Technically this is eight blue links, because I spent the weekend in Bristol and we’re getting towards Christmas. Next week: five blue links and a bag of wine gums.
1. RIP ChromeOS (sort of)
Odd as it sounds today, when I talk a lot about user privacy and avoiding cloud services, I used to use a lot of Google services and devices. In particular I was a pretty early Chromebook user, getting a Samsung Series 5 in June 2011.
Remember the Samsung Series 5? That was the OG Chromebook, a lightweight and affordable laptop that ran Google’s brand new Chrome OS. It was all about simplicity and ease of use, focusing on web browsing and cloud computing. But those early Chromebooks were a bit of a mixed bag. Some people loved how simple and affordable they were, while others weren’t so keen on their limited features and the whole "always-need-internet" thing. I was on the “love” side — I was terminally online at that point — but it took a while for Chromebooks to take off.
Chromebooks are now available in a variety of form factors, including classic laptops, convertibles, and tablets. They have also gained the ability to run Android and Linux applications, significantly expanding their capabilities. Chromebooks have become increasingly popular in educational and business settings due to their affordability, security, and ease of management. The latest models offer impressive performance and features that rival those of traditional laptops.
Now, finally, it seems Google is determined to pull out the roots of ChromeOS and rebuild it as part of Android. I think this is a shame. ChromeOS was quirky, but it was also fun seeing quite how far web applications could take you. And I miss those early, naive days of doing everything online.
2. VisionOS as the Microsoft Mobile of the wearable future
One of the characteristics of new waves of computing is the tendency for dominant players to see the new wave through the lens of the previous one. This was Microsoft’s mistake in navigating the shift from desktop to mobile: Windows Mobile was thought to have an advantage because it was Windows, adopting the same interface and business paradigms.
In his article on generative AI and the bridge to the future, Ben Thompson draws out the comparison to VisionOS, which relies on the same app-based paradigm which has served mobile so well. But apps aren’t the future of wearables: interfaces based on generative AI are.
I think this is a pretty compelling argument, but I would go further: conversational interfaces based on generative AI, capable of tapping into both the context of your local device and the wider knowledge of the internet, are. Think Knowledge Navigator on steroids.
And, ironically given that it was focused on these interfaces 37 years ago, I think Apple is in a bad place to take any kind of leap forward. Their whole $383bn annual revenue and $93bn profit depends on the application model. Of course, this doesn’t mean “Apple is doomed” or any crap like that. But like Microsoft and IBM before that, there comes a time when the old king of the jungle becomes just another player. Can Apple “eat its own lunch”? I think there is too much to lose, and Tim Cook has never been a risk-taking leader.
3. Dia leader
What might the interface of the future look like? The Browser Company, who made a bit of a splash with the Arc browser, might be on to something with Dia. Sneakily revealed as part of a “recruiting video”, Dia reminds me a little of the “browser as operating system” approach of ChromeOS, but using a conversational generative AI interface. It’s hard to describe, so I recommend you watch the video.
4. Gelsinger out
Meanwhile, Pat Gelsinger is out of Intel. Didn’t see that one coming, but I’m not surprised. That said, Intel’s problems will not be addressed quickly by a change of leadership. This is a decade-long project — if it can be done at all.
5. Craft 3.0 tries to be the One True App for all your note-taking needs (and more besides)
Craft.do, the all-singing all-dancing document writing note-taking task managing calendar containing application has just released a major upgrade and – as happens every time I try it out – I’m more than a little baffled at what it’s actually for.
This is one of those applications which appeared in the wave of "personal knowledge management" apps alongside such things as Obsidian, Roam Research, and many others. But it’s an oddity, in that it sometimes feels more like Notion – you can add blocks to pages which include things like whiteboards, for example, which is very unlike what you can do out of the box with the others.
The biggest part of the update for me is the new task system, which lets you add tasks to any note or document, capture stray tasks in an inbox, and see them all in a unified task view. In theory, this should be a great way of organising tasks around a project, while also capturing tasks in a daily notes system and getting everything very quickly out of your head. I like the ability in the mobile app to rapid capture a task to the inbox.
But in practice, my brain just doesn’t work like this. Craft almost feels too versatile. It can be a notetaker, a document manager, or a task manager. I have even seen templates which help you write a novel. It feels like too much, but I’m willing to give it a go and see if there’s a place for it in my armoury of applications.
6. Jack the mag
The absolutely brilliant documentary currently on iPlayer about Loaded magazine reminded me of Jack, which James Brown launched after he had been fired from GQ for including Rommel as one of the most fashionable men of the century. I was working at Dennis Publishing at the time, and I have a feeling that Felix might have bankrolled James a bit, as a box of copies of Jack duly turned up when it came out. One was placed on the desk of every editor, including me.
I flicked through it and just after the contents came the opening spread. Now in men’s mags at the time, the opening spread was reserved for one thing and one thing only: a girl. Usually, someone semi-famous, wearing far too little clothing for the time of year. Everyone did the same thing.
Except James. He had instead, put out a spread called "Mountains we love", which was a great big gorgeous picture of a mountain. And that is why James Brown was, and probably still is, an editorial genius.
7. How does iOS activity reboot work?
I’ll say this for Apple: their engineers are really quite clever when it comes to security and privacy.
8. Sweet, sweet shade
John Gruber’s story about Pat Gelsinger leaving Intel contains one of the most beautiful footnotes designed to throw shade on an entire publication I have ever seen. Bravo!