I can’t believe I got Jason to make this chart:
This week’s chart once again originates from a request from Stephen Hackett, who asked me to measure the number of ports on the 15-inch Apple laptop through the years. This chart covers the era of 15-inch laptops, from the original Titanium PowerBook G4 in 2001, and also includes the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019). I chose the last top-of-the-line 15-inch laptop to be released in a given year, and no, I didn’t include any bigger or smaller laptops.
David Sparks was kind enough to feature my home screen on his blog today. For kicks, here’s how it looked in 2014 and 2011.
Federico makes a change, Stephen buys a domain and Myke cancels a future live show, pending Apple’s decision on WWDC.
My thanks to our sponsors:
Juli Clover at MacRumors has a great recap of the changes. She writes:
Apple today informed developers that it has released updated App Store Review Guidelines, with changes that cover reviews, spam, push notifications, Sign in with Apple, data collection and storage, mobile device management, and more.
Sometimes coming up with merchandise ideas is hard; other times, the idea comes to you while just walking around the grocery store.
That’s what happened this time, and after some extensive market research that included sending mockups to some friends over iMessage, I am excited to share the new 512 Pixels shirt, available in a bunch of colors, which you can see at the bottom of this post.
The shirt is available for preorder for just 14 days, and even if there isn’t a WWDC this year, you’ll look great this summer in one of them.
In addition to the shirts, I’ve brought back the 512 Pixels sticker. They are 2-inch squares with rounded corners, featuring the site’s logo. A set of two is just $4.
Melanie Ehrenkranz at OneZero:
Manuel Mantecon, who goes by Pichi, has several boxes stacked in his bathroom filled with iPod parts. When it’s time to fix one up for a customer, he takes the boxes down, including one shaped like a sewing kit that he refers to as his “iPod toolbox,” and refurbishes used iPods out of his bathroom in North Carolina. He works out of his bathroom because it’s a lot of moving parts, and he tends to leave a bit of a mess. “I know it sounds a little crazy, but it keeps everything out of sight,” Pichi said.
Pichi, 50, is currently out of the workforce due to multiple sclerosis but enjoys fixing up the classic Apple music players for people around the world, who find him through word of mouth or Reddit forums. In the last six or seven years, he estimates that he’s reconstructed hundreds of iPods.
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.
Sadly, they did not stop by my studio for a tour of my Mac collection. Come on, Eddy!
My thanks to Sara Dietschy for having me on her podcast, That Creative Life. We spoke about the role of the Mac in content creation, the history of Relay FM and the future of the podcasting industry. I really enjoyed this conversation.
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.
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:
My thanks to TextExpander from Smile for sponsoring 512 Pixels this week.
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