We Already Know a Lot About Apple’s September 12 Event, and Apple Likes That
There was a time when Apple, especially Steve Jobs, would spring a surprise on us at an event, and we were delighted. Times are too complex for that now.
Intentional leaks help us size up the 2018 iPhones.
The Particle Debris article of the week is from engadget.
I cite that article not for its drama, depth of analysis, or excellence in tech writing, although it’s an excellent, comprehensive article. No, I point to it because it nicely encapsulates everything we think we know about what Apple will present during its September 12th event.
And that’s fairly amazing at this point.
Of course, this article could be wrong in places. We’re never absolutely sure in advance what Apple will roll out. Plus, the Apple echo chamber can create artificial supporting evidence. Even so, over time, multiple, credible sources start to paint a picture that stitches together a reasonable new product story.
How Does Apple Feel About Leaks?
My theory about this annual oozing of intel into the Apple community is that it is intentional. The reason is that the pace of life no longer allows customers to watch a two hour event, digest the implications, mentally integrate the new products into their lives (and finances), and then rush into an online purchase in the middle of the night.
Instead, Apple warms us up by degrees. We start to get our heads around all the new products for weeks in advance. Piecemeal, we come to understand why we may wish to spring for one of the new iPhones. Or Apple Watch. Or iPad (Pro).
This process effectively primes the pump of our imagination, informs us, and brings us around to a tentative purchase decision. When the event actually takes place, we hear the news, and we’re full of confidence. Then we can “favorite” our choice in the online store so we’re ready on order day. It’s a process.
This serves also to ensure dramatic, initial demand for all the new products. There’s nothing like finding out that everyone else is eagerly informed and on the bandwagon to make us technically insecure and then spur us into action.
This is why I believe Apple leaks the juiciest details early. It’s the modern, Tim Cook approach for modern, hectic times.
Next Page: The News Debris for the week of August 27th. Tech, AI, human irrelevance and tyranny.
Page 2 – News Debris For The Week of August 27th
Tech, AI, Irrelevance and Tyranny
This article deserves special attention. That’s because it brings new, considered insights into how advanced technology is affecting our lives. It’s from The Atlantic, but it’s actually adapted from Yuval Noah Harari’s book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.
On the surface, the Atlantic article excerpts passages that describe how artificial intelligence could undermine democracy and turn free citizens into servants to a tyranical society, governed by machine decisions. We’ve seen that before.
But his article is full of insights and explanations that, fot now, have been just beneath the surface, unspoken.
In the second decade of the 21st century, liberalism has begun to lose credibility. Questions about the ability of liberal democracy to provide for the middle class have grown louder; politics have grown more tribal; and in more and more countries, leaders are showing a penchant for demagoguery and autocracy. The causes of this political shift are complex, but they appear to be intertwined with current technological developments. The technology that favored democracy is changing, and as artificial intelligence develops, it might change further.
In other words, the growing fear of irrelevance as machines supplant human dignity and importance is seen to lead to a hunger for a rise in authoritarianism. As a Linus blanket.
This is a long and complex exploration of what seems to be an important book for our times. Be patient. Let your inner AI digest it.
More Debris
• You’ve no doubt heard of Dolby Vision. The Apple TV 4K supports this excellent HDR format. But there’s a mild competitor that seeks to, in my view, muddy the waters. That’s HDR10+. This article explains what it is and why it exists. Just so you know. “HDR10+ is coming to new Samsung and Panasonic TVs, but good luck finding content.
Related
Dreams of digital textbooks replacing paper: dashed.
• There as a time right after the first iPad shipped in 2010 when we fantasized about a future of digital textbooks in abundance. One iPad could replace bulky, heavy paper textbooks and those books would be cheaper as well. It didn’t happen. Bradley Chambers at 9to5Mac tell us why. “Making The Grade: Digital textbooks for iPad never took off, and here’s why.”
• Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Apple 3.0 has some searing criticism of what Apple is and is not doing with the MacBook Air. It’s worth a read despite the dramatic title. “I fear for the MacBook Air. I fear for Apple.” Bottom line:
Here’s what I wish for: Someone with the authority of a Steve Jobs to tell the Mac team that the last three years of MacBook design—making laptops that resemble iPhones—were a failure. Those design decisions should be repudiated. What the market is asking for—what Phil and Ben and everybody else seems to want—is an updated MacBook Air with modern specs and a Retina screen priced at $899.
• If you think social media in the hands of teenagers (and misused) is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, then this next article is something to ponder. “Posting Instagram Sponsored Content Is the New Summer Job.” You have a following. You’re an influencer of other youths. You need some cash. What’s not to like?
• I bumped into this next item quite by accident. Here’s the deal. I thought the days of HP neglecting Mac user were over. I guess not. From the Intego Mac Security Blog: “HP Leaves Mac Users Vulnerable to Fax Hacks.”
• Finally, I offer a glimmer of hope. “California Is Now Inches Away From Restoring Net Neutrality.” California has a country-class economy, the world’s 6th largest, and its actions will be influential in this arena. Root for them.
Particle Debris is a generally a mix of John Martellaro’s observations and opinions about a standout event or article of the week (preamble on page one) followed on page two by a discussion of articles that didn’t make the TMO headlines, the technical news debris. The column is published most every Friday except for holiday weeks.
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