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The Shifting-Units Edition Friday, May 17, 2024

The iPad Air Only Exists To Sell Other iPads, by David Price, Macworld

I have no doubt that Apple sells plenty of iPad Airs, but the product’s value to Apple isn’t limited to the number of units it shifts. It’s all about the way it makes customers feel about the other iPads.

Heads-up, Apple And The Rest Of Big Tech: Disney Wants Better App Store Deals., by Peter Kafka, Business Insider

"We have to look at the way we're distributing," Iger told analyst Michael Nathanson at a MoffettNathanson-hosted conference. "Unlike Netflix, we distribute largely through third-party app stores. There's obviously an advantage to that to some extent, but there's a cost to that, too. And we're looking at that."

The Dream Of Streaming Is Dead, by Jacob Stern, The Atlantic

With the new bundles, the streamers are trying to strike a balance between the total consolidation of cable and the total chaos of streaming. That new balance may well be superior to the status quo, but the trade-off between having things in one place and paying for things you don’t need will remain. As long as it does, we’ll never feel totally satisfied.

Stuff

Apple Launches Tap To Pay On iPhone In Japan, by Tim Hardwick, MacRumors

Apple has announced Tap to Pay on iPhone in Japan, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the country to use ‌iPhones‌ as a payment terminal.

Carbon Copy Cloner 7.0, by Agen Schmitz, TidBITS

CCC 7.0 introduces a new Backup Volume Setup Assistant that guides you through formatting destination volumes and ensures the destination is dedicated to the backup task to avoid conflicts.

BBEdit 15.1, by Agen Schmitz, TidBITS

Bare Bones has released BBEdit 15.1, renaming ChatGPT Worksheet to AI Chat Worksheet with preferences that let you select alternative services (ChatGPT, Claude, and Ollama service models are included).

Can A New Audio App Help You Train, Think And Sleep Better?, by Kieran Alger, Men's Health

You know music alters mood. Now a new app promises the right tracks can sooth stress, bolster productivity and even boost your gym gains.

Notes

Apple Forgiven Millions In Chicago ‘Netflix Tax’ Paid By Rivals, by Michael J. Bologna, Bloomberg Tax

Apple Inc. received at least $13 million, and probably much more, in tax forgiveness from the city of Chicago after settling a lawsuit that claimed the city’s “Netflix tax” on streaming entertainment violated federal law, newly released documents reveal.

[...]

The documents, characterized as jeopardy assessment workpapers and drafted by the Chicago Department of Finance, estimate the city forgave $13 million in back taxes, interest, and penalties that should have been applied to popular services such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Fitness over a seven-year period.

Bottom of the Page

There will always be stuff that I've paid, but didn't watch. Even on Apple TV+, the HBO of streaming service (maybe), there are quite a few shows that I couldn't stomach.

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Thanks for reading.