512 Pixels

The Titanium PowerBook G4 is the template that is still defining Apple’s notebooks today. I had one in college, and it was fun to spend some time with it again:

Apple has a new support document up to help its customers pick out a wireless router:

Look for these essential features when shopping for a Wi-Fi router to use with your Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, HomePod, or other Apple devices.

Jon Fingas, Engadget:

The longstanding rumors of Apple exiting the WiFi router market were true: the company is officially discontinuing its AirPort and Time Capsule base stations. An Apple spokesperson told Engadget that the company would continue to provide hardware and software support (such as patching bugs and vulnerabilities), but the devices themselves will only be available “while supplies last.” The tech giant will post a series of knowledge base documents over the next few weeks to help guide customers wondering what to buy.

As reported by Mark Gurman back in 2016.

David Smith:

One my apps just hit a significant milestone. Pedometer++ had its 5,000,000th download. I find it mind bending to even imagine a number like that. It works out to be roughly the population of Ireland.

I’m a big fan of Pedometer++ and check in on my steps using the app on a regular basis. It’s a simple but very helpful health app, and I’m glad to see David celebrate this milestone.

Yours truly, over on iMore:

No matter what the future may bring to the Mac, I think most people would agree that Apple has remained quite conservative when it comes to design of its computers. And when considering where it might travel next, I took a look at one of Apple’s oldest competitors: Microsoft.

On this week’s Connected:

Federico is gone, but the show had to to go on, so Stephen and Myke talk about the death of Liam, whatever is happening with Flickr and Amazon’s future robotic army.

RIP, Liam.

My thanks to our sponsors:

• TextExpander, from Smile: Communicate smarter with TextExpander.
• Molekule: The only air purifier that actually destroys pollutants.
• Slack: Where work happens.

Flying Meat has a new app in beta for batch processing images on the Mac. It lets you chain several tasks together, save workflows, export multiple versions of an image at once and a whole lot more. I’m already impressed.

This week on Query:

Serenity talks through her recent iPad review video, and discusses Do Not Disturb, changing Apple IDs, cleaning Watch bands and more with Stephen.

If you enjoyed Ren’s great iPad review video, you should check out this episode, where she explains the process and some of the tradeoffs of doing this sort of creative work on the iPad.

My thanks to our sponsors:

• Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code QUERY to get 30% off.
• Hover: Show the world what you’re passionate about with 10% off your first purchase

Electron is a platform that makes it easier for developers of desktop apps to target multiple operating systems, but it leads to bloated, resource-hungry macOS apps. Gross, GitHub.

This week on Liftoff:

Stephen launches a new segment about the SLS, then talks with Jason about the swearing in of NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and the future of NASA TESS.

As of this writing, there are just a few hours left to score some Liftoff merch.

My thanks to our sponsor:

• Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code LIFTOFF for free overnight shipping.

Apple Support:

This document explains how to install an AirPort Card in certain PowerBook G4 computers.

It involves shutting down the machine and waiting 30 minutes to let the internal components cool down, Torx screwdrivers and more.

Sarah Lewin, writing at Space.com:

The most-viewed eclipse in history had an unexpected witness: A Google Street View car drove right through the path of totality, offering a surprising celestial treat for visitors scoping out the event in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

The intrepid car captured the darkened sky, streetlamps flickering on and even skywatching pedestrians on the vehicle’s travels through the path of the 2017 total solar eclipse in August. Michael Kentrianakis, an eclipse chaser and member of the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force, told Space.com about the eye-catching view this past weekend at the 2018 Northeast Astronomy Forum (an annual gathering of thousands of skywatchers in Suffern, New York) after seeing reports of the view circulating online.

You can see the eclipse in action here, if you move back and forth along the street: