Are these recent examples indicative of a longer-term trend? Is Apple ready to ease off with the upselling, and accept that a big chunk of customers are interested only in the budget models and deserve to be looked after properly? Well, it’s hard to say at this point. If next spring’s new iPhone SE lives up to the more optimistic predictions, perhaps we’ll be on to something.
But in the meantime, let’s just enjoy the fact that Apple’s cheapest products are good. It may not last.
People think the shape of the plug is the only thing that matters in a cable. It does matter: If you can’t plug the thing in, it’s useless. But the mere joining of a cable’s end with its matching socket is just the threshold challenge, and one that leads to other woes. In fact, a bunch of cables that look the same—with matching plugs that fit the same-size holes—may all do different things. This is the second circle of our cable hell: My USB-C may not be the same as yours. And the USB-C you bought two years ago may not be the same as the one you got today. And that means it might not do what you now assume it can.
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But the dream of having a universal cable is always and forever doomed, because cables, like humankind itself, are subject to the curse of time, the most brutal standard of them all.
Key to all this is whether Apple has the will, enthusiasm and love for games at the highest levels to make gaming a priority, rather than a way to show off how powerful its silicon is during a keynote. The current evidence suggests … maybe? Apple courting AAA developers and talking about gaming more regularly are promising signs. However, the lack of addressing low-hanging fruit, AAA hype clashing with reality, and Apple failing to provide a complete gaming experience threaten to undermine the progress that’s been made.
The iOS 18.2 operating system update, which includes major improvements to Apple Intelligence — like ChatGPT chatbot integration, the Image Playground app and custom emoji known as Genmoji — is likely to arrive on the earlier side of December, I’m told. How early? The week of Dec. 2, barring any unexpected delays.
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For now, pushing into China isn’t on the horizon. I’d guess that won’t happen until iOS 19 at the earliest.
The move by the EU executive, which acts as the bloc's competition enforcer, followed Apple's publication of a compliance report for its iPad OS, designated by the commission in April as an important gateway for businesses to reach their customers.
"The Commission will now carefully assess whether the measures adopted for iPad OS are effective in complying with the DMA obligations," the EU antitrust watchdog said in a statement.
Canon's new stereoscopic RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL camera lens for spatial video recording recently became available for pre-order. In the U.S., pricing is set at $449.99, and orders are estimated to be delivered in mid-November.
Google and Apple have agreed to amend their audio prompts after a double fatal crash appeared to have been caused by incorrect directions from a sat-nav.
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In November 2023, Ms Ahmed was "following audio directions" when she drove down the slip road near the Little Brickhill junction.
Modern hyper-convenience is a kind of deal with the devil. It is seductive because it appeals to our instincts, but it surreptitiously depletes us. It has made it easier to get by, but in many ways harder to truly succeed. Human flourishing and happiness is not just about subsistence, but also depends on growth, dynamic problem-solving, and solidarity through hardship.
Things that I am not expecting: games flourishing on Apple's ecosystem, Mac mini becoming a gaming console, and USB becoming a single standard that everyone follows.
Prove me wrong, Apple.
:-)
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Thanks for reading.