TidBITS:

If you’ve been feeling as though Apple’s heart isn’t in moving the Mac forward these days, you’re not alone. The new MacBook Pro models have taken widespread criticism, Apple has provided no roadmap for the future of its desktop Macs, and most recently, the company eliminated the position of Product Manager of Automation Technologies, presumably seeing it as unnecessary. High-end creatives have despaired about Apple’s lack of attention to their needs, and the mood among many of the consultants and support professionals at last week’s MacTech Conference was downbeat.

So what could explain Apple’s increasing marginalization of the Mac, particularly in the pro market? The culprit is clearly the iOS platform, and the iPhone in particular. But the reason why it’s happening has more to do with a structural fact about the company that Apple will have to change if the Mac is to get the attention it needs to thrive.

Those of us who “love” our Macs or need them to make a living certainly have trepidation with the seeming lack of direction Apple is showing with the Mac. I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom or that the Mac is going away any time soon though.

AppleInsider:

“Tim, you know one of the things that will be a real achievement for me is when I get Apple to build a big plant in the United States, or many big plants in the United States,” recounted Trump to the New York Times. about the recent call with the Apple CEO. “Instead of going to China, and going to Vietnam, and going to the places that you go to, you’re making your product right here.”

“I think we’ll create the incentives for you, and I think you’re going to do it,” added Trump. “We’re going for a very large tax cut for corporations, which you’ll be happy about.”

I’m pretty sure Tim Cook doesn’t care about helping Trump in the way he describes. But very few people believe it would ever be possible, incentives or not, to build iPhones stateside. There are too many moving parts in Apple’s supply chain.

CNET:

When I was a kid, one thing I always had trouble wrapping my head around was how fighter pilots with propeller planes would shoot their machine guns through the propeller. I later learned it was all about timing the shots so they wouldn’t interfere with the propeller by syncing up the gun and propeller mechanically. But knowing something is a lot different from seeing it.

This is one of those things that fascinated me as a kid and when I found the solution, I thought it was an utterly brilliant use of technology.

Macworld:

With every release of a new iPhone powered by another cutting-edge processor designed by Apple, the rumbling grows. It’s amplified by the perception that the Mac is being delayed and hamstrung by the moves of the Mac’s chip supplier, Intel. It’s the theory that, one of these days, Apple is going to break from Intel and power its Macs with an Apple-designed processor related to the ones in the iPhone and iPad.

And it’s true, the Mac is no stranger to a processor transition. It’s happened three times in the 32-year life of the Mac, so roughly once a decade.

It could definitely happen. I don’t want to say that it won’t, because Apple’s desire to chart its own course and not be beholden to other companies for key parts of its products is well known. Having proven itself a capable chip designer with the A series, Apple could very well dump Intel and strike out on its own.

But I don’t think Apple will.

I would strongly disagree with my colleague, Mr Snell. I think Apple will eventually do this. But not for at least 5 years.

Information is Beautiful:

Scene-by-scene breakdown of Hollywood films. Explore your favorite “based on a true story” films scene-by-scene, beat-by-beat and test their veracity on a data level.

I love movies but anyone who knows me knows I can be a real PITA when it comes to historical accuracy. This website is a data gold mine for pedantic bastards like me.

I see why some people think Designed by Apple in California could be Ive’s goodbye to Apple. But it feels to me like Ive’s heartfelt goodbye to his best friend and colleague, five years gone. I don’t think Jony Ive is going anywhere.

I agree with Gruber on this. Although, I do think Jony is taking a higher level view of design for Apple these days.

According to industry sources on Nov. 21, the Korean tech giant plans to launch a new glossy black version of the flagship smartphone early next month.

Of course they will.

Appleinsider:

Schiller in a brief response to an article published by developer Ben Slaney explained Apple’s decision to use speedy and efficient LPDDR3 memory, of which Intel’s latest processors can handle up to 16GB, was in large part due to battery life concerns.

“The MacBook Pro uses 16GB of very fast LPDDR memory, up to 2133MHz,” Schiller said. “To support 32GB of memory would require using DDR memory that is not low power and also require a different design of the logic board which might reduce space for batteries. Both factors would reduce battery life.”

The response clarified an error in Slaney’s attempt to explain why MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models maxed out at 16GB of RAM, which claimed the LPDDR3E specification tops out at 1866MHz.

These comments from Schiller point very clearly to Apple’s focus and direction when it comes to their laptops.

Great review of CarPlay from John Vorhees, writing for MacStories. Good and the bad. Interesting that this is one of the few cases where Apple is forced to build a software experience on someone else’s hardware.

From Apple’s Black Friday teaser page:

Friday can’t come soon enough.

Our one-day shopping event will be here before you know it. Come back this Friday to check everyone off your list.

Free two day shipping on all in-stock items ordered by 5p. No mention of time zone there. Fair to assume it’s 5p local time?

Check back Friday morning to see what’s on sale. I’m hoping for a discount on the new Apple Watch.

Classic TV History:

TV Guide named it as the fortieth best television episode of all time. On lists of favorite sitcoms, or favorite holiday episodes, it invariably ranks even higher. WKRP in Cincinnati’s seventh episode, “Turkeys Away” begins as a wholesome, almost bland, Thanksgiving show. Around the midpoint, though, the standard-issue sitcom setup – Mr. Carlson (Gordon Jump), orchestrates a secret radio station promotion – takes a spectacularly morbid and off-color left turn, one that sets up punchline after hilarious punchline. The last line of the show (which can be viewed on Hulu, albeit with substantial cuts and music replacement) has become one of the most oft-quoted gags in the history of television.

This post is from a few years ago but, in honor of the upcoming US Thanksgiving Day festivities, I thought some of you might want to read this oral history of one of the funniest TV episodes of all time.

This is very cool. I need one of these.

This Holiday season, give the gift of good sleep with Hullo buckwheat pillow. Hullo is a unique and thoughtful gift that even the most discerning sleeper can appreciate.

Hullo buckwheat pillow:

• allows air to move freely through the pillow’s buckwheat hull fill, preventing uncomfortable heat build up.
• is manufactured in the USA with organic and all-natural materials.
• is biodegradable.
• has a high level of customer satisfaction.

Avoid the Black Friday crowds and save money—every Hullo order ships fast and free. Order today at hullopillow.com.

Craig Federighi’s response to an email from a 9to5mac reader concerned about the elimination of Sal Soghoian’s position at Apple:

We have every intent to continue our support for the great automation technologies in macOS!

Thanks for being an Apple customer!

— craig

That should alleviate some concerns in the AppleScript and Automator communities.

Some terrific, vibrant pictures.

[H/T John Kordyback]

Kirk McElhearn, Macworld:

I was chagrined to learn that Sal Soghoian, who was Apple’s Product Manager of Automation Technologies, was let go for “business reasons.” Mr. Soghoian had been with Apple for nearly 20 years, and was the keeper of the flame for technologies such as AppleScript, Automator, and more.

And:

It’s not clear whether the termination of Mr. Soghoian means the demise of AppleScript altogether, and particularly in iTunes, but many developers, iTunes users, and others are concerned by this decision.

You see, it’s all about freedom. Freedom to do things we want that Apple doesn’t think we need to be able to do. Freedom to explore. Freedom to discover new ways to link applications, to interact with files, to create our own solutions. We can’t expect apps to cater to all our whims, and tools like AppleScript and Automator allow us to go a step further and discover ways to do things that Apple never even considered.

Nice job by Kirk, passionately capturing the essence of the value of AppleScript and Automator. Technologies like AppleScript and Automator expose just enough of the wiring to allow pros and hobbyists alike to build out their own infrastructure, make their Apple products more powerful than they were when they came out of their boxes.

Apple’s official support page with details on what Macs are compatible with 4K displays, 5K displays, and Ultra HD TVs, the cables required, and a variety of warnings that are well worth reading.

Bookmark and pass this along.

Peter Cohen takes a look back at the origins of the hard drive. Pretty incredible how far we’ve come. Oh, and never, never, never read the bio at the bottom of the page.

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg:

Apple hasn’t refreshed its routers since 2013 following years of frequent updates to match new standards from the wireless industry. The decision to disband the team indicates the company isn’t currently pushing forward with new versions of its routers. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the company’s plans.

And:

Exiting the router business could make Apple’s product ecosystem less sticky. Some features of the AirPort routers, including wireless music playback, require an Apple device like an iPhone or Mac computer. If the company no longer sells wireless routers, some may have a reason to use other phones and PCs.

Not sure I agree with that last point. Somehow I don’t see someone switching out of the Apple ecosystem because of their router.

Combine this program cancellation with the news about Sal Soghoian’s position being eliminated, and it sounds like Apple is doing some beginning of the fiscal year house cleaning.

512 Pixels:

Apple’s new coffee table book “Designed by Apple in California” features many products the company has produced over the last 20 years. Most of what it is in the book is a part of my collection. Here are the actual products alongside the book.

Brilliant.

The New York Times:

For a host of reasons, Apple is unlikely to produce iPhones in the United States. But opening a smartphone factory in this country is not the only way to provide solid employment for working-class Americans who lack college degrees.

Apple’s overall contribution to the American economy is significant. Beyond the 80,000 people it directly employs in the United States, it says 69 supplier facilities in 33 states manufacture parts that go into its products. Hundreds of thousands of software developers also write apps for iPhones and iPads.

Apple has a greater effect on the American economy than many people realize.

Om had some interesting things to say in the article. Personally, I use both iPad and Mac, but I use them in different ways. I think each device is suited for, and excels at, their own set of unique tasks.

Today we are pleased to announce PlayStation Vue’s expansion to Apple TV. As one of the most highly requested devices by our fans, the PlayStation Vue experience on Apple TV will provide viewers with a better option to watch your favorite live TV programming, with unique streaming features such as cloud DVR, simultaneous streaming, and no long-term contract commitments.

I wonder how popular services like this are for people. There are still channels missing that I would like to watch, but Vue and SlingTV are making strong plays for customers.

My thanks to Timing for sponsoring The Loop this week.

When was the last time you were frustrated with your time tracking app,
for example because you had forgotten to set a timer?

Or when you wondered what you spent all your time on today?

Timing solves this problem. Instead of making you do all the work, Timing automatically tracks how you spend your time. It logs which apps you use, which websites you visit, and which documents you edit.

Timing is essential for anyone serious about their time — power users and freelancers alike. Download the free trial now and on Friday review exactly what you did this week, down to the second.

Use coupon code THELOOP to get a 25% discount till next Monday.

Amazon:

Until November 18th at 11:59 p.m., PT, eligible new members can join Amazon Prime for $79 plus applicable taxes for the first year and enjoy member-only benefits and content, including The Grand Tour. Although the price in your cart will show $99, the promotion discount will be applied at checkout. You will be charged when you place your order.

Just in time for the holidays and the new show from the former Top Gear hosts.