Digital Revolution

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Steve Jobs emphasized design because humanity deserves better. It's a noble attitude, but paradoxically humanity often ignores design when people run corporations. The main argument is that design provides marginal advantage in the market at best. While empirical studies are not very solid, it's noticeable that many corporations view design as cosmetics. Explaining simplicity isn't necessarily minimalism to corporations often doesn't make profit. In short, few believes humanity deserves better. Before convincing corporations the importance of design, perhaps designers should establish it as a strategy. People often judge products by their quality and don't necessarily buy the cheapest product. If design can become a critical factor of quality, it may justify the premium. The market for design is pretty harsh. Despite Apple's success, most corporations pay lip service to its approach. Endless number of executives cut design budget and expect business success. The...

Many rationalists, especially those from the mathematics department, tend to assume the superiority of human thought. They often cite the success of mathematics in sciences as evidence. Oh. Apart from the fact that most people aren't Maxwell or Einstein, it's mistaking the word Moon for the real Moon. Ask a mathematician to deduce what's on the Moon without evidentiary investigation. It's easy to see the fallacy of rationalism. Mathematics as a language is important, but it's not the ultimate validation of scientific theories. This is the value of empiricism. It's well known that Maxwell's achievement in electromagnetism is the mathematical formulation of previous electromagnetic experiments. Yes, experiments. Rationalists see the mathematics of Maxwell equations, and forget the most important substance these equations describe. Absurd. The same thing happens to the digital revolution. Rationalists have little to offer other than claiming superiority, while ...

This post is a guess. Ribbon concordance on 3-manifolds can be separated into partial order systems associated with each element of the fundamental group of the 3-manifold. For each element of the fundamental group, a partial order system can be associated. The reason behind the guess is that if the knotty part can shrink to very small and the remaining part is largely isotopic to a representative element of the fundamental group, then it's likely that the structure obtained in 3-sphere case is applicable to each element of the fundamental group. It's a interesting research topic.

There are two primary models for working with PDF files on the cloud with Apple devices. One is to store PDF files in iCloud Drive and use apps like Preview to access the PDF. Another is to store PDF files in Apple Books and read it directly. Supposedly, the former is more flexible, while the latter is more focused. However, due to implementation issues, both models work awkwardly. First the iCloud Drive model, it's really flexible to use iCloud Drive to store whatever PDF at wherever organization finds suitable. With Preview on the Mac, reading PDF files is really tidy. For example, consider bunch of research papers and books in various folders on iCloud Drive. Classification can be added with Finder. Annotation can be added with Preview. The problem is that Apple didn't ship Preview on the iPad. Viewing PDF files in the Files app on the iPad just sucks. Then the Apple Books model, due to limited organization functionalities, it's best used to store only important PDF file...

Ribbon concordance has been proved to be a partial order system on knots and forms a complexity hierarchy. However, in this case, the knots are assumed to be in the three dimensional sphere. A natural question to ask is whether similar relations may be defined in 3-manifolds other than the three sphere. Since in general the fundamental group of 3-manifolds does not vanish, significant complexity different from the case of the three sphere is expected. It's a interesting research topic.

In D8, Steve Jobs boldly predicted a iPad revolution, that tablets would replace PCs just like cars replaced trucks. Years later, we can pretty safely say that this kind of dramatic revolution didn't and wouldn't occur. Primarily, in offices, PCs are still the productive powerhouse tablets can not replace. However, another kind of quiet revolution has happened. For many people, the screen time on tablets is much longer than that on PCs. Tablets have become the primary source for casual computing. For daily tasks like reading books and news, browsing the web, organizing calendars, and managing todos, etc., the iPad has become paramount in that it's much more convenient and accessible than Macs. The ergonomics of the iPad makes it super easy to use, and the large screen is very capable of usual computing tasks. True, for office tasks, PCs are still more productive, but the primary computer at home is more and more likely a iPad. After Steve Jobs passed away, Apple began to eq...

Complementing his marvelous Thoughts on Flash, Steve Jobs described tech cycles to justify Apple's position in D8. Essentially, tech cycles means that technology grows from infancy to maturity to the grave. While, in the case of Flash, it's certainly correct, the mantra has widespread influences so that tech blogs began to apply it across all technologies. However, email is clearly a counterexample in that it never enters the grave. There are pieces of technologies that are close to eternal. The most conspicuous implication of the widespread mantra is that technological revolution occurs everywhere, rather than in specific fields. As a instance of the mantra, tech blogs claimed that smartphones are going to be replaced by other sorts of technologies, ruling out the possibility that smartphones in certain form may be close to eternal. These tech blogs were not far from Jack Ma's view. We believe, however, that these tech blogs are misguided and misinterpreted the famous Stev...

Everyone knows bugs can plague software, but buggy software from Apple still makes big money. There is a unsatisfactory response to the situation: regular backups. For Macs, Time Machine seems quite reliable. For iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches, the reliance on iCloud for backup is quite dangerous, because iCloud reliability isn't very impressive. Yet, people often store critical information on mobile devices. There are cases like losing all Apple Books upon update. It's a horrible experience. The reason Apple can get away with this is that there is little regulatory and legal pressure for fixing bugs. As noted before, consumers have little power and often can not make Apple pay for damages. It seems that this is a much more important issue than crude antitrust against Apple.

Intermediate Value Theorem is a basic theorem in calculus. Usually, there is nothing more to say about the theorem. But with the rigorous bounds obtained in numerical algorithms that we discussed before, much can be done through the basic theorem. In mathematical research, existence is often very hard to establish. Part of the reason is most existences afford no constructive description. Here we are left with indirect methods like the Intermediate Value Theorem. Traditionally, numerical algorithms offered insights but were not applicable in rigorous proof. With rigorous bounds proven, numerical algorithms can be utilized to provide rigorous estimates of simulated values. Together with the likes of Intermediate Value Theorem, existence of objects can be established rigorously. Providing rigorous bounds for numerical algorithms is a game changer.

To many people who do not like fitness, Apple Watch has been a redundancy. The case is about to change with the introduction of Apple Watch Ultra. Although Apple Watch Ultra has been marketed as a sports watch, its life-saving features beyond fitness can really help, like for people who climb mountains. Fitness was controversial primarily due to misunderstanding. Since completing fitness circles can not guarantee actual fitness, it's been described as a flaw. However, life-saving features could really matter in case of emergency. Although the coverage of Apple Watch Ultra in tech blogs has been quite mundane, containing additional marketing material for Apple, Inc., its subtle expansion of scope in apps is really pleasing. Because the watch can be taken to harsh environments, it offers possibilities for apps like real-time care. The main drawback is still the somewhat usable but unsatisfactory battery life. Many tech bloggers speculate Apple Watch Ultra indicates the future replace...

The biggest news this week is of course the launch of Apple Watch Ultra. Before covering the topic, however, there is a point about hardware and software that seems worth making. Hardware innovation depends on material properties, whether it's faster, more durable, or thiner. To match market sector and hardware, there are lots of experimental/physical facts to be harnessed. Physical laws don't bend, that's the hard part of hardware innovation. Gut feeling is that hardware ideas are harder and harder to come by, which is why software innovation is more important in the long run. Software ideas are almost limitless, but the trouble is that the entire landscape is a mess. To be wise enough to blast a trail is crucial. If the judgement here is correct, vendors will drastically improve software locked onto hardware to deliver whole package. Hardware will be small steps forward, and software advances, though huge, will be severely subject to hardware. The future isn't closed ...

Compared with Google, Apple is slow in delivering a cloud platform for developers. Apple's consumer cloud business has been a spectacular success, but its developer cloud offer, Xcode Cloud, is very limited. So far, developing cloud applications that run on macOS relies on third party vendors, and macOS isn't built for the cloud. Clearly, there is a lot to improve. Modern applications often contain cloud components and if Apple is serious about a all-Apple developer process, it should build its own cloud platform. Cloud platforms have been known to be extremely messy. Apple's philosophy is simplicity. There are huge challenges to be overcome in order to build a cloud platform by Apple's standard. However, the advantages of building critical applications like ERP on Apple platforms definitely make sense for better corporate adoption of Apple products. In the business world, Microsoft wins big with good desktop-cloud integration. Apple should consider. Sure, cloud is not ...

Apple Music has been a phenomenal success. The collection is vast, and almost everyone can find familiar music to listen to. However, exploring the entire collection isn't easy. The Music app only offers browsing by specific criteria. There is clearly a navigation problem. Compared with the App Store, Apple Music lacked a Today section that offers descriptive introduction to music. Since most people aren't music historians, they mostly rely on trial and error to discover music, which is terribly inefficient. If Apple Music offered proper introduction to music, rather than simply advertising, the music discovery process would be much more enlightening. The current status is like a outsider jumping into Renaissance art without art history training. The entire context, meaning, and symbolism are inaccessible. There is a need for proper guidance. Although everyone knows Taylor Swift is great, it would be much more informative if some context can be given. Perhaps thoroughly underst...

Digital technology makes finding matches in markets much easier. The proliferation of freelancing is a example. The picture is not all bright, however, as total supply far exceeds total demand, and customers are in trouble of finding competent freelancers to do the job. Nonetheless, doing business with freelancers remains a interesting experience, for it brings a lot of freshness and new ideas. Often, students without much access to market try to improve their own status by freelancing. It's not hard to find a bargain and novelty. There are several types of freelancers to avoid. Some are totally dishonest and lazy that the reason they are freelancing is incompetence. Some don't respect customers' time and money. Some try to charge outrageous prices with low ability. Fortunately, traces of inappropriate freelancers are often transparent in communication, though they waste time. Free freelancing web sites underperform paid ones in Taiwan, which is a puzzle. Markets with highe...

Yesterday, Twitter showed me a phrase that's trending: YOU LOST. Naturally, it grabbed my attention and I clicked on the phrase to find out. What actually happens is a bunch of incoherent tweets that contain the phrase, case insensitive. It's like searching for "we can" or "I will". Clearly, the mechanism Twitter employs to determine what's trending is broken. Any commonly used phrase can be classified as trending, which is absurd. If we dig deeper, the problem is serious, for if it's a manipulated insult, then Twitter is a political hack, else if it's a algorithm, then Twitter is utterly incompetent. As a result, there is no surprise that Twitter can be turned into a propaganda machine that serves dubious political purposes, and eventually requires regulation to maintain sanity. Tech regulation is dangerous, because it potentially undermines free speech. Yet Twitter seems content with the push to the absurd that risks everybody's right to sp...

Jony Ive has parted ways with Apple. It's hard to find another designer of comparable calibre, but lack of designer in Apple leadership is a real problem. For many companies, design is shallow and only enters product development as cosmetics, but Apple's legendary status isn't built on such convention, but a process that's directed by design. Whether it's dramatic successes like aluminum enclosure, or fantastic failures like the touch bar, design enters early and plays a decisive role in shaping the product. But it's hard to place a final say on design if the designer isn't on the leadership team. A often overlooked management practice is with responsibility comes power, and vice versa. Responsibility without power is slavery that produces subpar results. Power without responsibility is tyranny that introduces corruption. If Apple wants to charge designers with the responsibility of a well-designed product, it should give them a place in the leadership team.

Steve Jobs 為 iPhone 問世所下的註腳是一場使用者介面革命。懷疑者認為使用者介面沒什麼了不起，從而低估了 iPhone 為世界帶來的重大變革。時任微軟總裁的 Steve Ballmer 就認為手機就該有硬體鍵盤，iPhone 虛擬鍵盤多此一舉。從微軟在智慧型手機市場大敗不難看出，懷疑者的論點不堪一擊。但 iPhone 的成功，遠較使用者介面深遠，甚至連蘋果也沒有預料到，iPhone 掀起了行動裝置與雲端的浪潮，接連推出的 iPad, Apple Watch, iCloud, Apple One，與 iPhone 重新定義了人類與電腦。 要闡述行動裝置與雲端造成的影響，只需看地圖這個應用程式。過去使用紙本地圖，礙於版面，道路、店家無法詳盡，更新更是困難。Google 將地圖雲端化，從此資訊得以整合，但以電腦瀏覽，不易攜帶。舊型手機無觸控，無法自在瀏覽地圖。蘋果 iPhone 一舉兩得，解決了電腦與舊型手機的限制，從此隨時隨地查詢雲端地圖詳盡資訊。這不單是使用者介面進步，更大大促進資訊普及化。 蘋果當初沒預料到的是：各類行動裝置與雲端一體，結合起來遠較個別智慧型手機強大。以寫日記為例，過去雲端不成熟、iPad 還未問世時，很少人使用智慧型手機寫日記，多半在紙本或電腦完成。今日在雲端同步下，隨時隨地有想法、事件皆可立即記錄，不論是手機照片、平板上閱讀的文章、電腦上的創作，皆可透過蘋果 Pages 與 iCloud 即刻登載於日記裡，更有為懶惰者發明的日記應用程式，僅記錄照片與標題，日記從此成為二十四小時日常。市場也有所反應，針對個別平台開發的日記應用程式逐漸被雲端整合取代。 App Store 的發展，更確立了 iPhone 不僅是使用者介面突破。過去少有人在舊型手機上編修照片上傳社群網路，因為使用困難。於電腦上操作，則需較高技術門檻，且軟體不易取得。今日於 App Store 有無數照片編修應用程式，使用 iPhone 立即拍照編修，與好友在社群網路上分享已是家常便飯。事實上，iPhone 也逐漸取代了過去電腦提供的部分功能，例如隨時隨地看影片。 美國有許多激進份子，以壟斷之名，揚言分割蘋果。美其名為提升市場競爭，實則不見行動裝置與雲端整合之威力。試想，若蘋果無法在行動裝置上藉雲端提供整合服務，還有多少市場前景。難怪激進份子的意見為微軟採納，目的只是為了...

Good software engineering permits wide range of philosophy and practices. Some develop a plethora of small tools and chain them together to perform complex tasks, like UNIX. Some develop a tightly integrated mega app to add as many functionalities as possible, like Wolfram Language. For the UNIX approach to work, app interoperability is critical. Usually, the operating system provides mechanisms like pipes to chain small apps together. Thus, a unfriendly OS can discourage the UNIX approach in favor of mega apps. This seems the status quo. Facebook evolved from a simple social network to integrate gaming, markets, and finance. Although it could be argued that separate apps would offer conceptual clarity and elegance, the reality is that poor app interoperability would make many functionalities harder to use. However, support for good software engineering should not favor mega apps. It's time to improve app interoperability and let the UNIX approach help numerous small developers th...

In the beginning, social networks hold high hopes of enhancing human relationships. Friends and families far apart can easily share photographs, status updates, and whatever intrigues instantly. Events can easily find participants with detailed information. Even corporations may benefit from continuous CRM. However, market power has driven dominant social networks into degradation. Facebook and Instagram became ad readers. Twitter became a political hack. Only Stack Exchange and the likes remain true to the purpose. It's tasteless to trade greatness for more profit, but market measures success by exchange value, not use value. It seems tech regulation should be more focused on bringing better value to users, rather than destructive Apple bashing. However, doing so requires politicians to transition from capitalist exchange value calculus to socialist use value calculus. Who dare to be a socialist in USA? Facebook as a ad reader is worse than its algorithmic manipulation of user co...