∞ Airbnb: Communicating Clarity and Charm
Google Design's article about Airbnb:
Airbnb replaced the left navigation bar on Android with the bottom navigation bar that now exists on both iOS and Android, to better unify the cross-platform experience.
I don't think unifying cross Android & iOS should be a goal. But replacing "hamburger menu + left navigation" with "bottom navigation bar" is definitely a win.
∞ WeChat's App Revolution
Adam Minter reporting on WeChat's "mini programs" for bloomberg:
Mini programs, by contrast, aren't found in an app store. Users get links to them from friends or groups in a chat, or by scanning a QR code in real life (at a restaurant, say).
"Mini programs" are best for ad-hoc, "offline" uses. For example, pay parking fees just by scanning the QR code of the meter. It sounds like Android's Instant Apps, but more light weight and works far better because of WeChat's ecosystem.
WeChat had already morphed beyond its roots as a chat service to become a one-stop app for everything, from banking to shopping to dating to dining.
That's very true. I'm constantly amazed by how much work it can be done inside WeChat without ever leaving the app.
In short, WeChat is starting to look quite a bit like a mobile operating system. As it becomes more powerful and self-contained, Chinese phone consumers will stop asking what phone and operating system they should buy, and start contemplating what phone best runs WeChat. That's a long-term threat to iOS and Android, as well as any company that makes phones to run them.
It's not a threat to iOS or Android though. They are at different levels. It only means that it stops mattering whether you choose iOS or Android. It removes the limitation of OS lock-in. It gives the freedom of choosing any phone.
For now, WeChat is changing smartphones in China. One day soon, its impact will be felt worldwide.
Certainly, WeChat has changed China. But I'm not sure about developed countries. They already have a developed system - apps. It's the same reason why it takes so long to advance US' payment system - credit cards.
Replacing My iPhone 6s for Free
My iPhone 6s has had the Unexpected Shutdown issue for a while. After months of procrastination, I finally went to the Apple Store this Saturday afternoon.
My appointment was at 16:50. The staff told me that it takes 3 hours to replace the battery, and the store closes at 19:00. So I have to leave the phone overnight and pick up the next day.
I said OK.
However, I remember last time Apple had this issue with iPhone 5, they would actually replace my old phone with a new one (or refurbished one?) immediately in the store. Oh yes, I am very lucky to be a victim twice.
I'm totally fine without a new phone this time.
Then the next day, a different person handled my case. They brought both my old and a new phone to me. Guess what? The new phone was for me. And I just need to reset my old phone for them.
They said one thing, but did another.
I'm very confused. The only reasonable explanation I could think is, they wanted to take a look at my old phone then decide what to do.
Maybe I should have a doubt about anything they say. After all, they have told me "not closing your apps will kill your iPhone”.
∞ Having Fewer Things to Do Is the Best Way to Get Things Done
@jasonfried answering @andyorin's question of What’s your best time-saving shortcut or life hack, for a Life Hacker interview:
Having fewer things to do is the best way to get things done.
Can't argue with that.
Oh! Darling (The Beatles) by Casey Adams at Grand Canyon Western Ranch
Me and my wife stayed and had a great thanksgiving dinner at Grand Canyon Western Ranch.
After dinner, the professional musician Casey Adams built a campfire and played numerous songs for all the guests, including many of the ones he wrote. This is Oh! Darling (with a good night song in the middle for the family leaving early).
∞ VIPKid Matches Students in China with North American Instructors
Peter Elstrom and David Ramli reporting for Bloomberg:
Today, Mi is 33 and founder of a startup that aims to give Chinese kids the kind of education American children receive in top U.S. schools. Called VIPKid, the company matches Chinese students aged five to 12 with predominantly North American instructors to study English, math, science and other subjects. Classes take place online, typically for two or three 25-minute sessions each week.
Ignore the clickbait title, that's a very worth reading report.
Hornworm Eating Tomatoes
A timelapse recorded on 2016-09-24 at our backyard.
∞ Visual Studio Code 1.8
Microsoft released Visual Studio Code 1.8.0 today. The most exciting news for me is this:
On macOS, we are now drawing our own custom title instead of the native one to allow for the theme color to be picked up.
That means it now looks terrific with the Atom One Dark theme:
∞ The Last Unity 5 Release Will be 5.6
From the Unity blog:
We’ve just announced availability of the Unity 5.6 beta, and we are planning to release 5.6 in March 2017. We can confirm now that 5.6 will be the last version in the Unity 5 cycle.
What’s next in 2017
After Unity 5.6, we will introduce a new version numbering system starting with the 2017.x cycle for all releases in 2017. We’ve made this change to clearly mark the end of the Unity 5 cycle, and align with our release cadence. With Unity 2017 we will continue shipping new versions regularly, to ensure a steady stream of new tech and improvements. We think a date-based version numbering system better reflects this approach to ship and iterate faster. For the context on this approach, check out Joachim’s blog post from earlier this year.
I wondered why Unity hadn't changed their versioning story since the pricing model change in May. Now, they decided to use the year number.
I understand that this is probably for users who want to stop subscribing at certain point and keep the current version. But this is not a great strategy. If you hope the majority would use the latest, just make the number meaningless.
∞ Radio Garden
You can explore live radios around the global on the Radio Garden:
By bringing distant voices close, radio connects people and places. Radio Garden allows listeners to explore processes of broadcasting and hearing identities across the entire globe. From its very beginning, radio signals have crossed borders. Radio makers and listeners have imagined both connecting with distant cultures, as well as re-connecting with people from ‘home’ from thousands of miles away – or using local community radio to make and enrich new homes.
Go and check out this impressive service on radio.garden.