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"It's timeless": Apple Music reveals best albums of all time

<p>Apple Music has compiled their list of the top 100 albums of all time, with the number one spot dividing music lovers. </p> <p>Said to be “a modern 21st-century ranking of the greatest records ever made,” the list was compiled by Apple Music’s team of experts “alongside a select group of artists, songwriters, producers, and industry professionals.”</p> <p>“The list is an editorial statement,” the streaming giant said in a press release, “fully independent of any streaming numbers on Apple Music - a love letter to the records that have shaped the world music lovers live and listen in.”</p> <p>Taking out the number one spot, which has divided music lovers, is Lauryn Hill’s 1998 magnum opus <em>The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.</em></p> <p>The album beat out other iconic works such as <em>Abbey Road</em> by The Beatles and <em>Thriller</em> by Michael Jackson for the top spot, as well as newer records such as <em>Back to Black</em> by Amy Winehouse and <em>Blonde</em> by Frank Ocean. </p> <p>Following the big reveal, Apple Music’s global creative director, Zane Lowe, described Hill’s album as one that “has not dated, not even a fraction”.</p> <p>“In fact, it feels more fresh and more relevant the more you listen to it … There are a lot of young artists hearing it, and it’s becoming part of their artistic DNA,” he said.</p> <p>“It’s inspiring and influencing them … It’s timeless.”</p> <p>While <em>The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill</em> is certainly popular after selling over 20 million copies and making it one of the best-selling albums of all time, not everyone was so sure it deserved top spot on the list.</p> <p>“Album is fire but no way this gets #1 of all albums,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter, while another account declared simply: “BLASPHEMY.”</p> <p>“The most overrated album in history. I’m not saying it’s not good but come on,” a user wrote.</p> <p>Many people also insisted Jackson’s “Thriller” deserved to be number one.</p> <p>“That album had no miss, but Michael Jackson thriller is no 1,” an X user said.</p> <p>“I feel like Michael got snubbed,” another agreed.</p> <p>Check out the top 20 of the coveted list below. You can see the top 100 list in its entirety <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/best-albums-of-all-time-revealed/news-story/620abfb3fc0279559eff1cbbbb552b80" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>20. Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys</p> <p>19. The Chronic – Dr. Dre</p> <p>18. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift</p> <p>17. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye</p> <p>16. Blue – Joni Mitchell</p> <p>15. 21 – Adele</p> <p>14. Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan</p> <p>13. The Blueprint – Jay-Z</p> <p>12. OK Computer – Radiohead</p> <p>11. Rumours – Fleetwood Mac</p> <p>10. Lemonade – Beyoncé</p> <p>9. Nevermind – Nirvana</p> <p>8. Back to Black – Amy Winehouse</p> <p>7. good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe Version) – Kendrick Lamar</p> <p>6. Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder</p> <p>5. Blonde – Frank Ocean</p> <p>4. Purple Rain – Prince & The Revolution </p> <p>3. Abbey Road - The Beatles</p> <p>2. Thriller - Michael Jackson</p> <p>1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill</p> <p><em>Image credits: Ruffhouse Records / Apple Records / Epic Records</em></p> <div class="media image" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 24px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; width: 705.202209px; max-width: 100%;"> </div>

Music

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Apple and pear strudel

<p>This moist, delicious apple and pear strudel makes a warming winter dessert, and is a fantastic recipe to try in the kitchen with your grandchildren.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Ingredients</strong>:</span></p> <ul> <li>Granny smith apple</li> <li>Pear</li> <li>65g seedless raisins</li> <li>55g walnut halves</li> <li>1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</li> <li>70g caster sugar</li> <li>5 sheets of filo pastry</li> <li>2 tablespoons vegetable oil</li> <li>Icing sugar, to dust</li> </ul> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Method</strong>:</span></p> <ol> <li>To begin, preheat oven to 220°C then prepare the fruit by peeling and coring the apple and pears, then coarsely chop them along with the seedless raisins and walnut halves.</li> <li>Combine the fruit and walnuts in a medium bowl with the cinnamon and caster sugar.</li> <li>Place the filo sheets on a clean work surface.</li> <li>Cover the filo sheets with a dry tea towel than a damp tea towel to prevent from drying out.</li> <li>Brush one of the filo sheets with a little oil, then top with another sheet and brush with oil.</li> <li>Continue this layering process with the remaining filo sheets.</li> <li>Spoon the fruit mixture on the short edge of the filo, leaving a 4cm border.</li> <li>Fold in the ends and roll up to enclose, then brush with oil and place on baking tray.</li> <li>Bake on top shelf of oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.</li> <li>Dust with icing sugar, cut into equal slices and serve.</li> </ol> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Screwed over: how Apple and others are making it impossible to get a cheap and easy phone repair

<p>If Apple and other tech companies have their way, it will only become harder to have our phones and other devices repaired by third-party businesses.</p> <p>Smartphones and many other tech devices are increasingly being designed in ways that make it challenging to repair or replace individual components.</p> <p>This might involve soldering the processor and flash memory to the motherboard, gluing components together unnecessarily, or using non-standard <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/News/14279/apples-diabolical-plan-to-screw-your-iphone">pentalobe screws</a> which make replacements problematic.</p> <p>Many submissions to an Australian “right to repair” <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/repair/submissions#initial">inquiry</a> have called on tech manufacturers to provide a fair and competitive market for repairs, and produce products that are easily repairable. </p> <p>The <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/repair/issues/repair-issues.pdf">right to repair</a> refers to consumers’ ability to have their products repaired at a competitive price. This includes being able to choose a repairer, rather than being forced by default to use the device manufacturer’s services. </p> <p>But it seems Apple doesn’t want its customers to fix their <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/evmeya/apple-iphone-right-to-repair-california">iPhones</a>or <a href="https://www.inputmag.com/culture/apples-repair-policies-are-utterly-shameful-and-shouldnt-be-allowed-e-waste-recycling-macbooks-t2">Macbooks</a> themselves. The company has <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/nz85y7/apple-is-lobbying-against-your-right-to-repair-iphones-new-york-state-records-confirm">lobbied against</a> the right to repair in the United States and has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/18/936268845/apple-agrees-to-pay-113-million-to-settle-batterygate-case-over-iphone-slowdowns">been accused of deliberately slowing down</a> iPhones with older batteries.</p> <p><a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2019/10/16/tech-giants-fight-digital-right-to-repair-bills">Opposition</a> against the right to repair from tech companies is to be expected. Cornering consumers into using their service centres increases their revenue and extends their market domination.</p> <p>In its defence, Apple has said <a href="https://time.com/4828099/farmers-and-apple-fight-over-the-toolbox/">third-party repairers</a> could use lower quality parts and also make devices vulnerable to hackers. </p> <p>It also defended its <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2019/08/14/apple-defends-iphone-unauthorized-battery-warning-as-a-safety-feature/">battery warning indication</a> as a “safety” feature, wherein it started to alert users if their phone’s replacement battery hadn’t come from a certified Apple repairer. </p> <p>In the US, Apple’s <a href="https://support.apple.com/irp-program">independent repair provider program</a> grants certain providers access to the parts and resources needed to fix its devices. Independent repair shops in <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/07/apple-expands-iphone-repair-services-to-hundreds-of-new-locations-across-the-us/">32 countries</a> can now apply, but the scheme has yet to extend outside the US.</p> <h2>Impact on users</h2> <p>With the iPhone 12 — the latest iPhone offering — Apple has <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/News/45921/is-this-the-end-of-the-repairable-iphone">made it even harder</a> for third-party repairers to fix the device, thereby increasing users’ reliance on its own services. </p> <p>Apple has hiked its <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/iphone/repair/service/screen-replacement">repair charges</a> for iPhone 12 by more than 40%, compared with the iPhone 11. It is <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/iphone/repair/service/screen-replacement">charging</a> more than A$359 to fix an iPhone 12 screen outside of warranty and A$109 to replace the battery. </p> <p>Historically, third-party repairers have been a cheaper option. But using a third-party repairer for an iPhone 12 could render some phone features, such as the camera, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/30/21542242/apple-iphone-12-third-party-repairs-ifixit-camera-module-replacement">almost inoperable</a>.</p> <p>According to reports, fixing the iPhone 12’s camera requires <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/30/iphone-12-camera-repair/">Apple’s proprietary</a> system configuration app, available only to the company’s own authorised technicians. </p> <p>It’s not just Apple, either. <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/samsungs-galaxy-s20-ultra-is-unsurprisingly-difficult-to-repair">Samsung’s</a> flagship phones are also quite tricky for third-party repairers to fix.</p> <h2>Impact on environment</h2> <p>When certain parts for repairs aren’t available, manufacturers will produce new phones instead, consuming <a href="https://www.envirotech-online.com/news/environmental-laboratory/7/breaking-news/how-do-smartphones-affect-the-environment/48339">more energy and resources</a>. In fact, manufacturing one smartphone <a href="https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/science/article/pii/S095965261733233X">consumes</a> as much energy as using it for ten years.</p> <p>As smartphones become harder to repair, electronic waste will grow. Apple and Samsung both cited environmental benefits when they announced they would no longer ship <a href="https://theconversation.com/apples-iphone-12-comes-without-a-charger-a-smart-waste-reduction-move-or-clever-cash-grab-148189">chargers</a> with their phones. </p> <p>Yet, they’ve turned a blind eye to the environmental damage that would arise from completely cornering the repair market.</p> <p>The average Australian home has <a href="https://thinktv.com.au/facts-and-stats/australian-homes-are-experiencing-a-screen-explosion/">6.7 devices</a>, including televisions, personal computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. With diminishing opportunities for repair, the environmental burden from disposing of these devices will increase.</p> <h2>What is being done?</h2> <p>Phone giants make it tough for third-party repairers to do their job in a variety of ways. This includes constantly changing designs, adding hurdles to the repair process, and restricting access to parts, diagnostic software and repair documentation. </p> <p>Meanwhile, consumers are left with broken phones and huge repair bills — and repairers are left with less business.</p> <p>The fight to remove barriers to repair is gaining momentum outside Australia, too, in countries including <a href="https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/when-will-canadians-have-right-repair">Canada</a>, the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/right-to-repair-means-spare-parts-for-household-appliances-mr5gmkjxr">United Kingdom</a> and the <a href="https://www.repair.org/legislation">United States</a>. Legislative reforms have been introduced in the <a href="https://repair.eu/news/european-parliament-calls-for-ambitious-right-to-repair/">European Union</a> and <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/93wy8v/newly-passed-right-to-repair-law-will-fundamentally-change-tesla-repair">Massachusetts</a>.</p> <p>France has introduced a <a href="https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/indice-reparabilite">Repairability Index</a> requiring electrical and electronic equipment companies to inform consumers about their products’ repairability on a scale of one to ten. </p> <p>This takes into account the ease of repairability, availability and price of spare parts and availability of technical repair documents.</p> <h2>The path moving forward</h2> <p>Until the push for right to repair legislative reform gathers pace globally, consumers will have little choice but to pay up to big companies to access their authorised repair services. </p> <p>If they don’t, they may risk losing their warranty, ending up with a non-functional device and even <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e449c8c3ef68d752f3e70dc/t/5ea8a6d93b485d0feb9b5d6b/1588111098207/Report_RightToRepair_HanleyKellowayVaheesan-1.pdf">infringing</a> upon the manufacturers’ software copyrights.</p> <p>Ideally, phone companies (and others) would assist users with the repair process by providing replacement parts, repair documentation and diagnostic tools to third-party repairers. </p> <p>This would also help <a href="https://www.apple.com/au/newsroom/2020/07/apple-commits-to-be-100-percent-carbon-neutral-for-its-supply-chain-and-products-by-2030/">Apple</a> and <a href="https://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/sustainability/environment/">Samsung</a> reduce their carbon footprint and achieve their environmental goals.</p> <p>Although the way things are going, it’s unlikely tech companies will be able to escape their self-inflicted repair obligations. In the past, Apple CEO Jeff Williams has <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/08/apple-offers-customers-even-more-options-for-safe-reliable-repairs/">said, "</a>we believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested."</p> <p>But with only so much workforce available even to Apple, sharing the load with smaller repairers will help. </p> <p>And for consumers’ benefit, the right to repair legislation must be taken seriously, with consistent repairability scores developed across the globe.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/screwed-over-how-apple-and-others-are-making-it-impossible-to-get-a-cheap-and-easy-phone-repair-156871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Technology

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Rhubarb and apple tarts

<p>These individual tarts are heavenly, and go perfectly with cream, or are just as good by themselves. Try them and see.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Makes:</span></strong> 6 tarts</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>500g shortcrust pastry (store-bought or your favourite recipe)</li> <li>1 tablespoon plain flour</li> <li>¼ cup caster sugar</li> <li>2 apples, peeled and sliced</li> <li>300g rhubarb cut into 2cm pieces</li> <li>2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</li> <li>¼ teaspoon ground cardamom</li> <li>1 egg, beaten</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat your oven to 200°C and put a large baking tray on the middle rack to warm up.</li> <li>Roll out your pastry and cut out six circles approximately 15cm and put them in the fridge to stay chilled.</li> <li>Toss the apples and rhubarb slices with the flour, caster sugar, cinnamon and cardamom.</li> <li>Lay a large piece of baking paper on the counter and place the chilled pastry on top. Fill the centre of each pastry with the apple and rhubarb mixture.</li> <li>Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the sides of the filling, pressing it together.</li> <li>Brush the pastry with a little of the beaten egg and sprinkle a little extra caster sugar on top.</li> <li>Slide the tarts onto the hot tray and cook for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.</li> </ol> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Strawberry and Apple Crumble

<p dir="ltr">All it takes is just one bite of this fruity delight and it'll instantly become a cereal favourite.</p> <h2 dir="ltr">Ingredients</h2> <p dir="ltr">600g apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced</p> <p dir="ltr">2 Tbsp water</p> <p dir="ltr">2 tsp CSR LoGiCane Sugar</p> <p dir="ltr">300g pkt frozen strawberries</p> <h3 dir="ltr">Oat and pistachio crumble</h3> <p dir="ltr">50g (½ cup) rolled oats</p> <p dir="ltr">40g (1 cup) Special K cereal, roughly crushed</p> <p dir="ltr">2 Tbsp unsalted pistachio kernels, finely chopped</p> <p dir="ltr">¼ tsp ground cardamom</p> <p dir="ltr">1 Tbsp honey</p> <p dir="ltr">1 eggwhite (from 50g egg), lightly whisked</p> <h2 dir="ltr">Method</h2> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Put apple, water and sugar in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 7 minutes or until apple is almost tender. Remove pan from heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes or until apple is tender.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Meanwhile, to make oat and pistachio crumble, put rolled oats, cereal, pistachios and cardamom in a small bowl. Add honey and eggwhite, and stir until well combined.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Preheat oven to 170°C (fan-forced). Put a 2L (8-cup) ovenproof dish on an oven tray. Add apple mixture to the dish. Sprinkle strawberries over apple mixture. Sprinkle crumble over strawberries. Bake for 15 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Serve immediately.</p> </li> </ol> <h3 dir="ltr">Nutrition Info PER SERVE</h3> <p dir="ltr">750kJ, protein 4.5g, total fat 3.5g (sat. fat 0.5g), carbs 30g, fibre 4.8g, sodium 47mg. Carb exchanges 2. GI estimate low.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bed95ef2-7fff-3430-796d-c1311ae67159"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"> </p>

Food & Wine

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Nonna’s breakfast apple cake

<p dir="ltr">Perfect for a Saturday afternoon baking session, this recipe is a little more involved than your average sweet treat. However, you can have your cake and eat it too! Here’s a fresh take on Nonna’s breakfast cake. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Nonna’s Breakfast Apple Cake with NUTELLA®</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Difficulty:</strong> ⅔</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Time:</strong> 1hr 15mins</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Serves:</strong> 12</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients: </strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">2 eggs</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">⅓ cup brown sugar</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">½ cup plain Greek yoghurt</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 tbsp butter</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">⅓ cup wholemeal flour</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 tbsp baking powder</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">½ cup of wheat germ</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">¼ tsp salt</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">½ cup chopped hazelnuts</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">½ cup chopped pecans</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 ⅓ cup grated carrots</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 ⅓ cup grated apples</p> </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>To serve:</strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">15g (1 tbsp) Nutella®</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Method: </strong></p> <p> </p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Preheat the oven to 180℃. Grease the bottom of a 20cm square cake pan with butter (removed flour). In a large bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar together. Add the apple sauce and yoghurt, and beat until you’ve created a smooth mixture. </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">In a separate bowl, mix the 2 kinds of flour, baking powder, wheat germ and salt. Then, gradually combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and mix until smooth. Finally, add the chopped nuts, carrots and grated apples, and mix well. </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Spread the mixture evenly in the cake pan and bake for 50 minutes.Remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes. Then, transfer the cake from the tin to a cake rack to cool further.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">When you’re ready to delight your crowd, slice the cake into 12 equal pieces. Then, cut each individual piece in half and spread 1 tablespoon of Nutella® on one half. Play the other half on top, like a sandwich, and enjoy!</p> </li> </ol> <p> </p> <p><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Finally! Long-awaited features coming to iPhones

<p dir="ltr">Apple has announced a new suite of features will be introduced to iPhones in the latest update, including some that have been highly anticipated by iPhone owners.</p> <p dir="ltr">The tech giant broke the news at its Worldwide Developers Conference at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, in early June, which corresponded to a jump in the value of Apple’s shares by 0.2 percent according to <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/apple-unveils-major-changes-to-iphone-at-wwdc/news-story/5c1758ec73128d842d3cf4b2a822ba4e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Apple revealed that the new iOS 16 operating system would include one of the company’s most highly-requested changes: the ability to edit and un-send iMessages.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d3c1fe85-7fff-60f4-b579-845e5eae5011"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">A total overhaul of the phone’s lockscreen will also be included in the new operating system, with users gaining the ability to create their own using custom fonts and widgets for a host of different apps.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/Apple-WWDC22-iOS16-3up-hero-220606.jpg" alt="" width="1960" height="1102" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The new lockscreen was announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference Image: Apple</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Apple said that notifications will also “roll in” through a compact bar at the bottom of the screen rather than dominating the whole display.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have re-imagined how the Lock Screen looks and works with exciting new features that make it more personal and helpful, introduced iCloud Shared Photo Library for families, streamlined communication through new capabilities in Messages and Mail, and harnessed enhanced intelligence with updates to Live Text and Visual Look Up,” Craig Thompson, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said in a press release.</p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes as Apple will be forced to use the same charger for smartphones, tablets and laptops sold in the European Union, under a landmark deal that will see a single charger be able to charge any device sold in the EU from late 2024, per <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/mobile-phones/apple-forced-to-use-the-same-usbc-charger-for-all-products-after-landmark-eu-agreement/news-story/cd3a71bf9fa5a100bd8a2cbfc2e20015" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a rule which will apply to everyone,” said Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Alex Agius Saliba, who led the negotiations.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If Apple ... or anyone wants to market their product, sell their products within our internal market, they have to abide by our rules and their device has to be USB-C,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d8e338f6-7fff-7e3d-28f6-8ddb511cc63d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Buy now, pay later: Apple will now lend you money to keep you spending and expand its empire

<p>Apple has joined the thriving “buy now, pay later” industry, with a customised service called <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/06/06/apple-announces-buy-now-pay-later-program-called-apple-pay-later.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Pay Later</a>. The service was announced earlier this week at the 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference, and will initially be launched in the United States later <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2022/06/07/apple-pay-later-purchases-installment-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this year</a>.</p> <p>Pay Later will be built into the Apple Wallet and eligible for use on any purchase made through Apple Pay. Customers will be able to split the cost of a purchase into four equal payments, with zero interest and fees, spread over a period of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jun/06/apple-redesigns-the-iphone-lock-screen-in-ios-16-at-wwdc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four months</a>.</p> <p>To qualify, however, Apple will first do a <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/finance/banking/wwdc-2022-buy-now-pay-later-with-apples-new-wallet-feature/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soft credit check</a> on users wanting to use the service. The technology behemoth <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/06/apple-unveils-new-ways-to-share-and-communicate-in-ios-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> it has designed the feature with “users’ financial health in mind”.</p> <p>It’s likely Apple is trying to consolidate its foothold in the world of consumer finance, and increase its profitability. And consumers should be aware of the risks of using such a service.</p> <p><strong>Apple: the consumer darling</strong></p> <p>With the launch of Pay Later, Apple will be competing with many other similar fin-tech companies including PayPal, Block, Klarna and AfterPay – some of which saw their share prices <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-13/apple-goldman-plan-buy-now-pay-later-service-to-rival-paypal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fall</a> following Apple’s announcement.</p> <p>Apple will benefit from its huge market and brand power, with the capability to attract millions to its products and services. And with an acute focus on customer experience, Apple has managed to foster a community of evangelists. There’s no doubt the company is a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinemoorman/2018/01/12/why-apple-is-still-a-great-marketer-and-what-you-can-learn/?sh=55e3c32c15bd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consumer darling</a>.</p> <p>Moreover, Apple has established an ever-growing ecosystem in which users are encouraged to tap into Apple products and services as much, and as often, as possible – such as by making payments through their iPhone instead of a bank card.</p> <p>The tech giant provides ways to integrate once-separate computing capabilities into a phone or wristwatch – while keeping the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinemoorman/2018/01/12/why-apple-is-still-a-great-marketer-and-what-you-can-learn/?sh=7c61018615bd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consumer’s experience</a> in focus. Pay Later enhances this customer-centric experience further. It’s one more way users can integrate the tools they need within a single ecosystem.</p> <p><strong>What’s in it for Apple?</strong></p> <p>Apple stands to make financial gains through Pay Later, thereby adding to its bottom line. Currently its reach in the retail world is evident, with iPhone-based payment services <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-13/apple-goldman-plan-buy-now-pay-later-service-to-rival-paypal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accepted by 85% of US retailers</a>.</p> <p>One 2021 survey found that about 26% of <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1275393/australia-share-of-consumers-using-bnpl-by-purchase-category/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regular online shoppers</a> in Australia used buy now, pay later services.</p> <p>As Apple’s customers increasingly start to use the Pay Later service, it will gain from merchant fees. These are fees which retailers pay Apple in exchange for being able to offer customers Apple Pay. In addition, Apple will also gain valuable insight into consumers’ purchase behaviours, which will allow the company to predict future consumption and spending behaviour.</p> <p>To deliver the buy now, pay later service, Apple has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-13/apple-goldman-plan-buy-now-pay-later-service-to-rival-paypal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined forces with Goldman Sachs</a>, who will finance the loans.</p> <p>This relationship has been in place since 2019, with Goldman Sachs also acting as a partner for the Apple credit card (although Pay Later is not tied to the Apple credit card). This strategic partnership has helped Apple gain strong footing in the world of consumer finance.</p> <p><strong>Challenges for consumers</strong></p> <p>The reality is that the world of <a href="https://www.holmanwebb.com.au/blog/655/buy-now-pay-later-bnpl-update-how-to-seek-and-keep-code-compliance-accreditation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unregulated finance</a>, which includes buy now, pay later, does not bode well <a href="https://ndh.org.au/debt-problems/buy-now-pay-later/risks-of-using-buy-now-pay-later/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for all customers</a>.</p> <p>Younger <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/content/almost-75-of-bnpl-users-us-gen-z-millennials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demographics</a> (such as Gen Z and Millenials) and low-income <a href="https://thefintechtimes.com/one-in-four-bnpl-users-are-financially-vulnerable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">households</a> can be <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/07/why-millennials-and-gen-zs-are-jumping-on-the-buy-now-pay-later-trend.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more vulnerable</a> to the risks associated with using these services – and can rack up debt as a result.</p> <p>Purchases through buy now, pay later schemes may also be driven by a desire to own the latest <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/16/chinas-buy-now-pay-later-market-to-grow-challenges-ahead-experts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gadgets and luxury goods</a> – a message pushed onto consumers through slick marketing. They can condition consumers to make purchases without feeling the pain of parting with cold, hard cash.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="An indoor shopping arcade is lined with luxury stores on either side" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Buy now, pay later schemes can give consumers the satisfaction of buying expensive products – without feeling like they’re splitting from cold, hard cash.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>From a consumer psychology perspective, these services encourages immediate gratification and put younger people on the consumption treadmill. In other words, they may continually spend more money on purchases than they can actually afford.</p> <p>Missing payments on Pay Later would negatively impact an individual’s <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/finance/banking/wwdc-2022-buy-now-pay-later-with-apples-new-wallet-feature/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">credit rating</a>, which can then have adverse outcomes such as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/select/side-effects-of-bad-credit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not qualifying</a> for traditional loans or credit cards.</p> <p>A focus on consumerist behaviour can also trigger an “<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-psychology-deciding/202201/if-i-own-it-it-must-be-good-what-is-the-ownership-effect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ownership effect</a>”. This is when people become attached to their purchases and are unlikely to return them, even if they can’t afford them.</p> <p>Apple’s technology-driven and consumer-centric marketing gives it an edge over other buy now, pay later schemes. It claims the service is designed with consumers’ financial health in mind. But as is the case with any of these services, consumers ought to be aware of the risks and manage them carefully. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184550/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rajat-roy-1227884" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajat Roy</a>, Associate Professor, Bond Business School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bond University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/buy-now-pay-later-apple-will-now-lend-you-money-to-keep-you-spending-and-expand-its-empire-184550" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Gwyneth Paltrow’s tribute to her daughter on her 18th birthday

<p dir="ltr">Gwyneth Paltrow has shared a heartwarming photo of her daughter Apple on her 18th birthday.</p> <p dir="ltr">The actress took to Instagram to share the incredible milestone and expressed her love for her daughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">The photo shows Apple checking her birthday outfit in the mirror along with the beautiful caption that left the star “lost for words”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“18. I’m a bit of a loss for words this morning,” Gwyneth’s post reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could not be more proud of the woman you are. You are everything I could have dreamed of and so much more. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Proud doesn’t cover it, my heart swells with feelings I can’t put in to words. You are deeply extraordinary in every way. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdi0dNDLjQ7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdi0dNDLjQ7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Happy birthday my darling girl. I hope you know how special you are, and how much light you have brought to all who are lucky enough to know you. Especially me. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I say it all the time and I will never stop… in the words of auntie Drew, I was born the day you were born. I love you. Mama.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Gwyneth shares Moses, 16, and Apple, 18, with her ex-husband Chris Martin.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a previous Instagram story, she revealed that it was her Chris who actually came up with Apple’s name. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Her dad came up with the name and I fell in love with it. I thought it was original and cool. I can’t imagine her being called anything else.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Gwyneth Paltrow’s phone “traumatises” kids

<p dir="ltr">Gwyneth Paltrow’s kids have been left embarrassed after seeing her phone screensaver.</p> <p dir="ltr">Paltrow’s kids, Moses, 16, and Apple, 17, who she shares with her ex-husband Chris Martin came across their mother’s phone and were “traumatised” at what they saw.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 49-year-old wrote in her Goop newsletter saying her kids immediately changed her phone background which is a shirtless photo of her current husband Brad Falchuk.</p> <p dir="ltr">"My lock screen was a picture of Brad without his shirt on. And my kids were so traumatized that they picked up the phone and took this selfie," she wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">She also shared the adorable snap her kids replaced the photo with which showed the pair staring at the camera and Apple doing the “rock on” sign.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-20-at-12.22.06-pm.png" alt="" width="616" height="1170" /></p> <p dir="ltr">Paltrow and Falchuk have been married since 2018 and she is the stepmother of his teenage son Brody and daughter Isabella. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Goop founder regularly shares posts of her children to her Instagram and recently shared a post in honour of Moses’s 16th birthday. </p> <p dir="ltr">“@mosesmartin you are 16 today. I’m not sure how I’m writing that number,” she wrote along with a photo of Moses surrounded by colourful balloons.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Since you came into the world on that perfectly New York spring morning, you have made the world a better place. </p> <p dir="ltr">“With every thought, action and intuition you have, you make people feel seen, heard and valued. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You are deeply special to all who know you. I am so lucky to be your mama. I’m savoring every minute as you grow and change into this amazing man. </p> <p dir="ltr">“What a true blessing to have you, your wisdom, your kindness, and your beautiful singing voice ringing through our halls. You mean the world to me, my boy. Happy birthday.”</p> <p dir="ltr">On International Women’s Day, Paltrow shared a photo of Apple, thanking her for making her the woman she is today. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Apple to update AirTags amid claims of stalking and theft

<p dir="ltr">Apple has announced it will add <a href="https://7news.com.au/technology/apple-plans-airtag-security-updates-to-curb-unwanted-tracking-c-5654390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more safeguards</a> to AirTags, a tracking device used to find keys and other personal items, amid reports of the devices being used to stalk people and steal cars.</p><p dir="ltr">The tech giant said in a <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/02/an-update-on-airtag-and-unwanted-tracking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog post</a> that it had worked with safety groups and law enforcement agencies to identify more ways of improving its AirTag safety warnings.</p><p dir="ltr">These new measures include alerting people sooner if the tracker is suspected to be tracking someone, as current notifications that the tracker has been separated from its owner can take hours.</p><p dir="ltr">Other updates will include adjusting the tone sequence of the tracker so it is louder and easier to find and allowing someone to see the distance and direction of an AirTag, which are expected to be introduced later this year.</p><p dir="ltr">Apple will also add warnings during the setup process, informing users that tracking people without their consent is a crime.</p><p dir="ltr">Stories of people realising they are being tracked using the Apple devices have increased in recent months, including the case where a Melbourne student was notified through her iPhone that someone had been tracking her for three hours while she was out with friends.</p><p dir="ltr">Her mother Sue, who spoke to <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em> on condition of anonymity, said her daughter had found the AirTag in her handbag before destroying it in a panic.</p><p dir="ltr">Other stories have emerged online of people, especially young women, discovering the devices hidden in their vehicles.</p><p dir="ltr">“We’ve become aware that individuals can receive unwanted tracking alerts for benign reasons, such as when borrowing someone’s keys with an AirTag attached, or when travelling in a car with a family member’s AirPods left inside,” Apple said in a statement.</p><p dir="ltr">“We also have seen reports of bad actors attempting to misuse AirTags for malicious or criminal purposes.</p><p dir="ltr">“We condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products,” the company said.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-96a6b3a5-7fff-6b68-d02a-e5cd8f38ca1e"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Why ‘turning it off and on again’ actually works

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having problems with our phones, tablets, and other tech is an almost-universal experience, but one simple technique can fix almost every single one.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Popularised by the British show </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The IT Crowd</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, turning a device on and off again can fix a range of problems </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/have-you-tried-turning-it-off-and-on-again-the-easiest-fix-for-tech-issues/news-story/5759759b1b1b9926527da81457a826a2" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">according to experts</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Restarting a device works because it wipes the current state of the software and restarts the system, meaning that any code that is stuck or misbehaving will be dumped too.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, scheduling regular reboots can even prevent issues from popping up in the first place.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For phones and tablets, particularly Android and Apple devices, running non-stop can lead to issues such as slow performance, and connectivity issues. So if your issue is specific, such as a certain app or page not loading, restarting the phone should be your first step.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, that doesn’t mean you should be constantly restarting your devices, with experts recommending doing it about once every week or so for the best effect.</span></p> <p><strong>How to restart Android devices</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The easiest method of restarting your device involves holding down the power button and pressing the ‘Restart’ option when it appears on your screen.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If this doesn’t happen, you can just hold down the power button for 30 seconds to turn the device off, and start it again normally.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some phones also offer an option to schedule automatic reboots, even letting you choose the day and time. To do this on a Samsung Galaxy for instance, go to settings and search for auto-restart at set times, or go to settings, then battery and device care, tap the three dots and select automation.</span></p> <p><strong>How to restart iPhones and iPads</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Restarting an Apple device can be done by holding down the power button and one of the volume buttons until a slider appears which says ‘Power off’. Once you press the power button, you can push it again to restart the device.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Otherwise, you can try a force restart if the slider doesn’t appear.</span></p> <p><strong>Desktops and laptops</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though most modern computers prompt you when a restart is needed - such as after installing new software - it is recommended that computers have a full backup and restart at least once a year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To keep things running smoothly, it’s best to turn your computer off each night and switch it on when you need it again.</span></p> <p><strong>How to restart Windows PCs</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Windows PC can be restarted by clicking the start menu, clicking on power, and choosing the restart option. It’s recommended that Windows devices are restarted about once a week.</span></p> <p><strong>How to restart Mac computers</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlike Windows, Apple recommends that you only restart your device when you encounter a problem.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To restart, click the Apple icon in the top left corner and then select restart.</span></p> <p><strong>What about Smart TVs?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly to Apple, Smart TV manufacturers recommend restarting only when a problem arises, such as apps refusing to load or if the interface is slow.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The easiest way to restart a Smart TV is to turn it off, unplug it and wait for 30 seconds before plugging it back in and turning it on again.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Technology

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Sports Illustrated model stalked with Apple AirTag

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supermodel Brooks Nader says she was stalked by a stranger using an AirTag, who followed her around New York City for five hours. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 26-year-old said she only realised she was being tracked when her iPhone alerted her to the fact that an “unknown accessory” was moving with her through the city.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The AirTag, which was first released in April 2020, is a coin-shaped device that acts as a key tracker, with users connecting the small device to their smartphone to track lost items. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the AirTag’s innovative technology, there have been numerous reports that the $45 device has been used by stalkers and thieves, to track people and their belongings without their knowing. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brooks Nader appears to be the latest victim of this tracking, as she shared her terrifying ordeal with her online following of 827,000 people. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This ‘device’ followed me for the last five hours to every location and (it belonged to) no one in my ‘network.’ It also wasn’t a phone or tablet, it was an ‘item,’” she explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The model subsequently shared a screenshot of an AirTag via Instagram Stories: “@Apple, did you take into consideration the danger and potentially fatal consequences this device has?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She added, “For those asking, it’s not my AirTag, it’s someone randoms, who must have slipped it into my belongings while out. Thank you all for checking in and sending helpful articles. I want this to be a PSA to all my ladies to please please check your belongings.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Apple, they have introduced a system to prevent stalking by notifying people if their smartphone detects an unregistered AirTag in their vicinity. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking,” the tech company states on its website. “If someone else’s AirTag finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it’s travelling with you and send you an alert.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The alert is what tipped Nader off to the fact an AirTag was in her coat pocket.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spokesperson for Apple told </span><a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/07/sports-illustrated-model-is-latest-victim-of-airtag-stalker/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New York Post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, “We take customer safety very seriously and are committed to AirTag’s privacy and security. AirTag is designed with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking – a first in the industry – and the Find My network includes a smart, tunable system with deterrents that applies to AirTag, as well as third-party products as part of the Find My Network accessory program.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to the safety concerns of AirTags, several Aussie retailers including Big W, JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks have banned the sale of the devices. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Instagram @brooksnader</span></em></p>

Technology

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Tearful Prince William recalls sweet memory with Diana

<p dir="ltr">Prince William will take listeners on a special walk down memory lane for a special festive episode of Apple Fitness’ ‘Time To Walk’ audio series.</p> <p dir="ltr">By recording the podcast, William is hoping to encourage people to take a break and go for a walk for their mental wellbeing over the Christmas break. According to CNN, William is a fan of the series and approached Apple about collaborating on an episode. Episodes in the series range from between 25 to 40 minutes in length, and feature guests who go for a walk in a meaningful location and reflect on life’s lessons while sharing memories and experiences through stories, photos, and songs.</p> <p dir="ltr">William recorded his walk earlier in the year, in the spring, and it sees him taking a stroll across his family’s 20,000-acre Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. He begins the episode by contemplating his father’s love of walking and says that while growing up, Charles "used to try and force Harry and I out of the house the whole time", adding that "we weren't really having any of it."</p> <p dir="ltr">He continued, "But now, as you get older, you appreciate it a lot more and you see it for what it is.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The walk sees William walk past St. Mary Magdalene Church, where the royal family will attend a Christmas Day service later this month, and Anmer Hall, where he and Catherine live with their children.</p> <p dir="ltr">William shared memories of the family’s annual Christmas day pilgrimage, describing Prince Phillip plowing ahead while "there'd be us at the back with little legs trying to keep up."</p> <p dir="ltr">He also discussed the importance of keeping mentally fit, and described a moment during a 2013 event that “nearly knocked” him off his feet.</p> <p dir="ltr">During a fundraising gala at Kensington Palace at which Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift were guests, Swift turned to William during Bon Jovi’s performance and said, “Come on, William. Let's go and sing”. He continued, "To this day, I still do not know what came over me. Honestly, even now I'm cringing at what happened next, and I don't understand why I gave in. But, frankly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your arm, and says, 'Come with me...' I got up like a puppy and went, 'Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea. I'll follow you.'"</p> <p dir="ltr">William describes walking towards the stage “in a trance” and desperately trying to recall the words to ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’. "Beneath my black tie, there was a lot of sweating going on. I felt like a swan, where I was trying to keep myself composed on the outside, but inside, the little legs are paddling fast," he said, adding that, "At times, when you're taken out of your comfort zone, you've got to roll with it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The episode includes musical selections, one of which was Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’, which William remembers Princess Diana playing in the car as she drove her sons back to boarding school.</p> <p dir="ltr">Of the memory, William said, "Sitting in the backseat, singing away, it felt like a real family moment. And my mother, she'd be driving along, singing at the top of her voice. And we'd even get the policeman in the car, he'd be occasionally singing along, as well."</p> <p dir="ltr">Apparently William’s children have inherited the family’s love of music, with Charlotte’s faovurite song at the time of recording being ‘Waka Waka’ by Shakira. "Charlotte, particularly, is running around the kitchen in her dresses and ballet stuff and everything. She goes completely crazy with Louis following her around trying to do the same thing."</p> <p dir="ltr">Three mental health charities were chosen by the Duke to receive a charitable donation from Apple - Shout in the UK, Crisis Text Line in the USA and Lifeline in Australia.</p> <p dir="ltr">The episode concludes the show’s second season, and will drop for Fitness+ subscribers on Monday December 6. The company will also stream three free airings of the show on Apple Music 1, starting at 7 pm AEDST that same day.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Ex-Apple employee shares mind-blowing iPhone hacks

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A former employee at Apple has posted a series of videos sharing handy hints that iPhone users never knew they needed. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Canadian tech expert Sabrina Badin knows a thing or two about Apple devices after her time working for the tech giant, and is now emparting her wisdom. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing the videos on TikTok under the username @sabbadz, she has garnered thousands of views with hacks she learned from her time as an Apple Genius. </span></p> <p><strong>Move multiple apps at once on the Home Screen</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There’s an easy way to move multiple apps at once rather than dragging them one at a time. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To move one app, hold the icon down until it starts to juggle. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can then move it to another location on the same page or somewhere else on your phone. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not many people know that you can move apps at once, as Sabrina has demonstrated in a video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First, you tap and hold one app you want to move, and then tap around the other apps you want to move with it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can then move them across your Home Screen as a group, and then letting go will drop them in a line into the empty area of your choosing.</span></p> <p><strong>Play music while recording</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There’s an easy way to jazz up your videos with a fun soundtrack. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Simply play music through your iPhone speakers with your preferred music app, whether it’s Spotify or Apple Music. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While your tune is still playing, open up the camera app, but make sure your camera is set to photo mode and not video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then, tap and hold the shutter button and drag it to the right. Your iPhone will begin recording a video while your music continues to play in the background. </span></p> <p><strong>iMessage tricks</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In order to send weird animations to your mates, all you need is a secret codeword for each effect to activate. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For instance, sending the words “pew pew” will trigger a laser effect, while the words “happy birthday” will make balloons float from the bottom of your friends’ screen. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When January rolls around, sending the words “happy new year” will trigger fireworks to burst across the message. </span></p> <p><strong>Scan real-world text in seconds</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your iPhone is loaded with a handy tool that will allow you to load the content of a menu or newspaper on your iPhone instantly. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tech, caled “Live Text”, allows you to point your iPhone camera at a real world object and quickly copy and paste text on it onto your handset. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grab an object with text you want to scan and open the Camera app on your iPhone. Point the camera at the object and then tap the indicator that appears in the lower right of your display. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It looks like lines of text surrounded by a box. When you tap it, the text jumps out on your display and you’re given the option to copy, select, look up, translate or share it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can then copy and paste this information into an email or Note, as well as any messaging social media apps. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Technology

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Apple customers worried about safety of new AirTag technology

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tech giant Apple has copped global criticism after their new gadget held crucial security concerns. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The AirTag is the latest accessory from Apple, which is a button-sized electronic device that can be attached like a keychain to valuables such as a wallet or keys, and can be linked to your Apple device to help locate the items when lost. </span></p> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/05/05/apple-airtags-stalking/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Washington Post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, among other sceptics of the new tech, pointed out the design flaw of the device after its release in early 2021, warning users it could be “frighteningly easy” for stalkers to take advantage.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A series of tests conducted by online tech reviewers pointed out how easy it could be for stalkers to place the AirTag on someone without their knowledge and then track their whereabouts. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“AirTags are a new means of inexpensive, effective stalking. I know because I tested AirTags by letting a </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Washington Post</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> colleague pretend to stalk me,” the review said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eva Galperin, cybersecurity director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, has long advocated for more awareness on the dangers of tracking technology. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t expect products to be perfect the moment they hit the market, but I don’t think they would have made the choices that they did if they had consulted even a single expert in intimate partner abuse,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After an influx of global criticism against the AirTag, Apple’s new iOS 15.2 update has made moves to remedy the possibility of stalking, by giving users access to detect “items that can track me” from their chosen Apple devices. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Within the Find My app, there is a new “unknown items” option that can scan for rogue devices the user may be unaware of in their vicinity, alerting people to suspicious activity. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These are an industry-first, strong set of proactive deterrents,” Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of iPhone marketing, said in an interview. “It’s a smart and tuneable system, and we can continue improving the logic and timing so that we can improve the set of deterrents.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Technology

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Apple’s iPod came out two decades ago and changed how we listen to music. Where are we headed now?

<p>On October 23, 2001, Apple released the iPod — a portable media player that promised to overshadow the clunky design and low storage capacity of MP3 players introduced in the mid-1990s.</p> <p>The iPod boasted the ability to “hold 1,000 songs in your pocket”. Its personalised listening format revolutionised the way we consume music. And with more than 400 million units <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/rise-and-fall-apple-ipod-2020-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">sold since its release</a>, there’s no doubt it was a success.</p> <p>Yet, two decades later, the digital music landscape continues to rapidly evolve.</p> <h2>A market success</h2> <p>The iPod expanded listening beyond the constraints of the home stereo system, allowing the user to plug into not only their headphones, but also their car radio, their computer at work, or their hi-fi system at home.</p> <p>It made it easier to entwine these disparate spaces into a single personalised soundtrack throughout the day.</p> <p><span>There were several preconditions that led to the iPod’s success. For one, it contributed to the end of an era in which people listened to relatively fixed music collections, such as mixtapes, or albums in their running order. </span></p> <p><span>The iPod (and MP3 players more generally) normalised having random collections of individual tracks.</span></p> <p>Then during the 1990s, an MP3 encoding algorithm <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=pGhIDQAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA445&amp;dq=mp3+fraunhofer&amp;ots=AMSYOhB5UQ&amp;sig=CrnewI4eSiOiWQgMiuiTO8NFRYs&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q=mp3%20fraunhofer&amp;f=false">developed</a> at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany allowed unprecedented audio data compression ratios. In simple terms, this made music files much smaller than before, hugely increasing the quantity of music that could be stored on a device.</p> <p>Then came peer-to-peer file-sharing services <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/31/napster-twenty-years-music-revolution">such as Napster</a>, Limewire and BitTorrent, released in 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively. These furthered the democratisation of the internet for the end user (with Napster <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/31/napster-twenty-years-music-revolution">garnering 80 million users</a> in three years). The result was a fast-changing digital landscape where music piracy ran rife.</p> <p>The accessibility of music significantly changed the relationship between listener and musician. In 2003, Apple responded to the music piracy crisis by launching its iTunes store, creating an <a href="https://digitalguardian.com/blog/what-digital-rights-management">attractive model</a> for copyright-protected content.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the iPod continued to sell, year after year. It was designed to do one thing, and did it well. But this would change around 2007 with the release of the touchscreen <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2604020/the-evolution-of-apples-iphone.html">iPhone</a> and <a href="https://www.androidauthority.com/history-android-os-name-789433/">Android</a> smartphones.</p> <h2>Computer in your pocket</h2> <p>The rise of touchscreen smartphones ultimately led to the iPod’s downfall. Interestingly, the music app on the original iPhone was called “iPod”.</p> <p>The iPod’s functions were essentially reappropriated and absorbed into the iPhone. The iPhone was a flexible and multifunctional device: an iPod, a phone and an internet communicator all in one — a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/29/my-electronic-swiss-army-knife-readers-on-10-years-of-the-iphone">computer in your pocket</a>.</p> <p>And by making the development tools for their products freely available, Apple and Google allowed third-party developers to create apps for their new platforms in the thousands.</p> <p>It was a game-changer for the mobile industry. And the future line of tablets, such as Apple’s iPad released in 2010, continued this trend. In 2011, iPhone sales <a href="https://www.macstories.net/news/apple-q4-2011-results-28-27-billion-revenue-17-07-million-iphones-11-12-million-ipads-4-89-million-macs-sold/">overtook the iPod</a>, and in 2014 the iPod Classic was <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-14-this-week-in-tech-history-apple-ipod-classic-discontinued.html">discontinued</a>.</p> <p>Unlike the Apple Watch, which serves as a companion to smartphones, single-purpose devices such as the iPod Classic are now seen as antiquated and obsolete.</p> <h2>Music streaming and the role of the web</h2> <p>As of this year, mobile devices are responsible for <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/277125/share-of-website-traffic-coming-from-mobile-devices/">54.8% of web traffic worldwide</a>. And while music piracy still exists, its influence has been significantly reduced by the arrival of streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube.</p> <p>These platforms have had a profound effect on how we engage with music as active and passive listeners. Spotify supports an online community-based approach to music sharing, with curated playlists.</p> <p>Based on our listening habits, it uses our activity data and a range of machine-learning <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2959100.2959120">techniques</a> to generate automatic recommendations for us. Both Spotify and YouTube have also embraced <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/19/15833880/spotify-sponsored-songs-playlists-test">sponsored content</a>, which boosts the visibility of certain labels and artists.</p> <p>And while we may want to bypass popular music recommendations — especially to support new generations of musicians who lack visibility — the reality is we’re faced with a quantity of music we can’t possibly contend with. As of February this year, more than 60,000 tracks were <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/over-60000-tracks-are-now-uploaded-to-spotify-daily-thats-nearly-one-per-second/">being uploaded</a> to Spotify each day.</p> <h2>What’s next?</h2> <p>The experience of listening to music will become increasingly immersive with time, and we’ll only find more ways to seamlessly integrate it into our lives. Some signs of this include:</p> <ul> <li> <p>Gen Z’s growing obsession with platforms such as TikTok, which is a huge promotional tool for artists lucky enough to have their track attached to a viral trend</p> </li> <li> <p>new interactive tools for music exploration, such as <a href="http://radio.garden/visit/perth/cKenL5sw">Radio Garden</a> (which lets you tune into radio stations from across the globe), the <a href="https://eternalbox.dev/jukebox_index.html">Eternal Jukebox for Spotify</a> and <a href="https://github.com/ShunSawada/Music-information-processing/issues/28which">Instrudive</a></p> </li> <li> <p>the use of wearables, such as <a href="https://www.bose.com.au/en_au/products/frames.html">Bose’s audio sunglasses</a> and bone-conduction headphones, which allow you to listen to music while interacting with the world rather than being closed off, and</p> </li> <li> <p>the surge in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/legalentertainment/2021/02/09/the-future-of-live-events-ar-vr-and-advertising/?sh=412c20c42b65">virtual music performances</a> during the COVID pandemic, which suggests virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality will become increasingly accepted as spaces for experiencing music performances.</p> </li> </ul> <p>The industry is also increasingly adopting immersive audio. Apple has incorporated Dolby Atmos 3D spatial audio into both its Logic Pro music production software and music on the iTunes store. With spatial audio capabilities, the listener can experience surround sound with the convenience of portable headphones.</p> <p>As for algorithms, we can assume more sophisticated machine learning will emerge. In the future, it may recommend music based on our feelings. For example, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581918301654">MoodPlay</a> is a music recommendation system that lets users explore music through mood-based filtering.</p> <p>Some advanced listening devices even adapt to our physiology. The Australian-designed <a href="https://www.nuraphone.com/">Nura headphones</a> can pick up information about how a specific listener’s ears respond to different sound frequencies. They purport to automatically adjust the sound to perfectly suit that listener.</p> <p>Such technologies are taking “personalised listening” to a whole new level, and advances in this space are set to continue. If the digital music landscape has changed so rapidly within the past 20 years, we can only assume it will continue to change over the next two decades, too.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/apples-ipod-came-out-two-decades-ago-and-changed-how-we-listen-to-music-where-are-we-headed-now-169272" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

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