John Buck published a book covering the “Apple Technology Group,” a division within Apple that operated back in the 1980s and 1990s and experimented with many forward-looking bits of technology that we take for granted today.
On this week’s MPU, David and I spoke to John about the book and some of the amazing history that took place within this group.
This story by Cabel Sasser is just wild.
With Myke on vacation, Stephen and Federico discuss what’s going on with iPadOS, then cover the news from Google I/O and OpenAI’s recent event.
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.
MacRumors, on Threads, just four days ago:
Apple’s thinnest device ever.
#ipadpro #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.
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.
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.
Federico and I joined Jason on this week’s perfectly-numbered episode of Upgrade:
The new iPad Pro is here, and Jason is joined by Federico Viticci to discuss the new model, Jason’s review, and the limitations of iPadOS. Stephen Hackett also joins the show not to crush some creative dreams, but to answer your questions.
On Upgrade+, Jason and I ranked every model of iPod nano.
Calling all crossword fans! Black Ink, the beloved Mac app for solving crosswords from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and more, is now available for iOS. Download it from the App Store and enjoy nearly-endless crossword-solving fun on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro.
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 15x15) require a Lex.games subscription.
Federico and Myke are back from Apple Battersea to join Stephen in grading the group’s picks for this week’s iPad event.
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 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.”
