“The Typewriter for Orchestra” was written by Leroy Anderson in 1950. In this performance, the soloist is Alfredo Anaya, with conductor Miguel Roa, at the Concierto “Voces para la Paz”, Músicos Solidarios, Auditorio Nacional de Música de Madrid, in 2011. It is one of the silliest performances using a typewriter you’ll ever see.
Apple Card users can now download monthly transactions in a spreadsheet
While I would argue this is a feature that should have been available at launch, it’s good to see it available now for Apple Card users.
The two faces of the smart city
The issues being brought up in this piece are not often thought about by the general public and certainly aren’t being addressed by our authorities and/or the companies who sell these products and tools except for them to say, “Trust us.”
Audible has all Neil Peart’s books available at no cost for a limited time
Check out all seven of Peart’s Audible books here.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech
It’s hard to find the full audio or video of the speech (it’s been locked up in litigation for years) but here is a link to the transcription of the speech text. Most people don’t realize that the title of the speech wasn’t in the original prepared text. It wasn’t until the famed Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson yelled out, “Tell ’em about the dream, Martin!” that the Reverend went off script and adlibbed much of the rest of the speech.
King speechwriter Clarence Jones realized what was happening when he saw King “push the text of his prepared remarks to one side,” he wrote in the Washington Post in 2011. “I leaned over and said to the person next to me, ‘These people out there today don’t know it yet, but they’re about ready to go to church.”
Jennifer Aniston lands Apple TV Plus its first major Hollywood win at the SAG Awards
Interesting first-time individual win for Aniston. She was up against a strong field in Helena Bonham Carter and Olivia Colman for The Crown, Jodie Comer in Killing Eve, and Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Apple’s Cook says global corporate tax system must be overhauled
Cook’s not wrong but trying to overhaul the entire global system may be a task worth of Sisyphus.
Watching The Princess Bride the very first time
Twitter user @uzbadyubi has never seen the classic film, Princess Bride. So they took to Twitter to livestream their reaction to it and it is comedy gold.
New Apple TV+ content announced
Apple is attending the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour and has announced several new programs.
Apple to release ‘The Banker’ in theaters this March
This is great news. I’m really looking forward to this movie.
Encryption backdoors won’t stop crime but will hurt U.S. tech
This is a piece from late last year but it has resurfaced in light of recent events. It’s also by a man I like, admire, and greatly respect (even if I disagree with him on occasion) and a man who knows more about the topic than any of us ever will – General Michael Hayden, former director of both the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency.
My 5yo asked, “How big is a wolf?”
This is pretty cool. My son and I just spent the last 30 minutes taking pictures of him with various animals (panda, lion, leopard) in our living room. I had no idea how big a wolf was.
Old-fashioned rice cookers are extremely clever
I love this guy’s channel and his wonderful explanations of things.
Microsoft’s Chromium Edge browser is here
Engadget: As promised, Microsoft is officially releasing its Chromium-based Edge browser today, which is powered by the same engine that’s behind Google Chrome. Windows and Mac users can download and install the update manually, and automatic updates will start rolling … Continued
Scottish reporter tricked into wearing protective gear for ‘drop bears’
This is priceless but I have no sympathy for the reporter. A simple Google search would have told her all about “drop bears”.
Twitter’s Jack Dorsey on edit button: ‘We’ll probably never do it’
Good. Now stop asking about it. It’s a spectacularly bad idea for exactly the reasons mentioned in the story. If you need edits, use a full-featured Twitter client like Twitterrific or Tweetbot which allow you to “delete and edit” a tweet.
It’s time for new hardware at the center of Apple’s home strategy
I and others been saying this for years. It should have been the natural extension of Jobs’ vision for the home he put forward long ago at a Macworld Expo keynote. I think it’s a huge blind spot the company is bizarrely ignoring. Something as “simple” as the Apple TV combined with a HomePod that works as a TV soundbar has been talked about and lusted over. Why won’t/hasn’t Apple developed this idea further? I agree with Snell when he says, “The elimination of AirPort wasn’t a mistake. The real mistake was not replacing it with a next-generation product that could be the hub of a home network.”
Meet the “Michael Jordan of dogs”
What a great story and an amazing dog.
The complete guide to avoiding online scams
I’m sure no Loop readers would fall for any of these but this is a great article to pass along to those you know who may not be as technically literate.
HBO’s “McMillions” official trailer
I read about this years ago and it pissed me off. I was an avid player of this silly game during this time (although I haven’t set foot in a MacDonald’s in decades) and I knew I had no chance of winning. Little did we know, none of us did.
Barr asks Apple to unlock iPhones of Pensacola gunman
Regardless of CEO Cook’s seemingly (even if out of necessity) chummy relationship with President Trump, Apple’s response to this will likely be the same as it was in a similar case in 2016 – Apple will tell the government to go pound sand.
Apple’s new privacy features have further rattled the location-based ad market
As always, I have little to no sympathy for companies trying to make a living off selling my data without my expressed permission.
Incredibly satisfying sphericons
I’ve never wanted a 3D printer more than after watching this video.
The iPod timeline from 1st phone call to shipping product
I saw this on Twitter and it blew my mind.
Apple TV+ takes home its first awards win, as Billy Crudup named Best Supporting Actor at the Critics Choice Awards
No argument here. Crudup was a scene-stealing delight.
Shot on iPhone 11 Pro video “Daughter”
I’M NOT CRYING! YOU’RE CRYING!
Oprah Winfrey steps away from Russell Simmons accuser doc, pulls from Apple+
This happens on a fairly regular basis in Hollywood but will nonetheless be a blow to Apple. It is the second film to be pulled from Apple’s lineup. The Banker was pulled late last year.
Apple’s announces a Smart Battery Case replacement program for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
If you have the battery case for any of these three affected phones, contact Apple about getting a replacement.
Forget Top Gun: Maverick—let’s settle Blue Thunder vs. Airwolf once and for all
What a great trip down memory lane. I’ve studiously avoided re-watching Blue Thunder because I don’t want my childhood memories of enjoying it immensely be ruined by discovering, as an adult, that it was actually a bad movie.
Inside a Chinese iPhone battery making factory
This was a lot more interesting than I expected it to be.