And it has glam, lots of glam. Look no further than the iHeartRadio Music Festival and other live events that draw thousands upon thousands of celebrants and endless media excitement.
But for all that glam, iHeart is a deeply troubled company. In fact, iHeartMedia is teetering on collapse. It’s not a question of whether it collapses but when, and it’s likely to come sooner rather than later. It could be within months.
What’s going to sink iHeart is its huge debt, some $21 billion. That’s more than the entire radio industry generates in ad dollars in a given year, and it’s a debt iHeart appears to have zero prospects of paying off.
As of June 3, 2015, its stock was valued at $7.50; yesterday it closed at $1.01.
Wow. I had no idea. iHeartMedia is a massive company. Internet radio platform iHeartRadio is just one piece of the puzzle. It’d be sad to see this fall apart.
I love these teardowns. This one shows off an elegant design, but some real repairability issues:
While not soldered in place, the battery is very solidly adhered—no more pull tabs like we saw in the larger iPad Pro 12.9″
The Smart Connector port is virtually impossible to replace—but incorporates no moving parts and is unlikely to fail.
The LCD and front panel glass are fused together. This slightly simplifies the opening procedure.
The fused front panel increases the cost of screen repair, and the risk of damaging the LCD when opening.
Gobs of adhesive hold everything in place making all repairs more difficult.
I wonder if the iPad Pro design team has discussed their design with the folks on the other end of the process, the recycling side (the folks who brought us Liam the robot).
Re/code’s Peter Kafka interviewed RIAA CEO and Chairman Cary Sherman about the music industry’s ongoing issues with YouTube and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
This particular bit stuck out:
Re/code’s Peter Kafka: The labels do have deals with YouTube. If they don’t like those deals, why not negotiate better ones or walk away? All of them expire this year.
RIAA head Cary Sherman: The way the negotiation goes is something like this: “Look. This is all we can afford to pay you,” YouTube says. “We hope that you’ll find that reasonable. But that’s the best we can do. And if you don’t want to give us a license, OK. You know that your music is still going to be up on the service anyway. So send us notices, and we’ll take ‘em down as fast we can, and we know they’ll keep coming back up. We’ll do what we can. It’s your decision as to whether you want to take our deal, or whether you just want to keep sending us takedown notices.”
That’s not a real negotiation. That’s like saying “That’s a real nice song you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it.”
Steven Aquino, writing for Tech Crunch, first on the problem of laptops for the visually impaired:
The problem is that a laptop’s screen has always felt “far away.” Being visually impaired, I need to get as close as possible in order to see comfortably, and a laptop’s screen makes that difficult. I have to lean in to see, almost the point where my nose is touching the display. It’s not only ergonomically terrible but I look pretty silly doing it. I try to compensate for this by adjusting the position of the screen and using software tricks like increasing the size of the mouse pointer, but its benefits are nominal.
The fact of the matter is that laptops are harder for me to use because I can’t get as close to the screen as I need to work effectively. It isn’t that I can’t use laptops; it’s that using them has always felt like an uphill battle I can’t win.
And the iPad Pro?
The iPad, particularly the 12.9-inch Pro, offers a vastly different experience. It’s roughly the size of the 12-inch Retina MacBook, but the tablet’s form factor and interaction model make it so much better for accessibility.
It’s for these reasons (as well as my familiarity with iOS) that has made me a believer in using the iPad as my main computer. Unlike my old MacBook, I can hold the iPad Pro as close to my face as necessary, and I can do things simply by touching the screen.
And with iOS 10 in mind:
It would be awesome to see Apple rework iOS on the 12.9-inch model to take even better advantage of the screen real estate. Buttons and other user interface elements could be made more pronounced without requiring Display Zoom, for instance. Likewise, the insertion point, magnification loupe, and cut/copy/paste menu all sorely need a visual upgrade.
On a display as large as iPad Pro’s, these elements’ small size is untenable for the visually impaired. At the very least, iOS 10 should include an setting under Accessibility where users can adjust the size of the insertion point, similar to the mouse pointer option on the Mac.
Can you think of another mainstream consumer product line where so much thought was spent on accessibility? Think VoiceOver, too, and the fact that if you enable it in the Apple Watch app, Siri will read the time out loud. These details are no accident.
250 years ago, in 1766, Sweden became the first country in the world to introduce a constitutional law to abolish censorship. To honour this anniversary, Sweden is now the first country in the world to introduce its own phone number. Call today and get connected to a random Swede, anywhere in Sweden and talk about anything you want.
This is such a weird, funny and sweet thing. Sadly, because of the internet, I bet random jerk offs will ruin it fairly soon.
As you might imagine, Pixar’s cutting-edge 3D animation demands impressive hardware. Part of the challenge specific to Pixar is that most machines are built for speed, not beauty. That’s why the company built its own systems purpose-built for movie making.
The standard machine at Pixar is powered by a 2.3GHz, 16-core Intel processor with 64GB of RAM, and a 12GB Nvidia Quadro M6000. If the team needs a little more oomph, there’s a dual-CPU configuration with two of the 16-core chips, a pair of M6000s, and 128GB of RAM.
And even those machines are pushed to their limit during an active work day. There are over 100 billion triangles in a small shot, more than even the fastest gaming desktop could handle. Mater, from Cars, is made up of over 800 meshes, and almost all of them are deformed in some way. Add to that the schools of fish in Finding Nemo, or the swarms of robots in Wall-E, and the need to develop software in-house only becomes more pressing.
I’ve got friends who work at Pixar and once got a “behind the scenes” look at the operation. The server room is absolutely incredible.
Zack Wylde, one of the greatest guitarists of all time, on Friday released a new acoustic album, “Book of Shadows II.” The album is a follow-up to “Book of Shadows” released in 1996.
With Apple Music or any of the other music services, you can listen to the albums without directly paying for them. I chose to buy the album. But then again, I owe at least one copy of every album Zakk has every released.
I continue to buy albums from the artists I love. Zakk in particular has influenced my guitar playing and I want to see him continue making music for many years to come. With the amount of work he puts into producing these great songs, the very least I can do is pay him and buy the album.
Zakk’s acoustic albums truly show his versatility as an artist. He can shred with the best of them, but it takes a special person to be able to play and sing with such feeling.
I’ve met Zakk on a number of occasions over the years, backstage at his shows and when he played with Ozzy. He’s a terrific person.
Thanks to Mighty Deals for sponsoring The Loop this week.
Whether your own website needs a new logo or your clients are screaming for one, this Mighty Deal from Zeppelin Graphics is the perfect solution. This fantabulous mega bundle is really 3 Logo Creation Kits in 1! In total, you’ll get yourself more than 500 professional design elements to create your new logo. Each element is fully customizable thanks to the original PSD, AI and EPS files that let you change up the color, shape, size and more.
About the time Swift was going open source, representatives for three major brands — Google, Facebook and Uber — were at a meeting in London discussing the new language. Sources tell The Next Web that Google is considering making Swift a “first class” language for Android, while Facebook and Uber are also looking to make Swift more central to their operations.
Google’s Android operating system currently supports Java as its first-class language, and sources say Swift is not meant to replace Java, at least initially. While the ongoing litigation with Oracle is likely cause for concern, sources say Google considers Swift to have a broader “upside” than Java.
This is a fantastic development (sorry!). Imagine being able to write some core code in Swift and have it serve as part of both an iOS and Android project. Obviously, the interface frameworks will never be the same, but there’s plenty of code that doesn’t depend on a particular operating system. I love this idea.
Meet Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna, valedictorian of Elmont Memorial High School in Elmont, New York. Uwamanzu-Nna was recently accepted to not one but all eight Ivy League schools. She was also accepted to four highly competitive non-Ivies. While all options look promising, she has yet to make a decision.
I won’t lie – I couldn’t even name the eight Ivy League schools, let alone have had any chance of being accepted to one of them. I hope, without being too stalkerish, the media keeps track of this remarkable young woman. It would be interesting to see what she makes of her amazing life.
As a laptop user I’ve always found myself a bit outside the mainstream. I opted for the MacBook Air over the Retina MacBook Pro, and even within the Air line, I opted for the 11-inch model over the 13-inch. What I’m saying is, I appreciate that my choice isn’t just between chocolate and vanilla.
These past few years Apple has been diversifying its mobile product lines, expanding beyond a single, mainstream product to include variations that appeal to customers who want something a bit different. The iPhone 6 Plus gave people who wanted more battery and screen space the ability to get it; the iPhone 5S (and now the iPhone SE) serve people who want a smaller and cheaper model. The iPad mini was a nice shrunken-down variation on the classic iPad; the 12.9-inch iPad Pro offered a much larger, richer iPad experience.
Now here’s the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, but this isn’t Apple adding another device that’s nibbling at the edges. This is the flagship of the iPad line, undoubtedly the best-selling iPad model for the next year, full of impressive features (as well as a few curious omissions) and in a size that’s exactly what people expect from an iPad.
Dig in, read the whole thing. I especially love Jason’s thoughts on Apple’s product naming.
Kirk McElhearn, writing for Intego’s Mac Security Blog:
It is possible — and increasingly common — for malicious people to “sniff” traffic on public Wi-Fi networks, looking for information. They try to catch your user names, passwords, and any other data that may identify you, and then try and access your accounts or even steal your identity.
And:
There’s a better way to set up a VPN: You can buy a router that includes built-in VPN software, and then set it up at your home or office. When you’re on the road, you connect to that router, and the traffic between your laptop computer, iPhone, iPad or Android device is encrypted up to that point. After that, it goes out onto the Internet, but from a location that you know is secure. (And most routers also have firewalls you can activate to enhance their security.)
I’m no expert, but this seems like a pretty good solution. Rather than pay a monthly fee for a VPN service, buy a router that includes the software, leave it at home and VPN in from your local coffee house.
This is an old story, but I just encountered it, found it fascinating. All guitarists (at least of my generation) learn, at some point, the chords to Smoke on the Water. It’s just one of those foundational songs.
The words tell a story, something about a flare gun, Frank Zappa, a gambling house, and a big fire. The post is an interview with the person who owned the concert hall/casino where Frank Zappa was playing when the whole disaster went down.
The copying of Apple has evolved. It’s less literal now, as companies strive to recreate the essence of Apple’s success, whether it be through vertical integration (as with Huawei and its in-house processor design), positive brand associations, or simple aesthetic and tactile appeal. Apple is still the Michael Jordan that every Chinese smartphone manufacturer looks up to, but instead of trying to dunk with their tongues sticking out or shoot fadeaway jumpers, these rising stars are developing their own ways of scoring points with consumers. Instead of imitating, they are emulating.
I think companies like Xaiomi recognize that there are legal issues if they bring a straight-up iPhone copy into the US. If they want to truly become a global player, they need originality.
That said, no amount of originality will allow them to cross the iOS/Android divide. Apple has done a brilliant job creating an ecosystem that keeps its customers on board while encouraging drift from the Android side.
The key is to maintain the originality and security of iOS and find a way to address the software quality issues that have crept into the mix.
FBI Director James Comey gave a speech at Kenyon University’s Center for the Study of American Democracy last night. His speech focused on encryption, the divide on privacy priorities, and the issues relating to the recent court case involving Apple and the San Bernardino iPhone 5C running iOS 9.
The speech is embedded below. Director Comey doesn’t actually walk on stage until a bit more than 20 minutes in (at about the 20:50 mark).
Comey’s speech seemed heartfelt, with a focus on having a reasonable discussion about privacy and encryption. He stressed the need for both sides to be listen to the other and be willing to be wrong. Personally, I like the man and I sense that he recognizes the legitimacy of both sides of the argument, that he finds himself in a difficult position.
Comey does an excellent job laying out all sides, though he still seems to be missing a basic premise of this discussion. He focused on the fallacy of slippery slope arguments, arguing that Apple’s case depends on the concept of inevitability, that it is inevitable that if Apple helps the FBI, the source code/skeleton key/backdoor will fall into the hands of the wrong actors.
This is a subtle but critical point. And I think it is where Comey misses the mark.
If you leave a big pile of cash on a chair in the middle of Times Square, with guards on either side of it, is it inevitable that that cash will disappear? No, certainly not. Is it inevitable that someone will at least consider trying to steal that cash? No, but certainly that is much closer to inevitable.
All that said, would you be willing to leave a pile of cash on a public but guarded chair? No. Not because the cash will inevitably disappear, but because there is a real threat that someone will try to steal that cash and because there is a non-zero chance that they will succeed.
Obviously, there is a universe of differences between the cash chair analogy and the Apple FBI case. There is no benefit to leaving your cash in public. The cost of making it possible for the FBI to break into an iPhone is in privacy and security. The benefit is in helping fight terrorism. This is not a one sided argument.
But Comey’s speech homed in on inevitability as the heart of Apple’s argument, that Apple was saying that it is inevitable that if they help the FBI, the bad guys will gain the ability to break into iPhones.
But inevitability is the wrong word on which to focus. Instead, ask yourself this: Is there a likelihood that bad guys will try to get hold of the mechanism used to break into the iPhone once it is created? Of course. And is there a guarantee that Apple and the FBI can both 100% prevent those bad guys from getting that mechanism? No, of course not.
And that’s the difference, that’s the core of the argument. The possibility of failure, however slight, is the issue.
I want to complement Director Comey on his openness and his call for all parties to listen and respect both sides in this important discussion. Well done.
One final note: At the end of FBI Director Comey’s speech, he entertained questions from the audience (at the 52:04 mark). In response to the first question, Comey talks about the possibility of revealing (to Apple) the technique used to break into the San Bernardino iPhone (they haven’t decided) and makes the point that the technique they used has a very narrow focus, will only break into the iPhone 5c and earlier (not the iPhone 5s or iPhone 6, for example).
Our relation started with Apple selecting our Essenza table, designed by my father Willem van Ast. While working on several customized versions of the Essenza they asked us to try something we’d never attempted before in the Pod Island table.
At that time all of us assumed the table top would be built out of 2 or 3 segments, in order to deal with the 18-foot length. It soon became clear this was a job and a project unlike anything we’d seen.
During a meeting to inspect the first prototype together with Apple and Foster+Partners, the question was raised: “but what if it was made out of a single piece? Can you achieve it?” They challenged us to push the boundaries of our craft, we got excited ourselves as well and started to investigate how to overcome the limitations inherent to the way we produce tables—not just here at Arco but for the entire furniture industry
I don’t know if it’s because of our slightly obsessive fixation on Apple or whether it’s because Apple is known for making really interesting decisions but I can guarantee, this is the first time I’ve ever read an article about table design.
Thank you to all of our customers who have offered feedback on the new TextExpander, and thank you again for your long-term support. In our enthusiasm to release, we missed some details we’d like to address here.
Tough day for the folks at Smile. I do love the people at this company.
Smithsonian magazine has just announced the winning entries in their 13th annual photo contest, selected from more than 46,000 entries sent in from 168 countries. They’ve shared the Grand Prize winner here, as well as the winning shots from the competition’s six categories: The Natural World, Travel, People, The American Experience, Altered Images, and Mobile.
As always, some spectacular images are presented here. I tell my photography students to look at and study these kinds of winning photographs and try and figure out how the photographer created it, both technically and creatively.
Apple appears to be taking its new Apple News app to the place that news often breaks (then spreads), Twitter. The Twitter handle @applenews has been dressed for the job for several months now although it’s been inactive before today and it isn’t yet marked “verified” by Twitter; Apple execs Eddy Cue and Roger Rosner are among those that follow the account, however, which suggests it’s an official Apple property.
The @AppleNews account now has its official Twitter checkmark and has started posting actual news stories (as opposed to its original “Follow us” tweet, the only thing there when Zac posted his article).
Bill Atkinson is one of the members of the original Mac development team. He created MacPaint, the QuickDraw toolbox (the underpinnings of the Mac’s graphical interface), and HyperCard, just to name a few of his many accomplishments.
This is a great interview, with lots of nice little touches, like Leo LaPorte pulling out his original copies of Inside Macintosh, the bible for us Mac developers.
