#133: Rotten Core
When Basecamp, makers of the eponymous project management software, launched their new Hey.com email service last week, they faced an unexpected obstacle: Apple.
Hey touts a new approach to email, and of course comes with apps for most operating systems, including Apple’s iOS and macOS. But even though Apple, who requires all apps to go through its review process before being allowed on the App Store, approved the first version of the Hey iOS app, subsequent bug fix releases where rejected. Worryingly, that rejection was not because of something wrong with the app itself. Instead, it’s because Apple wants a cut of the revenue. And it’s either Apple’s way, or the highway
.It used to be that Apple made its money by building and selling hardware, and providing the software to go along with it. Together with a thriving ecosystem of third-party developers, it even saved post-2000 Apple from bankruptcy. Then, they redefined the smartphone category when they introduced the iPhone, and while the subsequent introductions of the iPad and the Apple Watch haven’t been quite the same smash hits, they’re still dominating their respective categories.
Apple also sort of forgot about the Mac along the way, lagging behind in hardware updates as well as introducing hardware changes no one asked for
, culminating in the butterfly keyboard fiasco.While Apple has caught up on the hardware side, another aspect that has fallen by the wayside hasn’t: software.
Using an Apple device means you’re practically bound to its operating systems, even more so on mobile, where you not only have no choice regarding the OS, but also your browser engine
.And while Apple keeps introducing new features every year, they are introduced in buggier and buggier states. Apple’s most recent iOS and macOS releases have been plagued by serious bugs, requiring the company to ship quasi-emergency bug fixes.
But it’s not the serious bugs that are the problem. They get fixed quick, because their impact is large; Apple couldn’t afford not to fix them. Instead, it’s the small ones, those that only cause annoyances, small lags, or other inexplicable behavior. They don’t really stop you from accomplishing your work, but they are a constant drain on your patience and sanity. They make the software feel unfinished, as if there are still rough edges that no one took the time to smooth out.
Apple used to pride themselves on the quality of their software. Snow Leopard (macOS 10.6), released in 2009, was even billed with “no new features”. Instead, users got improved performance, and a more polished operating system. It was an instant hit with Mac users.
Nowadays, Apple is more intent on releasing new features and extracting revenue from other sources. Their hardware business is still very profitable, but because it’s not growing, other revenue streams like the App Store have become so important to Apple, that it is willing to risk government inquiries into its practices just to keep that money rolling in.
Hey’s iOS app is, as of writing, still available in the App Store, but only in its original version, with no bug fixes. Apple has not budged on their stance of wanting a cut of Hey’s revenue. Hey’s macOS app was rejected, but unlike iOS, they can distribute the app to Hey’s users via direct download.
Considering that next week, Apple’s worldwide developer conference is taking place, it’s an ominous sign of an Apple that is willing to squeeze their smaller developers using quasi-mafia methods. And if they don’t like it, it’s not like they can go anywhere else.
It’s not just what’s on the inside that counts
How important is being intelligent to become successful and rich? You’d be forgiven for thinking that intelligence plays at least a big role in how well you fare in life. But as one Nobel-price winning economist found out, while intelligence is important, but intelligence without effort is wasted.
Street Menace
Slowly, but surely, electric cars are taking over our streets. They are marketed as eco-friendly alternatives to gas-fuelled vehicles, especially since electricity can be generated from many different sources. But there’s one car type that even when electrified just isn’t going to help the environment – or anyone else: electric or not, big SUVs are inherently selfish.
Stuffing a Black Hole
The universe is a dangerous place. Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field protect us from a lot of potential (and actual
) dangers. But even that wouldn’t protect us much if we where anywhere near OJ287, an active galaxy roughly 3,5 billion light years away from us, where a black hole just ate another black hole’s dinner, then exploded with the light of a trillion suns.Drunk History
Humans have fermented since at least 7000 BCE. Ever since, alcohol has played an important role in human history and exploration: A brief history of alcohol [YouTube]
📖 Weekly Longread 📚
Gabriel Jiménez hated the Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro. But he loved cryptocurrency. When he built the regime a digital coin, he nearly paid with his life.