jbdragon

Autopilot or whatever they want to call it these days.  In airplanes, you don't have walls to run into and a million other things.  You set the jet which is on a set course either a person is flying it or on autopilot.   Lots and lots of open space.   Then you have watch towers keeping track as you get closer to the airport, you are talking to them and flying the plane.  Autopilot is off.

On a public road, it's completely different.  Personally, if I have to keep my hand on the wheel and a lookout on everything myself and be prepared to take over in a split second like the car desires to veer off to the left or not stop for traffic, I would be stressed to hell.  I might as well just drive myself!!!  Making autopilot worthless to me.  I'll stick with your basic speed control  Keep my trck going at 65mph and not do what many do in speeding up and slowing down over and over.  So annoying following people like that.  Staying even speed going down the highway saves me money.  Better MPG using cruise control.  My hands are already on the wheel the whole time as I'm paying attention the whole time.

I've seen examples of Tesla Full Self driving which is still a joke!!!  Until there is REAL AI (like the fake K.I.T.T. but in real life) it shouldn't be allowed on public roads.  Both my Boss with his Modem Y and my brother with his Model 3, didn't pay extra to get that garbage.

You have a split second to get your hands onto the wheel when the car dives one way or another on you which throws your body one way or another making that hard and before you gain control, you've crashed into whatever and die.  Then Tesla is saying how it's not their fault once again.  

What happens when employees start wearing Pro Isreal objects?  Do we get to watch Apple Employees fighting each other?  What you do on your off time is one thing.  What you are doing on the job is supposed to be working and representing Apple.   If you are going to break the rules, YES you should be FIRED.  That store is a private business.  Though walking through with their signs need to be thrown out also.  They have no right to do that inside the Apple store.  if they want to do that Outside on the Public sidewalk, great.  But you can't block the doorway and customers from going in/out either.

sloth77 said:

"It's a phone with a price tag above a thousand dollars and yet it gets marred by just debris in your pocket."

I think you know the answer to this problem: don't keep other crap in your pocket along with the phone.  I have an iPhone 13 Pro that is approaching two years old and has a flawless front screen, even when turned off.  But it has a dedicated pocket that I never keep other stuff in.  I also don't leave it lying around - if its not in my pocket, its on the charger.

Otherwise, nice article :-)

I'm still using an iPhone Xs, now going on past 5 years and the phone still looks almost like new.  There are a couple really small, light scratches on the screen if you look closely at the right angle with the display off.   It does have a case on it and it has been dropped a few times over the years.

I do think it will be time to upgrade this year. However, I have said that for the last 2 years.  

Apple doing anything is CA, which at least doubles the price if not more.  Even then, cut the price in half and it's still more expensive than just buying the displays from a 3rd party out of the country. So I get it Apple!!!  It's not like Apple makes their own chips.  They design their own chips and then have a 3rd party make them.  I never thought Apple would ever make their own screens.  I never thought Apple would ever make an Apple Car either.

Like any company, they do R&D in many different areas and a few of those things at some point become products and everything else is further developed or just tossed for whatever reason.  My feeling on the Apple Car was way too large of a product and not enough of a profit margin that enough people would buy it.  It made no sense to me.  Apple making their own screens?  That was never going to happen.

I'm not really one to waste a lot of time trying to customize my phone.  I have better things to do.  I just want it to work.  Will any of the new features I use?  Who knows.  I guess Apple has to keep on doing changes for better or worse.