shownotes_20220213

Opening
News
  What will be the first FaceID Mac?
    Mark Gurman seems to feel that it’s not likely to be on a Apple notebook first
    In a new comment in his newsletter he says the feature will most likely show up in and iMac first because the technology to build it into an ultra thin MacBook Pro display doesn’t exist.
    It seemed like Apple might be preparing for FaceID in the notebook especially with adding the notch to the new 14-inch and 16-inch designs (as we know nether currently offers FaceID)
    In the past he predicted that FaceId might make it’s way into updated iMacs and that was before the release of the 24-inch iMac. We know know that didn’t happen.
    So with the rumored 27-inch iMac “Pro” update looming will that be the first Mac with FaceID?
    One thing mentioned in articles about FaceID on the Mac is that while it will be great for unlocking using it for FaceID purchases would still require some sort of button push or additional “confirmation” action.
      True I guess, but this is how it works on an iOS device too (when making an Apple Pay purchase on the web). You have to confirm and Apple Pay purchase on your Apple Watch, on an iPhone, or by pressing TouchID.
      Guess maybe the point is, does adding FaceID to the Mac bring that much more advantage over TouchID beyond just a better unlock experience?
  M2 Macs likely in the works
    No one knows for sure yet when Apple’s next event might be, but at the moment many are thinking March 8th.
    Whatever happens we have a couple sources this week saying an M2 updated for the 13-inch MacBook Pro could be part of the March 8th lineup.
    First we have Mark Gurman at Bloomberg… now he doesn’t say anything about a release date, but does say an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro would come with an M2 chip and ditch the TouchBar like the 14-inch and 16-inch models
    What he says the lower priced Pro won’t have is high end specs like ProMotion or mini-LED backlighting.
    He does expect other M1 Macs in the line-up to also get M2 upgrades in 2022, including the 24-inch iMac, entry-level Mac mini and MacBook Air.
    Over at DigiTimes that do claim that Apple will launch the M2 in an updated MacBook Pro at their next Spring event
      In fact they think the event will feature a whole lineup of some Apple products we’ve been waiting for
      In addition to the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro they say Apple will announce the entry level 5G iPhone SE and an updated entry-level iPad
      They say the MacBook Pro will basically have “almost the same specs” as the existing model just with the updated processor
  Apple announces ‘Tap to Pay'
    It’s official you will soon be able to use your iPhone to accept contactless payments as well as make them
    Apple said, “Tap to Pay on iPhone will be available for payment platforms and app developers to integrate into their iOS apps and offer as a payment option to their business customers."
    It will first be offered in the US this Spring to Stripe business customers and then rolled out to additional payment platforms and apps later this year
    It will work through iOS apps on the iPhone XS or later by placing an iPhone or Apple Watch to pay with Apple Pay, a contactless credit or debit card, or another digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone to make a secure payment over NFC
  Apple picks up AI Music startup
    Bloomberg is reporting that Apple has acquired AI Music, a startup that has developed a platform capable of creating songs using artificial intelligence
    The details of how much Apple paid for the company are unknown at this time.
    It’s not clear either what Apple’s plans for their new purchase are, but the company’s technology allows it to create royalty free original music using AI based on user interactions in realtime.
    Using technology they call an Infinite Music Engine they claim they can provide music for marketers, publishers, fitness professionals, creative agencies and many more
    What seems likely for Apple is custom music generated for Apple Fitness+ workout since AI Music says the technology could generate music that adapts to your heartbeat.
    Or original music for Apple Photos slideshows maybe based on the visuals in your photos?
    I would think too that there could be some interesting applications if combined with Apple’s AR / VR headset which is said to have sensors to track hand gestures and head movement. Could be some fun applications for Music generation and visuals based on movement.
    And remember when Apple purchased the classical music streaming service Primephonic last year?
      They expanded the catalog of classical music on Apple Music, but they also promised they would deliver an app dedicated to classical music in 2022.
      Now it looks like they might be close.
      9to5Google was digging around in the latest beta builds of the Music app for Android and found references to “Apple Classical”
      The strings seemed to indicate the ability to open a compatible track directly in the Apple Classical service
  Jones, Wigg, Dior, Coco, and J.J.
    Looks like a pretty big week for new Apple TV+ series
    First we have a new 8-episode limited series called “Presumed Innocent” coming from David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams, and Dustin Thomason
      The series is based on a novel of the same name and focuses on the story of a "horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys' office when one of its own is suspected of the crime."
    Next is a “dark comedy” series called “Sunny” that will star former Parks & Rec star Rashida Jones
      Written by Katie Robbins, "Sunny" is based on the book "Dark Manual" by Colin O'Sullivan
      The story tells the story of a woman "whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash.” To help her cope she is given, “a new class of domestic robots made by her husband's electronics company.”
      The series is being produced by the A24 studios and marks the second collaboration between A24 and Jones for Apple TV+. She started along side Bill Murray in the A24 studios film “On the Rocks”
    In addition, Apple has given a straight to series order for a 10-episode series called "Mrs. American Pie”
      It will star Kristen Wiig and Laura Dern.
      The series will tell the story of Maxine Simmons (played by Wiig), a woman who tries desperately to get a seat at Palm Beach's high society.
      Dern also developed the project which is based on a novel by Juliet McDaniel and Dern will also serve as executive producer
    And finally a “fashion thriller” (yes, I guess that’s a thing?) about the fall of Coco Chanel and rise of Christian Dior set against the Nazi occupation of Paris in World War II
      The series will be Written, executive produced and directed by Todd A. Kessler and stars Ben Mendelsohn and Juliette Binoche
    Apple TV+ films had a great showing for this years Oscar nominations picking up six nods including one for best picture
      CODA, which is excellent BTW, received the nomination for Best Picture
      Troy Kotsur also received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role as the father in CODA
      Sian Heder the director and scriptwriter for CODA also received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay
      And then the other three nominations came for Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth
        Best Cinematography
        Best Production Design
        Denzel Washington for Best Actor in a Leading Role
  Apple addresses AirTag stalking
    Unfortunately, despite attempts to add features at launch to alert customers to unwanted AirTags tracking them Apple’s device trackers have been getting a lot of bad press lately
    Even though Apple has done more to reduce stalking risks with their trackers then any other trackers on the market.
    So Apple this week announced new steps and additional safety features they are planning to roll out this year.
    First Apple said they are “actively working with law enforcement” on AirTag-related requests and that based on that work they feel “incidents of AirTag misuse are rare,” but acknowledged that “each instance is one too many.”
    A new privacy warning will make it clear that AirTags are intended to track items not people and will warn users that AirTags are linked to your Apple ID and that law enforcement can request this identifying information (with a subpoena or court order).
    Apple will update the “Unknown Accessory Detected” to identify exactly what accessory is traveling with you, fro example AirPods or a 3rd party FindMy accessory.
    They will allow you to use Precision Finding to located an unwanted AirTag near you (currently you can only use this feature on AirTags tied to your AppleID)
    They are also changing how sound alerts work. This happens at an interval of eight hours and 24 hours when an unknown AirTag is near you.
      The new functionality will not only play the sound but also pop-up an alert on your iPhone and give you the ability to trigger he sound again (in case it’s hard to hear).
      This will also help with AirTags that have had their speakers disabled.
      They are also adjusting the tones to make them louder and easier to hear
    And lastly they plan to update the logic to “notify users earlier that an unknown AirTag or Find My network accessory may be traveling with them.”
Sponsor: New Relic
  New Relic
    If you’re a software engineer you’ve been there. It’s nine p.m.... you’re finally unwinding from work...your phone buzzes with an alert: something’s broken...and your mind’s already racing at what could be wrong: Is it the back-end or the front-end? Is it the network? Did I introduce a bug in my last deploy?
    Now the whole team’s scrambling from tool to tool and messaging person after person to find and fix the issue.
    That won’t happen if you get New Relic.
    Believe me, as we web developer I’ve been there. I’ve also been lucky to have New Relic available on projects and it’s an amazing time saver when troubleshooting issues.
    New Relic combines 16 different monitoring products that you’d normally buy separately, so engineering teams can see across their entire software stack in one place.
    More importantly, you can pinpoint issues down to the line of code so you know exactly why the problem happened and can resolve it quickly.
    That’s why the dev and ops teams at Doordash, Github, Epic Games, and more than FOURTEEN THOUSAND other companies use New Relic to debug and improve their software.
    Whether you run a cloud-native startup or a Fortune 500 company, it takes just 5 minutes to set up New Relic in your environment.
    That next nine p.m. call is just waiting to happen. Get New Relic before it does!
    You can get access to the whole New Relic platform and 100GB of data free, forever – no credit card required!
    Sign up at New Relic dot com slash maccast. That’s N-E-W R-E-L-I-C dot com slash maccast. New Relic dot com slash maccast.
Sponsor: ZocDoc
  ZocDoc
    Finding and booking a doctor who’s right for you doesn’t need to be a terrible experience. Will they take your insurance, understand your needs, or be available when you can see them? With Zocdoc, the answer can be a refreshingly pain-free YES.
    It’s that last scenario that gets me the most frustrated. When I get sick and need to see a doctor, and it’s not often, I need to see a doctor now, not in 2 weeks or even a month from now. Goning online to my providers site just to see it’ll be weeks to see a doctor is infuriating. That’s when I can turn to ZocDoc and find a doctor who will take my insurance and be able to see me tomorrow, not days from now.
    Zocdoc is a FREE app that shows you doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance and are available when you need them.
    Read up on local doctors—get verified patient reviews and see what other real humans had to say about their visit. So when you walk into that doctor’s office, you’re set up to see someone in your network who gets you.
    Go to Zocdoc.com, choose a time slot and whether you want to see the doctor in person, or do a video visit. And just like that, you’re booked.
    Find the doctor that is right for you, and book an appointment that works for your schedule
    Every month, millions of people use Zocdoc. And I’m one of them. It’s my go-to whenever I need to find and book a doctor.
    In the chaotic world of healthcare let Zocdoc be your trusted guide to find a quality doctor in a way that is surprisingly pain free.
    Go to Zocdoc dot com slash maccast and download the ZocDoc app for FREE. Then start your search for a top-rated doctor today. Many available within 24 hours.
    Thats Z-O-C-D-O-C dot com slash MACCAST. Zocdoc dot com slash maccast.
Feedback, commentary, opinions
  Repair Disk Permissions
    David emailed me to ask… “How do you repair permission in Monterey?”
    Us old school Mac Geeks know the time honored tradition of rubber chicken waving to fix issues when our Mac are misbehaving
      Reboot
      Zap the PRAM
      Run Disk First Aid
      Repair the Disk Permissions
    As of macOS version 10.11 El Capitan, Disk Utility no longer comes with the option "repair disk permissions."
    Why? Because Apple has saved us from ourselves and made it unnecessary with something called System Integrity Protection (SIP)
    SIP automatically repairs file permissions during software updates and system changes.
    SIP restricting the root account so that it can’t do things like modify protected locations and processes.
    System Integrity Protection includes protection for these parts of the system:
      /System
      /usr
      /bin
      /sbin
      /var
      Apps that are pre-installed with OS X
    System Integrity Protection is designed to allow modification of these protected parts only by processes that are signed by Apple and have special entitlements to write to system files, such as Apple software updates and Apple installers.
    System Integrity Protection also helps prevent software from selecting a startup disk. To select a startup disk, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then click Startup Disk. Or hold down the Option key while you restart, then choose from the list of startup disks.
  Preview your built-in image editor
    You know that apps like Photoshop, Affinity Photo, and Pixelmator are the kings when it comes to photo editing and image manipulation.
    But what happens when you have simple needs and want to just make a simple quick edit and be done with it?
    Dan asked me this week, Do you… “you know of a way to flip an image. Not rotate, flip"
    Boy do I Dan and it’s using a simple app that’s built right into your Mac
    Despite it’s name “Preview” is not just for viewing PDFs anymore. It can do a surprising number of image editing and other tricks.
    First to tackle your “flip” request…
      Open you image in Preview
      Go to ‘Tools’ > Flip Horizontal
      Save your image.
    BTW, you can also Flip Vertical and rotate.
    Cropping and resizing are also a breeze
      To resize you can choose ‘Tools’ > ‘Adjust Size…”
        There you can change the dimensions, resolution, and scale
      To crop just drag your mouse to select the area. You can use the handles to fine tune your selection, then choose ‘Tools’ > ‘Crop’
    You can make color adjustments by choosing ‘Tools’ > ‘Adjust Color'
      Options for exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, saturation, temperature, sharpness, and more
    And don’t forget Markup
      You can add text annotations, speech bubbles, simple shapes, highlight sections of a photo, magnify sections, create alpha masks, and more.
  Thing of the Moment: Monoprice USB-C to DVI Adapter
    [Monoprice USB Type-C to 4K DisplayPort, HDMI, and Single-Link DVI-D Passive Adapter](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=27282)
    It’s a “single Link” adapter, but supports both USB‑C and Thunderbolt 3 video outputs
    Does DisplayPort resolutions up to 4K (3840x2160p @60Hz)
    And HDMI resolutions up to 4K (3840x2160p @30Hz)
    Also just Monoprice in general
Closing
  Supporters
    maccast@gmail.com
    Bandwidth for the Maccast provided by CacheFly at cachefly.com
    Advertising is handled by Backbeat Media at backbeatmedia.com
  Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
    281-622-4269 or 281-Mac-I-Am-9
      PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
    Follow me on Twitter
    Checkout the page on Facebook