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News
  Possible iPhone event dates
    We now have some indicators of when Apple could be holding it’s iPhone 15 event
    According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman then event will likely take place on September 12th or 13th
      I’d predict Tuesday the 12th, will pre-orders happening on possibly on the 15th. Gurman claims shipments could start arriving on the 22nd.
      But… if there are production issues, as has been rumored that pre-order date could be later
    9to5 Mac had a report that more than one iPhone carrier partner has told employees that they can’t take time off during the week of the 13th, so that seems to be further evidence that that could be the week for the next iPhone announcement
    The event is expected to use the same “pre-recorded” format that we’ve grown used to following the pandemic
      There will be select press invited to watch at Apple Park with time in the “hands on” area outside the Steve Jobs theater
    Case leak of a report iPhone 15 Pro (they say “Ultra”) shows the mute switch replaced with a multi-function “action” button, like that on the Apple Watch Ultra
      It will offer new functionality that replaces some of the old stuff and is contextual based on App
      For example, a light press triggering the autofocus while a hard press captures a photo
      Also the power down will be moved to action button + sleep wake button combo (vs the volume button incantation we have today)
      There’s also rumors of a future update for the iPhone Se model that will basically be a revised iPhone 14, but that it will have an “action” button too.
    Pro models are rumored to start at a minimum of 256GB of storage (vs 128GB in the non-Pro models) and all model could offer up to 2GB of storage.
    Predictions that the starting prices on Pro model will be raised about USD $100. So 1099 for the base Pro and $1199 for the base Pro Max.
    There are also rumors that the iPhone 15 Pro models could upgrade the case material from stainless steel to titanium, like the Apple Watch Ultra.
      Would allow it to potentially be lighter and more durable.
    Continue to get “leaked” images of the iPhone 15 models with a USB-C port.
      I think it’s a forgone conclusion at this point that as of this year it will make the death of the Lightning connector on future Apple products.
    “The Information” claims that Apple made a “sweetheart” deal with TSMC for the 3nm chips that will be exclusive to the iPhone Pro models for the first year
      They claim not only that Apple got exclusivity for their chips using the new 3nm process, but also that Apple will not pay for defective chips
        Analyst Ming Chi Kuo clarifies that this doesn’t mean Apple doesn’t pay for the cost of defective chips
        Chips are sold in two ways, finished goods buy and wafer buy
        Wafer buys mean you pay for the wafer and get the chips you get. Apple does have, and has always had, a finished goods deal and yeas they only buy “good” chips. But, “TSMC allocates most of the cost of defective chips to the selling price of each finished chip.”
        So Apple pays more per chip, which offsets the costs of the “lost” defective chips.
      Yield rates are reportedly at around 70-80 percent, so about one fifth of the chips don’t meet Apple’s standards and they won’t have to pay for those.
      If true this gives Apple a possible big advantage with access to the 3nm tech for a year before their competitors
    For the A17 processor they is debate on the RAM, but recent reports are seemingly indicating it will have 6GB in the Pro models just like the current iPhone 14 Pros
      One difference could be a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, vs the 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU of the A16 Bionic
    Also worth noting that references in the latest Apple TV betas seem to support the rumor that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models will not have A17 chips
      Their model numbers are 15,4 and 15,5 (15 being the same as the iPhone 14 models). The Pro models are listed as 16,1 and 16,2
  M3 Macs are on the horizon
    We’re still expecting a follow up Mac event in October with the introduction of the first M3 Macs
    Mark Gurman claims Apple has started testing a Mac with model identifier “Mac15,12” and an M3 chip. Likely a version of the Mac mini
    It features an 8-core CPU (four efficiency cores and four high-performance cores) with a 10-GPU and 24GB of RAM.
    Those cores line up with the base M2 chip, but the piece also notes a M3 Pro chip with 12 or 18 cores, which would be up from the 10 and 16 currently offered in the M2 Pros.
    The M3 chips are also supposedly using the 3nm process from TSMC
    The first M3 models will likely be the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the 24-inch iMac, and the 13-inch MacBook Air.
      Plus maybe an updated Mac mini?
    On the horizon for next year according to Gurman is the M3 Max chip which should debut in new MacBook Pro models
      It’s expected to have a 40-core GPU and a 16-core CPU with 12 high performance cores and four efficiency cores. (vs 12 CPU and 38 GPU in the current M2 Max)
      It would also use the new TSMC 3nm process
  Don’t expect much in an Apple Watch 9
    It’s expected to be largely the same design and feature set as the Apple Watch Series 8
    The main tweak is likely going to be the S-Series chip which could see additional cores for better performance.
    One new thing might be an all new band design with the launch of the Series 9
      Said to be made of, “weaved fabric materials and magnetic buckle”
    If you’re looking for the next major update to the Apple Watch look to next year says Gurman
      According to the analyst the Apple Watch X will be the biggest update to the Apple watch since it’s original release.
      Improvements could be:
        A thinner design
        New magnetic attaching system for watch bands, this would offer more internal room for bigger batteries
        Other possibilities could be micro-LED display and blood pressure sensors.
  Apple will have “magic” batteries
    Well… at least the Apple Vision Pro might
    There were references spotted independent Apple code researcher, aaronp613 (on Twitter (X))
    They seem to indicate that the 2-hour external battery that attaches to the headset via MagSafe will be called the “Magic Battery”
    A series of Apple patents around Vision Pro also dropped last week and include references to all kinds of possible future accessories
    One interesting one is a device that could turn any large flat surface into a gesture control surface, like a large Magic trackpad
  Apple adds AI music “Discovery”
    Apple has added a new “Discovery” station for Apple Music subscribers
    Like the other “Made for you” style playlists the idea is to help with music discovery
    The big differences are that the Discovery station is design for continuous play
    Also, and more importantly, it uses an AI algorithm to play music that you have not heard before that the AI think you might like based on your music preferences.
    There is also the companion “Personal” station with used the algorithm to build a station based on play history, likes, and other factors in Apple Music.
    You can trigger the “Personal” station from Siri by asking her to play “Music you think I’d like”
      I can’t figure out how to get her to play the new Discovery Station
    Apple appears to be doing away with the dedicated Trailers app and moving it into the TV app
      A new section recently appeared in the TV app in the US called “Watch the Latest Trailers,"
      There is also a banner on the Apple Trailers website that says, “The Apple TV app is the new home of iTunes Movie Trailers”
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    Notion has been a great place for me to collect ideas
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
  Secure Mac browsers
    David says he’s a fan of Safari, but for some websites he has to use another browser (I assume for unsupported features)
    David says for security and privacy reasons he has chosen to use Opera, which offers a free built in VPN, as it offers a good balance of ‘ease of use’ and security
    He also says some have recommended Arc browser, https://arc.net/. Which the site claims was built “from the ground up to be private and secure”
      Most of that seems to come down to their privacy policy and search / tracking.
      I would recommend reading the privacy policy and choosing for yourself.
    So David asks about other browsers we might recommend…
      He also needs something that has decent compatibility with plug-ins like BitWarden
      I know Brave, https://brave.com/ browser is one I had people recommend, but I have never used it.
    MacOS has an iCloud feature called “Private Relay” that will hide your IP address from tracking in Safari and the Mail app.
      This can cause issues on some sites that might require seeing your IP. This might be a business or education network, one that does rate limiting, or a service that doesn’t count against your data cap, say from your cell provider.
      You can temporarily disable private relay for a site:
        iPhone or iPad: Tap the Page Settings button (aA), then tap Show IP Address.
        Mac: In Safari, choose View > Reload and Show IP Address.
      You can also turn off Private Relay in Settings:
        iOS: Open the Settings app, then tap Wi-Fi. Next to the Wi-Fi network, tap the More Info button. Scroll down and tap Limit IP Address Tracking.
          For cellular network, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options, and tap Limit IP Address Tracking.
        Mac (Ventura or later): Choose Apple menu  > System Settings. Click Network in the sidebar, then click the network service that you're using (such as Wi-Fi) on the right. Click the Details button next to the name of the network that you're connected to. Turn off "Limit IP address tracking."
    One option would be to just use a VPN
      This is a very good option when you’re using public internet.
      You’ll need to trust your VPN provider and their policies.
      I have used a few including NordVPN and ExpressVPN (both have been sponsors)
    You can also use tracking blockers
      Safari has nice built in features
        You can look at what’s being blocked by clicking the “Shield” icon in the browser bar.
        You can tap and hold or right click in the URL bar to view and change the settings for a particular site.
      There are 3rd party extensions and apps like Ghostery, https://www.ghostery.com/ and 1Blocker, https://1blocker.com/
      Just know with tracking blockers they might interfere with the functionality on some sites, so you might have to disable or adjust settings depending on the site.
  Missing Location Services
    Rick wrote in to tell me about an issue with Location Services on macOS Venture that came up after updating to version 13.5
    Seems like after the update if you go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services you will no longer see the list of apps that have permission to access location services
    Worse, it seems like you can give or deny access to apps to location service after upgrading.
    The update came out on July 26th and Apple still has not issued a patch.
    What gives Apple?!!
  Securing your Mac on campus
    Ben says he’s sending his daughter, and her Mac, off to college in the Fall. Congrats.
    But he wonders:
      1. Is it wise to enable the Mac’s built in firewall since she will be on the school’s WiFi and wired network while at school?
      2. Any other software or tips that you recommend to keep her MacBook safe while at school?
    I would say it’s always wise to enable the Macs built-in firewall.
      I have mine enabled. You can easily grant permission to apps when they need it. But it will prevent unknown apps and services from making inbound connections to your Mac.
    Know your networks…
      Make sure the network, especially Wi-Fi, are the right ones. People will try to “spoof” them.
      Look for the lock, vs say an unsecured network with the same name.
      Manage and clear the “known networks” list
        System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi
          Consider turning off “Ask to Join Networks”
          Click on “Advanced”… and review the list of “Known” networks. Remove any old networks you don't’ access and any “public” networks.
    Disable shared services
      Make sure you’ve turned off services like File Sharing, Music sharing, remote access, etc.
      If you don’t your Mac could be accessible to others on the same network.
      System Settings > General > Sharing. Make sure all of these are turned off.
        If you need sharing on, make sure the access is restricted to only those you want to give access to.
        Click the “i” icon and set-up users and permissions on each service before you activate it.
    Check AirDrop and make sure it’s restricted
      Should not be “Everyone”
      Click on “AirDrop” in the Finder and at the bottom of the window check the “Allow me to be discovered by” settings. Should NOT be “Everyone”
    Consider using a VPN, if it’s allowed by the campus.
    Use a different DNS…
      Not as much a security thing, but a reliability thing. Though some will filter and block malicious sites.
      The campus will have one, but you might not have to use it.
      You can change your DNS network settings to use something like “Fast” (Cloudflare)
        https://1.1.1.1/dns/
        They also have an app called WARP that is a VPN
        In your Mac or device network settings you’ll change the DNS to use the Cloudflare servers
        You can also do it at your router, so all devices on your network will use that DNS
    Secure you Mac itself
      Consider a physical locking system for when it’s in the dorm. And don’t leave your Mac unattended.
      It should lock when it goes to sleep and to screensaver and set the times to be as short as is reasonably possible (obviously choose a good password)
      Use a password manager, like 1Password, and make sure ALL your school access passwords are unique and not reused.
      Make sure to use FileVault on your Mac drives and on backups, like Time Machine
      Turn on Find My Mac
      Be aware of your surroundings when unlocking or using your Mac.
Closing
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