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Update 06/24/21: Apple has released the second developer beta of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, along with watchOS 8 and tvOS 15. Apple said the Public Beta will be available in July.

Every year, Apple releases major updates for its iPhone and iPad operating systems in the fall. For months before that, it releases beta test versions for developers and the public. Theyre often incomplete and buggy, but it can be exciting to try out everything before it gets pushed out to a billion devices in the fall.

Besides, beta testing is a good way to help find bugs and problems, and results in a more stable release this fall. Just use the Feedback app to submit bug reports.

If youre interested in running the iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 beta, heres how you get it. The Developer Beta is available now, but the Public Beta will begin in July.

If you want to know all about the new features coming to your iPhone this fall, check out our iOS 15 guide.

We highly recommend you donot run this beta on a critical device. Yes, you can downgrade back to iOS or iPadOS 14, but its not a fast and easy process, and you may lose some of the information that you havent backed up or saved in the cloud. We also recommend you backup your iPhone or iPad before you get started.

If youre a registered developer (which costs $99/yr, go here to enroll), you can download beta releases a little earlier than the general public. Apple often makes a developer beta release available for iOS and iPadOS immediately during its WWDC conference in June, with the first Public Beta release following a few weeks later. Subsequent updates are much closer together: developers usually get the update just a day before the public release, if that.

That initial developer beta is often very sketchy, so we highly recommend you back up your device first, and dont run it on your primary device!

Once youve registered your Apple ID as a developer, head to developer.apple.com/download/ using the iPhone or iPad upon which you wish to run the beta. Youll have to sign in, and then you can download and install the beta profile from that page.

Then, activate the profile by opening Settings, then General, then scrolling down to the bottom to tap on Profile. You may have to restart your device, but then the beta should show up in General > Software Updates for you to download and install.

It couldnt be easier to enter the public beta program. Simply head to beta.apple.com and tap Sign up. You need to do thison the device upon which you wish to run the beta. Youll be asked to sign in with your Apple ID, agree to terms of service, and then download a beta profile.

Once you download the beta profile, you need to activate it.

Open Settings, then tap General. Scroll down to Profile and select it. You can then tap on the iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 beta software profile and choose to activate it.

Note that the Developer Beta is available right away, but Apple says the Public Beta wont begin until July.

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Once youve registered, downloaded the profile, and activated it, youre ready to download the beta.

Open Settings, then General, then Software Update. You should see that the iOS or iPadOS 15 public beta is available for downloadif you dont see it, make sure the profile is activated and installed. It can take a few minutes for the beta to show up after installing the profile, so dont be in too big a hurry.

Once you have the profile installed, you will continue to get beta updates throughout the beta program. Every time a new public beta release is available, you will automatically receive it, or can go to Settings > Software Update to download it manually. Theres no need to re-download or activate the profile.

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If you want to stop receiving beta updates, thats easy enough. Just remove the profile and you wont get any more beta releasesyoull just stay on the one you have. Once the final public release of iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 is made available in the fall, your device will download that, and youll be on the regular public non-beta release schedule.

Simply removing the profile will stop you from getting further beta releases, but it doesnt get you back to iOS 14 or iPadOS 14. To do that, you need to put your iPhone or iPad in recovery mode, connect it to your Mac or PC, and then use Finder (or iTunes on PC) to download the current regular iOS version and restore your device. This will reset it to a fresh out-of-the-box state. We told you to back up anything important and not to run the beta on a critical device!

You can run iOS 15 on any iPhone that runs iOS 14, and iPadOS 15 runs on any iPad that is compatible with iPadOS 14.

Heres the list of supported iPhones for iOS 15:

And heres the list of supported iPads for iPadOS 15:

I have written professionally about technology for my entire adult professional life - over 20 years. I like to figure out how complicated technology works and explain it in a way anyone can understand.

See more here:
How to get the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 betaDeveloper Beta 2 is out - Macworld

Urban InVEST, a new software developed by Stanford University's Natural Capital Project, could help city planners and developers visualise the areas where investment in nature including parks and marshlands is needed. Urban InVEST aids in designing cities, helping nature and the people by protecting them from calamities such as floods and improving their overall health. This first-of-its-kind software combines environmental data such as temperature patterns with social demographics and economic data like income levels. The Natural Capital Project tested Urban InVEST in multiple cities across the world Guangzhou, Lausanne, Minneapolis, Paris, San Francisco, andShenzhen.

The team also worked with local partners to understand what the citizens expected. For example, in Paris, candidates in a municipal election were campaigning on the need for urban greenery.

The company's press release quoted Anne Guerry, chief strategy officer and lead scientist at Natural Capital Project, as saying that the software helps design cities that are better for both people and nature. According to Guerry, urban nature offers multiple benefits the trees can lower temperatures so that the apartments are cooler in summers while also soaking up the carbon emissions that cause climate change. This creates a free, accessible place to stay healthy through physical activity and just making your city a more pleasant place to be, said Guerry.

According to a report about the software published in Urban Sustainability, information about how natural infrastructure generates benefits for urban dwellers can be summarised in three categories how much of the benefits does natural infrastructure provide, where does natural infrastructure provide those benefits, and who is receiving those benefits.

The software also helps target inequities. Data found that lower-income and marginalised groups were less likely to have access to nature in cities. This reduces the benefits they could get from nature.

In Paris, for example, researchers evaluated localities without access to nature followed by the analysis of income and economic data to understand who was receiving benefits from nature. Urban InVEST helped determine the areas where investment in the environment would boost health and well-being more equitably.

With Urban InVEST, city governments can bring all of nature's benefits to residents and visitors. They can address inequities and build more resilient cities, resulting in better long-term outcomes for people and nature," said Guerry, who is also an author of the paper.

Continued here:
Urban InVEST Is a Free, Open-Source Software That Can Help Design Sustainable Cities: All the Details - Gadgets 360

JW Player, a very early mover in the market for online video technology it powered YouTubes first video player, before Google acquired it and it built its own has long been profitable through a business model of providing one-to-many video streaming tools to publishers and others that want to bring video into their own online experiences, without building the technology from the ground up, nor being beholden to companies that might themselves profit from the videos and the customer data that is generated through video views.

Now, after a year of strong growth on the back of the bigger boom in online video from Covid-19, the New York-based company is announcing a big funding round $100 million to expand its tech, and to be where it believes video is going next.

The capital is coming from a single investor, LLR Partners, and while the JW Players valuation is not being disclosed, we understand its not quite yet at $1 billion, but fast approaching it. It comes on the heels of the company charting some massive growth, despite being a relatively quiet player in the industry.

Dave Otten, the CEO and co-founder of the company (which is named after another co-founder, Jeroen Wijering, who developed the initial technology), told TechCrunch in an interview that the companys video streaming traffic by nearly 200% over the last year, with live streaming growing 400% in that period.

There are now over 600,000 applications and sites running video powered by JW Player, with about 10,000 of those premium users; the rest use its software for free, Otten said.

This is enough of a balance that the company has been profitable for a number of years, he said. And in cases where the software is being used for free, JW Player is getting paid in a Some of the many customers using its tools include Sesame Street, TIME, Hearst, Insider, IMDB and the Chelsea Football Club.

Its a long way away from JWs early days powering YouTube screen shot of how it looked above but contrary to so many examples of early movers being some of the slowest to innovate later on, JW is hoping that the fact that it was a first mover in video does not mean it will be the last to anticipate what is coming in the future.

The current product challenge for JW Player mirrors that of its customers: monetization.

Just as companies have increasingly started to create paywalls around their written content, they are looking to do the same for their video catalogues, too, and JW Player wants to be their partner for this. That will include more investments into subscription services, as well as a a new set of tools for personalizing videos and providing advertising opportunities by way of the extensive data that it has amassed and continues to gather about video usage.

The company has a strong card to play in its hand for the latter business: those who use the free version of JW Player pay the company by way of helping it gather lots of insights into how videos are watched.

Another area that the company will be doing more is in the area of live and on-demand video. In May, it acquired Vualto, a UK-based specialist in these areas that also builds DRM solutions, which it has already integrated into its platform.

Video now accounts for a whopping 80% of all online traffic, with people typically spending more than two hours days watching it. While some of that is inevitably going big platforms like YouTube, Facebook, social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, there remains a big opportunity for others, aided by the likes of JW, to carve out spaces for themselves in the mix.

JW Player has been at the forefront of digital video innovation ever since founder Jeroen Wijering created YouTubes original video player in 2008. Today, the company offers the most comprehensive technology, advertising and data analytics platform in the digital video ecosystem, said David Reuter, Partner at LLR Partners, in a statement. We look forward to partnering with the JW Player team as they expand their platform and continue to elevate the way brands can host, stream and monetize video.

See the article here:
JW Player raises $100M to build subscriptions and other monetization tools around its video software - TechCrunch

Maggie Lu uses a Peloton Tread treadmill during CES 2018 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 11, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ethan Miller | Getty Images

Some Peloton customers are outraged after the company disabled a free run setting on its high-end treadmill, forcing users to pay an extra monthly membership fee, according to reports across social media.

Previously, people who had shelled out more than $4,000 for Peloton's Tread+ treadmill machine were able to select a "Just Run" setting and exercise without accessing Peloton's digital workout content. But following a recent safety update, the "Just Run" feature has disappeared, multiple users said on Twitter after receiving an email notice from the company.

Now, Peloton users need to pay a $39 monthly membership fee to use their treadmills. And some customers are threatening legal action, Business Insider separately reported, as they're angry over the additional charges.

A Peloton spokesperson told CNBC that the company will be waiving three months of membership fees for all Tread+ owners, as it works on another update that brings back the "Just Run" feature.

The change in settings on Peloton's treadmill machines comes after both versions were recalled in May over safety concerns. The company recently said it would be rolling out an automatic software update on the Tread and Tread+ machines that were already on the market, which would add a safety lock feature.

"We understand that this is an inconvenience for some and are working on updates to Tread Lock that will allow us to make Tread Lock and Just Run available without a Peloton Membership," the Peloton spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

As more consumers leave the house and return to an office or the gym, Peloton is shifting its approach to reach new customers. The New York-based company announced Tuesday the debut of a corporate wellness offering that offers subsidized memberships and discounts on equipment to partners' employees. Peloton is also reportedly working on an armband that tracks users' heart rates, which would launch it into the wearables market.

After rising more than 400% in 2020, Peloton shares are down about 22% year to date.

Excerpt from:
Peloton disabled a free running feature on its treadmills, forcing owners to pay up - CNBC

Buffett says that philanthropy can be a powerful tax shield, if donors want it to be. Buffetts donations, he said yesterday, resulted in only 40 cents in tax savings per $1,000 given. The reason his tax bill is so low, he said, was because he earns relatively little in wages, amassing most of his wealth from his holdings of Berkshire Hathaway stock, which isnt taxed until its sold.

Buffett has criticized huge dynastic wealth, and his arguments for higher taxes on the wealthy led to the so-called Buffett Rule, a proposed minimum tax on millionaires and billionaires. Yesterday, he reiterated his support for overhauling the tax code. It is fitting that Congress periodically revisits the tax policy for charitable contributions, particularly in respect to donors who get imaginative, he said.

What do you think? Should the tax treatment of philanthropy change? If so, how? Let us know: dealbook@nytimes.com. Include your name and location, and we may feature your response in a future newsletter.

House lawmakers advance sweeping bills to curtail Big Techs power. After hours of sometimes contentious debate, the House Judiciary Committee approved efforts to rein in Silicon Valleys giants. One would block the biggest tech companies from buying rivals; another, which would make it easier to break them up, is still under consideration.

A potential compromise emerges on infrastructure spending. President Biden is set to be briefed today on a $600 billion package for investing in areas like roads and broadband, brokered last night by White House officials and a bipartisan group of lawmakers. It would essentially serve as the first step in the presidents $4 trillion infrastructure ambitions.

John McAfee dies in a Spanish prison. The antivirus software pioneer, 75, died after a Spanish court said he could be extradited to the U.S. on tax-evasion charges. After severing ties to the McAfee company in 1994, he led a globe-trotting life full of controversy, including accusations of drug-dealing, drunken driving, illegally entering Guatemala and running for president.

JPMorgan Chase weighs mandatory vaccinations for workers. The bank, which plans to bring its employees back to the office next month, may become the latest Wall Street giant to require some level of inoculation of its work force, according to a memo sent to staff.

Link:
Buffett Weighs In on Tax-Free Philanthropy - The New York Times