The best educational apps on iPad for kids and young students
The iPad can be an important tool in a parent's playbook for instilling a love of learning early on. These are some of the best educational apps for younger learners.Students using iPads in elementary schoolWe don't intend to add to the problem of "TV and computing devices as babysitters" that has generally been viewed as detrimental, but some screen time is unavoidable. Instead, the key is balance — and when screen time is needed, make sure it's full of high-quality, age-appropriate content.An iPad mini — especially one in a rugged child-proof case — can be a vital part of early learning before a child is ready to start public school or homeschooling. It can also play an important role in assisting young students in and after school. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Future iPads and iPhones could tell stressed users to calm down
Apple is researching how to bring its Apple Vision Pro physiognomy sensor technology to give iPads and iPhones the ability to detect stress in a user.What an iPad could do when it detects that its user is stressedBack in the 1980s, if an original Mac went wrong, it would play the sound of a crash, and display Susan Kare's bomb icon. It was a piece of whimsy that you really, really, really did not appreciate when you'd just lost your work.Decades on, Apple could be about to make a similarly enraging move, though this time with good intentions. Apple wants to add a new health feature, where a device such as an iPad can tell when you're having a bad day. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple may soon have to allow third-party app stores in Japan too
After European legislation forced Apple to allow third-party app stores across 27 countries, Japan is planning to introduce a similar legal requirement. The antitrust legislation is currently being debated in the Japanese parliament, but is expected to be approved by the end of June … more…

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Apple’s supply chain could include ‘blood minerals’ from eastern Congo
International lawyers representing the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo have said that Apple’s supply chain could include “conflict minerals” or “blood minerals.” The terms are used to refer to minerals sourced from conflict zones, in which armed groups use forced labor, and the proceeds are used to buy weapons for armed conflict … more…

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iPhone/iPad retro game emulators: How to find and play the best classic games
Macworld In early April, Apple made a surprise decision to allow retro game emulators in the App Store. With them, you can now play old classic games from early game consoles and arcades, but the legalities around doing so are a little complicated. Here’s what you need to know about retro game emulation on iPhone and iPad, including some of the top apps, how they work, and what to do about ROMs. What is retro game emulation? The processor in your iPhone (or laptop or home PC) is many times more powerful than the processors used in old classic arcade games or home consoles like the NES, SNES, Genesis, GameBoy, etc. That means today’s devices are capable of playing older games without breaking a sweat—which is where game emulators come in. Game emulators have been around for a very long time on PCs, where enthusiasts have used the power of modern processors to made software versions of the processors and systems used in old game machines. Modern iPhones have been capable of this for a long time, but Apple has forbidden them for years due to its App Store terms. Now, emulators are allowed, but they have to follow all applicable laws regarding copyright and game distribution. That means that the emulator you download is kind of like getting a virtual GameBoy or NES, without any games. What are ROMs? ROM stands for read-only memory. Old game cartridges, like old arcade games, stored all the actual game code and art in banks of ROM memory. (These days, whether game data is stored in ROM chips on a cartridge or CD, retro game enthusiasts have taken to calling all old games “ROMs.”) ROMs are basically packages of all the game data, without the game system. It’s the equivalent of dumping all the data from your old Super Mario Bros. or Metroid cartridge into a ZIP file. Without the game system to play them, they’re more or less useless. There are lots of sites out there where you can download ROMs, and some legal but many are not. A lot of ROM distribution lies somewhere in a grey area. Where can I get ROMs? The legality of downloading ROMs is complicated. In most cases, it is a copyright violation to make available the data from a game, and usually to download it as well. So the site you’re downloading Pokemon from is probably breaking the law, and you may be breaking the law to grab it as well. There are totally legal and free ROMs, though. Romhacking.net is a site where enthusiasts hack together new custom ROMs for retro game systems, and release them for free. It has a list of free and legal ROMs. But these are new games, not the popular games you played 30 years ago. A common legal grey area is whether or not you can download the ROM of a game you already own. For example, if you own an old Legend of Zelda NES cartridge, can you find a site that has a copy of it and download it? Legally, you would be well within your rights to take a special piece of hardware that reads all the data off the cartridge and makes a personal copy of it, not for distribution (a process called “ROM dumping”). Any site you download a ROM from, even if you own it, is probably breaking copyright law by distributing it. But downloading the game you own is a bit of a legal grey area. Most enthusiasts acquire ROMs that “fall off a truck,” so to speak. It doesn’t take a lot of searching to find ROMs to download, legal or not. Be careful: ROM packages and sites are a common vector for viruses and malware. One legal and safe way to get ROMs legally is to buy retro game collections, most of which are actually emulators wrapped in a package with a set of ROMs. For example, the SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis Classics collection on Steam has about 50 of the best Sega classic games available for around a dollar each, or in a deeply discounted bundle. If you install them and look at the game directory, you’ll see a directory called “uncompressed ROMs” that has all the games you bought. They’re yours, legally purchased, so you can use them in any emulator you want. To use ROMs with game emulators on iPhone or iPad, you’ll have to either download them into the Files app on your iPhone or put them in a cloud storage location (like iCloud Drive) that can be accessed by the app. The apps don’t provide direct access to ROMs themselves, however, you have to load your own. What are the best emulators for iPhone and iPad? Just after Apple changed the App Store guidelines to allow emulators, a few were quickly released and pulled. But since then, several more projects have landed and they provide a good experience. More are on the way. Here are the key projects to be aware of. Delta The Delta game emulator has been around for years, even on iPhone. It wasn’t allowed in the App Store, so they built their own project called AltStore to distribute it via sideloading. Popularity has obviously surged since appearing in the App Store. Delta has great Nintendo support and fantastic controller skins. Delta has great Nintendo support and fantastic controller skins.Delta Delta has great Nintendo support and fantastic controller skins.Delta Delta Delta currently supports the following systems: Nintendo Entertainment System Super Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo 64 Game Boy (Color) Game Boy Advance Nintendo DS Sega Genesis (beta) It’s an incredibly full-featured product. It supports fast-forward speeds, save states, cloud sync of save states to other devices, and even downloads box artwork for the games you load. In addition to virtual on-screen controllers it supports all kinds of physical controllers, including Xbox and PlayStation controllers, MFi controllers, Nintendo Switch joycons and Pro controllers, and even Bluetooth or wired keyboards. You can even AirPlay your games to your TV! Just start screen mirroring in Control Center and the game will be on the TV while the virtual controller will be on your iPhone. If you want to emulate Nintendo games, Delta is the place to start. A dedicated iPad version is on the way too. It’s just a matter of making all the system and controller skins and squashing a few more bugs. RetroArch The interface and controller skins could use a little work, but RetroArch is a very capable emulator. In fact, it’s a front-end for a lot of open source emulator projects (called “cores”), and includes too many to mention here. RetroArch’s interface is a little rough but it supports lots of systems and has an Apple TV app. RetroArch’s interface is a little rough but it supports lots of systems and has an Apple TV app.RetroArch RetroArch’s interface is a little rough but it supports lots of systems and has an Apple TV app.RetroArch RetroArch RetroArch includes cores to play games from too many systems to list them all here. There’s support for old Atari and Intellivision systems, Commodore 64 and Amiga, PC Engine, Neo Geo, lots of Nintendo systems, multiple Sega systems, and even PlayStation and PlayStation Portable. There are sometimes multiple different cores for an individual system, and loading up your ROMs isn’t as seamless as it could be, but RetroArch will play a lot more than most other emulators in the App Store. Oh, and there’s even a native Apple TV version! PPSSPP The core for this one is included in RetroArch, but if you want to just play PlayStation Portable (PSP) games you might have a better experience with the PPSSPP app. It has a built-in “Homebrew store” where you can download and play homemade PSP games, and the PPSSPP site has some help with how to dump PSP games on your own or prepare dumps by turning them into .ISO or .CSO files. PPSSPP has a “HomeBrew Store” to play homemade games, and an easier interface than RetroArch. PPSSPP has a “HomeBrew Store” to play homemade games, and an easier interface than RetroArch.PPSSPP PPSSPP has a “HomeBrew Store” to play homemade games, and an easier interface than RetroArch.PPSSPP PPSSPP Provenance Provenance is not yet on the App Store, but it has been available for some time on AltStore. Like RetroArch, it’s a front end for multiple emulation cores. The App Store release will support nearly as many console systems as RetroArch, but not the older computers like Amiga and Commodore 64: Atari 2600 Atari 5200 Atari 7800 Atari Jaguar Atari Lynx Bandai WonderSwan Mattel Electronics Intellivision NEC PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 (CD) NEC PC-FX NEC SuperGrafx Neo Geo Pocket (Color) Nintendo GameBoy (Color) Nintendo GameBoy Advance Nintendo N64 Nintendo NES/Famicom + FDS Nintendo PokeMini Nintendo SNES Nintendo Virtual Boy Sega 32X Sega Game Gear Sega Genesis/MegeDrive (CD) Sega MasterSystem Sega Saturn Sega SG1000 Sony PSX Sony PSP It’s generally very well regarded, with lots of features to customize the cores and performance, automatic downloading of metadata and art for games in your library, support for MFi and iCade controllers, and supposedly very good performance. There’s a Test Flight beta for Patreon supporters, but the full App Store release should be coming soon, and with an Apple TV app as well. Provenance is well-regarded on AltStore, and will debut on the App Store very soon. Provenance is well-regarded on AltStore, and will debut on the App Store very soon.Provenance Provenance is well-regarded on AltStore, and will debut on the App Store very soon.Provenance Provenance Gaming, iPhone

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X Likes will be made private, but Likes count will still show
The social network formerly known as Twitter has confirmed that X Likes are to be made private, so only the author of the post can see who has liked it. The company says that this is to protect people who are afraid to publicly Like “edgy” content, though users have mixed views … more…

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Bing down for many; Copilot, DuckDuckGo, and ChatGPT search too
Microsoft’s search engine Bing is down for many, with Copilot similarly unavailable for affected users. DuckDuckGo and ChatGPT search are also impacted, as they use the Bing API. The issue appears to have started in the early hours of the morning ET, and was partially acknowledged by Microsoft a few hours later … more…

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9-core vs. 10-core M4: Is it worth paying more for the iPad Pro?
Macworld Apple did an interesting thing when it revealed its new M4 iPad Pro: of the four storage options available, the 1TB and 2TB models come with an M4 chip with 10 CPU cores. The lower-priced 256GB and 512GB iPad Pros have a CPU with nine processing cores, one fewer than the higher-storage models. It’s the first time Apple has offered an M-series CPU with an odd number of cores. Tying the additional CPU core to higher storage tiers is something of an up-sell. Someone who might not not want to pay Apple’s high storage prices might be swayed by the more powerful chip. It’s an intriguing tactic, but the question is, how much improvement does that single additional core provide? Well, that’s what benchmark tools are for. Using Geekbench 6, we gathered numbers for the 9- and 10-core M4 and compared the results. What we found is that the additional core offers a nice little bonus, especially if you’re doing heavy-duty multi-core processing tasks. But for daily, mundane jobs, you won’t feel the difference. M4: 9-core vs. 10-core CPU Geekbench 6.3

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Japan could be next to force third-party app stores on Apple
The Japanese Parliament is debating a proposed law that would effectively emulate the EU's Digital Markets Act and require Apple to open up the App Store.An Apple Store in JapanOriginally proposed in 2023, the new bill is now being officially deliberated by Parliament. According to The Japan Times, the bill is expected to be passed by both chambers of the country's Parliament.If the bill passes into law, the intention is that it will facilitate competition and reduce app prices. Japan's government reportedly believes that Apple and Google are a duopoly, and that they charge developers high fees that are then passed on to users. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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T-Mobile to raise prices of some older U.S. plans starting in June
If you have an older T-Mobile plan, the monthly price might be able to go up a bit. The wireless carrier on Wednesday revealed that it will be raising the monthly prices of some of its older plans in the U.S. by $2 to $5 per line. Affected customers will receive a message from T-Mobile […] Source

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Memorial Day is your chance to get Windows 11 Pro for $24.97
Macworld Whether you want to improve your cybersecurity or change how your user interface looks, upgrading your operating system is a great way to change how you use your computer. Normally, getting Windows 11 Pro can cost up to $199, but this Memorial Day sale is a chance to get it for just $24.97.  The 11 Pro version comes with upgrades to basic operations, security, and more. Between the snap layouts, desktops, seamless redocking, and improved voice typing, you can fully customize how you use your computer.  When it comes to security, 11 Pro doesn’t skimp. tools like encrypted authentication, enhanced antivirus, support for biometric login, and BitLocker device encryption bolster your cyber defenses without needing other tools like a VPN.  This license gives you Windows 11 Pro for life on up to two devices for a one-time payment. Hardware requirements are basic, including 4GB RAM and at least 64GB local storage.  May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the deadline to get this price drop for Microsoft Windows 11 Pro at $24.97 (reg. $199). No coupon is needed.    Microsoft Windows 11 Pro – $24.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.  Accessories

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Little Snitch 6.0 released, offers expanded DNS encryption, easier network visualization, other new features
One of the coolest bits of shareware just got a hefty update. Little Snitch, which monitors Mac network traffic for suspicious activity, has reached version 6.0, remains focused around the easy blacklisting and whitelisting of apps and services, and offers the following of new fixes and features: Little Snitch 6 retails for $59 as a […] Source

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Code better with an extra $5 off MS Visual Studio Pro through May 31
Macworld The right development platform can make a world of difference on any project, and now programmers can be working with one of the best by Memorial Day. Through May 31, Macworld readers can get an extra $5 off the already low sale price on the Windows edition of Visual Studio Pro 2022 at just $39.97. This time-tested dev environment isn’t just a place to type and test. You can use features like CodeLens to keep up with changes over time, collaborate through Live Share without leaving the platform, or code faster with line or block code suggestions with IntelliCode. It all adds up to more time savings and cleaner apps overall, and the lifetime license comes with all future updates. Through May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT, get a lifetime license to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 on one Windows device for $39.97 (reg. $499).   Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows – $39.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Accessories

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Macworld Podcast: What to expect from Apple in 2025
Macworld Technology is all about what’s coming next, and in this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we’re talking about what we can see from Apple in 2025 Technology is all about what’s coming next, and in this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we’re talking about what we can see from Apple in 2025! A super thin iPhone, a new Mac Studio, updated AirTags and more! Find out more on the show! This is episode 885 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola. Click here to go to the Macworld Podcast Episode 885 on Apple Podcasts Listen to episode 885 on Spotify Get info  Click on the links below for more information on what was discussed on the show.  Next year’s iPhone could feature a thin, redesigned ultra high-end model  Don’t expect the Mac Studio and Mac Pro to be updated at WWDC–or in 2024  A new AirTag is coming next year but not much is changing  The long wait for the next iPad mini might be even longer  Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone. Apple Apple Apple iPad, iPhone, Mac, Mobile Phone Accessories

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How to answer and end phone and FaceTime calls using Siri
In addition to initiating phone calls, you can use Siri to answer incoming phone and FaceTime calls. When the call is over, you can also use Siri to end the call as well — with an important caveat.Use Siri to accept, make, and end phone calls.By leveraging some lesser-used features of Siri, you can use it to make calls, answer incoming calls, and end phone calls as well. This can be done hands-free using the speaker, or with headphones.It's worth noting that these features will work on the iPhone 11 or newer, as well as the Apple Watch. Some features will only work with older iPhones if you are using either AirPods or Beats headphones that have Siri functionality. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Bluesky now finally lets users send and receive DMs
The Bluesky microblogging platform, launched last year, is getting a major update this week. Starting today, users can finally send and receive direct messages (DMs) – a long-awaited feature for those who use Bluesky every day. more…

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Why Your Wi-Fi Router Doubles As an Apple AirTag
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Krebs On Security: Apple and the satellite-based broadband service Starlink each recently took steps to address new research into the potential security and privacy implications of how their services geo-locate devices. Researchers from the University of Maryland say they relied on publicly available data from Apple to track the location of billions of devices globally -- including non-Apple devices like Starlink systems -- and found they could use this data to monitor the destruction of Gaza, as well as the movements and in many cases identities of Russian and Ukrainian troops. At issue is the way that Apple collects and publicly shares information about the precise location of all Wi-Fi access points seen by its devices. Apple collects this location data to give Apple devices a crowdsourced, low-power alternative to constantly requesting global positioning system (GPS) coordinates. Both Apple and Google operate their own Wi-Fi-based Positioning Systems (WPS) that obtain certain hardware identifiers from all wireless access points that come within range of their mobile devices. Both record the Media Access Control (MAC) address that a Wi-FI access point uses, known as a Basic Service Set Identifier or BSSID. Periodically, Apple and Google mobile devices will forward their locations -- by querying GPS and/or by using cellular towers as landmarks -- along with any nearby BSSIDs. This combination of data allows Apple and Google devices to figure out where they are within a few feet or meters, and it's what allows your mobile phone to continue displaying your planned route even when the device can't get a fix on GPS. With Google's WPS, a wireless device submits a list of nearby Wi-Fi access point BSSIDs and their signal strengths -- via an application programming interface (API) request to Google -- whose WPS responds with the device's computed position. Google's WPS requires at least two BSSIDs to calculate a device's approximate position. Apple's WPS also accepts a list of nearby BSSIDs, but instead of computing the device's location based off the set of observed access points and their received signal strengths and then reporting that result to the user, Apple's API will return the geolocations of up to 400 hundred more BSSIDs that are nearby the one requested. It then uses approximately eight of those BSSIDs to work out the user's location based on known landmarks. In essence, Google's WPS computes the user's location and shares it with the device. Apple's WPS gives its devices a large enough amount of data about the location of known access points in the area that the devices can do that estimation on their own. That's according to two researchers at the University of Maryland, who theorized they could use the verbosity of Apple's API to map the movement of individual devices into and out of virtually any defined area of the world. The UMD pair said they spent a month early in their research continuously querying the API, asking it for the location of more than a billion BSSIDs generated at random. They learned that while only about three million of those randomly generated BSSIDs were known to Apple's Wi-Fi geolocation API, Apple also returned an additional 488 million BSSID locations already stored in its WPS from other lookups. "Plotting the locations returned by Apple's WPS between November 2022 and November 2023, Levin and Rye saw they had a near global view of the locations tied to more than two billion Wi-Fi access points," the report adds. "The map showed geolocated access points in nearly every corner of the globe, apart from almost the entirety of China, vast stretches of desert wilderness in central Australia and Africa, and deep in the rainforests of South America." The researchers wrote: "We observe routers move between cities and countries, potentially representing their owner's relocation or a business transaction between an old and new owner. While there is not necessarily a 1-to-1 relationship between Wi-Fi routers and users, home routers typically only have several. If these users are vulnerable populations, such as those fleeing intimate partner violence or a stalker, their router simply being online can disclose their new location." A copy of the UMD research is available here (PDF). Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Apple’s Wi-Fi-based Positioning System Reveals Access Point Locations
University of Maryland security researchers used a clever approach to querying Apple’s location API to determine the locations of more than two billion Wi-Fi access points worldwide. You can opt out.Read original article

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New Beats Pill speaker hits the FCC ahead of launch
At this point, it’s pretty much confirmed that Apple will announce a new generation of the Beats Pill speaker, as many celebrities have been spotted walking around with it – not to mention that the iOS 17.5 RC files confirm the existence of the product. And it seems that the launch will be soon, as the new Beats Pill has just appeared in FCC filings. more…

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New Apple Accessibility Features Coming Later This Year
To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple revealed a slew of new accessibility features slated for the next versions of its operating systems.

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