The free version offers scoring, shot tracking and statistics (plus a weather forecast).
For a fee, users get 3D greens maps, club recommendations, advanced stats and more.
It’s handy, on the course. But what about the courses themselves? How can golfers share photos? Insights into which bunkers are not in good shape, or where the wind whips off nearby water? Or get recommendations from friends, while traveling somewhere new?
That’s the territory — before and after rounds — that Linx has staked out.
The app is in a soft launch phase. It teed off right here, at courses like Longshore and Rolling Hills Country Club.
Linx is the brainchild of Daniel Rosenkranz. The Staples High School Class of 2021 member was not on the golf team — he swam, volunteered with the Westport YMCA special education swim program, and founded the Aerial Photography Club.
After studying philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Michigan, Rosenkranz landed a consulting job. But the starting date was a few months off. So he trained for a half-Ironman, and headed to Peru where he worked at a hostel, surfed, and improved his Spanish.
From left: Daniel Rosenkranz, father Jeff, brothers Eli and Jeremy.
As he began his consulting gig, Rosenkranz realized that he could use AI tools to build an app. Golf seemed a perfect target.
“Golfers like to share opinions,” he notes.
Nearly everyone else does too. Runners, cyclists and fitness enthusiasts have Strava. There are many ways to rate and talk about movies, music and restaurants.
“But there was no way to hear about how your friends were playing, except texting,” Rosenkranz says.
Linx fills that gap. From comments (“everyone plays at a super slow pace”) to recommendations (“my favorite course in South Florida!”), and with the ability to upload photos while on the course, or after, the app works exactly as he envisioned.
Linx users can find (left) and rate (right) golf courses.
Getting on the App Store is not easy. Apple’s strict requirements meant that Rosenkranz was constantly fixing one issue, then forced to work on another.
It was frustrating — but ultimately helpful. “They found serious stuff,” Rosenkranz says.
Since the rollout, marketing has been primarily through social media and word of mouth. Golfers pass Linx on to their foursomes, colleagues, college friends — anyone they know who spends time on the links.
The app is free. Rosenkranz is growing the user base, before transitioning to a revenue model. He hopes to charge courses for promotion, and/or allow users to book tee times through the app for a fee.
Every user has their own customizable page.
As for the founder: He has posted already about Longshore and Rolling Hills (his home course).
Plus The Bridge in the Hamptons, which he played this summer with UM friends.
He described that course’s ocean view. And added, “it’s in as good shape as advertised.”
Fore!
(Linx is available through the App Store — search for “Linx golf app.” Rosenkranz welcomes feedback from users; email danielrosenkranz7@gmail.com.)
(“06880” regularly covers recreation, technology, Staples graduates — and, like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Like many Westporters, Oona Robinson’s life was filled with travel and adventure.
The South Africa native’s management consulting career took her to Toronto, then New York. She met her future husband on a Roosevelt Island tennis court.
They married, had kids, and migrated from the Upper East Side to Westchester, then Westport. Robinson was deputy CFO of Webster Bank, then joined Capital One as CFO of their commercial bank division just before COVID.
Oona Robinson
In 2022 their oldest son graduated from Staples High School. On a trip to South Africa shortly thereafter, her husband had a seizure. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma — an aggressive brain tumor.
She left her job, to care for him. Two years later, he died. She was an empty nester, a widow, and exhausted.
During her husband’s illness, Robinson had reflected on her many roles — including trip planner.
She told her husband about a business idea: an app that takes some of the burden off of the people (usually women) who plan family journeys.
He loved it.
After his funeral, she mentioned the concept to a friend. Encouraged, Robinson began developing it.
She spent much of 2025 creating a prototype, getting feedback and tweaking it. Eric Shapiro — CEO of app developer ArcTouch, paired with Robinson through StartUp Westport‘s mentorship program — helped immensely.
“He gave me courage to lean in, and trust my own voice,” she says.
Pivoting from Wall Street to the web has been eye-opening — and exhilarating.
“My whole career had been spent in aggressive competition,” Robinson says. “There’s a wariness there about who you bring into any conversation.
“This is the exact opposite. Very successful people have been available for always, for nothing in return. They just want me to succeed.”
In July, Robinson launched FliFlo. It’s “a private space for friends and family to plan, experience and remember” every vacation.
Or any other event — a family reunion, baby’s christening, etc. — that requires planning, coordination and communication.
Robinson had not thought of other group activities, like a youth sports tournament. But that’s another opportunity.
People will continually discover their own uses for FliFlo, she says.
(And those who are not going on a trip — someone who is busy or ill, say — can also use the app. They’ll see what they’re missing, and afterward what they missed, hopefully without too much envy.)
Sharing photos and comments.
Despite little promotion, it’s growing organically. Word of mouth has been good. “People try it, they like it, and they tell people,” Robinson says.
That’s the whole idea. If you’re going on, say, a family vacation, one person sends a link to the others. Together, everyone helps plan activities, adding suggestions and comments far beyond a text-based group chat.
As an itinerary is built, details — including confirmation emails and PDFs — can be manually or automatically added in.
Creating a shared itinerary.
“It takes the burden off the uber-planner,” Robinson notes. “It makes the process simpler for everyone, and captures the essence of the experience.”
During the event, everyone can upload comments.
Afterward, the site is a great way to relive the experience.
Right now, the site has no ads. There are no subscriptions either, though that may happen down the line.
But for now, it’s free. (Unlike probably any other part, of any trip.)
Sounds like a plan!
(For more information, and to download FliFlo for an iPhone or Android, click here.)
(“06880” reports often on Westport’s entrepreneurial scene — and interesting Westporters. If you like stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Between its sloping floor, river view, frequently flooded parking lot and basic but down home menu, “the Duck” never pretended to be anything other than what it was: Westport’s favorite (okay, only) dive bar.
One view of the Black Duck … (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
For decades, the former barge — which always seems ready to sink, yet somehow remains afloat — never changed.
… and another. (Photo/John Videler for VidelerPhotography)
But the age of AI is here.
And it’s everywhere. Including the Duck.
Last weekend, longtime Westporter Scott Smith, his son Cole Prowitt-Smith and Cole’s girlfriend headed to Saugatuck.
She’s from out of town. Cole wanted to show her a genuine Westport landmark.
They sat outside, on the covered deck. As Scott enjoyed the classic view of the Saugatuck River under the I-95 bridge — with action at the boat ramp across the water, and listening to trains rumbling past — Cole showed him the menu.
It was a new design. Scott says, “perhaps I wouldn’t have picked up on it. But since Cole is a Gen Zer working in New York, and very much involved with AI, he pointed out some glaring absurdities with the photos on the cover.”
Black Duck menu. (Photo/Scott Smith)
As he looked closely, Scott saw that every image was “a horrid example of the AI-enshittification of our commerce and culture.”
The small second floor had been transformed into something grand. Ditto the bar.
The outdoor deck had umbrellas, like Longshore.
The sun was setting — to the north! — across what looked like a wide bay.
And, Scott wondered, What happened to I-95?!
The sun sets to the north, across an impossibly wide Saugatuck River. And why, Scott asks, is one couple sitting oddly behind the backs of others?
“The Black Duck has its own beauty and history, right down to the slanted floorboards,” Scott says. “How anyone could sign off on this faux design is beyond me.
“Truth in advertising may no longer be a thing. But how do you square this AI-feverish depiction when you’re sitting in the real Duck?
“You have to laugh. But it’s not really funny.”
(“06880” regularly covers Westport’s restaurant scene — in all its forms. If you enjoy this, or any other features on “06880,” please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Sam Disraelly, his wife and their 2 girls have been Westport residents for 7 years. A Navy veteran, he is on the board of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce. He is also a founder and CEO of Your Tech Department, a cybersecurity and IT support firm with offices in Wilton, Stamford and Westport.
Sam addresses this warning to “every neighbor still using an optonline.net email address.”
If you signed up for Optimum internet more than 5 years ago, there’s a good chance you got a free email address along with it — something ending in @optonline.net or @optimum.net.
If you’ve had it a while, you might still be using it. A lot of Westport and Fairfield County residents still are. They’re familiar. They work.
And that’s exactly the problem.
Sam Disraelly
I run a cybersecurity and IT support company in Fairfield County. People call me all the time after their optonline.net or optimum.net email gets hacked. Of everything I see in this business, it’s the one service that generates the most calls of this kind.
Three things are considered baseline in 2026 for any email provider:
Two-factor / multi-factor authentication (MFA). This is a second proof of identity beyond your password — an SMS code, an app confirmation — before anyone can log in. Microsoft’s research shows MFA blocks more than 99.2% of account compromise attempts, even when a password has already been stolen. It’s become standard on nearly every major email provider.
Session logs. The ability to see where and when your account has been accessed, so if something looks wrong (a login from a country you’ve never visited) you’d actually know.
The ability to kill an active session.If you discover you’ve been breached, the ability to remotely log out every open connection to your account.
None of these exist in Optimum’s email settings. There’s nothing to configure, because the option was never built.
Optimum notes the importance of 2-factor authentication (above). However, they do not offer it.
Changing your password isn’t enough, either.
If you call Optimum and say you think your email’s been compromised, the advice you’ll get is to change your password. What they won’t tell you — because there’s no way for them to check — is whether that actually locks the hacker out.
Without session logs or the ability to end an active session, an account that’s already open in a hacker’s session before the password change simply stays open. A new password doesn’t close an existing connection; it only stops new logins. The old session keeps receiving mail as if nothing happened.
So a compromised Optimum account can stay compromised indefinitely, silently, even after you think you’ve fixed it.
An email address isn’t just an address. It’s the recovery point for your bank, your medical portal, your retirement accounts, your kids’ school logins — nearly everything password-protected online gets reset through email. If someone controls your inbox undetected, they control the keys to reset almost anything else you own.
Why hasn’t this been fixed? Because Optimum has quietly stopped investing in this service.
Buried in Optimum’s FAQ, under a page titled “How do I check my Optimum email?”, is this: “As of May 4, 2021, Optimum no longer offers the ability for new and existing Internet customers to create new Optimum email accounts.”
This means Optimum won’t create new addresses for anyone. It’s not an announcement of a shutdown, and existing accounts still work.
But Optimum’s own residential Terms of Service go further: any email account inactive for 90 days — no login, no sent or opened mail, no active forwarding — is deemed inactive and permanently deleted, contents unrecoverable, with no obligation to notify you first.
Screenshot of Optimum’s Terms of Service.
An address you’ve had for 15 or 20 years, tied to accounts you may have forgotten about, can simply vanish if you go 3 months without opening it.
Taken together: no new accounts issued since 2021, no security features added since who knows when, and inactive accounts wiped without warning. It’s a strong signal about where Optimum’s investment in this “free feature” has gone.
You don’t have to wait for Optimum to fix this, because there’s no sign they’re going to.
Instead: Set up another email address. I recommend buying a domain. Use it to host your own email on a trusted service, so you can control your own digital identity. If you need to use a free account, there are other providers like Gmail, Outlook, or a similar provider that supports MFA, session logs and remote sign-out.
Forward your Optimum mail there in the meantime, or notify your important accounts (bank, medical, etc.) of the new address or switch them over directly.
If you’re not sure how, ask someone: a neighbor, a local IT person, your kid. This isn’t a hard switch, just an overdue one.
I’ve started gathering stories from people in the area whose Optimum.net or Optonline.net email has been hacked or compromised, as part of a push to get Optimum to bring their email security up to a basic 2026 standard. If that’s happened to you and you’re willing to share what happened, I’d like to hear from you. My email is sam@yourtech.team.
This isn’t about switching internet providers. It’s about one free feature that’s been quietly neglected for 5 years while sitting at the center of — and now endangering — a lot of digital lives.
(“06880” wants our readers to be safe. We want them to be informed. And, every once in a while, we want them to show support for this hyper-local blog. Please click here. And thank you!)
But as she prepares to self-publish a book, she knows she must track expenses and sales, calculate net profit, etc.
Online tutorials jump way too fast, she says. So she turned to one of Westport’s most reliable sources for help: teenagers at the Senior Center.
That’s not a misprint.
Every Thursday afternoon all year long, high school students volunteer at the “Tech Hub.” They offer support for devices, software, and anything else computer-, laptop- and phone-related that older residents have trouble with, or questions about.
One view of the Senior Center’s Tech Hub …
The other day, Stacy met Alan Mello. The rising junior at Staples High School was “a natural,” she says.
He asked about her Excel goals. Then — “very patiently” — he walked her through whatever she needed.
“He explained everything as we created a spreadsheet, giving me every opportunity to ask questions, and without making me feel stupid,” Stacy reports.
She left with a great basic template, enough understanding of how to use it — and Alan’s contact info, in case she needed to follow up.
Alan is one of a few dozen volunteers at the Senior Center Tech Hub (not all are there every week). He volunteers because he saw his own 4 grandparents struggling at times with technology.
“I’m super-fortunate that they’re healthy,” he sys. “But they didn’t grow up with this. I’m fortunate that I did. This is a way I can help people like them.”
Alan was not entirely familiar with Excel. But he knew how to learn whatever he needed, and how to explain it to Stacy.
… and another.
That learning process is part of what Alan enjoys about working at the Senior Center. He discovers different devices and systems, and how other people use them.
Some want to interact with technology a lot, Alan says, citing a woman who was eager to learn the difference between AI assistants ChatGPT and Claude.
Others see technology as a burden. “That’s okay,” he says. “I’ve learned to be patient, and how to communicate, so they can feel a little more comfortable.”
Senior Center director Wendy Petty calls the students “friendly, patient and encouraging with everyone they help. The program bridges the generation gap, and for the students, it all seems to come naturally. They give our participants reassurance and confidence, helping with tasks that can feel frustrating or overwhelming.”
Among the issues the high schoolers solve:
Navigating website to make appointments and reservations (very important, as more services are now online-only)
Setting up new cell phones; changing settings, understanding notifications, organizing icons
Transferring and downloading photos
Setting up and and navigating social media like Instagram and Facebook, and connecting with family and friends
Setting up Tile trackers for travel
Troubleshooting email accounts
Answering questions about AI, and exploring how to use it
Registering for Senior Center programs, and using MyActiveCenter.
… and a third.
“If students don’t know the answer to a question, they collaborate to figure it out,” Petty says. “And it’s wonderful to watch these generations working together and learning from each other.”
Someone called Tech Hub “the Senior Center’s ‘Genius Bar.'”
Here’s the genius: It’s a lot closer and easier than an Apple Store or Best Buy.
(The Tech Hub at the Westport Center for Senior Activities is open from 1 to 4 p.m. every Thursday, all year long. During the school year, adult volunteers staff the first hour. For more information, call 203-341-5099.)
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. “06880” is proud to honor them — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to help us do that, by supporting this hyper-local blog.)
It’s a familiar feeling for parents of young kids.
You see a social media post about a street fair, musical event or other fun event — after the fact.
How could I have missed that? you wonder.
A better question is: How can I keep up with everything going on around here?
The answer is easy: Get Kindo.
The website (ourkindo.com) and social media platform (@ourkindo) is your go-to spot to find family activities, events and places, across Fairfield County and into New Haven.
It’s free (and ad-free).
And — here’s the secret sauce — it’s filterable.
Want to find something to do with art, science, water, sports or nature? Choose whichever categories you care about. Ignore the rest.
Other filters include dates, cost or free, and age (0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12).
Kindo is the brainchild of Dörte Inett. The Hamburg, Germany native came to New York in 2015, for her husband’s job. They were young and childless.
Dörte Inett
As often happens, the arrival of children brought moves: first to Brooklyn, then the ‘burbs.
They knew exactly 2 families in Westport, but fell in love with the town. They arrived in 2020, just before COVID. “We were so lucky,” Dörte notes.
With the pandemic raging, it was difficult to meet people. The best opportunities came through daycare, and a network of German expats.
When the world opened up again, Dörte realized the difficulty of finding — and then sorting through — the many activities for families.
In addition to raising her sons (now 6 and 4), she was managing e-commerce sites for web businesses. As a sideline, she began developing Kindo.
“It was part selfish,” she admits. “I’d be its number one user.”
Dörte Inett, her husband Tom, and sons Finn (left) and Noah.
She was fortunate to work on it one long day, with few interruptions. It came at the Stamford courthouse, waiting until 4 p.m. for a jury duty call that never came.
Friends and family provided feedback and suggestions.
Kindo — the name works on several levels, including “kinder,” which is German for “children”; it’s pronounced “kindoo,” suggesting “doing” something — launched in June.
It’s comprehensive, offering activities at museums, aquariums, libraries and zoos, along with hikes, story times, crafts classes, street fairs, playgrounds and more. On any weekend, Kindo lists scores of events.
“There are already great local resources out there,” Dörte says. “But they’re just lists. I wanted Kindo to let you filter by what your family actually needs.”
Kindo categories …
Many of the listings are pulled in and organized by AI. Dörte provides the important human-touch. “Some of what AII thinks is ‘family friendly’ really is not,” she explains.
She’s kept it ad-free “to be genuinely helpful.” She has no plans to monetize it (or leave her full-time job).
She’s marketed Kindo through chat groups, asking users to pass it along to their networks.
… and drilling down, with filters …
Less than 2 months in, the word is getting out. At last week’s StartUp Westport summer social, she explained what she does to a small group.
(“06880” regularly spotlights children’s activities in Westport — and the Westporters who make them happen. If you like stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Last week’ “06880” story on mah jong generated plenty of interest — among Westport’s many established players, and those whose curiosity in the Chinese game was piqued.
Robin Moyer Chung’s piece listed local resources, including teachers. And — this being 2026 — there’s an app for that too. Robin reports:
Mah jong has always been a part of Tara DiPippa’s life.
Her mother was an avid player. Tara learned to play in 2015, before moving to Westport.
For several years she did not meet any players. But then she and some friends hired instructor Debbie Solomon, and was back into the game.
Tara DiPippa
Tara owns a marketing consultancy. She is always looking for market gaps, or “pain points” for consumers, and tries to develop products as solutions.
A few years ago, when maj jong was beginning to get more popular, she thought about launching a line of accessories, like bags, tablecloths, candles and clothes.
The financials did not make sense. But she knew there had to be a place for her in the mah jong world.
Tara noticed that the hardest part is not learning to play — it’s applying knowledge in an actual game.
“Every one is a new challenge,” she explains. “You get 13 tiles. You look at a card with over 70 options for hands, and you have to match your tiles with the best hand to get mah jong. That is very overwhelming — especially for newer players.”
Tara thought there must be a way to show, mathematically and strategically, which hands make the most sense to focus on.
She’s not a software developer or coder, so that was that. But she kept playing. And she never forgot her idea.
Mah jong tiles can be overwhelming for beginners.
Now, with artificial intelligence, technology has rendered coding skills less important. Rather than waiting for someone else to develop her mah jong idea, Tara tackled it head on.
She spent many hours feeding hands to software. She fed it mah jong rules and strategies, and developed a prototype.
A user tells the app your 13 tiles. The algorithm figures out:
the top 3 hands to focus on, the rationale why and the strategy behind the recommendation
the 3 next best options
some hands to keep an eye on in case you start pulling certain tiles
tiles to discard, since they are not valuable to you.
Tara gave her prototype to friends of varying skill levels. They found bugs in the logic, and shared ideas on how to improve the app.
After many refinements, Tara says “Maj Jong IQ” is ready.
“The app does not teach you how to play,” she notes. “It’s a tool to make you a better player.”
The first thing a visitor to her website sees is: “You already know how to play. Now play to win.”
Mah Jong IQ “makes you a sharper player. You should use it alone, and start to train your brain on how to approach the game.
“Mah jong is basically about pattern recognition that combines strategy with luck. I can’t help you with luck. But I can help you with the strategy.”
The app helps show which hands are realistically achievable; when flexibility matters more than commitment; why some hands are harder than they appear, and how experienced players identify strong directions quickly.
Tara recommends using it with friends, as they learn together. (To keep things fair, everyone at the table should have access to it.)
“Mah jong is such an amazing way to connect with friends,” Tara says.
“You get so focused that all of the noise in your head and constant to-do lists fade away, which is so critical for people these days.”
Her app “helps that even more. It trains your brain to set your strategy early, which allows you to focus on enjoying yourself and having fun — not stressing about which hand to pick.”
Tara is a great marketer, for sure. Users get 3 analyses for free. If they like it — and she’s sure they will — unlimited access is just $14.99. “One time, no subscription,” the website says.
Game on!
(“06880” regularly reports on Westport life — and the people here who make it so interesting. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work.”)
Jay Babina is the second youngest guest ever on our “06880” podcast.
He’s also got one of the most intriguing stories. Jay is the founder, curator and driving force behind one of the most unique places in town: the Westport Tech Museum.
Click here or below to learn more about Jay’s passion, and his remarkable creation.
David Pogue’s wife Nicki woke him up to describe her dream: He’d written a book about Apple’s first 50 years.
Nah, he said. That anniversary had already come and gone.
But in the morning, he checked. The computer giant’s half-century mark was still 2 years away.
“Just enough time to write a book!” Pogue says.
A 600-page book, befitting the company’s business, technological and social impact on the globe over the past 5 decades.
No one was more suited to research and write the sprawling story than Pogue.
David Pogue (Photo/Jesse Ditmar)
He spent 13 years as a MacWorld correspondent, and another 13 as a New York Times tech writer.
He produced 2 enormously popular book series on Apple products: “Dummies” and “Missing Manuals.”
Pogue has spent a career exploring and explaining interesting topics: as a “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent (his current gig); a PBS “Nova” star; writing for Scientific American, and more.
(In an earlier life he was a Broadway conductor. You get the idea: Pogue is very curious, and very clever.)
Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 2, 7 p.m., Westport Library) Pogue returns to town, for an author talk.
The Trefz Forum is fitting. During his 2 decades here, he was deeply involved in the community. Among his many activities, he was a frequent Library speaker, panelist and moderator.
David Pogue, in the Westport Library’s “I geek …” campaign. (Photo/Pamela Einarsen)
The other day, Pogue chatted with “06880” about his book: “Apple: The First 50 Years.”
He speaks enthusiastically about many subjects. He’s especially animated about Apple.
Pogue cites their hallmarks — “beauty, elegance and simplicity.” And, he adds, “as a company, their support for equity, inclusion, LGBTQ rights, the environment is insane.”
He bought his first Apple in 1984, as a Yale University senior. College students could purchase the just-released Mac at half price. (“Brilliant marketing,” Pogue notes. “You stick with your first platform the rest of your life.”)
He lifted the computer out of the box, by its handles. He began drawing with MacPaint.
He’s been an Apple fan ever since.
The original Macintosh, with a monitor, floppy drive, keyboard and mouse.
In the early days, it was “David vs. Goliath,” Pogue recalls. Macs struggled, with 2% market share.
But, he adds, though Apple users like him paid more, “we thought we had better taste. The menu was simple. The text looked elegant. We felt very tribal.”
All these years later, that love for the product persists. Readers have posted hundreds of photos of Pogue’s book, next to their beloved desktops and laptops (and smartphones, watches and AirPods).
They wouldn’t do that for a book about Dells, or Androids.
About that book: After Nicki’s dream — and his realization that Apple was only 48 years old — Pogue went to work.
His first job was convincing company executives to grant access to current employees — including CEO Tim Cook, his top team, leading designers, and anyone else.
That wasn’t something they regularly did. Or even seldom.
But they trusted Pogue.
They gave him access not only to their employees, but to their archives in Cupertino, California.
And they agreed to his rule: Apple would have no editorial control over the content.
Evolution of the Apple logo.
He interviewed 150 Apple employees — present and past.
They told him a lot.
He learned about the Apple car. A “gorgeous,” fully electric vehicle, with 4 facing reclining seats, “world class” sound, and windows that acted as screens, it was 10 years — and $10 billion — in the making.
In 2024, the company killed it. It’s a story few know.
“No one would speak about it,” Pogue says. “But I found one guy who spilled the beans.”
Much of what the author found reinforced his belief that Apple’s insistence on excellence was more than corporate shoulder-patting.
During the development of Face ID, for example, they wanted to make sure it worked flawlessly.
On “Makeup Mondays” employees were encouraged to wear wigs, grow and suddenly shave beards, and otherwise attempt to fool prototypes. They tested it at bikers’ rallies and twins’ conferences.
“A home run would have been okay,” Pogue notes. “But they went for a grand slam.”
Why is a book about a tech company important?
“Two and a half billion — billion — people are carrying an Apple device right now,” Pogue says. “That’s 31% of every man, woman and child on earth.”
But they would not be here without “the greatest corporate turnaround in history.” During co-founder Steve Jobs’ 11 years away, Apple suffered a “long, dismal decline.” In 1996 they had 50 different Mac models, and 12 ad agencies.
At one point, 2 Apple attorneys sued each other in trademark court.
Six weeks from bankruptcy, Jobs returned. He pared the models down to 4, the ad agencies to just 1 (the “Think Different” campaign). Within a year, Jobs had righted the ship.
But none of that was foreordained. Jobs never finished college. He had no business training. His Apple III, Lisa and NeXT computers all failed.
Then came a stunning stream of successes: iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iMovie. Pogue tells that story too.
Apple’s impact on the world is profound, and indelible. Take just one product: the smartphone.
“It launched AirBnb, DoorDash, Tindr. It also led to depression, loneliness, a rise in teen suicides.”
Yet with so many products, Apple “established beauty and simplicity as hallmarks,” Pogue says. “Other companies try to emulate them.” Few can.
A sample of Apple products.
They’re a leader in other ways too. With 9,000 parts suppliers around the globe, Apple can — and does — change entire industries.
When it told its power cord manufacturer to stop using a toxic chemical, they complied. “No one ever asked before,” the supplier said.
Now, all power cords — for everyone — are made that way.
So what’s ahead? Other companies — Bell Telephone, General Electric, IBM — once ruled their industry. Nothing lasts forever.
Yet “Apple has an unbelievably long runway of failure before they’re doomed,” Pogue says.
“Two and a half billion people are locked in. It’s expensive and painful to switch to a different platform. In the meantime, Apple has the best engineers in the world.
“And the biggest bank account.”
(For more information on David Pogue’s talk tomorrow at the Westport Library, click here. For more information on his book “Apple: The First 50 Years,” click here.)
(“06880” regularly covers technology, cool people, intriguing ideas, the Library — and, like today, their intersection. If you appreciate this hyper-local blog, please click here to support us. Thank you!)
In just a couple of months since its debut, our “06880” AI widget has fielded a few thousands queries.
But many readers are not getting nearly as much out of it as they can.
They use it like Google search, rather than the much more robust engine it is.
Queries like “Staples,” “Cribari Bridge,” “library” or “[insert your name here]” are not the best way to interact with our widget.
To get a much deeper answer — one that scrapes all 17 years of “06880” content, as designed by Westport-based Thought Partnr — you should ask things like:
“What do Staples students think about the cellphone ban?”
“What is the most recent plan for the Cribari Bridge?”
“What big events are upcoming at the Westport Library?”
“What does ‘06880’ say about [insert your name here]?”
Here’s a great example of a query: “I’m thinking of moving to Westport with a young family. What are the pros and cons I should consider?”
Think of it as a conversation starter. The widget will respond; you can then continue the conversation, refine it, or simply walk away more knowledgeable about a local subject.
We’re all used to typing in a word or two in a search engine. We get a list of links that we then plow through.
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Bottom line: Take a few extra seconds to frame your question — just as you would with a friend. Give your AI buddy enough information to offer a complete, detailed response.
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The “06880” AI widget can be found on the top right of any page on the desktop and laptop platforms.
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The mother of all tag sales takes places tomorrow (Saturday).
Over 40 homeowners have signed up for the Nolan Team at Compass’ town-wide event. –
The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though individual homes might have different times.
Click here for a map, with all locations. Each site it clickable, so you can see what they offer.
Plan your route — and happy shopping!
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The Westport Library is a special place for everyone, no matter your age.
On the weekend of May 8-9 though, it becomes extra special, for a special age group: young kids.
The children’s staff has planned several events. They include:
Stuffed Animal Slumber Party (May 8, 4 p.m.): Bring a stuffed friend to the Library for fun and crafts — then leave your stuffie at the Library overnight, for a special toys-only sleepover.
Return Saturday morning to pick up your friend. Enjoy a special story time together, and discover what adventures they had at the Library.
For kindergarten and up. Registration required; click here.
Library Insiders(May 9, 10:30 a.m.): Meet the children’s staff members. Get an inside look at upcoming programs for babies, toddlers and young children. Experience activities, story time moments and learning at home ideas. Designed especially for families with young children. RSVP by May 4: rpowell@westportlibrary.org.
Train Room grand opening(May 9, noon, Higgins Room): The train room is back! Children of all ages and their caregivers are welcome, to read, relax, unwind, and “blow off steam” with the train set. Drop-ins welcome.
Reading to Rover (May 9, 4:30 p.m.) Read aloud to a therapy dog. Both early and practiced readers are welcome.
Jonathan Greenfield — a photojournalist, film director, tea importer, athlete, world traveler, environmentalist and devoted husband and father, whose battle with ALS helped and inspired countless people here and around the world — died 5 years ago at his Westport home, surrounded by family and close friends. He was just 50 years old.
He left behind quite a legacy. Breathe4ALS — a charity that he and his wife Iris created — funds research, medical equipment, and essential services for families facing the devastating disease. His children Zach, Skye and Josie have joined in too.
Their work is inspired by approaches like breathwork and cold exposure popularized by Wim Hof.
On Saturday, May 16 (3 p.m., 10 Pine Tree Drive), Skye has organized a community meditation and ice bath event. Instructor Michael Christoforo will help guests focus on mindfulness, resilience, and coming together meaningfully.
No prior experience is needed. Participants can join the guided meditation, ice bath or both, all fully supported and optional based on comfort level.
The donation of $250 per person also includes a photo book of Jonathan’s life.
To register, and for questions, email skyengreenfield@icloud.com. If you can’t attend but want to support Breathe4ALS, click here.
When the Historic District Commission meets May 12 (7 p.m., Zoom), they’ll consider demolition permits for these properties, all at least 50 years old:
Speaking of the Playhouse: In 2020, longtime benefactor Paul Newman’s daughter Melissa and graphic artist Miggs Burroughs — both longtime Westporters — repurposed a 1960s-era photo of the actor, urging “Young Citizens for Johnson” (as in, LBJ) to register and vote.
Westport’s One River School of Art + Design is gearing up for another season of immersive, hands-on summer camps.
Programs spark creativity, while helping students build skills, confidence, and a deeper connection to their artistic voice.
Offerings include Art Explorers, and Storybook Art (grades K-2); How to Draw a Dragon, Pour Painting, and Plushie Pals (grades 3-5), and Character Design, Fashion Design, Cosplay, digital art and portfolio development (grades 6-12).
Morning and afternoon sessions are available. For more information and registration, click here.
Speaking of One River: Staples High School’s Advanced Placement Art & Design students will showcase their work in a special exhibition there, later this month.
The show’s works reflect a wide range of ideas, materials, and personal expression.
During the year-long class students explore a central idea, question or theme.
Featured artists include Cole Cummings, Alexandra Emmert, Dylan Endich, Eliza Greenspan, Piper Grove, Matthew Jahn, Chloe Jordan, Aurelia Laitmon, Isabella Larson, Emersyn Miller, Sydney Minervini, Sally Nathan, Olivia Schiavone, Benjamin Serfaty, Jessie Zhang, Charlotte Booth, Dexter Chadwick, Jonathan Deitch, Natalia Garment, Kaya Halper, Nina Katz, Ava Kindt, Risa Mass, Harry McLaughlin and Penn Videler.
An opening reception is set for next Friday (May 8, 4 to 5:30 p.m.).
Chromatic work, by Matthew Jahn.
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Terrain celebrates the season tomorrow (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), with a special “Dig Into Spring” event. It includes:
Kids seed potting, a native plant tour and free potting in the nursery
Make a Mother’s Day card
Bring your garden tool, scissors or knives for sharpening
And finally … David Allan Coe — the country singer whose outlandish exploits, prison tales and obscenity-laden performances earned him notoriety as perhaps the most transgressive exponent of the outlaw country movement of the 1970s and ’80s,” according to the New York Times, died Wednesday. He was 86.
(Unlike David Allan Coe and Johnny Paycheck, we love our “06880” job. But we couldn’t do it without reader support. Thanks for clicking here, and helping us keep working here some more!)
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The app is in a soft launch phase. It teed off right here, at courses like Longshore and Rolling Hills Country Club.
She spent much of 2025 creating a prototype, getting feedback and tweaking it. Eric Shapiro — CEO of app developer 
Senior Center director Wendy Petty calls the students “friendly, patient and encouraging with everyone they help. The program bridges the generation gap, and for the students, it all seems to come naturally. They give our participants reassurance and confidence, helping with tasks that can feel frustrating or overwhelming.”
Why is a book about a tech company important?
