Best of Apple — 2025

  1. 1
    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·36w

    Apple has a private CSS property to add Liquid Glass effects to web content

    Apple has developed a private CSS property called `-apple-visual-effect` that enables Liquid Glass effects in web content within iOS apps. The property supports various system materials including the new glass effects from iOS 26, but requires enabling a private WKPreferences setting called `useSystemAppearance`. While this feature can't be used in App Store apps due to its private nature, it suggests Apple is using webviews with native UI integration in their own applications without users realizing it.

  2. 2
    Article
    Avatar of dhhDavid Heinemeier Hansson·1y

    Age is a problem at Apple

    Apple's board and executive team have a high average age, with board members averaging 68 years old and executives around 60. The post argues that this older leadership might be out of touch with current trends and technologies, as illustrated by recent issues with AI features. In comparison, Meta's board has a younger average age, highlighting a potential difference in leadership dynamics.

  3. 3
    Article
    Avatar of dhhDavid Heinemeier Hansson·35w

    The great falls of Boeing, Intel, and Apple

    A critical analysis of how major tech companies like Boeing, Intel, and Apple have declined after appointing CEOs without engineering or product backgrounds. The author argues that it takes approximately ten years for company culture to deteriorate under non-technical leadership, citing specific examples of failed products and strategic missteps at each company. The piece advocates for technical leaders who understand the products they oversee rather than purely business-focused executives.

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    Article
    Avatar of techcentralTechCentral·46w

    What Steve Jobs feared is now the tech industry’s reality

    The tech industry is experiencing intense AI talent wars with companies offering massive compensation packages up to $300 million over four years, a stark contrast to the 2005-2007 era when Steve Jobs and other tech leaders illegally colluded to suppress wages through no-poach agreements. This shift has created internal tensions within companies as traditional compensation structures are disrupted, forcing leaders to appeal to employees' sense of mission rather than relying on restrictive hiring practices.

  5. 5
    Article
    Avatar of communityCommunity Picks·47w

    Liquid Glass, but in CSS

    A detailed technical breakdown of recreating Apple's new Liquid Glass design language using CSS and SVG filters. The implementation involves multiple layers including specular highlights with box-shadow, backdrop blur and color filters, SVG displacement maps for refraction effects, and chromatic aberration simulation. The technique requires advanced CSS filter knowledge and has significant browser compatibility limitations, working primarily in Chrome with performance considerations for GPU usage.

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·30w

    Boring Is What We Wanted

    Reflects on five years since the M1 Mac launch, arguing that predictable, incremental chip updates represent success rather than stagnation. The transition to Apple silicon eliminated the performance-efficiency trade-off that plagued Intel Macs, delivering consistent improvements in speed, thermal management, and battery life. Critics calling recent M-series updates "boring" miss the point—steady, regular progress was exactly what users wanted after years of unpredictable hardware cycles and thermal issues during the PowerPC and Intel eras.

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·21w

    I switched to eSIM in 2025, and I am full of regret

    eSIM technology is replacing physical SIM cards in modern smartphones, with Google's Pixel 10 series becoming the latest to drop the physical SIM slot. While eSIMs save space and allow multiple profiles, the transition has proven frustrating for users accustomed to easily swapping physical SIM cards. Apple pioneered the eSIM-only approach with the iPhone 14, though the space savings have been modest—around 8 percent more battery capacity. The shift represents a significant change in how mobile subscribers manage their phone service, moving from removable cards to programmable, soldered components.

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·37w

    How did MVC get so F’ed up?

    The Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern has been misunderstood and misimplemented over the years. The original Smalltalk MVC design keeps models completely unaware of views and controllers, using observer patterns for communication. Modern implementations, particularly Apple's Cocoa version, have corrupted this by making controllers act as intermediaries and creating tightly coupled view-controllers. True MVC requires observable models that can notify multiple views of changes, with the key insight being that models should never depend on their UI components. The pattern works as a composite where views can have their own models, and even function arguments should be treated as observable models to properly enable/disable UI elements.

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    Article
    Avatar of dhhDavid Heinemeier Hansson·36w

    Apple has no one left who can say no

    Apple's leadership crisis is evident in failed projects like the $10 billion Project Titan car initiative and the buggy CarPlay Ultra release. The company lacks decisive leadership to maintain quality standards, with products shipping despite significant performance issues like 12fps lag and system crashes. This reflects a broader organizational problem where quarterly earnings take precedence over product excellence, contrasting with founder-led companies that typically maintain higher quality standards.

  10. 10
    Video
    Avatar of fireshipFireship·1y

    Apple Intelligence rolled back after doing dumb stuff...

    Apple has temporarily disabled its AI news summary feature due to hallucinations of false events. Mark Zuckerberg faced criticism for suggesting AI can replace mid-level engineers at Meta, which led to layoffs of low performers. Elon Musk's credibility was questioned over allegedly using a boosted account to rank highly in online games. Nintendo's stock dropped after the launch of the Switch 2, and TikTok faces a potential ban in the U.S. if ByteDance doesn't sell it by January 19th.

  11. 11
    Article
    Avatar of dhhDavid Heinemeier Hansson·1y

    The Year on Linux

    Switching from Apple to Linux, Neovim, and Framework felt challenging initially but ultimately liberating. While the author believes Linux might be ideal for developers, they acknowledge that personal preferences, resistance to change, and practical needs are valid reasons to stick with Apple. Advocacy for such transitions should be modest as pushing too hard can generate resentment.

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·32w

    Liquid Glass Is Cracked, and Usability Suffers in iOS 26

    iOS 26's new Liquid Glass visual language prioritizes aesthetics over usability, introducing translucent UI elements that obscure content, animated buttons that distract users, and smaller tap targets that violate established guidelines. The update breaks long-standing iOS conventions by moving search to the bottom, removing breadcrumbs from back buttons, and adopting Android-style design patterns. Controls now appear and disappear unpredictably, making the interface harder to learn. The emphasis on visual effects creates readability issues with text overlaying images and other text, while constant animations compete for attention instead of supporting content.

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    Article
    Avatar of lobstersLobsters·51w

    Physicality: the new age of UI

    A comprehensive exploration of iOS design evolution from skeuomorphic to flat design, leading to a prediction of the next era focused on 'physicality' and dynamic glass-like interfaces. The author analyzes how VisionOS design principles might influence future iOS redesigns, proposing a 'Living Glass' concept where UI elements behave like real materials with dynamic lighting, reflections, and spatial depth. The piece examines the technical and design challenges of implementing such interfaces across Apple's ecosystem.

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    Article
    Avatar of theregisterThe Register·26w

    LisaGUI recreates Apple’s Lisa interface in your browser

    LisaGUI is a JavaScript-based recreation of Apple's Lisa computer interface that runs in browsers. Unlike emulators, it faithfully reproduces the Lisa Office System's unique document-centric approach, where users work directly with stationery templates rather than traditional programs. The project showcases the Lisa's innovative UI concepts that predated the Macintosh, including document-focused workflows without save/load dialogs and a radically different approach to multitasking. The recreation allows developers and enthusiasts to experience the historically significant but commercially unsuccessful system that influenced modern desktop computing.

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    Article
    Avatar of jeffgeerlingJeff Geerling·45w

    Upgrading an M4 Pro Mac mini's storage for half the price

    The M4 Pro Mac mini now has third-party storage upgrade options available. A 4TB upgrade costs $699 compared to Apple's $1,200 option, offering significant savings. The upgrade process involves removing the rear cover, replacing the proprietary SSD module, and performing a DFU restore using another Mac. Performance testing shows the upgraded 4TB module delivers better write speeds than the stock 512GB drive due to more flash chips distributing write activity. The internal storage consistently outperforms external Thunderbolt 5 drives for sustained transfers.

  16. 16
    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·37w

    Liquid Glass in the Browser: Refraction with CSS and SVG — kube.io

    A comprehensive technical guide to recreating Apple's Liquid Glass UI effect using CSS, SVG displacement maps, and physics-based refraction calculations. Covers the mathematical principles of light refraction through Snell's Law, surface function modeling, displacement vector field generation, and SVG filter implementation. Includes interactive simulations and practical UI component examples like magnifying glass, search box, and music player interfaces. Currently Chrome-only due to SVG backdrop-filter limitations.

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    Article
    Avatar of codepenCodePen·49w

    Chris’ Corner: Liquid Ass – CodePen

    The liquid glass design trend is gaining popularity among developers, with CSS implementations using backdrop-filter blur effects to create frosted glass appearances. While visually appealing and demonstrated by Apple in their recent designs, this trend raises accessibility concerns due to poor text contrast ratios. The effect has been around for years but is experiencing renewed interest, with developers creating various implementations and tutorials.

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    Article
    Avatar of lobstersLobsters·1y

    The Cool Blog

    The author's journey with macOS began in school, using machines from iMacs to MacBooks but with limited exploration outside a restrictive environment. Their deeper engagement began with Hackintoshing, starting with a Dell Inspiron that ultimately succeeded post 2020 lockdown. The post covers the intricate details and issues of Hackintoshing, from USB port limits to configuring ACPI patches. Through attempts on multiple laptops, the author shares their challenges and the knowledge gained from making macOS run on incompatible hardware. Despite the end of Hackintoshing looming with Apple's switch to ARM, the author appreciates the learning experience it provided.

  19. 19
    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·37w

    sam henri gold on X: "Did you know your MacBook has a sensor that knows the exact angle of the screen hinge? It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like

    A developer discovered how to access MacBook's hidden screen hinge angle sensor through undocumented methods and created a creative audio application that makes the laptop sound like an old wooden door when opening and closing.

  20. 20
    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·1y

    Badgeify — Add Any App to Your Mac Menu Bar

    Learn how to add any app to your Mac menu bar for easy notification tracking and quick launching. This guide covers solutions for fixing icons disappearing behind the MacBook's notch, including built-in fixes and third-party tools to optimize menu bar layout.

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    Video
    Avatar of youtubeYouTube·45w

    iOS 26 is terrible.

    iOS 26 introduces a controversial 'liquid glass' design inspired by Vision Pro, featuring transparent, glass-like UI elements. The redesign has been criticized for poor visibility, contrast issues, and feeling rushed. The author argues this represents a broader decline in Apple's software quality, comparing it unfavorably to previous major iOS redesigns and suggesting Apple is losing control amid pressure from AI competition.

  22. 22
    Article
    Avatar of jeffgeerlingJeff Geerling·1y

    Don't pay $800 for Apple's 2TB SSD upgrade

    Apple charges $800 to upgrade the Mac mini from 256 GB to 2 TB of storage. Recently, more affordable third-party upgrade kits became available for under $300, offering significant savings. The process involves opening the Mac mini and entering DFU mode using another Apple Silicon Mac. Performance improvements are modest, but the savings are substantial. These upgrade kits are sourced from the same manufacturer and may have delayed shipping during the Chinese New Year.

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    Video
    Avatar of fireshipFireship·1y

    UK demands backdoor for encrypted Apple user data...

    The UK government has issued a technical capability notice to Apple, demanding a backdoor to access users' encrypted iCloud data. The notice, part of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, aims to allow access to private data globally, which could impact all Apple users and other end-to-end encrypted services like Telegram and WhatsApp. Despite Apple's history of protecting user data, it's unclear how they will respond. Users are advised to use encryption, VPNs, and other privacy tools to safeguard their information.

  24. 24
    Article
    Avatar of lobstersLobsters·1y

    The best laptop ever

    The M1 MacBook Air, purchased for just €950, proves to be an incredible machine for light web development, browsing, and emails. Despite its modest 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, it performs admirably and remains quiet and efficient. The author contrasts it with their more expensive M2 MacBook Pro, finding the price difference unjustified for their needs. The post highlights the usefulness of affordable tech that gets the job done without the need for the latest and greatest features.

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    Article
    Avatar of techleaddigestTech Lead Digest·23w

    Proof of Concept

    Succession planning is critical for organizational continuity and long-term impact. Leadership transitions should be prepared years in advance through long shadowing periods where successors gain exposure to key responsibilities. Successful handoffs like Apple's Tim Cook, Microsoft's Satya Nadella, and Nike's Mark Parker share common traits: successors already performed pieces of the job, developed their own style, and were visible to the organization long before the transition. Effective succession requires delegating real responsibility, removing single points of failure, ensuring industry knowledge, and treating it as an adaptive, ongoing process rather than a one-time event.

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