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There is a problem here: Apple has designed the App Store and wider ecosystem to protect its users even when they don't know they're being protected: "it just works". So it's important that people know what they will be giving away when they are offered what I'm sure was offered primarily as a cheaper option.

Do the majority of users know how they are protected and hence value it? Probably not but I think they very much would if the issue was first explained to them but I don't suppose this exercise did that. It's a classic example of the cheap option seeming just as good as the more expensive option right up to the moment you look closely.

I very much value the protection provided by the App Store and I hope it is not damaged by hose seeking to make a quick buck.

crowley said:

MplsP said:

“According to statistics published by Apple, 79% of U.S. car buyers wouldn't even consider purchasing a vehicle without CarPlay“

wow - I’m not sure how that statistic works since iPhone has far less than a 79% market share. Apparently people want to buy cars based on compatibility with a device they don’t own?

On Gruber's Talk Show, Greg Joswiak clarified that that number was a survey of people buying new cars, i.e. not used.  Which changes the maths a bit.

Which Apple Store did they do the survey in?    And do US new car sales bear this out (ie do less than 20% of them not support CarPlay)?

Seriously, I still find it hard to believe. There are people out there that use Android by choice, not just to spend less on their phone. And people who buy base-model cars.

entropys said:

In Australia even outback towns like Gulf Country Normanton and Burketown have Look Around. That is impressive, and so much better and responsive to use than street view.

the main thing Apple needs to do now is just accelerate the roll out and then globally update at decent regularity.  Employ people to keep the Look Around up to date, and fix errors quickly. 

It *is* impressive: I've just looked at Uluru using Look Around from the small desert road that runs alongside it. Roll on that level of coverage in UK!

scampercom said:

The reason I’m not liking this news is because TouchID _sucks_. Passwords suck too, but at least I can use a password manager, and never worry about signing in (unless the password expires or is compromised in a leak, etc.). But biometrics are unreliable. I have to re-train my TouchID constantly—several times a week—or it forgets my fingers. I can see it degrading within hours, failing multiple attempts, and forcing me to go into Settings to tune it, tune it, tune it. Is it more secure? Maybe. But it requires so much babysitting and handholding and just _effort_ that I’d much rather be using a password any day!

I can’t be the only one who TouchID doesn’t work for. (FaceID is fine.)

The only time I've had problems with TouchID is when my hands have had a hard time (sanding wood, plaster etc being a good example). If your hands have a tough time, could you perhaps use your little finger* for TouchID hoping that it gets less damage?

*I think that's 'pinky' in US English.

The problem remains that while Apple counts cities where Look Around works, Google counts countries for Street View.

Apple's mapping locations page has listed lots of parts of the UK where they are capturing imagery (including my town) but there's nothing online yet to show for it. Perhaps there's some big update coming but catching Google is a huge task.