UK Citizens May Soon Need Licenses to Photograph Stuff They Already Own →

December 14, 2015 · 11:46

Glyn Moody:

Changes to UK copyright law will soon mean that you may need to take out a licence to photograph classic designer objects even if you own them. That’s the result of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, which extends the copyright of artistic objects like designer chairs from 25 years after they were first marketed to 70 years after the creator’s death. In most cases, that will be well over a hundred years after the object was designed. During that period, taking a photo of the item will often require a licence from the copyright owner regardless of who owns the particular object in question.

UK laws are becoming so absurd, that they keep on reminding me to re-watch ‘V for Vendetta’.

Hotels, Drugs, and Convertibles: How I Lived Like a King
for a Month in Venezuela for Just $115 →

December 14, 2015 · 11:00

Diego Urdaneta:

What I do want to do here, however, is help my country’s tourism industry by demonstrating that you can live like a king for an entire month in Venezuela with just one €100 bank note (about $115) thanks to these strange and confusing economic controls. If you’re a local earning local money, life is tough—very basic supplies like toilet paper are in extraordinarily short supply and you’ll have to wait in line for hours just to get your hands on them. If you’re a tourist bringing over foreign currency, on the other hand, the country is your oyster.

I didn’t know it was this bad.

Oh, and Diego picked a really beautiful car to rent.

iFixit’s Smart Battery Case Teardown →

December 12, 2015 · 23:15

iFixit:

In one of the least Apple-y moves in history, Apple released the Smart Battery Case, and it’s ugly. Rumors about this unexpected accessory are flying thick and fast, let’s open this pack up to see how it works.

Great shots as usual, a lot of interesting information, and one interesting tidbit:

With 7.13 Whr (1877 mAh at 3.8 V) capacity, this battery more than doubles your iPhone 6s (6.55 Whr) capacity.

Tips for Screencasting From Brett Terpstra →

December 12, 2015 · 23:12

Brett Terpstra:

I’ve answered some questions about my own experience with creating screencasts recently. I’m not by any means the most prolific screencaster in the community, but I learned a lot creating 60 Tips with David Sparks for the iBookstore, and creating my own screencasts for Marked 2 and my blog. It seemed like the kind of info that might be of use to the world.

Many of these tips focus on my tool of choice, ScreenFlow. I’m currently using ScreenFlow 5.0.3, but a lot of these concepts can be easily ported to other applications with minor technical adjustments. There are a lot of options, from QuickTime Player to Camtasia (and many inexpensive options on the Mac App Store), but ScreenFlow’s editing capabilities are top notch and perfect for anyone doing more than just a quick screen share.

So simple. So helpful.

Why 2Do Is Federico Viticci’s New Favorite iOS Task Manager →

December 11, 2015 · 09:38

Federico Viticci:

2Do is easily the most customizable task manager for iOS. It’s a powerful app with dozens of options, and, at least initially, a steep learning curve. This article doesn’t want to be a guide to 2Do, or even a full review. Instead, I wanted to collect the features and details that have convinced me 2Do for iOS is the app for me. I’ve been using 2Do for months and I’m still discovering new aspects of it every day – I can only hope to explain how I use 2Do, not everything it has to offer.

2Do for both iOS and Mac is still on sale. Grab it after reading Federico’s short pout on the subject. Or just go grab it — it has to be at least half decent since he wrote about it at length.

★ 2Do – iOS – Productivity – €14.99 > €7.99 →
★ 2Do – Mac – Productivity – €49.99 > €24.99 →

Dear Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, and Apple — Please Start Selling the iPad Pro Smart Keyboard in Poland

December 11, 2015 · 03:29

Dear Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, and Apple,

I have an iPad Pro, which I bought the day after I first saw it. I have an Apple Pencil, which I acquired by pure luck, and another one on order from the Apple Online Store — two weeks to go still, should get here around Christmas time. But no Smart Keyboard. It’s not available for sale, and at this point, I’d go for the US version, weird Return key and all. There are none even on our local eBay, and flying to the USA to try and buy one seems a bit absurd.

Please make this happen ASAP. I need to get myself something for Christmas.

Sincerely,

Wojtek

Update

image

Thank you!! Won’t be here for Christmas, but at least I’ll have it in time for my birthday!

Best of 2015 for Mac

December 10, 2015 · 14:37

Apart from the best apps and games for every platform, Apple also published a list of the runner-up apps and games of the year. The list contains a few excellent pieces of software, some of which I use, including Fantastical, Reeder 3, Ulysses, and many others.

Continue reading →

Peter Kafka on Why Apple Walked Away From TV →

December 10, 2015 · 09:40

Peter Kafka:

Industry executives say Apple has spent much of 2015 pushing for a “skinny” bundle of TV channels — limited to perhaps a dozen core networks — delivered over the Web, which would retail for no more than $30.
So while the price of the individual channels that Apple wants to package has been an issue, it’s the composition of the package itself — which channels go in, and which don’t make the cut — that is just as important to both Apple and the programmers, according to sources.

If Apple gets its way, it means the traditional pay TV package, which averages around 100 channels, will get shrunk by nearly 80 percent. And while TV executives will say that they understand that consumers don’t want to pay for channels they don’t watch, all of them will argue that their channels are must-haves.

Emphasis mine, which ultimately highlights the problem.

My wife and I have been cable/satellite free for over three years now, relying only on our Apple TV and PS4 to watch movies or TV shows. Basically what we want is either individual apps for the channels we are willing to watch1 or a subscription for a package, but it was to be worthwhile and not bunch of crap we won’t ever turn on.

  1. We’ll pay for them individually if need be. ↩

Lauren Juliff’s Summary of This Year’s Travels →

December 10, 2015 · 09:26

Lauren Juliff:

Over the past 12 months, I travelled across eighteen countries; seven of them new. I spent time in 62 cities and slept in 35 beds. I took 15 flights and travelled 24,613 miles. I spent $20,417.83.

You could say it’s been the best year of my life; I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have received so many amazing opportunities. I wrote a book! It sold out its first print run in three months! The vast majority of the reviews have been positive! I’m a published author and it still feels incredible. This year, I lived in Spain for several months. I ran my first 5k race. I visited the Baltics, a brand new region of Europe for me. I explored Cornwall and saw for myself that there’s more to England than my London bubble. I stayed in an Italian village with a permanent population of two. I took a ferry to Finland on a whim. I spent several nights floating on a river in the jungles of Cambodia. I ate everything in Taiwan. And Vietnam. And Spain. And Italy.

And at the same time, I can’t deny this year has included some of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced. Mental breakdowns. Panic attacks. Self-doubt. Cancelled trips. Bedbugs. Allergic reactions. Letting down friends. Losing my passport. Forgetting to apply for visas. I started the year in one of the darkest periods of my life, but end it at one of my strongest. Those terrible experiences were necessary for me to reassess my life and make the changes I’d been putting off for a while.

If you’re into traveling, or just want to read about someone who is, give Lauren’s blog a shot. She has the most insane adventures.

Even though her 2015 wasn’t quite as crazy as the previous escapades, it was pretty good. You can read about her earlier and more insane travels in her book [iBooks]. I wrote a little about it here.

Porsche Boxster and Cayman to Be Renamed to ‘718’ →

December 10, 2015 · 09:00

Steven J. Ewing:

Officially, the cars will be called 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, and Porsche says the two models “will share more similarities than ever before,” both visually and mechanically. What’s more, Porsche confirms the 718 Boxster will carry a higher price tag than the 718 Cayman, which is a switch from the company’s current pricing strategy – right now, a base Cayman costs $500 more than a standard Boxster.

Finally — I never fancied the ‘Boxster’ and ‘Cayman’ names. Wonder if the engines will be any good.

Walmart Pay — Easy and Intuitive →

December 10, 2015 · 07:37

Chance Miller:

To use Walmart Pay, you have to be in a Walmart checkout lane. Then, open up the Walmart app on your phone, choose the Walmart Pay option, scan then QR code displayed on the checkout terminal, and wait for the employee to finish scanning your items.

I wonder if the people who create (or tell others to create it for them) such products ever try to use what they’re competing against — Apple Pay in this case.

Apple TV Subscription Service Put on Hold →

December 9, 2015 · 08:49

Matt Weinberger:

Moonves said that Apple and CBS were close to settling on a price point of between $30 and $40 per month for these bundles — Moonves specifically mentioned the price point of $35 multiple times — before Apple decided to pause and reconsider.

I’m really hoping this is something which will be worth it, available worldwide, and that Apple holding off today will allow them to create a superior product in the future.

Apple’s Secrets Revealed →

December 9, 2015 · 08:13

Yoni Heisler:

One of the more interesting aspects of Apple’s legal battle with Samsung is that it gave us an unprecedented look behind the veil of secrecy that typically shrouds all aspects of Apple’s product development and day-to-day operations. Over the course of discovery, innumerable court filings, and a fascinating trial, the inner workings of Apple were brought to the forefront for the first time in history. From photographs of iPhone prototypes to how Apple conducts market research, Apple’s legal battles with Samsung provided tech enthusiasts with a treasure trove of previously top-secret information.

I found the details of how the iPhone came to be most fascinating. The early iPhone prototype pictures can be quite shocking too.

Mossberg: Google Should Build Hardware — but Not Like This →

December 8, 2015 · 23:09

Walt Mossberg:

But the worst part about this device, which starts at $499 for the tablet alone, is that Google has made no discernible effort to create software to match the screen real estate afforded by the first tablet it has designed and built itself. It has forfeited the big advantage its rival Apple has traded on for decades: the ability to blend your own hardware and software to provide a superior user experience.

I was curious what they came up with. I’m not any more.

iPhone 6C and Apple Watch 2 Rumoured to Be Shown During March 2016 Event →

December 8, 2015 · 22:24

Mark Gurman:

Apple is currently planning a March 2016 event to unveil the second-generation Apple Watch, according to sources with knowledge of the plans. The second version of the Apple Watch would then ship by April, nearly a year after the original model first went on sale. Apple has also been working on a new “iPhone 6c” with a 4-inch display, which also could appear at this event, according to the sources…

Normally I would call ‘bollocks’, but Mark has had an exciting track record last year.