Atomos announces the Ninja Phone, a silent 10-bit video coprocessor for smartphones and tablets that lets you record from professional HDMI cameras. The first release of Ninja Phone is designed for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and their OLED display. It’s a powerful combination that uses Atomos’ worldwide knowledge of Apple’s ProRes encoding and Apple’s cutting-edge screen and silicon technology to create the “world’s most beautiful, portable and connected professional monitor recorder”.

The Ninja phone encodes the HDMI signal from the camera ProRes or H.265, both formats with the excellent 10-bit quality for HDR. Encoded video is sent via the Ninja Phones USB-C output to the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Maxs. The iPhone’s advanced A17 system-on-a-chip then decodes the pristine image from the camera sensor to display on the high-resolution iPhone display. The screen is a massive improvement over the typical built-in screens that come with most cameras, with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and support for Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG. It can display 11 stops of dynamic range with a maximum brightness of 1600 nits, perfect for HDR and outdoor viewing.

The Ninja Phone iPhone app, which can be downloaded from the App Store, controls and coordinates the operation of both the Ninja Phone and the iPhone, making them feel like a single responsive device. The Ninja Phone app adjusts to landscape or portrait video modes for social media creators who need to shoot in 9:16 portrait mode. The Ninja Phone app will run on iOS and iPadOS and will be available for download at the time of shipping.

We’ve added professional video and cinematic intelligence to the world’s most advanced phone. Ninja Phone is for the thousands of content creators who capture, store and share video from their iPhone 15 Pro but aspire to work with professional cameras, lenses and microphones. At the same time, the Ninja Phone is a perfect tool for longer-educated professionals who want to adopt a cloud workflow without a complex and expensive technology footprint.

Jeromy Young, CEO and co-founder of Atomos

The output from the cameras appears on the iPhone screen with zero latency thanks to atoms efficient ProRes pipeline: encoding on the Ninja phone and decoding using Apple’s latest generation iPhone. We’ve added professional video and cinematic intelligence to the world’s most advanced phone, says Atomos CEO and co-founder Jeromy Young. Ninja Phone is for the thousands of content creators who capture, store and share video from their iPhone 15 Pro, but aspire to work with professional cameras, lenses and microphones. At the same time, the Ninja phone is a perfect tool for longer-educated professionals who want to adopt a cloud workflow without a complex and expensive technology footprint.

ProRes-encoded video can be stored on the phone as a .mov file and/or simultaneously transcoded by the iPhone to 10-bit H.265 for workflows such as cloud camera or live streaming via iPhones 5G and integrated 5G. Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. In addition, the Ninja Phone supports external iPhone accessories by integrating a separate USB-C hub to enable the necessary professional add-ons, such as wireless USB-C microphones, to seamlessly sync video and audio. Third-party accessories are supported on the Ninja phone and more will be added over time.

Powered by standard NP series batteries, a battery eliminator, or a 5V/3A USB-C input, the Ninja phone charges the iPhone while in use with either of these power sources, ensuring that the long run of the telephone may coincide with professional sessions. Besides, Atomos has developed a unique and robust locking ecosystem to maintain a secure grip on connected HDMI and USB-C cables. Featuring Atomos locking cables, it’s the most robust capture cable system available today, while being fully compatible with standard non-locking cables.

I’m very proud that Atomos is once again teaming up with Apple to unlock video creativity through ProRes, and this time it’s on Apple’s most advanced device, the iPhone 15 Pro. I am especially pleased that this product is fanless and quiet.

Jeromy Young, CEO and co-founder of Atomos

Enhanced connectivity on the iPhone 15 Pros opens a door for Ninja phone users to make full use of Atomos Cloud Services (ACS). These include super-efficient cloud camera workflows, remote live production and cloud editing. With ACS, content creators can post videos to social media within minutes, and filmmakers can send their footage to their post-production team via the cloud for the fastest possible production workflow. I’m very proud that Atomos is once again teaming up with Apple to unlock video creativity through ProRes, and this time it’s on Apple’s most advanced device, the iPhone 15 Pro. I am especially pleased that this product is fanless and quiet. Atomos has also had an incredible relationship with Japanese camera makers, and now the Ninja phone connects those incredible cameras directly to the iPhone’s storage, display and amazing wireless and cellular network, Young added.

Thanks to the iPhone 15 Pro, this is a first ninja Users will have access to an OLED monitor screen, which, at 446 PPI, is by far the highest resolution and HDR capable monitor ever available, Young added. It is the perfect partner for many of the smaller format mirrorless cameras coming out of Japan, for example Fujifilm’s X100 and G series, Canons R5 series, Sony Alpha series, Nikon Z cameras and Panasonic series GH and S.

The Ninja phone weighs just 95 grams and 335 grams when paired with an iPhone 15 Pro. The Ninja phone will cost 399 USD/EUR excluding local sales tax, and is expected to begin shipping in June 2024. Customers will also have to choose the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max case, not just for protect the phone in normal use, but to ensure that the cable system lock can be deployed. Cases will be available separately at USD/EUR 59 each, also excluding local sales taxes.

List of products

Here are the products mentioned in the article and links to purchase them from authorized dealers.

• Atomos Ninja phone for Apple iPhone 15 Pro/iPhone 15 Pro Max

Today there is much less to choose between Android and iPhone, but most users assume that Google does more tracking than it does, this time not…

Google just revealed Android 15 Beta 1, and it’s an update that stands out from a security and privacy perspective, especially since it’s something that even recent iPhones can’t match. There is a hardware component here, while we can expect it to come to the Google Pixel, Samsung and other device owners will have to wait and see.

As I previewed last month, Google is taking privacy to the next level with a defense against secret cell tracking and interception technologies. This is provided through an interface between the mobile radio modem and the Android operating system, which requires the OEM of the handsets to include a compatible modem and the necessary operating system interface.

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This is a weak point of smartphones. Once a mobile channel is opened, the device is programmed to use it openly. Devices connect to multiple towers and display connection strength to optimize performance. Interception tricks a device into leaving its legitimate network and connecting to a local radio network that has a strong and available signal. Traditionally, these platforms have relied on insecure 2G communications to which all devices would fail as conops. But this is a relatively easy door to close and for a smart adversary to detect. Newer options keep 4G.

The new Android cellular defense comes in two parts, albeit with the same goal. The first is a user warning when a network repeatedly pings a device to get its phone IMSI or SIM IMEI ID. While this is not unusual from time to time, frequent pings may suggest an attempt to track the phone or take it to a less secure network.

This is where the second part of this update starts restricting cellular connections to encrypted only. When cellular interception platforms move phones off public networks to high-powered but localized alternatives, encryption is removed or materially reduced to allow potential interception of calls, data and texts.

Google has dabbled in these security features since Android 12, largely preventing devices from failing to low-level mobile communications with limited encryption, but these settings weren’t easy to use and poorly understood. Google is now putting this kind of defense front and center, and it’s a game changer.

Apple offers 2G blocking on iPhones to defend against legacy Stingray interception devices, which drop phones into an almost unencrypted 2G communications channel, but this is only done in its ultra-secure blocking mode. EFF described this as a big step toward protecting iOS users from fake base station attacks, which have been used as a vector to install spyware like Pegasus.

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Newer interception platforms operate on 4G and present a different level of challenge to spying capabilities. On the other hand, 5G offers much better device security; although with phones constantly bouncing between 5G and LTE, rooting a phone from a 5G connection is very doable and unlikely to cause concern for users.

Pixel users can expect to see these features once Android 15 hits the streets. I’d normally expect Samsung to follow suit, but maybe not. EFF has criticized Samsung in the past, for not making any moves to include 2G switching in vanilla Android… mistakes in acting [that] suggests that Samsung considers the security and privacy of its users an afterthought. Those who are concerned about the security and privacy of their mobile devices should consider using other hardware.

As the release of Android 15 approaches, more details will emerge, but Google’s security and privacy advancements really seem to be one of its main acts…

The iPhone and iOS have continuously evolved over the past 17 years. When the original iPhone was released, the feature sets and tools included in PhoneOS 1 were very limited. Apple wanted users to focus on basic interactions, such as using the new touchscreen and making phone calls. However, with iOS 17, the software has grown exponentially and has become your go-to tool for almost any task. In this post, I’ll highlight 12 progressively useful features built into iOS. Share your favorite iOS feature in the comments, something others may not know about so we can all learn!

Be sure to watch our hands-on video of these features for a detailed look at how to use them!

1. Quick Timer Control Center

I use the timer several times a day, whether it’s for working hours, cooking, or training. I prefer the built-in timer because of its integration with live activities and the Dynamic Island feature. You can quickly create a timer with Siri, but in quiet situations, I find it useful to use Control Center. Here’s how:

• Go to the control center
• Long press the clock icon
• Drag your finger across the dial
• Create a timer and press start

2. Visual search laundry care

Visual search lets you look at an image and lets your iPhone use machine learning to decipher information about it. So if you take a photo of a dog, it will let you know it’s a dog and even tell you the breed. You can use this with landmarks, plants and other subjects. It really shines when it comes to translations and also converting units of measurement. However, one very underrated feature is being able to decipher the care instructions on a laundry label. I used to ruin so many clothes by ignoring etiquette and shrinking a shirt or towels with bleach. But visual search makes sure that doesn’t happen again. Here’s how it works.

• Take a photo of your laundry tag
• Tap the visual search button at the bottom right
• Tap “Find Laundry Care”
• And let the phone do its magic

It breaks down all the icons on the label and lets you know exactly what each one means, it’s been a huge tool for me.

3. Remove the background theme in the Photos app

This is one of my favorite features. I used to spend hours trying to remove background themes in third-party apps and services. But now that this is built right into the photos app, it’s saved me a lot of time. Now, depending on your background, it might not be a perfect cut, but it does the job for 95% of people. Here’s how to remove a theme from your background.

• Choose a photo that has a subject in the foreground (can be any image, either taken on an iPhone or imported from another device)
• Long press the topic until it is highlighted (you will see a highlight animation)
• Drop the subject
• A menu appears that allows you to copy, add a sticker or share
• Normally press copy
• Then paste it into my notes app

You can share it as a new image and import it into any editing application to fix any imperfections. It really saves a lot of time!

4. Copy and paste a photo edit

Another great feature of the native Photos app is the ability to copy and paste an edit to another image. Be sure to watch our Photos app video to learn the ins and outs of the Photos app (it’s more robust than you might think).

Let’s say you’ve taken a few images that have the same lighting and background and you plan to edit them individually by changing the filter, brightness, saturation, etc. Instead of spending time editing each image, you can edit one image and then copy those changes to the others. This is another great time saver. The only aspect it won’t copy is a trim. But all other edits will be copied immediately.

• Edit an image
• When you’re done, tap the ellipsis button at the top right of the edited image
• Tap Copy edits (not the Copy button)
• Then go to another image and tap the ellipses and tap Paste Edits
• Voila, now this new image has the exact same edits as the first image

Other iOS features

If you want to see the rest of the 12 features, watch our video here. It will tell you how to achieve the features mentioned and eight more features that will be worth your time! iOS has evolved to have all these built-in tools that continue to amaze us. From being a leveler to measuring distance to telling us how to do our laundry properly, it continues to improve our lives.

What are some of your favorite iOS features that may fly under the radar? Is there an iOS feature you wish the iPhone had that is still missing? Let’s discuss this in the comments below!

Epic Games has proposed a measure that would prevent Google from restricting the distribution of third-party apps outside of the Google Play Store on Android devices after proving that Google had an illegal monopoly on Android app distribution markets .

Epic suggests competition on the Android mobile platform would be opened up if the court orders Google to allow the distribution of third-party app stores for six years on the Google Play Store and prevents Google from entering into any agreements with device manufacturers let it stop from preloading third-party app stores. That would benefit both mobile developers and users, Epic argued in a broad proposal that would greatly limit Google’s control over the Android app ecosystem.

U.S. District Court Judge James Donato will ultimately decide the terms of the injunction. Google has until May 3 to respond to Epic’s submission.

A Google spokesperson confirmed to Ars that Google still plans to appeal the verdict even though Google already agreed to a $700 million settlement with consumers and states following the Epic win.

“Epic’s filing in US Federal Court shows again that it simply wants the benefits of Google Play without having to pay for it,” a Google spokesperson said. “We continue to challenge the verdict, as Android is an open mobile platform that faces fierce competition from Apple’s App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices, computers and game consoles.”

If Donato accepts Epic’s proposal, Google would have to grant equal access to the Android operating system and platform features to all developers, not just developers who distribute apps through Google Play. This would allow third-party app stores to own app updates, updating all apps downloaded from their stores as seamlessly as Google Play updates.

Under Epic’s terms, any app downloaded from anywhere would work identically to apps downloaded from Google Play, without Google imposing any unnecessary distribution fees. Similarly, developers could offer their own in-app purchase options and inform users of out-of-app purchase options, without having to use Google APIs or pay additional fees to Google .

Notably, Epic filed its lawsuit after Google pulled the Epic game Fortnite from the Google Play Store because Epic tried to offer an “Epic Direct Payment” option for in-game purchases.

“Google must also allow developers to communicate directly with their consumers, including linking from their app to a website to make purchases and get offers,” Epic said in a blog post. “Google should not use fake compliance programs like User Choice Billing to prevent competing payment options within an app or on a developer’s website.”

Not surprisingly, Epic’s proposed demand includes an “anti-retaliation” section specifically intended to protect Epic from any subsequent retaliation. If Donato agrees to the terms, Google would be in violation of the injunction if the tech giant fails to show that it is not “treating Epic differently than other developers” by making it “disproportionately difficult or costly” for Epic to develop , upgrade and market. your apps on Android.

This part of the mandate would seem important since, last month, Epic announced that an Epic Games Store would “come to iOS and Android” later this year. According to Inc, Epic told attendees at the Game Developers Conference that its app distribution platform will be the “first cross-platform store focused on games” that will work on “Android, iOS, PC and macOS.”