Parker Ortolani

It happened folks, Pixelmator is officially part of Apple. Pixelmator’s apps have been essential to me for more than a decade. I was both excited and mildly terrified by the announcement a few months ago that they were joining the fruit company. When Apple acquires beloved products, sometimes they make them even better and sometimes they don’t. They’ve generally been doing a great job though and I hope that Pixelmator and Photomator stick around as standalone products or are at least used as the foundations for even better new ones. I certainly don’t want to see them just disappear into the Photos app, relegated to a set of features. Fingers crossed that they follow in the steps of Workflow, Shazam, and Texture and just become better versions of themselves rather than get enveloped into Apple apps like Dark Sky and Beats Music did. Man I miss those two.

The rumored Apple Invites app has arrived. While I obviously haven’t had much time to play with it, I have quickly browsed through the UI and wanted to share some observations. The last new Apple app, Apple Sports, already felt out of place in iOS 18. It has a more visionOS or watchOS-like design language utilizing colorful backgrounds, glassy floating UI elements, expanding buttons, and lots of layered shapes. Apple Invites takes it all even further. It’s got big beautiful cards, translucent cells, big bold buttons, and an emphasis on content. It feels so clearly like a hint of what is to come in a future iOS update. It’s almost screaming it in our faces. It seems awfully suspect that Apple’s two latest apps have a whole new design language that does not mesh with the rest of the OS. Presumably, other first-party apps are on track to get overhauls to match. Maybe in iOS 19? There have been rumors of such a redesign. I’ll also note that the icon for the app is quite fun and super colorful. It is hopefully another hint towards refreshed Apple icons that take better advantage of the full rounded rec shape compared to many of the iOS 7-style ones we still have today.

It’s lunch o’clock, so it’s time to finish this blog post. Fifteen years ago today, I was sitting in my sixth grade classroom when my teacher called me over to her desk to show me what I had been waiting for Apple to unveil: the iPad. There it was on the screen, the first photo I had seen of Apple’s tablet that had been long rumored and which at the time was traditionally referred to as a “slate.” Thankfully, that name didn’t stick even for more commoditized tablets. 8 months later, I was able to buy my own iPad after doing odd jobs, mowing lawns, and more over the summer. I loved that original iPad, especially because I had yet to get my own new Mac. I had hand-me-downs and we of course had a family Mac. But this felt like the first time I was getting a new “computer” just for myself. Hilariously, I remember syncing my original iPad to my Dad’s old PowerBook G4 that he passed down to me. It felt a lot like transferring my apps and media over wasn’t just a technical task, but a symbolic shift. The iPad felt like the future of computing. Fast forward to today and the iPad doesn’t know what it wants to be. It’s not the best laptop. It’s not the best way to watch movies. It’s not the best way to read books. It’s good at all these things, but it’s not the best at them. The company has struggled to give the iPad a real identity. They lost track of Steve’s original vision of the iPad as a car while the computer was the truck that could do more but wouldn’t be needed as often. Unfortunately, most tasks are still easier to do on a Mac. I still hold out hope that Apple will eventually figure out the right way to position the iPad, but I’m not seeing it yet. The iPad mini is the best iPad right now simply because it’s not trying to be something that it isn’t. It’s just a really good tablet with a giant app library that’s easy to take anywhere. The rest of the lineup is trying to be a good tablet, a good laptop, a good canvas, and so on without being the best at any of them. I love my iPads, but they’re glorified YouTube watching devices. When I want to get real things done, I still turn to my Mac. Though I shouldn’t have to. If only Apple would stop holding iPadOS back. The radically powerful hardware just doesn’t match the rest of the ecosystem. None of this is particularly new to anyone who pays attention to the gadget world, but I’ll keep reiterating it until it finally happens. Hopefully.

Samsung held their annual Unpacked event today to formally take the wraps off of their next generation flagship phones. The Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra are exactly what anyone who follows this industry expected. Minor hardware upgrades with a boatload of AI features that may or may not actually be useful. While these were the real entrée of today’s event, there was a fourth S25 model presented at the very end of the show. The Galaxy S25 Edge is Samsung’s new design-first, ultra-thin, hero device. As far as I can tell, it’s an S25 but thinner and missing one of the cameras. Now if all of this is sounding familiar to you, join the club.

Last May, the first murmurs that Apple was working on a “slim” iPhone 17 model started to percolate around the industry. On May 5th, 2024, my buddy Chance Miller at 9to5Mac reported on an investor note from Jeff Pu that mentioned a new slim model that would be replacing the plus. In July, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo corroborated the rumor when reporting on new Apple chipsets. On August 1, 2024, YouTuber and leaker Jon Prosser shared that he believed the device was real and it would be the first iPhone to adopt the “Air” modifier. Ultimately, on August 11, 2024, Mark Gurman also confirmed the ‘iPhone 17 Air’ was in the works for next fall. In just the past few weeks, Mark and Ming Chi-Kuo have continued to reiterate that the device exists and is still expected to launch this fall. In fact, it appears that we have actually seen the new design already.

Now let’s step back a bit, it was clear that Apple was indeed working on an ultra-thin new iPhone focused on being a highly desirable beautiful object as early as May of 2024. It was even clearer by mid-August as the rumor continued to be substantiated. Enter October 2024, Samsung is reported to be working on their own “slim” version of the Galaxy S25. That came as no surprise to anyone who’s been around awhile. Samsung is well-known for releasing, how shall I say this, Apple “inspired” products of their own. That’s as cordially as I think I can frame it. Today’s event seemingly lent further credence to this. Very little information was shared about the Galaxy S25 Edge. The press got virtually no details and no one got to go hands-on with it. The company also didn’t reveal a price or release date. All we got, as reported by 9to5Google, was that it should land around April. Heck, the company didn’t even mention it in their English press release today and as far as I can tell it isn’t listed as a product on their website. All it got was a single brief mention on the Korean press release.

It is clear that the product is not finished or ready to fully share with the public. In other words, its development likely didn’t start that long ago. This may be the best example of an Apple “inspired” device trying to preempt the Cupertino company’s own innovations. It sure looks like Samsung moved forward with this device, potentially last spring, because Apple was rumored to be working on the ‘iPhone 17 Air’ and they wanted to beat them to the punch. May 2024 to April 2025 is nearly a year of development. It’s not farfetched to think that they cobbled something together, after all they control much of the supply chain.

This wouldn’t be the first time they’ve appeared to have done this either, I can recall the conspicuous launch of the terribly received Galaxy Gear in October 2013 after over a year of Apple smartwatch rumors. Apple Watch was first rumored to be in development in December of 2011 by The New York Times with the first Galaxy Gear leak popping up in February of 2013. That fall they got the exact headlines I imagine they wanted. And strategy aside, Samsung seemingly continues to introduce product designs that look awfully similar to Apple ones. See a new VR device announced back in December but shown off today called “Project Moohan” that looks a lot like the Vision Pro or last year’s Galaxy Buds and “Ultra” watch.

See the original post with links on Substack

It’s no secret that podcasts have become an increasingly popular medium over the past decade. However, many have also become more political and polarizing. Now, one may have expected this from business or news-focused shows, but this has also become an issue with Apple podcasts. To be clear, I am not talking about the Apple Podcast app but podcasts about Apple. And I am not limiting my use of the term “political” to consternation about the American government; I am also referring to the pessimism directed at new foundational technologies like artificial intelligence.

The next four years will be tough for many people. They’ll want an escape, even if they agree with some of these political views in principle—look no further than MSNBC’s plummeting ratings for proof.

As a devoted podcast listener, I want more shows that are fun. I want shows that at least try to be optimistic, that understand the practical reality of our life in 2025 and want to connect with the audience at a more intimate level. I get a real sense that some of these shows have grown out of touch. I’ve spoken with others in the Apple community about this, and I know I am not alone in feeling this way. Of course, there’s always room for serious conversations, but there needs to be some balance.

I’m sure that some would argue that it’s Apple and not the shows that have “lost the plot” (I said as much on Threads recently). But I don’t think Apple has changed much from a decade ago. Tim Cook’s Apple may be undeniably different from Steve Jobs’ Apple, but pretending that change happened recently is denying reality. That said, let’s talk about the building blocks of what a new Apple podcast should look like.

Diverse viewpoints: The perfect show needs a variety of hosts (or frequent guests) with differing opinions. There’s been a sort of an expansion of homogenous viewpoints; some seem so sure they’re right that they’ve grown snarky, alienating parts of their audience. A great conversation, one that’s truly engaging, needs to have a solid mixture of folks who can explore a topic from every angle without fear of descending into an argumentative abyss. That’ll keep conversations fresh and make them more relatable.

Focus on what’s actually important: While personal stories and anecdotes add color, they should at least complement the core topic of discussion, not overshadow it. It’s one thing to talk about the products you’re using or your workflow; it’s another to spend too much time discussing things the average listener cannot relate to.

New voices that aren’t jaded: We’re currently listening to many of the same voices we were listening to a decade ago. That’s not a dig; I deeply respect people who have been on the Apple beat for ages. However, we also need to hear from more folks who see things from a modern perspective, people who aren’t quite so jaded or tired.

Optimism about new technologies: It’s one thing to critique an aspect of a technology; it’s another to be diametrically opposed to it even existing. You cannot talk about technology from an unbiased or at least somewhat neutral perspective.

Take yourselves less seriously: These shows are supposed to be fun. They’re not supposed to be adversarial or profound; at their core, they are entertainment.

Bring back practicality: Let’s stop complaining about things that we can’t control and focus on talking about the things that we can.

Balance the politics: Politics have their time and place. But when tuning in to an Apple podcast, I want to hear about the products and the technologies. Period. Straying into personal political opinions risks alienating listeners, especially when that’s not what they tuned in for. If I want to know about Apple’s relationship with the government, I’d rather hear it from professional journalists who cover those specific fields and frankly understand what they’re talking about. There’s no reason to create an adversarial relationship with your listeners, especially when they may agree with you.

Easily digestible: I love a long podcast. However, the issues I’ve laid out here tend to lead to unnecessarily long shows that talk more about irrelevant than relevant topics.

Some Apple podcasts are already doing many of the things I’m suggesting here, regardless of whether they’ve been around for years or are newer to the scene. But there’s also clearly room for something different. While the existing shows I’ve critiqued may have their audience, it’s worth asking: How long will that last?

Okay, that’s enough from me: What do you think? Is there room for a fresh, fun, and engaging new Apple-centric podcast?

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Around lunchtime on Tuesday, I heard that Apple had started to set up an elaborate Lumon office space inside Grand Central Terminal to promote the return of Severance. Thankfully, I don’t work too far from one of the largest train stations in the country, so I wandered over to see what they’d built. Upon arrival, I was immediately in awe of the Lumon computers and keyboards that us nerds have been drooling over ever since they first graced our screens a few years ago. As far as anyone could tell, these were faithful recreations of the desks from the show.

I was fortunate enough to get up close and personal with the cube while it was uninhabited. I took tons of shots of the computers and small pieces on the desks. These are the kinds of details that I toil over. After all, I’ve been following the ‘details’ company my entire life now. Things got really interesting when a few actors walked into the cube built around the desks to do some “work.” Now all of this would’ve been enough. To me, it was an extremely cool alternative to a traditional billboard or other kind of advertisement. I took plenty of pictures, picked up a bite, and walked back to my office.

A few hours later, just as I was getting ready to head home I learned that not only was the show’s director Ben Stiller on the scene but that all of the actors from earlier had been replaced by the actual cast of the show. Now things were getting interesting. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that Apple might do this earlier in the day, though it should have.

When I arrived back at the station, the crowd was quite large and only continued to grow. Earlier when I visited there was almost nobody there outside of people who were clearly working for Apple and a few pedestrians briefly stopping to take a peek. This time though, there were influencers, celebrities, and a ton of fans. All of them, quietly watching Adam Scott as Mark S., Britt Lower as Helly R., Zach Cherry as Dylan G., and Tramell Tillman as Mr. Milchick.

Once I worked my way through a few layers of people, I came face to face with none other than Ben Stiller. If you don’t know, Ben Stiller serves as the director of Severance and is credited with a great deal of the show’s success. Of course, he’s not alone. But c’mon, it’s Ben-freakin-Stiller. It was incredibly cool to chat with him, having grown up watching his films and having become a massive fan of his father in later years. Jerry Stiller’s Arthur Spooner holds a very special place in my heart.

After congratulating Ben on the new season and snapping a selfie, I walked around the cube to see the actors working from all different angles. They didn’t drop out of character once. After a bit, Patricia Arquette almost magically appeared out of the crowd and entered the cube. Ms. Cobel had arrived to survey the work that the macrodata refiners were doing.

Patricia Arquette is one of the best parts of Severance, so seeing her as Cobel in the flesh was a particularly special experience. Though nothing compares to seeing Adam Scott as Mark S. up close. He embodies that character so well, it’s truly wild to see. I had hoped that I would get to snap a selfie with Adam, but the cast remained in character the entire time, even when they exited the cube. As a diehard Parks and Rec fan, it was a bucket list moment to get within feet of the former mayor of Partridge, Ben Wyatt: Human Disaster.

This was an experience I’ll never forget. Why? Not just because it was an epic Apple marketing stunt that immediately belongs in the pantheon of historic Apple marketing moments, but because it was a wholesome shared experience with the other folks there. Watching streaming services tends to be an activity many of us do on our own, and when it comes to television in particular, there isn’t quite a movie theater setting to enjoy them in. So collectively seeing the Lumon staff work in person, together, in one of the busiest commuter hubs was not only different but remarkable. It was a uniquely New York moment, and it reminded me of how lucky I am to live here.

Ultimately, there’s a lesson here: It’s about people. I fanboyed over the pop-up, the set pieces, the computers, the desks, the carpet, all of the nerdy stuff. But what I didn’t expect was the impact the humans would have on me; they blew me away that night. Lots of folks like to say that “Apple is the new HBO.” They’re right, and this event is proof. It’s also a reminder that Apple succeeds when they focus on people. Because what really makes technology meaningful is how humans use it to, as Steve Jobs once said, ‘express their appreciation to the rest of humanity’— whether they’re actors, builders, or a nerd like me.

Special thanks to James Bareham for helping me edit, go subscribe to his Substack!

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On October 5th 2011, I’d spent the day shadowing my older cousin at his high school. I remember talking with his friends at lunch about how amazing Siri looked on the iPhone 4s and getting home in the afternoon, absolutely exhausted by the prospect of high school. I really only remember this day as vividly as I do for one reason. Later that evening, I was watching tv when my iPhone buzzed. The push notification that had just been delivered to my iPhone 4 said that Steve Jobs had passed away.

While I had only just turned 13 a few weeks earlier, Steve had been my hero for many years. Ever since my dad introduced me to the Mac as a little kid I had been absolutely enamored both by Apple and by the man who built it. I wanted nothing more than to someday be as cool, creative, and successful as Steve Jobs. My childhood bedroom was covered in prints, magazine covers, Apple posters, books, memorabilia, and so on. I was as big of a Steve Jobs fan as you could get. I’d pretend to give Apple keynotes with the family iMac, I’d wait for every product announcement with bated breath, I’d consume every bit of content I could from podcasts (before they were cool) and the blogs. Unlike my friends who looked up to athletes, musicians, actors, and so on, I was the one weirdo who was fascinated by a company and its chief executive. I remember friends checking in on me that night and I recall going into school the next morning where my teacher handed me a very kind note. Everyone around me had an inkling of what was going through my head.

Over the years my fascination with Steve evolved. It became less about the products that he’d introduced us to, the ones that left immeasurable impacts on our lives, but more about his way of thinking. His philosophy became the basis for my college essay and I have spent countless hours parsing quotes, speeches, and so on. He wasn’t just special because of his extraordinary taste, or his unbelievable ability to pull together the smartest people and squeeze every last drop of talent out of them, or even his unmistakable (and to this day unmatched) presentation chops. He was special to me because of how he saw the world. There are so many insights worth sharing and studying. But it really boils down to one quote that hits me like a freight train every time I think about it and I think about it quite often:

Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it. You can influence it. You can build your own things that other people can use. And the minute you understand that you can poke life, and if you push in, then something will pop out the other side; that you can change it, you can mold it—that’s maybe the most important thing: to shake off this erroneous notion that life is there, and you’re just going to live in it versus embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it. I think that’s very important, and however you learn that, once you learn it, you’ll want to change life and make it better. Because it’s kind of messed up in a lot of ways. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.

My admiration for Steve and his way of thinking means that I have put an enormous amount of pressure on myself over the years. People close to me know that there’s a lot going on in my head at any given moment. Like everyone I have my own personal challenges. Pressure isn’t always good. In fact it’s often been difficult to contend with. But I still view the pressure as a net good. I wouldn’t be where I am right now without the fire that he ignited within me. While I still have a long way to go before I even remotely come close to the expectations that little Parker set for himself many years ago, I know that I am on a good path. The jobs that I’ve been fortunate enough to land, the amazing people I’ve met that I can now call friends and mentors, and the unforgettable experiences over the years all came ultimately as a result of the hard work that I put in. That work ethic can be traced back to what I learned from Steve. I wouldn’t have met and been hired by the folks I worked for at BuzzFeed, I wouldn’t have joined 9to5Mac and made what I hope are lifelong friendships, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to work with the folks at The Verge who I’ve looked up to for over a decade.

I just recently turned 26, which means that Steve’s been gone for half of my life now. Yes, it’s been 13 years. It boggles my mind that it was that long ago. I miss him immensely. Not just because I constantly wonder what life would be like in a world where Steve Jobs was still the curator of our digital lives, but because of what other wisdom he may have been able to bestow upon us. It feels strange writing this, particularly because many technology executives now often feel like parodies of Steve. They all want to be technologically transformational, but they also want to shoehorn themselves into thought leader roles. Steve never really strived to be a thought leader, he naturally became one. To this day, there’s no other person who has ever been able to step into the hero role for me. No one even comes close and frankly, I worry about the young nerds today and who they may look up to. 13 years later there are still massive voids in leadership, in character, and in creativity.

I think it’s safe to say that I am not alone in missing Steve. No one ever truly believed that there’d be a figure like him again. There never was going to be “the next Steve Jobs” as much as many of us wanted to believe it. It kills me that I never got to meet him, but there’s no question that there is not a single other human being outside of my family that has had the same kind of colossal impact on my thinking. Waking up every single day, realizing that the things around me were simply made up by people no smarter than the rest of us is not only humbling, it’s an unbelievable motivator. If you want to change something, you can do it if you put in the work. No matter what you choose to do with your life, just do it with purpose. Whatever you make, make it great. It doesn’t matter the size of the “dent in the universe,” as long as you make one. A desire to make my own dent is what gets me out of bed every morning. It’s what drives me.

Thanks for everything Steve.