Apple Music introduces Replay, your favorite songs of the year

With Apple Music Replay, subscribers will get a playlist of their top songs from 2019, plus playlists for every year you’ve subscribed to Apple Music, retroactively. These can be added to your Apple Music Library, so you can stream them at any time, even when offline. Like any playlist, your Apple Music Replay can also be shared with others, allowing you to compare top songs with friends, for example, or post to social media.

This is a great idea. My Replay lists haven’t shown up yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing them.

What a difference a day (and a new keyboard) makes

If you asked anyone about the MacBook Pro yesterday, the topic would inevitably come around to the keyboard. If you ask someone today, you will get the same topic, but the sentiment has shifted 180 degrees in that 24 hours. […]

Disney+ surpasses 10 million sign-ups in one day

Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, has already seen 10 million sign-ups since launching Tuesday, the company announced Wednesday.

Okay, that is impressive. Even more impressive when you consider that many people had issues signing up for the service. Disney’s service is the one that will attract more families than any other on the market today and I don’t see that changing any time soon. They have as a close to a monopoly on family content as you will see.

Phil Schiller talks new MacBook Pro keyboard

The challenge, says Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, was taking the best of the Magic Keyboard, an accessory designed for desktop computers such as the upcoming Mac Pro, which launches in December, and adapting and evolving it for the new notebook.

“People sometimes underestimate how much work goes into a keyboard, and that’s why most keyboards in the industry don’t change for 10 or 20 years,” Schiller said in an interview. “We decided that while we were advancing the butterfly keyboard, we would also — specifically for our pro customer — go back and really talk to many pro customers about what they most want in a keyboard and did a bunch of research. The team took the time to do the work to investigate, research, explore and reinvent.”

It’s always good to hear about these things directly from execs at Apple. I haven’t tried the new keyboard yet, but I’m looking forward to it. For what it’s worth, I’m one of the people that has had no issues with the butterfly keyboard design.

Vance Powell’s top miking techniques

Ask four-time Grammy-winning producer and engineer Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton, Danger Mouse), a question about mic placement, and you’re just as likely to get an answer about the final mix. See, for the laconic Missouri native and former front-of-house engineer, selecting and setting up microphones, and arranging how and where the players will stand during a session is all part and parcel of creating a virtual soundstage that’ll go on to form the basis of a song’s sonic image.

Vance is one of my favorite engineers. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with him on a number of occasions and his commitment to getting things just right is impressive.

The Dalrymple Report: Apple TV+ and HomePod

Dave and I talk about Apple TV+ and the strategy Apple has for releasing new shows. We also follow-up on some HomePod problems.

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AirPods Pro Hands On

I picked up my AirPods Pro earlier this week and have spent my time using them for listening to music, podcasts, and fiddling around with the new noise cancellation feature. I will say there is a lot going on with these new headphones—much more than I first suspected. […]

Apple names five executives to VP

In the past month, the company named Paul Meade a vice president of hardware engineering, Jon Andrews a vice president of software engineering, Gary Geaves to a new vice president of acoustics role, and Kaiann Drance as a vice president of marketing.

The Cupertino, California-based technology giant also brought back Bob Borchers, a former iPhone executive who recently worked at Google and Dolby Laboratories Inc. Borchers is now a vice president of marketing.

That’s a good list of people now in lead roles at Apple. I’m especially happy for Kaiann—well deserved.

Apple reports $64 billion fourth quarter revenue

Apple on Wednesday reported revenue of $64 billion for the company’s fiscal fourth quarter. This represent an increase of two percent over the year ago quarter and the highest fourth quarter revenue ever for the company.

Apple announces AirPods Pro

Apple on Monday announced AirPods Pro, the latest version of the company’s wireless headphones. The AirPods will have a new design and other features that set them apart.

The Dalrymple Report: Catalina, iOS and Alexa, Google security

There have been many complaints about the new versions of macOS and iOS since their release. Dave and I talk about that, as well as looking at the security of Google and Amazon’s voice assistant products.

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Tim Cook’s interview with People

Six years ago, Tim Cook, who took the reins at Apple after the death of its founder, Steve Jobs, called renowned CNN anchor Anderson Cooper to set up a meeting with him. Cook was about to make a decision that would reverberate around the world and he wanted Cooper’s advice. “My style is when I’m doing something complex that I’ve never done before, I always try to make a list of those people who have come before and approach this point,” he shares. What he was doing was much more complex. Cook, 59, had decided to publish a column where he would share with the world that he was gay, making him the first, and until then only, leader of a Fortune 500 company to come out of the closet. Five years later, speaking slowly and with a slight smile, he says: “I have not regretted it for one minute. Not at all.”

What he was doing was much more complex. Cook, 59, had decided to publish a column where he would share with the world that he was gay, making him the first, and until then only, leader of a Fortune 500 company to come out of the closet. Five years later, speaking slowly and with a slight smile, he says: “I have not regretted it for one minute. Not at all.”

I have a lot of respect for Tim, as the CEO of Apple, and as a person.

Former Apple lawyer charged with insider trading

The government in its indictment alleges that Levoff used inside information from Apple, including financial results before they were published, to trade Apple stock. He’s facing six counts of securities fraud and six counts of wire fraud.

He only realized just over $500,000 with the insider information, which hardly seems worth the effort for someone in his position. The real irony is that he was in charge of making sure employees didn’t do insider trading. Oomph.

Tesla overtakes GM as most valuable U.S. automaker

Tesla Inc shares soared 17% on Thursday after the electric carmaker surprised Wall Street by delivering on Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s promise of a profit in the third quarter, even as doubts remained about its long-term prospects.

The more impressive thing is that Musk was able to deliver a profit.

The Dalrymple Report: China, Catalina, and Musicals

It’s been a rough week for Apple in China. Dave and I talk about that, some problems with macOS Catalina, and how much I hate musicals.

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Get Winclone 8, now updated for Catalina [Sponsor]

Thanks to Twocanoes Software for sponsoring The Loop this week. Winclone 8 is a complete solution for backing up, migrating, and deploying Windows 10 on a Mac. You spent a ton of time getting your Windows setup just right, and Winclone makes sure that you can get back to that same setup. Winclone creates an image of your Boot Camp partition, including all Windows system files, applications, and data. If you have a failed update, bad drive, or ransomware attack in Windows, you can quickly restore your Winclone backup and you are back up and running. Winclone 8 now fully supports Catalina.

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macOS Catalina and 64-bit

Apple on Monday released macOS Catalina, the newest operating systems for the company’s Macs. While there is a wealth of new features in the latest version, Catalina is also the first macOS to require 64-bit apps. […]

The Dalrymple Report: Night Mode and Apple Watch

Dave and I talk this week about the iPhone 11 and Night Mode when taking pictures. We also look at the new Apple Watch and what’s important to me about using the device.

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Review: iPhones 11

I remember writing iPhone reviews with the focus usually on whether the device was powerful enough to get through our daily routines. We are so far past that point now; it’s not even a consideration for me anymore. However, there are a lot of other things to look at in the new iPhone 11, Pro, and Pro Max. […]

The Dalrymple Report: A look at the iPhones 11

I’ve been using the new iPhones for a few days, so Dave and I took some time to talk about some of the new features.

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Apple VP of communications Steve Dowling is leaving the company

“After 16 years at Apple, countless keynotes, product launches and the occasional PR crisis, I’ve decided that the time is right for me to step away from our remarkable company,” wrote Dowling. “This is something that has been on my mind for a while, and it came into sharp focus during the latest — and for me, last — launch cycle. Your plans are set and the team is executing brilliantly as ever. So, it’s time.”

In a statement, Apple said of Dowling’s departure: “Steve Dowling has been dedicated to Apple for more than 16 years and has contributed to the company at every level through many of its most significant moments. From the first iPhone and App Store to Apple Watch and AirPods, he has helped tell Apple’s story and share our values with the world. Following another successful product launch, he has decided to leave Apple to spend some much deserved time with his family. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy that will serve the company well into the future. We’re grateful to him for all that he’s given to Apple and wish him the best.”

The move comes right after Apple hosted its annual fall event last week at its Cupertino headquarters, launching the iPhone 11 and its latest iteration of the Apple Watch. Marketing head Phil Schiller will take over Dowling’s role in the interim, and sources said the company will be considering both internal and external candidates to take over the position.

This is an incredible bit of news. I will miss Dowling. I’ve known him for the entire time he was at Apple, and he’s always been very upfront, honest, and helpful. All the best.

It’s interesting that Apple is looking internally and externally for a replacement. With Apple the way it is, I think it would be very hard to find someone outside that could fill that role the way Apple expects it to be done. I honestly don’t know if that would work out for them.

The Dalrymple Report: A look at the Apple event

Dave and I took a few minutes to talk about the behavior of The New York Times reporter on Twitter, but quickly moved on to discussing all of the products Apple introduced at its event this week.

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The New York Times shaming of a crying reporter is shameful

Apple events are interesting in many ways. We get to see the new products from Apple, obviously, but we also talk with other reporters and analysts about where the various markets are heading. For one New York Times reporter, Jack Nicas, it’s an opportunity to shame other people. […]

iPhone 11 Event Thoughts

I attended the iPhone 11 event this morning in Cupertino, Calif. and was impressed with Apple’s hardware and software releases. I’ll go into more detail in the coming days, including on my podcast, but I wanted to share some things that really stood out to me. […]