Apple struggles to make a connection
There is a rumour that Apple could be replacing its Lightning Port on the 10th-anniversary iPhone with the popular USB-C alternative. I don’t believe it. USB-C is too popular, and Apple has a habit of going its own way with connectors and other items. Apple has long been anti-standards when it comes to their devices, and, while it would be a good thing, they have invested too much in their proprietary Lightning connectors to let them go. So even if they did adopt USB-C it would be an Apple-only version, requiring Apple-specific cables and chargers. Sure, Apple could come up with a Lightning-to-USB cable of some kind, but that would be too easy.
It did look like the next iPhone will have a curved OLED screen, supplied by Samsung, but that rumour was also squashed because of “production issues”. Other rumours include wireless charging, IP68 waterproofing and no Home button. Either way, first there will be some updated iPhone 7s with some better insides before the iPhone 8 is released.
In other Apple news, remember that report about not being able to use a third party to change your iPhone screen? Apple has announced that they are walking back on this and some non-Apple servicing will now be allowed, even for warranty servicing, except for screens. If under warranty and the screen is damaged while undergoing third party repair, then the warranty is void. Outside of warranty is now an open market.
This week’s phone tip for any brand or model: If your battery-life indicator is not behaving as expected — ie, it suddenly jumps from 75% left to 25% — then here is the universal reset fix. First let your phone drain down until it turns itself off. You can check by turning it back on and seeing if it shows a dead battery picture then shuts down again. Next charge the phone to 100% while off. Then start the phone and make sure it shows 100%. The battery-percentage figure should now be recalibrated. Note that this process doesn’t make the battery last longer, as some claim, but the same process does also work for tablets. Another tip is to recharge regularly as a top-up process, and not let the battery drain to zero too often.
Anyone who’s ever worked on a help desk will have some amusing stories. One that recently caught my eye was about a user who inserted a floppy disk and couldn’t figure how to get it out. Some will remember the touch buttons; others, the ones you had to push with force to eject. This was the latter. To facilitate the process, the user melted butter and poured it into the slot, then used a pair of pliers to pull the disk. Soon the unit started to smell and stopped working. After repair, the floppy was still readable, and the drive worked just fine.
Does anyone remember Scott McNealy? He was originally in charge of Sun Microsystems but is now in charge of a marketing firm. He is telling anyone who will listen that your data is safer with marketers than with the government, and while this might be true, consider the source. Marketers should be using any captured info to target ads to your device.
It has taken a long, long time, but Dungeons & Dragons is going digital, as in a digital toolkit for players and Dungeon Masters. This would reduce the need to flip back and forth to check damage, monster stats, who has what spell, and so on. Yes, there are still people who play D&D, and yes, it will be available for mobile devices.
There is something in the water in California. A year ago, under Obama, advocates were pushing for a 1GB-per-second backbone throughout San Francisco. Now, under Trump, they are pushing against it, presumably because they just don’t like the new administration. Same technology, same costs, but because of politics it’s suddenly no longer attractive, which is just plain weird.
Aquick reminder for any budding business analysts: When a major information provider in the system is not consulted, don’t be surprised if the system doesn’t work well. This is exactly what occurred in Australia when Centerlink didn’t consult with the Tax Department on a debt-matching system that resulted in a huge number of false flags and a gross overestimation of any debt.
According to the fraud prevention service Cifas in the UK, identity fraud has reached its highest recorded levels, being more than 50% of all reported fraud in that nation. Most of the fraud was financial, with applications for services like loans. Beware of phishers.