John Siracusa

Programmer, tech writer, and co-host of Accidental Tech Podcast, Reconcilable Differences, and Robot or Not.

Website: https://hypercritical.co
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/siracusa.social
Twitter (RIP): John Siracusa (npub1z98…le0l)

Public Key

npub1z98yzc4av24a0tfwxvx5nk5hpm603g6avsuu3qph7jqgprp8hyxqs9le0l

NIP-05 Address

siracusa_at_mastodon.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqspznjpv27k927h45hrxr2fm2tsaa8c5dwkgwwgsqmlfqyq3snmjrqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds2sgxhk

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relay.damus.io

nos.lol

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npub1z98yzc4av24a0tfwxvx5nk5hpm603g6avsuu3qph7jqgprp8hyxqs9le0l

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Last Notes

2026-05-04 15:46:34 UTC

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I made some of these points in our earlier discussion of the "don't bring me problems" topic: https://overcast.fm/+BQnv6NjiSQ/1:28:50

2026-04-23 16:52:51 UTC

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I can’t even get the Apple TV app to recognize that I’ve watched several episodes of Apple’s own Apple TV shows! Even when I use the “Mark as Watched” menu item to try to help it, it still doesn’t work. “Continue watching” always tries to start an older episode that I’ve already seen. The whole thing fails at the most basic level!

2026-04-05 13:45:02 UTC

“Apple II Forever” indeed…
https://www.inkandswitch.com/slow-software/
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/352/398/030/080/517/original/648ea2b148d00b05.jpeg

2026-03-31 18:12:37 UTC

Happy Trans Day of Visibility! 🏳️‍⚧️ The mere act of existing and being visible shouldn’t be as fraught as it is today. Let’s keep fighting to set things right.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Transgender_Day_of_Visibility

2026-03-26 22:05:48 UTC

To better days…
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/297/744/001/709/999/original/93e1e08b44048b70.png

2026-03-20 17:10:59 UTC

I want to highlight two fun bits from this week’s episode of @npub1f30…d2kp https://atp.fm/683
First, we put the “hands on” into our very touchy-feely report about the MacBook Neo (starts at 24:00)
https://overcast.fm/+BQnv4MC0jU/24:00
But the real star of the episode is @npub1fjr…v786’s amazing story of how he, as a lone developer, created a transcripts feature for @npub10ex…f560 to compete with the similar feature in Apple Podcasts. You do not want to miss this one. (starts at 54:46)
https://overcast.fm/+BQnv4MC0jU/54:46

2026-03-18 21:19:56 UTC

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If you’re wondering what Mac programming was like back then, take a look.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/252/264/809/195/239/original/009872a6df67abb4.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/252/265/151/513/533/original/e9e45467a10f2430.jpeg

2026-03-18 21:17:08 UTC

My decades-long shelf-space crunch continues. The latest eviction victim: this old chonker.
Love the pages of ads in the back of the book. Oh, and several empty, lined pages for you to write your own notes.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/252/253/170/342/156/original/81a7439a3ca77090.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/252/253/504/158/259/original/7f5ecfc47719aa92.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/252/253/836/937/568/original/d5b9236f5ad09eb7.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/252/254/163/678/630/original/327ae94be542d1bf.jpeg

2026-03-17 13:06:57 UTC

Five years ago today, after listening to some negative discussion on @npub1f30…d2kp, someone on Twitter angrily predicted that “in 5 years, Tesla will have a marketcap at least 5 times larger than Apple.” I made a calendar event for this prediction, because I am petty. But now the account that posted it has deleted all its tweets, ruining the fun.

2026-03-04 16:10:57 UTC

The A18 Pro in the MacBook Neo is 19% faster than the M2 Ultra in the Mac Pro in single-core performance (Geekbench 6).
The MacBook Neo starts at $599.
The Mac Pro, which is still for sale, starts at $6,999.

2026-03-03 16:53:01 UTC

🤔
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/166/276/553/970/758/original/9e402b33d967113f.mp4

2026-02-23 21:11:56 UTC

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Oh nooooooo. iCloud Drive is not a backup!

2026-02-23 04:25:56 UTC

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https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/118/044/769/007/742/original/0741bede9598219c.jpeg

2026-02-08 17:12:16 UTC

I remember when I used the feedback mechanism built into the Slack app on macOS to submit a bug report, and someone from Slack got back to be promptly to acknowledge the problem and ask for some more detail. Then the bug was fixed a few days later. This was many years ago.
Today, I can't even find the feedback feature in the Slack app. It's easy to blame Salesforce for this—and I do, because it's also probably correct. (That, and the usual transition from "scrappy startup" to "big company.")

2026-01-07 14:46:24 UTC

In the grim future of Rickrolling, there is only C. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cSAp9sBzPbc

2025-12-11 04:37:45 UTC

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It’s a condemnation of the poor separation of concerns in Rails that this is in any way novel or interesting.

2025-12-01 22:02:14 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.social/@mellifluousbox/115569669020807811
If you like your Mastodon server and want it to stick around, you should consider donating some money to it, if you can.
#note1yer…eule

2025-10-31 15:45:34 UTC

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I also filed a bug and a feature request, naturally:
https://github.com/Pagefind/pagefind/issues/975
https://github.com/Pagefind/pagefind/issues/974

2025-10-31 15:42:58 UTC

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You inspired me to try it as well, since I've been searching (hah) for something like this for a while. Pagefind is definitely the best I've seen. I got it up and running (and reasonably styled) in just one day: https://hypercritical.co/search/

2025-10-27 21:56:59 UTC

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“How are my competitors doing, the ones you all insisted students use instead of me? That’s right, they were supposed to go to the American Journal of Social Sciences, Powered by OpenAI. Or museums, like the Smithsonian’s Charlie Kirk Shrine to American Greatness. I guess they can still count on credible journalism, once they get past the paywall for Palantir Presents: The Washington Post, so they read the Pulitzer-Bezos Prize–winning work of Bari Weiss and Grok.”
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-its-me-wikipedia-and-i-am-ready-for-your-apology

2025-10-27 21:48:37 UTC

Ice cold https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-its-me-wikipedia-and-i-am-ready-for-your-apology

2025-10-18 00:09:11 UTC

With the comprehensive MLS and F1 deals, Apple is really cornering the market on Sports That Aren’t Particularly Popular in the US.

2025-10-07 17:23:10 UTC

More VFX wisdom and inside stories from @npub1d5h…whsc in Vantiy Fair! https://youtu.be/ERKEsIzTFas

2025-09-18 15:19:50 UTC

“since when does it matter where I save things to???”
My daughter enters college and discovers the file system for the first time.

2025-09-15 22:50:09 UTC

You know what kinds of images look especially good in the new Photos app design on iOS 26? Screenshots.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/210/754/833/641/656/original/26d18775a91b4b09.jpeg

2025-08-23 15:19:24 UTC

Do you have any objects close to your TV that block any portion of the lit-up screen (no matter how small) as viewed from your typical seating position?

2025-08-22 17:25:17 UTC

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Apparently this same AppleCare One problem with multiple user accounts also happens with an Apple TV with more than one user account.

2025-08-22 15:27:29 UTC

I finally called Apple Support and resolved my AppleCare One problem. It is as I suspected: AppleCare One does not correctly handle multiple user accounts in macOS. This is a known issue. No ETA for a fix.
The solution? Cancel AppleCare One and sign up for individual warranties for the devices that were covered under AppleCare One. These new plans will cost me more than AppleCare One and more than I was paying for the plans they had before I signed up for AppleCare One.

2025-08-20 23:28:50 UTC

Time for my daily AppleCare One threat.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/063/686/888/704/757/original/de513f6ef494d7b5.jpeg

2025-08-20 18:13:24 UTC

The first of my two college-bound children has been dropped off.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/062/443/105/527/511/original/d37f61d28c7ba36b.mp4

2025-08-09 03:41:00 UTC

I have always had an account on this Mac Studio, signed into my Apple ID. I use it nearly every day. No new accounts have been added to this Mac since it was first set up years ago. Apple is really making it difficult to keep Macs as part of AppleCare One.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/996/730/728/032/833/original/91c9fc468b8d09ab.jpeg

2025-07-22 19:01:28 UTC

Is there some kind of contest within Apple to see how little contrast can be used while still *technically* indicating a selection? One of these disks is selected, believe it or not!
(This is Tahoe beta 4, BTW.)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/898/428/510/661/268/original/10e6aaa1f8808678.png

2025-07-18 18:28:56 UTC

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(I'll grant that the audio is of such poor quality that a "p" and an "f" sound might sound similar, but it sounds more towards "p" to me.)

2025-07-18 18:27:33 UTC

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Not in the version of the web page that I get served. There's no "f" sound in the audio I get: https://media.merriam-webster.com/audio/prons/en/us/mp3/a/amphit01.mp3

2025-07-18 18:17:41 UTC

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The link between English spelling and pronunciation is wildly inconsistent. You just have to memorize a lot of words. I'm pretty sure pronouncing the "ph" in "amphitheater" as an "f" sound is not a valid pronunciation, even though you might expect it to be. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amphitheater

2025-07-16 21:40:22 UTC

Looks like my mom has started listening to the latest @npub1f30…d2kp member special. https://atp.fm/atp-tier-list-pizza-toppings
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/865/079/521/155/028/original/9d30a6e9f26aa698.jpeg

2025-06-25 19:48:48 UTC

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To be more fair to Tahoe, here's a version where I re-aligned the controls to accommodate the new metrics. I've also included Yosemite in this one. (I'd add more, but there's apparently a four-picture limit.)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/745/731/448/547/440/original/32c67da09c64470d.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/745/731/705/641/424/original/c957e58e07a44f3a.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/745/731/985/948/427/original/934a6f2cfee8e6ec.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/745/732/263/243/157/original/9264634bca584db7.png

2025-06-25 15:18:57 UTC

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As requested by @npub1vkg…at0r, here's a control sample from Lion, the reimagined Lion by @npub13l3…5zdj, Sequoia, and Tahoe beta 2.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/744/670/358/343/089/original/0d9f8249bb8b3e2f.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/744/670/631/604/157/original/41a6b9b1b9984a3d.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/744/670/912/712/652/original/637d92b93fdb7daa.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/744/671/171/696/671/original/7e9b5afdec3ef803.png

2025-06-23 18:28:52 UTC

Well, this is one way to address the terrible left-aligned text in title bars…
(The first image is from beta 1, and the second is from beta 2.)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/734/092/995/079/762/original/a214617cc279ebfa.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/734/093/342/375/663/original/ae2db34917fba888.png

2025-06-23 18:13:11 UTC

Order is (somewhat) restored.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/734/031/615/191/736/original/05c2e292bb572c98.png

2025-06-21 12:31:08 UTC

On a recent episode of @npub1f30…d2kp, I mentioned my memory of setting my Mac’s desktop picture to a particular shade of beige (I think?) that allowed Apple’s DVD player to play the movie on the desktop itself. I *think* this was in classic Mac OS, but web searches are failing me. Does any old-school Mac user have more information and/or links?

2025-06-12 18:15:56 UTC

I hope I live long enough to see this style philosophy come back around. https://mastodon.social/@realmacdan/113792374380828124

2025-06-12 14:58:39 UTC

Finally, an open-bottom leather case with a camera button (and no metal ring around the camera mesa, like on the Ryan London case) for the iPhone 16 Pro:
https://bullstrap.co/products/magsafe-iphone-cases-black-edition

2025-06-10 16:09:22 UTC

😠
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/659/934/328/827/181/original/3bf1457f4041c30e.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/659/934/700/660/367/original/38f57e411133736a.jpeg

2025-06-09 18:18:41 UTC

Turns out the Mac had some pretty good ideas when it comes to multitasking.

2025-06-09 17:10:31 UTC

New Finder icon: 🤮

2025-06-03 23:13:42 UTC

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__do_they__?

2025-06-03 23:06:23 UTC

Perl: 37 years old
Python: 34 years old
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/621/938/384/214/496/original/edea673bf0869cbf.jpeg

2025-05-06 04:12:19 UTC

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There are too many themes for casual people to browse. They want to see the really cool ones, but they don’t know the theme names or authors! (And even on that front, is there no way to sort the themes by name, author, or date?)

2025-05-06 04:03:53 UTC

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Looks great! You should add a “like” button and the ability to sort by likes.

2025-04-17 23:30:41 UTC

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The answer I came to as a kid is that bullies don’t see themselves as bullies, and so they root for the heroes in stories and root against the bullies.
I used to think the same about the kinds of adults that vote for Gilead-type policies and politicians: that they don’t believe they’re doing this (even though they are) and so they root against Gilead and the other “bad guys” in media. But I’m no longer so sure about this.

2025-04-17 23:24:39 UTC

When I was a kid, I wondered if the kids that bullied me in school watched the same movies and TV shows I did, but rooted for the bullies in those stories.
As an adult, I watch The Handmaid’s Tale and wonder how many Americans watch it and root for Gilead.

2025-03-06 02:09:18 UTC

Some YouTuber should do a video where they ask the top 20 YouTubers what the “Tube” in “YouTube” is referencing.
(Or, harder version: ask them to explain the shape of the YouTube logo.)

2025-03-05 22:05:04 UTC

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https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/brother-denies-using-firmware-updates-to-brick-printers-with-third-party-ink/

2025-03-03 23:47:45 UTC

Apple is leaving money on the table by not selling a higher tier of developer account that will let you stay logged into App Store Connect for more than a few hours at a time.
(Maybe call it "ADC Premier”…)

2025-02-25 15:09:27 UTC

Announcing the third entry in my collection of weird little Mac apps: Hyperspace
https://hypercritical.co/2025/02/25/hyperspace
Hyperspace can reclaim disk space *without removing any files.* Read the linked post to learn how it works.

2025-01-26 05:31:10 UTC

Air conditioning in dorms? What will they think of next… https://www.bu.edu/articles/2025/warren-towers-multiyear-renovation/

2025-01-17 12:33:57 UTC

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Update: This is still happening in macOS 15.2 (24C101)
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/843/715/061/989/229/original/403cb5f73331dfad.png

2024-12-21 01:37:23 UTC

Developing this app* is leading me to discover some interesting files on my Mac…
(There were three identical copies of this file.)
*https://atp.fm/617
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/688/250/908/266/916/original/fae7e270c9d42ac6.png

2024-12-14 12:58:07 UTC

You feeling OK this morning, little guy?
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/651/291/517/720/083/original/c15477aa7947522a.png

2024-12-05 16:59:56 UTC

…because if there's one thing Sauron is known for, it's not allowing anyone to sneakily infiltrate his stronghold. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/05/tech-ceos-elites-home-security-silicon-valley/

2024-12-03 23:03:32 UTC

The aliens in Arrival were more communicative. https://www.ppsspp.org/blog/stuck-in-app-store-review/

2024-11-20 19:50:46 UTC

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What framework are you using?

2024-11-05 23:06:30 UTC

I thought I could handle the Live Activity thing from Apple News. I can’t. Bailing at 0-0.

2024-11-05 13:59:30 UTC

Americans, TODAY is the day to VOTE for Harris!
https://iwillvote.com
First-time voters, I promise you, it's easy, and you will feel good when you've done it! Make the time!

2024-10-11 18:15:13 UTC

“So much of the conversation around misinformation suggests that its primary job is to persuade. But as Michael Caulfield, an information researcher at the University of Washington, has argued, ‘The primary use of misinformation is not to change the beliefs of other people at all. Instead, the vast majority of misinformation is offered as a service for people to maintain their beliefs in face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.’”
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/10/hurricane-milton-conspiracies-misinformation/680221/

2024-09-24 16:22:47 UTC

It boggles my mind that so many reviews of the iPhone 16 series emphasize so strongly that these phones are an “incremental” update.
How many times has Apple added a button to the iPhone, let alone one as complex as the Camera Control? And the non-Pro phones got *two* new buttons!
I’m not saying this year is on par with the iPhone X or anything. But yeesh, it sure is a more significant update than, say, the update from 13 to 14, or even 14 to 15 (only one new, simple button for Pros only).

2024-09-22 14:56:06 UTC

How to stop the monthly screen recording prompts in macOS 15 Sequoia: https://lapcatsoftware.com/articles/2024/8/10.html (via @npub1zal…jkvc)

2024-09-21 16:11:41 UTC

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Slack is the one I have never transferred successfully. So many Slacks…
(And then I have to manually copy the order of the Slacks in the sidebar from my old phone.)

2024-09-09 18:12:09 UTC

By putting most of the good stuff on the plain iPhone 16—which is good, to be clear!—it's going to make it that much harder to differentiate the iPhone 16 Pro. “Fewer colors, 5x camera, and more money” probably isn’t a great slogan. Let's see what they've got…