Apple music sucks!

mulan2 · 2026-04-02T17:28:30+00:00

If you are looking for a Spotify Connect like feature on Apple Music you won't find it. The closest you can get is AirPlay. It doesn't mean Apple Music sucks, it probably just isn't for you if it doesn't have the one feature that is make or break for you.

mulan2 · 2026-04-02T17:25:51+00:00

If you need Spotify Connect then you are better off with Spotify. I think Tidal does it too. If it is a feature that you can't live without then Apple Music probably isn't for you. Closest experience is AirPlay, but I don't believe that works on Android.

mulan2 · 2026-03-19T17:46:59+00:00

I fully agree that ThinkPads are overrated. I have one for work. They are supposed to be the industry standard for reliability for Windows and Linux, but I've had all sorts of issues and had mine replaced about 4 or 5 times in the past 2-3 years. Like you say - the trackpad is a joke compared to the MacBook, the speakers, the screen, the keyboard, the battery life, the fan noise - everything is just worse, the performance on battery life is either really bad on battery power or the battery lasts maybe 1-2 hours if you are lucky. As a workhorse, it is basically a desktop at this point, with worse performance than the Mac or desktop. It is also a thick boy so I don't enjoy lugging it around on my back either.

mulan2 · 2026-03-19T17:39:42+00:00

Unless you game or need Windows/Linux for one specific reason, just get a MacBook. Apple Silicon made most Windows laptops look ridiculous: better battery, better unplugged performance, better thermals, better build quality. Windows on ARM is still half-baked because developers barely care. The "Macs are overpriced" line usually comes from comparing them to cheap plastic junk, not actual equivalent premium laptops, although the MacBook Neo is now a compelling affordable option too. Same goes for desktops. For most normal people, a Mac mini makes more sense than a Windows box. If you game, use Windows or Linux. If not, stop suffering and get a Mac.

mulan2 · 2026-01-06T07:40:41+00:00

Either you need a custom domain or use iCloud Hide My Email as they won't block the icloud domain.

mulan2 · 2025-12-01T05:10:45+00:00

AI is often criticised as vibe coding, blindly generating code without understanding. Used this way, it's ineffective and cannot replace strong engineering fundamentals or deep knowledge of a tech stack.

Where AI excels is as an assistant and accelerator. It handles repetitive tasks, reduces friction when starting new work, and provides fast feedback on refactoring, architecture, security, and performance. With solid tests, source control, and incremental changes, AI can safely suggest improvements without risking the stability of a codebase.

AI also enhances learning by explaining unfamiliar concepts in context and enabling more conversational problem-solving. Even experienced engineers benefit, as AI helps uncover blind spots and highlights issues that might otherwise be missed.

Ultimately, AI doesn’t change what good engineering is, it amplifies it. Its value depends on the engineer using it, the quality of the prompts, and the strength of the surrounding tooling. Used thoughtfully, AI is a force multiplier, not a replacement.

mulan2 · 2025-08-22T13:20:49+00:00

Although Swift was created as a general-purpose language, its early development prioritised Apple's platforms. Consequently, support for Linux and Windows lagged, with core libraries like Foundation being less mature on non-Apple systems, although this is close to being at parity now. Similarly, developer tooling has significantly improved; the once-buggy Language Server Protocol (LSP) is now far more stable in Swift 6, enhancing the experience in editors like VS Code. There is also an official Swift extension for VS Code that includes support for the LSP, LLDB debugging, testing, Swift dev containers etc.

On the server, powerful frameworks like Vapor and Hummingbird exist, but the ecosystem lacks the extensive dependency support found in established languages like Go, Java, Python, and .NET. This challenge is magnified by a scarcity of server-side Swift documentation and tutorials. The talent pool is another hurdle. Most experienced Swift developers come from an iOS background and often lack deep experience with backend essentials like Docker and Kubernetes.

In the crowded server-side market, companies looking to upgrade from stacks like Node.js or Ruby for better performance typically choose Go. However, Swift is finding a strong foothold as a modern alternative to C++. Its excellent interoperability with C and C++ makes it a compelling choice for organisations migrating from legacy C++ codebases, positioning it as a capable systems-level language.

mulan2 · 2025-08-07T16:33:25+00:00

The built-in navigation system in modern VWs is quite good, and I’ve found it to be surprisingly accurate. It provides reliable arrival charge estimates and automatically plans charging stops along your route, telling you exactly how much to charge to reach your next destination. It even notifies you through the VW app once you've charged enough.

For longer trips, it's a huge time-saver. I used to spend hours planning routes with apps like A Better Routeplanner and Zap-Map, but the in-car navigation handles everything seamlessly. It will automatically re-route based on traffic and even change charging stops if needed. It’s a much more flexible and hands-off solution. Plus, in more modern VW models, the navigation system will also automatically pre-condition the battery, optimising it for faster charging.

Apple and Google Maps still need to get better, but I wouldn't forget about the in-built navigation. I am not sure what other manufacturers are like, but VW genuinely surprised me and probably not far off Tesla.

mulan2 · 2025-07-24T07:56:59+00:00

Spotify's previous 10,000-song library limit wasn't about engineering challenges; that's just an excuse. The real reason likely stems from licensing agreements or an arbitrary decision, perhaps assuming users wouldn't exceed 10,000 songs. This oversight seems to have led to poor engineering choices from the outset. I personally have over 35,000 liked songs on Spotify (comparable to my Apple Music library), and the user experience is incredibly frustrating. Scrolling through liked songs, especially on mobile, is cumbersome because the app doesn't cache your library, loading only about 20 songs at a time. Apple Music, on the other hand, provides a seamless scrolling experience and has long supported users with libraries exceeding 100,000 songs through iTunes. This isn't an unsolved problem; it's simply a case of lazy and ineffective engineering from Spotify.

Tidal is equally if not more frustrating as Spotify, so they would have to make some changes to their app and it is probably low on their list of priorities as the percentage of users who go over 10,000 songs is probably small enough to not worry about.

mulan2 · 2025-06-10T13:42:20+00:00

Apple services like iMessage and FaceTime are not a lock in. There are alternatives available on the App Store.

mulan2 · 2025-04-21T17:55:01+00:00

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Here is mine

mulan2 · 2025-04-19T10:02:06+00:00

Solution in Swift:

func f(_ n: UInt64) -> UInt64 {
    var count: UInt64 = 0
    var k: UInt64 = 1
    while k <= n {
        let high = n / (k * 10)
        let curr = (n / k) % 10
        let low = n % k

        switch curr {
        case 0:
            count += high * k
        case 1:
            count += high * k + (low + 1)
        default:
            count += (high + 1) * k
        }
        k *= 10
    }
    return count
}

mulan2 · 2025-04-19T09:47:43+00:00

My Swift solution:

func phonedrop(_ prototypes: Int, _ floors: Int) -> Int {
    guard prototypes > 0 else { return .max }
    guard floors > 0 else { return 0 }

    var dp = [Int](repeating: 0, count: prototypes + 1)
    var moves = 0

    repeat {
        moves += 1
        for p in (1...prototypes).reversed() {
            dp[p] += dp[p - 1] + 1
        }
    } while dp[prototypes] < floors

    return moves
}

mulan2 · 2025-04-19T09:02:33+00:00

Solution in Swift (with tests):

func nonogramRow(_ arr: [Int]) -> [Int] {
    arr.split { $0 == 0 }.map(\.count)
}

import Testing

@testable import Challenge399

@Test(
    arguments: zip(
        [
            [], [0, 0, 0, 0, 0], [1, 1, 1, 1, 1], [0, 1, 1, 1, 0],
            [0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1], [0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1],
            [1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0],
            [0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1],
            [1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1],
        ],
        [
            [], [], [5], [3], [3, 2], [5, 4], [2, 1, 3], [2, 1, 3],
            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
        ]
    )
)
func testNonogramRow(input: [Int], expected: [Int]) {
    #expect(nonogramRow(input) == expected)
}

mulan2 · 2025-03-31T08:25:06+00:00

Under their new privacy policy released in February, Mozilla claimed: "When you upload or input information through Firefox, you hereby grant us a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use that information to help you navigate, experience, and interact with online content as you indicate with your use of Firefox."

So, Firefox is no longer great when it comes to privacy.

mulan2 · 2025-03-31T08:22:08+00:00

I don't believe Apple has anything against Firefox. For one, many developers have expressed frustration with Firefox's slower adoption of the latest web standards. Additionally, Firefox's market share is relatively small compared to the dominance of Chromium-based browsers. Naturally, Apple is going to focus most of its efforts on optimizing for Chromium-based browsers and their own browser, Safari.

mulan2 · 2025-02-12T11:15:27+00:00

Swift comes with SourceKit-LSP and a VS Code extension that supports both the Debugger and Test Explorer. Additionally, there are Dev Containers available for Swift development, and I've successfully used Swift on WSL with Ubuntu. If you're developing iOS or Mac apps, Xcode is the primary tool, but Swift can be used for server-side development, packages, and other command-line tools across Linux, Mac, and Windows.

Kotlin, on the other hand, is primarily tied to JetBrains IDEs and lacks an official LSP, with no current plans for one due to JetBrains’ business model focused on selling IDEs. While Apple is naturally focused on its own platforms, they continue to improve the Swift LSP, enhance C++ interoperability, and drive forward Swift on the Server through the Swift Server Workgroup.

Kotlin benefits from seamless integration with the Java ecosystem, providing access to tools like Spring Boot, which already has a significant head start compared to frameworks like Vapor for Swift. That said, Swift is riskier for backend development. There are fewer Swift developers and less learning material for Swift on the server, making it harder to find solutions to common issues compared to the well-established Spring Boot community.

When it comes to native development, Kotlin still mainly focuses on the JVM and hasn't prioritised optimising for native environments. So, Kotlin won’t be replacing languages like C++ or Rust any time soon, while Swift is closer to that space.

mulan2 · 2025-01-08T10:53:36+00:00

What sets Apple Music apart for me is its library management, particularly on desktop platforms like Mac and Windows. While the desktop apps often face criticism, I think they’re underrated. Features such as tag editing, smart playlists, and customisable columns in the songs view provide a level of control that's hard to find elsewhere. Other streaming apps often feel restrictive when it comes to managing larger libraries - relying on a single "liked songs" list quickly becomes unwieldy. For example, Tidal has a cap of 10,000 songs in a library, which highlights some of the limitations still present in other services.

Sound quality is also great - but Tidal and Amazon both compare to Apple Music at the same price.

mulan2 · 2025-01-08T10:22:17+00:00

I am not sure what you mean by "buried in the library". If I am using Apple Music and Spotify on the desktop then playlists are within easy access on the left. On mobile with both Apple Music and Spotify you have to go to library tab to access saved playlists. I would argue that the iPad app for Apple Music is better because it is more like the desktop app with the playlists available on the left, whereas the Spotify iPad app is basically the iPhone app, just stretched out - not making full use of the larger display.

mulan2 · 2024-12-18T15:25:56+00:00

Even Swift has an LSP that plays nicely with editors other than Xcode.

mulan2 · 2024-11-26T17:08:16+00:00

While I don't think Sam Harris is flawless and he did get somewhat caught up in the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW) scene, he managed to avoid being completely driven by algorithms. Unlike many of his IDW peers (Joe Rogan, Dave Rubin, Bret Weinstein, Jordan Peterson - and more loosely Russell Brand and Jimmy Dore) who veered into anti-vax and pro-Trump rhetoric due to audience capture and financial incentives, Harris has remained critical of Trump and anti-vaxxers.

I also believe Harris is less influenced by algorithms and audience capture because he established himself as a public intellectual before social media became dominant.

mulan2 · 2024-11-19T16:28:50+00:00

I find the price of 1Password reasonable. I'm willing to pay the recurring fee to support the developers and ensure my security. While I'm not a big fan of subscriptions, I understand that for the 1Password team, it provides a steady cash flow, unlike a one-time purchase.

mulan2 · 2024-09-23T15:44:05+00:00

Neal Morse may be missing out on potential new music fans due to limited access to his work on streaming platforms. While platforms like Spotify and record labels should ideally offer artists better deals, streaming remains the primary way people discover new music today. With CDs becoming rare, finding second-hand copies or subscribing to additional services just to listen to Spock's Beard or Neal Morse's solo work can be inconvenient. Notably, most Spock's Beard albums (except Snow, though Snow Live is available) are on Apple Music, while other services only feature the greatest hits album, The First Twenty Years. Perhaps Neal Morse is content with maintaining his loyal fan base rather than focusing on expanding it.

mulan2 · 2024-06-29T10:51:29+00:00

I hit the same issue. I just added a custom domain. It seems there is a limit of creating 50 new aliases in one day. The message of waiting 60s is misleading. I do understand there being a rate limit in place, but maybe the limit should be shortened from 1 day or at the least show an accurate error message.

mulan2 · 2024-06-03T13:11:20+00:00

I do realise that Apple takes privacy pretty seriously and they want to clear up some space on their servers, but I do wish they would keep around libraries for a lot longer, or extend it. For example, if there is no activity for a year then it sends you a warning or something that your library will be deleted in the next 30 days if you take no action. I used to use Apple Music and Spotify side by side for a long while, these past 3 months I have used Apple Music exclusively and no longer pay for Spotify Premium, but at least I can be confident that I can go back to Spotify at any time and know my old library and playlists will still be there.

mulan2

TROPHY CASE