sdw2001

DAalseth said:

jdw said:

Interesting to see people bash Apple, after it spent "millions" trying to help, but such comes as no surprise.  It's the same with American public schools, no matter how much more people give through taxation or donation, they always need or expect more.  

As to the commenter who spoke of "finding them jobs," it's important to realize that drug addicts and the mentally ill comprise a large part of the homeless population, and because America thinks it improper to institutionalize folks that that anymore, we end up with them on the streets or on private property.  For many, holding a normal job is not realistic, and even when you have a job, the pay is not going to be white collar level, and in California where the cost of living is so high, you end up with such an unworkable situation that many continue to live on the streets.  Also keep in mind that holding down a real job involves having several changes of nice, clean clothing, the ability to shower daily, AND the ability to have PROPER TRANSPORTATION to get to work on time.  People who lack understanding about the homeless fail to take those things into consideration. Invisible People on YouTube is a great channel to take a deeper look into this complex problem.

Apple probably would have faced the same criticism had they done little to nothing and just had the cops "evict" those folks from Apple's private property.  But at least Apple can now say they tried, and so even though they will get bashed for having to move the rest of the people off its land, it's not like they didn't do anything at all to help.  At some point, the hard choices must be made.

Well said. A place to live is a human right, but it’s not Apple’s job to provide it. That’s the job of society writ large, one that it is failing at miserably. 

Every one of us is a few missed paycheques or a bit of bad luck away from being homeless. Any one of us could be sleeping rough. Any one of us could have to consider turning to drugs to try to stay awake so we don’t get robbed, raped, or set on fire. Any one of us could have to consider which was riskier, a shelter full of desperate people or freezing to death outside. 

Yet as a culture we tend to blame the homeless for being homeless. I know people who look down on them, call them street rats, and worse.  I know it’s almost impossible to get a job without a permanent address. It’s a trap that society has made and reinforces every day. 

That’s the reality of homelessness. 

No.  A place to live is not a human right.  A place to live is a commodity that someone else has to provide.  Once you start proclaiming things "rights," you inherently argue to take those things from the people who produce them.  

Secondly, no.  Not "every one of us" is a few missed paychecks away from being homeless.  That's absurd.  It's not "blaming the homeless" to state that I, by God's grace, would figure out a way to have a place to live if I lost my job.  I'd work two jobs.  Or three.  I'd do whatever I had to do.  

As a culture we don't blame the homeless for anything.  We excuse it. We ignore it.  We allow it.  We are letting people due in the streets from drugs, alcohol, mental illness and disease.  We allow homeless encampments to take over portions of cities.  What we should be doing is getting people treatment.  We shouldn't allow homeless camps (e.g. tent cities) because they are bad for everyone, including the people who live there.  We need massively expanded drug, alcohol and mental illness inpatient centers.  Thousands and thousands more beds in short-term shelters.  And yes, we should care for those who cannot care for themselves.  

The reality of homelessness is that our policies encourage it.  And while Apple may be well-meaning, finding them hotel rooms ins't a long-term solution.  Nor is simply building "affordable" housing.  

The union drive is going nowhere.  There is just not going to be a demand for it, unless the economy collapses completely.  Right now, Apple will be forced to raise wages even further, because they won't get people to work otherwise.  

Add me to the list of people who think something is definitely off here.  She may even be telling the truth, but it doesn't mean it was caused by losing her watch.  I also don't see how someone racked up $40k in charges without her putting a stop to it.  Even if she had 6 cards, it's unlikely they would have missed that level of fraud.  And speaking of AMEX, the credit is not "unlimited," nor are individual purchases.  There are simply no pre-set limits.  Now, if she had a platinum card, it MIGHT be possible to charge major chunks like that....but it would have to be in her normal spending pattern.  For example, I have a gold card.  I've charged $2,500 in two transactions with an hour of each other at the same merchant (long story).  No issues. But if I go to spend $30k in one shot? I'm at least going to get a verification check.  For my daily cards, I've had low level fraud detected--just for people shopping at Wal-Mart.   

The other piece here is the actual charges.  I find it hard to believe they can't track down someone who spent that kind of money, especially if it was someone near Disney.  One would think that if the watch was used, they could pinpoint its geolocation data at the time it was used.   

Beats said:

Apple TV has been a disappointment as far as innovation goes. I thought it would be crazy innovative. I thought Apple would somehow connect the service with iPhone/iPad/Apple TV/Watch/Mac. Instead we get something similar to Netflix where you just press play. Something that any service could do from YouTube to iTunes movies.

When they first announced The Morning Show I thought it was an actual live show with news and interviews like Good Morning America, which I think would have caught way more attention. Now throw in user interaction. How about local whether with user photos and videos selected? How about a fitness segment where users can participate in to track their progress against other users across the world?

I think live content is the next “thing”. Not sports but raw uncut, unfiltered niche shows. You guys should check out Fresh & Fit on YouTube. It’s one of the fastest growing “Podcasts” ever and the highest grossing almost every month through user donations. It’s also an absolute riot to watch live with crazy guests and unfiltered content. Had this show been an Apple TV exclusive, it would have broke records for Apple. Unfortunately it is the polar opposite to “politically correct” which I know is on the way out and will stunt Apple TV+. Growth.

I think more real content like following an average joe’s weight loss journey with user interaction via Watch, FaceTime and Fitness+ would be innovative. Or how about a nerd’s struggle with dating showcased live? Throw in more user interaction. This is what the people want NOW. People are sick of cheesy linear stories that would never happen and I wouldn’t count sports as an “innovation” of live events. How about concert tickets on Apple Music or a live 24 hour news station on Apple News where both the left and right share the same station with user polls that you can participate in live or participate in FaceTime video questions and debate?

Apple has it all in the palm of their hands but they’re innovating super slowly.

You have some interesting ideas, but Apple TV is far from a disappointment. It’s really built out quite well. It has succeeded beyond what I thought it would to be honest.  At some point, there is going to be major consolidation in the streaming market, and Apple has the cash to be the consolidator.  Apple could buy Netflix three times over—just with cash on hand.  Apple is playing a long game here.  That game isn’t just about streaming but about converting their business more and more to services rather than hardware (not that they won’t focus on hardware).  Apple was a a four better position than it was even a decade ago. The iMac and iPod transformed Apple into a behemoth. The iPhone and iPad took over.  The problem was that is where Apple was making the majority of its money. Tim Cook and the directors saw this and have been pushing services for a decade.  It was frankly brilliant. 

Skeptical said:

macminion said:

Why? Why? Eliminate the hole. Magsafe it all the way! Forget what the EU governments want.

Dumbest post ever…

Is it, or do you just disagree? There is a strong argument for eliminating the port entirely.  I’m not saying they should or shouldn’t, but it’s not crazy.