Linked List: April 3, 2015

Friday, 3 April 2015

Joanna Stern, for the WSJ:

Since the dawn of the smartphone wars, there have been basic truths about Samsungs: They’re made of flimsy plastic, their cameras can’t keep up with the iPhone’s, and their modified Android software is ugly and intolerably cluttered.

With the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, which arrive at U.S. carriers on April 10, none of that is true anymore. I am not afraid to say it: I love Samsung’s new phones, maybe even more than my own iPhone 6. Like a child who just found out that Santa isn’t real, I have spent the past week questioning everything I know.

A rave review for everything but Samsung’s software:

Samsung even tidied up many of its ugly app icons. Still, from the app tray to the pull-down notification menu, the styling of the operating system isn’t nearly as polished as stock Android 5.0. On top of that, Samsung’s keyboard seemed to hate my fingers, constantly inserting typos. A phone this beautiful deserves equally beautiful software.

The Galaxy S6 — like the iPhone 3GS lookalikes from 2010 — proves that it’s easier to create Apple-reminiscent hardware than software. Skin-deep software styling is one thing — just look at the Galaxy S6’s keyboard — but copying the whole experience is a nearly Sisyphean task that Samsung clearly isn’t up to.

The Talk Show: ‘Turd on the Front Porch’ ★

Special guest Ben Thompson returns, with the intention of not talking about Apple Watch — and so of course we spend two hours talking about Apple Watch. Other topics include the launch of Jay Z’s streaming music service Tidal, audience ceilings faced by different types of dedicated TV devices, and Meerkat-vs.-Periscope and the nascent revolution of ubiquitous live-streaming video. We make some NCAA men’s basketball Final Four picks, too.

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Bloomberg: ‘Samsung Said to Win Apple A9 Chip Orders for Next IPhone’ ★

Jungah Lee and Ian King, reporting for Bloomberg:

Samsung Electronics Co. will manufacture the main chip in Apple Inc.’s next iPhone model, regaining a customer previously lost to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Samsung will start making Apple A9 processor chips at its Giheung plant in South Korea, the people said, asking not to be identified because the contract hasn’t been discussed publicly.

The industry’s strangest arch-rivalry/partnership continues.

Apple Watch Guided Tours ★

These are the sort of things I expected to see at Apple’s March 9 event. I’m not saying they should have shown these then, or demoed these things on stage — I’m just saying I expected them. I think strategically, Apple decided to hold these back and release them now — one week ahead of pre-orders — to build publicity and interest to a fever pitch.

Apple Asks TV Networks to Supply Their Own Streams for Apple TV Service ★

Peter Kafka, reporting for Recode:

TV sources say Apple executive Eddy Cue, who heads up the company’s media efforts and is leading negotiations for the new streaming service, has told them that Apple feels it should concentrate on what it’s best at — creating consumer hardware and software — and leave other tasks, like streaming infrastructure, for people who specialize in it.

An alternative theory, suggested by someone involved in the discussions: Apple thinks that if programmers are responsible for handling their own streams, Internet providers like Comcast and Verizon, who sell their own bundles of video programming, will be less likely to penalize Apple’s service.

I’m not surprised that Apple is allowing networks to provide their own streams if they choose to. Many of them are great at it — MLB Advanced Media (which is providing the backend for HBO Now, among many other networks) and Netflix come to mind. But I’m a little surprised they aren’t offering to host the streams for smaller outfits, startup-sized “networks” — it’d be a way to make content exclusive to Apple’s devices without Apple actually producing its own content.

Positing That Tesla Is a Battery Company ★

Jeremy Welch:

Tesla Motors started as a Car company, but they should now be considered to be a Battery company for three key reasons:

Tesla leadership has expertise in batteries and energy systems.

Batteries are the most important component of an electric vehicle (EV).

Tesla can enter other markets with the battery tech they developed while building EVs.

I’m always a little wary of any such “__ isn’t what you think it is” arguments, but, it’s interesting to note that the company is named after an energy pioneer, not a car pioneer.

Adobe Slate ★

New iPad app from Adobe that lets you combine words and images into beautiful stories. Maybe sort of the modern-day equivalent of desktop publishing?

Galaxy S6 Edge Fares Worse Than iPhone 6 Plus Under Bend Pressure ★

Stephen Hall, writing for 9to5Google on the results of a bend test conducted by SquareTrade:

The iPhone 6 Plus bends under about 110 pounds of pressure, and reached “catastrophic failure” at 179 pounds. The Galaxy S6 edge reached its bending point at the same amount of pressure as Apple’s phone, but didn’t fare nearly as well overall. The S6 screen cracked at this same bending point pressure, and saw its complete destruction at a lesser 149 pounds.

Good times, Samsung, good times. And I’m sure every publication that reported on the iPhone 6 “bendgate” will devote similar attention to this.

Apple Watch Pre-Orders Kick Off at Midnight Pacific Time ★

Going to be a late night here on the U.S. east coast.

Update: To be clear, that’s 12:01a PT, Friday 10 April. In other words, late Thursday night/very very early Friday morning. I didn’t specify the day because I’m well aware of it, but I should have.

New York Times Story Asks: ‘Should Grown Men Use Emoji?’ ★

Matt Haber, writing for the NYT:

Given their resemblance to the stickers that adorn the notebooks of schoolgirls, not to mention their widespread adoption as the lingua franca of tweens and teens everywhere, some people wonder whether grown men should be using them at all.

Where is that “Reversed Hand With Middle Finger Extended” emoji when we need it?

Dieter Bohn’s Galaxy S6 Review for The Verge ★

Dieter Bohn calls it the best phone Samsung’s ever made, and probably the best Android phone on the market today:

There’s probably no greater source of complaints with Android phones than their cameras. Samsung has always managed to float above the sea of Android photographic disappointment, but never really soared. With the S6 and its optically stabilized, 16-megapixel sensor, it’s really starting to fly.

I really am curious to see if the S6 reverses Samsung’s recent slide.

‘An Odd Air of Familiarity’ ★

Chris Velazco, reviewing the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge for Engadget (bold emphasis added):

And no, your eyes don’t deceive you: The Galaxy S6 looks (and feels) an awful lot like an iPhone. From those rounded sides to the chrome-rimmed, fingerprint-sensing Home button to placement of the volume buttons on the left edge and the power button on the right, there’s an odd air of familiarity surrounding the thing. (A brief aside: One of Samsung’s spokespeople picked up my iPhone 6 during our hands-on time in February and it seemed to take him a few moments to realize what he was actually holding.) Flame wars on the matter are already starting to brew, but I’m not too concerned; Samsung’s end result is lovely, and that’s all most people will care about.

Really interested to see how the S6 fares. Also interested to see how much Samsung’s next watch looks like an Apple Watch.

A Tale of Two Wearables ★

MG Siegler:

A lot of people don’t seem to understand the point of the Apple Watch. Why do you need one when you already have your phone on you? Privacy concerns, location tracking, etc.

With the MagicBand, many of those weaknesses are perceived as strengths.

Napkin 1.5 ★

Great update to one of my favorite new Mac apps in recent years. Check out the video for a concise tour.