The Philips Hue Strip Lights make it even easier to customise your living space and light and mood in any chosen area. They can bring amazing light to any area of your home. Mainly thanks to the flexible nature of the Philips Hue Strip Lights. Even combine them with a Hue Bridge to unlock the full suite of smart lighting features.
They can be bent, curved and even cut to size. The Philips Hue Strip Lights really are the best for personal lighting. Tuck them behind bookshelves and tables. They will immediately transform any decor of any room. Surround yourself with a warm glowing light to create a relaxing area in any room for example. For safety use them to illuminate hallways to help you get around in low light situations.
Use the Hue App or other smart accessories to control them. By using either one of the Hue Apps. Use a hardware based solution such as the Hue dimmer switch or the motion sensor. Even use your voice by using voice commands by pairing them with home assistants. Such as Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant.
Cut them down or extend the Philips Hue Strip Lights to up to 10M with connectors and stick them to any solid surface.
Placement
Attach them under your kitchen units to light the way during the middle of the night. Furthermore even tuck them behind a ceiling cove for a subtle sophisticated look. Place them behind your desk to level up your gaming space!
The Philips Hue Play Light Bar are incredible device to help improve your media experience. Be that as a film, video game or tv show! It is known as a versatile lamp, available in black or white. Which is designed to enhance your set up. The Philips Hue Play Light Bar 2-pack includes 2 light bars and a power supply. Which can support up to 3 lights! The lights can be stood upright, laid down or placed on to the back of the Tv via the included mounts.
Philips Hue Play Light Bar
The Philips Hue Play Light Bar is designed to give you dynamic surround lighting in your entertainment rooms. Or help you build a battle station which amplifies with every in game effect that you do. Not into games or films? Well you can create a colours cape which perfectly matches your mood and home interior.
All of this is controlled via the Hue app, your voice or smart accessories. Such as the Hue app or the Hue Bluetooth app. As you can help control settings, routines and much more.
Other hardware is also available to control them such as the Hue dimmer switch, motion sensor and other accessories. Use your voice too!
Set Up
For smaller TV sets and media units, place them vertically and point them towards the wall for an incredibly immersive effect. Furthermore lay them horizontally next to your monitor and enable Hue Sync for PC to get light that reacts to your computer screen. Place them around your TV and set them to your favourite scene to set the mood during films. Go one step further and pair them with a Hue Sync Box to have them react to what’s on screen! While you can place them horizontally and cast them down a hallway to create a warm effect.
So, keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!
Furthermore, let us know what you think of the show by clicking here!
Also, click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!
While you are there follow us on Twitch by clicking here!
https://wp.freedomhost.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2021/06/IMG_9527-copy.jpg7501000billywrighthttp://wp.freedomofcreation.co.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2017/09/htkah-web-logo-2017.pngbillywright2021-06-23 14:02:152021-07-14 12:17:04Philips Hue Play Light Bar – A Light Wonder!
Did you know the FBI Secretly Ran a Phone Network for Criminals? For years the FBI has secretly ran an encrypted communications app used by organized crime in order to surreptitiously collect its users’ messages and monitor criminals’ activity on a massive scale, according to a newly unsealed court document. In all, the elaborate operation netted more than 20 million messages from over 11,800 devices used by suspected criminals. It was called Anom. A criminal messaging service ran by the FBI.
Trapped
Usually the FBI would probably ask for information, but as a service provider you do not want to be the one known for sharing users data right…because no one would use your app. So next step I guess would be to try to crack into the encrypted information which is really hard. I mean that end to end encryption you see on whatsapp when someone changes their number, that’s not a walk in the park to get through.
Next move would be to shut down the apps. But that just meant the chat would go somewhere else, you may not even know where that somewhere is so your search for crime would have to start from scratch. This approach would not achieve optimum results. So they took it to the next level. The FBI Set up a covert operation called Operation Trojan Shield.
Therefore the FBI took control of a communications company called ‘Anom’ in its infancy and turned that into a wide-reaching honeypot, with the suspected criminal users instead coming to them. Anom has to stand for anonymous right? Or alludes to it. While in 2021 it came out that they shared this information with the Australian Federal Police aka the AFP. The AFP started making arrests immediately.
Taking them down
How did they infiltrate? Well check this for a cheeky move. In 2018, the FBI arrested Vincent Ramos, the CEO of Phantom Secure. Phantom Secure which provided custom, privacy-focused devices to organized criminals.
If we understand this correctly…by the way we are adding mad speculation here… they also arrested others. The FBI got some of the people distributing these devices…and ‘flipped’ them. Go them on to their side The authorities introduced Anom to his already trusted distributors of mobile devices, who were in turn trusted by criminal organisations. Three people in Australia who had previously distributed Phantom devices (another encrypted kind of phone) were promised a “huge payday,” if they agreed to then sell these Anom devices.This would allow the FBI to grow organically through through crime networks
Anom
The FBI and the AFP built the Anom system so that it allowed quote: “law enforcement to decrypt and store the message as it is transmitted,” The same government doc we are using as a source also says “A user of Anom is unaware of this capability,” So, they are slowly seeping in tot he messages of the underworld with a fake app and fake safe devices. imagine the intel they were getting. While they kept it looking legit too.
Motherboard found The company’s Reddit account where they first announced the existence of the company two years ago. In the now deleted post it says. “Introducing Anom—a Ultra-Secure Mobile-Cell-Phone Messaging App for Android,” the announcement read. “Your Confidentiality, Assured. Software hardened against targeted surveillance and intrusion—Anom Secure. Keep Secrets Safe!” 50 devices were distributed in Australia and the AFP were able to monitor the phones CONSTANTLY. It was slow at first, but soon word of the new devices spread, with Anom gathering several hundred users a year later.
HUGE amounts of data
Hundreds of criminal chats…imagine seeing hard core top level gangsters sharing cat memes or funny tik toks. At its peak the FBI was getting Anom user data three times a week. It kept growing having over 10,000 devices in over 90 countries. Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Serbia were also popular, with over 300 distinct transnational criminal organizations aka TCOs using the devices. 20 million messages were pulled . Messages include discussions around drug smuggling, corruption, and other high-level organized criminal activities. The document we used as sourch also includes direct quotes of messages from Anom users discussing cocaine shipments.While of course they grabbed pics
The Trojan Shield investigation has uncovered that Anom devices are used by TCOs to traffic drugs and launder the proceeds of those drug sales,” the document reads. “The distributors of these devices also obstruct justice by remotely wiping the content of devices when law enforcement seizes them.
Public Corruption
Additionally, the review of Anom messages has initiated numerous high-level public corruption cases in several countries. The most prominent distributors are currently being investigated by the FBI for participating in an enterprise which promotes international drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.”
I think I read something about double agents who were actually wiping cirminal phones and getting arrested but I had to stop research as I ran out of time….but wow what a story….goes to show be careful what you pop in a message….you know the saying…whatever you pu ton the internet stays there….especially if you are selling 100s of kilos of cocaine…
https://wp.freedomhost.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2021/06/FBI.gif5621000billywrighthttp://wp.freedomofcreation.co.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2017/09/htkah-web-logo-2017.pngbillywright2021-06-22 15:40:192021-06-22 15:40:19Anom – A HUGE Trojan horse ran by the FBI!
A Pennsylvania Mom made Deepfake nudes of her daughter’s high school cheerleading rivals. She then sent them to the Coaches. So, after learning that some of the girls on the team were ignoring her daughter, Raffaela Inella doctored footage of them vaping and partying. It was when Raffaela Inella learned that her teenage daughter was falling out with her cheerleader friends, she opted for revenge. By creating a series of fake photos and videos to get the high school girls kicked off the team. However, she didn’t use the old ropey photoshop fakes we have seen in the past. She used Deepfakes.
Firstly what are Deepfakes?
A deepfake is a video, photo, or audio recording that seems real but has been manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI). The underlying technology can replace faces or manipulate facial expressions, synthesize faces, and synthesize speech. Imagine photoshopping or doctored pics…but way better and not just still images, video and voice. While, this was how good they were in 2018 when the tech was brand new…
This a clip that is definitely not Obama. Now that sounds really real because joran peel is voicing him. So it sounds 90 percent great. The video is ok at a glance but if you look closely you can see the fact it is fake
Fast forward a few years and voices can be synthesised and deep fake technology is way easier to use. There are whole YouTube channels that are dedicated to making deep fakes for fun. Like putting Nicholas cages face on everyone from lord of the rings. Putting Sylvester Stalone’s face on the terminator. If you want to check out a real good deepfaker. A guy called cntrl-shift-face on youtube makes wicked ones that look so real!
So yeah Deepfakes are cool but lets be honest! Tools like this are used most often to depict people saying or doing something they never said or did. So combine that with the fact that there are now apps like ‘Reface’ or ‘Avatarify’ out there that you can use to make Deepfakes on your phones means that it is super simple to put someones face on another body.
Cheerleading Revenge
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Inella’s daughter confided in her that she was having some social struggles. Namely with her teammates on the Victory Vipers traveling cheerleading team. Consequently, the 50-year-old mother decided to use “deepfake” technology. To forge images of those underage girls in the nude, vaping, and “drinking”. She was smart to show vaping not smoking! Smoking is so old kids don’t do that! Then, she anonymously texted them to both the head coaches as a fake concerned parent!
Furthermore she also text the girls themselves. With additional messages urging the teenagers to kill themselves. So, one victim’s parents contacted them out of the concern that these forgeries could see their daughter booted from the team. After two more families came forward saying their daughters were also sent nude pictures of themselves. Which they allegedly never took, police began to search in earnest for the anonymous sender.
It was rather quickly determined that these files were Deepfakes. After confirming that the doctored photographs. Which were based on easily accessible photos from the victims’ social media profiles, authorities began tracing the mysterious phone number they were sent from. While it initially led them to a website that sold phone numbers to telemarketers, police simply followed this data to its original IP address.
So, this unique internet protocol address showed that the messages had been sent from a home in Chalfont, Pennsylvania. Registered to Raffaela Spone. With probable cause in hand, the police paid her a visit. Confiscated her smartphone. 8 months after this was first brought to the attention of the police. Raffaela Inella was arrested. At the time Inellas attorney claimed she “absolutely denied” what she has been charged with.
Cheerleading response to Deepfakes
An official statement from the Victory Vipers (The Cheerleading Team) said
“Victory Vipers has always promoted a family environment and we are sorry for all individuals involved,”
“We have very well-established policies and a very strict anti-bullying policy in our program.”
Spokespeople for the Doylestown, Pennsylvania squad stated.
Nonetheless, George Ratel, the father of one of the girls victimized by Spone’s forgeries. Said he remains frustrated and saddened by how the squad has been affected.
“I don’t know what would push her to this point.As a dad I was pretty upset about it. It’s an image put out there of my daughter that is simply not true.”
Why…
Ratel believes the trouble began after he and his wife told their daughter not to socialize with Spone’s daughter. According to Ratel, he and his wife were concerned over the teen’s behaviour. For her part, Inellas’s daughter has remained entirely oblivious to her mother’s actions. At least according to authorities. Ultimately, it appears that more information will come to light as Inellas heads to court. Perhaps most illuminating here is how easy and accessible it has become to doctor digital imagery. What used to require costly software. Is now done with a few taps of a finger and to unnervingly convincing results. Indeed, these forgeries are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of deepfake technology. The possibilities are truly endless. While the consequences of that will surely rear their heads more frequently as we forge into the future
After uploading her DNA to GEDmatch, Christine Marie Salley was matched with the genetic profile of an unknown murder victim from the 1980s.
Pamela Dianne Duffey (left) and William Everette Lane (right) were around 21 and 20 years old when they were killed.
Lets roll back the clocks to 1980 when an archaeologist in Ludlow, California, discovered a shallow grave in the vast Mojave Desert. It contained the nude bodies of a man and woman. Who had both been beaten and then shot to death, but a lack of IDs at the scene left their murders unsolved for decades. Until now. But how was this soled 40 years later? Well The 40-year-old cold case was finally cracked when a Virginia woman uploaded her DNA to a genetic testing site. To help locate her biological mother. Her DNA was then matched with a sample from the unidentified woman found in the desert.
DNA Matches
The saga began in 2018 when Christine Marie Salley began searching for her biological parents. The Virginia native had always known she was adopted, and that year, she hired a private investigator. According to ABC News, the investigator first found adoption paperwork that identified Salley’s biological mother as Pamela Dianne Duffey. When the investigator then uploaded Salley’s DNA to GEDmatch in December 2020.
GEDmatch is a website for genetic genealogy research. Anyone can upload their DNA file, analyse results, and compare DNA shared with others and it’s free. They have a database of about 1.5 million people. So, when Christine’s investigator uploaded her details to GED Match, it suggested that there was a parent-child relationship between Salley and an unidentified DNA sample of a woman, that was uploaded by authorities on the case in Ludlow. It appeared as though that woman was none other than Salley’s mother, Pamela Dianne Duffey.
San Bernardino County investigators then heard of the successful DNA match, and they realised their 40-year cold case just might be coming to an end. Salley consequently provided the San Bernardino investigators with what she believed to be her mother’s name and another DNA sample, which the California Department of Justice positively matched only to Duffey. The records showed that Duffey was just about 21 years old when she was killed.
Identification
So this lined up who the female victim was, but what about the male victim? Well, Salley was also able to help identify the unknown male victim. She remembered that her biological mother had been friends with a man who Duffey called “Digger Lane” before she vanished. Salley also knew that Lane was a Virginian convict. Who planned a cross-country hitchhike with her mother after serving his time.While that nickname didn’t match any records, investigators did find a William Everette Lane with similar credentials and a Jacksonville, Florida, address.
His relatives were subsequently tracked down. They voluntarily supplied authorities with DNA samples that matched those of the murdered man in the desert. Lane was then determined to be around 20 years old when he was killed. All investigators needed now was to identify the killer. Which at the start of this story was a near impossible task. But as it turned out, they already had a suspect in mind. While the evidence discovered during the start of this story could only help.
Solving The Case?
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office had long suspected that a now-68-year-old convict named Howard Neal might be the culprit. In part because he had been in the same region where Duffey and Lane were killed. Who curiously moved to Mississippi right after. Imprisoned since 1982. Neal was convicted of raping and then murdering his 13-year-old niece and her 12-year-old friend, as well as killing his own brother. Neal was initially sentenced to death for those crimes, but an IQ test that suggested he was mentally challenged changed his sentence to three life terms in prison, instead.
Events that unfolded
Investigators managed to interview Neal about the Ludlow murders in 2017. During which the culprit said that he picked up the couple while they were hitchhiking on a freeway. Howard Neal has been imprisoned since 1982 for the murder of his brother, niece, and her friend. He then brought the two to his residence, where San Bernardino investigators say he “became involved in an argument with the male” and “felt the male would probably kill him if he did not kill him first.”
Tragically, Neal also revealed that the woman he killed that day said she had a daughter. Strengthening the belief that she was Salley’s mother, Duffey. Investigators believe that Neal shot Lane to death first and then raped Duffey before killing her as well. The young couple was then transported to a remote section of the Mojave Desert off Highway 66 and left unidentified for nearly half a century. The sheriff’s department said they are currently in the process of returning the remains of Duffey and Lane to their respective families. Wow…DNA evidence is powerful stuff!
https://wp.freedomhost.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2021/06/pamela-dianne-duffey-and-william-everette-lane.jpg527900billywrighthttp://wp.freedomofcreation.co.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2017/09/htkah-web-logo-2017.pngbillywright2021-06-22 15:11:092021-06-22 15:11:32Virginia Woman Using Online DNA Service To Find Biological Mother Accidentally Cracks 40-Year-Old Double Murder
WannaCry, is it the biggest ransomware hacks ever? Well for one, it shut down some of the biggest employers of people in the world and also has a cheeky lil twist at the end of it. While it also caused whopping at least £6 billion worth of damage worldwide. So, have you ever had any hacks or fraud attempted on you?
Before we crack on we got a lot of info from the national UK audit office for big chunks of interesting facts, bbc.co.uk and acronis.com for a bunch of the detail in this story.
On May 12th 2017 a program called WannaCry, tore across the globe, infecting a quarter million machines in more than 150 countries. it affected NHS, Spain-based Telefonica (owner of O2 here in the uk), America’s FedEx, German railway company Deutsche Bahn, and LATAM Airlines. Making it one of, if not the largest ransomware attacks ever!
But what is ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that infects computer servers, desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones, often spreading across networks to other devices. Once it compromises a system, it quietly encrypts every data file it finds, then displays a ransom note to the user demanding an online payment of hundreds or thousands of pounds (to be paid in cryptocurrency like Bitcoin) in return for the decryption keys needed to restore the user’s locked files. The demand often includes a series of deadlines for payment. Each missed deadline leads to a higher ransom demand and often, destroyed files. If the victim doesn’t pay up, the attacker discards the decryption keys, making the data permanently inaccessible.
Now what made Wannacry so dangerous? Well it attacked the NHS which is a big deal. As the NHS is a free healthcare service in the UK which has a LOT of peoples personal & medical data. Losing that data could, worst case scenario end up in death. It ended up costing us the UK £92 million and running up global costs of up to a whopping £6 billion.
Standstill
On Friday 12th May 2017, the NHS, was brought to a standstill for several days due to the WannaCry outbreak, spreading across and affecting hospitals and GP surgeries across England and Scotland. NHS staff shared screenshots of the WannaCry program, which demanded a payment of $300 (£230) in virtual currency Bitcoin to unlock the files for each computer.
Considering there are hundreds if not, 1000’s of computers across the whole of the NHS, this would prove costly. The attack resulted in the cancellation of thousands of appointments and operations, with one member of the public having his heart surgery cancelled.
Staff forced to revert to pen and paper and use their own mobiles after the attack affected key systems, including telephones.They also needed to take part in a last minute relocation of emergency patients from stricken emergency centres.
Why did it hit the NHS so hard though?
On Tuesday, March 14, 2017 a couple months before the attack, Microsoft issued a security bulletin, which detailed a in their systems flaw and announced that updates had been released for all Windows versions that were currently supported at that time.
Most of the NHS devices infected with the ransomware, were found to have been running, Microsoft Windows 7 operating system that was not up to date, hence the extremities of the cyber-attack. Yes that is right….the powers that be forgot to roll out a windows update. We are grossly oversimplifying the process here but that is what happened.
In fact At the time of the attacks, some computers were running a 17-year-old operating system (Windows XP). The attack happened in 2017 and windows xp was so old at the time windows had stopped updating it….in fact they stopped updating it in 2014. Luckily In an unusual move, Microsoft released a WannaCry patch for Windows XP. but this was after the fact.
Who was behind the attack?
Well it’s not too clear but here are some theories.
The attack used a software vulnerability in Microsoft’s Windows operating system called “Eternalblue”. Ironically, it was allegedly developed as a cyber-attack exploit by the US National Security Agency. Although they were reported to have known of the tool’s vulnerabilities, the NSA didn’t bring it to Microsoft’s attention until the hacker group called Shadow Brokers leaked EternalBlue to an obscure website.
Further analysis of the attack by companies such as Cyber Security company Symantec revealed links to a collective called the Lazarus group, who in turn have been linked to North Korea. However the attack does not bear the hallmarks of a nation-state campaign.
What stopped the attack?
A MARCUS DID!
The cyber-attack was stopped by an accidental kill switch discovered by Marcus Hutchins, Marcus was around 22/ 23 at the time did some digging around and found out how to turn it off. Plot twist – he was hailed a hero in the white hat (white hat means good hacker) hacking world!
All praise Marcus….Marcus the great….another in a long line of marcuses!
In august 2017 a few m months after the attack he was celebrating in LA after a hacker conference. Where lets face it…people must of been buying drinks for him all day long! He was arrested by the FBI. This was because a few years back he designed his own naughty bit of programming called Kronos in 2014. Kronos was made to stealing banking login credentials from people. It was sold for $7,000. He was also accused of being involved in the making of other similar programs as well. Yep the guy that saved the NHS could be responsible for that time your bank got hacked. But an older, wiser, better Marcus made the following statement in april 2019
“I regret these actions and accept full responsibility for my mistakes,”
“Having grown up, I’ve since been using the same skills that I misused several years ago for constructive purposes. I will continue to devote my time to keeping people safe from malware attacks.”
We recently went on a staycation in the UK and ventured around the countryside whilst in a Ford Nugget. Whilst there we reviewed a load of cool gadgets. While some were fun, some were practical and have incredible uses! One of the gadgets we used whilst on staycation which was very practical was a LifeStraw! It protects against bacteria, parasites, micro plastics in water. It also reduces sand dirt and cloudiness! Making it safe to drink! They have been independently lab tested, durable and is BPA-Free. It has been described as the ultimate survival tool as it has no shelf life, is easy to clean and store!
LifeStraw
LifeStraw is a personal water filtration device which protects against 99.999999% of bacteria (including E.coli, Salmonella), 99.999% of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium), 99.999% of microplastics and reduces sand, silt, cloudiness. You can use it to clean up dirty water from places such as lakes, rivers, streams and puddles. It is ideal for the outdoors type that enjoy hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, travelling and general emergency preparedness!
Each LifeStraw has a long-lasting membrane microfilmer which lasts up to 1,000 gallons (or 4,000 litres) of water! Which is more than enough drinking water for an individual for over 5 years! It has an unlimited shelf life and has been vigorously tested all over the globe. So it can face even the most harshest of conditions. Furthermore, your purchase has a real world impact. As each purchase will give one child one year of safe water.
A Range of Products
They do more than just a personal filter too. They have a whole range of products that make use of the filtration technology. Such as a Home Dispenser, which is a device to to be used around the home or in the fridge to dispense clean filtered water. A water pitcher called the LifeStraw Home, LifeStraw Go and LifeStraw Go Strainless Steel. Which are personal drinks dispensers.
LifeStraw Flex and LifeStraw Flex with Gravity Bag. Which are collapsible personal drinks dispensers, while the gravity bag allows users to fill up bottles as it holds more water. LifeStraw Universal which is a filtration system which will fit on to a universal amount of suitable personal water bottles.
LifeStraw Play for the children and LifeStraw Family which is a water purifier designed for the family of adventurers. Tie it to a tree and use it to fill up water bottles for the whole family with clean, purified water!
WWDC21 and Apple have announced a slew of new features for iOS, MacOS and WatchOS. Lots of features aimed at improving your social side of life, both with connecting with others and reducing the amount of time that you spend on your devices!
iOS15 – WWDC21
Apple showed off updates to FaceTime, a new way to reduce distractions, enhanced on-device intelligence to discover information. Plus there’s also updates to Maps, Weather and Wallet!
Facetime
FaceTime gets an update to help make conversations on screen feel more natural over video calls. Spatial Audio helps to make the voices from who you are talking to sound as if they are coming from where the person is positioned on screen. There are also new microphone modes to separate the voice from the background noise. Portrait mode also comes to FaceTime and is designed specifically for video calls so users can blur their backgrounds and keep themselves in focus. Furthermore in Group FaceTime there is a new grid mode which enables participants to see more faces at the same time.
FaceTime entertianment
Make FaceTime more entertaining with SharePlay. You can now listen to Apple Music, Watch a TV show or Movie in Sync and even share your screen with them! SharePlay works across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Users are also able to share playback controls so anyone can play, pause or jump ahead. SharePlay can even connect to Apple TV, so users can watch content on the big screen. All while keeping your devices in sync. Disney+, ESPN+, HBO Max, Hulu, MasterClass, Paramount+, Pluto TV, TikTok, Twitch, and many others are integrating SharePlay into their apps.
FaceTime calls can now extend beyond Apple devices with the ability to create a FaceTime link and share it through Messages, Mail or any 3rd Party app. Anyone can join a FaceTime call from their web browser or Android and Windows devices. FaceTime calls on the web remain end to end encrypted so privacy is not compromised.
Focus
Distraction will be a thing of the past in iOS15. Focus is a new feature that filters notifications and apps based on what the user wants to focus on. Users can set their device to help them focus by creating a custom Focus or select a suggested Focus. The device will use on-device intelligence to suggest which apps and people are allowed to notify them. It will be suggested to them based on a users context, like during work hours or while they are winding down for bed. Focus can be set on one device and then extend across all their Apple devices. Home Screen pages can also be created with apps and widgets to moments of focus and only display relevant apps and reduce temptation. When you are restricting incoming notifications, their status is displayed to others in Messages. Letting others know that you are not currently reachable.
Notifications
Notifications have also been redesigned. Contact photos for people and larger icons for apps make them easier to identify. Reducing distraction a new notification summary will collect non-time-critical notifications for delivery at a more opportune time. Such as in the mornings or in the evenings. The on-device intelligence will arrange notifications by priority, with the most relevant notifications rising to the top. All based on a user’s interactions with their apps. Urgent messages will be delivered immediately. While it is easy to temporarily mute any app or messaging thread for the next hour or day.
Cool On-Device Intelligence Tech
Live Text will use on-device intelligence to recognise text in a photo and let users take action on that. For example, users can search for and locate the picture of a handwritten recipe, capture a number from a store front. Then using Apple Neural Engine can either copy and paste the recipe or call the number that was on the store front.
With Visual Look Up, users can learn more popular art and landmarks around the world, plants and flowers found in nature, breeds of pets and even find books. Spotlight will alsu use intelligence to search photos by location, people, scenes and objects using Live Text. It can even find text and handwriting in recent conversations, shared photos and even location if shared through Find My. Photos also has an update to Memories. With a new look, interactive interface and integration with Apple Music.
Safari
Safari gets a cool new redesign making it easier to control and reach with one hand. The tab bar is now compact and lightweight and now has been moved to the bottom of the screen. Therefore making it easier to swipe between tabs. Tab Groups also allows users to save tabs and easily access them at any time on any device. There is now a customisable start page and web extensions on iOS.
Apple Maps
Apple Maps now will be significantly enhanced with new details in cities for neighborhoods, commercial districts, elevation, buildings and new road colors, labels, custom designed landmarks and a new night mode.
While using and navigation with Apple Maps on iPhone or Car Play, Maps will feature a 3D city driving experience. With new road details, therefore making it easier to understand improtant details. Such as when to turn lanes, medians, bike lanes and pedestrian crosswalks. Transit riders can now find nearby stations more easily and pin favorite lines. Maps will automatically follow along a selected transit route, notifying users when it’s nearly time to disembark. Furthermore in iOS15, users can hold up their iPhone and Maps will generate a highly accurate position to deliver walking directions in augmented reality.
New Keys and State ID’s in Apple Wallet
Apple Wallet now has support for additional types of keys! Last year Apple introduced digital car keys, with BMW being the first manufacturer to take advantage of this tech. Digital Car Keys get even better with support for Ultra Wideband Technology, making it easy for users to securely unlock and lock their supported vehicle without having to take their iPhone from a pocket or bag. Futhermore iPhone can also be used to unlock a user’s home, office or hotel room. All with keys stored in the Wallet.
For those in the US, participating states will allow users to add their drivers license or state IDs to Wallet. TSA is working to enable airport security checkpoints to be the first place that customers can use their digital Identity card in wallet. ID cards in Wallet are encrypted and stored safely in the Secure Element. Using the same tech that makes Apple Pay private and secure.
Privacy
iOS15 now has even more privacy controls. On-device speech recognition, audio of Siri requests is now processed entirely on iPhone by default. Mail Privacy Protection stops senders from learning whether an email has been opened and hides IP addresses so senders can’t learn a user’s location and use it to build a profile. App Privacy Report will also offer an overview of how apps use the access that has been granted to location, photos, camera, microphone and contacts in the last 7 days and which other domains have been contacted.
Weather and Notes
Weather gets a nice new facelift and adds graphical displays of weather data, full screen maps and dynamic layouts which change based on conditions. Animated backgrounds more accurately reflect the sun’s position and precipitation and notifications highlight when rain or snow starts and stops.
Notes will add user created tags that make it easy to quickly categorise notes and mentions allow members of shared notes to notify each other of important changes. While an all-new Activity view shows the history of a shared note.
Additional features WWDC21
Siri now can announce notifications on Airpods and the ability for users to share what’s on their screen just by asking
Shared With You. Will work across Apple Devices to show articles, music, tv shows, photos and more which are shared in Messages and display them conveniently in the appropriate app. Photos in Photos app, TV shows in Apple Tv and Podcasts in Apple Podcasts for example.
iCloud+ can now hide your email, expanded HomeKit Secure Video support, new innovative internet privacy service, iCloud Private Relay all at now additional cost.
Health App now allows you to share health data with family, caregives, your doctor or a care team. Trends will also give users a way to focus on meaningful personal health metrics.
Find My allows uers to locate a device that has been turned off or erased as well as live-streaming locations for family and friends who have turned on sharing their location. Seperation alerts will notify a user of they leave an AirTag, Apple Device or Find My network accessory behind in an unfamiliar location. A new Find My Widget also offers an at-a-glace view directly from the Home Screen.
Translate also adds a new Live Translate feature which makes conversation flow naturally across languages. Systemwide translation allows uers to translate text anywhere on iPhone.
Apple TV will now feature a row titled “For All of You” which will showcase a collection of movies and TV shows based on everyone’s tasets from within a select group of people or household using the data discovered through each Apple ID.
iPad gets a new and easier way to multitask, a new home screen design with widgets, the App Library, systemwide note taking with Quick Note, SharePlay and a redesigned Safari Experience and new tools to stay focused.
MultiTasking
iPadOS 15 makes working with multiple apps much easier. There is a new multitasking menu at the top of apps, letting you go into Split View or Slide Over with a simple tap. You can now have quick access to the Home Screen when using Split View, making it easier to get to the right app. Furthermore there is a new Shelf section where you can multitask with apps which have multiple windows such as Safari or Pages. Furthermore there is an experience with external keyboard which allows users to get more done with keyboard shortcuts and a redesigned menu bar. You can quickly set up and switch between Split View and Slide Over with new shortcuts for multitasking right from the keyboard.
Widgets and App Library
Users can now place widgets much like they can on iPhone on Home Screen pages. Providing more information at a glance and offering a more personalised experience. Designed specifically for the larger display of the iPad, there is a new larger Widget size for showcasing videos, music, games and photos. The App Library is also coming to iPad, automatically organising apps into helpful categories, like Productivity, Games, Recently added and more. Allowing users to access all their apps right from the Dock.
Note Taking
Note taking on iPad gets even better with new features which make it easier to capture thoughts and ideas. Notes goes systemwide with Quick Note. A new fast and easy way to take notes anywhere on the system. Whether that is browsing on Safari or finding a restaurant on Yelp. You can bring up the Quick Note feature anywhere and jot down a thought. Even add links and provide an easy way to get back to what you were doing.
Notes will also organise, collaborate and capture information easier and better. Tages make it easy to categorise notes and quickly find them with an all new Tag Browser and tag-based Smart Folders. For those working in Shared Notes, mentions creates a way to notify collaborators and link them back to the note. There is also a new Activity View to show recent updates.
FaceTime
iPadOS 15 gets the same FaceTime update as iOS 15 and makes conversations more natural with spatial audio and share experiences with SharePlay. Share songs on Apple Music, Watch a Tv Show in sync and view apps together with sharing your screen. Also share playback controls and let anyone play, pause or jump forward or rewind.
Safari
Safari gets a new tab design, like the iOS 15 Safari update, you can now see more of the page as you browse. A new tab bar takes the colour of the page that you are browsing. Tabs are now combined with the tool bar and search field into a single compact design. Tab Groups offer a new way to easily save and manage tabs. Great for planning trips or shopping. Tab Groups are also synced across Mac and iPhone and other Apple devices. So users can continue their project from anywhere. Safari on iPad now lets you add web extensions to them available from the App Store.
Find Focus
Much like on iOS 15, iPad OS 15 delivers powerful tools to keep you focused. Focus is a new feature that filters notifications based on what a user is doing. You are able to set your device to help you be in the moment by creating a custom Focus setting or a suggested on based on their context. Such as during work hours or while your winding down for bed. You can also create Home Screen pages with apps and widgets that apply to moments of focus to only display relevant apps to reduce temptation. A new notification summary will organise a collection of notifications which can be delivered at any time the user chooses. Such as in the morning or after work.
New Photos Experience
iPadOS15 uses the same on device intelligence to recognise text in a photo and let them copy and paste text or call a phone number from a picture. With Visual Look Up, users can identify objects within a photo such as a type of dog or flower. Spotlight can now seatch the Photos app and web images and has all-new rich results for contacts and context like recent conversations, shared photos and location if shared through Find My. Using Live Text, Spotlight can also look up a photo of a public transit map, receipt or a screenshot of a cooking recipe. It can also work with handwritten text, great for searching text on whiteboards or notes.
Translate
Translate app now comes to iPad with new features that make conversations easier and natural. Auto Translate will detect when someone is speaking and in which language, so users can converse naturally without having to tap a microphone button. Face to face view allows people to sit across from each other with iPad inbetween them and see translations of the conversation on their side. Text can now be translated from anywhere on the iPad by slecting it and tapping translate. Handwritten text can also be translated! You can even translate text in photos!
Additional Features WWDC21
Universal Control lets users work with a single mouse and keyboard to move between iPad and Mac for a seamless experience, with no setup required. Users can even drag and drop content back and forth between devices — great for sketching a drawing with Apple Pencil on iPad and placing it into a Keynote slide on Mac.
Photos gets an update to Memories with integration with Apple Music and a fresh new look.
Maps gets the same update as iOS 15 allowing you to navigate more with new road colours, elevation, enhanced details in cities for neighbourhoods, commercial districts, elevation, and buildings, new road colours and labels, custom-designed landmarks, and a new night-time mode with a moonlit glow.
Siri now can announce notifications on Airpods and the ability for users to share what’s on their screen just by asking
Shared With You. Will work across Apple Devices to show articles, music, tv shows, photos and more which are shared in Messages and display them conveniently in the appropriate app. Photos in Photos app, TV shows in Apple Tv and Podcasts in Apple Podcasts for example.
iCloud+ can now hide your email, expanded HomeKit Secure Video support, new innovative internet privacy service, iCloud Private Relay all at now additional cost.
Privacy gets an update with Mail Privacy Protection help to stop trackers from snooping on an email, and App Privacy Report provides transparency into how apps are sharing information with other companies
Monterey adds new ways to connect with friends and family, work smarter across devices, and stay focused!
Safari
Safari gets a redesign and reimagines the browsing experience with a new tab design, which allows users to see more of the webpage as they scroll. The tab bar gets a facelift and takes on the colour of the webpage that you are on. It also combines tabs, tool bar and search field into one single compact design. Tab Groups offer a new way to easily save and manage tabs. Tab Groups will also sync across all devices.
Shortcuts
Shortcuts is now on Mac. Helping users to automate everyday tasks and achieve peak productivity. Just like shortcuts on iPhone and iPad, Shortcuts on Mac lets users quickly accomplish tasks with the apps which you use the most. There is a rich gallery full of pre-build actions designed just for Mac, users can share files, make animated GIFs and much more. While power users can take things further and use the Shortcuts Editor to match workflows. Shortcuts is intergrated throughout macOS, including the menu bar, Finder, Sportlight and even hands free with Sir. Users of Automator can import their existing workflows into Shortcuts too.
Notes
Notes can help users stay organised, collaboirate and create notes from anywhere. With Quick Note much like on iPadOS15, users can jot down notes from anywhere in any app or website. Making it easy to capture thoughts and ideas whenever. You can even links from an app to a Quick Note to create context or even an address in Maps. Add mentions and see everyone’s edits in Acitivity View and categorise Notes with Tags to quicklt and easily find them in the new Tag Browser and tag-based Smart Folders.
Focus
Focus on Mac can stay in the moment by filtering unwanted notifications unrelated to what they are doing. You can signal your status to let others know when you are focusing and not available. When you are in Focus on one device you are in Focus across all Apple devices. All of this is custom to their current activity too.
FaceTime
Much like FaceTime updates to iPadOS 15 and iOS15, Mac OS Monterey also has the same new upgrades:
FaceTime now includes a suite of new audio and video features that make calls feel more natural and lifelike. With spatial audio, voices in a FaceTime call sound like they are coming from where the person is positioned on the screen, while Voice Isolation ensures the user’s voice is crystal clear and uses machine learning to eliminate background noise, and Wide Spectrum allows all the sound in the area to come through so participants can hear everything. Portrait mode taps into the Apple Neural Engine in the M1 chip to blur the user’s background for a stunning video effect, and a new Grid View shows participants in same-sized tiles.
SharePlay is a powerful set of system features that enables users to have shared experiences while on a FaceTime call. Users can share their favourite music, TV shows, movies, projects, and more with friends and family in real time — kicking off a shared listening party, watching movies and shows, collaborating in apps through screen sharing, and more. With an API built for easy adoption, third-party developers can bring their own apps right into FaceTime.
Shared with You makes it easy to locate and enjoy all the great content that’s shared through Messages, including photos, videos, articles, and more, right from a Shared with You tab within Photos, Safari, Apple Podcasts, Apple News, and the Apple TV app.
Continuity
Universal Control will let users work with a single mouse and keyboard and move between Mac and iPad for a seamless experience, with no setup required! Users can even drag and drop files between each of your devices. You can sketch on iPad and then move it to a Keynote slide on Mac! AirPlay to Mac allows you to play, present and share anything from their iPhone or iPad to their Mac! The Mac can also be used as an AirPlay speaker, so users can play music on their Mac or use their Mac as a secondary speaker for multi-room audio.
Additional New Features of macOS Monterey WWDC21
Maps gets the same update as iPadOS15 and iOS15 but it also has a new interactive globe too!
LiveText features in iPadOS15 and iOS15 also come to MacOS Monterey
iCloud+ also is available
Use your Airpods Pro and Airpods Max to deliver a new experience with Spatial Audio with Macs which have the M1 Chip
The all new Privacy features from iOS15 and iPadOS15 are also available.
watchOS 8 now offers better access to your Wallet, more capabilities with the Home app, new workout types, and an updated Breathe app.
Wallet
Apple Watch and watchOS8 can now have access to unlicking their car from a distance and start it from the drivers seat with supported vehicles. You can now have access to the keys that are in your Wallet which control the house, office and hotel. While in participating states in the US, you can add your drivers or state ID to Wallet. So watchOS 8 will have access to that too!
Home
Home app in watchOS 8 has even better conenient access to accessories and scenes needed in a particular moment and the ability to control accessories by room. For example, with a HomeKit enabled camera you can view who is at the door directly on your wrist. Also, you can also tap the Intercom to quickly broadcast a message throughout the home or to individual rooms via HomePod, HomePod Mini or other personal devices.
Workout Types
watchOS 8 introduces Tai Chi and Pilates to the workouts app. While, the new workouts are supported by powerful validate custom-built rate and motion algorithms to provide users with accurate metrics.
Mindfulness
Furthermore, the Breathe app has been reimagined as the Mindfulness app and will feature and enhanced Breathe experience and a new experience, Reflect. Reflect will offer a mindful intention to focus on as little as one minute and can be done at any time. Each Reflect session welcomes the user to think with a positive frame of mind. So, for example the app may ask you to “Recall a time when you recently felt a sense of calm. Bring that feeling into this moment”.
Sleep
Apple Watch can help users meet their sleep goals by establishing a pre-bedtime routine and will track metrics like time asleep, heart rate and blood oxygen. watchOS 8 will give users more insight to their sleeping respiratory rate, which is the number of breaths per minute. While, it does this via the in built accelerometer to measure respiratory rate whilst sleeping. It can be viewed along with trends over time on the Health app on iPhone.
Watch Faces
watchOS 8 introduces new ways to engage with your favourite photos. The new Portraits watch face brings to life stunning portrait photos which are shot on iPhone. With an immersive, multi-layered effect. Intelligently recognising faces in photos and cropping in to highlight the subject. The photos app is also redesigned. So, it will offer new ways to view and navigate collections, memories and featured photos which sync to Apple Watch.
Messages
Also, you can now combine the use of Scribble, dictaion and emoji all within the same message. For dictated messages you’ll have the option to edit the presented text. You can now also simply enter a word or phrase and select from loads of GIFs. Contacts app is now available on watchOS8 too! While, allowing you to browse, edit, add and share contacts directly from the app.
Focus
watchOS8 supports Focus which is on iPadOS 15, iOS 15 and Mac OS Monterey. Helping you to reduce distraction, it will filter notifications based on what you are doing. While, Focus will use on-device intelligence to make suggestions based on usage patterns.
Additional watchOS 8 Updates – WWDC21
Multiple Timers can now be set and given a label, for example Cooking Timer and Laundry Timer.
More Apple Watch Apps support Always-On display such as Maps, Phone, Podcasts, Stop Watch and more.
While, Assistive Touch enables one arm usage of Apple Watch by sensing hand gestures to interact without touching the display.
Furthermore, Find My is available on Apple Watch allowing users to locate tagged items using the Find My Network. The Find Devices app which is new helps users locate Apple Devices. Which are signed in using the same Apple ID.
While, Apple Music App has been redesigned
Weather App now supports severe weather notifications, displaying government alerts about certain severe weather events. As well as Next Hour Precipitation alerts and updated complications.
Also, later in June, Fitness+ introduces a new series of workouts featuring Jeanette Jenkins. A new Artist Spotlight Series with workouts featuring entire playlists from Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Alicia Keys.
So, what did you think of WWDC21, let us know via our socials! @howtokillanhour across everything!
Also, keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!
Furthermore, let us know what you think of the show by clicking here!
Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!
While you are there, follow us on Twitch by clicking here!
https://wp.freedomhost.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2021/06/WWDC21.jpeg8091600billywrighthttp://wp.freedomofcreation.co.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2017/09/htkah-web-logo-2017.pngbillywright2021-06-09 14:12:522021-06-09 14:28:27WWDC21 Everything Apple Announced This Week!
We recently gave the DJI FPV a spin for ourselves and we had TONS of fun using it. It is different way to use drones for filmmaking and it certainly helps to get the shot! Mainly because YOU are the one flying the drone. Confused? Let me explain. With a regular drone you use a smart device such as an iPad or iPhone as your viewfinder. That’s still an amazing way to fly a drone. But with an FPV drone, you are literally sat in the pilots seat. Much like a commercial pilot would fly a plane, or a military personnel would fly a fighter get. You are transported into the drone in a VR type of situation, whereby you are in First Person View whilst flying the drone. This allows you to get more intricate shots that you would if you were using a screen.
Example Footage
DJI FPV
As you can see from both DJI’s official footage and our review you can get some incredible footage whilst using the DJI FPV. This new way of filming with a drone is going to get really really interesting as you can do so much with an FPV Drone!
The DJI FPV features an impressive set of skills:
Immersive Flight Experience
4K/60fps Super-Wide FOV
28ms HD Low-Latency Transmission
10km Video Transmission Range
50 Mpbs Bitrate Video Transmission
Brand-New S Mode
Intuitive Motion Controller (Sold Seperately)
Emergency Brake and Hover
Rocksteady Stabilisation
Distortion Correction
It is also very sleek and aerodynamic with incredible wind resistance and battery life! The DJI FPV is also one of the safest FPV drone available with front LEDs and aircraft arm lights. Which are customisable so the user can make their drone uniquely theirs! DJI’s FPV Goggles V2 has a super wide 150 degree field of view and can transmit HD video at up to 120fps!
Flying
The DJI FPV can be a daunting piece of kit, even for the most experienced of drone pilots. So DJI have incorporated a set of flying modes to help everyone get to grips with the DJI FPV.
S Mode – The S Mode is a hybrid flight mode which combines the freedom of flying manually with the simplified controls of previous DJI drones.
N Mode – This mode is ideal for new users. It offers immersive flight with traditional drone flight controls with DJI Safety features such as obstacle sensing
M Mode – M Mode is fully manual. Brining with it limitless control for the full FPV experience. Customise parameters and enjoy flight and footage with freedom. For example 0-100kph in 2 seconds is unlocked!
Motion Controller
The Motion Controller for the DJI FPV is sold separately and allows you to fly based on natural hand movements. It’s a brand new way to fly and arguably easier than using a traditional stick controller.
DJI FPV Safety
Flying the FPV can be daunting, as we said, even for the experts. So DJI have incorporated an emergency and hover feature. This feature, at the press of a button, whilst flying in any mode, will cause the drone to stop and hover stably, all within a few seconds.
An auxililary bottom light, smart return to home feature, low battery return to home feature and forward and downward obstacle sening the FPV is definitely safety focused. This puts an incredible amount of composure and peace of mind into the pilots whilst using the DJI FPV.
Even better yet, the DJI FPV has an additional layer of safety and peace of mind for pilots. It has an on board Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system. It receives flight information from airplanes and helicopters in the area that transmit ADS-B signals. The system would warn you to avoid those aircraft. All well and good for safety for you and the people around you. However, the best way to avoid these issues is to fly in areas that are well away from any airports or flight paths!
DJI Virtual Flight App
One really cool way to learn to fly an FPV drone without flying an FPV drone is with the DJI Virtual Flight App. It will allow you to practice in lifelike, simulated areas before taking off in the real world. Think of it as FPV drone flying in virtual reality. You do this by connecting to the DJI FPV Goggles V2 with the remote controller and you can practise in a risk free environment.
Samsung do have some really cool smart monitor tech on their hands! They have recently announced the global availability of a new Smart Monitor. It’s a do-it-all screen that brings together an unprecedented suite of features that helps out all users! Be that those looking for fun and entertainment or those looking to work and learn. All within one simple and easy to use monitor!
The Samsung M7 and Samsung M5 are a part of the Samsung Smart Monitor range and are designed with the worlds needs right now. A lot more people are working from home. Samsung Smart Monitor incorporates both entertainment and work into one amazing package. By incorporating powerful mobile and PC connectivity, remote home office and learning features. While those looking to unwind after a long day working a comprehensive entertainment hub. Which is very similar to the one that is built into Samsung’s Smart TV Platform!
“Around the world, work, education and entertainment have transformed into home-centered activities,”
“With this new normal, it is no surprise that most indicators show a rise in digital activities and many are rethinking their technology use at home. Our new Smart Monitor is a direct response to that demand. Consumers no longer have to choose between a screen for one or the other as this display brings it all together.”Hyesung Ha, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.
Connectivity
The Samsung Smart Monitor provides numerous connectivity options. This is for both PC and smartphone users. While they can use their personal mobile devices connected to the smart monitor with just a single tap with Galaxy Devices running Android 8.1 or higher, with the SmartThings app 5.1 and above. Or they can use App Casting or Apple AirPlay 2. Furthermore for a complete desktop experience using a mobile device you can connect to the monitor using Samsung DeX.
While those looking for home office and learning, the display operates Microsoft 365 apps without a PC connection as it has onboard Wifi. You are also able to remotely access wirelessly and access files from a PC or view content with a laptop. While you can do this either at home or in the office. USB-C can allow for data transfer, display and power, up to 65W, all within a single connection. Therefore keeping the desk area clean! There are multiple USB ports and Bluetooth 4.2 allowing users to connect even more to the display. Samsung Smart Monitor also has a built in 2 channel speaker!
The entertainment hub has all of your favourite streaming services including Netflix, YouTube and HBO for users in the United States! Content can be accessed with the supplied remote control via the hotkeys or controlled via your voice using Bixby.
Samsung Smart Monitor Safety
The Samsung Smart Monitor (M7 or M5) also features tech that is designed to make viewing comfortable. Adaptive Picture optimises picture quality for any viewing environment. As it does this by automatically adjusting brightness and colour temp according to the room conditions. Therefore ensuring the most comfortable viewing experience in any environment and easing up on eye strain. It also has a special eye-saver mode to reduce blue light.
The Samsung Smart Monitor comes in 2 models. The M7 supports Ultra High Definition resolution in 32″. While the M5 suppors Full HD in both 32″ and 27″ options.
The Samsung Smart Monitor will be available from November 16 in United States, Canada and China, and Samsung plans to expand launching markets starting the end of November.
https://wp.freedomhost.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2021/05/Samsung-M7-Smart-Monitor.jpeg563768billywrighthttp://wp.freedomofcreation.co.uk/howtokillanhour/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2017/09/htkah-web-logo-2017.pngbillywright2021-05-19 11:46:442021-05-19 11:46:44Samsung Smart Monitor range brings fun and work in one!
