volcan

randominternetperson said:

Presumably a lot of labor was involved in building the data center, but long-term jobs?  Not so much.

Based on my experience with data centers, servers, routers, switches, firewalls, electrical upgrades, UPS batteries and software have at most about a 3-4 year lifespan. Not that they couldn't last maybe 10 years but the technology becomes obsolete very quickly. So fairly soon an ongoing replacement cycle will begin which involves many more people than just a couple technicians sitting in the NOC watching a green LED flash. When they say "staffed" by a handful of people I don't think they are counting the numerous contractors that are constantly on site doing maintenance and upgrades to the building mechanicals. Even with a relatively small data center, the parking lot is usually full during the day.

melgross said:

So, is it paint, or anodization? The article uses both terms interchangeably. From the photos, it looks like paint, as anodized surfaces wear, but don't chip.

Anodizing aluminum normally leaves a slight metallic appearance. To get a matte finish the surface needs to be etched using either bead blasting or chemical etching with nitric acid, etc. Often after matte anodizing there are spots of darker or lighter color due to unevenness of the surface preparation and the darker the color and larger the surface, the more noticeable the spots are. Jet black matte is extremely difficult to do. Usually the parts need a much thicker anodizing layer and also need to be dyed to achieve a really dark color. You are correct that anodizing doesn't usually chip, although it can be scratched to expose the underlying alloy.

Judging by the photos I suspect that the actual buttons are anodized but the case itself appears to be painted, probably because of the difficulty in producing a uniform jet black matte finish on a large flat area. Perhaps a better solution would have been to anodize it first before painting it. At least then if it chipped it would still be black underneath. Paint actually sticks to anodized surfaces really well, much better than bare aluminum even with zinc chromate primer.

AMD denies its processors have the same vulnerability.

Email from Tom Lendacky SMTS Software Engineer - ‎AMD

jd_in_sb said:

Was there an actual problem that caused Net Neutraliy to be enacted or was it enacted because of fears of a potential problem?

There was some proof that a few cable companies were throttling iTunes and Netflix streams. In fact Netflix even created a tool to detect if it was being throttled.

Apple's work towards waterproof iPhones...

Waterproof? Not even divers watches with ISO 6425 rating (200m) are waterproof. No consumer electronic device will ever be "waterproof".

Title should be "Apple's work towards more "water resistant" iPhones..."

Should show speed limits like my car's built-in nav system. I'd also like my nav system to alert me if I'm exceeding the speed limit just like it has voice alerts about accidents ahead blocking lanes.

Soli said:

What a worthless expense.

Just pocket change compared to Trump's weekend visits to Mar Lago - $3.6 million each.

AppleInsider said:

[...]
"I've been wearing a continuous glucose monitor for a few weeks," Cook said without mentioning connectivity to the Apple Watch. "I just took it off before coming on this trip."
[...]
The rumor is the latest in a line of reports claiming that the next-generation Apple Watch, expected to arrive this fall, could include support for glucose monitoring in some fashion. 
[...]
Apple's embrace of glucose technology is expected to be non-invasive, measuring through the skin with advanced sensors. By potentially selling it as a separate band, Apple could potentially receive Food and Drug Administration approval for the accessory without the need to have the same certification for the Apple Watch hardware itself.

1. I doubt it will be part of the Watch or a band, otherwise why would he say he took it off?
2. It is virtually impossible to be part of the Watch because the only way to read glucose non-invasively is to examine the blood on a capillary level and that requires a sensor on one side and transmitter on the other. They have to be in very close proximity, not clear across the width of your arm. You are trying to read the blood inside a capillary not the blood in the skin which would result in a false reading.
3. I expect it is a separate BT earpiece which positions the two sides of the detector on either side of the earlobe and communicates with the Watch, which is why he took it off. He is not going to reveal an unannounced product.

AppleInsider said:

Consequently you can't recover documents from iCloud on your iOS device...

Works fine in Chrome for iOS. There is a three dot link menu on the bottom right where one of the selections is "Request Desktop Version". From there it works just like described in the article. Go to the settings app, scroll all the way to the bottom left and select "Restore Files".

bb-15 said:

~$1000 Laptops are commonly used by professionals which can completely do all their job computer tasks.

I'd argue that laptops (notebooks) are not really professional either unless your job specifically requires mobility. I only use my MBP when on the road. If I am in the office or at home I almost always prefer my iMac or Mac Pro primarily due to the poor ergonomics of both the notebook and the iPad. It is much better when your monitor is at a natural height for viewing without hunching over or tilting your head down putting strain on your neck.