wowamit

I think Apple clearly understood they can't keep iPhone and iPad running the same OS because that holds what iPads can achieve. And that was one of the reasons they had to separate those two platforms.

I feel Apple would like to see iPads as lot closer to Macs in capabilities than iPhones.

Here's a theory, iPads and Macbooks would some day (not too far away, too) run the same operating system, not just operating systems with the same core. They would just be two form factors. The unification has already started with macOS Big Sur.

Yes, but I think when they disable that feature, they must provide some justification that is believable right? I can't think of any for this.

I wonder why does Google need the web activity to be turned on for subscribing to the Podcasts? Is there any realistic reasoning for it?

To say that I'm ditching Android is a pretty incomplete statement - because there is no one Android. It really matter which flavour of Android we are talking about. And which specific device. For example, the bloatware might not be a problem on a unlocked Pixel device.

At this point, both iOS and Android are in pretty stable states. It comes down to individual preferences. Author primarily seems to have an issue with Google, which again is justified.

Anecdotally speaking, I tend to write well late in the nights -- when everyone's gone to sleep. I tend to focus well, think throughout the evenings. I think it also depends on the most distracting-free time. For me, it is late night.

Can it also be about geography? I am not sure if there is a correlation between the region an author belongs to and his writing habits. I couldn't find any reference in shared article.

I think may be only 3% people used the sync process? I did use the app but had turned off the auto-sync of photos. I think may be they want to curtail this exact use-case of their service -- as a photo archive.

Ah. I had completely forgotten that Flickr was acquired by SmugMug and had been their property - makes much more sense. Of course, I doubt if Yahoo can run anything any longer.

That brand has faced such a horrible downfall - it was a shining example of the power of Web.

Focus on the pro market might be what is required to bring the service in discussion. Community of pro-photographers that uses the service to showcase their portfolio might be what they are going after. If 97% of free accounts have less than 1000 photos as they claim [1], it might be a good cutoff to set.

Just wonder on two fronts, will they continue to sell ads? And will it continue to remain a Yahoo property (given they would not need a Yahoo id to login).

[1]: https://blog.flickr.net/en/2018/11/01/changing-flickr-free-a...

It will prevent the hatred to be easily propagated to a large population — control the reach of the polluting voices. Scale of Twitter has given a microphone to these voices which they are exploiting. Hope is with the power split, it will just not be a problem in the first place.

I strongly believe we need to tread extra cautiously while observing what these companies do with the internet. They would like to have their own walled sections of the internet where they define the rules and govern the policies. It started with URLs first (facebook.com was the internet for many). It is shifting to whole top level domains - Google’s usage of “.new” for example.

I agree that the best solution will be to reduce the concentration of power. However, it is extremely complex to implement. There are too many parameters in play, both technological and political. It would be important to not let these walled premises build until we have the solution.

The change in licence terms sounds too stringent — far beyond just the scope of derived works which is typically the case. Especially “requiring a relicensing of the Linux kernel if a MongoDB service runs on Linux”?

MongoDB can very well stop calling itself an open source software then when to use it in any significant manner, one needs to get into a proprietary license agreement. Wish the license doesn’t get approved as a valid open-source license.

It is so difficult to explore anything that Google announces without passing it through the lens shaded by their ad business model. It doesn't matter with what intention they implement a change or if those intentions are pure.

Sure, this will make the login secure by preventing credential stuffing. But doesn't this also help them get more data from users who preferred not to by disabling JS? And was this the best and only solution to tackle this problem?

I believe internally too, Google must struggle with this perception.

In addition, there are no global timelines or auto-generated trends or retweets at this point. There is Discover feed [1] which is manually curated. So, in case you do see the fake or spam posts, that would be primarily because you follow the accounts. There are also mechanisms to block users which should address the replies spams.

Edit: Added the link to discover feed, accessible without an account too.

[1]: https://micro.blog/discover

API feeds is to pull data from Micro.blog - for example replies. To enable cross posting from your existing blog, a setting can be enabled. From the help page on getting started [1]

> "If you already have a blog, such as one based on WordPress, connect it to Micro.blog by adding the feed URL to your account under Account → “Edit Feeds”."

[1]: https://help.micro.blog/2017/getting-started/

I believe it is one of the cheaper paid blogging platforms out there - of course ignoring the free ad-backed options. It is run by a single developer who does this full time -- not sure if $0.05/month will be profitable enough to make a viable living.

A common thread I see in the discussion is how the details should be a bit more prominent on the home page/registration page than it is currently. I think the information, though not linked clearly, is available under the detailed help section - http://help.micro.blog/.

I look at micro.blog as a blogging platform with a social layer -- if you already have a blog or a site, you can get involved only in the social aspect of the platform.

On fee front, using Micro.blog is free if you host your own site. As the help document mentions (http://help.micro.blog/2018/pricing/), you can add your feeds from your external blogs and only use social aspect of Micro.blog.

I guess, though not right on front there, the ToS (http://help.micro.blog/2018/tos/) and Privacy policies (http://help.micro.blog/2018/privacy-policy/) are clearly drafted.

I believe even if that lesson is set, it would be beneficial. As it leaves a space open for another player in smart mobile operating system -- in turn creates more competition in the market. By giving Android for free, the market stayed duopoly.

I do not get what is purpose of this? Write and what? Is the purpose to share? Or the purpose primarily is to “capture” the thought? If it is the latter, I think getting on web and accessing a URL is a good path to distraction.

Every now and then, we are reminded that our router remains the prominent data collector for our online presence. And ISP, the prominent data aggregator. And neither are really too keen to protect our data online.

And the offers the assistant delivers as ads will be extremely light-weight, signed off by Google-headed committee.

> a system to keep internal records hidden from intruders entering any of its hundreds of foreign offices

That’s how the engineers must have been convinced on owning up the requirement.

As I understand, Nexus phones too are not manufactured by Google. Pixel XL is manufactured by LG, Pixel by HTC.

Agreed. And I hope that does happen. This is the best chance for Google to clear out the air around all the privacy and transparency issues it has been tackling. However I do wonder if that indeed is the plan.

For example, Google would not want to miss on the data from its Fiber or Auto or Nest projects say. It is too valuable to not include as part of a user's profile.

If anything, I feel it can lead to just making the situation even more muddy. What happens to all the Terms and conditions? Privacy policies? Would they, or even can they, stay merged?

Google would not help as people rarely hit the web to know more. If at all, current web with Twitter and Facebook in there would further ease spreading hoaxes. And we do see so many examples of that every now and then.

Google is at its effective best when you are searching for something for which you do not know the result page. You search for expected result page (that too not common), you would be disappointed.

Continue tying; you get a hanging drop-down box at the top with suggestions. Hover over the search term and you get the "I'm feeling lucky" button.

Change is fine if it is aimed at making the overall experience better. From what we have seen in the past, any UI layer an OEM adds above stock Android just makes the overall experience worse, performance wise mainly. The reviews would never be able to foresee that.

Isn't iTunes Match more of a music streaming service? This is how Apple explains it works "Any music with a match is automatically added to your iCloud library for you to listen to anytime, on any device."

It says 'listen to'. Am not sure if you actually get legit copies of your music.