The Ephemeral Scrapbook — Edition 2025-22

👤 Personal

1️⃣ I'm back from a two-week vacation where I tried to stay disconnected. As with any vacation, I took many pictures, which are being processed, at a rather slow pace; a few each day. I started sharing some of them on my Glass profile page, if you are curious. 2️⃣ I like the following quote of Jony Ive.

“What we make stands testament to who we are.” — Jony Ive, in an interview at Stripe Sessions

🗺️ Discoveries

1️⃣ I recently discovered Framework as a PC manufacturer, and I must say that I’m between impressed and highly intrigued. Is this the future of personal computers? Why isn't Apple trying its take on these? They could put an environmental spin to this. Framework joins Microsoft as another company that tries a bit harder to innovate and buck the trend in device form factor designs.

👨🏻‍💻 Writing

1️⃣ After returning from vacation, I first wrote a blog post, and it felt so good to be back at it again. Writing is liberating and helps me move forward with my life. That blog post had nothing really special, rather mundane, I would say. Yet, it was one of the many markers that I like to drop in this digital universe.

“Everyone can and everyone should write. Writing is good for us. Writing is human. There is nothing that makes someone a writer and someone else not a writer other than the act of writing. So please, sit yourself down and write if you want to write.” — Sarah Olson

🌄 Photography

1️⃣ In this section, I often share a newly discovered photographer, usually on Glass. While searching for a new one, I wondered about the criteria at play when looking for an unknown photographer. Do I select one because they create the same kind of images that I do? Or am I selecting one because he does images that I wish I could do? Or am I being picky because I see photos I wish to share with myself and become famous? Who knows? 2️⃣ Do you depend on camera reviews before buying a new camera? Om Malik critiques the integrity of camera reviews, arguing that they are often biased and driven by marketing hype rather than genuine user experience, particularly highlighting the Fuji X half camera as an example of style over substance. I do read a lot of them, but Om Malik’s blog post is a reminder that we should take them with a grain of salt and consider the context behind why reviews are created. 3️⃣ Many photographers are frustrated with Instagram's algorithmic feed, over-commercialization, and excessive ads, prompting the search for alternatives. This DPReview article compares many popular alternatives, including VSCO, Flickr, and Glass, among others. You probably know that I'm a big fan of Glass.🌟. 4️⃣ Be sure to visit Om Malik's iPhone camera specs comparison blog post. He put together this table to show, in part, how the iPhone camera evolved over the years. It's rather impressive what Apple can cram into such a small device. What's next for the iPhone this year? Who knows.

🍎 Apple & Tech

1️⃣ Apple seems to be dormant these days when it comes to AI. So much is happening around them that they seem to be retracting, lost in their glorious past, while OpenAI is buying Jony Ive's io to create what comes next. While I’m highly skeptical about their prospects, I don't want them to fail because I want Apple to be the one that shows it can reinvent itself. I don't want them to be the next Humane with their DOA AI pin. 2️⃣ Apple will switch to a new numbering scheme for their OS releases, starting this WWDC. They will use a year-based numbering system, such as iOS 26 or macOS 26. They might tweak it to macOS ‘26, which I would prefer. The change will take some time to get used to. This reminds me of Microsoft. Now, will we ever see the iPhone 26? Who knows. More details in this YouTube video. 3️⃣ Apple is the gatekeeper. I believe that the iPhone is a much bigger target from a cybersecurity perspective than the Mac, hence Apple's desire to keep the App Store closed as it is currently. Many people disagree. I'm on the fence. Even if there were a third-party App Store, I wouldn't install apps from it unless they came from a well-known and highly reputable developer. 4️⃣ The twentieth-anniversary iPhone will be a slab of glass, more or less. What happens if you put a case on such an iPhone? 5️⃣ The Apple Watch turned 10, already! Great visuals from Basic Apple Guy, again! 6️⃣ Why do so many people think fonts just feel better on a Mac than a PC? It boils down to rendering philosophy. Apple products display text true to how the design would appear in print, whereas Microsoft opts to focus on precise pixel placement (Kartscrut). 7️⃣ WWDC is just around the corner, and we will get a pre-recorded video or an infomercial. Just like Matt, I want them to return to live events. 8️⃣ If you are curious about Apple CarPlay Ultra, here's a quick look. I'm not in the market for a new car, but I must say that I wish my next car would support this, which seems unlikely because not many car brands are supporting it.

“I hope it really is, because I’d hate to see this team lose credibility in the way Humane — also stacked with ex-Apple talent — did. Theirs is not the roadmap I’d want to see followed.” — Jarrod Blundy

“In the 1990s, I was a teenager learning to program the Mac while complaining about Bill Gates and Microsoft. Now I admire Bill and complain about Apple.” — Manton Reece

🚧 Special projects

1️⃣ If you've been following along, I'm still working on my new website with Elements. Things are going nicely with the help of the developers, who are answering many questions on their forums. I'm expecting to launch this website later this summer. I shared a preview and a link to the website on my Ko-fi page so that my supporters can get a sneak peek. If you become a supporter, then you'll get access to the post with the link! 👀 😉

📱 Apps & Services

1️⃣ Paste, the best clipboard manager app on the Mac, was upgraded to version 5 and introduced pinboards sharing built on iCloud collaboration features. While I don't plan to use this feature, I still use Paste daily and couldn't live without it. 2️⃣ Another new and great update to CleanShot X, well exposed by Matt Bircher in his YouTube video. 3️⃣ Pocket, the read-later service, is being shut down by its owner, Mozilla. I stopped using Pocket a while ago when I wanted to test other solutions, such as Matter and Readwise, and decided to focus on Inoreader for my reading needs. 4️⃣ Speaking of Inoreader, another addition to this powerful service has just arrived: support for Raindrop.io integration. This means that any article you are reading can be saved in the Raindrop.io bookmarking service. That's cool and all, but I left Raindrop.io a long time ago, after the war in Ukraine began, and decided to use Anybox instead. Yet, it's another nice addition to Inoreader.

📺 YouTube

1️⃣ Drones keep improving. This is the latest dji mavic 4 Pro. I want one. 2️⃣ Sam (OpenAI) and Jony (LoveFrom, io) had a conversation. Or was it two monologues? Or too hyperbolic dialogue? I wish them well, but this hype-ish video is not a good start, or rather, a small red flag. Read the OpenAI press release. 3️⃣ That building in New York City is empty! Why is that? Here's why. You'll learn a lot about the iconic Flatiron Building. 👀

💎 Miscellaneous

1️⃣ Why do all electric vehicles have the same design? Riccardo Mori says yes. I'm tempted to compare this situation with smartphones: they look more or less the same, don’t they? Is this the price to pay for becoming a commodity? 2️⃣ In other news, I ordered a bunch of Apple Silicon Inside stickers from Basic Apple Guy and told him. He responded by saying thank you and added a few extras to the shipment. I’m eager to see what's in store! I can't stress enough how hard this person is working on their Apple-related tasks. 3️⃣ Password hygiene is vital to keep your security posture in good shape. Mike Rockwell put together a complete guide to managing your passwords and accounts effectively and securely.

🔮 Looking forward

1️⃣ Apple’s top-level execs won’t take part in Gruber’s Live at WWDC show like they did in the past ten years. No explanation was given, but it appears that Apple might not be happy with Gruber's take on Apple Intelligence. Is Apple pissed off? Maybe. What I find sad is that not only does Apple no longer host live keynotes, but they also now refuse to engage in live conversations after the recorded event. I really miss live events. Is this a one-time-only thing so Apple can get its affairs in order before returning next year? Who knows. Apple seems to lack confidence by not returning to live events. Can you imagine if developers were to boo Apple execs when talking about Apple Intelligence on stage? Still looking forward to the next WWDC keynote, though, albeit with some apprehension.

I wish you a great week! ✌️ 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇪🇺 💪🏻