While Apple is clearly trying to make Macs work more like iOS devices, I hate the way that OS X Mavericks changed the way the Mac’s power button works on most machines.
If you want to keep the power button from immediately putting your computer to sleep, this article should make your day.
On this week’s Prompt, Federico, Myke and I deal with some follow-up before discussing our hopes for iOS 8, the dream that was App.net, all while restoring balance to the Force in the Apple ecosystem.
It’s a good one, folks.
Dalton Caldwell and Bryan Berg, on the state of App.net after its first major round of subscription renewals:
The good news is that the renewal rate was high enough for App.net to be profitable and self-sustaining on a forward basis. Operational and hosting costs are sufficiently covered by revenue for us to feel confident in the continued viability of the service. No one should notice any change in the way the App.net API/service operates. To repeat, App.net will continue to operate normally on an indefinite basis.
Federico Viticci:
For users in the United States and “parts of Canada and Japan”, Google has added lane guidance, a turn-by-turn navigation feature that allows the app to show the lane to stay in or move to; lane guidance is often found on dedicated GPS devices, and it should enable Google Maps to provide drivers with more precise directions.
The update also brings Uber intergration, better location filtering and more.
While Apple’s Maps app rarely gives me issues, the day I can set Google Maps as the default app on my iPhone, I will.
Drafts is a starting point for all text on iPhone and iPad. Drafts launches ready to type and makes it easy to capture an idea, note, todo, status update or any other bits of text. After you have captured that text, the power of Drafts’ actions kicks in. Drafts actions allow you to do almost anything with that text, with a wide variety of customizable actions to integrate with Email, iMessage, Twitter, Facebook, Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive and any other apps on your device that support integration, like Fantastical and OmniFocus.
Steve Wozniak, on Gizmodo:
In 1967 or 1968, as a senior in high school, our electronics teacher (the best teacher of my life in many teaching regards) arranged for me to go to a company in Sunnyvale (Sylvania) to program a computer because I already knew all the electronics in class at school. Mr. McCollum did this for students with electronics abilities every year, finding local companies with engineers and projects that would let high school students come and and get some experience. I learned and programmed in FORTRAN on this IBM computer.
Well, I have a new favorite Apple support document:
How come I shouldn’t use System 6.0.6 on ANY Macintosh? And why should I use System 6.0.7 only on newer Macintosh computers?
System 6.0.6 has compatibility problems with the new Macintosh computers. System 6.0.6 was pulled from production and replaced by System 6.0.7. There are a few versions of System 6.0.6 floating around that were sent out before the software was pulled from production.
The first notebook I used full-time was a 1GHz Titanium PowerBook G4, and while I used a bunch of iMac G3s and beige Power Mac G3 in high school, my part-time job at the time came with what I consider to be “my” first Mac — a Blue & White Power Mac G3.
(That’s my exact machine. I just got it back through an extensive set of trades on the Memphis gray market for old Macs.)
Brian Phillips at Grantland:
So that’s the first lesson I take from Memphis: Memphis will always, and instantly, be weirder than whatever rubric you’re using to help you understand it.
As a life-long, native Memphian I can say that Phillips got the city exactly right after just four days here.
This week, with Myke at the Úll Conference, the Italian one and I discuss WebObjects, the recent MacBook Air update and OS X’s possible impending redesign before talking about what may be ailing the iPad as a product.
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ESPN:
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been banned for life by the NBA in response to racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the discipline Tuesday, saying that Sterling has been fined $2.5 million and that the league will attempt to force a sale of the Clippers.
Silver also stated that Sterling cannot attend any NBA games or practices, be present at any Clippers office or facility, or participate in business or player personnel decisions.
Clear for iOS and OS X are well-known for being easy and fun to use. Today, both apps have been updated to support reminders. Here’s Realmac’s Dan Counsell on the company blog:
We’ve been busy working away on the next big update to Clear, and today we’re thrilled to announce that Clear with Reminders is now available on the App Store. Set a reminder, and Clear will remind you across all your devices as Clear for Mac also gets this new feature today as well!