This episode marks the end of Query. It’s been a fun podcast do, both with Serenity and Mikah, but it was time for it to end. If you listened to the show, thank you for being part of something weird and kind of different from what I’ve done in the past.
Satechi’s iMac Stand and Hub ⇢
Well, this looks really nice.
via The Verge
Ungeniused #68: Hermitage Cats & The Chief Mouser ⇢
From a Russian art museum to 10 Downing Street, cats are hard at work, keeping mice at bay.
My thanks to our sponsor:
- Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code UNGENIUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Kbase Article of the Week: How to Split and Move the Keyboard on Your iPad ⇢
You can use a split keyboard on your iPad and move it up or down your screen to help you type.
Unless you have an 11 or 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which really bugs me. I’d love to have this on my giant iPad.
Liftoff #87: Apollo 8 ⇢
This time on Liftoff, we mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8:
In December 1968, Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders became the first human beings to travel to the moon, circling our nearest neighbor and making history while doing so.
My thanks to eero for sponsoring this episode.
A Tour of Some Weird iPad Stands
Federico recently wrote about how a nice iPad stand can make the device much more usable in certain situations. That got me thinking about checking some out, and I discovered Amazon has some real weird ones for sale.
nbryte Tablift Tablet Stand
- Price: $39.95
- Compatibility: Basically any tablet less than 10 mm thick.
- Pros: Super flexible.
- Cons: This thing is just waiting to kill you in your sleep.
ieGeek Tablet Phone Stand
- Price: $19.99
- Compatibility: iPads smaller than 10.2 inches in size.
- Pros: Less murdery than the nbryte.
- Cons: Looks like a tripod exploded.
iKross 2-in-1 Recipe Holder Stand
- Price: $28.99
- Compatibility: All iPads, the Surface Pro and the Nintendo Switch.
- Pros: Clever idea for kitchen use.
- Cons: Raw chicken juices all over your iPad.
JETech Floor Tablet Stand with Height-Adjustable Gooseneck and Toilet Paper Roll Holder
- Price: $19.99
- Compatibility: iPads smaller than 10.8 inches in size.
- Pros: The whole “two birds with one stone thing.”
- Cons: You’ll be single forever.
MagicHold 360º Turn Height Adjusting Stand
- Price: $69.99
- Compatibility: Pretty much any tablet out there.
- Pros: Useful for people with limited mobility.
- Cons: If you don’t have limited mobility, your friends will wonder about your life choices.
Magichold® 3 in 1 360º Rotating Height Adjustable Stand
- Price: $199
- Compatibility: Tablets and most laptops.
- Pros: It’s on sale right now at $89.99.
- Cons: It would still cost you $89.99
A Look at Apple’s Old California Factory ⇢
John Markoff, writing at The New York Times:
In 1983, Mr. Jobs oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art plant where the new Macintosh computer would be built. Reporters who toured it early on were told that the plant, located just across San Francisco Bay from Apple’s headquarters, was so advanced that factory labor would account for 2 percent of the cost of making a Macintosh.
“Steve had deep convictions about Japanese manufacturing processes,” recalled Randy Battat, who joined Apple as a young electrical engineer and oversaw the introduction of some of the company’s early portable computers. “The Japanese were heralded as wizards of manufacturing. The idea was to create a factory with just-in-time delivery of zero-defect parts. It wasn’t great for business.”
What Mr. Gassée found several years after Mr. Jobs was forced out of the company, was that the reality of manufacturing was different than the personal computer pioneer’s original dream.
Spotify and the Mac SE/30 ⇢
Hi all, I built a Spotify player for my Macintosh SE/30.
Drop whatever it is you are doing and go check this out.
Apple Music Now Available on Amazon Echos, For the Most Part
I got it set up per Joe Rossignol’s screenshots, and once Apple Music is set as the default music source, it works really well. I could play music from my library, but the Echo could not find any of my personal playlists. Likewise, it could not play music that I had uploaded to iTunes Match.
I don’t know if these features will be available after the service’s official launch date, but as of right now, Apple Music on the Echo feels half-baked.
Update: I’ve gotten a couple of emails from people saying playlists are working for them, so maybe some of this is just teething problems.
Apple Music’s Connect Feature is Dead ⇢
It is joining iTunes Ping in the great beyond.
Apple Building New Campus in Austin, Texas ⇢
Apple today announced a major expansion of its operations in Austin, including an investment of $1 billion to build a new campus in North Austin. The company also announced plans to establish new sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City and expand in cities across the United States including Pittsburgh, New York and Boulder, Colorado over the next three years, with the potential for additional expansion elsewhere in the US over time.
This is weird; I thought the only way a corporation could choose a location for expansion was to pit cities against each other in a public bracket.
Connected #222: Green Monday, Yellow Wednesday, Purple Thursday ⇢
Myke struggles to use Amazon’s website, Stephen checks his heartbeat and Federico tinkers with keyboards for the iPad Pro.
I also make a confession about the number of HomePods in my house and Federico pines for the return of the Smart Battery Case.
My thanks to our sponsors for this episode:
- Luna Display: The only hardware solution that turns your iPad into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code CONNECTED at checkout for 10% off.
- Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code CONNECTED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
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