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Iād be remiss if I didnāt also mention See in the same breath. Stuff like Game of Thrones and The Witcher wish they could be as consistently unique and good. ↩︎
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The other obviously being Micro.blog. ↩︎
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As always, fuck Ajit Pai. ↩︎
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Animated short, documentary short, film editing, live-action short, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, and sound. ↩︎
- Animated short
- Documentary short
- Film editing
- Live-action short
- Makeup and hairstyling
- Original score
- Production design
- Sound
-
Iām looking at you, endless musical numbers and montages. The only thing that should be pre-recorded for the broadcast is the In Memoriam segment. Otherwise, just get to the next award winner! ↩︎
-
Maybe it still has a shot, though? Who knows what the future holdsā¦ ↩︎
- This meager dip in commission is a complete negation of the benefits of sending out potential payers/subscribers to external destinations for purchase.
- There is no ability to also support In-App Purchases using Appleās payment system.
- Developers must provide a report to Apple recording each sale facilitated through the App Store within 15 calendar days following the end of their fiscal month.
- They’re trying to see what they can get away with in the face of mounting regulatory pressure to change how they run their business.
- They’re terrified of seeing those bars in their Services revenue start to go down.
- When the chips are down, their money is vastly more important than the developers that helped those bars go up in the first place.
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But wasnāt everything crazy and unusual during the middle of 2020? Regardless, they made up their losses in the next quarter by an impressive amount. ↩︎
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But perhaps not as much as they fear? Their In-App Purchase system is well-designed and trusted. It’s far easier to use than any alternative. Maybe they should believe in themselves more. ↩︎
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Much credit is given to the amazing Harris Savides for all of his brilliant cinematography work in Zodiac and elsewhere. He was gone way too soon. ↩︎
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I sure do wish my own public library would implement this measure. There are many people in this city who would benefit from this change. ↩︎
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And letās face itāmuch longer than a year and a half when all will be āsaid and done.ā ↩︎
āFor All Mankindā Renewed for Season 4 at Apple ā
āFor All Mankindā has been renewed for Season 4 at Apple.
The announcement was made Friday as part of the showās panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Production on the new season is scheduled to begin in August.
Apple has spent a lot of time and money pushing shows like The Morning Show, Severance, and Ted Lasso on their streaming service. For good reason, no doubtātheyāre spectacular (especially the last two). However, For All Mankind, for my money, is their sleeper hit.1
It may not ever develop the same sort of fervent fanbase or be an āof the momentā experience that Ted Lasso has enjoyed. For All Mankind is not a feel-good, inspirational comedy. Itās dramatic sci-fi, which may turn people away. But what it lacks in laughs, it equals in quality and storytelling.
Iām looking forward to traveling the cosmos with this show for another season.
One Billion: Letterboxd Hits Major Movie Milestone ā
One of the two social networks I actually care about1 just hit a major milestone. A billion films were watched and logged in a little over a decade. Thatās an average of 100,000,000 films a year. 273,973 films a day. 11,416 films every hour.
Impressive as hell. Hereās to a billion more!
Netflix Admits Some Shows Wonāt Make It To Ad Tier, In Talks With Studios Over Licensing Deals ā
By Peter White for Deadline:
Netflix plans to launch its advertising tier in early 2023, but not all of the shows that are currently streaming on the service will make the cut.
Obviously, theyāll still be offering all of their original content, as confirmed by the article, but this is a peculiar licensing issue. Either these studios donāt want their shows played with ads or there needs to be a new deal struck anytime the status quo changes. Iām betting on the second one. Rarely are things simple when media companies are involved.
Or thereās some mystery third reason. Your guess is as good as mine there; Iām no industry insider.
Iām certain this ad-supported tier will actually be a boon for Netflixātheir pricing is exceptionally high and this new tier should be far more affordable. Itāll be great for people who can stand ads playing during their shows and movies.
Iām not one of those people.
Limiting the number of available shows probably isnāt going to make someone interested in this new tier think twice about signing up. Itās not going to convince me to downgrade, though. Fewer content options and unskippable ads? That sounds like a nightmare. No thank you, sir!
On top of all this, Netflix has been losing subscribers (albeit at a slower rate than predicted), so Iāll be curious to see how this new shake-up shakes out.
Delete TikTok from app stores, says FCC commissioner to Apple and Google ā
From Ben Lovejoy at 9to5Mac:
An FCC commissioner has called on both Apple and Google to delete TikTok from their respective app stores, giving the companies until July 8 to respond. [ā¦]
The lengthy four-page letter says that TikTok is not a video-sharing app, but a āsophisticated surveillance toolā for the Chinese government ā¦
Thatās a pretty damning but unsurprising development in the continuing U.S. vs. TikTok skirmish. Where it concerns this issue, the next week and a half is going to be interesting. I imagine itās relatively rare that the U.S. government passes such a weighty edict to companies like Apple and Google (although thatās undoubtedly going to become more frequent).
These days, it also feels rare for the federal government to do much of anything beneficial. Iāll admit that recent events have left me feeling bitter about the whole organization. One need also only look back at the previous administration, and its FCC chairman,1 to form a clear understanding of my disillusionment and that of many others.
However, considering what was detailed in the the BuzzFeed News report that the FCC letter references, this feels like a positive step.
For years, TikTok has responded to data privacy concerns by promising that information gathered about users in the United States is stored in the United States, rather than China, where ByteDance, the video platform’s parent company, is located. But according to leaked audio from more than 80 internal TikTok meetings, China-based employees of ByteDance have repeatedly accessed nonpublic data about US TikTok users. [ā¦]
Despite a TikTok executiveās sworn testimony in an October 2021 Senate hearing that a āworld-renowned, US-based security teamā decides who gets access to this data, nine statements by eight different employees describe situations where US employees had to turn to their colleagues in China to determine how US user data was flowing. US staff did not have permission or knowledge of how to access the data on their own, according to the tapes.
Iāve never been so proud and relieved to have not downloaded and given my personal information to an app. Call me a Luddite or out of touch, but at least the dire issue presented in the BuzzFeed report and this subsequent FCC letter has never been a concern for me.
Count me among the people who believe the world would be better off if social media services of the size and scope of TikTok werenāt so easily accessible.
āGoodfellasā Star Ray Liotta Dies at 67 ā
By Mike Fleming Jr.:
Ray Liotta, the terrific actor whose career breakout came in the Martin Scorsese crime classic Goodfellas, has died. Deadline hears he died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the film Dangerous Waters.
[ā¦]
Liotta was 67 years old and leaves behind a daughter, Karsen. He was engaged to be married to Jacy Nittolo.
This is so sad and sudden. He was way too young. My dad died at about this age and I still find myself feeling devastated over the loss of how many more years he should have had. You think, Itās 2022, so shouldnāt we all be living well into our 90s?
Gosh, Liotta was so good.
āSex Educationā Star Ncuti Gatwa Named Next Doctor in āDoctor Whoā ā
By Alex Ritman at The Hollywood Reporter:
Sex Educationās Ncuti Gatwa is to take command of the TARDIS, having been named the new Doctor in the BBCās Doctor Who. He replaces the outgoing Timelord Jodie Whittaker, who unveiled she was leaving last year. Gatwa becomes the first Black actor to play the iconic figure.
āThere arenāt quite the words to describe how Iām feeling. A mix of deeply honored, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared,ā said Gatwa.
Oh my good gosh, Iām the most excited I could possibly be for this news! Ncuti Gatwa has always been one of the standout actors on Sex Education, a show that I adore. Now I get to see more of them in another incredible show? Happy early birthday to me!
Iām very happy for them and I canāt wait to see their take on this monumental character. Gatwa says,
āUnlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart, but I am giving it all to this show.ā
ā¤ļø
Amazon Freevee Orders āBosch: Legacyā Season 2, Inks Disney Movie Licensing Deal ā
Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) announced the pickup of Season 2 of āBosch: Legacy,ā a spin-off of series āBoschā that ran for seven seasons on Prime Video ā ahead of the May 6 premiere of āBosch: Legacyā on the ecommerce giantās free, ad-supported streaming service.
All I care about here is Bosch and now weāre all guaranteed at least two seasons of this new spin-off. Everyone involved seems bullish about this show. Iām glad to hear that it wonāt be a stinker.
And Amazon Freevee is still a silly name. Maybe a little clever if you squint your eyes and look at it sideways, but silly.
Discovery Closes $43 Billion Acquisition of AT&Tās WarnerMedia ā
Discovery completed its $43 billion acquisition of WarnerMedia from AT&T on Friday to form new company Warner Bros. Discovery, Variety has confirmed.
WarnerMedia owns HBO, HBO Max, CNN, Warner Bros., DC Films, New Line Cinema, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Turner Sports and Rooster Teeth, among other brands, and is part owner of the CW Network along with Paramount.
Discovery is the parent of Discovery Plus, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Turbo/Velocity, Animal Planet, Science Channel and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).
Whatās going to happen now will be, to say the least, mysterious and interesting. Hereās hoping that they can keep everything in their respective lanes. I donāt care to see a bunch of gritty, HBO-style reality shows.
āDuneā DP Greig Fraser Wins American Society of Cinematographersā Feature Race ā
Big congratulations to Greig Fraser for this win. His work on Dune was beyond stellar; this award was well-earned.
Iāve loved his unique and affecting work for a long time. Iām glad to see him getting more of the recognition he deserves. Heās also flying high on the success of The Batman these days.
Oscars: American Cinema Editors Urges Academy to Not āReduceā Telecast to āVariety Spectacleā ā
Add the editors to the towering mountain of people and collectives objecting to the Academyās boneheaded decision to prerecord the awards presentation for eight categories.1
From the letter signed and presented by the ACE board of directors:
We believe that true fans of the Oscars donāt want to see an evening celebrating the highest honor in our industry reduced to a buzzy variety spectacle.
Thatās certainly how I feel. The artists have always been the highlights of the show for me. Iām immeasurably less enthusiastic about the too-long musical numbers and ācomedyā sketches. Let me see the stars in their fancy clothes!
Whatās particularly galling to me about this course of action the Academy is taking is how careless it appears to be. The shine of the Oscars show has been wearing off for a long time, but their recent decisions have been tarnishing their reputation.
Case in point, during the upcoming show, there will be a live performance of the song āWe Donāt Talk About Brunoā from the Disney film, Encanto. This song has been something of a phenomenon and live song performances are nothing new during the show. However, the only Encanto song that was nominated for Best Original Song is āDos Oruguitas.ā
Apparently, thereās not enough time to give recognition to the eight snubbed categories equal to all the others, but thereās more than enough time for a song that wasnāt even nominated.
This all paints the picture of an organization that understands itās floundering, but has absolutely no idea how to save itself.
A Tense Zoom Call. Then Shock and Anger as Industry Reacts to Oscar Category Cuts ā
A week ago, Oscar nominees from branches including editing, sound, and makeup and hair [ā¦] were informed that their categories would not air live on the telecast [ā¦]
During a virtual town hall with the nominees from these categories, the Academy dropped that bombshell. I recall this being a potential action in 2019. Back then it was cinematography, film editing, live-action short, and makeup and hairstyling. That idea was quickly nixed due to the rightful outrage it inspired.
Eight categories are set to be spurned come the night of this yearās show; the winners will be given their awards before the broadcast. Theyāll be shown in edited clips sporadically throughout the night. Those slighted categories are:
Instead of featuring better presenters, fewer time-fillers,1 nominating more diverse artists, having fewer commercials, and taking the ego of the organization down several notches, theyāve decided that the real problem is giving air time to too many non-sexy categories.
If the Academy, or ABC (or both for that matter), canāt understand how essential those categories are to the craft of filmmaking, then what are they even doing? Many of them are what made movies into the creative and financial force that they are today. How can the Oscars be considered the truest arbiter of quality in the industry when they keep trying to slight the artists that helped legitimize them in the first place?
I appreciated this opinion made by tv writer Chris Schleicher the first time this nonsense came up:
The Oscars get shit for being elitist but they are one of the only awards shows that televises winners in the craft categories. This decision is reprehensible. Shame on the Academy. Shame on ABC.
Still rings true today.
The adorable love story behind Wikipediaās āhigh fiveā photos ā
A delightful story full of intrepid sleuthing and a great resolution. The charming images throughout the piece are what make the nonsense du jour of the internet worth dealing with.
Finger guns! šš
āSpider-Man: No Way Homeā Takes Down āAvatarā to Become Third-Biggest Movie Ever at Domestic Box Office ā
By Rebecca Rubin at Variety:
After weeks of speculation over whether or not Peter Parker had the legs to bump the people of Pandora from bronze, āSpider-Man: No Way Homeā collected the remaining $1 million on Monday to push āAvatarā ā and its mighty $760.5 million at the North American box office ā to fourth place in the record books.
It would be difficult to overstate how impressive this feat is. Not only has Spider-Man: No Way Home knocked Avatar off its third-place perch, itās done so amid a worldwide pandemic.
Can you imagine how much more of a behemoth this film would be if so many people werenāt feeling hesitant about spending extended time in crowds? Perhaps it could have unseated one of the top five highest-grossing films of all time! As it is, that seems unlikelyāNo Way Home would have to earn another $200 million, and soon, to have a chance of replacing Avengers: Infinity War. Thatās a tall order, suggesting Avatarās monumental lead in this particular metric is safe.1
This is still a neat day, though, and an impressive accomplishment. It couldnāt have happened to a better film.
āFuturamaā Revived at Hulu ā
From Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter:
Nearly 10 years after it signed off, Futurama has been revived for a 20-episode run on Hulu[ā¦]
Iāll take any Futurama that anyone ever wants to give me. It was and continues to be one of the best shows to ever grace television.
Co-creator Matt Groening says:
Itās a true honor to announce the triumphant return of Futurama one more time before we get canceled abruptly again.
A part of me also wonders why this is necessary; the final episode from the original run wrapped things up in the nicest possible way.
UPDATE: It was close, but John DiMaggio is involved, too! Now it can proceed.
āReacherā Renewed for Season 2 at Amazon ā
Per Amazon, the show is already one of their top five most-watched shows of all time[ā¦]
Iām not even two episodes in and Iām already loving this adaptation. Give me all of this Reacher that youāve got, Amazon. Just hook it to my veins!
Apple will charge 27% commission for app purchases made using alternative payment systems in the Netherlands ā
Astonishing.
A quick sampling of the most egregious aspects of this new entitlement:
This all feels childish and despicable, but there’s a clear reason why they’re doing it. Letās couple this story with a look at the Services revenue from the financial results they published on January 27.
(Image from Apple Q1 2022 Results - $123.95 Billion Revenue by John Voorhees at MacStories.)
Notice how Appleās Services revenue has only ever gone up, save for the most minor of dips in Q3 2020.1 This is a 26% increase year-over-year. It’s the largest growing part of the company and a booming business all on its own!
Q1 2022 has been their most successful quarter ever. Quite a feat when the world is still stuck in a COVID mess.
I see the motivations behind Apple’s reaction to the order by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) in two ways:
A bonus third motivation:
Talk about short-sighted and hostile, but then, no company has ever been accused of being sensible, generous, and kind when they’re working with the sort of money Apple makes. This isn’t surprisingāApple’s long been dragging their feet and expending massive amounts of resources to avoid doing anything that will get regulators off their backs. However, it is a disappointing development.
I’m not interested in sideloading apps onto my phone or any of the other potential demands that regulators may make. I’m on Apple’s side when they say those changes will make their devices less secure. There’s a line in the sand to be drawn somewhere.
On the other hand, it’ll be less painful for all of us if they would extend an olive branch and allow apps to link out to sites where payments can be made, sans required commission. I feel confident that would do wonders to help alleviate their increasing and well-earned problems with world governments, even if it may hurt their bottom line.2
But I guess developers of their apps and users of their products aren’t the most important thing to them, and that’s coming from someone who otherwise values this company.
Sidney Poitier Dies: Trailblazing Actor, Civil Rights Activist Was 94 ā
From the article by Greg Evans,
Sidney Poitier, the trailblazing and iconic Black actor, director, civil rights activist and humanitarian, has died, the Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs announced Friday.
Details of his death were not immediately available.
Another very sad loss after yesterdayās story about Peter Bogdanovich. The influence of Sidney Poitier on filmmaking and humanity really canāt be understated. At 94, he had a full and truly remarkable life. We were all better because he was a force in this world.
2022, if youāre listening, please knock it off with this stuff. Itās barely January.
Peter Bogdanovich Dies: āThe Last Picture Showā, āPaper Moonā & āWhatās Up, Doc?ā Director Was 82 ā
From the article by Erik Pederson:
Peter Bogdanovich, the actor, film historian and critic-turned-director of such classics as The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, Whatās Up, Doc? and Mask, died today of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles. He was 82. Family members, who were by his side, said paramedics were unable to revive him.
His daughter, writer-director Antonia Bogdanovich, said of her father: āHe never stopped working, and film was his life and he loved his family. He taught me a lot.ā
This one sucks, but Iām glad to know that he went naturally. We should all be so lucky. I havenāt seen nearly enough of his work, but what I have seen, especially The Last Picture Show, was remarkable.
He was the real deal and had such a wide variety of talents and interests.
UPDATE: Iāve also posted a Title Card entry about The Last Picture Show. Itās a simple and stark title that gets straight to the point and is also reminiscent of when the film was released.
Paul Thomas Anderson: Superhero Movies Havenāt Ruined Cinema ā
In an IndieWire article by Ryan Lattanzio:
I mean, look, weāre all nervous about people getting back to the theater, but you know whatās going to get them back in movie theaters? āSpider-Man.ā So letās be happy about that.
Like a cooling oasis in a desert of bad hot takes about superhero films, Paul Thomas Anderson says that movies and the theatergoing experience will be fine, even if there is more money than ever spent on high budget, blockbuster films. Thereās still room for everybody to play. Indeed, itās the enormous movies like the new Spider-Man film that will allow directors like him to continue doing what he does.
Ruby Rose explains why she left Batwoman, alleges injuries and dangerous working conditions ā
Gabrielle Sanchez, writing for The A.V. Club,
Speaking about her own injuries as Batwoman, Rose explained that she underwent emergency surgery for two herniated discs, with doctors telling her she could have been paralyzed.
The actor said she was required to return to work 10 days after her surgery, with [Warner Bros. TV executive Peter] Roth telling her the crew would lose their jobs and it would cost the studio millions if she did not promptly return. She also alleged Roth hired a private investigator to trail her after she left the show.
And thatās just the tip of the iceberg. Itās a terrible thing to read, and what happened to her is inexcusable. Combined with the recent story about the grotesque treatment Gal Gadot received from Joss Whedon during the reshoots of Justice League, and a clearer picture starts to form. See also: Ray Fisherās hellish time on the same set.
Itās more evident than ever that Warner Bros. and the people running it are rotten to the core. Itās a damn shame. The company has a long history of bringing great entertainment to audiences for decades. I have serious doubts that anything there will change unless they raze it all to the ground and start over again.
David Fincher Announces Surprise Netflix Documentary Film Series āVoirā ā
From House of Cards to Mindhunter to Mank and now a new documentary film series about cinema, Fincher is once again proving himself to be one of the most progressive directors working today. Iām not in the least bit surprised. This man, one of my favorites, has always been at the forefront of filmmaking. His brilliant 2007 film, Zodiac, was one of the first feature films to be captured almost exclusively with a digital video camera, the Thomson Viper FilmStream Camera.1 This was at least a good six years before films shot with digital cameras started to outnumber those shot on film.2
The man likes trying new things.
Contrast this behavior with that of other directors, like Steven Spielberg. In an interview with ITV News, he expressed his distaste for movies made for streaming services being given the same reverence and accolades that movies made first for theatrical screening can receive. He said,
Once you commit to a television format, youāre a TV movie. You certainly, if itās a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar. I donāt believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.
Iām not necessarily saying this venerated, incredible director is wrong. Heās expressing his own opinions, many of which I share. I love seeing a complex, moving film in a dark cinema. Thereās something unique and special about that experience. Furthermore, heās certainly earned the right to comment on and criticize the way corporations have minimized the spectacle of theatrical premieres. Goodness knows that Iām not a legendary filmmaker and a household name.
I would suggest that heās also showing a fair amount of famous person privilege. He shouldnāt forget that he came from nothing. He should also recognize that extremely talented filmmakers, whether they be known now or up and coming, may never achieve the sort of clout necessary to have a film released in theaters. Some of the most brilliant films to ever be made will debut and live only on streaming platforms. It would be a shame if those films didnāt receive the recognition they deserve from the Academy just because they donāt fit Spielbergās idea of what a ārealā film should be. The world would be lesser for it.
I donāt think theaters will ever disappear completely, but itās clear that the filmmaking business and viewers around the world are more interested in streaming their media outside of a theater. Therefore, itās more exciting for me to watch a director āskate to where the puck is going,ā so to speak. Fincher is not someone who has ever shied away from being at the vanguard of new techniques or experiences. Instead of fighting the growth of streaming servicesāa futile battleāhe welcomes them. Heās diving into this new world headfirst. No one will ever be able to accuse him of being stuck in the past. He might still make films that premiere in theaters, but he wonāt do that out of stubbornness and inertia.
Iām excited to see Voir when itās released. It will surely be the product of much attention, talent, and love. That will help further legitimize filmmaking in all its forms, whether it be released in cinemas or on a streaming service.
NYPL Announcement: The Library Is Eliminating Fines ā
Tony Marx, NYPL President:
The New York Public Library is proud to announce a major policy shift: as of today and moving forward, we will no longer charge late fines on overdue circulating materials. In addition, we have cleared all prior late fines and replacement fees from patron accounts so that everyone gets a clean slate at the Library. This is a step towards a more equitable society, with more New Yorkers reading and using libraries, and we are proud to make it happen.
[…]
Some might say fines teach accountability and ethics. I disagree. New Yorkers are quite reliable and responsible, clearly respecting our collections and the need for them to be available for others to borrow. We can reinforce the importance of returning books without attaching a financial burden that targets those most in need. If weāre talking ethics, it is clear to me that the real ethical conundrum lies with pricing our most vulnerable citizens out of using a free, public library system.
We sure could use more institutions that think and act this way, and I hope more follow in the footsteps of the NYPL.1 Punishing those who are least capable of paying something like a library fine, which is not an effective motivator, is not a kind or, as Mr. Marx says, equitable action to take.
Access to knowledge should never come with a price tag.
Joseph Gordon-Levittās āMr. Cormanā Canceled By Apple TV+ After One Season ā
Despite its relatively small catalog, Apple continues to prove that it wonāt hesitate to cancel an underperforming show. A failed show is always a shame, but I will forever prefer quality over quantity.
āThe Suicide Squadā Bows To A Disappointing $26.5 Million; Still Snags Top Spot At The U.S. Box Office ā
By Chris Nashawaty:
Five summers ago, the DC supervillain extravaganza Suicide Squad had a massive $133.7 [million] opening weekend at the North American box office. Despite those eye-popping numbers, critics and audiences were left unimpressed by the film. This weekend, the complete opposite happened: critics and audiences loved its big-budget follow-up, The Suicide Squad, but its theatrical receipts were underwhelming, pulling in just $26.5 million in its debut weekend. In the age of COVID, it appears that up is down, black is white, and blockbusters just aināt what they used to be.
In this case, I feel like ādisappointingā is a word that should only be used by someone who hasnāt been paying any attention to the world for the last year and a half.1 Iām hoping that the people who make the decision to green light a film wonāt read too deep into this sort of misleading headline.
The writerās conclusion is correct. Blockbusters indeed ājust aināt what they used to be,ā but that doesnāt necessarily mean theyāre underperforming. Streaming services donāt often publish clear data about their viewership numbers and COVID has screwed up theatrical revenue. With those two factors in mind, The Suicide Squad, if I had to bet, is by no means a disappointment. To be more accurate, nobody knows yet how to properly gauge a filmās success in a world that values streaming at home over going to the theater.
By the way, I thought The Suicide Squad was amazing and fun. Thereās no question in my mind that itās DCās best film so far. They should never stop throwing gobs of money at James Gunn. š„
Google, Facebook Pressure Falls Short as Antitrust Measures Advance in House Committee ā
Iāll readily admit that I donāt know as much about this burgeoning antitrust legislation as I should. However, does this āAmerican Choice and Innovation Online Actā mean that I have the choice to keep any new Apple device I get largely the same as I have them now? Doesnāt seem like it.
I believe that giving the ability of smaller businesses to fairly compete with larger ones is generally good. Lower the cut Apple takes on sales. Make it easier, i.e., not impossible, to go to a companyās website where I can subscribe to their service. Remove the fear that some developers have over dealing with these large companies. However, donāt throw the word āchoiceā around without understanding and acknowledging that it should cut both ways. I donāt want the overall Apple experience I know and love to be destroyed because, for example, Epic wants its own app store on Appleās devices.
Iāll also readily admit that I may be singing a different tune if I were a software developer working with Appleās platforms. As a consumer, though, Iāve had no problem with my past Apple experiences and would like the ability to keep that going for myself. Thatās my choice.