Ah yes, August 2024, the perfect time to sit down and read @viticci@macstories.net’s iOS & iPadOS 17 review. Gotta get caught up on all those brand-new features! 😋 (Wonderfully written, as always.)

An open webpage displaying an article titled “The iPad Lock Screen,” with a photo of an iPad showing its lock screen with widgets. Text visible in the article references iPadOS updates and widget enhancements.

🆕📝 Mid-Blaugust 2024 Check-In

Today is August 17th, so we're over halfway through Blaugust 2024 and I thought I would just let you know how it's going. Bonus, it counts for my blog post for today. #Blaugust2024

So this is on everyone’s ‘Perfect Songs’ playlist, right?

song.link/i/1590368…

Any other contenders I should audition?

🆕📝 License Plate Game: Long-Distance Family Edition

Reviving a childhood classic with a twist.

Successful rescue mission to recover some gear I left at Cloudspin Cliff when bailing in an unexpected thunderstorm! 📷

Person in a green helmet and blue jacket stands outdoors with mountains and a glowing sun amidst clouds in the background. Person climbing wearing a bright green helmet looks up from a rocky ledge surrounded by dense green forest. Person wearing a green helmet and blue attire with climbing gear smiling at the camera while standing in front of a mountainous forest landscape

Matthew and I had a grand time hiking up Phelps Mountain yesterday. It was his (and Gideon’s) first high peak! Great conversation the whole way, and a fantastic view at the summit — better than we expected considering the wildfire haze. Gideon definitely earned his nap afterward. 🐾 📷

Two hikers smiling on a wooden bridge surrounded by lush green forest, one holding a drink and giving a thumbs-up while the other holds a leashed dog. A person stands on a wooden bridge holding coffee and a leashed dog in a mountainous forested area near a flowing stream under a clear blue sky. A person with a yellow backpack and dog walk on a narrow mountain trail surrounded by green bushes with expansive forested hills and cloudy sky in the background. Three people sit and stand on a rocky ledge overlooking vast green mountains under a partly cloudy sky one person in blue shirt is taking a photo. A man with a red cap and hiking gear watches a large black dog drink from a rocky creek in a lush, mossy forest. Wooden signpost displays trail markers in a dense forest TRAIL TO Arrow Adirondack Loj 1.0. Additional signs provide directions to various destinations including Avalanche Camps Junction. Two hikers smiling and holding trekking poles near a trail register in a forest with a resting black-and-white dog. The register has signs and maps.

🆕📝 On Doing Scary Things

Much like I think it's important to do hard things, I also think it's important to make yourself do scary things from time to time.

🆕📝 Crashing Clockwise #567: ‘That’s Not How Capitalism Works’

Mini-er Mac minis, Apple vs. Patreon, notifications habits, Rivian adding Apple Music instead of CarPlay, go-to travel snacks, and origin story tech interactions.

🆕📝 An Incomplete Recounting of My Day

A day in the life of a climbing guide who lives in a pretty neat area. Not that I'm biased or anything.

🆕📝 Uninvited Guest (Or, The Black Bear Snack Bar)

A(n admittedly cute) reminder that, yes, I do live right on the edge of wilderness. 🐻

🆕📝 7 Things This Week [#150]

Wow, have I really done 150 of these things? I probably should have done something special, but it's your regular interweb roundup this week! Thanks for reading!

🍿 Just watched: Deadpool & Wolverine

Poster featuring Deadpool and Wolverine mid-battle against a red background with a detailed review text. Text: “Deadpool & Wolverine, 2024 - Shawn Levy. Holy shit! That was a treat. Definitely (a phrase I just learned) popcorn fun. I’ll need to rewatch this thing to actually follow the plot line more, as I was distracted by trying to keep up with all the smack talk dialogue and fan-service indulgences. Loved how Reynolds and Jackman absolutely embody their characters, loved the annihilation of the fourth wall, and even enjoyed all the ridiculous gore (there was so much that it quickly became cartoon-like). I hope we see more Deadpool and Wolverine, but if not, this was still a treat. 👍👍”

Oh no. I’m hearing the Siren’s call for the Boox Palma. 😭

🆕📝 Google’s New Home Gadget Refresh Gets a Thumbs Up From Me

I don't own any Google Home products and they're a real pain to set up at my parents' house, but I'll admit they've done a few things really well this time with the Streamer Box, Nest Thermostat, and Gemini Intelligence. #Blaugust2024

🍿 Just watched: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Movie poster for “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” features superheroes in costumes against a cosmic backdrop. This was more of a return to your usual superhero antics. Impossibly high stakes, struggling with the choice of sacrificing countless unknown souls for the few that you love, getting knocked down but always getting back up — you know the drill. I wasn’t expecting how Star Wars-y the quantum realm would be, but it worked I guess. Anyway, it’s hard not to like a Paul Rudd film. Thumb-up for its rating.

I’m nearly caught up with the MCU!

🍿 Just watched: Thor: Love & Thunder

A movie review graphic with a “Thor: Love & Thunder” poster backdrop displays characters in heroic poses; the text offers a mixed critique and anticipates future developments. Text: “Thor: Love & Thunder 2022 - Taika Waititi Not Marvel’s best, but fun to watch either way. After so many serious superhero movies, it’s kind of refreshing for Thor to be full of comedic relief and self-parody. What the story lacked in depth, it made up for in plot holes but, again, I’m not that mad about it. And, no spoilers, but the end seems to set Thor up for a new chapter. We’ll see! 👍”

🆕📝 Two New Home Gadgets

At my core, I'm a gadget lover. Here are the latest ones I'm geeked about having in our home. #Blaugust2024

🆕📝 Crashing Clockwise #566: ‘That’s My Shredder Sound’

A gadget you should get, air travel tech, Apple's new Distraction Control impressions, anticipation for controlling more apps with Siri, space or sea, and permission prompt problems. #Blaugust2024

🔗 ’We don’t do God’ and massive ad spends: How British election races differ from American ones // Holly Ellyatt // cnbc.com

You will never hear a British politician — at least not a mainstream one — mentioning God in a political speech or campaign. Ever.

These are really notable differences. Maybe it’s just “the grass is always greener” situation, but this sure does sound like a saner way to do elections.

I gotta say, I’m excited for Apple’s Writing Tools when Apple Intelligence rolls out later this year. I’ll probably rely on the Proofread option more than anything. I use Grammarly now, but it’s so distracting and I don’t enjoy it.

But at the moment, my only AI-capable device is my Mac…

🔗 Humane’s daily returns are outpacing sales // Kylie Robison // theverge.com

Between May and August, more AI Pins were returned than purchased, according to internal sales data obtained by The Verge. By June, only around 8,000 units hadn’t been returned, a source with direct knowledge of sales and return data told me. As of today, the number of units still in customer hands had fallen closer to 7,000, a source with direct knowledge said.

A meme of a scared-looking Scooby-Doo gulping, captioned “Ruh roh”.

🔗 Apple’s permissions features are out of balance // Jason Snell // sixcolors.com

Apple’s recent feature changes suggest a value system that’s wildly out of balance, preferring to warn (and control) users no matter how damaging it is to the overall user experience. Maybe the people in charge should be forced to sit down and watch that Apple ad that mocks Windows Vista. Vista’s security prompts existed for good reasons—but they were a user disaster. The Apple of that era knew it.

Oh how I love a spicy take! (Emphasis is mine.)

Long days in the mountains are always good days in the mountains! Thanks Lewis family for all the laughs! 📷

Four people standing closely on a wooden path surrounded by dense, green foliage in a forested area under bright sunlight Four people rest on a rocky surface in a forest two seated on backpacks one standing holding a snack and jacket and another eating while sitting on the ground Tree branches with green leaves frame a view of a clear blue sky with a few clouds in a forest setting. Person hiking in mountainous terrain touching a rock while ascending a path surrounded by dense green forest and distant mountain range under a blue sky with scattered clouds. A woman sits on a large rock protruding from a mountain cliff overlooking an expansive forest valley with distant mountain ranges under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. Four people standing on a large rocky outcrop overlook a vast green forest with mountain ranges in the distance and a partly cloudy sky. A hiker stands on a rocky path holding a walking stick in a mountainous area surrounded by green shrubs with vast hills and a blue sky in the background. A cluster of vibrant blue flower buds growing among green grasses and leafy plants in a natural outdoor setting. Four people stand on a rocky mountain peak near a stack of stones beneath a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. The person second from the left wears a shirt that reads DO EPIC SH*T Person standing on a large rock looking at distant mountain ranges under a blue sky filled with scattered clouds. Five people stand on a rocky mountain summit, posing for a photo with one person making a peace sign. Bright sky with scattered clouds and distant mountain ridges in the background. Woman holding hiking poles on a rock next to a beaver dam by a calm river bordered by lush green mountains with a clear blue sky. She is wearing a “Go Epic” T-shirt. Two people sit on a large rock giving thumbs up next to a calm lake surrounded by evergreen trees with mountains and clear blue sky in the background Person walking on a bridge at night in a forest wearing a headlamp with additional lights visible in the background. Stars scattered across a dark night sky with silhouettes of tree branches visible at the bottom creating a serene and quiet atmosphere.

🆕📝 You (And I) Can Do Hard Things

An important reminder for today and every day. #Blaugust2024

🆕📝 I was wrong about the AirPods Max Smart Case

It's really not so bad. Might be good?