Some wise words from Dave Winer about product evangelism.
Category: Technology
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It’s curious that only Safari has the ability to share a link to the Apple News app. It’s not an option in Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser I’ve tried.
This is an important feature for me especially when trying to access links behind paywalls for which I have access via our Apple News+ subscription.
Is this just a missed feature for these other browsers? Has Apple not made this option available to other vendors? It would be a very odd limitation to intentionally enforce when the result is more use of the Apple News app.
Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of only using Apple devices in my personal and professional lives so I would love to be able to standardize on one browser across platforms. Until I can pass links from browsers other than Safari to Apple News, I guess I’m stuck.
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It is astonishing to me that the Threads iOS app still does not support the iPad. The web app works just fine, but it seems like a silly limitation when Apple makes it relatively easy to create apps that work across iOS devices.
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European regulators have made a massive mistake by requiring Apple and others to open their ecosystems to third-party app stores. Mobile devices need to be considered an essential safety device in a much different category than a personal computer. They help people find their way home, manage their health, and pay for goods and services all potentially while away from home.
Plain and simple, the devices MUST work. No exceptions. Third-party app stores present too much risk, and if I were in the European market, I would not be using these options. Regulators could have taken a much different approach to allow more categories of apps on mobile devices while still protecting users who most likely do not have the technical sophistication to understand the risks. This will be an interesting experiment to watch from the other side of the pond.
Torrenting Apps Now Available for iPhone Users in the EU – MacRumors
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Studies by Google and Apple partners using health device data promise to really help all of us. If you have a device, find a charging schedule that allows you to wear it during your most active hours and while you sleep.
A new study using Fitbit data uncovers connections between sleep and disease
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Google Calculator I know Apple is finally fixing this in iPadOS 18, but let’s all sit and wonder for a moment how some of the arguably best product people in the entire world decided to hold out for 14 years before including a calculator in their product. I am still dumbfounded by this decision 14 years later.
I will say the calculator built in to Google has proved to be incredibly useful.
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It’s a bit curious that Sonos and MLB do not have native integration. This seems like a lost opportunity to me. Having to rely on Alexa integration or AirPlay is a wonky user experience.
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This news is very interesting to me. Is Sam Altman playing the role of Steve Jobs in this new venture? Any time Jony Ive is involved, we should pay attention.
Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman Seeking Funding for Personal AI Device – MacRumors
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It’s Time to Fix Apple News+
Let me start by saying I am a big fan of Apple News+. It provides access to an incredible amount of paywalled content from some of the best publishers on the planet for my entire family for a very reasonable price. When those publishers take advantage of the formatting capabilities of the Apple News app, the content can be visually stunning.
I do feel like Apple has had too much tunnel vision when it comes to the product, though. What about subscribers that may not have their Mac, iPhone, or iPad with them for whatever reason? What about subscribers that click on a link to a publisher from Messages, a social media app, or a feed reader? Each of these user journeys seems too obvious to have been missed by the Apple News+ product team.
On the Mac, iPhone, and iPad, Apple could easily solve these user journeys by redirecting users to the Apple News app when a user clicks on a link from a supported website. The Apple News Format includes the metadata to do this assuming the publisher includes the canonicalURL. Another option would be to create a micro frontend of the Apple News app that is called from within Safari.
Regardless of approach, the current user journey must be improved. Opening a link in Safari to a publisher to which you know you have access in Apple News+ only to be denied access to the article is an incredibly disappointing experience.
Let’s get this fixed, Apple!
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I am starting to get really excited to see the next generation of CarPlay become a reality. What would be great is if at least some of the enhancements become available in exiting cars. For example, our Volkswagen’s dashboard already has media and navigation data integration built in so the driver never needs to look anywhere but right in front of them. It will be curious to see what else is possible!
Next-Generation Apple CarPlay Will Feature These 8 New Apps – MacRumors