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The Freeze-the-Finder Edition Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Apple Releases macOS Catalina 10.15.5 With Battery Health Management Features, Fix For Finder Freezing, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

Battery Health Management analyzes the battery health of a laptop and its charging pattern, and in some cases, it will preserve battery longevity and health by not charging a MacBook to its full capacity. Keeping a MacBook charged at its full capacity at all times can reduce battery health.

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The ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.5 update also addresses an issue that caused large data transfers to RAID volumes to freeze up the Finder app. With the update, large data transfers will no longer cause Finder to become unresponsive.

Apple Will Reopen Over 100 US Retail Stores This Week, Most With Curbside Or Storefront Service Only, by Michael Steeber, 9to5Mac

Apple plans to reopen many more of its US retail stores this week as some regions continue to see a decline in new COVID-19 infections and relax stay-at-home orders. The third wave of US reopenings begins tomorrow, with most locations offering curbside or storefront service only.

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While individual US state guidance varies, you can generally expect to be required to wear a mask and pass a temperature check to enter an Apple Store for the foreseeable future. The ability to browse is limited, with Apple emphasizing online sales and in-store support.

Apple Fixes Bug That Stopped iOS Apps From Opening, by Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

Following this issue, users on Sunday said they were seeing dozens of pending app updates for their iOS devices, some of which even went back to the app’s last update from well over a week ago. Users reported in forums seeing as many as 10, 20, 50 or even 100-plus new updates to install. This indicated a fix was in the works, as these were not brand-new updates — the apps were already up to date. Instead, these reissued updates seem to have been part of the fix for the Family Sharing problem, as afterward the bug was resolved.

Apple confirmed the issue has been now resolved for all affected customers.

Stuff

The New 13-Inch MacBook Pro's Keyboard Really Is That Good, by Caitlin McGarry, Gizmodo

The new keyboard is the keyboard we always deserved, and I’m not sure Apple gets any points for finally changing it. But this year’s 13-inch MacBook Pro is damn good. If you’re in the market for a new MacBook and you need the power of the Pro (and you’re comfortable paying top-dollar for an Apple device), then this is the one to buy.

Agenda Note-taking App Adds New Sharing Extensions, Template Feature, More, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

Agenda is one of the most popular note-taking apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The app employs a date-focused approach to organizing your notes, projects, and ideas. A new update this week brings a few new features, including share sheet integration, templates, and more.

AirParrot 3 Released With HomePod Integration On Windows, Improved Mirroring Latency, More, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

AirParrot is a popular utility on Mac and Windows that allows you to wireless mirror your screen or stream media files to other devices. Today, AirParrot 3 has been released for Mac and Windows, bringing performance improvements, HomePod integration, and more.

HBO Max Now Available For iPhone, iPad And Apple TV, by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac

Alongside everything you expect from HBO, Max content includes the full catalog of sitcom Friends, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Adult Swim shows, and a documentary on sexual assault accusations against Russel Simmons (a film that was previously set for Apple TV+).

Develop

Can Remote Work Be Fixed?, by Cal Newport, New Yorker

There are also social reasons to cheer a more remote future. It might help reverse the geographic stratification of American life. Workers, and their spending, could break out of the unaffordable metropolises and spark mini-revitalizations off the beaten path, from Bozeman to Santa Fe. Remote work could be good for the environment, since less commuting means fewer emissions. (Although the recent movement of Americans out of sprawling suburbs and back into dense cities was, in itself, an environmental good.)

And yet remote work is complex, and is no cure-all. Some of the issues that have plagued it for decades are unlikely to be resolved, no matter how many innovations we introduce: there’s probably no way for workplaces to Zoom themselves to the same levels of closeness and cohesion generated in a shared office; mentorship, decision-making, and leadership may simply be harder from a distance. There is also something dystopian about a future in which white-collar workers luxuriate in isolation while everyone else commutes to the crowded places. For others, meanwhile, isolation is the opposite of luxury. There may be many people who will always prefer to work from work.

Notes

Making An Indie Phone Is Not For The Faint-Hearted, by James Trew, Engadget

Of course, right now (and in the US) the most popular handsets most certainly are made by Apple and Samsung. They’re all smartphones, and they have a lot more in common with each other than really any of Nokia’s phones ever did. Phones got boring, samey and very large. Something that in recent years inspired smaller companies to make more niche phones. But when was the last time you saw someone with something like a Nextbit Robin, a Yotaphone or a Fairphone? Despite these alternative companies struggling to find a place to sell their phones (or an audience to buy them) there’s a rising trend of individuals picking up the baton. What if you or I wanted to make a phone? Is it even possible? Maybe, but not without many, many challenges.

Bottom of the Page

Yes, I will like a small phone. I mostly use my iPhone for my audio entertainment nowadays. Podcasts, audiobooks, and Apple Music. For videos and e-books, I have my iPad. For work, I have my Mac. I don't need something big in my pocket all day.

And then I remember. I'm in strange times, staying in home all day, where I have all my big screen devices. I seldom go out; and when I do go out to buy lunch, I don't even bother to use my iPhone since FaceID doesn't work.

Okay, maybe I do not like a small phone. Ask me later.

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Thanks for reading.