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Apple Cancels AirPower Product

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Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#371

Post by golem14 »

mackey wrote: post #122
minimaxir wrote: post #2

The whole AirPower saga is a weird event in product development. AirPower compatibility was highlighted as a feature in the packaging of the just-released AirPods 2 : https://twitter.com/itsnicolenguyen/status/11106569269650636... There has to be something that caused this abrupt cancellation.

I saw a report on twitter with serial numbers showing build dates of September and November, along with old copyright dates on the boxes on the new AirPods. Combine that with the "Hey Siri" being shown in "Gather Round" video in September, I bet they were hoping to ship the AirPods before the holidays, but were holding out hope that Airpower would work. https://twitter.com/rouven81/status/1110980080170340352 https://…

My completely uneducated guess is a behind-the-scenes patent dispute or something along those lines...

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#372

Post by xsmasher »

icedchocolate wrote: post #347
eridius wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple doesn't release products that have no distinguishing features other than "made by Apple in Cupertino". Accessories without distinguishing features they prefer to just work with third parties on (such as Belkin). In fact, I'd wager that this particular Belkin charger was done in cooperation with Apple: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HLZ42/belkin-boost-up-spe...

Not sure I agree. AirPods really have almost no distinguishing features from other earphones. They’re generally worse. The only “feature” is seeing their charge on your phone, which is a pretty lousy differentiator.

Is there another brand that pauses your music/audiobook when you take them out? If so I'd like to try it; AirPods don't fit my ears well (fall out when I bend forward.)

The iCloud pairing and tap-controls are nice, but I guess I could live without them.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#373

Post by developer2 »

HeWhoLurksLate wrote: post #278
aluminussoma wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are assuming that Apple has great cross-team communication. By many reports, they do not: I've heard that one team does not know what another team is working on, much less the status of that project.

It's a Big Tech Corp with known spies in it. You expect everything to be shared? Inter-team communication is just generally bad these days, and mostly because it tends to be the default human behavior. I remember reading a couple of articles about Bell Labs and how they had a huge cafeteria everyone was encouraged to eat in, thereby promoting cross-communication and "cross-pollination" of ideas and insight. I kinda w…

> with known spies in it

Worse than a simple information "spy" would be having a security engineer with intimate knowledge of Apple's security leave the company to co-found a new company whose entire business model is to sell expensive hardware to law enforcement that bypasses Apple's security. Oh right, that actually happened[1].

An Apple security engineer discovered–or baked in–critical security flaws at one of the world's largest technology companies and instead of disclosing them to the company, co-opted that sensitive insider information to start his own lucrative business. I've been waiting for news of this man's reputation, career, finances, and perhaps even his freedom having been taken away; so far it seems he's gotten away with it. I don't buy the apologist explanation I've heard: "he's likely just so good at his profession that he reverse engineered entirely new vulnerabilities after leaving Apple, without necessarily having exfiltrated knowledge only obtainable from within Apple's own walls".

If this man had done this to a bank or the government, he'd be rotting in federal prison. But he "only" expropriated this information from a private corporation, so no big deal. /s

[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2018/07/26/apple...

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#374

Post by tambourine_man »

threeseed wrote: post #150
tambourine_man wrote: post #33

Instead of reliable WiFi routers and induction chargers, Mac Pros and you know, laptop keyboards that you can actually type on… We get a credit card, news and streaming service that no one wants or understands. I really don’t get Apple's priorities recently. Which is a shame, since few companies step to the chalange of serving the expensive high quality tech stuff market. And what happened to the company that wouldn’…

You do realise this comment is hilariously contradictory. Complains that Apple doesn't release Mac Pros but then also complains that Apple doesn't keep announce new products until they are perfect. What exactly do you want from Apple ? Also Apple never added any value to the WiFi routing space. It's almost like complaining that Apple doesn't make printers or digital cameras again.

>What exactly do you want from Apple ?

Not pre announce stuff they can’t deliver.

>Also Apple never added any value to the WiFi routing space

Not true. The setup experience is on par with what you’d expect from them. No 192.168… crap. So was signal coverage.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#375

Post by tarikjn »

PascLeRasc wrote: post #71

I wish we could get some kind of writeup or interview from the RF engineers who worked on Airpower. Overlapping charging coils have been dreamed of pretty much since the origin of induction charging but there must be tons and tons of issues we can't even think of. I'd love to hear their stories.

How about another layer before passing current into the shaped coils? 1. some sort of liquid crystal layer (transistor based), where all the coils are pre-drawn, only allowing layer 2 to conduct when low current goes through layer 1 2. once the coils are formed, pass actual current through the layer 2

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#376

Post by sneak »

developer2 wrote: post #373
HeWhoLurksLate wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a Big Tech Corp with known spies in it. You expect everything to be shared? Inter-team communication is just generally bad these days, and mostly because it tends to be the default human behavior. I remember reading a couple of articles about Bell Labs and how they had a huge cafeteria everyone was encouraged to eat in, thereby promoting cross-communication and "cross-pollination" of ideas and insight. I kinda w…

> with known spies in it Worse than a simple information "spy" would be having a security engineer with intimate knowledge of Apple's security leave the company to co-found a new company whose entire business model is to sell expensive hardware to law enforcement that bypasses Apple's security. Oh right, that actually happened[1]. An Apple security engineer discovered–or baked in–critical security flaws at one of the…

The company does not own your brain; using experience with a system for hacking that system (on devices you own) is not illegal, nor should it be.

Remember also that the entire concept of intellectual property is a legal fiction created to prop up revenue streams, as well.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#377

Post by [deleted] »

squarefoot wrote: post #362
eridius wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are, in all seriousness, the only person I have ever seen declare that AirPods are worse than other competing earphones. AirPods have one of the higher consumer satisfaction ratings ever, and anecdotally everybody I've ever seen talk about them absolutely loves them, even people who are normally very critical of Apple.

I never tried the AirPods so I can't comment on their quality, though I'm all for wired ones so it won't happen anytime soon. Quality aside, psychology can explain a things or two on why people absolutely love what they spend money on. https://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/05/19/fanboyism-and-brand-...

[deleted]

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#378

Post by AceJohnny2 »

usrusr wrote: post #326
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Methinks HWEng made a breach in Industrial Design's north flank, and provoked a rout. The tide is turning!

Love the picture, but I think it's the opposite: engineering's defence of the announce-o-tron went down for a moment, design pushed into the breach and gained a brief moment of unsupervised access. Now they face the consequences.

You're giving me flashbacks of Tesla's beleaguered engineering team.

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#379

Post by robertAngst »

GeekyBear wrote: post #67

Apparently, even the Chinese supply chain thought this product was going to go into production, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, whose sources inside Apple's supply chain are impeccable. However, good for Apple. They need to be more willing to say this product isn't good enough, and stop listening to those who say they are too secretive. They had a good thing going when they didn't comment on products under development (or…

> this product isn't good enough,

And Mexico will pay for it

Don't trust a companies words at face value. This sounds like PR.

Wasnt profitable enough?

Re: Apple Cancels AirPower Product

#380

Post by robertAngst »

brokencoder wrote: post #275

Apple's management has enacted a policy of not offering competitive compensation for top engineering talent. I've had multiple Apple managers express frustration with the company's inability to attract and retain top talent. I myself got an offer from Apple for less than half what three other top companies offered, and Apple was unwilling to negotiate. This product cancellation and Apple's general product quality dec…

What self respecting Nerd would work for Apple? serious question
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