No-frills toys including the paper airplane, sand and play food are among 12 finalists vying for a place in the National Toy Hall of Fame.
The contenders for the Class of 2017 were announced Tuesday.
Also up for the honor are the board games Risk and Clue, the Magic 8 ball, Matchbox cars, My Little Pony, the PEZ candy dispenser, Transformers, the card game Uno and Wiffle Ball.
If I could only pick two, I’d say Matchbox Cars and Risk are worthy of the Hall.
The new Apple TV 4K has brought back the speedy Gigabit Ethernet port (the previous box uses the slower 10/100 Mbps Ethernet for wired Internet), but it’s lost the handy USB-C port.
I checked the Apple TV 4K spec page, and it seems this is true. I wonder how you’ll do restores if things go south. Via Ethernet? Wifi?
UPDATE: Much digging, much discussion, here’s my current thoughts on life without the USB-C. For most folks, a failure of the Apple TV will mean a trip to the Apple Store. For developers, Xcode 9 lets you connect to the Apple TV (here’s a post, H/T Jack Webster) as long as you are on the same network. So, ethernet port is your friend there, network debugging. If your Apple TV goes south, not sure how end users or devs would do a restore. Interesting.
Jake Underwood does a nice job digging through the new accessories Apple rolled out, including iPhone cases (love the new iPhone X leather folios), Apple Watch bands, and charging mats.
Alongside the new 4K Apple TV, Apple today quietly released a new, slightly redesigned Siri Remote to go along with it. Priced at $59, the updated remote features a new more prominent Menu button with a white circle around it.
Aside from the redesign to the Menu button, the new Apple TV Siri Remote appears to be identical to the previous-generation model. At $59, the remote is $20 cheaper than the previous-generation Siri Remote.
I’ve long wished Apple would make a change to the remote to make it more obvious which end of the remote is which. In low light, it’s easy to end up with the remote pointed the wrong way, and there’s not enough of a tactile difference to be able to easily feel which end is which.
I’ve not gotten my hands on the new remote, so it is possible that this “more prominent” Menu button will solve the problem. At the very least, glad to see the price drop.
During yesterday’s iPhone X demo, Craig Federighi walked across the stage and picked up an iPhone X, with the goal of demonstrating Face ID.
Things did not go as planned. Craig looked at his iPhone X, swiped up, and…nothing. He tried again, and the passcode screen appeared. Craig, being the cool customer he is, picked up a second iPhone X, swiped up, and the demo went smoothly from there.
So what happened? Was this a failure of Face ID?
Take a look for yourself. Head over to the Apple keynote page, and jump to about 1:36:00, the moment when all this unfolded.
To me, the key to this moment was the text on the screen. Here’s a screenshot:
Notice the text towards the bottom:
Your passcode is required to enable Face ID
Looks like a logistics issue. Just as you have to enter your passcode to unlock your phone for the first time after restart (to enable Touch ID), you have to do the same for the iPhone X, to enable Face ID.
I suspect no one entered the passcode after the phone was turned on. Not a failure of Face ID, just a simple logistics fumble.
In addition, this moment showed off Craig Federighi’s excellent stage presence. He handled the moment perfectly.
UPDATE: As a number of people have pointed out, if this was a restart issue, the text would have indicated that. Hoping for clarification from Apple on this, will update if we get more info.
New technologies at the heart of the system make your Mac more reliable, capable, and responsive — and lay the foundation for future innovations. macOS High Sierra also refines the features and apps you use every day. It’s macOS at its highest level yet.
Along with all the other important announcements, Apple quietly posted the release date for High Sierra.
Before I get to my thoughts on Apple’s newest products announced this morning, I have to talk about the new Apple Park. It’s not very often I am in awe of something, but I’ll tell you, Apple Park is breathtaking.
As I strolled up the walkway towards Steve Jobs Theater, the main ring of Apple Park came into view on my right side—it was spectacular. I’ve seen the pictures and drone footage before, but nothing really prepares you to see it in person.
I felt the same way about Steve Jobs Theater. It’s magnificent in its simplicity and it met every expectation I had when I saw it for the first time.
Okay, let’s get to a few points about the products.
iPhone 8/iPhone X
I mentioned on Twitter that I’d be completely happy if the new iPhones added True Tone to their displays. Today, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X have True Tone. This is the technology that allows you to see the screen better in direct sunlight.
Portrait Lighting is going to be huge. This gives the average user so much control over how their portraits look, even after the picture has been shot.
Wireless charging is another great feature to have on every device. It was interesting that during the presentation they said you could top up your charge whenever you want. I remember years ago they recommended not doing that because a battery only had so many charging cycles before it would give out. I just got into the habit of running my battery low before charging.
I wonder if the AirPower mat is something they added to the keynote late, just to have something that wasn’t spoiled by the leaks. It’s interesting that they announced it today but it’s not shipping until next year.
Face ID is better than I gave it credit for. I should have known Apple would work out all of the major problems we would have before releasing it.
Face ID uses a “TrueDepth camera system made up of a dot projector, infrared camera and flood illuminator.” That’s just incredible. In the demo, it unlocked immediately.
The fact it adapts to your physical changes over time is amazing to me.
“Face ID only unlocks iPhone X when customers look at it and is designed to prevent spoofing by photos or masks.” Apple went so far as to have masks made to make sure Face ID can’t be fooled. I can’t wait to try this out.
Animoji is probably the funniest thing I’ve seen Apple release in a long time. If you’re in my contact list, be prepared!
Apple TV 4K
Having an Apple TV with 4K is great. Having it with 4K and HDR is amazing.
The main question I had with Apple TV 4K was about content and how Apple would provide content for the system. It’s great to have the hardware, but if you can’t watch anything on it, what’s the point.
Apple is going to automatically upgrade HD content you purchased to 4K HDR versions when they become available.
They are also working with Amazon and Netflix to bring 4K versions of their programming to Apple TV. Bring on the content.
Apple Watch Series 3
Apple Watch is truly an amazing product and one of my favorites.
I currently have a playlist of songs on my watch I use with my AirPods when I walk but now I’ll be able to stream Apple Music using the new cellular Apple Watch.
A couple of facts I found interesting about Apple Watch:
It is now the most used heart rate monitor in the world.
97% customer satisfaction rating.
50% year-over-year growth
What Apple continues to do for people’s health in Apple Watch is inspiring. “Customers can also choose to receive a notification when their heart rate is elevated above a specific threshold while inactive.” Yes please.
These are things that caught my attention while listening to the presentation at Steve Jobs Theater and during my time in the hands-on area afterwards. Of course, each of these devices is faster and more powerful than the previous generation, which makes it better for us to use on a daily basis.
Apple continues to make products that help us live better lives. Whether that’s being more productive, having a bit more fun, communicating, or helping us keep track of our health. This was a good day for Apple and its customers.
Apple’s event has wrapped and here is a cheat sheet for what will be available when:
iPhone X – available for pre-order beginning Friday, October 27 in more than 55 countries and territories, and in stores beginning Friday, November 3.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus – available for pre-order beginning Friday, September 15 in more than 25 countries and territories, and in stores beginning Friday, September 22.
Apple Watch Series 3 – available in stores starting Friday, September 22.
Apple TV 4K – order both Apple TV 4K models beginning Friday, September 15, with availability beginning Friday, September 22.
Apple has just wrapped today’s event and the link will take you to all of their PR for the products announced today. We’ll have other links to commentary as the day goes on.
We’re here to put a dent in the universe,” Steve Jobs once famously said. “Otherwise why else even be here?”
And:
For Jobs the dent that he intended for Apple to make in the universe revolved almost totally around creating new products that would change people’s lives. Those products would be gorgeous and useful and fun and surprising, but rarely “good” in and of themselves. Despite a hippie-dippie veneer and earnest marketing, Apple under Jobs was a ruthlessly efficient moneymaker that largely left social programs to others.
I just love that intro. That said, this is an interview with Tim Cook.
Terrific read, lots to process. Way too much to quote out here, but take the time to dig in. Be on the look out for Tim’s comments on how he sees Apple changing the world (products, education, environment, human rights), a discussion of high margins, the Apple economy, health and research, and a lot more.
According to security experts who have reviewed early developer versions of the forthcoming iOS 11, law enforcement will soon have a harder time conducting digital forensic searches of iPhones and iPads.
And:
Prior to this latest version of the firmware, in order for an iOS device to be “trusted” by a computer that it was physically connected to, that device had to be unlocked first via Touch ID or passcode. Next, the device would prompt the user: “Trust This Computer?” Only then could the entire device’s data could be extracted and imaged. Under iOS 11, this sequence has changed to also specifically require the passcode on the device after the “Trust This Computer?” prompt.
While the change may seem minor, the fact that the passcode will be specifically required as the final step before any data can be pulled off the phone means that law enforcement and border agents won’t have as much routine access to fully image a seized device.
Subtle change, interesting.
[H/T, The surreptitiously supercilious Not Jony Ive]
Imagine the 1 pm Sunday scene with crowded sidewalks and sticky car traffic. In today’s world, pedestrians and drivers manage a peaceful if hiccuping coexistence. Through eye contact, nods, hand signals, and, yes, courteous restraint, pedestrians decide to sometimes forfeit their right-of-way and let a few cars come through. On the whole, drivers are equally patient and polite.
That’s the current picture. But with self-driving cars, what then?
Can we “algorithmicize” eye contact and stuttering restraint? Can an SD car acknowledge a pedestrian’s nod, or negotiate “turning rights” with a conventional vehicle?
No, we can’t. And we don’t appear to have a path to overcome such “mundane” challenges.
Great post by Jean-Louis, per usual. Read the whole thing.
A simple, but profound observation. To a business like Apple’s, inventory is the enemy. Inventory is sunk cost with the possibility of zero revenue in return. Yes, the AirPods did spend brief moments in stock, but this is as close to zero moments on the shelf as Apple products get.
Do the AirPods represent the future of Apple’s inventory management? Interesting.
When I first heard about Android Wear last year, I thought the folks behind the OS were doing a lot of things right. And I still do: the approach to notifications is smart, custom watch faces are neat, and Google Now — while creepy — works exceptionally well at providing smart information for your day.
There’s only one problem: There’s not a single Android Wear device designed to fit a small-wristed person.
Read the post, check out the pictures. If there are new Apple Watch models, I hope they continue to each ship in both 38mm and 42mm sizes. Great design sense on Apple’s part.
Thanks to Hullo for sponsoring the Loop this week. Your pitiful old squishy pillow needs constant readjustment. It’s invariably too thick, too thin, sometimes just too warm. Flipping, folding and fluffing are getting in the way of your rest. You spend around one-third of your life on that pillow of yours. Try something different: a Hullo buckwheat pillow will conform perfectly to the shape of your body and provide comfortable cool support all night long without fuss. Hullo’s features include:
Quality construction & organic materials.
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Check out Hullo. Try it for 60 nights. If it’s not your favorite pillow, send it back for a refund.
The theory is that Siri can’t provide as much of a personal experience for its users because privacy is so important to Apple. Not so, says Apple:
“I think it is a false narrative,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s VP of product marketing. “It’s true that we like to keep the data as optimized as possible, that’s certainly something that I think a lot of users have come to expect, and they know that we’re treating their privacy maybe different than some others are.”
Joswiak argues that Siri can be every bit as helpful as other assistants without accumulating a lot of personal user data in the cloud, as companies like Facebook and Google are accustomed to doing. “We’re able to deliver a very personalized experience . . . without treating you as a product that keeps your information and sells it to the highest bidder. That’s just not the way we operate.”
More than two dozen lawsuits have been filed in the United States against Equifax Inc (EFX.N) after the credit reporting company said thieves may have stolen personal information for 143 million Americans in one of the largest hackings ever.
Both Gruber and the BBC confirmed the iOS 11 GM came from an Apple employee. I don’t know how a person can accept a paycheck from a company and then turn around and screw them like this. They betrayed Apple and every single other person in the company.
Thanks to Jamf Now for sponsoring The Loop this week. Jamf Now is an on-demand mobile device management solution for the iPads, iPhones and Macs in your workplace. We make device management simple and affordable for everyone, so businesses can support their users; no IT required. Manage your first three devices for free and add more for just $2 per device per month. Get started for free today!
When I went to sleep last Monday night, I had no idea that I’d open my eyes to dozens of confusing notifications and my Twitter account taken over by a security hacker group. It caught me completely off guard, but it didn’t have to be that way.
Hopefully by relaying my story and some hard lessons I learned along the way, I can help you avoid the same situation as you manage the safety and security of your online accounts and data.
There’s been a lot of talk about Apple releasing a $1,000 iPhone next week, and a lot of pushback from financial analysts in particular on the idea that people would actually buy such a thing.
And:
In the US, the vast majority of premium smartphones are sold through the major wireless carriers, with the largest four being AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. Each of those companies has been through a transition over the past few years away from the traditional subsidy model, under which customers paid a portion of the price of a phone up front, to a combination of installment and leasing models, where the cost of the phone is broken up into monthly payments.
And:
Compare that to current monthly prices for the base model iPhone 7 Plus, a phone that costs roughly $200 less to buy outright, which run from $25 to $36, and you’ll see that the real difference in price between a $770 phone and a $1000 phone isn’t $230 for most customers but a monthly price difference of anything from zero to $15.
Most interesting to me:
On top of that, bear in mind that the new iPhones are likely to be the biggest carrier switching event the US market has seen since 2014, so we’re going to see a lot of discounts, offers, and other promotions which lower the effective price even further.
A massive carrier switching event. Subtle point, big business. Keep that in mind as you explore your iPhone options next week.
Marvel and Star Wars titles will be streamed exclusively on the new Disney streaming platform when it launches in late 2019, according to Disney CEO Bob Iger.
“I have described a very rich, treasure trove of content for this app,” Iger said at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. “We’re going to launch big, and we’re going to launch hot.”
This is a chess move. More than anything else, it will impact Netflix, who have made waves with Marvel series such as Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones. Presumably, Netflix will lose the rights to carry these series once the Disney platform goes live in 2019.
It’d be interesting to see if Apple can make a deal with Disney to carry the Disney stream on Apple TV. After all, Apple has long had a historically close relationship with Disney, with Steve Jobs as the funder of Pixar and, before his death, as one of Disney’s largest shareholders.
[Side note: Even with the recent sale of half her Disney stock, Laurene Powell Jobs still owns a hefty chunk of the company.]
Here’s the official site Equifax set up to see if your information was exposed. Beware of other sites masquerading as the real deal. I do not understand why they didn’t go with a subdomain, such as haveIbeenHacked.equifax.com or some such. More to the point, I don’t understand why you have to enroll in their service to see if you are affected, even if it is free.
Three Equifax execs sold almost $2 million of stock after the breach, but before the announcement. Even assuming they were not aware of the breach when they sold their stock, they will still benefit from a situation of their own making.
Not crazy about the way this is playing out.
UPDATE: According to this tweet, if you sign up with Equifax to check to see if your information was compromised, you waive your rights to sue Equifax or to be part of a class action suit. Can this be correct? [H/T @varunorcv]
Authorities said Brett Kennedy gave fellow University of Washington alumnus Maziar Rezakhani nonpublic information from Amazon’s database, showing that the retailer would lose less money and report higher revenue for the first quarter of 2015 than Wall Street expected, in exchange for $10,000 cash.
Oh my.
And
Rezakhani, also 28, pleaded guilty in July 2016 to mail fraud, bank fraud and filing a false tax return after being accused of defrauding Apple Inc AAPL.O, a small bank and various shippers in connection with his iPhone resale business.
The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) launched a search on Wednesday for asset managers to take care of the money as it is held in escrow while the Government and Apple appeal a 2016 European Commission decision that Apple received €13 billion in illegal state aid in the decade to 2014.
This is going to be an incredibly long process, so the money needs to be managed wisely.
