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The Incomparable #268: Let’s Hear It for Botanists⇢
I joined the gang at The Incomparable to talk more about The Martian:
We all went and watched “The Martian” at movie theaters and then came home and joined together to talk about it! From Vicodin-topped potatoes to shiny zoomy space stuff, we work the problem to provide something a bit more informative than a Tumblr full of sad pictures.
Apple launches Repair Extension Program for MacBook Pros with anti-reflective coating issues⇢
Joe Rossignol at Mac Rumors:
Apple has issued an internal notice about a new Quality Program that addresses anti-reflective coating issues on MacBook and MacBook Pro models with Retina displays. These issues include the anti-reflective coating on displays wearing off or delaminating under certain circumstances.
Go check out the photos at Mac Rumors. My old 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro had this problem, and it was super annoying very quickly, even though the damage to my display was restricted to the top-left corner.
Notes.app follow-up
Thanks to everyone who sent me feedback about my article on Notes.app. Here’s some stuff I wanted to share more broadly:
- Jason Burk sent me an email pointing to a blog post in which he outlines the workflow he used to move from Evernote to Notes.
- Jason and others also sent me a link to Notes Exporter, a free Mac app that can export your Notes as plain text files. I ran it this morning, and got a pile of .txt files, as promised. The app didn’t do anything with my attachments, but I didn’t expect it to. There is some weird formatting in some of my files, but it’s nothing that couldn’t be cleaned up.
- I got a lot of suggestions for Dropbox iOS text editors. I’ve tried most of them, but a few were new. If I end up back in that space at some point, I’ll have more apps to try.
- I got an email from someone wondering if the font size in Notes.app could be adjusted at the .plist level. I tried that in writing my review, and couldn’t get anything to work. If you have some magic up your sleeves in this area, get in touch.
Notes on Notes.app
I’ve had an on-again, off-again thing with Evernote 1 for years. I like having attachments associated with my notes, but dislike almost everything about the service itself. 2
That said, there’s a lot in Evernote that I don’t use. 3 I don’t have IFTTT routing any content in, and I don’t ever forward emails to the system. I occasionally use the web clipper to save webpages to Evernote, but it’s nowhere near vital to my workflow. 4
New ResearchKit studies for autism, epilepsy and melanoma announced⇢
This morning, Apple announced three new ResearchKit projects:
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Autism: Duke University and Duke Medicine are launching “Autism & Beyond” for parents with concerns about autism and other developmental issues. The Duke research team is looking at whether the front-facing camera on an iPhone can be used to detect signs of developmental issues at a much younger age. The app uses novel emotion detection algorithms to measure a child’s reaction to videos shown on iPhone. Duke is partnering with Peking University in China and other international partners to conduct the study.
Gary Allen Passes Away at 67⇢
Gary ran ifo Apple Store, the website to keep up with Apple retail news. A while back, he announced he was shuttering the site to spend more time with family and friends.
Gary died on Sunday the 11th, after a battle with brain cancer. I’ll miss Gary and his writing, and wish his wife, son and family all the best.
Square files For IPO⇢
I like Square. I use a bunch of their services in running the non-Relay part of my business and have never had any issues. Coming from a world of pain when I used PayPal more, that’s a win in my book.
Computer Show⇢
Computer Show is a new series from Sandwich Video. Adam Lisagor showed the first episode at XOXO and it was amazing. You need to go watch these.
A look at The Martian’s graphics⇢
One thing I love about this film is the attention to detail, and how the art feels futuristic, but not fantastical. These graphics are definitely a huge part of the look and feel of The Martian.
Connected #61: The Confidence to go Gold⇢
This week on Connected:
Federico butchers many languages and uses a smaller phone, Myke orders a new iMac and I get upset about hard drives.
My thanks to these sponsors:
Kbase Article of the Week: iPod Hi-Fi: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)⇢
Which iPod models support the iPod Hi-Fi?
iPod Hi-Fi supports all iPod models (iPod sold separately). iPod models with a dock connector are supported with the integrated dock, while iPod models that do not have a dock connector need to be connected to the audio input port using a 3.5 mm stereo miniplug. iPod models connected through the dock have enhanced support for the remote. Newer iPod models, like iPod nano or Fifth Generation iPod, support additional features when connected through the dock.