Instapaper breaks away from Pinterest

Instapaper Blog: Instapaper is going independent

Today, we’re announcing that Pinterest has entered into an agreement to transfer ownership of Instapaper to Instant Paper, Inc., a new company owned and operated by the same people who’ve been working on Instapaper since it was sold to betaworks by Marco Arment in 2013. The ownership transfer will occur after a 21 day waiting period designed to give our users fair notice about the change of control with respect to their personal information.

We want to emphasize that not much is changing for the Instapaper product outside the new ownership. The product will continue to be built and maintained by the same people who’ve been working on Instapaper for the past five years. We plan to continue offering a robust service that focuses on readers and the reading experience for the foreseeable future.

So, the first thing I’m wondering is if Marco is part of the new company?

This is good news for us loyal Instapaper users. It gives me confidence that one of my most used apps will continue to exist.

Retiring some tech

I’m experimenting with retiring some of the tech that I’m using.

Our New Jersey house is smaller than the house we were living in in California. With the smaller space, I’ve come to the realization that I no longer need two Macs. All I need is my MacBook Pro and iPad. My iMac is 5 years old. It is stuck on Sierra so when Mojave releases it will be two OS’s behind. I wrote about the problems I had attempting to upgrade it to High Sierra here.

I also have a very old and ugly giant laser printer that I removed from my desk yesterday. The only reason I was keeping it on my desk was for scanning. I don’t do that much scanning anymore and I can use Scanner Pro on my iPhone or iPad in its place. If I need to print something, which I don’t do that often since going paperless, I can print to our wifi printer.

For now, my iMac is still on my desk. When I’ve determined that I no longer need it it will join my old printer in the closet. I’d sell it but it’s not worth much.

Web Finds for June 23, 2018

Web Finds are from my web surfing travels. You’ll find some unique and informative news, apps and websites that you may have never known existed. Enjoy!

Textor
Textor is a plain text editor, fully optimized for iOS. It’s the equivalent of Text Edit on the Mac. Files can be opened from anywhere, including iCloud Drive and other apps.

iPhones on iOS 12 Will Automatically Share Precise Location Data During 911 Calls in United States
Apple announced that, starting later this year with iOS 12, iPhones will automatically share precise location data with first responders during 911 calls in the United States, helping to reduce emergency response times.
Via MacRumors

Hands On Video With iOS 12’s New Screen Time Feature
The iOS 12 update introduces a comprehensive set of built-in features designed to help you focus, limit distraction, monitor your iOS device usage, and get a better understanding on how you’re using your time throughout the day.
Via MacRumors

Apple Launches Repair Program for Faulty MacBook and MacBook Pro Keyboards
Apple today launched a keyboard repair program for MacBook and MacBook Pro models equipped with butterfly keys to address complaints over letters or characters that repeat unexpectedly, letters or characters that do not appear, and keys that feel “sticky” or do not respond in a consistent manner.
Via MacRumors

Previous Web Finds are here.

After thoughts on Ulysses subscription

I know I said No Subscription. Even though I said that I caved in and signed up for a 12-month subscription to Ulysses right before my free use period ended.

I’m still not a happy camper though and here’s why.

I think Soleman should have followed the lead of 1Password, Day One, and TextExpander and continued to support and update the purchased version of the app for those users who want to continue using it. They didn’t! They said the paid version would not be supported after High Sierra. So, in essence, they are forcing everyone, previous users, and new users, on to the subscription. To me, that’s just wrong. That’s why I’m not a happy camper.

Then why am I still using Ulysses? Because I haven’t found anything that compares. I’ve tried Byword, MultiMarkdown Composer, the new iA Writer 5 for Mac and iOS, Bear and BBEdit.

Here’s what sets Ulysses apart for me:

  • Identical features across Mac and iOS.
  • The unified library. I don’t like managing individual files.
  • Clean distraction free writing environment.
  • Selecting my font of choice.
  • Publishing to WordPress and Medium.
  • It’s just dead simple to use.

Web Finds for June 11, 2018

Web Finds are from my web surfing travels. You’ll find some unique and informative news, apps and websites that you may have never known existed. Enjoy!

17 Basic macOS Terms Every Mac User Needs to Know and Master
Whether a newbie or veteran, you have a whole lot of Apple-specific glossary to pick up and master. But don’t worry, it’s not all that difficult.
Via Makeuseof

10 Strikes and You’re Out — the iOS Feature You’re Probably Not Using But Should
For many years now, iOS has offered an option in the Passcode section of the Settings all: “Erase all data on this iPhone after 10 failed passcode attempts.
Via Daring Fireball

How to Request a Copy of Your Apple ID Account Data
Apple now allows its customers to download a copy of their personally identifiable data from Apple apps and services. This can include purchase or app usage history, Apple Music and Game Center statistics, marketing history, AppleCare support history, and any data stored on Apple servers, including the likes of calendars, photos, and documents.
Via MacRumors

4 Ways to Generate a List of Apps Installed on Your Mac
I ran across this the other day. It’s not something that I would use often but in the right situation it could be very helpful.
Via Makeuseof

Previous Web Finds are here.

My Mac Menu Bar – June 2018

Visible

1Password: For my passwords
Copied: For syncing clipboards.
Fantastical: For quick access to my calendars.
Screenfloat: For taking or accessing screenshots.
TunnelBear VPN: For private browsing.
Bartender 3: For hiding the menu bar items that I don’t want to see.

Hidden

Alfred: For efficiency and productivity.
Keyboard Maestro: For efficiency and productivity.
PopClip: For managing selected text.
Yoink: For drag and drop.
Oversight: For alerting me when my internal mic or webcam is being accessed.
Time Machine: For backup to an external USB drive.

Podcasts I listen to

A few weeks ago I wrote about RSS feeds that I follow. Today I’ll share some of my favorite podcasts.

Podcasts are a cool way for me to get other peoples perspective on a variety of subjects. They are also a way for me stay informed and educated on subjects that I’m interested in as well as a way to be entertained.

The great thing about podcasts is that I listen to them in Overcast on my iPhone while I’m walking, running, cycling, driving, or working out. All of my favorites are available in Overcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Mac Power User
Learn about getting the most from your Apple technology with focused topics and workflow guests. Creating Mac Power Users, one geek at a time since 2009. Hosted by David Sparks and Katie Floyd.

Accidental Tech Podcast
A tech podcast we accidentally created while trying to do a car show. Featuring Marco Arment, Casey Liss, and John Siracusa.

The Committed
A weekly tech podcast focusing on Apple products and other technology. Ian Schray, Rob Griffiths, and Kirk McElhearn look at how to remain sane in a world of constantly-changing technology.

Connected
Connected is a weekly panel discussion on Apple and the impact of technology on our lives. With each co-host having a unique background — and accent — Connected provides a perspective that no other show can. Hosted by Federico Viticci, Myke Hurley, and Stephen Hackett.

The Axe Files
David Axelrod, the founder and director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, brings you “The Axe Files,” a series of revealing interviews with key figures in the political world.

The Forward
The Forward Podcast with Lance Armstrong gives the audience a rare and revealing listen into Armstrong’s conversations with an eclectic range of personalities—some well-known, others simply with intriguing stories to tell. Above all, The Forward Podcast is a personal, honest, engaging and always entertaining dialogue that leaves the listener with new insights and perspective.

The Move
Co-hosted by Lance Armstrong and longtime Austin radio personality JB Hager, The Move presents a singular perspective on the world’s most iconic cycling races, including the Tour de France and the Classics, as well as the broader endurance sports scene. Not your typical cycling or sports podcast, The Move brings listeners deep inside the racing action, imparting insights from someone who knows the suffering and splendor like no one else.

Back into the swing of things

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here on my blog, so it’s time to get back into the swing of things with this post.

Here’s what’s been going on. We sold our house in Southern California and moved across the country to our house in New Jersey. The entire process has been all consuming and stressful. If you’ve ever sold your house and moved across the country you’ll know what I’m talking about. I’ll spare you all the grisly details.

We are sort of settled into our New Jersey house. It has been mostly empty for the past 15 years so we have a few fixer-upper projects both inside and out. We’re tackling them one by one. We are still waiting for the moving company to deliver our belongings. It should only be a few more days.

We now have internet. It was installed yesterday so now I’ll be able to get back to my writing and blogging.