A weekly list of things I found interesting, posted on Sundays. Sometimes themed, often not.
1️⃣ Jason Snell recounts the days of yore when a Macworld cover concept unwittingly previewed an imminent iMac design — and Apple wasn’t happy. [Link - Jason Snell // sixcolors.com]
2️⃣ This pixel art of Apple Park by Basic Apple Guy is stunning and comes in both day and night versions for device wallpapers. [Link - Basic Apple Guy // basicappleguy.com]
3️⃣Vox explains how more superhero scenes in movies are computer-generated than you’d think. As in completely rendered, without someone in the suit. These “Digi-Doubles” are fascinating and I’m always a sucker for behind-the-scenes and how-it’s-made content. [Link - Vox // youtube.com]
4️⃣ I’m getting serious Black Mirror vibes from this preview of Roar on Apple TV+ — and I’m all in. [Link - Apple TV+ // youtube.com]
5️⃣ My podcast app of choice, Overcast, got Phase One of its long-awaited redesign this week. There are some bits I need to get used to, but I think it’s headed in the right direction! [Link - Marco Arment // marco.org]
6️⃣ Kill the Newsletter by Leandro Facchinetti is an incredible tool for folks like me who like reading email newsletters, but hate getting them via email where my actual correspondence lives. I use Reeder to save articles for later and to read internet stuff via RSS. Kill the Newsletter gives you an email address to use to subscribe to a newsletter and then converts it to a unique RSS feed just for you. Now I can keep receiving and reading everything in Reeder. (Via Club MacStories) [Link - kill-the-newsletter.com]
Learning that the Studio Display not only has an A13 processor but also runs the full version of iOS 15 and has 64 GB of storage has led to a bunch of ideas of how the display could do more than be an external monitor.
Personally, I think the most interesting of them is if the Studio Display could boot into an Apple TV mode running tvOS. It’s got enough storage to run streaming video apps and a couple of games, which either a paired keyboard/mouse or the Remote app on iOS devices could control.
Enabling iPadOS or macOS may be a stretch too far, but this display already has better guts than the Apple TV4K (running on an A12), and would make for a pleasant personal entertainment center. Throw in the FaceTime app to use its Center Stage camera, and Studio Display makes for an excellent stand-alone video call station, too.
A weekly list of things I found interesting, posted on Sundays. Sometimes themed, often not.
1️⃣ Go watch Severance on Apple TV+. Its dark and mysterious plot makes it the most compelling new show I’ve seen since The Leftovers. [Link - justwatch.com]
2️⃣ The new iPad Air has so much in common with previous iPads that Jason Snell cleverly reviewed it by piecing together quotes from his old reviews. [Link - Jason Snell // sixcolors.com]
3️⃣ When reading about Ayaka’s digital detox, this part stood out about catching up with others without worrying about who’s updated on what. I’ve noticed it, and it’s refreshing. [Link - Ayaka Nonaka // ayakanonaka.com]
Because I don’t look at or share on Instagram where people post about their adventures and major life events, when I actually catch up with people, there’s a lot to ask and talk about. It’s nice not having to wonder whether someone already knows about everything you’ve been up to, or if they think that you already know what they’ve been up to. We can just catch up on everything with no assumptions.
4️⃣ScreenTimes has a page outlining each week’s episode releases for Apple TV+ alongside a subscribable calendar. The volume of new episodes every week is starting to pack a punch. [Link - screentimes.net]
5️⃣ Hard research to back up what we already knew: pockets in women’s pants are woefully inadequate. They found that only 10% of women’s pockets will fit an average woman’s hand. This page has tons of great comparisons and visualizations. [Link - Jan Diehm, Amber Thomas // pudding.cool]
6️⃣ I’m a big fan of the MayTree YouTube channel, where the five-person acapella group performs short renditions of popular tunes. You’ve probably seen them. Their latest video showcases their frontwoman’s incredible soprano voice in the Up theme. [Link - MayTree // youtube.com]
7️⃣ A Whiskey Ginger has rapidly become my new favorite cocktail. It’s simple — just equal parts whiskey and ginger ale — and tasty. [Link - allrecipes.com]
Starting with the iPhone SE — a low-end model that goes on sale Friday for $429 — that process is changing, Apple has told retail employees. New iPhone SE buyers who choose AT&T Inc.or T-Mobile US Inc. as their wireless carrier won’t need to provide their information at the time of purchase. Instead, shoppers will be able to enter that data and connect to their carrier when they power on the device for the first time.
I can tell you from experience that connecting with carriers was often the longest and most frustrating part of selling a new iPhone. I’m happy for Apple’s retail Specialists who won’t have to deal with that part so much — the outcome of which is largely out of their control — but I’m a little worried for customers. It’ll be nice for the customers who want to get out of the store quickly and on with their day. On the other hand, I anticipate that inevitable carrier setup issues will have just deferred customer frustration to when they’re home and don’t have a “techy” person around to help.
Retail employees say the change also could benefit customer service. Sometimes activation servers can be overloaded and customers leave Apple retail stores with their phone not working — a poor experience that that new approach would mitigate.
Pushing this process out of the purchase flow won’t resolve all the underlying issues that often halt a sale — a credit denial, forgotten PIN, or incompatible carrier plan — though it might shift the blame for those barriers away from Apple to its rightful place with the carriers or customer themselves. But if they can’t figure it out on their own, they still won’t be a happy user.
Apple will also let users purchase an iPhone SE in stores with Apple Card monthly installment plans — without connecting it to a carrier.
I am happy to see that more customers will be able to purchase phones with Apple’s no-fuss installment plans. When I sold phones, I always felt silly telling customers they couldn’t use Apple Card Monthly Installments unless they connected the phone with a carrier in-store. Apple’s first-party payment option shouldn’t rely on third-party plans. Apple Card is the most transparent credit card I’ve ever seen and truly encourages people to pay less interest. If they’re going to use credit to pay for a phone, customers could do a lot worse than with Apple Card.
All-in-all, I expect that fewer customers will be denied from making a purchase due to carrier stipulations. Many prospective iPhone customers don’t realize that they have to be an ‘Authorized User’ on their carrier account to be allowed to make plan changes like connecting a new phone to a new or existing line. If they didn’t bring a photo ID that matches the list of Authorized Users for their account, they couldn’t purchase through the carrier’s installment plan or Apple’s. Their only option was to pay full price for the phone and connect it on their own later. Very few people want to purchase their phone in full these days, so I had to deny plenty of legitimate purchases to spouses, grown kids, and grandparents on family plans because they didn’t know about the red tape.
From Gurman’s reporting it sounds like that should no longer be as big of a problem since they could apply for Apple’s financing instead:
The faster purchase experience only applies to users buying an iPhone via Apple’s own installment plans or at full price, meaning that customers who want to use a carrier deal will need to use the more complex process. That could help Apple push users toward its own financing plans.
Overall, I think the additional flexibility will be good for Apple’s customers and hope these options will make their way to the rest of the iPhone lineup. But it doesn’t mean that the underlying issues are all resolved.
To be honest, I’m having a bit of trouble writing this Now update. It’s not that I haven’t done much; it’s just that the words aren’t flowing. So I’ll keep it short.
Jo and I have settled into living in the Adirondacks. We love our quirky rental home. We love the homey, welcoming community. We love the easy access to the outdoors. It’s hard not to be inspired to get outside when surrounded by such gorgeous scenery and accessible trails. We’ve gone on more walks and hikes in the last month than probably all of last year. Our dog approves (and super enjoys getting to go off-leash).
Our parents came to visit, which was nice. Heading to a new town — one that takes COVID seriously — meant we hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to make new friends. It’s a good thing my wife and I like each other because we were the only people we saw for about a month there. Our parents got us out into some touristy things, and we got to show off our spectacular new hometown. And we drank plenty of booze together.
With the house in order and guests gone home, I’ve been able to better turn my attention to finding a job. After applying to all the local guiding and outdoor rec centers and then waiting and waiting, I finally got some leads. And I’m pleased to say that, as of today, I’ve accepted a position with one of the longest-running gear shops and guiding services in the area! I need plenty of acclimation before I’m out on the trail with any groups, but I’ve hit it off with the owner and am excited to be part of the team. I’ll get to combine all my interests since I’ll be taking on their web and social media presence in addition to selling in the gear shop and working towards being a full-on Guide. So stoked!
Finally, as I hope you’ve noticed, I’ve been able to put more time into writing here. I’ve put out some posts that I’m proud of, and dusted off Pixelmator to put up new shirts for sale. Hiking, skiing, exploring, writing, and landing what could be a dream job — I feel I’m on the cusp of something great here.
I guess that wasn’t as short as I thought it’d be. 😅
📱 Apps I’m Trying
Logger - A debugging app for Shortcuts. I haven’t had much opportunity to test this out since I haven’t been building any complicated shortcuts in the past few weeks. But it looks fantastic and fills a real need in shortcut development by letting you log inputs and data as it passes from action to action — all inline.
Goodlinks - I tried Goodlinks years ago as a read-later app, and while I found it to be competent, it was a little too bare-bones to use full-time in that regard. But in searching out a place to house my ‘Trust Clicks’ for 7 Things, I immediately thought back to this app. Goodlinks’s superb Shortcuts support and lack of frills make it perfect for lightweight link management.
MaskerAid - Developed by Casey Liss, this app automatically places emojis over the faces in a photo. It helps mask young kids’ faces or anyone you’d rather not have shown in an image. But you can also use it to add any arbitrary emoji in a picture. I don’t need to use it often, but it’s a good tool for the arsenal.
Slopes - I’ve had my eye on this app but didn’t have the opportunity to use it until my birthday when I went skiing for the first time in years. It lives up to the hype, accurately and automatically tracking how many and which runs I went down. At the end of the day, I got an excellent record of my total elevation and distance skied, plus time spent active or sitting in a chairlift. I was blown away by the detail provided by this premium yet lightweight app. The care that the developer puts into Slopes is evident.
Lofi Garden - I can’t concentrate on reading or writing with lyrical music playing. But I also don’t want my Apple Music listening recommendations muddled by the instrumental, lofi, and electronic music that I play for hours on end while in the zone. So when Lofi Garden popped up on my Setapp newsletter, I knew it was for me. A simple one-click menu bar app, Lofi Garden simply plays and pauses an ever-changing loop of the perfect music for diving deep into a project at my Mac.
Raycast - This quick-launcher/command-central app comes highly recommended by John Voorhees and Federico Viticci of MacStories, so I’m giving it a fair shake. I’ll admit that it’s powerful with all its third-party plug-ins available. And it’s indeed speedy. But I’m finding it difficult to break my muscle memory from Alred. It requires more testing.
Perhaps the most exciting addition to our household is the Farmstand by Lettuce Grow. My wife and I have been pining for something green and leafy in our house and wanted to be able to grow some of our own produce year-round. This thing not only looks awesome but works exceptionally well! It’s a hydroponic grower that provides consistent light, water, and nutrients to your seedlings. We’ve had it for just a few weeks, and our plants have from this:
It’s super fun to watch everything grow noticeably larger overnight. And I can pick fresh lettuce to put directly onto a sandwich. We’re going to have a lot of fun with it!
(Look interesting? My referral code at checkout gets each of us $50 in credit: FRIEND-I6CK)
But I’ve also gotten out both downhill and nordic skiing ⛷️, and lots of snowshoeing and hiking 🥾. Winter might be on its way out here, with the mud season to follow.
My admiration for David Heinemeier Hansson has waned over the years, but I like to make sure my reading queue isn’t full of only authors with whom I agree. In this case, however, I appreciated his approach when considering Apple’s latest and greatest:
I had that Ultra machine all specced out in my cart when it suddenly struck me that I actually couldn’t recall any material difference hopping from the original M1 to the M1 Max machine. What if instead of splurging once again for more imperceptible power, I swapped back to that 2020 machine, just to feel the difference?
And what did he find when switching back to Apple’s thinnest, lightest, and least capable laptop on the market?
The 2020 M1 MacBook runs everything that I do more or less exactly as well as the three times more expensive specced-out MacBook Pro. Well, sure, I can measure an all-core full suite test run of our apps and find an advantage. But it’s not consequential, and that’s not a workflow I do all the time. Not even editing 50 megapixel photos in Lightroom seemed noticeably different.
One thing that hasn’t slipped my attention, but I don’t see many product reviewers point out, is that all of the M1 machines run on the same power, efficiency, and graphics cores — only with differing amounts of each. And when moving up to an M1 Pro or M1 Max, you’re primarily increasing graphics performance. (The M1 Ultra doubles everything, so it’s a bit of an outlier.) Sure, you do get a few more CPU cores and in a different ratio of the performance and efficiency types. Still, unless you have a workload that will light up all those cores at once, the basic M1 — in whatever machine you put it in — will probably get the job done just as well as the top-of-the-line chips.
DHH, realizing that the “low-powered” M1 didn’t throttle his workflow, concluded with an appreciation for features that only a MacBook Air can afford him:
And do you know what, I actually appreciate some of those vintage Ive sensibilities again: Slimness and lightness as qualities in themselves. Once a machine is Fast Enough and the battery lasts Long Enough, making it lighter and slimmer really does count for more. I don’t even mind the machine just having 2 USB Cs.
Maybe Ive was right all along — minus that awful keyboard! — he just didn’t have the chips to fulfill his vision.
I’m glad that DHH called out Jony Ive’s impact here. I have long felt that Ive gets a bad rap for what are relatively few of his design choices over a long and unfathomably successful and influential career. It seems that most people who criticize his work forget that many of the qualities that they love about their devices can be attributed to Apple’s design team under his leadership, too. But that’s a story for another day.
The support document states that if an Apple Watch running watchOS 8.5 or later displays an animation showing an Apple Watch and iPhone being brought close together, customers can follow the steps below to initiate the restore process[.]
This will be a boon for my friends at the Apple Store. Technicians had very little they could do to resolve Apple Watch software problems before sending it off to a specialized facility for repair. Not only will the new ability to restore them with an iPhone cut down on the number of users seeking professional help, but those who do will spend less time and frustration getting their device back up and running. Nobody likes to be without their watch for a few days.
A weekly list of things I found interesting, posted on Sundays. Sometimes themed, often not.
1️⃣ I’ve never been down on hole-punch displays, and I don’t dislike the notch. But this new purported design for the iPhone 14 Pro camera and TrueDepth cutout looks pretty sweet to me. Less obtrusive than the notch for sure. [Link - Chance Miller // 9to5mac.com]
2️⃣ Okay, I’ve got to find a Michelin star restaurant after reading this account from a non-foodie like me. If the point of going out for food is to enjoy something you couldn’t make at home, this sounds like the epitome. [Link - Kirsty Bosley // birminghammail.co.uk]
3️⃣ Some solid advice from TidBITS on password management, which also debunks the myth that you should regularly change your password for a given website. [Link - Glenn Fleishman // tidbits.com]
5️⃣ Tyler Stalman’s video explaining exposure, aperture, and shutter speed was a huge help to me in understanding how cameras work and what all those weird numbers mean. [Link - Tyler Stalman // youtube.com]
Apple’s trouble with AirTags reached a new level a few weeks ago, culminating in two investigative pieces by The New York Times and The Verge, plus a statement by Apple itself. The journalistic pieces compared AirTags to competitive item tracking products for their usefulness and safety features. Apple’s announcement promised improved safety features and assurance that they are working with law enforcement, as they are able, to identify people who misuse AirTags to stalk people.
All of these are well worth reading if you haven’t considered the secondary effects of a popular technology company releasing small, cheap, and extraordinarily precise trackers into the world.
I use and enjoy my AirTags for their intended purpose: finding lost and misplaced personal items. But it’s not lost on me that people will use them for nefarious purposes. I don’t think it was lost on Apple during the development period either, and I’m glad they’re continuing to make improvements. They should not stop.
And I have one suggestion regarding AirTag’s unwanted tracking notifications — arguably the most important part of their safety feature set — that should be fixed right away. It jumped out at me when I came across this screenshot in The Verge’s piece:
An AirTag was found moving with me?! Should I leave it on or turn it off? (Image: The Verge) ⌘
What would an everyday person, someone not plugged into the tech news scene, think the ‘Leave On’ and ‘Turn Off’ buttons do at first glance?
I wager that most people would assume that this notification is alerting them to the presence of an unwanted tracker. It’s the kind of notification that gets your heart rate up in a hurry. I know that I’d want to turn that tracker off as fast as possible. So, I imagine many people would quickly tap ‘Turn Off’ without giving it a second glance.
But what does that second glance reveal? That the user didn’t turn off the AirTag at all. Indeed, they turned off the notification that immediately alerts them to the presence of unknown AirTags. Without those Time Sensitive notifications left on, someone could be tracked for much longer before seeing any alert.
This screenshot highlights a problem with Apple’s overall notification system. Notifications have meta settings regarding the manner and frequency that they are received. That’s in addition to the in-app settings for what kind of notifications can interrupt your day. And in-line actions — like replying to a message or marking a task as complete — that can be taken by swiping or long-pressing on a notification. The layers added on top of the Notification system were well-intentioned and, indeed, have provided the kind of granular control that power users begged for. Still, this implementation is unclear and can lead to disaster when tied to something like AirTags.
We all know that first impressions are the lasting ones. And the first impression left by this crucial notification can lead to the exact opposite effect that it is there to provide. For a company that prides itself on getting the details right, I’m astounded that Apple let this one slip by.
Apple offers a 10% discount to current and Veteran members of the US Military, National Guard and Reserve. This includes members of the Air Force, Space Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service, and NOAA Corps. Immediate family members who reside in the same household are also eligible.
Eagar goes on to explain how to set up and use the ID.me account necessary to verify your service status:
Apple uses a third-party military verification service used by many other major retailers (Lowe’s, etc.). To access the Apple military discounts, you will need to have a verified account with ID.me.
It’s also worth noting that the online store is the way to use this discount from Apple since they can’t usually honor it for regular purchases at their retail stores due to the verification process. If you want to use the military discount there, a Specialist will walk you through making the purchase on their website using this same ID.me verification process. You can complete the order and choose to pick it up in-store the same day, if available, but it’s better to make the order at home since you’ll have to wait for it to go through their system and be packaged for pickup.
Eagar explains a couple of ways to find the Veteran and Military Purchase Program, but I’ll also point out that you can also scroll to the bottom of any page on apple.com and click the ‘Shop for Veterans and Military’ link in the ‘For Government’ section. Down in that footer, you’ll also find the link for students and educators to access their special education pricing (not currently behind any verification process).
Apple makes it easy to find their various store portals in the footer of their website. ⌘
