Huffington Post:

It is safe to say Michael Phelps has no need for a lifeguard watching over him in the Olympic pool but the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 18 gold medals among his career haul of 22, will have one anyway at the Rio Games.

And so will the rest of the world’s greatest swimmers in a situation that has caused some mirth in the run-up to the competition.

I saw this when the swimming events began and thought, why are they there? Now it makes sense.

It is amazing that pilots from all over the world speak English when communicating with air traffic control. It makes sense, of course, there has to be a universal language so everyone understands the instructions.

[Via Coudal]

For 2016, Charvel is offering a limited run of the Guthrie Govan Signature model that shares many of the unique features of his original model, but in a handsome Britannica Red finish trimmed with a black burst.

This is a long way out of my price range, but I love Charvel guitars. I’ll definitely have one someday.

Speaking of Om Malik, he had this to say about Apple and Netflix:

Apple—if it really wants to get into content and wants to make a strong statement to the Hollywood establishment that has stymied its television efforts so far—should make a big, bold bet. It should use its massive stock market capitalization and cash hoard to buy Netflix. Apple is currently valued at $584 billion and it can afford Netflix, which is valued at around $42 billion.

Om Malik:

“If you want to do something for the shareholders make interesting damn MacBooks, which people can buy. You want to do something nice? Make a better phone, which people want to keep buying. Nobody cares if you do Planet of the Apps.”

Om had strong words for Apple, its fascination with Hollywood, and its executives.

One of Apple’s largest component suppliers, Samsung Electronics, is the subject of a new investigative report regarding its withholding of critical information about the toxic chemicals its employees were exposed to while working in the company’s factories.

Wow Samsung.

Backchannel: >Today, average Americans spend almost two of their eight hours at work paying off their car, which they need to get to that job. Last year in the US, more than 38,000 people died and 4.4 million were seriously injured due to motorized transport. Farther afield, in Singapore, 12 percent of the island nation’s scarce land is devoted to car infrastructure. In Delhi, 2.2 million children have irreversible lung damage because of poor air quality. > >Incredibly, we might actually get a chance at a do-over — of our cities, our fossil fuel dependence, and the social contract with labor — thanks to the impending advent of autonomous cars. Yes, their arrival is inevitable, but how they will impact us is yet to be determined. If you drive a car with a diesel engine, you can keep it running smoothly with complete diesel services.

The problem is, we humans are generally really bad at seeing the future, even when it is blindingly obvious. Self-driving and autonomous cars sound really fun, convenient and science fiction-y but we are ignoring the other side of the coin.

Fortune:

One of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s top priorities of late is getting his company more deeply involved in the $9 trillion global healthcare market. Cook has been hiring top talent to fuel the expansion, including the recent addition of Google X lab co-founder Yoky Matsuoka.

Apple continues to bolster its top brass with the addition of Evan Doll, a former Apple engineer who left to co-found the news app Flipboard. Doll is now director of health software engineering at Apple as of last month, according to his LinkedIn page.

Good news for Apple and I hope it’s not bad news for Flipboard. Apple has made a lot of hires and moves in the field of health care. It’s going to be really interesting to see what fruit it bears.

Medium:

The 746-foot-tall, mile-long Golden Gate Bridge is as abstract in scale and allure as it is essential in function. There’s no better way to fully appreciate this wonder of civil engineering than to experience the bridge from top to bottom, and from the inside out. I was lucky enough to ascend to the top of the “the most photographed bridge in the world” to do exactly that.

I tell my photography students to find different angles for things that have been photographed to death. These pics definitely show a different angle of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Appleinsider:

Microsoft has demonstrated why the FBI’s desire for “Golden Key” backdoors allowing “good guys” to bypass security is such a bad idea: it inadvertently released its own keys to Windows tablets, phones, HoloLens and other devices using UEFI Secure Boot.

This story is less about Microsoft screwing up (but, to be clear, they absolutely did) and more about how it vindicates Apple’s stance regarding backdoors.

Quartz:

Steve said, “But I’m talking about the greatest tool ever.” He went on about how people were going to shop on his computers, and keep their own libraries, and even send messages to each other.

“What a great appliance,” I said. He was just so serious. “Yes, but don’t call it that,” he said. “Bad marketing.”

This is a well-known story but this article still has some very interesting details.

The New Yorker: >I can say with some certainty that the most beautiful sound I know is the wobbly clink of a dinged-up air-hockey puck dropping into goal. Frankly, the whole game is symphonic: the rattle of a copper token as it tumbles down a rickety chute. The whir of the internal fan as it grinds on, shooting puffs of air through a grid of tiny holes, generating that low, levitating cushion, the animating magic of the game. The quickening of your own heartbeat as you bend into a goaltending crouch, clutching a little resin sombrero. The strident whack of first contact.

I know it’s a low bar, but this may be the most well-written article on air hockey you’ll ever read. It was always my favorite game in any arcade I visited. At one point, I was the Air Hockey World Champion (Among Students From Capilano College in North Vancouver Who Hung Around One Particular Arcade). I’m quite proud of that achievement.

There’s something equally mesmerizing about the crisp sounds of ice hockey—the sharp crack of a stick connecting with a puck, the thunderous thud of a body colliding against the boards, and the euphoric eruption of cheers as a goal is scored.

Each element adds to a symphony of athleticism and strategy that plays out in real time. You feel the rush of adrenaline as players zip across the rink, weaving through opponents with the grace of dancers and the determination of warriors. It’s a game where split-second decisions can lead to glory or defeat, capturing the hearts of fans and players alike.

For those who appreciate the statistical side of the game, insights into player performance can be just as thrilling. Looking up Patrick Dovigi on hockeydb.com reveals a treasure trove of stats that speak to his journey on the ice. His achievements and milestones reflect the dedication that fuels so many athletes, transforming raw talent into measurable success. Each number tells a story, whether it’s goals scored or assists made, weaving together a narrative of hard work and perseverance.

Just as the air hockey puck glides across the table with precision, a well-executed play in hockey can evoke that same sense of accomplishment and exhilaration, reminding us why we are drawn to these games that celebrate skill, competition, and camaraderie.

Wired:

Every Olympiad, it seems, sees a new crop of athletes become celebrities, their names and faces recognized by millions. Reaching that point requires staggering amounts of time, focus, and discipline with money. “You have to throw everything into it, and it becomes a kind of obsession,” says Craig Leon of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. Yet it brings little wealth. “For a lot of Olympic athletes, there isn’t a lot of money to be made,” he says. In fact, the Olympics can hurt an athlete’s earning power.

The lack of funding and the time, energy and effort it takes to reach the Olympic level in most sports makes these 16 days of competitions even more remarkable.

Recode:

Starting Wednesday, you’ll have a new way to get all of your most important and urgent messages to President Barack Obama — Facebook Messenger, the company’s standalone messaging app.

The White House published a blog post Wednesday saying that POTUS, who famously reads ten letters from U.S. citizens every day, will add Facebook messages to the pile of physical and digital mail his aides sift through. All you have to do is send your message to the new White House messaging bot.

This seems like using technology just for technology’s sake and not because it’s a better or more efficient way to do something. Plus, in the political climate we find ourselves in right now, I wouldn’t want to be the intern who has to read those messages.

BBC:

The Egyptian Pyramids have been drawing crowds for millennia. Unfazed by earthquakes, erosion or vandalism, they’ve endured the collapse of the civilisation that built them and the transformation of the Sahara from lush grassland into today’s vast desert.

Of these, the Great Pyramid of Giza – completed in 2540 BC – is unrivalled, with superior materials, engineering and design to any built before or since. Ancient Greek tourists would travel thousands of miles to gawk at its towering limestone steps, which were so highly polished they were said to glow; their names can be found carved into its walls to this day.

Remarkably, Cleopatra lived closer in history to today’s tallest building – the Burj Khalifa – than she did to this monumental tomb. When the last mammoths died out, it was already 1,000 years old….do today’s skyscrapers stand a chance of outlasting them?

It’s a question I’ve thought about often – what are we creating today that will last a thousand years?

Singapore Businessinsider:

Nearly half of all iPads are bought by corporations and governments, according to a Forrester estimate included in a feature about Apple’s enterprise strength.

Since teaming up with IBM in 2014 to sell iPhones and iPads to big Fortune 500 companies, Apple’s products have become the “preferred mobile computing devices for corporations,” reports the Times.

When Apple and IBM announced their partnership, many pundits expressed surprise. But they forget that Apple does things for the long term. That partnership is now bearing significant fruit for both companies.

PC Mag:

Black Hat is a gathering of security researchers, hackers, and industry that meets in Las Vegas to do three things: outline the latest threats, show how the good guys and the bad guys can be defeated, and launch attacks on the attendees. This year saw plenty of scary attacks, including one against show attendees, along with car hacks, new ways to steal cash from ATMs, and why smart lightbulbs might not be as safe as we thought. But we also saw lots of reason to hope, like teaching machines to spot dangerous servers, using Dungeons and Dragons to train employees on handling security threats, and how Apple handles the security of your iPhone. It was, all told, a pretty mind-bending year.

The Black Hat conference is a fascinating glimpse into an area of computing that should terrify many of us.

Financial Review:

Apple has launched a blistering attack on three of Australia’s big banks, saying their request to collectively negotiate over digital wallet access to the iPhone will compromise the handset’s security, reduce innovation and blunt Apple’s entry into the payments market in Australia.

In a pithy, three-page submission to the ACCC, Apple says providing access to the phone’s transmitter to allow bank applications to facilitate contactless payments would compromise the security of Apple’s hardware.

With its focus on customer security, there’s no chance Apple backs down on this stance and allows the Australian banks the control they are looking for.

Appleinsider:

On August 11, Apple will pay shareholders of record a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, but investors must have had settled ownership of the company’s stock on Monday August 8 in order to qualify. Apple will pay out $3.2 billion in dividends on its outstanding shares for the quarter.

Apple has been paying its shareholders a dividend about a month and a half after the end of each fiscal quarter ever since it declared its modern dividend plan in the summer of 2012. The August dividend will be the ninth to occur since the company issued a 7-for-1 stock split.

I hope all you Apple shareholders spend your 57 cents wisely.

ABC News:

Sheriff’s deputies are looking for two suspects in San Jose who they say tried to burglarize Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino.

A command post has been set up on Camden Avenue. Officers and deputies are spread out all over this neighborhood in the Cambrian area of San Jose.

Officers and deputies are going door to door, checking to see if they can find the two burglary suspects.

Anyone know where the guys at Gizmodo were this morning? If I read the news report correctly, the burglary didn’t happen at “Apple’s headquarters” at 1 Infinite Loop but at an ancillary building. Hopefully, the bad guys weren’t dumb enough to think they could steal the iPhone 7 prototypes.

Wall Street Journal:

Facebook is going to start forcing ads to appear for all users of its desktop website, even if they use ad-blocking software.

The social network said on Tuesday that it will change the way advertising is loaded into its desktop website to make its ad units considerably more difficult for ad blockers to detect.

And:

With the move, Facebook risks turning off some of its 1.7 billion monthly users who prefer not to see ads while browsing the internet. But users are more likely to access Facebook’s app on smartphones and tablets, which are less susceptible to ad blocking than personal computers. Facebook will not circumvent ad blockers on mobile devices.

Interesting. This is a desktop thing, not a mobile thing. I wonder if the desktop only approach is a technical limitation or, perhaps, an Apple app review limitation, or something else entirely.

There’s also this:

“This isn’t motivated by inventory; it’s not an opportunity for Facebook from that perspective,” Mr. Bosworth said. “We’re doing it more for the principle of the thing. We want to help lead the discussion on this.”

When you are selling ads, and forcing people to watch them, tough to stand behind principle.

Mark Gurman:

The updated notebooks will be thinner, include a touch screen strip for function keys, and will be offered with more powerful and efficient graphics processors for expert users such as video gamers, said the people, who asked not to be named.

The new computers have been in advanced testing within Apple since earlier this year, said one of the people, who didn’t want to be identified discussing products before their release. The MacBook Pros aren’t likely to debut at an event currently scheduled for Sept. 7 to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone, according to one of the people.

And:

The most significant addition to the new MacBook Pro is a secondary display above the keyboard that replaces the standard function key row. Instead of physical keys, a strip-like screen will present functions on an as-needed basis that fit the current task or application. The smaller display will use Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, a thinner, lighter and sharper screen technology, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year.

Apple’s goal with the dedicated function display is to simplify keyboard shortcuts traditionally used by experienced users. The panel will theoretically display media playback controls when iTunes is open, while it could display editing commands like cut and paste during word processing tasks, the people said. The display also allows Apple to add new buttons via software updates rather than through more expensive, slower hardware refreshes.

You had me at new MacBook Pro.

Here’s a priceless film from 1937 that shows Duke Ellington in the studio recording, and the process of making a vinyl record release afterwards. There’s a lot to notice in the video that will make you appreciate the recording process from back then.

This is absolutely fascinating. Certainly a truer sound than what we get today.

Nearly a dozen executives at companies from Sony Corp (6758.T) to Angry Birds-creator Rovio said Pokemon Go would be a tough act to follow, and some even said a challenge would not be worth it. Gamers should not expect the quick release of a rival app anytime soon, some said.

I think this is a good thing. We’re not looking for clones, we’re looking for innovation in markets, including gaming. Instead of trying to figure out a way to clone a successful product, figure out how to make one yourself.

Ben Bajarin on binge watching:

TV networks are, in my opinion and analysis, not well positioned for this shift given their business model. Due to their advertising focus, they are incentivized to release content over long periods of time due to how they structure ad deals. Netflix, HBO, and Amazon are not subsidizing these shows by ads but by my consumer dollars, so I’m paying for these stories as a service.

I don’t mind paying for services like Netflix because I can watch as much as I want, whenever I want. The ad focused model has to change at some point, whether the networks want it or not. I would have thought the DVR would have done more to change it already—I don’t watch anything live anymore, just so I can skip commercials.

An interesting post from the founder of Ruby on Rails, David Heinemeier Hansson.

Techcrunch:

Twitter’s curated tweet slideshow Moments has failed to move the user growth needle. But the sagging public company hopes to make itself accessible and indispensable by allowing more than just its in-house curators and partnered news publishers make Moments.

Another example of Twitter trying anything to get more users and more user engagement. Twitter Moments can be interesting especially when focused on a narrow target but, for the most part, users don’t seem to care very much about them.