Coder Radio Video

Apple enters full panic mode over sideloading, and our plan to push back against industry-wide consolidation kicks off.

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• You can't install your own SSD into a Mac Studio despite there being slots — In news that should surprise nobody, you can't install your own SSD into a Mac Studio.
• Jupiter Broadcasting East Coast Meetup — Let's hang out at the park across the street from Prime BBQ.
• Install and Configure NixOS on a Linode — You can use a pre-existing Linode, or you can create a new one. If you’re using a pre-existing Linode, go to the Create Disks for Nix section, and resize your images into that approximate format.
• iCloud and Many Other Apple Services Are Down — Affected services and apps include the App Store, iCloud, Siri, iMessage, iTunes Store, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple TV+, Find My, FaceTime, Notes, Stocks, and many others, according to complaints across Twitter and other platforms. Apple's developer website is also inaccessible due to server issues.
• Upcoming EU Sideloading Bill — The Digital Markets Act has been in development for some time and the finalized version that could be completed as soon as this month will allow for sideloading and alternate app store options. Apple will be required to allow customers in Europe to download apps outside of the app stores, and it will also allow developers to use alternate purchase methods.
• Consolidation in podcasting: happening fast — If you wanted to reach 50% of all weekly podcast consumers a year ago, you would need to have advertised on the top seven podcast networks. But after considerable acquisition of big independent shows in the past twelve months, you can now reach 50% of weekly listeners if you buy advertising on just four podcast networks, he says
• On the weaponisation of open source | Tales about Software Engineering — As part of this post, I’m going to look at the decision by MongoDB to cut off services in Russia, the destructive change in a node library that deleted files on Russian IPs, a change in code/licence in a community terraform module.
• New sanctions bill targets publishing code — It additionally calls for sanctions on anyone who “significantly and materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of any [sanctioned] person.”
• [PDF] Digital Asset Sanctions Compliance Enhancement Act

Our take on big tech's return to office, AT&T's RCS boondoggle, and the concerning territory tech is racing towards.

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• remembertoremember on Twitter — @ChrisLAS

We revisit one of the core theses of the show and expand on it in a new way, leading us to ponder just what a wild ride the next eight years are going to be.

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• John Carmack asks why Wine isn't good enough — I truly do feel that emulation of some sort is a proper technical direction for gaming on Linux. It is obviously pragmatic in the range of possible support, but it shouldn’t have the technical stigma that it does. There really isn’t much of anything special that a native port does – we still make OpenGL calls, winsock is just BSD sockets, windows threads become pthreads, and the translation of input and audio interfaces don’t make much difference (XInput and Xaudio2 are good APIs!). A good shim layer should have far less impact on performance than the variability in driver quality.
• Jupiter Broadcasting East Coast Meetup — Let's hang out at the park across the street from Prime BBQ.
• After NVIDIA, Hacker Group Lapsus$ Targets Samsung — Global tech and electronics major Samsung became the latest target of the South America-based cyber extortion group Lapsus$. The hacker group leaked sensitive proprietary information, including source codes, for various device and online operations a week after it leaked 19 GB of data stolen from NVIDIA. Lapsus$’s has hinted that its next big target could be Vodafone, Impresa, or MercadoLibre/MercadoPago.
• Samsung confirms hackers stole Galaxy devices source code
• Hackers Who Broke Into NVIDIA's Network Leak DLSS Source Code Online
• Ransomware Group Threatens To Leak "Nvidia's Most Closely Guarded" Secrets — “We request that Nvidia commits to completely open source their graphics processing unit drivers for Windows, MacOS, and Linux from now on and forever,” the ransomware group said in a statement. Should the company not acquiesce to the request, Lapsus will “release the complete silicon, graphics, and computer chipset files for all recent Nvidia graphics processing units.”
• Russia to Legalize Software Piracy — Against the backdrop of sanctions gaining momentum, Russian authorities are urgently preparing support measures, among which is being discussed the suspension of criminal and administrative liability for use of pirated software “from countries supporting sanctions”. Such a step could temporarily soften the exit from Russia of Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, and others, say experts. But, they warn, a large part of significant software from those companies is sold on subscription, which means access to them will be blocked in any event.
• Microsoft Flight Simulator's cloud debut comes with upsides for devs — Microsoft is releasing an API for developers interested in building cloud-native games with Xbox Cloud Gaming capabilities in mind.

Mike and Chris eat some crow as they change their tune on a recent spicy take.

Plus, new details about Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard are just too juicy to ignore.

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• Windows 11 Guide
• Steam Deck Guide
• Win32 is the stable Linux userland ABI — Linux won’t rule the world just from games, even if some people really want it to be true.
• Activision CEO set for $15M “golden parachute” in Microsoft deal — The filing reveals that Microsoft gaming executive Phil Spencer began talks with Kotick about a potential acquisition on Nov. 19, three days after a Wall Street Journal expose that said Kotick knew of sexual misconduct at the company for years.
• Michael Dominick on Twitter — I was totally wrong on #VR. @ChrisLAS has shown me the light, I absolutely love the #OculusQuest2

Mike has some huge news and busted wifi, Chris spent a weekend in the Metaverse, and why Microsoft has us both upset.

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• Michael Dominick on Twitter — Mission accomplished! Now to get her running Linux!
• Amazon Basics 500-Watt Ceramic Small Mini Heater — Compact personal space heater design that is small enough for tables or desktops
• Warm Desk Pad — Warm desk pad made with high quality PVC Mateirals and rubber back,edge stitched, waterproof, pad size: 31*13 inch.
• Their Bionic Eyes Are Now Obsolete and Unsupported — These three patients, and more than 350 other blind people around the world with Second Sight’s implants in their eyes, find themselves in a world in which the technology that transformed their lives is just another obsolete gadget.
• Chris Lattner left Swift core team — To answer your question, the root cause of my decision to leave the core team is a toxic environment in the meetings themselves. The catalyst was a specific meeting last summer: after being insulted and yelled at over WebEx (not for the first time, and not just one core team member), I decided to take a break. I was able to get leadership to eventually discuss the situation with me last Fall, but after avoiding dealing with it, they made excuses, and made it clear they weren't planning to do anything about it. As such, I decided not to return. They reassure me they "want to make sure things are better for others in the future based on what we talked about" though.
• Core team to form language workgroup — The core team is currently looking at restructuring the project's leadership to provide more pathways for community members to become actively involved in the project's stewardship.
• You’ll need a Microsoft account to set up future versions of Windows 11 Pro | Ars Technica — Like the Home edition of Windows 11, the Pro version will now require an Internet connection and a Microsoft account during setup.
• Why Coinbase admitted Apple calls the shots — As Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong wrote on February 4th, “For any app to be listed in the Apple and Google App Stores, it needs to play by the rules of those two companies.” That means that whatever Apple and Google decide as their content policy, Coinbase will follow, Armstrong says. “Our approach is to be free speech supporters, but not free speech martyrs.”
• Immersed on Oculus Quest 2 | Oculus — VR Offices! Free app to get your Mac/PC/Linux screens in VR (including additional virtual screens with no extra hardware) in stunning virtual worlds!

After reminiscing about .Net's 20th birthday, Mike and Chris air IBM's hypocritically dirty laundry and marvel at Microsoft's 3D chess moves.

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• Seattle Mazda drivers can’t tune their radios away from KUOW — Also gone from the infotainment center were such features as Bluetooth, navigation, the clock and vehicle stats — “Many of the features I paid for when I bought it new,” Welding says.
• How Microsoft hopes to secure Activision Blizzard takeover — "We have developed these principles in part to address Microsoft's growing role and responsibility as we start the process of seeking regulatory approval in capitals around the world for our acquisition of Activision Blizzard," said Microsoft president Brad Smith, in a blog post announcing Redmond's commitments.
• Microsoft Promises Openness on New App Store as It Seeks Approval for Activision Deal — The move is a response to concerns raised by app developers and lawmakers about competition

Mike makes a shocking admission, and Chris wishes he had a time machine.

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• Steam Deck Previews are up — The flood gates are beginning to open around the Steam Deck with a few big YouTube channels doing a hands-on preview now live. Plus, dbrand poke fun at Nintendo with their upcoming Steam Deck accessory kit.
• Swift and C++ interoperability workgroup announcement — To advance the interoperability support between Swift and C++, we are announcing the formation of the Swift and C++ interoperability workgroup as part of the Swift project.
• Facebook says Apple iOS privacy change will cost $10 billion this year — Facebook said on Wednesday that Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature would decrease the company’s 2022 sales by about $10 billion.
• Apple to Collect 27% Commission on Third-Party App Payment Systems in the Netherlands — Apple says it will take 27% commission on purchases made in dating apps through third-party payment options in the Netherlands, in compliance with a Dutch regulatory ruling.
• Apple's Example in-app Modal Sheet for new Purchase Screen
• Distributing dating apps in the Netherlands — Developers of dating apps who want to continue using Apple’s in-app purchase system may do so and no further action is needed. Those who want to use a different payment system will need to request the StoreKit External Purchase Entitlement or the StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement.
• Apple Fined Another 5 Million Euros by Dutch Competition Regulator Over Dating App Payment Requirements — The Netherlands' Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has fined Apple five million euros for a third consecutive week for allegedly failing to satisfy the requirements it set regarding alternative payment systems for dating apps
• Google Looks To Be Moving On From Failing Stadia Service — The service has been demoted within Google and will instead power experiences for other companies

Microsoft's cold war with Apple is revealed in court filings this week, and Google thinks they've got the next hit on their hands, which sounds a lot like the old hit.

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• FOSS Patents: 35 U.S. states and Microsoft support Epic Games against Apple in Ninth Circuit — 35 U.S. states led by Utah and Microsoft have officially thrown their weight behind Epic's appeal through amicus curiae briefs filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• FOSS Patents: Biden Administration backs Epic Games against Apple in Ninth Circuit #FreeFortnite antitrust appeal — The Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice, speaking on behalf of the United States of America, has filed the following brief, formally in support of neither party but practically supporting some of the most important elements of Epic's appea
• Samsung Led Smartphone Shipments For 2021, Beating Out Apple — Samsung retook the top spot for smartphone shipments in 2021, holding 20% market share globally after shipping 272 million phones during the year.
• Apple Reports Record 1Q 2022 Results — For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $123.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $34.6 billion, or $2.10 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $111.4 billion and net quarterly profit of $28.8 billion, or $1.68 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.
• Supply chain issues killed iPad sales in the first quarter of 2021 — iPad generated 7.2 billion in revenue, down 14% year over year due to very significant supply constraints, but customer demand was very strong across all models.
• Google says Android tablets are the future, starts staffing up new division — Google is building Android 12L, a mid-cycle update of Android dedicated to tablet and foldable functionality.

The audience hits us in the face with some hard truths, and then we dig into Microsoft's fox-like moves to snatch up Activision Blizzard on "the cheap."

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• Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone, across every device — Microsoft will acquire Activision Blizzard for $95.00 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at $68.7 billion
• Microsoft Effort to Buy Activision Spurred by Misconduct Fallout at Gamemaker
• Bobby Kotick interview — Bobby Kotick has been CEO of Activision Blizzard since its inception in the merger of Activision and Blizzard in 2008, and he was also CEO of Activision for decades before that. He engineered the $5.9 billion acquisition of King, maker of Candy Crush Saga, in 2015.
• "The deal that will change the industry forever" — This is not only the biggest games M&A deal of recent years, or even the past decade, but the largest in the industry's history.
• Xbox on Twitter — Xbox is committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming. We hold all teams to this commitment. We’re looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard.
• Vivek Sharma on Twitter — What a time to be alive! Some thoughts on Microsoft + ActiveVision with my usual caveat of these being my own musing and nothing much to do with our work at Meta
• marak 🗿 on Twitter — What's up @Github? Ten days since you removed my ability to publish to NPM and fix the Infinity Zalgo bug in colors.js
• Duane O'Brien on Twitter — The crux of this thread is: we sponsored faker.js, I don't think it helped the maintainer much, we didn't get any notice, and I'd do it all again.
• faker - Open Collective
• Dutch Regulator Says Apple's Plan for Third-Party In-App Payments is Insufficient — As a result, the ACM has hit Apple with an initial 5 million euro fine as a consequence, and fines will continue to be assessed at 5 million euros per week up to a maximum of 50 million euros until Apple complies.
• Introduction to Celery — Celery communicates via messages, usually using a broker to mediate between clients and workers. To initiate a task the client adds a message to the queue, the broker then delivers that message to a worker.

Emboldened by his success, Mike takes a victory lap. Little does he know it's all virtual.

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• JetBrains Fleet — Built from scratch, based on 20 years of experience developing IDEs. Fleet uses the IntelliJ code-processing engine, with a distributed IDE architecture and a reimagined UI.
• Hillel is teaching a workshop on Twitter — Okay, we've all seen this meme, so what's the story behind it? Was it a real book, and was it actually intended for children?
• Mommy Why Is There A Server In The House- Animation - YouTube
• Internal Tech Emails on Twitter — Apple execs: Let's take a 30% cut of Uber and Lyft's membership programs
• Dare Obasanjo on Twitter — Apple’s approach to allowing 3rd party payments for IAPs in Netherlands will follow Google’s approach in South Korea.

Developers will still need to pay Apple a fee even if they use Stripe,etc. Google reduced their fee by 4% meaning there’s zero benefit.

This is a diabolical way to meet the letter but not the spirit of laws. World class legal judo.