Yesterday marked the beginning of Apple's World Wide Developer Conference, aka "WWDC." The keynote was the best since the passing of Steve Jobs, because Tim Cook is much better in front of the camera and he let Craig Federighi, a natural, quarterback most of the presentation.
These used to be a big deal. We always waited for Jobs to tease us with...one more thing.
There was a thing in yesterday's presentation, and you might have even read about it in the newspaper, but you're probably unaware of the importance of said thing.
Just when I was ready to give up watching these keynotes, I was riveted by yesterday's presentation. Well, not exactly riveted, but I did not find myself surfing the web simultaneously. In the era of Covid-19, there was no audience, it was all prerecorded and benefited as a result, it was smooth. And also populated by women and people of color, even someone physically-challenged. By seeing all these women you realized...women can do this job, be engineers. Too many boomers come from the era where women could only be secretaries, now called "assistants," and if you had a baby you were off the career path.
There are miles to go, women still don't get paid what men do for the same work, having children can impede your career, but Cook let the women do the talking, and when you see them, it changes your perception.
And you also saw Apple Park.
In an era where too much work is boring, you viewed the facility and got excited. This is where it all happens, furthermore wouldn't it be thrilling to be inside? This is the way we used to think about working at a record company. Before they trimmed the budgets to the point you've got a CEO, always a man, making seven figures, and then a bunch of underpaid worker bees with little future. Used to be people felt record companies and the music they released were changing the world, now we look to tech, science, to change the world.
But not so much these days. Now it's about software, people and how they employ the technical tools to achieve their goals.
Many are not aware of this change, they believe the Silicon Valley era is still our focus, still rules, but it does not. Ergo the protests around the world. Never mind the TikTokkers and K-Pop fans who requested tickets for Trump's appearance in Tulsa. If you're still arguing about tech and distribution platforms in the music business, you've been left behind, the ship sailed, it's all been worked out, of course there are tweaks, but now it's all about the music, even though so much of what is purveyed is empty, money-grabbing product.
Now one thing was clear, you could not get a gig at Apple unless you were one of the best and the brightest. There were no slackers on screen yesterday. You had to do the work, and you were glad to, because you felt you were making a difference.
So what did you miss in yesterday's presentation?
Basically software tweaks to your iPhone, iPad and Watch, as well as a new operating system for the Mac, "Big Sur."
The changes to the iPhone were pretty interesting. Not revolutionary, but they definitely add to functionality.
There is no manual in tech. And many are tech-challenged. So these powerful devices go underutilized by owners. Mostly they learn from friends. It's fascinating, you want to know how they did it, they teach you the tricks.
And I'm sure Android/PC users will say some of these functionalities already appear on those platforms, but certainly not the efforts made in privacy. Since Apple does not make bank on advertising, it can afford to right the wrongs of surfing and the employment of apps. And one thing is for sure, the apps in Apple's App Store rule the world, those are the ones people pay for. That's why there's all this hoopla about percentages paid for in-app purchases, that's where the money is.
So, at the end of the keynote, the one last thing talked about in the press was revealed.
Apple custom silicon.
This is a big deal. Probably in ways you don't understand. But not being beholden to Intel allows Apple to customize chips to their requirements, and not worry about being held up by third party production. Furthermore, now all Apple's devices will run on similar custom chips, allowing further interoperability.
Watch the keynote if you're interested. There are even detents for each topic:
www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2020/ And if you scroll to the last detent, at 1:25:57, you'll get the custom silicon story.
And, at 1:28:12, you'll see Johny Srouji, SVP of Hardware, telling you about the breakthrough. Mr. Srouji is an Israeli, from an Arab Christian family, he was educated at the Technion.
Not anybody can do this stuff. Not anybody can be Bob Dylan or Kanye, or Kurt Cobain or Joni Mitchell.. The scuttlebutt was the web would surface someone, but that turned out to be untrue, there's just a limited amount of genius talent out there. And the key is to have the geniuses on your team.
And at 1:40:28 Federighi throws it to Andreas Wendker, VP of Tools & Frameworks Engineering. Just click here to see all the patents Wendker has filed in his years at Apple:
patents.justia.com/inventor/andreas-wendker You may have a tough time understand Srouji and Wendker's accents, but they're selling their brains, not their voices, and the dirty little secret is you're using what they make.
This is not pie in the sky mumbo jumbo, this relates directly to what's in your pocket, your smartphone. And those on the left and right, rich and even poor, possess this technology.
But now Trump wants to stop innovation, by limiting immigration and H-1B visas.
Today's story is how the EU may ban Americans from traveling to its countries. You see the U.S. has not handled Covid-19 very well. It's the worst statistically, unless China is fudging its numbers. And there is a cost to this, even beyond the people dying in the States.
Immigration bad.
Really?
As America isolates itself, convinced of its greatness, it is actually falling behind. Hell, someone overseas said Hollywood should stop making movies wherein America saves the world, it's no longer true.
And this is about you, not Trump. It comes down to what you think. Oftentimes, your knee-jerk reaction is incorrect.
Kind of like Tesla. You're laughing at its high stock price and flawed Model Y's? The joke is on you. Turns out Tesla's battery technology is so far ahead, others cannot catch up. Even Volkswagen...it had to delay the launch of its electric platform because it can't get the software right, and when cars are finally released, they'll be hobbled, sans so many features.
You've got to challenge your preconceptions on a regular basis. Change happens. Slowly, then overnight. You've got to be prepared.
We live in a global universe. You cannot cut yourself off from foreign countries without hurting your own economy and your own citizens, with higher prices for inferior products. Sure, you're hurting, you're complaining about manufacturing in China...but if we keep on tightening our borders, the truth is China and India will end up ruling the world, that's where so much of the tech talent is, oftentimes wanting to enter the U.S., but banned, because...they're taking away Americans' jobs. BUT AMERICANS CAN'T DO THESE JOBS! There's no Lionel Messi in the United States, are you telling me you wouldn't want him on your team?
But chances are you don't know who Lionel Messi is.
And that's just the point.
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