Peter Cohen, writing for iMore, talks you through the Time Machine interface. It’s not difficult, perhaps obvious, but well worth the read and the thinking that goes with it.

One thing that was new to me was the existence of Apple’s Time Machine exclusions list:

/System/Library/CoreServices/ backupd.bundle/Contents/Resources/ StdExclusions.plist

Interesting stuff.

Apple fleshed out its guided tour offerings. The first set, which appeared about 10 days ago, were Welcome to Apple Watch, Messages, Faces, and Digital Touch.

Joining the list are four new videos: Phone Calls, Siri, Maps, and Music.

Still to come: Apple Pay, Activity, and Workout.

From MacRumors:

The classes are listed as an available option on April 24 on individual retail store websites and in the “Stores” section of the Apple Store app. Not all retail locations are displaying Apple Watch workshop availability at this time, but select stores both in the United States and in other countries are offering workshops as of today. Workshops take place at 1.5 hour intervals all day long in most locations and are also available on Saturday and Sunday. It appears that some locations may also be offering extended hours to allow more time for hosting workshops.

Smart offering from the Apple Workshop folks.

Dowling replaces longtime Communications VP Katie Cotton, who retired last May.

Time published its annual list of its 100 most influential people. This list is about influence, not about popularity, courage, or accomplishment. Near the top of the list is Apple CEO Tim Cook. He is introduced as “a courageous innovator” by John Lewis, a civil rights leader and Democratic Congressman from Georgia:

It could not have been easy for Tim Cook to step into the immense shadow cast by the late Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs. But with grace and courage and an unabashed willingness to be his own man, Tim has pushed Apple to unimaginable profitability—and greater social responsibility. He is setting a new standard for what business can do in the world. Tim is unwavering in his support of an individual’s right to privacy and is not only embracing equality and LGBT rights but advocating for change through his words and actions. His commitment to renewable energy is also leaving our planet a little cleaner and a little greener for generations yet unborn.

Above all, he has shown that profitability and integrity can go hand in hand. Tim has done this while introducing, time and again, some of the most innovative products the world has ever seen. Tim Cook is proof that even the most successful companies can and should be judged by more than just their bottom line.

At the bottom of the page is a timeline you can scroll through to get a sense of the path that took Tim from his birth in Mobile Alabama to where he is today.

Also of note, Airbnb founder Brian Cheskey’s intro was written by Jony Ive.

As is the case with all lists, there’s plenty to argue about. Kanye West as the most influential person? I think that’s a stretch. But there’s plenty of interesting content here to go through.

[HT: Sébastien Page]

As with every product we make, we want as many people as possible to enjoy using Apple Watch. That’s why it’s designed with assistive technologies and features that make it easy for people with disabilities to use. Accessing them is also simple, either through Settings on the device itself or through the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.

I love that this is a priority for Apple.

This is exceptionally great!

We surveyed a group of over 1,000 nationally representative consumers on 4/11, the day after the preorder window for Apple Watches opened. Our key insights include: (1) encouraging initial demand, with +11% of iPhone users “very likely” to purchase an Apple Watch this year, (2) regular watch wearers are among the most likely to order an Apple or other smart watch, suggesting high displacement rates for traditional watches from smart watch adoption, (3) young consumers are substantially more likely to buy an Apple Watch than older consumers, and (4) those likely to buy a smart watch most often indicate Fossil, Seiko, Casio, Rolex, Timex, and TAG Heuer are the watch brands they wear today.

I find it very interesting that regular watch wearers are among the most likely to order an Apple Watch. I would have thought they would be more reluctant to move from analog to a smartwatch. The brands listed in No. 4 have a lot to worry about in the next year or so.

Create stunning mobile apps simply by placing text, images and movies in a Dropbox folder. Professional results to rival major apps.

This is the platform The Loop magazine is built on. Glide is now ready for the public, so let’s support them.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environmental Initiatives:

Today, Apple and The Conservation Fund are announcing a collaboration designed to help America’s working forests stay working forests. For Apple, this is the beginning of a worldwide effort, one that represents a new approach as it reassesses its impact on the world’s paper supply chain.

Apple believes that paper, like energy, can be a renewable resource. So Apple is striving to supply 100 percent of the virgin fibers used in its paper and packaging from sustainably managed forests or controlled wood sources.

As usual, an interesting manifesto from Apple regarding its environmental initiatives but I also find it fascinating this is a story on Medium, not a press release. Hopefully, we’ll see more of these kinds of articles directly from Apple.

LA Times:

The Los Angeles Unified School District is seeking to recoup millions of dollars from technology giant Apple over a problem-plagued curriculum that was provided with iPads intended to be given to every student, teacher and administrator.

To press its case, the Board of Education on Tuesday authorized its attorneys in a closed-door meeting to explore possible litigation against Apple and Pearson, the company that developed the curriculum as a subcontractor to Apple.

This story has been ongoing and includes an FBI investigation, resignations of officials and plenty of blame for all to go around.

Inquisitr:

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blockquote>Dan Price, the CEO of a start-up company located in Seattle, has just raised his employee’s minimum wage to $70,000 by cutting his $1 million salary to that of his lowest-paid employees.

Price is taking upwards to 80 percent of his credit card processing company Gravity Payments’ $2.2 million expected profit and putting it into his employee’s salaries.

Price recently announced that over a three-year period, Gravity Payments will be offering its 120 employees a salary of at least $70,000 which will be paid using a new software which can make a check stub each pat date.

Fantastic news for the company’s employees. Some say this will become the model for other companies but I’d be hugely surprised if anyone else followed suit. It’s just not The Corporate Way.

One thing bothered me about this story though.

Price recently told the New York Times that he was motivated to make the radical change after he read a newly released study about how pay raises increase the happiness of those receiving them.

Seriously? You had to read a study to know this? He’s obviously never been poor a day in his life. The vast majority of us know all too well how important money can be to peace of mind, health, happiness and security.

My criticism aside, I couldn’t be happier for the employees of Gravity Payments.

John Siracusa:

Nearly 15 years ago, I wrote my first review of Mac OS X for a nascent “PC enthusiast’s” website called Ars Technica. Nearly 15 years later, I wrote my last. Though Apple will presumably announce the next major version of OS X at WWDC this coming June, I won’t be reviewing it for Ars Technica or any other publication, including the website you’re reading now.

Siracusa’s name was known to many long before he started to write his incredible in-depth reviews of Apple’s Mac OS X but he will be forever known as the guy who wrote in the most detail about the OS.

He says:

Someone else can pick up the baton for the next 15 years.

Sadly, that’s not going to happen. No one can replace Siracusa or his writing style or his passion for writing the most complete reviews humanly possible of Mac OS X.

The Telegraph, from a memo written by Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts:

Many of you have been getting questions asking if we will have the watch available in store on April 24 for walk-in purchases. As we announced last week, due to high global interest combined with our initial supply, we are only taking orders online right now. I’ll have more updates as we get closer to in-store availability, but we expect this to continue through the month of May. It has not been an easy decision, and I want to share with you the thinking behind it.

The whole memo is thoughtful and worth reading.

Mikey Campbell, Apple Insider:

Well-informed KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has in the past proved accurate in predicting Apple’s moves, estimates Apple Watch preorders will exceed 2.3 million units, though production bottlenecks relating to the device’s haptic vibrator and advanced OLED screen are restricting rollout.

And:

Existing limitations could hinder accelerated manufacture, however. Currently, Apple is seeing restricted supply of vibration motors from Hong Kong-based manufacturer AAC and flexible AMOLED screens from LG Display, which is said to be Watch’s sole display supplier. Powering Apple Watch’s Taptic Engine, AAC’s motors must meet stringent operating requirements that require a smaller form factor than iPhone vibrators, while being more accurate. Technical hurdles for LG include AMOLED panel color accuracy and life span.

Lots of interesting tidbits to process.

Several celebrities like Katy Perry, Drake, and Pharrell Williams have been spotted with the gold Apple Watch Edition ahead of the device’s launch, but Apple gifted designer Karl Lagerfeld with something even more special — a custom gold Apple Watch with a gold Link Bracelet.

I checked and FedEx didn’t leave one of these at my door.

Jim and Dan talk about the meaning behind the WWDC announcement, why Jim got three Apple Watches, the evolution of music (from vinyl to tapes to cd’s and now streaming), beginning guitar without an amp, and more.

I’ve used a lot of interfaces over the years, but honestly these are the best.

Maple acoustic guitars haven’t been known for their warm, rich tone. Until now. Taylor master builder Andy Powers has poured his expertise into revoicing Taylor’s maple 600 Series, and the results are stunning. From specially aged spruce tops that produce a played-in sound from day 1 to custom-calibrated bracing that unleashes more volume, low-end warmth and sustain, Taylor’s new 600s give players a multi-dimensional musical voice that responds wonderfully to every playing style.

I played one of these at NAMM and was impressed.

FiveThirtyEight:

Americans hate filing tax returns, but they love getting refunds. More than three in four taxpayers get refunds, and the average amount they get back is close to $3,000, according to IRS data. That means that for many Americans, their annual refund is the biggest single check they’ll get all year.

But if you’re among the millions expecting a payout from the IRS this spring, make no mistake: That money was yours all along. Getting a refund means you paid too much in taxes last year and the government is paying that money back — without interest.

I’m no tax expert but I’ve always told people they should work their taxes so they get the smallest refund possible. Otherwise, you’re just giving the government an interest free loan of your money.

Abdel Ibrahim, writing for WatchAware, takes you on a tour of four different Apple Watch interfaces.

Nice little Apple Watch interface flow diagram from Ben Lovejoy at 9to5mac.

Here’s a link to the article. And here’s a link to the graphic itself.

Bloomberg Business:

Samsung Electronics Co. created a standalone team of about 200 employees working exclusively on screens for Apple Inc. products as the world’s biggest technology companies strengthen business ties, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The team at Samsung Display Co., which provides screens for iPads and MacBooks, helps develop products and is only allowed to share information about Apple business within the group, the people said, asking not to be identified because the details aren’t public. The team formed April 1 and also helps with sales, the people said.

Samsung continues to hedge its bets. The screen and chip manufacturing side of the company definitely knows where their bread is buttered.

The Wall Street Journal:

LinX develops and markets miniature cameras for tablets and smartphones. Using an array of sensors that capture multiple images at the same time and proprietary algorithms, LinX says its cameras can gauge depth and create three-dimensional image maps.

Last year, the company said its tiny camera modules allow for better-quality pictures in low light and faster exposure at standard indoor conditions. It said the technology offers single-lens-reflex (SLR) camera image quality without the need for a bulky device.

Its technology, according to the company’s news releases, can open the way to features like automatic background removal, 3-D object modeling and face recognition.

Will mobile cameras pass the SLR quality threshold with the next wave of releases? That would be something.

I’ll be honest, I like my iPad better, but a lot of people really like the Kindle. They dropped the price, so if you were waiting for that, here’s your chance.