via Nikon:

“Nikon Corporation (Nikon) hereby announces its entry into an agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding membership interests of RED.com, LLC (RED) whereby RED will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nikon”

This is an absolutely fascinating acquisition. I think it’s safe to say this is the largest acquisition ever in the photo/video world, with DJI’s effective acquisition of Hasselblad back in 2017 coming in (an arguably distant) second.

I’d have to imagine this acquisition is at least in large part, if not entirely, driven by Nikon and RED’s legal battles over internal RAW video compression, which Nikon implemented in its flagship Z9 camera system. Nikon subsequently faced various lawsuits (1, 2) from RED, but it was eventually dismissed without any further information being shared at the time.

It makes sense to keep RED as a separate subsidiary for now, but I’m more fascinated to see what this buy-out means for Nikon on a larger timeline. Almost overnight, it makes Nikon a massive player in the commercial-level video world, competing with the likes of ARRI, Blackmagic, Canon, Panasonic, and Sony. RED doesn’t particularly have the best image from a PR perspective, but if Nikon plays its cards right, it could soften the patent-troll-like reputation RED has had and become a serious player in the niche cinema market.

KidPix 1.1 — The Internet Archive

Despite the program being designed for children, it is accessible and relevant for all ages. Its bit-like graphic design style that was popularized in the 90s is making a resurgence today. With its satisfying sound effects and easy-to-use features, Kid Pix remains a valuable treasure, now saved in perpetuity on the Archive.

What an absolute throwback to my primary school years. Internet Archive has a working version of Craig Hickman’s child-oriented painting program KidPix up and available for anyone to use.

The first time I used an Apple product was playing this program on the iconic iMac G3 units that lined my elementary computer lab, MacOS 8.1 and all.

via The Internet Archive

Clicks is a BlackBerry-style iPhone keyboard case designed for creators — The Verge

“A new company called Clicks Technology has announced an iPhone case with a built-in keyboard on the bottom.”

Time is a flat circle. Now we need someone to bring back T9 with physical cases. I’m sure my muscle memory would get me back to typing out T9 messages in no time. Who knows how many hours I spent perfecting the art in middle school and high school so I could sneakily type under the desk without looking.

You Should Have a Research Question

“By occasionally picking things to go deep on, you balance out the otherwise broad information diet we all get by default by being on the internet, consuming media, and just kind of being a modern human.”

A wonderful suggestion from Allen Pike I needed to hear, particularly going into 2024. I certainly don’t mind knowing a little bit about a lot (I feel like being a jack-of-all is my MO), but I do burn unnecessary amounts of time perusing through superficial information that doesn’t pay quality dividends relative to the time investment.

iA Notebook

This looks like a beautiful little product. I’m not short on notebooks at the moment, but I might just have to pick one of these up when they become available.

The release of all these always-recording devices and software (Rewind and company) as of late has me thinking about this quote I have stored away in My Mind:

“Never in history have lives been less lived, yet so well documented”

I didn’t have the author of the above quote noted, but searches suggest it’s derivative of this quote from comedian Dennis Miller.

Jennifer Aldrich in a Medium post titled “Remote work is more than a job perk—for people with chronic illness, it’s life changing":

Remote work allows people who are chronically ill to have full time jobs & excel in them. Some people don’t understand how empowering that is.

This is something I consistently think about, not only in the broader sense and for others, but also as it pertains to my own life and career.

I didn’t start writing (with compensation) until after I was in remission following my ABVD treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma, but I constantly imagine what I could do to continue to support my family were another illness to strike. Thankfully, my remote work would likely afford me the opportunity to continue to provide, albeit likely at a much slower pace, but I know not everyone is that fortunate.

Remote work isn’t the perfect solution for every situation. But as Aldrich notes, it can provide not only compensation for those who might not be able to work in an office environment, but also a sense of community, purpose, and empowerment, which — I can attest all too vividly — are incredibly important when you can otherwise feel distanced from the world.

A friendly reminder from Patrick Rhone:

As we prepare to enter these too busy times, don’t forget to give yourself the gift of spending some time doing absolutely nothing this season.

As a father of an 18 month old with another due in a week, this is something I tried to take to heart over the Thanksgiving weekend and something I’ll continue to do throughout the holiday season. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had this many days in a row where I wasn’t writing my own articles or editing someone else’s.