June 25, 2017
7 years after the iPad release, some of us are still trying to parse out if it is a real computer. I, for one, have given up.
Great points of the rough edges that become apparent when you seriously try to use the iPad as your main computer.
While some are deal breakers right now, I think the iterative polish iOS will continue to get will address them eventually.
However, the lack of sustainable model for big iPad Apps is worrisome. This is likely a chicken and egg problem which Apple believes will improve once more pro Mac users pick up an iPad as a pro device and the demand appears. But for now, I strongly believe his gut feelings:
From the outside, it looks like the Mac is a platform to build a business on and iOS is the place to sell your passion products.
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June 22, 2017
The Da Vinci Code’s Ron Howard has replaced The Lego Movie’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller as director of the Han Solo spin-off movie, the much-anticipated new instalment of the Star Wars standalone series.
It’s seems Disney is not afraid to change directions if not happy with how a movie looks. Can’t complain.
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June 22, 2017
Museum Historian John Markoff moderates a discussion with former iPhone team members Hugo Fiennes, Nitin Ganatra and Scott Herz, followed by a conversation with Scott Forstall.
Finally saw the video last night, and it’s so good . Amazing insights and fun stories from hardware and software.
A few random thoughts:
- Loved the fellowship between the first speakers.
- When a questions was above their pay grade, none flinched before not answering.
- Scott Herz is hilarious
- Favorite moment is when Scott Herz says that he’d like a better text selection method on iOS. Here, here.
- Scott Forstall personality feels acted. But I get the impression he’s a really smart person that gets into normal mode character to be able to communicate.
Very recommended.
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June 20, 2017
Stephen King stars in the ‘The Desk’, adapted from his wonderful book On Writing.
Great comic from a passage of the even greater On Writing book.
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June 15, 2017
Barefeats comparing the new iPad Pro’s to new MacBook Pro’s:
The top configured 2017 MacBook Pro 13-inch costs roughly 3 times more than the top configured 2017 iPad Pro. Yet the laptop is only slightly faster running CPU intensive apps and slower running the GPU intensive apps.
As he says in the conclusion:
I am not implying that the iPad Pro can replace the MacBook Pro. They are two different animals, though there is clearly some overlap in capability. It’s just encouraging to know that the iPad Pro development has brought it up to laptop level performance.
The tablet vs laptop overlap has arrived. There’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all answer, but after iOS 11, the iPad Pro vs Macbook consideration will not be for early adopters anymore.
snippets
June 12, 2017
Updated the Core Bluetooth framework to match across iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS, and marked call availability based on platform.
I so very hope bluetooth headphones will work better on High Sierra. The experience in Sierra has been terrible for me.
snippets
June 9, 2017
End-to-end encryption utilizes a user-generated, private key to encrypt all entries before they reach Day One servers. With possession of the encryption key held only by the end user, maximum security is assured for journal data.
Long time coming, very happy for this. I don’t pour thoughts without filters into my journals, but in the back of my mind there’s always some additional caution.
Will be signing up ASAP.
To note, IFTTT will not work on encrypted journals initially, so plan ahead.
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June 8, 2017
Back into Podcasting
This week, I’ve been podcasting again in Spanish with Mauricio. It feels great, and I’m enjoying the low friction that using the Bumpers App allows. It doesn’t sound nearly as great as when Mauricio removed all my ums in the past, but it’s not bad for a recording done on the iPhone with my Airpods .
Hope we can keep it up. Here’s the latest version:
Podcast
Geek
June 8, 2017
But Libin doesn’t really think skipping a meal or two counts. “People who are doing 16/8,” he says, referring to a schedule in which you fast for 16 hours of a day and eat regularly during the remaining eight, “to me that’s not fasting. That’s eating.”
Wow.
It’s true that my weight loss — and then average weight — was lower when I was doing 24hr fasting twice a week. There’s also some research about doing a long fast every so ofter. But going a few days without fasting seems a bit extreme even for me.
I’m currently vaguely doing 16/8 twice a week, and my weight has crept slightly up, but still held on my 78kg.
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June 5, 2017
5 word review WWDC 2017
Some tidbits I found interesting:
- Surprised the didn’t leave the current iPad Pro as a mid-tier device.
- The new Files app support for 3rd party services like Box, Dropbox is very aggressive.
- Notes App now supports simple tables — on the Mac at least.
- watchOS still supports the original Apple Watch.
Apple
June 3, 2017
The web has pushed us to read what everyone else is reading, the hit of the day. But popular isn’t the same as important. Popular isn’t the same as profound. Popular isn’t even the same as useful.
A note to self on this. I usually fall into the popular and must read trap with books. Agonizing over which book to read next — just so I don’t waste time with one I don’t like.
I forget that wasting time starting a book I don’t end liking, is actually an investment even if I don’t finish it.
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June 2, 2017
Great interview, stories, and fun goodbye to Walt.
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June 1, 2017
From Apple PR:
Apple today announced that its global developer community has earned over $70 billion since the App Store launched in 2008.
Apple announcing App Store numbers a week before WWDC probably means a packed keynote. Oh yeah.
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June 1, 2017
Swift Playgrounds coding app enables kids to program and control LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3, the Sphero Robot, Parrot Drones and more.
This is very, very cool. Can’t wait until I can play with this with Robie (and/or Bettina) in a few years.
Also telling, next week’s keynote must be very packed if none of these (literally) cool toys are getting a demo.
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June 1, 2017
The Skype you know and love has a fresh design and a ton of new features to stay connected with the people you care about the most.
I understand that mobile has to be the priority for any platform, and that naturally means competing with iMessage, WhatsApp, Messenger, Snapchat, etc. But, anecdotally I think most people use Skype differently than those platforms.
Skype is closer to LinkedIn than Snapchat, and this redesign makes it feel like a me too app, rather than stand up on it strengths. This makes it more likely that you’ll start using the other — more popular — apps for what you use Skype, than the other way around.
My bet would have been to a friendlier Slack type solution, that takes advantage of pre-paid credits rather than paid plans for advanced features.
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May 31, 2017
The return of the iBook
Apples latest iPad represents the return of the iBook and white MacBook device in the lineup. A solid “current” version that’s easy to recommend without having to attach footnotes or corollaries.
An iPad with trackpad and keyboard
The iPad with keyboard already exists. Visit apple.com/ipad and the third hero image shows an iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard (with multitasking and App switching).
The iPad with trackpad also exists… on software. Use two-finger gestures on the iPad software keyboard and you get a mouse pointer. A way to use this feature with a hardware keyboard is inevitable, at least if Apple expects us to consider the iPad a viable alternative to MacBooks.
A locked-down ARM MacBook
A recent rumor made the rounds about ARM-based MacBook’s with a locked down macOS. This makes little sense to me. You can basically get the macOS mentioned in the rumor with App Store and OS auto-update options already available on macOS.
Locked down macOS vs iOS with mouse support
Both of these are blasphemous on their own way. Diminishing users system access on macOS and adding a mouse pointer to iOS, both break a basic assumption of the platform.
However, both platforms are already going down a slippery slope towards these unnatural features. On macOS, the arrival of the App Store and iCloud Drive started a questionably successful path to lock down the OS and filesystem.
Even on iOS, the all terrible mouse has shown up in disguise since version iOS 9 — with Trackpad Mode — which is useful with the virtual keyboard, and frustratingly missing on hardware ones.
Apple doesn’t need an answer to the Chromebook
A classic error when looking at Apple is to assume they worry about providing an answer to a category: Netbooks, PDAs, wireless speakers, etc.
Apple provides innovative answers to problems with high-margin solutions they can iterate on. Sometimes, these answers overlap what a few of the things the industry was trying to address with a category, but not focus on the one thing Apple set out to.
I do think Apple could benefit from a similar answer to the Chromebooks — and it involvers the iPad with a Smart(er) Keyboard.
Apple
daydreaming
May 30, 2017
The Essential Phone is expertly crafted using titanium and ceramic, has a stunning edge-to-edge Full Display and captures stunning images (even in low light) with the world’s thinnest dual camera system ever built for a phone.
This is a beautiful phone. At $699, also extremely well priced given specs: 128GB storage, 4GB RAM, titanium/ceramic body, etc
snippets
May 24, 2017
Is it worse than McDonalds? Probably not, but at least you don’t feel good about eating McDonalds, and that’s where the problem is. This idea that Soylent is healthy tricks you into thinking that if you have your Soylent, you’ve done your good-eating-deed for the day, instead of thinking of it as a last resort like a protein bar.
Good point.
I think that Soylent is a great alternative to most lunch options around my office, which is why it’s my default meal. But the combination of fasting and Soylent does make me go overboard for dinner sometimes. So will be giving this some thought.
snippets
May 2, 2017
The original analogue tapes are the highest definition version of the record, and nothing will ever beat them. However in the 20 years since the original release mastering technology has improved a lot, and with new equipment and techniques we can make a digital version that’s an improvement of the original transfer.
I’m getting this. While I don’t think I’ll appreciate the higher quality of the remaster, the influence this album had on me was huge. I love this album. My mom took me to the store to buy this album on a Friday after high school, and suddenly I had a musical taste that really clicked.
snippets
May 2, 2017
Beautiful laptop, and amazing introduction video. If this was the new MacBook Air, I’d be excited. Sadly, regardless of Windows 10 S or Pro, I’d choose ChromeOS or Linux first.
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May 1, 2017
New Experian survey explores consumer satisfaction with AirPods and other voice-first hardware.
Doesn’t surprise me at all, the AirPods are my favorite Apple gadget in a long time. But, curious about how many use it as a voice-first hardware. First thing I did was turn-off Siri on double-tap.
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April 25, 2017
Auphonic can now generate shareable videos from audio files, including a dynamically generated waveform and your cover image (or possible chapter images) as background.
This is really cool, it lets you create a video out of your audio. Which is easier to share and way more catchy on social networks. If/when I do another podcast, this will likely be on the workflow.
snippets
April 25, 2017
Books of Winter 2016
Here are the books I read over the past 6 months. As usual, the fiction ones were on Kindle, and the non-fiction as audiobooks.
Fiction
Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle. | ★ recommended
I was in the mood for a disaster book that dealt with the aftermath, and on that it delivers. The book is from the 70’s, which is fun for the prehistoric tech enviroment, but not so much for some flat (and sexualized) female characters.
Killfile by Christopher Farnsworth. | ★ recommended
Fun action-thriller page turner with believable superpower (as in good balance of superpower versus its downside). This is a perfect weekend vacation book.
Death’s End (Remembrance of Earth’s Past) by Cixin Liu, Ken Liu | ★ recommended
The final book in The Three-Body Problem trilogy. Among the best Sci-Fi I’ve read. I don’t think it is my favorite of the three, but that’s not saying much given how I love the first two. If you enjoy mind-stretching Sci-Fi, read these books.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. | ☆ skip it
Great premise, powerful start, but it lost me in the second half. Maybe I was expecting more Sci-Fi, and it ends up being more action thriller. If you like do-over books give it a try, but I just went through the motions in the end.
The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty) by Ken Liu | ★ recommended
Borderline fantasy — or as much fantasy as Game of Thrones is. This feels more of an early Roman or Japanese empire story set in a fantasy geography. Fun story with very strong characters.
The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth Book 1) by N. K. Jemisin. | ★ recommended
Fascinating fantasy world. Actually, the world itself is a character, which in a novel with very strong characters says a lot. I’m likely in for the whole series.
The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth Book 2) by N. K. Jemisin | ★ recommended
Suffers a bit as a sequel, but still a great read. It advances the story nicely to the next book, which I’ll read for sure.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky | ★ recommended
A new classic hard Sci-Fi about humans leaving earth for the stars… without much of the usual cliches involved. While never dense, it gets a bit slow sometimes, but it’s for good reasons and you get rewarded for it. Among my favorite books of 2016/2017.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. | ★ recommended
Not my typical fiction book, it’s basically a combination of deeply studied viking folklore stories put together, which makes a somewhat coherent book — as much of folklore does. I read it because I love Gaiman and was somewhat intrigued by the topic. I enjoyed it a lot more than expected.
Non-fiction
fiction
non-fiction
April 24, 2017
You will be leading an initiative to deliver hardware directly from Spotify to existing and new customers; a category defining product akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles.
Spotify bluetooth/4G headphones? smartwatch? green discman? Car Stereo?.
snippets
April 21, 2017
A 4K restoration of the 1997 space epic will hit multiplexes on Sunday, May 14th and Wednesday, May 17th as part of Fathom Events’ 20th anniversary re-release, Entertainment Weekly reports.
This is babysitter worthy. Will report.
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April 21, 2017
The Golden State Warriors superstar recently told Chris Haynes of ESPN that he deleted all of the social media apps from his phone before the playoffs began. The reason behind it, of course, is he wants to devote all of his attention toward winning another championship.
I think the time for early adopters to adopt no social apps is here.
/via jamcnn
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April 21, 2017
Firefox 43
That’s why today’s release of Firefox for desktop ships with two new themes: Compact Light and Compact Dark. Compact Light shrinks the size of the browser’s user interface (the ‘chrome’) while maintaining Firefox’s default light color scheme.
Enjoying the new themes, and snappiness of Firefox versus Chrome. Will use it as my work default for a few days.
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April 19, 2017
[…] I’m a bit obsessed with Newport’s work right now, and especially his account of how the digital environment we inhabit is training us out of concentration and into distraction in ways that are bad for us, bad for our work, and ultimately bad for the world.
Halfway through the episode and I already deleted all social apps from my phone again — will use the websites for the next month.
/via coliver.
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April 17, 2017
A visual introduction to probability and statistics.
I say amazing a lot, but this is AMAZING.
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April 14, 2017
Great lesson on idle time. I just want to print the results somewhere.
R for Robot
[…] I gave myself the challenge to create a set of illustrations, from A to Z that would hopefully end in some sort of Alphabet Kid’s Book.
More cool designs at Ål Power website.
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April 13, 2017
Amazing online magazine from the team at Stripe:
Increment is dedicated to covering how teams build and operate software systems at scale, one issue at a time.
Just skimming the first issue makes me realize I would have paid for it. This is a great contribution to the tech community.
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April 12, 2017
Among some welcomed better High DPI support and fixes, Build 3128 of ST3 has nice looking new icon:
Sublime Text 3 new icon
No more replacing the default icon by me.
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April 10, 2017
A bunch of interesting snippets in the article:
This technical distinction is also present in consumer behavior. eBooks—with their instant access and cheap prices—sell generally 6x more quantities than print books for us. That said, a print book will generally generate 7x more revenue than an eBook.
Very interesting, and I strongly agree with the next sentence in the paragraph:
It’s hard to generate revenue on an eBook because the whole premise of the platform is, I want this quickly and at the cheapest price possible. The premise of a print book in the digital age is driven by luxury: I read better on paper…or…I like the feeling of turning a page. You can’t create much markup on utility, whereas you can create a great deal of markup on luxury.
The whole article reads like summary notes of an industry paper, worth the bookmark.
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April 7, 2017
Always, always, go extra-large:
The math of why bigger pizzas are such a good deal is simple: A pizza is a circle, and the area of a circle increases with the square of the radius.
Happy friday.
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April 6, 2017
Great overview by Sebastiaan de With on my the Pro market should matter to Apple:
Without a truly top-tier workstation, Apple will miss out on a huge segment of digital creatives that can craft the future of human-machine interaction — something way beyond tapping a piece of glass. It would lack a Mac workstation with the raw computing power to prototype VR and AR interactions, build game worlds, simulate complex models and render the effects of tomorrow’s great feature films all the while offering those same creatives a platform to create for its own mobile devices.
These are all rational reasons. We have less access to the financial ones, but I’m sure they’re there. Lastly, there’s the feeling of coolness; of getting the right tool for the job. That’s a thing Mac’s are slowly loosing.
But it does seem that Apple finally noticed.
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March 18, 2017
Originally didn’t get the Trish AI spokesperson concept, but as a Soylent user, this ad represents how I think about the product.
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March 15, 2017
How to align your daily todos with your long term goals
From imranq, Ask HN thread:
Advice from my physics professor: make a detailed plan and then discard the plan and do what you feel.
This doesn’t mean the plan was unnecessary…rather the plan carves out the neural pathways in your mind
Have been coming back to this a lot this week.
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March 15, 2017
We felt overwhelmed by our phones so we built a better one. Smart technology re-imagined for a less distracted life.
Lots interesting ideas. Seems like these should be features and not an Android fork, but will be happy if it finds a niche.
snippets
March 9, 2017
A Bot’s Bot
I still don’t use bots, but they continue to be released — with some interesting integrations.
What I’m hoping for is a smart(ish) bot valet. A meta bot which connects to other bots based on what I’m asking. Basically the lovechild of Siri and IFTTT, without all the configuration, and can read and write.
Curious why IFTTT is not in the bot game already? Seems a natural evolution.
March 3, 2017
The shift toward Google-powered devices is hurting Apple’s revenue. Of the $7.35 billion that schools, colleges and universities spent on mobile and desktop computers in 2016, sales of Apple devices fell to $2.8 billion in 2016, from about $3.2 billion in 2015, according to IDC, a market research firm.
This is not like the smartphone marketshare debate, where the iPhone is “loosing” — yet has by far the biggest revenue share. On schools they are loosing in both areas.
Then there is the keyboard issue. While school administrators generally like the iPad’s touch screens for younger elementary school students, some said older students often needed laptops with built-in physical keyboards for writing and taking state assessment tests.
Either physical or touchscreen, the iPad needs more space for the keyboard if you’re doing common work. I know that for emails, messages and browsing the on-screen keyboard is fine. But to do a paper or report you can’t have the keyboard obscuring half of an already crowed space.
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February 14, 2017
The Pixar of TV Shows
I know Steve Jobs nostalgia has very little to do with a succesful strategy. But pretty sure that if Steve were alive™, Planet of the Apps wouldn’t be one of Apple’s first series:
Carpool Kareoke on the other hand, looks exactly like something he’d share on a WWDC:
TV
Apple
February 14, 2017
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence:
Certainly I’m sure there are people that have purchased a Google Home or an Echo instead of a Play:1, but I don’t look at that [and think] they’re dead to Sonos. There’s an opportunity to get into their living room and get into other rooms in their home with some of the interoperability work we’re doing.
Sonos devices sound quality continues to be significantly better than Echo’s and Google Home. Starting your smart home devices with a AI hub that has a good-enough speaker, and then adding compatible speakers with much better sounds, seems like a solid plan.
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5typos.net