Jeff Gamet

Turns out the membrane in Apple’s redesigned Touch Bar MacBook Pro keyboard really is supposed to help keep debris away from the butterfly key mechanism. Apple’s public statement is the redesign is just to make the keys quieter, but an internal Apple service document MacRumors got ahold of says otherwise. From the document:

The keyboard has a membrane under the keycaps to prevent debris from entering the butterfly mechanism. The procedure for the space bar replacement has also changed from the previous model. Repair documentation and service videos will be available when keycap parts begin shipping.

Of course, Apple doesn’t want to publicly admit there’s a problem with the keyboards on previous MacBook models because of the growing number of lawsuits claiming they’re defective. Odds are there are a lot of attorneys really happy this document leaked.

Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO) says he’s ready to take action and restore net neutrality protection. The rules were overturned and ultimately expired on June 11th, opening the door for ISPs to control internet traffic passing through their networks as they see fit. Coffman says the bill he’s introducing will create an “internet constitution.” Reuters reports,

The bill would ensure “no throttling, no blocking, no paid prioritization and oversight of interconnection” rules between internet providers and backbone transit providers, his office said in a statement.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been hell bent on removing any restriction and regulations protecting net neutrality. With one GOP member breaking ranks and supporting net neutrality maybe, just maybe, we’ll see more follow suit.

Apple sure is spending a lot of money on research and development, but doesn’t seem to have much to show for it. Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Apple 3.0 got ahold of an investor not from Bernstein’s Toni Sacconaghi that states,

Perhaps most importantly, despite R&D spending more than quintupling over the last 6.5 years, Apple’s pace of new product/services introductions does not appear to have accelerated. We note that Apple cumulatively spent $11.5B between 1998 and 2011, a period in which it introduced the iPod, iPad, and iPhone – last year alone, Apple spent a similar amount. We believe that Apple’s R&D productivity has declined (which is not uncommon as companies scale, but may also be attributable to the loss of Steve Jobs). That said, it is also possible that the recent surge in R&D spending could translate into accelerated product and services announcements in the near to medium term.

So maybe Apple is going to surprise us with some huge product announcements, or maybe it’s R&D has just become a giant money pit.