An Update on my Apple Hardware Calendar Kickstarter⇢

I’ve been hard at work this week wrapping up the photography for the calendar, and I couldn’t be happier with how the photos are turning out. I do not want to spoil the images in advance, but I will share one of my favorite new shots with you today:

Flower Power

I’ve also been preparing the calendar pages themselves for a (hopefully) final round of fact-checking. I’ve been back over the dates, making some changes to what I’ve decided to highlight. To that end, I’ve tallied up how many “hardware holidays” are in the project:

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Liftoff #155: Apollo 15⇢

In our on-going series of marking the 50th anniversaries of the Apollo missions, we’ve arrived to Apollo 15:

As the first J mission, Apollo 15 marked a new era of broader discovery and scientific work on the lunar surface. David Scott, Alfred M. Worden, James Irwin worked to further our understanding of the moon, and were the center of a bit of a scandal after splashdown.

The legacy of Apollo 15 is … complex, but I’m glad Jason and I were able to get into it.

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Monterey Beta 4 Brings Live Text Feature to Intel Macs⇢

Live Text is the feature that lets users copy text out of pictures was announced as an Apple silicon-only addition to macOS, but it seems that Apple has changed its tune:

macOS Monterey Beta 4 includes Live Text for Intel Macs ????

Sounds like Apple prioritized it based on demand, but it was made much easier by the lack of real-time requirements for a camera system

(So instead of kicking it to the ANE, it’ll just process opportunistically) pic.twitter.com/vM5Nd7TGh8

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Kbase Article of the Week: How to Tell if 802.11n-enabling Software is Installed⇢

A select number of Macs came with 802.11n-capable hardware built-in, but required a software update to connect to wireless networks at that speed. The machines that could be updated included:

  • MacBook Pro with Intel Core 2 Duo
  • MacBook with Intel Core 2 Duo
  • Mac Pro with AirPort Extreme option
  • iMac with Intel Core 2 Duo (except the 17-inch, 1.83GHz iMac)

This support document helped users determine if they were ready to go. The installer was easy to get:

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Sponsor: Switch to iPad⇢

The iPad is a truly magical piece of glass. It’s the primary computer for many. That’s why Thord D. Hedengren started S witch to iPad, a weekly newsletter about making the switch to a better computing life.

Switch to iPad isn’t just for those who have made the switch from a traditional computer to a more versatile one. It’s a newsletter about getting the most out of your iPad.

Switch to iPad

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Mac Power Users #598: Home Networking⇢

This week on the show, David Sparks and I talk about what goes into designing and maintaining reliable wired and wireless networks, and give some advice if you’re looking to upgrade yours.

On More Power Users, we catch up on Apple Car rumors and wonder what Apple could be up to.

My thanks to our sponsors for the episode:

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One Week Left on my Calendar Kickstarter⇢

What an amazing three weeks! I’ve been hard at work polishing details and working on photos. I’ve also been focusing on the stickers for backers of the “Get It All” pledge level.

And they are amazing:Stickers

The artwork is by my buddy Jelly, who also did the avatar I use on Twitter and other websites. I love the personality in the stickers, and I simply cannot pick a favorite. I can’t wait to see photos of them on other people’s laptops.

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Rumor States Apple Testing New External Display with Apple Silicon Inside⇢

For years, Mac users have wanted Apple to ship an external display that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Filipe Espósito at 9to5 Mac has some good news on that front:

The new display is being developed under the codename J327, but at this point, details about technical specifications are unclear. According to sources, this display will have an Apple-made SoC, which right now is the A13 Bionic chip — the same one used in the iPhone 11 lineup.

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Connected #355: Roast my Menu Bar⇢

This time on the show:

Myke has questions about the Apple Watch, Stephen holds an unboxing and Federico has a new computer. Then, judging others based on the menu bar of their Mac.

On Connected Pro, we spoke about breaking up with a professional and counting words in iOS reviews.

My thanks to our sponsors:

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