It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock in London. That means it’s time to down tools, pour yourself a drink and look back at what A Prodigal Week it has been.
Glass in hand? Let me offer you some canapés of news and views.
GADGETS
Who needs an iPhone 13 Pro?
By all accounts, the cameras on the new iPhone 13 Pro are superb. But what if you’re - whisper it - being sensible this year? What if you’re not upgrading to the latest from Cupertino because dropping over a grand on a phone every year is starting to feel a little painful? Well Halide, for a long time the best 3rd party camera app on iPhone, has your back. The Verge reports:
Halide’s 2.5 update doesn’t just add support for the iPhone 13 Pro’s existing macro feature that Apple made. It takes things a step further and adds a macro mode for older iPhones, too, using Apple’s Neural Engine for “AI-based detail enhancement,” which uses a neural network to squeeze extra detail out of the close-up shot, even when you crop in.
Since I deleted Instagram and migrated my photos over to Glass, not only have I been far happier about the world but it’s also rejuvenated my interest in photography. In addition to the aforementioned macro mode, Halide provide full manual control over your iPhone photos as well as many useful tutorials. I recommend it. (Sadly, neither Halide nor Glass are sponsoring this week’s missive.)
Also worth your time
Nintendo Switch OLED reviewed: “Sure, the improved 7-inch screen is pretty great. But it's the revamped kickstand that makes this handheld shine.”
Windows 11 reviewed: “I can’t point to a single feature in Windows 11 that’s really worth upgrading instantly for; instead, it’s a collection of changes that make the OS feel more modern and easier to use.”
Lego Titanic released: “The 9,090-piece Titanic is the largest Lego model ever released. It even breaks apart into multiple sections revealing its inner workings.”
WATCHES
The boring Reverso
Our friends at Fratello ran a piece this week declaring Jaeger-LeCoultre’s masterpiece, the Reverso, “boring”. Lex Stolk writes:
I like a watch that soothes rather than tries to whip me in a state of frenzy. And nothing soothes like a classic steel Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso with small seconds, blued hands, and a bit of guilloche on a silvered dial.
While I love any excuse to dive into the Reverso’s immense appeal, I think Lex is both heroically right in his praise for the Reverso and moronically wrong in his reasoning.
I’d argue the Reverso is the very opposite of boring. It’s an unusual watch that marks out a true watch aficionado, it has enormous hidden depths regardless of the model you choose, and it comes from one of the greatest brands in watchmaking. Far from being boring, the sight of a Reverso on anyone’s wrist tells me they’re someone I’d be excited to chat to.
Also worth your time
Urwerk UR-110 Bakelite introduced: “This is a unique piece celebrating the 10th anniversary of this collection but also saying goodbye… The watch will be auctioned off on the brand’s dedicated website, with most of the proceeds going to the Swiss Red Cross.
MB&F LM1 Longhorn glimpsed: “This piece unique from MB&F changes everything we know about lugs.”
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition reviewed: “The result is, without a doubt, very convincing, as we’re about to see with this stunning limited edition in white gold with salmon pink gold dial.”
CARS
Geneva Motor Show canceled
For the third year in a row, the motor show has been cancelled. Yes, it’s partly to do with the pandemic but the global chip shortage has to take some of the blame too. As Engadget reports, this is not good news:
Pre-pandemic, it was one of the largest car shows in the world. It would usually attract more than 600,000 visitors, including some 10,000 journalists, to Swizterland. Beyond its sheer size and scale, the show was particularly known for all the new and wild concepts cars that would debut on its floor.
I’m cancelling the rest of this week’s CARS section in disappointment.
Don’t miss…
🍾 Talking Hands is back after a six year hiatus (not counting the NOS episode we unearthed). Eric and I sat down over a bottle of wine to discuss the vintage Omega Speedmaster and Breitling Navitimer.
Watch it here >
⏳ No Time To Die, Bond’s latest outing, is sensational.
Join us at Omega’s preview screening >
🍎 Apple’s September event wasn’t all about iPhones. Indeed, the most interesting announcement was iPad-related.
Discover the highlights >
Welcome to the weekend, folks. 🍸