daring-rss

I just don’t get it. Apple has nothing to gain by this — *nothing, not a cent — but a lot to lose.

David Heinemeier Hansson:

Apple waited until end of business on Friday to send us the formal
rejection of the HEY Calendar app. It seems they love to play
these little games to try to drown any controversy with the cover
of a weekend. But we don’t roll over that easy, so the team worked
through the weekend to prepare a new build to appease the App
Store’s bullying bureaucrats, and I think you’re going to like
what we came up with.

See, Apple’s stated reason for rejecting the HEY Calendar app is
once again that “it doesn’t do anything when you download it”. In
other words, it features a login screen, and requires you to have
an existing account with our HEY email service in order
to use it. It’s the textbook definition of a free companion app,
which Apple specifically exempts from having to use in-app
payments. They even cite Email Services(!!) as an example
in 3.1.3(f):

3.1.3(f) Free Stand-alone Apps: Free apps acting as a
stand-alone companion to a paid web based tool (eg. VOIP, Cloud
Storage, Email Services, Web Hosting) do not need to use
in-app purchase, provided there is no purchasing inside the app,
or calls to action for purchase outside of the app.

It seems bonkers to me that after all the bad publicity that befell Apple in June 2020 over Apple’s rejection of the Hey email app, that they’d veto a Hey companion app — that requires the exact same type of account as Hey email — for the exact same reasons. They should have just let it through, for the risk of bad publicity alone.

Here’s just a taste from my own coverage of the Hey email app rejection back in June 2020:

Dithering: ‘Hey Apple, Cut It Out’
On Avoiding or Embracing Apple’s In-App Purchase Cut
Phil Schiller Talks to Matthew Panzarino on Hey’s App Store Rejection
Kara Swisher: ‘Is It Finally Hammer Time for Apple and Its App Store?’
Siracusa on the App Store: ‘Apple Needs to Decide if It Wants to Be “Right” or if It Wants to Be Happy’
Apple, Hey, and the Path Forward
Nilay Patel’s Summary of the Apple/Hey Drama

Apple doesn’t want people writing articles like those (or this very one) this week. They want people writing articles about Vision Pro.

More crucially, regulators and legislators around the world are looking to wield antitrust powers against Apple, and all of them are primarily looking at the App Store. The stakes for Apple are much higher today than they were in 2020. The last thing Apple wants is a news narrative along the lines of “More Bullshit From Apple Trying to Squeeze Developers Into Giving Them a Cut of Revenue When the Developers Simply Want to Sell Subscriptions Directly to Customers Over the Web”. But by rejecting Hey Calendar, they seem to be inviting such a narrative.

I just don’t get it. Apple has nothing to gain by this — *nothing, not a cent — but a lot to lose.

Read More 

Apple’s first commercial for Vision Pro is (a) perfect, and (b) a splendid callback to the iPhone’s “Hello” ad. Not a bad list of movies to watch, either.

(I’d bet money that Joz — a Michigan nut — has it debuting during tonight’s college football championship.)

 ★ 

Apple’s first commercial for Vision Pro is (a) perfect, and (b) a splendid callback to the iPhone’s “Hello” ad. Not a bad list of movies to watch, either.

(I’d bet money that Joz — a Michigan nut — has it debuting during tonight’s college football championship.)

Read More 

My thanks to Flexibits for sponsoring the previous two weeks at Daring Fireball. Fantastical isn’t just the best calendaring app for iOS and Mac; Cardhop isn’t just the best contacts app for iOS and Mac — these are two of the best apps in the world today, period.

And, lo, Fantastical is no longer just for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. From Apple’s Newsroom announcement about Vision Pro pre-orders and availability today:

An infinite canvas for productivity: With key productivity and
collaboration apps like Fantastical, Freeform, JigSpace, apps from
Microsoft 365, and Slack, Apple Vision Pro is an ideal
productivity tool for everyday tasks.

I believe this means that Fantastical is the first third-party VisionOS app Apple has ever mentioned. Can’t wait to see it.

2023 was a huge year for Flexibits, and they have a terrific year-in-review blog post that runs down all the details. But the highlights are obvious: excellent support for widgets (on all platforms, including interactive widgets on the latest OSes) and Live Activities on iOS. They also added several improvements to their Openings feature that lets people find meeting times that work for everyone.

Through the end of the week, Flexibits has a killer offer for DF readers: 20 percent off for up to two full years, both for new and current Flexibits subscribers. (I just used the code to renew my own annual subscription. Even if your subscription isn’t due for renewal yet, you can apply the code now.)

 ★ 

My thanks to Flexibits for sponsoring the previous two weeks at Daring Fireball. Fantastical isn’t just the best calendaring app for iOS and Mac; Cardhop isn’t just the best contacts app for iOS and Mac — these are two of the best apps in the world today, period.

And, lo, Fantastical is no longer just for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. From Apple’s Newsroom announcement about Vision Pro pre-orders and availability today:

An infinite canvas for productivity: With key productivity and
collaboration apps like Fantastical, Freeform, JigSpace, apps from
Microsoft 365, and Slack, Apple Vision Pro is an ideal
productivity tool for everyday tasks.

I believe this means that Fantastical is the first third-party VisionOS app Apple has ever mentioned. Can’t wait to see it.

2023 was a huge year for Flexibits, and they have a terrific year-in-review blog post that runs down all the details. But the highlights are obvious: excellent support for widgets (on all platforms, including interactive widgets on the latest OSes) and Live Activities on iOS. They also added several improvements to their Openings feature that lets people find meeting times that work for everyone.

Through the end of the week, Flexibits has a killer offer for DF readers: 20 percent off for up to two full years, both for new and current Flexibits subscribers. (I just used the code to renew my own annual subscription. Even if your subscription isn’t due for renewal yet, you can apply the code now.)

Read More 

Sarah Martin, reporting for The Guardian:

A man named Steven Reece Lewis was introduced as the chief
executive officer of HyperVerse at an online global launch event
in December 2021, with video messages of support from a clutch of
celebrities released on Twitter the following month, including
from the Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and actor Chuck Norris. […]

Guardian Australia has confirmed that neither the University of
Leeds nor the University of Cambridge has any record of someone by
the name Steven Reece Lewis on their databases. No records exist
of Steven Reece Lewis on the UK companies register, Companies
House, or on the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Adobe, a
publicly listed company since 1986, has no record of any
acquisition of a company owned by a Steven Reece Lewis in any of
its public SEC filings. It is understood that Goldman Sachs could
find no record of Reece Lewis having worked for the company.
Guardian Australia was unable to find a LinkedIn profile for Reece
Lewis or any internet presence other than HyperVerse promotional
material.

A man who doesn’t actually exist sounds like the perfect CEO for any cryptocurrency company.

Also: Looks like the Woz and Norris “endorsements” were scripts they were paid to read through Cameo.

 ★ 

Sarah Martin, reporting for The Guardian:

A man named Steven Reece Lewis was introduced as the chief
executive officer of HyperVerse at an online global launch event
in December 2021, with video messages of support from a clutch of
celebrities released on Twitter the following month, including
from the Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and actor Chuck Norris. […]

Guardian Australia has confirmed that neither the University of
Leeds nor the University of Cambridge has any record of someone by
the name Steven Reece Lewis on their databases. No records exist
of Steven Reece Lewis on the UK companies register, Companies
House, or on the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Adobe, a
publicly listed company since 1986, has no record of any
acquisition of a company owned by a Steven Reece Lewis in any of
its public SEC filings. It is understood that Goldman Sachs could
find no record of Reece Lewis having worked for the company.
Guardian Australia was unable to find a LinkedIn profile for Reece
Lewis or any internet presence other than HyperVerse promotional
material.

A man who doesn’t actually exist sounds like the perfect CEO for any cryptocurrency company.

Also: Looks like the Woz and Norris “endorsements” were scripts they were paid to read through Cameo.

Read More 

Apple, back at WWDC, announcing Vision Pro (italics added):

Apple Vision Pro starts at $3,499 (U.S.), and will be available
early next year on apple.com and at Apple Store locations in the
U.S., with more countries coming later next year.

Subhead at The Verge, today:

After previewing the VR headset in June 2023, Apple’s $3,499
Vision Pro is finally scheduled to go on sale

The announcement dropped at 9:00 am ET on the first non-holiday Monday of the year.

 ★ 

Apple, back at WWDC, announcing Vision Pro (italics added):

Apple Vision Pro starts at $3,499 (U.S.), and will be available
early next year on apple.com and at Apple Store locations in the
U.S., with more countries coming later next year.

Subhead at The Verge, today:

After previewing the VR headset in June 2023, Apple’s $3,499
Vision Pro is finally scheduled to go on sale

The announcement dropped at 9:00 am ET on the first non-holiday Monday of the year.

Read More 

Apple Newsroom:

Apple today announced Apple Vision Pro will be available beginning
Friday, February 2, at all U.S. Apple Store locations and the U.S.
Apple Store online. […] An all-new App Store provides users with
access to more than 1 million compatible apps across iOS and
iPadOS, as well as new experiences that take advantage of the
unique capabilities of Vision Pro. Pre-orders for Apple Vision Pro
begin Friday, January 19, at 5 a.m. PST.

A hearty thanks from us East Coasters.

 ★ 

Apple Newsroom:

Apple today announced Apple Vision Pro will be available beginning
Friday, February 2, at all U.S. Apple Store locations and the U.S.
Apple Store online. […] An all-new App Store provides users with
access to more than 1 million compatible apps across iOS and
iPadOS, as well as new experiences that take advantage of the
unique capabilities of Vision Pro. Pre-orders for Apple Vision Pro
begin Friday, January 19, at 5 a.m. PST.

A hearty thanks from us East Coasters.

Read More 

Remarkable speech by President Biden, on the eve of the third anniversary of Trump’s Capitol insurrection:

Let’s be clear about the 2020 election. Trump exhausted every
legal avenue available to him to overturn the election. Every one,
but the legal path just took Trump back to the truth, that I’d won
the election and he was a loser.

Well, so knowing how his mind works now, he had one, he had one
act left. One desperate act available to him, the violence of
January the sixth.

Since that day, more than 1,200 people have been charged with
assault in the Capitol. Nearly 900 of them have been convicted or
pled guilty. Collectively to date, they have been sentenced to
more than 840 years in prison.

What’s Trump done? Instead of calling them criminals, he’s called
these insurrectionists patriots. They’re patriots. And he promised
to pardon them if he returns to office. Trump said that there was
a lot of love on January the sixth.

The rest of the nation, including law enforcement, saw a lot of
hate and violence.

The AP has a transcript, but I suggest watching it. Biden gets it. Democracy is our sacred cause. It’s that simple. Trump lost, and he tried his ham-fisted best to stay in office anyway. Quoting Biden: “We all know who Donald Trump is. The question we have to answer is: Who are we?”

 ★ 

Remarkable speech by President Biden, on the eve of the third anniversary of Trump’s Capitol insurrection:

Let’s be clear about the 2020 election. Trump exhausted every
legal avenue available to him to overturn the election. Every one,
but the legal path just took Trump back to the truth, that I’d won
the election and he was a loser.

Well, so knowing how his mind works now, he had one, he had one
act left. One desperate act available to him, the violence of
January the sixth.

Since that day, more than 1,200 people have been charged with
assault in the Capitol. Nearly 900 of them have been convicted or
pled guilty. Collectively to date, they have been sentenced to
more than 840 years in prison.

What’s Trump done? Instead of calling them criminals, he’s called
these insurrectionists patriots. They’re patriots. And he promised
to pardon them if he returns to office. Trump said that there was
a lot of love on January the sixth.

The rest of the nation, including law enforcement, saw a lot of
hate and violence.

The AP has a transcript, but I suggest watching it. Biden gets it. Democracy is our sacred cause. It’s that simple. Trump lost, and he tried his ham-fisted best to stay in office anyway. Quoting Biden: “We all know who Donald Trump is. The question we have to answer is: Who are we?”

Read More 

Nancy Pelosi, writing in The Atlantic:

The threat to our democracy is real, present, and urgent. The
parable of January 6 reminds us that our precious democratic
institutions are only as strong as the courage and commitment of
those entrusted with their care. We all share a responsibility to
preserve American democracy, which Lincoln called “the last best
hope of earth.”

 ★ 

Nancy Pelosi, writing in The Atlantic:

The threat to our democracy is real, present, and urgent. The
parable of January 6 reminds us that our precious democratic
institutions are only as strong as the courage and commitment of
those entrusted with their care. We all share a responsibility to
preserve American democracy, which Lincoln called “the last best
hope of earth.”

Read More 

Yours truly, back when the iPhone 3GS was new:

I think the question boils down to whether Apple is making a
mistake by not making an iPhone with a hardware keyboard. I’m
convinced the answer is no — that (a) there will never be an
iPhone with a built-in hardware keyboard; and (b) Apple will not
suffer for it. […]

Are software touchscreen keyboards good for everyone? Certainly
not. But this is another aspect of the Apple Way. Apple tries to
make things that many people love, not things that all people
like. The key is that they’re not afraid of the staunch criticism,
and often outright derision, that comes with breaking conventions.

Holds up.

 ★ 

Yours truly, back when the iPhone 3GS was new:

I think the question boils down to whether Apple is making a
mistake by not making an iPhone with a hardware keyboard. I’m
convinced the answer is no — that (a) there will never be an
iPhone with a built-in hardware keyboard; and (b) Apple will not
suffer for it. […]

Are software touchscreen keyboards good for everyone? Certainly
not. But this is another aspect of the Apple Way. Apple tries to
make things that many people love, not things that all people
like. The key is that they’re not afraid of the staunch criticism,
and often outright derision, that comes with breaking conventions.

Holds up.

Read More 

If the aforelinked new Clicks keyboard case for iPhones rings a bell, here’s Jon Fingas reporting for Engadget 10 years ago:

The market for keyboard-equipped phones may be on the wane, but
don’t tell that to Ryan Seacrest — the American Idol host is
convinced that messaging mavens need real buttons. To that end,
he’s jumping into hardware and launching the Typo Keyboard for the
iPhone 5 and 5S. The Bluetooth case turns an Apple handset into a
makeshift BlackBerry Q10, complete with backlit, sculpted keys
that cover up the iPhone’s home button (there’s a small substitute
key); we hope you don’t need multitasking, folks. The Typo
Keyboard will make its formal debut at CES in early January, and
it should ship that month for $99.

The Typo keyboard was doomed in more ways than one: it used unreliable battery-draining Bluetooth, not a wired connection; iOS didn’t have good hardware keyboard support at the time; and, as Fingas alludes in his description above, the Typo keyboard’s design covered the iPhone’s home button. That was pretty much a dealbreaker for the iPhone 5S, which introduced Touch ID.

Even worse, the shell of the company that was once the mighty BlackBerry sued Typo for patent infringement, won, and eventually drove Typo out of business. (Kudos to NBC News for that “Seacrest Out” headline.)

 ★ 

If the aforelinked new Clicks keyboard case for iPhones rings a bell, here’s Jon Fingas reporting for Engadget 10 years ago:

The market for keyboard-equipped phones may be on the wane, but
don’t tell that to Ryan Seacrest — the American Idol host is
convinced that messaging mavens need real buttons. To that end,
he’s jumping into hardware and launching the Typo Keyboard for the
iPhone 5 and 5S. The Bluetooth case turns an Apple handset into a
makeshift BlackBerry Q10, complete with backlit, sculpted keys
that cover up the iPhone’s home button (there’s a small substitute
key); we hope you don’t need multitasking, folks. The Typo
Keyboard will make its formal debut at CES in early January, and
it should ship that month for $99.

The Typo keyboard was doomed in more ways than one: it used unreliable battery-draining Bluetooth, not a wired connection; iOS didn’t have good hardware keyboard support at the time; and, as Fingas alludes in his description above, the Typo keyboard’s design covered the iPhone’s home button. That was pretty much a dealbreaker for the iPhone 5S, which introduced Touch ID.

Even worse, the shell of the company that was once the mighty BlackBerry sued Typo for patent infringement, won, and eventually drove Typo out of business. (Kudos to NBC News for that “Seacrest Out” headline.)

Read More