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Zack Snyder Plots DC Movie Marathon to Raise Funds for Suicide Prevention

The 'Justice League' director plans to host a viewing party for 'Man of Steel', 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice', and 'Justice League' to raise money for good cause.



  • movie
  • Zack Snyder's Justice League

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'Demon Slayer' Knocks Down 'Mortal Kombat' in Another Tight Race at Box Office

The big-screen version of the Japanese manga series and the live-action adaptation of the popular video game once again go neck and neck in their second week at the domestic box office.




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Marvel Unveils 'Eternals' First Footage, 'Black Panther' and 'Captain Marvel' Sequel Titles

The promo that also celebrates the past MCU movies offers a look at Angelina Jolie's Thena, Richard Madden's Icarus, Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo and Gemma Chan's Sersi among other Eternals.




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Josh Duhamel Praises 'Absolute Pro' Jennifer Lopez Post-'Shotgun Wedding' Filming

Looking back at his experience shooting the romcom in the Dominican Republic, the former 'Las Vegas' star gushes that the 'On the Floor' hitmaker was 'a dream to work with.'




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Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal Team Up for True-Story Movie 'Finding the Mother Tree'

The 'American Hustle' actress and the 'Brokeback Mountain' actor are joining forces to develop a new feature film about real-life scientist Suzanne Simard.



  • movie
  • Finding the Mother Tree
  • Amy Adams;Jake Gyllenhaal

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How to Set Up Your HomePod to Recognize Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms and Send Notifications to Your iPhone or iPad

Apple has recently activated a feature that enables the HomePod and HomePod mini smart speakers to recognize the sound of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send a notification alert to your iPhone or iPad. In this episode of our podcast, Thomas Domville walks us through the process of setting this up.

The Sound Recognition feature uses the always-on microphone inside the HomePod to listen out for a home's existing smoke and carbon monoxide detector. When it hears the alarm, the HomePod sends a notification to your iPhone or iPad via the Home app. This means you don't need to invest in new internet-connected smoke alarms systems, as the HomePod can simply enhance the utility of your existing "dumb" offline smoke alarms. If you have HomeKit-compatible security cameras in your house, the notification will include a live video feed so you can remotely assess what's happening.

To enable Sound Recognition, follow these simple steps: open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad, then navigate to the Home Settings -> Safety & Security screen. There, you can enable the Sound Recognition feature. In addition, you can manage critical notification alerts from supported safety and security devices in your home, and even allow home members to "check in" and listen to the sounds in the home. It's worth noting that the Sound Recognition settings can also be accessed via a HomePod's dedicated Settings. Simply perform a long press on the HomePod's tile in the Home app to access its settings.

(If the Safety & Security section is dimmed out, ensure your HomePod and all other Apple devices are up-to-date with the latest software.





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Describing Photos with Microsoft Bing for iOS

In this episode, Thomas Domville will be discussing how to use Microsoft Bing on iOS to describe photos. Bing has a feature that allows users to upload a photo and receive a description of the image. This feature is powered by advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that can recognize and describe the content of the photo.

So if you’re an iOS user looking for a way to get a description of a photo, be sure to check out Microsoft Bing’s image description feature.




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AppleVis Extra #96: Apple's September 12 "Wonderlust" Event in Review

In this edition of the AppleVis Podcast, Dave Nason, Thomas Domville, and Tyler Stephen get together to discuss Apple's September 12 "Wonderlust" Event.




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A Quick Tour of Some Notable New and Enhanced Accessibility Features in iOS 17

In this episode, Thomas Domville gives us short looks at some of what's new and notable with Accessibility features in iOS 17.

Topics include:

  • New Haptic sensation
  • Open Per Voice Settings
  • Text Detection
  • Point and Speak
  • Sound Curtain
  • Fast long-press speed option
  • Siri (Voices sound natural and expressive)
  • Listen to Page
  • React with your Hands in FaceTime
  • Level Tool for Camera
  • Audio Transcription in Messages




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FruitPot 2: A Fun and Addictive Slot Machine Game for iOS

In this episode, Thomas Domville takes us on a journey through the world of FruitPot 2, a fun-filled slot machine game for iOS. FruitPot 2 is a game that will take you back to the 80s with its retro graphics and sounds. The game features an ever-changing fruit machine slot, as well as more than 15 mini-games that appear as you progress through the game. With the Bucks you earn, you can purchase items from stores at the mall. FruitPot 2 is a great game to play when you're looking for something to relax and have fun with.

FruitPot 2 is available for free on the App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fruitpot-2/id6444378324?l=en




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Privacy Unlocked: Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection for iOS

Do you ever get the sense that you’re being monitored on the internet? In this episode, Thomas Domville will demonstrate Apple’s Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection, a fresh addition to the privacy tools in iOS 17.

Picture this: You click on a link, and all of a sudden, advertisements for that exact product begin to appear everywhere. It’s unsettling, isn’t it? This is the effect of cross-site tracking, powered by concealed IDs within links.

However, there’s no need to worry! Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection is designed to protect you. It accomplishes this by:

Removing tracking IDs from links: Those crafty “tags” that track your every click? They’re history! Preventing fingerprinting scripts: Advertisers employ cunning code to fingerprint your device and create a unique profile. This feature disrupts their scheme. The greatest aspect? It’s integrated and automatically turned on for private browsing. But if you wish to have more control, here’s how to enable it for all browsing:

Navigate to Settings > Safari. Select Advanced > Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection. Opt for “All Browsing”. Now, you can browse with assurance. Say goodbye to intrusive ads and the sensation of being scrutinized digitally. It’s just you, the web, and the liberty to discover.




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How to Change the Default Notification Alert in iOS

Join Thomas Domville as he explores the new feature in iOS 17.2. that allows you to modify the default notification alert.

Previously, users were restricted to Apple's default notification sound. However, with iOS 17.2, Apple has added a new “Default Alerts” section in the “Sounds & Haptics” settings. This feature enables you to choose the sound for all incoming notifications, except for texts, mail alerts, and calendar alerts, which already had customization options.

You now have the freedom to use any of the text tones as your notification sound. This is a major update for those who have always desired to choose a sound.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to change your default notification sound:

Launch the Settings app.
Select “Sounds & Haptics.”
Select “Default Alerts.”
Choose your preferred text tone from the list.
Enjoy your new personalized notification sound!

You also have the option to alter the default haptic feedback. Apple made some adjustments to the default haptic alert in iOS 17, but now you can revert it or customize it if the update didn’t quite meet your expectations.




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Sunshine with a Side of Snark: CARROT Weather: Alerts & Radar for iOS

Join Thomas Domville in learning how to use Carrot Weather for iOS with VoiceOver.

Carrot Weather for iOS is a feature-rich weather application that offers a unique blend of humor and functionality. It provides accurate and detailed forecasts, including current, hourly, and daily predictions. The app is known for its distinctive personality, featuring hilarious dialogue and delightful animations.

Key features include:

Apple Watch App: An award-winning app that allows you to check the weather from your wrist.
Widgets: Offers a variety of customizable widgets for your Home and Lock Screen.
Customization: Allows you to build the weather app of your dreams by changing layouts, adding data points, and more.
Notifications: Provides rain, lightning strike, severe weather alert, and daily summary notifications.
Data Sources: Allows you to switch between sources like AccuWeather, Apple Weather, and Foreca for better forecast accuracy.
Weather Maps: Features super-advanced radar to track incoming storms.
Fun Stuff: Offers secret locations, achievements, augmented reality, and bonding with the Carrot AI.

The app is available for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. It is a paid download with in-app purchases to unlock premium features. The app was created by Brian Mueller, who codes, designs, illustrates, and writes the real-time gags himself. The app’s unique blend of humor and functionality has made it a popular choice among users.

CARROT Weather: Alerts and Radar on the app store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/carrot-weather-alerts-radar/id961390574




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Enhancing iOS Device Security with Stolen Device Protection

In this episode, Thomas Domville demonstrates the new Stolen Device Protection feature introduced in iOS 17.3. This feature is designed to protect against the rare instance when someone has stolen your iPhone and knows your passcode.

Thomas begins by explaining the purpose of the Stolen Device Protection feature. It prevents unauthorized individuals from performing critical device and Apple ID account operations, like changing your device passcode or Apple ID password. This is achieved by requiring biometric authentication with Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback.

He then moves on to the step-by-step guide on how to enable the Stolen Device Protection feature:

Go to Settings.
Depending on your iPhone model, do one of the following:
On an iPhone with Face ID: double Tap Face ID & Passcode, then enter your passcode.
On an iPhone with a Home button: double Tap Touch ID & Passcode, then enter your passcode.
Scroll down to the Stolen Device Protection section, then double tap Turn On Protection.

Note: If you don't see the Stolen Device Protection section, you may need to set up Face ID or Touch ID first.

The episode also covers the Security Delay feature, which requires a successful Face ID or Touch ID authentication, an hour wait, then an additional successful biometric authentication. This feature helps prevent someone from making changes to settings that can lock you out of your iPhone or Apple ID account.

For further details about the Stolen Device Protection feature, you can refer to the following resource:

Use Stolen Device Protection on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/is-is/guide/iphone/iph17105538b/ios

transcription:
Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello and welcome.

My name is Thomas Donville, also known as AnonyMouse.

I'm going to talk to you today about a feature called Stolen Device Protection.

Now this will be ultimately up to you if you want to turn this feature on.

This is a feature that will just kind of enhance your security protection for your iPhone and other settings.

I'll explain a little more here.

When this item is set to on, this will give you an additional protection when it comes to anytime that your phone is stolen or gets lost.

In theory, the feature came about, unfortunately, because there have been some incidents where people will be watching other people gain access to their iPhone, whether that's using the passcode or using their biometric authentication to get into the phone and thus forth then gets stolen from that person.

Or maybe perhaps you lost your phone and somebody somehow, someway gets onto your phone one form or another.

Well this protection will defeat from that person being able to make changes to some critical areas on your device.

So the first layer of protection when this is turned on, this will protect you from them being able to access to certain settings that will now require a biometric authentication.

So it kind of bypass if there weren't any passcode to that area before, you will now have to be able to use authentication by a biometric…




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AppleVis Extra #98: Recapping Apple's WWDC 2024 Keynote

In the latest AppleVis Extra, hosts Dave Nason and Thomas Domville convene to share their insights on the highlights from Apple’s WWDC 2024 Keynote.

transcription:
Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello there and welcome to AppleVis Extra number 98.

My name is Dave Nason.

Because it is June we are talking, of course, about WWDC and because it is AppleViz I am talking, of course, to Thomas Domville.

How are you today, Tom?

Hey, I'm pretty good.

Boy, was that a show or what?

It was.

Nearly two hours that went on and, yeah, it was probably the most anticipated WWDC I can remember in a long time.

Like everybody was waiting for this one, waiting for the announcement.

So before we get into the nitty-gritty, did it meet those expectations for you?

Definitely.

I had a check box of all the things I wanted to hear and it definitely checked all the tick box that I wanted to see and hear.

So I was very happy with the results.

And I know there were some disappointments out there as well, but that's what we'll be talking about.

Yeah, for sure.

And it's funny, we've had a few of these announcements in recent months from all the companies, you know, Google had IO, Microsoft had events, OpenAI had an event, and they've all, you know, Google especially and so on.

They've shorn the words AI or the letters AI into every sentence of the entire thing it seemed, whereas Apple, it was kind of, it must have been nearly an hour before they set the term, though I thought that was interesting.

So we might take the same approach to them and we will kick off with the regular updates, you might call them, to iOS and Vision OS and Mac OS and so on.

And then we can have a chat through the so-called AI.

That sounds great.

I think that'd be perfect.

So they did kick off with Vision OS and I don't think we need to.

Why not, man?

You know, it is kind of odd that, you know, it's only been four months since they released it and they actually have a Vision OS 2 that comes out.

I'm thinking, wow, this is kind of, not only that, but it really didn't feel like it was a 2.

I mean, it was like one big thing and that was it.

I was kind of really disappointed.

I mean, yeah, granted that 3D photos sounds cool now, but definitely not for anything for us.

No, no.

And laserhertz, you know, Marcus Brownlee, you know, he said, it's more, felt like more of a 1.2 than a 2.

Exactly.

It was like a 1.2.

It was like a 1.5 update.

That was it.

But I guess what they're doing there is they're getting it onto their summer cycle.

That's all that really is.

So next year, it'll be 3 and, you know, go from there, I guess.

So it makes sense.

But what it included was, yeah, you can turn any photo into a 3D experience or whatever the correct terminology is and some new gestures.

But from an accessibility point of view, we're not aware of anything really.

You know, it's still a product that is very limited in terms of availability and, you know, what it can…




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Enhance Accessibility: Adding Voices to VoiceOver Rotor Voices on iOS

In this podcast, Thomas Domville reviews and demonstrates the Voices feature, which allows you to customize multiple VoiceOver voices to suit your needs. You can quickly access these voices using the Rotor Actions or the VoiceOver Quick Settings.

How to Add VoiceOver Voices to the Voices Feature on iOS

  1. Open Settings: Start by opening the Settings app with a double tap on your iOS device.
  2. Go to Accessibility: Scroll down and double tap on "Accessibility."
  3. Select VoiceOver: Under the Vision section, double tap on "VoiceOver."
  4. Tap on Speech: In the VoiceOver settings, double tap on "Speech."
  5. Add a New Voice: double Tap on "Add Rotor Voice..." to see a list of available voices.
  6. Choose a Voice: Browse through the list and select the voice you want to add. You can swipe up on a voice to hear a sample.
  7. Download the Voice: After selecting a voice, double tap "Download" to add it to your device.
  8. Set Up Rotor Actions: Go back to the VoiceOver settings and double tap on "Rotor." Ensure that "Voices" is selected so you can quickly switch between voices using the Rotor.
  9. Quick Settings Access: You can also access the new voices through the VoiceOver Quick Settings by two finger quadruple tap and selecting "Voice."

Now, you can easily switch between your customized VoiceOver voices to enhance your accessibility experience on iOS 18.

Transcript

Disclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Hello and welcome.

My name is Thomas Domville, also known as Anonymouse.

I'm going to be talking about a feature called Voices.

So as you know, we have our primary voice over voice that we use each and every day on our device.

Wouldn't it be great that you are able to access various voices more than just one voice over on the fly?

Yep, you can do that.

It lives right in your rotor, if that's where you would like it to be.

In my case, I have it in my rotor itself.

You can also put that in the voice over quick settings if you wish to.

And I'll be showing you how to add that to your rotor and quick setting if that's something you want to do.

But in my case, whenever I do a podcast, you probably always hear that I use Siri number 4 voice, in short is Noel.

And this is what I use when I do podcasting, but every so often I like to change things up and here's some other voice and that would be Tom and Hans.

So those are my top two voices.

And so in order to access it so quickly and easily, I place the voices in within my rotor.

So let me give you an example of what it sounds like and what it looks like.

So I'm going to access my rotor and I'm going to go to Voices.

Voices, Siri voice 4, default, selected.

So if I swipe up, Tom, primary voice.

I have the Tom primary voice.

Or if I could just swipe up again, Siri voice 4, default.

I'm back to Siri voice number 4.

So this is when I'm talking about how you are able to access voices so easily from your rotor or your quick settings, if that's what you choose to do.

So let me show you how I got that set up.

But before we can do anything, we need to add voices so you can…






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Lockdown photography collection to be published

Dutch photographer living in Birmingham features his adopted home town.




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Photography exhibition part of Birmingham 2022 Festival

Blood & Fire: Our Journey Through Vanley Burke's History to open in Handsworth.






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Commonwealth Games 2022 – Something they forgot to mention

Two Sandwell community swimming pools to close to help fund Commonwealth Games Aquatics Centre, reports Steve Beauchampe.




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Mother’s Day tribute to cancer charity

"Without Cure Leukaemia my daughter would not be here for Mother’s Day."






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The Birmingham Salon Debate: Have we got copyright wrong?

So what do we make of the current copyright regime? Join in the debate at The Ropewalk, 15-20 St. Paul’s Square, Birmingham









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Trade unionists to protest against proposed laws

City centre location for Police Bill protest.











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The boots are made for more than walking

Simon Hale reviews the Broadway production of Kinky Boots.









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Add ons at Ardencote

The Spa at Ardencote launches new treatment 'Add Ons' menu.