MyAppleMenu - Fri, Nov 13, 2015

Fri, Nov 13, 2015The Neglected-Store Edition

No One Minding The Store, by Michael Tsai

The Mac App Store is supposed to make things easier, but it’s also a single point of failure. Not only is it neglected, but sometimes even the existing functionality stops working.

Password-Pilfering App Exposes Weakness In iOS And Android Vetting Process, by Dan Goodin, Ars Technica

The larger issue, of course, is that neither Apple nor Google detected the suspicious behavior on their own when deciding whether to admit the app. And if a rogue app can obtain login credentials for Instagram, it's conceivable other apps can get passwords for much more sensitive services as well.

I'm probably not smart enough, but I don't see any good solutions to vett for these kinds of apps.

Race to the Bottom

Castro Is Now Free With Patronage, by Samantha Bielefeld

Marco has indeed accelerated the race to the bottom, and he comes bearing a well made app that is difficult not to feel satisfied with as a user when faced with other apps that charge up-front. Why should I pay for an app when this developer has made it seem unnecessary? The patronage-only model is so new, and very experimental, but has that stopped others from replicating it? No, and this is because they are being forced into adopting it in order to hold onto their existing customers, and hopefully bring some new ones on as well.

Castro 1.5, by Michael Tsai

Overcast may have been the impetus, but I see it as more canary than cause. [...] Individual developers don’t make the rules; they can only respond to them, trying different ideas in the hope of finding something that works.

Pretty soon, Apple may have to add another line to the App Store description: "Contains In-App Nagging".

Stuff

Exploratorium's App Rethinks Time Itself, by Glenn Mcdonald, Discovery

Simple, playful and gorgeously designed, the iPad app is intended to encourage users to think about time in different ways. As they’ve done previously with apps on color and sound, the designers have come up with some creative approach vectors to exploring our perception of time passing.

Microsoft OneNote Picks Up Video Embeds, New iPhone Features And More, by Blair Hanley Frank, IDG News Service

Users of OneNote Online and OneNote for iOS can now record audio into a note straight from the web and mobile app. It's an extension of similar capabilities already available on OneNote for Mac and OneNote for Windows.

Microsoft Hyperlapse Pro Helps You Create Smooth Time Lapse Videos, by Joseph Keller, iMore

Microsoft has released a new app for OS X for creating timelapse videos. Hyperlapse Pro works with most video cameras, from GoPros to drones, and helps you build a smooth, stable video experience.

Why You Should Set Up Medical ID On Your iPhone, by Derek Erwin, Intego

This can be accessed even while the phone is locked by clicking on the emergency options, and it can display things like name, date of birth (DOB), emergency contacts, medical conditions, and even blood type! It can be managed by clicking on the little "Health" app that comes default on the iPhone.

Apple's iOS Just Became A Secure SharePoint Client For Enterprise IT, by Jonny Evans, Computerworld

The new solution is designed to help secure business class communications by integrating Exchange, SharePoint, Office 365 and OneDrive for Business within the email app.

YouTube Music Is Here, And It’s A Game Changer, by Ben Popper, The Verge

You can use the app like a standard music service, searching for artists and playing individual songs or albums. It has licensed the same pool of roughly 30 million audio tracks you would find on its competitors. But the service is also optimized to present a vast collection of additional options — from live concert footage to karaoke tracks with embedded lyrics to instructional videos on how to play that bass line — which don’t exist on any other music streaming service.

Readdle Brings PDF Expert To The Mac For Easy And Powerful PDF Management, by Joseph Keller, iMore

Giffage Launches GIF Keyboard App On iOS, by Brandy Shaul, AdWeek

Getting "App Is Damaged And Can't Be Opened" Errors On Your Mac? Here's The Fix!, by Rene Ritchie, iMore

Ask The iTunes Guy: iTunes Match Metadata, Playlist Graphics, iTunes Losing Its Place, by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

It's been almost exactly 4 years since iTunes Match was introduced, and the service still has issues syncing metadata. I discuss this problem in this week's column, and I also explain how to customize the graphics that display in iTunes' Playlist view. And I present The Essential iTunes Keyboard Shortcut™, which every iTunes user should know.

Develop

Why The iPad Pro Needs Xcode, by Steve Streza, Medium

In many ways, Xcode on iPad Pro would be the ultimate mobile developer platform. It would lead to better iPad apps, built by engineers who can now live and breathe iPad, and young people who already do. It won’t happen overnight. But you’ll slowly see more apps build toward universality, rather than being chained to a portrait iPhone.

Apple Shuts Down iPhone And iPad Screen Brightness Adjusting App Flux,by Zac Hall, 9to5Mac

In a blog post sharing the development, the developers behind the app said that Apple contacted them to say that the app violated Apple’s Developer Program Agreement. While the app was unofficially supported on iOS 9 as a sideloaded app and not an official App Store app, Flux did use Xcode signing to work properly on iPhones and iPads.

Why Apple Hasn’t Responded To Your Bug Report, by Rob Giffiths

So if you’re wondering why Apple hasn’t replied to your bug report, it’s probably because there are a few hundred thousand—or more—bug reports ahead of yours in the queue.

Notes

Apple Shutting Down Beats Music On Nov. 30, Encourages Users To Switch To Apple Music, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

According to a support document shared on the Beats Music website, all subscriptions will be cancelled on that date, with users being asked to migrate to Apple Music.

Apple Starts Hiring For Its Upcoming Singapore Store, by Victoria Ho, Mashable

The 14 listings, put up Friday, are for roles such as "business manager", "store leader", "expert" and "creative". Most of them appear to emphasise English-language skills, but being multilingual is a plus for store managers, to cater to the other languages spoken here.

Campbell’s Is Testing A Chicken Soup Without MSG, And That Soothes The Soul, by Ari Phillips, Fusion

This holiday season, Campbell Soup is testing a variety of chicken soup that only contains 20 ingredients instead of the standard 30. The new recipe will be featured in a “Star Wars”-themed soup and will help close “the gap between the kitchen and our plants,” according to Denise M. Morrison, chief executive of Campbell.

No MSG. And no celery nor onions too.

How To Tie Your Shoes, by Stephen Pulvirent, Bloomberg

You probably learned to tie your shoes in kindergarten. As with so many things, this is where the trouble started. (Why did we stop taking midday naps, again?) Whether you do the "loop swoop and pull" or the "bunny ears," you probably end up having to bend over on the sidewalk to retie your shoes more than you'd like. I haven't had shoelaces come undone in years, and it's because of one knot.

I've never learnt how to tie a tie either.

Buying Mac Apps

We've had so much hope for the Mac App Store when it first appeared, but then it's disappointment after disappointment all these months.

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Thanks for reading.