Even if you know nothing about Bitcoin, this is pretty easy to follow. But if you have a sense of that universe, this is step-by-step, slow motion sweet revenge, social engineering in reverse.
Billboard:
On Wednesday (August 7) Apple Music announced the launch of Apple Digital Masters, a new initiative by the streaming giant that combines all of its “Mastered for iTunes” offerings into one global catalog. This is the company’s first public acknowledgement of the initiative, which it has been quietly unveiling for some time.
You’ll see the new “Apple Digital Master” on associated songs in the Music app in macOS Catalina. I’m hoping for a checkbox that lets me limit my music browsing to only those songs.
Take a look at this Reddit post to get a look at the new badge.
Before you dig into any of the videos Apple just posted, here’s a link to a nice little ASMR explainer.
From the post:
Coined in 2010, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is a relaxing, often sedative sensation that begins on the scalp and moves down the body. Also known as “brain massage,” it’s triggered by placid sights and sounds such as whispers, accents, and crackles.
With that in mind, fire up some headphones (important!) and watch each of the videos embedded below. Hard to pick a favorite, I’ve enjoyed all four, but don’t miss the Ghost Forest, last but not least.
Enjoy!
Apple posted their latest iOS adoption numbers. Google posted the Android pie chart a few months ago. Here are the pie charts in question.
First iOS:
And now Android:
Both iOS 12 and Android Pie shipped late last summer, Android Pie in August 2018, iOS 12 in September. As is always the case, due to Apple controlling all the iOS hardware and the full update process, adoption of the latest version of iOS is sky high, while Android adoption is splintered, with only a small percentage of Android devices gaining the latest and greatest updates.
Does it matter?
I can’t help but think it does. Though Android has evolved ways of flowing later tech to the vast majority of its users, I can’t help but notice that the vast majority of Android devices are running Oreo or earlier. Oreo shipped two years ago.
To me, unpatched devices are a breeding ground for malware. Am I wrong? Is this no longer an issue? My Android friends, please do correct me if this is a non-issue. It is single-handedly the largest thing that keeps me from recommending an Android phone to my friends and fam.
Do a Google search for “Android and Malware”. There are hot takes, of course, but there are reasoned takes as well. Not saying Apple’s App Store is perfect, but I like my chances of keeping malware off my iPhone way better than off my Android device.
Interesting and important work, no doubt.
I do wonder if I’d like to know if dementia, or Alzheimer’s is coming my way. For me, it’s similar to the question of knowing the exact day I’m going to die. I do think there’s value for those around me, no question. And if there’s a treatment, of course, it’d be critical to know so I can maximize my chances and my quality of life.
But there’s a psychic toll to knowing something is coming for me, something relentless, dark, and inevitable.
Would you want to know?
Before and Afters:
The final shots would feature live-action photography, and significant digital environments and effects simulations from Sony Pictures Imageworks. To help make Imageworks’ shot ‘sit’ in the plates and to deliver the most dynamic scenes possible, the film’s visual effects team embarked on an enormous effort to replicate the surroundings digitally.
This involved the use of Lidar scans, extensive reference photography and a huge model and texture build.
It’s always a little mindboggling to see the effort that goes into these kinds of shots.
MacRumors:
Mastercard’s website offers a list of benefits available to Apple Card users, including fraud protection, identity theft protection, and a free ShopRunner membership that offers free two-day shipping from some websites.
Other benefits include Mastercard’s travel discounts and upgrades, Mastercard’s exclusive “special events,” Mastercard golf offerings, and home rental discounts via Onefinestay, all of which are available to all Mastercard users.
I’ve been critical of the lack of additional benefits to users of the Apple Card vs other cards so it’s good to see a few more details from MasterCard that show benefits not mentioned in the past. But they still don’t match up to the Visa cards I use now. For example, the Apple Card does not offer purchase protection and extended warranties for cardholders which, in my opinion, are table stakes for most cards.
The Next Web:
Join me in giving a round of applause to the product that killed the Apple fan in me: the Apple Card!
First off, yeah, I know how businesses work. They exist to make money. Apple hasn’t been making its hardware for the sheer joy of it, it’s done solely for profit. And that’s fine. It’s more that the Apple Card is counter to the business‘ trajectory.
Its products put people at the centre, so they can control of their own world. Hell, even Apple Pay was built with this approach, as it allowed users access to their pre-existing bank accounts in a way they wanted.
Apple releasing its own credit card is not in that spirit one bit. It’s not a supportive mentality, it’s an exploitative one.
While I disagree completely with the reasoning, it’s still interesting to see what anti-Apple Card people might say and think. And, to be clear, I wouldn’t get an Apple Card even if it was offered here in Canada. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think it has value for others.
Digital Camera World:
As if there wasn’t already enough doom and gloom in the camera industry, Nikon has released its first quarter FY2020 financial results. Hit by a shrinking market and the initial costs of developing Z-mount lenses, Nikon has reported a huge 71% decrease in earnings and an almost 15% drop in revenue.
Nikon’s results presentation says that although it is enjoying steady sales of full-frame mirrorless cameras and interchangeable lenses, its revenue has been affected by the reduced sales of entry and mid-range DSLR cameras in Asia including China.
It’s not the end of Nikon — yet. But they have significant work ahead of them to weather this particular storm.
Last week, we posted a link to some some pretty amazing typing on Apple Watch.
Here’s an even more impressive version, this one with the video disabled. Pretty cool.
Adrianne Jeffries, Motherboard:
The Yelp app lists a restaurant’s direct phone number on the actual listing. That’s (212) 262-8300 in the case of Judge Roy Bean Public House. But when you click on the phone number, this dialogue shows up: Delivery or Takeout and General Questions.
And:
When a user clicks on the “Call” button labeled “Delivery or Takeout,” they are taken to a different number, (646) 394-9837, which is owned by Grubhub.
And:
Even though restaurants are capable of taking orders directly—after all, both numbers are routed to the same place—Yelp is pushing customers to Grubhub-owned phone numbers in order to facilitate what Grubhub calls a “referral fee” of between 15 percent and 20 percent of the order total
Read this article. Astonishing. It gets way worse.
My first thought, after processing all this, was, “This is the crowdsourcing behind Apple Maps”.
I hope Apple has a backup plan. Perhaps one of the many partnerships Apple Maps has outside the US? This is not a good look for Apple Maps.
Julia Alexander, The Verge:
Disney will offer a bundle package of its three streaming services — Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ — for $12.99 a month starting on November 12th, the company announced today.
Bob Igor, Disney CEO, during yesterday’s investor call:
The streaming services is likely to be available through “Amazon, Apple, and other distributors,” according to Iger. Disney has not finalized any deals with the aforementioned companies, but told investors “we feel it’s important for us to achieve scale quickly, and we think it’s going to be an important part of that. They’re all interested in distributing the product.”
Presumably, if you sign up for the bundle outside Apple TV, you’ll still have access to all three inside Apple TV, though you might have to jump through a few verification hoops to enable that access.
If you are an existing subscriber to, say, Hulu, via Apple TV, seems to make sense to dump that subscription and sign up for the bundle instead. Will the bundle signup be available within Apple TV?
Hulu with no ads is $11.99 a month. Assuming that no-ads Hulu is the one included with this bundle, the $12.99 bundle allows you access to Disney+ and ESPN+ for just a buck more a month. A no-brainer.
UPDATE: I’m told that the version of Hulu included with this bundle is the ad version, which runs $5.99 a month. Wonder if there’s a path to the ad-free version from the bundle. As is, that means you are paying $7 a month for Disney+ and ESPN+. Still a no-brainer, at least to me.
Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac:
The granted patent could use the Mac’s camera to do two things. First, it would avoid timing-out into sleep mode when there’s someone in front of the machine.
and, after posting a big chunk of “patenteze” from the granted patent:
My reading of that and the accompanying illustrations is that the Mac can automatically wake and log you in, even if it is in sleep mode when you approach it.
Sounds good to me. And, I’d add, it sounds like that “second sensor” mentioned in the patent is your Apple Watch, though could be the iPhone in your pocket, too.
From the press release:
By adding Amazon Music Unlimited, Prime Student members can now get over 50 million songs, thousands of curated playlists and stations, and discover new music through voice with Alexa
This is no small thing. Amazon is quickly gaining on both Apple Music and Spotify. In part, this is due to the wild success of Echo and Alexa. Imagine how this would be if Amazon had a successful phone and watch to add to the mix.
Hacker News put out a call to its readers for their favorite Mac keyboard shortcuts. Worth a scan. I’d be shocked if even the most seasoned Mac power user didn’t find a few surprises there.
This Bill Gates interview came out about a month ago, but I just watched it this morning, thought it was worth sharing.
The whole thing is relatively short, all interesting, but the Steve Jobs bit kicks in at about 2:40 in. I definitely get a sense that Bill held a real reverence for Steve.
This was a really interesting read. If you have an iPad Pro with USB-C, spend a few minutes scanning the options here. Dongle city, but necessary for many.
Apple’s official YouTube channel just added 10 new Apple Card videos. The first one, How to Apply, is embedded below. The rollout has started.
Matthew Panzarino, TechCrunch:
Apple Card is getting its first group of public test users today. A limited amount of customers that signed up to be notified about the release of Apple Card are getting the ability to apply for the card in their Wallet app today — as well as the option to order their physical Apple Card.
I’ve been using the card for a few days on my own device, making purchases and payments and playing around with features like Apple Cash rewards and transaction categorization.
And:
The application process was simple for me. Portions of the information you need are pre-filled from your existing AppleID account, making for less manual entry. I had an answer in under a minute and was ready to make my first purchase instantly. I used it both online and in person with contactless terminals.
It…works.
Read the article for more of Matthew’s personal experience. Expect to see a wave of articles as the invites continue to go out. Here’s a link to the Apple Wallet Apple Card application page.
I’ll definitely be getting a card, though I’ll also share my card use with my existing credit cards. One thought I have is to use Apple Card when I travel, especially overseas, to minimize the hassle of fraudulent card use.
This is simply incredible.
This series of experiments fascinates me. Heads up, this is not a cassette player, which is what first sprang to mind. Heh. Silly me.
Considering signing up for an Apple Card? Read the Apple Card Customer Agreement, posted on the Goldman Sachs website (via Juli Clover, MacRumors).
A few highlights, confirmed by my friend, who blogs for Siti per Scommettere, are:
On the credit card APR:
> 13.24% to 24.24% when you open your account, based on your creditworthiness. After that, this APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
You may not use or permit your Account to be used for:
That second one is subtle. Back in definitions, Cash Advances are defined as:
Any cash advance and other cash-like transaction, including purchases of cash equivalents such as travelers checks, foreign currency, or cryptocurrency; money orders; peer to peer transfers, wire transfers or similar cash-like transactions; lottery tickets, casino gaming chips (whether physical or digital), or race track wagers or similar betting transactions.
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Chance Miller, 9to5Mac:
Last week, Trump announced that the United States would place a 10 percent tariff on another $300 billion worth of goods imported from China, starting September 1st.
And:
Kuo writes that Apple has likely made “proper preparations” for such a tariff, and he predicts that Apple will “absorb most of the additional costs” in the mid-short term. Thus, Kuo believes that “prices of hardware products and shipment forecasts for the U.S. market will remain unchanged” despite the tariff.
Obviously, the cost of any such tariff needs to be paid. If Apple eats the tariff cost, rather than passing it along to consumers, that will impact their bottom line.
Natalia Drozdiak, Bloomberg:
Starting next year, Google will prompt users to make a choice between Google and three other rival options as their default search provider. Google invited search providers to bid as part of an auction on the new choice screen, which will appear when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in Europe for the first time.
This is all about avoiding big EU antitrust fines. To get a sense of what the “choose your search provider” interface looks like, check out the pic in the Google blog post announcing the change.
Not clear if this change will be limited to the EU. Also not clear if this will impact Apple. Google pays for that default search provider spot. Will Apple be forced to open that spot up to similar competition?
CNET:
If you’ve been experiencing withdrawals since the Women’s World Cup ended last month, we’ve got some good news: The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo are less than a year away. Even more reason to be excited is that there will be six brand new sports coming to the 2020 Olympics, and two returning favorites to watch.
While gymnastics, swimming and track and field usually steal the show, there are even more events to watch in 2020. Get excited: Here’s what’s on tap.
I’m a complete Olympics junkie so the more sports, the better. New events are Karate, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, and Surfing.
CNN:
A teenager from Ireland may have found a way to rescue our oceans from the growing plastic pollution problem.
A walk on the beach led Fionn Ferreira to develop his project on microplastic extraction from water for the annual Google Science Fair. The project won the grand prize of $50,000 in educational funding at this year’s event.
For his project, Ferreira added oil and magnetite to water and mixed in a solution emulating plastic waste in the ocean. When the microplastics latched on to the ferrofluids, Ferreira dipped a magnet into the solution three times to remove both substances, leaving clear water.
This young man has come up with a brilliantly simple solution. Whether it can be used commercially is the question.
Uncrate:
When it comes to film soundtracks, it’s tough to top music tied to Quentin Tarantino movies. On the heels of Tarantino’s newest film: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the famed director has curated a playlist for Spotify that walks through some of the best songs from his 9 film discography.
The “takeover” is comprised of 66 songs that stretch for around three-and-a-half hours and includes classics like Dusty Springfield’s Son of a Preacher Man, Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) by The Delfonics, David Bowie’s Cat People (Putting Out The Fire), and many more.
Like his movies or not, his musical selections are almost always spot on.
David Ulevitch:
Consider this my good deed of the day.
Back in 2008 two bodybuilders were arguing on the Internet about how many days are in a week.
It is one of the greatest Internet threads of all time.
If you haven’t read it, stop what you are doing and read it.
Truly hilarious.
Apple on Thursday said it is suspending a program called grading that helps the company improve Siri for its users. The process uses snippets of audio files to determine whether Siri heard the command correctly or whether it was invoked by mistake.
“We are committed to delivering a great Siri experience while protecting user privacy,” Apple said in a statement to TechCrunch. “While we conduct a thorough review, we are suspending Siri grading globally. Additionally, as part of a future software update, users will have the ability to choose to participate in grading.”
To be clear, Apple never hid the fact it was using snippets of audio to improve Siri, but a piece from The Guardian quoting stories of sex and crime was enough for Apple to reevaluate its process.
I understand Apple’s point of view, and something had to be done to quell any fears from its users about privacy. I think they have the best solution by allowing people to opt-in to help the company improve Siri.
I will be one of those people.
I believe that if I’m going to point out the flaws and mistakes that Siri makes—and I often do—I should also be willing to help improve the service if allowed to do so. Apple is giving me that opportunity.
Sharing those snippets with Apple doesn’t concern me in the least, especially when you consider what they use.
Here is what Apple told The Guardian:
“A small portion of Siri requests are analyzed to improve Siri and dictation. User requests are not associated with the user’s Apple ID. Siri responses are analyzed in secure facilities and all reviewers are under the obligation to adhere to Apple’s strict confidentiality requirements.” The company added that a very small random subset, less than 1% of daily Siri activations, are used for grading, and those used are typically only a few seconds long.
I understand that a lot of people will not want to send Apple their data, even under those conditions. That’s their choice.
I also understand that it’s oversimplifying the matter to say, “if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” However, what I don’t want to see is people complaining about Siri when they have no interest in helping to fix it.
I want to be part of the solution.
Apple has always been doomed, even when they’re not. The media always finds a way to report the bad about Apple, and sometimes the bad is really hard to find. We also take a look at the improvements to Apple Maps in iOS 13.