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Daring Fireball By John Gruber

Daring Fireball is a long-running and influential blog primarily focused on Apple products, technology, and related news. It is written and maintained by John Gruber, a well-respected voice in the Apple community. Known for its insightful analysis, strong opinions, and in-depth articles, Daring Fireball is a popular destination for Apple enthusiasts and industry insiders alike. Gruber's writing often delves into the design and philosophy behind Apple's products, offering a unique perspective on the company's decisions and direction. The site also features Gruber's "Linked List" section, a curated collection of links to articles and content from around the web, often with Gruber's brief commentary. Daring Fireball remains a significant voice in the tech world, shaping opinions and sparking discussions about Apple and the broader tech landscape.
Daring Fireball daringfireball.net
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RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Aug 19, 2024

Thread Of Notes

bIRC — A New Native IRC Client for Mac

The best native Mac IRC client was once Textual, but it has been discontinued by its author. However, a new alternative has emerged in the form of bIRC, created by Fredrik Blank. The developer of bIRC started working on the project in 2025, implementing the IRC specification in Swift and adding IRCv3 extensions and a user interface. The project was driven by the joy of programming rather than financial gain. The developer is satisfied with the result and has launched bIRC as a free IRCv3 client for Mac. The app has a modern design and is well-documented, with a nice documentation page available. The author of the article installed bIRC and found it to be a nice and well-designed app, despite not being a regular IRC user. bIRC is available for free download from the App Store, with additional pro features available for a one-time purchase of $13. The pro upgrade can be purchased to support the development of the app, even for those who do not use IRC frequently. Overall, bIRC is a great new Mac app that is worth celebrating, with its good documentation and nice design making it a standout among other apps.
https://birc.app/ birc.app
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Coiner of ‘Enshittification’ Endorses ‘Dickover’

Cory Doctorow argues that commercial surveillance companies do not operate in a fair marketplace. He contends that these companies claim to exchange privacy for services, but their practice is more akin to theft than a voluntary transaction. In this exploitative "market," users' data is taken without true consent or negotiation. Doctorow suggests tools like adblockers and "dickover blockers" as ways for individuals to reclaim agency and bargain back. These customizations allow users to refuse the implicit demand for all their data and control over it. While suggesting specific software like Firefox and Linux, Doctorow emphasizes the underlying principle of using browser extensions and bookmarklets to resist intrusive online practices. He highlights tools like StopTheMadness Pro, uBlock Origin Lite, and Magic Lasso as effective means to this end. Using content blockers is presented as a legitimate act of bargaining, not something to feel guilty about. The author clarifies Magic Lasso's past sponsorship status but recommends it based on personal satisfaction as a user.
https://pluralistic.net/2026/07/21/dickovers/ pluralistic.net
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Yesterday

Sixers Sign LeBron James

The betting odds for the Sixers to win the NBA championship went from 20-1 to 10-1. Here’s James on Twitter/X, explaining his decision:This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.James signed for the league minimum for a veteran: two years at just $4 million per year. He’s going to love playing here.
https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/live/lebron-james-signs-philadelphia-76ers-contract-salary-roster-updates-reaction-20260724.html inquirer.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Yesterday

The Talk Show: ‘A Scam Held Together With Patriotism and Golden Paint’

Quinn Nelson returns to the show to discuss OpenAI’s ChatGPT/Codex “native” app migration fiasco, Siri AI in Apple’s OS 27 betas, MacOS 27 Golden Gate, and the hottest new cell phone of year, the Trump T1.Sponsored by:Notion: Try the powerful, all-in-one Notion AI today. Factor: Healthy eating, made easy. Get 50% off your first box, plus free daily greens, with code talkshow50off. Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code TALKSHOW.
https://daringfireball.net/thetalkshow/2026/07/23/ep-452 daringfireball.net
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Yesterday

★ The Ads on Apple News Continue to Suck, but at Least There Are a Lot of Them

The obvious truth is that Apple’s ads just plain suck. They are not good at advertising-based services. And it shouldn’t be surprising that they’re not good at advertising-based services, because the incentives for advertising-based services are in direct opposition to the incentives for everything Apple actually is good at.
https://daringfireball.net/2026/07/ads_on_apple_news_suck daringfireball.net
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 23

John Dvorak on Computer Chronicles in 1987 to Discuss the Then-New IBM PS/2

Dvorak is best known for all the takes he was jacktastically wrong about, but what gave his schtick staying power is that he was technically savvy. His take here on the PS/2 was actually spot-on: that it was technically impressive in many ways, especially the way it was assembled without any cables, but that it was doomed in the market against ugly mess-of-cables commodity PCs.“Computer Chronicles” was the real show from the 1980s that Adam Lisagor so lovingly and spectacularly spoofed with “Computer Show” a decade ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY2WF_sPecI youtube.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 23

John Dvorak Drops Dead at 80

William Gallagher, AppleInsider:Legendary technology columnist, pundit, author and podcast host John C. Dvorak has died, age 80. He is survived by his wife Mimi Dvorak.Today Dvorak is best known for co-hosting the “No Agenda” podcast with Adam Curry, where he would critique mainstream news media. His death was first announced by the podcast on X, although note that Dvorak’s age is mistakenly given as 74.From the No Agenda News newsletter yesterday:For a man who spent decades famously predicting the catastrophic demise of almost every major technological innovation, it is with the heaviest of hearts we must announce that John’s own hardware finally gave out on Monday morning, July 20th, 2026, at the age of 80. He went peacefully, albeit suddenly, with Mimi at his side, critiquing the acting and story line of NCIS.His death truly seems quite sudden — the most recent episode of No Agenda dropped on Sunday, the day before he died.
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/07/23/famed-technology-journalist-john-c-dvorak-dies-aged-80 appleinsider.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 23

Flighty New Connection Assistant Feature

Chance Miller, 9to5Mac:Flighty’s new Connection Assistant feature includes step-by-step information for your specific connection. This includes things like terminal changes, security checkpoints, passport control, and more. Connection Assistant also gives you estimates of how long each step of making a connection usually takes.“The new Connection Assistant combines Flighty’s best-in-class flight tracking data with airport-specific procedures and statistical modeling of millions of prior flights, and then turns it all into guidance for your exact trip,” the Flighty team explained in a press release today.I don’t know what the equivalent term to “Mac-assed” should be for iPhone apps, but whatever it is, Flighty epitomizes it. Incredibly useful for what it does, exemplary for how it looks and feels and is visually organized. It is as iOS-assed as an app can be.
https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/07/flighty-update-adds-powerful-new-connection-assistant-feature/ 9to5mac.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 23

[Sponsor] WorkOS MCP: Manage Your Auth Platform From Any AI Agent

Debugging SSO, managing users, adjusting auth policies, configuring branding: every configuration task has lived behind a UI that only a human can drive.The WorkOS MCP server gives agents the same access as your dashboard login. Hundreds of operations, discoverable at runtime. Connect in one command via OAuth, with scoped tokens instead of a master API key. Pass a screenshot of your marketing site and ask your agent to match the login page. If a human had to do it before, an agent can do it now.Connect your agent
https://workos.com/blog/management-mcp-server workos.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 20

‘Who’s Afraid of Chinese Models?’

Ben Thompson highlights a critical issue concerning U.S. open-weight model makers and their reliance on Chinese alternatives. U.S. companies are hindered by frontier labs' terms of service, making their models inferior and forcing them to distill already distilled models via Chinese intermediaries. Thompson questions the inherent negativity surrounding distillation, pointing out that LLMs themselves are distillations of internet knowledge. He argues that open-weight models foster innovation and believes frontier labs will adapt.However, dependency on China for this process is problematic. Thompson proposes U.S. legislation to declare data collection for model training as fair use and prohibit terms of service that restrict distillation for U.S. companies. He emphasizes that preventing distillation, which is essentially API querying, is practically impossible. Instead, he advocates for a proactive copyright policy that protects labs while ensuring their learnings fuel broader innovation.While acknowledging that leading Chinese models like K3 are not solely products of distillation, Thompson states it's a crucial component in their rapid development cycle. Chinese entities treat all models as open, disregarding terms of service. Western companies respecting copyright are thus forced to wait for Chinese releases, like K3. Thompson expresses skepticism towards the objections raised by OpenAI and Anthropic regarding the distillation of their models, given the paradoxical nature of the situation.
https://stratechery.com/2026/whos-afraid-of-chinese-models/ stratechery.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 20

Paper

My thanks to Paper for sponsoring last week at DF. Paper is a new professional design tool where every layer is real HTML and CSS. Your design is already code, which means fewer handoffs, translations, and layers of abstraction between what you design and what you actually ship.Paper works both ways: code to design, and design to code. Connect any AI agent through MCP and the agent can read and edit your designs. Or use Paper Snapshot to capture your live site as editable layers and make new iterations. Agents handle the tedious work so you can focus on your craft and the decisions that matter.Try Paper at paper.design (great domain name), and check out the documentation and FAQ for more info.
https://paper.design/ paper.design
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 19

9to5Mac Uncovers Dozens of Disguised Gambling Apps on the App Store in Brazil

Brazilian users have noticed a surge of poorly made games in the App Store rankings, particularly in categories such as Navigation, Travel, and Weather. These games often feature AI-generated illustrations of animals as their app icons and are actually fronts for hidden betting and gambling apps. An investigation by 9to5Mac has uncovered over 60 such apps that behave normally when accessed from outside Brazil but reveal online betting platforms when opened from a Brazilian IP address. These apps, known as jacket apps, disguise themselves as legitimate games to slip through App Store review undetected. The main issue is that these apps are able to deceive the App Store review process and reach the top of the rankings. One example cited is the app "PotatoPlot Puzzle", which is a game featuring a rabbit potato farmer but is categorized as a weather app. This app has risen to become the number one weather app in Brazil, which is a nation with over 200 million citizens. The fact that such an app was able to become so popular is a concern, as it suggests that the App Store review process is not effective in catching scammers. The author argues that Apple should focus on removing successful scams from the App Store, particularly those that are popular or lucrative, rather than trying to make the App Store completely scam-free. The author believes that it is unreasonable to expect the App Store review process to catch every attempt at scamming, but it is inexcusable for an app like PotatoPlot Puzzle to have become the most popular weather app in Brazil.
https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/17/investigation-reveals-dozens-of-disguised-gambling-apps-on-the-app-store-in-brazil/ 9to5mac.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 19

Apple Sends Letters to Dozens of Former Employees Now at OpenAI

Michael Acton, reporting for the Financial Times from San Francisco:About 40 former employees now working at OpenAI have been sent letters directing them to preserve documents and communications and demanding meetings with Apple’s lawyers, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Apple and OpenAI declined to comment.The decision to hit employees with personal legal letters highlights Apple’s aggressive tactics after it last week launched a blockbuster lawsuit accusing OpenAI and two employees of stealing secret hardware plans.
https://www.ft.com/content/1b8c9d52-88a9-426b-ba47-f1811f859166?syn-25a6b1a6=1 ft.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 18

Apple Books and Amazon Are Lousy With AI-Generated Books Ripping Off Legitimate Authors

AI-generated books mimicking successful authors have appeared on platforms like Apple Books and Amazon. Joanna Stern discovered multiple AI knockoffs of her ebook, "I Am Not A Robot," with similar titles and covers. These counterfeits, priced around $9.99 to $20.99, were initially removed by Apple but reappeared shortly after. Other authors, including Lena Dunham and Haley Sacks, have also experienced similar issues with AI-generated copies of their works. Kashmir Hill found a biography of herself on Amazon, titled "The Biography of Kashmir Hill," released with a generic cover. This AI-generated biography compiled publicly available information with fabricated details about her life. The book, longer than it needed to be, included oddly specific yet inaccurate personal anecdotes. The trend extends beyond ebooks, with print editions of these AI-generated books also being produced. This phenomenon highlights the challenges authors face with AI's potential for unauthorized creation and dissemination of content. The ease and low cost of AI generation are contributing to this widespread problem.
https://thenewthings.com/p/apple-big-ai-book-slop-problem thenewthings.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 18

Google Runs Out of Appeals, Must Pay Record $4.7 Billion EU Antitrust Fine

Europe's top court has upheld a 4.1 billion euro fine against Google. This penalty was imposed by the European Commission in 2018 for anti-competitive practices. The Commission argued that Google abused its Android mobile dominance. This abuse involved giving an unfair advantage to its own apps through pre-installation deals. Google had been appealing this ruling within the EU court system. However, the European Court of Justice has now dismissed Google's final appeal. Consequently, Google has no further avenue to challenge the decision. The fine represents a small percentage of Google's recent profits. However, it was a significant portion of its profits when initially assessed. The extended appeal process has diluted the financial impact of the fine for Google.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/02/alphabet-google-android-eu-antitrust-fine-4-1-billion-euro-appeal.html cnbc.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

Roblox Set to Introduce AI Game-Building Feature, Including on iOS

Roblox is celebrating its 20th anniversary and expanding its "You make the game" philosophy. The company believes that any of its millions of daily active users can create the next hit game. To facilitate this, Roblox is introducing "Build," a new mobile-first creation tab within its app. They are also launching a suite of AI-powered tools within Studio for creators of all skill levels. These new agentic tools, designed to let creators delegate less critical development tasks, will begin testing on July 28th. However, this move by Roblox is being contrasted with Apple's prior actions. Apple previously banned AI coding apps on iOS, such as Bitrig, Replit, and Vibecode, which allowed users to build iOS apps directly on their mobile devices. While desktop development is permitted, building iOS apps on iOS itself was disallowed. A question is being raised about how Apple can justify allowing Roblox to offer AI-assisted game generation on iOS. The implication is that Apple's decision is inconsistent, potentially favoring a large platform like Roblox over smaller independent developers. This disparity in policy raises concerns about fairness and competition within the app development ecosystem.
https://about.roblox.com/newsroom/2026/07/build-without-limits-on-roblox about.roblox.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

Apple Raises Prices for Apple Music and Apple One Subscriptions

Chance Miller, 9to5Mac:Here are the new monthly prices for Apple Music and Apple One as of today:Apple Music:Individual: $11.99 (up from $10.99) Family: $19.99 (up from $16.99) Student: $6.99 (up from $5.99)Apple One:Individual: $19.95 (unchanged) Family: $27.95 (up from $25.95) Premier: $39.95 (up from $37.95)
https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/17/apple-raises-prices-for-apple-music-and-apple-one-subscriptions/ 9to5mac.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

OpenAI’s Product Shake-Up Put the Complexifiers in Charge

OpenAI has announced that it is combining its ChatGPT, Codex, and developer-facing API into one core product team. The company's head of Codex, Thibault Sottiaux, will lead the new team, which is part of a larger restructuring effort. Codex is a key component of OpenAI's consumer and enterprise offerings, enabling them to perform digital tasks autonomously. The company is also working on a "super app" that will integrate Codex, ChatGPT, and its Atlas web browser into a unified desktop application. However, the author of the article is critical of OpenAI's approach, arguing that the company has made a mistake by putting the Codex team in charge of ChatGPT. The author believes that ChatGPT was a more focused and coherent product, and that the Codex team has introduced confusion and sprawl into the platform. The author also criticizes the complexity of Claude, an app that OpenAI is trying to copy, which has multiple features with overlapping functions. The author argues that the AI industry is presenting complex and confusing products as if they can be easily explained, but in reality, they are just a jumbled mess. The author is frustrated that no one is able to clearly and succinctly explain the products and technologies being developed by OpenAI and other companies. Overall, the author is skeptical of the direction that OpenAI is heading and believes that the company needs to simplify and clarify its products and strategies.
https://www.wired.com/story/openai-reorg-greg-brockman-product/ wired.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

MG Siegler: ‘OpenAI Makes ChatGPT ChatGPT Again’

OpenAI faced criticism for a poorly executed product rollout, likely underestimating user backlash. This suggests a potential disconnect between OpenAI and its user base, possibly stemming from how ChatGPT initially gained prominence. Despite these existential issues, the immediate concern was restoring chat functionality within the primary ChatGPT application. The author argues that the previous system with separate ChatGPT and Codex apps was superior. Renaming Codex to "ChatGPT" and the original ChatGPT to "ChatGPT Classic" is considered a baffling decision. The new ChatGPT app lacks features present in the classic version and introduces unnecessary complexity, such as an indirect chat deletion process. The author believes product decisions are being made by AI researchers detached from user needs, not a lack of understanding of the user base itself. A clear distinction between the simple, chat-focused ChatGPT and the complex Codex is crucial for user engagement. The author criticizes OpenAI for prioritizing complexity over the simplicity that attracted their massive user base. Ultimately, the author proposes reverting to the original naming convention or a clearer designation like "ChatGPT Codex" to resolve the product confusion.
https://spyglass.org/chatgpt-brings-back-chatgpt/ spyglass.org
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

OpenAI Starts Cleaning Up the Utter Mess It Made of ChatGPT

OpenAI engineering lead Tibo Sottiaux acknowledged feedback on the new ChatGPT desktop app, admitting it wasn't perfect initially. Changes have been made to improve the user experience. Conversation history and projects are now visible in a sidebar and sync across web, mobile, and desktop, though local tasks remain on the computer. Users can now easily switch between Chat and Work modes in the desktop app, aligning it with web and mobile interfaces. The author criticizes the initial rollout for obscuring the core chat functionality, comparing it to removing text editing from TextEdit. Despite the updates, the new app is still considered a bloated, large Electron-based application. A software update dialog for the old ChatGPT, now "ChatGPT Classic," behaves inconsistently. This dialog will not update the new app if installed, and users must manually install ChatGPT Classic if they've tried the new version. The author humorously suggests the update process is more convoluted than the classic "New Coke" situation. OpenAI has introduced a supported method for installing ChatGPT Classic.
https://x.com/thsottiaux/status/2077928427936710901 x.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

Linus Torvalds: ‘AI Is a Tool, Just Like Other Tools We Use. And It’s Clearly a Useful One.’

Linus Torvalds:I realize that some people really dislike AI, but this is an area where I’m willing to absolutely put my foot down as the top-level maintainer.Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects, and if somebody has issues with that, they can do the open-source thing and fork it.Or just walk away.AI is a tool, just like other tools we use. And it’s clearly a useful one.It may not have been that “clearly” even just a year ago, but it’s no longer in question today.There are other questions around AI (like what the economy of it will actually look like in the end), but “is it useful” is no longer one of those questions. Anybody who doubts that clearly hasn’t actually used it.
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-media/CAHk-=wi4zC+Ze8e+p3tMv8TtG_80KzsZ1syL9anBtmEh5Z40vg@mail.gmail.com/ lore.kernel.org
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

BBEdit 16

Speaking of BBEdit, version 16 dropped just before WWDC, and adds a slew of nifty improvements, headlined by vastly expanded support for Shortcuts. You can also search for text in images, use the W3C HTML syntax checker, and of all things, vi keyboard emulation. There’s a lot more, of course, and as always the changes, improvements, and additions are copiously documented in the release notes.New licenses are $60, upgrades from v15 cost $30, and upgrades from older versions are $40. In the Mac App Store it’s a $5/month or $50/year subscription.See also: Jason Snell at Six Colors and Adam Engst at TidBITs.
https://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/bbedit16.html barebones.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

ArtfulType: Markdown Writing App for the 68K Macintosh

Sean Malseed — “Action Retro” on YouTube — created a Markdown editor for the original Macintosh. Source code on GitHub; intro video on YouTube. It’s written in C, not Pascal, and uses the modern Retro68 GCC-derived compiler.I absolutely love that this exists. I don’t like the actual app at all. I guess “full screen” mode is the point of some “distraction free” editors, but I for one would never look twice at a Mac app that didn’t use windows. Full-screen mode just wasn’t a thing back then, except for games. ArtfulType is not a Mac-assed 1984 Mac app.If I wanted to write in Markdown on a classic Mac, I’d use BBEdit, which was the app I originally created Markdown for use in. And one of two apps I primarily still use it in. But BBEdit won’t run on an original 128 KB Macintosh, because Rich Siegel didn’t create it until 1989, and the earliest public version was BBEdit 2 in 1992. BBEdit 2.1.3 does run in System 5 on Infinite Mac, but crashes if launched on System 3. I 100 percent see the appeal of using a 1980s retro Mac, but I don’t see the appeal of using one that can’t run System 6.
https://github.com/ActionRetro/ArtfulType github.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

Google and Epic Give Up Fighting — Third-Party Android App Stores Are Coming Next Week

Google has agreed with Epic Games to withdraw its motion to modify a permanent injunction. This decision aims to reduce uncertainty within the app ecosystem. Google intends to focus on its recently announced global business model evolution. These changes are designed to offer more app store choice, lower prices, and increased opportunities for developers and users. The company remains dedicated to Android's security and a competitive, free app ecosystem. Google continues to comply with the existing court injunction. The company previously declared plans to launch its sideloaded Registered App Store program globally later this year. This may lead to distinct app store approaches in the US and other regions. US app developers will have their listings automatically shared with third-party stores starting July 22nd, with an opt-out option. A specific enrollment page has been launched for third-party stores under the Play Catalog Access Program.
https://www.theverge.com/policy/965792/google-epic-withdraw-injunction-third-party-app-stores-coming-google-play?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6IkZpdmhlVXFoV0giLCJwIjoiL3BvbGljeS85NjU3OTIvZ29vZ2xlLWVwaWMtd2l0aGRyYXctaW5qdW5jdGlvbi10aGlyZC1wYXJ0eS1hcHAtc3RvcmVzLWNvbWluZy1nb29nbGUtcGxheSIsImV4cCI6MTc4NDczNTA1NSwiaWF0IjoxNzg0MzAzMDU1fQ.zPHCDeRVkCOK73sdt6bKC2evAofTI582EsJ0N-rk79g theverge.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

European Commission Adds Exemptions for Watches and Earbuds to Portable Battery Removal Rules

The European Commission:The European Commission adopted a delegated act today (14 July) introducing new rules that exempt additional products from EU requirements on the removability and replaceability of portable batteries.Under the EU’s Batteries Regulation, portable batteries in products sold in the EU must generally be removable and replaceable by consumers. This helps extend products’ lifetime by allowing battery replacements and supports recycling by making it easier to collect used batteries. [...]The Commission is now adding six new product categories to the existing list of exemptions. This includes wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, electric toys, and products within the scope of the ATEX Directive (equipment used in explosive atmospheres such as explosion-proof motors, sensors, pumps or forklift trucks).See, exemptions aren’t hard, especially to stupid regulations.
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-adds-exemptions-portable-battery-removal-rules-2026-07-14_en environment.ec.europa.eu
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

Quiche Browser Now Defaults to No-AI Web Search Results

Quiche Industries (Greg de J.):Starting today, Quiche Browser disables AI overviews in search results by default, out of the box.Compare how much space and time they waste. I love the web too much to let that nonsense bury links to real websites made by humans.This is my modest contribution to the fight against the dead internet theory. Why no other browser does that is beyond me.To elaborate a bit:• It simply opens search results in the AI-free versions of Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing, and Brave, whenever they’re selected as the default search engine. • No content blocker involved. Search results are served as-is. • AI features can be turned back on in Settings → Search.I wrote about Quiche Browser a few months ago, praising it for, amongst numerous other features and aspects, its built-in JavaScript toggle. This is another killer feature. Traditional no-AI web search is a splendid default. Making it an option to enable if that’s what you want is the right way to do this.
https://mastodon.social/@quicheindustries/116918456229212087 mastodon.social
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 17

Dithering: ‘Apple Sues OpenAI’

Tuesday’s episode of Dithering was a good one, especially for the DF audience, so we’ve moved it outside the paywall and made it free-to-listen on the web. (We don’t (yet?) have an RSS feed that you can put in your podcast player for these occasional free episodes, alas.) I have a slightly different take on Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI than I’ve seen expressed elsewhere.If you don’t subscribe to Dithering, you probably should. Two episodes per week, 15 minutes per episode. Not a minute less, not a minute more. $7/month or $70/year — or, get it included with the Stratechery Plus bundle.
https://dithering.passport.online/member/episode/apple-sues-open-ai dithering.passport.online
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 16

OpenAI Takes a Second Crack at a Response to Apple’s Trade Secret Theft Lawsuit

OpenAI, in a statement to Bloomberg this week:“While we take these allegations seriously, we’re not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit. We believe in fair competition and allowing people the freedom to work wherever they choose, and we’re focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.”“We’re not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit” is very different from, say, “This complaint has no merit.” Again, a curious response.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/openai-says-it-s-not-aware-of-any-evidence-that-apple-lawsuit-has-merit bloomberg.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 16

Lawyer for Apple Mixed Up Two OpenAI Employees’ Names, Sent One Email to the Wrong Guy, Back in February

Apple sued OpenAI for alleged trade secret theft, claiming OpenAI never responded to their concerns. However, emails reviewed by NBC News reveal OpenAI did initially respond to Apple's outreach in February. The communications became complicated due to an external attorney representing Apple. This attorney mistakenly emailed an OpenAI employee with the last name Chang instead of an employee with the last name Wang. The attorney apologized for the mix-up the following day. Despite the apology, OpenAI's general counsel was reportedly upset and requested Apple remove their outside counsel. Apple declined this request. The attorney later clarified his mistake in a third email to Chang, explaining he intended to email Wang. Based on this clarification, OpenAI believed the issue was resolved and did not respond further. The author questions how this email confusion refutes Apple's core claim that OpenAI failed to respond to their initial accusations. The author finds it improbable that OpenAI considered the matter settled based on such a misunderstanding. The author also questions why NBC News presented this information as exculpatory for OpenAI.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/apple/apple-openai-lawsuit-suit-trade-product-hardware-email-sam-altman-rcna587376 nbcnews.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 16

Louie Mantia: ‘The Shape of Apps’

Louie Mantia discusses app icon design on the Parakeet blog, focusing on Apple's squircle mandate. He argues that this mandate, which forces all app icons into a squircle shape and applies effects like Liquid Glass, ultimately hinders good design. While intended to elevate mediocre icons and ensure platform consistency, it pushes excellent icons toward mediocrity. Mantia believes this approach restricts the best designs and makes bad ones merely acceptable. He contrasts this with "The Macintosh Way," which he feels embraced distinctiveness. He expresses a desire for Apple to allow designers some freedom to extend beyond the squircle boundary. Mantia acknowledges some favorite icons have previously broken convention. However, he also notes that many disliked icons ignored the squircle, appearing jarring. Despite the limitations, Mantia suggests there are still ways to design effectively within the squircle framework. He concludes that the overall direction Apple has taken with Mac app icon design is compelling.
https://parakeet.co/blog/the-shape-of-apps/ parakeet.co
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 16

OpenAI Releases Codex Micro, a Stupid $230 Hardware Keypad

Remember back in March when then-co-CEO Fidji Simo announced to the company that “We cannot miss this moment because we are distracted by side quests”? And then weeks later they spent “low hundreds of millions” to purchase the TBPN YouTube show? In their continuing effort to focus on core product, they’re now selling a $230 hardware keypad ostensibly for working with Codex, which is no longer an app but just a tab in their craptacular super app.Quinn Nelson:No way, that’s crazy. I’ve just been using the keyboard and trackpad that came on my laptop for free like a stupid idiot.
https://openai.com/supply/co-lab/work-louder/ openai.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 16

Gurman on OpenAI’s Upcoming Hardware Product: ‘Movable, Screenless Speaker Built as AI Companion’

OpenAI is developing a physical product designed to be a companion. Its key feature will be a humanlike personality and the ability to connect with users on a personal level. The device will incorporate mechanical elements that move, creating a sense of being alive. It will also access personal information, like emails, to better understand its owner. The goal is for this physical manifestation of ChatGPT to feel like a true companion. However, plans are subject to change during development and legal review. A notable feature is its rechargeable battery, allowing it to be moved between rooms for various tasks. This portability means users can take it to the kitchen, laundry room, or living area. Alternatively, it can remain plugged into one room for continuous use. The author expresses that a non-autonomous, luggable device is not compelling. They envision a Star Wars-style autonomous droid as the ideal, though acknowledge current technological limitations. Wearability is suggested as a better alternative if autonomy is not achievable. The author believes people would not want a companion they have to carry around.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/openai-s-first-device-will-be-moveable-screenless-speaker-built-as-ai-companion?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4NDA2MjAxMywiZXhwIjoxNzg0NjY2ODEzLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUSTYwSllUOU5KTFMwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDNEVEQ0FFMUZBMDU0MEJFQTI0QTlGMjExQzFFOTA4MCJ9.DfRN0afk0TFIaHFw9zEKYjehnfMsZfKC7gPoVos8WPI&leadSource=article-gifting bloomberg.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 15

Eric Seufert: ‘Did Apple Just Signal a Third-Party Expansion of Apple Ads?’

Eric Seufert, Mobile Dev Memo:The new language could simply accommodate the availability of Apple-owned services on the web and through third-party devices and operating systems; the Apple TV app, for instance, is available on smart TVs, streaming devices, and game consoles. But the addition of “other properties” is conspicuously broad and appears to give Apple the contractual latitude to distribute ads beyond its own services entirely. This would allow for a material expansion of the company’s advertising surface area.Further, if Apple does indeed plan to expand Apple Ads to third-party surfaces, it would explain why the company did not reveal an update to its AdAttributionKit (AAK, formerly SKAdNetwork, or SKAN) attribution framework at this year’s WWDC.That would be one way to go.
https://mobiledevmemo.com/did-apple-just-signal-a-third-party-expansion-of-apple-ads/ mobiledevmemo.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 15

Apple Updates Advertising Services Policy With New Rules for Ads in Maps

Sarah Perez, TechCrunch:In a newly published Apple Advertising Services policy, effective as of July 14, 2026, the iPhone maker shares its rules for advertising on Apple Maps. Notably, it prohibits the broad category of home services businesses, like plumbing, electrical, locksmith, HVAC, pest control, roofing, and general contracting services, among others. [...]The broader policy also prohibits deceptive or profane ads, political ads, and ads featuring weapons, violence, controlled substances, defamatory material, and more.Although Apple may expand to other ad categories over time, its initial approach positions Maps and its ads as a more curated, navigation-focused product, rather than an extension of a web search engine.The easiest way to keep scammy and predatory ads out of Apple Maps would be, you know, not to sell ads in Apple Maps.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/15/apple-quietly-reveals-how-its-maps-ads-will-differ-from-googles/ techcrunch.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 15

Apple Intelligence OK’d to Launch in China, Using AI Models from Baidu and Alibaba

Chinese regulators have granted Apple a licence to roll out its artificial intelligence service on iPhones in the country. The licence was granted by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's internet watchdog, and was published in a notice on Wednesday. Apple Intelligence, the AI feature used to summarise emails, draft reports, edit images, and perform other tasks, was granted the licence alongside six other smartphone-based AI services. Alibaba Group Holding and Baidu will serve as technical partners for Apple Intelligence in China. Alibaba's Qwen large-language model will be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences within iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS for users in China. This integration will allow users to access the model's capabilities, such as text and image generation. A Baidu representative also confirmed that the company is working with Apple to develop AI features for Apple Intelligence in China. The licence is for Apple Intelligence, which was announced two years ago and rolled out in iOS 18, and is separate from Siri AI, which was announced last month at WWDC for iOS 27. It is unclear whether this licence is also a green light for Siri AI this year. The approval of Apple Intelligence is a significant development for Apple in the Chinese market, where the company has been seeking to expand its presence.
https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3360685/china-approves-apple-intelligence-phones-alibaba-baidu-emerging-partners scmp.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 15

[Sponsor] Paper

Paper is a professional design tool where every layer is real HTML and CSS. Your design is already code, which means fewer handoffs and fewer translations between what you design and what ships.Paper works both ways: code to design, and design to code. Connect any agent through MCP and it can read and edit your designs. Or use Paper Snapshot to capture your live site as editable layers and make new iterations.Agents handle the tedious work so you can focus on your craft and the decisions that matter.Try Paper at paper.design.
https://paper.design/ paper.design
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 14

Remember Musk’s Suit Alleging a Conspiracy Between Apple and OpenAI?

Elon Musk has sued Apple and OpenAI following a public dispute over Grok's App Store rankings. Initially, Musk claimed Apple favored OpenAI, an Apple partner, by consistently placing ChatGPT on its "Must Have" app list while Grok was absent. However, the lawsuit reveals Musk's deeper concern is that Apple and OpenAI's collaboration threatens his vision for an "everything app." The author notes that ChatGPT is currently at the top of the "Popular iPhone Apps" list, and a recent lawsuit filed by Apple against OpenAI contradicts the idea of favoritism. The current top 10 free iPhone apps list in the U.S. includes only one AI app, ChatGPT. Musk alleges that this top downloads list is also rigged, which the author interprets as projection. The author suggests Musk believes the App Store lists are fixed against Grok because it's what he would do if he ran a popular App Store. This is seen as another instance of Musk's flawed thinking. The author suspects Musk is no longer primarily concerned about Apple favoring OpenAI through manipulation.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/elon-musk-sues-apple-openai-to-block-exclusive-iphone-chatgpt-integration/ arstechnica.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 13

WorkOS Pipes

My thanks, once again, to WorkOS for sponsoring DF last week. Users expect apps and agents to reach the tools they already work in. Every integration that gets you there is a different OAuth flow, a different token lifecycle, and weeks of infrastructure before you write a line of product code.WorkOS Pipes handles it with one API call. Pre-built connectors for GitHub, Slack, Salesforce, Google Drive, and more. Pipes handles OAuth, token refresh, and credential storage. You call the real provider API with a fresh token, every time.Connect to 100+ providers with WorkOS Pipes.
https://workos.com/pipes workos.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 12

Paulo Andrade: ‘A WWDC 27 Update on Building a Mac-Assed App With SwiftUI’

Paulo Andrade:My last post on using SwiftUI to build a Mac-assed app got a bit more traction than I expected. It was mentioned on Mastodon several times, included in iOS Dev Weekly, inspired May’s edition of the Swift Blog Carnival, and was eventually mentioned by John Gruber, arguably the person most to blame for popularizing the term “Mac-assed”, on Daring Fireball.All this attention also resulted in an engineer from Apple reaching out with some notes. We exchanged a few emails, I filed a few radars, and now that WWDC 27 is behind us, this post serves as a small update to the issues I wrote about before.There’s real progress here, but I think my main point still stands: SwiftUI is now seven years old and it does not make it easy to create great Mac apps.
https://pfandrade.me/blog/swiftui-mac-assed-wwdc27-update/ pfandrade.me
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 12

‘Every Frame Perfect’

The core principle is that a user should be able to understand the application's state from any screenshot. This focus on every frame builds user trust by demonstrating the quality of the application. Users judge an app's quality solely through its user interface, as they cannot see the code. A polished UI suggests developers have invested time in refining both the interface and the underlying code. In practice, this means avoiding undesirable visual glitches. These include white flashes between screens, partially loaded content, and content relayouting during loading. The UI must also be internally consistent in its messaging and status indicators. Precise animations are crucial, as they are often overlooked during development. A UI might look good in its static states but be janky during transitions. The idea of "every frame perfect" promotes UI craftsmanship. This discipline, even if not consciously noticed by users, translates to a better overall experience. Cutting corners on interstitial states can lead to corner-cutting in other areas of development.
https://tonsky.me/blog/every-frame-perfect/ tonsky.me
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 12

TwoMillionKit: Use Private Cloud Compute in MacOS 27 Foundation Models Without an Entitlement

Apple includes the fm command-line tool in macOS 27, enabling local system model or Private Cloud Compute inference. Mac applications can also execute command-line tools. Guilherme Rambo utilized GPT 5.6 Sol to generate a Swift package for this purpose. This package facilitates using the fm command-line tool within Mac apps. It offers a LanguageModel implementation that leverages the tool for model inference. Consequently, any Mac app can utilize the Private Cloud Compute model. This circumvents the need for a special entitlement from Apple. However, this solution is not compatible with sandboxed Mac applications. Therefore, Mac apps distributed through the Mac App Store cannot use this approach. Developers distributing apps outside the App Store can now integrate Private Cloud Compute without entitlements. This workaround addresses Apple's limitation, which restricts Private Cloud Compute access. The limitation targets developers not in the App Store Small Business Program with fewer than two million first-time downloads.
https://github.com/insidegui/TwoMillionKit github.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 12

Sam Altman and Elon Musk Argue Over Who’s Running the Bigger Scam

Elon Musk accused Sam Altman of "scamming" on a new level, implying Altman had stolen technology from an open-source AI charity and Apple. Altman retorted by questioning Musk's plans for short-term space datacenters, suggesting they were a form of public market manipulation. Musk then sarcastically invited Altman to see the datacenters, mocking him with a jab about parole. The exchange highlights the public and often contentious communication style of these prominent tech leaders.
https://x.com/sama/status/2075982617976230043 x.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 12

Lunacy — Jeff Halter’s Lunatic Fringe Player

The author stumbled upon Lunacy on Jeff Halter's website after exploring his Stacks modern HyperCard player. Lunacy is a modern player for the classic screensaver game Lunatic Fringe, created by Ben Haller and released in the early 90s. Lunatic Fringe was unique as it was an interactive game that allowed players to fly around, collect power-ups, and blast enemies while running as a screensaver. The game could be activated by toggling the Caps Lock key, and it was a fun experience for players. However, running Lunatic Fringe on modern computers has been a challenge due to compatibility issues. Fringe Player by Greg Parker was a solution during Apple's PPC and Intel era, but it is not supported on modern Apple platforms. Lunacy brings Lunatic Fringe to the present with a native Swift app and a built-in emulation engine that runs the original module unchanged on modern Apple platforms. The author is a fan of Lunatic Fringe, considering it one of their all-time favorite classic Mac games. Lunacy is a great modern player that includes CRT simulation to make the game look like it did back in the day. Overall, Lunacy provides a way for players to experience the classic game on modern devices with a nostalgic feel.
https://morphing.cloud/lunacy/ morphing.cloud
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Jul 12