OctoMonkey

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OctoMonkey
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  • How to use Apple Notes for instant equation results on iOS 18



    IThe term computer also described a person who specialized in solving advanced math problems and in high volumes.
    My understanding was the term computer referred to people who solved repetitive mathematical problems - not necessarily advanced math problems.  My memory tells me things like ballistics calculations...  but my memory is not what it once was (and was not that good then).


    muthuk_vanalingamsphericjib
  • Trump says Tim Cook complained to him about the EU


    DAalseth said:
    I think it could be mostly true. CEOs are kind of like dictators so dealing with real dictators is often more comfortable for them than dealing with democratic governments, even if they might not like the dictator personally or agree with all of their policies. 
    Sure, you can speculate anyway you like.  But since Trump is such a confirmed liar, there's no credible evidence that it happened.
    Confirmed liar...  So he has now officially joined the ranks of the political class.
    xyzzy-xxx12Strangersdarbus699secondkox2timpetusibillwatto_cobra
  • What to do before you trade in your old iPhone for an iPhone 16

    Or...

    Take a deep breath and sleep on it.  Do you really need that new phone?
    VictorMortimerpulseimages
  • End of an era: Apple's SuperDrive has finally sold out after 16 years

    dewme said:
    I haven’t picked up a CD, DVD, or Blue Ray disc in 5-6 years. Like others have said the SuperDrive doesn’t play well with non-Apple devices. I still have a Samsung alternative that seems to work okay with other platforms. It’s sitting in a drawer, snuggled right up next to my SuperDrive. Tech ballast. 
    This past year I have purchased several more 4K Blu-Ray drives - for future proofing.  I use the two in my 2010 Mac Pro on a monthly (sometimes weekly) basis to rip discs (anything from DVDs to 4K UHD BluRays).  I have a Plex server in the basement which does an outstanding job of streaming my well curated content, with a picture quality which streaming cannot hope to approach.  I also regularly purchase CDs for use in home audio - again, the quality is far superior to compressed formats.

    I have found some drives seem to work better on some discs, so having a choice of drives from different manufacturers is quite beneficial.

    To each their own.
    dewme
  • You don't have to flip this Magic Mouse hack over to charge

    dewme said:
    dewme said:
    Yet again a clever proof of concept. He’s basically created a “magic shoe” for the Magic Mouse that allows the mouse to be used while charging. It works. But it’s pretty obvious from the implementation why Apple never chose to go down this path. It’s design and aesthetics are okay from a mouse-in-a-shoe perspective, but Apple (at least with Jony Ive at the helm of the design team) would never have allowed this to be labeled as an Apple product. It’s too large, bulky, and reminiscent of mouse designs you can get from many other vendors for $29.99.

    Whether you liked Jony’s approach or not, he always stuck to his guns and saw that his vision for a product met his design and aesthetic goals. Anything that deviated too far from what he envisioned was seen as a failure. One can argue that what comes across as a single-minded and arguably narrow focus on the primary functionality, like using the device and how it feels in the hand, led to functional compromises when it came to ancillary functionality, like charging the device. The Magic Mouse is imo pleasant and efficient to use, but yeah, there is no getting over the clunky recharging scenario. The rationale must have been something like “you obviously only recharge the device while you’re not using it.” This makes perfect sense only until it doesn’t.
    Not a mouse in a shoe.  Rather than being inserted into something (like a foot into a shoe), the mouse is pretty clearly separated in half with a center section added, which also encompasses the lower half.

    His design philosophy of form over function is the reason I don't care for his designs in general.  He was a good (not great) product designer when kept reined in, but a disaster when let loose.

    One thing I still wonder about is why more wireless mouse and trackball designers have not gone after using an inductive charging mechanism. Perhaps it has something to do with the need to periodically park the mouse exactly on top of a charging coil built into the desk, desk pad, or a mouse pad. Perhaps as far-field wireless power transfer technology becomes more mature and widely available it can be used in conjunction with precision UWB localization to allow all of the wireless devices sitting on your desk, or even all wirelessly charged devices in a room, to be charged simply because they are within line-of-sight proximity to the charging station or broadcast beacon. Seems doable in the not too distant future.
    Years ago I was working on just such a thing!  I was designing a "foot" for a monitor which was a wide (thin) slab.  There were indexed locations to park a keyboard and mouse (with inductive power points at specific locations)...  with a modified apple wireless keyboard and mighty mouse to allow for inductive charging.  The idea being, at the end of the day you put your mouse and keyboard in their respective locations and they are charged overnight.  Like so many of my projects, it never got completed.  LOL  Technology moves too fast and I never seem to have enough time.
    dewmewatto_cobraMplsP