Jon Stewart to Receive Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
It’s not an award for Apple TV+, but sort one by association. Deadline says Jon Stewart, formerly of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and currently of the Apple TV+ series “The Problem with Jon Stewart” is being honored with the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize For American Humor. According to the report:
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain. This year’s ceremony, the first since 2019 due to the pandemic, marks the 23rd year that the Mark Twain Award will be presented and broadcast nationally.
In announcing the honor, Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter was quoted as saying:
For more than three decades, Jon Stewart has brightened our lives and challenged our minds as he delivers current events and social satire with his trademark wit and wisdom… (…) tuning in to his television programs over the years has always been equal parts entertainment and truth.
Acknowledging the award, Stewart said:
I am truly honored to receive this award… I have long admired and been influenced by the work of Mark Twain, or, as he was known by his given name, Samuel Leibowitz.
The 23rd Mark Twain Prize for American Humor will be presented on 24 April. The award’s site does not list a broadcast date at this time.
How to Clean Apple’s Polishing Cloth
Image via Apple
Here is something crazy. You know that fancy-shmancy $19 Polishing Cloth Apple sells? The one that was sold out for months and just came back in stock? Do you know how to clean the cleaning rag?
If you’re like me, you’re thinking dry cleaning. I’m with Seinfeld on this one, by the way. Demanding dry cleaning is pretty much asking the impossible.
Anyway - a piece from Cult of Mac says no dry cleaning required. You just wash the thing with dish soap and water. Sounds like Cult of Mac trying to ruin your $19 Apple cloth so you’ll buy theirs instead. Turns out though, this is actually Apple’s advice for cleaning the thing with which you clean. On a support page outlining “How to clean the nano-texture glass on your Apple display,” are instructions for how to “Clean the polishing cloth,” which sounds more dirty every time you say it. The instructions are:
Hand wash the polishing cloth with dish soap and water.
Rinse thoroughly.
Allow the polishing cloth to air dry for at least 24 hours.
Feels like Apple missed a bet. I’d have suggested Polishing Cloth Polish™. $10 an ounce or $20 for two - a bargain at twice the price.
Deutsche Bank Ups Apple Target to $200
Another Apple target has hit the 200-mark. On Tuesday, The Fly wrote up a note from Deutsche Bank analyst Sidney Ho. The analyst says consensus has Wall Street expecting revenue growth for Apple of 5% in 2022. That expectation is too low, in Ho’s estimation, taking a “healthy demand backdrop” and “strong” set of products into account. Then, add the sales Apple missed due to supply constraints in the December-quarter that are expected to be made up this quarter, especially as Apple untangles kinks in the supply chain. The Fly says the analyst expects “an upward bias to Apple's estimates as we go through the year.” He also thinks the company’s shares will “benefit from a flight to quality in an inflationary environment.”
Ho has a “Buy” rating on Apple shares. He used Tuesday’s note to raise Deutsche Bank’s price target on the shares from $175 to the aforementioned $200.
Canalys: Apple Topped Worldwide Smartphone Shipments in 4QCY2021
Image via Apple
iPhone currently rules the smartphone world - so say new numbers from Canalys. The firm issued a blurb on its lates numbers on Tuesday. According to that, “Apple accounted for 22% of worldwide smartphone shipments in Q4 2021, thanks to strong demand for the iPhone 13.” According to one of the firm’s analysts:
Apple is back at the top of the smartphone market after three quarters, driven by a stellar performance from the iPhone 13… Apple saw unprecedented iPhone performance in Mainland China, with aggressive pricing for its flagship devices keeping the value proposition strong. Apple’s supply chain is starting to recover, but it was still forced to cut production in Q4 amid shortages of key components and could not make enough iPhones to meet demand. In prioritized markets, it maintained adequate delivery times, but in some markets its customers had to wait to get their hands on the latest iPhones.
As for which smartphone makers landed where, by Canalys’ reckoning it was:
Apple 22%
Samsung 20%
Xiaomi 12%
OPPO 09%
vivo 08%
Report: Foxconn Paying Big to Keep iPhone Workers Over Lunar New Year
Image via Apple Maps
Foxconn’s upping incentives for returning iPhone workers, and I’m kind of wondering why. Not that there’s no reason. Rather, there are two that leap to mind. Let’s talk first about the folks.
A piece from Apple Insider says, “Foxconn's iPhone plant in Zhengzhou is recruiting for experienced production line workers, and offering a signing bonus of $1,470.” That’s well above the monthly salary of the equivalent of $1,081.
There are a few factors at play in the recruitment push. First, the piece says, “a local Omnicron outbreak is adding to the difficulties because of how it is disrupting travel around Zhengzhou.” Additionally, they’re recruiting to keep people on the line over the Lunar New Year holiday hitting at the end of January/beginning of February. Apple Insider says the “concern is that because of travel problems, workers may not then return to the factories.”
As for why they need them, a couple of reasons seem possible. The first is making up for iPhones they couldn’t make during the December-quarter. The second - folks are expecting a new iPhone SE3. Rumors have that launching later this quarter or early next quarter.
Cult of Mac: EEC Apple Filings Support iPhone SE3 and iPad Air 5 Rumors
Personally, I’ve sort of backburnered the third-gen iPhone SE rumors. It’s not that I had reason to think it wasn’t going to happen. I just wanted reason to think it was. Or will. And it looks like it is.
Spoiling surprises quarter after quarter, Cult of Mac says the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has posted regulatory filings that likely correspond to a new version of iPhone SE and a new version of iPad Air. Covering such countries as Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and others - devices sold in the region that employ encryption have to be registered ahead of time with the EEC, which is how our surprises get spoiled.
According to the Cult, the EEC databases has Apple prepping ten devices that run iOS 15. No, no one is expecting ten different iPhone SE models, just as no one is expecting 14 iPad Airs. Because, yeah - the database has 14 devices registered that’ll run iPadOS 15, thought to be a fifth-gen iPad Air. Cult of Mac figures the 14-units include seven wifi in one group and seven wifi plus cellular in another.
There’s nothing in the EEC filings to indicate that these are an iPhone SE and iPad Air 5. It’s just that both devices have been rumored. Personally, I’ve sort of backburnered the fifth-gen iPad Air rumors. It’s not that I had reason to think it wasn’t going to happen. I just wanted reason to think it was. Or will. And it looks like it is.
MacRumors: Apple Prepping Fix for Leaky IndexedDB
There’s been a story out there for a couple of days about a data leak involving WebKit. MacRumors reported a story over the weekend, saying that “WebKit's implementation of a JavaScript API called IndexedDB” could reveal a users recent browsing history and even their identity. The way the piece describes it:
The bug allows any website that uses IndexedDB for client-side data storage to access the names of IndexedDB databases generated by other websites during a user's browsing session.
Now, MacRumors says, Apple has a fix for the bug, but they’re apparently not rolling it out yet. The piece says that “will not be available to users until Apple releases macOS Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15 updates with an updated version of Safari.”
Apple TV+ Nominated for Seven VES Awards
Tom Hanks in Finch - Image Courtesy Apple
So many more award nominations for Apple TV+. So far just this year we’ve heard about Writers Guild Award nominations, SAG Award nominations, and a Golden Globe win (though folks aren’t bragging about those this year). You know what Apple TV+ needs? More nominations, and Apple Insider has news of several. The site heralds a number of nominations for the 20th Annual VES Awards. VES stands for “Visual Effects Society” and the number of nominations is seven. According to the report:
The awards recognize visual effects artistry and innovations across 25 categories in various genres in film, TV, animation, commercials, and video games.
Three of the streamer’s seven nominations went to the series “Foundation.” The series “See,” and “Lisey's Story” picked up one each. On the film side, the Tom Hanks/robot movie Finch was nominated, as was “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”
Lots of computers - even if it doesn’t look like it.
The 20th Annual VES Awards are scheduled for 8 March.
Apple TV+ Nominated for Nine NAACP Image Awards
More prestigious than the VEW Awards for which Apple’s been nominated (no offense to the robot parade), the Apple Insider has word of nine NAACP Image Awards nominations for Apple’s streaming service. Given “to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature,” according to Wikipedia, Apple is up for a few prestigious statues. Nominees include:
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for Denzel Washington in The Tragedy of Macbeth
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for Mahershala Ali in Swan Song
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture for CODA
Outstanding Documentary for 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything
Outstanding Short-Form (Animated) for “Blush”
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for Octavia Spenser in “Truth Be Told”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Alfre Woodard in “See”
And a couple for writers on “Ted Lasso,” with Ashley Nicole Black and Leann Bowen each picking up nominations.
The 53rd NAACP Image Awards are scheduled for Saturday 26 February.
Scott Free President Signs Production Deal with Apple
News of a pretty big deal for Apple TV+. Deadline says Kevin Walsh, president of Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, is leaving for an arrangement with the Cupertino-streamer. He’s setting up The Walsh Company under a multi-year deal to produce film and TV for Apple.
“After getting an Oscar nomination for producing Manchester By The Sea,” Deadline says, “Walsh joined Scott and oversaw worldwide development and production of Scott Free’s film group.” That included producing over a dozen films, including All the Money in the World, Death on the Nile, and co-producing House of Gucci. Of his new position, Walsh said:
I’m thrilled to keep doing what I love with Apple, one of the most successful companies in the world. Under Zack [Van Amburg] and Jamie [Erlicht’s] vision, they’ve built the studio into the premier destination for filmmakers, and I know it’s the right home for what I want to make.
On his roster - surprise! A Ridley Scott film. Deadline says Walsh:
…will produce with Scott and Mark Huffam the Napoleon Bonaparte-Empress Josephine epic Napoleon [formerly Kitbag], to star Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby.
Apple Releases Full Trailer for “Severance” Ahead of 18 February Premier
Image via YouTube
There’s something seriously creepy on the way from Apple TV+. The Cupertino-streamer hit YouTube Tuesday with the first full trailer for “Severance.” According to the trailer’s description:
Severance centers around Mark Scout (Adam Scott), a leader of a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives.
This experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.
Doesn’t sound nearly as creepy as it looks. Star-studded this one, featuring Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and many, many more. “Severance” is served on Friday 18 February. You can catch the trailer below.
Digging Deeper on Dating-Apps and Third-Party Payment in the Netherlands
So you know how the whole thing with Apple and dating apps in the Netherlands has been settled? Turns out maybe not. We started the week with word that Apple will allow dating apps in that country to employ third-party payment methods, complying with a Christmastime mandate from the Netherlands’ Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). Complying for now, though Apple is still appealing the decision, according to a report from Engadget.
It turns out though, just following the ACM orders might not be enough. There’s more than one way to do a thing, and the way Apple’s doing it may not be as straight forward as some would hope. Props to Apple Insider for sussing out the terms of Apple’s offering. It’s got the developer support page for “Distributing dating apps in the Netherlands” explaining that:
…affected apps have three options covering payment systems. Along with the existing IAP (In App Payment) system, developers can also use an in-app link pointing users to a website to complete the purchase, or (…) use a third-party payment system within the app.
For some reason, two songs leap to mind - Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy” and The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
The Apple Insider piece, by the way, sailed in under the headline, “Apple makes it clear it will get its app commission regardless of payment method.” No word yet on what that commission will be. Meanwhile, a piece from MacRumors says:
Developers will also be required to maintain separate app binaries for distribution in the Netherlands if they choose to offer alternate in-app purchasing options.
That report also has Apple warning of potential user experience problems for which developers will be responsible. MacRumors quotes the Cupertino-company as saying:
Because Apple will not be directly aware of purchases made using alternative methods, Apple will not be able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management, and other issues encountered when purchasing digital goods and services through these alternative purchasing methods. You will be responsible for addressing such issues with customers.
One gets why the ACM wants to double check Apple’s offer, and it’s hard to imagine affected parties will be overjoyed. MacRumors quotes a press release from the organization, saying:
ACM will now assess whether Apple meets the requirements that ACM had imposed. As part of that assessment, ACM will sit down with dating-app providers, among other interested parties.
The Curious Case of Noise Cancellation and iPhone 13
If you have an iPhone 13 and are looking for the noise canceling feature for phone calls, you can apparently stop looking. It’s not there, and it looks like it may not be. “A few weeks ago,” says a piece from 9 to 5 Mac:
…9 to 5 Mac reported an outgrowing complaint from iPhone 13 users about the lack of a noise-canceling feature for phone calls through the Accessibility settings that is available to all previous iPhones, but not the newer ones.
They thought it was a bug. Now, it seems, removing the feature may be a feature? A 9 to 5 Mac reader shared a conversation they had with Apple support on Twitter. He says:
…after working with Apple and a senior advisor for months saying to wait for an update to fix the issue, I got an update regarding the issue, and apparently, it won’t be fixed and noise cancelation is intentionally disabled for those devices for unspecified reasons.
And if you don’t like it, apple.com/Feedback was their suggestion - only in a nicer way than that.
To most of us, this just sounds like a convenience turned inconvenience. There’s a reason it’s in the Accessibility menu, though. Apple’s support page on audio settings on the iPhone advises users:
You can adjust the mono audio and left-right stereo balance to suit your hearing needs. You can also turn on noise cancellation to reduce ambient background noise on phone calls.
The page says that does work for iOS 15. It does not say that it does not work for Apple’s latest phones.
Maybe it’s meant to? Despite word from the aforementioned 9 to 5 reader, the same report has another user saying they’ve heard that “it’s a glitch.” According to that account:
I’ve been speaking with apple support regarding this. It’s a known issue they are working on with no resolution timeline at the moment. This issue also creates problems with echos on CarPlay when talking between iPhone 13’s. It is a major flaw that needs to be resolved asap.
In the meantime, there is another thing to try. “As of now,” says 9 to 5 Mac, “the only workaround available would be activating the Voice Isolation feature on a call in the Control Center.”
Apple Says Apple Pay “Coming Soon” to Argentina and Peru
Image via Apple Latin America
Apple Pay is continuing its roll around the world, with upcoming stops in Argentina and Peru. Unlike the guesswork that often accompanies such stories, iDownloadBlog says this info comes from Apple directly. According to the report:
Apple itself confirmed the upcoming expansion on its Latin America website, which now lists Apple Pay as available in Costa Rica and “coming soon to Argentina and Peru.”
The news actually supports some of the guesswork mentioned a moment ago, though it’s not really fair to call what happened in Peru recently “guesswork.” According to the report:
…Interbank was recently teasing the imminent Apple Pay launch in Peru via its webpage. The now-removed webpage provided information and instructional videos on how to use Apple’s mobile payment service with the bank’s Visa cards.
Apple Marks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Image via Apple
As it has for many years on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Apple turned its landing page over to honoring the civil rights leader on Monday. Alongside a picture of the man was a quote by King: “I believe that we can transform dark yesterdays of injustice into bright tomorrows of justice and humanity.” That was followed by Apple’s own sentiment, “Today and every day, we honor his life and legacy of service.”
It was not just the homepage that honored Dr. King. A piece from The Mac Observer says Monday’s episode of the Apple Fitness+ feature “Time to Walk” was narrated by Bernice A. King. The youngest daughter of Dr. King and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the description for her “Time to Walk” episode says:
She talks about finding her own path as the daughter of parents who had such a lasting impact and how a stranger’s small act of kindness became a turning point in her life.
The Bernice A. King episode of “Time to Walk” is available now to Fitness+ subscribers on Apple Watch.
Also in keeping with recent tradition, Apple CEO Tim Cook Tweeted to mark MLK Day. Quoting that message:
Dr. King could paint a powerful vision in dark times, reminding us that we could “hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” May his words continue to inspire us to bind up our nation’s wounds and protect the civil rights of all who call it home. #MLKDay
Apple Adding Mid-2012 13” MBP to Vintage List on 31 January 2022
Modified from an image on PC Mag
Apple’s making a stunning addition to its vintage products list, soon. MacRumors ran a piece over the weekend, saying that Apple’s last MacBook Pro with a CD drive is headed that way. What the headline doesn’t say is that that machine hit the market almost ten-years ago. The site says it’s seen an internal memo that shows the Mid-2012 13-inch MacBook Pro going vintage at the end of this month. “Released in June 2012,” says the report:
…this 13-inch MacBook Pro model was the last Mac with a built-in CD/DVD drive sold by Apple. It remained for sale until October 2016 as a lower-priced option alongside the thinner 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display.
I say it’s a stunning addition for a couple of reasons: First, Apple started making the machine almost a decade ago and second, it’s been over five-years since Apple stopped selling it. That’s the cutoff for vintage devices - stopped selling five years ago, but less than seven. It’s a potentially important distinction. When a machine is obsolete, sanctioned service is unavailable. If a device is vintage, repairs are possible from Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers, provided parts are available.
Quite the workhorse, though still long in the tooth. “On the software side,” the piece points out that Apple dropped support for the machine “with macOS Big Sur in 2020.” If you’re still holing onto to one, it’s served you well. But it’s probably time to start eyeing something more recent.
A Wordle Worth a Look
It turns out not all Wordle clones are Wordle clones. One that isn’t is doing some good. Now let’s be clear: The ones we heard about last week are a bunch of bad actors. Wordle is a daily, online word game. Games in the App Store with the same name and the same game mechanics are knock-offs. But, as I say, there’s one Wordle in the App Store that should be there and that is doing good.
Ars Technica has been keeping track of Steven Cravotta on Twitter. There, the piece says:
…Cravotta writes about how he created a game called Wordle! five years ago, at the age of 18, “mostly for fun, to sharpen my coding skillz, and maybe make a quick buck.”
The game plays a bit like Upspell, if you know that one. In Cravotta’s game, Ars Technica says players “build as many words as they can from a set of letters in a strict time limit…” After about 100-thousand downloads five-years ago, downloads were trickling for Cravotta’s Wordle - one or two a day, until this month, when they rocketed up to about 200,000 per week.
Blame the other Wordle. Or thank it. Ars says:
Cravotta chalks up the sudden increase to “major publications” failing to specify “that [the Wordle that was sweeping the planet] was an ‘Internet browser’ only game, so naturally people went to the App Store to search Wordle.”
Personally, I think he’s being too hard on the writers versus the readers, but whatever. Carvotta’s game is free to download. I did that. While it says there are in-app purchases available, I have not found them. Someone has, and he is making money. And he’s giving that money away. Cravotta told The Verge that the huge number of downloads has converted to $2,000 at this point, though he’s hoping that number will go higher. Between now and the end of the month, Cravotta says “any proceeds from in-app purchases in the iOS game will be going to Boost Oakland, a youth mentoring and tutoring partnership.”
Report: Apple Looks to Boost COVID Boosters Among Employees
Apple’s apparently giving retail and corporate workers a hardcore either/or: Either get a COVID-19 booster, or have a stick shoved up your nose on the regular. The Verge has word of an internal memo for Apple employees. It has Apple saying:
Due to waning efficacy of the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and the emergence of highly transmissible variants such as Omicron, a booster shot is now part of staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination to protect against severe disease…
It seems those who decline to get stuck will get the stick. The piece says:
Once an employee is eligible to get a booster shot, they will have four weeks to comply, otherwise, they will need to take frequent tests to enter a retail store, partner store, or Apple office starting on February 15th.
That doesn’t sound wildly different from company mandates from last year. Back then, “Apple asked that unvaccinated corporate employees take daily tests before entering the office,” according to The Verge, “with unvaccinated retail workers testing twice per week.” Now, the piece says unvaccinated employees and/or employees who haven’t offered proof of vaccination will have to “provide negative COVID-19 rapid antigen tests before entering the workplace…” Set to start on 24 January, The Verge says it’s unclear whether that’s only for office workers or corporate and retail.
Piper Sandler Ups Apple Traget to $200
Image via Apple Stocks App week of 01.10.22 - 01.14.22
When it comes to Apple shares, Piper Sandler analyst Harsh Kumar seems to say, “what’s not to love?” MarketWatch wrote up a note he wrote late last week, wherein he named Apple a good bet in lean times for tech with a whole lot of growth ahead.
Kumar centers most of his Apple thinking around iPhone, as do most analysts. When considering the Cupertino-company, “nothing matters like the iPhone,” in his estimation. And this year looks good for that. Here in the states, carriers are continuing their 5G push, which includes higher subsidies on 5G phones. Kumar says iPhone is still going huge in China, and he is not the only one. Last week, Counterpoint Research pointed to data showing iPhone on top in the middle-kingdom for six-straight weeks. Also - look out for India. The analyst thinks it “has the potential play an increasing role in the years to come,” according to the report.
That’s iPhone tackled. While some think demand for the Mac may cool as the world enters year-three of the pandemic, Kumar thinks expectations around that have been “tempered…” Quoting MarketWatch:
Given the company’s prospects for the year ahead and the volatile tech backdrop, [Kumar] recommended Friday that technology investors “look at Apple as a ‘place to hide’ in the current environment.”
And then we get to the growth stuff. He’s excited about the continued push into healthcare Apple is making through Apple Watch. He’s excited about the prospect of an Apple Car. He thinks those will help push Apple to a $4 trillion valuation.
Mr. Kumar has an “Overweight” rating on Apple shares. He used last week’s note to up Piper Sandler’s price target on the shares from $175 to $200.
Loop Capital Markets Ups Apple Target to $210
Image via TipRanks
A sort-of correction to a story I brought you last week. On 13 January I told you that Loop Capital Markets analyst John Donovan was really liking what he was seeing for the average selling price for iPhone. He’s clocking that at around $900 per, while the Street is modeling an ASP of $817.
What’s the correction? I can’t figure out who John Donovan is. Investors Business Daily had him down as the analyst covering Apple for Loop Capital Markets. There is a James Donovan who’s a Senior VP at Loop Capital Holdings. Though pretty quiet for the last several months, it looks like Ananda Baruah is still the one covering Apple for Loop Capital Markets, and he has made a move on Apple shares.
The Fly wrote up a note he wrote over the weekend, saying basically the same stuff the ghost of John Donovan said - that the rest of the street is missing on ASP estimates for iPhone. Baruah’s note did one thing that the other write-up did not - pulled the firm’s price target out of the drink. Loop Capital had had a “Buy” rating on Apple shares and an underwater price target of $165. The “Buy” rating is still there, though the target’s been raised to $210.
And if you see John Donovan, please tell hims to call. We’re worried.