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The Platform-Philosophies Edition Saturday, July 26, 2025

iPadOS 26 Is Way More Mac-like. Where Does That Lead?, by Harry McCracken, Fast Company

Apple may well be making the right decision to please the largest pool of people who want to get work done on its tablet. But it’s also moving decisively away from some of the philosophies that attracted me to the platform in the first place, and I’m trepidatious about where that might lead.

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While Apple has given iPadOS 26 a full-screen-only mode for people who are just as happy using it as, well, a giant iPhone, it hasn’t tossed many bones in the direction of those who liked the Split View and SlideOver features, which it has now retired. Even the fastest methods of filling the screen with two apps now take more steps and feel like work. Meanwhile, using the menu bar remains optional, though I worry that developers will begin to see it as the primary interface, not an alternative one.

The Issue With Social Media Blocking Apps? They’re Now Just As Addictive, by Adele Zeynep Walton, The Observer

It’s unsettling when the very tech designed to tackle our social media dependency ends up adding to the problem it’s trying to solve. Is this boom a sign of rapid technological development, or a desperate attempt to stay necessary and keep selling us something? It’s like the paradox of dating apps, whose business depends on us staying single. Apps that sell us the fix of curing social media addiction probably don’t want us to stop needing them.

Stuff

Blender Confirms iPad Pro App With Full Touch And Pencil Support, by Marcus Mendes, 9to5Mac

Blender, the widely used open-source 3D creation software, is getting a tablet-first redesign, starting with full support for the iPad Pro. Here’s what to expect.

Notes

Dutch Watchdog Postpones Ruling On Apple Fees On Dating Apps, Awaits EU Action, by Foo Yun Chee and GV De Clercq, Reuters

Dutch antitrust regulator ACM said in a statement on Friday it has postponed a ruling on Apple over fees the iPhone maker charges dating app providers as it awaits the outcome of ongoing discussions between Apple and the European Commission over a similar issue.

Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Age Check Legislation, by Emily Birnbaum, Bloomberg

Meta supporters argue the app stores should be responsible for figuring out whether minors are accessing inappropriate content, comparing the app store to a liquor store that checks patrons’ IDs. Apple and Google, meanwhile, argue age verification laws violate children’s privacy and argue the individual apps are better-positioned to do age checks. Apple said it’s more accurate to describe the app store as a mall and Meta as the liquor store.

Bottom of the Page

I do still occasionally get confused between the iPhone simulator and the iPhone mirror on my Mac.

(Why is my list not scrolling? Is my app hang? Ooops… wrong gesture.)

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Thanks for reading.