shownotes_20210307

Opening
  Opening Music
    Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
News
  iPhone 13 rumors
    A Wedbush analyst claims the iPhone 13 could finally bring a 1TB storage option to the Pro models and Apple may have LiDAR scanners across the entire lineup
      Apple leaker Jon Prosser has also claimed that Apple would offer 1TB storage options on iPhone’s this year
    The thought is that with the new ProRAW option, which are 10 to 12 times larger than HEIF or JPEG files, iPhone photographers are going to want/need more storage. Also, 4K videographers.
    With many still looking to get on the 5G bandwagon and 5G deployments going wider it’s also expected that the iPhone 13 will bring another stellar year for Apple.
    Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also continues to update investors with his predictions for iPhone
      120Hz ProMotion displays and offer low-power LTPO display technology
      Same 4 models and sizes as last years iPhone 12s
      A smaller notch
      Lightning connectors all around
        Kuo had previously hinted that one Pro model may be “portless”
        Claims the MagSafe eco-system just isn’t mature enough yet.
      Qualcomm's Snapdragon X60 modem
        Can aggregate 5G data from both mmWave and sub-6GHz bands simultaneously
      Models will be slightly heavier due to larger batteries
      Upgrade to the ultra wide-angle lens to add auto-focus and sensor-shift OIS (optical image stabilization).
        Yes, the current version is fixed focus
        Would enable closer wide-angle shots
      Kuo continues to think that LiDAR scanners will still be only available on the iPhone 13 Pro models
    Kuo also notes that Apple has plans for update to the iPhone SE, but that now it seems the updates may not be here until the last half of they year or in early 2022
      The update would add 5G to Apple’s low cost iPhone option and update it with updated processors
      The design is expected to remain unchanged from the current 4.7-inch iPhone SE
      Says the user experience could be improved if Apple would adopt the TouchID power button, like they did for iPad, but there currently is no indication on when or if they plan to do that.
      On the Pro side for 2022 Kuo thinks Apple may adopt a “punch hole” design for the camera.
        Not sure how this works with the other components needed to power FaceID and Kuo doesn’t explain that either.
    Jon Prosser stated on a podcast that the rumored upcoming MagSafe battery pack from Apple would come in a “premium” version that will offer bi-lateral charging.
  Hints at NFL on Apple TV+ (again)
    Really this is something that we’ve heard before, but seems like a long shot
      The gist is that “most if not all of (the NFLs) media contracts.” are up for renewal and NFL Sunday Ticket and Thursday Night Football could be up for grabs
      DirecTV, is expected to not renew their out-of-market NFL Sunday package and Apple could be on the list to pick it up, if they want it
        There’s no indication that they are beyond the speculation that it could be a great way to drive up Apple TV+ subscriptions.
      Thursday Night Football could also be in the mix as long as the NFL isn’t looking for an exclusive partner who would be responsible for production.
        If it remains non-exclusive it could be ESPN+, Amazon, and Apple sharing the broadcasts
  Apple TV+ signs order for ‘Roar'
    “Roar”, described as an "anthology series of darkly comic feminist fables."
      Will star Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Merritt Wever, and Alison Brie
      It’s from the creators of GLOW, Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch
      The series will be a season eight half-hour episodes that are based on a book of short stories by Cecilia Ahern
    Apple TV+ got a nice bump in viewers with the release of it’s Billie Eilish documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”
      Deadline reports that Apple saw a 33 percent bump in new viewers to the service.
      Most of the new viewers are also in the desirable “young adult” demographic.
      We’ll have to wait and see if they stick around, but with the Russo Brothers film “Cherry”, starring Tom Holland, coming out soon they just might.
    Apple has also signed a series order for a Korean-language show based on the popular Korean webtoon, "Dr. Brain"
      The series will be written and directed by filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon and feature Lee Sun-Kyun who is know for his role in “Parasite”
      The show is described as, “an emotional journey that follows a brain scientist who is obsessive about figuring out new technologies to access the consciousness and memories of the brain”
    Apple TV+ shows and films are also up for some more awards
      In the Annie Awards for animation the movie Wolfwalkers, produced by Cartoon Saloon and Melusine Productions, is up for 10 awards including Best Animated Feature
        And the children’s TV series Stillwater earned one nomination for "Best Pre-School" episode
      In the Saturn Awards for science fiction Apple received nominations for "For All Mankind," "Servant," and "Amazing Stories"
        "For All Mankind" has been nominated for Best Fantasy Television Series
        "Servant" is nominated for Best Horror Television Series
        "Amazing Stories" has been nominated for Best Television Presentation (Under 10 Episodes)
      Ted Lasso walked away with three Critics Choice Awards
        Including winning the award for Best Comedy Series
        Jason Sudeikis also won for Best Actor in a Comedy Series
        And his co-star Hannah Waddingham won for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
  All Apple Stores open again in the US
    As of March 1, 2020 all 270 Apple stores in the US are “open” in one way or another.
    Some are offering in-store shopping appointments while others can accept Express pickup of online orders only
    Last week Apple added a couple dozen more stores in California, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, and Utah to the growing list offering in-store shopping sessions
    Stores will continue to enforce health and safety guidelines that include reduced occupancy and a mask requirement.
    And they will continue to monitor and evaluate local conditions, so we could see some stores re-close conditions change.
    So, we’re definitely a far cry from being able to just pop down to the Apple Store to do some shopping, but at least this feels like a baby-step to getting back to doing just that.
  FindMy opens to third parties
    With the third beta of iOS 14.5 Apple has opened up the “Items” tab in the FindMy app.
    This allows users to add “Non-Apple” devices to the FindMy App
    It’s believed that one of the ways you would do this is with the rumored Apple AirTags but, as those are not a real product yet, the feature currently only works with 3rd party products
    Reports mention Beats headphones and Belkin Wireless Earbuds, announced at CES and compatible with Find My app.
    It’s not clear how the compatibility works. Apple’s AirTags are expected to use UWB technology to make finding items more accurate.
    The feature will give you a push notification if the item is separated from your device
    A disturbing message has appeared in the strings of the third beta of macOS 11.3
      At least disturbing if you own an M1 Mac and rely on Rosetta
      Discovered by Mac Rumors there are two strings in the beta that state:
        "Rosetta will be removed upon installing this update."
        "Rosetta is no longer available in this region. Applications requiring Rosetta will no longer run."
      It’s not clear why these are appearing, what regions might be impacted, or when they might go into effect.
      Assumption is there could be some legal issues or challenges surrounding Rosetta in some regions.
  Will 2021 be the year of OLED
    At least for Apple’s non-iPhone / Apple Watch products?
    We’ve been hearing OLED iPad and MacBook Pro rumors for a while, but we have yet to see a product and we may be waiting another year.
    At least according to DigiTimes and their assessment of the supply chain
    There were signs that Apple might be shooting to have OLED iPad Pro model out in the second half of 2021, but now that seems unclear.
    What is expected this year are iPad and MacBook models with Mini-LED-backlit LCD displays.
    Mini-LED LCDs do offer a lot of the benefits of OLED with high brightness and high contrast and better energy efficiency without risk of burn-in. So depending on how they perform there’s a possibility we skip OLED and go straight to Mico-LED, another tech Apple is rumored to be looking into.
  Just a few odds and ends
    Australian government’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the ECG function in Apple Watch
      So we might finally see that feature being made available to Apple Watch owners in Australia
    Recent data from Counterpoint research says Apple increased their Apple Watch shipment 19 percent year over year in the fourth quarter shipping an estimated 33.9 million units
      This is despite an overall decline in smartwatch shipments for the quarter
      They also say Apple was able to increase their global smartwatch marketshare dominance from 34 percent to 40 percent.
    Supposed leaked image of an updated Apple Pencil for iPad Pro surfaced on twitter by a user called “Mr. White"
      The only real noticeable change is a “glossy” vs matte finish. So returning to it’s roots?
    Apple has made it easier to transfer your iCloud Photos to Google Photos
      Through a new feature on Apple’s privacy website you can now transfer a copy of your photos to Google Photos
      The transfer process takes between three and seven days, with Apple verifying that the request was made by you.
      You need to have two-factor authentication on for your Apple ID and you must have enough Google Photo storage available for the transfer.
      It will only transfer the most recent edited version of a photo (if it’s been edited), they will try to keep photos in their albums when possible, but videos are transferred separately
      Currently limited to customers in Australia, Canada, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States
    Apple says the rumored new feature in iOS 14.5 that people are reporting will let you change the “default” music player app to a service other than Apple Music is not that.
      In a statement to TechCrunch Apple says there’s no specific setting in iOS where users can configure a “default” music service
      They say the feature is Siri intelligence-based. Siri might ask which service or app you want to listen on, but choosing one will not make a permanent change.
      It could change over time and you could be asked again.
      I like that 9to5 Mac has suggested we simply call it the “nebulous Siri audio feature” instead.
    Apple confirmed to MacRumors that the 27-inch iMac Pro has been discontinued
      This was after it was noticed on Apple’s Store site that all custom configuration options for the iMac Pro had been removed and Apple added the text “while supplies last” to it’s product page for the “base” configuration.
      We are expecting Apple Silicon updates for the iMac line this year, it’ll be interesting to see if an iMac Pro version is part of that update.
  Apple AR headset may arrive in 2022
    At least according to the latest research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
    Actually he see Apple’s AR / VR projects releasing in three phases with the first phase happening in 2022
    The phases are “Helmet type” (2022), “Glasses Type” (2025), and “contact lens type” (2030)
    The “helmet” is more a traditional “VR” type headset with mixed AR/VR experiences
    Kuo says the later projects will likely focus solely on AR experiences
    Kuo mentions that if Apple can solve some technical problems they hope to have the “helmet” headset at a weight of 100–200 grams, current prototypes are 200–300 grams.
      It will have Sony's Micro-OLED displays offering a "see-through AR experience," and will also be capable of offering VR experiences.
      It will be portable and independent with it’s own processors, sensors, and battery
      It’s expected to be a premium products priced around $1,000 USD
    For the glasses Kuo thinks they are not even at the prototype phase yet but says Apple want to deliver them their custom “optical see-through AR experience”
      They “may have” independent computing power and storage space
    With the contact lenses Kuo says the goal wold be a focus on bringing “invisible computing” to the experience.
      Lenses would likely rely on another device, like an iPhone, for computing power and storage.
Sponsor: Helix Sleep
  Helix Sleep
    Buying a mattress at a mattress store is one of my least favorite experiences
    Last time I had to do it was when I learned that different stores sell the same brand but under different names so you can’t price shop between stores. Really who wants to deal with that.
    Buying and getting a mattress from Helix is an amazing experience.
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      It’s walks you through a new basic questions so they can match your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. It even works for couples.
    They offer a bunch of different mattress types
      Soft to firm and mattresses great for cooling you down if you sleep hot. Even a Helix Plus mattress for plus-size folks.
    I tend to sleep on my side and really like a firmer feel to my mattress so the quiz recommended a “Twilight” model
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Sponsor: Headspace
  Headspace
    Something I can struggle with, and I think a lot of people also struggle with, is focus. I often have a million thoughts and ideas in my head. Throw in life and daily stresses and it can be a mess.
    Since I started using it, Headspace has been really helping me become better at focusing and ignoring distractions.
    Headspace offers guided meditations in an easy-to-use app.
    I’m completely new to meditation and had no idea what to do or how to get started.
      I’ve been using Headspaces “Basics” doing 3 min daily sessions working on focus.
      They’ve made it really easy to get started and it’s really helping me. After each session I feel relaxed and ready to focus in on my tasks.
      I also love the integration with Health app and HealthKit. Plus, I get notifications to help keep me on track.
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
  More Mail Shortcuts
    A couple shows back I shared some tips on using keyboard shortcuts in Apple’s Mail app
    Listener Daniel offered some great feedback along with some additional tips.
    The one handy tips I shared was that you can use the Command+number keys to quickly access items in your Favorites.
      I mentioned 1-6, but you can actually have 1-9
    And you can add folders to your favorites, really any mailbox or folder
      Just right click in the sidebar and choose “Add to favorites”
    Once an item is in your Favorites you can also quickly move emails to that mailbox/folder by typing Ctrl + Cmd + num key
      This can make a really quick way to organize messages
      Or create a “follow-up” folder to quickly stash items you can’t get to right away, but need to follow-up on.
    Great tips!
    Daniel also has asked for our help… he noticed that if you select an email and then go under the “Messages” menu there is a grayed out item called “Move to Predicted Mailbox" with the shortcut Ctrl+Cmd+M
      It always seems to be grayed out.
      Has anyone made this work? Is there a trick?
      One of the reasons I use [Spark](https://sparkmailapp.com) as my Mail client is that it will “suggest” folder under it’s move command based on how you’ve moved messages in the past.
      I can only assume this is intended to be a similar feature.
  The ‘CarPlay’ paradox
    Last episode we were once again talking about the rumor of future iPhones that might no longer have a physical connector.
    In fact we discussed it in this episode too.
    Every time I mention this I get a bunch of queries and responses like this one
      Play comment
    This is a very big dilemma for Apple and for sure one that they would need to have a solution for.
    It make you wonder how many head units might be wireless CarPlay capable, but simply software restricted?
    If that’s not the case then I would imagine Apple would need to develop some sore of wireless adapter or dongle that would plug into the cars USB to allow a wireless CarPlay connection.
      Apparently there are some [adapters that already exist](https://9to5mac.com/2020/05/04/carplay-to-wireless-carplay-adapter/)
    Maybe a future version of MagSafe could also work with data?
      Might need to combine a “Smart Connector”?
    Apple for sure created an issue for themselves here and it’s interesting because this is generally the kind of thing they like to avoid.
    They might not be fully in charge of their own destiny when it comes to losing the lighting connector.
    The other big question I have is why the hell has wireless CarPlay adoption been SOOO slow…
      it was introduced with iOS 9 in 2015
      Just 27 models from three brands offer wireless Apple CarPlay for the 2019 model year
      Here we are 6 years later and we’re still attaching our iPhone’s to our CarPlay like Neanderthals?
  ‘Recovered messages’ after upgrade
    Fernando is having an issue with his Mail where there is a “Recovered Messages” folder that keeps re-appearing in his macOS Mail
    Even if it’s empty and he removes it, it will come back.
    The “Recovered Messages” can sometimes appear after a macOS upgrade that has upgraded the email library
    In general it’s intended to give you an opportunity to review the recovered messages and move them back to their proper mailboxes or folders.
      Once you’ve done that you should be able to remove this folder
    Obviously this is not working in Fernando’s case.
    If this happens to you what you may need to do is [Rebuild your mailboxes](https://support.apple.com/en-mn/guide/mail/mlhlp1227/14.0/mac/11.0)
    Generally this should be pretty safe to do, but I would always make sure you have a full backup of your Mac or email before you do.
    To rebuild a mailbox you just
      Open the Mail app
      Select the mailbox you want to rebuild from the sidebar
      Go under the ‘Mailbox’ menu and choose ‘Rebuild’
    Be aware when you rebuild an IMAP or Exchange account the attachments are deleted locally and re-downloded.
    Also note that the mailbox will appear empty until the rebuild has completed, so don’t worry.
  ‘Forest for the Trees’ troubleshooting
    This is something that often comes up when I’m working on a problem or trying to troubleshoot something.
    And it’s not just on the Mac. It can also be on any kind of problem you might be trying to solve.
    It manifested itself in an email question I got from Daniel who was trying to help his father with an iPhone issue
    His Dad got a new iPhone mini a couple months ago and was having an issue with call volumes
    The phone would work fine when paired with a Bluetooth headset or on speakerphone, but when he would hold it to his ear he would have trouble hearing the conversation.
      It didn’t matter even if the earpiece volume was at maximum.
    Like many of us would do Daniel did some research and found others online having similar issues
    The only real resolutions were to mess with accessibility settings or physically trying to clean the phone ear piece
    I tried to help out and asked him to confirm that his Dad was adjusting the volume while on a call as the phone will maintain different volumes.
    Daniel asked his Dad to make sure there wasn’t any dirt or lint inside the speaker. That’s when his Dad said, no there can’t be because there’s a screen protector on it.
    It was his Dad’s first iPhone with a notch and he hadn’t realized the protector needed to go on a certain way. He had inadvertently blocked the speaker hole.
      An honest mistake.
    Point is, with technology we sometimes immediately assume the issue is some complex technical problem.
    There’s also the “coincidence” bias. I just updated the OS, so it HAS to be a bug.
    Sometime it can help to step back a bit, take a breath, and view the forrest. Are we missing a simple and obvious solution.
      I kicked out the power cable
      The cable came loose or broke.
      My daughter has my old bluetooth keyboard and set a book on it after it reconnected back to my Mac which is in the next room
  Thing of the Moment: TouchSwitcher
    This one comes via the Maccast Patreon Slack and “ladude”
    I’m not a huge TouchBar user so I’m always interested in things that might get me there.
    This one is free (well Gratuityware) and seems pretty cool, [TouchSwitcher](https://hazeover.com/touchswitcher.html)
    Adds an App Icon to the TouchBar that lets you see the open apps in your dock, along with recent apps, and you can tap to switch between them.
    Is it faster than command+tab and using Spotlight as and app launcher? Maybe not.
    Is it more tactile and visually stimulating, probably.
    It does make the TouchBar just a bit more colorful and useful.
    The developer of this is also the developer of [HazeOver](https://hazeover.com)
      It’s a distraction dimmer that help you put focus on your current app.
      It’s also available to Setapp owners as part of their subscription.
Closing
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