Month: December 2016

A Computer for Everything: One Year of iPad Pro

Jason Tate

Federico Viticci, over at MacStories, has a killer article about using the iPad Pro for a year and how it’s become his favorite computer of all time:

Much of the iPad’s strength lies in iOS and its app ecosystem. If Apple were to stop making iPads, I’d still prefer to work on a device that runs iOS rather than macOS. iOS is where app innovation happens on a regular basis with developers one-upping each other in terms of what software can achieve; I also prefer the structure and interactions of iOS itself. The iPad Pro is the purest representation of iOS: it’s a computer that can transform into anything you need it to be.

And:

There’s an important difference between the old iOS automation kin and the modern wonders of Workflow. Four years ago, URL schemes were the only way to turn an iPad into a passable work device for advanced tasks. Automation was an escape hatch from Apple’s limitations and the immaturity of iOS. Today, iOS is a stronger, more capable platform that, for many, is superior to macOS. There’s still work to be done, but, for the most part, iOS automation today is an optional enhancement – a way to speed up tasks and make them more accessible. In four years, and largely because of iOS 8 and iOS 9, iOS automation has evolved from a workaround into a creative optimization.

The entire thing is full of great insights and it got me playing around with some new automation techniques on iOS. I realized I haven’t been using Workflow and Launch Center Pro to their full capacity.

St. Vincent Talks New Album With Guitar World

St. Vincent
Jason Tate

St. Vincent talked with Guitar World about her new album:

“I’ve been able to step back and reflect and not just be in the tour, record, tour, record cycle that I’ve been in for about 10 years,” says Clark. “I think it’ll be the deepest, boldest work I’ve ever done. I feel the playing field is really open for creative people to do whatever you want, and that risk will be rewarded—especially now that we have such high stakes from a political and geo-political standpoint. The personal is political and therefore the political can’t help but influence the art. And only music that has something pretty real to say is gonna cut the mustard.”

Blink-182 Talk Deluxe ‘California’ and More

Blink-182
Jason Tate

Blink-182 sat down with Billboard to talk about their Grammy nomination and the upcoming deluxe edition of California:

It’s almost, it’s more than a whole other record, it’s a double album at this point and it’s more of an extension of what we did in the studio earlier. Some of the songs were songs that we did not put on the first album, but are great songs. And some are brand new that we just wrote last week, a lot of high-energy songs, punk rock, some more ballad-y songs, a little more electronic experimentation, it’s a good mix. It’s not a collection of throwaway songs, it’s like a whole other album.

And:

Yeah, there are like four songs that didn’t make the album that we’re putting on there. But then there are brand-new songs like “Wildfire” and “Parking Lot” and “Misery” that are all so f—ing strong, man. It’s amazing. We started writing maybe a week and a half ago and I think we have 14 songs. It’s a good problem to have. I’m really excited about this deluxe edition. It’s gonna be incredible.

Ok, I’m sold.

Drop Dead Releases ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Collaboration

Bring Me the Horizon
Jason Tate

Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes’s clothing company, Drop Dead, has teamed up to produce two one-of-a-kind jackets for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. From Hypebeast:

The collection features two one-of-a-kind jackets: a denim jacket channeling the “underdog spirit of the Rebel Alliance,” featuring sewn-on patches, distressed effects, silk screen-printed graphics and hand-painted designs. The second piece is a white mesh bomber jacket featuring large Star Wars patches and a large reflective graphic printed on that back that salutes the might of the Empire.

Read More “Drop Dead Releases ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Collaboration”

HAIM Eye Summer Release for New Album

HAIM
Jason Tate

HAIM spoke with Entertainment Weekly about their upcoming album (which they are now aiming for a summer release):

Those perfectionist tendencies are to blame for the album’s shifting arrival date. Originally, the group had hoped to release the album this past fall, but they’re now looking at a summer release. “We write everything, we play everything, and we help produce everything,” Danielle says. “These things take time, and we refuse to put out anything we’re not 100 percent in love with.”