A nice set of images from Abdel Ibahim—it’s hard to argue with the logic.
Uncategorized
Samsung are shitting their pants
Tim Higgins for Bloomberg:
Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s newest iPhones are fueling a surge in trade-ins of Android-based smartphones, threatening to loosen Samsung Electronics Co. (005930)’s grip on the large-screen smartphone segment as users switch allegiances.
When Apple’s main product, featuring bigger displays and faster chips, goes on sale starting in Australia, they may be best remembered as the generation of iPhones that won over consumers from rival smartphones. Trade-ins of Samsung phones with smartphone reseller Gazelle Inc. tripled last week and about a quarter of potential iPhone 6 buyers are new to Apple’s ecosystem, according to RBC.
It should be interesting to see Samsung’s next quarterly results.
1Password for iOS is now free with in-app purchase option
I absolutely love 1Password and have beta tested the new version for quite a while. The new extensions work great—it’s a must have app.
Microsoft lays off 2,100 more employees
Microsoft gave notice to 2,100 employees on Thursday, 747 of those in the Seattle area, a company spokesman said. That is in addition to 13,000 laid off in July, which means a further 2,900 are set to be laid off over the next nine months or so.
I hate seeing people lose their jobs, especially when it’s caused by executive mismanagement.
Storehouse for iPhone
Storehouse is a visual storytelling app that was previously only available for iPad, but now an iPhone version has been released. I love this app.
Apple pulls HealthKit apps after discovering last-minute bug
Apple statement:
We discovered a bug that prevents us from making HealthKit apps available on iOS 8 today. We’re working quickly to have the bug fixed in a software update and have HealthKit apps available by the end of the month.
I’m sympathetic, but Apple should never have allowed this to happen. This isn’t good.
A message from Tim Cook about Apple’s commitment to privacy
Apple:
I want to be absolutely clear that we have never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services. We have also never allowed access to our servers. And we never will.Our commitment to protecting your privacy comes from a deep respect for our customers. We know that your trust doesn’t come easy. That’s why we have and always will work as hard as we can to earn and keep it.
I await similar letters from every other company we trust with our data.
Rene Ritchie’s iOS 8 review
Last year Apple stripped iOS bare in order to redefine how we do things. This year they build atop everything that came before in order to redefine what we can do.
I always love reading Rene’s reviews.
Apple TV update brings iOS 8-style interface
I really like the new interface myself. You can update directly from your Apple TV by going to Settings. This is what it looks like now.

Android Browser flaw a “privacy disaster”
A bug quietly reported on September 1 appears to have grave implications for Android users. Android Browser, the open source, WebKit-based browser that used to be part of the Android Open Source Platform (AOSP), has a flaw that enables malicious sites to inject JavaScript into other sites. Those malicious JavaScripts can in turn read cookies and password fields, submit forms, grab keyboard input, or do practically anything else.
I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.
iOS 8: Tips, Tricks, and Details
iOS 8 is, by any measure, a big update. A lot of it is refinement to last year’s drastic design overhaul, but there are also a lot of notable new features. Sitting amongst those refinements and big new features are little nuggets of delight in which Apple has designed or implemented something (whether it be a feature, design flourish or a shortcut) that you might not notice until one day you stumble upon it accidentally.
As usual, Federico Viticci, Graham Spencer and the crew at MacStories put together a great set of tips for the new iOS.
Amplified: I’m Not Going to Put My Beer Down to Answer a Text
With Dan still out, Shawn fills in and talks to Jim about his iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review, where the Apple Watch will be sold and “is U2 the New Nickleback?”
Sponsored by MailChimp (Send 12,000 emails per month, to 2,000 subscribers, forever).
Your iOS 8 enabled iPhone can ditch Google for DuckDuckGo’s private search
Fast Company:
The mobile version of Safari will now let you change the default search engine to DuckDuckGo, the privacy-obsessed Google alternative that has seen a sharp uptick in activity since Edward Snowden became a household name. By default, DuckDuckGo does not track its users’ search activity or even log their IP addresses.
Choice is always good and this is a pretty easy switch to make.
Transmit iOS
I love the apps that Cabel Sasser and the guys from Panic make. I’ve been using Transmit on my Mac for years and now there’s Transmit iOS.
“Apple just sent U2 to my house”
With all of the ridiculous things being written about Apple giving away a U2 album, I thought it was time for a good laugh. I laughed at this.
Nervous mocking
Every new product Apple unveiled last week has ignited vocal, public derision from a series of threatened competitors, including Samsung, luxury watch maker LVMH and PayPal. However, their attempts to direct attention away from Apple may likely backfire, just like earlier attempts to demonize Siri, Maps, iCloud and Touch ID.
Fear is not a great motivator, but it’s one that can easily be spotted.
Apple’s rumored October 21 iPad event
From Reuters:
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is set to launch two new iPads and release the next version of its Mac operating system at its next event on Oct. 21, a Daily Dot report said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Nope.
Goodbye Macworld
The Verge:
Over the last decade we all made an enormous effort to transform Macworld editorial from a magazine mentality to a web site mentality. And honestly, it worked: By the end, the magazine was essentially a curated collection of the best stories from the web site, cut down and copy edited and with nice photographs. The economics of the business just didn’t make it possible to continue.
The demise of print is a sad but understandable result of the age we live in. That being said, the demise of Macworld is sad in a completely different way.
The Magic of Heineken movie
Take a captivating ride through nearly 150 years of entertaining history and present-day story of the world’s largest family controlled brewer.
Instant Oscar winner!
Tim Cook interview: The iPhone 6, the Apple Watch, and remaking a company’s culture
Businessweek: Almost everything else on Apple’s campus in Cupertino, Calif., is different. The executive wing once radiated nervous energy, with handlers scurrying to anticipate the whims of Apple’s temperamental co-founder. Now there’s tranquility in the hallways, a reflection of the … Continued
iOS 8 available for download
It’s a big day, iOS 8 is available to download from Apple. Just go to Settings > General > Software Update on your iOS device.
Review: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
I’ve been using the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus for a week now. I picked them up from Apple after the event ended on September 9 and have been switching back and forth for the last seven days.
One thing has become very clear over the last week: The choice over which of these to buy will be the most personal decision that iPhone owners have ever had to make when choosing a device. […]
Adobe misses revenue forecast
Photoshop maker Adobe Systems forecast disappointing revenue for this quarter and reported lower quarterly sales at its digital media business, which includes the Creative Cloud software suite.
Adobe shares fell nearly five percent in extended trading.
That’s not good. No reason to panic though.
Don’t pull the trigger on upgrading to iCloud Drive just yet
Macworld:
If you’re upgrading to iOS 8 on Wednesday, you must resist the urge to upgrade to iCloud Drive if you want to continue to sync your phone to your Mac. Why? Well, iCloud Drive only works with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. And you all know which OS we’re still waiting on.You can go back and upgrade at any time, but unless you want a file-syncing nightmare on your hands, you’ll wait for Yosemite’s official release.
Good advice.
Universal Audio releases the AMS RMX16 Digital Reverb plug-in
The AMS RMX16 was the world’s first microprocessor-controlled, full-bandwidth, digital reverberator. Heard on hundreds — if not thousands — of seminal recordings from the 1980s onward, the RMX16 is still found in nearly every major recording studio the world over.
I can’t wait to try this out.
Move content from your Android phone to iPhone
Apple:
Ready to make the switch to iPhone? Here are some tips for moving your photos, music, documents, and more from your Android phone to iPhone.
Awfully helpful of the nice boys and girls at Apple to assist Android users like this. Samsung should be copying this in about 15 minutes.
‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ is getting a DVD release with its original music
Entertainment Weekly:
Thanks to the way music licensing contracts were written at the time, the show lost its rights to use the original versions of the songs it had so deeply woven into its fabric, and was forced to replace them with generic knockoffs while it was still in broadcast syndication. Later, when it moved to cable and home video it did so with the same soundalikes.On Oct. 28, Shout! Factory will release the first complete series-spanning WKRP DVD set, with its original soundtrack gloriously restored.
As pointed out in the comments, about 98% of the original music will be included. Some of you may never have even heard about this show but for many of us, we loved and enjoyed a wonderful ensemble cast that created what I believe is the single greatest punchline in the history of television – “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”
PayPal questions Apple Pay security
This reeks of worry and fear.
Inside the world of longsword fighting
New York Times:
Longsword enthusiasts are resurrecting ancient sword technique as a modern, organized sport, with timed bouts and complex rules.
This isn’t LARP but a whole different aspect. I’d love to see one of these tournaments on TV or in person.
CSS Audit
Audits are important in all aspects of your work from time to time. Susan Robertson gives you some tips on conducting a full audit of your CSS code.