Apple is making moves. We’ll see the results of this hire in six months to a year.
Watch “The Doctor, The Tornado & The Kentucky Kid” for free
The Kentucky Kid of the title is Nicky Hayden who tragically lost his life last week after being struck by a car while out training on a bicycle. The movie is quite dated but does give a good sense of what professional motorcycle racing is all about.
How to track the smartphone apps that are tracking you
I don’t mind app tracking per se but I want to know which apps are doing it and be able to revoke that permission if I so choose.
Happy 25th birthday, Apple Newton, you beautiful failure
A lot of the things we use today came from the Newton.
World’s heaviest weight
This is really geeky and really cool.
A fascinating graphic novel about the origins of Dungeons & Dragons
I would love to read this not just for the story telling style of a graphic novel but because, even in middle age, I have a soft spot for D&D and would play it again this weekend if I could.
A year of Google & Apple maps
Some very interesting and very geeky comparisons between the two mapping services. I can confirm what he says about TomTom. My motorcycle GPS is a TomTom and frankly, it’s often not very good.
Google now knows when its users go to the store and buy stuff
To say the very least, this is incredibly creepy.
Apple News is getting an editor in chief
This broadening and focusing the scope of Apple News will be interesting to watch.
Apple confirms June 5 WWDC Keynote will be live streamed
Expect big things.
Apple Watch proves most accurate at measuring heart rate in new fitness tracker study
If these numbers are important to you (and they are for a lot of people), it’s good to know the Apple Watch comes out ahead.
How iCloud Photo Library matches up to Google Photos
I don’t use either to manage my photos. Any Loopers want to weigh in on their particular pros and cons?
How to remove GPS information from photos on macOS or iOS
My life is an open book so I don’t care about the GPS data on my photos but many people do have legitimate concerns. These are easy steps to take.
This iPhone app can identify Pantone colors from the real world
I don’t know that I have a use for this app but it’s a very clever implementation.
The Marc Newson Hourglass for Hodinkee
You start off thinking, “Well, this is stupid. It’s just an hourglass.” You read more and think, “Kinda cool design though.” Then you get to the price and think, “There are 100 people out there with more money than sense….”
1Password introduces “Travel Mode” to protect your data when crossing borders
I think we’ll see more companies implement these kinds of security features in their apps.
How Anker is beating Apple and Samsung at their own accessory game
I have a couple of Anker cables and battery packs. I think they are very good quality and certainly cheaper than the ones I’ve bought from Apple.
“Today at Apple”
Looks like fun.
Three months of Spotify Premium for $1
The usual caveats apply: Only for US-based customers and only for those who have never signed up before.
Hypnotic coffee table creates sand art with a magnetic marble
If I had the money, I’d buy one of these coffee tables in a heartbeat.
Earth, Wind & Fire and Ozzy Osbourne mashup
The mashup you never thought could happen.
10 fascinating photos that look unbelievably like paintings
These are shot in a style I couldn’t accomplish but I love the look and feel of them.
Turkey’s brilliant tow trucks put the US to shame
You’ve got to admire the efficiency and speed if nothing else.
Olympus Unveils TG-5 ‘Tough’ camera with brand new sensor and 4k video
I’ve always been a big fan of Olympus’ “Tough” line and recommend it particularly for those who are hard on their gear, want to shoot in “adverse” conditions or want a good camera to give to a child. I’ve used my old Tough point and shoot mounted to my motorcycle, in the snow, underwater – places I’d never take my DSLR or iPhone.
We got one of Apple’s patented round pizza boxes
Levy is understandably a little miffed at the attention the box is getting but it’s weirdly interesting and another testament to Apple’s attention to details.
Warning: New Apple ID scam will give hackers access to your account, device
As always, never click on links you weren’t expecting.
Almost all iPhone users will buy another iPhone, says survey
Put me in the “extremely likely” camp.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander reveals secret flights as co-pilot
Can you imagine sitting on a plane and hearing the pilot over the intercom, “Welcome to the flight, ladies and gentlemen…” And thinking to yourself, “Huh – that sounds like….naw…couldn’t be!”
A hectic helicopter hyperlapse tour of NYC
This video puts the “hyper” in hyperlapse but it certainly captures the energy of New York City.
More than 560 million passwords have been leaked: is yours one of them?
Using the Have I Been Pwned site, I found a number of places where my main email address has been compromised in a data breach.