
Finished reading: Hangdog Days by Jeff Smoot 📚
These true stories of early climbers, their feats and feuds reads like fiction. But people are incredible!
Finished reading: Hangdog Days by Jeff Smoot 📚
These true stories of early climbers, their feats and feuds reads like fiction. But people are incredible!
Yesterday was a perfect day to visit the top of New York State! Andrew visited from Toronto on his east coast tour, and, despite having never been up a mountain before (let alone one in the ADK) made a blistering hike up to the summit of NY’s tallest peak in under 4 hours. And that was with dodging ice that’s now on the trail near the top. We rested on top, enjoying the splendidly clear and sunny view, and chatted with fine folk also out for a hike — including a couple working on their 50 state high points, of which Mt. Marcy was their 47th! They’ll finish up in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine in the next few days.
Big thanks to Andrew for the delightful conversation and joy of just being in the mountains. Hope to see you back in the winter!
The new dropdown text editing menu in iOS 26 is getting even better in 26.1, according to Ryan Christoffel at 9to5Mac:
As discovered by X user Beta Profiles, you can now swipe left to make the dropdown menu appear even faster.
I like the dropdown, but the abrupt change to my swiping muscle memory was a bummer. This is the right solution!
Started reading: Hangdog Days by Jeff Smoot 📚
Nick Heer: ‘On Liquid Glass’
Apple justifies these decisions by saying its redesigned interfaces are “bringing greater focus to content”. I do not accept that explanation. Instead of placing tools in a distinct and separated area, they bleed into your document, thus gaining a similar level of importance as the document itself. […] But, in my experience, the more the interface blends with what I am looking at, the less capable I am of ignoring it. Clarity and structure are sacrificed for the illusion of simplicity offered by a monochromatic haze of an interface.
A fair and cogent review.
Ryan Christoffel brought the iPhone Air to Disney World — with its harsh environment for smartphones — and came away thoroughly impressed:
Battery life was similarly a champ. I brought the Air’s new MagSafe battery with me, fully expecting to use it every day.
I didn’t use the MagSafe battery once.
He also didn’t miss the telephoto lens. Your mileage may vary, but I think Apple may have finally made a good mid-tier iPhone that will actually appeal to folks.
Amazon’s new Search Party feature sounds very cute and helpful… until they update it to track down anything (anyone) other than pets. Aren’t they already well-known for being super police-friendly? I’m not thrilled with regular citizens contributing to a CCTV-like situation.
Okay, I’ve been procrastinating rope cleaning day for a while, but it actually went pretty quick! Can’t wait to get these freshly scrubbed beauties back on the rock. Thanks @beal.official for the easy rope wash!
Today was a special day guiding Fern and Kevin up the classic Pete’s Farewell (5.7) on Pitchoff. Why? It’s their honeymoon! 😍 It’s wonderful to see partners in climbing be partners in life — full of encouragement and support. They crushed the climb, despite some wet conditions, and got to enjoy peak Adirondack fall foliage. Best wishes (including many more pitches together) for the happy couple! 🥂
Hold onto your hats, things are about to get a lot more generative and a lot more advertise-y. Ben Thompson discussed how Google is barreling toward endless generated videos and auto-tagged products in every video and picture you see.
Roxane Gay: ‘Civility Is a Fantasy’
Within this framework, incivility is refusing to surrender to hatred, refusing to smile politely at someone who doesn’t consider you their equal, refusing to carve away the seemingly unpalatable parts of yourself until there is nothing left. To be uncivil means pointing out hypocrisies and misinformation. It means accurately acknowledging what people have said, with ample documentation and holding them accountable for their words and deeds.
Well-written, and well-worth reading.
I’m onboard with Jason Snell’s prediction that the iPhone Air will see more sales with in-store shoppers outside of Day 1 upgraders:
I guess we’ll have to wait and see, but I’m inclined to believe that the iPhone Air, with its lack of cameras and a heavy lean toward design, will have broader appeal over the course of the entire year. The fall is, in many ways, for iPhone Pro users who will scoff at most of the specs of the iPhone Air. But over time, as iPhone Airs get out into the world, people will see them and feel them, and I think the Air will get a lot of sales pick-up from word of mouth.
Oh boy, if this super-thin iPhone Fold rumor is true and it comes in at that magical 5.5-inch folded size, sign me up!
Model
DepthiPhone 17
7.95mmiPhone Air
5.64mmiPhone 17 Pro
8.75mmiPhone 17 Pro Max
8.75mmiPhone Fold (unfolded)
4.5-4.8mmiPhone Fold (folded)
9-9.5mmCutting around 20% off the size of the already-very-thin iPhone Air will be impressive.
Manton Reece proposes swapping the Fediverse to domain-based handles:
Right now, the clear convention is Mastodon / WebFinger-style handles:
@manton@example.com
There are two problems with this: it looks like an email address, even with the “@” prefix, and it implies identity is usually tied to a server that someone else is running. There is no natural progression for solo instances in the way there is with subdomain → domain name .
I would love to see a gradual transition to:
@manton.example.com
And simply:
@manton.org
Seems like the correct endgame. Let’s see it on Micro.blog first! 😉
Back to the Seward Range for our group backpacking trip this week! Jess and Jeff joined us to get all four peaks done in one go — Seward, Donaldson, Emmons, and then Seymour. We adapted our plan due to the forecasted rain, opting to stay in the Ward Brook lean-to. That meant for a longer Day 1 doing the SDE loop, but then we were able to knock out Seymour early on Day 2 and avoid most of the rain. Big kudos to Jess and Jeff for being flexible and up for the challenge. We worked well as a team to get them done, and marveled at the stunning fall foliage. (Extra props to Jeff as these were his first #46er high peaks!)
Check out our other upcoming group hikes on our website.
Finished reading: On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder 📚
Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.
This book is short, but I can’t call it sweet considering the political climate in the U.S. It offers a sobering look at the similarities between Soviet & Nazi regimes, and the first Trump term. It’s shorter than some of your favorite tech podcasts and you should give it a read or listen.
Started reading: On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder 📚
Do not obey in advance.
Defend institutions.
Beware the one-party state.
Take responsibility for the face of the world.
Remember professional ethics.
Be wary of paramilitaries.
Be reflective if you must be armed.
Stand out.
Be kind to our language.
Believe in truth.
Investigate.
Make eye contact and small talk.
Practice corporeal politics.
Establish a private life.
Contribute to good causes.
Learn from peers in other countries.
Listen for dangerous words.
Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
Be a patriot.
Be as courageous as you can.
Tom and I spent a few days on the trail last week, plugging away at his remaining ADK high peaks. We summited Sawteeth on a gorgeous day for 30/46, and then cruised through the three peaks of the Seward range to bring his total to 33/46. It’s the best time of year for hiking here in the Adirondacks!
It feels good, for some reason, to know that my phone beats out @siracusa@mastodon.social’s 2019 Mac Pro from just six years ago.
Ooh I should have looked at @robb@social.lol’s Donation Treats page before donating to St. Jude. So many people are offering neat little rewards to accelerate the cause. Check it out!
Hey y’all, cancer sucks so for the next 24 hours, I’m matching donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, up to $250.
Even $1 helps. I hope you’ll join me, and our little tech community, in the fight against children’s cancer. 💪