the next, the number of balls on each level enables you to work out the time using a spot of basic math. It sounds complicated — but it really isn’t after you get used to it. (More instructions on how to tell the time with one of the contraptions can be found here.)

Over the years, we’ve seen a number of projects re-creating Mayenschein’s original clocks, ranging from Lego versions built by fans to new wooden versions made by Harley’s son, Joe. Bozkurt, a physics student at Turkey’s Bilkent University, is the latest to throw his hat in the ring with his 3D-printed version.

Görkem Bozkurt

“When I was a kid, I was fascinated by small moving mechanisms,” Bozkurt told Digital Trends. “Because of this, I was a fan of novelty stores. This is when I first saw the rolling ball clock. It was different than the other kinetic toys I loved watching because it [performed a function by telling you the time.]”

Bozkurt’s model is a nifty reimagining of the original. In an effort to make it more visually appealing, he has added some new features, such as a different elevator mechanism. Best of all? If you like what you see, you can create your own version since Bozkurt has shared the instructions online.

“I share all my projects with the creative commons license, so people can improve them and edit them as they wish,” he continued. “The feedback I get from the community is the most important aspect of this. People can point things out that I’ve never thought about. Everyone who knows how to use a 3D printer should be able to build it. I provided instructions in detail to guide anyone with little to no experience. The build should take around one day to print, and 15 to 30 minutes to assemble.”

Hey, to butcher an old phrase, you’ve got to spend time to make time!

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best 3D printers under $1,000
• 15 major milestones along the brief history of 3D printing
• The best 3D printers of 2018
• Forget flying cars: This shoe-tying robot is proof that the future is here

Too close to call: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus vs LG G7 ThinQ camera shootout

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is an established, well-regarded camera phone. It takes great pictures, whether it’s day or night, and is an excellent purchase. The LG G7 ThinQ follows a long line of capable camera phones from Samsung’s competitor, and unusually has a wide-angle camera on the back. How do the two compare?

We found out during a trip to Rome, Italy, to see the Longines Global Champions Tour showjumping event, as well as take in some local sights at the same time. It challenged both phones to take photos in fast-moving environments, when the night fell, and in extremely bright sunlight.

Which phone turned out to be the one we were happiest to have by our side? Let’s find out.

Camera tech specs

Here’s how the two cameras match up on paper. The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus has two camera lenses on the back, both with 12 megapixels, and an unusual variable aperture. This swaps between f/1.5 and f/2.4, to best cope with changing lighting conditions. It has optical image stabilization, a 2× zoom without quality loss, and 960fps slow-motion video. It also has a bokeh portrait mode it calls Live Focus.

The LG G7 ThinQ comes with some artificial intelligence to enhance photos using scene recognition. We have not used it in the test photos here, but often took comparison photos at the time. We found the resulting picture was an alternative, and not necessarily better of worse. The feature is good, but not for the purposes of this challenge. On the back are two 16-megapixel lenses, the main lens with an f/1.6 aperture and f/1.9 aperture on the secondary wide-angle lens. The camera has optical image stabilization, and the wide-angle lens can take photos with a 107-degree angle.

Swimming pool

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ

An obligatory photo of the swimming pool at your hotel is a sure way to turn your social networks green with envy, so which camera is the one for the job? It’s a hard decision. The G7 makes the water very inviting, with a beautiful deep blue color, but there is a little more noise in the sky than the Galaxy S9 Plus’s picture, where the green trees are more striking too. That said, we prefer the color of the blue sky in the G7’s photo.

These two images set the tone for this comparison. The G7 and the S9 Plus are closely matched, perhaps more so than we initially expected, and the G7 comes out with some cracking pictures when the S9 Plus makes some very odd errors. Here, both photos are going to have the desired effect.

Winner: Draw

Portrait mode

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ

LG caved with the G7 ThinQ and introduced a portrait mode, something it previously left out, while in the Galaxy S9 Plus, Samsung refined the portrait mode it launched with the Galaxy Note 8. The results varied, often depending on the lighting. The first example is of the Bluetooth Marshall Kilburn II speaker, taken in daylight upon returning, and the LG does a great job, but it did not perform as well outside the hotel in Rome.

We took a photo of a Longines clock, and the result was frustrating. The LG G7 ThinQ picked out the lines well, and blurred the background more effectively than the Galaxy S9 Plus, and also has more visually realistic and pleasing colors. However, the clock and its body are blurry. It’s not by much, but still noticeable. The S9 Plus’s picture is pin sharp, although we don’t like the overall image as much as the G7.

What’s also interesting is the G7 does not crop the image like the Galaxy S9 Plus, allowing you to maintain distance and still get an effective bokeh shot, something OnePlus has used in the OnePlus 5T and the OnePlus 6. The S9 Plus did the best job in the moment, and that’s what’s often important.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Horse

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ

Attending a showjumping event meant seeing a lot of horses, and while they prepare they’re constantly moving around. This makes capturing the same horse, in the same pose, in the same position almost impossible. Despite this, the strengths and weaknesses remained consistent across all the photos from both cameras while standing in the same position.

Taking place at the epic Stadio del Marni in Rome, we had the chance to see the riders warm up the horses just moments before the start of the show jump. The Galaxy S9 Plus’ 2x hybrid zoom helped, as often the horses were a little far away to remain the focal point of the picture. It was also very bright at around 3 p.m. for an extra challenge.

Here, the LG G7 excels with color. The blue sky is wonderful, as is the blue on the Longines banner in the background, and the horse’s dark hair has a beautiful sheen. The Galaxy S9 Plus’s sky is much less blue, but the horse and rider pop more in the photo because of it, we think. It’s unfair to comment on the shadows, due to the bright sunlight and different directions of the horses.

We’re pleased with both here, but concede the Galaxy S9 Plus’s zoom mode made it easier to frame a good shot. That doesn’t stop us liking the G7’s colors and contrast though.

Winner: Draw

Food and drink

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ
• 3.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 4.
  LG G7 ThinQ

Two sets of photos from two different phones and the results are seriously different. First, the LG G7 ThinQ wins with the champagne glass and tiny profiteroles. The Samsung focused on the glass, but then blurred out the treats a little too much, reducing the effectiveness of the shot, and that’s so brilliantly demonstrated by the G7. The foreground is perfectly in focus, the background is wonderfully blurred out. For clarification, we don’t select anything in the frame to focus on, and shoot only in auto.

However, in the hotel, the S9 Plus gets the shot of a rather delicious mushroom crostini just right. The toast is golden brown, the sautéed mushrooms glisten, and the white plate remains clean and stark. It contains the food we’d much rather eat. However, the G7’s photo is still fine, and combined with the champagne image, it really stands out as a food-related winner here.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Action

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ

Here’s where the Galaxy S9 Plus’s 2x zoom comes in handy, as despite having great seats, the action was still a little too far away to be captured effectively by the LG G7 ThinQ. Yes, you can still see what’s going on, but there is a lot of stuff happening around the jumping horse, detracting from the focus of the picture. Not so with the Galaxy S9 Plus, which centers the jumping horse and rider for a more cohesive image. Even zoomed in the S9 Plus’ photo looks great, and the horse’s hair is sharp and in focus. However, we do prefer the G7 ThinQ’s blue sky, and how it captured the true color of the sandy ground.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Sunset

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ

This was a category we expected the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus to walk away with, due to its variable shutter and lowlight performance, yet the LG G7 ThinQ produced the better picture after automatically activating HDR. The Galaxy S9 Plus’s photo looks realistic, but does not catch the eye in the same way as the bright, colorful G7 ThinQ’s picture, which is filled with emotion.

The buildings around the spire aren’t so shrouded in shadow, revealing plenty of detail when you zoom in, while the color and detail on the spire itself is revealed more effectively too. Arguably, the S9 Plus’ picture is technically more representative of the surroundings, and the cloud formation around the sun has a greater level of detail, but we’d be more inclined to share the G7’s photo without any editing.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Night

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ

Let’s look at the same scene as in the sunset photo, only now after darkness has fallen. Shot from a slightly different angle, the results are very different. The Galaxy S9 Plus’s photo is beautiful. Filled with an astonishing level of detail for a shot taken in the dark, the front piece of the building is pin sharp, but blurred in the G7 ThinQ’s picture. Notice the color and the white balance too. There is none of the orangey glow seen in the LG photo, and the black levels are excellent.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Couple looking at the building

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ

Here’s a great example of how most high-end phone cameras take great photos in good conditions. The sun was shining brightly, and with just a quick glance both photos look great. However, look closely and some interesting differences show up. Look at the G7 ThinQ’s picture and there is more detail on the guy’s legs than in the S9 Plus’s photo. The Samsung has given them a far smoother look, resulting in a slightly less natural appearance. Look higher up in the photo, specifically at the plaque under the statue, and the G7’s photo is sharper and has more detail.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Colosseum

• 1.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 2.
  LG G7 ThinQ
• 3.
  Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
• 4.
  LG G7 ThinQ

What trip to Rome would be complete without visiting the Colosseum? Upon arrival, the sun was directly behind the incredible structure, making face-on photography a challenge. But take a look at the astonishing job the Galaxy S9 Plus did when shown the scene. The detail is breathtaking, right down the the fiery glow of the sun coming through the building. The LG G7 ThinQ’s photo isn’t terrible, but next to the S9 Plus it looks washed out and dull.

However, standing outside a building with such scale and presence, the LG G7 ThinQ’s wide-angle camera showed exactly what it can do. Standing in the same spot, the G7’s wide-angle camera captures the full scene, while the Galaxy S9 Plus can’t fit the entire Colosseum into the frame. Yes, you could use panorama, but this often comes at the expense of quality and realism, plus the ratio of the end photo can make capturing a scene difficult.

Winner: Draw

Conclusion

The LG G7 took three category wins, as did the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, and there were three draws. See what we mean about these two being closely matched? The S9 Plus had already bested the LG G7 in our on-paper spec shootout, and impressed in other camera shootouts, but given the G7 is slightly cheaper, similarly powerful, and a joy to use in the same way, it should not be passed by when shopping for a new phone based on the camera performance.

It may come down to whether you see yourself using the G7’s wide-angle camera or not. It’s not for all situations; but it was excellent in Rome, as it would be in any similar place. It’s dramatically improved over the G6 too, with less fish-eye effect and no noticeable quality loss. We miss the 2x zoom though, which captured some great photos in Rome too.

Just like in the results of our comparison, it’s very difficult to choose between the two.

Editors’ Recommendations

• LG G7 ThinQ review
• LG V35 ThinQ review
• LG reveals its first Android One phone and a cheaper LG G7
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review
• HTC U12 Plus review

Apple TV Remote App Gains Support for New Screen Sizes, Password AutoFill

Apple today updated its Apple TV Remote app for iOS devices to introduce several new features for the 2018 iPhone lineup and the iOS 12 update, which was released this morning.

The app now supports new screen sizes, making it compatible with the upcoming 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max and the upcoming 6.1-inch iPhone XR. The iPhone XS Max will be available starting this Friday, while the iPhone XR is coming in October.

Today’s Apple TV Remote update also brings support for AutoFill Passwords, a feature that is designed to let you fill saved passwords securely from an iOS device to the Apple TV, alleviating the need to type in a full username and password.

Apple TV Remote is also automatically being added to Control Center as a default option, providing quick access to controls for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV. Apple TV Remote access has been available in Control Center since iOS 11, but until now, it was not one of the default Control Center icons.

Apple TV Remote can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Watch, AirPods, and Other Apple Goods to Be Exempt From China Tariffs

The Apple Watch, AirPods, and some other Apple products will be exempted from a proposed $200 billion tariff on Chinese goods, reports Bloomberg.

An updated list of products affected by the tariffs is expected to be released today, and it will not include a product category that covers Apple Watch, AirPods, and other smart watches and fitness trackers. Five separate sources have confirmed to Bloomberg that the Trump administration will exempt many of Apple’s products.

The product code covers wireless devices, and it was included on a preliminary list the administration released in July. Other Apple products under the code include the HomePod speaker, BeatsWL headphones, and AirPort and Time Capsule internet routers. The value of such imports from China is about $12 billion, according to one of the people.

A preliminary tariff list released earlier this year did include wireless devices like the AirPods and the Apple Watch, and Apple in early September said that several of its products would be affected.

Apple sent a letter to the Trump administration urging it not to apply the tariffs that would affect Apple products, asking the government to instead find “other, more effective” solutions. Apple said implementing the tariffs would lead to lower U.S. growth and competitiveness, along with higher prices for U.S. consumers.

Back in July, Apple CEO Tim Cook commented on the tariffs, saying that Apple was “optimistic” the issue would be sorted out, with the company hoping “calm heads prevail.”

This fourth round of tariffs will cover $200 billion in Chinese goods and it joins several other tariffs that have already been put in place on products like steel, aluminum, and billions of dollars worth of goods.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Releases Safari 12 for macOS Sierra and macOS High Sierra

Apple today released Safari 12 for macOS Sierra and High Sierra, introducing the same Safari improvements that are coming to macOS Mojave in the Safari 12 software bundled with that update.

Safari 12 is recommended for all macOS High Sierra users and can be downloaded from the Software Update function in the Mac App Store.

Safari 12 brings support for creating and storing strong, unique passwords, flagging reused passwords in Safari Preferences, preventing social media buttons and embedded content from tracking you across websites, and suppressing ad retargeting by limiting the amount of information available about your Mac.

Apple’s full release notes for the update are below:

The Safari 12 update is recommended for all macOS High Sierra users and contains improvements to privacy, compatibility, and security. This update:

• Adds the ability to view website icons in tabs
• Automatically suggests and fills a strong, unique password when creating an account or changing a password
• Flags reused passwords in Safari Preferences
• Adds support for allowing or blocking pop-ups on specific websites
• Prevents embedded content and social media buttons from tracking cross-site browsing without permission.
• Suppresses ad retargeting by reducing advertisers’ ability to identify Mac devices uniquely
• Automatically turns off Safari extensions that negatively impact browsing performance
• Improves security by only supporting legacy Safari Extensions that have been reviewed by Apple
• Improves security by discontinuing support for most NPAPI plug-ins

The update also includes several fixes for security vulnerabilities, outlined in an Apple support document on the security content of Safari 12.

macOS Mojave with Safari 12 built in will be released to the public on Monday, September 24.

Tag: Safari
Discuss this article in our forums

Apps Introducing Support for Siri Shortcuts and Other iOS 12 Features

Apple this morning released iOS 12, and following the update, hundreds of apps are introducing support for the new features, including Siri Shortcuts. Siri Shortcuts let you create multi-step automations using first and third-party apps that can be activated through Siri voice command.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the more notable apps that have been introducing support for Siri Shortcuts. Siri Shortcuts can be created in the Shortcuts app in iOS 12, but are available for use in iOS 12, in watchOS 5 and on the Siri watch face, on HomePod, and with CarPlay.

ETA – ETA is a navigation app that offers up directions, traffic conditions, and travel time. With the new update, ETA introduces shortcuts for adding a location, calculating and displaying travel time, and getting turn-by-turn directions.

TripIt – TripIt, a travel organization app, is introducing Siri Shortcuts that let users access flight information and upcoming travel plans that are stored within the app.

Bear – Note taking app Bear includes Siri Shortcuts designed to let you create new notes on iOS and use Siri to search through your notes without opening the Bear app. There are also new navigation options, enhanced header linking, new iMessage stickers, and more transparency surrounding syncing. Bear for macOS has also been updated with features like Dark Mode support.

Halide – Photography app Halide is introducing Siri Shortcuts support that’s designed to let you trigger a shot using a Siri voice command. With the Shortcuts integration, Halide can also show up as a contextual suggestion if you take photos at specific times or places. Halide’s latest update also includes support for iPhone XS Max, wide color, and a new feature called “Technical Readout” that creates a report with system-level details about the iPhone’s camera. There are performance improvements.

Sky Guide – Sky Guide has introduced Siri Shortcuts for identifying objects in the sky with commands like “Hey Siri, what star is that?” with the iPhone pointed at a specific star or planet. Sky Guide’s shortcut will let Siri tap into Sky Guide’s info to provide the answer, with no need to open up the Sky Guide app.

Things 3 – To-do app Things is gaining full support for Siri Shortcuts, which will also enable Siri suggestions for Things tasks. There’s are Shortcuts integrations for adding new items to a Things to-do list, opening up a list you refer to often, and creating repeat lists for tasks you do more than once, such as packing for a trip. Password AutoFill, Landscape Mode, and Dynamic Snooze Notifications are also included. Things will now appear on the Apple Watch on the Siri watch face thanks to Shortcuts integration.

Pandora – Pandora includes support for Siri Shortcuts, with a new option that lets you ask Siri to play a favorite station. Siri is also able to keep track of your favorite Pandora stations and present them as suggestions on the Lock screen.

PCalc – Popular calculator app PCalc introduces support for Siri Shortcuts with options like rounding to a certain number of decimal places when making a calculation or converting currencies or measurements. All of PCalc’s app features can be turned into shortcuts that are designed to run in the background or open up PCalc to perform an action. PCalc users should read MacStories’ complete overview of the PCalc shortcut update for details.

WaterMinder – With WaterMinder’s new Siri Shortcuts, you can create shortcuts for logging a drink, showing the last logged drink, showing your remaining hydration goal for the day, or showing your current daily hydration level.

Carrot Weather – With Siri Shortcuts support, you can get weather reports and forecasts without needing to open the Carrot Weather app. There are options for current weather, weather forecast, rain reports, and more. Today’s Carrot Weather update also supports Apple’s new iPhones and complications on Apple Watch Series 4, and it shows as a data source on the Siri watch face.

Day One – Day One’s iOS 12 update brings Siri Shortcuts that can do things like create a new entry, camera, or audio recording specific to an individual journal, so you can create new content for each of your journals via voice command. The update also introduces a new filter for checklist entries and it includes support for typing Markdown links.

Focus 5 – Pomodoro-based time management app Focus 5 includes Siri shortcuts for doing things like adding new tasks or accessing the app through Siri predictions. The app also includes a new task lit feature for better organizing tasks and it offers a Dark Mode.

Monster Job Search – The app for job search site Monster now supports Siri Shortcuts for your favorite search queries, preventing you from needing to repeatedly type in the same search terms.

For those who are just getting started with Shortcuts, Apple has shared a detailed Shortcuts User Guide, which is a great way to get acquainted with all of the things that the Shortcuts feature is able to do.

The user guide is organized into sections that include Shortcuts basics, creating and using Shortcuts, managing Shortcuts, using advanced Shortcuts, and frequently asked questions.

Know of other apps that have introduced support for Siri Shortcuts and other iOS 12 features? Let us know in the comments. We’d also love to hear the most useful Siri Shortcuts features you’ve found so far in iOS 12.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
Discuss this article in our forums

1Password, LastPass, Dashlane and More Updated With Support for iOS 12’s AutoFill Password Feature

Multiple popular password management apps for iOS devices have been updated with support for a convenient new iOS 12 feature, Password AutoFill.

With Password AutoFill, logins and passwords stored in third-party password management apps will be available throughout the iOS 12 operating system right alongside iCloud Keychain, letting you log into websites, apps, and more much more quickly.

1Password, LastPass, Dashlane, and Keeper all now support Password AutoFill features.

Setting Up Password AutoFill

Setting up a password management app to work with Password AutoFill will require you to go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts > AutoFill Passwords to toggle on the AutoFill Password option while also making sure your password management app of choice, such as 1Password, is selected.

How it Works

The Password AutoFill feature lets a third-party app function just like iCloud Keychain, with your sensitive data protected but easily accessible within apps when you need your login information.

When you encounter a login field in an app or on the web, tapping in the entry field will display the stored username and password from your password management app if you’ve saved one right above the keyboard.

From there, you can tap the information to enter it into the app or website’s login window, such as in the Spotify example below.

There are instances where your password management app does not have saved information entirely right or where you have multiple logins, like if you have multiple Twitter or Instagram accounts.

With Instagram, for example, when logging into the Instagram app, I see my two Instagram accounts listed in 1Password (my password app of choice) and I can tap either one to enter my login information.

For apps that your password management app cannot automatically identify, you will be able to access your entire password vault to find the login information that you need.

Where it Works

What’s great about the Password AutoFill API is that it does not require developers to implement any kind of integration with your password management app to function, as was required in previous versions of iOS for this kind of functionality.

It works automatically in most apps and websites, with your password archive available no matter where you’re logging in.

One-Time Passwords

When logging into apps and websites that require two-factor authentication, using a one-time password is also simplified.

If your two-factor authentication setup is linked to a password management app like 1Password, when you log into an app or website that requires two-factor authentication, your password is entered in the field and your one-time authentication password is automatically copied to the clipboard for easy pasting.

For apps that use your phone number for authentication purposes, iOS 12 introduces a feature that takes a code from an incoming iMessage and copies it to the clipboard, so two-factor authentication is simplified no matter the method.

Password AutoFill on Apple TV

Password AutoFill extends to the Apple TV using the continuity keyboard that permits the iPhone to be used to enter passwords and login information on the Apple TV.

For this to work, both the Apple TV and the iOS device need to be signed into the same iCloud account, and from there, the process is identical to using Password AutoFill on the iPhone.

In a text entry field, when prompted to use the iPhone to enter login information, passwords stored in a password management app and linked to Password AutoFill will be able to be entered on the Apple TV.

Note: tvOS 12 and iOS 12 are required for Password AutoFill to work on the Apple TV.

The Password AutoFill feature in 1Password, Dashlane, LastPass, and Keeper is available starting today so long as you’ve downloaded and installed iOS 12 and updated your apps.

Have you tried Password AutoFill? What do you think of the new feature? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iOS 12Tags: LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple’s iWork Apps Gain iOS 12 Support for Siri Shortcuts

Apple today updated its suite of iWork apps for iOS devices, introducing iOS 12 support for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. All three of the apps now support Siri Shortcuts, a feature designed to let you create automations with first and third-party apps that can be activated via Siri voice command.

Several other new features have also been introduced in each of the three apps, as outlined in Apple’s release notes.

Pages

• Animate your drawings and watch them come to life in a document or book.
• When using Smart Annotation, lines connecting text to annotations in the side margins stretch and move with edits.
• Annotations now anchor to table cells.
• Easily save drawings to Photos or Files, or share them with others.
• Support for Siri Shortcuts. Requires iOS 12.
• Adjust the line spacing before and after a paragraph, and set the width for columns of text.
• Pages now supports Dynamic Type.
• Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.
• Performance and stability improvements.

Keynote

• Adjust text size in presenter notes and invert colors while presenting.
• Easily save drawings to Photos or Files, or share them with others.
• Support for Siri Shortcuts. Requires iOS 12.
• Keynote now supports Dynamic Type.
• Enhance your presentations with a variety of new editable shapes.
• Performance and stability improvements.

Numbers

• Use Smart Categories to quickly organize and summarize tables to gain new insights.
• Group your data based on unique values and date ranges, including day of week, day, week, month, quarter, and year.
• Instantly show count, subtotal, average, maximum, and minimum values for columns in each group.
• Create charts of your summarized data.
• Easily reorder categories to see your data in a different way.
• Easily save drawings to Photos or Files, or share them with others.
• Support for Siri Shortcuts. Requires iOS 12.
• Numbers now supports Dynamic Type.
• Enhance your spreadsheets with a variety of new editable shapes.
• Performance and stability improvements.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are all available for free from the iOS App Store. The macOS versions of the iWork apps have also been updated ahead of the release of macOS Mojave with support for Dark Mode and Continuity Camera for easily inserting images into Keynote, Pages, and Numbers for Mac.

• Pages for iOS [Direct Link]
• Keynote for iOS [Direct Link]
• Numbers for iOS [Direct Link]
• Pages for macOS [Direct Link]
• Keynote for macOS [Direct Link]
• Numbers for macOS [Direct Link]

Many third-party apps are also gaining support for Siri Shortcuts today following the release of iOS 12, and we’ve been keeping a running list. Shortcuts requires the Shortcuts app and the iOS 12 update.

Related Roundup: iOS 12Tags: iWork, Pages, Keynote, Numbers
Discuss this article in our forums

Cheesy Kickstarter campaign wants to bring solar energy to students in East Africa

A playful new Kickstarter campaign aims to supply remote communities with a steady source of renewable energy while giving backers a handful of dairy-inspired tech devices. The campaign, SunMade Cheese, is the newest venture from Yolk, the inventor of the wildly popular Solar Paper, a thin and light solar charger that raised over $1,000,000 in 2015.

For Kickstarter backers, the SunMade Cheese collection includes a solar charging station, a power bank, and an assortment of forbidden dairy snacks. Look again. The block of Swiss cheese is actually a speaker. The teardrop of caciovallo is actually a lighter. The ricotta wheel doubles as a flashlight and a mood-setting lantern. And the slice of brie serves as a power outlet.

As fun as the Kickstarter rewards may be, the real purpose of the SunMade Cheese campaign is to fulfill the company’s “Solar for Everyone” promise and provide a source of renewable energy for remote communities in East Africa. Some families have to walk hours multiple times a week just to find an outlet to recharge their cellphone.

Yolk wants to bring the power to them. The company recently delivered a cow-shaped metal frame equipped with udders that act as a solar charging station to a primary school in Pokoy, Kenya. Throughout the day, the charging station converts sunlight into electricity, which students can access using power banks fastened underneath.

For each pledge to the Kickstarter campaign, Yolk has vowed to donate one power bank to a child in East Africa. The goal is to incentivize parents to send their children to school, where they can collect electricity to power devices like smartphones.

“Parents already know that education is important for their children’s future,” Sungun Chang, Yolk’s founder, told Digital Trends. “But they often can’t let them go to the school because they have urgent economic issues [at home]. The solar cow project is meant to provide some value to the parents under the condition that they simply send their children to school.”

As for the SunMade Cheese devices, Chang explained that the idea was to make solar power seem more appealing to the masses. After all, who doesn’t like cheese?

“Cheese is very casual,” she said. “Our mission is to give everyone easy access to solar energy. So rather than a very techie and geeky design, we went with something casual and humorous.”

With five weeks left to go, the campaign has raised around $33,000 of its $100,000 goal. Backers can get a SunMade Cheese plate, including a power bank and all the cheeses, for under $200. They’ll retail for around $380.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Zombie campaigns in ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’ to support local split-screen play
• The ‘Fix PUBG’ campaign sets sights on the game’s bugs, will keep a kill count
• Get Aëdle’s first wireless headphones at a deep discount for a limited time
• Win a year’s worth of cupcakes from LG (oh, and some free phones)
• Oscar the A.I. trash can sorts your garbage and recyclables

‘Pokémon Go’ could be a game for everyone — but it isn’t there yet

When Pokémon Go launched over two years ago, the possibilities seemed limitless. Using GPS and AR technology, Niantic promised to give Pokémon fans something they’ve dreamed of since they were kids: a real Pokémon game. As they walked down the street, they’d run into monsters waiting to be battled and captured, and special PokéStop locations scattered throughout their town could be used for acquiring items needed to continue enjoying the game.

It seemed like the perfect Pokémon game, though it wasn’t long before its technical instability and limitations pushed some players away. Niantic eventually patched Pokémon Go so that it didn’t constantly freeze and crash, but it still didn’t feel like a game for everyone. Recent updates have us hopeful that the popular Pokémon-catching app is getting closer to being accessible to all fans regardless of who they are or where they happen to be, but some work still has to be done.

Fortunately, Pokémon Go has started rolling out features that could change how the game is played in less-populated areas, particularly rural and suburban towns. First coming to users in Brazil and South Korea, the PokéStop nomination system will let players submit their own choices for future PokéStop locations. All it takes is a picture of the location, a description, and a submission to the users at the Ingress Operation Portal Recon project who will determine whether it’s a good choice.

For two years, PokéStops have been limited to the locations already included in the game, as well as those established through a sponsored partnership. If you didn’t have a Starbucks or a Sprint store near your house, you’d likely be out of luck. Even in areas where these stores do exist, they’re often inaccessible without a car, defeating the game’s mission of getting players to walk and experience the real world with just their phone and a pair of tennis shoes.

While you can still catch Pokémon in an underpopulated area – I’ve done it myself  – in order to get more Poké Balls or potions, there’s little choice but to hop in a car and take a drive to all the closest PokéStops. For those in more remote areas, this can result in a long car trip. If Niantic opens up PokéStop submissions to a wider user-base, this would no longer be the case. Single-location restaurants, cool art around your neighborhood, and historical spots would all be eligible, and could give players in rural communities the chance to get all the free items and bonuses of those in crowded cities.

At the moment, there are only a few ways to get more Poké Balls and other consumable items. You can level up, but this is largely done by catching more Pokémon, and if you happen to run out of Poké Balls then your only remaining option is to throw down actual cash to acquire packs of items. This leads to players in less-populated areas being forced to pay for a game their peers get to play for free, and they can’t take part in one of Pokemon Go’s main joys – traveling to destinations where players can meet up and play together.

Players that travel to different PokéStops will occasionally receive closed gifts that they cannot open themselves. These contain anything from potions to Poké Balls and even special eggs. If they send them to someone on their friends list, the receiver can open them and enjoy the rewards. Though these gifts help to level the playing field, and only provided that you have friends in cities who are enjoying the game, it certainly doesn’t eliminate the issue entirely.

These issues aside, making Pokémon Go accessible to players in different locations or of different economic status isn’t enough to turn it into a game for everyone. One more hurdle remains that prevents some players from enjoying the game to its fullest potential and it impacts those with disabilities. In its current state, Pokémon Go features no options that cater to people who struggle with mobility or vision impairment. Software to simulate walking has been banned from use and accounts caught doing so have been suspended.

This problem will be especially important by November when Pokémon: Let’s Go launches for Nintendo Switch. Though it will be more accessible to those with physical disabilities, it features connectivity with Pokémon Go, and its failure to address the mobile game’s limitations could lead to an incomplete experience for some.

Niantic has certainly taken large steps toward making Pokémon Go a game enjoyable by everyone, but the company simply isn’t there yet. While it’s started branching out into creating AR games for other franchises including Harry Potter, Niantic needs to make sure to meet the needs of its current players first. It would be a shame for a game so innovative and influential to ignore the needs of its marginalized players.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best ‘Pokémon Go’ tips and tricks
• ‘Pokémon Go’ to jail: Japanese man accused of selling modding accessories
• How to trade Pokémon with other trainers in ‘Pokémon Go’
• ‘Pokémon Go’ studio Niantic plans to add trainer battles by the end of the year
• Has science gone too far? ‘Pokémon: Let’s Go’ lets you give Eevee bangs