Project 8086 Part II: Real Mode Productivity; or, 8,086 Reasons to Get a Newer Computer

MS-DOS Correspondent Kevin Lipe reporting again from the trailing edge of computing. When I was last with you, we discussed the Pocket 8086. If you don’t remember what the Pocket 8086 is, or who I am, or what any of this has to do with everyone’s favorite Apple blog, I’d refer yo … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Sponsor: Browse Twice as Fast with Magic Lasso Adblock

Want to experience twice as fast load times in Safari on your iPhone, iPad and Mac? Then download Magic Lasso Adblock – the ad blocker designed for you. As an efficient, high performance and native Safari ad blocker, Magic Lasso blocks all intrusive ads, trackers and annoyances – … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Mac Power Users 780: Our Home Screens & Focus Modes

This week on Mac Power Users: Our iPhones are always with us, making the Home Screen very valuable real estate in our lives. This week, the guys share their home screens and Focus modes and how their devices help keep them on track. On More Power Users, we talked through our Cont … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Apple Intelligence Really Wants Joanna Stern to Have a Husband

Joanna Stern has written about this before, but in her email newsletter this week, she addresses the fact that Apple Intelligence continues to misgender her spouse: Here’s a notification for you, Apple: There is no husband. Despite what my iPhone’s frequent notification summaries … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Apple Intelligence Notification Summaries Tweaked in iOS 18.3 Beta

Apple’s “intelligent” notification summaries have been …uhhhhh… making things up as LLMs often do, and after repeated complaints from the likes of the BBC, Apple is changing how they work. Chance Miller has details: Here are the changes included in iOS 18.3 for Apple Intelligence … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

CARROT Weather 6.2

I’m pumped about this version of my favorite weather app: Live Activities Now you can opt to have Live Activities start automatically when precipitation is in the area! They’ll be started via a notification about 15 minutes before rain or snow begins, then you’ll continue to rece … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Connected 535: Proper Governance

This week on the podcast: Federico, Myke, and Stephen consider turning their podcast over to a non-profit for all decision-making. Other points of business include Unifi networking, Focus modes, daily notes, and other items. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

My UniFi Experience, Thus Far

After years of waiting, AT&T Fiber finally became available on my side of the street,1 giving me access to sweet, sweet gigabit speed both to and from the Internet. This became the impetus for me to replace most of my home network. I was using a set of pretty old eero base statio … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Mastodon Moving Assets to a Non-Profit Organization

From the Mastodon blog: Mastodon was founded on the principles that people should be able to control their social circle online, curate their own timeline, and convene freely with any community of their choosing. We believe social media should help users build bridges, not walls. … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Sponsor: FastScripts 3

Automation on the Mac is alive and well and FastScripts 3 from Red Sweater makes it easy to organize and run your favorite scripts. With FastScripts you can set up powerful keyboard shortcuts to run your scripts, or select and run your scripts from a menu bar icon. The app suppor … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

AOL Desktop in 2025

I haven’t thought about AOL in a long time, but it is still around, apparently: | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Mac Power Users 779: An AirPods Launcher

In this feedback episode, David and I discuss AI-powered dictation solutions, the safety features built into many Apple products, and some listener feedback. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Drafts’ New Year’s Sale

If you’re starting the new year off looking at new tools, Drafts Pro is half off for the first year right now. Drafts is the fastest and most flexible way to get something out of your head and into you computer. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Connected #534: The Rickies (January 2025)

This week on Connected: It is time to name a new Annual Chairman, so the guys judge their 2024 predictions and make a new round of guesses for what 2025 may bring to the Apple faithful. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 2 months ago

Dell, Dell Pro, & Dell Pro Max

I double checked; today is not April 1. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Sponsor: Magic Lasso Adblock: YouTube Ad Blocker for Safari

Do you want to block all YouTube ads in Safari on your iPhone, iPad and Mac? Then download Magic Lasso Adblock – the ad blocker designed for you. As an efficient, high performance and native Safari ad blocker, Magic Lasso blocks all intrusive ads, trackers and annoyances – delive … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Mac Power Users 778: Exploring the Task Management Environment

This week on Mac Power Users, David and I discuss the task managers we tried in 2024, and what we are currently using to get things done at work and beyond. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Oral History of Bertrand Serlet

I haven’t gotten very far into this interview yet, but Serlet’s history and career should be more widely known than it is. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

The Story Behind the Initial Iteration of the Mac OS X Dock

On January 5, 2000, Steve Jobs unveiled the Aqua user interface for the very first time. Stylistically, it was a bold departure from what had come before, and was no doubt created with the iMac G3 in mind. The changes were more than skin deep, and no where was the influence of Ne … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

A Brief Overview of the Pocket 8086; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Windows 3.0 in Real Mode

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post written by my buddy Kevin, and is the first in a series covering a weird and wonderful corner of retrocomputing. I’m Kevin Lipe, 512 Pixels’ somewhat-official MS-DOS correspondent. Long time reader; second-time guest post. I’ve only ever writte … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Apple TV+ Offering Free Viewing January 3-5

Apple: Apple TV+ is ringing in the New Year by offering an all-access pass to customers all around the world. Enjoy Apple TV+ for free the first weekend of 2025 (January 3 through January 5), Apple TV+ will be free on any device where Apple TV+ is available. All you need is an Ap … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Mac Power Users #777: Setup Nostalgia

On this week’s Mac Power Users, it’s MPU Holiday Special time! David and I reflect on our college Macs and how influential they would end up being on each of us. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

2005: The End of the Mac’s PowerPC Era

In January 2006, the first Intel Macs were announced. We’ll deal more with that anniversary in a year, but for now, it’s worth walking through the final full year of PowerPC Macs. Transitions happen for a reason, and exploring those reasons can tell us a lot about the priorities … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

DSKY Moonwatch

I’m pretty content with my Apple Watch, but MY WORD LOOK AT THIS THING. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

2024 Was One For the Books

It’s Top Nine time over on Instagram, so it’s also Top Nine time here on the blog. Here’s my year, boiled down to nine images: The Vision Pro box & my original Macintosh, which turned 40 this year. Myke and I were given St. Jude’s Creator Achievement Award. Our community raised o … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Connected 532: The 2024 Annies

This week on Connected, we revisit the biggest stories of year, ranking each month on the most scientific scale known to humankind: the Ticci Scale. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Pedometer++ 6.2

There’s a new version of Pedometer++ rolling out now that makes it easy to see your step count over time: David and I have been talking about this feature for a while now, and it is exciting to see it shipping. I love being able to scroll back and see my progress over the years, … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Kbase Article of the Week: Use Categories in Mail on iPhone

Apple Support: In iOS 18.2 or later, the Mail app automatically sorts your email messages into categories to help you find and manage messages quicker. Primary: Find personal messages and time-sensitive information. Transactions: Keep track of your confirmations, receipts, and sh … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

The iPod at 5 and ‘The Google’

I was recently moving some files around and came across a column I wrote for my college newspaper. I was on the design side of the paper1 and didn’t get to write that much. In the fall of 2006, I was given a short-lived column covering the tech news, and this entry is from Octobe … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Silo Renewed for Two More Seasons

From the Apple TV+ Newsroom: Following the acclaimed second season premiere of “Silo,” today Apple TV+ announced that the global hit, world-building drama has been renewed through season four. The fourth season of “Silo” will bring the series to its final, thrilling chapter, tell … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Sponsor: PowerPhotos by Fat Cat Software

PowerPhotos is the ultimate toolbox for Photos on the Mac. It works with the Apple Photos app, filling in missing features that Photos itself doesn’t provide. PowerPhotos allows you to work with multiple Photo libraries and store them wherever you want, including on an external d … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Mac Power Users 775: File Automation with Hazel and DEVONthink

Many people have more PDFs and files than they’d like. This week on MPU, David and I explore two great applications that make managing files more straightforward and efficient. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

The Story Behind Rogue Amoeba’s Audio Engine and Modern Macs

I use several of Rogue Amoeba’s apps on a near-daily basis. They are critical to my work as a podcaster, and my Mac would be noticeably less useful without them. With the transition to Apple silicon, installing these programs became much more complicated, and I feared that Apple … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Apple Intelligence Notification Summaries Generating Fake News

Graham Fraser at the BBC: This week, the AI-powered summary falsely made it appear BBC News had published an article claiming Luigi Mangione, the man arrested following the murder of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson in New York, had shot himself. He has not. A spokesperson … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Conduit 90: “Big Theme Guy,” with Stephen Hackett

This week’s Conduit had a pretty mediocre guest: Jay is gone away again, so Kathy brings in Stephen Hackett as a guest host and they can actually talk about Yearly Themes! | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Connected 531: Gill Sands

This week: Myke shares some news, Federico covers iOS 18.2, and I launch a new awards program. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

A Look at Apple Intelligence’s Image Creation Tools

iOS 18.2 is rolling out today, bringing the next wave of Apple Intelligence features with it.1 The splashiest feature is Image Playgrounds, which allows users to create images based on photos in their image libraries: Apple’s system will not create realistic images, and is instea … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

The Power Mac 4400

In November 1996, Apple released the Power Macintosh 4400 with a starting price of $1,725. Also sold as the Power Macintosh 7220, it’d be easy to write this machine off as just another grain of sand on the beige beach that was Apple’s product line in the 1990s. I mean, just look … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Sponsor: Unite 5 Turns Web Apps Into Supercharged macOS Apps

Unite 5 for macOS takes your web experience to the next level, transforming websites into feature-rich Mac apps. Powered by a completely redesigned WebKit browser, Unite 5 offers a more immersive and customizable browsing experience. What sets Unite 5 apart? We’ve gone beyond jus … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Mac Power Users 774: Answering Common Tech Support Questions

It’s that time of year again: when relatives come to the family get-together armed with tech questions. On this episode, David and I tackle some of the most common issues asked around the dinner table. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 3 months ago

Goodbye, Surface Studio

For years, Apple fans have looked at the Surface Studio longingly, wondering what a version of a tilting Mac desktop could look like. Many wondered if Apple would ever do anything like this machine, adding Apple Pencil and touch support to macOS, or doing some wild Mac/iPad hybri … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 4 months ago

Connected 530: I Merely Adopted the Flip Flop

This week on Connected: With Myke out this week, Stephen and Federico bravely carry on, discussing the future of web browsers, how iOS 18.2 is shaping up, and a Kickstarter that seems a bit unusual. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 4 months ago

Festivitas

Simon B. Støvring has launched a new app: Festivitas automatically adds festive lights to your menu bar and dock upon launch and you can tweak their appearance to match your preferences. I love this, and not just because it reminds me of the old Holiday Lights app. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 4 months ago

Strategic Linear Contextual Bandits

Thomas Kleine Buening, Aadirupa Saha, Christos Dimitrakakis, Haifeng Xu, on Apple’s “Machine Learning Research” blog: Motivated by the phenomenon of strategic agents gaming a recommendation system to maximize the number of times they are recommended to users, we study a strategic … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 4 months ago

Focused 218: Turning Down the Volume, with Stephen Hackett

In my week of guesting on other people’s Relay podcasts, I’m on today’s episode of Focused, talking about my recent sabbatical. I found the topic surprisingly weird to talk about, but David and Mike helped make it much more comfortable to do so. | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 4 months ago

The Verge Launches Its Subscription

Nilay Patel: Today we’re launching a Verge subscription that lets you get rid of a bunch of ads, gets you unlimited access to our top-notch reporting and analysis across the site and our killer premium newsletters, and generally lets you support independent tech journalism in a w … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 4 months ago

The Flexbar

Andrew Liszewski, writing at The Verge, about a thing that should not have been made: Apple may have said goodbye to the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar last year, but a team of four engineers believes the concept deserves a second chance. They’ve created the Flexbar, which is essentiall … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 4 months ago

Upgrade 540: Validation for Shower Jason

Myke Hurley was out this week, so I joined Jason Snell for today’s episode of Upgrade: Stephen Hackett joins Jason to discuss emergency calls, reaction to Jason’s “The Mac is the Model” piece, iPhone metals, our innate troubleshooting powers, Jason’s laptop dilemma, the ChatGPT M … | Continue reading


@512pixels.net | 4 months ago