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Liftoff #152: It’s Under Our Control, with Dr. Ed Lu⇢
This week on Liftoff, Jason and I spoke with former astronaut Dr. Ed Lu about his work at the B612 Foundation, which is focused on protecting Earth from large asteroid strikes.
Kbase Article of the Week: iTunes 4.2 for Windows Recommends iPod mini Update 1.0 for iPod (with Dock Connector)⇢
I’m sure this was confusing for iPod users, but Apple Support had a reassuring message:
This isn’t anything to worry about. If you follow the recommendation to install the update, the iPod mini 1.0 software will correctly indicate that iPod (with Dock Connector) isn’t supported and won’t install it. This should only happen once. Connecting the iPod (with Dock Connector) again should not cause the iPod mini Updater to open again.
Day One Acquired by Automattic⇢
Paul Mayne, writing on the Day One blog:
Today, I’m thrilled to announce that Day One is being acquired by Automattic Inc. This is incredibly exciting news. For the past 10 years since I started Day One, I’ve worked to not only create the best digital journaling experience in the world, but one that will last. By joining Automattic, I’m now more confident than ever that the preservation and longevity of Day One is sure. This acquisition will provide Day One access to the same technological, financial, and security benefits that WordPress.com, Tumblr, and other Automattic entities enjoy.
Video: Podcast with Zoom and Audio Hijack⇢
Zoom has been really great for podcasting, but it’s backup recording capabilities aren’t up to the standard of what I want to edit and release.
Sponsor: TextExpander⇢
TextExpander removes the repetition out of work so you can focus on what matters most.
Say goodbye to repetitive text entry, spelling and message errors, and trying to remember the right thing to say. When you use TextExpander, you can say the right thing in just a few keystrokes.
It is better than copy and paste and better than scripts and templates; TextExpander snippets allow you to maximize your time by getting rid of the repetitive things you type while still customizing and personalizing your messages.
App Store Review Guideline Comic Book⇢
I had completely forgotten about this.
Loopback from Rogue Amoeba⇢
My thanks to Rogue Amoeba for sponsoring 512 Pixels this week. Their application Loopback makes it super easy to route audio around your Mac. Whether you’re a podcaster, a live performer, a tabletop gamer, or even just someone stuck on too many Zoom calls, Loopback can help you.
Check out Loopback today, with a free trial. Through June 30, 512 Pixels readers can save 21% with coupon code ISMH21.
Mac Power Users #592: WWDC 2021 and the Future of Mac Automation (Interview Transcription)⇢
This week’s Mac Power Users is a special one:
WWDC 2021 has brought new versions of all of Apple’s software platforms, with a large number of features coming to them all at once. Stephen and David talk through the changes, and speak to Apple’s Vivek Bhardwaj about the new Shortcuts for Mac and what it means for traditional (and future) Mac automation.
It was great to talk with Vivek and hear how Apple thinks about automation and the tools that many power users rely on each day. I came away from this interview encouraged that many people will find exploring these technologies easier than ever.
On MailKit⇢
As part of WWDC this week, Apple introduced a new MailKit framework for macOS Monterey that enables developers to create Mail app extensions that block content, perform message and composing actions, and help with security.
These new plug-ins have to fall into four categories:
- Compose: Extensions that provide new workflows when composing emails
- Actions: Extensions that apply custom rules to incoming emails, such as an email being color coded, moved to a separate inbox, marked as read, or flagged
- Content Blocking: Extensions that serve as WebKit content blockers for emails based on specific criteria in an email’s HTML code
- Message Security: Extensions that sign, encrypt, and decrypt emails when sending and receiving mail, with signed and encrypted icons below emails
Older mail plug-ins are still supported in macOS Monterey, but will stop being supported in a future release of macOS.
Connected #349: If Robots Happen, We’ll Need To Readdress This⇢
WWDC 2021 is underway, and picks made last week must be judged. There will be a winner, a loser and probably some changes to the rules of the game.
We also spoke about Apple Music’s new features and some delightful listener projects.
On Connected Pro, a fix for Myke’s dead Hue lights is discussed, as is my wife’s guilt in ending in-person WWDC.
Some Monterey Features Not Available on Intel Macs⇢
Joe Rossignol has spotted a list of macOS 12 features that will only work on M1 Macs. I’m a little surprised at this, but I suppose that the benefits of having new Macs and iOS devices using the same architecture are already in play when planning future OS features.