Linked List: May 4, 2015

Monday, 4 May 2015

Brian X. Chen on the Upcoming New Apple TV Remote ★

Brian X. Chen, writing for the NYT:

When Apple introduces its new TV box this summer, the remote control will gain a touch pad and also be slightly thicker than the current version, according to an employee briefed on the product, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the device was confidential. The touch pad can be used for scrolling around and there will also be two physical buttons, the person said. The remote’s thicker size is comparable to the remote control for Amazon’s wireless speaker, the Echo, the person added.

Might be pretty cool if it’s a taptic trackpad, sort of like the new one for MacBooks. You might be able to “feel” menu items as you navigate the UI — eyes on the TV but fingers on the remote. And you could control fast-forward/rewind scrubbing speed by the force of your touch.

Steve Kovach Reviews Apple Watch ★

Steve Kovach, writing for Business Insider:

I’ve spent over a week with the Apple Watch, and just as so many people misunderstood what iPhones, iPads, and Chromebooks were for, I can now see the same thing happening with Apple’s first wearable.

The Apple Watch is not a replacement for your iPhone. It’s not something you’re going to use for extended periods, your arm held at an uncomfortable angle while squinting at tweets and emails on the small screen.

The Apple Watch is best used as that: a watch. It’s something you check for a second or two and then put away. And in 2015, it’s nice to have a watch that can do more than simply tell time. We can carry it around with us everywhere we go, and it springs to life when it receives a notification: a text, an email, a tweet, a Facebook message. Those notifications don’t always need a response, but they are important to glance at, just like the time.

Bingo. Don’t overthink it. Really solid review overall, one of the best I’ve seen. On third-party apps:

Just about every major app, from Twitter to Instagram to Starbucks, has an app for the Apple Watch. So far, there are about 3,500 apps available, and most stink.

The Verge: Apple Pushing Music Labels to Kill Free Spotify Streaming Ahead of Beats Relaunch ★

Micah Singleton, reporting for The Verge:

The Department of Justice is looking closely into Apple’s business practices in relation to its upcoming music streaming service, according to multiple sources. The Verge has learned that Apple has been pushing major music labels to force streaming services like Spotify to abandon their free tiers, which will dramatically reduce the competition for Apple’s upcoming offering. DOJ officials have already interviewed high-ranking music industry executives about Apple’s business habits. […]

Getting the music labels to kill the freemium tiers from Spotify and others could put Apple in prime position to grab a large swath of new users when it launches its own streaming service, which is widely expected to feature a considerable amount of exclusive content. “All the way up to Tim Cook, these guys are cutthroat,” one music industry source said.

Samsung ‘Designing Possible’ Ad ★

As Dave Pell quipped, “Samsung is basically a cover band at this point.”