Apple Employees Internally Unhappy With Plans to Show More Ads to iPhone Users
In the last few weeks I've written rants here and here about Apples advertising plans. In reporting by MacRumors “Developers, customers, and critics of Apple have all voiced disapproval of the company's plans to expand its ads footprint in the App Store. Reports also suggest Apple plans to introduce ads in Apple Maps and Apple TV+.”
“A new report has revealed internal disagreement within Apple, causing some employees who work on the company's ads business to raise concerns that showing more ads to iPhone users ruins the premium experience that's been long offered to its customers.”
Koni17: “These revenue driven decisions are slowly destroying the differentiators that made iOS competitive in comparison to Android. What used to be a deciding factor for going with iOS (fewer ads and tracking, more security, etc.) is becoming a moot point. The Apple employees can only voice their concerns for so long until revenue hungry management overrules them. Sad to see Apple going in this direction.”
WTF, Apple's aggressive push into advertising
A few days ago I went off on a rant about Apple showing more ads in the App Store. In reporting by MacRumors Apple plans to expand live tv advertising for the Major League Soccer deal.
Apple is now talking with advertising partners and MLS sponsors about ads that will air during the soccer games and related shows.
All three streaming tiers will have ads, including the dedicated package, paid TV+ subscriptions, and the free TV app.
Bloomberg says that ads for live TV are part of Apple’s aggressive push into advertising. Apple recently added new ads to the App Store Today tab and to individual app pages, a move that has been unpopular with developers due to some of the ad types Apple has opted to show. […]
Apple is also working on a plan to add search ads to the Apple Maps app on iPhone starting next year, with these ads showing up alongside user searches for things like “gas” or “coffee.” Bloomberg says that Apple is also exploring ads for other apps and services.
MacRumors, last week, also reported that the Weather App will have an Apple News Section in iOS 16.2. This is nothing more than an ad for Apple News.
With the iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates, Apple is enhancing the Weather app through the integration of an Apple News section. Located below the 10-day forecast on iPhone, the Apple News module surfaces relevant regional news stories.
What the fuck! I specifically bought into Apple's ecosystem because it was a company that wasn't driven by ads. It was all about privacy and quality. Soon Apple will be no better than Google and Android. Just saying.
Apple Is an Ad Company Now – Wired
Cusumano of MIT says Apple’s greatest challenge may be balancing its previous reputation for privacy against the data grab that digital ad businesses create. “Apple is a carefully manicured walled garden, not this advertisement-intense ecosystem like Google,” he says. Preserving that distinction while also growing ad revenue could be tricky. “Apple users are very loyal and forgiving,” says Kesler. “But if they push this to match their forecasts, I’ll be wondering whether users can overlook it.”
#Apple #iPhone #News #Opinion
I had to do it! M1 MacBook Air
I have been considering a new MacBook for several months but since I have a base model M1 iMac I have been putting it off. I missed having a laptop. I was getting tired of being tied down to my desk to use my Mac. I like to be able to move around the house. I knew what I was missing because I used to have a 2015 MacBook Pro.
So, last Friday I finally caved in and went to my local Apple Store and picked up a new base model M1 MacBook Air. I'm typing this article on my new Air while watching TV in my comfy chair in the living room.
Coincidentally Lee Peterson posted an update on using his M1 MacBook Air today. It reinforced the idea that I had made the right decision in buying the M1 MacBook Air. Lee Peterson, M1 MacBook Air: 500 days later
I’ve realised today that I’ve been using my base model M1 MacBook Air (8GB RAM) for just over 16 months and wanted to reflect on how it’s been as my main machine over that time.
[…]
After this 16 months my battery is at 93% of its maximum capacity, I have no idea if this is good or not but it still gets me through several days no problem.
[…]
I wasn’t sure on the 8GB RAM on my model but in hindsight for me it was the right choice.
[…]
If you are like me and using it for writing, email, listening to music, productivity and to be honest most of what most users do then don’t even think you’ll be missing out, get the 8GB RAM model
This is exactly how I use a computer.
Would I still recommend an M1 MacBook Air in 2022? Yes, it’s still the best value in computing in my opinion. The M2 MacBook Air looks amazing but in terms of performance it’s not a massive jump from this M1 for most people and you’ll save yourself £400 at the same time.
What am I going to do with my iMac?
I'm not sure yet, but I think I will probably sell it. I checked its value on Apple trade-in and SellYourMac, which is where I sold my 2015, and the quote I got was $515.00. If anyone is interested in buying it please reach out to me via my contact page.
Apple Begins Showing More Ads in the App Store
Starting today, developers can now advertise their apps in the App Store’s main Today tab and in a “You Might Also Like” section at the bottom of individual app listings in all countries except China. Ads are already beginning to appear in these places, and as usual, the ads have a blue background and an “Ad” icon so they can be identified.
[…]
And with the “You Might Also Like” section, developers are now able to promote their apps at the bottom of other apps’ pages. In a tweet, legal expert Florian Mueller argued the “You Might Also Like” ads are “another means of increasing the effective app tax rate, forcing developers to buy ads on their own app pages in order to avoid that others steer customers away from there.”
Look, I think what Apple is doing here is total bullshit. We pay a lot of money to use Apple products. Why should we have to see ads so they can make more money? The ads in Apple News are so obnoxious that I refuse to use the app. And what about the fucking ads I see every time I search for something in the App Store.
And Apple allowing ads in “You Might Also Like” at the bottom of another app's page is just flat-out wrong.
In the end, I guess we don’t have a choice, but it sure pisses me off!
iCreep
Back in 2018 I decided I was ditching Android for an iPhone. Since then my Apple devices have continued to grow. Have I become a fanboy? I recently bought my seventh Apple device to add to my ever growing collection of iStuff. Here’s what I currently own:
This reminds me of my iCreep journey. Only mine started back in December 2014 when the keyboard on my Android went to hell. I replace it with a refurbished iPhone 6 Plus from Verizon.
Next came an iMac to replace my Windows computer. In 2015 I decided it would be nice to have so I got a MacBook Pro. I loved it so much that I finally sold the 2013 iMac.
I was never interested in an iPad but I eventually got one. It was the cheapest base model and as it turned out I never used it all that much.
Today I'm all in with Apple devices.
- iPhone 11
- M1 iMac
- iPad Air
- Magic Keyboard for iPad
- Apple Pencil
- Apple Watch
- Air Pods Pro
I wouldn't call myself a “fanboy” but I love my Apple products.
The post “iCreep” appeared first on ldstephens.net.
My thoughts on hearing aids being sold over-the-counter as soon as mid-October
The Food and Drug Administration moved today to make hearing aids available over the counter and without a prescription to adults, a long-sought wish of consumers frustrated by expensive exams and devices.
As soon as mid-October, people with mild to moderate hearing loss should be able to buy hearing aids online and in retail stores, without being required to see a doctor for an exam to get a prescription.
The F.D.A. cited studies estimating that about 30 million Americans experience hearing loss, but only about one-fifth of them get help. The changes could upend the market, which is dominated by a relatively small number of manufacturers, and make it a broader field with less costly, and perhaps, more innovative designs. Current costs for hearing aids, which tend to include visits with an audiologist, range from about $1,400 at Costco to roughly $4,700 elsewhere.
This is exciting news for those of us who are hearing impaired. My last hearing aids even after insurance still cost over $2,000.
The Wall Street Journal has already reported that Apple is considering getting into the hearing aid business. I’m excited to see what Apple will be doing in the OTC hearing aid market. Apple might be my next set of hearing aids?
As a side note, did you know that you can already use your AirPods as hearing aids?
WTF – Remind Later emails in iOS 16 beta are sent to the trash
Below we’ll focus on how it works to Remind Later with Mail on iPhone.
[…]
Interestingly, when you use Remind Later with Mail, the email that’s scheduled for a future reminder is actually sent to the trash folder.
This makes no fucking sense. What happens to that email and reminder when you empty the trash?
Look, I use this feature fairly regularly in a different app. In that app, an email with a reminder is moved to a folder called Snoozed. If I happen to empty the trash in that app my email and reminder aren’t affected.
Apple needs to fix this before this feature goes live for everyone.
Three things announced at Apple’s 2022 WWDC that I’m looking forward to
Finally! Apple Mail app on Mac, iPhone, and iPad is getting Undo Send, schedule emails and reminders (snooze) to follow-up.
Finally! iPadOS 16 Finder will have the ability to view folder size and extension, and the ability to change a files extensions.
iOS 16 will push standalone security updates to iOS 16 devices between standard software updates.
Apple wins a Patent for a next-gen hinged keyboard iPad accessory with multiple modes
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a new hinged iPad keyboard accessory that provides multiple installation modes that could deliver superior flexibility for users. One particular patent figure would strongly suggest that the iPad could take on a macOS (or macOS-like) user interface.
This sounds very interesting. iPadOS as we know it in touch form, macOS when connected to the Magic Keyboard.
Subscription Service for iPhones?
Mark Gurman: “Apple Inc. is working on a subscription service for the iPhone and other hardware products, a move that could make device ownership similar to paying a monthly app fee, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The service would be Apple’s biggest push yet into automatically recurring sales, allowing users to subscribe to hardware for the first time — rather than just digital services. But the project is still in development, said the people, who asked not to identified because the initiative hasn’t been announced.”
This whole idea of owning nothing and making payments on everything you own in perpetuity is bullshit. I want to own my hardware, not rent it. I hope there will continue to be a cash option if this actually happens.