Phil Schiller’s tweet:
November 2016 was a record breaker for the #AppStore – the highest monthly sales ever in App Store history!
No matter the ebbs and flows of iPhone and iPad sales, the ecosystem continues to grow steadily.
Apple
Apple releases annual ‘Best of’ lists highlighting top apps, movies, music, TV, and more of 2016
Chance Miller, 9to5Mac:
As it does every year, Apple today has put together its end-of-the-year “Best of” sections on the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBooks Store. The sections are meant to highlight the best content of the year across various categories. For instance, Apple has named photo editing app “Prisma” as the iPhone App of the Year.
Moving down the list, Apple has named “Clash Royale” iPhone Game of the Year, while “Severed” has been named iPad Game of the Year. “Sketchbook Motion,” meanwhile, has been named iPad App of the Year.
There are lists for Apps of the Year, Games of the Year, and things Drake has done…er…Song and Album of the Year.
Apple says iPhones safe despite China ‘fires’
BBC News:
Eight users have complained to Shanghai’s consumer watchdog that their iPhone 6 series handsets spontaneously combusted or exploded.
The US tech giant said it had conducted tests on the devices and had found “no cause for concern with these products”.
One technology analyst told the BBC she did not believe it to be a widespread problem.
And, most importantly:
Apple said the iPhones had external physical damage “which led to the thermal event”.
Milking the iPhone
Neil Cybart, Above Avalon:
It feels like cracks are forming at Apple’s edges. The company is straining to push out hardware updates. Supply issues are getting worse. Apple is reportedly moving away from selling beloved products like stand-alone displays and wireless routers. Meanwhile, Microsoft, Amazon, and Snap are gaining buzz with new niche hardware while Apple appears to be hanging back and resting on its laurels.
Something feels off with Apple, and the blame is increasingly pointed at Tim Cook. I suspect these feelings are a result of Cook betting now is the time to milk the iPhone. Apple is doubling down on the iPhone to build one of the world’s most formidable tech ecosystems, and few are taking notice.
Not sure I agree with the title here. The term “milking” gives a sense that Apple is spinning its wheels, doing nothing but sucking every bit of juice it can get out of the iPhone line. But if you read the rest of the article, it’s clear that this is all about expanding and fortifying the iPhone ecosystem, something Tim Cook has done spectacularly well.
Thoughtful read, well worth the time.
Steve Jobs showing off the same features in NeXTSTEP and OS X
[VIDEO]: I love this video. Fascinating to see the original version of each of these features, watch each evolve. Nice find by Stephen Hackett.
Use your Apple Watch to find your iPhone in the dark
I knew that you could use your Apple Watch to make your iPhone ping. Did not know about making it fire its flash. Good to know.
UPDATE: Great add-on suggestion from Rich Fletcher:
A quieter way to find your iPhone with Apple Watch in the dark is to open the camera app on the watch, which turns on phone screen.
How to create holiday cards in Photos for Mac
Apple has been offering a path to custom greeting cards for a long time. Memory serves, Apple’s original iCard service disappeared back in 2013, finding a new home in iPhoto and then Photos.
In the linked article, Lesa Snider, writing for Macworld, walks you through the process. Pass this along.
Some 2016 MacBook Pros suffering USB drive problems
Jeff Porten, TidBITS:
If you’re using or considering buying one of the new MacBook Pro models with the Touch Bar (see “New MacBook Pros Add Context-sensitive Touch Bar,” 27 October 2016), be aware that some people are seeing their machines shut down repeatedly and unexpectedly. The problem might be with external hard drives connected via Thunderbolt 3’s USB-C ports, which is, of course, the only way to connect them.
I began researching this after I was unable to copy a large number of files from one external USB drive to another using my new MacBook Pro. The copy was going to take a long time regardless, but when I came back to check on its status, my laptop was powered off and I had to start it up again manually. Restarting the copy additional times resulted in similar shutdowns.
In my case, I was presented with an error message telling me about the shutdown, with the messages “CPU Machine Check Architecture Error Dump” and “CATERR detected! No MCA data found” in the highly technical error report that automatically gets sent to Apple.
Hopefully, this issue, as well as the graphics glitching issue reported yesterday, is a sign of early days with a new architecture, and will be resolved either with a software update (best possible solution) or a design fix (with some repair path for early adopters).
The Wirecutter: The Best USB-C Adapters, Cables, and Hubs
Give this invaluable list a read, then bookmark it and pass it along.
Apple’s Romeo and Juliet iPhone 7 ad
[VIDEO]: A solid ad, with the taglines:
your movies look like movies on iPhone 7
And:
practically magic
Note that the only capital letter to be found in the ad is the “P” in “iPhone”. This a new part of Apple’s advertising style guide?
Jean-Louis Gassée on the evolution of macOS and iOS
Jean-Louis Gassée, Monday Note:
In 1984, the Mac’s software engine, which included an AppleTalk network stack and a LaserWriter driver, ran on a single Motorola 68000 CPU and needed just 32K of ROM and 128K of RAM.
And:
Today, macOS is a fully-grown computer operating system, pleasant, fast, flexible. But it’s also enormous — RAM and disk storage requirements are measured in gigabytes — and it isn’t exactly bug-free. An ex-Apple acquaintance recently told me there are something like 10,000 “open” bugs on an on-going basis. The number that are urgent is, of course, a fraction of the gamut, but like any mature operating system, macOS has become a battlefield of patch upon patch upon patch.
And:
When the Apple smartphone project started, the key decision was the choice of software engine. Should Apple try to make a ‘lite’ version of OS X (as it was then known)? Go in a completely new direction?
[Note that Jean-Louis was the founder and CEO of Be, Inc.]
And:
It appears that a new direction may have been tempting. At the time that Apple’s smartphone project began, an Apple employee and former Be engineer offered Palm Inc. $800K for a BeOS “code dump” — just the code, no support, no royalties. The engineer was highly respected for his skill in mating software to unfamiliar hardware; BeOS was a small, light operating system; draw your own conclusion… Palm, which had purchased Be a few years before that, turned him down. (I learned this when I was asked to become Chairman of PalmSource, Palm’s software spinoff)
Wow. I had not heard this bit before.
I could go on with the excerpts, but you really should read this piece for yourself. Terrific writing from someone who lived at the intersection of Apple and history.
Users find some new MacBook Pros suffer from major graphics issues
Joe Rossignol, MacRumors:
Since new MacBook Pro models launched last month, an increasing number of early adopters have reported serious graphics issues on Apple’s latest notebooks. The glitches and other problems appear to be most prevalent on built-to-order 15-inch models, but standard 13-inch and 15-inch configurations are also affected.
One owner, Jan Becker, reports:
Apple called me from Cupertino. They put together a group of engineers to get to the root of this. I re-created the incident while I was on the phone with them and sent them the log files of the crash. They also want to “capture” my MacBook Pro with all the files on it to investigate more.
I love this response by Apple. Though they appear silent, they really do throw everything they have at a problem to get to the heart of it. They take this very seriously.
In a possibly related note, ZDNet’s David Gewirtz wrote about switching from the high end 15″ dual-GPU model to a 13″ single-GPU MacBook Pro:
It’s pretty interesting how the dual GPU architecture is supposed to work. Part of the time, the lower power, but also lower-performing, on-chip Intel HD 530 graphics processor is used. When crunch time comes, the Radeon Pro 460 with 4 GB of video RAM kicks in and pounds pixels onto the screen.
I’ve used this dual GPU architecture before. About four years ago, I bought the most powerful Windows laptop I could find, a beast of a Sager. It had a dGPU configuration.
When it worked, it was breathtakingly fast. When it worked.
Over the 18 months or so that machine was my main machine, I had constant driver problems. The GeForce GTX 670M didn’t always run properly. The on-chip Intel video driver wouldn’t properly change settings. System hangs and freezes attributable to driver conflicts were a regular occurrence. It was maddening.
It’s not clear that the dual GPU design is behind this wave of glitches. Reportedly, some of the glitches occur on a 13-inch single-GPU model. But most of the issues seem to occur on the 15-inch dual-GPU model.
Regardless, an interesting problem. Hoping Apple shares the details on the cause, once they figure it out.
How Netflix reformats all downloadable videos to make them smaller and/or better looking
Janko Roettgers, Variety:
Netflix is cutting each and every video into one-to-three-minute-long chunks. Computers then analyze the visual complexity of each and every of these clips, and encode with settings that are optimized for its visual complexity.
The resulting potential bandwidth savings are significant: Compared to the encoding tech Netflix uses for streaming, using this chunking method in combination with the new VP9 codec saves around 36% of bandwidth on average for videos that look the same to the human eye.
This new approach sits on a curve. On one end, the videos are much smaller, saving you space on your phone. On the other end, the videos look much better. What you get on your phone depends on the complexity of the particular chunk you are viewing. Interesting stuff.
Burglars smash car through front glass of Palo Alto Apple Store
What a caper. The car was a rental, so you know they didn’t plan on leaving it behind. But ramming the car through the front of the Apple Store disabled the car. No way to come back from that.
Interestingly, Apple has already replaced the front glass. I suspect there’s a warehouse somewhere with spare parts like this.
Your iPhone, the special property of the left side bezel, and an autocorrect suggestion
Do you have an iPhone 6s or newer? Try this:
- Unlock your phone.
- Press your thumb on the left bezel (the black framing on the left side of the front of the phone) and press.
As you press, the force touch will reveal just a bit of the stack of apps you are running. Press with a bit more force, and that view will go full screen, as if you had double pressed the home button.
Not sure when this feature first came out, but it seems little enough known that I thought this was worth a post.
I wish Apple would let me switch over to the right side. I also wish I could assign this specific force touch to other aspects of the iOS interface.
For example, imagine if I could use that gesture to undo the last autocorrect, no matter the app. You’d be typing along and notice that iOS changed a word to, say, ducking. Not what you wanted. So you give a quick force touch and your original word is automatically put back in place, without your typing cursor being moved (so you can just keep typing).
Just an idea.
Matthew Roberts Apple Campus 2 drone footage update
[VIDEO]: A few days ago, we posted an embed of an Apple Campus 2 flyover, one that felt a bit different than the monthly updates we’re used to seeing.
Turns out there’s good reason for that feeling. Embedded in the main Loop post is Matthew Roberts’ latest drone footage. Watching them both, it’s easy to tell them apart. Enjoy.
Fake Apple chargers fail safety tests
BBC News:
Investigators have warned consumers they face potentially fatal risks after 99% of fake Apple chargers failed a basic safety test.
Trading Standards, which commissioned the checks, said counterfeit electrical goods bought online were an “unknown entity”. Of 400 counterfeit chargers, only three were found to have enough insulation to protect against electric shocks.
It comes as Apple has complained of a “flood” of fakes being sold on Amazon.
The article offers more details but, more importantly, gives some tips on how to detect a counterfeit charger. I also worry about the possibility of a bogus charger being used as a malware injection device.
How Apple could make international travel easier
Dan Moren has been doing some traveling. Currently in India, he writes about his experiences living on the road with Apple tech.
For example:
I’ve found Apple Maps to be virtually useless in India. Yes, I can get a map overview or satellite imagery, but directions and transit information are nonexistent. Building databases of all that information is challenging, to be sure, and it often means working with a lot of partners. But not being able to get simple walking directions to a nearby restaurant is kind of a nonstarter, so I’ve been using Google Maps, which works much better.
Not the first time I’ve heard this complaint. Interesting post.
Tim Cook USA Today interview, focus on Apple’s RED partnership
Marco della Cava, USA Today [WARNING: AutoPlay, Grrr]
Apple CEO Tim Cook rocks in his chair as he meets the question with an unyielding gaze.
“Of course corporations should have values, because people should have values,” says the soft-spoken tech leader, who has been vocal on a range of civic issues, from gay rights to privacy rules. “And corporations are just a bunch of people.”
Cook met with USA TODAY to discuss the company’s expanded corporate partnership with (RED), the 20-person organization founded by U2 singer Bono that has had an outsized impact on those suffering from HIV/AIDS by providing life-saving medicines.
This is a pretty interesting article, digging into both RED’s impact on HIV/AIDS sufferers and Apple’s position in the emerging political reality.
Apple said to fly drones to improve maps data and catch Google
Mark Gurman and Alan Levin, Bloomberg:
Apple Inc. plans to use drones and new indoor navigation features to improve its Maps service and catch longtime leader Google, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Cupertino, California-based company is assembling a team of robotics and data-collection experts that will use drones to capture and update map information faster than its existing fleet of camera-and-sensor ladened minivans, one of the people said.
Apple wants to fly drones around to do things like examine street signs, track changes to roads and monitor if areas are under construction, the person said. The data collected would be sent to Apple teams that rapidly update the Maps app to provide fresh information to users, the person added.
Apple is also developing new features for Maps, including views inside buildings and improvements to car navigation, another person familiar with the efforts said. The people asked not to be identified talking about private projects. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
Fascinating. I’m imagining a sci-fi future where the air is filled with rival drones, constantly scanning for updates, tracking faces for marketing and intel value, hacking rival drones for their info, even disabling them, forcing them to land.
Apple now accepting Apple Watch on trade-in site, but currently free recycling only
Jordan Kahn, 9to5mac:
Earlier today Apple updated its website where customers can send in an old device for recycling to include the Apple Watch. That means that customers can now send their old Apple Watch to be responsibly recycled through the company’s Apple Renew program free of charge, but it’s not offering customers a gift card or any credit in exchange like it does with iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Not sure what the secondary market is like for earlier Apple Watches, but seems to me it’d be much better to give your old Apple Watch to a friend who’s never experienced one. Reuse is a solid alternative to recycling, and living with an Apple Watch offers a better alternative to simply reading about one.
A look at some USB-C hubs
Have a USB-C based Mac? Considering a possible purchase? If so, you’ll likely want a USB-C hub, a cheaper solution than the dongles a hub will replace.
Cody Lee, writing for iDownloadBlog takes a look at a number of USB-C hubs he recommends. Take a look.
Aqua and Bondi: The road to OS X and the computer that saved Apple
New book from Stephen Hackett. It’s an 80 page look at a critical time for Apple, a time that saw Bondi Blue, Tangerine, and Flower Power iMacs and the birth of a brand new operating system.
Aqua and Bondi is an 80-page examination of these products. In it, I look at what went so wrong inside Apple in the 90s, talk about the software strategies that came and went over the years and, of course, the iMac.
I’ve been working on this project since the fall, and am excited to say today that the book is for sale today on the iBooks Store or as a PDF. Both versions are just $3.99.
Here’s a link to the iBook store version of the book.
Here’s a link to Stephen’s site for the PDF version of the book.
Best of luck with the book, Stephen.
Apple’s official response to the iCloud Calendar invite spam problem
Over the past week or so, a wave of spam calendar invites has been hitting many iCloud calendar users.
Rene Ritchie, iMore, posted this official Apple message:
We are sorry that some of our users are receiving spam calendar invitations. We are actively working to address this issue by identifying and blocking suspicious senders and spam in the invites being sent.
The same article also offers a workaround to the problem.
Jean-Louis Gassée: The Macintosh endgame
Jean-Louis Gassée, Monday Note:
There’s more to the Mac’s future than its current good numbers. After enjoying a good time in the sun, the Mac is on the same downward slope as the rest of the PC market.
What do you do when your business is part of a declining world? Do you decrease prices to gain market share? Bad idea, this is the PC clone makers’ race to the bottom, a game in which everyone loses as products become commoditized, undifferentiated, and, ultimately, worthless.
Jean-Louis explores the possibility of a last Mac, as the market abandons the PC and settles for good on touch screen phones and tablets. I’m a hardcore Mac user, and i don’t see such a product (even enhanced by 3rd party add-ons) that would provide an experience superior to my Mac.
That said, I would not bet against such a product eventually arriving. If I had an iOS device that had the right keyboard and pointing device (so I could keep my hands on the keyboard, with a touchpad in thumb or finger’s reach), one that ran all my biggest apps and fully supported software development, a device that allowed me to extend my desktop with add-on displays that allowed for big code listings and image editing views, that’s something that would definitely offer me a reason to make the switch.
The new MacBook Pro is kind of great for hackers
Adam Geitgey:
I’m not here to change your mind about the MacBook Pro. Yes, it’s probably too expensive and more RAM is better than less RAM. But everyone posting complaints without actually using a MBP for a few weeks is missing out on all the clever things you can do because it is built on USB-C. Over the past week or two with a new MacBook Pro (15in, 2.9ghz, TouchBar), I’ve been constantly surprised with how USB-C makes new things possible. It’s a kind of a hacker’s dream.
Great article. Part of it focuses on the fact that the author’s phone is a Google Pixel and has a USB-C port, so he can use a single charger to charge his phone and his Mac. But there’s more to the piece than that.
For example:
If you get any of the new USB-C compatible monitors (pretty much every vendor has at least one now), you only need to plug one single cable into your MBP.
You can then plug all your other devices into your monitor and everything flows over one USB-C to your laptop — power, video, data and even sound. Your monitor is now your docking station and breakout box!
I’m wondering if USB-C to lightning cable will be all you need to plug your phone and your Mac into the same charger. Next best thing to a USB-C port on your iPhone.
Best Mac and iPhone repair tools
This is a pretty solid article. Some excellent holiday gift ideas for the techie on your list.
Personally, I swear by this iFixit Tool kit. I’ve owned it for years, done tons of Mac/iPhone and non-Apple repairs with it and it’s never let me down.
Two Touch Bar apps that let you switch between and launch apps
Tim Hardwick, Mac Rumors:
One limitation of the Touch Bar discovered by TouchSwitcher’s developer is that only one non-system control can be displayed in the right-hand strip, meaning other Apple apps compete for the same space.
Both apps are pushing the boundaries a bit, but I applaud the Touch Bar experimentation.
- Here’s a link to TouchSwitcher.
- Here’s a link to Rocket.
Looking forward to Touch Bar becoming the standard across the entire Mac product line. How about an external Touch Bar keyboard?
KGI predicting 2017 record sales year for iPhone
Benjamin Mayo, 9to5mac:
Apple is ramping for its biggest iPhone sales success ever next year, according to KGI. Its estimates suggest that the new iPhones in 2017, expected to comprise three new models, will empower Apple growth with ‘unprecedented’ demand. KGI expects the new phones may sell between 120-150 million units in the second half of next year, eclipsing the previous sales record set by iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The new form-factor premium OLED iPhone will likely encourage high-end customers to upgrade their device and the low-end new 4.7-inch iPhone model (with wireless charging and a glass chassis) will be attractive to the lower-end of the smartphone market.
Doomed.
1977 ad for the Apple II computer
[VIDEO]: Interesting that this ad was not put out by Apple. Does this qualify as the very first Apple TV ad?
This has been out for quite a while, but new to me, thought you’d enjoy it. Might want to turn down your volume first.