The iPad Pro and Apple Pencil make for a great note taking combo, and MyScript Nebo lets you amp that up with built-in handwriting recognition. Nebo converts what you write into editable text, lets you add formatting, turns your drawings into editable graphics, exports to Microsoft Word or any app that supports text editing, and more. It’s one of our favorite note taking apps, and you can get it for free instead of the usual US$8.99. MyScript says the price drop is temporary, so be sure to grab your copy right away.

Remember the first iPod? It was a thing. It held 5GB of music and was the size of a deck of playing cards. And there was no iTunes Store. The music industry was angry at Apple, worried that Steve Jobs wanted everyone to pirate CDs so he could sell us hardware. It was a whole big thing, but journalist Nobuyuki Hayashi reminded us of a tidbit I’d completely forgotten about. Apple sent out iPods to many journalists. Those iPods had music on them—20 albums worth chosen specifically and deliberately by Steve Jobs and the iPod team. And in an effort to show the music industry Apple was their ally, each of those iPods came with those 20 albums on CD. Mr. Hayashi recently found his bundle of CDs. He wrote an interesting post about it, including a list of all 20 albums. Spoiler, there’s a Dylan album, two Beatles albums, Nirvana, Bob Marley, Yo-Yo Ma, the Dave Brubek Quartet, a soundtrack, and more. It’s a fun snapshot look at an age that was radically different than the one we take for granted today.

OMG…gasp…can’t stop…gasp…omg…the laughter…

I SORRY ABOUT DDDoSS THE INTERNAT I KEPT PUSH REFRESH BCAUSE I THOUGT I’M WOULD GET REFRESHMENTS I SORRY DONT WIKILEAK ME

— birdsrightsactivist (@ProBirdRights) October 21, 2016

Whoa, check this out: scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee have discovered a way to turn CO₂ into ethanol. This could have huge implications for the fight against anthropogenic global warming, not to mention the entire energy sector. Mind you, this is a new discovery and it’s still in the lab, but if we can capture CO₂ and convert it into a fuel, it could be a game changer. The video below talks about how the method was discovered, as well as some of its practical applications. In a world where a steady deluge of depressing news has become the new norm, this is a delightful breath of kick-butt. Popular Mechanics has an article on the subject, too.

Google is adding U.S. ballot information to search results in the run up to the presidential election in November. It starts with the ability to search for “who’s on my ballot” in the main Google search engine. Users who do so will be asked to provide the street address where they’ll be voting (i.e. it will be added to Google’s profile on you if that was somehow missing). Google Maps users will be prompted to use their Home address. You’ll then be given all the candidates on your ballot, as well as quick access to information on how to vote in your state and where to vote in your district. In my opinion Google is performing a huge service to the country with this feature. Watch the video for more information.

Facebook just made it easier to watch videos wherever you want by adding support for streaming to Apple TV. The change means you can use AirPlay to watch Facebook videos on your television while continuing to scroll through posts in the Facebook iOS app, or on the Facebook website. Video comments will show up on your TV, too, which means you can keep on top of what everyone is thinks during the next Presidential debate—assuming you’re into streaming that from Facebook. You’ll need to download the latest Facebook app update on your iPhone or iPad to stream videos to your Apple TV.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on December 16th, but we don’t have to wait until then to see a little more of what’s in store. Disney released a new trailer for the movie on Thursday that reveals a little of Jyn Erso’s background and taunts us a glimpse of epic space battles with X-wings and TIE fighters. We also get another Darth Vader tease, and there’s plenty more to get excited about, too. Based on the trailers we’ve seen so far, Rogue One is shaping up to be an awesome prequel to the original Star Wars movie.

After I posted the SHAPES Kickstarter on Wednesday, Father Gabriel Mosher tweeted me another cool cable organizer called Cloop XL. This is a different approach for cable management in that it’s a rubber strap with neodymium magnets that snap together and stay there. This particular Kickstarter is for a new, larger version called Cloop XL. It’s 115mm (4.6-inches) long, and can hold sturdier cables. This project has already raised $66,000, well over its $10,000 goal. Funding options that get you three or more Cloops, including a Cloop XP, start at $11 as of this writing, but you only have today to participate. There’s a ton of information there, too.

Check out SHAPES on Kickstarter. I’ve seen a lot of cable organizers and tamers and whatnot cross my desk. Most of them are quite clever and useful, but they tend to rely on me putting the end of a cable onto a magnetic base when I’m done with it. There’s a Kickstarter project called SHAPES that takes a different approach. Rather than being a catch-all for multiple cables, SHAPES is more of a holder for one cable, as shown in the video below. Each sphere or pyramid (I prefer the spheres, FWIW) holds one cable in place while allowing it to slide about when you’re using it. The company is trying to raise $20,000 with 28 days to go.

Check out the GeeFi on Kickstarter. It’s a mobile hotspot its makers say provides unlimited 4G data in 100-plus countries. It will support up to 10 devices at a time, and it does this without you having to change out SIM cards are worry about local contracts. When the device is turned on, it displays a local wireless network with a password. Plug that into your laptop, smartphone, or tablet, and you’re good to go. They also say it provides 150 megabits down and 50 megabits up—for $10 per day. The data plan is separate from the cost of the device. Funding options that get a GeeFi currently start at $120. They’ve already raised $141,000 dollars out of a $20,000 goal, with two weeks to go.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geefi/geefi-unlimited-4g-wi-fi-everywhere-you-travel

Today Phish released “Big Boat,” their 13th studio album, and it turns out one of the songs was recorded entirely on keyboardist Page McConnell’s iPhone. From Alan Paul, writing for the Wall Street Journal:

[Producer], Bob Ezrin gave the band members specific instructions: Learn and play 10 folk songs, then start writing, beginning with a folk song. Mr. McConnell’s effort, “Things People Do,” not only made the final cut, but the version included is his demo. Phish made multiple versions of the song before agreeing that nothing topped the original low-fi version, recorded on Mr. McConnell’s iPhone, sitting atop a Wurlitzer piano in his living room.

You can listen to “Big Boat” and, more specifically, “Things People Do” on Apple Music, of course.

OK, we don’t have flying cars yet, but jetpacks seem to be closer than ever. Check out this video from JetPack Aviation showing CEO and Chief Test Pilot David Mayman testing out the company’s JB10 jetpack. The flight took place on October 1st in Monaco. Come on, how cool is that? The firm said it was filmed on an iPhone 6s, too.[Via Digg]

I stumbled on this awesome little project on Instagram from @Instructions (via IG’s “Videos You Might Like” feature). It’s a do-it-yourself charging holder for your iPhone made from stuff most of us have lying around. Pretty clever, I think. I’d love to hear from anyone who makes it themselves.

Cool? ☺️More DIY ➡️ @instructions Via: We Are X #love #instagood #me #smile #follow #cute #photooftheday #tbt #followme#girl #beautiful #happy #picoftheday#instadaily #food #swag #amazing | © All credits correspond to photographer/designer/owner/creator |

A video posted by Instructions (@instructions) on Oct 1, 2016 at 4:48am PDT

Writing for Fortune, Polina Marinova has gathered up confessions from venture capitalists who passed on companies that would become massive successes. It’s a fun read (via The Loop), but it’s also interesting. Included are comments about Apple. BVP partner Neill Brownstein called the company “outrageously expensive” before Apple went on to what was then the largest IPO in almost three decades. Another VC at BVP passed on Ebay, saying, “Stamps? Coins? Comic books? You’ve GOT to be kidding.” And yet another to Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin: “Kid, haven’t you heard of Friendster? Move on. It’s over!” Check out the full piece, because there are lots more.

Feral Interactive announced pricing for ROME: Total War Thursday. The popular PC and Mac real-time combat and turn-based economy and politics game is scheduled for an “autumn” release. It requires iPad Air or newer or iPad mini 2 or newer. It’s been rebuilt for iOS, including developing gesture-based controls to replace the mouse-driven controls of its desktop beginnings. Between Civ VI for Mac and ROME: TW on iPad, I’m going to have very little free-time. In any event, it’s going to be $9.99 on iPad, and I can’t wait to see how it plays.

iOS 10’s Photos app automatically groups together related images for you, and they’re easy to see with a simple gesture. Follow along with The Mac Observer’s video tip to learn how.

Good news for Mac gamers: Feral Interactive announced the release of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II for Mac and Linux. This real-time strategy powerhouse is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe (obviously), where you are a Force Commander of the Blood Ravens Chapter defending the Imperium of Man. This game has very high system requirements—Feral Interactive specifies a number of video cards that aren’t supported. Make sure your Mac can cut it before buying this game. It looks very fun, and was a big success on the PC. The video included below shows off some game-play. There’s a theatrical trailer on the game’s site, too. It’s available on the Mac App Store, Steam, and directly from Feral. It’s $19.99.

ZOMG ZOMG ZOMG FANBOY SWOON! Apple announced A Game of Thrones: Enhanced Edition on Thursday—an iBooks exclusive. The new version of the massively popular (and utterly brilliant) book includes new artwork, a glossary, more information about the houses, and more. The entire A Song of Ice and Fire series is getting these Enhanced Editions, but A Game of Thrones: Enhanced Edition is available now for $8.99. You can preorder the others for $11.99. Apple has a video on the iBooks landing page for these new versions. It includes comments from George R.R. Martin about the series, as well as a great look at some of the new artwork. This is a huge score for Apple’s iBooks.

The good folks at MyMac were kind enough to put my through one of their Spotlight interviews. They asked me 7 questions and I gave them mostly meandering, far-flung answers that explored life, the universe, and everything. There’s some what-makes-Bryan-tick stuff in it. If you’re into that sort of thing. I don’t advise it. Thanks to Tim Robertson and MyMac for putting me in the Spotlight!

iOS 10 lets third party apps link into Maps, which means you can find where you want to go and request an Uber, decide where to eat and make a dinner reservation, and more. Follow along to learn how to use extensions in Maps with TMO’s video tip.

Have you heard of A-Shirt? They produce Apple-inspired T-shirts for fans of the company. They work on a subscription model where you get a new shirt every two months. The shirts are designed by designers all over the world. In the image I included, the white T-shirt with the drawings of the Two Steves is the current shirt being offered. Each shirt is a one-time production, and once they’re shipped, they’re gone. A-shirt even destroys the printing framed. The company also offers members a lot of content about how each shirt is created, the dyes used, the material, etc. You can sign up to get your first shirt for $25, with subsequent shirts at $50. If you commit to longer terms, the price-per-month decreases.

iOS 10 lets you set who gets receipts on a case-by-case basis for the chats you read in Messages. It’s easy to set up once you know where to look. Follow along with The Mac Observer’s video tip to learn how.

Who says the U.S. Patent system needs an overhaul? Companies like Apple patent everything they can. It’s not only a smart strategy, it’s a necessary strategy within the legal framework and patent structure we have today. With that in mind, I present to you patent application 20160264304, for a patent called “Bag.” The abstract described the patent as, “A paper bag is disclosed. The paper bag may include a bag container formed of white solid bleached sulfate paper with at least 60% post-consumer content.” OK, I see your lols bubbling forth, and I’m with you. But, the patent appears to focus on innovations in the way the handles are attached to “Bag.” The patent hasn’t yet been granted. The application was sent to our own Dave Hamilton by a Mac Geek Gab listener.