In this first TidBITS issue of 2016, the Rdio streaming music service has closed up shop, but Josh Centers explains how to move your collection to Spotify and other services. Adam Engst shares details about the free Momentum browser extension, which displays spectacular photos in otherwise empty new browser tabs. For those pondering an iPad Pro, Julio Ojeda-Zapata has a full review, and if you’re looking to update your Wi-Fi network, Glenn Fleishman suggests a pair of alternatives to Apple’s aging AirPort base stations. Finally, we have an update on our membership challenge to remove banner ads from the TidBITS Web site. Notable software releases since our last issue include Quicken 2016 for Mac 3.0.3, PDFpen and PDFpenPro 7.3.4, DEVONthink/DEVONnote 2.8.8, Pixelmator 3.4.2, Tweetbot 2.3, Carbon Copy Cloner 4.1.6, ChronoSync 4.6.5, Dropbox 3.12.6, Evernote 6.3, and Typinator 6.8.
Membership revenues haven’t yet met the level necessary to eliminate banner ads and affiliate link redirectors from the TidBITS site — join in January to promote the concept of an ad-free Internet.
Rdio’s shutdown has come and gone, but we explain how you can still export your data.
With Momentum, a new Web browser tab goes from being a boring collection of site thumbnails or a blank screen to a splendid landscape photo adorned with a grab-bag of useful widgets.
The notion of an iPad as a productivity device is hardly new, but Apple’s tablets have been hampered by cramped screens, flaky add-on keyboards, and a lack of a decent stylus for those doing visual work. The new iPad Pro sweeps away these problems but is neither perfect nor cheap.
If you’re expanding a network, building a new one, or replacing gear, you might consider a couple of alternatives to Apple’s Wi-Fi routers. Or wait until the middle of 2016, when odds suggest updated base stations from Apple might arrive.
Notable software releases since our last issue include Quicken 2016 for Mac 3.0.3, PDFpen and PDFpenPro 7.3.4, DEVONthink/DEVONnote 2.8.8, Pixelmator 3.4.2, Tweetbot 2.3, Carbon Copy Cloner 4.1.6, ChronoSync 4.6.5, Dropbox 3.12.6, Evernote 6.3, and Typinator 6.8.
In our first ExtraBITS roundup of 2016, we remind our American readers to register their drones or face a hefty fine and possible imprisonment. Also, The Beatles are now available on most streaming services, Apple’s App Stores are under new management, and a writer in New Zealand explains the Apple TV’s woes in that country.