Pre-roll: ZocDoc

This episode of the Maccast is brought to you by ZocDoc. More on them later in the show.

Apple Music has 100 Million Songs

Apple announced via a press release that it passed this latest milestone

They note that every day, over 20,000 singers and songwriters are delivering new songs to Apple Music

When Apple Music first launched in 2015 they started with 30 Million songs, so the service has more than tripled the number of songs in seven years

They also pointed out the fact that in 2001 Apple delivered 1,000 songs in your pocket with the iPod and now an iPhone with Apple Music delievers 100 Million

Psych! Adaptive Transparancy not coming to older AirPods Pro

When the latest iOS 16.1 beta and the AirPods beta firmware were released recently owners of ‌AirPods Max‌ and original ‌AirPods Pro noticed they had the settings for Adaptive Transparency

This lead many, including myself, to think Apple was planning to support the feature the older products.

Turns out that was a mistake, at least that’s what sources told Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It’s a bug, not a feature.

And true to his sources rumors, Apple has removed the option in iOS 16.1 beta 4.

There also seems to be a “Find My” bug with the new AirPods Pro 2 charging case

Because it has the U1 chip and Find My functionality it seems like the OS might be treating the case like an AirTag

When the AirPods or case battery gets low FindMy is trigger the notification to “replace the battery” as it’s low.

Obviously the batteries in the Air Pods Pro and their charging case are NOT user replaceable.

No good deed… Crash detection, oops.

Apple’s new crash detection in the iPhone 14’s and Apple Watch Series 8 is sure to save lives and is an amazing feature, but looks like it could have used some additional testing. Or at least there is one scenario that seemingly slipped past Apple’s engineering team.

Amusement parks. Specifically… rollercoasters

911 call centers near amusement parks are starting to get false positive calls from devices.

It makes sense

The iPhone uses a high g-force sensor to detect extreme accelerations or decelerations. A high dynamic range gyroscope to detect drastic changes orientation (rolling upside-down). Mics to detect extreme sound levels (like grinding and squealing of metal maybe?)

Still, in some testing done by the NYT, crashing actual cars, the alert didn’t always go off. Apple said it was because the testing condition did not provide the ‌iPhone‌ with enough factors to trigger an alert. Specifically, the iPhones were not connected to Bluetooth or CarPlay and possibly had not travelled enough distance before impact for the device to register the crash.

Hopefully Apple will be able to tune the algorithm to tell the difference between a rollercoaster and a car crash.

EU to enforce USB-C standard

Coming in 2024. The European Parliament voted in favor of a directive to make USB-C charging the standard on a range of consumer electronics by the end of 2024

By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port.

All new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld video game consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port.

And by spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops.

Exemptions will apply for devices that are too small to offer a USB-C port, such as smart watches, health trackers, and some sports equipment

The directive also gives the European Commission time to develop “delegated acts” by the end of 2024 that could also seek to force companies to make their custom wireless charging solutions more open and meet interoperability standards

Honestly I feel like this is likely not that big a deal since I believe most companies, including Apple, were already moving in this direction.

Many analysts including Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo have already heard indications that Apple plans to move the iPhone to USB-C possibly with the iPhone 15

Gurman also recently commented that AirPods and Apple’s Magic Mouse, Keyboard, and Trackpad will also adopt USB-C probably next year.

It also shouldn’t impact Apple’s notebook, nor MagSafe, since MagSafe is in addition to USB-C which can also be used for charging.

I think the bigger concern is that it could be short sighted as by 2024 they could be newer / better technologies

Or, as Apple has expressed in the past, it could cause companies to not want to develop newer technology, because they would be blocked from using them in the EU.

Also… as wireless charging tech improves we can likely expect it to supplant wired charging as well.

Apple this week released an updated firmware for it’s MagSafe Charger. Your guess is as good as mine as to what it does.

Next iPhone SE might lose chin

That would also mean no more Touch ID button, at least at the bottom

Display analyst Ross Young hinting that Apple would move to an all screen with notch design, but he didn’t say if it would adopt the TrueDepth camera system or FaceID

They could use the side button TouchID sensor from the iPad

Says it would be a 6.1-inch display

The new SE could also likely adopt the A15 Bionic chip

Previously in the year YouTuber Jon Prosser hinted at a redesign for the SE that would be reminiscent of the iPhone XR

No Apple modems until at least 2025?

Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu said that he expects Apple to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem in iPhone models in 2024

Apple is paying more for chips now and later

A Nikkei Asia report claims that A16 Bionic chips cost Apple more than twice as much as A15 chips. USD $110

Likely due to their use of TSMC's 4nm process vs the older 5nm process

And, according to the Economic Daily News, that pice will go up in January

TSMC had informed Apple that on January 1st, 2023 they would raise the price of 8-inch chip wafers by 6 percent, while 12-inch wafers by 3 to 5 percent.

Originally it was believed Apple was going to try to reject the new pricing, but this newest report claims they have agreed to accept the price increase.

Quick fire Apple News

The rumored 27-inch Updated Apple Studio Display

Ross Young says it could arrive in early 2023 with mini-LED backlighting, ProMotion, and a higher price tag

Unclear if it will be a new display in the line-up or replace the current 27-inch Studio display

The Matter 1.0 Standard is out

The Connectivity Standards Alliance, with it’s member, formally released the Matter 1.0 standard and certification program

New new standard is supported by Apple, Amazon, and Google

It means that new and existing products can be updated to support the new standard for interoperability and standard functionality of smart home accessories

Over 280 companies are members of the Matter group

Matter devices should work with and be supported by HomeKit, once Apple rolls out updates to it’s software. Support is in the iOS 16.1 beta

Updated Apple TV in October

Maybe, but both Kuo and Gurman have mentioned it

New A14Bionic Chip

Updated from 4GB to 6GB of RAM

Updated Siri Remote with U1 chip and FindMy Support

Possibly a lower price.

Apple has laptops again, not notebooks

noticed by 9to5 Mac

Apple’s been updating it’s marketing and support articles to change the nomenclature

I’m guess, now that crotch scorching Intel temps re gone thanks to the M-Series chips that can safely let you use your Apple in your lap again.

Apparently someone on Reddit tested the limits of Apple’s new customizable lock screens and there is a limit

it’s 200 in case you’re wondering

In case you don’t yet know how to set them up:

With the device unlocked, use FaceID but don’t swipe up, Touch and hold the Lock Screen until the Customize button appears at the bottom of the screen.

Tap the “+” button at the bottom of the screen

Select a wallpaper and tap “add”

Tap Customize Home Screen then use the controls to customize the font, colors, widgets, etc.

Once you have more than one set-up you can swipe between then or link them up to Focus modes

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.

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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.

Support Stories Follow-up

Some clarifications on Josh’s story that I shared last time

First he finally received the replacement Apple Watch Series 8 and it’s working great. No more issues.

His frustration was more with the delays and poor communication than the support

For example… I was mistaken that he waited 6-7 days for the return box. It was the label, which was emailed.

Also… lack of communication on how long things would take, like when they finally received the watch for repair.

Finally the “personal reps” he would get assigned on, but they would only work a few days a week. So he’d talk to one on Friday, but they would not work again until Wednesday. But then he’d get a call back from a different personal support rep and now had multiples and it became confusing who he should be working with.

Dennis wrote in to share a positive experience

Accidentally cracked the screen on his Apple watch series 6

Luckily it was still covered under AppleCare+ through November

So the replacement was USD $69, but Apple did say they would need the watch for 5 days

In the meantime he attempted to revive an old Series 3 watch, but it couldn’t accept the watchOS 8 backup, since it could only run watchOS 6

They gave him a USD $30 Gift Card on trade in for the old watch

When the Series 6 came back on time it also appeared as if they replaced the case as well since some scratches that were there before were now gone.

AirPods charging issues

“Pensacola Craig" wrote in to express some issues with the charging case for the AirPods, AirPod Pros, and Beats Fit Pro

He and his friends and colleagues have all experienced occasions when the buds don’t properly magnetically lock in when placing them in the case resulting in instance where a bud or buds don’t charge

He says, “There is no way to know, unless you observe the blinking of the light on the charge case when you seat the bud into it.” Or to use the device battery status on an IOS widget when they are connected to Bluetooth

Craig thinks Apple could resolve the issue by including an indicator on the charge case for each bud

I’ll admit that I do think I might have had this happen to me once or twice, but I’m not sure how widespread a problem this is.

On their support site Apple says the indicator on the case works like this:

If your AirPods are in your case and the lid is open, then the light shows the charge status of your AirPods. When your AirPods aren't in your case, the light shows the status of your case. Green means fully charged, and amber means less than one full charge remains.

What do you think? Would a more obvious visual indicator for the status of each bud be helpful?

Photo Library on a NAS

Dave is looking to upgrade his Mac mini and setup

Currently he has direct attached external drives totaling about 6TB that he uses for backup (good man) and storage of things like his photo library

Also has a 2015 MacBook Air and would love to be able to access the files he has on the external drives to organize photos and add meta data to videos that I have ripped

Was considering using a NAS with the photo library stored there and then connecting to the Library file, by holding option key on launch of Photos, to both Macs

In theory sounds like a good plan, but unfortunately in practice it’s not always a great idea.

There’s a nice quick article from [Fat Cat Software](https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/VersionedDocs/v6/external_drive.html) that explains why

A Photos library can be stored on a NAS as long as you’re connecting via the SMB 2/3 protocol, and not Apple’s older AFP protocol

You’ll also need to have the drive formatted in a macOS format (APFS or MacOS Extended)

So for some NAS drive that may mean using a disk image, which then would need to be mounted to access the library (see the hassle)

Even if you get it working Photos is not optimized for network use so it can be slow and you also open yourself up for more chances of corruption. Especially if your accessing the same library file from two devices at the same time.

A better option might be to get a nice Thunderbolt or USB-C SSD that can be bus powered to store your library on and “sneakernet” it back and forth.

That’s just my opinion. Are you successfully using a Photo Library on a NAS? How do you do it?

Multi-Audio Out

I was recently discussing my use of [Audio Hijack Pro](https://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/) from Rogue Amoeba for podcasting to capture audio from Zoom or Skype for interviews

Fred wrote to ask if there were solutions for sending audio to multiple output on a Mac (both analog an digital)

One way is actually built-in using the Audio Midi Setup app to create a Multi-Channel Output

Applications > Utilities > Audio Midi Setup

Create a multi-channel output device from the “+” sign

Then add the outputs you want using the “Use” checkbox

Then select that as your output destination in the Sound preferences

There’s even an option for “drift” correction

The built-in output doesn’t give you much control. For example over volumes.

Rogue Amoeba has another product called [LoopBack](https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/) which give you cable free routing on the Mac

Basically take any combination of sources and route them to any combination of outputs and monitors.

You have full control of the audio with full volume controls of each and can toggle items on and off.

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