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Should Apple Be Broken Up? Probably Not

Andrew Orr ·

Apple just announced a slew of new services, so you know what that means? It’s a monopoly and should be broken up, at least according to Cale Guthrie Weissman.

In the two-hour presentation, Apple transformed from product maker to platforms and services provider; Tim Cook’s ambition is to control every aspect of its domain. And that should give many of us pause…Less than a month ago, Elizabeth Warren made headlines for her sweeping plan to break up the tech giants. Though she didn’t initially mention Apple, she later explained to the Verge that, yes, the Steve Jobs-founded company is also in her crosshairs.

I think certain tech companies need regulation, but I don’t think Apple is one of them (Yes, obviously I’m biased). The only thing Elizabeth Warren did was give reasons why no one will vote for her in 2020.

Mac Contacts App Cardhop Arrives on iOS
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Mac Contacts App Cardhop Arrives on iOS

Andrew Orr ·

Cardhop is a popular contacts app for the Mac. It’s made by Felxibits Inc. makers of another popular app Fantastical 2. Cardhop has finally arrived on iOS. The app’s parsing engine is incredibly intuitive, letting you search, add, edit, and interact with your contacts using a simple sentence. Just type in «John G» and John’s card will instantly appear. Or enter «Sarah Smith [email protected]» and Cardhop will add a new contact to Sarah’s card. Or type in «call Michael S» and Cardhop will instantly start a phone call. Cardhop automatically loads your contacts in Apple’s Contacts app, so you don’t need to do much except tap the Allow button. Plus, the company says that your contact information stays on your iPhone and isn’t uploaded to their servers. Right now the app is available for 20% for a limited time as part of the launch sale. App Store: US$3.99

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Godfathers of AI Win Prestigious Turing Award

Charlotte Henry ·

University of Montreal Professor Yoshua Bengio, Google researcher Geoff Hinton, and Facebook’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun have won the Turing Award for their work in AI. Wired noted that receiving the award, known as the Nobel Prize of computer science, demonstrates how far into the mainstream AI has become.

The trio’s journey is a parable of scientific grit and case study in the economic value of new forms of computing. Through decades of careful research out of the limelight, they transformed an old-fashioned, marginalized idea into the hottest in computer science….Asked what winning the Turing Award means, Hinton expresses mock surprise. “I guess neural networks are now respectable computer science,” he says. The joke is that in computer science, there isn’t anything more respectable than a Turing Award.

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Developers Have Questions About Apple Arcade

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple Arcade seems a pretty exciting product, but many unanswered questions remain. The Verge reported that while developers are enthusiastic, they have as many questions as the rest of us, including on a release date and the revenue split.

There’s still much we don’t know about Apple Arcade, including how much it will cost and, perhaps more crucially, how Apple will be splitting revenue with developers. (I spoke to nearly a dozen mobile game developers and publishers after yesterday’s announcement, and no one was able to discuss specifics at this time.) We do know that Apple will be helping fund the development of these games in some way, and it’s been able to lure big names like Final Fantasy mastermind Hironobu Sakaguchi and SimCity creator Will Wright. Meanwhile, the teams behind App Store hits like Monument Valley, Florence, and Alto’s Adventure are all on board as well.

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Publishers are Driving Readers to Apple News

Andrew Orr ·

What’s good for publishers isn’t necessarily good for readers. Josh Constine writes about how Apple News+ is bad for publishers.

Readers visit Apple’s app, not the outlet’s site that gives it free rein to promote conference tickets, merchandise, research reports, and other money-makers. Publishers don’t get their Apple News+ readers’ email addresses for follow-up marketing, cookies for ad targeting and content personalization, or their credit card info to speed up future purchases.

This is exactly why people install adblockers. No one wants to be harassed by endless pop-ups, marketing or cookies, autoplaying videos, and they don’t want you to have their credit card info or email address so it can get leaked in a data breach. You can’t blame Apple for that.

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Apple Needs All its Product Expertise if TV+ is to Succeed

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple TV+ is unlike any other product the company has released before. However, as Jason Snell pointed out on MacWorld, it knows about branding better than almost anyone, and that could give it a fighting chance of succeeding. There can be an ethos that underscores the new content. My colleague John Martellaro made a similar point when he wrote about the underlying values that came through at the ‘It’s Show Time’ event Monday.

Apple does bring its brand along with it, and that can help inform the feel of the content Apple produces. Apple’s self-image, as seen through its commercials and promotional videos, is optimistic and bright and creative. The lengthy scripted portion of the Apple TV+ roll-out hit a lot of the same points, and while it’s safe to say that I never need to hear the word “storytelling” again, I think Apple was trying to establish an ethos and style for what an Apple TV+ show represents.

Podcast

TMO Background Mode Interview with Astronomer Dr. Clay Sherrod

John Martellaro · · 1 Comment

Dr. Clay Sherrod’s astronomical studies began, soon after his Ph.D. work, in 1970 with the Arkansas Sky, Inc., his private non-profit and educational research and educational program. Although now retired, the work, publications and outreach from him via the Arkansas Sky Observatory ranks among the top in private non-profit facilities.

We chatted about how he got interested in astronomy at age 8. His grandfather, an educator who owned a country farm, was instrumental in introducing Clay to the night sky. In his Ph.D. work at Cornell, Clay studied under the legendary Dr. Carl Sagan, and he remembered Sagan fondly. We chatted about Clay’s career in privately funded astronomy, his work philosophy, the integration of science and religion, and how his talents in music and art enhance his scientific thinking. Clay is a fascinating speaker.

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More Details on Mastercard's Universal Digital ID

Andrew Orr ·

Late last year Mastercard announced its idea for a universal digital ID. We have a bit more information on that.

Mastercard envisions a platform in which consumers have control of their identity information and it is stored locally on their devices, rather than in a centralized system that Mastercard would need to defend. The ID would be set up through a bank or other participating institution that already holds identity information about the individual. And people would manage their enrollment and interact with their universal ID through that institution’s secure mobile app.

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Pick Up AirPods 2 in an Apple Store Today

Andrew Orr ·

You can pick up a pair of AirPods 2 in Apple retail stores today. Previously they were only available online.

If you’re looking to get your hands on a pair of second-generation AirPods, you may be able to score a pair directly from a brick and mortar Apple Store today via in-store pickup. Not all locations have stock available, and supplies will likely be limited, so you may want to act fast if you want them today.