Matisyahu's Blog

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

recent posts

  • Quite a few bugs fixed.

    macOS 10.15.4, iOS 13.4 and tvOS 13.4 was released today (Wednesday) – I did a clean install on all my devices (DFU on my iPhone 11 Pro Max) to clear off some cruft that built up as I was doing some stuff for my mum (moving her documents from Microsoft OneDrive to Google Drive) and because Google projectile vomits it’s crap all around the drive it is difficult to completely remove all the files that Google include with their installer.

    When it comes to my iMac (iMac 18,3) the Boot ROM has been updated from 180.0.0.0.0 to 181.0.0.0.0 but the SMC Version remained the same where as with my MacBook Pro 15” (MacBook Pro 14,3) the Boot ROM has been updated from 204.0.0.0.0 to 205.0.0.0.0 and the SMC Version was updated from 2.45f1 to 2.45f3. I wouldn’t be surprised if it the it includes the latest round of microcode updates which not only include any recent security updates it also includes optimisations for past microcode pushed out but engineers have optimised the code so that it has less of an impact on performance.

    There have been a fair number of bug fixes and new features (link) along with many security features (link) and then there are the big improvements that have come with Safari 13.1 (link) and the security fixes (link) – although the link is to the beta version the final version has all those changes plus maybe a few changes (such as bug fixes) that were fixed but weren’t worth mentioning. All in all it appears that Apple has put out a pretty sizeable update which leaves me wondering what more they have in store for macOS 10.16 and iOS/tvOS 14.0 when they announce it in June.

  • Work continues.

    Well, I was heading home and stopped off at the local Countdown to pick up a box of ice creams and found that the local one had closed at 9pm so I went to the other on my way home (when going home another way), same situation. It really frustrates me that this occurs because idiots go out shopping to hoard food because they get themselves worked up over what might happen based on extenuating circumstances outside of New Zealand. On my way home from work tomorrow I’ll be able to grab a few things since I’ll be finishing at 8pm which will allow me enough time to quickly sneak in before closing time.

    iOS 13.4, tvOS 13.4 and macOS 10.15.4 look at getting release next week either on 24 or the 25 March so I’ll be looking forward at the new features, bug fixes and optimisations. The big contribution is the addition of pointer support to iPadOS which is gradually turning the iPad into a powerful device that is quickly becoming the ‘computer for the rest of us’ while Microsoft is once again failing to deliver a stripped down cleaned up version of Windows 10X.

    Work is going well but everyone is a bit paranoid about the whole COVID-19 – the best anyone can do is follow the best advise from those who are advising the government and we’ll all get through this. Lets hope that after this whole experience that it services as a warning to any future governments that running the healthcare system on the smell of an oily rag with very little slack sets up the system to collapse when something like COVID-19 as seen by what is happening in the UK’s NHS.

  • COVID is impacting many, it is stressful but it is also important to remain calm.

    Another weekend has arrived – time to start doing the washing tomorrow and cleaning around the house, watching some television and unwinding after a week of busyness particularly with the big announcement made by by the government regarding COVID-19 and the steps that the government are taking to slow down the spread. There scheduled a press conference next week (week starting 16 March 2020) where there will be an economic stimulus announced – to keep the country moving along and avoid falling into recession.

    I’m going to start something new tomorrow – a new meal regiment which has been organised with my last weekly shopping. The major benefit is having a predictable grocery bill every fortnight along with having a meal schedule at work which balances up having satisfying meals while also ensuring that the food eaten don’t result in me feeling even more hungry later on – the protein in the meals (chicken in one meal and fish in the other meal) do their job making my stomach feel full.

    Apple has announced that WWDC will be an online only conference but the date hasn’t been announced yet and no word yet on whether there will be a charge for people to have access to the sessions or whether it’ll be free for everyone and if you want to ask engineers questions then you have to pay a entry fee for the conference. I’m looking at having some time off over June so I’m hoping that in the next couple of weeks that there will be more details made available. It’ll be interesting to see the direction that each of the platforms take – if iOS takes on more traditional features such as pointer supporter then it raises question about the direction of macOS in the future because although there are cross over points I think that macOS will chart a course where more power user features will be added – macOS for the power users, iPadOS for everyone else.

  • Following American politics.

    Reading an article about the possibility of Apple moving to their own custom ARM based SoC based on another business who are shipping ARM based CPUs delivering performance equal to that of what intel offers with Xeon with the added bonus of using almost half the amount of power (link).What it goes to show is that there isn’t any limitation architecturally so I’m sure Apple could scale up their core CPU design and the utilise AMD for a discrete GPU then combine that with further investments into their Metal technologies I could see it occurring within the next couple of years. The move to ARM isn’t just about standardising for the sake of standardising but about controlling the entire widget so that the development of components line up with the schedule that Apple want their product to be released on rather than their schedule being dictated by a third party aka Intel’s own schedule.

    I’ve been following the Democratic primaries in the United States – once again it appears that people are voting against their own self interest as information leaks out about Biden writing up a wish list of people and which positions he would like them in. The DNC (the establishment/centrists) has made it clear (and reiterated by Chuck Schumer) that they don’t need the left wing flank of the party – that for every left winger they lose they’ll gain 4 moderate Republicans in the suburbs – great, then in which case you don’t need vote shame the left wing flank into voting for Biden but low and behold the DNC are doing just that. After 40 years of ‘bending the knee’ for the centrists by the left wing flank the centrists are now indignant about adopting some pretty mainstream social democratic ideas such as single payer healthcare, free tertiary education and the green new deal (an environmentally focused public works project).

    The weekend has been relaxing – being able to sleep in and not have to worry. On my days off I prefer just relaxing around at home – getting some chores done in between watching movies, television shows while replying to twitter. Oh, and I finally found out where the leaking petrol was coming from on my scooter – there was a very slight slit in the fuel line so what I had to do was cut it back to where the spit was and then reconnect it – no problems since then. Tomorrow I’ll vacuum clean the home, finishing off my washing for the new week and prepare something nice for dinner – all in all I am a happy chap.

  • Please think before you speak.

    Well, that day went quickly and once again the American public never cease to disappointment me with their half baked decision making when confronted with a candidate who promises nothing in the way of change vs. a candidate who does the most audacious proposal was to bring the United States inline with almost every other country in the OECD in the form of an expanded social safety net, single payer healthcare, investment into decarbonising the economy and so on.

    With that being said , the candidate has to take responsibility because ultimately it is the candidate who is the one giving the sales pitch and that involves predicting the dirty tricks campaign that vest interests have in ensuring that the status quo remains. That means first of all addressing the concerns that people have – some of them misplaced such as the conflation of insurance with healthcare, some very much understandable such as concerns about the existing relationships they have with providers are going to be upended ss with the case many found with the ACA where people were told “if you like your doctor you can keep them” and “if you like your plan you can keep it” but quickly people found out that there was a whole lot of small print that people found out later down the track.

    What do hope that in the light of what is happening in the United States that in New Zealand that we don’t make the same idiotic mistake by voting in the Pavlovian dog known as Simon Bridges whose response to any question asked is either i) tax cuts ii) cutting regulations iii) build more roads. Unfortunately I’m not optimistic given how easily the voting public is swayed but a big multi lane high way that they can take their oversize SUV along with the 2.5 kids on a holiday up the coast all while claiming that their car centric carbon emitting lifestyle can be off set by recycle a few pieces of plastic each week on recycling day.

    Anyway, I need to head to bed and have a good night sleep for work tomorrow – hopefully it won’t be too busy, I might even get some extra work done during the day.

  • Tidying up over the weekend.

    Another weekend come and gone but with a lot achieved. The first thing I did was sort through all the ‘stuff’ I’ve been hoarding – you know the stuff that you put aside and say to yourself “maybe in the future I’ll find it useful”. I’ve put it all out in the recycling bin for pickup on Wednesday and my house is a lot better organised.

    Tomorrow I’ve got work but I think it’ll be rather uneventful but that being said – another day of work is another day closer to another pay day. Focusing on the big goal one day at a time which provides a good motivation.  When I’m at work I’ll keep track of the primary results as they come in – it’ll be interesting to see what happens now that two people have dropped out of the race thus throwing confusion into the model given that Bernie Sanders is the second choice for many of those who were backing the two who dropped out – choices aren’t made along ideological lines so it throws in a factor that cannot be accounted for which will make the results all the more exciting. That being said, one thing to keep in mind is that many of the primaries have had postal ballots for quite some time so there is a highly likelihood that any recent announcements isn’t going to have a major shift in the general outcome.

    I forgot to mention that with iOS 13.4 there is ‘over the air recovery’ in the same way that you can do an over the internet restoration with a Mac. It makes sense given that for many people their iPhone and/or iPad are their only devices so I makes sense to have some sort of way that allows them to restore their device to working order without it being dependent upon a Mac or a Windows PC. Personally I think it is great that consumers are being pushed in the direction of using iPad’s instead of fully kitted out computers – sandboxed applications with a curated App Store which avoids the disaster of having a family member ring up in tears because ‘the internet ate my files’. Mac’s for the pro’s, power users and enthusiasts with the iPad for everyone else. Oh, and no, I don’t think that Apple should be trying to make iPadOS as ‘powerful’ as macOS because with power comes complexity which ends up taking away from the original reason why people opted for the iPad in the first place – simplicity. If you’re a ‘power user’ that doesn’t find the iPad ‘powerful’ enough then get a notebook or a desktop – that is what they’re designed for.

  • Following United States politics and waiting for software updates from Apple.

    I’ve been following the primaries in the United States and I’ve made it no secret that my preferred candidate is Bernie Sanders (policy reasons and the best chance of winning) and another candidate has dropped out – Pete Buttigieg. The interesting part is whether that translates into more votes for any particular candidate given that polls (Sanders head to head with other candidates and candidate supporters second choice) demonstrate that who people choose has little to do with ideology and more to do with experience, philosophy, a particular policy or just ‘gut instinct’ that said person is the right person for the job rather than something concrete/tangible one can point to.

    Things are going well financially – I was finally able to sell the Pixel 4 XL for an OK amount and used that to paid down the debt while I replaced it with an iPhone 11 Pro Max 256GB ‘Space Grey’. The big goal is to wipe all debt I have remaining with BNZ, move my Kiwisaver over to ASB and then close up all the loose ends. It’ll be a long process of reaching my goal of debt free by 40 but I’ll get there by breaking down the task into smaller goals and then working towards each one. That is the technique I’ve taken when it comes to making changes in my life – focus on one thing, working on it and the eventually it becomes second nature then moving onto the next goal. By doing it step by step it also doesn’t result in taking on too much of a burden then feeling depressed if one slips up and not able to keep all the balls in the air at the same time.

    Apple released iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS betas in the last week so I’m looking forward to seeing them stabilised and eventually released. It’ll be interesting to see what Apple does this year – whether the big focus is more ‘under the hood’ improvements – building upon what was included with Catalina, maybe even make some major under the hood changes.  With the release of macOS 10.15 Apple announced the deprecation of support in the kernel to third party KEXTs so I wouldn’t be surprised if in macOS 10.16 that Apple remove support which will mean that Apple will no longer be bound to providing backwards compatibility. I’m sure as we draw closer to WWDC that the speculation will start to father pace – looking forward to that week off at the beginning of June to enjoy it.

  • Updates released to App Store and grocery shopping.

    Well, a fortnight has come and gone and on a gone so it is that time again where I get paid then I pay all the bills, look at the balance, cry and the go and buy groceries. I’ll need to remember to bring my reusable bags to work because I do my grocery shopping after work when it is nice and quiet – devoid of all the chaos during the day and plus since I’m down there it avoids having to take another trip out which saves petrol. I’ll probably get the same Sealord tune meals I got last week – they were particularly tasty at work – the right balance of protein and carbs while not being too heavy on the stomach.

    Simcity 4 has come back to the AppStore in a 64bit as promised – it’s an oldie but a goodie, the game is simple, straight forward and without all the complexity that ‘Simcity Complete Edition’. I did have a steam account but I’m closing that off – the Stem client is a complete abomination and whether it is on Windows or macOS it is atrociously unreliable when compared to the Mac App Store where I’ve never had a problem *touch wood*.

    Affinity has released an update to their Publisher, Photo and Designer product line up – I’ll hold out to wait for them to put a discount but I’m going to hold off probably until mid year when I decide whether it is worth it when I decide whether I should get into YouTube. I always wonder about getting back into YouTube but for me it comes down to matter of whether I can offer something different when compared to all the alternatives out there – sure, I’ve got opinions like any other person but what ‘edge’ do I have which would make me stand out in an otherwise saturated market and if I do have some momentum and I willing to keep it going or how I’d deal with critics through everything but their kitchen sink at me. It’s the one thing I like about twitter and my blog – I get to voice my opinion while keeping relatively anonymous.

  • Playing the waiting game.

    Well, that weekend went pretty quickly but it was pretty uneventful other than tying up some lose ends – grocery shopping, filling up the scooter with petrol. I was going to finish off the blogpost on politics but I never got around to it – it is one of those things I’ve got to be in the mood to do or otherwise the whole process of updating a blog ends up being a chore rathe retain something that I enjoy.

    While doing all that I’ve found a new love for using the block button – in the past I would mute in the belief that block them would be giving them validation, aka “see, he blocked me so therefore it makes me correct” but I’ve come to the point that I just don’t care – I give them my final word and then block them.I’m sitting at 20 people so far but it sure as heck tidied up my notifications area. I don’t mind people who form a coherent counter argument but when someones argument is so bloody stupid then clearing they’re a right wing troll that needs to be shown the door pronto.

    Still waiting for the confirmation of WWDC 2020 where it normally is in the first week of June but I’m playing it safe because they might push it to the second week given the first week starts on 1 June – knowing Murphy’s law if I organise time off too early I’ll find out I got time off on the wrong week. iOS 13.4 and macOS 10.15.4 are being worked on – looking forward to WWDC because there are rumours of ARM based Mac’s being launched either the end of this year or next year. If it doesn’t launch this year then I guess it is about keeping ones eyes open for hints of wanting to get developers prepared such as asking developers to submit their Mac applications to the store in bitcode format so then they can test recompiling into ARM binaries behind the scenes.

    When it comes to moving macOS from x86-64 to ARM I’ve speculated that I could see the move to ARM but only after Apple had completely closed off the kernel to third party KEXT and then announce the removal of legacy code such as OpenCL, OpenGL – probably not OpenGL given that I couldn’t see Apple imposing two big changes on developers at once but then again anything is possible.

  • Some random thoughts.

    About to head off to bed but thought I might as well update my blog before doing so. I’m in the process of selling off the Pixel 4 XL – tried TradeMe and that didn’t work so I’m going to find another way and if that doesn’t work then I’ll give it to my mum as a late Christmas/early birthday present. Don’t get my wrong, it is a great phone and all but someone like me who is heavily invested into the iCloud ecosystem so using an iPhone is pretty much an inevitable.

    Oh, and the whole hype about 5G is giving me a good laugh – been following people on twitter who regularly test the latest and greatest technology – the net result? 5G is marginally better than 4G with 5G coverage only really present in built up big cities such as the Wellington CBD. As I’ve noted on an Arstechnica reply I made a while ago, the focus that the carriers in NZ are using it for is in the area of delivering broadband as an alternative to fibre/ADSL/VDSL. At the moment RSP (retail service providers) pay Chorus (or a local fibre company like Enable Networks, Northpower etc) where as the big three want to move as many of their customers onto their wireless network thus leaving business and high demand users on fibre – increased margins and higher profits so the net result is the they see 5G as a way of achieving that.

    When it comes to Spark their big obstacle has been their reliance on Huawei which has come under scrutiny from the security services so in the end they had to settle for using Nokia’s own 5G solution (link). Reading through that press release the part that interested me was:

    Nokia will also deploy other products and services from across its end-to-end portfolio including digital design and deployment services.

    Which indicates that although Nokia is providing the infrastructure for 5G they will also provide a lot more equipment going into the future which raises the question whether we’re going to be seeing Spark move over to a Nokia completing and adopting their SingleRAN solution. 2 Degrees Mobile is another unknown as well because they too are heavily dependent on Huawei but has less cash flow than the big players which make me wonder what their plan is going froward given that Huawei equipment tends to be pretty damn competitive in terms of pricing.

    Ubiquiti has released the UniFi Dream Machine Pro but it hasn’t arrived in New Zealand yet but when it does I’m going to replace my USG, UniFi Cloud Key and switch with it but there is no great urgency since the setup that I have is already doing a pretty good job. I have heard rumours that the UDM (UniFi Dream Machine) was going to be ported to the USG but I guess we’ll need to wait and see.