So Apple giveth and Apple taketh away. But why? I’ve reached out to Apple itself, and haven’t received a response. The weirdest aspect of this episode is that I can hook up every other Bluetooth mouse I have on hand with the iPad and they’ll work fine—and that includes the first-generation Magic Mouse.
This probably isn’t because of a simple bug. After all, Magic Mouse 2 support on the iPad had never worked the way you might expect. Instead of simply pairing the device through Bluetooth as you would through any other mouse, you have to take an unintuitive trip into the Switch Control panel under Accessibility and hook it up through Switches. It was always weird—and a sign that Apple likely never intended us to use the Magic Mouse 2 with the iPad in the first place. As much as I hate to admit it, the Switch Control backdoor might have been something that slipped under Apple’s radar.
The market drove all non-Apple phone makers to USB-C and that same market is pushing Apple to follow suit. Lightning used to be a differentiator because it was better than micro-USB, but in 2020 it’s hard to argue anything besides “momentum” that makes it more of a feature than a burden.
March 8 marks International Women’s Day 2020, and Apple is supporting the visibility and achievements of women with special Today at Apple sessions held in select Apple Stores throughout the world. From March 1–31, you can join inspiring female creators in the “She Creates” series to learn a new skill and gain a new perspective.
Apple has made two incredibly thorough white papers available today covering the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR. These “Technology Overview” documents highlight the inner workings of both of Apple’s newest pro-grade pieces of hardware.
Apple’s Health app works well enough that a third-party step tracker isn’t a necessity, but there are some good ones out there that enhance your user experience in various ways. Here are two of my favorites: ActivityTracker Pedometer and Pedometer++.
As Ron Friedman writes in his 2014 book The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace, there are trade-offs to everything: “Cubicles are depressing. Private offices are isolating. Open spaces are distracting.” But maybe it’s time to reimagine a world where the office was just the office—a place you could actually get work done, and then eventually leave.
As of Monday, 29 of 42 Apple stores in the country are opening, according to a review of the company’s retail websites. Most of these locations are still operating on shortened hours. Some outlets will be open for fewer than 8 hours. That compares with a typical 12-hour day, depending on location.
Apple could be forced to disclose details of censorship requests from China and other nations after two major shareholder groups backed a proposal that would force the tech firm to make new human rights commitments.
The motion, set to be voted on by the company’s investors on Wednesday, was prompted by numerous allegations of Apple kowtowing to Beijing and blocking apps from being used by Chinese customers.
Apple and TikTok each have declined a request to testify at a March congressional hearing that would have probed their relationships with China, a move that threatens to ratchet up tensions with federal lawmakers who see Beijing as a privacy and security threat.
I keep pushing things to my post-retirement to-do list, and my will is lacking in moving them to the do-it-now to-do list. Maybe I do need a shock.
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Thanks for reading.