craiggrannell

craiggrannell, 4 days ago to random

This Reddit thread does not inspire confidence about the future of Bartender. And that sucks, because Bartender is a great app.

From: @lapcatsoftware
https://mastodon.social/@lapcatsoftware/112559634359309136

craiggrannell, 4 days ago to random

One of my posts just went semi-viral on Threads and that is slightly terrifying.

craiggrannell, 5 days ago (edited 4 days ago) to Netflix

I mean, if ever I needed more persuading that my #Netflix sub can go away, this is it. (We still have two pre-4K Apple TVs. One is used on my tiny office TV. It works perfectly well with every other service, and so Netflix can go do one.)

Edit: to clarify, HD onwards will work with Netflix. Pre-HD (and pre-tvOS) will not. It’ll be interesting to see how rapidly everyone else does the same. (IIRC, Prime still worked on those old boxes.)

craiggrannell, 5 days ago to random

Given that Meta responded to my AI opt-out request instantly, that’s gotta be automated. Probably, ironically, by some kind of ‘AI’.

craiggrannell, 4 days ago to random

@baldur While away, I read your thoughtful piece on social media and reply guys. Almost never happens to me here. Not sure why. But on Threads today now that Apple TV post went vital: OH MY GOD.

RIP my mentions. :/

craiggrannell, 9 days ago to random

It’s been quite something to see Americans and Brits discover in real time how much of their systems rely heavily on the “good chap” theory of government. And also whether the safeguards are strong enough to withstand major assaults from bad actors. (To date: barely.)

craiggrannell, 11 days ago to random

By me for Stuff: Transformers at 40: four decades of giant stompy robots in disguise • https://www.stuff.tv/features/transformers-at-40-four-decades-of-giant-stompy-robots-in-disguise/

craiggrannell, 12 days ago to random

Judging by what I’m seeing, Apple is using a lot of automation of late in app review. And it’s not going well.

From: @jandamm
https://iosdev.space/@jandamm/112513498957185543

craiggrannell, 12 days ago to random

UK media and govt heading down the same line. Regular attempts to ban smartphones for under 16s, which seems insane to me. What we should be doing is educating kids about how to use them (and the internet) better. Instead, it’s all “ban this stuff” until someone turns 16 or even 18. At which point, what? Everything at once, with no skills and insight how to deal with any of it? That doesn’t sound good to me.

From: @quinn
https://social.circl.lu/@quinn/112514979207612833

craiggrannell, 13 days ago to random

We got solar a while back. It’s been interesting to watch bills ebb and flow and that even in a wintry UK there was some benefit. I realise solar is expensive but it still surprises me how few folks around here (north Hampshire) have gone for it.

That said, Octopus support doesn’t appear to want to inform us where our outgoing payments have gone. (They’ve not been taken off the bill, that’s for sure…)

From: @theluddite
https://assemblag.es/@theluddite/112496059286904697

craiggrannell, 13 days ago to random

Nice reality check here re the UK joining the EU. If € is a condition (and pledging to at the very least would be), the decision flips. The UK isn’t ready yet. Maybe it never will be.

From: @ukelections
https://mastodonapp.uk/@ukelections/112498320201494860

craiggrannell, 14 days ago to random

Column! Why apps could be Apple’s next subscription service – and what stands in its way • https://www.stuff.tv/features/apple-appcade-why-apps-could-be-apples-next-subscription-service-and-what-stands-in-its-way/

Not sure this is likely, but it does seem logical. Although Apple would have to repair bridges with devs that were atomised during its scrap with the EU.

craiggrannell, 14 days ago to random

I reached this last week, for sure. Now having a relaxing weekend. Not sure what’s next. I don’t need more escapism. I do need more personal satisfaction re creative work – ie music. Changing circumstances, then? Probably quite a bit I can do there, TBH. Although much of that would require I drop my freelancer mentality where I think if I turn down work I’ll never be commissioned again. (Another aspect of imposter syndrome, I imagine.)

From: @saraislet
https://infosec.exchange/@saraislet/112491685436021576

craiggrannell, 14 days ago to random

Also now mulling how much intersection of imposter syndrome there is with OCD. (I’ve had that since I was a teen. Under control, mostly. Fairly specific too* and fortunately I don’t have eg the cleaning version. But the more I think about it, the more I suspect certain key anxieties/negative behaviours might stem from that.)

• mostly the fear of disaster flavour. So I will lock the door, head off and then return to check. And then beat myself up about that. Usually once is enough though.

craiggrannell, 14 days ago to random

Just imagining everyone losing their mind (for various reasons) when someone at WWDC24 says: “And we call it Apple OS”.

craiggrannell, 17 days ago to random

NeoSprint by Atari looks like someone dug Racing Destruction Set out of their dusty toy box. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6jXTy0_99I

craiggrannell, 17 days ago (edited 17 days ago) to random

Now there’s a GE on the way, recommendations for UK politics accounts and politics commentators who actually regularly post here (not just sporadic broadcasting or accounts that have been inactive since 2022) would be fab, if anyone has some. (Don’t worry – I won’t flood feeds with any of this stuff, although I may be a bit giddy on the night of 4 July, unless polling radically shifts before then.)

#Ukpol #ukpolitics #ge2024

craiggrannell, 17 days ago to random

As long as I’m in the tech writing game, I’ll never understand why so many app and game developers – large and small – make it so difficult for media to more easily cover their products.

Make a press kit. Outline in simple bullet-point terms what your app does. Cover pricing if there are free/paid/sub versions. Shoot some screen grabs and keep them regularly updated. Put everything online (using presskit or something like Dropbox – whatever).

craiggrannell, 17 days ago to random

Another from my past. I could leave home at 8 and get to the office at 8:50 or leave at 8:50 and get there before 9:10. One manager was baffled I was leaving early: just… show up later. She noticed I always left late anyway (again to avoid queues). Then I moved depts. Manager often rocked up hungover. Berated me one day when I arrived at 9:03. The previous evening I’d been there until an hour after end of day. Fun times.

From: @designthinkingcomic
https://mastodon.cloud/@designthinkingcomic/112483801902021191

craiggrannell, 17 days ago to random

Nice that Sunak led with furlough, which fucked over millions of self-employed people.

craiggrannell, 17 days ago to random

So who else in the UK is currently watching a live stream of a door?

craiggrannell, 18 days ago to random

Heh. I had this happen to me one time. I worked for the marketing team of a tech company looking to branch out into web design. I was the designer. We got a great lead. My manager forced me to wear a suit, which I said was a bad idea. She argued we had to make a “good impression”. The meeting went very well. They loved my ideas. We didn’t get the gig. I later heard: “We just didn’t trust a designer wearing a suit.”

From: @designthinkingcomic
https://mastodon.cloud/@designthinkingcomic/112478139719054711

craiggrannell, 18 days ago to retrogaming

Wondering how big a Game Boy can get before things start getting a wee bit silly. #retrogaming

craiggrannell, 18 days ago to random

IGN just ate Gamer Network. :/

The RPS editor’s been fired. Hard to see the voice of RPS and Eurogamer surviving, although fingers crossed both won’t just be mashed into IGN with a fork.

Funny how when I was a kid, I always dreamed of working on a games mag. Now, there are almost no paper mags left and the online ones are vanishing at speed.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/21/24161718/ign-gamer-network-acquisition

craiggrannell, 18 days ago to random

Getting dangerously close to burn out. I can see an end in sight, days away. Not relishing the next few days though. :/