Great video (via Daring Fireball), very cool indeed. It takes place at the California School for the Blind, highlights Apple Engineer Jordyn Castor as she talks about writing code, making it easier for others to write code using Apple Playgrounds and other tools. This is about empowerment. Wonderful.

Mikey Campbell, Apple Insider:

Hours after HBO launched its long-awaited HBO Max app on iOS, Apple TV and other platforms on Wednesday, the AT&T-owned company has pulled streaming integration with Apple TV Channels.

One of the first major cable networks to sign on to Apple TV Channels, HBO is no longer available to new users accessing Apple’s collaborative streaming hub.

HBO Max is a confusing beast. It sits alongside HBO, HBO Go, and HBO Now. Such confusing branding. And when HBO Max arrived on Apple TV, it seemed to replace HBO Go in the collection. But without explicitly doing so.

Which makes me wonder if it’s possible that HBO Max will eventually fully integrate with Apple TV+, as the branding confusion gets sorted.

Deadline:

Deadline hears that the tug of war over one of the highest profile films in Hollywood is about over. Apple will win the derby for the Martin Scorsese-directed film Killers Of The Flower Moon, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in the lead roles. The deals are being papered — Paramount still has to sign off — but I’m told when they are, it will be an Apple original film, and Paramount will distribute theatrically worldwide.

OK, a grain of salt there, “Deadline hears” that this is true. But Deadline has a reasonable track record and I do want Apple to have an original Scorsese movie!

The deal, which calls for Apple to finance and become the creative studio, gives the movie a hybrid situation and the best of both worlds. The film will get a wide theatrical release through Paramount before it becomes the biggest film title so far on Apple’s streaming service.

Apple TV+ is evolving, their deals adjusting to the marketplace. This is a high-profile project and might be a path to high profile awards that will lend Apple TV+ movie creds. Grain of salt for all of this.

Katy Byron, a longtime journalist, on getting her first print newspaper subscription:

And when the actual newspaper came… my spirits were lifted instantly. The feeling of walking to the end of the driveway to pick up my print newspaper every morning has brought me more joy than I can put into words. It’s like every morning is Christmas morning — the grown-up edition. This was one daily task or chore I volunteered to pick up in my house — because this was my thing. This was my newspaper. It might sound corny and I am clearly biased on this subject, but this change in my life that I was able to control has been a sincere silver lining to this living nightmare we are all living through, and I am always looking for silver linings these days.

This was a really great read. Many of us can remember the days of picking up the newspaper and reading it front to back. I get Katy’s need to get away from the screen for a little while and a newspaper is just the thing.

FaceTime calls are a great way to stay in touch with people you care about, whether on an iOS device or a Mac. However, what do you do if you want to save those special moments? Luckily, using your Mac, you can record those calls to view later.

This seems especially important these days.

Ars Technica:

There can’t be many vehicles in popular culture as well-known as Batman’s Batmobile. The car is as much a character as the Caped Crusader himself, and it’s the topic of a documentary simply titled The Batmobile that Warner Bros. put online recently. I must confess, I’m a couple of weeks late to the party, for I only learned about the video—which I think was originally one of the extras on 2012’s Blu-ray of The Dark Knight Rises—in our virtual office this morning. And I was originally going to write this piece as an argument for the one true Batmobile, but actually, that would be wrong. Instead, the documentary convinced me that each iteration of Batman’s ride is equally valid in its own right.

For fans of Gotham’s vigilante, or even just those who like movie cars and the work that goes into them, The Batmobile is worth an hour of your time.

I’m old enough to remember the “original” car from the silly TV series. It’s always going to be my favourite.

Outside:

can’t tell you how often I’ve peered into the recycling bin with a questionable item in hand, likely made from a complicated blend of materials that left me hesitant yet hopeful, and then dropped it in with a shrug. This is called “wishcycling,” and it refers to the act of wrongly putting a material into curbside bins with the hope that it will be recycled. My go-to attitude was: Let them figure it out. That’s their job. But in these days of awakening one’s self to better habits and spreading the light, wherever we find it, a nagging discomfort lurked.

So I began to investigate. What actually happens to this stuff? And what could I do to maximize my positive contribution? What I found amid the tangles of a sometimes complicated industry was simple in essence. It isn’t their job. It’s mine, and it’s yours. The onus to understand and ease the processes we take part in is ours. For the outdoor gearheads among us, we can start with the packaging our toys come in.

While it’s likely slightly different in every area, this start to finish journey is still interesting. We are “forced” to do recycling in our small community and there are fines if you don’t. But I disagree with the premise that it’s “our” job so much as corporations and governments have discovered they can put the onus on individual consumers for recycling and alleviate the responsibility of business to do more.

Macworld:

In our initial assessment of the HomePod, we found it to be a great listening device for Apple Music or Podcasts, but frustratingly limited in many other ways. That’s still largely true, but at least some of our complaints have been addressed in subsequent software updates.

Perhaps the most important was the iOS 13.2 update that added multi-user support for HomePod. As a device designed to sit out in the common rooms of your home, it was beyond frustrating that it was locked to a single Apple ID, and that anyone using it would be listening to your music (and influencing your recommendations), your lists, your calendar…

You can now make HomePod recognize multiple users, which means each user will use their own Apple Music account, calendar, lists, and reminders. Setting this up isn’t quite as intuitive as it could be, so here’s a quick walkthrough of how to get it working.

I don’t have or use a HomePod but this might come in handy for some of you. I wonder if we’ll ever get multi-user support for the iPad? It’s unlikely after all this time but a guy can dream.

A voi il mio incontro con @‘orso di sta mattina sopra la malga Sporminore… pic.twitter.com/VN6QmAV9oV

— Loris Calliari (@loriscalliari) May 24, 2020

New York Times:

Showing remarkable aplomb, 12-year-old Alessandro Breda slowly tiptoes down a scrubby hill during a walk in the Dolomites. “Photo,” he whispers hoarsely to his companion, Loris Calliari, who assures him he’s taking one.

“Come, Ale, come,” says Mr. Calliari. “Don’t turn your back to him.”

“Him” is the sizable brown bear shadowing the boy as he makes his descent during a family hike.

That is one very calm 12 year old. We have a significant bear population where I live (bears in our backyard is not an unusual occurrence) and the NYT is dead wrong when it says, “In fact, Alessandro did everything he was supposed to do.” No, he didn’t. He turned his back on the bear and, because the family seemed to have surprised the bear, they didn’t make noise while out hiking. Around here, you’ll see people walking through the forest with whistles or singing and talking loudly. You don’t want to startle a 600 lb wild animal with four inch long claws.

My solution is to just not go in the woods.

Ralf Herrmann, Typography.Guru:

Apple has recently licensed fonts from type foundries such as Commercial Type, Klim Type Foundry and Mark Simonson Studio to be used as system fonts on Mac OS Catalina. But since these fonts are an optional download, many users of Mac OS X are not even aware they have access to them for free.

For the complete list of fonts included with macOS Catalina, check out this Apple Support document.

This is a lawsuit just perfect for TMZ, the tabloid reporting it.

Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac:

The HBO Max application is now available for Apple users with apps for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV: get the app here. HBO Max replaces HBO Now, so if you have the Now app already installed, it will transform into Max the next time the App Store updates your apps. HBO Max is a US-only service.

And:

Alongside everything you expect from HBO, Max content includes the full catalog of sitcom Friends, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Adult Swim shows, and a documentary on sexual assault accusations against Russel Simmons.

It’s getting crowded out there, so many streaming services to consider.

As to HBO Max, it’s possible you already have access. Check out this article from Yahoo, which details all the side deals that might bring HBO Max to you for free.

For example, I got an email from AT&T telling me my unlimited mobile plan gives me free, day one access to HBO Max. There are lots of other similar deals in place, as HBO Max battles for mindshare.

Chance Miller, 9to5Mac:

New data released by Omdia today says that the iPhone 11 has usurped the crown of being the “world’s most popular smartphone” from the iPhone XR. According to data, Apple shipped 19.5 million iPhone 11 units during the first quarter of this year.

This is remarkable. If you add sales numbers for the next three smartphones together (that’d be the Samsung Galaxy A51, and Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro), they’d just about equal iPhone 11 sales.

Also of note, iPhone 11 Pro Max still lags behind iPhone XR sales. Premium price for the Pro Max, iPhone XR still has legs, though I suspect second quarter will see the rise of the iPhone SE.

Apple:

Following the overwhelming global fandom around the recent debut of the Apple TV+ shorts “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!,” Apple today announced a new partnership with The Jim Henson Company to reboot the beloved classic series “Fraggle Rock.”

And:

The new “Fraggle Rock” series will be reimagined as a global Apple Original series for new generations of fans to enjoy together on Apple TV+. Produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with New Regency, the series will reunite the original stars – Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley and Uncle Travelling Matt – for new songs and adventures, with the same spirit as the classic.

And these nuggets from Vulture:

As part of the agreement, Apple has also acquired exclusive streaming rights to all 96 episodes of the original 1983–87 live-action HBO series (and some specials) and will make them available to subscribers in 100 countries on Wednesday, May 27.

And:

According to a source familiar with Apple’s thinking, the company remains uninterested in using Apple TV+ as a repository for old shows and movies from other suppliers, the way Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu have done for years. That’s because, per the source, with big studios such as Warner Bros., Disney, and Universal looking to keep their best and biggest titles for their own streaming platforms, there simply aren’t enough great titles around to make a library strategy work.

Some excellent insight there.

Macworld:

Unless you’ve got an iMac and it’s set up in the right place, you might find yourself squinting to see everyone on screen—or leaning in or balancing a laptop on your lap. It’s distracting for you and anyone with whom you’re conversing.

There’s a better way, if you have an Apple TV or a newer TV that supports video streaming over AirPlay 2: you can use AirPlay or AirPlay 2 to stream your Mac, iPhone, or iPad’s screen to the TV. If you purchase an HDMI adapter for a Mac or a mobile device, you can instead hardwire yourself into any TV with an spare HDMI port.

My wife has Zoom meetings all the time and when I showed her how this was possible, she turned her nose up at it with a “…Eww…why?” So your mileage may vary.

From Variety:

The following is a compliment: While watching the new “Mythic Quest” quarantine special, I forgot several times that it is, essentially, a very effective commercial for Apple products.

And:

With video technology already layered into the show, “Mythic Quest” was simply better equipped for a virtual special than most shows ever could be. And from a character standpoint, the show’s collection of nerds work together at an increasingly powerful video game company and already spend their days making cyber connections more tolerable or even more interesting. That is, after all, their literal job.

Some spoilers in the review, so I’d encourage you to watch the episode if you’ve not yet seen it. But the review captures what this episode did so well and, in my mind, shows the evolution of the work-at-home entertainment that we’ll surely see more of over time.

The second review is this one from Mashable, which folds in quotes from an interview they did with star and co-creator Rob McElhenney.

If you are into the show, or interested in the business of Apple TV+, both reviews are worth reading. And both show, to me, how much of a home run this series is for Apple.

With the current rumors about Apple Glass taken as a base premise, Robert Scoble digs into the Apple Glass model from a number of different sides, from fashion, to custom prescription lenses, to AR/LIDAR, to the importance of brick and mortar and Apple’s advantage there.

No way to avoid speculation, since Apple Glass itself is a product concept, pure speculation itself. But an interesting read, if you are so inclined.

Ever get in an argument with someone about a color (it’s blue! it’s green!)? Settle your differences by taking this short online color challenge.

Follow the headline link, you’ll get to a page with four color strips. The endpoints are fixed. All you do is tap/click and drag to reorder the colors in each strip.

Easy peasy. But very difficult to get a perfect score.

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg:

Two locations — the stores in Fukuoka and Nagoya Sakae — will reopen on May 27, according to the company’s retail website. Reopening dates for the country’s eight other Apple stores have not yet been posted.

Reminder, check out Michael Steeber’s US/Canada Apple Store reopening map.

Joe Rossignol, MacRumors:

In an internal memo last week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple has indicated that it will assist its third-party repair partners around the world with COVID-19-related expenses, such as cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment.

And:

All eligible Apple Authorized Service Providers will receive a subsidy from Apple by way of increased payouts for each completed repair. The subsidy is retroactive and the length it is offered will depend on stay-at-home guidelines in each country. Service providers are encouraged to contact their Apple representatives for more details.

Seems a smart investment on Apple’s part, some long term thinking.

Follow the headline link for the award page and to see the ad.

But also interesting is the award show itself, all presenters filmed at home. Eerie sign of the times.

Also, also, Apple won Client of the Year as well (about 2:28 in).

The Monday Note:

Who wouldn’t want a neat electric Apple Car? Coming from the Apple Watch, iPhone, and Macintosh maker, it would be an automotive dream come true. Unfortunately, reality refuses to cooperate.

Apple Car speculation never dies. This time, it resurfaces in a research note by Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, a “Tesla Bull” who’s known for his very sunny views of Elon Musk’s company.

Natural as it might feel, the parallel misses an important factor: Sales and Service. Apple doesn’t have the people and facilities to display, demonstrate, and maintain automobiles.

There are two much more serious obstacles to making the Apple Car dream a reality.

I’ll quibble with Gassee’s headline – there are no “missing pieces.” There’s only the hope, wishes and fever dreams of people who want this to happen without ever examining the question Gassee asks, “Why would Apple do this?”

MacRumors:

Over the past few hours, a number of MacRumors readers have reported seeing dozens or even hundreds of pending app updates showing in the App Store on their iOS devices, including for many apps that were already recently updated by the users. In many cases, the dates listed on these new app updates extend back as far as ten days.

Apple has not shared any information as to why updates for these already up-to-date apps are being reissued, but some users suspect it may be related to the recent “This app is no longer shared with you” issue that was preventing some users from launching certain apps unless they are offloaded or deleted and then reinstalled.

That explains why I woke up to dozens of apps needing to be “updated” this AM.

The Drive:

Plenty of automakers today release autonomous car concepts that look like an ultra-modern living room inside. The steering wheel isn’t there, or it folds away, there’s big touchscreens everywhere—you get the gist. But 34 years ago, at the height of wonderfully strange ’80s design exercises, Italdesign really went for it in the Oldsmobile “Incas” concept with this Knight Rider-looking getup. It’s definitely not your grandfather’s Oldsmobile. Neither will it be your grandson’s, sadly.

The only control that hasn’t been placed on the ‘steering wheel’ is the turn signal. Literally everything else in the interior is a button on the steering wheel: HVAC, lights, audio, cruise and automatic transmission controls are all present.

The entire front windshield and doors pivoted up to allow the driver and passenger’s entry.

What an abomination, not only of the steering wheel but also the dash and the doors. Thank God this never went into production.

Buzzfeed:

Fashion influencer/momtrepreneur/TikToker Jessica Wang started sharing a series of “iPhone tricks” on TikTok, and lemme tell you…even if you THINK you know every iPhone hack in the book, she’ll surprise you with one you don’t know.

I never thought I’d learn anything from TikTok but there are some cool tricks listed here.

John Gruber:

Nilay Patel asked this of Siri on his Apple Watch. After too long of a wait, he got the correct answer — for London Canada. I tried on my iPhone and got the same result. Stupid and slow is heck of a combination.

This is an odd and reproducible error. Fire up your iPhone and ask Siri:

What time is it in London?

I’m curious if anyone, perhaps elsewhere in the world, gets an answer other than the time in London, Canada. How about someone in the UK? Or even London, England?

More from Gruber:

Worse, I tried on my HomePod and Siri gave me the correct answer: the time in London England. I say this is worse because it exemplifies how inconsistent Siri is.

Same. iPhone Siri assumes I mean London, Canada, HomePod Siri assumes I mean London, England.

Edge cases. The bane of any developers existence.

UPDATE: I asked about this on Twitter, got some fascinating replies. In the UK, as you might expect, Siri gives the time for London, England. But in Florida, we get the time in London, England as well, as opposed to other folks in the US, who get London, Canada. Except for one user in Indiana who gets London, Ohio. And another few who get London, Kentucky.

Sounds like a proximity to London (pick the closest one) issue?

NPR:

Tucker, who works at a Sephora beauty store in San Jose, Calif., had never heard of the Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO until a couple years ago, when she began fielding a steady stream of calls and text messages intended for him.

And:

Turns out, Tucker’s cellphone number used to be registered to Musk. On any given day, she receives at least three calls or texts intended for Musk, whom she has never met.

The fact of having Musk’s old number is not what makes this story. It’s the calls and messages.

For example, she texted back and forth with Pixar/Disney’s John Lasseter, who was trying to reach Musk. Fascinating.