Seven Years Later
This week claims a weird set of anniversaries. The Mac Observer reminds us that Thursday 4 October marked the seventh anniversary of Siri joining iOS. Some say it was Siri’s birthday (even Siri does, it turns out), though Siri was actually an app that worked great on iPhone 4 until Apple bought it and eventually turned it off for anything before an iPhone 4s.
The introduction of iPhone 4s and Siri was a weird for a few reasons. First, it was the first iPhone in a while that hadn’t been introduced at WWDC. Of course, the first one wasn’t. That was introduced in January 2007 at Macworld. But that first one was re-introduced in the summer of 2007, then every new iPhone until iPhone 4s was introduced and launched in the summer. The shift to the fall was one reason that that iPhone presentation was weird. The other reason was the guy presenting it. Apple’s then new CEO, Tim Cook, was the first to show off iPhone 4s. That had always been the duty of Steve Jobs, though he’d stepped down as the company’s CEO less than two months before.
And the next day - he’d be gone. The other anniversary is today’s. It was 5 October 2011 that Steve Jobs died, after a seven year fight with pancreatic cancer. Of course, we all saw it coming… but we didn’t see it coming.
iPhone 4s was introduced on a Tuesday. Steve Jobs died on a Wednesday. I used to do a show on Wednesday night called Mac OS Ken: Live… and we did one that night, which is still available. I don’t think I’ve ever gone back and listened to it, but it’s still there if you want to. I remember being glad that we were all planning to get together that night anyway. The news was shocking. It was good to be with friends, even if I didn’t know a lot of them.
Of course, there was still a Mac OS Ken to do. The next day was kind words and remembrances from people who’d known, worked with, worked against, or simply been influenced by Jobs. That Mac OS Ken is still available as well.
Above is the Mac OS Ken: Live from the night Steve Jobs died. Below is the Mac OS Ken from teh following day.
Amazon to Sell Live Trees for Christmas
It was the futuristic sounding year 2000 and, in keeping with the futuristic sounding times, I made my first purchase from Amazon. The first this I ever bought from Amazon was a Jar-Jar Binks alarm clock. A woman with whom I was involved at the time was a fan of Jar-Jar Binks, so I should have known what a dumpster fire wrapped in dirty diapers that relationship would end up being… but we can talk about that some other time, or better still - not.
Since then, I’ve purchased many books from Amazon… some music - both physical and digital… a few pairs of shoes… some pens… but I don’t think I’ve bought anything living, or living at one time, unless you count leather - which I don’t, but we can talk about that some other time, or better still - not.
Do you ever wonder what - for you - will be a step too far?
From Engadget: “Amazon will sell full-size, live Christmas trees this holiday season… They’ll be eligible for Prime shipping.”
I don’t know why this bothers me as much as it does… but boy does it. I think it has to do with the pains I take in picking out my tree. I need to look at it. I need to stand near it. I need to talk it over.
I’ve bought from Lowe’s a couple of times. But I’ve also bought from local farmers - I hate how much those trees cost, but I like that there’s a story. That there’s a person.
When I was 17… one of my best friends, who ended up being my girlfriend… we went to a Christmas Tree lot - one next to our high school. It was one of the best dates of my entire life - even though it wasn’t a date. It was just us… walking around a tree lot… learning about each other… picking out a tree for an imaginary home we hadn’t even started imagining yet, and ultimately never would.
“Come November,” says Engadget,” Amazon will begin selling full-size trees, which will ship to customers within 10 days of being cut down…”
There’s nothing wrong with what Amazon’s doing… except for everything.
105 shopping days until Christmas.
Bah-di-yah.
"An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator."
"An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator."
A thing to free you from your desk. A thing to tie your desk to your back. A way to stay in touch with loved ones. A way to be disconnected from the people around you - to be 1,000 away from people you’re standing next to on the corner. A way to learn. A way to reinforce your most ignorant beliefs. A camera capable of taking “Studio-quality portraits. Without the studio.” A movie studio in your pocket. More music than you could listen to in a lifetime and at least as many podcasts, if that’s your thing. A way to sell your junk. A way to take pictures of your junk. And, if you’re a particular type of entrepreneur, a way to sell pictures of your junk.
A platform.
A status symbol.
An isolation booth.
A lifeline.
An iPod.
A phone.
An Internet communicator.
iPhone was launched 11 years ago today - 29 June 2007.
Email: But I HAVE a non-Apple USB-C to Lightning Cable…
I got an email on a story from Tuesday’s Mac OS Ken (22 May 2018)… the one about Apple lowering the price of its short USB-C to Lighting cord, Randy wrote in to say:
I was a bit confused this morning because I bought one of these when I got my new Mac. It seems to be working perfectly. Thought you’d like to know.
He them supplied a link to the cable - USB C to Lightning Cable, Metrans 3FT, by a company called METRANS.
Well Randy, it may work, but it’s not authorized by Apple. At least it's not according to a piece from Cult of Mac. It’s possible that the non-Apple cable won’t handle fast charging the way the Apple cable will. Nothing I’ve read says what the difference is between the Apple cable and the others, but more than one piece I’ve read says Apple’s is the only USB-C to Lightning cable is the only one with Apple’s seal of approval.
Apologies for the Apology
So it looks like somebody owes somebody an apology... and this time, it’s definitely me who owes it. Last week, I noted what looked like a precipitous fall in Apple’s market cap. It went from about $950.7B on Wednesday to $934B on Thursday. I got those numbers from MacDailyNews, and assumed that MacDailyNews had goofed.
I goofed. A couple of Mac OS Ken listeners - Charles and Paul - were kind enough to explain how I goofed to me. They both had the same explanation, though Paul’s email came with numbers, so I’ll bring you that explanation. Quoting Paul’s email:
I noticed that Yahoo had Apple's market cap around $950 billion earlier in the week, and then on Friday it was down to $934 (billion). I also noticed that the number of shares went from around 5.16 billion shares to around 4.91 billion. So, to me, it looks like Apple retired 250 million shares of the stock. This would be in keeping with their buy back program. There may be an SEC form from this past week that indicates they retired the shares and then the market tracking tools made their adjustments. Just a thought.
Keep rockin'
Paul
Well… that sounds… sound. And thanks to both Paul and Charles for the clarification.
Let us never speak of it again.
How to Fix Black Dot on Your iPhone
This is merely an approximation of the famed "Black Dot of Death." No phones nor messaging apps were harmed in the making of this post. - K
From the virtual pages of The Mac Observer:
To recover from Black Dot and get the Messages app working again, here’s what to do:
- Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone display to see the app switcher, then swipe up on the Messages app to quit it. If you have an iPhone X stop your swipe gesture about a third of the way up the screen.
- 3D Touch the Messages app icon and choose New Message
- Tap Cancel
- Swipe right to left on the Black Dot message to delete it
If you don’t have a 3D Touch-capable iPhone, you can use Siri to send a long message to the conversation. Now go back into the Messages app and delete the conversation.
Apple Updates GarageBand for iOS to v2.3.2
Apple has released what appears to be a very minor update for the mobile version of GarageBand. According to the company's ridiculously sparse release notes, version 2.3.2 of GarageBand for iOS "contains stability improvements and bug fixes." This is Bob Barker reminding you to please be a responsible bug owner and have it fixed, won't you?
The update is free. It's available in the App Store.
iThings prepare to keep climbing…
It looks like iThings are - once again - the apple of Delta's eye. I received two messages from two individuals on Thursday 19 October. One was a short message, saying:
I just received word that my employer Delta Airlines, has announced that our 12,500+ pilots will be issued the 10.5 “ iPad Pro to replace the MS Surface Tablets we currently use. You may have heard this already, but I figured I’d let you know in case you hadn’t.
The second was more in-depth. It seemed to be a copy of an email sent to Delta employees. It read:
Delta to transition to Apple devices for flight crews
Published Date 10/18/2017 5:00 PM
By Staff Writer
Beginning early 2018, Delta will equip its more than 23,000 flight attendants and 14,000 pilots with Apple iPhones and Apple iPad Pros, respectively, as the airline transitions to its next generation of flight crew devices.
The iPhone 7 Plus will replace existing Nokia Lumia 1520 phablets, which flight attendants first began using in 2014, as an in-flight point of sale and onboard customer service tool. The new iOS device will continue to feature the Guest Service Tool which allows flight attendants to provide more personalized service and recognize high-value customers on each flight. Flight attendants can also provide customers with the status of down-line flights and connecting gate information. The device also brings Delta in line with its Joint Venture partners at Aeromexico, Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic.
For Delta's pilots, Apple's iPad Pro will replace the Surface tablets that have been used in the flight deck as an electronic flight bag since 2014. With the transition, Delta will join many other airlines, including key global partners, in leveraging the iOS platform to provide a high degree of synergy and cooperation in the continued development and enhancement of aviation applications. Similar to the current device, the new iPad Pro tablets will feature Delta's suite of tools for pilots including the Jeppesen Flight Deck Pro for flight planning, the latest version of Delta's turbulence app — Flight Weather Viewer Plus, and a content library containing detailed aircraft and procedural manuals.
The airline continues to maintain a strong and positive partnership with Microsoft, and some of the applications used on the iPhone 7 Plus aimed at enhancing customer and employee engagement are powered by Microsoft Dynamics.
Delta will begin jointly rolling out the iPads to pilots and iPhones to flight attendants early next year.
The strangest part about all of this is that it does not seem to have turned up anywhere online. Still - got it unbidden from two separate individuals. Since neither of them asked me to keep it under my hat - in fact one assumed I'd have heard by the time the message got to me, here it is.
Also - wanna do a bit of fun PR-cheology? Delta's page of trademarks and slogans is kind of interesting. I understand ditching 1929's slogan, "Speed, Comfort and Safety." Who wants to be reminded that anything about their travel might not be safe? So in the early 1930s, they changed their slogan to "Speed, Comfort and Convenience."
"So... we're giving up safety then?"
"You're fired, Jenkins."
Ordering an iPhone 8 Plus
Remember how crashy and terrible ordering an iPhone used to be? Maybe it still is for you. For me, ordering last night was a cake walk, with one tiny, troublesome step.
Let me start by saying, I am not getting iPhone X. I have opted instead for the Space Gray iPhone 8 Plus. I went 64GB because, despite having carried my iPhone 6 for three years, I’ve not bumped my head on the 64GB storage limit.
I may regret that decision. I may change it at the store, if possible. We’ll see.
Yes, I’m picking it up at the store. Ordering opened at one-minute past. I started my order, entered my payment info, and in the time it took me to do that, my estimated ship date slipped from Friday 22 September to sometime between 25 September and 2 October. It’s possible that that’s because I went with an unlocked phone. Those tend to run in short supply.
I’m thinking of switching carriers. I did not research it before last night. I’ve been busy.
Anyway, I’m picking up my phone next Friday afternoon. I’ll let you know more about it the following Monday.
Last Chance to See...
If you want to see an old Apple Store as you’ll never see it again, you’ll want to head to that store today. Remember Apple’s head of retail Angela Ahrendts saying that changes would soon come to Apple stores overnight? A friend in retail tells me that tonight is that night. “Hit your on May 17th” is what he or she told me. If you want to do a compare and contrast/before and after, it looks like today is your last chance at the “before.”
Rumor: Some Apple Stores to See Overnight "Reinvention"
I know someone who wears a t-shirt to work. It’s part of the dress code, actually. It’s a t-shirt with an Apple logo. Different colors different times of year. He or she works in Apple retail, and he or she has news for us this week.
Photo: Ken Ray
“... on one night in the near future,” said he or she, “ALL STORES that are not yet the new design will go through a ‘reinvention!’ Updates to interior. Updated stools. Updated LOTS!”
My friend gave me no indication as to what those changes will be, nor did he or she say when exactly. I will say, I was recently in one of the stores that’s not been updated and it could certainly use something. It does make one wonder how much they can do “on one night.”
I’m looking forward to seeing the changes.
"I think we can declare BB dead now..."
Image via flickr: Rafael Castillo
A friend forwarded this too me on Wednesday 27 July.
Cisco WebEx: End of Support for BlackBerry
You are receiving this announcement as the currently primary account contact for your company's Cisco WebEx meeting services. Please distribute this announcement within your organization as needed to ensure changes are completed in advance of the deadline.
Due to the decline of BlackBerry’s market share to less than one percent, Cisco has announced the end-of-support and sales of the WebEx Meetings for BlackBerry app, effective January 4, 2017. This includes BlackBerry 10 OS.
By January 4, 2017 Cisco will:
* Remove their app from BlackBerry World and other distribution spaces
* Discontinue technical support and help page support
* Allow existing BlackBerry app users to access WebEx meetings until the end-of-use date
On April 4, 2017, Cisco will completely disable BlackBerry access to WebEx meetings. We recommend users switch to Android or iOS platform to continue using WebEx from a mobile device prior to April 4, 2017.
Thank you for your continued business,
Your West Unified Communications Services Team
--
My friend's summation: "I think we can declare BB dead now."
AT&T Upping Grandfathered Unlimited Plan by $5 Per Month
We heard the rumor a few weeks ago. Now it's official. Here's a copy of the email AT&T is sending to customers on the grandfathered plan for unlimited data.
Inside Tracks by Rick Smolan
I had the pleasure of speaking with professional photographer and author Rick Smolan recently. His new book - "Inside Tracks" - is pretty trippy. First, it's his telling - in words and pictures - of a journey in which he got to take part in 1977. Robyn Davidson decided to elk across the Australian outback with four camels and her dog. Rick was the photographer National Geographic sent to document her trip. The second part of the book documents truing that story from the seventies into the movie Tracks, released in 2014. Where those lines get blurred is in the technology.
"Inside Tracks" is a smartphone enabled book. Using an app produced by HP (and available in the iOS App Store), users can point their smartphone or tablet at various pictures in the book from the original journey and see how those scenes played out in the film. Whether one goes for the experience provided through the free app or just goes for the words and pictures, "Inside Tracks" is stunning and impressive.
Amazon is featuring the $45 book as their #1 Solo Travel book for only $20 including free Prime shipping using the code BOOKDEAL25 through the end of December. Go for that by clicking/tapping here.
REVIEWS
"A Magical Book” -- The Wall Street Journal
"A remarkable approach to an incredible story" -- Publishers Weekly
"INSIDE TRACKS is a stunningly good book and should be at the top of your Christmas list" -- National Press Photographers Association
"INSIDE TRACKS is an amazingly beautiful coffee-table book, high above the average holiday gift" -- The Oregonian
"A beautiful document of a beautiful woman who trekked across beautiful Australia with four nasty camels and a loyal dog" -- Library Journal
The iPhone 6 Grey Market: One Man's Tale
Image courtesy Leung Kwok in Hong Kong
With the unprecedented speed of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus rollout, one might think the grey market for iPhones had dried up entirely. One would apparently be wrong.
Leung in Hong Kong wrote in over the weekend, with pictures of two guys set up pretty openly and brazenly selling iPhone Sixes “around the corner from the Hong Kong IFA Apple Store.” The selection was limited. Each had only the 128GB iPhone 6, according to Leung. Then again, they had iPhones. Leung says only a few iPhones are available for reservation online for store pickup every day and they’re not available at the online Hong Kong Apple Store. But around the corner, dudes have stack of them. Well, one picture of one seller shows about 20 in a stack. The other pic of the other seller only shows about six iPhones sitting out, though they’re next to a bag and a couple of boxes that could easily house more of the phones.
So what’s the going rate for not waiting? The 128GB iPhone 6 normally sells in Hong Kong for the equivalent of US$1,035. One of the scalpers with whom Leung spoke is selling the phones for US$1,218, while the other is going few buck higher, selling for US$1,256. For his part, Leung refuses to pay scalpers so he doesn't have one yet, though he says he’s hoping to get one through legitimate channels before Christmas.
Trouble out of the Gate for iPhone Pre-Orders
That moaning and groaning you heard in the middle of the night was Apple’s website buckling under the strain of countless people trying to order an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. Either that, or it was the countless people devolving into monosyllabic communicators - ugh... errr...
Pre-orders were supposed to start at midnight Pacific/3am Eastern. While countless online posts said that that had happened, it seems likely that most of those were set to fire off at one minute after midnight on the west coast while their authors were tucked gently into a dry martini or - who knows - maybe bed. Can I tell you when Apple’s online store came back up? I cannot. For as of this writing at 3:49 am on the east coast, it has not. Still, orders could be made. The Apple Store App for iOS had a bit of the buckling Apple’s full site saw, though it held up a a lot better. I was able to access the store through the app by about quarter-past three. Once in, I did hit more than one stumbling block, though by 3:29, I had confirmation that I had placed an order for a 64GB, Space Grey iPhone 6.
Technical difficulties were one problem - or one type of problem really. A perceived problem with Passbook was another. I’ve had an Apple Gift Card in Passbook that I have been holding onto for a while now specifically to put toward a new iPhone. When I went to pay, applying that card was not an option. Maybe it would have been on the full site, I cannot say.
Had I not been trying to apply the gift card in Apple’s store, I might have had an easier time going though my carrier. Twitter user @deverelle let me know that she “went through (her) carrier and was checked out for two 6+ in under 5 min, (while) Apple was down.”
3:57 in the A.M. by the way and Apple’s store appears to still be down. Cold be worse. Remember standing in line for 12-hours or more for your iPhone 3G? I remember the first six-hours. Before 4:00 a.m., word from another Twitter user - @JSandefer. He says “Apple Store App showing all iPhone 6 4.7(inch) 16GB models as unavailable. Others ship 9/19. (He) was able to buy through AT&T site.”
War stories: these are nothing like them.
Cue + Iovine talk Apple + Beats
Jimmy Iovine image via Code Conference Interview
If you want to hear as much as Apple’s had to say about the $3 billion acquisition of Beats, get thee to Re/code.net. In a turn around time that feels like something close to a record for Walt Mossberg and company, the site has posted the full 59-minute Code Conference interview with Eddy Cue and Jimmy Iovine talking over the biggest buy in Apple’s history.
iOS Devices Hijacked Down Under
Tuesday was a bothersome day - at the very least - for a number of iOS device owners in Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald says people all over the continent received messages on the iPhones and iPads that control of their devices had been taken by "Oleg Pliss," and if they wanted control back, they'd have to deposit $50 into a PayPal account. Luckily, Apple's support forums seem to have found a way to regain control without paying the ransom. Click here for that. And thanks to Joel for sending the original story my way.