bb-15

About

Username
bb-15
Joined
Visits
75
Last Active
Roles
member
Points
605
Badges
1
Posts
283

Reactions

385Like0Dislike27Informative

  • Apple HomePod preorders outpaced all other smartspeakers, except Amazon Echo Dot

    bb-15bb-15
    misa said:
    AppleInsider said:
    Priced at $349, the Apple HomePod saw more pent-up demand at launch than virtually all of its competition, save for one budget-priced smartspeaker: Amazon's $50-and-under Echo Dot.


    I'm not sure why anyone would want to buy these things. There goes your privacy, forever.

    To a certain extent this is just "pre-alpha' quality versions of the "computer, do this, and that" from Star Trek. The AI is certainly not there yet, but we're at a level where it can do convenience functions without a human. So this is a boon to seniors and maybe small children, but otherwise I think this is a very slippery slope from which we will not return from. "Speaker" devices today, video cameras in every room tomorrow. 
    There is a difference between "these things" according to the different smart speaker company business models. 
    * Google and Amazon store your individual data (assigned to you), track that and use that data to present ads catered to you. 
    * Apple does not store your data under unique identifiers. Apple does not store individual data to present ads to you. Apple is not a ad company. 

    Considering that difference, a major selling point to use Apple products is the increased protection of privacy compared with the competition. 
    watto_cobra

  • Growing glass crack appears at Michigan Ave. Apple store in Chicago

    bb-15bb-15
    It is Apple's fate to be held to a different standard compared with other tech companies and in this case other retail store companies. 
    Around the US and the world some shopping malls have structural problems. Some are in the process of being closed down with buildings / store fronts in disrepair.
    During harsh winters the problem of falling ice is common with buildings in cities which experience such cold weather.

    It's interesting how there is a vast audience for architecture news with stories which trash Apple for window cracks and the potential for falling ice.  
    jony0ronnStrangeDayswatto_cobra

  • HomePod's silicone bottom is causing rings on some finished wood surfaces [u]

    bb-15bb-15
    rogifan_new said:
    markiezyy said:
    randominternetperson said:
    edinburra said:
    Put on a coaster, a mat or something that isolates it from your precious surface. 
    Exactly.  How is a coaster or a doily, not a "easy and permanent solution"?
    Because there shouldn't be a need to put a coaster underneath a speaker lol. 
    Someone posted elsewhere that their Google Home left a mark. 
    That is the reality of the tech world with a niche player like Apple. Products from other companies may have the same or even worse issues. But that will mostly get ignored. 
    tmay

  • Apple R&D spend exceeds $3B for first time, up $410M from September

    bb-15bb-15
    sergioz said:
    I hope Apple can come up with graphene  battery before sumsung does?
    I'd always hoped Apple would someday tackle advanced battery solutions considering how much their products depend upon batteries. With all the money Apple has they should definitely be able to invest in any promising new battery technology. I look at both Tesla and Amazon's CEOs and they're doing space vehicles as a sideline business. What's Apple's sideline business? I have no idea. Google and other tech companies are going into undersea cables to build up their infrastructure. I thought Apple was supposed to be working with Boeing for creating a satellite infrastructure. I haven't heard anything more about it. Apple doesn't seem to be doing anything on the side but maybe they're just very secretive about whatever they're doing.
    A main philosophy of Steve Jobs is that Apple should focus on its core business.
    He thought that Google's multiple side businesses were a mistake. 

    I'm not one to follow the 'what would Steve do' mantra but in this case, I think that not straying too far from Apple's core business is a good idea. 
    SpamSandwichmmatz

  • London's Regent Street Apple Store uses iPad to control acoustics for live performances

    bb-15bb-15
    Man, I used Mark of the Unicorn MIDI software decades ago to record music. Amazing it's now running on an iPad.

    CORRECTION: This is really just MIDI control software, not music creation software.
    Also an old time Mark of the Unicorn customer. 
    I did check out current iPad music creation software and was surprised at how many options there are. 

    http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/14-of-the-best-ipad-iphone-ios-daws-and-workspaces-574065

    http://musicappblog.com/genome-review/

    SpamSandwich