shownotes_20211031

Opening
Sponsor: LinkedIn Jobs
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News
  M1 Pro / M1 Max Performance and teardown
    [AnandTech](https://www.anandtech.com/show/17024/apple-m1-max-performance-review) has dug in on the new processors
      Confirmed that the cores in Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max processors are very similar if not identical to the ones in the M1
        As opposed to being a variant of newer cores used in the A15
      But still Apple has done some tweaking beyond just the number of cores. The “pro” processors are clocked faster, up to 3.23GHz peak.
        Not only that but the 8 perform-ace cores are actually two 4-core clusters each their own 12MB L2 caches. This means they can clock their CPUs independently from each other depending on needs.
      Memory bandwidth is also three times faster
      The piece notes that it’s really the differences with the increased GPU cores and performance where the Pros show their muscle.
      The piece concludes that the advances in these new chips bring performance to laptops that have previously not been believed to be possible and that Apple’s new systems not only outclass any competitor laptop design, but that they compete against the best desktop systems out there as well.
    DaVinci Resolve added full support and the company says it runs up to five times faster on Apple's new MacBook Pro models
    Andy Somerfield, lead developer of Affinity Photo noted in a Twitter post that the M1 Max has the fastest GPU performance of any GPU they’ve tested with their internal Photo benchmark tool
      Even beating out the dedicated Radeon Pro W6900X module for Apple’s Mac Pro (which costs USD $6,000)
    iFixit performed their teardown and found some interesting things
      There are now pull tabs for the battery adhesive and the battery isn’t trapped under the logic board making replacements a little bit easier
      “100% more slack” in the display flex cables. That should hopefully avoid the cables breaking
  Apple’s Notch not loved by all
    Quinn Nelson from Snazzy Labs posted video on Twitter showing how, in some apps, the menubar items do get obscured by the notch.
    Apple offers a “compatibility” mode that developers can enable in Xcode to change the active area of the display to avoid the camera housing.
      Obviously it might be a while before all developers update their apps for this new mode
      Until then for apps where the notch might be an issue you can enable a setting in macOS Monterey
        In the Finder, select the app and choose ‘File’ > ‘Get Info…'
        In the info pane find and check on the option for “Scale to fit below built-in camera”
        The downside is this scales down the app in all dimensions, so you’ll have wider bezels all around
        If you don’t see the option then it’s likely the developer already said their app works with the notch
    Apple calls it a “it’s a really smart way to give you more space for your content” because they made the display taller and left the usable display the same size
    There are already emerging 3rd party apps like [Top Notch](https://topnotch.app) that essentially hides the notch by making your menubar black
  The next Apple Watch
    DigiTimes is reporting that Apple is lining up suppliers for components for the next Apple Watch, presumably Series 8
    Among those sensors they say are short-wavelength infrared sensors that will enable the device to measure blood glucose levels
    In the past the Wall Street Journal has reported that blood glucose capabilities is one of the health features Apple has been pursuing for the Watch.
    The challenge is likely getting something non-invasive that can integrate into the watch and meets Apple’s standards for quality an accuracy.
    Meanwhile for the current Apple Watch Series 7 the gang at [iFixit]() did their teardown and despite the similarities in outward appearance to the Series 6 they found some new surprises on the inside
      The new watch has given up the bracket where the diagnostic port once lived. Apple reportedly now uses a high-frequency wireless interface to troubleshoot.
      The new display has one less flex cable, ditching the one for the touch sensor layer
        this display uses a touch-integrated OLED panel, a.k.a. “on-cell touch,”
        Speculation is this makes it tricker to make these new displays and that coupled with the increased “edge-to-edge” display design likely contributed to the launch delays
      Even though battery life didn’t change the batteries have slightly wider dimensions than last year and slightly higher capacities and energy densities
      They found that you could swap parts, like batteries, from older models so make potential availability of repair parts better.
  iThing OS Updates
    iOS 15.1, iPad OS 15.1, tvOS 15.1, HomePod 15.1, watchOS 8
    Biggest news is it brings SharePlay support across the board
    HomePod update brings Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio
      Both get Lossless Audio, while Spatial Audio is limited to the full sized HomePod or a pair of HomePod minis connected to an Apple TV
      9to5 Mac noticed that if you have a stereo pair and try to play Spatial Audio it doesn’t work, but if you connect them to a 4K Apple TV it will work.
      To enable the features on your HomePod
        Open the Home App
        Tap on the Home icon
        Choose “Home Settings…”
        Under people select your profile
        Under “Media” select Apple Music
        Toggle the options for Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio on or off
      Mark Gurman thinks Apple’s HomePod minis with colors will be available starting the first week of November
    watchOS 8
      Enhanced fall detection algorithms, support for a COVID-19 vaccination card in the Wallet app, and group Fitness+ workouts through SharePlay
    Apple One Premier coming to 17 new countries
      Coming November 3rd
      Austria, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, and the UAE will feature Apple One Premier with 2TB of iCloud storage and without Apple News+.
  macOS Monterey arrives
    Compatibility is pretty much 2015 Mac or later. If you are running Catalina you will likely be able to upgrade
    Highlights
      Focus Modes
      Live Text and Quick Note
      SharePlay and Universal Control coming soon
      Safari has been restored to it’s “Separate” (original tab design by default) though you can change it to the new “Compact” layout.
      Share With You support
        Stuff shared with you in Messages, like photos, links, podcasts, music will show up in a “Shared with you” section in their respective apps.
      Shortcuts is finally on the Mac
      AirPlay to Mac
  iPhone SE update still coming
    Common thought is sometime in 2022, likely in the first half of the year
    Display analyst Ross Young thinks he has a few more details on what the display will be
    Says the name will be “SE Plus”, but with the same 4.7" LCD as the 8 along with 5G
    Says an iPhone SE 3 update with a larger 5.7-inch to 6.1-inch display has been pushed to 2024
      That model may also drop the TouchID home button and move it to the side
  iMac Pro on the way
    Maybe in early 2022 according to a tweet from leaker Dylandkt
    A new iMac or possibly iMac Pro
    mini-LED Pro Motion 27-inch display
      Some have questioned why Apple wouldn’t go larger with the display, like 30 or 32-inch
    Similar design to the 24-inch iMac and Pro Display XDR, but with black bezels
    Base model configuration of 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD using M1 Pro and M1 Max chips
    HDMI port, SD card slot, and USB-C ports and option for ethernet port via the MagSafe charging brick.
    Claims FaceID was tested for the new iMac, but not confirmed
      Apple executives claim they aren’t interested in FaceID on the Mac because you already have a keyboard input and TouchID make more sense in that configuration.
    Starting price point of around USD
    Apple this week discontinued the 21.5-inch iMac with Intel processors
  Apple mixed reality glasses
    Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his most recent newsletter says that we might see Apple glasses in 2022
    Claims it will be a “pricey device with advanced chips, displays, sensor, and avatar-based features”
    Reports from earlier this year have set the price tag for the first generation of Apple’s AR/VR headset at around USD $3,000
    Seems to think the device will offer a mix of AR experiences along with the ability to “handle games in high-quality virtual reality”
    He also eludes to the future where Apple’s focus would be a set of pure AR-only glasses and experience
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  SimpliSafe
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
  Apple product placements
    Our continued discussion on Apple product placements in Apple TV Plus shows
    Josh pointed me to a [WSJ YouTube video](https://youtu.be/8xAvVfJ_xyI) where they analyzed 704 episodes of various Apple TV+ shows for Apple Products
      They looked at Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Trying, Defending Jacob, and Mythic Quest
    In 704 episodes there were 300 iPhones, 120 MacBooks and 40 pairs of AirPods
    In one episode of Ted Lasso the rate of Apple products shown was 1.24 times per minute
    That also does really include the “sounds” that are distinctively Apple and not heard nor the dialog that is used as plot devices. i.e. “We’re considering sharing an iCloud” or “Go ahead and FaceTime me later”, etc.
    Looking at raw numbers this way does make it seem like it’s a LOT of placements. Still I wonder how many times a day in real like we are subjecting ourselves to seeing Apple products and how that compares.
    Daily I see people using iPhones, wearing AirPods, checking their Apple Watch, etc.
    Play comments from Ivan
  M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro Feedback
    Play comment from Antony
      Discuss the TouchBar
      [Bartender](https://www.macbartender.com)
    Play comments from Gary
      Not sure what resolution you’re targeting with those displays, but I have a similar set-up with my 16-inch MacBook Pro and a Mac mini and for the Pro I still connect using Thunderbolt via the Anker Dock, https://us.anker.com/collections/hubs-docks/products/a8396

      For the Mac mini I go with simple “Single-link” USB-C to DVI adapters from Monoprice:
      https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15759

      They also make a cheaper version without the extra USB-A port:
      https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15243

      These will only do resolutions up to 1920X1080, so 1080p

      If you need “Dual-link” DVI resolutions 2560x1600 (like an old Apple 30-inch Cinema Display), you need a much more expensive adapter like this one:
      https://www.startech.com/en-us/audio-video-products/cdp2dvidp

  iOS 15 Visual Lookup
    I’m not sure how I missed this feature in iOS 15 until now, but since I missed it I’m going to assume others in our community may have as well
    In Photos Apple has been using the AI and neural engines on our iOS devices to recognize the contents of photos and allow us to search based on what items, objects, or subjects are in the Photos.
    Now, in photos where it has recognized specific objects, landmarks, animals, books, plants, works of art, etc. You might see an icon appear over the object and you can now tap that to get specific information
    If you select a photo and check the “info” icon at the bottom of the screen, if it has fairy dust (little stars) around it that indicates there is additional Visual Lookup info.
    Tap the icon or icon in the image to get more details.
    The data comes from Siri Knowledge, similar images found on the web, and other online sources of information, like Wikipedia
    In my experience it’s pretty accurate. Showing the exact species or type of a plant or animal with additional information.
Closing
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