I use ledger [0] for all my personal finances. It's probably a little too nerdy for some folks but works perfectly for me: the combination of plain text [1] and the command line keeps me interested.
I highly recommend ledger for any (easily bored) programmer who wants to track their finances (and learn some basic accounting). Note other flavours exist too [2].
I doubt it's underrated by anybody reading it but worth mentioning nonetheless: Money Stuff by Matt Levine. Brilliant, hilarious coverage of all things money by a former lawyer and banker.
This shouldn't surprise anybody. Anecdotally speaking, most old folks I know (of) watch television, read physical newspapers, and call/write/see people. What do they need the internet for? I'm -- if anything -- surprised the number isn't higher.
Spotify is bundled with mobile phone contracts in the UK - my wife won't even try the Apple Music free trial because it's another UI she has to learn and Spotify is free with her contract. I think that sentence summarises my view of Apple's chances in the market: so long as they (Spotify and others) are slightly cheaper than Apple Music and are friendly with people like the big telcos, I don't see Apple Music adding much more than better branding and higher prices.
1. It is integrated with the Music app. So you can have your existing and Apple Music in the same place. And of course it can be accessed via Siri, Apple Watch etc.
2. The UI is excellent compared to Spotify which is still dreadful after all this time.
3. Beats 1 definitely brings something new. Especially since they are so well connected in the music scene. And of course with Dr Dre being on board you are routinely seeing exclusives not just from him but other people or Iovine know e.g. Compton the Soundtrack.
>2. The UI is excellent compared to Spotify which is still dreadful after all this time.
This was the case in ios a couple years ago but not any longer. I'd argue the UI/UX is much better. It's so easy to queue something up I just swipe the song to the left and if I want to save the song, do left swipe. The only thing with Spotify is you can get buried in menus and have to keep clicking back.
Spotify need to work on an easier way to create and edit playlists - better search within the playlist and an easier UI would be a massive improvement.
Interesting that you mention the Music app in point (1). I understand the argument that having it all in one place and integrated throughout the OS is a benefit. But, I actually think the Music app is way too complicated for the average user. It took me a while to work out what was going on. I also disagree with your point (2) as I think Spotify is pretty simple to understand and use.
Well I am not so arrogant as to speak for users around the world. But they have signed up 11 million in a few weeks so clearly it isn't too much of an impediment.
Spotify is an easy app to use but it has inconsistencies all over the place. Especially when you are saving offline content and the interplay between starred, playlists, and songs/albums.
I disagree with your assertion that "paywalls don't work", which is fundamentally not true. Content produces need to raise revenue to pay for their costs and make a profit. One excellent way to raise this revenue is by raising pay walls. It works for companies like The Times (London), The FT and The Economist. Will you retract this false statement?
What I think you're saying is that "worthless ramblings on the internet aren't (inherently) worth anything and thus no one wants to give them their money willingly", which of course isn't the fault of the paywall but the content.
It comes down to content creation and paying for it. If nobody wants to pay for it then it doesn't get created (unless you're a blogger, or meet your costs in some other way). We shouldn't have any time for people who want to get content for free.
I'm in the unusual position of actually paying for content and use AdBlockers, however I use it because I disagree with tracking on the grounds of consent and privacy. (That said, I will happily disable adblocking for websites who only want to show me banners and not track me.)
Blendle(http://blendle.com) is trying to be the 'micro'-paywall for content providers. After launching in The Netherlands, they have contracts with major German publishers now as well.
I like the idea of micro-payments for interesting, long-form content because there are various journalists I like who work for newspapers I don't subscribe to. I would happily pay for in-depth analysis pieces. I remain hopeful about non-click-bait journalism.
That may be the case in the City (I have images of interns jumping from City skyscrapers in the back of my mind...) but not in the general labour market in my experience. Generally speaking, unless you've committed to something, screwed up, or contracting (£$£$), then you generally leave at the end of your shift or working day. However, I am genuinely intrigued why you think this - could you elaborate? Maybe I'm overworking without even knowing it.
I do work in an investment bank, but it's not a case of interns throwing themselves out of windows. It's more a case of "I'm a professional, and I gave my word I would complete X by a certain date, and if all that takes is a couple of extra hours then I will stay and complete it, rather than be unreliable."
Especially ones that probably won't leave me feeling like I know anything more about the world after finishing. I look forward to the brief HN user summaries over the coming hours.
