174 Posts under Mango Linked
∞ People Spend Too Much Time On Decisions with Equally Satisfying Outcomes
Rob Henderson writes,
The researchers conclude, “people apparently misallocate their time, spending too much on those choice problems in which the relative reward is low.”
In software engineering, I'm sure a lot of us have spent way too much time on deciding an implementation detail. Rather, we should just pick one and move on. If it's really the wrong decision, it will come back at you later. There are surprisingly more decisions you can reverse at a later time.
∞ Selective Empathy Prevents Us From Making Connections
If we Americans are appalled at the Russian killing of children, why don’t we teach to our own children the words of Gen. Jacob H. Smith, who ordered his soldiers to “kill everyone over 10” in the Philippine-American War? Or the 1864 Sand Creek massacre, when US Army troops massacred about 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, two-thirds of whom were women and children?
Great piece by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
∞ Apple Publishes New Webpages Explaining the Benefits of the App Store and the Company’s Developer Program
The more PR effort Apple puts into this, the worse their image is. Wake up.
∞ GitHub is Now Free for Teams
We’re happy to announce we’re making private repositories with unlimited collaborators available to all GitHub accounts. All of the core GitHub features are now free for everyone. 🎉
Microsoft has risen again.
∞ The Half of It Official Trailer
Official trailer for The Half of It, from writer/director Alice Wu:
Shy, straight-A student Ellie is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul, who needs help winning over a popular girl. But their new and unlikely friendship gets complicated when Ellie discovers she has feelings for the same girl.
😍 I can't wait for this.
∞ Othering the Virus
In the West, perception of the virus as a threat came only very late. Terrifying news from China was available since late January: High death rates, permanent damage from the disease, people dying in their homes or in the street in front of overloaded hospitals, entire families dying. But far into February, western observers did not see an urgent need to act.
This is a good read, from Marius Meinhof, a sociologist at the University of Bielefeld in Germany.
∞ Apple Weighs Letting Users Switch Default iPhone Apps to Rivals
Mark Gurman, reporting for Bloomberg:
The technology giant is discussing whether to let users choose third-party web browser and mail applications as their default options on Apple’s mobile devices, replacing the company’s Safari browser and Mail app, according to people familiar with the matter. Since launching the App Store in 2008, Apple hasn’t allowed users to replace pre-installed apps such as these with third-party services. That has made it difficult for some developers to compete, and has raised concerns from lawmakers probing potential antitrust violations in the technology industry.
Let me check, what apps do I need an alternative default? Mail, Maps, Calendar, Calculator, Reminder, Camera, Weather, Photos, Notes, News. 10 freaking apps.
I also just realized that, the Keyboard effectively already allows alternative default. Files app too.
(News is special here because RSS URLs are forced to be opened by it, 🖕 Apple News.)
∞ Apples Releases Swift Playgrounds for the Mac, Powered by Catalyst
Apples just released Swift Playgrounds for the Mac. And yes, it's powered by Catalyst. Now, I am 👀 at you, Shortcuts team.
∞ A Quick History of Why Asians Wear Surgical Masks in Public
Jeff Yang, writing for Quartz:
The bottom line is that in East Asia, the predilection toward using face-coverings to prevent exposure to bad air is something that predates the germ theory of disease, and extends into the very foundations of East Asian culture. In recent years, however, mask-wearing has become rooted in new and increasingly postmodern rationales.
Studies have found that among many young Japanese, masks have evolved into social firewalls; perfectly healthy teens now wear them, along with audio headsets, to signal a lack of desire to communicate with those around them. This is particularly true for young women seeking to avoid harassment on public transit, who also appreciate the relative anonymity the masks provide.
Masks are even becoming an element of East Asian style: In Japan, surgical masks bearing chic designs or the images of cute licensed characters can be purchased in every corner drugstore, while last month at China Fashion Week, designer Yin Peng unveiled a line of “smog couture” clothese paired with a variety of masks, from Vader-esque ventilators to whole-head riot-gear rebreathers.
This is so different in western where you only wear masks when you are actually sick to protect others. You will have different perceptions when seeing people wearing a mask on the street.
∞ Canada Wins, U.S. Loses In Global Fight For High-Tech Workers
Toronto saw the biggest growth in technology jobs of any North American city over the past five years, outpacing San Francisco, New York and Seattle. Vancouver also made the top five.
This trend will only continue for a while.