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Hey kids, fight crime with Batman in new AR app for iOS

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Games, comics, stickers -- the new Bat-Tech app for iOS packs a lot of fun.
Games, comics, stickers -- the new Bat-Tech app for iOS packs a lot of fun.
Photo: Warner Bros.

On Thursday Warner Bros. launched its DC: Batman Bat-Tech Edition app for iOS, aimed at kids aged 6 to 12 (but who’s counting?). The app comes loaded with exclusive Batman content, mini-games, augmented reality (AR) filters and digital comic books.

Jump onto Super Leap Day platformer on Apple Arcade

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Jump onto ‘Super Leap Day’ platformer on Apple Arcade
Float up, leap high and raise the roof in Super Leap Day.
Photo: Nitrome

There’s no reason leap day should only happen once every four years. With Nitrome’s Super Leap Day, it can be every day! This fast-paced one-button platformer offers a new level to play every single day.

And it’s not the only game to debut on Apple Arcade this Friday. A pair of classic titles are also available for subscribers at no additional cost.

Edward Snowden, privacy advocates speak out against Apple’s photo scanning plan

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Apple photo scanning
A "slippery slope" that could lead to mass surveillance.
Photo: @Privacyfan2021

Whistleblower Edward Snowden and other privacy advocates are speaking out against Apple’s plan to scan user photos for child abuse imagery.

The move will turn everybody’s iPhone into an “iNarcs,” Snowden said on Twitter. “If they can scan for kiddie porn today, they can scan for anything tomorrow.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is also against the plan.

Apple suppliers fight for staff ahead of ‘iPhone 13’ production

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Apple's relationship with Foxconn on the rocks
Fewer people are interesting in building Apple products.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s manufacturing partners are reportedly competing for staff as they ramp up for “iPhone 13” production in the coming months.

Foxconn, Luxshare, and Lens Technology are said to be among the assemblers offering incentives — including larger bonuses — to attract new staff. Competition has increased following a decline in interest in the work.

Take amazing pictures anywhere with this portable studio on sale

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Take amazing product photos with this portable studio.
Use this portable photo studio anywhere you go.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you’re launching your own ecommerce store, want to showcase small products, or just take amazing photos of food, jewelry and more, it can be tricky to take the right pictures to showcase your work. If you’re trying to take professional-quality photos for a website or portfolio, sometimes even the best natural lighting and your iPhone alone just aren’t going to cut it. This FlashBooth 2.0 Portable Photo Studio is the perfect setup to take high quality images of food, jewelry, gadgets and more.

You can stream Mr. Corman now. Don’t. [Apple TV+ review]

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Mr. Corman review on Apple TV+: Debra Winger deserves better than what Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers.
Debra Winger deserves better than what Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers.
Photo: Apple TV+

With new Apple TV+ series Mr. Corman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt returns to our screens after a brief hiatus and well … I can’t say I was ready to have him back. A few more years in the deep freeze might have taught him no one’s interested in the foibles of a white man trying to navigate sexual politics in 2021.

iPhone Messages app will warn kids if they’re receiving a nude photo

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iPhone Messages app will warn parents if kids send, receive nude photos
Children and parents will be alerted by the Messages app of sexually explicit photos.
Photo: Apple

Apple will soon offer a new tool to protect children from sexual predators. The Messages application will be able to detect if an iPhone or iPad user gets or sends sexually explicit photos.

The process will use on-device machine learning so that Apple does not have access to the images.

Apple plans to scan iPhones and iCloud for child abuse imagery [Updated]

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Learn the financial lingo to get the most out of earnings call chatter.
Learn the financial lingo to get the most out of earnings call chatter.
Photo: Kevin Dooley/Flickr CC

Apple plans to scan photos stored on peoples’ iPhones and in their iCloud accounts for imagery suggesting child abuse, according to news reports Thursday. The effort might aid in law-enforcement investigations, but also could invite controversial access to user data by government agencies.

Apple’s update to its web page “Expanded Protections for Children” — see under the “CSAM Detection” subheading — appears to make the scanning plan official. CSAM stands for “child sexual abuse material.”

Prepare for an epic adventure in Baldo, coming soon to Apple Arcade

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Prepare for an epic adventure in ‘Baldo’ coming soon to Apple Arcade
Baldo: The Guardian Owls is an adventure game with a lot of influence from Studio Ghibli movies like Spirited Away.
Photo: NAPS team

Baldo: The Guardian Owls is a Zelda-like puzzle adventure that’ll soon be on Apple Arcade. Players explore an open world meeting quirky characters but also fighting ferocious foes.

And this is just one of nine games launching on Apple’s gaming service in the near future, like Super Leap Day.

AirPower makes a comeback in new video showing off working prototype

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AirPower appears in first video
The first time we've seen a working AirPower.
Photo: Giulio Zompetti

Remember AirPower? How could any of us forget it? Apple’s all-in-one charging solution may be long dead and buried, but the dream is alive. And we can’t help be fascinated by the product that was announced and never delivered.

If you share similar feelings, you might want to take a look at this short video that shows off a working AirPower prototype for the first time.

C2G’s new docking kits help turn a laptop into a desktop

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C2G's new docking station kits strive to simplify your work-from-home networking.
C2G's new docking station kits strive to simplify your work-from-home networking.
Photo: C2G

Many folks are working from home a lot, but setting up a proper computer workstation frustrates them. C2G wants to help make it easy with a bunch of new docking kits ready-made to solve connectivity woes, especially if you want your laptop to be more like a desktop computer.

Devs unhappy with App Store promos for scam slime apps costing $676 a year

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App Store scam slime apps
Don't be fooled by these pricey slime simulators.
Photo: App Store

App Store users and developers are unhappy with Apple’s decision to promote a number of scam ASMR apps this week.

Some, which are clearly designed to try to fool unwitting children into handing over their parents’ cash, come with incredibly expensive weekly subscriptions that end up costing as much as AU$676 a year.

Bag ‘grade A’ iPhone 12 mini, 12 Pro refurbs from just $574.99

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iPhone 12 Pro series include cameras tat support ProRAW
Bag yours before the sale ends!
Photo: Apple

Save up to $124 on an iPhone 12 mini or 12 Pro refurb for a limited time only. Woot is offering “grade A,” factory unlocked units from as little as $574.99. Various color options are available with up to 128GB of storage.

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