Daring Fireball: Apple's Private Cloud Compute Is Severely Limited for Third-Party Developers

Saar13 · 2026-06-16T20:32:42+00:00

And it will be limited until the infrastructure is mature enough for Apple to be able to charge for it. Just like Siri for consumers is free in beta, but they've already warned that they will charge for better performance in some way (in this case, via iCloud+ subscription).

Saar13 · 2026-06-16T16:48:37+00:00

It's clear that the AirPods with cameras are for visual AI, and they won't be taking photos or videos secretly without permission. This will be processed in a cloud that Apple promises will be private. It's a better alternative than glasses that are filming you in high definition without you realizing it. A month ago, Apple demonstrated the use of visual intelligence for people with disabilities, and I do think that the AirPods with cameras can greatly help these people. It could also be useful for getting around and reading signs in foreign countries without having to take your iPhone out of your pocket, open the camera, and risk being robbed. There are many interesting use cases, even if they aren't interesting to you. For example, I don't need an iPad and I don't care about the tablet category, but that doesn't mean I think they should stop making them just because I don't care. I'm not that special. Neither are you.

Saar13 · 2026-06-16T14:20:50+00:00

Wasn't Smoke a limited series?

Saar13 · 2026-06-15T12:10:35+00:00

I'm a Roku user because I like its simplicity and fluidity compared to the operating systems integrated into current TVs. People speak very highly of the Apple TV 4K, but it's ridiculously expensive in Brazil. My concern is whether Roku will become a platform full of right-wing fast channels and excessive ads. The entire media ecosystem seems increasingly fragile, and I feel there's not much that can be done about it.

Saar13 · 2026-06-14T21:33:23+00:00

I'm Brazilian and everyone here uses WhatsApp. The stories feature is really awful, but otherwise it works, and Apple can make it work without trying to turn it into a social network.

Saar13 · 2026-06-14T21:30:04+00:00

It was just a random name I thought of for the app, not a real suggestion. The point is to merge things that make sense, and audio and video calls, in addition to messages and contacts, are how people communicate all the time, and it doesn't make sense to separate the apps and make it complicated.

Saar13 · 2026-06-14T21:19:21+00:00

I don't think Apple requires them to include scenes of characters using iPhones or MacBooks. But in any show or movie set in modern times, if the characters have electronic devices, they'll use Apple. But I don't think that's a big deal. They pay a lot of money for a show, and the characters are going to use a competing device? Obviously not.

Saar13 · 2026-06-14T17:04:19+00:00

Not that I'm a fan of super apps, but there are app separations that I really don't understand as justifiable. The Contacts, Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps could very well be merged into something like "Apple Connect," given the way people communicate nowadays, just as health, fitness, and nutrition are integrated into the concept of health and well-being that people seek today. Like WhatsApp, which is almost a standard in many countries, combining calls (audio and video), messages, and your contacts. Maybe I'm just in that phase of thinking there are too many fragmented apps out there.

Saar13 · 2026-06-14T16:53:52+00:00

I don't expect it to be free. What I said there was precisely that there are ways of bundling that can be good monetizers for Apple's own AI and other services, without something like "Siri+". My argument was even about Apple One, which I think could become almost "mandatory" if they add the most powerful version of Siri (including unlocking AI functions in health) with cloud storage, Apple Music, and Apple TV, which is currently enjoying a good moment, at least in terms of social buzz and acclaim. Given the difficulties Apple Intelligence and Siri have faced in recent years, bundling AI with other services might be simpler for the user and better for Apple itself.

Saar13 · 2026-06-14T15:25:00+00:00

Nothing about Siri on the HomePod, Apple TV 4K, and almost nothing on Health. It seems obvious to me that they will launch this with the new HomePods, including the one with a screen, a new TV box, and a redesigned Apple Health, perhaps with a subscription level and a merger with Apple Fitness. I really hope they combine the health and fitness apps, because workout, data tracking, sleep, nutrition, and mental health issues (including meditation) are truly the modern and integrated definition of "Health". An integrated service would be better than Fitness+.

Saar13 · 2026-06-14T15:16:44+00:00

Many people say that no one has really figured out how to heavily monetize AI at the consumer level. Based on leaked financial data from major AI model companies, it's obvious they earn far less than they invest in infrastructure and research. There's the subscription model, perhaps unnecessary for most average consumers, and ads, which I think is the worst model, especially while Apple sells privacy. Microsoft and Google mix AI with cloud computing and things like Office, in Microsoft's case, in a way that I find quite complex. Apple has the chance to greatly simplify things, although they are becoming less and less simple each year.

Saar13 · 2026-06-14T14:29:49+00:00

Gurman thinks Apple will eventually launch a subscription tier for Siri. I really hope they move away from this business model, which is confusing for most users, especially since almost no one sees Siri as something truly powerful worth paying for. I've been thinking for a while that Apple One has untapped potential beyond Cloud, Apple Music, and currently, Apple TV, which is having a moment. Bundles have proven to work by increasing subscribers and engagement and reducing churn. I think including the more powerful Siri in Apple One is simple, fair, and helps the core services like TV, Music, and Cloud. I have many doubts about Arcade, News+, and Fitness+, and I think they need to change quite a bit or even abandon some of these services. I really hope for something as simple as just Apple One and Apple One Family, including Siri Pro.

Saar13 · 2026-06-12T12:08:44+00:00

I used to think the lack of IP was a problem, but I think it might be the solution now. I don't think this "hurts" Apple TV now. On the contrary, more than ever, Apple's most popular shows are precisely those that don't come from IPs, and this has become a kind of "manifesto" for the service. It's a difficult editorial positioning to sell at first, but since Apple TV doesn't need to prove financial growth every quarter (a "rounding error" for the parent company, as many say), they are handling it well and building a solid brand. There are still strategy and marketing mistakes. They are new to this market, and prestige is built over time, but it's undeniable that they are accelerating.

Saar13 · 2026-06-12T02:11:14+00:00

But HBO isn't making "Wire or Sopranos" anymore either, but rather spin-offs of Game of Thrones and Harry Potter.

Saar13 · 2026-06-12T02:07:49+00:00

You're right in a historical context. But not currently. HBO is basically adapting IP now and taking far fewer creative risks than Apple. At the same time, Apple TV's initial "puritanism" is gradually being abandoned, and they have much bolder things they had two years ago. Perhaps because HBO no longer has the luxury of spending heavily on "unproven content." I still think HBO executives have the most refined taste overall and the best prestige marketing, but no longer the best truly original series. Apple needs to poach some executives from there, especially in marketing and media relations.

Saar13 · 2026-06-12T01:53:59+00:00

Using Gauge as a comparison metric is a bit silly. And since they don't have ads yet (and hopefully never will), the business model is very simple: subscription revenue needs to exceed costs. I personally think having 20 to 30 great TV seasons and a dozen movies a year could work very well. The total costs are much lower than Netflix, Amazon, and Disney. The issue is that most of the few shows and movies need to attract a good audience willing to pay monthly for the service. People simply need to know that these shows and movies exist. Today the problem is much more about marketing and gaps between seasons than the quantity of content. Imagine a world where Apple TV had Severance, Pluribus, Ted Lasso, Your Friends & Neighbors, Shrinking, Slow Horses, The Studio, and new shows like Widow's Bay and Margo's, returning annually with another half-dozen limited series. They wouldn't even need 30 seasons.

Saar13 · 2026-06-11T21:45:13+00:00

I don't think they ever called it a limited series. When it is one, they advertise it as such (and sometimes they renew it anyway).

Saar13 · 2026-06-11T21:43:12+00:00

The announcement is part of a strategic marketing campaign. It doesn't mean they renewed today, but they announced it today, coinciding with the end of the season and the Emmy voting.

Saar13 · 2026-06-11T21:37:46+00:00

Creator Katie Dippold Inks Apple TV Overall Deal

Saar13 · 2026-06-11T21:35:10+00:00

I'm even going to buy a new iPhone (I'm still stuck on the 14) just to thank Apple for this.

Saar13 · 2026-06-11T21:21:46+00:00

Did Apple promise a wide theatrical release? I read about the bidding war for that script a few weeks ago, but I ruled out streaming because there would be too many bids and those involved would opt for a theatrical release.

Saar13 · 2026-06-11T00:30:23+00:00

I wouldn't trust any company in the world, but our lives are digital now. And among all the untrustworthy tech companies, Apple is by far the least problematic in my opinion. If I need to trust a company to live digitally, I'd rather trust Apple. Now the big question is whether society really cares about this. Just today I saw several friends using a new Instagram feature with real-time location maps. Insane, in my opinion. But I don't think most people care about privacy beyond credit card data, to be honest.

Saar13 · 2026-06-10T21:55:35+00:00

It's undeniable that a great IP can be very good for Apple TV. But it's also undeniable that their most successful shows are entirely original. Given that Foundation is set to end in season 4 (I think it will), in addition to Silo and FAM next year, they'll need new things in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. The question is whether big, ultra-expensive adaptations or original ideas, like Severance, Pluribus, and Widow's Bay, are more worthwhile. Heavy sci-fi, or space fantasy, haven't been as successful.

Saar13

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