While keeping kids safe online is important, this messaging downplays or ignores the ripple effects. Right now, there just isn’t any clear-cut way to verify someone’s age online without risking a leak of personal information or hampering access to the internet. Until lawmakers stop and think about the bigger picture, everyone’s privacy is going to be at risk.
There is a bigger issue here in that there is simply not enough science to make a definitive recommendation, and this is dividing the scientific community - despite a strong societal push to limit children's access.
And without set guidelines, are we setting up an uneven playing field for children who are already tech-savvy by adulthood, and others who are not and are arguably more vulnerable as a result?
Interestingly, while the Skechers website and an announcement Instagram post say the product is designed to make it easy to locate your kids' shoes, a promo video from the company specifically talks about using the shoes to track your kids.
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Shoes that track kids' location could be a godsend for parents who are nervous about losing track of their kids in a crowded place, but products like this also raise potential privacy concerns.
So is it Apple’s place to yank the app? It feels wrong to me that Apple should completely remove Tea from the App Store, but it’s also true that one of Apple’s fundamental pitches for the App Store — and the App Store’s exclusivity for app distribution in most of the world — is that iOS users can trust any and all apps in the App Store because they’re vetted by Apple. But here’s Tea, sitting at #3, providing a service that many woman want, and the entire thing is shockingly untrustworthy.
Spotify’s design assumes everyone wants to share everything with the entire world and makes it difficult for users to protect their privacy.
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Spotify collects a lot more personal data than most users realize. Search queries, streaming history, browsing history, interaction with other users, location data, device IDs and even data about how you hold your devices are among the information for collection listed in the company’s privacy policy. It is not possible to make a private profile; your profile name and photo are always available to any Spotify user you haven’t blocked.
With these new features, Spotlight is a great deal more powerful than before, but it isn't a one-for-one Raycast replacement. The biggest advantage Raycast has over Spotlight, at this point, is the Raycast store, which makes the launcher compatible with way more applications and services than Spotlight will have for a long time.
With the redesigns, iOS was obviously always going to be the priority. But I had hoped that they would take more care in translating the new design system to the Mac than they have demonstrably done so far. The Tahoe UI feels unfinished, and unloved.
The service connects customers with an Apple Store team member via a secure, one-way video call to browse the latest Apple products, including the iPhone 16 lineup; discover new features; and learn about Apple’s trade-in program, financing options, and more — all from the comfort of their homes. As more Indians shop online, the service brings a secure and personal way to shop for Apple products — anytime, from anywhere.
Happiness is a new trailer for “Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical,” premiering Aug. 15 on Apple TV+.
A new streaming app that gives public TV stations more customization tools has launched in Washington, D.C., and is coming soon to at least nine other cities.
The app, WETA+, was developed for WETA by Cascade PBS, the Seattle-based station that’s leading a streaming initiative now known as Local Public. The software application is built on top of PBS’ streaming technology and gives stations more flexibility to enhance the user experience.
Unfortunately, the trends of the past many years have not been kind to studios like theirs, and a future of thoughtless generative design and enforced mediocrity is ominous.
Apple has a new 'Shot on iPhone' billboard design that combines iPhone photography with iPad sketches, but as one Reddit user noticed, the result is decidedly phallic.
Security researchers play a crucial role in software development, identifying and discovering vulnerabilities. It’s so important that Apple Security Research runs a Security Bounty Program that offers payouts to researchers for their discoveries. Depending on the severity of the vulnerability, a researcher can make as much as $2 million for spotting a bug, but, as one researcher shows, Apple’s perception of severity doesn’t always make sense.
It’s mostly an inspired hack that would have earned applause from the MacHack crowd.
Ah… MacHack. That's a name I haven't heard for quite a while.
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Thanks for reading.