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The Simply-Cannot-Afford Edition Sunday, March 8, 2020

The Coronavirus Is Wiping Out Tech Conferences, And That's Not All Bad, by Mark Sullivan, Fast Company

Still, for all the benefits of spending a few days soaking up information and inspiration in person, the cancellation of in-person big tech events in favor of online replacements might make the events more inclusive. There are developers across the U.S. and around the world who get shut out when the conferences get sold out. Even more of them simply can’t afford the admission fee (last year’s WWDC was $1599) and travel expenses required to spend time in the Bay Area or Seattle.

Apple uses a lottery system to pick registered developers at random, who then get the opportunity to buy a ticket for the event. “Not having a set of 5,000 people who paid to be there, and potentially millions of other people who don’t get access to things exclusive to those attending, such as labs and all of the networking, but instead having everyone on the same level can be a good thing,” says iOS developer Rambo.

Stuff

6 Important Apps Developed By Women You Probably Didn't Know About, by Shomik Sen Bhattacharjee, Mashable

It is worth noting that the vast majority of app developers are male. This has nothing to do with ability or talent.

Luckily, those who do understand the importance of bringing together women and technology are working to change that. My point is that we don't celebrate app developers enough and International Womens Day gives us a chance to recognize women in tech who've been the force behind a number of interesting apps on the App Store.

No we aren't just talking about a regular listicle with a bunch of interesting apps but also a dive into the struggles these women have endured to realise these apps.

Apple Music & Lady Gaga Team Up To Celebrate International Women's Day, by Mitchell Peters, Billboard

As the music streaming service's new Artist in Residence, Gaga has curated an exclusive playlist, titled Women of Choice, featuring her new single "Stupid Love," along with music by St. Vincent, Rosalia, Grimes, Charli XCX and HAIM, among others.

Here's What Happens When You Set Your HomeKit Router's Highest Security Settings, by Christopher Close, iMore

How did it turn out? Surprisingly well, as I thankfully didn't have to remove or reset any accessories, and everything in my home works pretty much the same as before. However, since everything still works like it always has, it was a little hard to truly know whether or not things had actually changed behind the scenes. It wasn't until a few days later when I reviewed the activity data provided through the eero Secure service, that I could truly say that it made a difference.

Solitaire, Scrabble Among Classic Casual Games Rebooted For On-the-go Playing, by Marc Saltzman, USA Today

Classics such as these are not only available today, but also are playable on the one device you always have with you: your smartphone or tablet. And many are free.

Develop

Your Colleagues Don’t Read Anything You Write. Here Are 8 Ways To Change That., by Aaron Orendorff, New York Times

The real pain of writing at work only to have our words disappear into the ether — the wasteland of no response — is more than feeling small and disrespected; it’s the professional consequences that compound them.

“Ambiguity is a symptom of immediacy,” Ann Handley, the author of “Everybody Writes,” said. “We dash off emails, Slack messages, texts, or quick-hit memos with neither forethought nor clear intention.”

Beneath these brutal realities, getting busy co-workers and bosses to take action means changing eight things about the way we communicate.

Notes

Bottom of the Page

I was not amazed by the first story in Apple's Amazing Stories.

In fact, if this story is part of the original 1980s run of Amazing Stories, when I was still a easily-impressed young teenager who hasn't seem too many time-traveling stories, I may still not be amazed then.

~

Thanks for reading.