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  • Apple research continues on combining iPhone, iPad with MacBook-style accessory

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    I would buy one as long as (as the article suggests) there is an extra GPU in the laptop part.
    watto_cobra

  • Apple working on headlight system that could highlight road hazards for drivers

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    I guess the same technology can either be used for autodrive or driver-assist/active safety. So even people who prefer to keep driving manually can benefit from deep learning.
    farmboywatto_cobra

  • Apple seen hunting movie acquisitions at festival

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    ireland said:
    ascii said:
    Oh no! Apple must be planning on making the pretentious version of Netflix.
    Why pretentious? If anything it appears Apple’s is far more focused about their plans than Netflix. Netflix seem to be more throwing money around in trying to get content and I question if that’s a good approach on the average to keep quality up overall. My mother said in the last few months than Netflix programming quality is not what it used to be and most of the stuff the seem to be putting out now is crap. It’s funny in some ways because you’d think we all of their money Apple would be the ones throwing more money than Netflix at the problem. Apple seem to be playing an obvious strategy of focusing on quality over quantity. But as the recent posts about Cook revealed, I certainly agree with Cook in saying releasing the package on Android and other platforms is a much required move if they are indeed serious about this service.

    And when it comes to UI and business practices as of late, Netflix couldn’t be more repeatedly user hostile. Renaming grid view in My List to Netflix Suggests—paving the way for them to add to my list: fuckers. Pre-rolling ads for other shows left right and centre and not listening to feedback that their user’s hate that—paving the way for ads of other kinds. Producing terrible apps.
    I just mean that film festivals usually have lower budget more experimental/intellectual films than (for example) Marvel movies. But yeah, they're not all pretentious, I have been to film festival movies in London and Sydney that were funny and lighthearted.

    But regarding focussed strategy, the advantage that an online TV station has over a traditional one is that they know exactly what their customers are watching. So if you have such a perfect feedback channel, isn't it a logical strategy to spam stuff and adapt to what people actually watch, rather than trying to pick winners in advance of that mechanism?

    Apple will know this of course, which makes me think simply giving people what they want is not their only goal with this TV service. They probably want to try and influence the culture in a way they think is good/tasteful and also try to keep up the image of their brand.
    watto_cobra

  • Apple's failed Ping showed how hard it is to create a music service

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    Apple seems to release two kinds of products. "Great idea" products and "Business goal" products.

    In the first case, they usually see a new/emergent technology and think up a great application to peoples lives. For example how the GUI could allow mere mortals to use a computer for the first time (Mac). Or how a low power, miniature hard drive could allow people to have 5,000 songs in their pocket (iPod). Or how the growing power of mobile CPUs could allow cellphones to be friendly for the first time by having a full computer OS (iPhone).

    But Ping wasn't that, there was just some corporate/business strategy goal. Like, oh, these other Silicon Valley companies are all doing social, we better too! But we're late to the party, how on Earth can we get a foot in the door? Maybe start it off as a music focussed thing and try to convert some of the iTunes customers.

    They just shouldn't do that second kind of product, it's obvious to everyone what they're doing and it hurts their brand to be seen as doing that.
    s.metcalf

  • 2018 iPhone refresh more than a spec bump, may not be called 'S' or 'plus'

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    Folio said:
    Safe bet we won’t see iPhone “Xs”, trolls have field day and excessively mispronounce as “iPhone Excess”
    Maybe they could change the X to a 10 this year.
    watto_cobra