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Monthly Archives: December 2019
MacOS Catalina System Issues — I’m Not Upgrading Anytime Soon →
This round-up by Michael J. Tsai shows what a cluster fuck Catalina was and continues to be. I was going to update over Christmas but I’m probably going to hold out until March or longer — at this point in time there is zero benefit for me to upgrade and a lot of incentive not to (I still run a few 32-bit apps with no replacements). I’m also terrified of the new Music app replacing iTunes.
I Switched to ExpressVPN →
So after the recent acquisition of Private Internet Access, which I used for these past few years, I decided to switch providers. After weeks of wondering which one to choose, I settled on ExpressVPN — it seems to have the best balance of features that suit my needs.
I am not endorsing ExpressVPN at this point — it’s much too early for that — but they seem to be a solid company with proper care for our privacy. If you’d like to try them out, and use this link, you’ll get 30 days free.
Study Claims Features Like Night Shift and Dark Mode Might Actually Be Worse for Your Sleep →
Chance Miller:
Several years ago, Apple introduced its adaptive color temperature feature “Night Shift,” while iOS 13 includes system-wide Dark Mode.
These features are designed to change the temperature and color of your display based on what time of day it is. New research suggests, however, that features designed to reduce blue light before bedtime might not be as effective as initially thought.
I never accepted what F.lux did on Mac before Night Shift was conceived and I haven’t used the latter since it was introduced. I also have no trouble falling asleep, even while holding my iPad and reading. I do like Dark Mode though — it’s so much easier on the eyes.
Earthquake in Florence, Italy →
Reuters:
An earthquake hit north of Florence on Monday morning and led to trains across the country being canceled or severely delayed, including those on the national high speed line.
The tremor hit Italy’s central Apennine mountains at 3.30 a.m. (0230 GMT) with a magnitude of 4.8, the U.S Geological Survey said. There are no reports of casualties, the fire brigade said.
It woke me up and I sleep as hard as a rock. When my wife asked me what’s happening, I said that it’s either an earthquake, or our apartment building is collapsing, after which I rolled over on my other side and went back to sleep (it’s not as if there was anything I could do). Luckily, our building didn’t collapse and there don’t seem to be any damages to anything in the city itself.
Update
My wife just told me it wasn’t the earthquake that woke me but her, since I was snoring and she wanted me to turn over. And that was when the earthquake hit. Possible and maybe even probable but I’m sticking with my version.
Shot with iPhone 11 Pro @ 26 mm: f/1.8, 1/4464s, ISO 32.
Introducing the New Microsoft Edge →
Yusuf Mehdi:
The release candidate of the new Microsoft Edge for Windows and macOS can be downloaded right now with general availability targeting Jan. 15 in more than 90 languages. Microsoft Edge runs on the same Chromium web engine as Google’s Chrome browser, offering you best in class web compatibility and performance […]
We believe you should know who has access to your data and have the control to choose what you share. Microsoft Edge starts with tracking prevention on by default, so you don’t have to take any actions to immediately start having a more private browsing experience. With SmartScreen and Tracking prevention, we help protect you from phishing schemes, malicious software and new types of malware like cryptojacking.
I wish they’d chosen WebKit instead but at least Edge should be a decent alternative for people who need to use Google’s cursed Chrome.
Sony Overtakes Canon and Nikon to Lead the Full-Frame Camera Market in Japan →
Brittany Hillen, on DPReview:
Sony has overtaken Canon and Nikon to claim the top slot for full-frame camera market share in Japan, according to BCN Ranking. Sony showed growth in the overall full-frame, APS-C and fixed-lens digital camera categories from November 2018 to October 2019, as well.
Ultimately, Sony saw its total full-frame camera market share in Japan increase from 31.6% to 38%, while Canon was bumped down to second place at 36% market share compared to last year’s 37.8%. Nikon came in at 24% of the full-frame market, a decrease from last year’s 29.1%.
Quite frankly, I’m not surprised. Both Nikon and Canon have been resting on their laurels for a decade or so now, not innovating at all. Fuji and Sony are the only two “mainstream” brands that are actually trying something different and unique.
Epic Apple Debugging Story →
Cameron Esfahani on Twitter:
My first full time job at Apple was working on QuickDraw. The team was very small: the manager and one other engineer. Right before I started, Apple shipped the first PPC Macs. The QD team had done a lot of work for that so they took long, deserved, multi week vacations.
Read the whole thread.
(It would be so much better if these kinds of stories were posted to blogs, not Twitter.)