NSLog();

iMessages are great. I like that you can name group conversations in iOS 8.

Leaving them doesn't always seem to work (perhaps everyone has to have iOS 8? Currently if I leave a group I still often get messages from that group).

But the troubling issue is that, a few times a day, a group conversation will suddenly spring up in a new thread. Someone will respond, and for some reason or another, that will be the first post in a new thread. Often the thread is unnamed, but sometimes it is.

My working theory is that this occurs when someone in the group is "unavailable" for data for some time, even briefly.

Deleting the "new" threads seems to work to let everyone get back to the existing thread, but even that doesn't always work.

NSLog(@"Finish Reading %d Words", 191); »

I picked up the Apple Silicone case in bright green, but am eagerly awaiting the Tech21 case. My wife and kid both have one for their iPhone 5S and 5, and they're just the right blend of size versus protection (actually they seem to have an abundance of protection), and the right blend of grippy and sticky.

The silicone case is nice, and bright, but sometimes sticks when pulling it out of pockets, which makes it prime for catching at the right time and falling out of my hands.

iOS 8 has some bugs. None are show-stoppers for me. But one is annoying: I can't see all of my photos when I'm trying to change the wallpaper. What's up with that?

Also… I am trying out SwiftKey. It was free. I'd pay for another keyboard of I knew it would work well and I'd like it. SwiftKey is a foray into it. I like it, except that it's quite annoying when it gets a longer word wrong.

From this post the other day comes this article about the privacy settings you should change.

Like many people, I've been getting notifications about applications using my location data in the background. I thought I was supposed to be able to choose "While Using the App" but many of the apps only have two options:

• Never
• Always

For example, CardStar. I use it to keep a few cards (Lowe's, Wegmans, etc.) so I don't have to keep them on my keychain. I only want it to have my location when I'm using it, not Always.

But there's no "When Using" option. I'm only given the two choices.

What's up with that?

P.S. None of my apps have all three settings, as seen in the image below. Just two: Never/Always or Never/When Using:

NSLog(@"Finish Reading %d Words", 340); »

Part 1 is here.

Lowest Score Wins continues to do well. Here's a video Dave shot that can work with your 3-15 foot putts (an SV② skill).

Just a bunch of stuff…

My iPhone 6 arrives in two days. Meanwhile, iOS 8 is on my 5S today… 😀

Maps still crappy for you? Apple bolstering 'Report A Problem' Maps options in iOS 8

iOS 8 Features: Hidden New Features - How "hidden" they are depends on how large the rock under which you've been living is, I suppose. Most are pretty good though.

Get to know iOS 8: Changes in the Settings app - A good run-down.

Seven privacy settings you should change immediately in iOS 8 - Meh. I also don't have an "Only when Using" setting in most of my apps. And most of these settings are not new.

How To Fix iOS 8's Biggest Annoyances - Of course, not all of these are annoyances to all. Predictive text you can turn on and off with the little nub, for example.

18 hidden iOS 8 features you probably didn't know about - If you haven't set up your emergency contact card yet, please do so now. For your sake.

The iPhone 6 (Plus) Camera was reviewed really well. I think the cameras are identical in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus except for optical image stabilization (6 Plus only).

A new Kindle? I want it.

That was easy. I unlocked the three iPhones we have in our family just like that.

I filed a request (at Customer Device Unlock- Request). I waited at least 24 hours (though I probably didn't need to). I backed up and restored each phone.

Just like that, unlocked.

P.S. The iPhone 4S will be going to Gazelle, I believe.

Each are relatively easily explained. The coolest ones, though, are the the ones with water at the freezing point… And it's easier to get water at that point than you may think: it stays 32° until it all turns to ice.

I did notice too how the "screen/toothpicks" one, the top of the jar is out of the bottom of the frame. 🙂

Watch Charlie Rose Online - Tim Cook

Details on Apple Pay revealed: 'safer' system, Apple gets 0.15 percent - Takeaway? It's pretty safe. I look forward to using Apple Pay.

AT&T To Get iPhone 6-Friendly WiFi Calling In 2015 - Cool. I get reasonable signal inside already, but I know some people who could use better service in their homes or offices.

The video below is pretty funny. He's wrong about the security part, but the rest is spot on.

xkcd: Watches nails it. So does Alex. And of course Ellen does too:

So excited for the Apple Watch. For centuries, we’ve checked the time by looking at our phones. Having it on your wrist? Genius. #AppleLive

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) September 9, 2014

If you don't like U2, you can hide their album from your iTunes Library.

Last, but not least, I want to read this soon: A Watch Guy's Thoughts On The Apple Watch After Seeing It In The Metal

P.S. I still have zero interest in getting an Apple Watch. None whatsoever.

P.P.S. I'm sad that the iPod Classic is gone. I watched this initial iPod presentation. For some reason I'm too lazy to look up now, I could swear Steve introduced it in Japan or something.

I first tried reloading the http://store.apple.com/us/buy-iphone/iphone6 URL a few times throughout yesterday evening. After all, Apple said they'd go on sale at midnight, and midnight occurs east of here at about 7pm.

Unsuccessfully, I stayed up until about 12:20pm, thinking that maybe - just maybe - Apple would start selling things when the east coast of the U.S. hit midnight. I figured there was about a 0.1% chance, but it's not like I go to bed very early anyway.

At 2:36am, my alarm went off.

I walked into my office, and reloaded the page. As expected, "We'll be back." I checked in on Twitter to see who else was awake at that time. I texted a friend to make sure he was awake.

And then we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

NSLog(@"Finish Reading %d Words", 595); »

I don't like it.

You're selling products, people. You're not really making the world a better place for war-torn countries, starving infants, cancer patients, etc. Let's not get so full of ourselves that we make stupid videos like this.

Seriously, yuck. This is not how Apple got to where they were. This is not "Think Different" all over again. That had a time and a place, and a tone. This one misses the mark.

NSLog(@"Finish Reading %d Words", 215); »

Let's talk about margins. Book margins, mind you…

Now's as good a time as any to point out that Lowest Score Wins – Shoot Lower Scores on the Golf Course NOW has one-inch margins set throughout, and is printed on 70# paper with 12pt covers.

Common App Rejections - App Store - Apple Developer

I like the "Top 10 reasons for app rejections during the 7‑day period ending August 28, 2014." section.

2% - Guideline 2.9: Apps that are "beta", "demo", "trial", or "test" versions will be rejected

Duh.

Inside Apple’s Live Event Stream Failure, And Why It Happened: It Wasn’t A Capacity Issue

Unlike the last live stream Apple did, this time around Apple decided to add some JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) code to the apple.com page which added an interactive element on the bottom showing tweets about the event. As a result, this was causing the page to make refresh calls every few milliseconds. By Apple making the decision to add the JSON code, it made the apple.com website un-cachable.

Read the comments on the article above for more depth. Some people don't agree with the theories espoused in the article. For example, one starts off:

I would not give the author any credibility here. He speaks as if he understands dynamic web applications, but fails to understand the difference between JSON, JavaScript and AJAX.

Another:

Quick question then. If the problem was with the code on the webpage, how come this happened on every platform? Meaning, even on the Apple TV.

Another:

The web stream, after about half an hour, started to work flawlessly. Unless you claim that Apple completely rewrote the web page code in that time, I don't see how your theory could possibly be correct. And as others here have noted, the AppleTV feed also had issues, although the faulty page coding you blame was not part of it.

In other words, the article is junk, but the comments are gold.

P.S. My stream worked after about 30 minutes as well.