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The Discrimination-and-Obstacles Edition Friday, March 19, 2021

Tim Cook On The Pandemic Year: The Urgency Of Racial Justice, by Tim Cook, Wall Street Journal

In simple theory, a disease should affect all of us equally. But in plain fact, the opposite is true. We have all seen, in real time, how structural discrimination and obstacles to opportunity do their work in a crisis. In our communities, every burden—from rates of infection and care outcomes, to economic adversity, to the challenges of virtual learning when schools are closed—falls heaviest on those for whom true equity has always been farthest from reach. As someone who grew up during the civil-rights movement, it has been frustrating to see how much work is still to be done but heartening to see the degree to which people of good will have set aside comfort with the status quo to march and to demand something better.

When the pandemic recedes, we can’t simply assume that healing follows. It falls on all of us—individuals and communities, companies and governments—to ensure that what’s ahead is not just the end of a disease but a durable and hopeful future for all who sacrificed and endured during this unprecedented time.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Expects A Post-Pandemic Return To The Office: 'I Can’t Wait', by Wendy Naugle, People

"My gut says that, for us, it's still very important to physically be in touch with one another because collaboration isn't always a planned activity," he tells PEOPLE.

"Innovation isn't always a planned activity," Cook adds. "It's bumping into each other over the course of the day and advancing an idea that you just had. And you really need to be together to do that."

Apple Stores Let Users Try On AirPods Again In Sign Of Normalcy, by Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

Apple Inc. stores are again allowing customers to try on AirPods before buying them, another sign of the company’s retail operations heading toward normalcy, according to employees.

On Privacy

Apple Says App Tracking Transparency Policies Will Be Applied Globally, Following Reports That Chinese Ad Networks Are Trying To Skirt The Rules, by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac

In a statement, Apple said that its upcoming App Tracking Transparency rules will be applied to all developers equally, worldwide.

This follows reports that the state-backed Chinese Advertising Association had developed workarounds and was encouraging adoption of ‘CAID’ identifiers as an alternative, if the user opts out of allowing IDFA collection.

Apple Warns Chinese Apps Not To Dodge Its New Privacy Rules, by Yuan Yang, Financial Times

On Thursday, Apple fired pre-emptive warnings to at least two Chinese apps, telling them to cease and desist after naming a dozen parameters such as “setDeviceName” that could be used “to create a unique identifier for the user’s device”.

“We found that your app collects user and device information to create a unique identifier for the user’s device,” reads a screenshot of a warning to one developer who was using a new way of identifying users called CAID, which was developed by the state-backed China Advertising Association.

Stuff

Apple TV App For iPhone And iPad Now Integrates Discoverable AR Lunar Objects From ‘For All Mankind’, by Seth Kurkowski, Space Explored

The new AR experience allows users to place objects into their own environment and explore more of the equipment used by NASA and the Russians in the show to get to the Moon and survive on it. Within the iPhone and iPad app you can check out 10 different objects from both sides of the lunar conflict.

Grammarly Spell Check App Updated With 'Tone Detector' Feature On iPhone, by José Adorno, 9to5Mac

If you ever feel like a message you write could be misinterpreted, fear no more. The popular grammar tool Grammarly has launched its “Go with our Tone Detector” feature for iPhone users.

Review: Eve Weather Is A Worthy HomeKit Weather Station That's As Powerful As You Make It, by Mike Peterson, AppleInsider

Eve Weather is a new HomeKit-only weather station that replaces the outgoing Eve Degree with new features and Thread connectivity.

Notes

Maker Of Keyboard Apps For The Blind Sues Apple, Claiming Anticompetitive Behavior, by Reed Albergotti, Washington Post

Then, when the app finally found success, it was undercut by “copycat and scam applications” that used allegedly fake App Store reviews to boost downloads, according to the suit. FlickType is also suing Apple for fraud.

“Apple’s promise to help developers build, test, market, and distribute their products and grow their business through a secure, trusted, and accessible marketplace is just a façade designed to wrongfully entice developers to the App Store,” the lawsuit says.

Going Longer On Intel’s Ad Spat With The Mac, by John Gruber, Daring Fireball

Intel’s marketing is now high on their own supply. Instead of thinking “Intel Inside” was a badge of honor because it meant leading edge tech was powering the device, they think it’s necessarily good tech inside because the Intel badge is outside.

Intel’s Ad Campaign Against Apple Is The Perfect Metaphor For Why It’s Getting Beat So Badly, by Jason Aten, Inc

Intel's problem is technical. Intel has a technical problem. Maybe spend a little time getting caught up on the product roadmap, or figure out the manufacturing problems that have plagued its efforts to get to smaller transistor sizes.

If this is Intel's best effort, it isn't hard to see why it's getting beat so badly in the first place.

Bottom of the Page

Last year, I thought we will have a lock-down for a few weeks, and everything will be back to normal.

This year, I no longer have any thoughts.

~

Thanks for reading.