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On HomePod mini with a screen - STOP!
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 house, most of the time, you wouldn’t be able to see the screen from a distance. What Apple really wishes is that you buy an iPad mini with a Smart Folio cover for that purpose.
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MP3 Files and the iPhone ā Harder Than Necessary
I find it surprisingly hard to find a simple MP3 player for an iPhone these days. I mean, just a simple application capable of downloading an MP3 file locally on the device with good playback controls, simple library management, nothing fancy. Readdle’s Documents (which I know very well) and EverMusic seem to be popular options. Documents offers a good user experience, albeit its multipurpose mission with documents management.
(Iām a moderate consumer of Soundcloud (paid subscription) and use Downie to download files from the service. Those files are stored on my DS720+ Synology NAS.)
Whatās your experience in playing MP3 files on your iPhone? Iām curious.
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Itās the Time of the Month to Start Crafting the Next Edition of My Monthly Newsletter
Well, itās the time of the month where I start to work on the next edition of my monthly newsletter (itās free BTW). I spend about ten to fifteen hours each month to put this together using my past readings and discoveries, Craft and Ulysses. Each time, itās a pleasure to create. I think I should put together an article about the workflow I use to create each newsletter. Would you find this interesting?
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Yep, Notion is Bad
I’m nearly done with my Notion to Craft migration. I know I’ve been lazy; I’ve been using Craft for many months while my old content was still sitting there in Notion. While doing the migration, I realized, again, that I don’t really like Notion’s handling of a document. It just feels unnatural and quirky. Export options are very limited, which makes my job much harder. I’m also losing some metadata along the way (and database content too). I don’t have high hopes for a Craft eXtension to support Notion’s API to help users do this kind of rich content migration. I expect to finish the migration in the coming days.
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Give Me Some Time...
…and Iāll move out of 1Password. Itās on my to-do list for 2022. Gruberās article is a reminder that time is ticking. Iām just being too lazy to move my stuff out of 1Password and put that in Appleās Keychain. It takes time, which is a rare resource for me.
I donāt like 1Passwordās direction. It seems to me that going the enterprise way is counterproductive for the average users. Corporations and individuals donāt share the same objectives. Why do you think Microsoft is making Teams for personal use?
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Dear Apple: Bring Back the Dashboard
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 were present when you needed them, and disappeared when you didnāt.
Why try to imagine new solutions to fix the widgets conundrum on macOS? The Dashboard was the only good solution where you could put widgets anywhere on the screen, then invoke them as needed. Dear Apple, are you reading this? š„ŗšš»
Letās enjoy one more time the Dashboard in its full glory.
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Taking Advantage of the iPad Screen
Consider the previous annotated screenshot from Matter. Way too many applications have the same design issue. Why, in 2022, developers cannot fix these wasted space? I see that the content is of the same width if the iPad is used in portrait or landscape orientation. Why not adjust width dynamically? Is it that hard?
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About iMessage - Again
Appleās Messages app, why does it only support iMessage and SMS? iChat had support for AIM, Yahoo Messanger, ICQ, and XMPP. Why hasnāt Apple gone beyond the blue and green bubbles, introducing support for additional protocols with more message bubble colors?
Apple likes control. They didn’t have it with those protocols. How could they implement things like CSAM?
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Iām a Big Fan of Craft Butā¦
As you probably know, Iām a big fan of Craft. This application is really at the center of everything I do online, as thoroughly documented in my blogger workflow. That being said, I always keep an eye open for competing services, thanks to my Twitter list āApps & Servicesā. Notion is one of them. Before Craft, there was Notion, which I loved too. But it felt too complicated or overkill for my needs. Craft is nowhere near Notion in terms of features. There is no comparison, even though I wrote one. Really. Yet, according to their recent tweets, Notion has been on a roll lately, adding features, tweaking things or rewriting a portion of the user experience like the text editing engine. So, where am I going with this?
It is tempting to think: what if I came back to Notion? I still have my account, after all. Things always look better on the other side of the fence, right? The thing is the speed of evolution of Craft, while being considered at a fast pace by some, Iām realistic, and I would argue the contrary. The team behind Craft is surely a fraction of Notionās. Basic things are hard to come by. Said another way, my expectations arenāt met as fast as I wished. Take this weekās update, which was released earlier this week. While Iām happy to see improvements, there is not much to talk about. The release notes starts by the possibility to āstarā a document, so it is easier to find in the navigation bar on the left. The second thing on the list is some improvements to the display of backlinks at the end of a page. While being welcomed by many, itās not exactly mind-blowing. Sure it is a dot dot release (v2.0.3), but I was expecting so much more, as documented in my Craft wish list. Craft eXtensions, announced with the 2.0 release at the end of 2021 sure looks full of potential, but my expectations lean toward Craftās core experience, which I find somewhat lacking.
I think Iām being overly demanding. Patience is a virtue.
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Exploring the World of DJing
I always liked electronic music, but Iām not a musician. In recent moths, Iāve been exploring the world of DJing. Itās a way for me to feel that I can do music without deep knowledge of musical theory. Itās a fascinating world.
Last year I bought a Pioneer DDJ-400 controller for use with my Mac mini. There is two major roadblocks in my experience so far: finding good quality tracks to mix and selecting the best DJ app. I want to draw your attention to the software side of my story.
Some well known DJ apps are Rekordbox, Serato and DJay. My understanding is that in recent years, software makers all switched to subscription models. Application like Rekordbox will āunlockā some of its features while being used with certain DJ controller models, but to get the whole thing, you have to subscribe to some plan. Itās irritating for someone like me whoās just trying to learn and experiment. But there is another problem: applications design sucks. Rekordbox and Serato are visually terrible. On the Mac, these apps really feels like aliens coming fromā¦ I donāt knowā¦ even on Windows they probably look aliens. The best looking application is Algoriddimās Djay, by far. Problem is, the application is lacking many features. For now, my conclusion is that It appears that we cannot have both fully featured applications with a great design.
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Green vs Blue Bubbles: The Definitive And Honest Point of View
A few days ago, I wrote a small commentary post regarding the WSJ article on Appleās iMessage, its effects on the crowd of young iPhone users, and how Apple is being evil. Man, itās a pale and superficial perspective compared to Gruberās view of the article, and the controversy that followed. Must read, if this short-lived controversy is picking up your curiosity.
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On iOS 15 Update Conundrum ā Why Apple Is Changing is Mind
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 didnāt. Itās probably Appleās fault.
With iOS 15, Apple is no longer forcing users to adopt the latest release to get the latest security updates. A user running iOS 14.7 can stay there as long as he can apply the security patches made available for that version. Itās an entirely new approach for Apple. I wonder why Apple made that change. I think I found one big reason.
If you compare Appleās ecosystem to Android, Apple has a clear advantage here by being able to move the needle much faster for releases adoption, until now. In a single year, Apple can transform its ecosystem of users by adding features that are quickly making their way into peopleās devices. By allowing users to stay on previous releases, Apple is shooting itself in the foot. Now they seem to change their mind, though. Apple could be changing his mind. As reported by MacRumors:
iOS 15ā used to be listed as an optional update on devices running iOS 14, but now it is front and center on devices that still have iOS 14, and it is the only available update option as Apple has now stopped making security updates available for devices running iOS 14. Those who want the latest security fixes need to upgrade to āiOS 15ā, as all devices capable of running iOS 14 also support āiOS 15ā.
I think itās the right move for Apple, since they tend to support old devices longer than other manufacturers. Apple could tweak iOS to be less aggressive is upgrading to the latest release by introducing delays in a random manner. Users eager to upgrade can do so manually, others would randomly get a notification suggesting the availability of the newer release. As time passes, those notifications would increase in frequency. This new behaviour will probably never come to like and not be enough. Here is why.
There might be another reason behind this change of mind on Appleās part. Look at antitrust regulations looming on the horizon all around the world. Apple is probably making sure that all users adopt the latest release faster to comply with possible new regulations imposed by lawmakers, which would need to trigger changes to the operating system.
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Bye Bye 500px
It was written on the walls: my subscription to 500px is coming to an end next week, and I won’t renew. It was a nice ride for sure, but Smugmug + Glass took over. Sure, comparing those services isn’t fair. For my needs, 500px doesn’t fit anymore. Another reason is the fact that I’m not taking as many photos as I used to, thanks to the pandemic.
I’ll keep my 500px account but in “read-only” mode for the year to come.
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Carriers vs Apple
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 their customers and extracted mafia-like fees from startups. Source: Looking back: iPhone & its impact on mobile industry & us. ā On my Om
I have great admiration for Mr. Malik, but a lot of people, especially developers, would jump in right here and use the same paragraph to describe Apple and its App Store today. You may agree or not with them. I mostly don’t.
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Working from home since March 2020. Over the months, I made quite a few tweaks to my home office. I’m so much more at ease at home than at the office with a desk, a chair, a lamp, and devices that I chose, instead of being imposed on me.
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"Itās not just how things look, itās about how things work."
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 his work. Iād like him to make his case. If he explained the thinking behind this minimal approach, it might make more sense. Maybe this article was never meant to be that kind of deep dive on design philosophy, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
Indeed. I’m not fond of Alan Dye’s work.
Source: The Wallpaper* Feature on the Apple Design Team and a Missed Opportunity - MacSparky
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One More Gripe Against Appleās Photos Memory Feature
Jim Novell & Stephen Hackett both have valid points against Appleās Photos Memory feature. I would another one: memories are created on a very aggressive schedule. There are way too many; I miss most of them. I donāt know if this is related to the fact that my library contains more than 42K images or if other factors come into play here. There should be a way to reduce the frequency.
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Blue vs Green Bubbles ā Blue is In, Green is Out?
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal created a concerted reactions chain from news sites and people on Twitter. In āWhy Appleās iMessage Is Winning: Teens Dread the Green Text Bubbleā, the WSJ article paints Apple as using highly questionable tactics to keep its users locked in iMessage messaging service. I want to share my thoughts on this.
Peer pressure among teens isnāt a new phenomenon, far from it. Way before the Internet became accessible, when I was a teen myself, I vividly remember the feeling of not wearing the same brand of clothes as my friends. The problem here is teen’s social behaviour, not the technology. They are the one to blame if they reject people using non iMessage messaging service. I would argue that Apple as nothing to do with this. Sure, they like the stickiness of their platform, but I wouldnāt say it’s the defining goal when they add features to it.
Of course, Apple canāt provide the dot-dot-dot feedback showing people who are actually writing a response to a text message because the SMS standard doesnāt provide that. Duh.
When Mr. Hiroshi Lockheimer from Google refers to āstandardsā in one of his tweets to fix the interoperability issues of messaging platforms like iMessage, I wonder what standards he is referring to, Googleās RCS. And if this standard is actually a standard, why is it so hard to take off? Why are messaging services like Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, etc.?
I would also argue that, for a company like Apple, the ecosystem stickiness is part of their differentiating factor. Of course, iMessage plays a major role here. For a company like Google, where massively providing free services with ads, the more people who get to use your services, the more revenues you get. Itās their differentiating factor. Itās easy to say: Apple should open up their messaging service.
My anecdotal experience is to the effect that when something breaks in the conversation between an iPhone user and an Android users, they usually go with Messenger or WhatsApp. People still have access to many alternatives.
WSJās article is a prime example that finding the right angle to portray Apple as the devil in the room attracts numerous clicks.
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On Talent Retention Challenges
Iāve been working in information technologies for nearly three decades. Finding competent people has always been a challenge. Keeping them too. But, in recent years, the situation has become simply critical, to the point where businesses are deeply impacted: delayed projects, abandoned initiatives, high pressures on other people, stress, etc. Businessesā bottom line if at stake here.
The news of the departure of one of the directors behind Appleās transition from Intel to Appleās own silicon, Mr. Jeff Wilcox, for its Mac product line is sad but probably just the tip of the iceberg. I wouldnāt read too much into this. I can imagine a team of many hundred engineers working on this program. People come, people go. Apple must cope with this. One could argue that when there are empty seats to fill, it becomes an opportunity for others to move in and try to be their best.
There are an infinite number of reasons why people leave a company. For Apple, the challenge is probably to stay attractive in a sea of opportunities for engineers. Apple cannot please everyone, all the time. I guess salaries is one of many other factors that come into play here. Apple is a legendary company where countless people would like to work there, me included. Pressure most be high in many key positions. Yet, the reward must be satisfying. I guess Mr. Wilcox has done what he thought could be done and succeeded. Itās often the good time to move on, and try something else while being at the top of their game.
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Those Curvesā¦
Iām a big fan of curves, but up until now, I didnāt really know how to take advantage of them. š Enter this short tutorial for Pixelmator Pro. š Youāll learn how to use the curves adjustment to tweak colours and luminance of any photos. I usually prefer to use sliders just because up until now I didnāt really get how to use the curves. Now, thanks to this tutorial, I have a much better idea. Many more tutorials are available on the Pixelmator Pro YouTube channel.
The production quality of these tutorials is impeccable. I really love Pixelmator in general, and I always thought this photo processing application could have been done by Apple, when they cared enough about making one, back in the days. This isnāt a paid advertisement. Iām just being enthusiastic about great native macOS applications. š
