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Apple Card — One Year Later
One year ago today I got my Apple Card (the credit card from Apple/Goldman Sachs). It’s hard to believe it’s been a year already, and I wouldn’t have even thought about it if Facebook hadn’t reminded me this morning (thanks, Facebook) after posting about it last year. I have used it almost exclusively for my purchases since I received it last year (I’ll mention the exceptions in a minute). Everything I buy, whether in person…
Weekend Reading List
I read a lot. Much of it is online, but I’m almost always in the middle of one or two books, too — Kindle versions, of course — so I can pick up wherever I might be at the moment. I’ve finished two books in the last month and a third is more than half read. I plan to occasionally post a list of some of the best online articles I’ve read over the last…
Eight Easy Steps to Improve Your Photography
Ever since the advent of digital photography, but especially since the time our mobile phones have included good cameras, everyone has become a photographer. One of the greatest benefits of digital photography is that you get to see the results of your photographs immediately. Contrast that to the “good old days” when you took your film to Fotomat or the drug store and waited up to two weeks for them to come back, only to…
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News & Notes 4
Due App UpdateApple StockiPad Air for Sale — $149iOS 14 Beta “Due” App Update On July 5th, I reviewed the Due app (It’s About “Due”), a great reminders app that runs on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Today the macOS version was upgraded to version 20 to look and work more like the iOS versions. It’s a free upgrade for everyone who has purchased it since 2017. Redesigned and reimagined from the ground up, Due 20 for…
Productivity and Writing: Eight Mac Apps I Use Everyday
This is a list of eight of my very favorite apps, all of which I use on pretty much a daily basis. I wouldn’t want to work without any of these, although I admit there is some overlap in functionality and you might not need all of these. They all run on Mac, iPad, and iPhone, and sync via iCloud allowing you to move seamlessly between devices. None are available at this time for PC…
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Eleven of My Favorite “Wear a Mask” Signs
Most states and communities have mandated that everyone must wear a mask when leaving their residence, anytime social (physical) distancing cannot be assured. Most businesses also require that masks be worn when on their property. Nevertheless, there are some hard-headed folks out there who remain unconvinced of their importance despite overwhelming scientific evidence. Confrontations with non-mask-wearing “freedom” seekers are videoed nearly every day by citizens trying to shame them into wearing their masks. Some businesses…
It’s About “Due”
Every once in awhile, I come across a product or an app that I didn’t know I needed, but once I have it, I wonder how I ever got along without it! Numerous products fit that category for me. Recently they include my Spyderco pocket knife, my Olight flashlight, and my Apple Watch. I already had other pocket knives, flashlights, and watches, but none became as indispensable as those I carry now and use daily. …
Face Masks Mandated in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Governor Wolf announced today, July 1st, 2020, that face masks are required to be worn in all public areas of Pennsylvania. COVID-19 is spiking to new levels in many areas of the country, and levels in Pennsylvania have taken an upturn, too, after largely being held in check as the state has been working toward reopening. The move to require masks is intended to make sure the virus is checked and we don’t have…
Happy Canada Day!
July 1st is Canada Day, the national day of Canada. It celebrates the anniversary of July 1st, 1867, the effective date of the Constitution Act, 1867 (then called the British North America Act, 1867), which united the three separate colonies of the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada. It was originally called Dominion Day but was renamed in 1982, the year in which…
News & Notes 3
“My RØDE Cast” Podcast Competition — An Update On June 18th, I told you about the “My RØDE Cast” podcast competition and invited you to listen and vote for my entry. Winners were announced today, and, alas, I wasn’t one of them. But I’m glad I participated. Maybe next year! If you’d like to listen to the winning podcasts, visit this page. Thanks again to everyone who voted for my podcast! Work Update We had…
Reader View (Dammit, Hold Still When I’m Reading!)
One of the most frustrating things when I’m reading a web page with lots of ads is having it jerk me back and forth as ads disappear and reload and change sizes, sometimes even forcing me to scroll back to see a paragraph I hadn’t yet finished reading. This is generally the result of poor website design, but it appears on even some of the biggest and best-known websites. I don’t usually object to seeing…
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Apple Announcements Monday at WWDC20
Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference 2020 is taking place this week. But for the first time, it’s not a physical conference — it’s a virtual conference, entirely online, and available not just to developers but to anyone interested. In past years it has been an expensive conference limited to a select number of developers chosen by lottery. Thanks to COVID-19, not only is it available to everyone who is interested, but it’s also free. The…