Pick a movie, album, TV show, book, etc., and the artwork finder will bring up the associated iTunes artwork.
Play with it, it’s fun.
Apple’s iCloud keychain overview
Pretty much everything you’d ever want to know about iCloud keychain, with lots of links for more detail. Well done, very readable.
USB-C hubs
Jonny Evans takes a short look at some noteworthy USB-C hubs. Of particular note is the HyperDrive kickstarter:
Announced last year, HyperDrive occupies two of your MacBook Pro’s four USB-C slots. In exchange, it provides you with twin USB 3.1 ports, a microSD and an SD slot, a single USB-C port (at 5Gbps), a Thunderbolt 3 port and HDMI video output. You can power two displays at 4K or a single display at 5K with this.
All this for only $69. Seems like a terrific solution, assuming it ships. Here’s the Kickstarter link.
Medium pivots, shuts New York and DC offices
Ev Williams, CEO of Medium:
As of today, we are reducing our team by about one third — eliminating 50 jobs, mostly in sales, support, and other business functions. We are also changing our business model to more directly drive the mission we set out on originally.
And:
We set out to build a better publishing platform — one that allowed anyone to offer their stories and ideas to the world and that helped the great ones rise to the top. In 2016, we made big investments in teams and technology aimed at attracting and migrating commercial publishers to Medium. And in order to get these publishers paid, we built out and started selling our first ad products. This strategy worked in terms of driving growth, as well as improving the volume and consistency of great content. Some of the web’s best publishers are now on Medium, and we’re happy to work with them every day.
And:
However, in building out this model, we realized we didn’t yet have the right solution to the big question of driving payment for quality content. We had started scaling up the teams to sell and support products that were, at best, incremental improvements on the ad-driven publishing model, not the transformative model we were aiming for.
Terribly difficult problem to solve. Medium is a terrific platform, but they face the same problem as the models they aim to replace: How do you convert reader interest and attention into cash?
We are shifting our resources and attention to defining a new model for writers and creators to be rewarded, based on the value they’re creating for people. And toward building a transformational product for curious humans who want to get smarter about the world every day. It is too soon to say exactly what this will look like.
In a world where fake news pays better than real news, this is a truly daunting challenge.
VESA and HDMI update standards, implications for MacBook
Great post from Jeff Benjamin about the emerging 8K standard from VESA (They created the DisplayPort standard) and HDMI.
One particular point of interest:
One of the biggest takeaways is that HBR3 enables support of 4K at 60Hz using only two DisplayPort lanes. This means that DisplayPort Alt Mode via the USB-C interface can provide full 4K resolution at 60Hz, and still have two high-speed lanes remaining for SuperSpeed USB operation.
Why is this of note? Take the recently released LG UltraFine 4K Display, for example. That display takes advantage of DisplayPort Alt Mode, but the remaining downstream USB ports are forced to use antiquated USB 2.0 due to the lack of bandwidth. HBR3 would solve such an issue.
And:
To be fair, this isn’t exactly new, as DisplayPort 1.3, which was ratified in September 2014, also includes HBR3. VESA thereafter rolled HBR3 into DisplayPort 1.4. Unfortunately the Thunderbolt 3-enabled MacBook Pros and the 12-inch MacBook still rely on the HBR2-laden DisplayPort 1.2 for external display connectivity.
Fascinating stuff.
Apple confirms $1 billion investment in SoftBank Vision Fund
Wall Street Journal:
Apple Inc. headlines a growing list of investors in SoftBank Group Corp.’s $100 billion technology fund, which is expected to include Foxconn Technology Group Ltd. and the family office of Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison, the Japanese telecommunications giant said Wednesday.
Apple separately said it plans to invest $1 billion in the Japanese telecom giant’s fund. “We believe their new fund will speed the development of technologies which may be strategically important to Apple,” said Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet. She added that Apple has worked with SoftBank for many years.
The trio joins a list of investors that includes Qualcomm Inc. and Saudi Arabia’s government, which plans to invest $45 billion over a five-year period, SoftBank said Wednesday. SoftBank will invest $25 billion in its fund, it added.
Lots of reasons for Apple to do this. They’ll be cementing partnerships with Foxconn, Qualcomm, and others and the fund itself could prove quite lucrative. But can’t help but wonder if this is part of a larger deal with the incoming Trump administration, who’ve long hawked Trump’s agreement with Softbank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son to invest $50B to bring jobs to the US.
George Lucas can’t give his $1.5 billion museum away
Bloomberg:
He wants to construct a Lucas museum to house and display his art collection—much of it proudly lowbrow, such as works by the sentimentalist Norman Rockwell; original Flash Gordon comic book art; Mad magazine covers; and memorabilia from his own Star Wars films. According to an early plan for the museum, his trove of Star Wars material includes 500,000 artifacts from the prequels alone. Lucas refers to such works as “narrative art,” the kind that “tells a story.” He believes they’ve been unfairly ignored by snooty critics and curators, and he wants his museum to rectify that.
Lucas has offered to build his museum in a major American city for free. Including construction costs, an endowment, and the value of the artwork, his organization says the total value of his gift is $1.5 billion. “It’s an epic act of generosity and altruism,” says Don Bacigalupi, the museum effort’s president. “George Lucas, as with any person of great resources and great success, could choose to do whatever he wants to do with his resources, and he has chosen to give an extraordinary gift to the people of a city and the world.”
But so far, Lucas hasn’t found a permanent home for his museum. The monumental project has brought him almost as much grief as Jar Jar Binks.
I suspect he’d find a taker if he’d be willing to bend a bit more, take some design guidance and help with curation.
Apple Music, best of 2016
[VIDEO] This (video in the main Loop post) popped up on Apple’s YouTube channel yesterday. A bit of a greatest hits of 2016, with bits from around the Apple ecosystem.
Apple sued over fatal FaceTime crash
BBC News:
An American couple, whose daughter was killed by a driver allegedly using FaceTime on his iPhone, have launched a lawsuit against Apple.
The lawsuit alleges that the firm should have introduced a feature that disabled use of the video-chat application while driving.
It points to a patent for such a feature for drivers filed by Apple in 2008.
And:
The driver involved in the crash – Garrett Wilhelm – drove his SUV into the back of the Modisette family’s vehicle while travelling at high speeds.
The lawsuit documents state that he told police he was using FaceTime at the time of the crash and that the application was still active when police found his phone at the scene.
Mr Wilhelm is facing a jury trial on manslaughter charges in February.
Is Apple responsible for a user using their cell phone while driving? If this lawsuit goes forward, will this be the precedent that triggers a wave of similar lawsuits?
Tricky legal ground. Does the existence of the patent distinguish this case from a more traditional driving when texting crash? Does a patent bring with it responsibility to implement?
Nike’s new Kevin Hart Apple Watch commercials
[VIDEO] Start with the video in the main Loop post (the longest of the spots), then, if this spot is your cup of tea, hop over to the Nike YouTube channel to see the rest of the series (7 in all).
Apple horse trading in India
Tim Culpan, Bloomberg:
Apple Inc. wants to be able to open its own stores in India. India’s government wants Apple to make iPhones locally. And so the horse-trading begins.
And:
To open single-brand stores, foreign companies must buy 30 percent of their components in-country. Round one of the Apple-India tussle ended with victory for the visitor when officials announced a three-year grace period on that stipulation back in June.
Now round two is underway, with Apple seeking tax concessions, including lower import and manufacturing duties.
And:
That puts the ball back in Apple’s court, with the world’s largest company able to trade its three major assemblers — Foxconn Technology Group, Pegatron Corp. and Wistron Corp. — off against each other. Whichever of the Taiwan trio is most eager and able to take one for the team in India would secure itself huge brownie points in Cupertino.
According to the Times of India, Wistron looks set to be that company and will fly the Apple flag when it starts “Make in India” iPhone assembly in April.
All very interesting. Presumably, iPhones built in India will stay in India, with US-destined iPhones continuing to come from China. For the moment.
Tim Cook named on Forbes 10 most influential current business leaders list
David Williams, Forbes:
Steve Jobs is a hard act to follow, but thus far, Tim Cook is doing a tremendous job. Rather than attempt to match the consumer-facing innovations that Jobs had been known for, Cook is forging the future with his own new advances. Unlike Jobs, he can be soft-spoken and unassuming. Once misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, he has become much more cognizant of the challenges his employees and others may face and has become highly involved in charitable causes. One of his famous leadership quotes is the simple but highly insightful remark that “you kind of want to manage a technology company like you’re in the dairy business. If it gets past its freshness date, you have a problem.” He has definitely been instrumental in keeping Apple’s outlook and consumer products vibrant and up to date.
Not really a top 10 list, more a personal list for Williams, but the sentiment rings true. Also on the list, Elon Musk, Larry Page, Melinda Gates, Rupert Murdoch, and Warren Buffett. Interesting reading.
Apple’s iBooks Game of Thrones enhanced edition
[VIDEO] This video came out over the holidays, a promotion for the iBooks enhanced edition of Game of Thrones. I’ve been in power-save (vacation) mode, and just stumbled on it this weekend, thought it was worth a post for all you GoT fans.
Growing a different Apple
Vindu Goel, New York Times:
Founded in 2014 by three former senior managers from Apple’s iPod and iPhone groups, Pearl has tried to replicate what its leaders view as the best parts of Apple’s culture, like its fanatical dedication to quality and beautiful design. But the founders also consciously rejected some of the less appealing aspects of life at Apple, like its legendary secrecy and top-down management style.
This story is about trying to create a new company from the seeds of Apple’s approach and culture, but without the deeply compartmentalized secrecy for which Apple is so famous.
Pearly is best known for a product called RearVision, a backup camera add-on for cars without a factory installed system.
Interesting approach to product (building things for older model and lower-tier cars, a retrofit, aftermarket approach), very different from Apple and, also, very different from Nest, a company with which they are often compared. I am a fan of RearVision and look forward to see what new, first-to-market products emerge from Pearl.
The difference between Google Assistant and Siri
[VIDEO] Matt Birchler on putting Google Assistant and Siri through their paces:
The tech narrative is that Siri sucks and Google Assistant is the second coming. I have been using Siri for years, and have been going 100% in on Android over the last few weeks and have given Google Assistant a solid effort. My experience has been a little different than the popular narrative.
Watch the video for the details. Bottom line, I recognize this experience. Siri does a lot really well. To maximize your Siri satisfaction, learn the boundaries, get a sense of what Siri does reliably that fits in your day-to-day workflow.
In my experience, Siri does a lot that’s pretty bulletproof. One example is reminders. If I need to remember something, the first thing I do is figure out an ideal time to be reminded, then pull out my iPhone or “Hey, Siri” my Apple Watch and ask Siri to remind me. If there’s failure here, it is always up front and obvious. And that’s easily repaired.
Where Siri is less reliable, I find another path. If I ask Siri a question she can’t answer, I don’t get frustrated. These are early days still, for Google, Amazon, and Apple’s Siri.
Speed up your Mac via hidden prefs
Three ways to speed up your Mac, all via Terminal and the defaults write command. Good stuff from Rob Griffiths.
Apple’s AirPods have a magic moment
Casey Liss and his AirPods have a lovely little New Year’s Eve moment.
Google Home vs. Amazon Echo: The ecosystem divisions are getting deeper
Dan Moren, Six Colors:
At present, there’s certainly not much to recommend the Home to people who already own an Echo or Echo Dot. Most of what the Home can do, the Echo can do just as well, with the exception of translation and Chromecast support.
Those on the fence about which smart speaker to buy have a less enviable decision. Both are attractive, well-made devices in their own way, and both will scratch that itch of a ubiquitous assistant at your constant beck and call. To date, the Echo remains the heavyweight champion of the market, thanks to its deep bench of features and third-party skills, but it would be unwise to underestimate Google’s resources and expertise if the company decides this is a field where it wants to devote its energy.
It’s early days for the always-on, stay-at-home assistant. One thing that is clear: Google Home and Amazon Echo are extensions of their relative ecosystems. If and when Apple builds one, I expect their fixed assistant to favor Apple’s ecosystem, too.
A pity, that. If I were to hire an assistant, I would never hire someone who had to check the branding involved before they could help me with a particular task. The divisions are getting deeper.
How China built iPhone City, and the complexities of moving Apple manufacturing to the US
David Barboza, New York Times:
The state-of-the-art facility was built several years ago to serve a single global exporter: Apple, now the world’s most valuable company and one of China’s largest retailers.
The well-choreographed customs routine is part of a hidden bounty of perks, tax breaks and subsidies in China that supports the world’s biggest iPhone factory, according to confidential government records reviewed by The New York Times, as well as more than 100 interviews with factory workers, logistics handlers, truck drivers, tax specialists and current and former Apple executives. The package of sweeteners and incentives, worth billions of dollars, is central to the production of the iPhone, Apple’s best-selling and most profitable product.
And:
It all centers on Zhengzhou, a city of six million people in an impoverished region of China. Running at full tilt, the factory here, owned and operated by Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn, can produce 500,000 iPhones a day. Locals now refer to Zhengzhou as “iPhone City.”
This is a terrific read, focusing on China’s financial incentives that help keep Foxconn’s costs low and, in turn, lower the cost of building the iPhone.
At the heart of the article is the question of Apple’s manufacturing future, given this:
President-elect Donald J. Trump has vowed to bring down the full force of the government on American companies that move jobs overseas, threatening punitive tariffs on the goods they sell back at home. Apple has been a frequent target of Mr. Trump, who said during the campaign that he would get the technology company to “build their damn computers and things in this country.”
Trump has repeatedly promised an Executive Order to put a 5% tariff on all imported goods, with the possibility of more tariffs specifically aimed at companies like Apple who do the vast majority of their manufacturing overseas.
Note that Foxconn is a Taiwanese company, headquartered in Taipei. Zhengzhou is in central China, near the Huang He (Yellow River). Taiwan’s relationship with China and the economic uncertainties of tariffs add great complexity to this equation.
Carrie Fisher, gone
This is very difficult, a body blow. Of course I remember Princess Leia, but when I think of Carrie Fisher, I think of Wishful Drinking (book and HBO special) and her great arc on 30 Rock.
And then there’s this.
Damn.
Drone footage of skaters on a pristine, frozen lake
[VIDEO] Yeah, this is beautiful. My imagination, or did they make a moose or a reindeer with their skates? Check the image right at :58, just before the fade.
No battery icon for the AirPods
I was reading this post from Kirk McElhearn, walking through ways of checking AirPods battery life, when I noticed that the iPhone AirPods icon does not include a battery life icon.
For example, here’s what I see with my Bluetooth headphones. Note the headphone icon in the upper right, showing the battery life left in my headphones.
While the AirPods do show up as a Headphone icon on the iPhone, they do not include a battery level indicator in the icon. Any idea why this is?
There’s a Twitter thread on this here. Feel free to weigh in.
One thought is that the AirPods would require three different battery icons (left and right, plus the case itself), perhaps too much clutter for the limited space.
UPDATE: Curiouser and curiouser. Looks like anything with a W1 chip loses the battery sub-icon in the iPhone status bar. Powerbeats 3 have a single charge source (mini USB plug) and do not have the battery sub-icon. Certainly not a big deal, but I am a curious fellow.
Demon creatures from the deep
These pictures are amazing. They are from deep sea fisherman Roman Fedortsov’s Twitter stream. As fantastic as they are scary. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were special effects castoffs from some sci-fi movie.
Not for the squeamish.
The Mac is in the back seat, especially the Mac Pro
Mark Gurman, Bloomberg:
Interviews with people familiar with Apple’s inner workings reveal that the Mac is getting far less attention than it once did. They say the Mac team has lost clout with the famed industrial design group led by Jony Ive and the company’s software team. They also describe a lack of clear direction from senior management, departures of key people working on Mac hardware and technical challenges that have delayed the roll-out of new computers.
Combine this with Tim Cook’s response to employees in an internal memo:
“Some folks in the media have raised the question about whether we’re committed to desktops,” Cook wrote. “If there’s any doubt about that with our teams, let me be very clear: we have great desktops in our roadmap. Nobody should worry about that.”
It’s not that I am worried. It’s more that I recognize that Macs are in the back seat now. Especially the Mac Pro.
Letting the Mac Pro languish is shortsighted thinking. As I’ve said many times, Apple developers are foundational to Apple’s success. Inside Apple, developers are building the secret future. Outside Apple, developers are building the apps, macOS and iOS, that bring life and revenue to the ecosystem. Make sure those developers have the best tools possible so they can do their work efficiently and effectively.
And don’t let elegant design be a bottleneck for the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro need not be retail store pretty. Just make it powerful as can be, let me add memory and drives, swap out video cards, VRAM, GPUs, SSDs and the like for third party options, and get it to me ASAP. It can be ugly or plain, just not loud. As long as it runs the latest macOS and is compatible with all the major power tools, like Final Cut Pro, Logic, ProTools, Xcode, Photoshop, etc.
A day in the life of a Windows phone user
This just made me laugh. [H/T Robert Davey]
AirPods now officially gone from stock. Hot gift of the season, if you can get them.
Apple’s AirPods have now officially joined the NES Classic and Hatchimals as the high demand, hardest to get your hands on, marked up outrageously on eBay, must have gifts of the season.
Apple added AirPods to their personal shopper list so you can check stock at your local Apple Stores. But iStockNow is showing zero stock. Anywhere. And Apple is showing first availability as February 13th.
Scorchingly hot product.
A look at the AirPod iOS and macOS settings
Want to see if your local Apple Store has any AirPods in stock?
We’ve written about iStockNow before. You can use it to check if your local Apple Store stocks the specific iPhone or Apple Watch model you want.
Now they’ve added AirPods to the database. Good stuff.
UPDATE: Interestingly, when I first wrote this post, there was stock in several stores. As of this update, iStockNow shows no stores with stock.
AirPods put through a torture test, with high drops and a run through the washer
[VIDEO] Apple delivers a new piece of tech, someone films that tech being smashed and submerged. Count on this happening. Sometimes the video is helpful, sometimes it is simply gratuitous.
This one is worth watching. There is every chance you will drop your AirPods onto a hard surface, and there is also a chance that you will accidentally leave your AirPods in your pocket and run them through the washer.
Place your bets. Will they fail? Video in the main Loop post.
AirPods, Siri, and the voice-first interface
Ben Bajarin, Tech.pinions:
Apple’s AirPods are just wireless headphones about as much as the Apple Watch is “just” a watch and iPhone is “just” a phone. Nothing makes this more apparent than the Siri experience.
And:
It is remarkable how much better Apple’s Siri experience is with AirPods. In part because the microphones are much closer to your mouth and, therefore, Siri can more clearly hear and understand you. I’m not sure how many people realize how many Siri failures have to do the distance you are from your iPhone or iPad, as well as ambient background noise and the device’s ability to clearly hear you.
And:
Thanks to the beam forming mics and some bone conduction technology, Siri with the AirPods is about as accurate a Siri experience I’ve had. In fact, in the five days I’ve been using the AirPods extensively, I have yet to have Siri not understand my request.
And:
You very quickly realize, the more you use Siri with the AirPods, how much the experience today assumes you have a screen in front of you. For example, if I use the AirPods to activate Siri and say, “What’s the latest news?” Siri will fetch the news then say, “Here is some news — take a look.” The experience assumes I want to use my screen (or it at least assumes I have a screen near me to look at) to read the news. Whereas, the Amazon Echo and Google Home just start reading the latest news headlines and tidbits.
These are just a few nuggets from a much longer piece. One core question that emerges is, should we design for the screen? Instead, perhaps we should design for the screen as an option, or somehow let the user choose, perhaps with a gesture that says, “I’ve got no screen, pipe all the info into my ears”.
Good stuff from Ben Bajarin.