Monthly Archives: June 2019

The end of an era, the Jobsian era

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So, Apple announced that Jony Ive is leaving Apple. Many viewed this as the end of an era, given that Jony Ive contributed to so many iconic Apple designs throughout the years. But to me things are a little more complicated than that. Jony Ive’s departure signifies the end of Steve Jobs’ influence, eight years after his death.

You see, SJ himself was a visionary, a true giant. But Apple products have always been the result of the Jobs-Ive creative binary. You can’t tell which part of a product is Jony’s idea and which part is Steve’s, because they work so closely together and influence each other so much. Following SJ’s death I was still confident with Apple because I knew Jony Ive would carry on Steve Jobs’ legacy. His designs are ones that Steve would approve. But with Jony Ive no longer in charge, I’m not sure what changes would appear in future products, whether products would still be meticulously designed and built.

And his videos featuring his posh accent will surely be missed. No one can replace him in this area. If I’m to pick a favourite video among the many, I’d pick the 2009 iMac’s. The 2009’s iMac itself wasn’t very impressive, but I like how he told the story of the iMac evolution.

Lost in Tokyo

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I’m back from another annual trip to Tokyo. Boring as some might think, Tokyo is actually the best place to visit if you want to experience the best of modern Japan. The keyword here is “modern”. True, it might not have those old temples in Kyoto, the vast nature in Hokkaido, or the authentic culture in less commonly visited places like Yonago. But what’s bad about being modern? In my opinion, the “traditional culture” one experiences is made for tourists, with a standard recipe to entertain the most number of people. But in downtown Tokyo you experience the everyday life of the Japanese, and such modern “everyday” elements are the true contemporary culture of Japan.

When you visit a city so many times, navigation becomes easy. You are confident about which train to catch, where to buy tickets, etc. If you run out of ideas for new places to visit, or if there’s a sudden change of plan, you immediately have backup plans in your mind. Yes, a true good place is one that’s worth revisiting, be it a museum, a cafe or a restaurant. And a sign that you’re already part of that city is when you can slow down instead of rushing to different spots in the most efficient amount of time. I believe I have done that, having spent way too much time in cafes.

In the meantime, you get lost when you’ve visited a place too many times. I’m dying to dig more deeply into this lovely city. Finding more routine places the locals visit, interacting with more locals, or perhaps even experiencing some subcultures in this city, these are the things I’d like to do next. But I don’t speak Japanese, and most Japanese don’t speak English. Language barrier in Japan is a true hurdle for foreigners. Perhaps it’s time to start learning Japanese?

The dark side of the Moon

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If you know something about astronomy, you know that there is no “dark side of the Moon”. Instead, the Moon’s rate of rotation is the same as the rate it completes one orbit with the Earth; as a result we constantly see only one side of the moon. Then we all know what Moon phases are (you know, new moon vs full moon); the Sun doesn’t shine on one side of the Moon only, so there’s no bright/dark side of the Moon. The other side that cannot be seen on Earth is called the far side of the Moon.

I believe there’s no dark side of a person either.

Humans are a social animal. It gives us survival advantage when we stay in a group, so we try everything to please others in order to do so. Sometimes, that means showing the best of ourselves when we face the mass. Does that mean the side of ourselves others cannot see is necessarily evil? No. There’s no Soviet nuclear base on the far side of the Moon. Our hidden personalities may just be some unfulfilled desire waiting to be materialized at the right moment. It doesn’t necessarily cause harm. Think about this: the far side of the Moon doesn’t face Earth but the vast cosmos instead. Imagine the beautiful possibilities.

EXtended reading: HTTPS://WWW.SCIENTIFICAMERICAN.COM/ARTICLE/IS-IT-JUST-A-COINCIDENCE/?REDIRECT=1

THE ASTROLOGIST (2015)

Editorial: why does the iPod Touch still exist in 2019?

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Apple once again renewed the iPod Touch, four years after the previous update. Pro Apple blogs like Appleinsider welcomed the update, while more neutral ones like The Verge also said it’s a solid update. But in my opinion, the iPod Touch has no reason to exist in 2019.

The original iPod’s purpose was to have “a thousand songs in your pocket”. In the age before fast mobile network it made sense. Even after the iPhone was released in 2007, the iPod Touch was still a solid choice for those not ready to get an iPhone. I’ve witnessed many who couldn’t afford an iPhone opted for an Android phone plus an iPod Touch in order to use the apps only available in iOS. Others wanted a separate device with more storage for their own, self-ripped music.

But in 2019, the iPod Touch should cease to exist.

You see, in the March Apple event, Tim Cook announced “services” are their next big focus. Apple Music, a streaming service, which requires a constant Internet connection, has succeeded, and in some way cannabilized, iTunes Music Store. Having “a thousand songs in your pocket” is nothing nowadays. When I go jogging these days, I simply take my LTE-enabled Apple Watch and AirPods and I have a million songs on the Internet with me. I don’t mean Apple Watch is the next big thing. I mean Apple Music is (supposed to be) Apple’s next big thing. The iPod touch doesn’t have LTE, meaning it doesn’t have a constant access to the Internet, meaning it cannot fully live the spirit of Apple Music. iPod + iTunes, which were often tied together in the past in Apple’s ads or even earnings report, should cease to exist if Apple truly wants its new “services” segment to fly.

There’s one way in my opinion to make a successful iPod Touch though. Kindles all have free cellular access to the Internet (do they still?) to get new Kindle ebooks. Apple could make something like a radio set. An cellular-enabled device with free internet access for Apple Music. This concept of unlimited data confined to a certain apps isn’t unheard of. In Australia/New Zealand they have plans for unlimited social media access. In Apple’s case it could limit streaming to a low bit rate, and users could download high bit rate songs with WiFi.

But if streaming music is the main purpose of that new device, it doesn’t need to be an iPod Touch. It could be an Apple Watch with free internet access for streaming.

The conclusion? In 2019, the iPod Touch has no reason to exist.