Thanks to Depth Effects for sponsoring The Loop this week. Now everyone can get beautiful Portrait Mode photos with their iPhone. Depth Effects gives you the power to apply a striking depth of field to any photo. Get DLSR-quality focus and bokeh with simple controls. Also, Depth Effects is the best app for anamorphic depth of field and cinematic bokeh.
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Daredevil rescue of skier dangling dangerously from lift
Denver Post:
A man who got tangled in an Arapahoe Basin chairlift Wednesday morning and was hanging unconscious from his neck was cut down by a professional slackliner who climbed up a lift tower, slid approximately 30 feet across the lift’s cable and cut him free with a knife tossed from ski patrollers.
Follow the link, watch the video. Best watched in full-screen. This is a remarkable save. You can see the knife tossed up to the climber after he was unsuccessful in kicking the hanging skier free. Incredible.
Amazon’s Alexa in your home
At the CES show this week a raft of appliance and home electronics makers said they have added Amazon’s voice-controlled virtual assistant, Alexa, to products ranging from TVs to robot vacuums. For non-techies, CES is the annual Las Vegas geek fest where these companies converge to show off their latest and greatest gizmos and features to more than 100,000 attendees.
We don’t know where this is going yet, but it’s clear that Amazon wants to be the hub in your home, and third-parties are buying in. Siri still seems to be the assistant you carry with you, but not the one that controls your surroundings.
Bass player support group
This is great.
These stunning shadow maps show where sunlight does not fall
If you know someone who is a map lover (like me!), check out these digital maps on Etsy. I’m especially fond of the ones showing the difference between Roads of the USA vs the Roads of Canada map. Spoiler alert: for a country of our size, we don’t have many roads. Thanks to the_pc_doc for the li
Apple pulled the New York Times app in China, showing just how much power that country has over tech firms
Ignoring Recode’s breathless “showing just how much power that country has over tech firms” (that’s been obvious for a very long time), it does shows who is more important to Apple.
Free 2017 Parks Canada Discovery Pass
Canada is celebrating its 150th Birthday in 2017 and this free pass is a great way to visit some of the most beautiful national parks in the world.
The Dog Factory: inside the sickening world of puppy mills
I hope there’s a special place in hell for people who abuse animals and another for those who willingly buy animals from such places. I’ve had several dogs and cats in my life (I got my latest one a few weeks ago, a 5-year-old cat named Wallace who is “The World’s Clumsiest Cat”) and every one of them has come from the local version of the SPCA. WARNING: The story includes some disturbing and heartbreaking images of abused animals.
AirBar first look: The Mac finally gets a touch screen
No…just….no….
In 2017, cars are at the frontier of technology
“Cars at the frontier of technology” is both a good thing and a bad thing. At least for those of us in North America, cars are still an important part of life and not just a way to get from point A to point B. But the increasing reliance on technology, to drive sales if nothing else, may be outstripping both a driver’s and our government’s ability to comprehend the direction we are heading.
The evolution of Disney animation
I love Disney movies but I bet most of you are like me and look fondly upon even the animation styles of the early films, crude as they seem to be by today’s standards.
Add Depth Effects to your iPhone camera with this new app [Sponsor]
Now everyone can get beautiful Portrait Mode photos with their iPhone. Depth Effects gives you the power to apply a striking depth of field to any photo. Get DLSR-quality focus and bokeh with simple controls. Also, Depth Effects is the best app for anamorphic depth of field and cinematic bokeh.
Sierra PDF problems get worse in 10.12.2
I don’t use PDFs enough or in this way for this to be an issue but in reading the article, you can see how this will affect many developers.
Mac malware of 2016
This is a long and complicated post but might be of interest to those of you who deal with these issues.
The truth about the McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit
I find the extreme smugness of the Adam character to be so annoying as to be almost unwatchable but this video in particular is interesting if only for the myth busting.
Apple’s 2016 in review
I don’t agree with everything Chuq says but he’s a guy who has been in the trenches at Apple so what he writes is at the very least interesting and worthy of discussion.
The scientific reason you should be watching Planet Earth
I don’t think you need a scientific reason. Watch it just because it’s good TV.
Best alternatives to Apple TV
I don’t use my Apple TV enough to bother to look for alternatives but I’m curious if any of you use alternatives or additions to the Apple TV and why.
What could have entered the Public Domain on January 1, 2017?
It’s such a shame corporate interests have negated public interests on this issue.
A billion dollar gift for Twitter
Hard to argue with this list but having Dorsey respond with, “Yeah – we really need to add editing” isn’t encouraging.
The weirdest German New Year’s Eve habit you’ve never heard of
I love hearing and reading about other cultures’ traditions, superstitions, and customs.
Apple’s AirPods may be the best Bluetooth earbuds for Android
Interesting review of the AirPods from “the other side of the fence” but sad that this line had to be included: “if Apple’s name wasn’t on the box it would be a must-buy for many Android users.”
Evolving iPad desktop usage
I’m always interested in how others manage to use their iPad full-time. I love my iPad and use it every day but there is no way I can make it my full-time machine.
This 76-year-old has spent his entire life repairing cameras
Warning: There’s quite a bit of camera porn in this video.
Depth Effects for your iPhone camera
Thanks to Depth Effects for sponsoring The Loop this week.
Now everyone can get beautiful Portrait Mode photos with their iPhone. Depth Effects gives you the power to apply a striking depth of field to any photo. Get DLSR-quality focus and bokeh with simple controls. Also, Depth Effects is the best app for anamorphic depth of field and cinematic bokeh.
What it’s like to stand at the threshold to space
Just from the excerpt, I want to read this book.
4K HDR Blu Ray – Is it worth it?
With CES coming in a few days, there will be a tsunami of news and PR about 4K HDR Blu Ray being the “next big thing”. But, unless you are a serious cinephile (and have serious money to burn), you can probably ignore the vast majority of 4K HDR news out of the 2017 CES.
Carrie Fisher, gone
This is very difficult, a body blow. Of course I remember Princess Leia, but when I think of Carrie Fisher, I think of Wishful Drinking (book and HBO special) and her great arc on 30 Rock.
And then there’s this.
Damn.
Trent Reznor talks about the iPod, vinyl records, and his role at Apple Music
Reznor fascinates me and I’ve always enjoyed his thoughts on just about any subject.
HandBrake 1.0.0 Released
Back in the day, Handbrake was an indispensable tool for ripping CDs. Now, I use it regularly to re-encode videos for the Apple TV.