The cost for a Lightning to USB-C cable to connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your new Mac isn’t as expensive as it used to be. Last month, the cable cost $25, and now it’s $19. That’s great because it seems like a cable should’ve included. If we take a big logic leap, maybe it’s also a hint that Apple is dropping USB A from more Mac models soon.
Samsung Thinks Galaxy S9 Is at Least Better than iPhone 6
Check it out. Samsung is positioning its two-month old flagship Galaxy S9 against an iPhone. And when I say “iPhone,” I mean iPhone 6 [via MacRumors]. The ad appears to be a pitch to owners of old iPhones, but it feels more like a Freudian slip to me. “This,” Samsung appears to believe, “is all we can do.” Even if the psychology behind the ad isn’t as twisted and warped as my Samsung-loathing mind wants it to be, comparing a brand new flagship device to a three-and-a-half year old competitor is terrible, awful, absurd positioning. Perhaps that’s part of why iPhone 7 is still selling as well as the Galaxy S9, let alone the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X, all of which handily outsell the Samsung device. Anyhoo, you can watch it and judge for yourself.
Yanny or Laurel? How About Either with this Online Tool
Not to be left out of the mem fun, the New York Times made a tool that lets you hear Yanny or Laurel. Just slide to the right to hear “Yanny,” and to the left for “Laurel.” It’s interesting to hear how the sound changes as you cut out the higher or lower frequencies. The “Yanny” in the NYT tool sounds more like “Hugh-We” to me. Regardless, it sounds less and less like “Laurel” as you slide farther to the right.
Deadpool Takes Over Stephen Colbert's Monologue
It’s Friday, so that can mean only one thing: Deadpool 2 opens in theaters today. To celebrate—and shamelessly promote—the premiere, Deadpool himself paid a visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and took over the opening monologue. Turns out Deadpool can hold his own against a late night talk show host. Makes sense considering he’s a superhero.
Headed to WWDC? Get Your Tickets for the App Camp for Girls Fundraiser Concert
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference is just a couple weeks away, and that means the James Dempsey and the Breakpoints concert to raise funds for App Camp for Girls is about to happen. The concert coincides with WWDC every year and is the biggest fund raising event for the coding camp. It’s loads of fun so get your tickets right away before they’re sold out.
StopTheMadness Safari Extension Keeps Websites from Blocking Mac Services
Do you have it when a website’s form blocks Safari’s autocomplete or autofill? Or sites that block control-click access to ordinary Mac services? Or—and why for the love of anything remotely holy or sane—copy/paste? Why on earth do you think it’s OK to stop me from copy/pasting? Like, when you use 1Password to make a 24 character password, but the site won’t let you paste it in for the confirmation field? I saw that one yesterday and about blew a gasket! ::pounds desk in righteous fury:: OK, I’m taking a deep breath, because developer Jeff Johnson has solved this with a Safari Extension called StopTheMadness [via Daring Fireball]. It re-enables all the normal Mac services in Safari, and you control which services you want on a site-by-site-basis if you wish. It’s $5 on the Mac App Store. I bought it immediately.
Here's an Easy Way to Check Website Cookies for GDPR Compliance
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, goes into effect on May 25th, 2018, and it can impact websites that aren’t hosted in member states. If you want to see if the cookies on your website are GDPR-complaint, Cookiebot is a great place to start. You’ll get a quick audit of site cookies in a PDF showing how compliant—or not—they are. It’s free to try, and offers a little insight into how GDPR impacts websites.
Tweetbot 3 for the Mac Launches with Dark Mode, More
Tweetbot 3 for the Mac is out, and it’s loaded with a bunch of new features. The Twitter client has improved timeline management, autoplay (or not) for videos and GIFs, drag-and-drop column organizing, quicker access to DM chats, a dark mode, and more. Tweetbot 3 is priced at US$9.99 and is available at Apple’s Mac App Store.
Apple's Helpful Video on Using 2FA for Apple Devices
Check out this Apple video on using 2FA to secure your Apple devices. I won’t pass up an opportunity to promote device and service security. For instance—and while I’m here—DON’T REUSE PASSWORDS! So, anyway, Apple has this short (only 6 seconds) how-to video that gives you the quick run-down on using 2FA to protect your Apple ID. Really, it’s a pointer to a more in-depth piece on using 2FA, and that article has a lot of good information. TMO has some great articles on 2FA, too, and too, and too, and too. Many of our readers already know this stuff, but we all have friends and family who don’t. Pass it to them. Post a link in social media. Help the people who count on you for tech stuff learn more about protecting their digital #^%$!
Keep your personal information secure, even in your sleep. With two-factor authentication, you can protect your Apple ID with more than just a password.
Here’s how it works: https://t.co/d9RtMwoV1L pic.twitter.com/aXV5g6RjGL
— Apple Support (@AppleSupport) May 14, 2018
Watch Susan Kare Talk about Working on Original Mac Icons and Typography
Check out this wonderful presentation from Susan Kare, a member of the original Mac team who designed the icons and typography for those early Macs. This movie has been around for years, but I just saw it in a piece at Tested about the Command Key icon. That story is part of the presentation and involves Steve Jobs. In fact, it includes all kinds of anecdotes and lore, and if you’re interested in Apple or Apple products, you will enjoy watching this presentation. And the reality is if you use a modern computing device, you owe Susan Kare a debt of gratitude. She’s done a lot of work for many other companies, too, and she touches on that in this preso. It’s great!
Twelve South Intros AirFly Bluetooth to 3.5mm for AirPods
Twelve South is aiming to make your AirPods more versatile with its new AirFly Bluetooth to 3.5 mm adapter. AirFly lets you link your AirPods to wired-only connections, like in-flight entertainment systems on planes, or treadmills at the gym. The battery lasts eight hours between charges, so you can get through more than one movie on a flight. AirFly is priced at US$39.99 and is available at the Twelve South website, Amazon, along with InMotion stores and Best Buy kiosks in airports.
Deadpool Apologizes to David Beckham
Turns out Deadpool felt pretty bad about slamming David Beckham’s voice in the original Deadpool movie. He’s doing his best to make it up to David before Deadpool 2 comes out this weekend, which also makes for a great marketing opportunity. That, and we get to learn what Deadpool really needs to apologize for.
This iPhone Charging Cable Doubles as a Stand
A neat iPhone charging cable doubles as a stand, making it easier to watch movies while you charge your device. I’ve never seen a charging cable like this before. Baseus’s Maruko Video Cable has a plastic casing around the end that extends a short ways down the cable, giving it better stability. It holds up your iPhone in landscape mode, so you can watch movies or play games while you charge. The end of the cable has a round head, so it’s easy to grab and push into your phone. It doesn’t seem like it’s available in a lot of places online. I found it being sold on T Shop International for US$6.
Hodinkee Does the Watch-Lover's Interview with Sir Jony Ive
Check out this great interview with Sir Jony Ive by Hodinkee‘s Benjamin Clymer. It’s essentially the watch-lover’s interview with Jony Ive. Here’s a snippet:
A publicist makes his way toward the rope – yes, it’s velvet – and straightens the post to which it is attached. He looks at it once more, and adjusts it again. It all feels very natural. The elevator bank opens and Jony strides off. He swiftly passes the twice-considered rope and is greeted by the team. I go in for a hearty handshake. But as with each time I converse with this man who has designed much of the world around us, I stumble at his kindness. “So nice to see you, Ben.”
Beautifully written, this interview includes annotations by Mr. Clymer to explain why he asked what he asked. And all of it is a piece by a fine timepiece enthusiast for fine time piece enthusiasts. One of the tidbits I found particularly interesting is that Jony Ive said he never talked about watches with Steve Jobs, and that the Apple Watch was first discussed a few months after his passing. This is a great interview.
Catalyst Waterproof Case for AirPods
Check out Catalyst’s Waterproof Case for AirPods, a protective cover for your AirPods case that is both waterproof (IP67, up to 33 feet) and offers 40 feet of drop protection. The video below shows how that works, and I think it’s pretty cool, especially for active folks. They’re available in multiple colors, including Frost White, Blueridge/Sunset, Slate Gray, Deep Plum, Army Green, and Glow-in-the-Dark. The company announced Tuesday that these cases will be available in Best Buy stores and the BestBuy.com, and you can find them on the Catalyst website, as well as Amazon, and they’re priced at $24.99 at all three locations. [Edit: Dave Hamilton also thought this case was cool, as he wrote about them in January. Check out his personal video in that piece. – Bryan]
The Search for Dark Matter at -2,000 Meters
Dark Matter is believed to account for 80% of the mass of the universe. Whatever it is, it interacts gravitationally with normal matter, but is otherwise very hard to detect. At this underground laboratory, SNOLAB, in Canada, 2,000 meters below sea level (6,800 ft), scientists are searching for neutrinos as well evidence of Dark Matter in our part of the galaxy. Two kilometers of solid rock above protects the lab from all but what they search for. Welcome to their office.
Solo: A Star Wars Story Ticket Presales Start for Star Wars Day
It’s May the 4th, which means today is all about celebrating everything Star Wars. That’s good news if you’re excited about Solo: A Star Wars Story because tickets for the May 25th premiere went on sale today. The movie follows young Han Solo and how he met Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, plus we get to see how to make the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs. You can get your Solo: A Star Wars Story tickets in the Fandango app on your iPhone, or at the Fandango website. And May the 4th be with you.
Standards Manual Brings History of Emoji to Life in New Kickstarter Book
Emoji started with a single heart you could add to the end of a message on pagers, and evolved into a set of 176 icons from NTT DoCoMo. That’s grown to over 2,500 symbols with version for our smartphones and computers, along with a movie that literally no one should ever have to watch. Now there’s a book from Standards Manual exploring DoCoMo’s original emoji and the impact they’ve had around the world. These are the same people that made the amazing NASA and New York City Subway style guides, so this new book should be pretty amazing. It’s a Kickstarter project right now and for US$65 you get the book, and the companion app.
Apple's Advice for AirPort Base Station Replacements
Apple’s AirPort Base Station product line may be dead, but that doesn’t mean Wi-Fi is a thing of the past. To that end, the iPhone and Mac maker has a Knowledge Base article with some tips on features to look for when you’re buying a new Wi-Fi router. It includes suggestions like make sure the router supports 802.11ac and WPA2 Personal encryption. You can check out the article at Apple’s website.
Photolemur's 35 Tips for Stunning Landscape Photos
Photolemur—the photo editing app—has a new blog post called the “35 Composition Tips for Taking Stunning Landscape Photos.” I immediately checked it out because I am almost always highly dissatisfied with my landscape shots. It includes some common ideas such as the rule of thirds, but there was a bunch of stuff that was new to me, and I thought it was a great article. Topics include using lines to draw your attention, how to frame the subject, using people or animals properly, lighting, colors, framing, timing, and a whole lot more. Each tip comes with a representative photo, and they’re all gorgeous. If you want to take better landscapes, this piece is a must-read.
Marvel's Infinity War Plea: No Spoilers!
Avengers: Infinity War is coming this Friday, April 27th. Not everyone will be lucky enough to see the movie on release day, so Marvel has a big request for everyone who does: no spoilers, please. They even made a public service announcement video with actors from the movie with their plea. It includes Robert Downey Jr., Karen Gillan, Chris Pratt, Anthony Mackie, Tom Holland, and more. Get your tickets early so you don’t miss out, and no spoilers!
Apple Watch Deal: Series 1 For Only $149 at Walmart
For a limited time Walmart is having a fantastic Apple Watch deal. It’s selling the Series 1 38mm aluminum model with sport band for US$149. You can pick between the silver model with the white band, and the space gray model with the black band. If the 38mm is too small for you, the 42mm model is also being sold for US$179. The Series 1 Watch has a dual-core CPU, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, heart rate sensor, 8GB storage, accelerometer, and is splash resistant. The OLED screen is 450 nits.
Tim Cook Reminds Us Apple Is Making Earth Day Donations for Recycled Devices
Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted a reminder that his company is making Earth Day donations for every device handed in to the company’s recycle program. Apple announced earlier this week that it would donate to conservation efforts for devices turned in for recycling through April 30th. Earth Day 2018 is Sunday, April 22nd (i.e. this weekend).
In honor of Earth Day, we’re donating to @ConservationOrg for every device we receive from customers this month through our new program, Apple GiveBack 🌏 https://t.co/NmKimtkGpP
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 20, 2018
BBC Just Released 16,016 Sound Effects for Free
If you’re on the hunt for some quality sound effects for you projects, the BBC has your back. The organization has a website where you can download 16,016 of its sound effects ranging from birds chirping to machines and cars, nature sounds, people walking on specific surfaces, and more. You can search for sounds and listen to samples before downloading. They’re all free, but come with a catch: you can use them only for personal, educational, or research purposes. Check them out at the BBC Sound Effects website.