My thanks to TextExpander for sponsoring 512 Pixels this week. It’s a stellar app that lets you easily insert text snippets in any application from a library of content created by you and your team. Available for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Chrome. Get 20% off your first year today!
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My Impressions of the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro
I received a Magic Keyboard for my 2018 11-inch iPad Pro yesterday, so this is not a full review, but rather a series of impressions.
The first thing I noticed is how much more solid this thing is then the Smart Keyboard Folio I’ve used for years. Of course, that includes the weight, but the overall build quality feels much, much better. This thing is stiff and exact, whereas the old style always felt a bit flimsy at times.
Flashback #6: The Be Computer Company⇢
Started by former members of Apple’s leadership team, Be was formed to take on the Mac and other computers of the mid-90s. The company wrote its own operating system and shipped dual-CPU computers before failing to be purchased by Apple and slowly fading away.
Getting to play with BeOS in a virtual machine was a lot of fun.
Bloomberg: ARM Macs Coming in 2021⇢
Mark Gurman, Debby Wu and Ian King:
The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is working on three of its own Mac processors, known as systems-on-a-chip, based on the A14 processor in the next iPhone. The first of these will be much faster than the processors in the iPhone and iPad, the people said.
Apple is preparing to release at least one Mac with its own chip next year, according to the people. But the initiative to develop multiple chips, codenamed Kalamata, suggests the company will transition more of its Mac lineup away from current supplier Intel Corp.
Connected #291: The Scrooge McDuck of Computers⇢
This week, on a really fun episode of Connected:
Myke and Federico share their impressions of the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro and Stephen reveals the number of items in his collection and the group announces The Hackett Number — the computers-per-capita figure for Stephen’s household.
I may have a problem.
My thanks to our sponsors:
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
- Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code CONNECTED to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021.
- Bombas: Super comfortable socks for you and someone in need. Use this link for 20% off.
Liftoff #122: Get an Exoplanet; Lose an Exoplanet⇢
May seems to be the Month of Commercial Crew! Also: NASA is working from home, an exoplanet may be no more and a look at a future Mars sample return mission.
My thanks to our sponsor:
- eero: Get your WiFi fixed as soon as tomorrow! Free overnight shipping.
Ungeniused #103: Even More Unusual Sports⇢
This time on Ungeniused, we cover a few more weird sports: fox tossing, speed typing and rocket racing.
My thanks to our sponsor this week:
- Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code UNGENIUSED to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021.
A New Breed of Laptop⇢
Federico Viticci has posted a hands-on report of the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro:
More than any other iPad accessory, the Magic Keyboard reinforces the idea that the same computer can transform into two radically different form factors at any given time. This philosophy goes beyond the design of a keyboard alone: it’s supported by the iPad’s hardware (with a magnet-based system that simplifies attaching the iPad and encourages pulling it out), software (with the new system pointer that disappears when not in use), and app ecosystem (with apps that can be used with multi-touch and the pointer). Considered through this lens, the Magic Keyboard delivers on the kind of hybrid computing experience I hoped the iPad would eventually achieve, and it’s here today.
Kbase Article of the Week: Make Your Own Face Shield⇢
Learn how to fabricate your own face shield using the following instructions.
These manufacturing instructions should only be used by an expert. Manufacturing the face shields requires professional level expertise in manufacturing and design, and should only be done by professional engineers or machinists in a factory environment.
Video: Using Ancient Apple Displays with the 2019 Mac Pro⇢
I was recently challenged to hook up a Studio Display to my Mac Pro, and things got out of hand from there:
Sponsor: TextExpander⇢
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TextExpander lets you instantly insert snippets of text you create into emails, messages, documents, and anywhere else you can type, using a quick search or abbreviation. You can even turn snippets into forms with fill-in fields and more to easily customize what you type.
Talking With Kids About COVID-19⇢
St. Jude has put together some great resources on how to talk with kids about the pandemic. If you’ve got children in your life, check this out.