MyAppleMenu - Sat, Aug 8, 2015

Sat, Aug 8, 2015The Twenty-Blocks-To-Work Edition

Dark Sky 5 Offers Hyperlocal Weather Forecasts For iOS, by Adam C. Engst, TidBITS

So why does Dark Sky stand out, and why has it has become one of my most-used apps? On its initial screen, under the current conditions, it provides a forecast for the next hour that is usually on target. Not everyone will care about this, such as those in California or other places in the world where the weather doesn’t change much. Nor will people who spend little time outside. But here in upstate New York, and speaking as someone who exercises outside most days, I care deeply about the weather. And more to the point, I care deeply what the weather is going to do soon, right where I am.

The Pleasure Of Practicing: A Musician’s Assuring Account Of Creative Homecoming And Overcoming Impostor Syndrome, by Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

Having grown up playing guitar and working to become a professional musician as a young adult, studying at a conservatory and winning some competitions along the way, Kurtz found himself disillusioned and exasperated with his progress, with the disheartening sense that “ambition and expectation are sometimes not enough.” So he gave up the dream of becoming an artist, borrowed a book from the New York Public Library to learn typing, and got himself a “real” job as an editorial assistant in New York, to which he walked twenty blocks to work every morning, “stunned and heartbroken, a sleepwalker.”

Selling The iPhone

iPhone’s Annual Cycle Of Advertising, by Ken Segall

I do find myself wondering if iPhone might not be better served with an engaging, long-running campaign. One that creates equity for the brand, and makes iPhone even more resistant to competition.

When the product has become a platform, maybe the advertising should be a platform too.

Apple’s Latest ‘If It’s Not An iPhone Ad’ Highlights Taking Photos And Videos, by Mark Gurman, 9to5Mac

Stuff.

Ask The iTunes Guy: Importing Single CD Tracks, iCloud Download, Apple Music DRM, And Status Bar Toggles, by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

Lots of readers are writing in with questions about iTunes 12 and its quirks. In this week’s column, I explain how to import single tracks from CDs, which is different in the latest version of iTunes. I look at the iCloud Download column that displays in list views. I try and explain why Apple Music’s music files have DRM. And I highlight a bug in the way iTunes displays some information about playlists.

Digging For Trashed Pictures In Mac’s Photos App, by J. D. Biersdorfer, New York Times

Google Maps’ “Night Mode” Feature Makes It Easier To Navigate In The Dark, by Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

Notes.

EU Finds No Evidence Of Apple And Music Labels Colluding To Kill Free Music, by Dawn Chmielewski, Re/code

The European Commission failed to find evidence of collusion among the major music labels and Apple to quash free music streaming services such as those offered by Spotify, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.

Investigators examined whether the labels conspired with one another or with Apple on Apple’s new streaming music service in a way that would hurt rivals. The probe failed to turn up any illegal activity, though the EU will continue to monitor the market, sources said.

iTunes Store Music Links Open In Apple Music, And This Is Bad For People Selling Music, by Kirk McElhearn

So if you do want to sell your music, and not direct people to Apple Music where they can stream it, you’ll need to change, and then check, all your links. For small labels, this isn’t a big deal, but for larger labels, this is quite a job. It’s a bit unfair that Apple has done this, without, apparently, alerting labels.

Parting Words

The history of button visual design pic.twitter.com/uCu4SrTcjC (via @manabuueno)

— Alex Vanderzon (@alexvanderzon) August 7, 2015

Thanks for reading.