Linked List: August 30, 2016

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

Daring Fireball RSS Feed Sponsorship Fall Openings 

Next week is taken, but other than that the next month or so is wide open on the DF RSS feed sponsorship schedule. That includes this current week (which is showing higher than usual traffic, thanks to next week’s Apple event). If you’ve got a product or service you want to promote to DF’s savvy audience, get in touch.

Vesper Sync Shutdown Tonight, Open Source Plans 

Brent Simmons:

  • Data is stored on your device. The app will continue to work even without syncing. You can continue to use the app.

  • You can still export your data. As many times as you want. The Export feature works with the data on your device — it has nothing to do with syncing.

  • We plan to remove the app from the App Store Sept. 15, but you can continue to use the app even after that. The Export feature will continue to work after that.

And:

We will make Vesper for iOS, Vesper for Mac, and Vesper’s JavaScript sync service open source on my personal GitHub account. This code will also be provided as historical artifacts: they’re not intended as active projects. They’re also not intended as examples of how to write apps these days.

Bragi Hits the Panic Button 

Chance Miller, writing for 9to5Mac:

Earlier today, Apple officially sent invites to its iPhone 7 announcement event that will be held next week on September 7th. Shortly after Apple’s announcement, wireless headphone company Bragi announced that it has its own big news coming next week, lending some to believe that Apple might be in the picture…

Bragi today revealed that it has a “big announcement” coming next week on September 5th, just two days before the Apple event. What has really made people speculate, however, is the fact the announcement will occur out of Cupertino, which is also where Apple’s headquarters are located.

That’s stupid. If Bragi had a deal of any sort with Apple, they’d be keeping their mouths shut. And they certainly wouldn’t be announcing anything two days before Apple’s event. And why would Apple need anything from Bragi? Apple just bought a much bigger name in headphones. And why in the world would Bragi schedule an announcement of any sort on Labor Day, a major U.S. holiday?

Here’s what makes sense: Bragi has caught wind of Apple’s imminent wireless AirPods. They’re just like what Gurman reported eight months ago: no-cable ear plugs that come with a smart case for transport and charging. Bragi is trying to jump in front of Apple’s announcement, but the fact that they’re making the announcement in Cupertino on Labor Day makes them look panicked.

Gurman Says No Mac Announcements Next Week 

Mark Gurman and Jungah Lee, reporting for Bloomberg:

Apple is holding an event on Sept. 7 in San Francisco. The keynote will focus on upgraded versions of the iPhone, a new Apple Watch with GPS tracking and new health features, and an iOS 10 software update for iPhones and iPads, according to people familiar with the matter. The new Macs are currently expected to be announced at a later date, the people said.

I’m hearing rumblings that review units will be very limited this year.

While the new iPad features aren’t expected until next year, Apple is planning to release some of the new Mac products as soon as October, according to the people. The updated line includes tweaked MacBook Air devices with multi-functional USB-C port technology and iMacs with an option for new graphics chips from Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

An update to the MacBook Air of any sort is a bit of a surprise to me. I really thought the Air was sunsetted.