Just how important — or irrelevant — has the iPad been to the evolution of mobile technology?

10 years ago, the internet was abuzz with speculation that Apple was about to unveil a new tablet computer. And I, for one, was super excited about it. I couldn’t just sit back and wait for its arrival. I spent many hours reading people’s hopes and predictions regarding what the new device might be like. And when the iPad finally arrived, I wasn’t disappointed.

Mobile computing before the iPad was basically crap. Laptops couldn’t be used away from a wall socket for very long, as you’d be lucky to get two hours of use out of the battery — even when it was brand new. And, despite the name, you couldn’t really use a laptop on your lap for more than a few minutes. …

What’s changed? What’s new? What’s back?

13th October 2020: Apple announces its new iPhone 12 range.

Have we already met?

From the iPhone 6 onwards, Apple has opted for variations on essentially the same rounded edge overall shape. There was nothing especially wrong with this shape and all these iPhones were good-looking phones.

But many people couldn’t help but miss the flat-sided design introduced with the iPhone 4 and continued with the 4S, 5 and 5S.

That Jony Ive design is widely acknowledged, even by Android fans, as an absolute classic of industrial design.

It was resurrected for the first-generation iPhone SE and somehow did not seem to have aged. Hold it in your hand and it just feels wonderfully good, for reasons which it might be difficult to fully explain. …

Basic Income

And that stigma arises out of thoughtlessness.

Suppose you have a choice:

Option 1: You could take up a career that would earn you a lot of money, but would involve doing something which might actually be harmful to society as a whole. An obvious example would be a job that involves marketing very sugary drinks to kids — thus potentially causing all sorts of health problems.

Option 2: You could take up a career which pays very badly, but which would at least be making a very positive contribution to society — such as promoting a good cause of some kind.

You might think that people who choose the second option would be praised for their ethical behaviour — for choosing to do good, even at the cost of accepting a drastically lower income. But it doesn’t always work out like that. Indeed, there is something of a stigma attached to earning your living in a good cause. …

The naffest graphics this side of the Nineties

Medium has had a makeover. It’s got new graphics. And we have a wonderful word in British English to aptly describe them. And that word is, “naff.”

In case you’re not familiar with the term, “naff” means they’re severely lacking in style and good taste. They’re lame. They’re tacky. They’re…. naff!

The simple “M” logo, for example, has been replaced. The new logo (or “symbol,” as Medium calls it) consists of a circle and two ellipses.

But is this, in any way, a good move?

The “M” logo had an obvious link to “Medium.” This new logo has no obvious link to Medium, no obvious meaning and no obvious logic behind it. In what sense is it objectively (or even subjectively) better than the old logo? …

Or will the new system be even worse?

A writer’s existence, here on Medium, has long been dominated by the curation system. You wrote a story. It may have taken hours. It may have taken days. And then you had to submit it to the curators, who would accept it or reject it for reasons which were not always entirely clear.

If your story was curated, it got shown to people and had a chance to find an audience and perhaps earn you a little money.

But if your story was rejected, Medium wouldn’t show it to anyone. It disappeared into obscurity. …

Here’s why Apple stopped using Intel processors for Mac computers in favor of its own chips based on ARM designs

After 14 years of collaboration, Apple announced last month that it will no longer be using Intel’s processors for its Mac laptops and desktops. It will rely instead on Apple’s own processor designs, which, just like the chips it uses in its iPhones and iPads, are based on the ARM architecture developed by ARM Holdings, a British chip design firm.

It’s a move that has been long anticipated, driving feverish speculation in online forums for the last 10 years or so. …

Your statement is welcome — but your central argument is weak.

To: J.K. Rowling
From: Robert (or, if I choose, Roberta) Jameson

Dear JK,

Your statement on your “Reasons for Speaking out on Sex and Gender Issues,” is most welcome. As you recognise, Twitter is not the best platform for trying to conduct a nuanced conversation on any topic. It’s so much better that you have now explained your position in more detail on your own website. Thank you.

Let me start, in my reply, by saying that whilst we disagree on some issues, I am perfectly willing to believe that you are a thoughtful, kind person who is speaking out with good intentions. …

Coronavirus

When governments deprive us of fundamental freedoms, we should always question their right to do so.

Like many millions of other people around the globe during this coronavirus pandemic, I’m currently in lockdown.

I’m concerned about the coronavirus. It is clearly very dangerous. But as a fierce defender of freedom, I’m even more concerned about the loss of liberty we’re experiencing as governments impose lockdowns on their populations.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m a very reasonable person. I’m broadly supportive of social distancing, if scientists say that will save lives. I would have happily cooperated with ‘stay at home’ advice if requested to do so. …