John Gruber:
Google wasn’t trying to bolster Android by withholding turn-by-turn and vector tiles from iOS. They were withholding those features as a negotiating tactic to get Apple to integrate iOS Maps further with Google’s services.
I don’t mind the fact that Apple stood up to Google to protect our privacy. You shouldn’t either.
Does anyone else see a trend here?
Sacha Greif looks at Google Maps for iOS from a design perspective. He’s right that Google is finding its voice as far as design goes.
Marcelo Somers has a nice write-up on using 1Password. The only nitpick I have is that I would recommend everyone use 1Password — it may be difficult to get used to not using the same simple password for every site, but you’ll be far more secure.
This is just incredible.
This is cool. I wasn’t all that impressed looking at the picture of the button, but the demo is much better.
Dell is definitely pulling the plug on the smartphone business, globally. A tough decision, leaving a market that is expected to reach $150.3 billion in 2014, according to MarketsandMarkets.
Now they just need to quit selling computers and we’re all set.
Great article from Stephen Hackett. This brought back some memories.
Anytune has been updated with a number of new features.
Derek Kessler:
Had Microsoft launched Office on the iPhone and iPad early on, they could have furthered the impression that Office was a must-have for anybody serious about anything, even on iOS. But they let years pass, and now Microsoft’s flagship applications aren’t so must-have anymore and Apple isn’t overly eager to accommodate them. It’s easy to imagine that four years ago when preparing to launch the iPhone App Store Apple may have been more willing to negotiate with Microsoft to get flagship apps like Word and Excel on the smartphone. But today? Apple’s doing just fine without them.
Spot on.
David Dennis, a man with an impressive beard himself, did a nice write-up on beards. Strange, still no picture of “the beard” in this batch either.
A new page from Apple that updates users on the status of its services, stores and iCloud.
Apple on Thursday posted its holiday shipping deadlines for any product you may want to receive before Christmas. […]
Rod Christiansen posted about how the default search now works in iTunes 11 and how you can bring back the old version of the search. Such a simple solution.
Ian Betteridge:
The fact that Google is, on one hand, creating great applications for iOS and, on the other, fighting tooth and nail for market share against it makes me wonder if the company is divided into two factions, with a battle raging between them over its future direction. On one side, there’s the group who want to promote Android as a coherent product, and beat Apple into a pulp with it.
[…]
On the other side, there’s the “Pragmatists”. These are the ones who realise Google makes its money from advertising, not directly from selling products.
As Ian points out later, Google’s iOS apps have to be good. They’re a company that makes its money from advertising.
I received the following email from The Loop reader Keith Huss1:
Situation: Apple cannot get Google to update its maps app on iOS. It was ok, but Google refused to update it to include turn-by-turn directions or voice guidance even though Android had these features forever. Apple says, “Enough” and boots Gmaps from iOS and replaces it with an admittedly half-baked replacement. The world groans. Apple has egg on its face. Google steps up it’s game and rolls out a new, free new maps app in iOS today that is totally amazing, I’m sure to stick it in Apple’s face… Ooops
Bottom line: Apple took one for the team (ate some shit) and fooled Google into doing exactly what Apple has been asking for years. Users win.
Printed with Keith’s permission. ↩
“I don’t think anyone I was corresponding with actually went and did this search to see what I was finding,” Welter says. She eventually wrote to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and a few days later she got a reply from a representative in Amazon’s Executive Customer Relations department.
“She told me I was searching wrong,” Welter says.
Sam Rijver made this using Foldify for iPad. Much respect Sam.
Amplified, The Talk Show with John Gruber and Before you Buy were named the “Best New Technology” podcasts in Apple’s App Store Best of 2012.
Thanks.
If you were wondering what the best apps, books or songs were for 2012 on the App Store, you’ll be glad to see Apple’s App Store Best of 2012.
Young Sohn, president and chief strategy officer in the US:
OK, so think about Apple compared to Samsung. I use a Mac, actually, at home. I’ve always used Mac, an iPhone, and an iPad. I also have the Galaxy. So I’m a great example.
If you look at the strengths of Apple, in a way it’s not the product per se. It’s that consumers like their ecosystem such as iCloud. I like that my family 6,000 miles away in Korea is able to see my schedule and see all of my contacts and photos. It is sticky, but it is a proprietary architecture.
The anticipation for the arrival of Google Maps last night was incredible, and rightfully so. However, after using it, I’ve decided I’m sticking with Apple Maps.
I’ve been testing out the new version for the past couple of weeks on my iPhone and it’s great. 1Password has become one of my most used apps.
You wanted it, here it is.
Gabe Weatherhead runs through all the changes involved in his big computer move. As a side note: It always surprises me how clean people’s desks are. Mine is a diaster.
The Loop reader Craig Storm sent these images. Two different stores, two different days, two different devices, same result.
Jim and Dan interview Jeff Hawley of Yamaha and later discuss Apple TV, Tim Cook’s interview with NBC, and Angus Young.
Digging specifically at Android, McNamee said that it is akin to “having a motor scooter at the Indianapolis 500.”
“I watch what they have done with Android and I’m flabbergasted because their market share in units is so high but look at the profit share,” McNamee said. “Apple’s profit share is 75 or 80% because Android has been managed essentially to make it a profitless prosperity. Right now, if Google is not careful, Android will be Samsung or Samsung will be Android.”
I laughed. Hard.
Speaking to V3, the firm’s product management director at Google Apps, Clay Bavor, said that due to what it sees as a lack of interest from its clients on the systems, it is holding back on any work at present.
“We have no plans to build out Windows apps. We are very careful about where we invest and will go where the users are but they are not on Windows Phone or Windows 8,” he said.
And the shots go back and forth.
The firm notes that the number of Android devices infected with malware increased by 41% in the second half of 2012 with individual malware reports increased 75%. In fact, 94.35% of unique malware samples in 2012 were found to be Android trojans.
And it’s going to get worse? Yeah, Android is definitely winning.