Imagination Library:

Everyone’s favorite Book Lady is bringing children and families everywhere just what they need during a time of unrest. Goodnight with Dolly is a 10-week special series of weekly videos featuring Dolly Parton reading select Imagination Library books.

Goodnight with Dolly launches on April 2, with the hope that this gift will further inspire a love of books and shared storytime during this important period. The weekly read-aloud series features several of the Imagination Library’s wonderful books including “The Little Engine That Could.” Watty Piper’s classic tale of a determined little engine has been an inspiration to generations. This year marks the 90th Anniversary of “The Little Engine That Could.” For many years the story has been a source of inspiration for Dolly and it is the welcome book that all newly registered children in the United States and Canada receive when they sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Dolly hopes this series of stories will provide comfort and reassurance to coping kids and families during the shelter-in-place mandates.

So many kids think of Dolly Parton as “The Book Lady” but she is so much more. But right now, I bet a lot of kids would love to have her read them bedtimes stories. Hell, I’ll watch it too because I love that book and I love the sound of Dolly’s voice.

SiriusXM:

SiriusXM and Howard Stern today announced that starting today through May 15, SiriusXM will start offering free access to its full lineup of Premier Streaming content to listeners in North America. Howard kicked off the unprecedented Stream Free access this morning while hosting The Howard Stern Show, on channel 100, from his home.

Listeners will have free access to more than 300 channels of dynamic programming, featuring the acclaimed The Howard Stern Show, hundreds of exclusive ad-free music channels, and vital news and information sources. SiriusXM is also adding entirely new curated content, and bringing back some beloved music channels by top artists.

Many companies are “taking advantage of” this self-isolation and self-distancing by offering their products and services to potential customers for free. It’s a great idea – consumers get to try out products they might not have otherwise and the companies build up some goodwill and possibly gain future buyers.

John Gruber:

This feels like another kick in the nuts, in an ongoing series of kicks in the nuts. Oof. All of this — as Brent says, gestures at everything — aside, it is hard to shake the feeling that the market for independent professional software is coming apart at the seams, fraying irreparably.

So many layoffs, so many people impacted. This tunnel feels particularly long and particularly dark, hard to make out that little pinprick of light at the end of it.

Related: Michael Tsai’s rollup page with other posts from Omni Group folks looking for work. There’s a deep talent pool on the bench, an opportunity for someone.

Joe Rossignol, MacRumors:

Apple has recently contacted some of its retail employees in the U.S. with an opportunity to work from home as a support advisor on a temporary basis due to the ongoing pandemic, according to sources familiar with the matter.

And:

Retail employees who accept this offer will receive the necessary equipment from Apple to offer support to customers by phone or online chat, as well as a small cash incentive, one source noted.

Looks like this offer applies to all retail employees.

Zoom bombing. What are people thinking? And especially Zoom bombing like this.

The past week had not been good for Zoom. But no doubt, it fills a need and people will continue to use it. So follow the link, learn about waiting rooms, see if that’s a solution for you.

Mike Wuerthele, AppleInsider:

Russia’s lower house of parliament passed legislation in November 2019 that makes it mandatory for devices such as Apple’s iPhone that feature apps to include pre-loaded Russian-made ones. The legislation threatening the ban encompasses smartphones, computers, tablets, and televisions.

And:

Tass isn’t yet clear on the reasons behind the postponement. The delay may be technical, but is more likely related to the COVID-19 outbreak that is complicating device production and development at the moment.

Not the best time to hinder technology that allows people to communicate. The postponement makes a lot of sense.

From the headline linked post about Publix rolling out Apple Pay:

A post on Reddit by user Gabriel2790 shows a picture of an internal document. “Contactless payments are coming to our store! What does that mean,” asks the document. “The most commonly known forms of contactless payment are Apple Pay and Android Pay.”

The document goes on to explain how customers will be able to use mobile phones, smartwatches, and contactless credit and debit cards, as well as what cashiers can expect from the transaction. At the bottom of the document, it shows that the store in question will receive the ability to accept contactless payments on March 31, 2020.

The number of in person credit card transactions is dwindling. But those few that still occur highlights the issue with someone else handling your credit card or placing your credit card in a slot that has held other people’s cards.

When Apple Pay first rolled out, I mostly thought about security and convenience. But now I think about transmission, in this case, of COVID-19.

In these days of fewer and fewer in person transactions, I can only imagine Apple Pay is showing shrinking transaction numbers along with all the other players. But as we emerge from this cocoon, I see big potential for Apple Pay, assuming the value of truly contactless payments is not lost as we rush to return to “normal”.

Jason Robinson:

Alright kids, gather round.

A few of you may remember that my 3yo discovered a door in our ceiling, and has been asking about what’s inside.

Her eyes were wide: “Papa… there’s a DOOR… on our ROOF!!”

I happen to know there is… an OLD RUG up there. Meh.

Secret doors need TREASURE though. So, I went to Claire’s at the mall, and bought the SPARKLIEST little treasure box I could find.

Read this thread for the most wonderful, sweetest, joyful story you’re likely to read today. In these times, we need and love stories even more. This is the story of a little girl and a father’s love and his joy at helping her explore.

The Intercept: >Zoom, the video conferencing service whose use has spiked amid the Covid-19 pandemic, claims to implement end-to-end encryption, widely understood as the most private form of internet communication, protecting conversations from all outside parties. In fact, Zoom is using its own definition of the term, one that lets Zoom itself access unencrypted video and audio from meetings. > >But despite this misleading marketing, the service actually does not support end-to-end encryption for video and audio content, at least as the term is commonly understood. Instead it offers what is usually called transport encryption. > >So when you have a Zoom meeting, the video and audio content will stay private from anyone spying on your Wi-Fi, but it won’t stay private from the company.

“Everyone” is using Zoom (my wife is on a call as we speak) but no one should trust Zoom. They have shown over and over again they don’t care about user security or privacy and will only “do what’s right” when caught and forced to amend their actions. There are plenty of reliable video conferencing tools available in the market. Visit sonary.com to see 2022 video conferencing statistics and facts, Get More Info here.

This is an area Apple could have absolutely owned with FaceTime and Group FaceTime. But it’s yet another example of Apple creating cool tech and then letting it fall by the wayside.

Dark Sky:

Today we have some important and exciting news to share: Dark Sky has joined Apple.

Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy.

There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone.

Their iOS weather app was always one of the best and most accurate ones I used when I lived in the US. I hope Apple treats it right.

Rob Griffiths:

Yesterday, instead of having a productive afternoon at home, I had the privilege of sitting at the bank for a couple of hours, resolving a problem completely of my own doing: I fell for a phone scammer. My wife and I had to close our accounts—which were in excess of 25 years old—and set up new ones. I then spent hours updating our various bill paying services, Quicken account access, etc.

Do yourself a favor, and don’t be me. I never thought I’d be “that guy” either, as I keep current on scams, look for signs of fishiness on phone calls, etc. Still, they got me, and it was painful—not necessarily in terms of financial loss (we’re out $500 for maybe 60 to 90 days while they investigate), but in terms of time: Time to fix what I did, and even more time spent beating myself up over my stupidity.

Here’s the tl;dr version: Do not ever, as in never ever, give out a verification code over the phone. I know that now. I knew that earlier today. I’ve known that for years. And yet, I did it. What follows is a bit of the nitty-gritty on how I got scammed, what I learned (beyond the above), and some technological things that affected my behavior during the call. Hopefully the sharing of my stupidity will help others avoid the same fate.

What an awful story but I’m glad Griffiths wrote it up. I saw his tweets yesterday and I wondered what was going on. This is a great reminder that any of us can be scammed, no matter how technically proficient or “smart” we think we are.

CNET:

Recall, the French supercar firm filmed a viral video that showed the Bugatti Chiron go from 0-249 mph and back to 0 mph in just 42 seconds. The film quickly became an internet sensation, though Koenigsegg outdid the Chiron’s record in 2019. Nevertheless, there’s a single shot that so many fell in love with: A basic shot that followed the supercar from a launch all the way to 249 mph.

Thanks to a new behind-the-scenes video blog from Al Clark, an automotive film director who helped put the Chiron shoot together, we have an answer. The video, published Monday, has Clark revisit the entire process to provide some informative commentary on the record-breaking shoot.

Well, I must be a right dummy because I have no idea. I mean, how do you film a car going from 0-249 mph and back to 0 mph?

Oh. OK. I’m a dummy.

Zac Hall, 9to5Mac:

9to5Mac exclusively reported earlier this month that iOS 14 and watchOS 7 will include a new SchoolTime mode and kid mode. The latter feature includes the ability for a parent to set up and manage an Apple Watch for a child with a single iPhone.

Here’s a link to that post.

When an Apple Watch is configured in this new kids mode, Apple will treat the Activity rings differently for the first time.

And:

Apple Watch will instead replace the active calories metric for the move ring with a move time. For example, Apple Watch can track a goal of 90 minutes of movement throughout the day instead of 500 active calories burned.

I’ve long wondered (pure speculation on my part) if Apple would ever release an Apple Watch specifically for kids. One with geofencing built in that would notify parents if their child left school, or home. An active notification, rather than the passive use of “Find My”.

And, of course, sold in a smaller size, with kid oriented watch faces and bands.

CNN:

> It started its life as “Neue Haas Grotesk,” a boringly descriptive moniker which included the name of its maker (the Haas foundry), its design type (neo-grotesque or realist) and the fact that is was new (or “neue” in German). > > “The original name sucked,” said Shaw. The name Helvetica, which means “Swiss” in Latin as a homage to its country of origin, was adopted in 1960 to make it easier to sell it abroad.

And:

> But it didn’t take long before it became the standard for commercial interior signage and corporate branding in the US: “In 1967 it creeps into the design for the Yankee Stadium,” said Shaw, “And by 1968 it’s everywhere in America — it is the typeface.”

And:

> In 1984, Steve Jobs puts it in the Macintosh: “This was a key move. If Apple didn’t use it, Helvetica would have remained a designer’s preference, same as Times New Roman. Instead, it becomes the default sans serif when sans serif fonts are becoming popular among the populous and not just avant-garde designers,”

Another key adoption was the New York Subway signage and system map. Interesting bit of history.

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg:

Earlier in March, Apple shuttered many facets of its Apple Park and older Infinite Loop campuses as San Francisco Bay Area officials put in place stay-at-home orders. Later, the company told employees that specific approval is needed to gain access to an office, but identification badges remain functional.

And:

In early March, in a contrast to its normal practices, Apple started allowing engineers to take home early versions of future devices to continue work during the lockdown period. Previously, the company allowed select employees to take home nearly complete devices such as iPhones for real world testing.

And:

Taking home a future product requires the green light from the vice president of an employee’s organization. That list of staff with future devices at their homes also is sometimes reviewed by Apple’s senior vice presidents, the management team run by Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.

Fascinating piece. Apple has built a company that revolves around secrecy, but now must allow trust to enter the equation in order to keep moving forward. A tricky and interesting problem.

PBS:

Have you decided that it’s high time to take a step back and look at the big picture? Is your teenager sick of your attempts to remember history class in your newly-founded home school? Or are you just desperate to watch a story that doesn’t include a certain word that rhymes with Arizona? Whatever your motivation, we’ve got you covered. All of these shows are available to watch right now without a membership. Just click the links and press play. Or better yet, find them in the free PBS Video app for your Roku, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV Stick, phone or tablet. Enjoy!

Some of these are a bit old but still good info. Some are also available outside the US.

Linked post from John Gruber, focused on the definition of the word “cursor”. What we typically think of as a cursor:

• The icon that moves around on the screen that you control with your mouse or trackpad.
• The vertical bar that blinks in a text editing field to indicate where typed characters will appear.

Gruber makes the case that we should use these terms, to be more precise:

• Mouse/trackpad pointer.
• Insertion point.

Read the piece. Very interesting, solid logic, well researched.

Going a little stir crazy? Follow the headline link and enter the rabbit hole that takes you on your favorite ride at your favorite Disney park. Each video includes a control to look around as you make your way through the ride.

The video quality is just OK, but if you are a fan of Disney, the experience is solid.

Alyson Krueger, New York Times:

“The rink showed up in a big, giant truck,” said David Lemmond, the hotel’s general manager.

Made by Glice, a company based in Lucerne, Switzerland, this rink requires no cold weather, special blades, electricity or water (other than for cleaning). When skating season is over, the panels can be stacked and stored.

Softer than ice when you fall, this new rink tech works well with any ice skate. Glice now has 1800 rinks worldwide. A small rink starts at only $1,200.

I wonder how they’d handle the demands of hockey skates, with their scraping, ice chewing, sideways stops.

Wall Street Journal:

Government officials across the U.S. are using location data from millions of cellphones in a bid to better understand the movements of Americans during the coronavirus pandemic and how they may be affecting the spread of the disease.

The federal government, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and local governments have started to receive analyses about the presence and movement of people in certain areas of geographic interest drawn from cellphone data, people familiar with the matter said. The data comes from the mobile advertising industry rather than cellphone carriers.

The data—which is stripped of identifying information like the name of a phone’s owner—could help officials learn how coronavirus is spreading around the country and help blunt its advance. It shows which retail establishments, parks and other public spaces are still drawing crowds that could risk accelerating the transmission of the virus, according to people familiar with the matter. In one such case, researchers found that New Yorkers were congregating in large numbers in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and handed that information over to local authorities, one person said. Warning notices have been posted at parks in New York City, but they haven’t been closed.

It would be better if this data collection were more out in the open and less murky. We have to be wary of giving up liberties in search of security.

Ars Technica:

Until this week, the Open Library only allowed people to “check out” as many copies as the library owned. If you wanted to read a book but all copies were already checked out by other patrons, you had to join a waiting list for that book—just like you would at a physical library.

Of course, such restrictions are artificial when you’re distributing digital files. Earlier this week, with libraries closing around the world, the Internet Archive announced a major change: it is temporarily getting rid of these waiting lists.

“The library system, because of our national emergency, is coming to aid those that are forced to learn at home,” said Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle. The Internet Archive says the program will ensure students are able to get access to books they need to continue their studies from home during the coronavirus lockdown.

It’s an amazing resource—one that will provide a lot of value to people stuck at home due to the coronavirus. But as a copyright nerd, I also couldn’t help wondering: is this legal?

When I first saw the story, I thought they must have missed the “un” in “copyrighted.” But the Archive has lots of books that are still in print and copyrighted. So it’s probably not legal but no one wants to get into the fight.

Ars Technica:

Good news for those looking for fresh TV fare while sheltering in place: the third season of Killing Eve, the Emmy Award-winning spy thriller series starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, is coming to TV two weeks early.

“We know how adored this series is and we know how keen people are for great content right now,” Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios, said in a statement. “This season of Killing Eve digs deep psychologically, and with actors like Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, and Fiona Shaw, the results are nothing short of astonishing. We literally couldn’t wait for fans to see it.”

There are few shows I look forward to more than Killing Eve. I can’t wait for April 12th. If you haven’t seen the first two seasons, you’re in for a binge-watching treat.

IEEE Spectrum:

Rather than fight to repair my wounded device, I did what Big Tech and other manufacturers increasingly want owners to do. I threw it away. Today repair remains an option, one that makers want to monopolize or eliminate.

The big threat to devices today isn’t failure, but rather “creative destruction,” or the new advent of new and improved stuff. Who needs to think about repairs when we are dazzled by the latest “upgrade.”

Not everyone opposes convenience, so the Repair movement might regret choosing to advocate for a “right” to repair rather than an “option.”

In general, I agree with the idea of the right to repair – not that I would ever attempt it on my own electronics – but this article does a great job of describing some of my discomfort with the “movement.”