On Craftsmanship & Consideration →

This is from a lovely blog post by David Smith:

This last year has been a complicated one as an indie app developer. I’ve been in this community for long enough to know that there are always ebbs and flows in sentiment, and this year has lots of reasons to be feeling the ebb side of things. From new policies which introduced tremendous uncertainty and undermine our importance to the ecosystem, to challenging platform launches…there’s a lot to feel conflicted about this year.

But as I wandered through the woods somewhat surprisingly my feelings kept coming back to how excited and eager I was to once again head to Cupertino. I’ve learned that whenever I’m surprised by a feeling, it is a good idea to interrogate it because it’s an opportunity to learn something about myself.

What I came to realize was that the reason I was excited about WWDC had very little to do with the actual announcements themselves, but instead it was all about the people I’ll get to spend the week connecting with.

Separating the Apple community from the company is something that feels more important than ever, and something I hadn’t thought about super clearly before reading this.

Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen

MacRumors, on Threads, just four days ago:

Apple’s thinnest device ever.
#ipadpro #bendgate

MacRumors Bendgate

Tim Hardwick, writing on MacRumors today:

Despite videos indicating that the 2018 iPad Pro models bent more easily than other models, Apple said the bend did not worsen over time or negatively affect the iPad’s performance, and that concerns over the device’s durability were unfounded.

Nevertheless, some iPad owners were understandably upset to find defects in devices that cost hundreds of dollars. Apple naturally wants to avoid a similar scenario with its latest 2024 models.

To allay concerns, in an interview with Arun Maini, Apple’s senior VP of hardware engineering John Ternus reveals that Apple has added a new protective “cowling” over the main logic board. This metal cover not only helps with heat dissipation, but also “effectively creates a central rib that runs through the whole thing and tremendously improves the stiffness of the products,” according to Ternus.

And:

If early reviews are anything to go by, a handful of outlets have noted that the devices do feel particularly durable despite their impressive thinness. Do you have lingering doubts? Let us know in the comments. Pricing on the M4 iPad Pro begins at $999, and it can be purchased from Apple’s website.

Nine Years Later →

Speaking of Jason, I re-read his original iPad Pro review this weekend, and this part really jumped out at me:

But let’s pull back and get the big picture. No, keep pulling back, this thing’s huge. The iPad Pro is a tremendous piece of hardware. It’s the fastest iOS device ever. The screen is spectacular—at 2732 by 2048 pixels, it’s got more pixels than the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro. It weighs a pound and a half and still managed 10 hours of battery life. On the hardware design front, Apple’s firing on all cylinders.

But.

‘Why iPadOS Still Doesn’t Get the Basics Right’ →

Speaking of Federico, he just published a banger of an article over on MacStories, discussing all the ways that iPadOS is still a mess, 14 years after the launch of the original iPad and 9 years after the launch of the first iPad Pro:

I started using the iPad as my main computer when I was stuck in a hospital bed and couldn’t use a laptop. I kept using it because once you get a taste of that freedom, it’s hard to go back. I will continue using it because none of the alternatives match Apple’s hardware quality, app ecosystem, and pure delight. But loving something doesn’t mean ignoring its flaws. And iPadOS is a flawed operating system that still doesn’t get the basics right and, as a result, drags down the entire product line.

I’m looking forward to the new iPad Pros, but I can’t shake the feeling that the same old iPadOS cycle is about to begin all over again.

I hope the iPadOS team at Apple reads every word of this then prints it out and tapes it to the wall.

Sponsor: Black Ink for iOS →

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If those sources aren’t enough, Black Ink now supports two excellent games from Lex Friedman: Lex’s Puzzles, and Lex’s Minis. Lex’s Minis are free for anybody to download and solve, while Lex’s Puzzles (full-sized 15×15) require a Lex.games subscription.

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Black Ink for iOS

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NYT: Apple’s AI Push to Focus on Siri →

Tripp Mickle, Brian X. Chen and Cade Metz:

Apple is expected to show off its A.I. work at its annual developers conference on June 10 when it releases an improved Siri that is more conversational and versatile, according to three people familiar with the company’s work, who didn’t have permission to speak publicly. Siri’s underlying technology will include a new generative A.I. system that will allow it to chat rather than respond to questions one at a time.

[…]

Apple executives worry that new A.I. technology threatens the company’s dominance of the global smartphone market because it has the potential to become the primary operating system, displacing the iPhone’s iOS software, said two people familiar with the thinking of Apple’s leadership, who didn’t have permission to speak publicly. This new technology could also create an ecosystem of A.I. apps, known as agents, that can order Ubers or make calendar appointments, undermining Apple’s App Store, which generates about $24 billion in annual sales.

While “AI apps and agents” are a ways off — ahem — Apple’s not wrong to think defensively about the iPhone as newer, younger technologies come on the scene.

There is one part of this article that jumped out at me, though:

Apple’s top software executives decided early last year that Siri, the company’s virtual assistant, needed a brain transplant.

The decision came after the executives Craig Federighi and John Giannandrea spent weeks testing OpenAI’s new chatbot, ChatGPT. The product’s use of generative artificial intelligence, which can write poetry, create computer code and answer complex questions, made Siri look antiquated, said two people familiar with the company’s work, who didn’t have permission to speak publicly.

I would bet money that Apple has known Siri needed serious work long before ChatGPT showed up on the scene. If not, then, in the words of Elon Musk… concerning.

Crushed →

The Verge’s Emma Roth:

Apple has apologized after a commercial meant to showcase its brand-new iPad Pro drew widespread criticism among the creative community. In a statement provided to Ad Age, Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of marketing, said the company “missed the mark.”

“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world,” Myhren told Ad Age. “Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”

As of this writing the ad is still up on Apple’s YouTube channel.

Mark Gurman: John Ternus on Future Apple CEO Shortlist →

Mark Gurman, writing at Bloomberg, about who could be the next CEO of Apple, assuming Tim Cook sticks around long enough for the torch to pass over Jeff Williams, who is 61 years old, just two years younger than Cook:

If Cook were to stay that long, people within Apple say, the most likely successor would be John Ternus, the hardware engineering chief. In a company whose success has always come from building category-defining gadgets, the ascension of a hardware engineering expert to the CEO job would seem logical. Ternus, who’s not yet 50, would also be more likely than other members of the executive team to stick around for a long time, potentially providing another decade or more of Cook-esque stability.

Ternus is well-liked inside Apple, and he’s earned the respect of Cook, Williams and other leaders. “Tim likes him a lot, because he can give a good presentation, he’s very mild-mannered, never puts anything into an email that is controversial and is a very reticent decision-maker,” says one person close to Apple’s executive team. “He has a lot of managerial characteristics like Tim.” Christopher Stringer, a former top Apple hardware designer, called Ternus a “trustworthy hand” who’s “never failed with any role he’s been elevated to.” Eddy Cue, the Apple executive known as Cook’s closest confidant, has privately told colleagues that Ternus should be the next CEO, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

If you’ve been paying attention to Apple events over the last few years, you will already be familiar with Ternus. He’s been the presenter for all sorts of hardware announcements. Not surprisingly, there are those at Apple who don’t love the idea, as Gurman writes:

“They got a real big problem,” a person close to Apple says. “Ternus is a great guy, but he’s honestly really junior. He comes off as just one of the guys in the room, not like a refined executive or a person in charge. Being the CEO of a multitrillion-dollar company, you better command presence in the room.” Another person says the internal criticism of Ternus is that he needs to assert himself with more force, adding that he seems to know this is where he’ll need to improve. The fundamental question, says one person close to the matter, is whether he’ll be ready to take on the role when Cook steps down.

Other names that come up include Craig Federighi, head of software engineering, a recognizable face among Apple’s biggest fans who’s known internally to be conversant on corporate issues well outside of his purview, and Deirdre O’Brien, its head of retail and a Cook confidant, according to one former executive. People close to the company consider them unlikely successors.

@BenRiceM on Mastodon:

Terrible headline suggestions:

“One good Ternus deserves another”

“Mom says it’s my Ternus to be CEO”

“How the tables have Ternus”

Perfect.