MyAppleMenu - Fri, Dec 25, 2015

Fri, Dec 25, 2015The Baked-Halo Edition

In 2015, Apple’s Ecosystem Got Larger (And Harder To Leave) Than Ever, by Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica

With those new platforms and the updates to old ones, Apple is building on the platform work it's been doing since it launched iCloud back in 2011. As it broadens and deepens the links between its existing platforms and builds brand-new ones, it makes it more and more appealing for people with Apple products to buy other Apple products. Apple has benefitted from a “halo effect” since the iPod’s heyday, when the popularity of its music players convinced more people to buy Macs. Now the halo has been intentionally baked into all of its products, hardware and software, and the lineup is much larger than it was a decade ago.

Living With: The Apple Eco-System, by William Gallagher, MacNN

Here's the thing: I occasionally feel this stuff is over-familiar, I am sometimes weary of it, yet at usually it fills me with actual pleasure -- and I struggle to imagine ever swapping to something else.

Stuff

Hands On: Sidefari 1.1 (iOS), by William Gallagher, MacNN

Utility gets you two Safari websites on screen.

Enso For iOS Finds New Music With Swipes, by Thorin Klosowski, Lifehacker

There are all kinds of ways to discover new music these days, but if you prefer a more active approach, Endo makes finding new music as easy as doing Tinder-esque swipes.

Develop

How To Get Rich In Tech, Guaranteed., by Startups And Shit

Notes

Apple Wants Samsung To Pay Another $180 Million For Copying Its Design, by Nick Statt, The Verge

Apple is demanding Samsung pay an additional $180 million in the companies' long-running patent dispute. The request comes less than two weeks after Samsung finally agreed to pay Apple $548 million in accordance with the original verdict. But now Apple says it's owed additional money for interest and supplemental damages related to five phone models sold after 2012, when Samsung was first found guilty of infringing Apple's patents.

These Beatles Albums Still Can't Be Streamed On Spotify Or Apple Music, by Chris Welch, The Verge

But if you're a big Beatles fan, you might notice that several things are missing from today's big album drop. I expect it's only a matter of time before these releases follow the big ones to streaming, but for now, you've still got to buy them from iTunes if you want digital copies. Let's go over what's not yet on Spotify or any of the other eight services that now offer The Beatles.

How The Internet Of Things Limits Consumer Choice, by Bruce Schneier, The Atlantic

In theory, the Internet of Things—the connected network of tiny computers inside home appliances, household objects, even clothing—promises to make your life easier and your work more efficient. These computers will communicate with each other and the Internet in homes and public spaces, collecting data about their environment and making changes based on the information they receive. In theory, connected sensors will anticipate your needs, saving you time, money, and energy.

Except when the companies that make these connected objects act in a way that runs counter to the consumer’s best interests—as the technology company Philips did recently with its smart ambient-lighting system, Hue, which consists of a central controller that can remotely communicate with light bulbs. In mid-December, the company pushed out a software update that made the system incompatible with some other manufacturers’ light bulbs, including bulbs that had previously been supported.

Things To Celebrate, Like Dreams Of Flying Cars, by Paul Krugman, New York Times

True, I’m still waiting for flying cars, not to mention hyperdrive. But we have made enough progress in the technology of things that saving the world has suddenly become much more plausible. And that’s reason to celebrate.

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My Christmas meals today: Youtiao + Coffee for breakfast, Ramen + Iced Lemon Tea for lunch, and Mee Pok + plain water for dinner.

I hope you've had a wonderful day too.

~

Thanks for reading.