It’s no wonder Apple spokespeople are guarded with their statements. The “just buy your mom an iPhone” phrase has been so weaponized against Tim Cook. If he’d said something more along the company line like, “We think you get the best messaging experience with iMessage and an iPhone,” I don’t think we’d still be hearing about it today.

After many hours and many, many trials, I’ve finally figured out how to automate crossposting my Instagram posts over here to my microblog. I made a version a while back, but it couldn’t handle multi-item posts. But now it works with everything and it auto-generates Alt Text for each image. 🎉

Oh how I wish I could order a few of these, they look so good! 🤩

In December, Apple Park Visitor Center launched a new range of white and black t-shirts inspired by vintage Apple designs. Some popular picks from previous seasons have also returned. My two favorites, “Hello Screen” and “Macintosh Drawing,” taken from the Macintosh 128k box, seem fitting for the Mac’s upcoming 40th anniversary. It’s my understanding that, for a few more weeks, these same shirts are also available at Apple Infinite Loop.

This has become a rule in my life. If I don’t immediately see something on the menu that catches my eye, I’ll order the thing with their name on it.

Almost always order the specific food that is mentioned in the name of the restaurant. If you go to "Sally's Sirloin Shack" and order the sushi sampler, you're probably not hooked up right.

Oh shit! I just found out there’s a unique RSS (well, JSON) feed for my bookmarks on Micro.blog (because of course there is.) Now I might actually remember that I’ve bookmarked things there!

Find it here: https://micro.blog/account/feeds

🆕📝 The Impossible List

I’m dreaming big at /impossible. You should too!

🔗 Temporal vs. Fundamental Content | Hacker News // @nomilk

I’m trying to read less temporal (things that matter now) and more fundamental (stuff that mattered 1+ year ago and will still matter in 1+ year, with even wider intervals for non-tech content).

Yes. This is why I’m going to turn the dial back on blogs a bit and up on books this year. (Via Garrit Franke)

🔗 Thoughtful People Summarise Links Before Sharing Them // Ellane

If you’re having a busy day and I send you this message — 

So cool! Check it out! www.nature.com/articles/…

— you’ll probably set it aside for a later that never comes.

But if the message looks like this — 

Hey, thought this might help S with that homework assignment. They’ve mapped the brains of fruit flies, and it’s helping research on degenerative brain diseases. www.nature.com/articles/…

— you’ll know exactly why I think you should take a look

I just updated my ‘Get URL to Run Shortcuts’ shortcut to version 1.2.1:

Updated bookmarklet maker so that it doesn’t open a new tab each time (Thanks zsbenke)

Get it from the HeyDingus Shortcuts Library.

🆕📝 Quick Tip: Check the Laser of Your Magic Mouse

This flummoxed me for too long.

🆕📝 52 Things I Learned in 2023

I like to practice ABL: Always Be Learnin’

I know I shouldn’t have enjoyed that hour+ Reels dive I just subjected myself to, but I sure did smile and laugh a lot. No regrets.

I didn’t realize doing a New Year’s Day polar plunge was a thing.

That you can scroll away from the search field in the Mac’s Music app is profoundly weird. The whole thing needs a major rethinking and probably a modern rewrite.

I was today years old when I finally saw the “U” in the @upgrade@relayfm.social logo.

I think I’m done with selling on Facebook Marketplace except for free stuff I want to get rid of locally. 90% of the messages I get about stuff listed there are people trying to run Zelle scams. Back to eBay and OfferUp, I guess.

Here are the books I finished reading in 2023. I really thought I had only read Narrow Roads (certainly my favorite new one of this list) but I guess I got a few in earlier in the year! There’s so much great stuff out there, I’ve gotta start allocating some time away from blogs and back into books.

🔗 Out of my Comfort Zone | Canion dot Blog

Lisa’s presence in my life makes me a better person. She makes my life better. This past year has been a doozy in so many ways, but upon reflection, I am not sure where I’d be if I hadn’t benefited from the steadfast care, attention, and honest love that Lisa has bestowed upon me.

There’s been enough of me prevaricating about how to express my relationship situation. It is thus. I am in a relationship. I am in love. I love Lisa.

I love love. 🥰

🔗 Greg Morris - A Living Rss // Greg Morris

It is only when services like Threads, and previously Twitter, make a mess of their algorithm they use and show you terrible content that you realise the true beauty of a bare-bones service.

It’s certainly a safe harbor to return to.

🆕📝 A Breakout Year for HeyDingus

Thanks for reading. 🥰

🆕📝 7 Things (Which Are Seven of My Favorite Numbers Because It’s New Year’s Eve and I Have Company Over and No Time) This Week [#125]

🆕📝 My Desk as We Round Out 2023

Presented without sanitization or explanation.

🆕📝 Letters with Austin #3, December 2023

Thanks so much, Austin, for being my pen pal this month! This project has been one of my favorites of the years, so it feels right that it’s one of the last things that will go on my site for 2023.

🔗 Daring Fireball: Apple’s Next Magic Trackpad Should Have a Touch ID Sensor (But Probably Won’t)

So I wish that either (a) Apple would add a Touch ID sensor to the Magic Trackpad; or (b) someone would start selling pre-assembled Touch ID sensors in a nice case, repurposed from Magic Keyboards. It’s a bit of a waste to destroy a Magic Keyboard just to repurpose the Touch ID button, but I’d happily pay for it.

Same here; I so want a standalone button. Then I could stop waiting for this guy. I’m on the verge of tackling this snazzy project.

🎙️ Very much enjoyed this episode of Scriptnotes with Christopher Nolan. I’ve never read a movie script and know very little about film-making. Still, his thoughts on how a script should come together and translate onto the screen are fascinating. Great interview by @johnaugust@mastodon.art!