Google Releases a Native Gemini App for Mac

Michael Friedman, Group Product Manager, Gemini App writing on the Google Blog about the release:

Today, we’re bringing the Gemini app to macOS as a native desktop experience, designed to live right where you work. It’s always just a keyboard shortcut away, so you can quickly get the help you need without losing your focus.

As a native SwiftUI app on Mac, it does a bunch of cool things the web experience couldn’t. It works with your local files, interacts with app windows, and supports Personal Intelligence as well.

Looks like a solid release.

April 16, 2026 · + Permalink

First Non-AC Automatic Door-Closing Mumbai Local is Here

This is meant to be a stop-gap idea till the city gets its long-awaited, well-deserved AC Locals, but even then, this is a terribly executed idea.

Anyone who has travelled in a Mumbai local train knows how extremely hot and humid it gets inside, and the doors are a major source of fresh air. Shutting them off completely, with glass panes at that, will make things uncomfortably worse.

Moreover, the window design is terrible — the glass pane sits in the middle, exactly where the seats are aligned. Whoever finalized this design most likely sits in an AC cabin up-north and has never travelled in a Mumbai local train.

April 14, 2026 · + Permalink

There are 27M Indian Users on GitHub

Kyle Daigle, COO of GitHub, posting on X:

27M devs building on @github in India
2M+ more joined in 2026
1 in 7 new devs are from India

Behind India’s economic growth is a relentless community of devs.

That’s a massive number, especially the 2M+ who’ve joined in 2026 alone. I’m guessing that’s largely due to the rise of AI-assisted coding and apps like OpenClaw, but it’s still good to see an entire generation of devs using modern tools and systems.

When I was in college, it was frustrating to see the world progress with newer programming languages and technologies while the syllabus we were being taught was stuck in the “ASP” era (not even ASP.NET)

April 13, 2026 · + Permalink

Threads adds ‘ghost posts’ that disappear after 24 hours

Sarah Perez, writing for TechCrunch:

Users will now be able to create a ghost post on mobile devices by toggling on the new “ghost” icon on the app’s compose screen. When the post is published, it appears in others’ timelines with a dotted conversation bubble around it to differentiate the post from other content.

Other users on both desktop and mobile devices can reply to the post, but these responses are sent directly to the poster’s DMs (direct messages); these replies don’t appear in the timeline.

May be it’s because I’m old, but I’m failing to see the novelty of this feature.

October 27, 2025 · + Permalink

Remembering “In Focus”: The Atlantic’s Brilliant Photo Blog by Alan Taylor

While tidying up some old drafts on this blog, I stumbled upon an unpublished article from 2012 titled “Diwali: The Festival of Lights [Photos from the In Focus Blog]” Revisiting this piece instantly brought back memories of The Atlantic’s ‘In Focus’ photo blog, masterfully curated by Alan Taylor. This blog delivered captivating photo stories centered on current events and remarkable themes, enveloping readers in unforgettable visual experiences. It truly was one of the best places on the web to experience powerful photojournalism.

Alan originally started curating and publishing these photo stories when he was employed at The Boston Globe as a Web Developer and launched “The Big Picture” as a passion project. A few years later, Alan took that concept to The Atlantic, where he continued curating breathtaking collections under the banner In Focus — this time as his full-time role. The series featured everything from world events and cultural festivals to historical retrospectives and space exploration. Each photo essay was a masterclass in how photography can evoke emotion, context, and wonder.

Today, The Big Picture still lives on as a category Big Picture’ on The Boston Globe’s website, continuing the legacy that Alan started. Over at The Atlantic, In Focus has evolved into the broader Photography section, where Taylor still publishes his signature photo essays.

Don’t miss ‘The Lights of Diwali 2025‘ photo collection – a striking celebration of light and life, curated in Alan Taylor’s inimitable style. I also found a nice little archive of photos published on the In Focus blog over on Tumblr.

October 25, 2025 · + Permalink

Boring Is What We Wanted

Stephen Hackett, writing on 512 Pixels:

Apple silicon has been nothing but upside for the Mac, and yet some seem bored already. In the days since Apple announced the M5, I’ve seen and heard this sentiment more than I expected:

This is just another boring incremental upgrade.

That 👏 is 👏 the 👏 point.

Back in the PowerPC and Intel days, Macs would sometimes go years between spec bumps, as Apple waited on its partners to deliver appropriate hardware for various machines. From failing NVIDIA cards in MacBook Pros to 27-inch Intel iMacs that ran so hot the fans were audible at all times, Mac hardware wasn’t always what Apple wanted.

[…]

The difference is that with Apple silicon, Apple owns and controls the primary technologies behind the products it makes, as Tim Cook has always wanted. It means that it can ship updates to its SoCs on a regular cadence, making progress in terms of both power and efficiency each time.

A predictable update schedule means that incremental updates are inevitable. Revolution then evolution is not a bad thing; it’s okay that not every release is exciting or groundbreaking. It’s how technology has worked for decades.

This is such a well-written piece by Stephen, and he really hits the nail on the head. The switch to Apple Silicon has been one of the best things to happen to Mac hardware in modern times. I’ve owned an Intel iMac as well as an Intel MacBook Pro in the past. As he mentions, it’s completely okay that not every release is exciting or groundbreaking, because barely anyone upgrades on a yearly cycle. Most customers jump from one Mac to the other every 3-4 years, so these releases are never boring for them.

October 22, 2025 · + Permalink

Automattic CEO calls Tumblr his ‘biggest failure’ so far

Sarah Perez, reporting for TechCrunch:

WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg called the company’s Tumblr acquisition his biggest failure — but one he hasn’t given up on yet. The comments were made at the recent WordCamp Canada 2025 conference, where Mullenweg went live for a Town Hall session to connect with the open source-focused WordPress community.

The exec noted that Tumblr was still on a different technical stack than WordPress — something he had intended to correct by migrating the back end to WordPress infrastructure. However, that massive undertaking was put on hold earlier this year, as the cost to move Tumblr’s half-billion blogs would be difficult given that the blogging platform wasn’t profitable and continues to be sustained by the profits of other Automattic products.

and

Mullenweg acknowledged these concerns at his Town Hall session, saying, “I need to switch [Tumblr] over to WordPress, but it’s a big lift. It’s over 500 million blogs, actually, and, as a business, it’s costing so much more to run than it generates in revenue.”

I’ve always thought Automattic’s purchase of Tumblr was a bit of an odd decision. It made me wonder what Matt’s endgame was — and honestly, it feels like that vision still hasn’t solidified. With the right leadership and a much-needed cleanup, it could absolutely thrive again. Matt’s juggling too many things right now, but I really believe someone could make Tumblr the go-to platform for the coming years, especially once it becomes part of the Fediverse.

October 21, 2025 · + Permalink

Kohler wants to put a camera in your toilet

Anthony Ha, writing for TechCrunch:

Home goods company Kohler recently unveiled a new device called the Dekoda — a $599 camera that can be attached to your toilet bowl and take pictures of what’s inside.

CNET reports that the Dekoda analyzes these images in order to provide updates on your gut health and hydration, and to potentially detect blood. It also comes with a rechargeable battery, a USB connection, and a fingerprint sensor to identify who’s using the toilet.

I had to double check the date on my calendar, because… I mean… huh!?

October 20, 2025 · + Permalink