The Touch Bar mistake

This morning at a special event Apple introduced what they believe to be the next big thing in laptop computing. A majority of the introduction of the new MacBook Pro was spent focused on its new Touch Bar.

I’m in the market for a new laptop. My current 2012 non-Retina MacBook Pro is starting to show its age and is significantly thicker and heavier than the new MacBook Pro which isn’t so great for carrying it around Uni.

Prices were raised across the board, and while I’m not happy about that, I won’t focus too much on why that’s bad. Simply put, previous MacBook Pro prices reflected the “Pro” part of the device already, and any increase now is just too much. Fortunately, they’ve released a “cheaper” model, which is still more pricey than the previous generation entry-level MacBook Pro, without the Touch Bar.

Regarding the Touch Bar, honestly, I don’t see much use for it at the moment. Its best feature at the moment is Touch ID for unlocking the MacBook Pro. This isn’t to say that it’ll remain this way, though. As developers implement the API, and as Apple introduce new updates to macOS we may very well see some cool uses for the Touch Bar that can’t be imagined right now. This is a big “if.” I’m torn between purchasing the base model with the Touch Bar or upgrading the model without the Touch Bar - 16GB RAM / 512GB internal storage is very appealing.

Back in 2012 when I bought my current non-Retina MacBook Pro, I talked myself out of the Retina model because of the cost savings. That’s something I’ve since regretted, as I’ve come around to not only the benefits of a Retina display but also the advantage of the thinness and lightness of the machine I didn’t buy. It was a mistake to not buy the best computer I could’ve at the time. And I’m worried that’ll happen again here if I purchase the new MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar. I mightn’t miss the Touch Bar for the first couple of years, but this laptop is likely something I’ll own for 4+ years and the Touch Bar may have increased significance in the future. One argument I’m using to talk myself out of it is that ~50% of my usage involves having my MacBook Pro connected to an external monitor with MacBook Pro out of reach, so I won’t be able to use it half of the time anyway. Right now I’m conflicted, and I just am hoping I won’t look back in a few years and say, “Well that was a mistake,” just like has happened by not purchasing a MacBook Pro without a Retina display.

Fortunately, I have a few months to make this decision. It’s a lot of money to spend, and I want to make the right one. My indecision will undoubtedly be expressed via Twitter if you’d like to follow along. 🙂

“I like it. Google being in the hardware game is only a good thing. I’m not a fan of Samsung and what they do with their phones, so having a phone completely designed and controlled by Google is good for consumers and the Android platform. It’s also good for Apple. Improvements to Android and also Android software only push Apple and iOS forward, and vice-versa. It’s an interesting decision to position it directly as an iPhone competitor - something Google haven’t done before. Samsung have done this previously but only with their high-end phones. This might be their biggest problem though: it’s the same price as the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 is a far more attractive phone. We’ll see how it sells once it’s release, but Google sure are expecting this phone to sell well based off of their huge marketing push over the last ~30 hours since the announcement.”

— My response when asked to comment on the new Google Pixel smartphone announced yesterday. Tl;dr I like it more than anything Samsung have ever done.

What a Time to Be Alive

What a time.

This phrase is repeated constantly throughout Mark Di Stefano’s 2016 political campaign diary.

If you religiously followed #AusPol and/or #AusVotes for the gruelling eight weeks of the campaign, then this is a must-read that provides plenty of insights into life on the road as a political journalist, as well as many behind-the-scenes tidbits about the campaigns run by both Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten.

There has never been a better time to read this book.

Five years already

Five years without Steve today. I still miss the guy. Stay hungry.

— Federico Viticci (@viticci) October 5, 2016

Wow. Five years, huh?

I sure remember where I was when I got the news. And like millions of others, the news was delivered through a handheld supercomputer which he helped bring to life. Apple products have, quite literally, changed the world and had an impact on billions of people - for good and for bad. Would our world, our society, our culture be the same without Steve Jobs? No way.

To end, here are a few of my favourite quotes by Steve:

• “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
• “What a computer is to me is the most remarkable tool that we have ever come up with. It’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.”
• “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
• “Here’s to the crazy ones.”
• “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

Introducing Aussie Slang

So I made a Sticker Pack. It’s called Aussie Slang, and it’s a bit of fun. 🤷¯\_(ツ)_/¯

You can check it out on the App Store here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/aussie-slang/id1143967757?mt=8

If you really want to get creative, you can follow it on Twitter (yes, a sticker pack has it’s own Twitter account), or like it on Facebook. 

Daily Steps 4.0

Version 4.0 of Daily Steps is here, and it’s quite the update.

WHAT’S NEW 

- iMessage app. Share your step count with friends in a fun, customisable way. 

- Apple Watch complications. See your step count at a glance - anytime, anywhere, from any watch face. 

- Support for background app refresh in new versions of watchOS 3. Daily Steps will periodically update in the background resulting in faster load times and quicker access to your step count.

Check it out on the App Store 👉 https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/daily-steps-simple-step-counting/id720629415?mt=8

AirPods

At their Special Event last week, Apple introduced a whole new caterogy of wearable device and yet no one is talking it. This is the start of a major shift in how we think about consumer technology, and what our devices can do for us.

Headphone jack

Tomorrow, Apple are holding a ‘Special Event’ at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for what is widely believed to be the unveiling of the iPhone 7, and Apple Watch 2 with new bands. It is, of course, also the event where we’ll hear more about the release of iOS 10, tvOS 10, watchOS 3, and macOS Sierra.

Honestly, I’m still undecided on whether to upgrade from my iPhone 6. The iPhone 7 isn’t shaping up to be very exciting, and really the only thing it’s missing is 3D Touch - which is exciting but not a justification to buy a whole new phone. Quite frankly, I just want a new MacBook Pro but there are strong reports which say the Mac won’t be mentioned tomorrow, and we’ll likely have to wait until the end of October. Apple are making it incredibly difficult for me to give them money, but whatever. The non-Retina screen I’m looking at as I type this is burning my eyes, but that’s cool Apple. You take your time. I’ll wait. Others have speculated as to how and when they’re going to be announced. I’d love for them to be announced tomorrow, and a release date set (even if it’s for much later in the year). At least then we’d know what we’re getting, and when.

The real topic of controversy this year is the rumoured (but almost certain) removal of the headphone jack from this next-generation iPhone. The best explanation I’ve heard floating around - and the one I agree with most - is that it’s happening this year to get the fuss out of the way. Any significant change Apple make to a product, especially the iPhone, will undoubtedly get a lot of media attention. By making it the focus of the 2016 iPhone, Apple are able to offer a significantly redesigned iPhone in 2017 with the hope of no negative press coverage. It’s a smart way to get all of the complaints out of the way early, on an iPhone that won’t prove significant in the history of the product. News moves fast, and no one will care about the removal of the headphone jack by the end of this year. Perhaps even by the end of this month.

So how will you listen to audio on your iPhone 7? I’m going to assume for the sake of this post that the iPhone 7 will come with earphones that plug into the Lightning port of the iPhone (the port you currently use for charging), and that Apple will heavily push the sale of wireless (most likely Bluetooth) earphones. There will also be some kind of adapter that you can plug into the Lightning port to use existing earphones with a 3.5mm headphone plug if you so desire. Whether or not this comes in the box remains to be seen.

I’ve stayed relatively mute on this topic ever since the rumours became loud earlier this year, simply because I don’t care. I’m neither for nor against its removal. It sincerely doesn’t bother me. If the headphone jack stays, cool. If it doesn’t, also cool. I’ll live, and so will you. It’s not what you’d believe if you read Twitter, or were closely in tune with the tech media, but I honestly don’t care, and don’t think many others outside of these circles do either. The frequency and reliability of reports saying it’ll be removed make it pretty obvious this was a controlled leak by Apple, to ease us into the idea over the last six months, without springing it on us tomorrow. Considering the fuss in the media thus far, I was surprised the first my mum heard of the removal was this past weekend. It surprised her, but only took a 20 second explanation and she understood why it’s probably going to be removed and was fine with it.

As little as I care, it’s important to think about the implications for the community as a whole. After all, the iPhone is a device used by upward of 40% of people in developed countries, and is the single best selling phone. As someone who catches public transport frequently, I’m always looking around to see how people are using their tech, and I’d say 80% of people fit into one of two categories - they either use the earphones that are included in the box with their smartphone, or they’re using Bluetooth earphones. Common brands of Bluetooth headphones include Bose, Sony, and Jaybird. The removal of the headphone jack won’t have an impact upon these people at all. They’ll buy the iPhone 7, and either pull out the earphones in the box and start using them, or they’ll pair their existing Bluetooth headphones and be done with it. This doesn’t leave a great number of people impacted by the change. As for everyone else? Well, I’m sure they’ll either be able to buy an adaptor for a few bucks, buy a new pair of Lightning earphones (which will undoubtedly soar in popularity after this month), or take the plunge and buy some Bluetooth earphones. Similar to the transition between the 30-pin dock connector and Lightning, we’ll all have forgotten the 3.5mm headphone port was a thing before long.

The removal of the headphone jack will anger many, but it’s important to remember this change is inevitable. Any change to the iPhone will make people angry, but all in all this change isn’t as significant as you’ve been made to believe. Remember, most people don’t care. They’re going to buy the iPhone 7, use the lightning earphones that come with it, and get on with their life.

The Simple Solution to Traffic

CGP Grey on the benefits of self-driving cars, and more specifically how they’ll change traffic as we know it. My favourite part analyses why road intersections are so inefficient at present with human drivers, and how this will all change once fully autonomous cars are on the road.

World class Wi-Fi coming to a home near you

Today, I’m excited to announce two new gateways – the Telstra Gateway Max 2 and Telstra Gateway Frontier

Exciting stuff from Telstra today. I don’t praise them often but credit where credit’s due!

And early 2017 we’ll launch Australia’s first ISP-supported hybrid gateway, the Telstra Gateway Frontier, which brings together Telstra’s mobile and fixed networks in one device to connect you quickly and keep you connected, even if your fixed line is unavailable.

So, if you’re moving house, this means you can use the gateway to connect to the internet using our mobile network while you wait for your fixed line service to be activated.

Drawing attention to the above two paragraphs, this is an interesting idea and one that I applaud Telstra for having. Now of course, the devil is in the detail and it comes down to how they choose to utilise this hybrid feature, and also how they choose to charge for it. However, it opens the door to solutions when Cable/NBN is down. I routinely read Tweets from people asking to be reimbursed for their 4G tethering/hotspot usage while their home Internet is down, or suggestions to allow for unlimited 4G usage during an outage. With this hybrid router, that is something which Telstra can be implemented seamlessly.

Planned outage? No worries, give the customer unlimited 4G through their router for that time. They wouldn’t notice the difference for the most part - their home Wi-Fi would run as it always does.

we have partnered with Australian consultancy Design + Industry to develop these gateways so you can proudly display them in your home

Ah, a router that looks half decent that you won’t want to hide! It kind of looks like a fan, but whatever, it’s decent. 👍🏻