David Pierini - page 9

Instagram will ban plastic surgery face filters

By

plastic surgery face filter on Instagram
Teresa Fogolari created a filters called "Plastica."
Screenshot: TeresaFogolari/Instagram

The company that makes face filters for Instagram will soon remove all filters that offer AR plastic surgery.

The new policy will be welcomed by body-positive activists and mental health professionals who believe social media is feeding a rise in body dysmorphia. They point to anecdotes from cosmetic surgeons who get requests from patients to match the look created by so-called beauty filters.

Tim Cook now chairs advisory board for Chinese economics school

By

Cook named panel chairman at Chinese U
Tim Cook on his first day chairing an advisory panel on economics for China's top university.
Screenshot: QJQ/Twitter

The agenda for Apple CEO Tim Cook’s trip to China last week included more than a meeting with the country’s top market regulator.

One day after the meeting, Cook became the new chairman of an advisory board for the economics school at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Trick or treat? 16-inch MacBooks could arrive before Halloween

By

16-inch MacBook Pro concept
A 16-inch MacBook Pro, which might look something like this, could be arrive soon.
Concept Art: Viktor Kádár

The 16-inch MacBook Pro has reportedly begun shipping in volume, indicating the much-anticipated Apple laptop could arrive later this month

October has just 10 days remaining and rumors about a 16-MacBook have kept us guessing for most of this year. Some reports said to expect an October announcement. Others said it would be delayed until 2020.

Apple takes heat from all sides after pulling Hong Kong map app

By

apple keynote
Tim Cook is feeling heat for Apple's decision to pull Hong Kong map app.
Photo: Apple

U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle united to strongly criticize Apple over last week’s decision to pull a live map app used by protestors in Hong Kong.

The bipartisan group, which included Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook voicing “strong concern” over Apple’s decision to remove HKmap.live from the App Store.

Here’s your first glimpse of that 16-inch MacBook Pro. Or not.

By

beta icon of MacBook Pro
A French blog is reporting this image as proof that Apple is about to roll out a 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Screenshot: MacGeneration

Behold, the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro. Now, here’s your grain of salt.

A French blog this morning published what it called a rendering for a new Mac laptop that was discovered hidden in a macOS Catalina beta.

Skeptics, from Twitter to tech news sites, quickly tamped down any excitement by pointing out the icon’s similarities to the current 15-inch model.

Tim Cook meets with China’s chief regulator after map app flap

By

Activist shareholders push Apple on why it booted Hong Kong protest app
Activist shareholders push Apple on why it booted Hong Kong protest app
Photo: Fredrik Rubensson/Flickr CC

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with China’s chief market regulator Thursday, a trip likely to attract the tech giant more criticism as tensions fester between the mainland and Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

Cook’s meeting in Beijing comes one week after it removed a live map app from the App Store that was being used by protestors. Cook said the app, HKmap.live, was pulled after Hong Kong officials presented “credible information” the app was used to target individuals and property with violence where no police were present.

See what happens when a hacker tries to add USB-C to iPhone 11 Pro

By

Scotty Allen taking apart an iPhone 11 Pro
Scotty Allen begins his quest to hack an iPhone 11 Pro.
Screenshot: Strange Parts/YouTube

Can you add USB-C to an iPhone 11 Pro?

The short answer is a “definitive yes,” according to YouTube host Scotty Allen, who quickly gained a following by documenting his attempts to build an iPhone from scratch and add a headphone jack to an iPhone 7 (both successes by the way).

Crazy customizer weaves piece of Steve Jobs’ sweater into iPhone

By

Caviar phone featuring piece of turtleneck
It's right there inside the logo.
Photo: Caviar

Steve Jobs didn’t like to sign autographs. So imagine what he might think if he had lived to so see one of his black turtleneck sweaters get cut up so that the tiny squares of fabric could be embedded in the Apple logo on an iPhone.

Caviar, the Russian jeweler known for expensive and outlandish mod jobs of iPhones, has nine iPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max handsets featuring a sweater swatch. The starting price is $6,280 and goes up from there depending on storage size and model.

Update: An iPhone 12 Pro version debuted in 2020.

Reddit app gets a new BFF: Snapchat

By

Reddit logo
Reddit may attract younger users with it new content sharing agreement with Snapchat.
Photo: Reddit

Regular users of Reddit’s iOS app and Snapchat can now share content between the two social media networks, both companies announced today.

Reddit has never partnered with another app but said it will expand the feature to other social media apps down the road.

iOS 13.2 finally brings frame rate, resolution settings to Camera app

By

iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max
iOS 13.2 will make switching frame rates and resolution for your video shooting much easier.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 11 line hasn’t even been out a month, but Apple continues to improve its camera through iOS updates.

An iOS developer exploring iOS 13.2 beta 2 said the Camera app will allow video shooters to adjust frame rates and resolution without going into the Settings app.

Tim Cook explains why Apple pulled controversial Hong Kong app

By

Apple revenues
Tim Cook defends Apple's decision to pull HKmap.live from App Store.
Photo: Apple

As Apple draws fire for banning a mapping app that proved useful to Hong Kong protesters, CEO Tim Cook defended the company’s decision. In an email to employees, Cook explained why Apple pulled HKmap.live from the App Store.

Cook said Apple received “credible information” from Hong Kong’s tech crime and cybersecurity unit that the app “was being used to maliciously target individual officers for violence and to victimize individuals and property where no police are present. This use put the app in violation of Hong Kong law. Similarly, widespread abuse clearly violates our App Store guidelines barring personal harm.”

Contraband Apple II computers still power old Soviet museum

By

entrance to the Lenin Museum
The Apple II has been a faithful comrade to the Lenin Museum.
Photo: mvstang/Flickr CC

The Soviet Union may have collapsed. But Vladimir Lenin, the country’s first leader, lives on, thanks to an audiovisual show still running on a small network of Apple II computers at a museum outside Moscow.

The Apple II is as revered by geeks as Lenin is by nostalgic Communists. Both proved revolutionary. And while the carefully edited story of Lenin might seem interesting to museum-goers, the unvarnished tale of the vintage Apple tech is more compelling.

Caution: Don’t rush to upgrade to macOS Catalina

By

macOS Catalina is here. But proceed from Mojave with caution.
macOS Catalina is here. But proceed from Mojave with caution.
Photo: Apple

Catalina the island is a paradise. Catalina, the Mac operating system, could be hell for some creatives, including DJs, writers and photographers if they immediately upgrade.

Adobe, makers of Photoshop and Lightroom, are telling users to hold off on updating to macOS Catalina until it can iron out a number of compatibility issues.

Judge doubts whether anyone cares about exact iPhone pixel count

By

the notch on the iPhone x
Does the notch take away precious pixels? Do you care?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A judge set to rule on a lawsuit claiming Apple misrepresented iPhone screen size and pixel count bluntly expressed his opinion in a hearing last week with this: No one cares.

U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. took the arguments under submission, meaning he will at some point issue a written ruling over Apple’s request to dismiss.

This year’s crazy gold iPhone looks surprisingly tasteful

By

Caviar Victory Diamond iPhone
Diamonds, lots of gold and a $30,000-plus price tag.
Photo: Caviar

Caviar, a Russian jeweler known for its expensive smartphone modifications, may have created a fourth iPhone to go in Apple’s iPhone 11 line.

Behold, the iPhone 11 Pro Bling.

Bling is not the official title. It’s actually Victory. But once you see the exotic treatment Caviar gave to the already good looking iPhone 11 Pro, Bling is apropos.

Why Apple CEO Tim Cook hates cryptocurrency

By

Tim Cook earnings apple
Tim Cook likes his currency the old-fashioned way.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is rapidly growing the list of services it provides to its customer base. Just don’t expect a cryptocurrency to come from Cupertino on Tim Cook’s watch.

The Apple CEO made his feelings crystal clear in an interview with a French newspaper published today.

Here’s how to turn Live Photos into a video

By

how-to for Live Photos video in iOS 13
iOS 13 lets you add more motion to your Live Photos by putting them in a video loop.
Screenshot: Apple Support/YouTube

Fans of Live Photos will be able to save one or more into a single video thanks to a new feature in iOS 13.

Apple Support rolled out a quick tutorial on its YouTube channel Wednesday that shows the easy steps to stitching a string of Live Photos into a fun little video loop.

Stranded photographer didn’t get the memo on MacBook Pro recall

By

overheated battery on MacBook Pro
This 15-inch MacBook Pro caught fire while in Sleep mode.
Photo: Steve Gagne/Facebook

A British travel photographer is currently stuck in Vietnam after airport officials refused to let him board a flight because he was carrying a recalled 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Julian Elliott found out during a security check that his MacBook with Retina display was made between Sept. 2015 and February 2017. Apple recalled these models after reports of overheating batteries and fires that cause burns and property damage.

10 years later, Hipstamatic is still around and deep in its retro roots

By

new logo for Hipstamatic X
Hipstamatic X hits the App Store Tuesday.
Photo: Hipstamatic

The smartphone photography tidal wave started with ripples from Hipstamatic. It was the first app with filters for snap-happy iPhone users to change the look of their photos.

A tap of the finger and that ho-hum photo of your dog became a work of art, quirky and painterly with the look of a photo spit out by an old Polaroid camera. Quickly, it became a tool for serious artists and photographers.

Hipstamatic celebrates 10 years this Tuesday with a free download for iPhone called Hipstamatic X. The anniversary app will bring some of the simple, original analog charm of the first app as well as a stable of old-school cameras, from Pinhole to Tintype.

RIP Adam Rosen: Remembering one of the most passionate Mac fans ever

By

Vintage Mac Museum
Rosen would turn down 80 percent of what was offered to him because he only wanted the important models. He also couldn't let his collection outgrow another living space.
Photo: Adam Rosen

Adam Rosen was happiest standing over an old Mac computer, all pulled apart with wires sticking out and components scattered across his kitchen table.

Rosen knew this part of him might never land him a wife. Who could appreciate a home where each room was a gallery of old working Apple computers?

This private Vintage Mac Museum lost its devoted docent on Aug. 31 when Rosen, 53, died from pancreatic cancer.