→ HBO Go, WatchESPN, and Sky News Added to Apple TV
HBO Go and WatchESPN require cable subscriptions, which is a big let down. Sky News is interesting, though, as live news is probably what I’ve missed most from cable.
HBO Go and WatchESPN require cable subscriptions, which is a big let down. Sky News is interesting, though, as live news is probably what I’ve missed most from cable.
This is why so many of us love Apple. This is why I choose Apple. It’s not about profits. They don’t hurt, sure, but they’re more a confirmation of a path than they are a driver.
Apple is dedicated instead to people. Enhancing people’s lives. I honestly believe that is true.
Federico Viticci:
I have been thinking about the apps I should expect from third-party developers as they go back to work and start writing code for iOS 7. With an OS that makes prominent use of whitespace and text with a focus on legibility, is there still room for beautiful interfaces? Since 2009, many of us have often judged “beautiful” is terms of fidelity of a texture to a real world object, or perhaps for how much a designer could drift away from Apple’s guidelines and build his/her own, completely custom menus, tab bars, or tappable replicae. Essentially, I kept thinking if, four months from now, the iOS 6 apps we’re used to would suddenly look like anachronistic mullets. My first concern was about the appearance of apps.
Chris Clark:
Where keyboards, pickers, and action sheets were once imposing screen elements with a lot of personality of their own, they now reflect the personality of their environment. Your bright red app won’t have a dull blue-gray keyboard anymore; it’ll have a light red keyboard as the bits of UI beneath it shine through. If your app uses a lot of wood textures, the standard action sheets won’t look out of character because they’re no longer plastic. No matter what you do with your apps, iOS 7’s default visual language will be a better complement.
Ben Bajarin:
The fallacy most make when critiquing Apple’s service challenge is to believe that Apple needs to out-innovate competing services. The truth is, all they need to do is out-integrate them. Apple’s advantage is unique in this area because they create the software that runs on their hardware. They will always have an unfair advantage with the services they chose to invest in.
The challenge facing Apple is similar to that of Netflix. Whereas Netflix must come up with great original content before HBO gets its internet act together, Apple has to become a services company before Google becomes a devices company. The games are Apple’s and Netflix’s to win or lose.
Darby Lines:
One comment that I’ve seen bandied about that I absolutely agree with is that last Monday’s event marks the first Apple event of the truly post-Steve Jobs era. It’s true that there have been several Apple announcements since Steve’s retirement and passing, but I really feel that this Keynote is the first one that was wholly conceived by an Apple under Tim Cook’s regime — and it was awesome.
Joel Santo Domingo, reviewing the refreshed 13-inch MacBook Air for PC Magazine:
The twin microphones are new, and will help others hear you during FaceTime sessions. In the future, under OS X Mavericks, the dual mic setup will help the system pick out your voice when you’re using Siri.
Um, did I miss something?
Rich Mogull for MacWorld:
For many years, Apple tended to choose good user experience at the expense of leaving users vulnerable to security risks. That strategy worked for a long time, in part because Apple’s comparatively low market share made its products less attractive targets. But as Apple products began to gain in popularity, many of us in the security business wondered how Apple would adjust its security strategies to its new position in the spotlight.
While I feel bad for the fine folks at AgileBits, I’ll be switching to iCloud Keychain for secure password storage once iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks ship. The convenience of being built into the browser outweighs any of the pro-user features 1Password has to offer.
I remember when Apple used to tout “Macs don’t get viruses”. It’s hard to argue that Apple hasn’t knocked security out of the park.
Glenn Fleishman for TidBITS:
Don’t let the speed discussion get you down, because 802.11ac does have three distinct advantages: better coverage, better performance at greater distances, and multiple-device simultaneous transmissions.
I’d add to his “speed discussion” that, with the exception of a few luck fiber customers, most home networks simply aren’t capable of gigabit-plus networks.
That a said, Glenn certainly makes the case that 802.11ac will be a worthwhile upgrade for all of us regardless, if not a must-have upgrade.
And now I want to upgrade1.
Glenn, you bastard. ↩
Craig Hockenberry:
Some designers are saying that the new look is “over the top.” The same thing was said about Aqua over a decade ago. And in succeeding years, that original UI has continuously been refined to what we see today.
We’ve become accustomed to Apple’s incremental approach which continuously refines their products. This is typically an additive process where new features are included or existing ones are improved.
But with major user interface changes such as Aqua or iOS 7, Apple has another tendency: they overshoot the mark. Their incremental approach then becomes one where unnecessary items are removed (such as Aqua’s stripes) or improved (excessive shadows and transparency are toned down.)
Matt Gemell on iOS 7:
I think it’s an enormous improvement, and a typically opinionated move.
MG Siegler:
What we saw yesterday was Apple saying goodbye to Steve Jobs in the way that he wanted — by not doing what he would have done, but by doing what they collectively thought was right. Cook is not Jobs. He is not going to rule over Apple with the same iron fist. He’s going to delegate. He’s going to allow his team to flourish.
Kanye West:
I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.
“Undoubtedly”.
Apple will be livestreaming today’s keynote on Apple TV and at the linked URL.
