418: ‘Putting a Stink on the Letter X’, With Craig Hockenberry

Craig Hockenberry returns to the show. Topics include Apple’s new hardware this week — M3 iPad Airs, A16 regular iPads, M4 MacBook Airs, and the M4 Max and surprising M3 Ultra Mac Studios. And we go deep on The Iconfactory’s years-in-the-making new app, Tapestry (usetapestry.com) — a universal timeline for the Internet.

Exclusively sponsored by:

• Google Gemini (gemini.google.com): Chat to supercharge your ideas.

Unofficial but surprisingly good transcripts (podsearch.david-smith.org/shows/11).

Links:

• Daring Fireball posts of note:
• “Apple Updates iPad Air (M2→M3) and Regular iPad (A14→A16), and Revamps Magic Keyboard for iPad Air (daringfireball.net/linked/2025/03/04/moren-ipa…)”.

• “Apple Announces, With Little Surprise, M4 MacBook Airs (daringfireball.net/linked/2025/03/05/apple-ann…)”.

• “Apple Announces, With Much Surprise, Mac Studios With M4 Max and M3 Ultra (!) Chips (daringfireball.net/linked/2025/03/05/apple-ann…)”.

• From January: “Openvibe, a Multi-Social-Network App for Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads (Supposedly), and Nostr (daringfireball.net/2025/01/openvibe)”.

• Tapestry (usetapestry.com): “Weaving your favorite blogs, social media, and more into a unified and chronological timeline.”
• Craig, on the Iconfactory blog: “Enter Tapestry (blog.iconfactory.com/2025/02/enter-tapestry)”.

• Cheryl Cicha, also on the Iconfactory blog: “Tapestry: Past, Present, and Future (blog.iconfactory.com/2025/02/tapestry-by-iconf…)”.

• Tapestry Connectors (usetapestry.com/connectors) — an open, easy (documented (github.com/TheIconfactory/Tapestry/blob/main/D…)!) extensions API.

• Fefes Blog (blog.fefe.de) — you’ll have to listen to the show to understand how this is a Tapestry-related link. But trust me, it’s a good story. It starts with this thread on Mastodon (mastodon.social/@chockenberry/114005146021585361), which begins like a great novel: “It’s becoming clear that XML in RSS is the preferred tool of sociopaths.”

• Molly White: “POSSE” (mollywhite.net/micro/entry/202403091817) (“Publish [on your] Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere”).

• Technology Connections on YouTube: “Algorithms Are Breaking How We Think (youtube.com/watch?v=QEJpZjg8GuA)”.

• The Iconfactory (apps.iconfactory.com):
• Linea Sketch (linea-app.com) — “a lightweight digital sketchpad for your iPad”.

• Wallaroo (wallaroo.app) — fun new wallpapers every week, for iOS and Mac.

• Tot (tot.rocks) — we didn’t mention this brilliant little notes app on the show, but I use it every day.

• iPulse (ipulseapp.com) — a nerdy system monitor, with Iconfactory fit and finish. Runs in the background even on iOS.

• Project Tapestry’s year-ago successful Kickstarter campaign (blog.iconfactory.com/2024/02/tapestry-unwoven).

• Andre Torrez’s Tyke (tyke.app), the inspiration for Tot.

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.