This is a fantastic do-it-yourself project, inspiration for the maker in you.
The whole thing is fascinating (if you have that DIY gene) but one bit that sticks out: 2:39 in, where Scott has the epiphany to use an iPad mini instead of a small HDMI display. The length of the iPad mini is exactly the same as the width of the Mac mini. Coincidence? Intentional on Apple’s part?
Apple:
Epic in scope and intimate in tone, the story begins with a forbidden love and crescendos into a saga that journeys between Korea, Japan and America to tell an unforgettable story of war and peace, love and loss, triumph and reckoning.
An 8-episode series, premiering on March 25th with 3 episodes, then 1 new episode a week.
Watch the trailer, embedded below. Based on The New York Times bestselling book. Looks fantastic.
Rene Ritchie had the chance to interview Sumbul Desai, MD, Vice President of Health at Apple.
The entire interview is interesting, especially the way Rene lays out detailed Health tracking scenarios, pulls together background info/footage as lead-ins that allow Dr. Desai to lay out Apple’s Health efforts.
Apple:
Apple Original Films today announced that audience favorite “CODA” will be re-released in theaters for a limited theatrical run following its history-making Academy Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Picture. The film will be presented in major cities across the U.S. and London, free of charge and with open captions.
The free showings are this weekend only, starting Friday. Follow this link to find the theater nearest you.
And if you are in Los Angeles:
Audiences at a special showing in Los Angeles will have the opportunity to be part of a live Q&A with the cast and writer/director Siân Heder, which will have translators in ASL.
Since the showings are free, presumably Apple has to pay the theaters for the privilege.
Interesting that Apple chose this weekend for the showings. It’s a month until Oscar voting closes (March 22nd). But CODA is also nominated for 12 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards, and SAG voting closes at the end of this weekend. Two birds. One stone.
If you find it hard to search for content on Netflix, follow the headline link and start scrolling through the list of genre/subgenre codes (like 3269, which is the code for Independent thrillers).
Once you find a genre that interests you, click on the link (or go to https://netflix.com/browse/genre/XXX, where XXX is the genre code — In the example above, you’d go to https://netflix.com/browse/genre/3269).
Cool.
Sultans of Swing (original video here, Apple Music here) is a darling of Classic Rock, a rite of passage for guitar players, a song that demands to be covered.
The cover embedded below is one of my favorites. The sound is clean, the performance laid back and down-tempo, but the guitar work is right on the money. There’s a lot to enjoy here, especially the fade out at the end, not by turning a knob, but by lowering voices, softening the touch.
Love the guitars themselves. Check out that red Strat. Are those marks on the first few frets the sign of well worn finger placement? And don’t miss that reel-to-reel in the background.
Shout out to Kevin Hoctor for the share.
Another excellent Apple Support video. This one walks through the process of syncing your Apple TV watching experience with other folks on a FaceTime call.
Interesting that the Mac is not mentioned, even though SharePlay via FaceTime was introduced in macOS Monterey 12.1, as described here.
No matter, good to see the SharePlay process in action. Well done.
UPDATE: Note that everyone on the SharePlay needs to be in the same Apple Store Region (no simultaneous watching with folks from UK and US, say). [H/T Samir Estefan]
Crypto rivals Coinbase and FTX spent big on these two Super Bowl ads (first two videos embedded below). Clearly, the Coinbase ad (with its floating, corner-seeking QR code) was incredibly successful, as it saw the Coinbase ad shoot from 186th place on the App Store all the way to 2nd place. More importantly, it overwhelmed the Coinbase servers:
https://twitter.com/surojit/status/1493031594109538304
Interestingly, from all the NFL and Super Bowl crypto hype, the NFL prohibits crypto, as covered in The Athletic:
“Clubs are prohibited from selling, or otherwise allowing within club controlled media, advertisements for specific cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, other cryptocurrency sales or any other media category as it relates to blockchain, digital asset or as blockchain company, except as outlined in this policy,” according to the new guidelines, as read by a team official, who requested anonymity.
Another ad that stuck out in yesterday’s ad-apalooza was the Meta/Facebook Oculus ad (Third embed below). Quality of the ad aside, it’s interesting that the Facebook brand is completely absent (gives me a feeling that peak Facebook is in the past) and that Meta is betting its future on its take on the future of VR.
Whets my appetite to see what AR/VR device Apple has up its sleeve. Four months until WWDC.
Fantastic trailer for Pixar’s “Lightyear”. Was expecting a Toy Story look and feel. Very different than that. It’s about the fictional astronaut who inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy.
Also, Buzz is voiced by Captain America, Chris Evans. Coming June 17th.
Rene Ritchie interviews Erik Neuenschwander, Head of User Privacy at Apple. Terrific conversation, filled with detail.
If nothing else, jump to 1:25 and listen to Rene lay out a wide variety of privacy aspects that Apple has to address. Very interesting.
Not sure if this has ever happened before, but Apple has posted the complete first episode of the new Apple TV+ series “The Afterparty” on YouTube (embedded below). No Apple TV+ subscription required.
The show has a nice Rashomon spin to it, with each episode told from a different characters point of view. Looking forward to watching the entire thing.
Have to wonder if this is a one-off or if Apple will post the first episode of all new series in this way (licensing agreements allowing). I think it’s a great experiment, terrific way to draw in new viewers.
Another clear, concise video from Apple Support. This one digs through the “Notify When Left Behind” options and setup. Definitely worth sharing with folks you tech support.
Rene Ritchie:
Lightning has pretty much been stuck at USB2’s half a gigabit per second, since… 2012.
And:
You can now record the highest quality video of any phone on the planet, you just can’t get it off any faster than the cheapest phone on the block.
That’s the speed issue, an issue (as Rene points out) that impacts a small subset of iPhone users. But combine that with an issue that impacts a huge number of iPhone users (anyone with, say, a modern iPad): That blasted need for two different cables, Lightning for your iPhone, USB-C for your iPad.
Rene does a nice job laying all this out (watch the video embedded below). As usual, a firehose of detail, but easy to follow, especially with the edited for clarity transcript in the linked post, if reading is more your style.
I’m a big Jon Hamm fan. Great comic timing, self deprecating to a fault.
The new Apple TV+ ad (embedded below) had to have been written with him in mind. He hits all the right marks, lets Apple brag about the array of stars they’ve brought to Apple TV+ without seeming to brag.
And the entire time, he never says the words Apple TV+, or even Apple TV. Just Apple. Perfect.
Apple:
Kick off the Year of the Tiger with the story of a father, a son and a forgotten village with an out-of-this-world dream. Apple and director Zhang Meng present their latest Chinese New Year film “The Comeback”.
Pretty good story, some great practical effects. Don’t miss the “making of” video embedded below. I’d definitely watch them in order, the bigger the screen the better, makes the subtitles easier to read.
Jump to 16:57 in (assuming it doesn’t start there automatically), where Steve Jobs talks about this new thing called podcasting. He’s in rare form here. Very interesting to watch.
Apple:
Apple TV+ today unveiled the teaser trailer and premiere date for “WeCrashed,” a highly anticipated new limited series from Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello, based on the hit Wondery podcast “WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork” and starring Academy Award and SAG Award winners Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.
And:
The series is inspired by actual events — and the love story at the center of it all. WeWork grew from a single coworking space into a global brand worth $47 billion in under a decade. Then, in less than a year, its value plummeted. What happened?
Wonder how long “Academy Award winner” will continue to be a big selling point for a series. Oscar viewing is sliding, so many other awards sucking attention away. Presumably, Oscar winners add a lot to the cast budget. Worth it?
No matter. Looking forward to this. First episode drops March 18th. Eight episodes and done. Trailer embedded below.
Amazon:
Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
The most expensive series ever made, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series is scheduled to launch September 2nd. Takes place before the Peter Jackson movie series. Filmed in New Zealand. Entire first season wrapped filming last summer.
Check out the trailer below. A teaser, just a bit of moody voice over, but exciting to me nonetheless.
And don’t miss this article (H/T Matt Londre) about the making of this trailer using practical effects and real fire.
This looks terrific. First episode drops February 18th. Looks like Severance is already picked up for a second season. Great cast.
Reminder set.
Hollywood Reporter:
Given Scott’s steady productivity and workmanlike approach over a 45-year film career, it’s easy to forget that he is responsible for a remarkable string of culture-defining movies, from genre groundbreakers like Alien and Blade Runner to the intimate female buddy picture Thelma & Louise, to epics like Black Hawk Down, Gladiator and The Martian.
And, of course, that groundbreaking 1984 ad that introduced the Macintosh to the world (embedded below).
My absolute favorite bit from the linked interview:
His most famous ad is Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl spot introducing the Macintosh computer, regarded as one of the most influential ads of all time. When the agency, Chiat/Day, pitched Ridley on directing a spot for Apple, he thought they were talking about The Beatles. “They said, ‘No, no, no. Apple is this guy called Steve Jobs.’ I went, ‘Who the fuck is Steve Jobs?’
Who, indeed. Love this.
The series drops starting February 4th. I’ve definitely added this one to my watch list. Has a bit of a “Defending Jacob” vibe, an early Apple TV+ series I loved.
Yesterday was the 15 year anniversary of that fantastic Steve Jobs iPhone announcement (video embedded below).
One of my favorite “iPhone is never going to succeed” quotes and, I believe, the origin of the John Gruber coined “claim chowder” is this, from then Palm CEO Ed Colligan:
Responding to questions from New York Times correspondent John Markoff at a Churchill Club breakfast gathering Thursday morning, Colligan laughed off the idea that any company — including the wildly popular Apple Computer — could easily win customers in the finicky smartphone sector.
“We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone,” he said. “PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.”
I love this quote. Turns out, as Gruber points out in the headline linked post, the original quote was slightly different. If the Gruber claim chowder quote means anything to you, check out the slightly revised quote so you get your bit of history right.
Also, don’t miss that bit in the video below, right at 3:49 (and captured in this tweet), where Steve shows off his sense of humor.
Nice little bit of nostalgia for long time Mac users.
The first bit of this video is pretty straight-forward. Launch Find My, then tap Find.
But watch the video all the way through. There are subtleties (like the left and right buttons in the upper left) and details on activating Lost Mode.
Not rocket science, but better to be familiar with the process now, less stress when you can’t find your AirPods and that frantic search begins.
Apple Support continues to knock it out of the Park.
This video focuses on the details on setting up dual SIMS, some combination of physical SIM card or eSIM. Incredibly useful if you have two lines or plan on traveling abroad.
Watch the ad, embedded below.
In my mind, this might be the most powerful ad Apple has ever released.
First, there’s the cry for help, people in obvious danger. Then there’s the visuals, suggesting the scene of the accident, without direct footage, but perfectly chosen. And, finally, those background strings, swelling the tension. So very well done.
Great. Just great. Ate up every bit of this, like a crackling, warm fire on a cold, snowy night.
Apple:
Today, Apple TV+ announced “El Deafo,” a charming and poignant three-part animated series for kids and families. Based on the No. 1 New York Times best-seller and Newbery Honor-winning graphic memoir, all episodes of “El Deafo” will premiere Friday, January 7, 2022 on Apple TV+.
And:
“El Deafo” follows perceptive young Cece (voiced by Finigan) as she loses her hearing and finds her inner superhero. Going to school and making new friends can be tough. Having to do both while wearing a bulky hearing aid on your chest? That takes superpowers! With a little help from her superhero alter ego El Deafo, Cece learns to embrace what makes her extraordinary.
Watch the trailer below. Love the story premise, the normalization, representation. Love that all the episodes are dropping at once, too.
In a million years I would not have figured this one out. Watch the video below, see if you agree. This is some pretty low discoverability.
That said, props to the Apple Support team for making this video. Very well explained.
If you are at all interested in the state of self driving cars, this is worth watching. First off, Tesla’s Full Self Driving mode is amazing to watch. A bit nerve-wracking if you are a passenger, but amazing nonetheless.
Scroll through the chapter titles (hover over the progress bar) to get a sense of the highlights. Do not miss Take Over Immediately (about 2:52 in), and Pedestrian Enters Road (about 8:09) – that pedestrian actually had the right of way, followed by a turn into some railroad tracks.
My takeaway from this is, Full Self Driving is incredibly sophisticated, can handle the vast majority of situations safely. But it needs a consistent score of 100%, zero mistakes, before it’s truly road-ready, yeah?