Numeric Citizen Blog Posts Monthly Digest
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Apple results: big increase in services, big increase in iPad sales, increase in Mac sales, wearables sales in decline (AVP doesn’t move the needle, Watch in need of a reboot), China in decline. That’s pretty much it.
2024-08-01 ∞When one of my colleagues presents me with a text produced by ChatGPT (or any other comparable tools), I am sometimes astonished by what I read, but what interests me much more is the initial prompt that allowed the content to be produced. It helps put the results into context.
2024-08-02 ∞On ARM Laptops, Windows And... The Usual Stuff Needed With Windows...
I always enjoy MKBHD's videos, and this one about the Microsoft Surface ARM laptop is no exception. His views are well-balanced and feel honest. Now, about this specific lap, supposedly being fast with long battery life, great built quality and... a touch screen, certainly feels like a leap beyond Apple's offerings, but... it's running Windows. And that, is the problem. I wouldn't buy one of these for the simple reason that running Windows required running a bunch of security-related software to keep it secure. How much processing power these apps takes out of the base configuration? Certainly a few percentage points, but for me, it's ruining the whole thing. And that, MKBHD don't mention anything about it.
2024-08-03 ∞The latest edition of my weekly creative summary is out! This is a jam pack one. Email version coming out soon to subscribers! Pass editions available here.
2024-08-04 ∞Something really BIG is coming to Craft: Objects. Thoughts?
2024-08-05 ∞At the very least, I could reserve my username on Instagram and Threads, just in case. While maintaining strong principles is important, being open-minded and reasonable can also be valuable. May the night be beneficial. 😒
2024-08-05 ∞Next Apple Watch SE Could Be Made From Plastic
Apple used to sell a plastic iPhone 5c, for example, and it came in vibrant blue, yellow, pink, and green colors. Plastic would also better differentiate the Apple Watch SE from the standard Apple Watch models as the current Apple Watch SE is basically a modified version of the aluminum Apple Watch without the latest features.
I wonder if Apple could use 3D printing for the SE plastic case. There are rumors that Apple might use 3D printing in building devices. That could be it.
2024-08-06 ∞Cookie banners show everything that's wrong with the EU
It makes it hard to cheer for even much-needed antitrust action, like the Digital Markets Act. Because if the EU can screw up something as basic as cookie banners this bad, and prove so incapable and uninterested in re-calibrating its approach, what hope is there for the thornier issues?
A shit show in the making.
2024-08-06 ∞What the "can't do real work on an iPad" narrative is really about
people like me do want a Mac for getting all of our stuff done, but Apple doesn't make exactly the Mac we want, so we lust after the iPad and lament how it doesn't get the job done for us. If the Mac we wanted existed, we'd buy that and not have nearly as much to say about iPadOS.
I think Matt is nailing it. Apple doesn't want to make an iPad run macOS, fine, but are they as much vocal against making a Mac touch-friendly? I don't think so. Mike Gurman wrote this past week-end that one Mac will see a major redesign in the next 12 months. Could this be to introduce touch support?
2024-08-06 ∞When I read the Threads app data privacy fact sheet on the App Store yesterday night and read a few « reviews », I quickly came back to earth and decided (again) to not join Threads. Time to focus on what I already have.
2024-08-06 ∞Thought of the day: Watch out democrats, Trump and Vance aren’t just weirdos. They are disfigured fascists.
2024-08-08 ∞The Mac Mini Needs a Redesign
Rumors suggest a "finally" moment, with Apple on the verge of completing the redesign of the newest generation of the Mac mini, this time featuring an M4 chip. This could result in the smallest Mac ever.
The current Mac mini design dates back to 2010, when Apple was still using more power-hungry and larger Intel chips. The only change over the years has been the back portion to accommodate a variety of port offerings. When Apple transitioned to Apple Silicon chips, right after the Apple Silicon Dev Kit was made available, I expected a redesign and saw the Dev Kit as a transitional step, simply because the chip is smaller, more power-efficient, and requires much less cooling. To me, this was the right time to do so. However, they did not.
If you look inside an M1 Mac mini, thanks to this teardown guide from iFixit you can see that there is some empty space. Coupled with what Apple can do with the M4 iPad Pro, and the environmental pressure to be more efficient in resource consumption (power, materials, etc.), it is clear that the Mac mini must be rethought from the ground up. Will Apple go with an external PSU for this? I don't expect this to be the case.
One more thing: I've been a satisfied user of the M1 Mac mini since 2020, but I'm increasingly considering an upgrade, either to the Mac Studio or a more powerful Mac mini. I'll be sure to pay close attention to my options.
The Ukrainian forces have been advancing deep into Russia, in the Kursk oblast, for the past few days, destroying the Russian army on the roads while advancing, without much resistance. They have now progressed approximately 30 kilometers past the Ukrainian border.
This is a major development in this insane war.
Surprisingly, it is not widely covered in the news here in Canada. The Ukrainian army is establishing currency exchange facilities in the near future. I don't see how Russia is going to "fix" this without a bloodshed, again. Putin must be a little bit upset, I guess. Or maybe not.
2024-08-09 ∞The United States announces a new tranche of military aid to Ukraine, at the same time as the latter carries out a significant incursion into Russian territory, an unprecedented gesture that could give a new dynamic to this protracted conflict. The signal from the United States is clear: we continue to believe that Ukraine is only defending itself.
2024-08-09 ∞@mcelhearn @davemark Related:
"We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.” - Ursula K. LeGuin
I still believe in this. We can (and should) make Apple change course.
2024-08-13 ∞If Apple Were Consistently Listening
Recently some people complained about Apple’s latest ad in the « The Underdogs » series to be offensive, and Apple « promptly » said sorry and removed the ad.
If only Apple showed a similar attitude towards developers who are more than fed up with their App Store practices and voiced their complaints so many times in so many ways… many people are noticing and find this shit show exhausting and damaging.
2024-08-13 ∞Apple was a better company when they were an underdog.
Me too, but are we being a bit nostalic here?
2024-08-13 ∞At some point Apple should ask who is in better need of that money. I know they won’t, but I’d like to think we live in a world where they could. They don’t need more money. They don’t even need the money they have
Capitalism 101: Ask the shareholders.
2024-08-13 ∞Apple used to fight for their lives, but now they barely have to work to make insane amounts of money.
Oversimplifying statement.
2024-08-14 ∞Independent developers work for the entire sale, but Apple doesn’t even work for their cut. In many ways, just being on the App Store is incredibly frustrating. We’re paying for pain while Apple gets paid for just relaxing.
People are frustrated with Apple's behavior regarding the App Store, leading them to make exaggerated claims. While one may disagree with Apple's policies, stating that the company is simply relaxing is an overreaction.
2024-08-14 ∞Hard Times Are Sometimes Needed
When things go wrong at work, when numbers don’t add up to meet high sales expectations, only then people starts to question things. It’s only in these harder days that we can really start to find new ways, reimagine how we do business. Those hard times are sometimes necessary for a company to evolve.
Looking at you Apple1.
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I’m also referring to the company I work for presently. ↩
I think Apple should bring back the iPod to the iPhone in the form of a virtual device within the Music app. Imagine if each year, Apple would release a new design of its virtual iPod1. This would add some coolness factor for those who have known and used the iPod.
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The first model could be a re-release of the iPod Classic, complete with a virtual click wheel! ↩
I'm currently testing a new blog post editor on Micro.blog. On the surface, everything looks familiar. The preview button behaviour is the one that surprised me the most as it replaces the blog post content with the preview, unlike before where the preview was underneath. Not having "auto-save" functionality is still a bit troubling to me, in 2024, though.
2024-08-19 ∞Bye bye Apple frames shortcut1, hello Shareshot!
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Currently not working under iOS 18 beta. ↩
After Maps, now Podcasts. Apple is opening up more and more to the web. Why?
Side node: I cancelled my Pocket Cast subscription (due for renewal in about 11 months 🙄).
2024-08-19 ∞I'll Never Buy a GM Car in My Life
GM didn't want to carry CarPlay (and Android Auto!) in their cars because they were dimmed as unsafe. Was GM in fact hoping to open up these, instead, but why? Apple didn't want to open their platform. Now we have a better idea as to why. In other news, GM is laying off hundreds of software engineers. I guess GM learned that doing software is hard. Well, fuck them.
2024-08-19 ∞This morning, I submitted an article to a Medium publication. The subject is about considering going freelance. It's been a long time since I have done this. Back in 2020 when I was much more active on Medium, submitting articles to Medium publications was the only way to get noticed and hope to make a few dollars along the way.
2024-08-20 ∞Today I experimented Slack Lists to track messages for which I want to make sure to get a response. It's pretty useful. But I still don't really like Slack in general🤦🏻♂️. The included screenshot is not from my own list but a template provided by Slack, just to give you an example.
I've been playing with Substack in recent days and boy this platform is different now compared to its initial launch. I'm not coming to write there but I do want to read more content there, a few times a week.
2024-08-20 ∞Today is a day at the office which means an iPad-only day to take notes. I love those days. The iPad is such a great device for this use case.
2024-08-22 ∞A great morning read from Medium: the State of Medium. Here is something that I came across:
“I think the fragmentation creates interesting options for people." - Medium CEO
I like where they are going.
2024-08-24 ∞To me, this animated Apple logo is a clear visual reference to Apple Intelligence1. Expect to hear a lot about it when Apple shows off their new iPhones.
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Even if the service will slowly be rolled out over the course of the next 12 to 18 months. ↩
I always found this picture of Steve Jobs in his home office very fascinating. It's too bad that we cannot read all the book titles. But there are two pieces of equipment that I wonder what they are. On is something that looks like a Mac Pro but the size of the computer is too small, even though Steve is using a big Apple display (30"?). Next to this is a bigger vertical device which would be a UPS, but also looks like an external GPU (but that wasn't a thing at that time). Oh and in the left segment of the bookshelf, there are many small bottles of liquid drops. What were they for?
Update #1: This post made it to the Hacker News site.
Yesterday I went to see the 2024 World Press photography exposition. On our way out, there was a guestbook where I wrote: "I am speechless... but full of images... thank you to the photographers for their courage, without you, we would be in unbearable darkness." I was troubled by the powerful images I saw.
2024-08-30 ∞Hello Again, Facebook!
Today, I posted something on Facebook; and honestly, it felt weird. I can't remember exactly when I last wrote on Facebook. I also had this symptom of missing out on things from my old colleagues and friends just by glancing at my timeline for a few minutes. It felt heavy. My post was about telling my "Facebook friends" about the two sites where I share my photos online: Glass and Pixelfed. I don't know if people will take time off their busy lives to visit or even bookmark the sites. I shouldn't care about that. Those who pay attention might even notice a link to my digital hub, where I share all my other sites. Because I'm curious, I'll return back to Facebook in a few days to see if I got some comments. I'll report back here in any case.
Audio 2024-08-31 ∞