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The Oceans-Of-Data Edition Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The New iPhone Application Aims Postpartum Depression Study, by Ray Courtney, Albany Daily Star

Postpartum depression (PPD) is constantly feeling down or anxious after the birth of a child. According to clinicians and scientists from the University of North Carolina, PPD is a common form of depression that affects at least one in every eight women after the birth of their child.

A new app has developed by researchers at the University of North Carolina for the purposeful of potentially finding genetic clues about postpartum depression. PPD ACT, free and available for iPhone, will be part of Apple’s ResearchKit and will ask users a series of questions about anxiety and sadness after pregnancy in order to assess postpartum depression.

We’re More Honest With Our Phones Than With Our Doctors, by Jenna Wortham, New York Times

Even today, it’s difficult for women to get a sense of what’s normal and what isn’t. When my friends and I talk about our bodies, we compare feedback from physicians, all of which seems to be slightly different; we warn one another about conditions like uterine fibroids and share horror stories about different methods of contraception. There still seems to be a combination of prudishness and ignorance around the unique, and sometimes idiosyncratic, functions of the female body — which is shocking, considering half the world is born with one.

But in recent years, mobile technology has granted me and countless others the ability to collect an unprecedented amount of information about our habits and well-being. Our phones don’t just keep us in touch with the world; they’re also diaries, confessional booths, repositories for our deepest secrets. Which is why researchers are leaping at the chance to work with the oceans of data we are generating, hoping that within them might be the answers to questions medicine has overlooked or ignored.

‘Fitbit For Your Period’: The Rise Of Fertility Tracking, by Moira Weigel, The Guardian

Investors are pouring money into apps that allow women to track their fertility. Can tech companies use data to change the world of women’s reproductive health?

The Smaller Pro

Latest iPad Pro Makes It Even Easier To Switch Wireless Carriers, by Ina Fried, Re/code

Hidden inside Apple’s new iPad Pro is a tiny component that could help further erode the notion of devices being tied to just one network.

The cellular versions of the new 9.7-inch tablet will ship with the built-in ability to let consumers choose from roughly 100 carriers when traveling overseas.

A Day With The 9.7-inch iPad Pro And Its Accessories, by Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica

Having half the RAM of the larger version is a bummer, but in most other ways it's still best described as a smaller version of the big iPad Pro.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro And The Missing USB 3 Speed, by Jeff Carlson

I don’t know Apple’s reasoning for demoting this promising new iPad in this way. Perhaps it’s a component space issue, having less room to fill compared to the 12.9-inch model. I hope it’s not a case of Apple wanting to eke out an extra 97-cents of profit by using cheaper parts. Is it an incentive to convince customers to spend more by buying a 12.9-inch iPad Pro? I hope to find out.

Smaller iPad Pro Can Use Microsoft Office For Free, While Larger iPad Can't, by Mark Hachman, Macworld

If you own a larger iPad Pro, Microsoft will require you to pay for an Office 365 subscription. But Microsoft's licensing loophole exempts the new, smaller tablet.

Will An iPad Air 2 Case Fit On The 9.7-inch iPad Pro?, by Roman Loyola, Macworld

Apple confirmed that the magnet alignment is different with the Smart Connector on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, so using the iPad Air Smart Cover on a 9.7-inch iPad Pro is not recommended.

Meet Liam

Inside Liam, Apple's Super-secret, 29-armed Robot That Tears Down Your iPhone, by Samantha Murphy Kelly, Mashable

As we walk toward the warehouse, the doors automatically lift from above. Inside, boxes crowd the space. But positioned a few steps beyond the entrance is what we’ve come here to see: a large machine, encased in glass, that occupies almost the full width of the facility.

"This is Liam."

Apple Posts Three Exclusive ‘Environmental’ iPhone And iPad Wallpapers On Its Website, by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac

As part of Apple’s Renew program, where the company is encouraging people to recycle their old devices to help the environment, Apple has posted some exclusive environmental wallpaper to download on its website. The URL (apple.com/thanks) is given out on cards in Apple Stores to people who recycle their old device in store, as a small gesture of appreciation.

However, the URL is open to anyone to visit and download some cute, exclusive, iOS 9 wallpaper that isn’t included in the default list of iOS wallpaper …

Stuff

DeskConnect Brings Fast File Transfers Between iOS And OS X, by Federico Viticii, MacStories

DeskConnect's premise is easy to grasp: it's a web service that moves data between devices in near real-time thanks to the cloud and push notifications. DeskConnect can push text, links, images, the contents of the system clipboard, as well as files.

DO Note By IFTTT (For iPhone), by Eric Griffith, PC Magazine

DO Note gives you an ultra-simple way to get textual missives out into the world, whether they're for personal use or public consumption.

Novel iPhone Study To Investigate Genetic Risks Of Postpartum Depression, by Jennifer James, MedicalXpress

Researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine and the international Postpartum Depression: Action Towards Causes and Treatment (PACT) Consortium unveiled a free iPhone app today to engage women in a genetics research study about postpartum depression (PPD). The study aims to help researchers understand why some women suffer from PPD and others do not – critical knowledge to help researchers find more effective treatments.

Develop

Xcode Upgrades: Lessons Learned, by Erica Sadun

This is why you should always wait for a DMG. No matter how long it takes to appear on the developer site. No matter how slow the download ends up being. The advantages of downloading a DMG are numerous.

Notes

Apple Policy On Bugs May Explain Why Hackers Would Help F.B.I., by Nicole Perlroth and Katie Benner, New York Times

After a third party went to the F.B.I. with claims of being able to unlock an iPhone, many in the security industry said they were not surprised that the third party did not go to Apple.

For all the steps Apple has taken to encrypt customers’ communications and its rhetoric around customer privacy, security experts said the company was still doing less than many competitors to seal up its systems from hackers. And when hackers do find flaws in Apple’s code, they have little incentive to turn them over to the company for fixing.

Apple's Encryption Fight Is Far From Over, by David Goldman, CNNMoney

Apple's closely watched fight with the FBI over a San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone may not take place after all. But the bigger battle is far from over.

Password-Stealing Instagram App 'InstaAgent' Reappears In App Store Under New Name, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

It now appears Turker Bayram, the developer behind the app has managed to get two new apps approved by Apple, (and Google) both of which are stealing Instagram account info.

The Uber Model, It Turns Out, Doesn’t Translate, by Farhad Manjoo, New York Times

Across a variety of on-demand apps, prices are rising, service is declining, business models are shifting, and, in some cases, companies are closing down. Here is what we are witnessing: the end of the on-demand dream.

Bottom of the Page

Will there be a MacBook with two USB-C ports? Will Xcode be ported to iOS? Will there be a new file system?

It's time for WWDC rumors.

:-)

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Thanks for reading.