This tip is courtesy of Myke Hurley who explained on Connected #61that you can set up Launch Center Pro to have shortcuts that automatically open a specific Google Doc. That’s useful to me because I want quick access to the MacStories Weekly Archive spreadsheet (on Google Sheets) and a few university documents. To set...
Q&A
Question: I am wondering if there is any downside to running multiple ad-blockers, like decrease in performance or faster battery life drain? I notice you run 3, and would like to hear more about your justifications for doing so. (Ken Ng, @runestar3)
FedericoIn theory, there is a downside to enabling multiple Content Blockers. With...
Relax, It’s the Weekend
Public Transport Apps
My thanks to Marc G, Brooks S, Daniel W, and Alexandre B for sending in their suggestions for Public Transport apps after I asked a few weeks ago. Transit Supported Cities:Over 100 cities. View full list here, includes most North American cities and selected cities in Western Europe. Transit’s a real powerhouse in this...
Apple Introduces 4K 21.5-inch iMac, Force Touch Magic Trackpad, and Refreshed 5K 27-inch iMac
Apple today introduced a new 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display, plus a new Magic Trackpad 2, Magic Mouse 2 and a Magic Keyboard. In addition, the existing iMac line was also refreshed, from the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display to the bottom of the line 21.5-inch iMac.
“From the first iMac to today, the spirit of iMac has never wavered — deliver the ultimate desktop experience with the latest technologies, gorgeous displays and cutting-edge designs,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “These are the most stunning iMacs we’ve ever made. With our gorgeous new Retina displays, more powerful processors and graphics and all-new Magic accessories, the new iMac continues to redefine the ultimate desktop experience.”
https://twitter.com/pschiller/status/653916602975387648
App Store Prices Increasing This Week in Australia, Indonesia and Sweden
AUD/USD from 4 April 2014 (when App Store prices were last adjusted in Australia) to 13 October 2015.
As reported by 9to5Mac, Apple is set to increase the prices of apps in Australia, Indonesia and Sweden within the next 3 days. The new prices will affect all paid apps, In-App Purchases and In-App Subscriptions. As an example, in Australia, the App Store pricing Tier 1 will be increasing from $1.29 to $1.49.
In an email to developers, Apple explained that the price increases are a result of changing foreign exchange rates. In the case of Australia, the above chart shows how the Australian dollar has depreciated in value against the US dollar since the last pricing change in April 2014.
Apple is also introducing the Alternative Tier A and Alternative Tier B pricing tiers to Australia. Apps sold at these price tiers will cost Australian App Store customers AU$0.99. These tiers have previously been used by Apple to enable developers to sell their apps at very low prices in some developing countries such as China where Alternative Tier A (¥1) is equivalent to US$0.16.
If you want to know a bit more about App Store Pricing Tiers, I wrote an article about them which has more information on how they operate and why Apple needs to adjust them occasionally.
Relax, It’s the Weekend
iZombie TV Series Purchase Season 1 on iTunes Stream on Netflix I skipped iZombie when I first heard about it earlier this year, almost entirely because of its terribly cheesy name. Well, I ended up watching it last week and it turns out to be a really enjoyable show to watch. It’s a light-hearted and...
Q&A
Question: When you’re testing a different email, calendar or to-do app, what is your process for conducting the test? Do you completely limit yourself to the new app for a given period of time? Do you break down the features in a document? (Scott Peterson, @scott_peterson4)
Usually, I don’t immediately jump into a new...
The State of Apple Pay
Now that we’re approaching the one year anniversary of Apple Pay on October 20 and with Apple’s Vice President of Apple Pay speaking at the Code/Mobile conference later today, I thought it might be interesting to take stock of what has happened with Apple Pay so far, and what’s next for it.