Apple taps Touch ID, 4K video in new iPhone 6s ads

Apple taps Touch ID, 4K video in new iPhone 6s ads: "While one is fairly straightforward and informative, the other is kind of … out there. We’re not entirely sure what to do with it, really. The entire Cult of Mac staff just watched it and had no words. But we really can’t stay mad at Neil Patrick Harris, who shows up at the end."

I'm for anything by Neil Patrick Harris who used the golden buzzer for PIFF, indicating his classy tastes and extremely good judgement.

A year with the Apple Watch: What works, what doesn’t, and what lies ahead? | Ars Technica

A year with the Apple Watch: What works, what doesn’t, and what lies ahead? | Ars TechnicaAbout a year ago, Apple announced and released its first Apple Watch. The long-rumored product was Apple’s first all-new product category since the iPad and its first under CEO Tim Cook. To say that expectations were high would be an understatement.

Baby steps.

Siri & Liam star in Apple's new Earth Day TV ad

Siri & Liam star in Apple's new Earth Day TV adMarking Earth Day, Apple on Friday debuted a new TV commercial, using Siri to promote its custom-designed recycling robot — Liam — and its branding as an environmentally-responsible company.

Born, as they were, in the North Sea.

'Silicon Valley' EP Alec Berg Tells How Ex-Twitter CEO Dick Costolo Made the Show Even Better

'Silicon Valley' EP Alec Berg Tells How Ex-Twitter CEO Dick Costolo Made the Show Even BetterThis year, one of those people was ex-Twitter CEO Dick Costolo — “a fan of the show,” Berg said — who actually sat in on the writer’s room one day a week. He kept the guys honest, which is usually good, though sometimes bad.

The only mistake twitter made was trying to be Instagram.

Amazon expands $50 Fire tablet lineup with new colors, offers 16GB model for $70

Amazon expands $50 Fire tablet lineup with new colors, offers 16GB model for $70: "Amazon has expanded its budget-priced tablet lineup, offering the $50 Fire in new magenta, blue and tangerine colors, and also launching a 16-gigabyte version priced at $70 [updated]"

Selling razor blades (content), not razors (devices) may actually be the killer tablet app.

Microsoft’s $20.5B quarter: Office up, Surface up, cloud booming | Ars Technica

Microsoft’s $20.5B quarter: Office up, Surface up, cloud booming | Ars TechnicaSurface revenue looked better; it was about $1.1 billion, up 56 percent year-on-year, driven by Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. Gaming revenue grew 6 percent in constant currency, with 11 percent increase in game revenue partially offset by reduced revenue from hardware sales. Xbox Live users are up year-on-year to 46 million, but sequentially this is actually a decline; last quarter, Microsoft had 48 million monthly active Xbox Live users.

I think you'd actually have to be a complete moron to disregard the chances of success for the Surface. Look at the XBox. Literally, Nintendo had a 20 year head start. Did it make a difference? Not really. Microsoft is adapting. Is Apple adapting? Can't quite tell. It more looks like they're reshaping themselves as a high end jewelry brand. Let's see how that pans out. I can't think of one Apple fan who buys their hardware because it matches their Manolo Blahniks. But I'm probably wrong. And I think teenagers are actually very, very smart and change technology platforms and apps effortlessly. iPhone today, Galaxy tomorrow. It's the old fogies who need the iPad to be kind of a reliably simplistic brain-dead Mac. Kids can learn Raspberry Pi. They haven't accepted the assault of self-limitation quite yet.

Wait, did someone say dumb terminal? Thin client?

I'd love to write apps in ObjC on the Surface and for the Surface. Almost. There.

Bill Gurley says Silicon Valley's unicorn fantasy is collapsing in on itself — Quartz

Bill Gurley says Silicon Valley's unicorn fantasy is collapsing in on itself — Quartz: "Top tech dealmaker Bill Gurley has a dire message for Silicon Valley: The unicorn fantasy is unraveling. Fast."

It's amazing to think that these VC's lived through the dot com bust of 2000 and learned nothing.

Apple launches new 12" MacBooks with Intel Skylake CPUs, rose gold color & longer battery life

Apple launches new 12" MacBooks with Intel Skylake CPUs, rose gold color & longer battery lifeThe new MacBook also comes in a rose gold color option, mimicking Apple's iPhone and iPad product lineups. Like the first-generation MacBook, the ultraportable notebook has a 12-inch Retina display, full-size keyboard, Force Touch trackpad, and a single USB-C port for charging and syncing, all packed into a 2-pound frame that is just 13.1 millimeters thin.

O Daeng!

Apple runs secret car lab in Berlin with 15-20 employees, report says

Apple runs secret car lab in Berlin with 15-20 employees, report saysAdding to rampant rumor and speculation surrounding Apple's "Project Titan" automotive initiative, a new report claims the company is operating a secret car lab out of Germany's capital city tasked with imagining, and realizing, vehicles of the future.

Das is gut. AAPL ist International.