Extra Future

Hi, I’m Phil Nelson, a writer, developer, and audio-visual maker of stuff. I have been making stuff online for over 25 years. I run RetroStrange and Set Side B. Good to see you.

Blog Archives

Tag: iphone

  • GrayKey: The little box that unlocks iPhones

    Thomas Reed, for MalwareBytes:

    Two iPhones can be connected at one time, and are connected for about two minutes. After that, they are disconnected from the device, but are not yet cracked. Some time later, the phones will display a black screen with the passcode, among other information. The exact length of time varies, taking about two hours in the observations of our source. It can take up to three days or longer for six-digit passcodes, according to Grayshift documents, and the time needed for longer passphrases is not mentioned. Even disabled phones can be unlocked, according to Grayshift.

    Nothing is safe. Encrypt and delete constantly.

  • iOS 11 has a ‘cop button’ to temporarily disable Touch ID

    Now that’s what I call usability.

  • HP Says To Bye Bye TouchPad, Pre

    [Almost hidden in this press release about HP’s plans to buy Autonomy Corporation][link]:

    >In addition, HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.

    A real shame. webOS and the devices built around it were the only real competition to iOS and the iPad/iPhone line.

    [link]: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110818006301/en/HP-Confirms-Discussions-Autonomy-Corporation-plc-Business “HP Confirms Discussions with Autonomy Corporation plc Regarding Possible Business Combination; Makes Other Announcements | Business Wire”

  • Original iPod vs iPhone 4

    [Steven Frank compares the granddaddy of them all to the new kid][link]. Aside from the fact that the original iPod is about 2.5 times thicker than the iPhone 4, what stands out to me is that the faces are exactly the same size. Very Apple.

    [link]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevenf/5710076529/in/photostream/ “Original iPod vs iPhone 4 | Flickr – Photo Sharing!”

  • Jawbone THOUGHTS

    [Thoughts is an iPhone application for sending audio messages to individuals or groups][link]. It isn’t so much a replacement for voicemail or phone calls as a non-blocking way to talk to people without butting into whatever they’re already doing.

    [link]: http://jawbone.com/thoughts “Jawbone THOUGHTS™ iPhone App  |  Record & Share Your Thoughts”

  • Fighting The Wrong Fight

    [Excellent piece by Elia Freedman][link]:

    >We have been distracted by ridiculous arguments and fabricated “wars” for too long. We have been distracted by thinking that Google is Microsoft and Apple is Apple in a doomed fight already fought 20 years ago.
    >
    >But that is not the fight we should be caring about at all. The fight we should be talking about, but aren’t, is the fight between mobile device makers and the carriers. This is the only real fight that matters.

    [link]: http://eliainsider.com/2010/09/14/fighting-the-wrong-fight/ “Fighting The Wrong Fight « Elia Insider”

  • THE INCIDENT

    [Now available for iPhone and iPad][link]. One of the most utterly delightful games I’ve ever played, for any console. A little bit of Katamari Damacy, a little bit of Tetris, a whole lot of beautiful faux-16-bit graphics and sound. Every byte of this game was crafted with care.

    You will not find a better way to spend $2 today. It even works on my original launch iPhone.

    [link]: http://bigbucketsoftware.com/theincident/ “THE INCIDENT – a fast-paced, retro-style action game for iPhone and iPad”

  • “EPIC WIN”, a New iPhone Todo App

    [Similar to a project I was working on (now cancelled. they so win.), a todo list app with an RPG system tacked on][link]. Feel better about your real-life accomplishments with phony rewards!

    [link]: http://www.epicwinapp.com/ “EPICWIN”

  • The App Store: Revenge Reviews

    [Garret Murray, developer of the Ego app for iPhone, on what he calls “revenge reviews”][link]: Reviews posted to the App Store by users who accidentally purchased an app, misread it’s description, or otherwise made a mistake. I hadn’t thought of this:

    >People brought up a great point the last time I complained about App Store customers—they’re all children. Not metaphorically, but literally. Most of these customers are kids with iPod Touches. So of course they act like children.

    But it rings true. I’d go further and say that the ones that are not *literally* children, are probably emotionally stunted in some way.

    [link]: http://log.maniacalrage.net/post/576452229/revenge-reviews “Maniacal Rage”

  • Google Voice for iPhone and Palm WebOS

    [Written in HTML5, no need to interact with the App Store at all][link], it’s available immediately. Funny how that works out.

    [link]: http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/google-voice-for-iphone-and-palm-webos.html “Google Voice Blog: Google Voice for iPhone and Palm WebOS”