512 Pixels

With a gaming-focused Apple TV seemingly just a keynote away, today is a good time to remember the company’s earlier attempt at gaming: the Pippin.

I got a preview of this article a while back, and its one reason I use the mic that I do.

I’m a big fan of a weird little story in Apple’s history called Clarus. What started out as a mark in a font made by Susan Kare grew into somewhat of a cultural phenomenon around the company in the 1980s and 90s. Learn all about it here.

Jason Snell:

It’s a big week this week. In many ways, the biggest week on the Apple calendar, with the annual fall iPhone event scheduled for Wednesday.

For me it’s a milestone in a few other ways, too. This week marks a year since I left IDG, and it’s also week 52 of the existence of this site. Next week will be the first anniversary of Six Colors.

Jason is working on ways for “readers the ability to support the site,” which is great. I can’t wait to pitch in to help support one of my favorite sites.

For the month of September, I’m donating my RSS sponsorship spots to St. Jude.

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The history of St. Jude is quite interesting:

As a young man, Danny Thomas had a simple goal: to entertain people and be successful enough at it to provide for his wife and family. But work wasn’t easy to come by.

As he and his family struggled, his despair grew. He wondered if he should give up on his dreams of acting or find a steady job. He turned to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes. “Show me my way in life,” he vowed to the saint one night in a Detroit church, “and I will build you a shrine.”

That prayer to St. Jude marked a pivotal moment in his life. Soon after, he began finding work, eventually becoming one of the biggest stars of radio, film and television in his day.

The hospital was originally designed to care for the poor children of the American South, but after some planning, Thomas and others realized that there was a bigger battle to fight: catastrophic diseases in children.

After a period of fundraising, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened on February 4, 1962

In the 53 years since St. Jude opened, the overall survival rate of childhood cancer has rocketed from 20% to 80%. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a disease with a virtual death sentence in 1962, now has a survival rate of 94 percent.

That 80% number is nothing short of inspiring; the combination of scientific research and patient care that happens on St. Jude’s campus sets the hospital apart from other institutions.

But there’s still a fight to be had. Cancer still claims too many young lives. It is estimated that nearly 100,000 children under 15 die from cancer worldwide each year.

That number is way too high, and it’s what keeps the hard-working men and women at St. Jude pushing the boundaries of science.

That number haunts me. We’ve seen a lot of families come and go over our six years of being a St. Jude family. For every sad story, however, there are happy ones, too. Such it is with things like pediatric cancer; joy and pain are intermingled and can’t be separated from one another.

We can change this, though. The brilliant minds at St. Jude are working every single day to close the gap and bring hope to all. Donate now.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post is now outdated. Visit my gear page for a more current setup.

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I get asked about my podcasting gear from time to time, and as I posted a picture of my at-the-office-where-I-record desk online earlier today, I thought I could write up what I’m using.

I would like to note that this is in no way the gear you have to use for your show. I’ve built up my equipment over time, and as both of my shows generate income, I’ve felt like I can justify the expense.

If you are on a budget and if your room where you record is really isolated, the Blue Yeti does a great job for the $150 price tag. If your room is echoey or noisy, you can pick up some soundproofing tiles pretty cheaply these days.

Anyways, here’s what I’m using these days:

1. 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display: This is the new Force Touch model, and I’ve already gotten used to the trackpad. It’s fine once you set it on the firmest setting. I opted for a model without the additional GPU, and so far, I’m happy with that tradeoff. The built-in Intel graphics are more than enough for what I need. It sits atop a Griffin Elevator stand for better airflow. (My wallpaper can be found here on one of my favorite websites.)
2. Dell UltraSharp U2715H 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor: This screen is not the nicest 27-inch display on the market, as the resolution is 2560x1440, but I’ve read such mixed things about external Retina-level displays, so I decided to hold off on buying one. That’s not to say this screen is bad, though. The colors are good, its bright, and with a built-in USB hub, it’s a nice way to stash some cables. I have it hooked up over Mini DisplayPort via my first-generation Belkin Thunderbolt Dock.
3. Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920: For video conferences and the occasional video podcast, I picked up this USB webcam after seeing it recommended by a bunch of people. The color and image are both impressive for the money, plus its plug-and-play with Mac OS X.
4. Shure BETA 87A Supercardioid Condenser Microphone: After a brief fling with a Shure Beta 58, I’ve finally found the mic for me. It’s not as bass-heavy as the 58, and the files I produce with it sound the most like “me,” if that makes sense. While it’s not pictured here, I’m now using this shock mount and windscreen for it, all on a RODE PSA1 arm that I used with my old Rode Podcaster for years.
5. I use the BEHRINGER MICROAMP HA400 as my headphone amp. I obviously don’t need the 4 outputs, but I’ve borrowed this from the gear we put together to record Relay FM shows on the road with multiple hosts in the same room. It’s not the best headphone amp you can get, but it was cheap and rugged, and it works just fine.
6. I record and edit listening with a pair of Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphones. There is someone I know who isn’t a huge fan of these, and he has good points. They are bulky, and can be harsh at time, but I like them for this use for their even tone and predictable nature. I don’t want to record or edit wearing something that is going to artificially add bass, for example. Those speakers sitting there are some cheap-ass Logitech ones I bought years ago that just won’t die.
7. Rolls MS111 Mic Switch On/Off: Moving to an XLR-based setup meant that putting a mute switch on my desk was dead simple. This one gets the job done, and can double as a bright blue weapon if I ever need to bludgeon someone.
8. I type on a standard Apple wireless keyboard, and as of this week, use a Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse. The MX Master is comfortable, has crazy-good battery life, uses Bluetooth and can be customized in a near-endless number of ways. I have a bunch of custom shortcuts setup with the buttons, and after just a few days I’m already in love with the thing. Oh, and that thing under my display? It’s a NeXTstation.
9. My interface is the Sound Devices USBPre2. This is a very recent addition to my setup, and while very expensive, it’s killer. It sounds great, provides plenty of gain for my microphone, is USB-powered (but doesn’t rely on software drivers) and has more options than a room full of stock traders. (Sorry.)

So I don’t have to end this list with that terrible joke, I’ll close with this: a good podcast is about much more than the equipment that turns your voice into ones and zeros. I believe audio quality is a big factor, but having good content and a commitment to the craft — and to a release schedule — are just as important.

I can’t tell if this a better or far, far worse name than “Force Touch.”

Earlier this week, news broke that the Memphis Apple Store is moving to a new space around the corner from its current location, and will be one of the company’s first stores to sport a new design. Here’s what the store will look like:

Image credit: The Commercial Appeal

In a video hosted on the City of Germantown website, (skip to 1:30:00) plans for the store are shared. The new storefront will use ground-roof glass panels, surrounded by matte granite, with no visible supports or joints.

Fifteen stainless steel bollards will keep vehicles at bay, which considering the store’s history, may be a good idea. Several years ago, the store was robbed after thieves smashed the front glass with a car to enter the building. There’s no type treatment or logo located on the storefront.

Inside, the store appears clean and bright, with long oak tables to hold products. Interestingly, there’s no Genius Bar in sight. The three lit panels around the store can be used to show off products and artwork. Live plants can also occupy these areas, as the display panels can come apart in five feet increments.

As Tom Bailey at The Commercial Appeal points out, this process has taken place with Apple’s normal shroud of secrecy:

But never during the Aug. 25 meeting did anyone utter the word “Apple,’’ and on Wednesday a Germantown official responded to a reporter’s request for the Apple Store documents with this qualifier:

“As you can see from the application and materials provided in the link there is no association with Apple… The application was filed by National Permit Expediters. There is no application from Apple,’’ said Cameron Ross, director of the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The project’s timeline isn’t known, but according to The Commercial Appeal, the cost will be $1.5 million. The Memphis store will be one of the first to showcase this new design.

I don’t use Tumblr a whole lot, and while I know this is a good change, it is a little sad to see a weird part of the network’s UI go away.

This week, we take turns complaining about the Apple TV and picking apart rumors about its pending update.

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According to Mark Gurman, next week’s Apple event is going to be one for the books. Here’s what seems to be on tap:

• iPhone 6S and 6S Plus
• iOS 9
• Revamped Apple TV
• iPad mini 4
• iPad Pro
• New Apple Watch bands

I felt pretty sure that the iPads would surface in October. After this event, all that’s left for next month will be OS X El Capitan and updated Macs. Is that enough for an event, or is this the end of dual fall Apple keynotes?

Any time I see Myke’s keyboard, I’m always thrown off by the subtle differences between it and an American model. The UK keyboard is just the tip of the iceberg, however.