NSLog();

One of the properties that π is conjectured to have is that it is normal, which is to say that its digits are all distributed evenly, with the implication that it is a disjunctive sequence, meaning that all possible finite sequences of digits will be present somewhere in it. If we consider π in base 16 (hexadecimal) , it is trivial to see that if this conjecture is true, then all possible finite files must exist within π. The first record of this observation dates back to 2001.

From here, it is a small leap to see that if π contains all possible files, why are we wasting exabytes of space storing those files, when we could just look them up in π!

Source ((In more ways than one.))

Also titled: The History of the "Boo-Dah-Ling" Sound.

Neat!

If you know a programming language, but don't know how to craft your own shell scripts, this resource from Apple is for you.

As much as Apple will benefit from getting new customers with an entry level iPhone that benefits their ecosystem so will Google. We know Google makes more on iOS than Android and interestingly an entry level iPhone will likely help Google’s bottom line as well.

After yesterday's post on "Being Googley" what better than a post on "being Apple-y"?

The Meanings of Googliness talks about what it means to be a Google employee.

One of the first comments?

But really dude? On what planet is the biggest invader of privacy in the history of the planet ‘not evil’?

Uh, yup.

Every Second on the Internet is worth a few of your seconds.

TidBITS has a great explanation that makes everything pretty clear.

Apple isn't evil, and the industry may have gone this route in the end, but how they got there wasn't without fault or blame.

Siri takes initiative to learn how to pronounce names in iOS 7.

Great. Big freakin' deal.

Siri still can't spell the word "Erik" any way other than "Eric," on my phone or the phones of my friends, and there's no way to teach it to do so.

If your name is Michele with one "l"? Tough beans. You're out of luck and perpetually doomed to have your phone, who knows you are the contact and who can pronounce your name just fine, constantly misspelling your name.

The part at about 2:00 is particularly… something.

Fascinating to watch.

A good video (albeit SUPER corny) for beginners:

Ars writer Casey Johnston on Why I hate read receipts:

The cases above are real, but it's safe to say that most messages are written to be responded to. Therefore, when someone doesn't respond to your message, it can be a blow to your ego. What was wrong with what you said? Too flip? Too harsh? Too dumb? Too boring? Has the conversation been boring the entire time and you didn't notice? Have you been bored this entire time but just didn't have the wherewithal to end the conversation first? Curse that other person for being braver than you and cutting ties first! You are now the hanger-on, just slightly more desperate than before.

A commenter adds:

The fact that I know if someone got my message to pick-up something important while they're in town is far, far more valuable to me than the potential for some BS social awkwardness as the author suggests.

Lavabit, email service Snowden reportedly used, abruptly shuts down - Boing Boing.