This weekend I did some cleanup in my old papers and documents. I found an old bank account statement where I can see a withdraw transaction to help me pay for my Macintosh 128K in 1985: 3460.75 CAN$. 🤑 Ouch. I did some research to better document the time when I had a Macintosh SE while studying at … read more

Well, after a promising start, following reviews of the Apple Studio display, it seems that I’ll put my buying decision on hold. As I wrote, one of the reasons why I’m considering this display is the integrated camera and speakers for a better video conference experience. It appears image quality is … read more

Benjamin Mayo in Apple Introduces Mac Studio: “…the introduction of a brand new model of Mac is precisely the best time to do something entirely new.” And “The Mac Studio is a boring box with rounded corners, and has no party tricks to speak of. The trashcan was a truly wild, out-there, design.” I … read more

It’s now official. Apple will host another virtual event next week, on March 8th. It’s the first Apple event of 2022, but it’s far from being the first real event of 2022. Current events happening in Ukraine are troubling and make me pause on a lot of things. Apple-related stuff is one of these. I’m … read more

I asked for this since the beginning of the Ukrainian war (on Twitter: first here, then here, then here), and today Apple delivered. Apple’s products are no longer being sold through its online store. While the App Store is still working apparently, I’m ok with their decision. On top of that, Apple … read more

If you own a desktop Mac, you probably use an external drive for Time Machine. If you use a portable Mac, most likely not, and according to the Tidbits article, you’re not alone. The portability of the Mac is hindered by having an external drive hooked permanently. I, personally, have a different … read more

From 1993 to 1994, I owned a PowerBook Duo 210 sporting a trackball, a low-profile keyboard and a grayscale screen. I didn’t like the trackball as the pointing device. The keyboard wasn’t that great either. But, it was small, highly portable. Coupled with the Duo Dock and an external monitor, it was … read more

According to this year’s Six Colors Report Card, relationships between Apple and its developers’ community is in terrible shape. The trend isn’t looking good either. Marco Arment said, “Apple’s tightening grip on App Store fees, attempts to reach into other parts of businesses that they don’t … read more

On Sideloading on iPhone — It’s OK, I’m Changing My Mind numericcitizen.me

I’d love to get feedback on this subject, from this community, here on MB…

Apple is clearly crossing the red line here IMHO. They are being disingenuous.

These guidelines from Apple about external payments are even worse than I expected. So many hoops to jump through, and a ridiculous 27% fee. No one is going to go along with this, which means it doesn’t relieve any regulatory pressure on Apple. Burning more developer trust.

In mid-2020, I wrote about my experience of replacing an aging Apple AirPort Extreme with an Ubiquiti’s Dream Machine. Today, I’m kind of repeating the experience, but this time with the Amplify HD router, also from Ubiquiti, for my sister. Don’t expect a complete review, but expect a post with a … read more

I’m a big fan of Apple’s Sidecar. I frequently use it for work. When Apple announced Universal Control at the 2021 WWDC keynote, I was blown away by the technical challenge it might have represented for Apple’s engineers. It really makes for great demos. Then, I started to wonder if this feature … read more

Consider this recent article from 9to5Mac: Concept: How Apple could turn HomePod mini into a delightful and adorable smart display - 9to5Mac. Please, stop thinking that a screen on the HomePod mini makes sense because it just doesn’t. Why? Well, by looking at where we put these devices in our … read more

I want this so much. We have to voice our desire to get back the Dashboard on macOS. As explained by 512px a long time ago: Jobs pitched widgets as mini-apps that let you look up a quick bit of information without ruining your workflow or train of thought. They allowed for quick interactions. They … read more

Apple’s Messages app, why does it only support iMessage and SMS? iChat had support for AIM, Yahoo Messanger, ICQ, and XMPP. Why hasn’t Apple gone beyond the blue and green bubbles, introducing support for additional protocols with more message bubble colors? Apple likes control. They didn’t … read more

A few days ago, I wrote a small commentary post regarding the WSJ article on Apple’s iMessage, its effects on the crowd of young iPhone users, and how Apple is being evil. Man, it’s a pale and superficial perspective compared to Gruber’s view of the article, and the controversy that followed. Must … read more

Apple finally published the numbers of people who upgraded to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. While the percentages show the vast majority of users upgraded their devices, there are more people than with previous years who didn’t. It’s probably Apple’s fault. With iOS 15, Apple is no longer forcing users to … read more

Om Malik writing on the iPhone fifteen anniversary and the carrier companies at the time (emphasis is mine): These were wireless walled gardens crammed with absolutely rotten apps, games, and everything from mobile backgrounds to ringtones. They were an opportunity for carriers to nickel-and-dime … read more

Somehow, I missed David Sparks’ observations regarding the Wallpaper feature of Apple’s Design Team (emphasis is mine): Instead of quoting Steve Jobs, I would have preferred an explanation from Alan Dye about his philosophy of user interface design and what his north star is when he does … read more

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal created a concerted reactions chain from news sites and people on Twitter. In “Why Apple’s iMessage Is Winning: Teens Dread the Green Text Bubble”, the WSJ article paints Apple as using highly questionable tactics to keep its users locked in iMessage … read more