Apple Music announced today that it’s created a process to properly identify and compensate all of the individual creators involved in making a DJ mix. Using technology from the audio-recognition app Shazam, which Apple acquired in 2018 for $400 million, Apple Music is working with major and independent labels to devise a fair way to divide streaming royalties among DJs, labels, and artists who appear in the mixes.
But many who are familiar with the program say Apple is slow to fix reported bugs and does not always pay hackers what they believe they’re owed. Ultimately, they say, Apple’s insular culture has hurt the program and created a blind spot on security.
“It’s a bug bounty program where the house always wins,” said Katie Moussouris, CEO and founder of Luta Security, which worked with the Defense Department to set up its first bug bounty program. She said Apple’s bad reputation in the security industry will lead to “less secure products for their customers and more cost down the line.”
“As we’ve said all along, we would welcome Epic’s return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else,” an Apple spokesperson says in a statement to The Verge. “Epic has admitted to breach of contract and as of now, there’s no legitimate basis for the reinstatement of their developer account.”
Today, the company officially launched its new Maps data in Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and Andorra, along with a host of related features.
By combining the speakers in my iMac and Thunderbolt Display, I can again have sound emanating equally from both sides of my desk. You could use this capability to play the same audio through your Mac and a set of connected speakers or to configure a 5:1 or 7:1 surround-sound system.
And as part of the relaunch, Marvel is also announcing an addition to the service: “Infinity Comics,” a new line of exclusive comics that have been specifically designed for the vertical form factor of a modern smartphone, with scrolling panels that fill the entire width of a phone or tablet screen.
The total flexibility for getting the right angle and being able to fold it flat for tossing in a bag is spot on. And the weight plus solid base footprint means you’ve got a really stable stand even when tapping or swiping hard on your iPhone 12 (and soon iPhone 13) screen.
Apple has added its 16GB iPod touch to the list of products that are now officially obsolete worldwide, meaning it will no longer service the device, nor can third-party repair firms order replacement parts.
Apple wants people who are buying new iPhones that were first introduced 2–3 years ago to feel like they’re getting a new iPhone. They should, because they are — they’re great devices at lower prices, and will be supported for years to come. But if the iPhone XR were named “iPhone (2018)”, they’d feel old.
Lynch, an Adobe Inc. veteran who joined Apple in 2013 to run the software group for the company’s smartwatch and health efforts, replaced Doug Field as the manager in charge of the car work, according to people with knowledge of the matter. [...] The change marks the latest shake-up in the project’s tumultuous history.
If Apple, one day, releases iPhone 42, I will definitely buy an iPhone case with the words DON'T PANIC in large, friendly letters.
~
Somewhere in my house are two DVDs that I still haven't watched: the two sequels of The Matrix. And, no, I don't have any DVD players in the house either.
I'll probably watch them on Netflix someday, though. Maybe this weekend.
~
Thanks for reading.