Kirk McElhearn mailed an AirTag to a friend to see if he could track it as it worked its way through the mail system. Short answer: he could, although the AirTag’s behavior upon arriving wasn’t entirely as expected.
Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels has gathered together sound clips of the chimes of death played by various classic Mac models when they couldn’t boot. They’re fascinating, but if you experienced these a lot back in the day, beware of flashbacks!
Electric bicycles have become popular for their motor-assisted, eco-friendly locomotion, and some even have companion apps. Julio Ojeda-Zapata took a break from his traditional road bike to test two such high-tech e-bikes and found that their iPhone-based connectivity adds considerably to the experience.
Remember Apple’s “Think different” ad campaign and those striking black-and-white images of historical figures? What you probably didn’t know is that backup software company Dantz Development had parodies created of those posters as decorations for a late-1990s Macworld Expo party. Here they all are.
In a long, amusingly written blog post, the hacker known as “Alex” outlines how he discovered former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott’s passport number and phone number from an ill-advised Instagram post, got Qantas to fix the security hole, and avoided going to jail.
15 years ago, Apple helped the US government develop a custom iPod for clandestine missions. Of course, neither Apple nor the US government will admit this ever happened. Former Apple engineer and inadvertent intelligence operative David Shayer tells the story of the iPod that never existed.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is turning 70, and he’s inviting everyone to celebrate his birthday with him online.
Tired of the nonstop drumbeat of negative news? Science, technology, and even governments are doing amazing things that are actually improving the world in significant ways. To give your brain a break, Adam Engst recommends the Future Crunch newsletter’s weekly roundup of positive news stories.
Six Colors publisher Jason Snell has started a series of essays, podcasts, and videos that will explore 20 notable Mac models. Adam and Tonya Engst will make guest appearances on the podcast, so be sure to tune in.
Apple has updated its style guide, both on the Web and in Apple Books, which triggers TidBITS publisher Adam Engst to discuss how TidBITS makes stylistic decisions in writing and editing. He also examines a few of the changes to the style guide that Apple has made recently.
Dongles get a bad rep, but as this video shows, they can accomplish some pretty impressive things.
Outdoor cycling is feasible during the COVID-19 pandemic, but long rides are impractical and group rides are an infection risk. Enter Zwift, a bicycling simulator you run on an iPad, Mac, or Apple TV as you sit on a stationary bicycle. As you pedal, your Zwift counterpart does the same as it roams exotic realms. You can meet friends on Zwift, and you might even see a T-Rex!
The Slow Mo Guys have published a YouTube video with slow-motion, highly magnified footage of an Apple Watch ejecting water. Well worth a look.
Looking for something for your kids to do this summer with in-person camps limited or canceled? Apple is offering a free online camp this summer for kids to learn about art, coding, design, and video.
Adam Engst was recently turned on to the VintageApple.org site, which has full archives of Macworld, MacUser, and Byte, along with hundreds of vintage books about the Mac and Apple. Check it out!