WWDC 2024 has been announced. Are we planning to go even if we don’t get a ticket, just like the old days? Daniel and Manton discuss our waning love for Apple, while still appreciating so much that Apple does. Manton speculates about whether we are at “peak Apple” or not. Is Apple ripe to be surprised by an upset competitor?

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Links:

• WWDC 2024 — June 10-14 in San Jose.
• Micro Camp — Mostly online conference for the Micro.blog community.
• Amtrak route map — PDF of the current train routes.
• Amtrak Connect US — Proposed new routes.
• Corporations Are Not To Be Loved — Blog post from Brent Simmons.
• DarwinAI — Apple AI company acquisition.
• Vision Pro Numbers — Latest episode of Under the Radar podcast.
  

Apple is sued by the United States. Do companies like Apple get a heads-up from suing parties like the Department of Justice, and how would we react if we were the targets of lawsuits like these, or the changes from the European Union’s Digital Markets Act? Daniel and Manton discuss the lawsuit. Then in the second half of the show, rumors about Apple licensing AI from a company like Google. What are the benefits to Apple of treating large-scale AI as a commodity service that they don’t need to focus on? Considering the various scales of technologies at which companies like Apple, OpenAI, and others work.

Download Audio (MP3, 61 minutes)

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• RevenueCat: In-app subscriptions made easy. Also check out the Sub Club Podcast!

Links:

• Apple sued by the DOJ — One of several articles from The Verge.
• Early thoughts on United States vs. Apple — Manton’s blog post.
• Dithering — Podcast from John Gruber and Ben Thompson recently covering Apple and AI.
• Apple and Google Gemini rumors — The New York Times on a potential partnership.
• Apple MM1 — Research paper from Apple on their new LLM.
• Micro.blog web page summarizing feature — Announcement of using AI in Micro.blog.
• Cray — Wikipedia page with photo of the iconic supercomputer.
• Rabbit R1 — Cute, handheld AI device.
• Humane Ai Pin — New video that better shows off capabilities.
• Knowledge Navigator — Concept video from Apple in 1987.

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Manton and Daniel talk a teensy bit more about the EU’s Digital Market’s Act, and Apple’s recent decision to offer web-based sideloading to certain developers. They talk about whether Manton would open an EU subsidiary if given the chance, and whether simply plunging in and doing something is the best way to find out what it’s worth.

Links:

• Apple Announces Changes – Apple’s press release about new sideloading opportunities for some developers in the EU.
• The Art of War – Free online version of Macchiavelli’s book.
• Strata for Micro.blog – App store link to the Micro.blog-based notes app.
• _David Smith – So-called “Underscore” David Smith, developer of WidgetSmith and other apps.
• WidgetSmith – David Smith’s widget customization app.

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Daniel and Manton talk about Apple reinstating Epic’s developer account for the EU, and then banning it again. They compare it with Apple’s recent public reaction to Spotify and the EU’s $2B fine against the company. They wonder if Apple has become fixated on this as a fight of passion, to their detriment. Finally, a wish for Apple to put somebody new in charge of the App Store to help to fulfill its mission.

Links:

• Catastrophic Response – The Verge’s 2020 report on Apple’s imminent termination of Epic’s developer account.
• Fortnite Will Return – TechCrunch reports on Apple’s previous approval of an Epic subsidiary in Europe.
• Terminated Again – TechCrunch reports on the latest termination of Epic’s European account.
• Apple Statement – Apple responds to the EU’s decision to fine it nearly $2B.
• Dithering – Paid podcast featuring Ben Thompson and John Gruber.
• There’s an App for That – Manton’s response to a recent post on Ben Thompson’s Stratechery newsletter.
• Epic’s Shared Emails – Epic writes about the ongoing saga and includes copies of emails between them and Apple.
• The Long Arm of the EU – Tweet from EU commission “Under the DMA, there is no room for threats…”
• Massive Decisions – Tweets from Epic CEO Tim Sweeney alleging that Apple has deviated from its own values.
• A Car it Never Built – Bloomberg article about Apple’s canceled car project, featuring details about some of the prototype designs.
• Apple Will Reinstate Developer Account – 9to5mac reports on the reinstatement by Apple of Epic’s European developer account.

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Apple cancels their electric car project. Daniel and Manton discuss whether Apple should focus on what they do best: personal consumer electronics. Then they analyze Tim Cook’s claim that Apple will “break new ground” on generative AI this year, and how Apple’s emphasis on controlling the user experience and protecting their public image might affect what AI projects they work on.

Download Audio (MP3, 48 minutes)

Many thanks to our sponsor this week:

• RevenueCat: In-app subscriptions made easy. Also check out the Sub Club Podcast!

Links:

• Break new ground — 9to5Mac reports on Tim Cook’s comments about AI.
• Sora — OpenAI’s video generation tool.
• Google Gemini diversity — The Verge on Google’s AI problems.
• Mac UI themes screenshot — Cabel Sasser post on Mastodon.
• Sorry, no beige — Billboard for the first iMac.
• Here’s to the crazy ones — Video from Think Different campaign.
• Apple Intelligence — Daniel’s blog post.

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