Vimeo:

A scene from “Rams”, Gary Hustwit’s new documentary about legendary designer Dieter Rams, with original music by Brian Eno.

I don’t know a damn thing about design but listening to Dieter Rams talk about it is still fascinating.

Open Culture: >The Prince party playlist (available on Spotify) has just the right mix of erotic, romantic, and spiritual—with the psychedelic funk of Shuggie Otis thrown in, naturally—some of the most finely-tuned soul the seventies produced.

The songs you choose to play can influence the way your guests feel. Slow songs can give a more intimate feel while upbeat music is more hype and energetic. Good music must be able to match the theme of your party. A silent disco or silent rave is an event where people dance to music listened to on wireless headphones. Rather than using a speaker system, music is broadcast via a radio transmitter with the signal being picked up by wireless headphone receivers worn by the participants. If you need some help setting a great party, you might want to find the party hire.

> >One of the latest recordings on the playlist, Chaka Khan’s “I Was Made to Love Him” came out in 1978, the same year as Prince’s first album, so we can take a fairly good guess at what he was listening to when he made his debut. In fact, we might look at the playlist as a snapshot of the funk-rock-soul genius from Minneapolis’ original inspirations, which still resonate like cosmic radiation in his late digital-era recordings.

You can’t go wrong letting Prince pick your party music.

Marvel:

Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes.

This. is. awful. If any of you young folks want to know what the World Wide Web looked like in the 1990s, look upon this site and despair for your elders and what we had to endure.

Mashable:

“It hurts me to admit it,” Sybil Marie Hicks wrote in her pre-written memorial to herself, which ran in the Spec after she died on Feb 2. “But I, Mrs. Ron Hicks from Baysville, have passed away.”

In the obituary, she affectionately wrote about her husband, Ron, whom she called a “Horse’s Ass,” and her children, clearly labeling which ones she liked best.

Even if I wrote my own obituary, I still wouldn’t be as cool as this woman.

Forbes:

At the dark intersection of America’s ongoing political quagmire and an angsty public searching for answers is Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, a bright roadsign providing unadulterated knowledge. One medium for sharing this information has been Twitter where Merriam-Webster has spent nearly a decade reporting on what words are being searched for on its website at any given moment.

Some…words that have also seen a rise in popularity on Merriam-Webster are collusion, cloture, clemency, and complicit…

There are few things quietly funnier than a Merriam-Webster subtweet.

CNET:

One of first numbers you’ll see when you’re shopping for a new TV — right after the screen size and the price — is the resolution. Unfortunately, it’s one of the more confusing numbers too.

Here are some common questions you might have about resolution

We’re in the market for a new set so this was helpful in explaining to my non-techy wife why we need a 75″ TV. Please don’t tell her we don’t.

Joanna Stern got a hacker to try to break into her various webcams. Is putting tape over your webcam justified, or more like putting on a tinfoil hat? I’m in the former camp.

Clearly, keeping up with your various system updates will throw plenty of roadblocks in the way of a hacker, but plenty of people don’t do this.

Dr. Drang, from a longer piece on the responsibility shifts between Apple Senior VPs:

To me, Ahrendts’s five years in charge of Retail has been similar to Ive’s time as Chief Design Officer. The Apple Stores look better than ever, but they don’t work as well as they used to. No one I know looks forward to going to an Apple Store, even when it’s for the fun task of buying a new toy. No doubt a lot of this is due to Apple’s success and the mobs of people milling about, but Ahrendts didn’t solve the problem of efficiently handling the increased customer load.

Interesting take. Whether this is Ahrendts doing or a result of Apple’s massive growing pains, I do think there’s something to this.

And do head over to the original article and tap on that tiny asterisk after the phrase “milling about”, for a nice Yogi Berra quote.

Zack Whittaker, TechCrunch:

Apple is telling app developers to remove or properly disclose their use of analytics code that allows them to record how a user interacts with their iPhone apps — or face removal from the app store, TechCrunch can confirm.

In an email, an Apple spokesperson said: “Protecting user privacy is paramount in the Apple ecosystem. Our App Store Review Guidelines require that apps request explicit user consent and provide a clear visual indication when recording, logging, or otherwise making a record of user activity.”

This is all about GlassBox. From their web site:

Imagine if your website or mobile app could see exactly what your customers do in real time, and why they did it? This is no longer a hypothetical question, but a real possibility. This is Glassbox, an innovative customer experience solution to help your organization manage the results of big data analytics. Glassbox is the first Enterprise analytics platform that analyses every digital customer interaction. Can your website afford not to have a brain?

And here’s a link to the TechCrunch article laying all this out.

Joe Rossignol, MacRumors:

A recently published Apple patent application suggests that a future HomePod could feature support for 3D hand gestures, Face ID, and much more.

And:

Interestingly, the HomePod could have LEDs woven into the fabric to provide visual feedback for the hand gestures. The LEDs could also be configured to display alphanumeric characters through the fabric that change depending on time of day.

And:

As for Face ID, the patent explains that the HomePod could identify users in the vicinity of the speaker using “facial recognition,” as well as measure the distance of users to the speaker. This could allow for biometric authentication of Personal Requests, multiple user profiles, and more on a future HomePod.

Facial recognition is one of those technologies that has huge potential for misuse, if it falls into the wrong hands. I believe it is vital for Apple to keep its emphasis on privacy. I count on my information to stay MY information. That’s part of my agreement with Apple, and why I am so comfortable exposing so much of my life to Apple.

As to the HomePod, I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Engadget:

After AT&T decided to start rolling out “5G Evolution” branding on phones and networks that use 4G LTE Advanced technology, competitors have had to make decisions on how to respond. While T-Mobile mocked it with a sticker, Verizon (Engadget’s parent company) fired off a letter. So what is Sprint going to do? It has filed a lawsuit in federal court, seeking an injunction to prevent AT&T from using 5GE tags on its devices or advertising.

5GE is enhanced LTE, not 5G. That 5GE branding is consumer-hostile, at the very least.

From the AT&T Mobility Wikipedia page:

In 2017, AT&T began to similarly use the trademark 5G Evolution (5G E) to refer to LTE networks upgraded to support higher data speeds via LTE-Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro features, such as 4×4 MIMO antennas, 256-QAM, and three-way carrier aggregation. AT&T promotes these services as having a theoretical top speed of 400 Mbit/s. The suite is supported on certain high-end Android smartphones offered by the carrier, such as the LG V30 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9, and the iPhone XR and XS. In late 2018, AT&T began to deploy software updates to display a “5G E” network indicator when connected to such a network.

This is a bad look, AT&T. Pull that 5GE from the status bar before your brand takes an even bigger hit.

TechCrunch:

Apple has said it will compensate the teenager who first found a security bug in Group FaceTime that allowed users to eavesdrop before a call was picked up. The bug was initially reported to Apple by 14-year-old Grant Thompson and his mother, but the family struggled getting in contact with the company before the bug was discovered elsewhere and went viral on social media.

The payout will fall under Apple’s bug bounty, which incentivizes security researchers to claim a reward for privately submitting security bugs and vulnerabilities to the company. Apple will also offer an unspecified additional gift to Thompson’s education.

Good to hear that Apple has stepped up and done the right thing by this kid.

iMore:

In this age of HD and 4K, videos seem to keep getting bigger, but our hard drives and Internet bandwidth don’t always follow suit. Whether you’re ripping your Blu-ray collection to an external hard drive, or just trying to e-mail Grandma a high-quality video of your vacation, sooner or later you’ll wish you could fit all those pixels into a smaller file. Happily, you can, with a little help from Handbrake – a free app that helps you compress video without sacrificing (much of) its quality.

I love Handbrake and use it several times a week.

MacRumors:

Apple is today releasing an updated version of iOS 12.1.4, which is designed to address a major FaceTime bug that was widely publicized last Monday. The new update comes two weeks after the launch of iOS 12.1.3, an update that introduced bug fixes.

The iOS 12.1.4 update will be available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings –> General –> Software Update.

If you use or want to use Group FaceTime, update as soon as you can.

The article is about Steven Soderbergh and his continued quest to create mainstream movies shot completely on an iPhone.

Great read, though I think a bit of backstory is missing. Soderbergh was the director of the movie Moneyball and was fired. From the Moneyball Wikipedia page:

On June 19, 2009, days before filming was set to begin, Sony put the picture on hold. Soderbergh’s plan for the film called for elements considered non-traditional for a sports movie, such as interviews with real-life players. Soderbergh was dismissed and ultimately replaced by Bennett Miller. Aaron Sorkin wrote a third version of the screenplay.

That firing started a rift between Soderbergh and the studios, traditional moviemaking. The iPhone brought him back to moviemaking, with the “shot on iPhone” independent release Unsane, shot entirely on an iPhone 7.

Soderbergh’s latest effort, High Flying Bird, was shot entirely on an iPhone 8, and was done for Netflix. I find Soderbergh’s reemergence, in part thanks to the capabilities of the iPhone, fascinating.

Came across this tweet from Tim Cook:

There is no place like New York. ❤️?Love this remarkable #shotoniPhone video of NYC’s unstoppable energy. The brilliant @andyyto shows us some of the best of what iPhone XR can do. https://t.co/0ZrW7jySPO

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 6, 2019

I spent a nice stretch in New York last week, and this video (part of a series) really clicked for me, captured the essence of the city. It also gives you a sense of what you can do with video using the iPhone XR.

The full video is embedded below. Nice work.

Terrific, thoughtful piece about Angela Ahrendts’ departure and Deirdre O’Brien’s appointment.

One highlight (of many):

Across the U.S., retailers struggle to make ends meet. Since Ahrendts began at Apple in 2014, legendary brands like Sears, Bon-Ton, Toys R Us, RadioShack, and countless others have filed for bankruptcy. Mall operators face the challenge of repurposing massive vacant anchor stores. Yet Apple stores are consistently filled to the brim. The same success that has allowed Apple to thrive amidst a sea of store closures has become a lightning rod for retail woes.

It’s true that making an appointment at an Apple store often means days of waiting for an available slot, and walk-ins are almost impossible. Since 2014, Ahrendts has guided the launch of the Apple Watch, iPad Pro, AirPods, HomePod, and yearly iPhone models. Each of these products have led to growing customer demand even as Apple increases its store footprint globally. This strain on resources would’ve occurred no matter who was at the helm. Simply increasing the number of Apple stores worldwide brings with it a new list of problems long enough to fill another article.

Great read.

Brilliant move. Especially if you do a lot of video calls in your bedroom or kitchen.

Spotify, from their Gimlet acquisition press release:

That’s why we announced today the strategic acquisitions of two podcasting companies, Gimlet and Anchor. These companies serve two different, distinct roles in the industry. Gimlet is one of the best content creators in the world, with unique, celebrated podcast shows like Homecoming, which was recently adapted into a critically acclaimed show on Amazon Prime, and the internet culture hit Reply All. And Anchor has completely reimagined the path to audio creation, enabling creation for the next generation of podcasters worldwide — 15 billion hours of content on the platform during Q4.

And:

With the addition of Gimlet and Anchor, Spotify will now become the leading global podcast publisher with more shows than any other company.

I’ve been following the Gimlet Media story since the very beginning of the company. Gimlet’s first podcast was a show called Startup, launched in September 2014, documenting the creation of a brand new company.

The earliest episodes were all about the typical growing pains of a brand new venture: Figuring out your core values, learning how to pitch investors, working through partnership agreements, and settling on a name.

Amazing to watch this story unfold. And, if Spotify’s claim is to be believed, this little venture has helped Spotify become the largest podcast publisher on the planet. This true?

No matter, a fascinating story. You can listen to the Startup Podcast here.

Vancouver Sun:

The Ian McAllister-directed film takes viewers to the remote area on the northwest coast of B.C. and shows off the pristine landscapes and unique wildlife — the cool and rare spirit bear and the swimming coastal wolves are just two species that call it home — of the 6.4-million hectare Great Bear Rainforest. Part of the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world, the rainforest is stewarded by local First Nations, who are also highlighted in the film.

For Reynolds, the chance to be a part of a project like Great Bear Rainforest was an easy decision to make. “I’m a big fan of the Great Bear Rainforest and I’m a big fan of IMAX, so it seemed like a match made in heaven, so I said yes right away,” said Reynolds.

The Great Bear Rainforest is relatively near where I live. The first trailer for the film was a little offputting. Having “Deadpool” do the narration made me anticipate the smirking joke that seemed inevitable.

TidBITS:

There is little more surprising—or even alarming—than having audio start blasting from your speakers while something starts moving before your eyes. It triggers all sorts of fight-or-flight reactions buried deep in our brainstems, wakes the kids, and scares the pets.

I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!

Is there anyone outside of advertisers and corporations that actually wants video or audio to autoplay?

PC World:

You just want to buy an SD (secure digital) card or microSD card for your DSLR, dash cam, drone, smartphone, or tablet. But one size doesn’t fit all. If the confusing array of memory card logos and specs has you pounding your head against a wall, we understand. We’ll give you the quick answers for most common memory card uses. (Pro tip: Check your device’s manual for memory card recommendations.)

If your needs are very particular, we’ve also delved deep into SD card standards to help you understand the difference between Class 10, V30, UHS-I, A1, and U3, so you can make the right choice for any device or purpose.

It used to be easy – just buy an SD card. But nowadays, between various cameras, drones and other devices, along with the specs constantly being updated, you need to buy the right card for the right device.

One highlight:

Deirdre was part of the team that planned and launched Apple’s very first online and retail stores. She has been a part of Retail’s exciting expansion and every product launch since. She knows the value of the deep human connections that retail experiences make possible — and she knows this is where Apple shows its heart and soul.

Good letter. Follow the headline link to read the whole thing.

This iPhone XR review from Anandtech is long and detailed. Don’t miss the popup menus at the top and bottom of the page, which will take you to each of the 7 pages, including the “Conclusion & End Remarks”.

Kashmir Hill, writing for Gizmodo, in the latest of her six part series on dumping Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and, this week, Apple from her life. Fascinating read.