Sunday Morning Reading

As summer transitons into Fall we’re back at lovely Lake LuLu for the last weekend of the season. So lake time takes precedence over reading. But with cooler climes ahead that will change, much like the seasons. Nevertheless here’s a few Sunday Morning Reading topics to share. Enjoy.

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The world of politics seems crazier and crazier by the moment. Much of the current focus in on, well you know what and who it is on. There’s also focus on the Supreme Court for the cauldron of corruption that place is, leading us to often overlook some of the cases. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v Community Financial Services Association is one we should keep an eye on. Essentially, if the plantiff prevails much of the Federal Government would be declared unconstitutional. Ian Millhiser has a good luck at the case in A New Supreme Court Case Could Trigger A Second Great Depression. On the one hand it seems seems silly, but on the other quite dangerous, given the climate we’re in.

Is the American Dream still a dream or a nightmare. Belen Fernandez tackles that in On the Road Towards the American Nightmare. Excellent piece.

The Man Who Trapped Us in Databases by McKenize Funk tells us a bit about Hank Asher, the ‘King of Databrokers.’ He’s had and his legacy continues to have more influence on our lives than most of us realize. Did you know you have a Shadow SSN?

David Todd McCarthy takes on the legacy of Jimmy Buffet and the culture he created and the business he crafted from it in The Lost Shaker of Salt Has a Dark Side.

Is there such a thing as children having a Nature Deficit Disorder? Chris Thompson tackles that while Sliding Down Hills on Cardboard.

Ron Grossman digs into the Chicago Tribune archives and pulls out fascinating stuff in this piece about Black and Tan nightclubs in Chicago. Check out In Segregated Chicago, Black and Tans Provided Lively NIghtlife in the Early 20th Century. 

And lastly, this Atlantic piece, The Patriot,  by Jeffrery Goldberg on retiring Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley is worth a read.

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here.

A Time Saving Hint If You’re Getting a New iPhone

Tomorrow, September 22, is new iPhone day for a lot of folks. Some will get them delivered. Some will pick them up from Apple Stores. Some will get them from carriers. And once the hype of release day passes folks will still be doing that going forward.

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Regardless of how and when you get your new iPhone you have an option to set it up as a new iPhone or transfer all of your data and info from the older one. I typically choose the latter option. Let’s face it, either way you’re going to spend some time setting things up.

One of the things I’ve learned through the years is a way to save some time if you decide to transfer your data from iPhone to iPhone instead of starting with an absolute new setup. Apple gives you options if you’re transferring data. You can choose to transfer your data from iCloud or you can choose to transfer directly between your old iPhone and the new one. Both are time consuming.

The first let’s you get back to business sooner while things continue to load in via iCloud. The latter means you have to wait for the transfer to complete before you can use your new iPhone or trade-in or pass down your older one. Either way, data and Apps will transfer to the new device.

Here’s the tip. Some of your Apps are quite large. If you delete them before you do the transfer you’ll save a considerable amount of time during the transfer process. This is especially true if you’re a gamer and have large games on your device. Garage Band is another candidate. It has over a 1.5 GB footprint for the App itself. If you’ve got an App that has a large footprint on your device that entire footprint has to be transferred to be brought over to the new device.

If it’s a crucial App, obviously leave it alone and let the process do its thing. If it’s not, chances are you aren’t going to be using the App right away after you start using your new iPhone. You can reinstall the App once you’re ready for it after things settle down on your new device. (Another hint: This is a great way to do some house cleaning and delete Apps you’ve probably forgotten are on your phone.)

But what about my data?!? Well that depends on how your App stores and retrieves data. Some Apps use iCloud for storage. That data will in most cases still be in iCloud even if you delete the App. If the App uses its own storage in some other cloud, the same thing typically applies. If your App stores everything locally then this hint won’t work for that App.

If you’re unsure or confused, don’t delete the App. Better safe than blaming me.

CleanShot 2023 09 21 at 09 41 48 2xApple also offers you an option to delete the App and save it’s data. You can find out the size of Apps and their footprints in General/ iPhone Storage.

I typically get rid of about 10-15 gigabytes of Apps and data before transferring things to a new device. That’s a real time savings in the transfer process. And I bring back Apps as I need them after things settle in.

If you delete some apps to cut down the time on transferring from old to new, and you are going to use the iCloud option, make sure you do a backup (Settings/iCloud/iCloud Backup) after doing so. What’s in your latest backup is what will transfer over to your new iPhone.

This tip can really pay off if you’re one, like me, who likes to pick up your new iPhone at an Apple Store. Apple Stores are fun places to hang out and check out new gear. Not so much if you’re stuck standing at a table looking at your old and new devices while your data transfers.

Even if you’re transferring data between phones from the comfort of your home the time savings can be real.

The Ties That Bind

I wrote a little something on the Medium publication Rome Magazine about poltics, my grandfather, and how nothing much has really changed when it comes to the political animals that we are. We just don’t hide behind the facades we like to show the world as much. 

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Hope you check out The Ties That Bind. Thanks to David Todd McCarty for letting me publish on Rome Magazine.Good stuff and good writers there.

Sunday Morning Reading

It’s Sunday morning. So here’s some Sunday Morning Reading to share. There’s no theme. Just a collection of topics and writers that caught my eye and tugged a bit on the heartstrings.

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Chris Welch on The Verge lets us know that Samsung and NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art are collaborating and expanding the collection of art that is available to view in your home on Samsung’s Frame TVs. I didn’t know this was a thing. I’m sure some art lovers are glad it is. Would be nice to see this picked up by other museums and Smart TV makers. Check out Samsung Is Bringing Artwork From The Met Museum To Its Frame TVs.

On the politics beat, Susan Glaser pens The Rage of The Toddler Caucus On Capitol Hill. If they title doesn’t tell you what it’s about, you’re not paying attention.

When and why does time matter? Check out Philip Ogley’s The Clock Watcher. Make the time.

What happens if turbulence in the brain’s waves can carve indentations and pathways over time in the same way that water does in stone? Check out Newly Discovered Spirals of Brain Activity May Help Explain Cognition by Shelly Fan.

David Todd McCarty penned an excellent and very personal piece this week about his family coping with drug addiction and its aftermath entitled Bear With Me, I Want To Tell You Something. Beautiful stuff. Tough. Coconuts and plungers.

These are tough times to wade through. Ana Marie Cox says We Are Not Just Polarized. We Are Traumatized. I think she’s correct. And remember, cynicism is a trauma response.

A devilishly good piece by Natasha MH, In Bed With the Devil.

Mark Jacob in Courier Newsroom let’s us in on The Republican Trick To Spin Straw Into Gold. There are no surprises. But we all need to recognize it when it’s happening.

Changing the channel, M.G. Siegler takes a look at the end of the Cable TV bundle in Cable Bites the Dust, and predicts that we’re going to be bundling again as we continue down the path into streaming entertainment consolidation.

And as we head into a week when new iPhones are arriving around the world, finally equipped for USB-C charging, Jay Peters on The Verge writes an almost mournful obituary for the Lightning Connector in Lightning was Great Actually.

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here.

Apple’s iPhone Announcement Has Some Vision Behind It

Apple has announced new iPhones and Apple Watches for 2023. They look nice. They always do. Apple by and large held prices at the same level. There are improved cameras in the iPhones. There’s Titanium on the Pro models. The Apple Watches get a new chip set, more memory and brighter screens. There’s a new 3 nanometer chip in the Pro iPhones and Apple is working hard to save the environment and tell you about saving lives.

And it all sorta, kinda feels obligatory.

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Even coverage of the event and the devices feels a bit underwhelming. (Except for the derision being tossed around over Apple’s environmental efforts video featuring Octavia Spencer.)  I’m betting the reviews will feel lackluster too. There’s a reason for that. Until at least “early next year” Apple’s vision for the Vision Pro and spatial computing is sucking up all the space, time and energy. What we’re seeing with this fall’s release of new iPhones and Apple Watches, and anything else that might come later, is merely marking time to keep the money machine churning until Apple flips the switch on its new paradigm.

Don’t get me wrong. The new iPhones and Apple Watches look like very nice devices. For those ready to upgrade or jump on the Apple bus for the first time I’m confident they will feel good about the devices they choose. We’re certainly not in any post-iPhone period. As I’ve said here and other places this is a mature product line and we’re seeing more iteration than innovation. It’s tough to make big splashes with iteration. And it seems like even Apple’s design folks responsible for colors are putting their focus elsewhere. For the most part, this is not going to change until after “early next year.” And maybe not even for awhile after.

But Apple did drop a few clues and if you’re paying attention it’s not hard to piece them together to suss out where things are headed.

We’ve become accustomed to the iPhone being the center of Apple’s universe. That will continue for quite some time to come. But in Apple’s universe the future belongs to spatial computing. No one knows when and exactly how that future will arrive, but Tim Cook is taking steps to make it possible. And we saw some of those steps and clues at this iPhone and Apple Watch event.

The first clue was lifting and refining the Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch out of the Accessibiility options, where it has already been available, and making it a full-fledged feature of watchOS. The Double Tap got tent pole time at the event. And if you’ve been paying any attention at all to Vision Pro and spatial computing you immediately recognized that gesture from what Apple has revealed one of the ways users will interact in that new world.

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Another big clue was the announcement that the new iPhone 15 Pro models will be able to record spatial video. That only makes sense. Spatial video from what everyone who has demoed the headsets says is pretty amazing to view in those devices. If Apple meets its target and releases Vision Pro devices “early next year” with spatial video as one of the signature features it doesn’t want to wait until next fall to have an iPhone that can record it. Yes, you can use the Vision Pro headset to record spatial video, but just about everyone agreed that poor dad at the birthday party looked pretty darned creepy.

Applevisiondad iCloud storage capacity levels are getting a bump up to 6TB and 12TB (at a price). I’m guessing those spatial videos will take up quite a bit of room.

Apple told us up front in the event that the focus would only be on new iPhones and Apple Watches. The pre-event rumor mill had pretty much quieted down talk about new iPads and Macs, much less anything about Apple TVs and other gear. So this annual fall event happened in essentially routine fashion. No big surprises, no “one more thing.”

There are folks that think we may see another event this fall regarding Macs and iPads. But I don’t think so. We’re not going to see new Macs until after we see the Vision Pro released. The reason I think that is one of the signature features of the Vision Pro and spatial computing: the ability to see and work spatially with the apps on your Mac.

Apple vision pro mac

I may be completely off base, but “early next year” sure seems like the perfect marketing one-two timing punch to sell newer Macs. I’m not sure how the iPad fits into that picture though. Which, as an iPad user is slightly concerning.

Spatial computing is the vision for the future. For better or worse Apple is taking us there. Until “early next year” things are going to feel a bit obligatory and routine when it comes to the current product lineup and maybe next year’s as well given that we probably aren’t going to see mass consumer take up of the Vision Pro in year one.

There’s nothing wrong with that. If Apple’s spatial computing bet on the future pays off then, at the moment, it feels like Tim Cook has timed this transition well. There are certainly enough iPhone users out there who will need and want to upgrade and there’s going to be a new iPhone every year going forward for quite awhile. But the vision is shifting and so too should our expectations.

Sunday Morning Reading

Celebrating the grandson’s second birthday this weekend but there’s still a bit of Sunday Morning Reading to share. As usual it’s a myriad collection of writing on different topics featuring some history, some politics, some Shakespeare, and some writers with some personal things to share.

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First up are a couple of interesting pieces about Shakespeare. In August Drew Lichtenberg wrote a provoking piece in the New York Times about the latest attempts to cancel Shakespeare in the wake of all of the current nonsense going on in educational and political circles. The title, Cancel Shakespeare, might turn you off. Don’t let it. It’s worth a read for the turn.

In a follow up to that piece, Shakespeare’s ‘Sublimely, Disturbingly Smutty Effect’ Must Endure, Lichtenbeg lists some Shakespearean passages that readers say “got their blood flowing.”

And while I’m sharing pieces on how politicians think banning and banishing books, topics and history can change the future, this Politico piece by James Traub, Virginia Went to War Over History. And Students Actually Came Out on Top is worth considering. This in depth piece is worth hanging on to if we ever come to our senses and someone chronicles this period of insanity for future generations.

And speaking of history, you might not (or might) be sipping some whiskey with your Sunday Morning Reading, but this piece from Jason Willick on What a 1790’s Rebellion Shows About the Campaign to Disqualify Trump takes us back to the Whisky Rebellion. It’s worth considering in light of all the talk about the 14th Amendment disqualifying Trump from holding office again. FWIW I wrote a little something about that here.

And one thing follows another. Nate White, a British writer, delivers a terrific takedown of the orange guy in British Writer Pens The Best Description of Trump I’ve Read.

Jay Rosen is always worth following if you’re interested in what’s going on in journalism. This sketch of a lecture he was going to give in 2013 resurfaced in my feeds and I thought “Old Testatment and New Testatment Journalism” was worth sharing.

And on a somewhat personal note, I’ve contributed a few pieces to a Medium publiciation Ellemeno, thanks to the prodding of David Todd McCarty. The publication hosts some excellent writers with fantastic writing from a personal perspective.

I recommend two such pieces here if you want to get a taste. First up is McCarty’s All On My Own. As he describes it: “The art of being alone without being lonely, or one man’s semi-solitary adventure through time and space.”

Next up is Natasha MH with Why Are You Obssesed With Me? I’m thinking it has something to do with her writing.

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here.

The iPad Mystery That Isn’t Really a Mystery

Apple is about to unleash its annual storm of iPhone news next week when it unveils the 2023 edition of the computer that changed everything. There will be a flood of impressions initially, good and less than good, and we’ll be wading through high water right into the holiday season.

So why is it raining thoughts about iPads?

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Probably because it doesn’t look there will be much in the way of iPad news at this event. And from what we know of iPadOS the big news seems to be correcting the goofy mistakes made last year with Stage Manager. I also think that since this year’s iPhones and Apple Watches are rumored to be more interative than innovative, and much of the pent up energy is focused ahead to next year’s release of Apple’s Vision Pro, AND the predominant iPad rumor is that the 2024 iPad will feature big design changes, there’s room to kvetch a bit.

Don’t get me wrong about the iPhone. I don’t think iterative is a bad thing. The iPhone is mature platform. In and of itself that’s a great thing. But that doesn’t set the tech pundit heartbeats a-fluttering as much as the potential for bigger innovations.

Nature abhors a vacuum and so does the Internet. So why not talk about everyone’s favorite Apple mystery: iPad.

Why a mystery? No one seems to know exactly how to define this device. Including Apple.

Before moving on let me say this. I’m an iPad fan. I’ve owned most of them, currently the latest versions of the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad mini. I use them both daily (along with Macs) for both work and play. I’m typing this currently on the iPad Pro while visiting family. There hasn’t been one too far from my reach since the first version. It’s my favorite work device and my favorite stall surfing device.

Here’s a quick summary of what some are saying:

Jason Snell of Six Colors kicked off this current wave by saying he’s Giving up the iPad-Only Travel Dream. He’d like to see the iPad capable of more functionality with Apple opening the platform up for developers and users to more easily extend it to their heart’s content.

John Gruber picked up and extended that argument on Daring Fireball.

Wes Davis on The Verge hammers the iPad sits in an awkward place argument.

Harry McCracken calls it a beautiful disappointment.

Jason McFadden asks the question Why do some want the iPad to be more than just a good tablet?

Denny Henke of Beardy Guy Musings thinks we’re perpertually moving goal posts in the discussion between touch-first casual users and power users who pound keyboards for a living.

I’m sure I missed a few.

None of them are wrong.

Much of the mystery isn’t really mysterious. It’s that there seems to be no Goldilocks answer. The pro-users want more and the extremes in that camp won’t be content until the Mac and the iPad are one and the same. In the middle, the iPad Air line offers most users much of what the Pro offers but holds back a bit. The iPad without a modifer offers even less, but compensates with a price point that makes it popular for those who just want to stream entertainment, do some browsing, FaceTime, or shut their kids up by letting them stream CoComelon.

And the iPad mini is caught somewhere in the middle. In my view the iPad mini is the most hindered by Apple’s attempts at segregating the lineup beyond size. Goldilocks might have called it “just right.” It’s the device I pick up the most.

Unless you measure success merely by sales charts, there’s nothing wrong with there being some confusing segmentation. On the other, what we currently know (and use) in all computing categories is constantly changing around and underneath our finger tips. Apple Silcon changed everything, including, I think, Apple’s plans. All you had to do was watch the “What’s a computer” commercials in the last decade to see where things seemed to be headed.

And if you think that spatial computing, the concept behind Apple’s Vision Pro, wasn’t in the works when those commericals were approved and aired, you’re mistaken. Whatever spatial computing is going to be it is going to profoundly change things.

It’s hard for the pundits when Apple’s cues aren’t easily decipherable. In my view it’s less, but still so for consumers. I’ve yet to read a review of any product in any category that calls it perfect without calling for more. Goodness knows how confusing things will be in the future if spatial computing’s future offers a lineup of products resembling anything  close to current speculation, from contact lenses to powerhouse gaming headsets.

So I say enjoy the ride while the riding’s good. There’s no Goldilocks iPad for all. There’s no Goldilocks computing platform for all. There probably shouldn’t be and I hope that always remains the case. Niches can be nice. And besides, we’d all be bored and begging for more anyway if the game just stopped. Just look at the lack of excitement about this year’s iPhones and Apple Watches.

Sunday Morning Reading

Summer is inching its way to fall. So here’s some Sunday Morning Reading to share for a long sleepy Labor Day weekend here in the US.  Grab some coffee.

Cup of coffee and newspaper

Speaking of sleepy, here’s A Look Into the REM Dreams of the Animal Kingdom from Carolyn Wilke at Ars Technica.

And following that theme, Amanda Gefter explores What Are Dreams For?

There’s lots of words being written about the shaky state of theatre in the US at the moment. (I expect I’ll spill out a few this week.) MIchael Paulson has a good take about the challenges of the subscription model and what that might mean for the industry in Hitting Theater Hard: The Loss of Subscribers Who Went To Everything.

David Todd McCarty takes a look at Why Sports Matter. 

Proust. Yeah, that guy. There’s seemingly a Proust for everybody and Adam Gopnik takes a look into what might be the real one in What We Find When We Get Lost in Proust.

ProPublica has a an excellent piece from Cheryl Clark about the crazy challenge you might have if you have to appeal to your health insurance company for a denial of benefits in I Set Out To Create a Simple Map for How To Appeal Your Insurance Denial. Instead, I found a Mind-Boggling Labyrinth. Call it a horror story.

And since my wife and I are celebrating our 23rd Wedding Anniversary this weekend here are two pieces that caught my eye this week.

In The Day The Circus Came to Town Natasha MH isn’t clowning around as she takes along for a very personal story.

Max Meroni takes us on a bride’s One Way Ticket train ride into a voyage of self-discovery.

And if you’re enjoying a cup of coffee with your Sunday Morning Reading don’t toss out the coffee grounds when you’re done. Check out Scientists Discovered How To Make Concrete 30% Strong With Used Coffee Grounds by Joshua Hawkins.

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here.

The Bear Christmas Episode

We’re late to season two of The Bear. It’s a fantastic show we’ve loved since season one. You can find it on Hulu. I highly recommend you do. We finally tuned in this week and we’re damn glad we did, mad we waited so long, and wishing this show would never end.

The bear season 2 seven fishes christmas meal meaning

The writing, the acting and the direction are top notch. Some of the best TV you’ll discover and more than worth your time. At times a little too much in your face for my tastes, but I get it and it more than makes sense. If you haven’t discovered the show yet, do start with season one and allow yourself the pleasure of that before diving into season two.

No spoilers here, but let me just say this. The Christmas episode, Fishes, is without question one of the most amazing pieces of TV I think I’ve ever seen. there is more tension and comedy crammed into each moment that it makes the overstuffed and crowded kitchen seem spacious.  The story telling is unreal good given the large ensemble cast. And the ensemble playing amongst a bevy of heavyweight guest stars is just mesmerizing. It’s difficult to find the words to describe Jamie Lee Curtis’s performance. It will blow you away. Mix that in with the powerful ensemble playing of the rest of the cast, the level of detail, and this is a gift of bounty for any season.

Just see it. See it all.