Om Malik: Tech CEOs in DC is a waste of time

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Om:

In a few hours, the chief executives of four major technology companies — Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are going to be hauled up in front of our politicians. I am surprised to see Microsoft omitted from this list, though they should be in here with the big four. They will have to defend themselves from the charges that they stifle competition as a result of their market dominance.

And:

The short version (in case you want to skip reading the piece) — all sizzle no steak. In other words, you could (and should) avoid even thinking about it. You are not going to see the four chieftains say anything that damages their business or upsets the status quo. It is not going to impact the employees or the stocks of these companies. Hell, it is not even a photo-op: the whole non-drama is going to play out on Zoom.

Read the whole piece. A number of hot takes, all worth reading. I’m not convinced these hearings will turn into any meaningful change, especially with an election coming up with the potential to upend all political plans.

AMC Theatres, Universal collapsing theatrical window to 17 days in unprecedented pact

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The Hollywood Reporter:

In a stunning reversal, AMC Theatres has struck a historic agreement with Universal that will allow the studio’s movies to be made available on premium video-on-demand after just 17 days of play in cinemas, including three weekends, the two companies announced Tuesday.

The deal — which presently only covers AMC’s U.S. locations — shatters the traditional theatrical window, a longstanding policy that has required studios to play their films on the big screen for nearly three months before making films available in the home.

Key to this deal is that AMC will get revenue from the video on demand showings. In effect, AMC’s theaters will be paid to let someone else show movies.

Will we see a return to normal movie-going behavior once COVID-19 is in the rear view mirror? Or are we seeing a behavior changing milestone in the model of going to a theater to see a movie? I suspect the latter, given the incredible wealth of quality content available on all our excellent screens, available without requiring us to leave our homes.

The Morning Show and the pandemic: Rewrites

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Deadline:

When Apple TV+ hit The Morning Show had its Season 2 production stopped by COVID-19, no one rested on their laurels. According to Emmy nominee Mark Duplass, who played beleaguered producer Chip Black, the show is in rewrites to reflect the current global situation—something they also did in Season 1 as a response to #MeToo.

Follow the headline link to read the short interview with Duplass.

Some shows have returned to very cautious production, but most are taking the approach of The Morning Show and using this time for rewrites. I suspect when Hollywood does get the all clear to return to full scale production, we’re going to see a boom in creativity, some informed by the learning that comes along with all the remote collaboration, and some based simply on the massive amount of uninterrupted writing time.

New Apple Store in Thailand: A stunning design

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Apple:

Apple today previewed Apple Central World, its second and largest retail location in Thailand. Nestled in the heart of Ratchaprasong, Bangkok’s iconic intersection, the store provides a completely new and accessible destination within the lively city.

Another Apple Store. Another canvas for Apple’s architects. Read on.

Apple Central World’s distinctive architecture is brought to life with the first-ever all-glass design, housed under a cantilevered Tree Canopy roof. Once inside, customers can travel between two levels via a spiral staircase that wraps around a timber core, or riding a unique cylindrical elevator clad in mirror-polished stainless steel. Guests can enter from the ground or upper level, which provides a direct connection to the Skytrain and the city’s largest shopping center.

These words to not do this design justice. Follow the headline link, check out that image. Don’t miss that transparent wrap-around staircase that takes you to the second level. An incredible design.

Definitely on my “sights to see” bucket list.

Black and white version of Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, with music by Trent Reznor

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Found this on Twitter this morning. Astonishing.

From Steven Soderbergh’s writeup:

I want you to watch this movie and think only about staging, how the shots are built and laid out, what the rules of movement are, what the cutting patterns are. See if you can reproduce the thought process that resulted in these choices by asking yourself: why was each shot—whether short or long—held for that exact length of time and placed in that order?

And:

I’ve removed all sound and color from the film, apart from a score designed to aid you in your quest to just study the visual staging aspect. Wait, WHAT? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? Well, I’m not saying I’m like, ALLOWED to do this, I’m just saying this is what I do when I try to learn about staging, and this filmmaker forgot more about staging by the time he made his first feature than I know to this day.

Follow the link, watch the movie. That soundtrack is “In Mootion” by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Fascinating how beautiful this film is, even with the loss of color, dialog, and that amazing score.

Was this used by permission? And, if not, how has it escaped a takedown all these years?

Qualcomm announces Quick Charge 5, charge Android phone from 0 to 50% in 5 minutes

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Qualcomm:

The world’s first commercially viable fast charging platform to support more than 100W charging power in a smartphone, Quick Charge 5 is engineered to allow users to charge devices from 0 to 50 percent battery power in just five minutes – representing the fastest mobile phone charging capabilities available.

Compare this to Apple’s fast charge:

Use fast charge with certain iPhone or iPad models. You can recharge your iPhone up to 50 percent battery in around 30 minutes.

That’s a big leap on Qualcomm’s part. Also interesting is that Quick Charge 5 runs cooler as well.

Coming to commercial devices in 2020Q3.

Bowdoin College to provide iPads to all students during pandemic

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Bowdoin College:

Students will receive an Apple iPad Pro with available Wi-Fi and cellular data connectivity (activated and covered by the College for those students who have internet connectivity needs), an Apple Pencil 2, and the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad, which includes a trackpad.

And the teachers?

All interested faculty members and the staff who support teaching and learning will receive iPads that use Wi-Fi only to connect to the internet.

This is great. The college is covering the cost of the cell plan for students with no WiFi access. Well done, Bowdoin.

What to watch for in Congress’ big tech CEO hearing

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Gilad Edelman, Wired:

ON WEDNESDAY, AFTER a brief delay, the CEOs of Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple will testify together in front of Congress for the first time ever. Well, sort of: Thanks to the ongoing pandemic, the executives will appear via video, presumably from some bland settings that belie the fact that the group includes two of the world’s richest people. Even so, the event could be historic, with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos making his congressional hearing debut. The theme: whether the four companies, each among the most valuable in history, have built their economic power, or are using it, in ways that harm American society overall.

Remarkable to think that this testimony will include the richest person in the world, commanded to appear in front of Congress.

And this, on Apple:

The case against Apple should be the simplest to follow, and it is likely to revolve around the App Store. App developers have complained—all the way to the Supreme Court—that the 30 percent cut Apple takes of all revenues from its App Store is unfair. They have also accused Apple of discriminating against or ripping off apps that compete with Apple’s own offerings. The CEO of Tile, which makes hardware and software to help people keep track of things like their keys and wallet, has testified that Apple changed its Find My iPhone app to mimic Tile—and then decided to stop selling Tile products in its stores.

Great take on tomorrow’s hearing.

Apple TV+ and Oprah Winfrey announce “The Oprah Conversation”

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Apple:

Apple TV+ and Oprah Winfrey today announced “The Oprah Conversation,” a new series that will continue to explore impactful and relevant topics with fascinating thought leaders from all over the world. “The Oprah Conversation” will debut on Apple TV+ on Thursday, July 30.

And:

Filmed remotely and incorporating audience engagement, Oprah will lead timely and intimate discussions with today’s foremost newsmakers, thought leaders, and masters of their craft.

“Incorporating audience engagement.” — I wonder what that means.

First, there’s the question of audience. Surely this can’t be a typical, filmed before a studio audience thing.

And what will the engagement consist of? Will the audience be online, and have the ability to ask questions, a la Inside the Actors Studio?

I’m intrigued.

Watch someone learn to play the guitar, month by month, for four years

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[VIDEO] Put in the time and you can learn just about anything. You can learn how to program, learn how to play soccer, learn a new language, learn how to play a musical instrument.

And in COVID times, we’ve got the rare opportunity to lock in, get that focused practice and learning time every single day, no excuses.

This video (embedded in the main Loop post) shows the power of dedication. Skip through it, if you like, or watch the slow evolution. Congratulation, Rachel. You have accomplished something amazing.

My Apple Watch saved my life: 5 people share their stories

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Fall detection, aFib detection, encouraging fitness by closing your rings: These three things alone make the Apple Watch a great, ever improving investment, one that can save your life, and have saved many others.

A Sudoku app to rule them all

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John Voorhees, MacStories:

Zach Gage has a knack for giving classic games an interesting twist. Sometimes that means turning the rules upside down and inside out like Flipflop Solitaire or Really Bad Chess. Other times, it means removing the tedious and boring parts of games to breathe new life into them, which is precisely what he and Jack Schlesinger have accomplished with Good Sudoku.

Follow the headline link for John’s review. I’ve been playing the hell out of the beta and I can tell you personally:

  • It’s become the number one played game on my iPhone
  • It’s a great way to learn how to solve a Sudoku

Download Good Sudoku for free, $3.99 to unlock the whole thing.

If you are into puzzles, this is money well spent.

Apple TV+ becomes first streaming service to earn Daytime Emmy Awards in first year of launch

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Apple:

Apple TV+ was honored today by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with two Daytime Emmy Awards, and became the first streaming service to win a Daytime Emmy in its first year of eligibility at the 47th Annual Daytime Emmys.

Apple won Emmys for:

  • Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Programming for “Ghostwriter”
  • Outstanding Single Camera Editing for “Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10”

I remain bullish on Apple TV+. This is a sign of how seriously Apple is taking this service, an incredible achievement for a service that went live less than 9 months ago.

The moment Steve Jobs introduced “Jiggle Mode”

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[VIDEO] There was a discussion flying around Twitter yesterday about the term Jiggle Mode and when it was introduced. Someone on Reddit showed up with this video (embedded in main Loop post), where Steve Jobs is introducing the concept of folders in iOS 4.2.

Jump to about 18:32 for the Jiggle Mode mention.

Interesting also is the introduction of the ill-fated Ping. And the unusual “One More Thing…” at about 50:23.

UPDATE: Steve does introduce jiggling in this keynote (about 16:35 in), though he doesn’t (as far as I can tell) use the term Jiggle Mode.

Vocal ranges of the world’s greatest singers

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Gonna stop here for a second and acknowledge the English language/UK-US bias, right off the top.

That said, this is still quite interesting. Before you follow the link, take a guess as to who in the pop universe has the biggest vocal range. Challenge is to name anyone in the top three.

Fender’s parallel universe version of the Maverick Dorado

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[VIDEO] Fender:

Originally released in 1969, the Maverick (or the “Custom”) was a wildly unique six-string guitar crafted from leftover 12-string necks, bodies and pickups. 51 years later, the Parallel Universe Maverick Dorado steps up the swagger of its predecessor with a pair of Tim Shaw-designed Filter’Tron-style humbucking pickups, a Bigsby vibrato and dark ebony fingerboard.

I love the idea of the parallel universe series, updates of old school guitars. Video embedded in main Loop post. [H/T @cyclonus]

A look at the iOS 14 beta Translate app

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Juli Clover, MacRumors:

Apple in iOS 14 added a new Translate app, which, as the name suggests, is designed to offer translations from one language to another. The Translate app has some useful features that are handy both when learning a new language and when attempting to talk to someone who speaks a different language.

And:

The Translate app can translate to and from Arabic, mainland Chinese, English (US and UK), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Nice walkthrough. Interesting that this is available on iPhone, but not iPad. For more detail on what’s coming to iOS but not iPadOS, check this Macworld article by Michael Simon.

iPhone and the rumored periscope lens

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Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac:

We’ve heard reports before that Apple plans to include a periscope lens on future iPhones, and a new Ming-Chi Kuo report today suggests this is coming in 2022.

Rumor aside, the focus of the linked article is this:

What exactly is a periscope lens, and what would it mean for future iPhones?

A typical iPhone lens stacks its elements perpendicularly away from the iPhone. That lens stack is what makes the camera bump in the iPhone case.

A periscope lens uses a mirror to let the stack of lens elements live inside the case, with optical zoom without a camera bump made possible by sacrificing interior space.

Ben does a great job explaining all this. Great read.

We recreated Apple’s MacOS Big Sur wallpaper with a helicopter!

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[VIDEO] This group has recreated a number of official macOS wallpapers over the years, using a drone. This year, with Big Sur, a drone wouldn’t quite cut it.

A little bit of the story, in their own words:

My friends and I had one choice, we had to get a helicopter to fly us over Big Sur. After talking to an aerial photographer, we got connected with a pilot, who funny enough was the same pilot that helped Apple take the photo (shoutout Chris from Specialized Helicopters — he was amazing!!)

The problem was Apple’s photo was taken in the winter. And since it’s summer, that means that the sun will rise differently and at a different time. Moreover, June is known for coastal fog, so it was up to chance whether or not we would get a clear day.

The video (embedded in the main Loop post) does a great job telling the story, with a live shot of them actually watching Craig Federighi do the big reveal.

$30 remote for people who hate the Apple TV Siri Remote

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Amber Neely, AppleInsider:

If you’re not a fan of the original Apple TV remote, you’re not alone. Between its glass design, unintuitive orientation, and high replacement cost, it has left many Apple TV users looking for alternatives.

That’s me.

The Button Remote touts itself as a more traditional alternative.

It features buttons that closely mirror that of a VCR or DVD remote. There are buttons for controlling volume, navigating menus, video playback functions (such as pause, rewind, and fast forward), and a power button.

Here’s a link to the FUNCTION button remote. Note that it doesn’t ship until the second week in August.

Apple Japan “Apple Books” video

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[VIDEO] Nothing particularly newsworthy here, I just love the look of this video. In part, I’m sure, because we’ve got a bunch of anime/manga fans in the house.

Take a look. Video embedded in main Loop post.

Apple, iPads, and baseball in the time of COVID-19

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Jabari Young, CNBC:

As part of the league’s Covid-19 health and safety protocols, MLB said it would ban traditional video stations shared throughout clubhouses. The league took advantage of its 2016 partnership with Apple to expand the dugout iPad program. It will now distribute 15 iPads to each team for players and staff to dissect performances and additional team content like scouting reports.

Far more interesting to me is the fact that teams will pump in fake crowd noise so the players, as well as viewers at home, can get a sense of how excited the crowds would be if they existed.

If you made it this far, you might be interested in knowing that Opening Day is tomorrow (Thursday), with the World Champion Nationals vs the Yankees at 7p ET and the Giants vs the Dodgers at 7p PT.

Someone tell Siri.

Apple’s new “Climate Change Promise” ad

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[VIDEO] Apple wrapped up today’s slew of climate change, carbon neutral pursuit news with a beautiful little branding video (embedded in the main Loop post).

Just the right pitch. For the children.

The brain behind the Google Pixel camera is building a universal camera app for Adobe

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Jay Peters, The Verge:

Marc Levoy, the researcher who used software to turn Google’s Pixel camera into a powerhouse, has joined Adobe to build a universal camera app, Adobe announced today.

Levoy headed up the team that developed the impressive computational photography technology used in Google’s Pixel smartphones, including features like Night Sight, Portrait Mode, and HDR+.

This seems a big loss for Google.

John Gruber, in a State of Google Pixel Daring Fireball post:

My basic theory is that Google, institutionally, is bored with Android — and if Google has lost interest in Android generally it’s going to lose interest in Pixels specifically.

Not a big leap to the possibility that Marc Levoy was feeling a bit bored/limited with the future in Google’s computational photography efforts.

Google’s loss is Adobe’s gain. And, if a cool new camera app comes to iOS, Apple’s gain as well.

Apple being sued for refusing to help iTunes gift card scam victims

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Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac:

Apple is being sued for allegedly refusing to help those who have fallen victim to a iTunes gift card scam. An 11-count class action lawsuit has been filed against the company.

Apple is accused of lying when it says that there is no way to trace or refund the value of the cards.

And here’s the FTC description of a typical scam:

Once you buy the card, the caller then will demand the gift card number and PIN on the back of the card. Those numbers let them immediately get the money you loaded onto the card. And once they’ve done that, the scammers and your money are gone, usually without a trace.

Is Apple responsible for scammers emptying a card of its value? That’s the question that this lawsuit will address. This has been going on long enough, you’d think someone would have come up with a more bulletproof scheme for gift cards.

Is resistance to a new design concern for lack of convenience? Is the day of the gift card coming to an end?

Apple VP Lisa Jackson on Apple’s Promise for 2030

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Apple’s VP, Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, and former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa P Jackson, on Medium:

Decades of research have shown that climate change and pollution disproportionately hurt poor communities and communities of color, deepening inequality in the U.S. and around the world.

And:

Since our carbon emissions peaked at 38.4 million metric tons in 2015, we’ve managed to reduce our carbon footprint by 35%. As of 2018, every Apple office, Retail store, and data center has run on 100% clean energy. And today, our facilities and corporate operations worldwide are carbon neutral.

And:

It’s in that spirit that we’re beginning a new chapter in our environmental journey, one that starts with a promise. By 2030, Apple will be 100% carbon neutral. Our comprehensive carbon footprint will net to zero. And we’re sharing a detailed plan for how we’ll get there — so that companies large and small can not only see why we’re doing this, but how we’re doing it.

Step back to our previous post for all those details.

To business leaders in every industry: the eyes of our children are on us. We can’t talk about equality without curbing pollution, or confine our climate efforts to corporate emissions when our real impacts stretch deep into the supply chain. We have a generational opportunity to help build a greener and more just economy, one where we develop whole new industries in the pursuit of giving the next generation a planet worth calling home.

When you consider Apple’s iPhone 12 and the potential for shipping a much smaller package, leaving out EarPods and charging bricks, keep Apple’s promise in the back of your mind.

Apple commits to be 100 percent carbon neutral for its supply chain and products by 2030

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Apple:

Apple today unveiled its plan to become carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030. The company is already carbon neutral today for its global corporate operations, and this new commitment means that by 2030, every Apple device sold will have net zero climate impact.

This is an incredibly ambitious announcement. And I have to believe that Apple would not put this out into the world if they didn’t have complete faith that they’d have the ability to be true to their word.

Take a moment to scroll through Apple’s Environment page and the just released 2020 Environmental Progress Report. Apple has been heading down this road for some time, but they’ve now raised the bar significantly.

Carbon neutral by 2030. This is a gift to our kids. Well done, Apple.

Two new, beautifully artistic “Behind the Mac” videos

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[VIDEO] Apple posted these two videos (embedded in main Loop post) over the weekend, both highlighting the artistic possibilities of the Mac.

The first shows off photographer Tyler Mitchell:

“What can I do with the sweaters I’ve worn on my back.” Tyler Mitchell takes us to his place in Bed-Stuy, as he works on a new portrait series using only elements from his own bedroom. Remote cameras were set up in the fashion photographer’s apartment, capturing his creative process as he shot and edited the series over a 24 hour period. Digging through references, compiling a mood board, capturing the images, scanning them into his MacBook, and editing the selects in Photoshop. Putting the final touches on the portraits just before midnight.

Fascinating to watch the process unfold, all taking place in an apartment with some amazing light, and right off the train tracks. I spent my youngest years living in Queens, right around the corner from the el. Those trains really struck a chord. Beautiful video.

And next up is musician James Blake, putting his MacBook and Logic Pro X through their paces:

“It feels like a dream that I’m sort of walking through and I’m able to affect what happens in it.” James Blake lets us inside his brain as he writes the new song “ASK FOR MORE.” Remote cameras were set up in the GRAMMY® Award winner’s home studio, capturing his entire creative process as he worked on writing, recording and editing the song over a 24 hour period. From time spent crafting a melody at his piano, to looping and pitching the melody and adding layers, instruments and vocals in Logic Pro X on his MacBook, to editing it into a finished song. Completing the track just after 1am.

Enjoy!