S3E36: Vax Records, there’s an app for that

News

Microsoft is making sure your default browser is Edge whether you like it or not in Windows 11. While Microsoft doesn’t say it this way, basically consumers have no clue what they should do based on Microsoft’s actions.

As proof this an app called EdgeDeflector is being blocked by Microsoft in the next update. What did EdgeDeflector do? It made it possible to use your favorite browser to return search results from Microsoft’s search box. 

https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/15/22782802/microsoft-block-edgedeflector-windows-11

Digital Vaccine Card

This is the standard many states are adopting but many states are baring their offices from creating such barcodes.

https://smarthealth.cards/

So with travel and events starting to require proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test, many software companies are trying to create “the app” that consumers will use to store not only their Covid 19 vaccination or test records, but also perhaps other digital health and vaccination records. Who can we trust when there are no formalized standards supported by any specific government? In the US, health care is very decentralized and no one governing body controls how this is handled.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2021/11/15/digital-proof-of-vaccination-testing-smart-health-card-bindle/?sh=5f17ac1837fc

https://www.geekwire.com/2021/mandate-effect-clear-app-gets-official-ok-seattle-area-vaccine-verification-method/

Here is how to add your Covid 19 vaccination in Google Wallet on Android

https://support.google.com/googlepay/answer/10890261

Here is how to add your Covid 19 vaccination record on iPhone if it is running at least iOS 15.1 and has Apple Health app.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212752

An Ahhhh moment

15 years ago the makers of Call of Duty (pre-Activision mind you) teamed up with one gamer to learn ways to add accessibility to the controls of their game. This gamer, who went by the name NOM4D agreed to share his knowledge in exchange for his name being listed in the credits of the game. With internal squabbles between the programmers and the parent company this never happened and The controller layout named after him, NOM4D never got his name in the credits until now. When Raven Software who developed the latest edition of Call Of Duty wanted to know who developed these controls they found Randy Fitzgerald who gave them the entire story of how this all came to be. They offered him money but instead he simply wanted a wrong righted and so he was sent a free copy of the game and they asked him to watch the credits. There it was, NOM4D. 

https://kotaku.com/15-years-later-call-of-duty-fan-gets-credit-for-game-c-1848061829

S3E27: Apple Event 2021

Apple Event 2021

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/09/14/apple-event-live-coverage-september-2021/

See the bottom link to hear the Podcast version of this show or click the YouTube link to see it as it went down live previously.

So every year not long after my birthday Apple comes out and announces a bunch of stuff. They never call me first to see if I am okay with it but okay fine. 

Today Apple announced iPhone 13 and of course 13 PRO AND Pro Max. And if you really need 1TB of storage on your phone, you get it, if you can afford to buy it. Odds are the iPhone 13 Pro Max with 1TB of storage will be the most expensive iPhone ever, The base iPhone 14 Pro Max is $1099 so yeah. And the Pro and Max supposedly have the best battery life ever for an iPhone. And the Pro and Max have a new Cinematic mode when taking video. 

Apple’s line up is interesting. So iPhone SE, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 will all be available as options with the SE being the value edition for folks who want an iPhone but don’t want to pay too much. The iPhone 11 is a great phone and is a solid phone. If you want a new iPhone and you don’t need it to be the latest and greatest, then iPhone 11 would be the best phone for you. If you live in an area with 5G, the iPhone 13 has 5G and if you have a need for speed, this might be the way to go. Go with less storage and buy an iCloud tier to store your stuff to save you some money.  Though maybe the iPhone 13 mini is also an option if you really want an iPhone 13 but don’t want to pay the most for it.

What else did they announce? Well of course the new iWatch 7 and they have beefed up Apple’s health app Fitness + to track more stuff and to give you fitness classes even. And even allow you to do a group workout. 

So what did Apple NOT announce? Well, where are the new Macbook Pros 14 and 16 inch which supposedly had the M1X chip. I am not in the market for one as well, I have invested in my one M1 Mac for the next couple of years but for those who were looking to get one, well, looks like you are going to have to wait for WWDC in February or maybe as has happened before Apple has a late October announcement cycle and you get them in time for Christmas. The rumor mills say Apple can’t make them very quickly because of the same chip shortages that hurt the industries everywhere including your favorite auto and appliance makers. I am still waiting on Dell servers that were ordered in May and won’t arrive until October. This hurts. 

Those same chip shortages are why you can buy a brand new Series 3 Apple Watch or a brand new Series 7 Apple Watch.

They also announced new iPads with faster processors and a new iPad Mini with retina display. The cameras have been bumped on on these devices and the iPad has USB C instead of lightening. Say what?!? Yeah, so if you have been stockpiling Lightening cables, the time is coming when you will need to go and get USB C cables. 

Go update your phones and your Macs. Apple releases fix for Zero-Day exploit. Pegasus hack.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/09/apple-fixes-imessage-zero-day-exploited-by-pegasus-spyware/

Ray Band Stories? Facebook and Ray Band team up and make Google Goggles sort of.

The glasses can take pictures, short videos, and make phone calls. It also can play audio but your walking buddies will hear the audio as it is open audio. Do we need these?

https://www.axios.com/facebook-ray-ban-wayfarer-stories-5f113bfa-797f-4e2d-b99c-7d65a8726607.html?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email

And a Judge decides Apple is wrong partially and the verdict is strange and doesn’t exactly answer everyone’s questions but it means again Epic will have to take Apple back to court if it really wants to try and win its full case but also maybe just maybe developers may catch some breaks. Maybe.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/13/22671574/epic-apple-app-store-new-rules-meaning-ruling-decision