David Emery on Why hasn't Apple pulled Grok from the App Store? - 'My take: Come on, Tim. Grow a spine. Gruber’s take is similar: https://daringfireball.net/2026/01/fuck_you_make_me_without_saying_the_words Apple and Google could certainly do the same regarding apps that are being used to generate CSAM and deepfake harassment, regardless if the apps are part of the private fiefdom of Trump’s ally Elon Musk. It’s wise for Cook and Pichai to pick their battles. This one, I think, is worth picking. This is a moment when the App Store and Play Store can stand firmly on the side of longstanding and correct societal norms.'
on What China learned from Trump's 'decapitation' of Venezuela - 'If mainland China were to invade Taiwan, it wouldn’t be just Apple stock that tanked. A lot of U.S. tech companies get their chips made there, not just Apple. MY TAKE X-Ping will continue to rattle his saber, and threaten Taiwan. But won’t invade. Why? Because China’s Taiwan policy is about political posturing by nationalists. A shooting war, in reality, offers little economic benefits – certainly not in the short-run. BOTTOMLINE: China’s got far more to lose than to gain by militarily invading Taiwan. First off, multinational American tech depends on Taiwan for proprietary chips. Losing it would be akin to an existential threat. They would react very negatively towards mainland, China. So regardless of who’s in the White House, I doubt the U.S. is going to sit idly by and allow it to happen – as some fear, simply based on Trump‘s dumb willingness to surrender Ukraine to Putin. Second, mainland China currently does a lot of business with Taiwan. What would be the upside of starting a war, other than to perhaps assuage X-Ping‘s fragile authoritarian inner circle’s ego. I mean, even if the PRC were to overwhelm Taiwan’s military and take it over, the end result would be a political and economic disaster. Important Taiwanese tech companies would either collapse, or exit. And China would become a pariah to international investment for years. In other words, it would be economic suicide for China to start a shooting war with Taiwan. China’s goal to be the world‘s biggest market with vast economic opportunities would be wrecked. I mean doing business in China by outsiders was already tough. A war against Taiwan is essentially a power move against big American Tech, and would backfire. Apple stock would really be clobbered. That’s for sure. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe Putin, X-ping and Trump divide the world into three spheres of influence, and the human race ends up living under the giant Orwellian boot of authoritarianism? Let’s hope that isn’t the case. Besides, boots and running shoes are manufactured in the Philippines.'
on What China learned from Trump's 'decapitation' of Venezuela - 'In following many articles in TWZ dot com, here’s my worry & my hope. MY WORRY Lots of articles about Chinese advancements in developing their air, land, & sea assets , all pointing towards an obvious intended invasion of Taiwan. MY HOPE That it never happens obvi, by any means, without Taiwan losing its sovereignty. But if it does, also lots of articles about USMC & USN rethinking of its strategies & tactics & innovative uses of its arsenal/assets to use in a Pacific War. Again, prayers it doesn’t come to this.'
on What China learned from Trump's 'decapitation' of Venezuela - 'That Arizona foundry won’t be at the level of Taiwan’s either, not for a few years, I believe.'
on Apple: Liquid Glass blamed for iOS 26's dismal adoption rate - 'Here’s an updated look on this issue by 9to5Mac, their update shows much more typical uptake numbers: 9to5mac com/2026/ 01/08/most-iphone-users-are-still-running-ios-18-with-ios-26-adoption-slow-report/ “(From the Statcounter report) Here are the percentages for iOS 26 usage: iOS 26.1: 10.6% iOS 26.2: 4.6% iOS 26.0: 1.1% So four months after its release, iOS 26 is only in use by about 16% of iPhone users, while iOS 18 remains over 60%. Is this normal for new OS versions? Not according to Statcounter data. In January 2025, over 60% of users were on some version of the latest iOS 18 software—roughly four times as many as are on iOS 26 in the same timeframe. In 2024, iOS 17 similarly had over 50% adoption already. Update: As a second reference point, TelemetryDeck ( dashboard telemetrydeck com/notebooks/9EEFEBBC-2722-42DC-B6FD-DDB13B8CACF0 ) has iOS 26 adoption performing much better, with around 60% of users on the latest software and about 37% still on iOS 18. Clearly, the two services have differing methodology in tracking user data. The difference between the two services is that Statcounter is tracking iOS 26 adoption via web impressions, while TelemetryDeck tracks directly via apps that use its SDK. Data from third-party developers ( bsky.app/profile/ philkast.com/post/3mbwv6u5rus2y ) appears to be closer to TelemetryDeck’s numbers rather than Statcounter. 9to5Mac’s Take Apple doesn’t share OS usage numbers very often, leaving third-party sources the best way to judge a software release’s adoption. If these numbers are anywhere near accurate, it begs the question: why are users holding off upgrading? Perhaps it’s Apple’s highlighting that battery life might be impacted, or its delay in making iOS 26 the ‘recommended’ update in Settings, or concerns about the Liquid Glass design.“ To counter, as with all major iOS updates, the battery life is impacted TEMPORARILY as the update needs to re-index all the user’s data, emails, photos, messages, apps and iCloud storage. In addition, all of the apps are usually redownloaded over time and in the background while the phone is on and in operation or when the phone is not being used. This requires a lot of processing power, RAM and NAND memory usage, and a ton of WiFi and/or cellular data communications, further impacting battery usage and perceived life. If WiFi or cellular data signal or speeds are not fast or stable, the process can take even longer. Same thing applies when getting a new iPhone and restoring from a backup. And when installing on an older eligible iPhone with a well used and probably partially depleted battery, the battery life can be heavily shortened temporarily. Unfortunately Apple doesn’t fully explain this with each new major iOS. Generally, the update process can take anywhere from 2-5-7 days operating in the background depending on how much local and iCloud data the user has, plus speeds of app downloads and reconfiguration. After that, generally the battery life returns back to its prior levels. Most people also fail to reset or re-optimize their settings (like screen brightness, fetch/push, display rates, etc.) if they want to maximize their battery life. As for Liquid Glass, if you don’t like it, there’s plenty of ways to change or toggle settings so that it’s minimized or not used. From Gemini: “To “turn off” the Liquid Glass effect on your iPhone (iOS 26+), you can’t fully remove it, but you can significantly reduce it by going to Settings > Display & Brightness, selecting the new Liquid Glass option, and choosing Tinted instead of Clear; also, in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size, enable Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, and Reduce Motion for the most muted appearance. Here’s a step-by-step guide: Adjust Liquid Glass Settings (iOS 26.1+): 1. Open the Settings app. 2. Tap on Display & Brightness. 3. Select the new Liquid Glass option. 4. Choose Tinted for more opacity, or stick with Clear if you prefer more transparency but want to control other settings Reduce Transparency & Motion (Accessibility Settings): 1. Go back to the main Settings screen and tap Accessibility 2. Select Display & Text Size 3. Turn ON the Reduce Transparency toggle 4. Turn ON the Increase Contrast toggle (optional, for better readability) 5. Go back to Accessibility, select Motion, and turn ON Reduce Motion (this removes the “lensing” effects) Customize Home Screen (for deeper effect): 1. Long-press on a blank area of your Home Screen 2. Tap Edit, then Customize 3. You can select options to darken icons or the background for improved visibility By combining these settings, you can significantly diminish the prominent, frosted-glass look of Liquid Glass, making your iPhone interface much less transparent and more defined“ discussions apple com/ thread/256136970'
on Saturday Apple video: 'One more thing...' (1999 - 2011) - 'I’m not in any way suggesting that an individual investor should not own AAPL. I’m just suggest that it is wise to own more things than exclusively AAPL. Given the “tock” that we have recently received, if I were looking for active investment, I would be a buyer on Monday morning.'
on Saturday Apple video: 'One more thing...' (1999 - 2011) - '@David: “One more thing.” My Apple dividends have enabled me to purchase some other companies that have done quite well. Nvidia. AMD. Marvel. Palo Alto Networks. Just recently purchased some CLX when it dropped below $98. Apple is still the premier position in my portfolio and it also allows me to dabble in some other names too. A win win in my book.'
on Apple: Liquid Glass blamed for iOS 26's dismal adoption rate - '“If you care about the security of your iPhone, go update right now” Jason Cross Macworld https://apple.news/A0TJKC2LdTpOKDHz18ZAueg This material may be protected by copyright.'
on Neil Cybart: Is there a business opportunity in Apple Vision Pro rental arcades for sports? - 'This Boston Celtics fan says, Yes, $100 for individual games and also $4,200 for all home games. But not for whole season as I won’t stay up that late for away games on the west coast. (Those I watch later on my Tivo.) My last live game was 2024 playoff game vs. Indiana and don’t get me wrong, being there live is awesome. But it’s 3 hour drive from my house to TD Garden in Boston so $100/game is a no brainer.'
on Neil Cybart: Is there a business opportunity in Apple Vision Pro rental arcades for sports? - 'Roger, would you pay $100/game (less than cheapest NBA ticket) to view Vision Pro presentations? Did anyone else watch the game? What are your thoughts on viewing costs?'
on Why hasn't Apple pulled Grok from the App Store? - 'They should pull the apps with the caveat that they are welcome to return when they stop violating the guidelines. Any smaller app developer would be toast.'
on Why hasn't Apple pulled Grok from the App Store? - 'Sort of a catch 22 situation. Screwed either way. The mid terms will provide clarity… maybe?'
on Why hasn't Apple pulled Grok from the App Store? - 'If only life were so simple… before making such suggestions it would behove the writer to look more than one step ahead to see a few more ramifications and consequences. This needs resolving for sure, but come on.'
on Apple: Liquid Glass blamed for iOS 26's dismal adoption rate - 'I don’t like it much but I always immediately upgrade for the security and bug fixes.'
on Apple: Liquid Glass blamed for iOS 26's dismal adoption rate - 'I really don’t understand the hate for Liquid Glass on iPhone/iPad. I upgraded when 26.2 came out and think it feels fresh and has some nice touches. Perhaps it is just the cool thing to hate for a while until people find something else to complain about.'
on Apple: Liquid Glass blamed for iOS 26's dismal adoption rate - 'I don’t have an issue with Liquid Glass and actually like it. How does the percentage of previous IOS upgrades compare? Maybe I missed it or don’t care. Maybe folks are distracted by the destruction of our democracy?'
