Google I/O Cancelled for 2020

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Frederic Lardinois, writing at TechCrunch:

After Facebook canceled its F8 developer conference and Google itself moved its Cloud Next event in April to a digital-only conference, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that Google is canceling its I/O developer conference in Mountain View for 2020 as well. The company has sent an email to attendees informing them of the cancellation. The event was originally scheduled to run from May 12 to 14, but because of concerns around the coronavirus, it is now canceling the show.

“Due to concerns around the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in accordance with health guidance from the CDC, WHO, and other health authorities, we have decided to cancel the physical Google I/O event at Shoreline Amphitheatre,” Google said in a statement. “Over the coming weeks, we will explore other ways to evolve Google I/O to best connect with and continue to build our developer community. We’ll continue to update the Google I/O website.”

Unlike with its Cloud Next conference, Google hasn’t announced any plans (yet) to still go ahead with its keynotes and sessions in the form of a remote conference. Google’s statement leaves that option open, though.

I think WWDC is probably next. Over the last few years, Apple has announced the conference in the middle of March, so I bet we hear about it soon, one way or another.

Sponsor: Sundial — Solar & Lunar Times and Alerts ⇢

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Sundial provides a one-of-a-kind display of the sun and moon rise/set cycle over the 24-hour day. Essential solar and lunar data is reported, such as sunset time, moonrise time, and days to the next full and new moon.

With the extremely configurable alert system, you can set up notifications around 24 solar and lunar events including dawn, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, dusk, moonrise, full moon, new moon, and equinoxes/solstices.

Want to be notified 30 minutes before sunset to take the dog out for a walk? Piece of cake. Need an alert the day before full and new moon to take rest for Ashtanga yoga? No problem.

Sundial is free to download on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apple Watch complications and iPhone/iPad Today Widget are included. A one-time $2.99 in-app purchase unlocks unlimited alerts, unlimited time travel, custom locations, and more.

MPU #525: Workflows with David Wain ⇢

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This week on MPU:

Writer and director David Wain returns to the show to share how his creative process has changed over the years, and walks Stephen and David through the steps of making a show like Medical Police.

My thanks to our sponsors:

  • Boll & Branch: The Softest Organic Sheets & Luxury Bedding. Save $50. Try them for 30 days in a risk free trial.
  • Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code MPU at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
  • 1Password: Have you ever forgotten a password? You don’t have to worry about that anymore.
  • The Omni Group: We’re passionate about productivity for Mac, iPhone and iPad.

TextExpander, from Smile ⇢

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My thanks to TextExpander from Smile for sponsoring 512 Pixels this week.

Boost your productivity and save time typing with TextExpander. You can make your own snippets, or share and manage snippets for your organization with TextExpander for Teams version. You’ll reduce errors and increase productivity. TextExpander can save you so much time, it’s like hiring an extra employee. 512 Pixels readers get 20% off their first year.

Flashback #2: The Microsoft Zune ⇢

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On the second episode of our new podcast Flashback, Quinn Nelson and I dig into everyone’s favorite brown MP3 player:

In the 2000s, the iPod was a true juggernaut, simply dominating the portable music player market. Microsoft wanted a piece of the pie, and launched the Zune 30, which eventually spread into a line of both hardware products and software services. However, it barely made a dent in Apple’s commanding lead. This episode, Quinn and Stephen look into why the folks from Seattle failed so hard at taking on the iPod.

Microsoft had some good ideas with the Zune, but in the end, it didn’t really matter.

My thanks to our sponsors this week:

  • Hullo: A simple, natural pillow designed for comfort. Try it for 60 days.
  • Backblaze: Unlimited cloud backup for Macs and PCs for just $6/month.

Tot ⇢

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Tot is a new Markdown-powered, iCloud-syncing scratchpad by the Iconfactory. The Mac app is comprised of a single window with seven colored tabs. Each tab can hold text, and syncs to its iOS companion for quick notes or easy sharing across devices.

The business model makes it clear that the Iconfactory views this as a Mac-first application. The Mac version is free, while the universal iOS version is a whopping $20. The mobile version is very nice, but I can’t help but agree with Federico Viticci’s take on things:

While I’m going to purchase Tot for iOS because it does exactly what I need and I personally want to support The Iconfactory, let me explain why I don’t like this approach and why I can’t easily recommend the app to everyone. The decision to make the Mac app available for free and lock the iOS version behind a $20 purchase feels unnecessarily punitive towards iPhone and iPad users who may not be interested in the Mac app at all. I understand how The Iconfactory may consider Tot for iOS a “satellite” version of the “real” Mac app (a line of thinking that, frankly, would be fairly shortsighted in 2020); even then, however, iOS users who may not be familiar with (or care about) the backstory will just see a $20 scratchpad app on the App Store, and they’ll probably balk at downloading it. Of course, everyone is free to adopt and experiment with the pricing model they prefer; as a reviewer though, it is my job to tell you that you can find more affordable plain text apps on the App Store these days.

Despite this, I really like Tot, and have it on all of my devices. For the last several years, I’ve used Apple’s Notes app to slingshot temporary text around to my devices, but Tot is far better for this — and much, much better looking.

Like You ⇢

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I often talk with people about their ideas for new podcasts. Last year, I had one of those conversations in person with my pal Noah Glenn. He outlined an idea for a show that I fell in love with before listening to a single episode. The show is called Like You, and this is how he describes it:

Like You is a mindfulness podcast for kids, exploring feelings & encouraging self-esteem through imagination-based exercises. Subscribe to get a new episode every Tuesday. We created the podcast with kids in mind, but we welcome listeners of any age group, including parents, grandparents, or grown-ups who just want to get more in touch with themselves and their inner-child.

My kids have really enjoyed listening to the show — most episodes more than once. This episode about learning how to relax is a particular favorite in my household, and not just for the kids. Even if you don’t have little ones, this is a podcast worth checking out if you — like me — are trying to focus more on mindfulness this year.

ZIP Drives Turn 25 ⇢

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Benj Edwards:

The year is 1995. You’re stuck with slow floppy disks that only hold 1.44 MB of data. But there’s an exciting new technology: Zip drives, which can hold 100 MB and free you from floppy disks!

Now, 25 years later, we look back at Iomega’s Zip technology and its history. Did you know some industries still use Zip drives?

They really did feel like the future.