Google creep

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Google, don’t make it jarring to move from one app to another. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

Apple Car, Tesla, and the charging station problem

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According to this Reuters article, Apple is talking with charging station companies:

Apple is now asking charging station companies about their underlying technology, one person with knowledge of the matter said. The talks, which have not been reported, do not concern charging for electric cars of Apple employees, a service the company already provides. They indicate that Apple is focused on a car, the person added.

If Apple is building a car, of course they’re going to be involved in the rollout of charging stations. And that’s where things become problematic.

Apple’s McDonald’s solution for India

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Tim Culpan, writing for Bloomberg, homes in on India’s desire that Apple build all devices sold in India in India, and proposes and McDonald’s franchise approach as a possible compromise. Very interesting.

Peter Thiel, comic book hero

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Ben Thompson comments on the Peter Thiel, Gawker battle that’s become front and center news.

Where Google lags Apple badly

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The FCC is stepping in to address the lag in user adoption by Google and Apple. But wait, look at the numbers. Apple is certainly holding up their end.

Chewbacca mom and J.J. Abrams

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[VIDEO] A few days ago, Candace Payne posted this video, showing just how much she loved her newly purchased Chewbacca mask. The internet approved, her video broke all kinds of viewing records.

Then James Corden asked her to appear in one of his carpool sketches. Pretty solid.

Echo vs Siri

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M.G. Siegler, on using an Echo for three months, vs. his long-time Siri experience. Some good points, along with some counterpoints.

Apple fails to get India’s 30% local sourcing waiver, but don’t count them out

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Live Mint:

“There is nothing to show that Apple’s technology is cutting edge. DIPP has been asked to come out with a clear-cut guideline defining ‘cutting edge’ and ‘state-of-the-art’ technology for which such a waiver can be given. There are other companies also in the queue. It could create controversy if we waived the norms for only one without stated guidelines,” the official cited above said.

A second government official said the fact that Apple did not have a manufacturing facility in India went against it. This person also spoke on condition of anonymity.

This isn’t over.

Microsoft drops consumer smartphone business

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From the Microsoft press release announcing this “streamlining”:

Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday announced plans to streamline the company’s smartphone hardware business, which will impact up to 1,850 jobs.

Oy.

The time Steve Jobs killed a Q&A with bluntness

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[VIDEO] M.G. Siegler, writing about a closing keynote speech Steve Jobs gave at the 1997 WWDC conference (recalls that Steve Jobs was newly returned to Apple at the time):

It’s almost unbelievable how prescient nearly everything Steve Jobs says here actually is. If not all of it came to pass, nearly all of it did. And he spoke about things in great detail. As Rands notes, Jobs wasn’t underestimating the future, he was writing it, seemingly on the fly in that conversation.

Watch the video, embedded in the main post.

Editing your Siri query

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Some thoughts on Google’s I/O announcement and some specifics on editing your Siri query.

Isolated guitar from Aerosmith’s Walk This Way

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[VIDEO] Just came across this isolated Joe Perry guitar work. Hearing the guitar without all the other layered production elements was a real revelation. This is some beautifully subtle guitar work by a real master.