Apple's week April 30: a slow fold

It's been quite the slow news week for Apple. So little happened that the discussion today echoes a lot of what was being discussed last Friday.

The Artemis II crew returns to earth today, iPhone Fold rumors can't find a middle ground, and we're still dealing with vibe coding apps in the App Store.

Here's the news of the week:

• iPhones had to be approved for travel into space
• At least some of the photos from Artemis are shot on iPhone
• Apple has a history with space
• AI is accelerating bug hunting for better and worse
• iPhone Fold doesn't need to exist
• Pixelmator Pro gets new templates

Slow news week

If any of you have ever tried to create anything with any regularity, you know the pain of running into roadblocks. I'd love nothing more than to come in here every day with some big revelatory idea and close up with a blockbuster newsletter on Friday.

This week just isn't one of those weeks. But that's okay.

I appreciate everyone that reads this little blog each week, so shout out to you all. I'm going to crank out articles at least daily, but as you can see, some weeks are better than others. I really struggled this week to have new ideas every day.

There was also the existential threat of a genocidal attack at the hands of the United States government, so I think I can be forgiven somewhat. I just wanted to put out the reminder that there will be some days that nothing is published. That's either because time didn't allow it, or a topic didn't emerge.

Also, there are times that I write a ton and end up using it for AppleInsider instead. Those are the especially difficult days, because I've already expended my free time on what would be something for here, but ends up there.

That's not a complaint though. I actually quite like that this blog can grease the wheels for articles that can perform well at my real job. So I do hope you all can understand.

Anyway, on to some news.

Rumors keep getting less reliable

I've already spilled plenty of ink on the state of Apple rumors. I firmly believe that Apple's crackdown on leaks and ongoing lawsuits has put a chill on the entire industry.

Ming-Chi Kuo has become a glorified blogger. Majin Bu quit. Lovestodream retired. Fudge is doing their own thing.

What's left is a few no-named leakers, Instant Digital, Focus Digital, and Mark Gurman. We get the occasional bit from Kosutami, but they've never really qualified as a full on leaker.

So, when there's a busy week of leaks, it's usually several similar sources vying for attention. One says something, the other either agrees to boost their own reputation, or disagrees to maintain previous rumors. Either way, it's impossible to know exactly who to believe, history or no history.

Even Mark Gurman at Bloomberg isn't the perfect leaker. I agree with other's assessment that he's got some really good sources, and his incorrect rumors tend to be due to changes in plans more than actual bad information. However, there's also the need for a narrative and a drive to affect the stock market, which colors every report we get.

I'm glad we get what we get from Gurman, but it is important to understand those aspects. Nothing is set in stone until it is. There's no such thing as a leaker with a perfect record.

The iPhone Fold rumors are emblematic of the entire problem.

One leak says to expect a slight delay, then supply chain reports suggest a much bigger delay, so leaker 1 has to double down, which makes other leakers take separate paths. Ultimately, we're left with a pile of contradictory reports and no real actionable information.

But apparently it's enough to move the stock market.

Artificial intelligence is an accelerator

Acceleration isn't always a good thing.

I've previously mentioned the problem with the surge of vibe coded apps flooding the App Store. While I'm glad that it is easier than ever to go from idea to app, there doesn't seem to be anything to stop bad ideas from getting through.

Well, apply the same surge in speed of discovery and implementation to software vulnerabilities and bugs. AI has allowed the discovery and patching of bugs to go much faster, but there's a bottleneck.

While more vulnerabilities are being found, the human coders responsible for patching these issues haven't suddenly gotten faster. So, there's this big influx of needed patches pouring in and not enough patches going into place.

AI has created the perfect opportunity for bad actors.

As users, the only real course of action we can take is updating whenever possible. As cliche as it sounds, the only way to defend against vulnerabilities in a system is to patch them via updates. Yes, even if you don't like Liquid Glass.

A smart home journey

Within the next week or so, I'll begin publishing content related to owning an Apple Home. It took some time to get things off of the ground, mostly because of an injury to my knee, but I'm finally ready to start documenting the process.

The first article I publish will be about the move and some things I did to dismantle and reassemble my smart home. Expect multiple reviews, tips, and updates about implementing smart home products in a house that I own over the coming weeks and months.

I can't promise these will arrive with any regularity, as they mostly depend on products being installed and tested in order to write about them. I'm excited to transform my move into a new home into an opportunity to share what it is like to implement and live in an Apple Home today.