Little satellites are helping larger ones, InSight’s mole is causing problems, the SLS is slipping and Venus is up for a mission as a Hot Jupiter may be being ripped apart. Just another fortnight of space news!
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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.
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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.
This feels like a problem Studio Neat could solve:
#protip don’t get the wheels if you keep this thing on your desk. There’s no locks. pic.twitter.com/NfkqQiNKYC
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) February 26, 2020
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.
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.
Air guitar is far more than a cool way to impress a potential date. It’s a worldwide phenomenon, complete with championships with complex rules and a wild scoring system.
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We expect that Apple’s new products in 12-18 months will adopt processors made by 5nm process, including the new 2H20 5G iPhone, new 2H20 iPad equipped with mini LED, and new 1H21 Mac equipped with the own-design processor. We think that iPhone 5G support, iPad ’s adoption of innovative mid-size panel technology, and Mac’s first adoption of the own-design processor are all Apple’s critical product and technology strategies. Given that the processor is the core component of new products, we believe that Apple had increased 5nm-related investments after the epidemic outbreak. Further, Apple occupying more resources of related suppliers will hinder competitors’ developments.
I’m really curious to see if we start to hearing about this at WWDC this summer.
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This week’s Mac Power Users is a cool one:
The stars and planets are within sight, given the right hardware and software. Andrew Burwell has been honing his astrophotography skills, using Apple products to produce some amazing images of our universe.
My thanks to Andrew for joining us, and to our sponsors:
Despite pushback from Apple, the European Parliament in January voted overwhelmingly for new rules to establish a common charging standard for mobile device makers across the European Union. This article explores what form the EU laws might ultimately take and how they could affect Apple device users in Europe and elsewhere.
I found this very helpful in understanding this issue.