Apple updating Swift Playgrounds to control drones, musical instruments, and other hardware

Apple’s annual developer conference kicks off Monday, but we’re already seeing WWDC related announcements from the company which suggests the keynote will be packed from start to finish.

Earlier today we saw an update on how much it has paid developers and how the App Store is performing, and now Apple has detailed an update to Swift Playgrounds coming Monday that will let students control robots, drone, and musical instruments.

more…

Review: Elgato Eve Degree, a pretty but pricey HomeKit-compatible room thermometer

One of my complaints about HomeKit devices is that too many of them look like what father-of-the-iPod Tony Fadell once described as ‘ugly white plastic crap.’ My Philips Hue switches and motion sensors, for example, work well, but they are undoubtedly both white and plastic – and while I wouldn’t go so far as to call them ugly, they are certainly not beautiful.

This is an issue Elgato’s latest HomeKit offering aims to address. The Eve Degree is a standalone room thermometer capable of measuring both temperature and humidity, reporting it back to your iPhone.

With an anodized aluminum surround and black front, it aims to look rather more Apple-like than your average HomeKit accessory …

more…

Main jailed for refusing to disclose iPhone passcode underlines Fifth Amendment uncertainties

The law lags badly behind technology in a great many areas. One area where there is still huge uncertainty is whether the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination protects someone who refuses to disclose the passcode to their phone.

We’ve seen conflicting rulings in the past, and a Miami report shows that rulings may even vary between courts in the same state …

more…

Poll: Would trackpad & mouse support be a good halfway house on an iPad?

Regular readers will know that I love my iPad. It goes with me almost everywhere, and I use it for everything from web-browsing to writing novels and screenplays.

To me, it’s a more important device than my iPhone. It’s the perfect balance of portability and screen size: sufficiently small and light to be carried routinely, but with a display large enough to be practical for most tasks.

I use it with a Brydge keyboard (review) when writing, but there’s one task that is still painful: precise selection of text …

more…

Hands-on: Logitech’s new MX Master 2S Mouse w/ Flow is remarkable

Logitech has today announced the latest generation of its popular MX Master mice alongside an intriguing software feature called Flow. The MX Master and Anywhere 2S introduce a handful of hardware upgrades in a familiar package.

I was a huge fan of the previous generation models, so I was anxious to go hands-on with the latest rendition. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been able to spend some time using both new models and the Flow feature as a part of my daily routine. Full details on both devices as well as my thoughts on each can be found below.

more…

WWDC roundup: Concepts imagine what iOS 11 could bring to iPhone & iPad [Videos]

We’re less than a week away from Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, which means we’re also less than a week away from seeing the next major iteration of iOS. Headed into the event, there is actually very little that we know about iOS 11 and what it will bring to iPhone and iPad users. Of course, that hasn’t stopped many people from speculating and offering their wish lists for iOS 11.

Read on as we highlight some of the best iOS 11 concepts and ideas to date…

more…