Apple & Tech

February 6, 2021 4:56pm

Numeric Citizen

Matt Birchler is writing yet another post about the iPad. The last paragraph (emphasis is mine): “We live in a world where we’re surrounded by computers. People have a home computer, a work computer, a phone, a watch, a smart TV, and smart speakers. Hell, even the iPad’s harshest critics often have one that they use for watching video and playing games. The iPad is the only device in that list that some people mandate has feature parity with another item on that list. Continue reading →

February 6, 2021 2:47pm

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Numeric Citizen

According to a recent small survey by AppleInsider, 53% of apps are running natively on M1-powered Macs. What about the remaining 47%? Well: “Without native support, they’re run in Rosetta 2 emulation. That may conceivably turn out to mean that they run faster than they did on old Intel hardware, but it’s not why you’ve bought an Apple Silicon Mac.” One of the problem is that Apple’s Rosetta 2 is too good at running non-native apps. Continue reading →

February 5, 2021 9:44am

Numeric Citizen

It’s becoming quite frustrating to see Apple’s Safari not being supported for browser extensions. Safari is now reportedly supporting standard web extensions but with an Apple twist making it cumbersome for developers to add support. Apple being Apple, I think it is related to the requirement of having to download an application in order to be able to expose an extension to Safari’s engine. Thanks to privacy protection, Apple is forcing the game here, but this has real consequences. Continue reading →

February 5, 2021 7:55am

Numeric Citizen

Since running macOS Big Sur, I quite often get these “Unable to Download App” error when trying to update my apps on my M1-based Mac mini. I need to try a few times or even reboot the machine in order to fix this issue. The app is being downloaded, but the installation phase is failing at the very end. Version 11.2 of Big Sur didn’t fix the issue. And it’s not related to an app being open or in use. Continue reading →

February 4, 2021 10:29pm

Numeric Citizen

Here is something absolutely fascinating and surprising to me. According to my main blog’s visitors statistics, thanks to my recent switch to Plausible, over the last thirty days, the distribution of devices type used to visit my blog puts the tablet far behind the desktop, the laptop and the smartphone. One would think the tablet form factor to be much more popular. The iPad is massively popular. I’m still in love with this form factor after all these years. Continue reading →

February 2, 2021 10:37pm

Numeric Citizen

After the release yesterday of macOS Big Sur 11.2, Apple today released the first beta of macOS Big Sur 11.3. It does look like macOS is following the trails of iOS with updates that brings many small features, improvements and tweaks. We’re not used to that, as before Big Sur, macOS updates used to be mostly about bug fixes. I’m happy to see Apple change course for macOS, if this update is any indication. Continue reading →

February 1, 2021 9:01pm

Numeric Citizen

iOS 14.5 beta 1 is out today with a slew of new features and small tweaks. Unlocking your iPhone while wearing a face mask, thanks to your Apple Watch, falls in the category of “finally” moments. In the tweaks category, the Apple logo of an iPad booting up iPadOS “finally” follows the device’s orientation. Updates to Apple Card too to support shared cards. Now, if only this could come to Canada! Continue reading →

January 31, 2021 9:09pm

Numeric Citizen

From John Gruber’s Apple report card: “I’m reminded of all the UI and interaction designs and changes in iOS and MacOS that are just bad. There’s a real sense that _ Apple’s current HI team, under Alan Dye, is a “design is what it looks like” group, not a “design is how it works” group_. Exhibit A: What MacOS 11 Big Sur has done to document proxy icons. Arguably it looks better to hide them. Continue reading →

January 30, 2021 9:50pm

Numeric Citizen

Really insightful score card report from Six Colors. Take out for me: Apple TV is the new 2013 Mac Pro. Continue reading →

January 28, 2021 8:11am

Numeric Citizen

Today, January 28th, is data privacy day. I didn’t know that. Now I know, thanks to Mr. Phillip Schiller. I paid a visit to Apple’s privacy web page. What I found is a super nicely designed page with highlights of Apple’s ecosystem privacy focused features. To me, Apple’s privacy stance is a product, not a feature. “Privacy is a fundamental human right. At Apple, it’s also one of our core values. Continue reading →

January 24, 2021 4:55pm

Numeric Citizen

… I want to scream, I want to puke. Not Tim Cook’s best gift. Continue reading →

January 19, 2021 8:44pm

Numeric Citizen

iFixit completed their usual teardown of one of Apple’s latest product. This time, the AirPods Max were taken apart. This thing is so complicated! No wonder why we pay $550 for. It is fascinating to see how such a device from the outside is so complicated in the inside. This makes me think of the Apple Pencil exterior beauty but interior complexity. I still love mine, even if I’m not an audiophile. Continue reading →

January 17, 2021 9:02pm

Numeric Citizen

Bye bye dear TouchBar. Hello MagSafe power connector. Here’s some more ports. Rumours are pointing toward the same thing. Apple will revert many of its controversial decision of the last five years. Many will be pleased. Function is winning over form. I think Apple is following the trend they started with the 2019 Mac Pro which essentially erasing five years of non sense with the 2013 Mac Pro. Apple is fully back to the Mac. Continue reading →

January 17, 2021 5:29pm

Numeric Citizen

Since getting my Apple Series 6 last fall (see my review here), my heart readings aren’t working as expected. I’m not alone who is experiencing this problem (just google it!). During a workout, heartbeats readings are not available for the first 5 to 10 minutes into the workout. On a 30-minute workout, it can make a big difference. I think I found a way to greatly improve the heartbeats readings. Continue reading →

January 16, 2021 8:43pm

Numeric Citizen

Let’s start with a quote from Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger (as reported by The Oregonian) “We have to deliver better products to the PC ecosystem than any possible thing that a lifestyle company in Cupertino. We have to be that good, in the future.” The fundamental problem with Intel is that they will never make the whole widget (the products) like Apple does. That’s the key for insanely great products. Continue reading →

January 15, 2021 8:23am

Numeric Citizen

The latest report from MacRumors about Apple’s upcoming MacBook Pro redesign is quite interesting and intriguing. First, the removal of the TouchBar and the return of the MagSafe technology is utterly surprising. If this is the case, Apple would be undoing five years of design decisions. A side effect of the TouchBar removal would be a more competitive pricing of the MacBook Pro line. Second, the rumour about Apple opting for an all-out flat edge design makes me think the new MacBook Pro would be similar to two iPad Pro linked together with a hinge. Continue reading →

January 14, 2021 7:50am

Numeric Citizen

I like this quote from Ken Segall: “In 2005, Apple moved to Intel to gain equality. In 2020, it’s moved away from Intel to gain superiority.” I remember so well when Apple announced their move in 2005. It is a privilege to have witnessed all these big Apple’s moments. Many interesting thoughts about these transformative transitions in this article. Must read. Continue reading →

January 12, 2021 12:36pm

Numeric Citizen

At long last, relief is in sight. My M1 Mac mini is not able to keep a stable Bluetooth connection with Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse. It’s very frustrating. While waiting for a permanent fix, I’m using a USB PC mouse, and I keep my Magic Keyboard connected via a USB-C to lightning cable connected on my LG Ultra Fine 4K monitor. What a messy experience for such a small performance wonder. Continue reading →

January 12, 2021 10:58am

Numeric Citizen

Thanks to the small wonder, the M1 chip and the Apple silicon transition, Mac sales are booming. According to a recent IDC report, Mac sales are up by nearly 30% compared to the same period, a year ago. Apple’s market share increased globally by 1%, which is quite impressive for Apple. My take: I have the feeling that we ain’t see nothing yet. As the work-from-home trend continues, with the rest of the MacBook Pro line still to transition to the M1 chip, a long-awaited redesiged iMac, 2021 could be a monster year for the Mac and Apple. Continue reading →

January 10, 2021 10:01am

Numeric Citizen

Thirteen years already. Gosh, time flies. Steve Jobs announces the iPhone. One of his best presentation. I remember it so well. At that time, I was a huge user (and fan) of the Blackberry. After using a RIM two-way pager for a while, I upgraded to Blackberry with a bigger screen with a monochrome display. But, with the iPhone, I knew, deep within me, this would be a real game-changer. Continue reading →