ericthehalfbee

seanismorris said:

I’ve been using Google Maps (almost exclusively) for years.  I recently gave Apple Maps another try.  The directions were “turn East at the upcoming intersection”... etc.

So, not only am I unfamiliar with my surroundings Apple wants me to find where the F’n sun is?

Maybe I’ll give Apple Maps a try in another few years... when they figure out how to use Left/Right for directions.

Maybe Apple will do better with their website embedded maps...

I call BS.

I use Apple Maps regularly and I always get left & right turn notices. I don't even think I've ever been told to turn "East". On the major freeways near me (4-5 lanes) it also gives me advance warning to get into the right two lanes (for example) with a clear graphic showing all the lanes and which ones I should be in. I also get orange and red lines on my maps that clearly show where traffic is heavy.

My wife (a nurse who does out patient visits) also uses Apple Maps multiple times per day and finds it very accurate.

2012 called and want their meme back.

Lots of misconceptions about what the definition of stereo is.

Put simply, stereo sound is an attempt to create localization using two or more speakers. The reason we have two ears isn't so we can listen to "stereo" sound coming from left & right channels. We have two ears so that our brain can determine where a sound came from (localization). Is it to our left or right, in front of us or behind us, or even above or below us. Our brain is very good at taking sound arriving at both our ears, and based on slight differences in level and phase (time) it can determine where in 3D space the sound came from.

Early attempts at this involved using a pair of microphones (to simulate our ears) to record a live performance (like an orchestra). Then these two tracks were played back through a pair of stereo speakers with the intent of trying to recreate the original performance. There have been many other methods to try and recreate a soundstage for a listener (some involve processing to try and "trick" our ears while the most common method people are used to is a 5.1 or 7.1 sound system). Whatever the method, the end goal is the same - to try and create a 3D soundstage that approximates the original.

The HomePod also tries to create a wider soundstage. I haven't been able to try one yet, so I don't know how it works, but reviews say it's pretty good at this. By definition, it's impossible for the HomePod to be mono, since you can't create a soundstage with a mono speaker. You need multiple sources in order to do this, which would qualify the HomePod as a stereo speaker. The people claiming it isn't stereo are those stuck with the limited definition that "stereo" means left & right channels with left & right speakers.

avon b7 said:

nunzy said:

Apple would never make something like this. Instead, they are getting a patent to prevent Samsung from doing it. Apple uses the patent system in ways it was never thought of. They are very very clever. That's why they make such high profits.

The idea is nice and think it could work. Parts of the base idea have already been used on phones though.

This is over three years old:

https://www.phonearena.com/news/Manta-7X-details-revealed--massive-battery-absolutely-no-hardware-buttons_id65484

Huawei/Honor are rumoured to have volume rockers replaced by touch sensors in the works: 

https://tech.thaivisa.com/huawei-p20-leaked-new-images-show-resigned-phone-no-physical-buttons/27360/

And the Honor Magic from a couple of years ago also had sensors in the bezels.

I'd like Apple to give it a go too.

Having no buttons is a stupid idea. How are you going to perform a reset if there's a problem with your device? Are they going to add a tiny pinhole you can insert a paper clip in order to force a reset? How are you going to adjust volume if your phone is in a case? Are they going to leave huge cutouts so that your fingers can reach the "touch sensors"?

I don't think people have really thought this through - they're just looking for another feature to add to differentiate themselves from all the other umpteen Android commodity devices out there, without any thought as to whether it actually improves things for the user.

This is just typical Apple. Allowing Apps to access NFC opens up lots of possibilities for abuse (like someone using a phone to "skim" credit cards from people on the train).

Obviously Apple was working on the necessary frameworks to allow Apps to work with NFC while still keeping privacy/security. I'm sure NFC won't be wide open, and will still have some limitations.

“It has a position in customer's minds, and a utility to them, that's very, very useful, and it's an incredible ecosystem that they've found ways to profit from as they've gone along.”

Buffet gets it. This sentence explains why the iPhone X has done so well, despite the “supposedly” high price. Smartphones have become our primary computing devices and are, for most people, the most useful piece of tech they own. When you make the best smartphone and ecosystem, revenues and profits are bound to follow.