inkling

Putting a research lab in China makes no sense. China has a well-deserved reputation for intellectual property theft. That's bad enough with the items are already in production. It's far worse to have ideas stolen when they're still under development. China could be releasing Apple-designed products before Apple itself does so.

Crazy, crazy, crazy.

I've not cared for the Covid-induced presentations where Apple's staff introduces new products to empty rooms. This new approach, faked situations like transit rides with people filling in the background role is better. But I still prefer seeing and hearing a live audience.

Apple has been having no luck arguing against the EU's Digital Markets Act, and it's paid the price in fines and forced changes to its App Store — so now it's looking for a European head of PR.

What Apple says is that the job is about "helping us inform the world about Apple and the values that drive our company."

Apple would be better advised to quit seeing the problem as a matter of public relations and its company "values" and pay more attention to the values that drive Europe's economy.

I find it more than a little bizarre that when is comes to China, a one-party dictatorship, Apple has no problem with setting aside its presumably democratic and rights-centric values, and yet when it comes to a democratic Europe Apple insists that Apple's values must reign supreme. Odd, really odd.

I might add that, while I often disagree EU dictates, seeing them as paternalistic or dysfunctional, those are Europe's choices and the consequences are their own. Those differences are deeply rooted in the differing cultures of Europe and the U.S. The risk takers came here. The more cautious stayed there. Two centuries that still matters.

Separately, however, India's government did previously attack Apple over its similar warnings in October 2023. In that case, the warnings chiefly went to journalists and opposition politicians in the country.

Apple has a habit of repeating its mistakes. It went into and stayed in China's despite its repressive regime. Finally seeing the necessity of reducing its dependence on China, it moves. But where does it move to? To India, which while better still has serious problems.

While India is a multiparty democracy, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has presided over discriminatory policies and a rise in persecution affecting the Muslim population. The constitution guarantees civil liberties including freedom of expression and freedom of religion, but harassment of journalists, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and other government critics has increased significantly under Modi. The BJP has increasingly used government institutions to target political opponents. Muslims, scheduled castes (Dalits), and scheduled tribes (Adivasis) remain economically and socially marginalized. —Freedom House
https://freedomhouse.org/country/india/freedom-world/2023

Apple would be wise to insist its critical suppliers do their production in facilities in buildings hardened against earthquake damage.