Sam Rowlands (tweet):
There’s several ways to create a toolbar and a bunch of options for it also.
[…]
Adding a search field to the toolbar is easier than you think, simply add the .searchable(text:) modifier to a view within your content view.
There are options for the placement and prompt, but nothing on the documentation page tells how to use the search menu. I guess this is done using the separate searchScopes(_:scopes:) function, which seems limited compared to what NSSearchField offers. On the other hand, the SwiftUI version has support for suggestions, which I don’t think Apple ever added to AppKit except for its own apps.
Putting a segmented picker too close to the search field can result in it becoming trapped and unaccessible from the chevron menu when the search field is highlighted and then loses focus. I have filed this as a bug with Apple FB17392294.
Previously:
Mac macOS 15 Sequoia Programming Search Swift Programming Language SwiftUI
Juli Clover:
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the third macOS Sequoia 15.5 beta.
My update/installer/storage issues continue. I tried updating my external drive several times, but each time when Software Update restarted the Mac it booted from the internal SSD rather than the drive where the update was installed. I don’t recall this ever happening before. Each time I tried the update it had to redownload it, and then in failed in the same way. What eventually worked was using Startup Disk to set the external drive as the preferred boot drive.
Previously:
Mac macOS 15 Sequoia Software Update Startup Disk Storage
Adam Engst:
I really need to look into CrashPlan again, since the company has been sold and split out a few times since it canceled CrashPlan for Home in 2017, and there is once again a user-level service.
I came across this a few months ago and found the offerings a little confusing. I guess the relevant product is CrashPlan for Endpoints, and the main pricing page offers two different service levels: Professional at $7.33/month and Enterprise at $10/month. Both have “unlimited” storage, but the Professional plan retains deleted files for 90 days vs. unlimited for the Enterprise version.
Not listed there is another product called CrashPlan for Endpoints Essential Edition, which is only $2.99/month but is limited to 200 GB of storage and retains deleted files for 30 days.
I tried to download the app to see whether it was still Java, but they kept wanting me to enter all my information to begin the free trial. Eventually, I found this page, which links to the Mac download. It’s now an Electron app.
I liked the CrashPlan service in the past, but without a native client and with little to suggest that the limitations that burned me before have been addressed or that the business will be more sustainable, I’m not eager to try it again.
Previously:
Backup CrashPlan Electron Mac Mac App macOS 15 Sequoia
Morpheus Research (via Juan Báez, Hacker News):
Since its November 2021 IPO, Backblaze has reported losses every quarter, its outstanding share count has grown by 80%, and its share price has declined by 71%.
In October 2024, two former senior employees filed suit against Backblaze, alleging accounting fraud, inflated projections, and whistleblower retaliation.
[…]
4 months into selling his shares, Backblaze co-founder & CTO Brian Wilson wrote in an internal email, “if BLZE goes straight down to zero, each day I sold was beyond totally justified and I won’t regret it” shortly before resigning amidst continued share sales, according to Backblaze’s former VP of Investor Relations.
[…]
After the exit of CFO Frank Patchel, in August 2024, one might have expected Backblaze to bring in a CFO with a track-record of turning around poorly performing companies. Instead, Backblaze’s new CFO, Marc Suidan, joined from Beachbody (NYSE: BODI), a multi-level marketing company, where he was CFO from May 2022 to August 2024. During his tenure, BeachBody missed earnings estimates in 6 out of 9 quarters and the stock fell 91%.
Investing.com:
Governance issues have arisen, with the company ceasing to answer retail investor questions after Q2 2024 and failing to disclose whistleblower lawsuits in its 10-K filings. The reliability of Backblaze’s financial metrics has been called into question, particularly after redefining its “Adjusted Free Cash Flow” metric.
On the market front, Backblaze’s positioning as an “AI storage” company has been criticized by former executives, including the former CTO, as misleading.
Scharon Harding (Hacker News):
Backblaze is dismissing allegations from a short seller that it engaged in “sham accounting” that could put the cloud storage and backup solution provider and its customers’ backups in jeopardy.
On April 24, Morpheus Research posted a lengthy report accusing the San Mateo, California-based firm of practicing “sham accounting and brazen insider dumping.” The claims largely stem from a pair of lawsuits filed against Backblaze by former employees Huey Hall [PDF] and James Kisner [PDF] in October. Per LinkedIn profiles, Hall was Backblaze’s head of finance from March 2020 to February 2024, and Kisner was Backblaze’s VP of investor relations and financial planning from May 2021 to November 2023.
Even if the accounting is accurate, it doesn’t seem prudent to rely on a company that is continually losing money and that offers unlimited plans for a low flat rate.
I have continually heard of people’s good experiences with Backblaze, but I could never get past various design issues and its practice of telling you that your files are backed up before they are committed and actually restorable. Arq has worked well for me for many years.
Nick Heer:
I am worried about this because Backblaze is part of my backup strategy. If it reduces its focus on backups in favour of an enterprise clientele it cannot win, it seems likely both are at risk — assuming Morpheus Research’s findings are in any way accurate.
[…]
I have many terabytes backed-up with Backblaze. I entrust it with my precious photos and music collection — the latter was the motivation for my subscription in the first place. But I should have always been more cautious given the company’s flat-rate promise. I simply assumed it would eventually become a tiered system. Now, I feel like I have reason to worry a little more.
cornchip:
Backblaze doesn’t break out profitability by product division anymore, but when they did, computer backups were profitable. B2 wasn’t. The cost of revenue largely comes from the B2 side because S3-compatible object storage is intensely competes on price/gb whereas computer backup competes on perceived trust, UI, etc. They consolidate fixed operating costs now, but the R&D is largely for B2, too.
That’s interesting, as I had assumed that the metered B2 was the part that was profitable. But I guess they’re focusing on it because that’s where they think the growth is.
David Ngo:
If you’re wrangling massive datasets for AI, machine learning (ML), high-performance compute (HPC), content delivery networks (CDNs), or analytics, you’re familiar with the trade-off: Pay a premium for the highest speeds, or compromise on performance to keep costs manageable.
Backblaze B2 Overdrive changes that.
See also: TidBITS-Talk.
Previously:
Artificial Intelligence Backblaze Backup Business Lawsuit Legal Mac Mac App macOS 15 Sequoia
Ryan Whitwam (Hacker News):
Google’s oldest smart thermostats have an expiration date. The company has announced that the first and second generation Nest Learning Thermostats will lose support in October 2025, disabling most of the connected features. Google is offering some compensation for anyone still using these devices, but there’s no Google upgrade for European users. Google is also discontinuing its only European model, and it’s not planning to release another.
[…]
The devices will still work as a regular dumb thermostat to control temperature, and scheduling will remain accessible from the thermostat’s screen.
The third-generation thermostat is still supported but came out less than 10 years ago. Not a great lifetime for what I think people see as a buy-it-and-forget-about-it product. I never got around to investigating installing Nest thermostats and lost interest after a terrible experience with a Nest Cam. Google’s Wi-Fi routers have been great, though.
Isaiah Carew:
they’ll say if i want smart feature i can cough up a few hundred dollars and begin the enshittfication process again.
Previously:
Business Google Nest Sunset
