Reuters:
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) Chief Executive Tim Cook plans to visit Beijing later this month to meet high-level government officials, at a time when it is facing some setbacks in its most important overseas market, a source familiar with the matter said.
Wall Street Journal:
Apple Inc., Google parent Alphabet Inc. and several car makers are seeking large expanses of real estate in the San Francisco Bay Area for their autonomous-car operations.
Like I said, huge tracts of land.
Jordan Golson, writing for The Verge:
Tesla is selling a car with an “upgradable” battery. Only it’s not upgradable in the take-it-to-the-dealer-and-they’ll-swap-out-some-hardware sense. Instead, you give Tesla thousands of dollars to “unlock” hardware that’s already included in your car with an over-the-air software update.
This is the emerging model. Not sure I like this particular “in app purchase”.
Solid review by Lauren Goode. Lots to enjoy (be sure to watch the clever side-by-side video) and some solid numbers to chew on, especially regarding a comparison to the MacBook Air.
Yesterday, searches on the iOS, Mac, and iBook App Stores were failing. Looks like the problem has been resolved. The tests I ran yesterday are now showing their proper results.
Another successful launch and landing. The video below is the hosted version, with hosts explaining each step in the launch and landing sequence and employees cheering raucously in the background.
Serenity does a terrific job explaining this mess. I sure hope Apple addresses this.
Craig Grannell:
Developer Travis Ryan just noted to me on Twitter that App Store search is broken. Presumably, this is a temporary glitch, but it’s frustrating for developers. In Ryan’s case, a search for Dashy Crashy doesn’t bring up his excellent game of the same name. All you get is Dashy Crashy Bird, a one-thumb sort-of Flappy Bird clone.
Try searching yourself.
[VIDEO] I love the tag line:
It’s a big deal. For a fraction of a second.
Fantastic to have that distinct Moog sound. Looks like it is Midi-savvy, so you can set up the sound you like, then control it from a full size MIDI Controller. Nice.
LA Times:
Los Angeles police investigators obtained a method to open the locked iPhone belonging to the slain wife of “The Shield” actor Michael Jace, according to court papers reviewed by The Times.
Elizabeth Dwoskin, writing for the Washington Post:
The stealthy, four-year-old Viv is among the furthest along in an endeavor that many in Silicon Valley believe heralds that next big shift in computing — and digital commerce itself. Over the next five years, that transition will turn smartphones — and perhaps smart homes and cars and other devices — into virtual assistants with supercharged conversational capabilities, said Julie Ask, an expert in mobile commerce at Forrester.
Looking forward to seeing this in action this Monday with the first public demo.
A nice little how-to from iMore’s Marc Lagace.
Bentley Motors makes some finely crafted (and expensive) vehicles. Now they have an Apple Watch app that allows you to control your car’s settings.
Yoky has had an incredible career. She seems an impressive addition to Apple’s technical staff.
This is a simple way to record a call. Are there laws against recording a call without someone’s knowledge? Now updated with a link to a legal guide.
Our hope for the future.
iPhone SE is a bright spot.
Lots and lots of data here, gathered from more than 7,000 developers. Interesting read, visually well presented.
There’s a lot of press focusing on the slowness and lag of Apple Watch apps. True, but shortsighted. Read on for details.
Banning or weakening encryption just does not work. All it does is push people to other comm channels.
Bloomberg:
Apple Inc. is planning sweeping changes to its year-old music streaming service after the first iteration of the product was met with tepid reviews and several executives brought in to revive the company’s music strategy departed.
Hallelujah. New API?
Watch that first video. Imagine that just appearing at your back door.
Clearly, VR brings some very dark cyberpunk possibilities, but this actually makes VR seem even more compelling as a business model.
A surprising development after all these years.
Jean-Louis Gassée, writing for Monday Note, on the idea of Apple spinning off its profitable services as a separate business entity. Fascinating writing, as always.
Is Apple ready to move on from the antiquated 3.5mm headphone jack? It’ll happen sooner or later, but this post indicates that Apple might shop one model with, one without.
[VIDEO] The campus is looking good. And Matthew Roberts’ production technique is evolving. Now in 4K.
We’re seeing a fundamental shift in TV, a move from reflection to idealism.
The LA Times:
Authorities obtained a search warrant compelling the girlfriend of an alleged Armenian gang member to press her finger against an iPhone that had been seized from a Glendale home. The phone contained Apple’s fingerprint identification system for unlocking, and prosecutors wanted access to the data inside it.