2024-11-20 23:00:24
On November 15, 2016, Apple debuted a brand new product. It wasn't a new Mac, an iPhone, or anything quite like that; it was a book, or rather, two books. Titled "Designed by Apple in California," the 300-page book was available in two sizes: a small $199 260x324mm size and a larger $299 330x413mm book. It remained on sale from 2016 and was discontinued in August of 2019.
"This is a book with very few words.
It is about our products, their physical nature, and how they were made.
While this is a design book, it is not about the design team, the creative process, or product development. It is an objective representation of our work that, ironically, describes who we are. It describes how we work, our values, our preoccupations, and our goals. We have always hoped to be defined by what we do rather than by what we say."
- Jony Ive, Excerpt from the Introduction
Across its 300 pages, Designed by Apple in California includes 450 images taken by photographer Andrew Zuckerman, guiding people across nearly two decades of Apple design, from the 1998 iMac G3 to the 2015 Apple Pencil. The book is titled after the iconic Apple phrase, Designed by Apple in California, which first appeared on their products after Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997. The book includes a dedication to Steve Jobs on the opening page and an introduction written by Jony Ive. In the back, a supplemental booklet is provided that provides further details about the images, components, and processes visualized on each page.
Ive described the purpose of the book in an interview with Wallpaper magazine:
“We asked ourselves, 'What is the value of a book like this, when most people know these objects so intimately already?' First, to see the objects out of their functional context. Next, to see them in a context of the subsequent products and hopefully how we have learned as a team how technology shifts, moves and evolves. And the other reason was to do with the fact that many people don't really have much of a sense of how their manufactured environment came to be. Most people wouldn't understand how the chair they are sat on is made. One of the things we wanted to do was try and explain as clearly as we can – through photography – how you transform a raw material into a product that you recognise and hopefully use as a daily tool.”
- Jony Ive, Interview with Wallpaper
Taking over eight years to produce, the book was spearheaded by then Chief Design Officer Sir Jony Ive and his team. The book is an homage to Apple's design history and a rare instance of Apple looking back rather than ahead. In an interview with Wallpaper*, Ive admitted as much: "because we've been so consumed by our current and future work we came to realise we didn't have a catalogue of the physical products." Funnily enough, Apple had to go out and buy many of the products featured in the book as it didn't have its own archive of physical products to photograph in the creation of this book. According to Ive, every product was reshot for this book, and the process of creating this book took so long it required Apple to "re-photograph some of earlier products because of how photographic technology had changed and improved."
"You understand the nature of an object so much more when you understand how it came to be"
- Jony Ive
And in classic Apple fashion, the book became an over-engineered project in its own right. Apple had to develop custom-milled German paper with low-ghosting inks to capture the vibrancy and provide sufficient contrast against the white paper their products were showcased on. The book featured a soft white linen hardcover with a debossed Apple Logo, a Spine that featured the debossed name of the book, and gilded matte silver edges. The book follows the same tradition of obsessive craftsmanship and design that the products it contains came to be known for.
"We strive, with varying degrees of success, to define objects that appear effortless. Objects that appear so simple, coherent, and inevitable that there could be no rational alternative."
- Jony Ive, Excerpt from the Introduction
Although the book contains many assembled Apple products, it also takes a rare glimpse at some of the manufacturing, design tools, and processes involved in realizing these products. For example, there is a full 2-page spread dedicated to showcasing the custom cutting tools used in manufacturing the iPhone 4 bezel and another that shows the custom-designed tool used to remove aluminum for the Mac mini unibody extrusion. These deconstructed images help provide a material appreciation for the products that seem so self-evident once they are assembled. Flipping the pages, you witness the material and process evolution these iconic products experienced over the decades. You see the molds used to form the EarPods, the multistage process of how a Mac mini and Mac Pro go from aluminium billet to a finished product, to the sapphire tank growing crystals for the display on the Apple Watch.
Jony Ive spoke about the importance of approaching each design with a sense of care:
"Above all, I have come to feel sure that human beings sense care in the same way we sense carelessness. I do think we respond, maybe not consciously, to something much bigger than the object. We sense the group of people behind the products, people who do more than make something work, people who sincerely care about the smallest unseen details, as well as the big idea and primary function."
- Jony Ive, Excerpt from the Introduction
While most of the book features Apple products at their most pristine or disassembled and arranged with the utmost care, two images buck that trend: A distressed leather iPad Smart Cover and an absolutely beaten-up original iPhone. The iPhone, Ive disclosed, belonged to Evans Hankey, who worked alongside Ive since 2007 and was promoted to VP of Industrial Design following his departure. Ive shares that "we design tools to be used" and these images convey the character we impart to our Apple products through their use & service.
“it’s the designer’s job to try and solve problems that in their resolution do not allow complexity to become apparent.”
- Jony Ive, Interview with Wallpaper
The book presents as a love letter to the work that Ive, the team he assembled, and Steve helped realize over the years. Shortly after its publication, Ive left the company, ending a nearly 30-year tenure at Apple.
"This book is dedicated to him.
This is a body of work that would not exist without Steve. The many thousands of people who worked together would never have worked together. These products would never have been designed, never have been made, never have been used."
- Jony Ive, Excerpt from the Introduction
My reason for putting together this entry is to share a closer look at a unique product that many people will never have access to. Apple is unlikely ever to produce a book like this again (though they did release that weird Apple Music book), and the few remaining copies are being sold on eBay for thousands of dollars, depending on their size and condition. I also tried to tie in the most significant sources that shared expanded details about the book, most notably Jony Ive's interview with Wallpaper Magazine & Dazed in 2016.
I'll also direct people to two full walkthroughs of the book, one posted by DetroitBORG and a longer 48-minute video created by Greg Wyatt of Apple Explained. They're both worth a watch. I will also include a link to the Jony Ive narrated video introducing the book and explaining the intention behind it.
2024-11-02 04:27:21
Apple made many announcements this week: Monday ushered in the new M4 iMac, Tuesday the adorable & redesigned M4/M4 Pro Mac Mini, Wednesday the terrifyingly powerful M4 MacBook Pro lineup, and Thursday's Apple held their quarterly earnings call, but perhaps the most surprising announcement came on Friday when Pixelmator (the company behind Pixelmator, Pixelmator Pro, and Photomator), the photo editing and design application that's been available on the Mac since 2007, announced they were being acquired by Apple.
In a press release on their website, the team wrote:
"Pixelmator has signed an agreement to be acquired by Apple, subject to regulatory approval. There will be no material changes to the Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator apps at this time. Stay tuned for exciting updates to come."
It's unclear at this time what will come out of this. Will this ultimately lead to Apple keeping Pixelmator around as a native application as it did with Shortcuts and having it become part of the pantheon of apps like Garageband or iMovie, or will the apps be dissolved, their technologies migrated into areas like Photos and Apple Intelligence.
I have been using Pixelmator since day one, over 17 years! I've watched it grow, advance its capabilities, and add features, becoming my preferred image editing app. You've heard me make countless compliments about the app and how instrumental it is to nearly everything I create for this site. And I’m not alone in singing their praises, their apps have earned numerous accolades from Apple, including three Mac App of the Year Awards (2011, 2018, 2023), a 2014 iPad App of the Year award, and two Apple Design Awards (2011, 2019).
Although there are apps in the Adobe & Affinity suite, Pixelmator has always remained my go-to for its speed, simplicity, and power. I've also always respected the team for offering years of free upgrades, beyond fair pricing, and continually iterating & adding valuable features. The acquisition by Apple is bittersweet because it shows the team that they have created something extraordinary. Still, at the same time, I hope that a monolithic company like Apple appreciates the history & importance of this app and doesn't just tear it apart for its intellectual property. That's my fear because I love these apps and, selfishly, don't want to relearn another image-editing app after nearly two decades of use.
If it were up to me (though it's not), I would prefer Apple keep Pixelmator around as a standalone app and continue its development alongside the founders. And I could see them integrating Photomator into photos, creating an Aperture-esque photo-editing palette of advanced tools and technologies. But that all remains to be seen.
Lastly, a massive congratulations to the Dailide brothers, Saulius and Aidas, for starting something incredible, and a huge thank you for the love and care you've crafted into every pixel and line of code in this app for so many years. I have some worries, but I remain optimistic about a great future and the continued legacy of these fantastic apps.
2024-10-27 23:20:22
On Thursday, October 24, Apple SVP Greg Joswiak took to Twitter announcing for us to “Mac (😉) your calendars! We have an exciting week of announcements ahead, starting on Monday morning. Stay tuned...” There had been uncertainty about if and how Apple would announce new Macs heading into the fall, and Thursday served as a tantalizing confirmation that 1) new Macs are inbound and 2) that while there may not be an Apple Event proper, we should expect a series of staggered Mac announcements next week.
This sent me into a frenzy to finish up this entry and the corresponding Bingo Board. I had made some progress on a board “just in case” Apple held a late October Mac/iPad event, but many of my picks were iPad related, but we got an iPad announcement last week. And so, sleep-deprived and 37,000 feet in the Air, I am writing this entry to finalize my picks and predictions for this upcoming week of Mac-centric announcements. Many of these predictions are informed by rumours swirling around the Apple community; some are stagecraft guesses, and a few are my own wishes and prognostications.
The predictions for this board were collected between October 10-23, and finalized on Thursday, October 24.
iPads have it, iPhones have it, and now so do all the AirPods. It's finally time for Apple's Magic accessories, including the Keyboard, Trackpad, and Mouse, to leap from Lightning to USB-C. With these announcements rumoured to be so focussed on the Mac, including their desktops, this feels as good a time as any to put the final nail in Lightning's coffin.
With Apple brazenly pushing Apple Intelligence, a dark horse pick on this bingo board is that Apple will include a physical keyboard function key on new Macs and Accessories to Access Apple Intelligence - much like Expose or Spotlight are featured on existing Mac keyboards.
All I've seen rumoured regarding the iMac is that Apple is expected to update its all-in-one desktop to the M4 chip introduced this spring. I don't think there's any chance we'll see larger screens, new colours, or any other significant changes besides a memory bump and chip upgrade.
Last year, Apple Distinguished the M3 Pro & Max MacBook Pros from the M3 Pros with a new Space Black anodized finish, with the M3 MacBook Pro maintaining the old Space Grey colour. However, if certain sketchy Russian M4 MacBook Pro unboxings are to be believed, the new base M4 MacBook Pro will be updated to the Space Black finish in line with its Pro and Max kin.
When Apple last updated the Mac mini with the M2, it created a separate M2 Pro configuration. I wouldn't be surprised to see subtle hardware differentiation between the M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini, which is rumoured to be announced this week. One change I see as a possibility is an extra front-facing USB-C port for the Mac mini's M4 Pro configuration.
For over a decade - going back to the 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina Display - Apple has stuck with 8GB of memory on their entry point Pro laptops. Now, I know times have changed, and that single number doesn't tell the whole story about what a Mac can and can't do, but it's frustrating that Apple has dug in their heels on this, up to and including claiming that its 8GB is equal to 16GB on the other guy's rig (it's not the size of the RAM, it's how you use it). To this day, 8GB remains the default memory for some pricier Macs, including the 1,799.00 M3 MacBook Pro and 1,699.00 iMac.
Finally, it appears that the compute demands of Apple Intelligence are pushing Apple to, for the first time in over half a decade, increase the base level of memory from 8GB to *hopefully* 16GB across the lineup (though knowing Apple, a bump to 12GB wouldn't surprise me in the least). Since Apple is expected to update the mini, iMac, and MacBook Pro during the week, I hope all three get a memory boost, with the Air updated during its next refresh cycle.
I expect only a processor and internal hardware spec bump, so the five current iMac colours (and silver) will stay the same.
Smart Accessory Switching
AirPods have long had the feature of automatically switching to the device playing media. This feature is equally marvellous and occasionally maddening, but at its core, pairing to the device being used automatically is beautiful. One area missing this feature is Apple's keyboard and pointer peripherals. I would love to see Apple incorporate the same intelligent switching between devices currently on the AirPods, moving seamlessly between typing on the Mac to putting on Vision Pro, and continuing to use the trackpad and keyboard without needing to open Bluetooth settings and pair connect every time.
With these announcements expected to focus on the Mac and likely emphasize the M4 chips, I hope we'll see a video descending into the Apple Chip Lab to discuss all the new features and capabilities of the expanded M4 family.
With Joz teasing "an exciting week of announcements ahead" I expect at least three days of new hardware press releases across the week: One day for the Mac mini, one for the MacBook Pro, and one for the new iMac.
If I were to guess:
Monday: Mac mini (M4 & M4 Pro), & USB-C peripherals
Tuesday: MacBook Pro (M4, M4 Pro, M4 Max)
Wednesday: M4 iMac
Thursday: Apple’s earning call.
Friday: Nothing
USB-A is gone from the iMac and MacBooks; it's time for it to be removed from the rumoured redesigned Mac mini.
Currently, the entry-level iPad mini starts at $599. I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple attempt to keep the price the same for the entry-level config (even if that means a potentially binned M4 and/or less storage).
I wouldn't be surprised if Apple added a Space Black option to the updated Mac mini, perhaps making it an exclusive colour option for the higher-end M4 Pro spec.
Apple loves a good gaming demo highlighting its App Store and the power of Apple Silicon. I imagine we'll have a preview of a new or exclusive game highlighted across the videos/press releases explicitly mentioning the capabilities of the M4 chip.
Since 2010, the Mac mini has remained the exact same size: 1.4" H x 7.7" W x 7.7". Back then, that was to accommodate an optical drive and enough thermal support to cool those fiery Intel Chips. But with both of those constraints banished to the annals of history, the Mac mini is free to take on whatever shape it damn well feels like. This year, rumours suggest that a redesigned Mac mini could end up being nearly as small as the current generation AppleTV—1.22" H x 3.66" W x 3.66"—less than 1/5th the volume of the outgoing model!
Apple is bound to emphasize the capabilities and upcoming features of Apple Intelligence on the Mac at some point in the press releases or product videos.
Historically, Apple hasn't been able to help themselves by presenting vague, axis-less graphs touting the elevated performance of its own silicon. Despite there not being an Apple Event proper, I still expect them to slip in a few graphs highlighting the performance benefits of the M4.
Currently, the M3 MacBook Pro maxes out at 128GB of Unified Memory. With M4, I could see Apple cranking up the configurable memory to 192GB, equaling the maximum amount of memory currently available on the M2 Ultra Mac Studio and Mac Pro.
Banking that Apple releases a video (or two) to accompany some of its latest Macs this week, and that one of those feature CEO-in-waiting John Ternus wearing black.
Like it or not, Apple is all in on AI, err.. Apple Intelligence. I expect we will see them recap (either via press release or video) some of the Apple Intelligence features in macOS 15.1, their roadmap ahead, and how the M4 is uniquely specialized to take advantage of Apple's AI capabilities.
Sometime during the week (I'm betting Tuesday), Apple will announce that the MacBook Pro line has been updated to the new M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Mac chipset. Russian leaks have already hinted that the entry-level MacBook Pro gets at least 16GB of unified memory, a Space Black (vs. Space Grey) finish, the M4 chip, and an additional Thunderbolt port.
A perennial staple to Mac-focused events, I hope we see a video that includes SVP of Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji cover the details of Apple's new M4 chipset.
A really ambitious pick, but I wonder if we'll see Apple announce the first Carbon Neutral Mac during this week of announcements. Apple is already shipping MacBook Airs that consist of 50% recycled materials, but Apple 2030 also includes the Apple offsetting the expected energy use of a product across its lifespan.
Mark Gurman has been prognosticating that Apple might have at least some models of their latest Macs available starting November 01.
2024-10-24 21:59:22
This is my fourth year creating internal wallpapers for Apple's iPhone lineup. Starting with the iPhone 12, I have created internal wallpapers for the iPhone 13 Pros, the iPhone 14 & 14 Pro lineup, and the iPhone 15 Pros.
All tolled, I have poured several hundred hours into these projects, and I am so pleased to announce the latest addition to this collection: the iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max Internals.
These wallpapers began in late September, less than a week after the iPhone 16 Pro was released. Using a mix of early teardown videos and Apple's lower-resolution repair guide photos, I started to create, piece by piece, the highly intricate interiors of these devices. Late in the process, I finished off these internals using the more detailed photographs released by iFixit on October 07.
Although I do my best to remain faithful to how the components are presented, I made two significant stylistic choices this year. The first is a trend I started with the iPhone 14 Pros, which was to show the exposed logic board inside the iPhone. Inside the iPhone, the logic board is covered and sandwiched into a layered board with other sections.
The second stylistic choice was how I created the rear camera housing. In recent years, Apple has changed how iPhones are constructed by adding a metal sheet underneath the cover glass. This design change makes swapping the screen during repair more effortless, but if I were to design a wallpaper as though you are peering through the screen at the internals, all you would see is this metal plate. As a result, The wallpaper I created is a version of the components as seen when the back glass is removed, with the pieces flipped to represent the actual location of these components under the front glass, and I created a stylized camera housing that protects the three cameras, flash, and LiDAR of the 16 Pros.
The iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max were made entirely from scratch, with every component drawn inside Sketch. Thousands of new pieces (1955 in the 16 Pro & 2328 inside the Pro Max) were created and layered into my most ambitious wallpapers to date!
Finally, a multi-layered export process was performed before the pieces were recompiled inside Pixelmator Pro. This process allowed me more fine-grain control to add shading, grain, and colour to pieces like the battery, front-facing camera, and logic board. This also helped solve some problems that emerged during export (like excessive banding on the battery) and allowed me to imbue more dynamic colour palettes to each wallpaper.
Don't fret; these wallpapers are free. There are no subscriptions, no ads, and no SD version. I want to make these available and accessible to as many people as possible. Still, if you have the means to donate and support my work, the support is incredibly appreciated. I have debts I need to pay off, and am working in a healthcare field that is trying to slash wages at all costs. Irrespective of that, I am still in a privileged position to work, buy excellent Apple products, and offer these wallpapers as my side hustle. But if you find value in this work, tips go a long way in helping keep this site afloat and afford me the ability to keep offering everything I do free of charge.
☕️ TipsEach internal wallpaper comes in eight different colour variations: Silver, Natural, Black, and Desert Titanium, along with Aubergine, Pacific Blue, Black Titanium: Gold Edition, and Copper Slate. I poured my heart into these, and I really hope you love them. Enjoy!
Silver | Natural | Black | Desert
Aubergine | Pacific Blue | Gold Edition | Copper Slate
Silver | Natural | Black | Desert
Aubergine | Pacific Blue | Gold Edition | Copper Slate
I’m a one-person operation, working in healthcare by day & running this site as a passion project in my off time.
If you enjoy my work (the articles, the wallpapers, my general demeanour… anything really), consider leaving a tip & supporting the site. Your support is incredibly appreciated & goes a long way to keep this site and the works I produce ad-free & free of charge.
☕️ TipsiPhone 16 & 16 Plus owners might be wondering about an internal wallpaper coming for their devices. I am currently looking at 3-4 projects I want to pursue next, including internal wallpapers for the iPhone 16. I want to create a wallpaper for these iPhones; I just can't commit to a date or timeline now.
2024-10-17 21:57:46
In macOS Sonoma, Apple added the systemwide API to add custom backgrounds in apps (FaceTime, Photo Booth, Zoom, etc.) using the camera on the Mac. And in an early beta of macOS Sequoia, nine background images of locations across Apple Park were bundled with this new feature. The images feature several iconic locations around the campus, including the rainbow arch, courtyard fountain, fitness center, and the entranceway of Apple Park.
Thanks to Remo (@remo_Pr0) for finding the directory that stores these images. But at 1920 × 1080, the images were fine as Facetime backgrounds but far too small for anything else. But thanks to some upscaling severe voodoo, I got the files looking pretty remarkable, even after increasing their size by nearly 10x from the original. As someone who has never visited Apple Park, I find these images give a rare glimpse of some of this campus's beautiful architecture and landscaping.
The wallpapers are best suited for landscape viewing and are available for the Mac & iPad. Enjoy!
Click on an image to download the wallpaper for your Mac or iPad. Image Credit: Apple.