Posts in Linked

App Store Policy Now Allows Tipping Content Providers→

Josh Constine reports for TechCrunch about an updated App Store policy that will enable apps to allow tipping of content creators, provided 30% of that tip goes to Apple. The newly updated policy from Apple reads:

Apps may use in-app purchase currencies to enable customers to “tip” digital content providers in the app.

Constine explains that previously, tipping was a grey area, leading some developers to avoid implementing it for fear their apps would be rejected by the App Review team. But this new policy changes that, he writes:

This means developers can add tipping features without fearing repercussions from Apple, as long as they’re willing to give the giant 30 percent. The grey area had kept tipping out of some popular apps who sought to avoid any tension with Apple. Now app makers can offer and promote tipping features with confidence.

The developers will have to determine whether they themselves take a cut of the tips or pass the full 70 percent on to the content creators. Passing on 50 percent while taking a 20 percent cut could unlock paths to monetizing video where ads can be interruptive or tough to match with unpolished footage.

The App Store has been rife with changes since Phil Schiller adopted responsibility for it, and this particular change will impact certain people in different ways. Some developers may appreciate the clarity concerning what they can or can’t do in the realm of tipping, but for any apps currently allowing tipping without the 30% tax, both developers and content providers will be harmed.

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Apple Sharing Screen Repairing Machines with Third-Party Vendors→

As the iPhone has evolved in recent years, it has become more and more difficult to repair. Screen repairs in particular are challenging thanks to the wealth of technology integrated with an iPhone’s screen.

According to a new report from Reuters, Apple is making strides toward empowering more third-parties to perform those complex repairs. The company is beginning to roll out its proprietary tool for repairing iPhone screens, the Horizon Machine, to authorized repair companies. Plans are to deliver 400 Horizon Machines by the end of the year to repair centers across 25 countries. Stephen Nellis was given access to watch these Apple creations at work:

Dozens of Horizon Machines lined the tables. The contraptions, gray metal boxes the size of a microwave with a swing-out windowed door, vary slightly in shape depending on the model of iPhone they repair. Apple would not say where the machines were made or by whom
…
Once the new screen is mounted, the iPhone goes into the Horizon Machine, which allows Apple’s software to communicate with the fresh hardware. Over the course of 10 to 12 minutes, the machine talks to the phone’s operating system to pair the fingerprint sensor to the phone’s brain.

While that unfolds, a mechanical finger jabs the screen in multiple places to test the touch-sensitive surface. The machine also fine tunes the display and software to match the precise colors and calibration of the original.

The piece notes how the topic of phone repair can be a political one, as legislation has been introduced in several U.S. states that intends to promote increasing repair options for consumers. Whether that legislation comes to pass or not, sharing the Horizon Machine seems like a good move by Apple that will benefit its customers in the long run.

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Apple Publishes Video for WWDC 2017 Keynote→

The video of Apple’s WWDC keynote address, which was held earlier today at the San Jose Convention Center, is now available on the company’s website.

The nearly two-and-a-half hour keynote featured a wealth of information. Apple introduced new iPad Pro models, new iMacs and MacBooks, its first entry into the smart speaker market with HomePod, and the latest updates and improvements to iOS, macOS, and watchOS.

We’ll have full details on all of today’s announcements throughout the remainder of the day and as the WWDC conference continues over the next several days.

You can also follow all of our WWDC coverage through our WWDC 2017 hub, or subscribe to the dedicated WWDC 2017 RSS feed.

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Apple’s Arborist→

During his research for a Wired feature on Apple Park, Steven Levy met David Muffly, the arborist who planned the tree species planted at Apple’s new headquarters. On his Backchannel blog, Levy tells the story of how Muffly and Steve Jobs planned the trees that would be planted at Apple Park, including Muffly’s recollection of the first time he saw the mockups of the building:

Jobs took him to a room that had foam-core renderings of the proposed new Apple headquarters — a verdant space with lush greenery (80 percent of the space is landscaped) dominated by a huge ring-like building where 12,000 people would work. “I was like, whoa, this is crazy,” recalls Muffly. “And I’m looking at it and my brain is like, it’s the mothership!”

Muffly was impressed with Jobs’ extensive knowledge of trees native to Silicon Valley:

Jobs knew his trees, too. “He had a better sense than most arborists,” says Muffly. “He could tell visually which ones looked like they had good structure.” On a visit to Jobs’ house in 2011, Muffly saw this in action. They were in Jobs’ backyard garden, and in a neighbor’s yard there were two varieties of trees that Muffly wanted Jobs to choose between. “There was a kind of tree that I wanted to use and one that was more common,” says Muffly. “I asked, Steve, which of those two trees do you prefer? He liked questions like that. And he looked up and he pointed to the one I wanted. I said, Thank you, Steve. That was a good answer.”

Like other aspects of Apple Park, the scale of the landscaping is immense with roughly 9,000 trees planned. What I like most about Levy’s piece though, is that it adds a face, personality, and story to those huge numbers.

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Swift Playgrounds to Integrate with Real-World Devices→

Apple announced in a press release today that its Swift Playgrounds app for iPad would soon be able to connect with and control real-world devices.

Apple is working with leading device makers to make it easy to connect to Bluetooth-enabled robots within the Swift Playgrounds app, allowing kids to program and control popular devices, including LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3, the Sphero SPRK+, Parrot drones and more. The Swift Playgrounds 1.5 update will be available as a free download on the App Store beginning Monday, June 5.

Since the primary purpose of Swift Playgrounds is education, today’s announcement serves as a solid next step toward making coding fun and interesting for children. And the timing is fitting too. Expanding the capabilities of Swift Playgrounds with a 1.5 update Monday is a perfect kickoff to Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where the app was first introduced last year.

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Amazon’s Alexa Adds Integration with iCloud Calendars→

Mitchel Broussard of MacRumors shares an announcement from Amazon about a new Alexa skill for iCloud Calendar:

Starting today, you can now link your Apple iCloud Calendar to Alexa. To do this, iCloud Calendar customers can simply link their account in the settings tab in the Alexa app. Once linked, just say, “Alexa, what’s on my calendar today?” or “Alexa, add lunch with Sarah at noon to my calendar.”

iCloud Calendar support has been a top requested feature from Alexa customers, and we’re thrilled to bring this to Alexa devices in US, UK and Germany today.

It’s nice to start seeing some of Apple’s cloud offerings integrate with third-party services. Today’s Alexa integration follows IFTTT’s integrations earlier this year with iCloud Calendar and the App Store. Services as basic as iCloud Calendar shouldn’t be restricted to Apple-made devices, so I’m thankful to see Apple opening up – even if it’s just a little bit.

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Reach Navigation→

Brad Ellis has some interesting ideas and examples on how Apple could shift the iOS interface from top-oriented navigation bars to thumb-friendly cards and sheets sitting towards the bottom of the screen:

The navbar has been essential part of iOS since Apple released the first developer kit, and it has served us well. But it’s time to let go.

Let’s agree to stop sticking important buttons to the top of the screen. Better navigation is within reach.

I think Ellis is onto something here. After Apple Music and Apple Maps in iOS 10, I’d be surprised if we don’t get more of these “reach navigation” redesigns in iOS 11 (which would also make sense if Apple is releasing an iPhone with a taller screen later this year).

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