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I always find it a better experience to visit a Web site formatted for the screen I’m using.

Matthew Hewlett and Caleb Turon, both Grade 9 students, found an old ATM operators manual online that showed how to get into the machine’s operator mode. On Wednesday over their lunch hour, they went to the BMO’s ATM at the Safeway on Grant Avenue to see if they could get into the system.

Smart teens, stupid banks.

In a PSA run in Hong Kong, Volkswagen sent text messages to people while they watched footage of a driver who gets in an accident while texting.

. Fast Company:

You could be forgiven for thinking that the picture of the bearded man found on all Burt’s Bees product is just that–an illustration designed to humanize the company. But Burt Shavitz is a real man, and he’s the subject of a new documentary that delves into the life of a curmudgeonly beekeeper and former photographer who improbably became the face of a global brand.

The trailer for “Burt’s Buzz” looks very interesting.

Nowadays, more and more websites are using animations, whether that be in the form of GIFs, SVGs, WebGL, background videos and so on. When used properly, animation on the web brings life and interactivity, adding an extra layer of feedback and experience for users.

With the World Cup coming in the a fews, this is a good feature.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

The National Football League had a long and expensive list of confidential requests before it awarded the 2018 Super Bowl to Minneapolis.

Free police escorts for team owners, and 35,000 free parking spaces. Presidential suites at no cost in high-end hotels. Free billboards across the Twin Cities. Guarantees to receive all revenue from the game’s ticket sales — even a requirement for NFL-preferred ATMs at the stadium.

I knew the NFL wrung concessions out of host cities but some of these are amusing.

. Digital Trends:

Instead of pushing desktop lovers away, Apple has made moves to make life easier for those who reside in the world of traditional computing, and their mobile compatriots.

The more I read from early users of Yosemite, the more I’m looking forward to it.

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The Guardian:

How does this information revolution affect us personally, socially and morally?

Fascinating not just for the content but the delivery. I especially enjoyed Canadian comedian Mary Walsh’s take on “Envy”. Love her. Thanks to Rick LePage for the link.

Dave Hamilton on whether Apple is too late to the home automation market:

Apple was not first with a smartphone, but it was the best. It was not even first with a personal computer, but it was the best. Apple was not first with a laptop, not with a tablet, not with a portable music player. But in every one of those categories Apple released a product that solved the pain points that everyone had simply accepted from other vendors and products.

I wrote something in this vein last year, so clearly I agree. It’s never too late to fix a problem, especially when other companies have become complacent.

Les was one of the nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Much respect.

Disruption always rankles the incumbents. Makes sense. The incumbents are fighting for their livelihood.

Responding to Virginia’s all-out ban, Uber sent the letter in the main post out to their Virginia customers yesterday.

Many thanks to Betterment for sponsoring The Loop’s RSS feed this week. Imagine if poring over your finances were as easy as using your favorite app, or smartphone. – “The Apple of finance,” Quartz.

Now it is, with Betterment.

Betterment is a groundbreaking automated investment service, with over 35,000 customers already benefiting from Betterment’s integration of technology and years of investment expertise, combined in one elegant online application.

Betterment’s UX and UI are adored by tech and design enthusiasts, without the red tape of other investment providers. Betterment is delightful on the outside, with killer technology under the hood, and our free iPhone and Android apps help you stay connected to your diversified portfolio at all times.

Betterment has eliminated the unnecessary costs and complications of investing intelligently. It’s straightforward investing for all, whether you have $10,000 or $10 million.

Ready to invest? We’re excited to offer readers of the Loop up to 6 months of Betterment automated investment management for free.

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Pixelapse:

Apple revealed a sneak peek into Mac OS X Yosemite earlier this week. Not surprisingly, Apple updated its desktop OS to match iOS 7’s design language. The new OS X now embodies a brighter and flatter styling, coupled with icon updates, font changes, and translucent materials. Here’s a quick look at the visual design changes in Yosemite and my impressions of them.

A lot of these changes will be subjective as to whether they are good or not. I’ll wait and see for myself.

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Roads and Kingdoms:

Intrigued by the enduring mystery of carnival culture, photographer Eric Kruszewski wanted not just to shoot the carnival, but to experience it from the inside. He documented life as a “carny” in off hours. His photography blends the poeticism of the lit-up carnival with the reality of the road, where hard work and family living combine.

These shows are familiar to those of us who lived in small towns in the US and Canada (are these kinds of carnivals popular/still around in Europe?) and it’s interesting to see the story from the inside out.

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Dan Frommer:

Many of the most interesting and potentially useful features unveiled this week at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference rely on the company’s iCloud service or otherwise involve network-connected devices talking to each other. The masses will be able to take advantage of these additions on their Macs, iPads, and iPhones later this year.

For Apple customers and developers, this has been a long time coming. iCloud—the last product Steve Jobs announced before he died in 2011—is an incredibly important strategic piece of Apple’s future. Yet its usefulness has always seemed underwhelming, as if cloud services were Apple’s lowest priority.

But this year’s WWDC keynote carried a different tone, with a notable uptick in useful, cloud-centered announcements and more competitive pricing.

Unlike Frommer, I’m not jumping to the headline’s conclusion until I’ve seen it in action with average users.

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The Next Web:

Yahoo earlier this year announced plans to phase out Google- and Facebook-based sign-in from its services. The feature was initially removed from a sports service and now it is Flickr’s turn, after Yahoo emailed users of the photo site with notice that Google and Facebook IDs will no longer be accepted there after June 30.

Instead, Flickr users must create a Yahoo account and connect it to the photo storage site. Those with an existing Yahoo ID which is not connected to Flickr are encouraged to link it up before the end of this month.

I just went to the site to make the changes to my Flickr log in and OMG that Yahoo! page is butt ugly.

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Grantland:

With this summer’s World Cup just around the corner, it’s time for you to find out just how much you already know about how soccer is played.

Soccer is a seemingly simple game but very nuanced.

WWDC is full on sessions, teaching developers about the newest technologies for iOS and OS X. These sessions can have hundreds or even thousands of people in them, trying to get a handle on what’s best for their apps. […]

A really well done video showing how important soccer is to so many and how fanatical its fans can be. I wonder what that phone is they using in the ad?

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GQ:

What kind of person looks upon the world’s largest land animal — a beast that mourns its dead and lives to retirement age and can distinguish the voice of its enemies — and instead of saying “Wow!” says something like “Where’s my gun?”

It’s a stomach turning story but told well in an interesting way.

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Macworld:

Apple put the spotlight squarely on software—and software developers—right from the start, and gave iOS/OS X chief Craig Federighi a chance to shine. Federighi introduced a laundry list of new features and technologies that will quietly revolutionize the way the company relates to third-party apps.

Many developers I’ve spoken to are beyond excited over not just the news from WWDC but the possibility of a sea change in Apple’s relations with developers.

. New York Times:

Few images are more recognizable or more evocative. Known simply as “tank man,” it is one of the most famous photographs in recent history.

Twenty years ago, on June 5, 1989, following weeks of huge protests in Beijing and a crackdown that resulted in the deaths of hundreds, a lone man stepped in front of a column of tanks rumbling past Tiananmen Square. The moment instantly became a symbol of the protests as well as a symbol against oppression worldwide — an anonymous act of defiance seared into our collective consciousnesses.

One of the most amazing and important photos ever taken.

iWatch? Who needs an iWatch?

City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry group has awarded Apple’s senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue, with its highest honor, the 2014 Spirit of Life Award. According to the group, the award recognizes an individual whose work has fundamentally impacted the music, film and entertainment industries. […]

. Mashable:

Imagine a world where your dog could play fetch by himself. It’s not the future; it’s this lucky dog’s reality.

Instead of playing the usual game of fetch (when you get tired after 10 minutes), someone removed the human element from the game completely.

The dog is cute as all get out and congratulations to the owner for teaching the dog the trick but, come on! How lazy are you you can’t play catch with your dog for ten minutes!?

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Neural Correlate Society:

Every year, the Neural Correlate Society (which promotes scientific research into how sensory perception affects the brain) holds a contest for the best illusions of the year, and it’s announced its top 10 such brain-benders for 2014.

My brain hurts.

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LA Times:

Citing a massive increase in reports of illegal flashing of lasers toward aircraft, the FBI said Tuesday it would expand a program that offers a $10,000 reward for information leading to arrests in connection with the “dangerous and irresponsible” incidents.

Reports of people pointing lasers at aircraft have ballooned nationwide, jumping from 384 in 2006 to 3,960 in 2013, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

I honestly don’t get why someone would do this. What do they hope to accomplish – bringing the aircraft down?

I’m completely incompetent around a grill but even I could pull off Alton Brown’s “non-recipe for skirt steak”.

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CNET:

For the past year or so, I’ve been struggling to get my photo situation in more order. I’ve felt overwhelmed with the number of pictures that I and my family take. Ensuring they’re backed up and organized made me write about wanting to declare photo bankruptcy last year.

I want one place where all my pictures are kept secure and organized. And I want the photos to be easily viewable on a variety of devices, whenever I want to see them. And if I want to tag the shots, adjust dates, geolocate them, and so on, I want to be sure all those photos will retain that information if I move elsewhere.

I see this problem in my photography seminar all the time – people overwhelmed by their own photo collection. Hopefully, the promise of Apple’s WWDC demo will come true and help users get this under control.