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

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

#21

Post by brian_cloutier » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:00 AM UTC

olgeni wrote: post #12

Osmium wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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...

Yes but you have fewer opportunities to leave for another app store than apple employees have to leave for another company.

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

#22

Post by FireBeyond » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:12 AM UTC

alwaysinshade wrote: post #17

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 alr…

"they already use fairly exclusive materials for their hardware"

What, exactly? As someone who has used an iPhone 3, 4S, iPad 3, and many other mobile devices, I'm really struggling to think of a material that is "fairly exclusive" to Apple.

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

#23

Post by elithrar » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:15 AM UTC

FireBeyond wrote: post #22

alwaysinshade wrote: post #17

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 alr…

"they already use fairly exclusive materials for their hardware" What, exactly? As someone who has used an iPhone 3, 4S, iPad 3, and many other mobile devices, I'm really struggling to think of a material that is "fairly exclusive" to Apple.

> What, exactly? As someone who has used an iPhone 3, 4S, iPad 3, and many other mobile devices, I'm really struggling to think of a material that is "fairly exclusive" to Apple.

I think he means "fairly exclusive material usage". There's not many high-end smartphones from Samsung/HTC/LG/etc. that have aluminium frames and/or bodies. The new Nexus phone by LG does appear to use glass on the back though, which seems nice.

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

#24

Post by firefox » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:16 AM UTC

Best of luck to the ones "affected" as everyone that I know who works at Apple are already overworked, stressed and being asked to work while on vacation.

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

#25

Post by xbryanx » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:18 AM UTC

This concept of Bootlegging[1], isn't "Google's" and dates back to the late 1960s. I always think of Post-it notes as the pre-digital poster child for this sort of internal, yet personal, innovation.

[1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootlegging_(business)

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

#26

Post by hahainternet » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:27 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…

Forgive me if this is pointless cynicism but fountain of creative ideas?

* A music player

* A phone

* A portable computer

Not exactly the most innovative product categories?

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

#27

Post by nickpinkston » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:28 AM UTC

FireBeyond wrote: post #22

alwaysinshade wrote: post #17

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 alr…

"they already use fairly exclusive materials for their hardware" What, exactly? As someone who has used an iPhone 3, 4S, iPad 3, and many other mobile devices, I'm really struggling to think of a material that is "fairly exclusive" to Apple.

They have their own aluminum alloy made specifically for the phone. Custom plastics, dyes, colors, etc. They've got enough scale/buyer power to optimize to the n-th.

Not to mention that the A-series processor is Apple only, they get early access to the best screens, etc.

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

#28

Post by tedmiston » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:28 AM UTC

xbryanx wrote: post #25

This concept of Bootlegging[1], isn't "Google's" and dates back to the late 1960s. I always think of Post-it notes as the pre-digital poster child for this sort of internal, yet personal, innovation. [1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootlegging_(business)

Bootlegging is an unnatural term, and has a historically negative connotation. The definition mentions secrecy and unauthorized projects, yet a few paragraphs later awkwardly adds a permitted form.

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

#29

Post by tedmiston » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:32 AM UTC

melling wrote: post #20

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.

Having a tight product line does not beget that Apple has "few ideas". We're talking about an organization known for its public and even internal secrecy in development process. We never see most of the ideas, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

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

#30

Post by ricardobeat » Tue, Nov 13, 2012, 1:32 AM UTC

nickpinkston wrote: post #27

FireBeyond wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"they already use fairly exclusive materials for their hardware" What, exactly? As someone who has used an iPhone 3, 4S, iPad 3, and many other mobile devices, I'm really struggling to think of a material that is "fairly exclusive" to Apple.

They have their own aluminum alloy made specifically for the phone. Custom plastics, dyes, colors, etc. They've got enough scale/buyer power to optimize to the n-th. Not to mention that the A-series processor is Apple only, they get early access to the best screens, etc.

Not to mention they use forging instead of casting for the aluminum bodies, and have their own white paint formula (most manufacturers don't even bother trying to make white devices). Plastic was still the norm for PCs until the "Ultrabook" wave came along.