May 2017 – Ian Dick

Weekly Digest

Life
More crazy hours at work meant for another tiring week but hopefully thats all done for a while. Thanks to a quirk at our place and despite tomorrow being a UK holiday…we don’t get it so no rest for the wicked. Booking a week off in June though to top up the batteries.

Media
Caught up with Logan. Loved it even though the ending was telegraphed through the film. Finally a good Wolverine movie, and my favourite X-Men film.

Also got into Ready Player One, via Audible as I find long reading quite dull. Hour and a half in and I’m hooked. What can I say – #dannywasright

Links

Mossberg: The Disappearing Computer – Recode
Tech was once always in your way. Soon, it will be almost invisible.
Walt Mossberg is the tech writer and this is his last column. Loved his articles and recently enjoyed his Ctrl-Walt-Delete podcast. Will be missed.
Heroic humour or Katie Hopkins? This was a week to choose British values | Marina Hyde | Opinion | The Guardian
Fantastic column from Marina Hyde…and hopefully the beginning of the end for the horror that is Hopkins.
‘Corbyn wrong to link foreign policy to terror’: UK defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon – YouTube
Fallon made to look foolish by Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Delicious.
A Year of Google Maps
Detailed look at Google Maps constant improvement and Apple Maps relative stagnation. Google Maps still the top of rme.
BBC One – Glasgow 1967: The Lisbon Lions
Great documentary – well worth a watch.
James Bond on Twitter: “Bond, James Bond. Nobody does it better. We remember Sir Roger Moore. https://t.co/kalCFEslFY”
Nice tribute to Sir Roger Moore who passed this week but still a shit Bond in my opinion.
Essential apps for switching from Mac to Windows – Charged
If you’re making the jump from Mac to Windows like I did, you’re probably missing some of your favorite apps. Here’s a selection of my favorite Windows apps.
Some good Windows apps recommended here.
How Anker is beating Apple and Samsung at their own accessory game – The Verge
Inside the portable battery pack giant
Anker really is the goto for accessories.
Emmanuel Macron on Twitter: “À Bruxelles, unis avec nos alliés de @NATO. https://t.co/7nyaoI8hki”
Can’t get bored of this…two fingers to Trump from Macron.
Cover Story: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Definitive Preview | Vanity Fair
Star Wars devotees who can’t wait for December need look no further. With exclusive access to writer-director Rian Johnson, plus interviews with Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, and others, V.F. presents the ultimate sneak peek at The Last Jedi—and Carrie Fisher’s lasting legacy.
Some good info on the upcoming movie without anything being revealed. Roll on December.
‘Progress is painfully uneven’: Baltimore, 15 years after The Wire | Television
15 years! Sad to see so little has changed in Baltimore.
Game of Thrones Season 7: Official Trailer (HBO) – YouTube
War is coming.

Who goes first?

A few weeks ago the New York Times asked the question Which Tech Giant Would You Drop? Did you take the test? If you haven’t then give it a go, it only takes a minute. For me it was pretty straightforward. I would drop in the following order:

Facebook
Microsoft
Alphabet
Amazon
Apple

Since then both Microsoft and Google have had major events, Amazon have released new Echo devices and WWDC is only around the corner. I’ve also been thinking more about what I’d lose if each service was shutdown. These tech giants own so many products. Take a look at what would go if each one shutdown.

Instead of choosing between five companies you are choosing between dozens of products. Does it change your drop order? For me it does.

Facebook would still go first. I’ve been a bit harsh and missed out a couple of important products like Facebook Messenger, but Facebook would go despite my love of Instagram. Either people would flock to Flickr (ok, that won’t happen) or Google Photo’s would evolve to take Instagram’s place. Oculus isn’t doing anything that HTC’s Vive couldn’t and you’ve got Signal to take over from WhatsApp.

Originally I had Microsoft in fourth and Alphabet in third but it’s now a choice between Microsoft and Amazon. When putting the graphics together I was going to swap Amazon into fourth but one thing stopped me – AWS. How many app’s and services would disappear because AWS is no longer around? Azure competes really well but when I look at the Microsoft services I can swap them out for alternatives. PSN for Xbox, AWS for Azure, macOS for Windows and who needs LinkedIn or Bing? So Microsoft stays in fourth and Amazon moves to third despite the lure of Prime.

That leaves Alphabet and Apple. For me it breaks down to Apple for the hardware and O/S I use all the time, and Alphabet for the services I use all the time. For years I’ve preferred Apple’s hardware for it’s design and reliability but there’s no doubt that the shine has lessened in recent years.

I use Google services every day. Google Search is still my goto, Google Doc’s drive’s the podcast and has never let us down in six years of usage and YouTube really has no equivalent. However services are only as good as the hardware they run from and for me Apple still wins out in that front. Just. The speed of the iPhone is hard to beat and while the rest of my hardware is getting long in the tooth it’s reliable and I trust when I upgrade devices over the next couple of years I’ll get a great hardware boost.

Whats also helped has been Google (and others) making sure that they are available on all platforms, not just their own, so that all users can benefit and also so they can get access to as many eyes as they can. Compared to a few years ago it’s really a great time for users with the best choice of hardware and services.

So, who would you drop first? More importantly who would you keep until last?

Weekly Digest

Life
As expected the last week was busy and tiring but ultimately interesting and enjoyable. Hopefully more of the same next week with a few original twists to keep me on my toes.

Media
American Gods is well worth a watch, apart from that it’s been a week of catching up on podcasts.

Links

Apple’s New Campus: An Exclusive Look Inside the Mothership | WIRED
Flawless curves, milled aluminum, endless glass, walled garden—sounds like an Apple product. In fact, it’s the company’s biggest launch ever.
Looks stunning, will be interesting to see how it ages over the next few years.
Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador – The Washington Post
Nothing he does is a surprise anymore…untouchable?
Panic Blog » The Case of the Stolen Source Code
Big shock to see one of the premier Apple developers get stung like this. Shows you how easy it is to be compromised, even on Mac OS.
How and Why Has “Mr Brightside” Never Left the UK Charts? – Noisey
Who knew? Love the song but it’s bizarre that it keeps on resurfacing like a Christmas classic.
Google’s 18-Month Quest To Redesign Its Terrible Emoji
Google is notorious for having some of the worst emoji on the planet. Now it’s righting its wrongs–and taking on gender stereotypes, too.
1…2…3…finally!
Theresa May to create new internet that would be controlled and regulated by government | The Independent
Theresa May is planning to introduce huge regulations on the way the internet works, allowing the government to decide what is said online. Particular focus has been drawn to the end of the manifesto, which makes clear that the Tories want to introduce huge changes to the way the internet works. “Some people say that it is not for government to regulate when it comes to technology and the internet,” it states. “We disagree.”
What a mess. This is unworkable bullshit, just hyperbole to appeal to the right wing.
‘Fat but fit is a big fat myth’ – BBC News
Researchers say being fat but medically fit does not protect people from heart disease.
Some folk at work need to read this.
IBM tells thousands of remote employees to come back to office or find new jobs | Ars Technica UK
While selling benefits of “telework” to others, IBM forces relocation in stealth layoff.
Bonkers. Flexibility of when and where I work is one of the better perks that I currently get. While getting everyone together has it’s benefits, in todays age of fast broadband and comms over IP this is such a backwards step.
“MP3 is dead” missed the real, much better story – Marco.org
It’s the patents not the format thats dead.
Literary fighters: Glasgow’s last surviving independent book shops – The Scotsman
Since the rise of internet giants and high street chain stores, the humble independent book shop has all but disappeared from our towns and cities. With only a few remaining, we talk to the owners of some of Glasgow’s finest, and find out what drives them
Voltaire and Rousseau is a must visit, a west end classic.
The big picture – The Verge
Photos is growing faster than YouTube, Gmail, or Chrome.
It’s also far better than Apple Photo’s. Will we see any improvements at WWDC?
iOS 11: iPad Wishes and Concept Video – MacStories
Some great idea’s which I fear will remain as items on a wish list.
Ebay accused of failing its sellers as fraudulent buyers manipulate the system | Money | The Guardian
Ebay has been a mess for a while and they are doing nothing about it. Shame.
LUNAR on Vimeo
This short film is dedicated to all people who believe in peaceful expansion of our borders. In the year 1957 the cold war expands to space. The Soviet-Union…
A video on space? Of course I’ll watch it…and so should you as it’s stunning.

Weekly Digest

Life
House fixing progressing….could be an expensive year. Apart from that work is pretty busy and the next couple of weeks will see some very early starts. Joy.

Media
Mario Kart is incredibly good. Finished off Billions this week as well which is well worth a watch.

Links

BLADE RUNNER 2049 – Official Trailer – YouTube
There are still pages left in this story. Watch the NEW trailer for #BladeRunner2049, in theaters October 6. — Thirty years after the events of the first fi…
Can’t wait to see this…don’t fuck this up!
‘Blade Runner’: A Game-Changing Science-Fiction Classic • Cinephilia
And to get you in the mood for October, this is a must read on the original BladeRunner.
The Secret Hit-Making Power of the Spotify Playlist | WIRED
Playlists are the new album.
Amazon trounces rivals in battle of the shopping ‘bots’ | Reuters
It’s bot wars, not shop wars.
How to shoot on iPhone 7 – Photography – Apple
We believe that everyone can take great photos. So we’ve put together these tips and techniques to help you take even better ones with your iPhone.
Apple posted some short videos on how to take better pictures with your phone. Nicely done.
Collection of information : NHS Cyber Attack | HiddenText
I fear this is only the beginning of more attacks like these. Who to blame? It’s a long list in which I place Microsoft near the top.
How to Accidentally Stop a Global Cyber Attacks | MalwareTech
This guy is a hero…and how damaging would WannaCrypt have been if the domain check wasn’t included?
With New Digital Tools, Even Nonexperts Can Wage Cyberattacks – The New York Times
The ransomware tactic behind a global cyberattack on Friday was nothing new. But new digital tools mean that hackers “don’t even need to have any skills to do this anymore.”
Scary.
Which Tech Giant Would You Drop? – The New York Times
The Big Five tech companies increasingly dominate our lives. Could you ditch them?
Interesting article. I’d drop Facebook first but the rest are a bit more challenging to sort the order.
Sorting 2 Metric Tons of Lego · Jacques Mattheij
Who doesn’t love Lego.
history of the entire world, i guess – YouTube
Well worth 20 minutes of your time.

Weekly Digest

Life
The weeks are flying by. Work is busy, health is fair to middling and there’s never enough time to do what I want. turning attention to some projects around the house – shit needs fixing.

Media
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was pretty fantastic. Made me laugh, the visuals were top notch and the 3D wasn’t bad. Add on another great soundtrack and there’s not much to hate. Yes it follows a formula, but when done well it’s not an issue for me.

Also watched Nightcrawler (from 2014). What a great but creepy/disturbing film.

Links

PSA: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it now.
Everyone knows a horror story about PayPal, I’ve had several painful experiences with them over the last decade, but now I’ll never have to experience that again, as I’ve just been permanently banned…
PayPal are such a shitty company. Avoid them if at all possible.
Earth From Above – Earth From Above
Aerial photography has really taken off now that drones are affordable and the camera’s on them are so good. Some of these images are jaw dropping.
Elon Musk: The future we’re building — and boring | TED Talk | TED.com
This just sounds bonkers.
Diane Abbott’s Agonising Interview Over Police Policy Cost – LBC
Diane Abbott being Diane Abbott. The problem with Labour isn’t just Jeremy Corbyn, but that his top team are not of the right calibre to run a country. She followed up with another car crash interview later in the week.
You’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you – The Oatmeal
Take 10 minutes to read this. Stunning.
Damage – Matt Gemmell
Apple’s destruction of the value of software, and the sustainability of indie developer businesses.
Hard to disagree with this. Software has so little value for so many people and the App Store hasn’t done enough to combat that perception.
SQL is 43 years old – here’s 8 reasons we still use it today | The Official SQLizer Blog
In this year’s Stack Overflow Developer’s Survey 64,000 developers laid bare their innermost developer secrets. How they learn, the tools they use, what they…
Still love SQL.
Don’t Let Facebook Make You Miserable – The New York Times
Raw Google search data proves that we are not who we say we are on social media.
Social media can be bad for your health…
Report: Facebook helped advertisers target teens who feel “worthless” [Updated] | Ars Technica
Leaked 2017 document reveals FB Australia’s intent to exploit teens’ words, images.
And allegedly Facebook will target your misery…although they do deny the story, but they would, wouldn’t they?
Regulating the internet giants: The world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data | The Economist
A NEW commodity spawns a lucrative, fast-growing industry, prompting antitrust regulators to step in to restrain those who control its flow. A century ago, the resource in question was oil. Now similar concerns are being raised by the giants that deal in data, the oil of the digital era.
Thought provoking, especially in this age where news spreads so quickly, almost nothing is fact checked and the mob can rule.
The great British Brexit robbery: how our democracy was hijacked
Some great reporting on the sites behind fake news.
Laura Galante: How to exploit democracy | TED Talk | TED.com
Hacking, fake news, information bubbles … all these and more have become part of the vernacular in recent years. But as cyberspace analyst Laura Galante describes in this alarming talk, the real target of anyone looking to influence geopolitics is dastardly simple: it’s you.
Video of the week.
Nike’s Quest to Beat the Two-Hour Marathon Comes Up Oh So Short | WIRED
It was close, but the two-hour marathon remains unbroken. For now.
What an amazing run. The times are mind boggling.
Introducing Microsoft Surface Laptop – YouTube
This could easily be an Apple advert…except it’s using a modern CPU.

Activity Update

A couple of months back I posted about keeping active every day thanks to the Apple Watch. The tracking and alerts makes it easy to stay on top of what I’m doing and the activity seemed to be helping me health wise. Two months on, have I kept it going?

Apart from two days in March every day has been a circle filling day. Those two days were some of the most snot filled days I’ve had in a long time. Worked from home with a constant stream of snot from who knows where. Apart from that, every day I’ve been out and about keeping active. No running or cycling but walking to keep things ticking over.

I’m not too fussed about the missing days…I tell a lie. I’m more than slightly pissed off that my streak since Jan 16th has been broken by a fucking cold. Granted a stinker, but I’ve had days when I’ve felt worse and still went out and done things. As many others have said, it would be great to mark sick days in the Activity app and get a pass but then it would be easy to cheat. Cheaters always spoil the fun for the honest amongst us.

So will I keep this going? Probably but I’m not too fussed about keeping whole months. I certainly feel better physically and mentally for getting out and about more and intend to keep that up, even if it doesn’t help with any weight loss…but maintaining is good, right? I’ve also got my first audiobook to crack through over the coming weeks so that will help pass the hours. Onwards.