damonf

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damonf
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  • Notes of interest from Apple's Q3 2018 conference call

    damonfdamonf
    AppleInsider said:
    • Over 200 million users involved in beta testing macOS Mojave, iOS 12, tvOS 12, and watchOS 5.
    Not sure where you got this number. I heard “4 million users” participating in iOS beta programs.
    mbenz1962

  • iOS 11.2 beta brings SiriKit commands to Apple's unreleased HomePod

    damonfdamonf
    ihatescreennames said:
    Why the limitations? If I want to know the score from last night’s game why can’t HomePod answer? Seems odd. I wonder if HomeKit requests will work. 

    I believe the article means that only messaging, lists, and notes functionality of third-party (i.e., non-Apple) apps is supported on HomeKit for now. You can still ask Siri about sports scores and the weather, for example, and you’ll get an answer from Siri.  Just not from third party apps like ESPN or The Weather Channel. 
    mike1lolliver

  • First look: LIFX Mini smartbulb with Apple HomeKit

    damonfdamonf
    I have one of the new Sylvania bulbs.  It is Bluetooth only but given it’s within range of an Apple TV, it seems more responsive with Siri commands and the HomeKit app, and was easier to set up compared to the iDevices switches that I have that use Wi-Fi. The Sylvania is 800 lumens like the LIFX Mini and compares similarly in price. Glad to see there is a Wi-Fi option, I think I’ll stick to Sylvanias if I’m planning to install them near my Apple TVs, but go with LIFX bulbs where they may out of Bluetooth range. 
    lolliver

  • Apple adds a Mother's Day Challenge for HealthKit Activity, Apple Watch

    damonfdamonf
    I don't understand why this is being done for Mother's Day.  Seems to imply either "drag mom along for a 1-mile excursion while you obtain this badge/achievement", or "spend your time on a 1-mile excursion so you obtain this badge/achievement, rather than spending that time with your mom or on the phone with her".  Not the best day to have an "all about me, not about mom" achievement goal.  :/
    GeorgeBMac

  • US appeals court says public has right to sue Apple over App Store exclusivity

    damonfdamonf
    Can we also sue movie theaters for not allowing us to bring our own food?  And restaurants, for that matter.  I really like the atmosphere at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, but their prices are too high for my taste.  Why shouldn't I be able to bring my own steak and eat it there?  And I want to be able to buy competing products from individual vendors while at Macy's, flea market style.  Why aren't those vendors allowed to hang out in Macy's?  Maybe setup a booth there?

    Do people even understand that they don't 'own' iOS?  That they have only a license to use it?  It's not their OS.  They own the hardware they purchase from Apple, and so, as another commenter indicates, they are free to jailbreak and install their own apps on the hardware.  But I can't see that Apple has any obligation to allow outside apps runnng under iOS.  IOS is the analog to the retail space owned by a Macy's or the lobby of a movie theater.  

    The movie theater example was one I was about to post, thanks for saving me the time.  Another poster's car example is not necessarily a good example, as it mainly involves hardware and not software.  You don't hear of customers or any other 3rd parties being allowed to sue car manufacturers so that they can re-write the manufacturer's code to change the design/layout of what's on all their dash/console displays, or to change the "brake assist" parameters.  Why?  Because it is a safety issue.  That's the argument Apple needs to make: their app store is an integral part of the safety and security of iPhone, iPad, and tvOS. 

    Courts also need to stop treating Apple like its a monopoly.  Walled garden does not equal monopoly.  Customers still have a choice to go to another garden that isn't walled!

    hlee1169radarthekatwatto_cobra