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.

Recode:

If you want to do business in China, you have to play by its rules.

In case U.S. companies needed a reminder, China has served up a bold one in requiring Apple to pull down the New York Times app from its Chinese App Store.

Neither Apple nor China publicly specified what local laws the newspaper was breaking, but Apple said it was notified that the app had run afoul of the country’s rules.

“We have been informed that the app is in violation of local regulations,” Apple spokesman Fred Sainz told the Times. “As a result, the app must be taken down off the China App Store. When this situation changes, the App Store will once again offer the New York Times app for download in China.”

Ignoring Recode’s breathless “showing just how much power that country has over tech firms” (that’s been obvious for a very long time), it does shows who is more important to Apple.

Parks Canada:

For all of 2017 this pass gives you unlimited opportunities to enjoy National Parks, National Marine Conservation Areas and National Historic Sites across the country!

Canada is celebrating its 150th Birthday in 2017 and this free pass is a great way to visit some of the most beautiful national parks in the world.

Rolling Stone: >I turned to John Goodwin, the director of the puppy-mills campaign for HSUS, and asked him how many puppies sold in this country – at Petland and Citipups and a thousand other pet stores – come from puppy mills as dire as this one. > >”Most every pup sold in stores in America comes from this kind of suffering – or worse,” he insists. “If you buy a puppy from a pet store, this is what you’re paying for and nothing else: a dog raised in puppy-mill evil.” The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals posts a database of pet shops for consumers to check before they buy. Input any ZIP code and you’ll see the list of stores that sell pups rather than offer them for adoption. That vastly ups the chances that the dogs are from mills, not from reputable breeders. Another click shows you ghastly shots of the mills those stores buy dogs from. Those pictures weren’t taken by animal-rights zealots, but by United States Department of Agriculture agents who inspect breeding kennels.

I hope there’s a special place in hell for people who abuse animals and another for those who willingly buy animals from such places. I’ve had several dogs and cats in my life (I got my latest one a few weeks ago, a 5-year-old cat named Wallace who is “The World’s Clumsiest Cat”) and every one of them has come from the local version of the SPCA. I take care of my pets with the best flea pills for dogs. WARNING: The story includes some disturbing and heartbreaking images of abused animals.

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.

The Verge:

The thing that keeps me coming back to cars is how they creep into most every aspect of our lives. The obvious reason is that we spend a good portion of our time inside of them. An overwhelming 91 percent of Americans use their personal vehicles to get to work, the average American spends 55 minutes behind the wheel a day, and Americans make 1.1 billion trips everyday, according to the US Department of Transportation.

Car companies have been right in our face for a long time, but now tech companies are getting involved. The biggest shift in the perception of the automobile in America, is that in 2016 cars became part of the tech industry’s mission.

“Cars at the frontier of technology” is both a good thing and a bad thing. At least for those of us in North America, cars are still an important part of life and not just a way to get from point A to point B. But the increasing reliance on technology, to drive sales if nothing else, may be outstripping both a driver’s and our government’s ability to comprehend the direction we are heading.

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?

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.

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.

Now everyone can get beautiful Portrait Mode photos with their iPhone. Depth Effects gives you the power to apply a striking depth of field to any photo. Get DLSR-quality focus and bokeh with simple controls. Also, Depth Effects is the best app for anamorphic depth of field and cinematic bokeh.

TidBITS:

The first I heard that Sierra’s PDF-related problems might affect more than ScanSnap scanners came in a comment left on one of those articles on 26 October 2016.

I have to recommend that Sierra users avoid using Preview to edit PDF documents until Apple fixes these bugs. If editing a PDF in Preview in unavoidable, be sure to work only on a copy of the file and retain the original in case editing introduces corruption of any sort. In the meantime, we’ll be watching closely to see which of these PDF-related bugs Apple fixes in 10.12.3, which is currently in beta testing.

I don’t use PDFs enough or in this way for this to be an issue but in reading the article, you can see how this will affect many developers.

Objective-See:

Due to sheer volume, Windows malware generally dominates the malicious code and news scene. Of course, Macs are susceptible to malware as well and 2016 saw a handful of new malware targeting Apple computers.

In this blog, I wanted to discuss all Mac malware that appeared this year. While each sample has been reported on before (i.e. by the AV company that discovered it), this blog aims to cumulatively cover all in one place. Moreover, for each, we’ll identify the infection vector, persistence mechanism, features/goals, and describe disinfection.

This is a long and complicated post but might be of interest to those of you who deal with these issues.

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.

Chuq Von Rospach:

This has been the winter of our discontent. 2016 was the year the tone changed. There’s always been a lot of criticism and griping about anything Apple does (and doesn’t do — it can’t win) but in 2016 I feel like the tone of the chatter about Apple changed and got a lot more negative.

This is worrisome on a number of levels and I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I’m used to watching people kvetch about the company, but this seems — different. One reason: a lot of the criticisms are correct.

Apple, for the first time in over a decade, simply isn’t firing on all cylinders. Please don’t interpret that as “Apple is doomed” because it’s not, but there are things it’s doing a lot less well than it could — and has. Apple’s out of sync with itself.

Here are a few of the things I think indicate Apple has gotten itself out of kilter and is in need of some course correction.

I don’t agree with everything Chuq says but he’s a guy who has been in the trenches at Apple so what he writes is at the very least interesting and worthy of discussion.

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.

Three ways to speed up your Mac, all via Terminal and the defaults write command. Good stuff from Rob Griffiths.

Casey Liss and his AirPods have a lovely little New Year’s Eve moment.

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.

The Week:

I’m here to tell you, downtrodden countrymen (and women), that there is a remedy for our particular affliction. It can be found in the flutter of a hummingbird’s wings, or the determined eyes of a crouching snow leopard. It’s in the gallop of a giraffe as it’s pursued across the tundra, and the heroic leap of a penguin from razor-sharp cliffs. Mix in a cinematic score by Hans Zimmer and the soothing sounds of David Attenborough’s voice, and the formula is complete. Lift your eyes to the TV screen, my weary friends. What we need now, perhaps more than ever, is a hefty dose of Planet Earth.

I don’t think you need a scientific reason. Watch it just because it’s good TV.

iMore:

Maybe you love Apple TV or maybe you’re looking to stream on something a bit different. Maybe you’re looking for more options, a different browsing experience, or are wanting to spend less than that $199.00 to $269.00 pricetag. Regardless of your reasons for striving for streaming superiority, there are so many services available out there that it’s pretty hard to make your choice.

Luckily for you, we put together a few of the most popular, top alternatives to the Apple TV so you can really explore all of the best options out there. Check ’em out!

I don’t use my Apple TV enough to bother to look for alternatives but I’m curious if any of you use alternatives or additions to the Apple TV and why.

Center for the Study of the Public Domain:

Current US law extends copyright for 70 years after the date of the author’s death, and corporate “works-for-hire” are copyrighted for 95 years after publication. But prior to the 1976 Copyright Act (which became effective in 1978), the maximum copyright term was 56 years—an initial term of 28 years, renewable for another 28 years. Under those laws, works published in 1960 would enter the public domain on January 1, 2017, where they would be “free as the air to common use.” Under current copyright law, we’ll have to wait until 2056 and no published works will enter our public domain until 2019. The laws in other countries are different—thousands of works are entering the public domain in Canada and the EU on January 1.

What books would be entering the public domain if we had the pre-1978 copyright laws? You might recognize some of the titles below.

Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

John Updike, Rabbit, Run

Joy Adamson, Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany

Friedrich A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty

Daniel Bell, The End of Ideology: On the Exhaustion of Political Ideas in the Fifties

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Politics of Upheaval: The Age of Roosevelt

Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

Scott O’Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins

John Barth, The Sot-Weed Factor

Jean-Paul Sartre, Critique de la raison dialectique

Dr. Seuss’s Sam-I-Am

The books above are but a fraction of what would be entering the public domain on January 1.

It’s such a shame corporate interests have negated public interests on this issue.

Anil Dash:

Jack: I’ll give you this one for free, just because I still have a soft spot in my heart for the product and I really want us all to stop having to rescue Twitter in 2017.

Here’s the short version:

Show you can consistently ship new features

Directly handle abuse and tell the world what you’re doing

Stop using meaningless metrics as your measure of success

Provide specific tools for each of your types of users

Decide if you give a damn about developers or not

There’s no doubt Twitter needs “fixing” and this list is hard to argue with but having Dorsey respond with, “Yeah – we really need to add editing” isn’t encouraging.

The Local:

If you live outside Germany you probably don’t know what ‘Dinner for One’ is.

But it’s something that Germans are well aware of, in fact they watch it on TV religiously every New Year’s Eve.

The 11-minute British comedy sketch is also known as Der 90 Geburtstag (The 90th birthday), which gives you a little clue as to the plot.

I love hearing and reading about other cultures’ traditions, superstitions, and customs. A British friend of mine says this particular skit is hilarious. Thanks to Jared Earle for the link.

Android Central:

Unlike the vast majority of Apple’s Lightning-specific accessories, the AirPods use a common standard, Bluetooth, to actually pair with devices and play music on them. So, knowing that this was a possibility on Android, I set out to test the universality of Apple’s latest sales phenom.

Say what you will about the AirPods’ design, but you really shouldn’t dismiss them until you have them in your ears, jamming away untethered while you walk around the house or run errands. I’ve had the displeasure of using Bluetooth headphones that had one or more damning flaws, from discomfort to poor battery life, and the only thing I’d say about the AirPods is that they look a little funny, and take some time getting used to.

But once paired to any Android phone — I mainly used them with the LG V20 and Google Pixel — the experience was superb.

Interesting review of the AirPods from “the other side of the fence” but sad that this line had to be included: “if Apple’s name wasn’t on the box it would be a must-buy for many Android users.”