512 Pixels

Snell has the charts.

In 1987, The Computer Chronicles did an episode all about HyperCard:

It is a fascinating watch, but a few things really jumped out at me:

• HyperCard could do about anything.
• Bill Atkinson’s passion for users to shape the Macintosh into their own personal tool was inspiring to watch.
• The Macintosh II was huge.
• I don’t think today’s computing has a true spiritual successor this, but the closest thing may be Shortcuts.

Don’s miss this 2019 Ars Technica post about HyperCard, which was written by Matthew Lasar.

Juli Clover:

Apple today seeded a new macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta replacing the existing macOS Big Sur 11 beta 10 update that was released two weeks ago.

John Gruber:

The only explanation that makes any sense is that 11.0 was “shipped” as the factory OS for some new hardware, which may well be the first Apple Silicon Mac(s), queuing up for a pre-Thanksgiving announcement. There could be new Intel Macs in the pipeline too — there almost certainly are — but you would think those might not require Big Sur.

This week, I’ve dug up an oldie:

This Technical Note explains a number of esoteric and unknown issues concerning the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB). It is intended to detail information concerning all levels of the ADB, from the hardware to the application usage level. This note is supplementary to the information in The Guide To Macintosh Family Hardware and in the Apple Desktop Bus Specification. The information in the specification is the most accurate source of data, and unless it is specifically refuted, it should be treated as the authoritative source.

Russ Frushtick is a hero. ¹

Tyler does a great job, as always:

Studio Neat:

Turn your MagSafe connector into a stationary dock for your iPhone. These bring-your-own-cable walnut docks create a lovey place to charge your iPhone and Apple Watch.

I’ve ordered one for my desk.

I plan on writing a full review of the iPhone 12 Pro, but wanted to share some impressions from my weekend with the new device.

• The design is fantastic. I went with the silver finish, so my phone has very shiny stainless steel sides. They do pick up fingerprints, but they wipe away easily. I love the look of stainless steel, and even though it will definitely pick up dings and scratches, I think it ages nicely.
• I hope we get years and years and years of flat-sided iPhones.
• On AT&T here in Memphis, I haven’t experienced ultra wideband 5G, but I managed to see 148 Mbps down and 26 Mbps up on regular 5G. Inside my home, however, 5G is slower than LTE.
• Again, on AT&T at least, the phone does show the “LTE” badge when using that network. I’ve heard from people that their phones always show 5G, even when clearly not reaching high speeds. Maybe it’s a Verizon thing?
• MagSafe charging is cool. The clear case is … not good. I’ll pick up a leather case when they become available but now that it is jeans weather in Memphis, I’m going caseless.
• The wide angle camera is better than the one on my 11 Pro, but it’s not wildly better. I initially thought I would order a 12 Pro Max for that jump in camera performance, but I decided I didn’t want to deal with the size.
• In low light, focusing does seem faster thanks to the LiDAR sensor on the back of the phone, but it’s not a night-and-day difference.

This phone is very good.

This time on MPU:

A few new research applications have popped over the last year, joining some true Mac legends. To see what is what, David went on a quest, and has returned to share with Stephen the wisdom he gained while exploring.

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Turns out, the two phones are so similar inside that the iPhone 12 has plastic spacers where the Pro’s third camera and LiDAR sensors go.

Apple Support:

Your MagSafe Charger is designed to work with iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple MagSafe accessories, and Qi-certified devices and accessories.

Some additional details:

• Don’t place credit cards, security badges, passports, or key fobs between your iPhone and MagSafe Charger, because this might damage magnetic strips or RFID chips in those items. If you have a case that holds any of these sensitive items, remove them before charging or make sure that they aren’t between the back of your device and the charger.
• As with other wireless chargers, your iPhone or MagSafe Charger might get slightly warmer while your iPhone charges. To extend the lifespan of your battery, if the battery gets too warm, software might limit charging above 80 percent. Your iPhone or MagSafe Charger could get warmer and charging could take longer after heavy use. Your iPhone will charge again when the temperature drops. Try moving your iPhone and charger to a cooler location.
• Your iPhone won’t charge wirelessly when simultaneously connected to power via the Lightning port—instead, your iPhone will charge via the Lightning connector.

And this gem:

If you keep your iPhone in a leather case while charging with your MagSafe Charger, the case might show circular imprints from the contact.

This time on Somehow I Manage, Tiff and I kick off out rewatch of The Office’s sixth season:

Tiff and Stephen show off their parkour skills, and while icing their bruises, the two discuss “Gossip”. This episode of “The Office” originally aired on September 17, 2009.