The union for tens of thousands of workers at Kaiser Permanente, a leading non-profit hospital network and managed-care

The iPhone is a lot of things. It's a social networking portal, it's a games console – sometimes it's even a phone. For Apple's Jon McCormack, Apple's vice president for camera software engineering, it's "primarily a camera that you can text from". It wasn't always this way. When Steve jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, he famously described it is an iPod, a phone and an internet communications device; the first iPhone had a camera, new iPhones are cameras. The pictures that first iPhone turned out were more useful than beautiful. Today, however, the iPhone's pictures have grown up, and it is now the most popular camera in the world. Now the question is how sharp the pictures should be, and there has even been some criticism that the pictures it turns out are too sharp, if anything. The iPhone's camera is no longer just a useful addition but is used in professional contexts, and is often given as the main reason to upgrade to new models. The new iPhone 15s, in particular the premium Pro and Pro Max, continue Apple's mission to turn its smartphones into cameras like nothing in the history of photography. They have new image formats, the addition of extra focal lengths, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max even includes a 5x lens that makes use of a "tetraprism" lens that bounces light around inside the phone to add dramatically more zoom without making the phone any bigger. All of that additional hardware works in collaboration with improved software: users no longer have to click into portrait mode, for instance, because the camera automatically captures depth information when taking a picture of people, so that background blur can be added and edited even after the photo has been taken. Apple has also added a host of features that many people are unlikely ever to even look at, let alone use, but are important to professionals. They include the addition of Log encoding and the Academy Color Encoding System – both key to those who need them. Apple also says that the new iPhone has "the equivalent of seven pro lenses", despite really only having three; what they mean is that you can choose different crops, which is in part an attempt to appeal to those professional photographers who stubbornly say that they will only ever work with a 50mm lens, for instance. (Those new lens choices are not only a cropped version of the existing lenses, says McCormack, since the phone also has custom neural networks specifically designed to optimise images at that focal length.) Those complex new features are a reminder that the iPhone is many things to many users: some may simply want to remember important events, or snap pictures of their pets. Others might be truly professional photographers, needing to rely on their iPhone to capture valuable and fleeting events. Some people are, no doubt, both – and Apple is aware that the iPhone has to be both, too. "For us, what we feel is really important – especially since computational photography started to blur the line between hardware and software, and really enable anybody to take stunning shots with minimal effort – is making sure that that tool that we have in your pocket is adapting to your needs," says Maxime Veron, Apple's senior director for iPhone product marketing. "So if you're just trying to take a quick photo of your kids can get out of the way and just allow you to do that. And if you want to create a professionally created Hollywood style video, it can also give you the customisation and the power to do that." McCormack says that Apple builds the camera from "the core belief that everybody has got a story that is worth telling". For some people that story might be their child taking their first steps, captured in a video that will be shared with only a few people. Or it might be a photojournalist taking images that are going to be shared with millions. "Our belief is that your level of technical understanding shouldn't get in the way of you being able to tell that story," he says. High-end cameras have often required their users to think about a whole host of questions before they even get to actually pressing the button to take a picture: "the temperature of light, the amount of light, the direction of light, how fast is the subject moving? What are the skin tones?" notes McCormack. "Every second that you spend thinking about that, and playing with your settings and things like that, are seconds that you are drawn out of the moment," he says. "And what we want to create is this very deep connection between the photographer, the videographer and the moment." He points to the action button on this year's Pro models, which can be programmed to launch the camera with a push. "It's all about being able to say all of this crazy complexity of photography, or videography – Apple's taken that, and understood that, and hidden that from you," he says. "You as a photographer, you get to concentrate on the thing that you want to say, and finding that decisive moment, finding that beautiful framing, that says the thing that you want to say. "But the motivation for all of this and using all of this crazy, great computational photography, computational videography, is that we don't want to distract you from telling the story that you want to tell." That has meant building the iPhone's camera in a way that the features "unfold", he says. "Out of the box, we are going to give you an amazing thing that is going to cover most of your moments, with lots of dynamic range, lots of resolution, zero shutter lag, so you can capture the moment. "But of course, there are folks who are going to look at this and say, you know, I've got a very specific and very prescriptive vision," he says. He points to a variety of new tools that are built into the phone, such as the ProRAW format, which makes huge files and is not especially useful to most – but can be key to someone who really wants to ensure they are able to process every detail of a photograph after it is taken. Those are hidden within settings, there for the people who need them but not troubling those who don't. Veron also notes that many of those extra features are enabled by "an amazing ecosystem of third party partners" who make apps that allow people to get features they are looking for. It is a reminder of just how much is going on as soon as someone takes a picture with the iPhone. First, light travels through one of Apple's three lenses and hits a 48 megapixel sensor – but that's just the beginning of a long process of computational photography that analyses and optimises that image. The picture that is taken is not just the one image, for example: it is actually made up of multiple exposures, with more or less light, that can then be merged into a picture with the full dynamic range. "This year for the first time, we merge them in a larger resolution," says McCormack. It takes one image in 12 megapixels, to give a fast shutter speed and plenty of light, by combining pixels together; then it grabs a 24-megapixel frame, which collects the detail. "Then we register those together and use a custom machine learning model to go and transfer the detail from the 48 over into what has now become a 24." That creates something like the negative in old camera terms, which the iPhone’s processor can then get to work on, using parts of its chip focused on machine learning. "We use the neural engine to go decompose that photograph, bit by bit." It will notice if people have different skin tones, and develop those parts of the image accordingly; hair, eyes, a moving background and more are all taken to pieces and optimised on their own. (The intensity of that process has occasionally led to questions over whether the phone is working too hard to make its images look good.) Then there's yet more work for the camera system. The iPhone uses tonemapping to ensure that images pop on the bright screens of modern iPhones, but also that they still look bright on a compressed image that might be sent around the internet; one of the many changes that smartphones have brought to photography is that, for the first time, the photos are mostly looked at on the same device they were taken with, but that they can also be sent and seen just about anywhere. If the image is taken using night mode, then there's even more work, with new tools that ensure that colours are more accurate. And that isn't even mentioning portrait mode, which when it registers that there is a person (or a pet) in the frame will gather the relevant depth information to ensure that the background can be manipulated later. That whole process – those five paragraphs, and thousands of calculations by the phone – happen within the tiniest moment after pressing the button to take the photo. The phone may look as if it is serenely offering up an image to its users, but it has been busily working away in the background to ensure the picture is as accurate and vibrant as possible. All that work done by the camera and the rest of the device depends on a variety of choices made not only by the iPhone but by Apple, which accounts for the look of the modern iPhone picture – Veron says that its aim in making those decisions is to make "beautiful, true-to-life memories in just one click". McCormack is clearly keenly aware of the responsibility of that task; his vision decides what the world's memories look like. "This is your device that you carry with you all time the time, and we want to be really, really thoughtful of that," he says. That responsibility carries into the design of the camera within the phone: rumours had suggested that this year's model would include a "periscope" design for the long zoom, bouncing the light through the length of the iPhone, but McCormack says that Apple went for the five-way prism to ensure that it could "both retain the industrial design that we want, to just make iPhone feel so good in your hand, but also be able to get that extra focal length". "It is just of one of those crazy things – only Apple is going to do something like that. And I'm really glad that that's the way we think about product." Read More Tim Cook says Vision Pro release is on track: ‘I watched Ted Lasso Season 3 on it’ Apple Store goes offline as Apple opens pre-orders for iPhone 15 Apple to update iPhone 12 after fears over radiation iPhone 12 is not emitting dangerous radiation, Apple says, amid fears of Europe ban France’s iPhone 12 ban could spread across Europe, regulators say Everything Apple killed off at iPhone 15 event

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Tykr Stock Screener is on sale for £82.46 with the

Taylor Swift recently announced international tour dates for her highly anticipated The Eras Tour - and the demand is through the roof for tickets. Fans looking to buy tickets will have already signed up during Ticketmaster's registration period (which is now closed) with the hopes of being the lucky ones to receive a code and link to the sale for a chance to see Swift live. Looking at the stats, many fans will certainly be left disappointed as more than 70 per cent of those who registered will not get tickets. Sign up toby our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Buzz Bingo calculated there are an estimated 750,076 tickets available across the 11 UK tour dates and 2.9 million people are predicted to attempt to buy tickets, meaning 2.1 million will miss out, based on Ticketmaster data from ticket sales in the US. Earlier this year, the US Ticketmaster sale for Taylor Swift led to the website crashing due to demand, leaving thousands of fans disappointed and empty-handed after being in online queues for hours, and resulted in a Senate hearing about the event. So UK Swifties are understandably anxious and are researching all of the different methods to secure their tickets. Here are some of the most extreme strategies they are adopting: Finding someone with Liverpool FC season tickets As soon as Swift announced she was playing two dates in Liverpool's Anfield Stadium, Swifties were quick to notice that those who are season ticket holders, seasonal hospitality members and LFC Official Members at the Premier League football club have exclusive access to pre-register for the online ticket sale taking place from Wednesday 21st June at 9 am. So Swifties who are not members have been asking online for those who are members to help them secure tickets - with some even joking that they are searching for Liverpool fans on dating apps for this cause. Booking hospitality packages Swifties looking to get ahead of the competition and secure tickets before the Ticketmaster sales begin have been able to get tickets by purchasing hospitality packages advertised on the venue's website and making a phone inquiry. (Although these tickets are on the pricier side). @kylalian_ cried like a baby when i got the tickets #erastour #murrayfield #edinburgh #taylorswift @morgan @Taylor Swift @georgia.blush.social Replying to @Katy (taylor’s version) ?? not mentioned is me crying to the guy on the phone when he said the tickets have been confirmed… Camping overnight at the box office for tickets Rather than leaving your fate in the hands of the online sale to decide whether you're going to The Eras Tour, some Swifties in Australia decided to camp out overnight at the box office to get their tickets in person. "Camping overnight at Ticketek office for Taylor Swift tickets because that's legitimately easier than getting them online," fan Bec (@becsammut) said. Footage shows fans wrapped up warm, and sitting on camp chairs as they wait for the office to open. @becsammut Still 3 hours until the box office opens, but the vibes are immaculate ? #taylorswift #swiftie #theerastour #ticketek #taylorswiftaustralia Judging by the comment section, many were unaware that this was something you could do. One person said: "I DIDN'T EVEN REALISE YOU COULD STILL DO THIS! WHAT!!" "I didnt realise you could still do this, it looks so much easier," another person wrote. Someone else added: "Omg I was talking to someone about how you used to be able to line up at Ticketek stores or Westfield desk where they sold tix. Love this!" @theageaustralia Woul you camp outside for 30 hours to get tickets to the Eras Tour? #taylorswift#ticketek#erastour#swifties #melbourne Clearly, this method has caught on as there are long lines outside in Melbourne as @theageaustralia filmed, reporting that fans camped out for 30 hours. Manifesting tickets Some have decided to manifest Taylor Swift's tour last-minute. This is where people visualise what they want to achieve with fans creating Swift-themed shrines to strengthen their manifestations. Getting last-minute tickets on the day While it is highly likely that tour dates will sell out, in some instances as shown in the US, there are a couple of tickets available at the box office or online on the day of the concert. (Though, tickets may be on the expensive side). @taylorteasterr best night of our lives ? #taylorswift #erastour #speaknowtaylorsversion #nashville #nashvilleerastour Some fans have waited outside the venue waiting for ticket prices to drop as Swift comes on stage, but this doesn't guarantee tickets. @stephaniewilliamson_ Confidence is key ??? #erastour Listen to the concert outside venue If all else fails, ticketless Swifties have been showing up to venues anyway to hear the concert in person even if they can't see Swift perform. Clips on TikTok have circulated showing tons of fans in the US singing along to the musician's hits, and experiencing a concert-like atmosphere regardless. @benjiethehorse Crowd outside Philly Eras Tour 5/13! GREASE THE POLES #taylorswift #erastour #erastourphilly @Taylor Swift @Taylor Swift: Eras Tour UK fans who registered for tour tickets will be informed via email on July 5 whether you have been chosen to participate in the sale or if you will be placed on the waitlist. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Artificial intelligence and facial recognition software are seen by some as the future of crime-fighting...

American Airlines and JetBlue must give up their partnership in the northeast U.S. That's what a federal judge in Boston ruled on Friday

Scientists have come up with a potential solution to deal with dust on the moon which makes conducting research tricky. Dust erodes space suits, clogs machinery, interferes with scientific instruments and makes moving around on the surface difficult. But they reckon moon dust could be melted using a giant lens developed by the European Space Agency to create solid roads and landing areas. Using a fine-grained material called EAC-1A, developed as a substitute for lunar soil, scientists used a 50mm diameter laser beam to heat the dust to about 1,600C and melt it. Then they traced out bendy triangle shapes, which could be interlocked to create solid surfaces across large areas of lunar soil to be used as road. However it would take about 100 days to create a 10 x 10m landing spot so it is not a quick fix. To make matters worse, the lens needed for the laser to work would be difficult to transport from Earth and could also get dust in it which may reduce its functionality. “You might think: ‘Streets on the moon, who needs that?’” said Prof Jens Günster, of the Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing in Berlin and co-author of a report on the possible solution. “But in fact it’s a kind of depressing demand [even] early on. It’s very loose material, there’s no atmosphere, gravity is weak, so the dust gets everywhere. It contaminates not only your equipment but other nations’. No one would be happy to be covered in dust from another rocket." Dust has blighted previous missions, such as the Surveyor 3 spacecraft (damaged by dust kicked up by the Apollo 12 landing), and overcoming this challenge is a priority for Nasa, which aims to establish a permanent lunar outpost. Transporting building materials to the moon would be too expensive, so there is a need for unconventional solutions. “You need to use what’s there and that’s simply loose dust,” said Günster. The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Ford Motor Co is recalling more than 125,000 sport utility vehicles and trucks in the United States due

By Nathan Layne (Reuters) -Donald Trump's main rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination quickly condemned the Justice Department for

Diogo Dalot believes the stunning late turnaround against Brentford can be a watershed moment in Manchester United’s season. Erik ten Hag’s men were staring down the barrel of a third Old Trafford defeat in eight days as Saturday’s Premier League match headed into second-half stoppage time. Mathias Jensen capitalised on a comedy of errors to put Brentford on course for a famous victory that would have ratcheted up the already intense pressure and scrutiny on out-of-sorts United. But, unlike their previous defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray, the Red Devils found a way to fight back as super sub Scott McTominay’s brace sealed a remarkable 2-1 triumph. Trailing at 92 minutes 46 seconds, this was United’s latest ever Premier League comeback and Dalot echoed manager Ten Hag’s view that Saturday must be “a turning point” in their season. “I think it means a little bit more than three points for us after these last couple of weeks,” the Portugal right-back said. “I think the way that we won – obviously I didn’t mind scoring a few goals earlier than the 90 minutes – but I think it shows we are here to fight, we are here to suffer together. “I think the fans were behind us every step of the way and I think this can be a turning point for us. We want to look at this as a turning point and we know it’s going to be difficult. “That’s how it’s meant to be to be as a Manchester United player and today I think was proof we can fight until the end.” I think it shows we are here to fight, we are here to suffer together Diogo Dalot United dug deep at Old Trafford, where after the game Ten Hag bemoaned a lack of hunger during their meek, error-strewn start to the season. Those issues were clear in Tuesday’s 3-2 Champions League defeat at home to Galatasaray, increasing the external focus on Old Trafford that Dalot has previously called a “killing machine”. “We did a lot of things together, everyone getting together,” he said of the build-up. “We focused on what we have to do tactically. “We always do that, but especially coming into the game, feeling like we had to be a proper team. “Obviously we controlled the game, we created chances, we could have scored goals, but the most important thing for me was the way we fought until the end, the way the fans showed the support for us and that shows they are with us. “They have been with us all the way and we have to give (back) like this.” Dalot said it was clear to see the team “gave everything” on Saturday afternoon as McTominay’s 87th-minute introduction sparked a scarcely-believable comeback. The 24-year-old says he sees a lot of himself in the selfless, hardworking midfielder, who was linked with a summer move but stayed to fight for his place at his boyhood club. “When Scott comes in, with all the energy that he has, the mentality, that shows that we are a proper team and I’m very happy with the result,” Dalot said. “I think if you’re a Manchester United fan you know that Scott will always love the club and will always fight for his place. “I don’t know what was in his head (over the summer), but I’m sure that once he decided that he has to stay I think he will give 100 per cent. “Now we just have to help him to get along every day with us and be together as a team.” While United went into the international break on a high, Brentford were left reeling from a last-gasp gut punch and even later knockout blow. Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt said: “We played a very good game and at 90 minutes we were leading at Old Trafford. “Then, in five minutes, they turn around the game and win 2-1. “We have to finish a counter or a set-piece to make it 2-0, that’s the only thing I would say we can do better. “It’s nice to have a good performance but obviously we want the points. “Sometimes I don’t care if we play s***, as long as we get three points. We can turn it around together.” Read More Rookie Jimmy O’Brien ready to take on New Zealand if injuries bite for Ireland Learning how to win ugly a sign of England’s progress – Ben Earl Johnny Sexton: Facing All Blacks out for revenge ‘biggest challenge in rugby’ Jonathan Humphreys: Wales mood took hit following injuries in Georgia victory Sione Tuipulotu left frustrated after Scotland knocked out of World Cup Spurs pay tribute to ‘amazing, outstanding’ Cristian Romero after Luton win

Mention Dalmatia, and Split and Dubrovnik usually spring to mind. But head to the northern stretch of this coastal Croatian region and you'll find a road a little less traveled.

By Laura Matthews NEW YORK Predictions marketplace KalshiEX LLC sued the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Wednesday,