Public Transit in Apple Maps

How to See Public Transit Routes or Satellite Images in Apple Maps

Apple Maps has gotten decidedly better since its infamous unveiling a few years ago. Here’s a feature you may not have noticed: you can view a map with public transit routes or with satellite images.

Here’s the default view as shown on an iPad. You can do all usual things like zooming and turning as well as searching for a specific place or address.

Tap the “i” symbol in the upper-right corner of the Maps window.

This will reveal the Maps Settings. There are number of options here including the ability to add a place and mark your location, but what we’re most interested in are the three map views along the top.

Here is the Transit view. You can see all the various mass and public transit options throughout the area.

In transit view, you can zoom in and tap on anything. Information then will appear giving you directions options and departure times.

Looking again at the Maps Settings, we tap on Satellite view and enable the traffic and labels overlays.

Here is a satellite view of the area, complete with traffic conditions and geographical labels.

The traffic overlay can be particularly useful when you’re trying to find a hassle-free route to or from your destination. Orange denotes moderate congestion, and red indicates heavy (gridlock) traffic conditions.

Take a look at the macOS version of Maps. The three mode buttons are easily accessed from the top-right corner of the application.

In the bottom-left corner, you can select the traffic overlay, as well as activate the 3D Map view.

3D mapping is cool for virtual sightseeing. You can zoom in and out, change the view angle, and click on various points of interest for more information.

From now on, if you’re using Maps and you can look at things from a bird’s eye point of view or quickly find out where the nearest bus stop is and what time to expect the next one.

"Trusted Devices"

How “Trusted Devices” Work on Windows 10 (and Why You No Longer Need to “Trust This PC”)

Windows 8 asked you to “Trust This PC” after you signed in with a Microsoft account. This message is gone in Windows 10, replaced with a new “Trusted Devices” system that works differently.

How “Trust This PC” Worked on Windows 8

On Windows 8, you’d see a message asking you to “Trust this PC” after you logged in with your Microsoft account.



This was a Microsoft account security feature. Only trusted PCs were allowed to synchronize sensitive data such as your saved passwords. Until you trusted a PC, your saved passwords for apps, websites, and networks wouldn’t synchronize to it. To actually trust a PC, you had to authenticate with a text message, phone call, or email sent to a phone number or email address associated to your Microsoft account.

In this way, the “Trust This PC” method was sort of a second layer of authentication. Microsoft allowed you to sign in with just your user account’s password, but you needed to authenticate with a second credential if you wanted full access to your Microsoft account.



A trusted PC could also be used to reset your Microsoft account password if you ever lost it. You wouldn’t need an alternative email address or a phone number. You could just sit down at a trusted computer and ask Microsoft to reset your password. This feature required the Internet Explorer web browser.

That’s why it was important to only trust private PCs you controlled, not public PCs. Even PCs you shared with other people shouldn’t necessarily have been trusted, as those other people could potentially use the trusted PC to reset your account password.

You could view a full list of trusted PCs on the Security Info page on the Microsoft account management website, removing any individual PCs you no longer trusted. You’d have to enter a name for each PC you trusted, and that name would appear in the list.



In Windows 10, however, all this changed. Microsoft has moved from a “Trusted PC” system that required Windows and Internet Explorer to a “Trusted Devices” system that doesn’t require any particular operating system or web browser.

How “Trusted Devices” Work on Windows 10 (and Other Devices)

Microsoft threw most of the Windows 8 “Trust This PC” design out in Windows 10. You won’t see the words “Trust this PC” or “Trusted PC” on Windows 10. This wording has even been removed from the Microsoft Account website.

When you sign into Windows 10, won’t be asked if you want to “Trust This PC”. Instead, if you’ve set up two-step verification for your Microsoft account, you’ll be asked to authenticate with a code provided to you via an app, text message, or email.

If you can’t authenticate using a secondary authentication method, it just doesn’t let you sign into your account at all. If you can sign in, all your passwords and other data will synchronize normally. You don’t have to “trust” the PC after you sign in to access all your data.



But it doesn’t end there. Even signing in with a Microsoft account and secondary authentication method doesn’t make a PC a “trusted device”.

Certain pieces of data associated with your Microsoft account–like your credit card number or account security settings–are marked extra sensitive. When you attempt to access or edit these details, you’ll be prompted for additional authentication.

For example, if you try to access the Microsoft Account security page, you’ll be asked to authenticate using a two-step verification app or by using a code sent to the phone number or secondary email address associated with your account. This doesn’t just apply to Windows 10. You’ll be asked to authenticate in the same way when accessing this page from a Mac, an iPhone, an Android tablet, or a Chromebook, for example.

You’ll see an “I sign in frequently on this device. Don’t ask me for a code.” checkbox when signing into a secure site like this one. If you enable this checkbox and sign in, Microsoft will make your current device as a trusted device. It doesn’t even have to be a PC–it could be a Mac, a tablet, or a phone.

When you mark a device as a trusted device by checking this box, it simply means that you won’t have to enter one of these codes the next time you access sensitive information–like your credit card number or account security settings–on that device. You should still only trust devices that you sign in on frequently and not check this box if you’re using someone else’s PC.



Head to the Microsoft Account security page, scroll down, and you’ll see a “Trusted devices” section. This section no longer lists the devices you’ve trusted, so there’s no way to tell how many devices you’ve trusted and remove them individually. According to Microsoft, there’s no limit to the number of devices you can trust at once.

Instead, if you’d like to remove one or more trusted devices, you have to click the “Remove all trusted devices associated with my account” link. Microsoft recommends you do this if you’ve lost access to one of your trusted devices–maybe you’ve sold or given away a PC, for example.

After you do this, you’ll have to enter a security code and click the checkbox on any formerly trusted PCs the next time you attempt to access sensitive information.



There’s no longer any way to use a “trusted device” to reset your Microsoft account password, as you could when Windows 8 was released.

Access the Microsoft Account Password Reset page and you’ll be prompted to use typical authentication methods like your email address, phone number, or authenticator app to confirm you’re the person who owns the account. You can freely “trust” devices without worrying they’ll be used to reset your password later.

You can manage which authentication methods are offered when verifying your identity from the Microsoft Account security page.



Any device you can sign into a Microsoft account from can access the same security features, and there’s no confusing “Trust This PC” prompt when signing into Windows 10 with your Microsoft account.

Credit Fraud vs. Identity Theft

Credit Fraud and Identity Theft: What’s the Difference?

Identity theft is like ice cream in that it comes in a variety of flavors—but you’re not likely to enjoy a single one of them.

People often think credit fraud and identity theft are the same thing, but in fact credit fraud is just one of the many unpleasant “flavors” of identity theft. Credit fraud occurs when cyber-criminals, friends, or even family members open up credit cards in your name. That’s what happened at Wells Fargo, where it was recently revealed that thousands of employees had opened millions of fake bank and credit card accounts in customers’ names—and had been doing so since 2011.

Identity theft can take place in many other ways that may do even more damage than credit frauds. For instance, scammers could use your Social Security number to steal your tax refund or to receive government benefits. Or they could steal your medical identity, filing false workers’ compensation claims or visiting a doctor under your name, leaving you with the unpaid bill.

The number of identity thefts each year are staggering. According to the Department of Justice, identity theft affects 17.6 million U.S. consumers a year, and complaints rose nearly 50 percent in 2015. Medical identity theft and tax refund frauds are two of the fastest-growing types of identity thefts, with millions of victims each year.

In many cases, credit frauds don’t result in any direct financial loss, just a lot of headaches as you work to restore your credit. It is likely that your financial institution or credit card company will pay for any monetary losses you’ve suffered, although it’s worth noting that you’ll be on your own to deal with the emotional fallout.

Other forms of identity theft can be more troublesome and result in substantial financial losses. For instance, medical identity theft costs an average of $13,500 per victim, according to the Fifth Annual Study on Medical Identity Theft by Ponemon Institute. The Department of Justice’s study found that identity theft victims as a whole suffered an average loss of $1,343.

Whether you’re the victim of credit fraud or one of the many other types of identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission offers a 68-page guide detailing how exactly to respond. If the crime involves theft of your Social Security number, you’ll need to take some specific steps.

Wise People

Wise People Consider Other People’s Feelings

Wise People Consider Other People’s Feelings
By Rick Warren

“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV).

Two of the biggest mistakes we make in relationships are when we react to what people say and not how they feel and when we invalidate someone else’s feelings because we don’t feel that way ourselves.

Do you know what the antidote is for both of these? Simply being considerate.

Mistake #1: We react without trying to understand.

We pay too much attention to someone’s words and not enough attention to the emotions behind the words. People say stuff when they’re angry that they don’t even mean. They use words they don’t even intend to use. They exaggerate things. But you need to look behind the words at the emotion because people don’t always say what they mean, but they always feel what they feel.

So if you’re wise in a relationship, you stop focusing on what your kids or your boyfriend or your husband or your wife or your boss says that just ticks you off, and you start being considerate. That simply means you are mindful of the feelings of others. Unkind people are those who need your kindness the most. When people are rude and unkind, they are screaming to the world, “I’m in pain!” Hurt people always hurt people.

Mistake #2: We invalidate any feelings that we don’t feel ourselves.

This is when you believe something is dumb or irrational or illogical because it’s not what you feel, and you dismiss it. Let me ask you this, can one person be cold and another be warm at the same time? Yes. So why try to argue people out of what they feel?

When we dismiss someone else’s feelings because we don’t feel what they fill, we belittle the other person. Guys, if your girlfriend or your wife says to you, “I feel ugly,” don’t dismiss it and say, “You’re not ugly!” That doesn’t help at all. What you need to do is say, “Why would you feel that? What would make you say that?” because you need to look beyond the words and get to the real issue.

Feelings are neither right nor wrong. They’re just there. She shouldn’t have to defend her feelings. She just needs you to say, “I hear you.” And the same is true for anyone, male or female.

The Bible says, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”(James 3:17 NIV).

With Heaven’s wisdom, you’ll stop minimizing other people’s feelings. You will let her feel tired when she’s tired and not try to talk her out of it. You will let him feel depressed when he’s depressed and not try to talk him out of it. Wise people are considerate of other people’s feelings.

Only Grace

Only Grace

By Touching Lives 

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah 2:8

In this one short verse lays unending implications. It reminds me of the lyrics to a worship song:

“It’s Your love that we adore, it’s like a sea without a shore.

Don’t be afraid, don’t’ be afraid; just set your sail.

And risk the ocean, there’s only grace. There’s only grace.”

Following Christ wholeheartedly will always involve risk…the risk of the unknown; or of what He will demand. Sometimes it involves the risk of personal safety…or of comfort and predictability. It is not an easy thing to, as the writer of this worship song says, “Set your sail and risk the ocean.” But, as the song also says, in the ocean of following Christ, “there’s only grace.”

Ironically, Jonah set his sail, quite literally, and took a different kind of risk. Instead of risking in order to follow God, he risked to run from God. Yet still, in the ocean of his disobedience he found God’s grace. Jonah knew firsthand what it meant to cling to the temporary and forfeit the eternal. He clung to the idol of comfort. He gripped the idol of control. He went to great lengths to avoid God’s plan. And when the winds blew and the waves crashed around his plan of escape, he knew what it meant to forfeit God’s grace.

But even there, Jonah found God faithful…faithful to discipline and to rescue and to redirect. Yes, following Christ is risky, but perhaps, as Jonah discovered, not following Him is even riskier. Life is stormy either way. Wouldn’t you rather be on the side of the One whose voice the wind obeys…the One who can call off the waves if He so chooses?

Are you forfeiting the grace that could be yours today? Are you clinging to the temporary things of this world at the expense of the eternal riches of Christ? If so, take the risk and let go…there is only grace.

Father, I admit that sometimes I am scared to obey You. Sometimes what You ask is so hard. Please help me to believe that following You will never lead to disappointment. You are worth so much more than anything You could ever ask me to give up. I want to risk it all for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Pixar Movies

Pixar Movies Release Date Calendar

Get ready for toys, cars, and 'Coco'

BY MARC SNETIKER


(Pixar)

Roughly 13 years passed between Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, and yet, here we are, wondering: What’s next?

It’s a perfectly natural question to ask of the hit-making studio, especially as they gear up for a new wave of sequels to beloved existing properties that either already have established universes (like Toy Story) or are getting a follow-up for the first time (The Incredibles).

Our craving for lush, inventive worlds must be satiated at least once a year by the creative cadre up in Emeryville, California, and fortunately, Pixar has a robust slate on the foreseeable horizon — and the promise of even more originals in a not-quite-visible future after that.

Cars 3

We’ve been down this road before, and whether it was one of dusty desert dirt or sleek international asphalt, another Cars adventure with Lightning McQueen and Mater is speeding your way. After two spin-offs in the same universe (Planes, Planes: Fire & Rescue​), Pixar is going back to its off-road roots in a film that returns thematically to the original.

What We Know: In a recent interview with EW, Pixar chief John Lasseter teased new characters and “great racing” as he addressed some of the developments as the film starts to rev its motors: “It’s a very emotional story. It’s a little bit more akin to Cars 1, where you get into a deep emotion with [Lightning]. It’s really a special story [about] his relationship with Doc Hudson and his memory of Doc Hudson.” The name-drop raises an interesting question about the role, as Paul Newman, who played the retired race car, died in 2008, and Pixar subsequently opted not to reprise his character with another voice actor in the 2011 sequel.

When It’s Out: June 16, 2017

Coco

Of Pixar’s next four announced films, only one stands out as wholly new to the roster: Coco, an original story about Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos.

What We Know: The title isn’t attributed to anything quite yet, but the story follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who conjures up an extraordinary family reunion between the living and the dead on the Mexican holiday celebrating the beloved deceased. Based on the nature of the holiday itself and the enormous guitar that Miguel carries around on his back, it’s suggested that music may play a large role — dare we assume it could be Pixar’s first real musical? — as well as themes of family and memory. In the mortal world, the two big names you should know here are director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla K. Anderson, who reunite from their last collaboration, Toy Story 3, which only made a billion dollars at the box office.

When It’s Out: November 22, 2017

Incredibles 2

If you thought 13 years was a long time to wait between Nemo and Dory, prepare yourself for the astounding 15-year gap between films about Pixar’s first family of superheroes.

What We Know: Not much. Writer/director/voice of Edna Mode Brad Bird is back in action with a new tale that once again follows the Parr family, who, at the end of the first film, learned that baby Jack-Jack was just as — if not more — superheroically gifted as the rest of the clan. Despite whatever time has passed between films, Bird has stated that the sequel wouldn’t try to comment on the growing popularity of superhero movies or the Marvel universe in the years since The Incredibles. Coincidentally, such a universe includes Samuel L. Jackson, who revealed in an interview that his character, Frozone, will be appearing in the sequel.

When It’s Out: June 15, 2018

Toy Story 4

Though the door on the Toy Story world was thought to be closed (save for the forgivably occasional ABC special), John Lasseter was apparently so enamored with the idea behind the third sequel that he wanted to direct it himself, having helmed the first two films before relinquishing the role for Toy Story 3. Originally slated for next summer, the new installment in the Toy Story canon will re-introduce the plastic gang (whom we last saw swap ownership from grown Andy to little Bonnie) as well as a familiar porcelain face: Bo Peep.

What We Know: It’s a rom-com — seriously. Lasseter teased the plot of Toy Story 4 as a love story between Woody and Bo Peep, inspired by his own marriage. Bo Peep, of course, disappeared somewhere between Toy Story 2 and 3, and the film will ostensibly dive into her backstory. The film already has writers attached, and they’re a doozy: In addition to veteran members of Pixar’s story trust, the film welcomes Rashida Jones and Will McCormack (Celeste and Jesse Forever) as the duo behind the screenplay.

When It’s Out: June 21, 2019

Untitled Pixar Animation 1 & 2

When They’re Out: March 13, 2020; June 19, 2020

Following these four films, there’s a two-for-one special of up-for-grabs stories on Pixar’s future slate. Two untitled projects have been pegged on Disney’s release calendar, both without titles but with dates: The first, scheduled for March 2020, and the second, for June. Interestingly, Pixar has never scheduled a film for March before, and the pairing will mark the studio’s shortest interval between releases; the only close comparison would be the five-month gap between 2015’s June and November originals, Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur.

And beyond…

As of earlier in 2016, EW learned that at least the next four films following The Incredibles 2 were all originals, but take that with a grain of CGI salt. Pixar’s signature story-building process takes years, and the studio has been known to shelve a tale if it simply doesn’t captivate. (R.I.P., Newt.)

Trivia

Which U.S. State Capital Has No Roads Linking It To The Surrounding Land?

Juneau, Alaska	Providence, Rhode Island
Augusta, Maine	Honolulu, Hawaii

Answer: Juneau, Alaska

If today’s trivia question gave you pause, it should. The question is as curious as the geographic oddity on which it hinges. Among all the capital cities in the United States, big and small, there is only one capital city that is completely cut off from the surrounding land: Juneau, Alaska. Even the capital city of Hawaii, Honolulu, is still linked to the rest of the main island, O’ahu, by highway.

Juneau, Alaska, however, is quite the geographic oddity as there are no roads linking it to the rest of the state. In fact, the city is only accessible by plane or boat. Why no roads? Not only is the surrounding terrain prohibitively rugged, but unlike other areas of the world where road builders press on despite rugged terrain, there is little to no economic incentive to build roads in the first place. There’s simply nowhere to go that would justify the expense.

Because Juneau is located deep in the lower panhandle of Alaska, it would require hundreds of miles of highway and huge bridges to even begin to reach into the heart of the state and connect with other significant Alaskan communities. Just to connect Juneau to the nearest existing highway would require roughly a hundred miles of highway carved through a mountain range coupled with a bridge–and even then it would require an additional meandering 756 mile journey via the existing highway system to get to the state’s largest city, Anchorage. As such, it was and has always been more effective to run Juneau as if it were an island, with all goods and materials brought in by plane or boat.

Did You Know/Todays Term

Did You Know?

The word “shoddy”, used to refer to something of poor construction or quality, dates back to the U.S. Civil War wherein “shoddy” was a type of cheap and inferior fabric that was the byproduct of wool processing and sometimes used for military uniforms. A shoddy-fabric uniform was of much lower quality than a proper wool garment.

Today's Tech Term 

Quine

In the context of computing, a Quine (a.k.a Self-Replicating Program, Self-Reproducing Program, and Self-Copying Program) is a computer program that does not take input from a user, but does output a copy of its own source code.

Movie Review - Boo! A Madea Halloween

Sun Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

There is not one verse in the Bible that says righteous people won’t have trouble. Here is a promise you can count on – God will deliver you out of all of your trouble. It may not be the way you want to be delivered, but you will be delivered nonetheless. I am going to share something with you know that you aren’t going to like, but you are going to have to live with, believing in a sovereign God that is also good.

In all of scripture God never explains why He allows evil and suffering. He does explain how He uses it, but He never explains why He allows it. I’ve been asked a question many times, “Why did God allow that serpent in the Garden of Eden?” I have a great answer for that, “I don’t have a clue.” If that bothers you let me remind you of something that God said to Job. Since God created all of this and God created all of us He doesn’t owe an explanation to any of us for anything He does. God never has to defend Himself to anyone.

On the other hand, even though evil and suffering don’t always makes sense to us that doesn’t mean they don’t always make sense. In the grand scheme of things if God is sovereign and God has control, there can be no such thing as a “pure accident.” There really is no randomness in the universe. God makes sure that every event that takes place in your life and mine is a piece that will fit perfectly into the puzzle of His plan for you and for me.

There is another thing to keep in mind and that is our knowledge is imperfect and limited. God has unlimited and perfect knowledge. Because God knows everything and we don’t, we have to trust that God also, therefore, knows how to use evil in such a way that it comes out for our good and for His glory. Proverbs 16:4 states this categorically and dogmatically.

“The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”

What Forgiveness Really Is

What Forgiveness Really Is
By Rick Warren

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34a NIV).

Forgiveness may be the most misused, misapplied, and misunderstood quality in our culture. We think we know what forgiveness is all about, but we really don’t. Before reading further, take a minute to do this little quiz by deciding if each statement is true or false.

1. A person should not be forgiven until he asks for it.

2. Forgiving includes minimizing the offense and the pain caused.

3. Forgiveness includes restoring trust and reuniting a relationship.

4. You haven’t really forgiven until you’ve forgotten the offense.

5. When you see somebody hurt, it is your duty to forgive the offender.

When you read the Bible and see what God has to say about forgiveness, you discover that all five of those statements are false. How did you do?

We’re going to spend the next few days looking at what forgiveness really is, because most people don’t understand forgiveness.

First, real forgiveness is unconditional. There’s no attachment to it. You don’t earn it. You don’t deserve it. You don’t bargain for it. Forgiveness is not based on a promise to never do it again. You offer it to somebody whether they ask for it or not.

When Jesus stretched out his hands on the cross and said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” nobody had asked for it (Luke 23:34a NIV). Nobody had said, “Please forgive me, Jesus, for what we’re doing to you.” He just offered it. He took the initiative.

Second, forgiveness isn’t minimizing the seriousness of the offense. When somebody asks for your forgiveness and you say, “It’s no big deal. It really didn’t hurt,” that actually cheapens forgiveness. If it wasn’t a big deal, you don’t need forgiveness and you don’t need to offer it.

Forgiveness is only for the big stuff. You don’t use it for slights that are just minor issues. If something really requires forgiveness, then you should not minimize it when somebody asks you for forgiveness. You shouldn’t say it wasn’t a big deal. Itwas a big deal! If it wasn’t a big deal, just say, “You don’t need to ask forgiveness.” But if it is a big deal, then you need to admit it.

There are a lot of big deals in life. Have you noticed that? But there is a difference in being wounded and being wronged. Being wounded requires patience and acceptance, not forgiveness, because the person did it unintentionally. Being wronged requires forgiveness.

Remember that God will give you the grace to forgive as you walk in faith with him.

Driving in LA

A Complete A**hole's Guide to Commuting in Los Angeles

BY PAUL T. BRADLEY

Hey there, asshole! Just moved to the Angel City, huh? The Big Orange. Tinselvillage. Know how I can tell? We assholes can spot each other a mile away — and that chrome spoiler from last year is a dead giveaway. Look, driving here isn’t like slaloming corn stalks and shuttered coal mines back in Iowa — it’s a little more complicated than that. Since you’re new here, I’ll give you a few pointers and you’ll be ready to turn heads on Hollywood Street with the best of us in no time at all. 

For starters, it appears as though you’ve got a pretty sweet ride. You affixed that "shocker" decal yourself? Looks like it. Maybe you should add some more spoilers to the front, on the sides and on the rear-view mirror. You can never have too many — being aerodynamic is a key factor in driving like a complete piece of shit. I've heard, if you have enough of them, the numerous Fast and Furious characters will all invite you to their secret street-racing parties.

OK, let’s pull out of the driveway and open this bad boy up. Crank that stereo system, friend, because everyone in a 10 block radius wants to hear what you're listening to. That's it, get those sounds you like out of every window. I think the bass is a little too low though, folks need to legitimately feel their bowels rumble when you pass, otherwise they'll forget you exist. 

Oh crud: traffic. Yeah, that’s a thing here in South California. Not to worry, you’re an asshole, and you need not upset yourself with something as piddling as traffic. Waiting is for people who aren’t as awesome as you. The best move is to ride for as long as possible in the right-turning lane like you’re going to make a right, but then at the last second cut back left and ahead of all the other numskulls that waited in that traffic. Yeah, that’s it. Wave to the numskulls! Their middle fingers are just Los Angelesan for “You’re the best, dawg!”

I noticed you used your turn signal back there; kind of a rookie mistake. I know it’s tempting to follow both common human courtesy and the letter of the law, but you’ve got to understand that the blinker is for the weaklings of this world, the creampuffs of life, if you will. Does the main character of Bullet use his blinker when he races his car real fast down the road? How ‘bout Guy Fieri? No. They do not. Remember: every blink drains virility from your body. Those little flashes are actually Morse code for, “I still wet my bed through college, I keep my special blankie in the glove box and I own the entire Land Before Time series on Blu-ray …” over and over. It’s a fact; you can look it up. Don’t use your blinker, rook.

EXPAND

Go on, get a little closer.

Ah, now we’re on the open highway. Fiddlesticks: more goshdarn traffic. A right proper asshole has three options in unavoidable traffic, 1.) Weave in and out of multiple lanes, gaining a crucial inch or two with every weave; 2.) cruise the breakdown lane like a real hero; or 3.) get out that smart telephone and text! Me personally? I need to know what my boys and girls are up to at all times, as well as the scores of the sports games, so I’m going to text. Let the people behind us wait — someone might respond to the mass "DTF?" I sent to everyone on the OKTinder. 

It’s important to remember when driving down the highways and main boulevards of this city that everything is a race and all of the people ahead of you are winning that race. You may have left behind all of those kids who made fun of you in backwoods Chicago, but think of everyone on the road as those exact same bullies. You can’t let them win. Most importantly: you can’t, under any circumstances, let them merge safely into your lane. They pantsed you at every opportunity. They wrote “Bed Wetter” on your locker. They tried to ruin you. DO NOT let them merge. 

OK! Time for your parking lesson. You’re going to have take up two whole spots in the garage — you may even want to try for three if you can. Maybe even an HP spot? Other people can’t and shouldn’t come within inches of your tight AF be-spoilered chariot. This isn’t even up for debate. If you must go the parallel parking route somewhere, leave enough room so that no one else will be able to park around you. Almost a car length of space at both bumpers should suffice. Nice, now some dolt will look at all of the space you took up and get real angry, he may even try to fit into the space. Remember: He gave you toilet swirlies. He chanted "Baby Blankie Boy" at senior prom. His anger fuels you even if you're not around to witness it.

Yes! Someone's been doing his homework.

I almost forgot the most important lesson of all: it is absolutely essential for you, as an a**hole, to lose your stuff over every single possible slight on the road — perceived or otherwise. This let’s people know you mean business and that you definitely don't need a plastic cover on your mattress anymore. In upstate Minneapolis you could probably scream something like “Hey, hoser, go screw!” and that probably worked. Here, you’re going to have to get creative — insult mothers, fathers, children. Go wild. Science has proven that racial epithets work best at getting across dominance. Unsure of your enemy’s ethnicity? Make one up! A lot of things can sound racist if you yell them right. Women? Psht. You can spit out some sexist hoo ha without even trying, can't you? You totally can.

I think that should suffice for now. You’ve learned well. Welcome to the club. Now, all of the vaginas, penises and other sex parts you desire will be yours and all of the haters will pay dearly for their transgressions.

Whats New in W10 Spring Update

What’s New in Windows 10’s Creators Update, Arriving Spring 2017

The Windows 10 Creators Update–also known as Redstone 2–is due to hit PCs in Spring 2017. Like other updates to Windows 10, it’s free, and includes a host of new features.

The big features that were announced at Microsoft’s October 26, 2016 event, though we’ve also included a list of smaller features they didn’t mention, but we know are coming. You can play with many of these features today by joining the Windows Insider Preview program, while others will hit the Insider Previews later on.

3D for Everyone

Microsoft is making a big bet on 3D with the Creators update. This is the company that bought Minecraft, after all.

A new Paint 3D application allows you to work with and create 3D models. You can scan an object with a smartphone using the “Windows Capture 3D Experience” and then insert it into a Paint 3D scene and modify it. Microsoft showed this off using a Windows Phone, but said it envisioned this being possible on any device–in other words, iPhone and Android users should be able to do this, too.

The Microsoft Edge browser now supports 3D content. It can be used to upload and download 3D models from a community website, including models exported from Minecraft and SketchUp. Windows can then print any type of 3D model to a 3D printer, which means Minecraft players can bring their creations into the real world.

Microsoft PowerPoint gains 3D models and cinematic 3D animations for transitions like Morph, so those 3D models can be incorporated into presentations. Microsoft will be adding more 3D features to Office applications like Word and Excel over the next year.

Mainstream Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Headsets

Mixed Reality–which includes Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Holographic computing according to Microsoft–is another big focus of Microsoft’s. This works hand in hand with the 3D support. Microsoft’s own HoloLens headset, for example, is a mixed reality headset. It allows you to see through the headset to the real world, and digital images are superimposed on that image of the real world.

With HoloLens, you’ll be able to download a 3D model from Edge or create one in Paint 3D and virtually place it somewhere in the real world.

You’ll be able to create a custom space in virtual reality and decorate it with your own furniture and apps, like you would another room. Apps can be placed on shelves. There’s also a new application called HoloTour, which lets you explore locations around the world using a virtual reality or augmented reality headset.



Most excitingly, though: Microsoft is partnering with Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo to create mainstream mixed reality headsets. They’ll work without any additional tracking hardware that needs to be placed in the room. “Zero need for a separate room. Zero need for a complicated setup”, as Microsoft put it. These headsets will include cameras so they’re capable of mixed reality–think Pokémon Go, but in a headset. Best of all, headset prices will start at $299, so they’ll be much more affordable than Microsoft’s own $3000 HoloLens hardware. They’re also much cheaper than the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive virtual reality headsets, which start at $599 and $799, respectively.

Game Broadcasting for Windows 10 and Xbox One

Microsoft’s Game DVR feature, which already can record a video of your gameplay in the background and upload it to social services, is gaining a “Broadcast” button. It’ll be able to stream your gameplay to Xbox Live in real time, and your Xbox Live friends will receive a notification that you’re broadcasting. This will be built into both the Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. It’s powered by Beam, a service Microsoft purchased in August.

However, this feature can only stream to Microsoft’s own Xbox Live service. It’ll likely be popular on the Xbox One, but alternatives like Twitch and YouTube are very popular on PC, and Microsoft’s built-in feature doesn’t support them.

Contact Prioritization with Windows MyPeople

As part of a plan to “place people at the center of Windows”, Microsoft is adding a “Windows MyPeople” feature to Windows 10. You’ll be able to drag and drop people to an area to the right side of your taskbar, giving you quicker, more convenient access to the few key people you regularly communicate with.

These people are prioritized when you use the “Share” feature in Windows, making it faster to share stuff with your close friends and family.

Microsoft is also integrating Mail, Skype, Xbox Live, Skype for Business, and SMS messages with the Windows MyPeople feature, making it easier to prioritize and organize messages from these people, no matter what app they use to send the message. These people can also send “shoulder taps”, which are animated emojis that pop up from your taskbar.

Other New Features

The Creators update includes a variety of other important features, many of which Microsoft didn’t announce at the event. Here’s what we already know about:

• OneDrive File Placeholders: Windows 8.1 introduced “placeholder” files for OneDrive–files that appeared in File Explorer but were actually stored in the cloud and only downloaded when you needed them. Microsoft removed this feature in Windows 10, but an “on-demand sync” feature looks likely to arrive in Windows 10 to replace it.

• Blue Light: Windows 10 is getting a “Blue Light” feature, which works similarly to the venerable f.lux utility. Many operating systems have been adding this feature lately, including iOS with Night Shift and Android with Night Mode.

• Skype SMS Forwarding: Skype now supports SMS forwarding, allowing you to send and receive text messages from your computer, similar to iMessage on macOS. Unfortunately, this only works if you’re also using the Skype Preview app on a Windows 10 Phone.

• Improved Upgrading: When you uninstall built-in apps like Mail and Maps, they won’t automatically be reinstalled when you upgrade Windows. Windows will now respect your choice. You can always reinstall those apps from the Store, if you want them.

• A New Windows Defender Interface: Microsoft will be overhauling Windows Defender’s interface in the Creators Update, replacing the old desktop application with a modern “Universal Windows Platform” app that looks more at home on Windows 10.

• Gaming Tournaments: The Xbox app is gaining support for custom tournaments. Create a tournament and your friends can join it, playing on either Xbox One or Windows 10 PC if an Xbox Live-enabled game runs on both platforms.

• File Explorer Notifications: File Explorer is gaining a new “product education feature” that provides information about Windows features in your file manager. You can disable these notifications though, if you like.

• Microsoft Edge Improvements: Microsoft Edge now allows you to “snooze” tabs. Snooze a tab and it will close temporarily. Later, Cortana will pop up with a reminder telling you to check out that website again. It’s a way to remember websites for later without keeping the tabs open forever. Edge will also allow you to export your favorites to an HTML file.

• Improved PIN Login: When signing in with a numerical PIN, you don’t have to worry about pressing the Num Lock key. The PIN field will behave as if the Num Lock key is always enabled. No more fighting with Num Lock!

• Wi-Fi Control Improvements: When you disable Wi-Fi, you can configure it to automatically turn on in one hour, in four hours, or in one day. By default, it will be kept disabled until you manually re-enable it.

• Bash on Ubuntu on Windows 10 Updates: The Windows Subsystem for Linux now supports Ubuntu 16.04. In the Anniversary Update, it only supports Ubuntu 14.04. Windows applications can also be launched from the Bash shell, too, making it more flexible.

• Action Center Improvements: Quick Action icons for quickly controlling settings have been improved. In addition, you’ll find volume and brightness sliders directly in the Action Center, making it easier to adjust these settings.

• More Interface Color Options: The Personalization screen now has a color picker, allowing you to choose any interface and window titlebar color. On the earlier versions of Windows 10, you can just select from a handful of available colors.

• “Pick Up Where I Left Off”, or “Flow”: Microsoft is working on a new Cortana feature that will prompt you to synchronize apps between your devices–for example, it could offer to open the tabs you have open on your phone when you sit down at a PC. It’s similar in concept to Apple’s Continuity feature, which works between iOS and macOS.

This is just a small preview of what you’ll see when the Creators Update becomes stable. We’ll keep watching the Insider Preview builds and updating this post as Microsoft adds more new features.

Apple Design Mistakes

The Biggest Design Mistakes Apple Has Made in the Past Two Years

Apple has lost its mojo. Their obsessive attention to detail seems to have slipped away.

When Apple revived itself and found its way into everybody’s homes, hands, and wallets, it became a company that consistently met and exceeded expectations. It became a company with the resources to do virtually anything, with more cash on hand than the US government.

Apple has become accustomed to making stuff that people actually want. And, while it still hits far more often than misses, its misses speak the loudest about the post-Steve Jobs Apple–a little sloppy, half-baked, and seemingly uninspired. Apple’s newer products are often flawed and puzzling, sacrificing both form and function. For a company that has built its reputation on creating and delivering vastly superior, near-perfect products, we as customers have come to expect the same.

Unfortunately the Tim Cook era of Apple products just hasn’t met Apple’s own defining standards. Let’s take a look at a few of the bigger missteps.

The Watch We Didn’t Need

The Apple Watch is a disappointment. The Watch is the perfect example of a meh product that Apple has thrown a lot of weight and money behind. It is the mediocre gadget the world didn’t really need.

Does the Watch have things going for it? Of course. The digital crown could be brilliant, if it was more intuitive and actually did something useful. I like the heart rate monitor and how I can wear the Watch on the treadmill to record my distance. It’s nice also to be able to glance at your wrist to check texts and messages. And, obviously I can check the time, set timers, and use it as a stopwatch.

But the Watch is the biggest new Apple design in the Tim Cook era, and it hasn’t quite caught fire the way the iPod, iPhone, and iPad have. It’s kind of clunky and thick. It doesn’t slip sveltely under shirt sleeve cuffs or play nice with wrist guards. It’s not uncomfortable, per se, but I don’t want to wear it all the time–or to bed, which foils its chance at being a useful sleep tracker.

The first Watch series was slow, often painfully so. Apple at least fixed that problem with the Series 2 model, though apart from the internals–and the ability to go swimming with your watch–they didn’t make any meaningful changes to its mediocre design.

The Watch Series 2 has pretty much the same design, which means it’s still thick and bulky.

Worse, the Watch is mated to the iPhone. You have to own an iPhone to use the Watch, and you have to carry the iPhone with you to make use of all its features. Any advantage you might gain by wearing the Watch sans iPhone is largely negated by this fact. The Watch is more of an extension of your iPhone than its own product, a glorified notification device in many regards. Which is great, except it costs $$370.

Siri was enticing when the Watch was announced. Being able to issue commands with your voice makes sense because the interface is so small, and it’s nice not to have to scroll and tap when I’m trying to run or drive or similar activity. Siri could make the Watch more practical, but it’s so limited that it’s more of an afterthought than a killer feature.

Apple had a chance to change the idea of smartwatches with something truly groundbreaking. It had a chance to be the smartwatch that set the standard by being thin, standalone, and indispensable, with battery life that could be measured in days; a smartwatch beyond comparison.

But instead, it made just another smartwatch. Maybe it would’ve been better not to make it at all and wait instead for the technology needed to create that perfect product. After all, Apple’s never needed to be first, it just had to be the best.

The New MacBook: A Laptop That’s All About Dongles

Apple fanboys often decry the company’s lack of new computers, namely desktops and laptops, but let’s not forget they did release a brand new MacBook last year, and more recently, an updated MacBook Pro. While the new Pro introduces one genuinely interesting innovation: the Touch Bar, it has followed the same path as its MacBook brethren with regard to ports.

Maybe Apple is showing a little too much “courage” with these designs. They get a lot of things right, but they also show a blatant disregard for user-friendliness. We are, obviously, referring to the Macbook’s one lonely USB-C port (the Pro has four) , which singlehandedly created an entirely new industry of third-party dongles and docks. Not to mention made Apple’s own products incompatible with one another without buying extra cables and headphones.

Apple seems to think that with each new product it releases, it’s innovating by making everything thinner and eliminating ports. But at a certain point, this isn’t progress–it’s inconvenient.

Apple’s move to USB-C ports for everything also eschews one of Apple’s greatest inventions to date: the Magsafe power connector. Magsafe not only works at charging and powering my Mac, it’s saved it innumerable times from ending up on the floor in a shattered pile. Why fix something that isn’t broken? Better still, why fix something that can prevent it from being broken?

So long magsafe connector and thanks for all saving us from innumerable encounters with gravity.

The MacBook Air still feels impossibly thin. Why do we need a MacBook that is thinner and sacrifices functionality? At the end of the day, it’s still going to fit in your carry-on bag. The fact then that you have to bring accessories along to ensure you can plug in your external devices, or that you need to buy new accessories, is more inconvenient than an extra millimeter or two of thickness.

Needing all that crap also means that there is something seriously deficient with the machine you’re using.

That iPhone Battery Case: aka The Hunchback of Cupertino

Battery cases seem a trifle, but if you’re going to cover up a phone as nice looking as an iPhone, you’d think Apple would make it sleek and striking. Nope. If anything, the battery case is the ultimate example of a product that Apple could’ve designed and made perfectly, but (no pun intended) phoned it in instead.

An iPhone is a beautiful marriage of form and function. It’s a pleasure to behold and use, but it’s also fragile and prone to breaking, so putting it in a case is a practical and inexpensive way of protecting it (compared to fixing or replacing a broken phone).

When Apple releases a battery case, I expect them to bring something to the table that offers solid protection and keeps the battery topped off, but also be aesthetically pleasing. It should say, “okay, I know I’m covering up this gorgeous piece of electronic wonderment, but it still looks good.”

Quasi-battery-o

But the hump doesn’t add any functionality. It makes it look like the battery is enormous, but its capacity isn’t all that great, especially for the $99 price point. With its billions in cash and massive design force, you’d think Apple could make a battery case that offers unparalleled battery life while still looking nice and flat. After all, other case manufacturers don’t seem to have a problem with this concept, and for often less than Apple is asking for theirs.

A battery case may not seem like the most revolutionary of products, this is still symbolic of the new Apple. It’s simple, something Apple could have easily knocked out of the park, a no-brainer.

Instead, it feels like a rushed, dumb failure, like a bad accident that’s best not stared at but rather just quickly forgotten. Does it work? Sure it does, but there are nicer, more well-thought out alternatives if you just shop around.

AirPods: I’d Shake My Head, but They’d Probably Fall Out

Apple did away with the headphone jack on the iPhone 7. And to make up for it, they brought us a $159 pair of Q-Tips, and then indefinitely delayed them.

Even if Apple doesn’t want one, a tether for the AirPods makes sense.

Arguably, the technology packed inside the AirPods is actually pretty amazing. Apple did some remarkable things, all put it into a space that’s small enough to be considered an engineering feat. But that beauty ends at the internals. Yes, the AirPods are striking, but they’re also kind of silly.

Not only do they look like Q-Tips sticking out of your ears, but you have to place in a special box to recharge,every five hours, and then you have to charge the box! It’s a $159 set of earbuds that can fall out just like the EarPods did (if you, like many of us, don’t have perfect EarPod-shaped ears). Only when these fall out, they aren’t tethered to your person, so they’re likely to just get lost. (But, not to worry, another third-party innovatoraims to fix that.)

But tether aside, here’s the real problem with the AirPods: apart from adding wireless, they haven’t improved Apple’s already-mediocre EarPods. The EarPods’ greatest flaw isn’t that the weight of the cord pulls them out of my ears, as CEO Tim Cook would have you believe. Earpods don’t fit my ears well. I tend to have to seat and reseat them in my ears several times to I get a “good enough” feel–and I’m not alone. In fact, a whole cottage industry has sprung up just to address this problem. This is how I know I won’t be comfortable jogging over bridges or past sewer grates wearing AirPods.

I understand the EarPods that come with the iPhone are what they are. Apple doesn’t have to give us free earphones, but it does, and they do the job. But if you’re looking to drop a big wad of cash on something wireless, there are better, cheaper, and more well-designed options for ears of all sizes. With AirPods, Apple took fantastic internals and put them inside their same old crappy pair of earbuds.

Honorable Mention: The Pencil’s Puzzling Lightning Connector

The Pencil is a niche item that very few Apple users will ever use. Still, it looks almost like an amazing Apple product. It’s a must-have accessory for designers, creative types, and artists who use the iPod Pro as their canvas.

Except this:

You see, when you want to charge The Pencil, you are supposed to do this, which necessitates yet another connector that you have to keep or lug around with you, and not lose. (Plus the cap, which also looks like it’s begging to get lost.)

What’s with Apple’s thing for dongles and losable connectors?

Apple does offer an alternative, which is just as stupid: you could plug it into your iPad Pro. But why in the world would I plug a $99 breakable stick into the charging port on an iPad Pro so that it fragilely sticks out, making it susceptible to airborne cats or an absent-minded gesture?

No, just no.

Again, it takes a third-party manufacturer to offer a better option for charging the Apple Pencil.

This is exactly the problem. Apple designs something 90% of the way, and then wings it the rest. With the Pencil, you’ve got a cap to hide the male Lightning connector, which can be lost and a female-to-female Lightning connector, which can be lost. Why not figure out a way to keep the cap attached to the Pencil? Better yet, why not just incorporate a female Lightning connector into the design?

I know, the Pencil’s charging method is a quibble, but I think it speaks to a larger, nagging problem for Apple. They’re messing up perfectly good ideas with really questionable design decisions.

If you release a $99 digital pen accessory, it needs to make complete sense. Every aspect should make you say, “this is so well designed and sensible.” The same goes for a $370 smartwatch, $100 battery case or $160 earbuds.

Perfect Enough Isn’t Good Enough

A company like Apple needs to offer products that look, feel, and function like every phase of the design process underwent Steve Jobs-like scrutiny. And, maybe that’s why the best designed, most iconic and enduring Apple products are the ones that exist from the Steve Jobs era.

The iPhone is still an unparalleled, world-class piece of technology. The iPad is still the tablet to beat. The MacBook Air and Pro are very nearly perfect laptops. Even the old click wheel iPod is still undeniably impressive, long after it’s stopped being truly relevant.

It seems reasonable to think that this maniacal attention to detail and eye for design would’ve sent the battery case back to the drawing board. Maybe the Watch would’ve come out later on, or we’d at least have seen a bigger improvement between version 1 and 2. And, that male connector on the Pencil…there had to be a more elegant way.

It’s obvious that Apple is still innovating, they’re just not perfecting anymore. Instead, they say “here’s a new product, it’s got some serious flaws and design issues, but we think you’ll buy it because it’s made by Apple.”

There is genius hidden in certain parts of Apple’s new products. But without the adherence to 100% perfection, the Watch just feels like another smartwatch in a sea of other smartwatches. The battery case is battery case in a deluge of (better) battery cases, and the AirPods are an expensive duplicate of cheap earbuds.

It remains to be seen what Apple has in store for the majority of its laptops and desktops. The new MacBook Pro’s new Touch Bar is compelling, but only a small portion of Mac users will have access to it. It won’t change how the overwhelming majority of Mac users interact with their computers, unless Apple starts including it on lower-end models.

For now, we’ll have to contend with the company largely ignoring its other Mac models while Microsoft swoops in and does something truly cool and exciting. Then again, Apple could have a promising future in the dongle business.