Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time" • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#11

Post by olgeni » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:33 AM UTC

philwelch wrote: post #3

This sounds suspiciously like the pipeline of new ideas is running dry.

Not necessarily. After the iPad micro, the iPad nano, and the iPad pico, we will finally get to the patented glasses, with tiny Arment and Gruber avatars guiding us in our daily lives.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#12

Post by olgeni » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:34 AM UTC

Osmium wrote: post #6

philwelch wrote: post #3

This sounds suspiciously like the pipeline of new ideas is running dry.

How so? Sounds to me they're just doing something about their "retention of talent" problem, which is surely one of the biggest issues facing Apple today. Giving their developers a little freedom and flexibility is just what they need.

> Giving their developers a little freedom and flexibility is just what they need.

Developers submitting stuff to the App Store could probably benefit from this too...

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#13

Post by czhiddy » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:34 AM UTC

doomlaser wrote: post #7

I thought that Google didn't really have 20% time anymore.

None of my half-dozen friends at Google have 20% time. I think the common joke that it's "120%" time might actually be accurate.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#14

Post by philwelch » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:39 AM UTC

Osmium wrote: post #6

philwelch wrote: post #3

This sounds suspiciously like the pipeline of new ideas is running dry.

How so? Sounds to me they're just doing something about their "retention of talent" problem, which is surely one of the biggest issues facing Apple today. Giving their developers a little freedom and flexibility is just what they need.

But it only really makes much sense if Apple really thinks any of these two-week projects will turn into actual products.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#15

Post by huxley » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:39 AM UTC

andrew_wc_brown wrote: post #2

Didn't apple use to have an R&D department and one of the first thing Steve Jobs did when he came back to Apple was he scrapped it?

Yep, Apple had the Advanced Technologies Group. Jobs shut it down partly as a cost savings measure and partly to focus Apple on the NeXT frameworks as its long-term technology foundation.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#16

Post by philwelch » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:42 AM UTC

bane wrote: post #10

philwelch wrote: post #3

This sounds suspiciously like the pipeline of new ideas is running dry.

I'd write it up this way: Tim Cook is a remarkable individual, but he's not exactly the fountain of creative ideas that Jobs was (how original those ideas were is an ongoing debate, but nevertheless). I think it's a remarkably introspective move, recognizing weakness and moving to rectify it. Put another way it's much better than the "strategy" of suing everybody who uses fruit or 4 sided shapes in their products as…

I just hope they do the sensible thing and are selective about which ideas they actually turn into products. Gil Amelio and Steve Jobs, between the two of them, had to kill off dozens if not hundreds of fringe products that didn't amount for much and destroyed focus.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#17

Post by alwaysinshade » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:46 AM UTC

I’m glad Tim Cook is trying new things like this, involving Jony Ive in Human Interface design and becoming more involved in charity. I just wish they’d shitcan the lawsuits and get on with making products. Hopefully the HTC licensing agreement is the beginning of the end of SJ’s “thermonuclear” tantrum.

The only way to beat the competition is to make products that are too difficult and costly to replicate – they already use fairly exclusive materials for their hardware, sophisticated designs and have an unmatched retail chain - now they need to step up in the software department. They have the money but need the inspiration.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#18

Post by eshvk » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:51 AM UTC

andrew_wc_brown wrote: post #2

Didn't apple use to have an R&D department and one of the first thing Steve Jobs did when he came back to Apple was he scrapped it?

I am confused: I believe they still have a research lab in Austin that does machine learning (among other things). I also know folks who have interned doing computational linguistics at Apple.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#19

Post by bane » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:54 AM UTC

philwelch wrote: post #16

bane wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd write it up this way: Tim Cook is a remarkable individual, but he's not exactly the fountain of creative ideas that Jobs was (how original those ideas were is an ongoing debate, but nevertheless). I think it's a remarkably introspective move, recognizing weakness and moving to rectify it. Put another way it's much better than the "strategy" of suing everybody who uses fruit or 4 sided shapes in their products as…

I just hope they do the sensible thing and are selective about which ideas they actually turn into products. Gil Amelio and Steve Jobs, between the two of them, had to kill off dozens if not hundreds of fringe products that didn't amount for much and destroyed focus.

That's a great point, editing is often just as important as ideas.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#20

Post by melling » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 12:59 AM UTC

philwelch wrote: post #3

This sounds suspiciously like the pipeline of new ideas is running dry.

What pipeline of ideas? An iPod? An iPod that became a phone? A phone that grew a few inches into a tablet? Apple has always been an extremely focused company with very few ideas. That was their secret.