Apple:

Apple was honored with four Golden Globe nominations today for Apple Original films “On The Rocks” and “Wolfwalkers,” and Apple Original series “Ted Lasso,” making history as the first streaming service to receive a nomination in the Best Motion Picture, Animated category in less than a year and a half since its launch. The news was revealed today by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at the 78th Annual Golden Globes live nominations.

Apple Original Films received its first-ever Golden Globe nominations for a motion picture, including Best Motion Picture, Animated for “Wolfwalkers” and Bill Murray for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for Sofia Coppola’s “On The Rocks,” marking his seventh Golden Globe nomination.

Of all of these, I think Apple’s best hopes are for:

• Wolfwalkers as “Best Picture – Animated”, though it’s up against Pixar’s Soul
• Ted Lasso as “Best Musical/Comedy Series”
• Jason Sudeikis as “Best Television Actor – Musical/Comedy Series”

Place your bets. Here’s the full list of Golden Globes nominees.

The video embedded below does a nice job showing off the use of an Apple Watch to unlock an iPhone when Face ID is hampered by a mask.

Note that you’ll need both the iOS 14.5 beta as well as the watchOS 7.4 beta for this to work. You’ll also need WiFi enabled on your iPhone (no need to be connected to a network).

Juli Clover, MacRumors:

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 updates, and while the new software serves as a deadline for when app developers must comply with App Tracking Transparency rules, there are also a handful of other changes worth noting.

Follow the headline link for a detailed list of new features.

The most significant of these new features, to me, was the ability to use your Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone when Face ID is stymied by your mask.

I generally don’t install a first beta on my daily carry iPhone, but this feature pushed me to make an exception. I did the install and I have to say, this beta (at least so far) is rock solid.

If you do install the beta and want to enable Apple Watch unlock:

• first you’ll need to install the watchOS 7.4 beta on your Apple Watch (also rock solid for me)
• go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode
• Scroll down to the new UNLOCK WITH APPLE WATCH section
• Tap the Apple Watch switch
• Make sure WiFi is enabled on your iPhone (no need to be connected to a network)

I threw on a mask and put this through it’s paces. It works really well. Kudos to the engineering team. Well done.

One reason I am running a bit behind this morning is that I wanted to install macOS Big Sur 11.2, test the issues that have plagued my Mac since I first installed Big Sur. And…

…Huzzah!

All the iCloud/Handoff/Bluetooth/Pasteboard issues have been solved. Everything works again.

Salvador Rodriguez, CNBC:

Facebook on Monday will begin urging some iPhone and iPad users to let the company track their activity so the social media giant can show them more personalized ads.

The move comes alongside Apple’s planned privacy update to iOS 14, which will inform users about this kind of tracking and ask them if they want to allow it.

I actually have no problem with Facebook’s approach here. I don’t see this as striking back, but more as playing by the rules.

Follow the headline link and check out that pair of iPhone screen shots, about halfway down the page. Facebook is making their case to the user, then asking for permission to do their tracking thing. Key for me is that Facebook’s “learn more” link goes to a page that is honest about what happens to the user’s data.

Follow the headline link, click through the 5 picture gallery. That is some design. A double-helix, covered with trees.

The article itself is filled with details on this coming, Arlington, Virginia headquarters. Design aside, there’s a lot to like about the space, including plans for LEED Platinum sustainable energy, and:

Amazon aims to make PenPlace an energetic, 18-hour district that is open to the public and enlivened by local art, including an Artist in Residence program in The Helix, Schoettler said. Local businesses will also be incorporated into the campus.

Same design firm that did Amazon’s Seattle “spheres”.

Problem 1 is captured in the headline linked Washington Post article:

Under a new “App Privacy” label added last month, there’s a blue check mark, signaling that the app won’t share a lick of your data. It says: “Data not collected.”

I downloaded a de-stressing app called the Satisfying Slime Simulator that gets the App Store’s highest-level label for privacy. It turned out to be the wrong kind of slimy, covertly sending information — including a way to track my iPhone — to Facebook, Google and other companies.

And:

As I write this column, Apple still has an inaccurate label for Satisfying Slime. And it’s not the only deception. When I spot-checked what a couple dozen apps claim about privacy in the App Store, I found more than a dozen that were either misleading or flat-out inaccurate.

And:

Apple’s big privacy product is built on a shaky foundation: the honor system. In tiny print on the detail page of each app label, Apple says, “This information has not been verified by Apple.”

Apple’s response:

“Apple conducts routine and ongoing audits of the information provided and we work with developers to correct any inaccuracies. Apps that fail to disclose privacy information accurately may have future app updates rejected, or in some cases, be removed from the App Store entirely if they don’t come into compliance.”

Problem 2 is highlighted in this thread:

The App Store has a big problem👇

You: an honest developer, working hard to improve your IAP conversions.
Your competitor: a $2M/year scam running rampant.

1/🧵

— Kosta Eleftheriou (@keleftheriou) January 31, 2021

The problem showcased here is the App Store’s infestation with scammy, copycat apps. Read the thread. It does a great job laying out all the details.

Is the App Store simply too big to police properly?

Apple:

To celebrate Black History Month, Apple commissioned more than 30 Black photographers to capture and share their hometowns with the world through their unique lens, all shot on iPhone 12 Pro. All across the US, these photographers set out to showcase the people and the pockets of their cities that embody their local culture.

Follow the headline link, check out the pics. And don’t miss Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, highlighted on their front page.

I get the sense this has been around a long while, but ran across it this weekend, thought it worth a share.

Click on the remote control’s power button to turn it on, flip through the channels.

Don’t miss My ’70s TV and My ’80s TV. Enjoy!

Xiaomi blog:

Mi Air Charge Technology enables users to remotely charge electronic devices without any cables or wireless charging stands. Today, we enter a true wireless charging era.

And:

The core technology of Xiaomi’s remote charging lies in space positioning and energy transmission. Xiaomi’s self-developed isolated charging pile has five phase interference antennas built in, which can accurately detect the location of the smartphone. A phase control array composed of 144 antennas transmits millimeter-wide waves directly to the phone through beamforming.

To get a sense of what this looks like, watch the video below. This seems like a remarkable achievement, though I have doubts as to its practicality. Not only is there a cost to the box itself, but there’s the sheer size of the charger, not to mention the question of charge inefficiency (how much power the charger consumes as compared to a traditional wired brick). And, of course, there’s the question of the reality of this as a product.

Taking this with a grain of salt, but will be fascinated to see this roll out, if it ever does.

Deadline:

In the first big deal of the 2021 virtual Sundance Film Festival, Apple has landed worldwide rights to CODA, for a number just north of $25 million. That sets a new a Sundance acquisitions record — above the $22.5 million that Palm Springs received last year from Hulu/Neon. But this time, all the premiere watching and all night auctioning was done far from the slopes of Park City. It came down to a pitched battle between Apple and Amazon.

Apple and Amazon continue to raise the bar in content acquisition cost. Deep pockets, both. Curious how Apple’s team measures the value of a film, how they make the bid/no bid decision. Is the value of the film a no brainer? Is this about keeping a film out of the competition’s hands?

The funniest part of this deal was this tweet from Panic founder Cable Sasser (Tweet spoiler here).

Juli Clover, MacRumors:

Apple is now selling standalone ear cushions designed for the AirPods Max, allowing AirPods Max owners to purchase cushions in different colors.

And:

The ear cushions are available in all of the ‌AirPods Max‌ colors – silver, black, red, sky blue, and green – and are priced at $69. ‌AirPods Max‌ ear cushions attach to the ear cups magnetically and can be popped right off, so making a swap to a new color is simple.

Here’s a link to the Apple Store AirPods Max ear cushion replacements purchase page.

As you’d guess, you get two ear cushions for $69. Can’t help but wonder if we’re gonna see people doing the mix and match thing, walking around with mismatched colors. Team up with a friend and buy two different color sets, trade so you each have mismatches.

And I suspect we’ll see a wave of “singles”, with a bit of a markup, on eBay.

Solid ad. Take your ECG anywhere, anytime. [Via AdAge]

Apple:

January 28 is Data Privacy Day, a time to raise awareness about the importance of protecting people’s personal information online. Apple is commemorating Data Privacy Day by sharing “A Day in the Life of Your Data,” an easy-to-understand report illustrating how companies track user data across websites and apps. The report also shares how privacy features across Apple’s products give users more transparency and control, empowering people with the tools and knowledge to protect their personal information.

From A Day in the Life of Your Data:

John and his 7-year-old daughter, Emma, are spending the day together. In the morning, John uses his computer to look up the weather, read the news, and check a map app on his smartphone for traffic conditions for a trip to the playground next to his daughter’s school.

So far, so good.

During the ride, there are 4 apps on his phone collecting and tracking their location data periodically in the background. After the data has been extracted from the device, app developers sell it to a host of obscure third party data brokers that John has never heard of. Although the location data collected is claimed to be anonymous, user tracking allows data brokers to match John’s location history from these apps with information collected from his use of other apps. This means information tracked across different apps and from multiple sources is available for any company or organization to purchase, and could be used to create a comprehensive profile about him that includes his precise day-to-day movements.

Apple does a great job making the case for its privacy model. Facebook complains that Apple is abusing their position to their own benefit. But at the heart of Apple’s new ruleset is transparency. If you don’t track a user’s data without their knowing, you won’t have an issue. If you want to track your user’s data, tell them and ask their permission.

To me, this is a clearcut issue. Transparency is good. Surreptitious tracking is evil. The end.

Canalys:

In Q4 2020, worldwide smartphone shipments reached 359.6 million units, a small decline of 2% year-on-year. Apple shipped its most iPhones ever in a single quarter, at 81.8 million units, up 4% against the previous year.

Samsung took second place, shipping 62.0 million units for a -12% decline. Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo completed the top five, with each seeing share gains from a beleaguered Huawei (including Honor).

And:

“Apple is better positioned than its competitors on 5G, being heavily skewed towards developed markets, and mobile operator sales channels. But it also made savvy moves behind the scenes to propel its sales and profitability. The omission of a power plug from the iPhone retail box, which reduces weight and size, is making logistics significantly more efficient, amid the ongoing high cost of air freight due to the pandemic. And it also implemented channel-centric growth initiatives to target SMB customers, which have bolstered demand for its entire range of iPhones.”

Even more doomed.

Brand Finance:

Apple has overtaken Amazon and Google to reclaim the title of the world’s most valuable brand for the first time since 2016, according to the latest report by Brand Finance – the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Apple has the success of its diversification strategy to thank for an impressive 87% brand value increase to US$263.4 billion and its position at the top of the Brand Finance Global 500 2021 ranking.

Doomed.

With each quarter’s Apple financial results, Jason Snell does the heavy lifting of generating a transcript of the call (starting with Tim and all the way through the Q&A) as well as a (headline linked) set of charts that tell all the stories.

This quarter’s charts are particularly easy to read, since they are boom all the way. Just look at that first one, how clearly that revenue number (in billions) out distances its predecessors.

Great stuff. Thanks, Jason.

Start with this tweet from Paul Haddad, maker of Tweetbot:

Not sure if its a new App Store rule, or just whichever reviewer we got, but they requested that we remove Tweetbot 5 from sale within 30 days of Tweetbot 6 going live.

And by request I mean wouldn’t approve until we agreed. Was going to anyways, but just FYI.

— Paul Haddad (@tapbot_paul) January 26, 2021

Saw this, went to the App Store, typed in Tweetbot, found nothing but a long list of competing products. No Tweetbot, no Tweetbot 5, no Tweetbot 6.

Searched again right before I wrote this, found hints (the grayed text completion that suggests as you type) for Tweetbot 5, which took me to a competing Twitter client’s page. Tweetbot 6 took me to an “early access” page.

This is certainly confusing. Michael Tsai rolled up a number of clarifying comments on his blog, worth a look if you are a dev interested in this issue, especially if you are exploring the possibility of moving to a subscription model.

Nilay Patel, The Verge:

Marques Brownlee is one of the best reviewers I know, and also one of the most savvy and successful YouTubers. And he’s been in the game for a long time: he started the channel MKBHD in 2009 when he was just a teenager making videos about his new HP laptop. Since then, he’s grown it to one of the biggest tech channels on YouTube, with 13.5 million subscribers, a podcast, and a growing support team.

But what looks effortless and fun to the viewer is often the result of careful planning and investment. YouTubers are entrepreneurs, and Brownlee — my guest on today’s episode of Decoder — talks that talk with the best of them.

Fascinating interview, an insight into the business of building a YouTube empire.

Zack Whittaker, TechCrunch:

Apple has released iOS 14.4 with security fixes for three vulnerabilities, said to be under active attack by hackers.

The technology giant said in its security update pages for iOS and iPadOS 14.4 that the three bugs affecting iPhones and iPads “may have been actively exploited.” Details of the vulnerabilities are scarce, and an Apple spokesperson declined to comment beyond what’s in the advisory.

From that Apple security note:

Kernel impact: A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

And:

WebKit impact: A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

Note that this is an issue for both iPadOS and iOS. So update your iPhone and iPad both.

Apple:

Apple TV+ today announced that “Tehran,” the global hit espionage thriller from Moshe Zonder and Omri Shenhar, has been renewed for a second season following its critically acclaimed season premiere.

Since its debut on Israeli network Kan 11 and globally on Apple TV+, “Tehran” has captivated viewers worldwide, and has been hailed by critics as “gripping,” “heart stopping,” and a “captivating spy thriller.”

Now streaming on Apple TV+, “Tehran” tells the thrilling story of Mossad agent Tamar Rabinyan, who goes deep undercover on a dangerous mission in Tehran that places her and everyone around her in dire jeopardy. “Tehran” stars Niv Sultan, Shaun Toub, Navid Negahban, Shervin Alenabi, Liraz Charhi and Menashe Noy.

I loved season one of Tehran. The subtitles worked well for me, every episode was riveting, easy to follow. Glad to see it renewed.