Yikatong, the payment card operator for Beijing’s public transportation system, just launched an Android-only app for paying for fares, and no plans for an iPhone app have been announced.
Chinese App Store Developer Complaint Highlights Apple's China Problem
Apple has a China problem, and that problem is “China.”
Apple’s 2017 iPhones Won’t Have Gigabit Download Speeds, and it Won’t Matter to Most Customers
The news is seen as a setback for Apple, but it will be little more than a blip in the iPhone’s overall trajectory.
Monday's Apple WWDC Keynote Just Got Even More Exciting
Apple issued two developer-centric press releases, and that can only mean the company has too much stuff to fit them in during Monday’s WWDC keynote.
Apple Could Own Device-Centric AI with Custom Chip
Such a chip could give Apple a significant leg up deploying artificial intelligence, and if it succeeds, few of its competitors could respond.
Meet the Man Who Wants to Use His Personal Tragedy to Screw Us All with Textalyzer
Meet Ben Lieberman of New Castle, NY. He suffered a horrific tragedy in 2011 when his 19 year old son was killed by someone texting-while-driving. Powered by his personal loss, Mr. Lieberman is on a crusade to dramatically amp up the power of the police to search your smartphone without a warrant.
Apple's Achilles Heel Is Neither the Mac Nor the iPhone
A couple of interesting pieces got me thinking about Apple. The first was by Neil Cybart, who wrote, “The Mac Is Turning into Apple’s Achilles’ Heel.” The second was John Gruber reacting to that, saying ” The Mac is not Apple’s Achilles heel. The iPhone is.” They’re both well written and insightful pieces, but they’re also both wrong. Bryan Chaffin offers his thoughts.
Apple Music Execution Has Been Near Flawless
Apple’s streaming music execution has been nearly flawless. From all but abandoning the world’s largest and most profitable online music store, to launching a “radio station,” to attracting tens of millions of monthly subscribers, Apple Music has been a huge hit. And two bits of news hit Bryan Chaffin that emphasizes just how good Apple’s execution has been.
FCC Chairman Has Delusional Plan to (Un)Protect Net Neutrality
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai has some cockamamie ideas divorced from reality. The man who believes the United States is a better place if ISPs can sell what they know about us also thinks Net Neutrality would be better protected if it was voluntary. Bryan Chaffin explains.
Now Would Be a Great Time for an Apple VPN
There are many things Bryan Chaffin wishes Apple would release. Streaming TV, a smarthome hub, new freaking Macs, the list goes on. But something new on his mind is an Apple owned and operated virtual private network (VPN). He explains why this would be a welcome port in the storm of surveillance capitalism.
Apple Pays Zilch in New Zealand Taxes on $4.2 Billion in Sales
Apple paid roughly zip to New Zealand Inland Revenue—that country’s taxing authority—over ten years, even while selling $4.2 billion in merchandise in the country. The practice is scrupulously legal—and therefore OK in the eyes of many. Bryan Chaffin, however, doesn’t think it’s right.
Breaking News: Google Home Users Upset when Google Does Google
Hey, are you a proud owner of Google Home who got all pissy when you found an ad inserted your morning summary? Well, suck it up, buttercup. Bryan Chaffin argues you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.
Tim Cook Insists Apple Cares about Creative Pros (Despite All Evidence to the Contrary)
Apple CEO Tim Cook told shareholders on Tuesday his company cares about professional users, especially creative pros, despite all evidence to the contrary. Without laying out specifics, Mr. Cook told shareholders to expect more from Apple to address pro users.
It's Time for Apple to Show iBooks Some Love
Apple doesn’t love iBooks, and it shows in the way the company has largely let its ebook store languish. Bryan Chaffin argues that what we’ve seen (not) happen to iBooks is what we’ve seen every time an Apple product stopped being the focus of top executives. That needs to change.
This List Proves Apple (Still) Hasn't Accomplished Much in 2016 [Update]
Few people were thinking 2016 has been a great year for Apple, but…well, look at this list of things Apple released in 2016. There’s just 13 14 items on it, now that AirPods have shipped. That’s still depressing. Worse, Bryan Chaffin argues, it’s boring.
Ken Segall: What Has Apple Been Doing All These Years?
“That’s it? You could have done this one day after our last meeting. What have you been doing for the past two weeks?” That’s Steve Jobs after many presentations from his employees, according to Ken Segall, an ad exec who worked with Apple and Steve Jobs. In a blog post, Mr. Segall used that to succinctly and accurately (to me) capture the frustrations many Mac fans have about Apple.
Apple's Computing Future Could Be the Reverse ToasterFridge
Jean-Louis Gassée has an excellent piece on the future of desktop and mobile operating systems. It includes some lore—including that time Apple tried to buy a a code dump of BeOS from Palm—and some interesting speculation on the future. Both are well worth your time, and it got me thinking about an old interview of Steve Jobs from the mid-1990s. Think: the Reverse ToasterFridge.
Considering Rumors of Apple AR Glasses with Tim Cook's Comments on Google Glass
A new report says Apple is working on AR glasses. That’s all well and good, but how should we consider such reports in light of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s past comments about Google Glass, wearable computing, and the face? Bryan Chaffin walks us through the permutations.
Analyst Says iPhone SE Was a One-Off for Apple
Apple isn’t planning to update iPhone SE, according to well-connected KGI Securities’ analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. If true, it’s hard to understand. There are still people who prefer the smaller iPhone; and, having a current-generation iPhone with a lower price tag helps Apple reach deeper into the market. So why nuke it?
Touch Bar Is Apple's Double Down Against the Foolishness of ToasterFridges
Bryan Chaffin argues that the new MacBook pro’s Touch Bar is Apple’s double down against the ToasterFridge. More specifically, Touch Bar is Apple’s solution for the same need that ToasterFridges are trying to fill.
