shownotes_20220911

Opening
  Pre-roll: ZocDoc
    This episode of the Maccast is brought to you by ZocDoc. More on them later in the show.
News
  Apple’s “Far Out” Event
    Apple Watch Series 8
      Small feature improvements with no real size or design changes
      New women’s health features using new temperature sensors one in the bottom and one at the screen
        Allows women to track their ovulation cycle
        It’s not clear if the sensor can be used for other temperature tracking applcations outside of this.
      There’s also an improved accelerometer that can detect high g-forces that’s enabling a new crash detection feature
      There’s a new low-power mode (enabled by watchOS 9) that can extend the 18 hour battery life to up to 36 hours
        because this feature is software based it’ll work on any Apple Watch that can run watchOS 9. Meaning Apple Watch Series 4 and later
          watchOS 9 will be released Monday September 12th
        Works by temporarily disabling or limiting some sensors and features while keeping features like activity tracking still active.
      The cellular models now offer international roaming
      Nike Apple Watch Faces will be available to all Apple Watch models on watchOS 9
      In the Fall Fitness+ will be available to use without an Apple Watch
      Colors:
        Aluminum: midnight, starlight, silver, and (PRODUCT) RED
        Stainless steel: silver, gold, and graphite;
      Prices start at $399 for GPS and $499 for cellular
    Apple Watch SE
      Design remains mostly the same, but has the updated S8 chip
        Has a color matched nylon back, instead of metal. Apple says to reduce weight?
      There is no ECG app or blood oxygen sensor, but does offer the new car crash detection
      Also gets the international roaming and Low Power Mode.
      Colors: Silver, Midnight, and Starlight
      Starts at $249 for the GPS model and $299 for the cellular
      Apple discontinued selling the USD $199 Apple Watch Series 3, so the new lower priced SE 2 is the new “low cost” option.
    Apple Watch Ultra
      Arguably the star of the show was the new “extreme” Apple Watch Ultra
      The firs major redesign and rethinking of the Apple Watch
      Larger 49mm design with a titanium case. Larger chunkier digital crown. And a dedicated programmable “action” button
      Raised flat sapphire crystal display
      Cellular features are standard
      Up to two times brighter display (2000 nits)
      36 hour battery life and will be capable of up to 60 hours with a new low-power battery optimization setting coming in the fall
        reduced frequency of GPS and heart rate readings
      Better 3 mic array for making calls in extreme environments
      Dual-frequency GPS with the ability to add waypoints
      “Red” display “night mode”
      86 decibel siren built-in
      WR100 level water resistance rating. Can get time underwater and depth readings and more.
        It has a a water resistance rating of 100 meters
        And can be used for recreational scuba diving to 40 meters
      All the other new features from the Apple Watch Series 8
      Cool new bands that are customized by activity. Alpine Loop (hiking), Ocean Loop (diving), and Trail Loop (running)
        The bands will fit 44mm and 45mm Apple Watches
          Also all existing bands that fit 44mm and 45mm Apple Watches will work with the Ultra
      The pricing was surprising to me, starting at USD $799.00
        Same price as the 45mm stainless steel model with cellular
      Delivery times quickly slipped into mid-October, from Sept 23rd release
      If you get one, get AppleCare. Any repair, outside a $99 battery replacement will run you USD $499 otherwise.
    Air Pods Pro 2
      Upgraded H2 chip
      new low-distortion audio driver and custom amplifier
      Touch controls in the stem to allow volume control
        But they still have stems
      New XS ear tip option
      Up to 2x better noise cancellation
      Personalized spatial audio, with an ear scan using your iPhone
      Adaptive transparency mode, reduce loud sounds
      One hour more battery life, up to 6 hours. And up to 30 hours on the battery case, up from 24
      Big updates in the charging case
        Has a speaker for “Find My Support”, with sounds for pairing and charging
        IPX4 rating for sweat resistance
        Lanyard loop, lanyard not included
        Still has a Lightning connector, a bit disappointing. And wireless charging (can use Apple Watch or MagSafe charger, as well as Qi chargers )
      Same price, $249 and shipping September 23rd
      One thing that the new Air Pods Pro did not bring was support for Apple Lossless audio.
        AirPods Pro 2 do have support for Bluetooth 5.3, but it’s not clear if Apple is supporting LE Audio
        Allows for better audio quality at lower bitrates, improved battery for audio playback, multi-stream audio, and connect to multiple source devices at the same time (no need to switch between iPhone and Mac for example)
      Since iPad OS and Mac OS Ventura wont be out until October, features like personal spatial audio and Find My won’t work with iPads or Macs until the fall
      Apple is now offering the 3rd generation AirPods with a non-wireless charging case for USD $10 less at USD $169
    iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus
      New size, 6.7-inch along with the iPhone which is still at 6.1-inch
        The iPhone mini is “not quite dead yet”
        Apple is still selling the iPhone 13 mini starting at a reduced price of USD $599 in the US
      Overall design is pretty much exactly the same as the iPhone 13s
      Features the same 6-core A15 Bionic chip that was used in the iPhone 13 Pro models
      Brighter display with peak brightness up to 1200 nits
      Larger sensor in the 12-mega pixel man camera for better low-light performance and now has auto-focus on the front camera
        Improvements made to Apple’s “Deep Fusion” image processing pipeline and they are now calling it the ‘Photonic Engine’
      Improved battery life, up to an hour longer than the iPhone 13
      US Models will only offer eSIM
      Adding an emergency SOS satellite feature
        Developed an way to find and track satellites without needing a big antenna
        Should allow, in many emergency situations, to send small SOS text messages to the service within several minutes
        Will be provided in the Fall (November) with the first two years of service provided for free
          Service will reportedly be provided by Globalstar
        The feature will work in the US and Canada, even for international travelers except for customers from China mainland, Hong Kong, or Macao as the service is not offered there.
        It will also not be available if you are above 62° latitude, which includes parts of northern Canada and Alaska
        The new iPhones also have the newer accelerometers an support the Car Crash detection feature
      Support Wi-Fi 6, but not the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard
      New models have 6GB of RAM up from 4GB in the Phone 13 models
      Colors include, midnight, starlight, blue, purple and red
      Upgraded cameras, better battery life, and satellite connectivity
      Pricing for iPhone 14 starts at $799 and for the Plus $899. iPhone 14 will ship September 16th and the Plus models in October on the 7th
        With starting pricing has remained the same in the US (and China) but have increased in many other countries like the UK, Europe, Japan, and others.
        But be careful when you read reports that the prices are X dollars higher than in the US. US prices don’t include tax, where as many other countries include VAT.
        Also… many countries also have heavy import taxes.
        Finally there are exchange rates and at the moment the US dollar remains fairly strong.
      iOS 16 will be launched on September 12th
      AppleCare+ for iPhone now supports “unlimited” accidental damage repairs. There is a a separate Theft and Loss ‌AppleCare‌+ plan, that covers two incidents of loss or theft
      There is a new accessibility feature for iPhone 14 that adds a startup and shutdown sound
        Play sound
        Probably enabled by a new boot ROM in the iPhone 14 models
    iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
      As expected Apple saved the big updates and enhancements for their Pro models
      It comes with all the enhancements form the iPhone 14s, plus more
      Overall the design and sizes of the iPhone 14 Pros stayed true to the previous generation iPhone 13 Pros
      Except the “notch”
        Apple did not do the rumored pill + punch hole, but rather gave us the “Dynamic Island”
        Overall the pill is 30 percent smaller than the notch.
        It expands to give new UI elements on the sides that indicate app statuses.
        You can tap and hold to bring up interactive elements and information
        Works with most of Apple’s existing apps and is open to 3rd party apps via APIs
        While it is technically smaller than the notch I think having it detached from the edge makes it feel more intrusive in a way. Especially when viewing full screen content like videos.
      Two times brighter display (up to 2,000 nits) and it offers an always on feature.
        Shows time, widgets, and Live Activities
      Uses Apple’s newest A16 4nm processor
        Early benchmarks seem to indicate about an 11 percent single core and 17 percent multi-core improvement in performance over the A15 Bionic
      Wide angle camera has been updated with a 48MP sensor
        It is quad-pixel so will pixel bin down to 12MP for better low-light shots and performance
        Adds the ability for a new 2x zoom option that uses the center pixels n the sensor.
        Can get the full 48MP performance if you shoot in Apple ProRAW. They will also take up 3 times the storage space, so something to consider.
      Also has an updated ultra-wide camera, improved telephoto, long with a bigger, brighter, smarter flash
      New action mode video image stabilization. Think “Stedicam” without the hardware.
      Better GPS accuracy with the same dual-frequency GPS that Apple has in the new Apple Watch Ultra
      New Space Black and Deep Purple colors along with the Silver and Gold.
      Starting pricing remains the same in the US, staring at $999 for the iPhone 14 Pro and $1,099 for the Pro Max
      The iPhone 14 Pro model arrive September 16th
      Pre-orders had some hiccups for some and items quickly went into delayed shipping dates with Pro models quickly slipping into October
  Apple TV+ gains marketshare
    New data from JustWatch covering January 2021 through August 2022 indicates that Apple TV+ has increased it’s portion of the global streaming market to 6 percent, that’s a growth of 29 percent over the period
    This means Apple is catching up to HBO Max which has about a 7 percent share
    The report also shows that it’s the longtime players like Amazon and Netflix are losing share to the new comers like Apple TV+ and Disney+
Sponsor: Zocdoc
  Zocdoc
    If you’ve listened to the show for a while you might know I’m a fan of board games. I love to sit down with my family and breakout a game like Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride.
    One game I don’t like however is “hurry up and wait” especially when I’m not feeling well. We’ve all been there you need to see a doctor but their all booked out and you be waiting weeks, if not months to get an appointment. So frustrating.
    That’s why I use the Zocdoc app to find quality in-network doctors who can see me within days, not weeks.
    Zocdoc makes it easy to find quality doctors in your network and in your neighborhood. Plus, with real, verified patient reviews you can find the right doctor for you - one that actually remembers your name.
    Zocdoc is a FREE app that shows you doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance and are available when you need them.
    On Zocdoc you can find every specialist under the sun. Whether you’re trying to straighten those teeth, fix an achy back, get that mole checked out, or anything else— Zocdoc has you covered.
    Zocdoc’s mobile app is as easy as ordering a ride to a restaurant, or getting delivery to your house. Search, find, and book doctors with a few taps.
    Find and review local doctors—Read verified patient reviews from real people who made real appointments. So now, when you walk into that doctor’s office, you’re all set to see someone in your network who gets you.
    Go to Zocdoc.com, find the doctor that is right for you, and book an appointment, in person or remotely, 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 quality doctor.
    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 are available within 24 hours.
    That’s Z-O-C-D-O-C dot com slash MACCAST. Zocdoc dot com slash MACCAST.
Feedback, commentary, opinions
  Floor Plan apps
    Recommendation from Robert. He says most people can use these apps for free without having to pay for additional options or subscriptions
      [MagicPlan](https://www.magicplan.app)
        Subscription, but you can do two “projects” for free
        Wall and ceiling detection if you have an iPhone 12 or newer (LiDAR)
      [Locometric RoomScan](https://www.locometric.com/roomscan)
        They have a non-LiDAR USD $7.99
        LiDAR version is £9.99/mo.
  About AirTag batteries
    Gary had to recently replace the battery in his AirTag when he got a low battery notification
    While reviewing the instructions provided by Apple he noticed an interesting warning
      “When AirTag battery is low, privacy protections are temporarily adjusted and AirTag may be trackable over Bluetooth”
    I tried to dig in on what exact privacy protections are adjusted and it’s really hard to find any details.
    The best guess I found was on a [Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AirTags/comments/vyawcl/when_battery_is_low_privacy_protection_is/)
      Sounds like when the battery is low Apple might not change the public key on the AirTag as frequently meaning that the AirTag would be more likely to have the same identifier or a longer period of time making it easier to identify the same AirTag over time.
      For the tracking over bluetooth… I think this is probably related to a couple things…
        Ultra-wideband uses more power, so if the battery is low maybe they fallback to bluetooth
        Normally only you can read or track the AirTags that are paired to your device. Unless it’s in “lost” mode. Apple might allow the “lost mode” to turn on if the battery is low assuming you might not have access any more as a last ditch effort for it to be found before the battery dies?
    If you change the battery in your AirTag and it doesn’t work it might be because of the bitterant coatings being added on some batteries
      Apple says in their [support article](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211670) that these can block the connections in the AirTag
      Get batteries without a coating or remove the coating with an alcohol wipe
  Thing of the Moment: Soundform Connect
    So this is interesting timing…
    I had a listener Michael who has an Airport Express hooked up to an old stereo in my bedroom in order to Airplay music
    Michael says over the years the AirPort Express has become less and less reliable and obviously you can no longer update them as Apple discontinued the product back in 2018
    So he’s looking for a replacement and asks if the HomePod mini is the best option?
      Now obviously you can’t use the HomePod mini as a AirPort Express replacement to airplay through the old stereo, but the HomePod mini is a great speaker.
    There is also [Airfoil](https://rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/mac/) and AirFoil Satellite, so with satellite you could use an old iPhone, Mac, Android device, or Windows PC as a “receiver” for the audio from a Mac or iOS device
    But in the same week Jay emailed me with an update on his use of the Audiocast product that was an option I suggested a while back and an Airport Express alternative
      They had been working fine, but when Jay added some HomePod Minis to his set-up the Audiocast speakers had a slight delay.
      He found the Belkin SoundForm Connect AirPlay 2 which solves the delay issues and also integrates with HomeKit
    So if you want to stay 100 percent in the AirPlay 2 world, with HomeKit compatibility, and still connect your old receiver… there is the [Belkin Soundform Connect](https://www.belkin.com/us/speakers-headphones/speakers/soundform-connect-audio-adapter-with-airplay-2/p/p-auz002/) audio adapter
      It is USD $79.99 (normally $99.99)
      It has an optical or 3.5mm audio input.
    Pretty simple, you just connect the output to the input on a stereo or powered speakers and then connect the device to power
    After that it will show up as an AirPlay 2 device and you can send your audio to it.
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