Daniel and Manton talk again about Apple’s testimony in the Epic lawsuit, and how it seems to be a PR disaster with respect to developers just before WWDC. They wonder how Apple can be so apparently dense about the optics of their actions, and question whether the company is more afraid of changes in the status quo than they are of losing developer enthusiasm.
No sponsor this week! Please consider sponsoring us, or asking your employer to do so.
Links:
- Alternative App Store Payments – iMore covers Tim Cook’s testimony asserting they would still be entitled to 30% of sales made directly by developers to customers.
- Is Tim Cook not aware… – Apple’s quip about the Mac platform being one example where they do not take 30% commission on all 3rd party sales.
- I’ll leave you with this – Manton’s final tweet before leaving the service in 2012.
- Microsoft Build – Microsoft’s developer conference, streaming live this week.
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
Manton and Daniel take in Google’s announcements at Google I/O, and consider that some impressive tech may turn out to be relatively unimpressive in daily use. They compare Google to Apple and Microsoft with respect to making products that capitalize on the human desires instead of sheer technical prowess. They discuss the ongoing Epic vs. Apple trial and their relative lack of interest in it. Also, what is the true cost of WWDC for Apple? Is it a gift to developers or an important marketing function for the company?
No sponsor this week! Please consider sponsoring us, or asking your employer to do so.
Links:
- WWDC21 – Apple’s 2021 conference page.
- Google I/O 2021 – Google’s annual developer conference.
- Uncanny Valley – Wikipedia page on the widely-cited aesthetic metaphor.
- Announcing Material You – New developments in Google’s design standard.
- Microsoft Build – Microsoft’s developer conference, taking place next week.
- Christina Warren – Long-time friend of the show and current Microsoft Cloud advocate.
- $50 Million on WWDC – The Verge talks about revelations about WWDC spending coming from Phil Schiller’s testimony.
- Epic iPhone Testimony – The Verge article on Phil Schiller’s testimony including the “ruthlessly efficient” quip Manton mentioned.
- ATP 430 – Episode of the Accidental Tech Podcast in which Marco rants about Apple and Siracusa complains about executive email quality.
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
As WWDC draws closer, Daniel and Manton wonder whether Apple will announce changes to further unify their multi-platform development proposition. Daniel talks about his impression of “catalystic” user interface, and they comisserate over the Apple’s apparent lack of focus. Manton talks about Micro.blog’s new “bookshelves” feature, and they discuss whether it’s an example of feature creep or an endearingly distinguishing feature.
Many thanks to our sponsor this week:
Links:
- WWDC 2021 – Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference.
- Catalystic – Daniel’s post on Micro.blog about Catalyst UI.
- Bookshelves – New Micro.blog feature Manton is testing out.
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
Manton and Daniel touch on the evolving situation at Basecamp, after losing a longer discussion on the subject due to technical malfunction. Daniel shares his impression of dipping his toes into web development with a popular open source framework.
Many thanks to our sponsor this week:
Links:
- Changes at Basecamp – Jason Fried’s blog post kicking off the Basecamp fiasco.
- Basecamp’s New Etiquette – David Heinemeier Hansson’s follow-up post to Jason’s.
- An Update – Jason Fried takes stock of the situation after a lot of public criticism and employees resigning.
- Don’t Scar on the First Cut – Jason’s 2016 blog post encouraging companies not to be too rash in establishing new policies.
- Can’t Catch Me – Daniel’s 2010 post asserting the superiority of native apps to web apps.
- Figma – An impressive web-based design app.
- Ember – A web framework for app development.
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
Daniel and Manton react to Apple’s “Spring Loaded” product announcements. Daniel wonders what an M1 iPad Pro means for the future of Mac. They question the merit of Swift UI, and wonder whether Apple would have been better off unifying the iOS and Mac operating systems years ago.
No sponsor this week! Please consider sponsoring us, or asking your employer to do so.
Links:
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
April 23, 2021 at 4:43 pm.
Manton and Daniel talk about the upcoming Apple Event and how excited they are, or are not, about it. Especially since it’s not likely to be “live.” They also talk about the strange mechanics of Apple’s DTK refund credit, and how many people might not even notice they have a refund pending. Finally, they gripe about the continuing lack of multi-user support on many Apple devices.
Many thanks to our sponsor this week:
Links:
- Spring Loaded – Apple’s Greg Joswiak teases the special event on Twitter.
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
April 16, 2021 at 11:39 pm.
Daniel and Manton talk about obsessing over vaccine appointment registration, and the state of vaccination efforts in the US and the rest of the world. They react to Tim Cook’s interview with Kara Swisher and what it says about Apple’s essential “goodness.” Finally, they talk about the unfathomably high percentage of US teens who allegedly own iPhones.
Many thanks to our sponsor this week:
Links:
- MA Covid Vaccines – Site-scraping aggregator site for vaccine availability in Massachusetts.
- Very Different Choices – Kara Swisher’s interview with Tim Cook for the New York Times.
- 88% of US Teens – Horace Dediu’s tweet about the market domination of iPhone among younger Americans.
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
April 10, 2021 at 6:00 pm.
Manton and Daniel discuss Apple’s announcement of WWDC 2021, think about the possibility of a future hybrid model combining the best of in-person and virtual conferences, and question whether Apple has lost its “youthful vitality”, and whether that spirit can be reinvigorated.
No sponsor this week! Please consider sponsoring us, or asking your employer to do so.
Links:
- WWDC 2021 – Apple’s official news release.
- Úll – A less-conventional Apple conference that was based in Ireland.
- Success Hides Problems – Article about Ed Catmull’s famous talk on the subject.
- Think Different – Wikipedia article about Apple’s classic advertising campaign.
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
April 2, 2021 at 7:26 pm.
Daniel and Manton celebrate Ulysses 22 launching with added support for Micro.blog. They talk more about competition and how all parties can win by collaborating to solve customer problems. Finally, they react to Apple addressing one developer’s Small Business Program woes, while acknowledging the larger issues that remain.
Many thanks to our sponsor this week:
Links:
- Ulysses 22 – Major update to the Mac and iOS editor, including new support for Micro.blog.
- Micro.blog – Manton’s blog publishing and hosting service.
- MarsEdit – Daniel’s Mac-based blog publishing app.
- An Alternative to Competition – Jason Fried of Basecamp shares his feelings about competition in business.
- An Update – Sean Harding shares that he has been admitted to the Apple Small Business Program.
- Potential Witnesses – TechCrunch story on the release of witnesses for the Epic vs. Apple lawsuit.
- Hey Apple… – David Heinemeier Hansson on the Screaming in the Cloud podcast.
- Building Companies to Last – Jim Collins with an article synthesizing ideas from his book “Built to Last.”
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
March 27, 2021 at 12:17 am.
Manton and Daniel talk about Google’s new, straightforward 15% fee structure for App Store sales, and how it shines a light on the sharp edges of Apple’s Small Business Program. They talk about the unfair aspects of Apple’s plan, and how Apple might feel pressure to improve it. Will they? Finally, they talk about whether Apple can and should decouple the costs of running the App Store from the payments made by customers to developers.
No sponsor this week! Please consider sponsoring us, or asking your employer to do so.
Links:
- Google Undercuts Apple – Ars Technica on Google’s new 15% developer commission for revenues under $1M.
- How I Got Rejected – Sean Harding shares his tale of being denied admission to Apple’s Small Business Program.
- Stratechery – Ben Thompson’s email newsletter.
- A 95% Cut – 9to5Mac on Micrsoft’s policy, announced last year, to take only 5% from some App Store sales.
- Where Apple Went Wrong – Manton’s 2011 post about Apple’s attitude toward free apps.
Enjoy our show? Become a sustaining member!
March 19, 2021 at 12:26 am.
