Media

Using an iPad Pro to create posters for Apple TV+ shows

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[VIDEO] These two videos, released yesterday by Apple, act as ads for both Apple TV+ and the iPad Pro (videos embedded in main Loop post). They also serve to highlight artists and their specific techniques.

Some great artwork. Watching these two, it struck me how incredibly complex these posters are, how many layers they each had.

I’m told that that “layers rendering slowly” effect is a feature of Procreate, gives the artist a chance to see all the elements fall into place, something the iPad Pro renders too quickly to see without help.

Sleeping Beauty proposal

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[VIDEO] Find a few minutes to watch this with sound on, uninterrupted. And watch all the way through that second bit of video. Great.

The video is embedded in the main Loop post.

Benjamin Mayo: Text selection on iOS 13, one way it is a downgrade from iOS 12

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[VIDEO] I find text cursor placement in iOS 13 a vast improvement over the same in iOS 12. The team clearly recognized the problem of your finger blocking your target, giving you the ability to easily grab and drag the text cursor from place to place, making the “drag cursor” both large and a bit raised so your finger doesn’t get in your way.

As Benjamin Mayo points out in the video embedded in the main Loop post, text selection is a different beast. I find this true, especially when you try to select text or place the cursor in the Safari address bar.

Watch, judge for yourself.

Academy Award nominations. Notice anything odd about that Actor in a Supporting Role category?

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I’m old school. Love the Academy Awards, though I’m trending towards the irreverent Golden Globes these days.

Ever since I was a kid, always looked forward to the nominations, looked forward to the actual broadcast. But with Twitter, etc., the bloom is off the rose, at least a bit. Everything associated with the movies has just gotten so over-exposed.

But I digress.

Follow the headline link, check out the nominations. One thing that stood out to me was the Actor in a Supporting Role category: Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Brad Pitt.

The youngest of these actors is Brad Pitt. And he’s 56. Weird, no?

RIP Neil Peart, arguably the finest rock drummer that ever lived

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Watch the video. Neil Peart makes virtuosity look so easy.

From the linked Rolling Stone appreciation piece:

Peart was one of rock’s greatest drummers, with a flamboyant yet utterly precise style that paid homage to his hero, the Who’s Keith Moon, while expanding the technical and imaginative possibilities of his instrument. He joined singer-bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson in Rush in 1974, and his virtuosic playing and literate, wildly imaginative lyrics – which drew on Ayn Rand and science fiction, among other influences – helped make the trio one of the classic-rock era’s essential bands. His drum fills on songs like “Tom Sawyer” were pop hooks in their own right, each one an indelible mini-composition; his lengthy drum solos, carefully constructed and full of drama, were highlights of every Rush concert.

Rest in peace, Neil.

Repairing Willie Nelson’s iconic guitar

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[VIDEO] Willie’s guitar, nicknamed “Trigger”, is one of those iconic instruments, recognizable by tone and by that famous hole in the body.

Follow along (video embedded in main Loop post) as Mark Erlewine gives it some love and repair.

[H/T Josh Centers]

The next generation of Bluetooth Audio

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[VIDEO] Follow the headline link for all the details but, in a nutshell, Bluetooth LE Audio:

  • operates on Bluetooth Low Energy
  • offers improvements in perceived audio quality at a lower bit rate
  • enables transmission of multiple, independent, synchronized audio streams (think audio sharing, one source, multiple, or many, devices)
  • brings significant advances in hearing aid/hearing implant technology

The video embedded in the main Loop post gives a taste of what’s coming.

500 drones, a remarkable TV in the sky

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[VIDEO] This was an amazing demonstration (video embedded in main Loop post), 500 drones as pixels, bringing moving images to Singapore’s night sky.

When I saw this, I immediately saw a future with thousands of drones, and then millions of drones, eventually bringing video, surveillance, and advertising to the roofs of our cities.

[H/T, the mellifluous Julie Sobsey]

Ricky Gervais roasts Apple at last night’s Golden Globes [VIDEO]

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Last night’s Golden Globes felt unmoored, Ricky Gervais in full, uncontrolled roast mode. Tim Cook was there, along with Apple TV+ stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Jason Momoa.

Take a look at the video (quick, before the video is DMCA’d) in the embedded tweet for the double-edged take on The Morning Show and “sweat-shops in China”.

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1213998800852795392

Ouch.

Apple rolling out Slofie campaign

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[VIDEO] Apple rolled out a series of Slofie videos. They’re all pretty good. Videos embedded in main Loop post.

As a reminder, Slofies arrived with the iPhone 11 back in September. This one, posted back then, remains my favorite, especially with the sound on.

Studio Ghibli movies available on iTunes digitally for the first time

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First things first, the headline link takes you to a 6-movie Studio Ghibli collection. Appears to be US only. $100 for all six. A great deal if you are a Studio Ghibli fan.

That said, there are other Studio Ghibli movies in the iTunes Store that are not part of the collection. It’d be nice if you could type Studio Ghibli in one of the many search fields (iTunes Store, TV app on Mac, Apple TV, etc.)

For example, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a great movie, not part of the collection, worth exploring.

UPDATE: Zac Hall, 9to5Mac, pulled together links for all the Studio Ghibli films. Nice job, Zac!

Rene Ritchie: 10 years of Apple in 10 minutes

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[VIDEO] This is absolutely brilliant work. Amazing to me how much research must have gone in to the making of this video. Prepare for waves of nostalgia. Video embedded in main Loop post.

The decade tech lost its way

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Interesting interactive post from The New York Times:

When the decade began, tech meant promise — cars that could drive themselves, social networks that could take down dictators. It connected us in ways we could barely imagine. But somewhere along the way, the flaws of technology became abundantly clear. What happened?

The people who brought us this decade explain: Mark Zuckerberg, Edward Snowden, Ellen Pao, Phil Schiller, Kevin Systrom, Brianna Wu, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, Mike Judge, Jonah Peretti, Diane von Furstenberg, Alex From Target — and many more. (People’s titles in the interviews below, which have been edited for clarity, reflect the roles they had at the time.)

Follow the headline link, click on the stuff that interests you for a popup article, with links to more related content. A definite rabbit hole.

Mac Pro: All that power, and one amazing display stand

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[VIDEO] This look at the new Mac Pro in the studio is a lot of fun (video embedded in main Loop post). Watch as the engineers try to stress the Mac Pro, adding more tracks, loaded with stacks of effects, all to no avail. The playback is smooth as glass.

But my favorite part is right at 3:06, when they attach the display to the stand. Cool to see, and that’s one solid stand. Also, don’t miss the display pivot which follows.

Apple shares another Shot on iPhone 11 Pro video

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[VIDEO] From the description:

In one of the toughest terrains of Saudi Arabia, see how a group of Saudi riders have taken themselves to the limit.

Captured in 4K and featuring the triple-camera system, the iPhone 11 Pro is ready for action.

Shot on iPhone 11 Pro by Henrik Hansen. Video embedded in main Loop post.

MKBHD shows off the original Macintosh, with guest stars Bill Nye and iJustine

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[VIDEO] Marques Brownlee:

Everyone knows the 1984 Macintosh computer was a game changer for the tech industry. But why was this particular computer so iconic? I learn how Steve Jobs and his team took on computer giants IBM, changing personal computing forever. Living legend Bill Nye the Science Guy joins me to play Asteroids on an original Macintosh. And fellow YouTube creator and Apple expert iJustine explains why the 1984 Macintosh was able to beat its competitors.

This is just SO good. Old school!!! Video embedded in main Loop post.

Jeff Benjamin’s video review of the 16-inch MacBook Pro

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[VIDEO] I generally enjoy Jeff Benjamin’s video reviews, have posted a number of them here. But this one (embedded in the main Loop post) really struck me, mostly because of Jeff’s reaction to the new MacBook keyboard, and his take on the old one.

If you are not into unboxing, skip to 2:50 for the machine itself. Good stuff, Jeff, makes me want one.

John Denver sings Country Roads in minor key

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[VIDEO] Just for comparison, here’s the original version of this iconic song, most definitely in a celebratory major key.

With that as context, take a listen to the reworked version (embedded in the main Loop post). I find it amazing how well this one works, and the fact that someone was able to make the pitch changes to the original to make this possible.

Used to be, at the end of every release, everyone got a month to work on what they wanted. Which gave us Apple TV.

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[VIDEO] Interesting interview with Scott Forstall, former software and Senior VP at Apple, significant contributor on both the Mac and iOS sides.

From Forstall’s Wikipedia page:

In 2005, when Jobs began planning the iPhone, he had a choice to either “shrink the Mac, which would be an epic feat of engineering, or enlarge the iPod”. Jobs favored the former approach but pitted the Macintosh and the iPod team, led by Forstall and Tony Fadell respectively, against each other in an internal competition. Forstall won that fierce competition to create iOS.

The decision enabled the success of the iPhone as a platform for third-party developers: using a well-known desktop operating system as its basis allowed the many third-party Mac developers to write software for the iPhone with minimal retraining. Forstall was also responsible for creating a software developer’s kit for programmers to build iPhone apps, as well as an App Store within iTunes.

The video (embedded in the main Loop post) is part of Stanford University’s Philosophy Talk series. The relevant part of the conversation, highlighted on the headline linked Reddit post, starts at about 31 minutes in.

In a nutshell, Forstall talks about giving everyone who reported to him (a fairly large group) a month off to work on whatever they wanted. Give a listen.

It used to be a common perq at big tech companies (Google and Apple are but two examples) that you got time to work on stuff that interested you. Sometimes that benefit came in the form of a long sabbatical, allowing you to travel around the world, or take classes in some unrelated field, all via paid leave.

Another take on this policy allowed you to carve out a percentage of your time each month to fiddle around with technology you thought might lead to something that might benefit the company in the long run.

Does this sort of thing exist any more? Anyone have that freedom at their job? Is there a value to the company, a value that’s now been lost because this sort of thing is hard to translate into dollars and cents?

And is it possible this approach, one that gives team members the ability to ease themselves from the threat of burn-out, has benefits in terms of more stable OS releases, less employee turnover?

Andy Hertzfeld posts demo reel of proposed commercials with Apple’s OG Mac team, recorded in 1983

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[VIDEO] Andy Hertzfeld:

A few years ago, I uploaded some interview snippets recorded in October 1983 with members of the original Mac team, intended for commercials that were never used. This post is the entire reel of proposed commercials, featuring mini-interviews with Mike Murray, Burrell Smith, Bill Atkinson, Susan Kare, George Crow and me.

This kills me with nostalgia. The original Mac team, back before the Mac was even a thing. Oh how young they were. Video embedded in main Loop post.

Apple Arcade preview of new releases

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[VIDEO] This dropped while I was on vacation last week. The video is embedded in the main Loop post.

Worth watching if you have an interest in the new Apple Arcade games. But I also found this interesting from a marketing point of view. This is officially posted by Apple, but the take feels, to me, like a third party review.

16″ MacBook Pro, real talk

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[VIDEO] There have been a lot of reviews of the new 16″ MacBook Pro. This review by Dave Lee (embedded in the main Loop post) is a bit different, in my mind the perfect marriage of technical and practical, especially useful if you are looking at upgrading, considering which model to buy.

[VIDEO] Andy Miller tells a great Steve Jobs story

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[VIDEO] I don’t want to spoil this at all. Just let it unfold. The story starts at 43:53 in. Video embedded in main Loop post. Worth your time.

[H/T, Friend of the Loop, Andrew Leavitt]

Gifaanisqatsi

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Koyaanisqatsi was a groundbreaking film from back in 1982 (here’s a link to the Wikipedia page).

If you’ve never heard of it, worth hunting it down, giving it a look (not sure if the YouTube content is posted with permission, but it’s easy enough to find).

The headline linked site offers up a random series of gifs, with the Koyaanisqatsi slow-down, speed-up treatment. Pretty cool.

[VIDEO] iFixit’s 2019 MacBook Pro 16″ teardown

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[VIDEO] Much of the new MacBook Pro is still very difficult to repair, but there have been some gains here. Watch the video embedded in the main Loop post to see for yourself. I think the easier to remove trackpad, fans, Thunderbolt ports should give a boost to the repairability score, 1/10 seems harsh.

That aside, this is a gorgeous looking machine.