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iOS 16 Battery Percentage, Google vs Apple on RCS, and VESA Studio Display on the AppleInsider Podcast


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Apple brings battery percentage back to the status bar in iOS 16 beta 5, Google puts Apple on blast over RCS adoption, we review the VESA mount Studio Display, and more on the AppleInsider podcast.

We discuss how the new battery percentage indicator may be Apple’s most disruptive feature of iOS 16. Many Apple fans are excited by the new feature, though neither of your hosts Wesley and Stephen will be turning it on.

Next, Google’s latest campaign for Apple to adopt RCS continues to push a narrative that’s missing a lot of details. The hosts dive into what’s wrong with RCS today and what it would take for Apple to consider the new messaging platform.

Meanwhile, Stephen’s Studio Display has arrived and he shares some controversial opinions about its speakers and webcam — they’re fine. Also, your hosts consider what it would take for them to upgrade from the existing Studio Display and whether Apple would introduce such a product anytime soon.

The latest product rumors point to new HomePods arriving sometime soon, and the new entry model iPad may see big changes in 2022. There’s also a quick discussion of Apple TV+ and the new animated film “Luck.”

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Telegram CEO claims Apple is delaying update that will ‘revolutionize’ messaging


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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov claims that Apple has been delaying an App Store update to the app that will “revolutionize how people express themselves in messaging.”

In a Telegram message on Thursday, Durov says that the upcoming update has been stuck in Apple’s review process for two weeks with no explanation from the iPhone maker about the holdup.

“If Telegram, one of the top 10 most popular apps globally, is receiving this treatment, one can only imagine the difficulties experienced by smaller app developers,” Durov wrote.

The Telegram chief executive also hit Apple and Google for charging a 30% commission on app and in-app purchases. Durov says the app review delay is just another harm on the commission, which he likes to a “tax.”

“The regulators in the EU and elsewhere are slowly starting to look into these abusive practices,” he said. “But the economic damage that has already been inflicted by Apple on the tech industry won’t be undone.”

This isn’t the first time that a Telegram update has been stuck in Apple’s app review process. Back in 2018, Apple delayed global updates after Russian authorities demanded the Cupertino tech giant remove the secure messaging app from the App Store.

Other app developers and executives have complained about Apple’s App Review process in the past. In 2021, Hopscotch CEO Samantha John called Apple’s review process “Kafkaesque.”

Apple has made moves to amend its App Store policies in recent years, including updated App Review processes and rules and the introduction of a lower 15% commission for apps making less than $1 million.

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Technology

Break Your Social Media Addiction With This iPhone App

Image for article titled This iPhone App Might Actually Help You Break Your Social Media Addiction

screenshot: Joel Cunningham

I am just full of advice about social media, most of which can be boiled down to “put down your phone” and “stop engaging.” Which is funny, because I am incredibly bad at doing both of those things, despite my best efforts (downloading a little app that grows trees while you don’t use your phone, setting a goal to read more books, having the same conversation with my therapist over and over). But I’ve finally found a trick—a clever iPhone app—that seems to be working. For now.

Ironically, I made this discovery while mindlessly scrolling Twitter on my iPhone, which is what I do during any given moment of inactivity, from taking the dog out to pee, to waiting for the elevator, to putting the kettle on the boil. In these moments, I don’t actually want anything Twitter has to offer; it’s simply a mindless habit, and that lack of purpose never stops that quick swipe from turning into 10 useless minutes.

But this Shortcut Automation app—called “one second” by its innovator, Frederik Riedel (@FrederikRiedel)—seeks to inject some mindfulness into that mindless habit. To use it, you set up an automation that will trigger one sec to run when you attempt to open whatever social media, gaming, or other app is eating into your day. It’s a simple, soothing bit of animation that will interrupt the process, encouraging you to take a deep breath before you tap a second time to confirm that you truly do want to open that app—or not.

You can see how it works in this Tweet from Riedel:

Image for article titled This iPhone App Might Actually Help You Break Your Social Media Addiction

screenshot: Joel Cunningham

I realize that there are many other tools that encourage you to limit social media use, from Apple’s own Focus Modes to screen time alerts, but one sec has worked best for me because it cuts me off at the right moment; it’s easier to force me to think with intention (“6 attempts to open Twitter within 24 hours”) than to scold me into stopping doing something that I’m already doing (any pop-up telling me my app usage for the day has elapsed is instantly ignored). You can block one app for free, and unlock additional features (use with multiple apps, more robust breathing exercises, time tracking, website blocking) with a premiumsubscription ($14.99/year).

Don’t get me wrong, I still have a fairly serious internet addiction. But I’ve also managed to stop myself from staring at my phone while waiting for the dog to poop for five days straight. That’s not nothing.

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Technology

Redesigned Eve Aqua has Thread and improved valve mechanism


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The redesigned Eve Aqua has improved mechanics and a new look to help HomeKit owners keep their gardens well-watered.

Following the release of the all-new Eve Motion, smart home accessory maker Eve Systems is out with its latest product. It has redesigned the Eve Aqua, with a refreshed design and durability improvements.

“Eve Aqua looks gorgeous and makes smart gardening easy, safe and joyful,” says Jerome Gackel, CEO, Eve Systems. “Thread eliminates the need for a digital bridge, while the brass faucet adapter ensures a rock-solid physical connection. And of course, our beautiful Eve app brings it all together, making scheduling, and monitoring consumption, a breeze.”

The new Eve Aqua has an IPX4 resistance rating and runs on a pair of AA batteries. It has a sleek new space gray body with a matte black front. The physical watering button has increased in size to make it easier to control.

It requires no bridge outside of your existing Home Hub and supports up to seven watering sessions per day.

On the inside, Eve has upgraded it to a brass faucet connector and magnetic valve that provides increased durability, helps prevents leaks, and is near-silent when opening or closing.

Like the second-generation Eve Aqua, the new model is able to connect via Bluetooth as well as Thread. This marks the 14th product Eve has released with support for Thread.

When Matter is released this fall, Eve Aqua (third-generation) will be updated for free to support the new standard and be compatible with other smart home platforms.

available now

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Technology

Linus Torvalds uses M2 MacBook Air to release Linux 5.19


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The latest release of Linux 5.19 has more of an Apple angle than usual, with Linus Torvalds releasing it using an M2 MacBook Air running a version of Linux ported to Apple Silicon.

Linux, like other operating systems, receives updates periodically, with the open source software being no exception. Linus Torvalds, the driving force behind Linux, recently released version 5.19 of the operating system, enabling maintainers of the different Linux variants to incorporate the changes.

spotted by AsahiLinux, Torvalds has passed comment about the use of Apple products in an email to the Linux Kernel Mailing List. Posted on Sunday, Torvalds writes “the most interesting part here is that I did the release (and am writing this) on an arm64 laptop,” referring to the use of Apple Silicon.

Torvalds doesn’t specifically name the model of Mac he is using. But, Asahi Linux claims it is an M2 MacBook Air running its port.

“It’s something I’ve been waiting for for a long time [sic] time, and it’s finally reality, thanks to the Asahi team,” Torvalds continues. In July, the Asahi Linux for Mac project released an update that added Mac Studio support as well as experimental M2 support and fixing Bluetooth.

Torvalds mentions that there has been arm64 hardware running Linux for a while, but that “none of it has really been usable as a development platform until now.”

This marks the third time Torvalds has used Apple hardware for Linux development. He previously did so “for powerpc development on a ppc970 machine,” then over a decade ago with the MacBook Air as it was “the only real thin-and-lite around.”

He admits its usage has been limited, as it hasn’t been used “for any real work” so far. It has been used for “doing test builds and boots and now the actual release tagging.”

Torvalds anticipates using it while traveling “and finally dog-fooding the arm64 side too.”

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Technology

Apple takes down online Apple Store for ‘updates’ [u]


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The Apple Store is offline in the US and most — but not all — territories worldwide.

The online Apple Store is currently showing its familiar “We’ll be right back,” notice, along with the information that “updates are coming to the Apple Store.” Unusually, the Store is not offline worldwide, however.

At time of writing, the US, Australia, UK, and major European are showing variations on the “Check again soon” message. But the Store in other regions, including China, Japan and New Zealand, is operating normally.

There are no Apple products due to be added through any announced pre-order release. It’s conceivable that Apple will make an unannounced addition, but it’s unlikely, given that the Store is not down worldwide.

The US Apple Store does include products such as certain accessories that are not available elsewhere. However, if it isn’t due to maintenance issues, it’s most likely that Apple is about to unveil some promotion.

Apple is currently offering a promotion in China that, until the end of Monday, August 1, 2022, features rare discounts on many products.

Update 04:10 Eastern: the store is back up

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