Apple News
Weird Apple Issues
I just got an update from Apple that seems a bit strange. There is one major problem.
– The update took my devices OUT of a development cycle. I had to flip switches to put them back in. If I wouldn’t have been paying attention, that could’ve been a big deal.
I pay to be in the Apple Developer environment. Why they would make a switch for it and then opt out the developers by default is weird.
Ok. Weird Apple rant over.
WWDC 2021 is Almost Here!
This is the yearly event I look forward to. The event where Apple releases the beta version of the next operating system.
The conference is all about software and in rare circumstances Apple has announced hardware but since this is a software conference, I wouldn’t bet on it.
I’ve tried to stay away from the speculation. I really don’t care what other people think and I just want to be surprised by Apple. The folks that work on these products should be the ones to tell me about them.
I’ll update this post as I find out what is going on.
Random Apple Things
I ordered AirTags on Friday and literally sat on the refresh key until the Apple store came back online so I could get my order in. It is ridiculous. I own that.
There was a pretty good article that John Gruber linked to about how Apple’s M1 chip strategy is more about unity than trying to sell several variations of the same chip. The $699 computer has the same processor as the $1699 machine. I think that shows how strange it is that Intel thinks they need to have several versions of a CPU.
If they turn around and put the M1 into an iPhone, then we’re talking serious M1 strategy.
Apple Versus Facebook and Privacy
I don’t see how Facebook comes out of this smelling anything other than a big hairy turd that no one even wants to look at. They’ve already been caught in the small business lie which this article confirms. Realistically, it wasn’t a stretch to hear Facebook talk about how Apple’s privacy changes would affect small businesses on their site and not want to throw up. The mere thought of that made me almost rethink my whole existence. Since when does Facebook give a fuck about anyone or anything that doesn’t make them money? Perhaps, I slipped into a parallel dimension where Facebook cares about things other than itself.
Facebook has been attacking Apple with campaigns that say the iOS 14 privacy changes will hurt small businesses, as many of them use Facebook’s platforms to advertise their products and services. However, a former Facebook employee argues that these changes may not affect small businesses as these businesses are usually located in specific cities or states, which makes it easier to determine the ad’s target audience without using IDFA trackers.
Using Facebook makes them money. That is why I rarely use it for anything. If you truly don’t like what a company does then by all means, do not support it.
Sometimes I think that the people that use Facebook and have the nerve to bitch about it are the reason why we can’t have nice things and we’re not living on Mars.
General Thoughts
I have a quick drive by style post about something that I think is important to the world in general.
Diabetes and blood glucose readings.
I read an article yesterday about Apple getting close to having the technology to read blood glucose levels without puncturing the skin.
That is a game changer.
Can you imagine what would happen to the industry in general if they introduce a watch that can do that?
My friends equipment to allow him to constantly monitor his levels costs hundreds of dollars per every 10 days. It is ridiculous.
If Apple puts those types of criminals out of business, I would be a very happy individual.
Thoughts on M1 MBP So Far
It has been a full day with the new laptop and I have to say that I’ve been doing almost everything with it.
I had to install a crap ton of things and I have been doing all of that (including an operating system update to put this machine on the beta version of Big Sur) with the laptop only being charged up when I first got it.
I haven’t plugged it in at all and I still have a 55% charge even though I’ve been writing on it all day long.
My journal is one of the longest I’ve ever written, I wrote over 500 words for the latest short story, and tons of other things including this blog post.
The battery is amazing. I can’t see what I can get out of this thing.
M1 MacBook Pro 13″
I am happy to report that I just got my new MacBook Pro. I’ve been waiting for about a month as Apple had a backlog.
So far, I love this thing. My previous MacBook was a 15″ and I actually wanted the smaller version. It has all of the same things and the keyboard is tons better.
I’m not going to review it. Tons of people out there already have and would go into way more details than I would.
5G on my new iPhone
This happened last evening in the middle of nowhere.
5G coverage in the middle of nowhere. Awesome.
Europe’s Extortion of Apple 2016 to 2020
I’ve written on this subject in the past so I won’t go on about it.
#EUGeneralCourt annuls the decision taken by the @EU_Commission regarding the Irish #TaxRulings in favour of @Apple #Apple #EUCommission #StateAid pic.twitter.com/KoF6r1n82S
— EU Court of Justice (@EUCourtPress) July 15, 2020
The original context of this post is here.
The European Union decided back in 2016 that Apple wasn’t paying Ireland enough in taxes even though Ireland clearly said they were. Apple initially lost the ruling and has been paying the taxes into an escrow account.
Today, it was announced that they won their appeal.
I’m so happy that someone else recognized that the EU’s ecomomy shouldn’t rest of the shoulders of everyone else, including the companies of the United States. The very companies that invented most of your creature comforts. Yes. I went there.
It would be so cool if everyone else turned around and sued the EU for being total toolbags.
