Apple isn’t as friendly or as as communicative as one would think. Earlier today, I received a panic call from someone trying to sync videos to her iPad from a Mac – and receiving a message that there was no suitable application on the iPad. Huh? That made no sense. The app for playing locally stored videos on an iPad is called Videos, and it’s a standard, built-in app. What’s the deal?

In short: With the iOS 10.2 operating system update, Apple renamed the Videos app to TV. And it has to be installed from the Apple App Store. It’s a free download, but who knew? Apparently not me. And not a lot of people who queried their favorite search engine with phrases like “ipad videos app missing.”

What’s worse, the change had the potential to delete locally stored video content. One dissatisfied user posted on an Apple discussion forum:

New TV App deleted home videos from iPad

I had a bunch of home videos on my iPad, and when I updated to iOS 10.2, the new TV App replaced videos. On my iPhone 6, this process went fine. I launched TV, and up popped the Library, and within it was a sub-menu for Home Videos. The one and only one I had on my iPhone is still there.

But I had dozens on my iPad and now they are all gone. Not only are they all gone, but there is no sub-menu for Home Videos AT ALL! I can probably replace them by synching to my laptop, but this is a time-consuming pain in the *$$, and why should I have to do this at all?

This change was unveiled in October 2016, with much fanfare, claiming:

Apple today introduced the new TV app, offering a unified experience for discovering and accessing TV shows and movies from multiple apps on Apple TV, iPhone and iPad. The TV app provides one place to access TV shows and movies, as well as a place to discover new content to watch. Apple also introduced a new Siri feature for Apple TV that lets viewers tune in directly to live news and sporting events across their apps. Watching TV shows and movies across Apple devices has never been easier.

The update appeared, for U.S. customers at least, on December 12, 2016. That’s when iOS 10.2 came out. Buh-bye, Videos app!

The change moved a piece of core functionality from iOS itself into an app. The benefits: The new TV app can be updated on its own schedule, not tied to iOS releases, and iOS releases themselves can be smaller. The drawback: Users must manually install the TV app.

Once the TV app is installed, the user can re-sync the videos from a Mac or Windows PC running iTunes. This should restore the missing content, assuming the content is on the desktop/notebook computer. How rude, Apple!

Let me add, snarkily, that the new name is stupid since there’s already a thing from Apple called TV – Apple TV.

dronecon

You’ve gotta be there! Michael Huerta was just announced as Grand Opening Keynote at InterDrone, the industry’s most important drone conference.

BZ Media’s InterDrone will be Sept 7-9, 2016, in Las Vegas. (I am the “Z” of BZ Media.)

InterDrone 2015 was attended by 2,797 commercial drone professionals from all 50 states and 48 countries, and InterDrone 2016 will be even bigger!

New for 2016, InterDrone offers three targeted conferences under one roof:

Drone TechCon: For Drone Builders, OEMs and Developers

Content will focus on advanced flying dynamics, chips and boards, airframe and payload considerations, hardware/software integration, sensors, power and software development.

Drone Enterprise: For Flyers, Buyers and Drone Service Businesses

Classes focus on enterprise applications such as precision agriculture, surveying, mapping, infrastructure inspection, law enforcement, package delivery and search and rescue.

Drone Cinema: For Aerial Photographers and Videographers

Class content includes drone use for real estate and resort marketing, action sports and movie filming, news gathering – and any professional activity where the quality of the image is paramount.

A little about Mr. Huerta, the Grand Opening Keynote:

Michael P. Huerta is the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. He was sworn into office on January 7, 2013, for a five-year term. Michael is responsible for the safety and efficiency of the largest aerospace system in the world. He oversees a $15.9 billion budget, more than 47,000 employees, and is focused on ensuring the agency and its employees are the best prepared and trained professionals to meet the growing demands and requirements of the industry. Michael also oversees the FAA’s NextGen air traffic control modernization program as the United States shifts from ground-based radar to state-of-the-art satellite technology.

See you at InterDrone 2016!

woodblocksIt looks like the tech industry is hiring more women. Maybe. Maybe not. The statistics are hard to interpret. Also, it’s unclear if the newly hired women are performing technical or other jobs.

I’m looking at a blog from the New York Times, “An Uptick in the Hiring of Women for Tech Jobs,” which correctly says that:

There are signs that tech companies are hiring more women, but women still appear to make up far less than half of all new hires in the industry.

In the year ending in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the net change in the number of employees in the computer industry was 60,000. The net change in the number of female employees was 36,000 — or 60 percent of the net change, according to the bureau’s data.

Yet it does not necessarily mean that the tech industry hired more women than men. The bureau’s figure is a net change, meaning the numbers reflect new employees and those who left. More men than women probably left their jobs — because there are so many more men working in the tech industry. For example, it is possible that 100,000 men left their jobs, and 124,000 men were hired, while 10,000 women left their jobs and 46,000 were hired.

If we want more women software engineers, let’s encourage girls to think like engineers. That means encouraging play that incorporates both design and construction — and in a tactile way, not only through tablet apps.

When I was young, my father chopped 2x4s and dowels into various sized blocks. Some square, some round, some rectangular, some triangles. No paint, no stain, just some sanding — and the imagination is unlocked.

Today, in addition to wood blocks, construction blocks like Lego, Duplo or Megablox are what I’d give a young child, girl or boy. Bright colors are great. If there are “boy colors” like red or blue, and “girl colors” like pink and purple, I’d buy equal quantities of both and mix them together, to provide the widest possible color palette. I would buy lots of big buckets of plain old blocks, not kits where you follow directions and assemble a specific toy. That’s great for buying furniture at Ikea – but not at inspiring creativity and hands-on imagination.

There’s a video floating around YouTube, “GoldieBlox, Rube Goldberg, & Beastie Boys “Princess Machine” (a concert for little girls).”

What do you think: Step in the right direction, a marketing ploy, or both?

Quisque ligulas ipsum, euismod atras vulputate iltricies etri elit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Nulla nunc dui, tristique in semper vel, congue sed ligula. Nam dolor ligula, faucibus id sodales in, auctor fringilla libero. Pellentesque pellentesque tempor tellus eget hendrerit. Morbi id aliquam ligula. Aliquam id dui sem. Proin rhoncus consequat nisl, eu ornare mauris tincidunt vitae.

Vestibulum sodales ante a purus volutpat euismod. Proin sodales quam nec ante sollicitudin lacinia. Ut egestas bibendum tempor. Morbi non nibh sit amet ligula blandit ullamcorper in nec risus. Pellentesque fringilla diam faucibus tortor bibendum vulputate. Etiam turpis urna, rhoncus et mattis ut, dapibus eu nunc. Nunc sed aliquet nisi. Nullam ut magna non lacus adipiscing volutpat. Aenean odio mauris, consectetur quis consequat quis, blandit a nunc. Sed orci erat, placerat ac interdum ut, suscipit eu augue. Nunc vitae mi tortor. Ut vel justo quis lectus elementum ullamcorper volutpat vel libero.

Donec volutpat nibh sit amet libero ornare non laoreet arcu luctus. Donec id arcu quis mauris euismod placerat sit amet ut metus. Sed imperdiet fringilla sem eget euismod. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Pellentesque adipiscing, neque ut pulvinar tincidunt, est sem euismod odio, eu ullamcorper turpis nisl sit amet velit. Nullam vitae nibh odio, non scelerisque nibh. Vestibulum ut est augue, in varius purus.

Proin dictum lobortis justo at pretium. Nunc malesuada ante sit amet purus ornare pulvinar. Donec suscipit dignissim ipsum at euismod. Curabitur malesuada lorem sed metus adipiscing in vehicula quam commodo. Sed porttitor elementum elementum. Proin eu ligula eget leo consectetur sodales et non mauris. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Nunc tincidunt, elit non cursus euismod, lacus augue ornare metus, egestas imperdiet nulla nisl quis mauris. Suspendisse a pharetra urna. Morbi dui lectus, pharetra nec elementum eget, vulputate ut nisi. Aliquam accumsan, nulla sed feugiat vehicula, lacus justo semper libero, quis porttitor turpis odio sit amet ligula. Duis dapibus fermentum orci, nec malesuada libero vehicula ut. Integer sodales, urna eget interdum eleifend, nulla nibh laoreet nisl, quis dignissim mauris dolor eget mi. Donec at mauris enim. Duis nisi tellus, adipiscing a convallis quis, tristique vitae risus. Nullam molestie gravida lobortis. Proin ut nibh quis felis auctor ornare. Cras ultricies, nibh at mollis faucibus, justo eros porttitor mi, quis auctor lectus arcu sit amet nunc. Vivamus gravida vehicula arcu, vitae vulputate augue lacinia faucibus.

Ut porttitor euismod cursus. Mauris suscipit, turpis ut dapibus rhoncus, odio erat egestas orci, in sollicitudin enim erat id est. Sed auctor gravida arcu, nec fringilla orci aliquet ut. Nullam eu pretium purus. Maecenas fermentum posuere sem vel posuere. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi ornare convallis lectus a faucibus. Praesent et urna turpis. Fusce tincidunt augue in velit tincidunt sed tempor felis porta. Nunc sodales, metus ut vestibulum ornare, est magna laoreet lectus, ut adipiscing massa odio sed turpis. In nec lorem porttitor urna consequat sagittis. Nullam eget elit ante. Pellentesque justo urna, semper nec faucibus sit amet, aliquam at mi. Maecenas eget diam nec mi dignissim pharetra.

Quisque ligulas ipsum, euismod atras vulputate iltricies etri elit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Nulla nunc dui, tristique in semper vel, congue sed ligula. Nam dolor ligula, faucibus id sodales in, auctor fringilla libero. Pellentesque pellentesque tempor tellus eget hendrerit. Morbi id aliquam ligula. Aliquam id dui sem. Proin rhoncus consequat nisl, eu ornare mauris tincidunt vitae.

Vestibulum sodales ante a purus volutpat euismod. Proin sodales quam nec ante sollicitudin lacinia. Ut egestas bibendum tempor. Morbi non nibh sit amet ligula blandit ullamcorper in nec risus. Pellentesque fringilla diam faucibus tortor bibendum vulputate. Etiam turpis urna, rhoncus et mattis ut, dapibus eu nunc. Nunc sed aliquet nisi. Nullam ut magna non lacus adipiscing volutpat. Aenean odio mauris, consectetur quis consequat quis, blandit a nunc. Sed orci erat, placerat ac interdum ut, suscipit eu augue. Nunc vitae mi tortor. Ut vel justo quis lectus elementum ullamcorper volutpat vel libero.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation.

Donec volutpat nibh sit amet libero ornare non laoreet arcu luctus. Donec id arcu quis mauris euismod placerat sit amet ut metus. Sed imperdiet fringilla sem eget euismod. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Pellentesque adipiscing, neque ut pulvinar tincidunt, est sem euismod odio, eu ullamcorper turpis nisl sit amet velit. Nullam vitae nibh odio, non scelerisque nibh. Vestibulum ut est augue, in varius purus.

Proin dictum lobortis justo at pretium. Nunc malesuada ante sit amet purus ornare pulvinar. Donec suscipit dignissim ipsum at euismod. Curabitur malesuada lorem sed metus adipiscing in vehicula quam commodo. Sed porttitor elementum elementum. Proin eu ligula eget leo consectetur sodales et non mauris. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Nunc tincidunt, elit non cursus euismod, lacus augue ornare metus, egestas imperdiet nulla nisl quis mauris. Suspendisse a pharetra urna. Morbi dui lectus, pharetra nec elementum eget, vulputate ut nisi. Aliquam accumsan, nulla sed feugiat vehicula, lacus justo semper libero, quis porttitor turpis odio sit amet ligula. Duis dapibus fermentum orci, nec malesuada libero vehicula ut. Integer sodales, urna eget interdum eleifend, nulla nibh laoreet nisl, quis dignissim mauris dolor eget mi. Donec at mauris enim. Duis nisi tellus, adipiscing a convallis quis, tristique vitae risus. Nullam molestie gravida lobortis. Proin ut nibh quis felis auctor ornare. Cras ultricies, nibh at mollis faucibus, justo eros porttitor mi, quis auctor lectus arcu sit amet nunc. Vivamus gravida vehicula arcu, vitae vulputate augue lacinia faucibus.

Ut porttitor euismod cursus. Mauris suscipit, turpis ut dapibus rhoncus, odio erat egestas orci, in sollicitudin enim erat id est. Sed auctor gravida arcu, nec fringilla orci aliquet ut. Nullam eu pretium purus. Maecenas fermentum posuere sem vel posuere. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi ornare convallis lectus a faucibus. Praesent et urna turpis. Fusce tincidunt augue in velit tincidunt sed tempor felis porta. Nunc sodales, metus ut vestibulum ornare, est magna laoreet lectus, ut adipiscing massa odio sed turpis. In nec lorem porttitor urna consequat sagittis. Nullam eget elit ante. Pellentesque justo urna, semper nec faucibus sit amet, aliquam at mi. Maecenas eget diam nec mi dignissim pharetra.

 

Quisque ligula ipsum, euismod a vulputate a, ultricies et elit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Nulla nunc dui, tristique in semper vel, congue sed ligula. Nam dolor ligula, faucibus id sodales in, auctor fringilla libero. Pellentesque pellentesque tempor tellus eget hendrerit. Morbi id aliquam ligula. Aliquam id dui sem. Proin rhoncus consequat nisl, eu ornare mauris tincidunt vitae.

Vestibulum sodales ante a purus volutpat euismod. Proin sodales quam nec ante sollicitudin lacinia. Ut egestas bibendum tempor. Morbi non nibh sit amet ligula blandit ullamcorper in nec risus. Pellentesque fringilla diam faucibus tortor bibendum vulputate. Etiam turpis urna, rhoncus et mattis ut, dapibus eu nunc. Nunc sed aliquet nisi. Nullam ut magna non lacus adipiscing volutpat. Aenean odio mauris, consectetur quis consequat quis, blandit a nunc. Sed orci erat, placerat ac interdum ut, suscipit eu augue. Nunc vitae mi tortor. Ut vel justo quis lectus elementum ullamcorper volutpat vel libero.

Donec volutpat nibh sit amet libero ornare non laoreet arcu luctus. Donec id arcu quis mauris euismod placerat sit amet ut metus. Sed imperdiet fringilla sem eget euismod. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Pellentesque adipiscing, neque ut pulvinar tincidunt, est sem euismod odio, eu ullamcorper turpis nisl sit amet velit. Nullam vitae nibh odio, non scelerisque nibh. Vestibulum ut est augue, in varius purus.

Proin dictum lobortis justo at pretium. Nunc malesuada ante sit amet purus ornare pulvinar. Donec suscipit dignissim ipsum at euismod. Curabitur malesuada lorem sed metus adipiscing in vehicula quam commodo. Sed porttitor elementum elementum. Proin eu ligula eget leo consectetur sodales et non mauris. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Nunc tincidunt, elit non cursus euismod, lacus augue ornare metus, egestas imperdiet nulla nisl quis mauris. Suspendisse a pharetra urna. Morbi dui lectus, pharetra nec elementum eget, vulputate ut nisi. Aliquam accumsan, nulla sed feugiat vehicula, lacus justo semper libero, quis porttitor turpis odio sit amet ligula. Duis dapibus fermentum orci, nec malesuada libero vehicula ut. Integer sodales, urna eget interdum eleifend, nulla nibh laoreet nisl, quis dignissim mauris dolor eget mi. Donec at mauris enim. Duis nisi tellus, adipiscing a convallis quis, tristique vitae risus. Nullam molestie gravida lobortis. Proin ut nibh quis felis auctor ornare. Cras ultricies, nibh at mollis faucibus, justo eros porttitor mi, quis auctor lectus arcu sit amet nunc. Vivamus gravida vehicula arcu, vitae vulputate augue lacinia faucibus.

Ut porttitor euismod cursus. Mauris suscipit, turpis ut dapibus rhoncus, odio erat egestas orci, in sollicitudin enim erat id est. Sed auctor gravida arcu, nec fringilla orci aliquet ut. Nullam eu pretium purus. Maecenas fermentum posuere sem vel posuere. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi ornare convallis lectus a faucibus. Praesent et urna turpis. Fusce tincidunt augue in velit tincidunt sed tempor felis porta. Nunc sodales, metus ut vestibulum ornare, est magna laoreet lectus, ut adipiscing massa odio sed turpis. In nec lorem porttitor urna consequat sagittis. Nullam eget elit ante. Pellentesque justo urna, semper nec faucibus sit amet, aliquam at mi. Maecenas eget diam nec mi dignissim pharetra.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ac ipsum purus. Proin varius urna eget massa feugiat vel imperdiet nibh dictum. Donec ut felis id enim tristique hendrerit id nec ante. Curabitur a nulla risus. Quisque quam nibh, egestas vitae vestibulum nec, auctor non mauris. Mauris condimentum, metus id ultrices placerat, dui elit rhoncus felis, vitae facilisis sem massa eu ipsum doloeres ipsums sadips.

In lacinia volutpat nibh id rutrum. Vestibulum nec velit purus, rhoncus pellentesque metus. Praesent lacinia mollis erat, ut mattis augue lacinia id. Pellentesque tellus lorem, gravida eu semper non, euismod sit amet diam. Sed lobortis eros laoreet metus dignissim sed convallis enim semper. Maecenas euismod gravida vehicula. Sed pellentesque, elit ut tristique commodo, risus enim blandit est, ut fringilla nibh neque eget sem. Nullam mollis enim id metus sodales molestie.

Aenean ullamcorper interdum neque non auctor. Nam tellus sapien, accumsan sit amet consectetur sit amet, varius sit amet felis. Nulla sit amet tellus orci. Duis pretium eleifend augue, in pulvinar tortor consectetur a. Pellentesque metus tellus, auctor suscipit iaculis non, blandit vitae justo. Aenean blandit nulla sit amet ipsum iaculis blandit. Nam auctor ultricies tellus, sed feugiat lacus tempus vel. Suspendisse pretium, ante in ornare dapibus, est arcu tristique orci, a auctor est orci et leo. Aenean fringilla hendrerit ante, nec tempor justo facilisis sed. In lacinia lacus molestie odio accumsan in pretium est molestie. Donec lobortis, ante eget consequat placerat, risus dui imperdiet enim, at rhoncus nisi augue sit amet justo. Nullam in odio non felis eleifend volutpat. Nunc non velit orci, ac pretium urna. Sed nisl lacus, tincidunt vitae auctor sed, varius ut est. Sed non nisl vitae enim consectetur volutpat a at dolor. Donec tincidunt lacus ut risus luctus sollicitudin.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam viverra euismod odio, gravida pellentesque urna varius vitae. Sed dui lorem, adipiscing in adipiscing et, interdum nec metus. Mauris ultricies, justo eu convallis placerat, felis enim ornare nisi, vitae mattis nulla ante id dui. Ut lectus purus, commodo et tincidunt vel, interdum sed lectus. Vestibulum adipiscing tempor nisi id elementum. In adipiscing diam sed mi rhoncus gravida aliquam. Pellentesque malesuada velit vitae nisl rhoncus vel interdum ligula viverra.

Etiam rutrum elit sed nunc convallis fermentum. Aliquam mi odio, sollicitudin quis cursus non, aliquet sed nulla. Donec adipiscing mattis sagittis. Etiam faucibus imperdiet libero, sit amet placerat tortor tristique commodo. Suspendisse id turpis vel justo porttitor convallis a eu nunc. Sed urna dolor, mattis ut hendrerit non, consequat sed leo. Mauris fringilla volutpat pretium. Etiam vel est quis diam placerat rutrum nec et orci. Nam sollicitudin, ipsum scelerisque lobortis dignissim, nisl turpis adipiscing augue, dictum placerat ipsum dolor in nulla. Nullam accumsan dictum arcu sed elementum. Nullam gravida, diam in egestas elementum, leo eros semper urna, sed interdum justo dui quis lorem.

Donec euismod mattis interdum. Nam ut tincidunt sem. Praesent quis eros id justo hendrerit laoreet quis ac metus. Pellentesque a libero id orci ornare pellentesque. Donec massa ante, aliquam ac fringilla vel, facilisis id lacus. Nunc tincidunt molestie quam a semper. Nullam eu odio sed ligula volutpat posuere. Vivamus imperdiet ultrices velit, id ullamcorper libero placerat non. Aliquam nec velit massa. Phasellus vel consequat massa. Phasellus tempor tellus vel metus rhoncus posuere et sed tellus. Aliquam erat volutpat.

In a justo ut nunc lobortis eleifend non ac odio. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Ut eget ligula at urna varius interdum. Nunc mi lectus, egestas eu facilisis nec, imperdiet sit amet leo. Suspendisse leo nisl, ultricies et tristique posuere, viverra nec purus. In tempus vestibulum lacus, ut condimentum arcu fringilla nec. Praesent aliquet ullamcorper mi in malesuada. Mauris tellus lectus, imperdiet in placerat ac, interdum vel velit. Mauris purus enim, ultricies et fringilla et, sagittis auctor magna. Etiam vitae lorem justo. Curabitur eu nibh luctus justo molestie vestibulum. Proin vitae felis ante, at pharetra erat.

Quisque a justo magna. Curabitur nec dui non massa tempor dictum. Pellentesque leo lacus, venenatis quis rhoncus eu, vulputate sed ante. Mauris mattis tempus velit vel lacinia. Suspendisse faucibus, erat ut gravida rhoncus, sapien eros ullamcorper felis, et cursus purus magna id mi. Fusce dictum facilisis augue at interdum. In quam nunc, vestibulum ut posuere ut, sodales sed ipsum. Donec aliquam mauris vel augue accumsan molestie. Vestibulum blandit tristique odio eu tincidunt. Cras lobortis tempus purus. Vestibulum rutrum adipiscing vehicula. Aliquam sollicitudin massa at sapien eleifend nec dignissim neque volutpat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Maecenas congue, odio sit amet elementum volutpat, nunc ante bibendum nibh, at volutpat enim tellus et arcu.

Cras id erat arcu. Suspendisse nec lacinia eros. Morbi in nisl ut quam vulputate elementum. Donec ornare, turpis eget rhoncus pharetra, nunc augue porta orci, eu volutpat enim nisi ac risus. Proin a tortor id orci fermentum sollicitudin tincidunt in magna. Quisque semper, leo a malesuada dictum, orci massa blandit diam, nec porttitor quam nunc laoreet odio. Maecenas sed felis ante, non cursus justo. Vivamus semper euismod vulputate. Praesent a hendrerit sapien. Sed dapibus leo rutrum lorem convallis et commodo urna tempus. Quisque hendrerit imperdiet erat id fringilla. Vivamus vitae odio nisi, sit amet pellentesque justo. Pellentesque enim enim, ultricies sit amet blandit a, sagittis vel dolor. Cras lorem purus, posuere sed hendrerit ac, varius vel eros. Quisque nisl ante, posuere pulvinar bibendum a, malesuada sed mi.