∞ Google For China Developers
👏❤️😱 China developers no longer need to circumvent The Great Firewall to access those resources!
∞ Fundamental Truths
There are other views of technology, other measures of impact, other categories and boundaries or options I can’t even imagine that have been thought of by others years ago and will be thought of and employed by those in the future. But my point is that we all need to be thinking about technology very deeply from many different angles—including, and especially, from angles where any particular technology itself is tangential. The physical gadget is cool and interesting, the user interface is bright and attractive, the business is sound, the catch phrase interesting, and the progression is impressive but what are the fundamental truths addressed? How are those leveraged? How are humans as a species impacted?
Great article by Rebekah Cox.
∞ State of Startups 2016
First Round Capital did State of Startups this year again. These are amazing insights from over 700 founders. Here I want to highlight one of them:
[Men and women disagree on the cause of tech’s diversity problem.](http://stateofstartups.firstround.com/2016/#highlights-diversity-problem
∞ Unity’s Xiaomi Deal Will Offer Developers Unparalleled Access to China’s Mobile Games Market
Craig Chapple reporting for Pocker Gamer:
The Chinese firm will also provide support when negotiating local licensing terms to help devs get through the red tape that makes it difficult for games companies outside of China to operate in the country.
Great news. However, I don't know what it means for indies. Xiaomi will provide support for license negotiations. How much support? How much does it cost?
Developers can also enable Unity Ads – the first time a third-party ad network has been enabled on any Chinese Android app stores.
How does censorship work?
∞ Snapchat’s New Spectacles Store in New York City
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
∞ Apple Said to Abandon Development of Wireless Routers
Mark Gurman reporting for Bloomberg:
Apple Inc. has disbanded its division that develops wireless routers, another move to try to sharpen the company’s focus on consumer products that generate the bulk of its revenue, according to people familiar with the matter.
Well, that simplifies the decision on a future router when my current Apple AirPort Extreme stops working.
Workflow 1.6
Workflow was released today:
Workflow 1.6 Release Notes
It brings a new workflow gallery:
Workflow Gallery
Workflow 1.6 is available on the App Store.
∞ After Acquiring Uber, Didi To Stop Foreigners From Using It
Zheping Huang reporting for Quartz:
Didi has also removed the app’s English-language interface, as well as the option to pay with foreign credit cards.
Didi has also made other changes to the app. Uber users in China now call a customer service hotline to leave complaints, rather than sending them to a support division from inside the app.
At the time of the acquisition, Didi said that Uber China would “maintain independent branding and business operations to ensure stability and continuity of service for passengers.” Yet recent changes in both the app and Uber China’s staff suggest that this independence is fast-disappearing.
Shame.
∞ China’s Driverless Trucks Are Revving Their Engines
Will Knight reporting for MIT Technology Review:
He (Xiaodi Hou, CTO of TuSimple) says there is effectively no restriction on testing self-driving systems in China currently, and he believes the government will be supportive because it wants to see the trucking industry improve.
TuSimple is collecting data aboard a number of manually driven trucks. The company aims to demonstrate the technology in the first quarter of next year, and to have a commercial demonstration in 2018.
And
Across China, around 7.2 million trucks and 16 million drivers are responsible for intercity transportation of goods, according to figures provided by TuSimple. This industry is worth more than $300 billion, and drivers account for around 40 percent of the costs incurred by truck companies. Some long-distance trips across China require two or even three drivers to complete.
∞ Super Mario Run Will Be Priced At $9.99
From Business Wire:
The first-ever mobile game featuring the most iconic video game hero of all time goes on sale for iPhone and iPad on Dec. 15 in United States time zones. Super Mario Run can be downloaded from the App Store at no cost, and players can try elements of the game’s three modes for free. Once the game has been downloaded, a one-time payment of $9.99 (United States price) will grant unlimited access to each of the three modes in this release.
I'm slightly disappointed that it's not $19.99 or even $14.99.