The Power of the Black Panther
Shuri enough, our discussion of the latest MCU movie went long. This episode covers the first half of our conversation on Black Panther, along with important information about crocodiles, middle names, and Nokia’s product road map.
This marks the second time we’ve split a single conversation into two parts for length. I like the side effect of having a fresh episode two weeks in a row (without even needing to schedule a second recording session).
At the time we recorded it was assumed the conversation would become a single episode, so I added a new intro & outro during the editing phase. Following feedback from the first time we did this, I tried to make the explanation of what is happening more clear to the listener. Otherwise it sounds like the conversation ends abruptly with no resolution, and with no idea of what is to be expected in the following episode.
Also notable: this is the first episode released since we made it easy for people to join our Slack group. We’d love to have you join the conversation that’s happening there.
How to use Apple Music on a shared device without going insane
If you have an Apple TV, then go to Settings > Apps > Music and toggle “Use Listening History” to Off.
Now anyone in your family can use the TV for Apple Music without messing up the primary user’s history & recommendations.
This feature was created for HomePod, but it has been added across the whole product line.
Create your personal GIF library
Have you ever searched for a GIF, found exactly what you wanted, used it… and then had no idea where to find the same GIF the next time you needed it? I do it all the time.
Sometimes it’s a matter of finding the best version of a GIF. Others, it’s a matter of finding anything remotely resembling what you know you’ve used before. Either way, relying on GIFs to stay where you found them is not sustainable. GIFs disappear, even from Giphy.
GIFwrapped is a purpose-built app for building your own GIF library. This is what I want; not just a folder in Dropbox or an album in Photos. The built-in search first looks in your library, then offers to use Giphy if you don’t find what you need. Once found, GIFs can easily be added to your library. You can also add GIFs from other sources. There’s even a tool for combing your Apple Photos library to find gems previously lost to time. GIFwrapped syncs its library to a Dropbox folder so that you never lose a GIF, even if you stop using the app.
Tip: Don’t try to build your library in advance. Lean on the search feature and add GIFs when you use them. Using GIFwrapped is similar to using Giphy. The difference is that your search results become better and quicker over time, and GIFs you love won’t disappear.
GIFwrapped is free on the App Store, with in-app purchases to remove ads and provide additional features. Everything described here is included in the free version.
Darkest Possible Timeline Adjacent
Jumanji is a runaway box office success. Minions have almost completed their takeover of our dimension. Keurig has purchased Dr Pepper. But there are signs of hope.
This episode answers the question of why we keeping describing things as [noun]-adjacent.
We had a difficult time deciding whether (or where) to place a hyphen in the title. Darkest Possible Timeline-Adjacent? Or perhaps Darkest-Possible-Timeline-Adjacent? I’m not convinced there’s a perfect answer, and no hyphen is cleanest.
A new podcast exploring geek culture across mediums
My friends Matthew Baugh, Dustin Swarm, and I have been working on a new project, and I’m excited to tell you about it. It’s called Better Worlds, a new podcast about geek culture. We’ll talk about sci-fi, fantasy, movies, books, board games, video games, and other things we like. We soft-launched the podcast on December 22 and then released our first full episode on Christmas Eve with discussion of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Check it out and let us know what you think. You can find us on Twitter at @betterworldsnet.