This week: I met Chuck Palahniuk, Apple released iOS 17, and so much more
Plus how to share AirTags, and details about Amazon and Microsoft's new hardware, among other tidbits.
Thanks, Chuck
I took Monday off and went to Denver to go to a Chuck Palahniuk book signing. His latest book Not Forever, But For Now is out now. I haven’t started it yet, but it’s on my to-do list for this weekend. Chuck’s by far my favorite author and someone who’s had a bigger impact on the way I view the world and life in general than even I realized until I was waiting in line to meet him.
Various aspects and themes in Fight Club are something I think about daily, 20-some years after I first watched the movie and read the book. Other bodies of work from Chuck like Choke, Survivor, and Invisible Monsters… yup, always thinking about them, too.
I had no clue what I was going to say to him when it was my turn. I tend to freeze up and go mute when faced with the chance to have a conversation with famous people who have had an impact on my life. (I once randomly found myself on the phone with Fred Durst… I could barely utter a word. It’s a long story.)
There were a few times during the two-hour wait I told my wife I wasn’t going to be able to talk. We should just leave. I got the book, saw him from across the room, and that was good enough. But, to her, leaving wasn’t an option.
Then, when it came to be my turn, I sheepishly handed him the books I brought with me, I somehow was able to start talking. I told him about what Fight Club, but more importantly, all of his work means to me. I’m positive it’s nothing he hasn’t heard before, but after I thanked him for everything his work has meant to me, he stopped coloring the comic strip stickers he had me help him place inside my copy of Fight Club 3, looked me right in the eyes, and thanked me.
That two-second interaction made me feel heard and seen by someone I’ve looked up to for years. Thanks, Chuck.
Quick iOS 17 tip: You can finally share AirTags
Have you already updated your iPhone to iOS 17? If so, you’ll find plenty of new features, but perhaps my favorite is the ability to share AirTags with your friends and family members. That means when you borrow your partner’s keys, complete with AirTag attached, you’ll no longer receive a scary alert letting you know that someone might be stalking you.
To share an AirTag after updating to iOS 17, open the Find My app, select the Items tab, then tap the AirTag you want to share and slide the information window up on your screen. Tap Add Person > Continue > and then select the contact you want to share it with. That person will receive an invite they’ll need to accept. The shared AirTag can be viewed in the Items tab in the Find My app.
Stories I had published this week
I did a lot of work behind the scenes this week, laying the groundwork for a ton of exciting stories over the next month, but was still able to get some stuff published.
After I hit send last week, I immediately regretted the way the bullet point wall of links looked and felt. Very impersonal, right? This week I’m going to add some context to each story I have published and see if I regret it.
- Apple’s iPhones look amazing without a case, but they also break amazing. If you ordered an iPhone 15, I rounded up a bunch of iPhone 15 cases for CNN Underscored.
- As you know by now, iOS 17 launched. My favorite part of any major OS update is finding all of the features the company didn’t talk about. Hidden features, if you will. I covered 12 such hidden features to help you get the most out of your iPhone for Pocket-lint.
- Ring’s got a fancy new home security camera in the Ring Stick Up Cam Pro. I broke down the new features and why it’s fancy for The Street.
- Wyze’s Floodlight Pro has some of the brightest spotlights I’ve ever seen on a floodlight camera. I recently reviewed it for Tom’s Guide.
- Amazon announced a new Fire HD 10 tablet during its hardware event, I took a look at the differences between the 2021 model and the 2023 model that launches next month for Pocket-lint.
- 3D printing is fun, and Anker is trying to make it easier and more affordable than ever to get high-quality prints with its AnkerMake line. I took its latest printer, the M5C for a spin, and reviewed it for CNN Underscored.
Other tidbits
Amazon’s big hardware event was on Wednesday from its now HQ2 in Virginia. On the hardware front, there was a lot. You can see everything here. Some of my favorites are the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition, Echo Pop Kids (so adorable), the Fire TV Soundbar, Ring’s new Stick Up Cam Pro, and an all-new Echo Hub.
Microsoft’s event resulted in more software and AI announcements with some hardware sprinkled in. Digital Trends has a good roundup of everything the company announced.
Fitbit launched its completely redesigned app. You can read about the new design and features on Google’s Keyword blog.
Microsoft leaked a bunch of its own Xbox secrets, including its product roadmap for the next few years. The Verge has done a great job of covering all of the interesting parts.
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