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The Perfect-Track Edition Thursday, May 12, 2022

We Need More iPods, by Aaron Gordon, Motherboard

I want more devices like the iPod Classic in my life, ones that are the right tool for the specific job, and fewer devices that are meant to be always around or on me. Smartwatches and the like might work for some people. But I still remember the excitement with which I would take out my iPod, swirl around the wheel as that clicking sound ratcheted in my earbuds, and find the perfect track for that moment in the day. Now, I look at the products Apple makes and I only see things I can’t wait to turn off so I can focus on the things in life I actually enjoy.

iPod Touch Is Now Completely Sold Out In The US Apple Online Store, by Filipe Espósito, 9to5Mac

It has only been one day since Apple discontinued the iPod touch forever. And although the company said that customers could still buy the product “while supplies last,” it seems that the supplies didn’t last very long. Right now, the iPod touch is completely sold out in the US Apple Online Store.

Stuff

Ookla's Speedtest Maps Come To iOS And Give A More Realistic Picture Of Latency, by Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac

This lets you see at-a-glance how different mobile carriers compare in your area, as well as identify problem spots.

Pok Pok Playroom iOS App For Kids Launches 'Shops' Toy For Imaginative Storytelling Fun, by Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac

“Shops” is now available which offers fun open-ended play while encouraging growth with storytelling, imagination, planning, cause and effect, number sense, and much more.

Develop

Google’s Flutter 3 Adds Support For macOS And Linux Desktop Apps, by Frederic Lardinois, TechCrunch

At its I/O developer conference, Google today announced the launch of Flutter 3, the latest version of its open source, multiplatform UI development framework for building natively compiled applications. It’s been about four years since the company first launched a beta of Flutter 1.0. At the time, the team’s focus was mostly on helping developers build cross-platform mobile apps. Since then, it started adding web and desktop support, too, and now, with version 3, the team is closing the loop here by making Linux and macOS desktop support generally available, as well as adding support for Apple Silicon, among many other new features.

Notes

Apple: Most iOS 15 Users Opt Out Of Personalized Ads; No Impact On App Store Search Ads Conversions, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

Apple is presenting this briefing to advertising partners today, explaining that Apple Search Ads help “advertisers grow their business, while giving users control over how their information is used.” For those unfamiliar, Apple Search Ads are the ads you see in the App Store at the top of search results when you search for a specific app or category of apps.

Apple’s emphasis in today’s presentation, according to a slide deck obtained by 9to5Mac, is that Search Ads rely very little on personalized targeting, and conversion rates are virtually unaffected.

Apple Supplier Foxconn Sees Challenges Ahead In China COVID Curbs, Inflation, by Yimou Lee and Sarah Wu, Reuters

Apple supplier Foxconn warned that current-quarter revenue for its electronics business including smartphones could slip as growth slowed amid rising inflation, cooling demand and escalating supply chain issues partly due to lockdowns in China.

The Taiwanese firm, the world's largest contract electronics maker, has grappled with a severe shortage of chips like other global manufacturers, which has hurt smartphone production including for its major client Apple.

New EU Rules Would Require Chat Apps To Scan Private Messages For Child Abuse, by James Vincent, The Verge

The European Commission has proposed controversial new regulation that would require chat apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to selectively scan users’ private messages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and “grooming” behavior. The proposal is similar to plans mooted by Apple last year but, say critics, much more invasive.

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My first iPod was the first-generation iPod mini. I remember not long after I purchased that expensive (to me) gadget, Steve Jobs announced the second-generation.

I watched a lot of movies on that little iPod nano. But ripping DVDs into MP4s were... well... slow.

I have never bought the iPod because it was too expensive for the little music collection that I have. I mostly listen to podcasts and audiobooks anyway.

I have also never bought the iPod shuffle. I need to see my playlists.

Goodbye, iPod. I can't wait to see how Apple recycle your name.

~

Thanks for reading.