Apple TV Strategy by the Numbers

At one time, it was theorized that Apple would make its own TV set, integrated with Apple TV functionality. Instead, Apple has gone one better by seeking to integrate the Apple TV (4K) into TVs made by others. LoupVentures has the strategy and the numbers.

We believe, eventually, many major TVs will embed Apple TV software. This adoption curve may be similar to CarPlay …

Apple’s approach to the living room has been… led by Apple TV which we estimate is now used in 26m US homes monthly (21% of US households). We believe there are 53 million active Apple TVs worldwide.

While this may appear to be the beginning of the end of the Apple TV box, we believe the device will retain unique value. We believe the standalone box will continue …

This is, of course, all about ramping up for Apple TV+ subscriptions.

Apple's New Mac Pro: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, with John Kheit - ACM 515

Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit dig into Apple’s new Mac Pro, covering the good, the bad, and the ugly. They talk specs, costs, some of the things that came out since the keynote, and weigh the very important question of whether they want one. Spoiler, yes, but John’s actually likely to pull the trigger. Bryan also makes sure to give John plenty of room to take his victory laps for the many things he got right leading up to this long-awaited announcement.

22 Years of Apple Website Design History Visualized

The Version Museum has a visual history of 22 years of Apple website design history, starting in 1994.

Version Museum is devoted to showcasing the visual history of popular websites, games, apps, and operating systems that have shaped our lives.

The biggest change is the evolution of that tab bar at the top of the website, going from light to dark.

An Inside Look at the Qualcomm Monopoly Ruling

Timothy Lee did a nice deep dive into the 233-page Qualcomm monopoly ruling from Judge Lucy Koh. I’ve heard hot takes of the settlement between Apple and Qualcomm that suggested maybe Apple knew it was going to lose and gave up. But Judge Koh ordered Qualcomm to renegotiate with its customers.

The legal document outlines a nearly 20-year history of overcharging smartphone makers for cellular chips. Qualcomm structured its contracts with smartphone makers in ways that made it almost impossible for other chipmakers to challenge Qualcomm’s dominance. Customers who didn’t go along with Qualcomm’s one-sided terms were threatened with an abrupt and crippling loss of access to modem chips.

In her ruling, Koh ordered Qualcomm to stop threatening customers with chip cutoffs. Qualcomm must now re-negotiate all of its agreements with customers and license its patents to competitors on reasonable terms.

Mac Hardware at WWDC, AppKit vs. UIKit, Next-Gen Wi-Fi, with John Kheit - ACM 513

Bryan Chaffin and guest John Kheit start this week’s show off with an immediate siderail about The Curse of Oak Island and Cooper’s Treasure, because that’s what they do. The real topics, however, include what Apple’s MacBook Pro announcement might mean for Mac hardware at WWDC. They also look at the brewing fight between UIKit and AppKit, and what’s coming in the world of Wi-Fi.

Throwboy Makes [Apple] Iconic Pillows

From Kickstarter:

“5 throw pillows inspired by 5 iconic, game-changing products of the technology world. Each pillow takes you through a different era in the computer revolution and celebrates the memories we made during these times. Made of super soft, high quality plush material, these 3D pillows feature fine embroidery, smooth contours and artisan style craftsmanship.”