I was on a lookout for a certain trigger to automate macOS, a sleep trigger. I try not to automate any of the scripts around uncertain triggers, especially sleep cycles, when there may be certain expectations of how things should be at that moment. For example, if a script inadvertently disrupts the machine from going into sleep, as a user, it would be confusing why the machine simply fails to go into sleep. Not to mention if I ever forget such a script is running in the background, it would be pain to discover it again. But when I actively…
From Op-ed
M4, M4 Extreme, and eGPU
eGPU, the popular Thunderbolt solution for underpowered laptops, seems to be sitting on the back burner for Apple. Considering MacBooks did open the way with much of the eGPU devices and support in the early days, it does make me wonder if the Californian company is seriously considering to make Apple Silicon chips to compete against dGPUs. Despite their outrageous price range, —flagship graphics card can easily account for one-third, if not half of the laptop’s price tag— there is always a demand. And I believe Mac Mini, with its affordable price and scalability, has shown that there is still…
WordPress, Ulysses, and Integration
I’ve been writing on Ulysses app for some time, and I had been using Ulysses under the assumption that the app is pulling double duty as WordPress post editor; it is not. Ulysses doesn’t have access to posts already published on WordPress. From the email responses I’ve gotten from Ulysses team, it appears this is a technical issue whereby no future update is planned as of yet.
Lunar New Year, Lunisolar New Year, and Old New Year
I’m sure people are now aware of the hot topic which is about to erupt again next week —what to call New Year festivities celebrated by Asians, which is somehow not on the day of the New Year. I don’t consider myself to be an etymologist, but I’m old enough to remember how things were back in the 80s and 90s. We were throwing the word “Chinese” to describe pretty much anything Asian, —or oriental, as I was taught back then— and the public didn’t care for accuracy in the usage. It meant something exotic, and it meant something not…
When Nokia Downplayed Touchscreen on iPhone
Back in 2007, when Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone on stage, there were mixed responses to Apple’s new product. “Smartphones” weren’t around to capture the every historic moments, —and frankly, the PR nightmares tech companies faced— but with recently released Nokia Design Archive’s internal iPhone launch presentation, it seems the Finnish company decided to have their analysts take a look at iPhone launch. It’s an interesting read of its own, but I want you to to focus on page 12:
Analytics Tool, Google, and Geo-Lock
This post is a rant than a spiel, but thought to share some ideas on it. It you have seen some random cookie notices this morning, my apologies, if you were one of them. Long story short, I have been using Google Analytics on the website for the longest time, —probably since I started self-hosting it— and the latest changes in privacy regulations mandated that the website needs to have a cookie consent pop-up. And that cookie consent management, in Google’s words, came with paid partners. No more.
Benchmarks, dGPU, and Apple Silicon
When I bought my Mac Pro in 2019, I was running under the two assumptions: a. Apple may not be able to deliver competent SoC until later iterations, b. Apple will surely support Pro models for non-ARM works. I was sorely mistaken on both parts. Apple did deliver its M1 with huge success, and now Mac Mini —that Mac Mini— is on the list for cheapest and most cost-effective workstations. What really caught me off guard was how Apple showed no hesitance to throw away its AMD graphics card support, the last of its kind on Mac front.
Sonos, Apps, and IoT
Sonos CEO has stepped down. I won’t go into details about his departure from the company, nor the company’s future plans for its apps, product warranties, and/or future releases. I do recall I wrote a dreary review on dead Sonos Roam, but that’s really besides the point. What I had experienced was most likely a hardware failure, coupled with softwares incapable of detecting early signs —and this all happened in 2023. The overhauled app was launched in May 2024, and most of the problems were related to the software itself.
USB-C, USB-PD, and Travel Chargers
When Apple introduced all USB-C MacBooks with its infamous Touch Bar keyboard, it was not well received to put it lightly. USB-C chargers, in its infancy, were still one big brick with one port — one 100w brick to charge one device. It is only when USB-C and USB-PD became more prevalent, GaN chargers became ‘one charger to power them all’ device with its smaller footprint and more efficient materials overall. And this is when the crowdfunding for the new GaN chargers began.
New Category, App-to, and SEO
Some of you may have noticed there is a new category called “App-to”. I wanted to use the phrase “there is an app for that”, but that’s trademarked. Instead, I decided to roll with ‘app to [do something]’. I’ve been recommending some apps not for the sake of reviews, but the apps that can do the jobs are just uncommon and weird. Some of them have already gone to mainstream enough to call the post a “review”, while the others were still stuck as “how-to”. This gave me some headache for sometime, because I do need to worry about SEO.
ChatGPT, App Spamming, and App Store
iOS App Store has problems. I’m not talking about new EU regulations, or the lawsuits against Epic, or even 30% Apple tax on all apps. I’m talking about ChatGPT. With all the media attention to the new AI tech, both major app stores, Apple’s and Google’s, are plagued with unofficial ChatGPT apps. Have you checked the App Store recently? There is no way of telling which supposed ChatGPT app is from OpenAI.
iPad, Stylus, and Keyboard
I had an iPad Pro from 2018. It was a 12.9 inch model running on A12X chip, so supposedly my iPad’s days were numbered. Except I never felt it. Until the day I sold it, I didn’t see an app that took advantage of iPad’s unique hardware; most apps were either upsized iOS apps from iPhones or downsized macOS apps from Macs. The only exception I could think of were the apps that needed a stylus or a keyboard.
Streaming, Non-Latin Alphabets, and Subtitles
I was trying to watch Wandering Earth on Netflix the other day. I was trying to watch a sci-fi movie where majority of the dialogues are in Chinese. Which Chinese, I have no clue —and yes, your favorite martial arts film may not be in Mandarin. So the subtitles were needed. This is where it gets all hazy and confusing. Korean Subtitles on Netflix app, either on Apple TV or LG Smart TV were largely illegible.
Are Foldable Smartphones the Future? Pt. 2
I was asked recently if I would be willing to update my old piece, Are Foldable Smartphones the Future? with the news foldable smartphone is still around. Indeed, Samsung and Xiaomi, the two largest Android makers, have been pushing both folds and flips since its initial launch. Well received it may be, but so was 3D TV, hence why I am writing part 2 of foldable smartphone op-ed, not an update to the old one. In fact, Mark Gurman has recently written a piece that Apple may be working on a foldable iPad set to release by 2028 —my golly,…
App Store, Refund, and “Pro” Apps
Refunds on any platform comes with its own bags of issues, but Apple App Store was something else. Last week, after two requests for refunds didn’t go through, I contacted Apple customer support to see if there is a way to get a real person involved to get a refund on an app. I wouldn’t name the app. It’s otherwise a well known app, except for its dubious product lineups. So for this story, we will call the app Foo.