MyAppleMenu

The Low-Tech Edition Friday, February 18, 2022

Why The Best Sleep Tracker Is One You Already Own, by Chris Taylor, Mashable

If you have no clue what level of sleep your DNA requires you get, you can in theory find out just as easily with three of the cheapest, most low-tech tools imaginable: a watch, a notebook, and a writing implement. (You might consider using apps for those functions; you might also consider that using actual physical objects will help train your brain away from using screens at bedtime.) Each night, note down what time you went to bed. Each morning, note down what time you got up. And at some point during the day, make a note of how tired or awake you feel. After a few weeks, start looking through what you've written. You don't need to be a data scientist to start noticing correlations.

Apple Commissioned New 'Shot On iPhone 13 Pro' Film From Renowned Director Park Chan-wook, by Amber Neely, AppleInsider

A new 20-minute "Shot on iPhone" film titled "Life is But a Dream" uses the iPhone 13 Pro to tell a fantastic story of an undertaker who wants to do right by his village's savior.

Switching To Annual Subscriptions Can Really Pay Off, by David Nield, Wired

Of course, there are caveats. This is only going to work if you are absolutely sure you want a whole year of a particular app and service, if you have the money upfront, and if the option to pay annually is actually available.

Stuff

Obscura 3 Takes The App’s Design In A New Direction, by John Voorhees, MacStories

The app is easy to use one-handed, it’s full of delightful animations and other small touches that make the experience of navigating through the app feel fluid and natural, and there’s a depth of features to explore that will satisfy any iPhone photographer.

Tested: Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 May Be Made For Gaming, But It Shines For Mac Productivity, by Blair Altland, 9to5Toys

Having a dedicated input for supplementing my workflow in the way that this accessory does has been super helpful in streamlining daily tasks. There really is something so novel, not to mention useful, about just how customizable the latest Stream Deck is.

Battery Monitor Review: Keep Dibs On The Things Draining Your Mac, by Glenn Fleishman, Macworld

Battery Monitor provides keen insights into your Mac laptop’s battery usage and health. If that’s something that troubles you, or you want to alleviate anxiety about not having enough information, install the app and keep it running all the time. The data you gather and review will help you understand your battery’s lifecycle—and when it’s time to be replaced.

Kahoot! Multiplication For iPhone And iPad Brings 20 Mini-games To Teach Children Math, by José Adorno, 9to5Mac

With Kahoot! Multiplication, kids can learn math through 20 mini-games, each developed by learning design experts with engaging animation, memorable characters through storytelling, and captivating gameplay.

Gentler Streak For Apple Watch Brings Compassion To Fitness Goals, by José Adorno, 9to5Mac

If you’re tired of constantly closing your Apple Watch rings but you don’t understand how workout sessions impact your body, Gentler Streak is an app that helps grow a fitness habit for life by telling users when they’re feeling their best selves.

FDA Approves First iOS App To Control Insulin Pump, by v, AppleInsider

The app, t:connect, can be used in conjunction with Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc's t:slim X2 insulin pump. The FDA-approved version allows a user to program and cancel bolus insulin requests through the convenience of their compatible smartphone.

OtterBox Identifies Defective OtterSpot Units, Launches Replacement Program, by Darryl Boxberger, AppleInsider

Otterbox has launched a voluntary replacement program for their OtterSpot stackable wireless charging packs after discovering a flaw that could lead some early units to swell under certain circumstances.

Develop

11 Strangers Watched Me Write This Article. Is This The Answer To Our Productivity Crisis?, by Sam Wolfson, The Guardian

I have been randomly assigned to work with Ben on a website I use every day called Focusmate, which uses a sense of accountability to help you focus. The homepage kind of looks like a Google calendar: you book in a 50-minute session and the site matches you with someone else who wants to work in that time slot (this is mostly done randomly although brand new users are matched with more experienced ones). When the time comes, you and your buddy get placed on a video call. You politely and briefly tell each other what you’re planning to use the time to do and then you get on with it.

Notes

Some U.S. Apple Store Employees Are Working To Unionize, Part Of A Growing Worker Backlash, by Reed Albergotti, Washington Post

Spurred by wages that have stagnated below the rate of inflation, and encouraged by successful efforts by Starbucks employees to form unions, retail workers say they hope they can push the world’s most valuable company to share more of its record-setting profits with the workers who sell, repair and troubleshoot the products it sells.

Google Drive Flags macOS '.DS_Store' Files For Copyright Violation, by Ax Sharma, BleepingComputer

Google Drive was seen flagging '.DS_Store' files generated by macOS file systems as a violation of its copyright infringement policy.

'.DS_Store' is a metadata file commonly seen by Apple users when they transfer their folders and archives from a macOS to a non-Apple operating system, like Windows.

Binge Purge, by M.G. Siegler, 500ish

I know Netflix will say the data suggests that customers love binging. I’m sure that’s true. I certainly did! Just ask Jack Bauer. But the customer is not always right, as it turns out. And in the current war for talent, Netflix has to also consider what they might want. Both artistically, but also again, to be more culturally relevant for longer.

Apple: Tim Cook Is Worth Every Penny, by Financial Times

How to benchmark CEO pay is a worthwhile debate. Linking remuneration to employee salaries, trailing performance or future achievements are all imperfect solutions. But Cook has demonstrated his worth. This fight is not worth having.

Bottom of the Page

It does seem to me that the comedies on Apple TV+ are much better than the dramas, on the whole. Ted Lasso is, obviously, everyone's favorite. But I've been enjoying The Afterparty too, and have enjoyed Dickinson, Schmigadoon!, and Trying. They are creatively fun and inventive. Except for Ted Lasso, Apple's marketing engine seems to be ignoring the comedies though, which is a shame.

~

Thanks for reading.