On Tech: Smartphones won. We can ignore them.

Smartphones are now normal and for everyone, which means we can ignore the hoopla around new models.

For Times Subscribers View in browsernytimes.com August 12, 2021 Smartphones won. We can ignore them. Smartphones are now normal and for everyone, which means we can ignore the hoopla around new models. Ruru Kuo By Shira Ovide It's that time of year when companies including Apple and Samsung try to get us VERY EXCITED about their new smartphone models. I give you permission to tune them out entirely. Some people get a thrill from the latest phone camera improvements and remodeled designs. It's fun! Or maybe you have been waiting eagerly to ditch your busted old phone. In either case, go forth and fawn. But a lot of hoopla around new smartphones is an anachronism of the years when the devices were precious pieces of magic pitched hardest at tech enthusiasts. They're not anymore. Smartphones are normal and for everyone. And that makes it natural for them to become less noteworthy. It's a sign of how miraculous smartphones are that we don't have to think about them very much. Like other consumer products including cars, TVs and refrigerators, most people in relatively affluent countries buy a new smartphone when an old one wears out or they want a change. Largely because of this healthy evolution from novel to normal, new smartphone sales had been declining for several years, although they're climbing this year. Somehow it feels like there's more pressure on us to have opinions and feelings about our phones than about our refrigerators. (Although I will not argue if you want to hug your fridge. Do it now. I'll wait.) I know that cars in particular can be emotionally resonant. But for many of us, getting a new phone, car, TV or fridge is neat for a little while and then we get used to it and it feels fine. That is fine. That said, we should be glad that smartphone makers keep improving their devices in small and large ways. It has been good that personal computers — which like smartphones shifted to less noteworthy essentials from novelties — took the opportunity to reimagine what else people might want from computers. We got clever new products like Chromebooks, the bare-bones laptops that took off in many U.S. schools because they were relatively inexpensive and easy for educators to customize for students. We also got more variety in computers that combine elements of tablets, souped-up PCs for people who love video games and computers with the zippy brains of smartphones. When computers became too normal for people to care very much, it sparked invention. It's possible that the same thing may happen in the not-magical phase of smartphones. I am cautiously curious about smartphones that fold or unfurl to offer more screen real estate in a relatively small package. So far, folding smartphones — Samsung showed off its latest models on Wednesday — have been mostly expensive and awful. I still think there's a promising idea in there. (Or, maybe not.) Smartphones also remain a test bed for useful inventions, particularly for photography and for software features such as voice recognition. So hooray for the smartphone companies that keep perfecting their products. That doesn't mean that we need to care a jot about Google's odd looking new Pixel phones — they really do look weird, though — or Apple's coming iPhone … 13? 12S? Whatever. The latest phones will be lighter, faster, better and maybe more expensive than the old ones. The cool new features will be there when you're ready. You don't have to care until then. If you don't already get this newsletter in your inbox, please sign up here. TIP OF THE WEEK Don't give up if a tech company won't fix your phone Not ready yet for a new smartphone? Brian X. Chen, a consumer tech columnist for The New York Times, has a tale of dogged determination to keep an old device alive and kicking: A few weeks ago, a reader named Marianne sent me this email: Last year I tried to get a new battery for my Samsung Galaxy S7 phone. I took it to Verizon, where I had purchased it. They told me they couldn't open the phone to replace the battery and suggested I take it to a repair shop. I called Samsung, and it took so many tries to actually speak to a human. The person I finally spoke to said I would have to send $75 for Samsung to even agree to look at the phone, and if they could install a battery, they'd contact me. I authorized my credit card for $75 and waited for the required mail authorization only to receive an email the following day saying Samsung wanted to cancel the entire transaction. At that point, I gave up. I would be perfectly happy with my S7 if it could hold a charge. I responded to Marianne, encouraging her to try again — but this time, contact a few local independent repair shops to ask if they could do the job. Days later, she replied that she had found someone and her phone was restored to its former glory! The moral of the story: Don't give up if a brand like Apple or Samsung says it can't help you fix a phone. There is an industry of independent fixers whose business is to keep your phone running, not sell you a new one. More often than not, the indie technicians are capable of doing repairs that the manufacturers are not willing to do, like replacing a defective charging port on an iPhone. Do a web search on Yelp or Google and call around to find a good, honest fixer. Stories like Marianne's highlight the importance of the right to repair movement, which I wrote about in a recent column. In general, manufacturers have been making it increasingly difficult for independent fixers to gain access to the tools, parts and instructions to fix your electronics. The Federal Trade Commission last month voted to ramp up law enforcement against illegal restrictions on repairs, so hopefully people will continue to have positive experiences with indie fixers like Marianne did. Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. Before we go … Changing a toxic culture is difficult: A rape allegation against a manager at the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba shows again the ingrained problems of sexual harassment and violence in the country's technology industry, my colleague Li Yuan writes. Alibaba has said it fired the employee accused of rape. If you're not highly visible in Google searches, do you even exist? Small local companies that deliver food for restaurants told Fast Company that they're getting squeezed out by big delivery apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. They say that part of the problem is Google search results that point people hunting for food delivery to the big apps, and Google doesn't have the manpower to add links to many of the smaller companies. Chinese Bitcoin companies in the Lone Star state: Rest of World talked to local authorities and power companies in Texas that were scrambling to generate enough affordable electricity for cryptocurrency "mining" companies fleeing a crackdown on the practice in China. (Creating virtual money needs a lot of real electricity.) Hugs to this Here are 23 seconds of a rabbit lapping water. We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think of this newsletter and what else you'd like us to explore. You can reach us at ontech@nytimes.com. If you don't already get this newsletter in your inbox, please sign up here. You can also read past On Tech columns. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for On Tech With Shira Ovide from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

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The T List: Five things we recommend this week

A Huguette Caland solo exhibition, architectural handbags — and more.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 11, 2021 Welcome to the T List, a newsletter from the editors of T Magazine. Each week, we share things we're eating, wearing, listening to or coveting now. Sign up here to find us in your inbox every Wednesday. And you can always reach us at tlist@nytimes.com. BOOK THIS Roadside Chic in Santa Barbara's Desert Country Reimagined from the bones of a 1950s motel set near the base of the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Caliente Range of the Los Padres National Forest, Cuyama Buckhorn features 21 guestrooms decorated with midcentury-modern furnishings.Courtesy of Cuyama Buckhorn By Michaela Trimble T Contributor Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT The salt flats and wildflower fields of Carrizo Plain National Monument in Santa Barbara County's remote high desert are part of the spectacular scenery accessible from Cuyama Buckhorn, a roadside motel-cum-wilderness resort that's become a favorite base camp for explorers of the area's natural beauty. Located nearly three hours northeast of Los Angeles in the historic town of New Cuyama, it first opened in 1952 and was purchased three years ago by Ferial Sadeghian and Jeff Vance of the design firm iDGroup, who reimagined the property with 21 guestrooms decorated with midcentury-modern furnishings. The latest additions include an outdoor theater and screening area, an open-air cooking school and cocktail bar, an alfresco dining space in an intimate greenhouse and a trifecta of exterior spa facilities: heated pool, Jacuzzi and barrel sauna. Chef Daniel Horn, formerly of Aman Resorts, serves hearty farm-to-table dishes like smoked pulled pork tacos on handmade tortillas with sides of Santa Maria pinquito beans and housemade spicy pickles at the Buckhorn Restaurant & Bar. cuyamabuckhorn.com. SHOP THIS Beyond Leggings Looks from Vaara's fall 2021 collection.Jonathan Frantini By Jessica Iredale T Contributor Last year, the Myanmar-born, London-based designer Kerhao Yin was tapped to spearhead the relaunch of Vaara, a line of layering pieces that was founded by Tatiana Korsakova and began with a single style: finely made color-block leggings. Having done stints under Consuelo Castiglioni at Marni and Phoebe Philo at Céline, Yin was well suited to lead the minimalistic line into its next chapter, with a new wave of pieces that sit at the nexus of sporty daywear and modern luxury. The contents of Vaara's winter 2021 collection, his second with the brand, are divided into "Body" and "Day" and hew to a '70s-inflected palette of earthy browns and oranges. The former includes bra tops and bike shorts made of recycled technical fabric and eco-friendly yarn; the latter, a long merino knit tank dress and an ivory-colored Japanese poplin down jacket. All of it is made in Italy. "I want comfort in a more elegant way," says Yin. For more proof, see the capsule collection of intarsia blankets featuring silhouetted figures, a collaboration with the artist Rosie McGuinness crafted by Norwegian wool masters Røros Tweed, that Vaara launched earlier this year. vaara.com. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT SEE THIS An Artistic Free Spirit Gets Her Due Left: an installation view of Huguette Caland's caftans, from left, "Miroir (Mirror)" (1974) and "Foule (Crowd)" (1970). Right: Caland's "Rossinante Under Cover XII" (2011).Courtesy of the artist and the Drawing Center. Photo (left): Daniel Terna. By Will Fenstermaker T Contributor The pioneering Lebanese artist Huguette Caland died in 2019, at the age of 88, after a fertile five-decade career producing paintings, drawings, sculpture and fashion. Now the Drawing Center has mounted the first-ever museum exhibition of her oeuvre in the U.S., bringing together over 100 works on paper and canvas as well as caftans, sculptures and notebooks. The daughter of Bechara El-Khoury, postcolonial Lebanon's first president, Caland moved to Paris in 1970, at age 39, to pursue her art, leaving behind a husband and three children. There she made erotic line drawings of lovers, lips and vulvas; a series of stunning semi-abstract paintings suggestive of corporeal close-ups titled "Bribes de Corps" ("Body Parts"); and pictorially embroidered caftans. These caught the eye of Pierre Cardin, who in 1978 invited her to design a line of the traditional garments with him. Caland responded by transposing her painterly themes onto them, cheekily illustrating the caftans with breasts, pubic hair and buttocks. "Huguette Caland: Tête-à-Tête" is on view through Sept. 19 at the Drawing Center, drawingcenter.org. LISTEN TO THIS One Musician's Mélange Left: Liam Kazar. Right: dishes from Isfahan, including, clockwise from top, Armenian cucumber salad, kashki bademjan (eggplant dip), maast-o musit (yogurt dip), khoresh bademjan (spicy eggplant stew with lentils) and mussakhan (Palestinian roast chicken with sumac and caramelized onions). By Daniel Wagner T Contributor Continue reading the main story ADVERTISMENT After finishing his debut album, "Due North," earlier this year, and being unable to tour to support it, the Kansas City-based musician Liam Kazar took a different act on the road: Isfahan, a pop-up restaurant inspired by his family's Armenian heritage and the regional flavors encountered during their diasporic journey through Syria, Lebanon and France. A self-taught cook, Kazar reconnected with the craft during the pandemic. "It became my favorite way to interact with people, to have them over for dinner and cook for them," he says. Before long, he was doing summer events in the Catskills and Berkshires, creating herb-stuffed Armenian hand pies; pomegranate-walnut stew with beef; and fereni, rosewater pudding with fig preserve and a pistachio-and-graham-cracker crust. Now Isfahan's evolved into a local meal-delivery and catering service in the Midwest. Meanwhile, "Due North" was released by Mare Records just last week, a winning midtempo confection of country, funk and New Wave featuring chunky guitars, celestial synths and sinuous pedal steel and anchored by Kazar's sincere but laid-back vocals. (No tour dates yet, alas.) "Due North" is available for download at woodsist.com/product/liam-kazar; eatisfahan.com. COVET THIS The Art of the Handbag Left: the Quinta bag in pale blue. Right: the Jane St. Crossbody in cacao brown.Mathieu Fortin By Thessaly La Force I didn't know I was still searching for the perfect handbag — understated but eye-catching, tasteful but luxurious — until I discovered MAS, a new line of leather goods by the Canadian fashion designer Marie-Philippe Thibault. The designer, who has worked for brands such as the Row and Louis Vuitton, and hails from a family of seamstresses, set out to create a brand that would feel both timeless and fresh. Take MAS's stunning Quinta bag, with its circular, hand-carved walnut wood handle poised atop a dainty blue suede (or black leather) tote. "I wanted the handle to resemble a piece of art," she explains. "I approach shape and form as an architect would define the volume of a house." Having partnered with both Canadian woodworkers and Italian leather manufacturers, Thibault launched MAS late last year with five different styles, each varying in color and function. Along with the Quinta, there's the Cooper's Duffle; the oversize Garden Tote; the slender Jane St. Crossbody; and the Nine to Nine shoulder bag. Says Thibault: "MAS is for a person who wants to shine while being discreet, who is soulful, passionate and ambitious." From $840; themasfamily.com. FROM T'S INSTAGRAM #RoomOfTheDay: Christopher Rawlins's Modernist Bedroom The bedroom of Christopher Rawlins's New York City home.Blaine Davis The architect Christopher Rawlins moved into his Art Deco Manhattan building in 1999 and has used his space there as a laboratory for creating a sensual sort of Modernism. In the bedroom, a pair of reproductions of Tom Bianchi Polaroids of Fire Island in the 1970s and '80s are flanked by floating shelves, which, along with the connected nightstands, are by Atlas Industries. For more, visit tmagazine.com — and follow us on Instagram. Correction: Last week's newsletter misspelled the name of a cosmetics company; it is Shu Uemura, not Shu Eumura. And if you read one thing on tmagazine.com this week, make it: Photograph by Collier Schorr. Styled by Matt Holmes The Asian Pop Stars Taking Center Stage In the West, Asian musicians have long been marginalized. Now, though, a new generation of women are transforming their respective genres. By Ligaya Mishan, Collier Schorr and Matt Holmes Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The T List from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

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