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Andrew Orr

Since 2015 Andrew has been writing about Apple, privacy, security, and at one point even Android. You can find him most places online under the username @andrewornot.

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Articles by Andrew Orr

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New York Times CEO Explains Apple News Decision

Andrew Orr ·

Mark Thompson, president and CEO of The New York Times, explained in an interview his decision not to join the Apple News subscription.

We tend to be quite leery about the idea of almost habituating people to find our journalism somewhere else. We’re also generically worried about our journalism being scrambled in a kind of Magimix (blender) with everyone else’s journalism.

So far Apple hasn’t been able to convince either The New York Times or Washington Post. However, it sounds like the Wall Street Journal will be a player.

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Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, iMovie Updated Today

Andrew Orr ·

Apple has updated a bunch of its Mac apps today, including Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, and iMovie.

For all four apps, Apple has added a feature that detects media files that could be incompatible with future versions of macOS after Mojave. In Final Cut Pro and iMovie, these files will be converted to a compatible format, while just highlighted in Motion and Compressor.

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iPad mini: Powerful Hardware in the Same Package

Andrew Orr ·

Some of the first iPad mini reviews are coming out, and so far it sounds like Matthew Panzarino is happy with it.

I include that context here because, though the iPad Pro is a whole ass computer and really capable, it is not exactly ‘fun’ to use in non standard ways. That’s where the iPad mini has always shined and continues to do so. It really is pocketable in a loose jacket or coat. Because the mini is not heavy, it exercises little of the constant torsion and strain on your wrist that a larger iPad does, making it one-handed.

 

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Would You Give Apple More of Your Data?

Andrew Orr ·

Here’s a question to ask yourself: Would you let Apple collect more of your data to improve its services? The company already collects some stuff, but it doesn’t seem to be enough for services like Siri. Mark Sullivan’s answer to that question is yes.

Everyone is waking up to the fact that big tech companies have been skimming personal data for years and not saying much about it. And don’t get me wrong, the tech companies deserve all the mistrust and scrutiny they’re getting. But I hope they get a second chance with user data, because there’s so much cool stuff they could do with it, especially in the age of AI. I think they might find that many of us would be fine with giving up more of our personal data–if we get more in return.

I think my answer is yes as well. I would love for Apple’s services to be more personalized to me. I just don’t want my data to be used for advertising. The premium price I pay in lieu of ads is for the hardware.

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Kaspersky Lab Jumps on Apple Monopoly Bandwagon

Andrew Orr ·

Kaspersky Lab, a Russian cybersecurity company accused of having ties with the Kremlin, violated App Store rules and had its app removed. Now it says Apple uses its “position as platform owner and supervisor” to give itself special treatment.

From our point of view, Apple appears to be using its position as platform owner and supervisor of the sole channel for delivering apps to users of the platform to dictate terms and prevent other developers from operating on equal terms with it. As a result of the new rules, developers of parental control apps may lose some of their users and experience financial impact.

You can obviously tell I think this is hilarious. To be fair, developers getting sherlocked by Apple is a real thing, but having your app removed because it breaks the rules isn’t getting sherlocked.

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MacBook Pro SSD Upgrade Options More Affordable

Andrew Orr ·

Besides updating its line of iMacs, Apple has quietly made MacBook Pro SSD upgrades more affordable.

2TB and 4TB SSD upgrade options for 13 and 15-inch machines are now more affordable, with Apple dropping prices as much as $400. Upgrading to 2TB of storage on the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models is now $200 cheaper, while upgrading to 4TB on the 15-inch MacBook Pro is $400 cheaper.

With This App You’ll Be Journaling Like a Stoic
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With This App You'll Be Journaling Like a Stoic

Andrew Orr ·

I’ve been interested in applying Stoic philosophy to my life for a while, although I haven’t quite taken the plunge yet. That’s why this app caught my eye. This Stoic journaling app gives you daily journaling, meditations, reflection, and mood tracking. It sets you up with morning and evening routines. Prepare in the morning, so that nothing can surprise you during the day; and reflect on your actions in the evening, get better every day, and iterate faster. You’ll learn reflective exercises like negative visualization: Discover how many things you have in your life that you should be grateful for. Things you take for granted. achievements that you forgot a long time ago. You are luckier and more privileged than you think. Quotes from philosophers are available, and see how your journal entries and mood change over time. App Store: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)

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GarageBand And The Musicians Who Use It

Andrew Orr ·

This year is GarageBand’s 15th birthday, and Rolling Stone wrote a great article on how it changed how musicians created their art.

In the first media visit Apple has ever allowed to its under-the-radar Music Apps studio, the team of engineers showed Rolling Stone how the creation process for Garageband’s two types of sounds — synthetic and “real” — can span weeks or sometimes months per instrument, with new hurdles at every turn.