The White House Encourages Public Service for Silicon Valley

Today the White House will talk with technology companies with a plea to make it easier for tech workers to do public service in government.

For the Trump administration, the hope is that private companies might encourage employees to take leaves of absence to help modernize state and federal agencies — bringing a Silicon Valley sensibility to challenges like improving veterans’ health care and combating cybersecurity threats.

This sounds like a shockingly good idea for the current administration, and maybe it will help to deflate the Silicon Valley bubble a bit.

Jobs at Apple: A Brand New Design

The Jobs at Apple web page has a new design, and there’s a video that gives you a look at what’s like to work for Apple. There are links to teams, Apple Retail, an About page, and students.

This is where some of the world’s smartest, most passionate people create the world’s most innovative products and experiences. Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life — and make a difference in other people’s lives.

Sir Jony Ive Interviewed by Financial Times

Apple Chief Design Officer Sir Jony Ive was interviewed by The Financial Times of London. The first part of the story can be skipped, since it’s about waiting, meetings past, and snacks, but the second half includes some interesting comments on Apple Watch. Here’s a snippet:

“I think we have been lulled into this sense that people will accept new products and services very quickly, and I don’t believe that’s true at all,” [Sir Jony] says. “Very often, so much of what a product ends up being able to do isn’t what you initially thought. If you’re creating something new, it is inevitable there will be consequences that were not foreseen — some that will be great, and then there are those that aren’t as positive. There is a responsibility to try and predict as many of the consequences as possible and I think you have a moral responsibility to try to understand, try to mitigate those that you didn’t predict.”

Populele - the Smart Ukulele: $179 [Update]

We have a fun deal of the day for you, Populele. It’s a smart ukelele, by which I mean it interacts with an app. It also has LED-lit frets that work with the app to help teach you how to play. You also get real-time feedback and correction via sound-responsive technology. It works with iOS and Android, and it’s $179 through our deal. [Update: our deal includes the Accessory Kit that features a capo, canvas case, 2 picks, a string set, and a MicroUSB charging cable.]