Numeric Citizen Blog

About memory prices surge

Memory gold rush bonanza makes billions for Micron — Blocks and Files

Even with additional industry DRAM cleanroom space plans, with robust demand trends including new upside requests from customers, we do not have line of sight to when supply and demand will return to balance.

That’s not great news for all of us.

Watched: Silo S2E3, Solo 📺
Resumed watching the Silo series on Apple TV. Season 2 seems less enticing, but the following seasons, especially season 4, received very positive reactions.

Staying informed and in shape

In recent days, as we head into colder, wetter fall weather, I restarted my daily treadmill routine while listening to educational videos on YouTube. It’s the best I can do to keep learning new things while staying in good shape. I conclude my exercise session with stretching and meditation using Apple Fitness+.

Human made

In a recent social media post announcing Apple’s next event on October 13, we see people actually creating a very likable Apple logo. Not AI. Thank you, Apple, for caring.

Being selective with AI

Lately, because token usage in subscriptions has become costlier, I’ve become more selective about the models I choose for prompts. I switch between models like Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus based on the complexity of the prompt and the effort needed to produce a high-quality response. Is anyone else adopting this approach?

The guessing game

I’m really looking forward to Apple’s new home device. I wish it would be called “the HomePod” because it reflects what the device is about. Now that Apple already uses that name for their rather dumb speaker, reusing it would be tricky, but not impossible. Apple could rename the current HomePod and the HomePod mini, yet it’s tricky. HomeHub might be the second-best name and would fit the personal-hub concept John Ternus discussed recently. Your iPhone is your personal hub, while the HomeHub is your home hub… duh. You can see a great device design approximation on YouTube from ‘fpt’. It’s rather cute.

I’m already trying to figure out where I will install it in my house.

I’m considering selling my RODECaster Video S. I never recorded a video with it. I realized that software-only solutions and setups are more flexible and easier to operate. I’m not a hardware guy when it comes to video production. 😔

Imagining Apple HomeView placement

I know where I’ll install Apple’s upcoming HomeHub… sorry, HomeView¹, when I can get my hands on it. It needs to be central but not distracting when it displays photos². Central enough so I can ask questions and get audible answers, like with the HomePod³. Close enough to reach and interact with on a whim. HomeView capabilities could be a deciding factor in where it lands in my house, or whether I get more than one.

It appears that since Apple OS 27, Photos Shared Albums created prior to OS 27 can be “upgraded”. Fine. But the process takes forever.

It’s time to take a snapshot of this page, Apple TV & Home mini website, before tomorrow’s announcement…

Ready for the Welcome Home event¹. The home of the future HomeView² device.

My observations about the HomeView and other tidbits

So many thoughts right now…

• It was a low-key unveiling, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise; the HomeView is an accessory in the grand scheme of things.
• About performance: A18 is the same processor as in the MacBook Neo. Fast content switching is a must in a multi-user setup. Based on the older Apple TV 4K, which has an older processor, this is promising. The switching sequence shown in Apple’s promotional material seems to corroborate this.
• Dependencies on the presence of a modern iPhone signed into Apple Intelligence for some features are surprising.
• The design is cute yet classy, but the arm behind the screen is shorter than I thought it would be. The design doesn’t remind me of the G4 iMac. At 7 inches, the screen is a tad bigger than rumors predicted. This leaves room (pun intended here) for a larger screen version with an articulated arm.
• I’m ok with the lack of an App Store dedicated to the HomeView. I expect Apple to add some app functionality in the future.
• The $429 price tag for the wall-mounted version, identical to the tabletop version, is an Apple tactic to discourage users from buying a cheaper version and adding external wireless speakers.
• The power adaptor design presents a not-too-deep block with the USB plug on top. This design lets you place furniture close to the wall.
• I’ll order mine so that I get it when I come back from Thailand in mid-November.
• The new Apple TV 4K is the same price. I would have preferred a cheaper 64GB version; I don’t need 128GB, and I don’t play games on the Apple TV. Built-in microphones are a godsend; no remote needed for voice commands. Yeah.
• One more thing: what’s missing from today’s announcements? The return of a secure, Apple-branded home networking device à la AirPort.

Why reactions to HomeView are what they are?

Reactions to HomeView unveiling seem to be rather lukewarm… is it because there is no App Store? Is the requirements for modern iPhone in the room to take advantage of Apple Intelligence the reason? Widgets from nearby iPhone are available on HomeViw which is rather a clever way to have a feature-rich product on day one. The price seems reasonable for what you get, yet the mounted version is the same price which surprises a lot of people. None of that is earth shattering and yet… people are looking for a new OS name… and it’s not homeOS, so many are perplexed…

Is Apple pivoting away from keynotes?

So we got the HomeView without an Apple Event. If Gurman is right, the same will be true of the upcoming touchscreen MacBook Pro on October 28. Although the two products fall into different device categories, making it hard to tell a coherent story if they’re announced together, I’m surprised Apple didn’t, and won’t, opt for a prerecorded announcement. Is this the new Apple under John Ternus?

About the Siri.app

While Apple’s new Siri.app in OS 27¹ is a welcome addition, it still feels buggy, especially on the iPad. But one thing I don’t like is that the app saves most, if not all, requests to Siri AI. For example, asking for today’s weather forecast for a certain city gets saved and synced across my devices². Why does it matter? Because these requests are stored into my iCloud account, which keeps growing. I may have found a solution as I’m testing OS 27.2 beta on a few of my devices.

If your are looking for a reason to reconsider your return to X.com aka Twitter, here’s one. If this tweet is real, and I have reasons to believe it is, then don’t support his businesses and this moron. Disgusting. And tell me when is the time for Putin to go. And Trump. Disgusting.

On Siri AI: Working in English while speaking in French

Here’s a problem I haven’t been able to solve. I’m a native French-Canadian speaker, since French is my mother tongue. Yet I use all my devices in English and still prefer to interact with Siri AI in French. Since iOS 27.2, I can do that because Siri AI is now available in French, but only if my device is set to French. The device language and Siri AI language have to match; otherwise, I’m stuck with the older, unsatisfactory, frustrating, and much less capable Siri. Moreover, the Siri language syncs across my devices.

I blog in English on my MacBook Air, like I’m doing right now, so when I invoke Siri AI while writing, I want it to respond in English. But when I ask for tomorrow’s weather forecast, I want to ask in French and get an answer in French. The same goes for turning up the light using HomeKit. For mundane requests in French, I could set this up and use it on my iPhone or iPad, but on the Mac, I want it to be in English.

The best configuration for me would be to set up some devices in English end-to-end, while other devices use Siri AI in French even though the device is still in English. For that to work, the Siri AI language setting should stop syncing across my devices.

Am I alone with this issue? Is there a solution? BTW, turning off iCloud sync for Siri doesn’t fix the issue.

The waiting game

I’ve been keeping an eye on the HomeView preorder delivery dates daily. It’s still predicted to arrive by November 13th, but I won’t be able to pick it up until Monday the 16th. Still waiting before placing my order.

The look of peace, according to Putin. 😒

Things are shaping up pretty well if you ask me. As I wrote in the still-in-draft iPhone 18 Pro review, I don’t expect to publish this officially until later in November, after I return from Thailand. But there is enough to get a rather good idea. 👀 ☺️ Enjoy.

Ordered, now patiently waiting

I ordered HomeView and should receive it by the end of November. It feels like a long wait for a device like this, but I’ll be travelling for much of that time. Lukewarm reception didn’t change my mind. I’ve always wanted something like this, a device that isn’t managed like an iPad or iPhone. If my experience with it is good, I’ll probably get one for my home office, too. And no, I don’t have the busy daily life the HomeView ad portrays.

Micro.blog > Ghost

My Ghost subscription is up for renewal in mid-November. Even on the lowest tier, it’s rather expensive at $300 US. It’s tempting to compare Ghost’s value proposition with Micro.blog’s. Ghost is heavily leaning toward newsletters. I’m not using Ghost enough because I share longer pieces there, which are harder to come by. There is no contest: Micro.blog wins at two-thirds the price.

The Hidden Potential of Apple Invites

I had a funny idea today. After updating the Apple Invites app, I wondered whether it could be used to create a photo-sharing space for a small group of people, since its features rely on iCloud services. It seems to have everything you need: a welcome page, albums, links to external websites, and options for managing guests and comments. I created a fake invitation to test the RSVP process from start to finish, and I have to say that signing up seems to be the weak point for now. An Apple Account isn’t required, but at first glance, that isn’t very clear. Apple Invites is iPhone-only, so there’s no iPad or web version for content managers. Too bad. Yet, something to think about.

I added a shuffle option on Trails to display a photo from a randomly selected trail. Enjoy.

A sick guy

According to U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia “has been fine on Ukraine” and “hasn’t been doing much” to the country it has been attempting to violently conquer for over a decade.

“Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven’t been doing much,” Trump told reporters on Oct. 19.

This guy is sick. There is no other sound way of putting it. Are the mid-terms the cause of his behaviour?

Heard today: asking questions is a form of leadership. 👌🏻

Surprising lack of singularity

How can eight YouTubers create nearly identical HomeView commentary video thumbnails? Are they following a code of conduct? Is this AI suggestion slop? A few YouTubers go a little bit more imaginative than others, though. Fascinating. Found on Ben Thompson’s blog, in a blog post with an X.com embed¹.

As Apple enters in more uncharted territories for them, I expect more controversies. A bunch of world-class designers imagining new stuff creates a fertile set of conditions. We are in exciting times again.

Bye bye ARC Browser
Should I trust them with Dia? I’m not so sure. Moreover, I don’t want to switch to Chrome. Safari’s extensions support is lacking… what else can I do?

Most of the recent improvements to Ghost seem to focus on newsletters and monetization. I moved to Ghost to leave WordPress and get basic newsletter capabilities. That’s it. I appreciate Ghost’s openness to the Fediverse, but most of these improvements aren’t targeting users like me. Ninety percent of my publishing goes elsewhere… like here on Micro.blog. Maybe it’s time to reconsider a few things…

Following my recent post about the demise of the ARC Browser, as a Kagi Search subscriber, I’ll give Kagi’s Orion a serious try. I’ve been using it for about half an hour now, and I like what I see, though it may use a lot more memory¹.

Bye bye OpenClaw

I barely knew you. Fully removed all traces of this cancer from my M4 Mac mini. I feed much better now.

I got a notification this morning from the Apple Store app: my HomeView order was bumped up by a week, so I’ll get it right after I come back from Thailand! 😃

My late father passed away in 2021, but only today did I convince myself to delete his Facebook account. It’s a weird feeling. He would have been 98. 😔

It’s fun to play with Snapseed.

I’m just realizing where I’ll actually end up next weekend: Singapore Changi Airport¹. This might surprise you, but 90% of my travel planning is done by my wife. I barely know or remember the travel milestones. This evening, I was wondering whether there were any Apple Stores in Singapore. Oh boy. There are three, and I can visit two of them. I can’t wait.

New MacBook Pro: what's in it for me?

I’m really looking forward to Apple’s announcements this week: an updated MacBook Pro. While the rumored CPU is believed to be an M5 series, not an M6, that’s not what I find most interesting. It’s all about the screen.

First, I would prefer to have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch. I prefer pill-shaped holes. Small detail, I know.

Second, I prefer the OLED screen because I love photography with deeper blacks.

Third, I want touchscreen support because I think it makes sense. Sorry, Steve, but we’re in 2026. When Apple introduced mouse support in iPadOS, it was exciting to see the iPad grow into a new territory of user interaction. It’s macOS’s turn, now.

Fourth, the 14-inch MacBook Pro screen resolution will fit more content into a more compact design than my current 15-inch MacBook Air, thanks to a higher-resolution display (3024 ✗ × 1964 pixels vs 2880 ✗ × 1864 pixels).

Some companies need to wake up

Now that almost anyone can build a native iPhone app using vibe coding or more sophisticated AI-agent methods, companies that keep releasing shitty apps for their products should pay attention. Synology is one example. They make great NAS devices¹, but their iPhone apps aren’t great. Unlike Ubiquiti, they don’t offer an iPhone app for managing their devices. I came across this app on Reddit this morning, and it looks well done. That guy essentially replicated Synology DSM capabilities in his app. That’s cool and useful. If Synology cannot hire good iPhone developers, fine, but with AI-based coding, they have no excuses to try a different approach.

There is nothing mini about the iPad mini except its size. Price-wise, we left the mini territory a while ago. 😒

I’m afraid of what Apple will ask us to pay for the OLED MacBook Pro… 🫣

The sad state of the App Store for developers with ideas

I’ll slowly, quietly¹ start thinking about this Micro.blog super app. It doesn’t have a name yet. I have no idea what the app icon could be. I’m not an icon designer, and I don’t have the money to commission one. I’m not even sure it will see the light on the App Store. But one thing is clear: I’m afraid Apple will refuse or reject the app when I submit it to the App Store.

Simply MacBook Pro

What’s Left for ‘Pro and Tell’ Week: Touch-Enabled OLED MacBooks:

So I’m just wondering if tomorrow’s new touchscreen OLED MacBooks aren’t replacements for the current MacBook Pros, but instead are the start of a new MacBook family with another name. I don’t think they’d call them MacBook “Duos”, because they’re not two-in-one devices. MacBook “Ultras”, maybe — with the same specs as the MacBook Pros but more expensive displays? But “Ultra” seems like a wrong name for a MacBook because Apple’s M-series Ultra chips are (to date at least) desktop only. It’d be weird if the M5 Ultra is exclusive to the Mac Studio while the MacBook “Ultra” maxes out with the M5 Max. So maybe they just are the new MacBook Pros and this first OLED/touch generation uses the same chips as the ones from March?

If we project ourselves into the future where all MacBooks get upgraded to include a touch screen, then the ‘Ultra’ naming wouldn’t make any sense for today’s MacBook Pro being named ‘Ultra’. They will simply keep the MacBook Pro name with a short tagline, ‘MacBook Pro with touch support,’ or something similar.

About this new MacBook Pro with touch support

First, let me set the context: I own an aging 15-inch M2 MacBook Air and a M4 Mac mini. The former is my daily driver while the latter is occasionally used. I have a few more projects that I want to tackle early next year: building native iOS-iPadOS-macOS apps using Claude Code.

Second, here’s the plan: buy the 14-inch MacBook Pro with touch screen support while returning the MacBook Air for a credit and selling the Mac mini. Both will help me finance this upgrade. Here’s why it will be worth it.

This is a massive upgrade: the best screen, a much more powerful Mac in an attractive and portable machine. The screen will offer more room for content, in a much higher image quality while getting rid of the notch, to be replaced with a much more useful Dynamic Island. This new MacBook Pro will be able to drive both of my displays, an Apple Studio Display and a 4K UltraFine.

From what I’m seeing, Apple did a great job at making macOS touch friendly. I can’t wait to try this out.

I’m winning on all counts. Still to be decided, though: adding the nano texture option. I’ll pay a visit to an Apple Store in the next few weeks to decide.

One more thing: the Apple logo now is glowing! 🤩

All problems solved, now?

Apple has long been known for the best trackpad on its laptops, with great OS-level support, so it didn’t need to add touch support to its screens. The trackpad is a solved problem, and it has been for a long time; what’s left? Add touch support to the screen with a great OS-level touch implementation, because they knew how; they’ve been doing it on the iPad since 2010.

Having Siri AI record requests to start a timer in Siri.app is bunker. What is this? I mean, not all Siri AI requests have to be saved in this app! Rich and longer interactions, yes, maybe, but beyond that, this is useless.

Pondering potential trade-ins

When buying a new Mac, you can have only one trade-in. I plan to return my M2 MacBook Air which offers a greater trade-in value than my Mac mini. I’ll either try to sell the latter myself or keep it, in last resort, to act as some home server. Keyboard wear is easy to notice by a potential buyer but Apple doesn’t seem to care too much. But Mac minis are a harder sell, so there is that.

The iPad generation expectations

I like how Apple introduced touch-screen support on the new MacBook Pro. Sure, the company was under pressure to add it, but its framing is clever and bodes well for future MacBooks. Thanks to the switch to an OLED panel, Apple didn’t have to compromise on the screen or macOS to add touch support. It’s clear that Apple will move its MacBook line to OLED panels over the next few years, which should also bring touch support to the rest of the lineup. The iPad launched in 2010, sixteen years ago; people entering higher education in the next few years can reasonably expect their laptops to support touch.

Siri AI is making progress

As we are getting ready for our trip, my wife and I has been using Siri AI more than usual for things that, frankly, I wasn’t sure would work. But 90% of the time, Siri AI accomplished the task. Example: fetching the Aeroplan number and flight reservations numbers to fill a flight registration form in Safari. We couldn’t do that before with the older Siri. It’s encouraging.

Mostly ready for Thailand!

Finishing packing up my bags for Thailand! It’s getting real. This is our last trip of the year after Egypt, Jordan, France and Mexico. We were on a roll to celebrate our twenty years anniversary together!

On a side note: I’m doing some tweaks to my Scribbles Poster mini web app to add image uploads… it will be useful. 🖼️👀