Kbase Article of the Week: ADB - The Untold Story: Space Aliens Ate My Mouse⇢

This week, I’ve dug up an oldie:

This Technical Note explains a number of esoteric and unknown issues concerning the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB). It is intended to detail information concerning all levels of the ADB, from the hardware to the application usage level. This note is supplementary to the information in The Guide To Macintosh Family Hardware and in the Apple Desktop Bus Specification. The information in the specification is the most accurate source of data, and unless it is specifically refuted, it should be treated as the authoritative source.

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My iPhone 12 Pro Impressions

I plan on writing a full review of the iPhone 12 Pro, but wanted to share some impressions from my weekend with the new device.

  • The design is fantastic. I went with the silver finish, so my phone has very shiny stainless steel sides. They do pick up fingerprints, but they wipe away easily. I love the look of stainless steel, and even though it will definitely pick up dings and scratches, I think it ages nicely.
  • I hope we get years and years and years of flat-sided iPhones.
  • On AT&T here in Memphis, I haven’t experienced ultra wideband 5G, but I managed to see 148 Mbps down and 26 Mbps up on regular 5G. Inside my home, however, 5G is slower than LTE.
  • Again, on AT&T at least, the phone does show the “LTE” badge when using that network. I’ve heard from people that their phones always show 5G, even when clearly not reaching high speeds. Maybe it’s a Verizon thing?
  • MagSafe charging is cool. The clear case is … not good. I’ll pick up a leather case when they become available but now that it is jeans weather in Memphis, I’m going caseless.
  • The wide angle camera is better than the one on my 11 Pro, but it’s not wildly better. I initially thought I would order a 12 Pro Max for that jump in camera performance, but I decided I didn’t want to deal with the size.
  • In low light, focusing does seem faster thanks to the LiDAR sensor on the back of the phone, but it’s not a night-and-day difference.

This phone is very good.

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Mac Power Users: #559: Research Apps⇢

This time on MPU:

A few new research applications have popped over the last year, joining some true Mac legends. To see what is what, David went on a quest, and has returned to share with Stephen the wisdom he gained while exploring.

My thanks to our sponsors:

  • The Intrazone by Microsoft SharePoint: Your bi-weekly conversation and interview podcast hosted by the SharePoint team.
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  • TextExpander from Smile: Get 20% off with this link and type more with less effort! Expand short abbreviations into longer bits of text, even fill-ins, with TextExpander from Smile.

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Bonus Kbase Article of the Week: How to use your MagSafe Charger with iPhone 12 Models⇢

Apple Support:

Your MagSafe Charger is designed to work with iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple MagSafe accessories, and Qi-certified devices and accessories.

Some additional details:

  • Don’t place credit cards, security badges, passports, or key fobs between your iPhone and MagSafe Charger, because this might damage magnetic strips or RFID chips in those items. If you have a case that holds any of these sensitive items, remove them before charging or make sure that they aren’t between the back of your device and the charger.
  • As with other wireless chargers, your iPhone or MagSafe Charger might get slightly warmer while your iPhone charges. To extend the lifespan of your battery, if the battery gets too warm, software might limit charging above 80 percent. Your iPhone or MagSafe Charger could get warmer and charging could take longer after heavy use. Your iPhone will charge again when the temperature drops. Try moving your iPhone and charger to a cooler location.
  • Your iPhone won’t charge wirelessly when simultaneously connected to power via the Lightning port—instead, your iPhone will charge via the Lightning connector.

And this gem:

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A Deep Look at How Apple is Organized⇢

Apple University Dean and Vice President Joel Podolny:

When Jobs arrived back at Apple, it had a conventional structure for a company of its size and scope. It was divided into business units, each with its own P&L responsibilities. General managers ran the Macintosh products group, the information appliances division, and the server products division, among others. As is often the case with decentralized business units, managers were inclined to fight with one another, over transfer prices in particular. Believing that conventional management had stifled innovation, Jobs, in his first year returning as CEO, laid off the general managers of all the business units (in a single day), put the entire company under one P&L, and combined the disparate functional departments of the business units into one functional organization.

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Dropbox Launches Family Plans⇢

Dropbox:

The Dropbox Family plan has 2 TB of storage space that can be shared by up to 6 members, ages 13 and older. With Dropbox Family, you and your family can securely organize and share content, like photos, videos, and important documents.

With Dropbox Family, each member of the plan has their own Dropbox account. They can manage their own files and folders and decide what to share with other family members. A single person, the Family manager, will manage the billing and memberships for the entire Family plan.

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Connected #317: Captain Flip Flop⇢

This week on the show:

Reviews have landed for the iPhone 12 and iPad Air. The trio talk through the coverage, including Federico’s iPad Air article. Also: Stephen asks for help with a problem, and Myke is very excited about how gold phones are made.

On Connected Pro, I shared about my upcoming surgery, and Federico and Myke are confused by daylight savings time. There are tubes everywhere.

My thanks to our sponsors:

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