As the world quieted down in 2020, Raspberry Shakes listened
2 months 2 weeks ago
Humble Raspberry Pis helped scientists track the seismic noise people stopped making in 2020.
Ars Contributors
Over time, your Mac probably accumulates a lot of cruft. Old applications you no longer use, data you have no use for, a desktop full of icons (only four of which you actually ever use)...you know what I mean. With so many people working from home lately, the problem has only gotten worse.
Now is as good a time as any to tidy up your Mac, freeing up storage space and probably CPU cycles and RAM in the process. Here are a few tips to make quick work of your Mac “spring cleaning.”
Optimize StorageOpen the Storage Management app, either by using Spotlight (Command-space) or by clicking the Apple logo in the upper left of the menu bar, choosing About This Mac, clicking the Storage tab, then Manage.
Just two days after releasing iOS 14.3 with several significant new features like ProRAW photos and Fitness+, Apple is starting the beta testing process for iOS 14.4. Since this is a full point-release number than a minor one (e.g. iOS 14.3.1), we expect there to be some user-facing changes present.
Update 12/17/20: The first public beta has now been released. To participate in the beta, see the instructions below.
What’s new in iOS 14.4We don’t yet know the full extent of the new features we can expect from iOS 14.4. As the community of beta testers discovers significant changes, we’ll update this article with more information.
Apple is planting its own flag in the streaming wars with Apple TV+, its in-house streaming service that focuses almost entirely on original programming rather than an extensive library of existing TV shows or movies.
Though the service has been available for only about a year and and doesn’t yet have a lot of shows or films available, there’s a lot in the works. This is a list of all the Apple TV+ content we know of so far, along with details about prominent stars, directors, producers, and release dates.
To save on Apple gear see our roundup of the best holiday deals on iPads, AirPods, Watches, MacBooks, and more.Updated 12/17/20: Apple has posted a trailer for Palmer, starring Justin Timberlake. The film now has a release date of January 29, 2021. Variety reports that Samual L. Jackson is set to star in the limited series The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
With the holidays in full swing—and time running out for shopping—there’s still time to be smart about what you buy. In this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about what Apple products you should avoid buying.
This is episode 725 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.
Listen to episode 725
Apple hides some of its best features through obscurity, not intentionally. For many years—at least 15, by my research—you have been able to select and change the icon for any file, folder, volume, or drive. But it’s a multi-step process that requires starting with the right image.
You can find the source icons all over the place. Generic ones are available at places like IconArchive and DeviantArt (which has a lot of NSFW content, but not drive related); companies that sell drives often make downloadable icons available of all the models they sell, like One World Computing and LaCie; and you can copy an icon from an existing volume. You can also find little projects, likese these 20 icons made from historic Japanese patterns by a designer at software maker Panic in 2012.
Every day, Macworld brings you the essential daily news and other info about all things Apple. But staying on top of that torrent of information can be a constant challenge. One solution: the Macworld digital magazine.
In the January issueThe Mac’s move to Apple silicon has begun. In the January issue we have reviews of the M1 MacBook Air, M1 MacBook Pro, and M1 Mac mini. Find out everything you need to keep in mind when buying an M1 Mac. Plus, we review the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Also in this month’s issue:
• MacUser: With M1 Macs, memory just isn't what it used to be. Plus, how to quickly move everything from your old Intel Mac to your new M1 MacBook
Google's Stadia game streaming platform is now accessible on iPhone and iPads. Apple's rules for the App Store make it next to impossible to publish apps for services that stream games from the cloud (as opposed to over local networks). Therefore, Google has taken to making Stadia accessible via a web app.
To use it, go to stadia.google.com in Safari on your iPhone or iPad. While it will run in a browser, it's best to make a web app shortcut so you aren't bothered by things like an address bar or tabs. To do this, tap the Share button, then select Add to Home Screen. This will make a Stadia web app icon on your iPhone or iPad. When you launch it, you'll get a full-screen Safari window with no address bar, tabs, or other navigation controls in your way.
Barely a week after Google announced that Apple Music was now available as a default service on Google and Nest speakers, another Apple service has crossed over into unchartered waters. Beginning next year, the Apple TV app will be available on the new Chromecast with Google TV devices, the companies announced Wednesday.
The Apple TV app will work on the latest Chromecast devices that include the new Google TV interface and “even more devices powered by Android TV OS in the future” in the future. That opens the door to Apple TV+ support on Sony and Hisense Android TV-powered sets as well as Nvidia’s Shield boxes.
People accuse electronics manufacturers of built-in obsolescence: that hardware is designed to stop working or not be useful after a relatively short period of time. Apple has generally avoided that with Macs, letting many of its models receive OS X and macOS updates for five to seven years after the computer version’s initial release. And some people keep older systems running indefinitely, as I noted in a recent column that started with people’s love of 10.6.8 Snow Leopard, now over a decade old.
But Apple doesn’t provide a guide as such as to the “terminal” version of its operating system you can install on any given computer. That is, how do you find the last version your computer is compatible with?
Achievement badges are a funny thing. You know they’re just a simple little bit of visual flair, they don’t even do anything, and yet for some reason you just have to collect them. Achievements are great motivators, and the achievement badges for the activity tracking on the Apple Watch have inspired many users to get more exercise.
If you want to maximize your badge count, you’re going to want to chase down as many activity achievements as you can. Most are available year-round, but there are also some time-limited special events to grab, too. Here’s a list of all the activity achievements for the Apple Watch and how to unlock them.
In a blog post on Tuesday, Microsoft said that the core apps of Office 365—Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word—are now Universal apps that run natively on either Intel or Apple silicon.
To installed the updated apps, check the Mac App Store, or open an Office app, click the Help menu, and select Check for Updates.
A Universal version of Microsoft Teams is still under development. In the meantime, Teams runs under Rosetta on Apple silicon Macs.
Microsoft also previewed many new features that are coming within a few weeks and in the early part of 2021. An upcoming update to Outlook will support iCloud and UI enhancements to match the look of macOS Big Sur. Next month, Microsoft will release a revamped Office Start, which will incorporate Microsoft’s Fluent UI, so working in Office feels more Mac-like. Other new features include:
With iOS 14, Apple has finally given you the ability to customize the layout of your home screen to some extent. Instead of just repositioning icons, you can totally remove them thanks to the new App Library. With the new Widgets, you can finally fill your home screen with something other than just apps.
Apple announced the AirPods Max last week and they will henceforth be known as the headphones that launched a thousand takes.
Ever alert to when an Apple product is not priced correctly, pundits called them “ludicrously overpriced” with a case that looks like a brassiere (tip o’ the antlers to @designheretic). The price has further inspired CNN Business to look at “The real cost of being the ultimate Apple fan” (tip o' the antlers to Rick) which they say is $80,000 because if you don’t buy the top of each product line Apple ships then you’re not “the ultimate Apple fan”.
ESA has published its report into the loss of the Vega VV17 mission and said the screwup was due to an "inversion of electrical connections" during integration.…
Huawei has launched the first developer preview of its in-house smartphone operating system, HarmonyOS 2.0.…
Some 5G networks are at risk of attack thanks to "long-standing vulnerabilities" in core protocols, according to infosec researchers at Positive Technologies.…
Something for the Weekend, Sir? "It will never catch on." The next thing you know, you’re staring at a badly drawn zob scrawled over Shakespeare's shimoneta*.…
On Call Welcome to the last On Call before Christmas, and a reminder that furry friends and technology do not always make good bed, or even floor, fellows.…
Amidst the paroxysms of coronavirus and Brexit, the United Kingdom on Wednesday found time to ratify the Convention that formally establishes the SKA Observatory (SKAO), paving the way for the giant radio telescope to be built.…
Your web search history plus records of the browser and device you use to make those searches could enable financial institutions to calculate you a more accurate credit rating than traditional methods, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). And the global finance organisation says the ability to use those records might be a good thing rather than a privacy nightmare.…
Alibaba Group today admitted its cloud business developed what it is described as “a facial recognition technology … that included ethnicity as an algorithm attribute for tagging video imagery,” then vowed it will never again see the light of day.…
America's nuclear weapons agency was hacked by the suspected Russian spies who backdoored SolarWinds' IT monitoring software and compromised several US government bodies, and Microsoft was caught up in the same cyber-storm, too, it was reported Thursday.…
Google has rejected Australia’s plan to force it to pay local news publishers for the right to index their output and present it in search results.…
On Thursday Google was hit for the third time in as many months in the United States with an antitrust lawsuit, once again focused on the internet giant's alleged monopolization of the search advertising market.…
Oracle on Thursday said it has uncovered the largest fraud campaign yet targeting businesses booking advertising in video streams showing on so-called "smart" televisions.…
Renewable electricity and gas supplier People’s Energy has told its 250,000-plus customers that a “gap” in the security of its IT system was exploited by digital burglars.…
Google and Qualcomm have linked arms to extend the lifecycle of new Android devices, meaning future phones could receive as many as three major operating system updates provided they're running the latest Snapdragon silicon.…
Those within NASA hoping for some festive treats were in for disappointment this week as the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) administered a kicking over the agency's beleaguered Artemis programme.…
GitHub on Thursday said it has removed all cookie banners from its website, a decision the company is making in the interest of privacy, despite the claimed popularity of its disclosure interface.…
Enterprise data warehouse stalwart Teradata has capped a difficult year with an update to Teradata QueryGrid, which promises to connect customers to a vast array of new data sources – a decidedly underwhelming move, according to some.…
AWS has claimed its upcoming Amazon Location Service for developers building mapping and geographic features into applications is "priced at a fraction of common alternatives," presumably aiming squarely at a company whose name rhymes with schmoogle.…
Google is discontinuing its Android Things IoT platform for non-commercial users. The Chocolate Factory will not allow the creation of new projects after 5 January and the entire platform will be nuked the following year.…
Microsoft is updating its certification system to one that requires an annual renewal as it eyes the rapidly changing tech landscape.…
This year, I learned a lot about how “old” tricks can solve a lot of modern problems if you use the right tools. Following the growth of Jamstack-style development has been both a learning experience, while also a nostalgic one. It’s been amazing to see how you can power plain ol’ HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with the rise of headless CMSes, API-driven databases, e-commerce services, and modern frameworks.
I feel like the biggest hurdle that all of the different framework … Read article “What’s Old is New”
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I spent a good chunk of my work life this year trying (in collaboration with the amazing Noam Rosenthal) to standardize a new web platform feature: a way to modify the intrinsic size and resolution of images. And hey! We did it! But boy, was it ever a learning experience.
This wasn’t my first standardization rodeo, so many of the issues we ran into, I more-or-less anticipated. Strong negative feedback from browsers. Weird, unforeseen gotchas with the underlying … Read article “I learned to love the Same-Origin Policy”
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(This is a sponsored post.)
Pluralsight is giving away 25 courses on JavaScript for free to celebrate JavaScript’s 25th birthday. It’s no cheapie, either. The courses range from getting your hands dirty with JavaScript for the first time, to full-on reactive development. Pluralsight’s been around a long time and they know how to design a great course.
Five free courses are being released each week throughout this month, December. The $0 price tag is probably enough of an … Read article “25 Years of JavaScript & 25 Free Courses”
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In an age where so much web design is already neat, clean, and simple, I can think of three ways to distinguish your site from the norm:
The third is the most accessible, and an awesome place to differentiate your brand. Accordingly, look for a renaissance of type — a flourishing of … Read article “Three Ways to Distinguish a Site From the Norm”
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When I first got this writing prompt, my mind immediately started thinking stuff like, “What tech have I learned this year?” But this post isn’t really about tech, because I think what I’ve learned the most about building websites this past year is simplification.
This year, I’ve learned that keeping it simple is almost always the best approach. Heck, I’ve been banging that drum for a while, but this year has really solidified those sort of thoughts. I’m trying to … Read article “Learning to Simplify”
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There was a time when I felt overwhelmed by how fast the web developed. It seemed like not a single day passed without a new plugin, framework, technique, or language feature being released. I believed that in order to survive as a freelancer and to compete with others I had to learn everything everyone else was so good at: webpack, React, Angular, SVGs, Houdini, CSS Grid Layout, ES6, you name it. Being active on Twitter and going to conferences didn’t … Read article “Slow Movement”
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I was recently looking for a way to perform scrolling effects on a project and I stumbled on the Locomotive Scroll library. It lets you perform a variety of scrolling effects, like parallax and triggering/controlling animations at scroll points.
You might also call it a “smooth scrolling” library, but it doesn’t leverage native smooth scrolling — it does just the opposite by virtualizing scrolling and ensuring it’s always smooth. You could probably consider this “scrolljacking” so if you … Read article “How to Use the Locomotive Scroll for all Kinds of Scrolling Effects”
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I enjoyed this blog post from Shawn. Lampshading is apparently the idea of a TV show calling attention to some weakness (like an implausible plot point) so that the show can move on. By calling it out, it avoids criticism by demonstrating the self-awareness. For developers, Shawn notes, it’s like admitting to your teammates/boss that you don’t know some particular technology so the team can move on.
Not only is this useful, it’s powerful. Higher-ups need to call out anything … Read article “The Power of Lampshading”
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In the short term, opinions about technology often follow a compressed form of Laver’s Law:
We tend to judge things based on where we started, our personal “Year Zeros.” But what’s “Year Zero” for us isn’t “Year Zero” for others. And in the fullness of time, the good ideas win out and hindsight … Read article “It’s Always Year Zero”
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When Chris asked me to write about “one thing I learned about building websites this year” I admit my brain immediately went through a list of techniques and CSS properties I started using this year. But then I paused. Other people can write about that much better than I can. What’s something that I specifically have learned?
Then I realized that I’ve been “learning” the same lesson for the last five years, yet I keep falling into the same trap … Read article “Old is Solid; New Gets Talked About”
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WCAG 2.1 Recommendations rolled out in 2018. It’s been a couple years now and there are some new Success Criterion. In this article, I will discuss Label in Name, which is how we visually label components. We’ll take a look at what some failure states look like, how to fix them, and examples of how to do them correctly.
You lost me at Success Criterion…
A Success Criterion is a testable statement that aren’t technology-specific. It’s the baseline from … Read article “What’s New in WCAG 2.1: Label in Name”
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Speaking of cool CSS stuff you can buy, Julia Evans’ zine Hell Yes! CSS! is hot off the presses. A “zine” being 28 pages of “short, informative, and fun comics which will quickly teach you something useful.” Some parts of it are like cheat sheets. Some parts of it are like concepts made digestible through the relaxed format. Some parts of it are like mini-tutorials. There is definitely some uhmmmm wow weird moments in there that might stump … Read article “Hell Yes! CSS!”
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This year I had the pleasure of re-launching The Accessibility Project. I spend a lot of time researching and writing about accessibility and inclusive design, so this felt like the cumulation of a lot of that effort. The site now uses all sorts of cool web features like CSS Grid, @supports, and media features, aria-current, Service Workers, and Eleventy. But that’s really not the important bit.
The important bit I learned this year … Read article “Representation Matters”
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Cassidy Williams has been doing a Blogvent (blogging every day for a month) over on the Netlify Blog. A lot of the blog posts are about Next.js. There is a lot to like about Next.js. I just pulled one of Cassidy’s starters for fun. It’s very nice that it has React Fast-Refresh built-in. I like how on any given “Page” you can import and use a <Head to control stuff that would be in a <head. … Read article “Netlify & Next.js”
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What’s one thing I learned about building websites this year? Not all that much.
This year, unlike most previous years, I didn’t explore a lot of new technologies. For obvious reasons, it’s been a difficult year to be as engaged in the hot new topics and to spend time playing around with new things. So, for the most part, I’ve tried to keep calm and carry on.
That said, I did try a couple of things that were new to … Read article “Not Much”
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High five to Ahmad Shadeed for releasing his new book, Debugging CSS. I think that’s a neat angle for a book on CSS. There are a ton of books on the general subject of CSS already, so not that they can’t be fresh takes on that, but this feels equally important and less trodden territory.
Browser DevTools help us a ton these days in debugging CSS, but there isn’t exactly a step-by-step guide about about it that I know … Read article “Debugging CSS”
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Looks like all the content of MDN is on GitHub now. That’s pretty rad. That’s been the public plan for a while. Chris Mills:
We will be using GitHub’s contribution tools and features, essentially moving MDN from a Wiki model to a pull request (PR) model. This is so much better for contribution, allowing for intelligent linting, mass edits, and inclusion of MDN docs in whatever workflows you want to add it to (you can edit MDN source files directly
… Read article “MDN on GitHub”
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Here’s a scenario. You start a banging Kendrick Lamar track in one of your many open browser tabs. You’re loving it, but someone walks into your space and you need to pause it. Which tab is it? Browsers try to help with that a little bit. You can probably mute the entire system audio. But wouldn’t it be nice to actually have control over the audio playback without necessarily needing to find your way back to that tab?
The Media … Read article “Give Users Control: The Media Session API”
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The HTTP Archive looked at more than 7 million websites and compiled their annual report detailing how the sites were built. And there’s an enormous wealth of information about how the web changed in 2020. In fact, this report is more like an enormous book and it’s entirely fabulous. The data comes from making queries to the HTTP Archive and is broken down into various sections, such as Performance, Security, and the languages themselves, including how folks wrote HTML or … Read article “HTTP Archive’s Annual State of the Web Report”
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One thing I noticed about building websites in 2020: despite all the social networks and publishing platforms craving our content, our stories, and our attention, people are somehow still building personal websites. Over the course of the year, many of you have launched or relaunched your website. It indeed feels like the personal website is experiencing a little revival.
To me, this comes as no surprise. The benefits of having your own personal site are enormous and appealing. As a … Read article “Make it Personal”
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