Problem gamblers aren’t satisfied by winning — the thing they’re addicted to is playing, and the risk that comes with it. In gacha games, players do report satisfaction when they achieve the prize they set out to get. And yes, in the game’s next season, the developer will be dangling a shiny new prize in front of them with the goal of starting the cycle over. But I think it’s fair to make the distinction, while still being highly critical of the model.
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There is no consistency in how games with random chance are treated. We still do not know how to talk about gambling, or gambling themes, and at the end of the day, the results of this are the same: the house always wins.
The Met wants phone companies to use the unique identifying number - known as an IMEI - that each device has to block any that are reported as stolen.
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"Focusing on IMEI blocking might miss some of the problems," Apple's head of law enforcement requests, Gary Davis, told the committee.
"We worry that there is a vector for fraud... we are concerned about a world where it would be a person who claims to be the owner who's asking."
While we are still a bit away from the voice actually sounding like you, I love that this is even an option. Imagine if you were told you would lose your voice; this would be a great way to hold onto it in some way. Or if you are a singer and you were told to rest your voice for a week, this could come in handy.
Apple TV+ has announced the return date for its espionage drama full of dark humor.
Slow Horses season 5 will be released on Wednesday, September 24.
If you’re looking to dip your toe in the waters of password managers, Bitwarden is a great place to start. You get a lot of functionality without having to pay anything at all. Yes, the Premium plan does have its advantages, and thankfully it’s very affordable, but the free account is enough to get you going.
For the last few years I’ve gotten into the habit of heading out for a nature-oriented holiday two weeks before WWDC (the penultimate week if you are studying for the SATs).
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Nothing externally has changed, but my perspective has improved and I was able to remind myself of a few fundamental truths about my job.
So yeah. Typing fixed my brain. And probably made me less annoying in code reviews because I can actually write coherent comments now.
End of story. Now go find your own weird productivity hack that makes no sense but somehow works.
We’re already seeing that with iPhone Mirroring — perhaps the single best feature Apple announced (and actually shipped) last year. I use iPhone Mirroring every day while I’m working. We’re one week out from WWDC 2025 and iPhone Mirroring still isn’t available in the EU. I think it’s very clear that under the EC’s current DMA “interoperability” mandate, Apple would be required to somehow make it work with third-party devices and PCs. If AirDrop were brand new, users in the EU wouldn’t get that either, I suspect. And if this mandate holds up, EU users might lose AirDrop. The same is true of entire devices like AirPods and Apple Watch.
I hope Apple Arcade, where all apps are available as part of the Apple Arcade subscription price, and there are no in-app purchases for gems or coins or loots or whatever, is more successful. Unfortunately, Apple being Apple, there are still much room for improvement.
With the rumors of the new games-centered app from Apple for this WWDC, I worry Apple may shift its focus away from Apple Arcad, chase other revenue goals, and abandon Apple Arcade's promise.
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Thanks for reading.