Weekly Digest

Life
In contrast to last week, health a bit more variable which is disappointing. Still keeping active and I’ve a couple of blog posts coming up which are long overdue on my favourite topics – Apple and gaming.

Media
What a week of sport…and there was some F1 too. I chuckled at Bernie’s suggestion that tracks should be artificially made wet…not that funny anymore. Still enjoying Zelda, although playing through at a slow pace.

Links

• The iPad Turnaround Is Coming – Monday Note
  Some good points made here and the iPad is no doubt the volume computer for Apple but it needs to do more especially on the software front.
• Daring Fireball: The Mac Pro Lives
  So un-Apple like to talk about products to come but they’ve dropped the ball and they had to do something. Some interesting choices to make over the next 18 months.
• A Brief History of Design – Microsoft Design – Medium
  It is easy to question everything designed before you when you join a new company. I mean, why the heck would a scroll bar be red in Windows 2.0 … what could they have possibly been thinking?! But…
  Nice summary of design at Microsoft. Some of the older designs bring back fond memories.
• Project Scorpio Exclusive: Final Specs Revealed! – YouTube
  Rich went to Microsoft to see Project Scorpio, talk to the people who made it and see software running. But just how powerful is it? This video reveals all. …
  Finally some specs and a screenshot for the updated Xbox. Looking forward to E3 as this will be my next console and hopefully will address the shortcomings of the Xbox One.
• HoloLems on Vimeo
  HoloLems is a holographic spatial platformer and homage to the classic 90’s video game Lemmings. Put on the Hololens headset and be challenged to safely guide…
  So clever. I wonder if a V2 Hololens, or similar/cheaper, would be part of Project Scorpio?
• How Uber Uses Psychological Tricks to Push Its Drivers’ Buttons – The New York Times
  The start-up has undertaken an extraordinary experiment in behavioral science to subtly entice an independent work force to maximize company revenue.
  Interesting research and the visual design of the article is superb too.
• The Guardian view on Labour and Ken Livingstone: wrong decision, terrible message | Editorial | Opinion | The Guardian
  Livingstone should be expelled…and if Labour can’t govern themselves properly how do they expect to win the voters trust again? Shambles.
• Dani Garavelli: Rape clause shames the benefits system – The Scotsman
  If you have been watching the latest series of Broadchurch, you may have gained the impression that attitudes towards rape are becoming more enlightened. Julie Hesmondhalgh’s portrayal of survivor Trish Winterman challenges misconceptions around the “type” of woman likely to be affected and provides insight into the reasons victims may not report their rape immediately, or indeed at all.
  Tories can bring in heinous laws like this and Labour still can mount an effective opposition.
• EDL Birmingham protest photo woman ‘surprised’ by viral reaction – BBC News
  The image of Saffiyah Khan has been shared thousands of times on social media.
  Amazing photo of an amazing woman.
• A dying habit: why the average BBC1 viewer is 61 | Television & radio | The Guardian
  Broadcasters may be desperate for younger audiences but older telly-watchers dominate – the average ITV fan is 60, 55 if they prefer Channel 4. How worried should programme-makers be?
  Thats a really high average age, much more than I expected. Changing times
• Walt Mossberg is retiring in June – The Verge
  It was a June day when I began my career as a national journalist. I stepped into the Detroit Bureau of The Wall Street Journal and started on what would be a long, varied, rewarding career. I was…
  Walt Mossberg is one of the best tech journalists and will be missed. He does a great podcast, Ctrl-Walt_Delete with Nilay Patel which is worth catching while you can.
• Social entrepreneur Josh Littlejohn: ‘I want to build a utopia for the homeless’ | Society | The Guardian
  Sad that this is needed in this day and age…but when you look at the many homeless people in Glasgow especially around the old BHS in Sauchiehall Street then there’s no doubt it’s needed.