Follow the headline link and scroll down about halfway to that animated GIF showing a piece of glass, folded over and being repeatedly squished and released. To me, that is the future of foldables.

That is super-thin glass, 75µm thin. That’s ballpark the thickness of a human hair. And that curve gets down to a 5mm radius.

Fold it over and over again, and there’s no crease. Plastics crease when folded, glass like this doesn’t.

My instinct is that Apple will hold out for glass like this if and when they ever release any sort of foldable iPhone. Details are all in the article.

Benjamin Mayo, on the promise of Siri Shortcuts:

This means Siri can now be smarter by drawing on the capabilities of many more apps. You can order coffee. Control third party audio apps like Overcast or Pandora. Plan travel itineraries with Kayak. All with your voice talking to your intelligent personal assistant.

Except that’s not really true. That is how Apple likes to market the feature but it’s a twisted form of reality. Shortcuts are not making Siri smarter, in fact they are dumber than pretty much anything Siri has done to date. Shortcuts put the burden on the user to do the legwork of synthesising data sources and integrating the apps into the voice service.

That’s the “puts the burden on the user” part. Benjamin continues:

Shortcuts require registration and administration to do anything at all with Siri. The user has to pre-emptively search out every command available in a certain app and then add each in turn to Siri. Registration requires the user to think up the phrase they want to use to trigger the command on the spot. Siri can then trigger these actions when that same phrase is said back to it at a later date.

There is no intelligence here. Siri transcribes the user’s voice and looks for an exact text match of that phrase in the database of voice shortcut phrases that the user has generated off their own back. If a match is found, it proceeds. Otherwise, failure.

And that’s the “no intelligence” part. If I trigger Siri, I can say “what’s today’s weather” or “what’s it like out today” and get the same response. Siri maps lots of things to “tell me the weather”. But with shortcuts, the user does the core creation. There’s no way for Siri to suss out other phrases that mean the same thing.

I think this is an excellent essay, worth reading.

I would add this though. Lots of apps ship with useful shortcuts, and there is a vibrant community building and sharing shortcuts with the world. Spend some time browsing those shortcuts, find one you like, and it’s pretty easy to bring the shortcut onto your own iPhone, even customize it. Definitely a power user move, but one with tremendous value.

Also, take a minute, fire up Siri and say:

“Open Siri Settings”

Siri will jump to the Siri Settings page and, there at the top, you’ll see a list of shortcuts that were created for you, based on recent behavior. To me, those shortcuts are a sign of intelligence at work. And easy to use, too. Press the plus sign to the right of a shortcut, give it a name, and you’re off to the races.

MacRumors:

iPhones with aftermarket batteries installed by third-party repair shops are now eligible for service at Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers, according to an internal Apple document obtained by MacRumors from three reliable sources.

And:

The updated guidelines went into effect Thursday and should apply worldwide. Apple will still decline service for iPhones with third-party logic boards, enclosures, microphones, Lightning connectors, headphone jacks, volume and sleep/wake buttons, TrueDepth sensor arrays, and certain other components.

Good news and a small step towards right to repair.

Book Riot:

The great thing about books? You can never get enough of them. But if you find your book collection becoming unmanageable, there are plenty of home library apps to help you get it under control. Take stock of the tomes on your increasingly crowded shelves with these eight top-rated cataloging home library apps for iPhone and Android. Then you can carry your personal library right in your pocket for easy reference.

Because I’ve moved so often (13 times in 17 years!), I no longer have a large book collection. But, when I did, I used and loved the original Delicious Library app.

If you care about the Activity badges, this does a nice job laying out all the Activity badge possibilities.

Gotta catch ’em all!

SlashGear:

Arriving alongside the Samsung Galaxy S10, the Galaxy Buds promise the convenience of AirPods but with the sort of customization Android fans love. With a $129 price tag, though, is this all too good to be true?

The review is surprisingly good. Lots of customization, Qi-charging, ear-tips (to customize the fit, included) and equalizer controls.

I hope the next generation AirPods includes all these features.

iFixit:

In 2018, a number of MacBook Pro users—with models from 2016 onwards—discovered a serious design flaw that causes the screen to fail after repeated opening and closing of the laptop over the course of a few years. The ensuing scandal was, of course, dubbed flexgate, after the flex display cables causing the problem. Despite Apple’s refusal to acknowledge the issue, though, their latest MacBook Pros have a longer cable that may be attempting to make up for previous shortcomings.

The display cable is said to fail from too much opening and closing of the MacBook Pro hinge, past the 90-degree point. Since the display cable is soldered onto the board, when it fails, the entire display must be replaced, at a cost of $700.

My question is, if someone’s MacBook Pro fails after the warranty expires, and after the bonus Apple Care time, will Apple cover the failure? This is the crux of the issue.

Reddit:

The last iPhone i owned was a 4s and I’ve been an Android user since the Galaxy s4. That all changed when I saw the AW Series 4. Wanting to purchase an all around smart watch and activity tracker I found the Samsung Gear s3 disappointing. Also tried the Garmin Fenix 3 but it wasn’t for me. The AW series 4 hooked me for some reason, hooked me to the point where I decided to trade my Note 9 for a iPhoneX.

It’s been about 2 weeks now and honestly, I don’t regret the decision. There are a couple things I miss but nothing that makes me think I’ve done something stupid. I’m really impressed how the Apple ecosystem interacts with the devices. I also just purchased a 6th gen iPad this weekend to keep experimenting. Being a “newer” Apple user with multiple devices is there anything the community could recommend for tips or tricks, apps etc? Just looking for fun ways to experiment with the new gear I have. Thanks for your time.

This is one Android user, pulled into the Apple ecosystem by Apple Watch. Anecdotal but, to me, representative of the draw of Apple Watch and the ECG capability.

Politico:

Under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has kept its China-manufactured iPhones off the list of Chinese imports that Trump has slapped with roughly $250 billion in tariffs. That puts the Cupertino, Calif.-based electronics giant in an enviable position compared with other sectors caught in the crossfire — thanks in part to efforts by the soft-spoken, 58-year-old Cook to cultivate leaders in both countries.

This is clearly a political issue, but the article is an interesting take on Tim Cook’s under-appreciated finesse.

PCWorld:

Meet USB4, which promises to simply the USB naming scheme and integrate the high-bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 specification. Just a week after the upcoming USB 3.2 specification’s branding scheme threatened to confuse PC buyers, the next USB spec is trying to resolve it all.

And:

From a technical standpoint, USB4 is good news, promising to take the small jumble of USB specifications, form factors, and branding and consolidate them into something more understandable for a general audience.

And this, from the USB4 announcement itself:

With over 50 companies actively participating in the final stages of review of the draft specification, the USB4 specification is on track to be published around the middle of 2019. Coincident with the release of the USB4 specification, the release of an updated USB Type-C Specification will be made to comprehend USB4 bus discovery, configuration and performance requirements.

This feels like the USB Promotor Group is really trying to wrap their hands around the spec, corral the confusion. What I’d really love to see is a labeling scheme that takes all the guesswork out of “will this cable work with this port?” kinds of issues.

BBC:

The little Pacific island nation was the first to incorporate GPS into its aviation system – and in doing so forever changed the way we get from Point A to distant Point B.

GPS was developed by the United States military in the 1970s with the intention of improving upon existing navigation procedures. In Fiji, for example, only five control towers were equipped with a radio beacon, meaning that in 80% of the country’s huge airspace, pilots had no radar to rely on.

GPS is ubiquitous now but I had no idea Fiji played such an important role.

Michael Tsai writes up his experience moving from small form factor to the larger iPhone XR. Moving from Touch ID to Face ID.

Lots of detail, terrific read. One thing that did not come up is the move from a headphone jack to none. I suspect Michael already made the move to AirPods (or the like) and it just wasn’t an issue.

UPDATE: From Michael, via Twitter, on my question about the headphone jack:

The headphone jack is not an issue for me. I use AirPods and recently found a much better Bluetooth car adapter (will hopefully write about it soon).

This concept was built for Legoland Denmark. Watch the embedded video:

⚡ The Augmented Reality Wayfinding app we made as a concept for Legoland Denmark. The perfect solution to prevent long waiting lines. The user can follow a Lego Avatar, preview rides & attractions and check real-time information on waiting lines. #Legoland #augmentedreality pic.twitter.com/YcFgVILtTZ

— Jachim van Huut (@Jachim_van_Huut) February 26, 2019

I love the design, love the functionality here. This is a terrific model for theme parks.

This story has been making its way around the blogosphere. I’d take it all with a grain of salt.

On one hand, hard to know how well sourced this is, whether this is simply the groans of a few, or truly representative.

On the other hand, Apple is a beginner here, brand spanking new to this space. If this is truly an issue, Apple will learn the lesson over time. Apple has deep pockets, can afford to make plenty of mistakes.

Side note on that headline: Apples’s? Really? Apple’s venture. Not Apples’s venture.

UPDATE: They fixed the headline.

Microsoft 365 blog:

With Insert Data from Picture, you can take a picture of a printed data table with your Android device and convert that analog information into an Excel spreadsheet with a single click. New image recognition functionality automatically converts the picture to a fully editable table in Excel, eliminating the need for you to manually enter data. Insert Data from Picture will be available in preview for the Excel Android app soon.

Rolling out for Android now, iOS support coming soon. If you use Excel, this is a great feature. It’ll be interesting to see if similar features emerge for Apple’s Numbers and/or Google Docs.

Microsoft Band support page:

Microsoft has announced the end of support for the Microsoft Health Dashboard applications and services. This document contains important dates and information regarding the end of support.

On 5/31/2019, the Microsoft Health Dashboard site will be shut down and Microsoft Band applications will be removed from the Microsoft Store, Google Play, and Apple App store.

If you bought into the Microsoft ecosystem, you can get a refund. Follow the headline link for details.

The Apple Watch, at least currently, really owns this space. Another example of Apple’s strategy of entering a space when they know they have the right product and the product right.

[H/T Friend of the Loop Andrew Leavitt]

PetaPixel:

The idea of this article came from a recent photo series I saw on BoredPanda about viral photos people thought were real but were fake. It reminded me of some of my photos people always call fake.

People online judge you really easily. It used to really annoy me when people called my work ‘fake’ when I spent countless hours planning and executing that particular shot. Now I don’t care as much anymore as I used to. This is the Internet, after all. And if I think about it, often I can’t blame them.

In this article, I will discuss a few shots I’ve taken over the years that look ‘unreal’ and thus were hated upon a lot. All the shots I am discussing have their own article on PetaPixel.

I see dozens of fakes every day and, to be honest, I would have looked at this guy’s images with suspicion. But, upon hearing the stories behind them, you realize he’s “just” an amazing and well-prepared photographer.

VOX:

In the 1930s, as the spread of automobiles spurred American drivers to take long trips to explore the country, black drivers who took to America’s roads regularly experienced discrimination during their travels.

But in 1936, Victor Hugo Green, a black postal worker, created a guide that would allow African Americans to embrace the adventure and road trips enjoyed by their white counterparts. The result was The Negro Motorist Green Book, the most popular guide for black travelers for three decades.

If you want more, check out “The Green Book: Guide to Freedom” on the Smithsonian channel.

Digital Photography Review:

The Mavic Air is a compelling offering, positioned between the consumer and professional-grade drones that DJI currently offers. When used correctly, it can produce content difficult to distinguish from its professional-grade cousins. If you’re in the market for a drone that delivers features close to the Phantom 4 Pro or Mavic 2 series while keeping size and cost factors in check, the Mavic Air is the perfect aerial companion for you.

I have flown the Mavic 2 Pro and, while I wouldn’t give up its feature set in favour of the Mavic Air, if you’re in the market for a small, capable drone, take a look at this review.

Atlas Obscura:

The simple story of the islands and their people—thrust onto the world stage because they sat on a valuable natural resource, then wholly eradicated by the unstoppable force of European colonization—is a staple of Did You Know articles on Manhattan and nutmeg.

But this simple version of the story gets quite a bit wrong, and the full account is astounding.

This is one of those, “So – you think you know history, do you?” stories I love reading about.

The Guardian:

Tesla is closing most of its stores in a cost-cutting measure, so it can lower the starting price of its Model 3 to $35,000.

Elon Musk, the billionaire chief executive of the electric car and technology company, said that a shift to selling online only was essential to make it financially viable to lower the current starting price of $42,900.

He said: “This is the only way to achieve the savings for this car and be financially sustainable. It is excruciatingly difficult to make this car for $35,000 and be financially sustainable.”

While I wouldn’t call this a disastrous move for Tesla, my wife and I went on a Tesla test drive this past summer and, while we’re not in the market for a new car, there’s no chance we’d buy one without being able to do a test drive.

Encountered this on Reddit today. Crazy.

If you have an older MacBook or MacBook Pro, try this (make sure you have a current backup first):

• Fire up your Mac
• Take your AirPods case and place it under your MacBook, on the left side, about halfway down
• Your Mac will go to sleep

Basically, this is how the Mac detects that the lid is closed. Which is why it goes to sleep and, when you remove the magnet, it wakes back up.

I verified this with my 2015 MacBook Pro. Did not work with my 2018 MacBook Pro, though I suspect I just haven’t hit the right sweet spot.

Of course, I wouldn’t do this experiment without making sure you have a current backup, just cause magnets and magnetic media.

MIT Technology Review:

One day, while I was testing my own Apple Watch, Tom was deconstructing a rack of network equipment. He suddenly noticed his heart was pounding. Then he began feeling dizzy. Next came tunnel vision. He needed to sit down.

First he checked the pulse on his neck, but he realized his watch could provide more data. It said 203 beats per minute, so he fired up an ECG.

And:

Tom was definitely not feeling well, so he had a coworker take him to the hospital, where triage got him to a nurse straight away.

His nurse set up an ECG, the traditional “gold standard” kind, but Tom could feel that his heart rate had dropped closer to normal. He worried that the hospital test wouldn’t find anything, so he unlocked his phone and passed the readings to the nurse, who showed them to the remote teledoctor on call.

“Oh, that’s an SVT,” the doctor said, immediately. A supraventricular tachycardia: an abnormally fast heartbeat caused by irregular electrical activity.

The Apple Watch already has incredible value. Just like the camera, the best ECG is the one you have with you. So many stories about Apple Watch saving people’s lives. And this still feels like early days.

Cnet:

Downloads represented just 11 percent of US labels’ revenue last year, a music industry trade group said Thursday. Physical sales — the term for music formats you can actually hold, which are mostly CDs and vinyl at this point — booked 12 percent.

Looking at my own habits: I haven’t bought music in months. Apple Music brings me an embarrassment of riches, gives me more than enough to listen to.

Streaming is clearly killing downloads. Without specific legislation, I can’t ever imagine 99 cents per single purchases rising back up.

Loup Ventures:

Apple has four initiatives that will materially benefit from 5G: iPhone, augmented reality, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles. In our view, Apple will be one of 5G’s biggest beneficiaries.

Interesting article. A lot of this clicks for me, especially the concept that 5G will greatly enhance connectivity/reduce latency with the cloud.

One piece of this I can’t get past: The idea that 5G will benefit autonomous vehicles:

Autonomy needs 5G. A vehicle can drive itself without the 5G network, but for things like V2V communication, teleoperations, and other enablers of mass adoption, full coverage and instantaneous data are required.

The problem for me? 5G range is about a city block. Which means lots of equipment/expense. Which means, we’ll see 5G roll out in densely populated urban areas, and possibly never in rural areas. As vehicles move in, say, suburban areas, or rural areas, dependence on 5G will mean degraded signals as you drive.

Apple is clearly working on solving one of the knottiest of problems with foldable phones, that of hinge wrinkle. When you have a screen that crosses the fold of the phone, the screen can show wear, like you might see on the spine of a well worn paperback book, or if you folded and unfolded a piece of paper.

From Patently Apple:

A new patent application from Apple published by the U.S. Patent Office shows that Apple is working on a method to keep the fold area warm as a cold display could cause problems when folding.

Specifically, Apple notes that a folding device may have a hinge that allows the device to be flexed about a bend axis. A display may span the bend axis. To facilitate bending about the bend axis without damage when the display is cold, a portion of the display that overlaps the bend axis may be selectively heated.

Interesting solution. I do think the hinge wrinkle problem is a must solve for Apple. If I unfold my phone, a wrinkle, however slight, in the middle of the display, will kill the illusion of a single unbroken screen.

Sebastiaan de With:

Spectre is a computational shutter for iPhone that allows everyone to take brilliant long exposures. A regular photo captures only a fraction of a second. Taking a photo over several seconds — a long exposure—unlocks all sorts of practical and artistic effects.

The only problem is that long exposures are kind of rocket science. You have to stabilize your camera with a tripod, take several shots to confirm a composition, guess the correct exposure over a long period of time, and hope for the best.

Spectre solves all of that, with the help of machine learning and computer vision.

I’m a huge fan of Halide so this app was an instant buy for me.