Just a few weeks later and we already have the walls of our foundation. We also got loan (something that we finalized after starting construction, which I wouldn’t recommend but it worked out fine in the end). Full speed ahead!

Clive Thompson (Medium) - Why Cyclists Love The “Idaho Stop”

I'm a cyclist and I have always felt like other riders who roll through lights give "good" cyclists a bad rep. Turns out that it's safer that way. In hindsight it makes perfect sense since often when lights turn green cars just want to go and might not notice a bike alongside them. Consider me a convert and make this legal everywhere.

Electrek - Tesla launches $300 wireless charger inspired by Cybertruck

I had Nomad's charger which used the same technology but the magnets in MagSafe phones interfered and caused some issues. I wonder if FreePower (the company behind the tech) has fixed that, but either way why is Tesla making this? Do they think it'll help their stock price? 😂

YouTube - BARBIE Teaser Trailer

Who would've thought that I'd be interested in the new Barbie movie?

Home construction has begun. While this goes on we’ll be on a never ending quest for the right light fixtures. 😂

Hyundai Is Working on a Fake Automatic For its EVs

First they made fake manuals and now they're making fake automatics. Can't wait for the fake CVT.

Why Birds Changed Their Tune During the Pandemic - Atlas Obscura

Borrowed from [Kottke](kottke.org), a fascinating article about how birds changed their song in the day area due to the changes in noise levels during the (ongoing) pandemic.

Gymkhana 2022

Avatar’s ‘cultural impact’ is a silly debate - Polygon

A good article the cultural significance of Avatar.

The Game Awards was last night. It's always kind of a silly show but it's been improving year over year and I appreciate that it's still going on. There were a lot of announcements and many things that I'm looking forward to in the next few years.

• A new trailer for the Cyberpunk 2077 DLC (now with 100% more Idris Elba)
• There’s an expansion for Horizon: Forbidden West that set in LA
• Diablo 4 is launching on June 6
• There’s a trailer for the new Dune game
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor gameplay
• A sequel to Hades
• And most importantly… Hiking Simulator Death Stranding 2

Pepsi wants you to drink soda mixed with milk this holiday season | CNN Business

No.

Tweetbot Maker Tapbots Working on ‘Ivory’ Mastodon App - MacRumors

I'm still using Twitter but one of the major hurdles of switching to Mastodon has been that I love Tweetbot and Twitterrific. Nice to see that Tapbots (of Tweetbot) is making a new app for Mastodon.

Department of Public Safety - Daily Dispatch

On December 1, 2022, at around 2:00 am, the Alaska State Troopers were notified that an adult male traveling via snowmachine from Noorvik to Kotzebue had activated an Apple iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite on his iPhone after becoming stranded.

This is very cool. I hope it's reliable enough to help out some more people.

Epic’s RealityScan app, which turns real-life items into 3D models, is available now on iOS - The Verge

I'm excited to try this out!

How physics and a video game trick forever changed the NASCAR Championships - by Ethan Siegel

For whatever it’s worth, Chastain’s final lap time, where he incorporated this video game-inspired strategy into his driving, was 18.845 seconds: the fastest lap in the 75 year history of this track.

Using physics to explain that insane Nascar move from a few weeks back. Wow.

Arc web browser review: a new way of using the internet - The Verge

I've been using Arc for a few weeks (actually the preference window says since August) and I'm still finding it difficult to get used to. It's very strange and there are some very cool ideas - but some of them still feel clunky and don't fit with how I'm used to using the web. One of my biggest complaints is that bookmarks are not "pinned tabs" and you can't really tell which ones are open. This article made me realize that there are a lot of features that I'm not using that I'm hoping to try out (Easels). I loved the seemingly never ending release of new web browsers in the early 2000's (anyone remember iCab?) and it's exciting to see innovation in web browsing again.

A lot has been going on in the Twitterverse this week and I don't even know how to respond. I've been on Twitter since 2007 and it was a huge part of my high school and college life. I made great friends there and I value the time that I have spent (even if it may be too much...). The downfall of Twitter really started with the 2016 election, I think, but somehow Elon Musk has managed to obliterate it in a week. I'll be sad if it disappears, but nothing lasts forever.

iPhone 14 Pro Camera Review: A Small Step, A Huge Leap — Lux

The iPhone 14 never seemed like a huge camera upgrade, but Sebastiaan de With proves me wrong.

The Verge - This robotic tentacle gripper is gentle, practical, and terrifying

This is an interesting concept but I can't imagine it would be all that useful. Robots and automation require precision, which this tentacle gripper doesn't seem to have...

Hello there. I'm still around and hope to resume posting here more regularly. It has been a busy summer! We're also at the beginning of a big move and am working on building a house - so there will be plenty to talk about there.

NASA - First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope

These have been posted everywhere today but they're absolutely breathtaking.

Entrepreneur - Feature on the Atoms Cofounders

I've had a pair of Atoms 000 for a bit over a year and I absolutely love the shoes. I knew the founders were from Pakistan but I didn't know their incredible story of immigrating and starting a business in Brooklyn. Check it out.

Hey there! I haven’t forgotten about this place, it’s just been a busy summer. Going camping this weekend and then I’m hoping to be a bit more diligent about posting more.

I waited a year to buy AirPods Max because I was worried they wouldn’t fit. I’ve had multiple pairs of over-ear headphones and they’d always give me headaches from the clamping force on my fairly wide head.

Anyway, that was silly. These are great.

It's WWDC week! Here is what I found interesting.

iOS 16

I am most excited about the changes to iOS. There are some features that I have been wanted for years, and they're finally here. The big headlining feature (obviously to get everyone to upgrade) is customizable Lock Screens. Widgets can be added, fonts can be changed, and notifications were moved to the bottom. There will also be new notifications that can update in real time for things like Uber pickups or sports scores. Lock Screens can also be tied to Focus modes. These look very cool and I am really looking forward to trying them out - I just wish you could remove that darn flashlight button.

There is also a new Shared Photo Library feature for iCloud Family Sharing. This will allow all Family members to view photos in one library. Either all photos, selected photos, or photos taken *while standing near other family members* can be added. This seems like it could be great but it is too bad it's limited to Family Sharing groups (how do I add my parents?).

A few other big "finally" moments... you can edit iMessages! And add multiple stops to Apple Maps directions!

That might not seem like much but it definitely makes me excited to hop on the public beta. In addition to those there are plenty of other changes that really make this an important update. There's a brand new Home app (with Matter support), tons of additional details in the Weather app (and a WeatherKit API that'll work almost exactly like the old DarkSky API), Quick Note is being added to iPhone (via the Share Sheet), the Fitness app no longer requires an Apple Watch, and you can dictate emoji and punctuation will be added automatically.

macOS Ventura

Of course tons of the iOS features will also be finding their way to macOS but there are also a few Mac specific changes. There's a new window manager called Stage Manager. This one is a little tricky to understand because it sure looks like multiple desktops but just with a different UI so I'll be curious to test it. iPhones can be used as a webcam which unlocks many of the iPhone tricks like Portrait mode and also adds Center Stage and a weird Desk View (seems to use the ultra wide lens to show what's on the desk but I can't imagine the resolution is very helpful) to any Mac. No cables required. The old System Preferences app is being replaced with a System Settings app - which looks very similar to the iPad Settings app. I'm a bit disappointed by this since I feel like Preferences was one of the original OS X designs. It's not great to find things, but it's a classic.

iPadOS 16

iPadOS also gets most of the same updates as iOS and macOS but an iPad version of the weather app is finally coming out. M1 iPads (and M1 only...) get multiple window support through the new Stage Manager system and external display support, which is kind of mind-blowing but I'm still skeptical of how it'll work (sadly I don't have an M1 iPad to test this with, which is also why I don't have too much to say).

Hardware

Apple had one major hardware announcement today - the new MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is a pretty major upgrade to the outgoing model. It has a similar design to the newer MacBook Pros, including a notch, and is the first device to introduce the M2 processor. Best of all, there's finally another black(ish) MacBook. I've got a fairly new M1 MacBook Pro 13" at home but this would be a tempting computer if I was looking to upgrade.

Other than that they threw the M2 in the MacBook Pro 13". Same old design, same pointless Touch Bar. Why does this computer still exist?

Other Notes

• watchOS got some new faces…
• Apple Pay is adding a Pay Later feature to pay for things in four installments
• There’s a new Safety Check feature for people in abusive relationships to log out of other devices
• CarPlay might be taking over every screen in new cars - but not until late 2023 or 2024