References to “realityOS” Spotted in Apple Code
Image by Ady Setiawan from Pixabay
10 FEBRUARY 2022 - Worried that Apple has forgotten the whole augmented reality/virtual reality thing? Worried that the world at large has forgotten? Fear not. A number of sites, including Apple Insider, ran stories Wednesday about “realityOS.”
Sounds like a character from a cyberpunk novel. Is actually (apparently) what Apple will call the operating system for AR/VR/MR/XR environs. According to a piece from MacRumors, new references to realityOS were “found in App Store upload logs and Apple open source code [Wednesday] morning.” The Apple Insider piece had developer Steve Troughton-Smith eyeing the code. In a post on Twitter, he said, “This at least confirms it 1) has its own OS & binaries, and 2) has a realityOS Simulator.”
When will those of us who don’t speak code see something we can understand? Apple is, of course, saying nothing officially. Current thinking is it’ll be the better part of a year, though. Apple Insider says:
When references to "rOS" were first found [a little over four years ago], it was expected that Apple could introduce an Apple AR headset by 2020. More recently, late 2022 has been predicted, but even that is likely to slip back as Apple is reportedly finding hardware and software snags.
Wells Fargo Analyst Sees Big Things for Mac in Big Business
One Apple following financial analyst has an idea for the Cupertino-company: Sell more Macs to business. A piece from The Street has Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers noting tremendous potential in that direction. According to a note from the analyst:
While Apple's Mac revenue only accounts for about 10% of total revenue, we have seen Apple become increasingly vocal about the adoption of Macs in the enterprise space…
He’s said by the report to see three key reasons for businesses to Get a Mac:
The move to M1-series processors, identified by Apple CEO Tim Cook on Apple’s most recent earnings call as a driver for recent Mac adoption
The growth of “as-a-service” offerings like Apple Business Essentials
The continued expansion of businesses letting employees choose their own computing platforms
According to The Street:
Apple's M1 Macs have already garnered attention in the consumer market due to performance and productivity improvements present in the devices.
The way Rakers sees it:
When this productivity increase is scaled across a large enterprise/organization with hundreds of developers, the savings could justify upgrading entire fleets of Macs, perhaps sooner than dictated by the typical three-to-four-year upgrade cycle…
Rakers has an “Overweight” rating on Apple shares. His price target on the shares is $205.
Smartphone Data Extractor Cellebrite Has 2,800+ US Govt. Customers
Cellebrite, the Israeli company that makes tech to siphon data off of iPhones and Android phones, is big with the U.S. government. Like, the U.S. Government is a big customer. 9 to 5 Mac highlights a report from The Intercept. That has Cellebrite saying in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it has more than 2,800 customers in the U.S. government. The piece quotes the The Intercept, saying:
Cellebrite securities documents reviewed by The Intercept show that all but one of the 15 U.S. Cabinet departments, along with several other federal agencies, have acquired Cellebrite products in recent years. The list includes many that would seem far removed from intelligence collection or law enforcement, like the departments of Agriculture, Education, Veterans Affairs, and Housing and Urban Development; the Social Security Administration; the U.S. Agency for International Development; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Oh. And police departments. It looks like lots of police departments are Cellebrite customers, according to the report.
On the one hand, Cellebrite is less dangerous than NSO Group’s Pegasus, in 9 to 5 Mac’s estimation. That’s because for Cellebrite to work, the entity working it has to have access to the physical phone. But, the piece says:
…the highly intrusive tool is reportedly cheap enough to be routinely used to check the phones of travelers at immigration checkpoints, and suspects in crimes as trivial as shoplifting and being drunk in public, raising obvious privacy and civil liberties concerns.
Plus, they’re better than a bake sale. You can find a ton of used Cellebrite units on eBay. I wish I was kidding.
Public Testers Get Latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS Betas
Image via Apple
Remember all of the OS betas that went out from Apple to developers on Tuesday? They all went out to Apple’s public testers on Wednesday. Apple Insider says Apple made the second betas of iOS and iPadOS 15.4, macOS 12.3, tvOS 15.4, and watchOS 8.5 available to members of the public beta program.
Not to be taken internally and not to be installed on machines on which you rely. Apple Insider says both it and Apple “strongly recommend users don't install the betas on to ‘mission-critical’ or primary devices…” While they probably won’t brick your machine, they are betas so you never can say for sure. That said, if you’ve got a test device laying around or just like living on the edge, you can get more info on Apple’s public beta program at beta.apple.com.
Jen Simmons Seeks Safari Comments (Serious Comments Only)
One of the members of Apple's Safari team wants to know how to make Apple’s browser better - but seriously, come with problems, not just gripes. MacRumors writes up a couple of Twitter comments from Jen Simmons, “an Apple Evangelist and developer advocate on the Web Developer Experience team for Safari and WebKit…”
Simmons took to Twitter Tuesday, saying:
Everyone in my mentions saying Safari is the worst, it’s the new IE… Can you point to specific bugs & missing support that frustrate you, inhibit you making websites/apps. Bonus points for links to tickets.
Specifics we can fix. Vague hate is honestly super counterproductive.
That reminds me so much of the hate iTunes used to get before they split out movies and podcasts into their own apps. People would say they hated it. I’d ask how they’d change it, and they’d say, “I don’t know, but I hate it.”
Personally, I still miss it, but whatever.
“Also counterproductive,” Simmons continued in a follow on Tweet:
…pointing to bugs from several years ago, complaining about them over & over & over.
Let’s talk about current bugs. Currently missing or partial support for new features. Let us know what’s most important to you. What do you want us to tackle first?
Though, in yet another clarifying Tweet she said:
By “pointing to bugs from several years ago” I definitely meant bugs that have already been fixed. Sorry.
If it’s several years old and not fixed, do ping with a http://bugs.webkit.org link or Feedback number (if you filed at http://feedbackassistant.Apple.com). I’d like to look into it.
I do not know Jen Simmons, but for that Twitter thread alone, I really like her.
Apple Store Fire Forces Short Evacuation of Glasgow Mall
It’s not often you hear about an Apple Store ruining it for an entire mall, but such was the case in Glasgow on Tuesday. iMore says the Braehead shopping mall had to be evacuated earlier this week, after a fire in an Apple Store there. The piece quotes a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, who said:
We were alerted at 4.22pm on Tuesday, February 8 to reports of fire affecting retail premises at Braehead Shopping Centre, Glasgow.
Operations control immediately mobilised four fire engines to the location and firefighters extinguished the fire.
Crews left the scene at 4.53pm after ensuring the area was made safe.
I know what you’re thinking: Weed.
That may not be what you were thinking. Either way, it wasn’t that. iMore says, the “alert was caused by a smoking battery, likely from a repair device that had come through the store's Genius Bar.” The store was back to business as usual on Wednesday.
Adrien Brody Joins Apple TV+ Film “Ghosted”
Adrien Brody - Image via IMDB
Welcome another Oscar winner to the Apple TV+ roster. Deadline says Adrien Brody, Academy Award winner for 2002’s The Pianist, has signed on to the Cupertino-streamers Ghosted. That’s the “romantic action-adventure” film that was originally meant to bring the MCU’s Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson back together on screen. A scheduling conflict forced Johansson out of the pic. She was soon replaced in the production by Ana de Armas. No word on Brody’s part in the picture, except that he has one.
Apple Posts Short Q&A with the Stars in “The Sky is Everywhere”
The Sky Is Everywhere is everywhere tomorrow, and Apple’s got a short promotion to… well… promote it. This is the one about a 17-year-old musical prodigy, who struggles after the sudden death of her older sister. She falls in love, though that’s complicated by her relationship with her sister’s former boyfriend.
iMore says Apple TV+ has posted a short Q&A with the film’s stars, ahead of its premier. It’s roughly two-minutes with Grace Kaufman and Jacques Colimon, the stars of the The Sky is Everywhere. You can catch that below. While Apple is promoting it for Valentine’s Day, which is Monday (don’t forget), the film actually hits Apple TV+ on Friday 11 February, which is tomorrow (don’t forget).
Apple Original Podcast “The Line” Wins 2022 duPont-Columbia Award
Image via Apple
It’s not just TV shows and movies from Apple TV+ that win awards. Apple’s streaming service issued a press release Wednesday, announcing an award for one of its original podcasts. The company says the Apple TV+ Original podcast “The Line” has earned a 2022 duPont-Columbia Award Silver Baton from the Columbia School of Journalism. “Awarded annually,” the release says:
…the duPont-Columbia Awards honor news stories and films for the strength of their reporting, storytelling and impact in the public interest, upholding the highest standards in journalism.
If you’ve not heard the podcast, the press release says:
“The Line” is a six-part narrative non-fiction audio series that provides listeners a unique perspective on previously untold aspects of the story of US Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was charged with committing war crimes before ultimately being acquitted on all but one count…
The podcast appears to be available wherever you get podcasts - not just Apple’s podcast platform. There is also a four-part documentary series of the same name streaming now on Apple TV+.
Strombo Starts a Book Club
Oprah Winfrey has a book club. Reese Witherspoon has a book club. In retrospect, it seems obvious what George “Strombo” Stroumboulopoulos had to do. TechCrunch says the Canadian broadcaster and Apple Music Hits host has started a book club in the Apple Books app.
Called “Strombo’s Lit,” if you’re wondering what the club will cover… sort of sounds like whatever Strombo wants to cover… Though he hosts a music show for Apple, it won’t be music focused. Rather, the piece says:
…the theme of Strombo’s Lit is fairly broad: it will offer a lens through which to better view the world, Apple says. And the target demographic for the club will be anyone interested in learning the stories from some of the world’s best authors.
First on the list for “Strombo’s Lit,” the sci-fi thriller Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson, the author such books as Anathem, Snow Crash, and The Diamond Age. Strombo’s Lit is live now in Apple Books.
Apple Retail Increasing Benefits Amid the “Great Reprioritization”
I saw an interesting piece on VentureBeat recently that talked about “the great resignation.” Faced with the hardships of the past couple of years - you know, the whole nearly dying for your paycheck thing, a lot of people are just quitting. Anyway, that’s the common conception, though the piece (written by the co-founder and CEO of a company called Equitybee) argues that that is not the case. People aren’t quitting because they’re sick of work. They’re quitting because they don’t feel valued by their employers or organizations.
It’s an idea that might strike past generations as frivolous. Then again, past generations had retirement plans and gold watches after 25-years with the company. It’s not that every company has stopped valuing its employees, but it certainly feels to many employees that they’re not valued or undervalued. Quick aside: At a friend’s year-end review, they said they felt that the company did not value their work. The manager suggested that this person, who spent a lot of 2021 putting in 45 to 55 hours a week, work more overtime. Without quitting, my friend is actively seeking other employment - part of what the VentureBeat piece calls, not “the great resignation,” but “the great reprioritization.”
Apple Retail is apparently hip to that, and either wants to be the place people land or wants to keep them from flying. A piece from Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance) says:
Apple Inc. plans to significantly increase its benefits for U.S. retail store workers as it grapples with a tightening labor market and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
According to the piece, changes taking effect beginning Monday 4 April include:
Doubling paid sick days for both full-time and part-time workers. The days can be used for mental health leave and taking family members to the doctor. This change will give full-time workers 12 paid sick days, instead of six.
Workers will receive more annual vacation days, beginning at three years of employment instead of five.
Part-time employees will now get as many as six paid vacation days for the first time. Another first: They’ll get paid parental leave. That benefit will cover up to six weeks and will include the ability to gradually ramp up work time for the first four weeks back.
Part-time workers also will get access to discounted emergency backup care for children or elderly family members.
While Bloomberg initially heard the news from secret folks said to know something about something, the changes have been confirmed by Apple.
Apple Adding “Tap to Pay on iPhone” Later This Year
Image via Apple
09 FEBRUARY 2022 - Apple looks poised to upend the point-of-sale space. The Cupertino-company issued a press release Tuesday, confirming rumors that have been circulating for a few weeks. Those had Apple enabling contactless payment acceptance for iPhone in the relatively near future. Now, Apple says:
Later this year, US merchants will be able to accept Apple Pay and other contactless payments simply by using iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app.
The company says adding Tap to Pay to iPhone will:
…empower millions of merchants across the US, from small businesses to large retailers, to use their iPhone to seamlessly and securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets through a simple tap to their iPhone — no additional hardware or payment terminal needed.
Once live, merchants will be able to take contactless payments with hardware as far back as 2018’s iPhone XS or later, provided it’s got a supporting and supported app installed. “At checkout,” the release says:
…the merchant will simply prompt the customer to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay with Apple Pay, their contactless credit or debit card, or other digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone, and the payment will be securely completed using NFC technology. No additional hardware is needed to accept contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone, so businesses can accept payments from wherever they do business.
Jennifer Bailey, VP of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, is quoted in the release, saying:
In collaboration with payment platforms, app developers, and payment networks, we’re making it easier than ever for businesses of all sizes — from solopreneurs to large retailers — to seamlessly accept contactless payments and continue to grow their business.
That’s the down the road idea, anyway. It starts, though, with one partner. The release says:
Stripe will be the first payment platform to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to their business customers, including the Shopify Point of Sale app this spring. Additional payment platforms and apps will follow later this year.
But it seems like not much later. Word on the latest beta for iOS 15.4 says that the “Tap to Pay on iPhone” framework is already showing up. MacRumors says the Tap to Pay on iPhone feature is working in the latest beta, but you can’t use it. That’s because it needs support from third-party providers. While Stripe will offer that, it’s not doing so yet.
Apple Releases Second Betas of iOS/iPadOS 15.4 to Developers
News of the “Tap to Pay on iPhone” framework in the latest iOS beta may prompt a question: How did we not hear about the framework in the latest beta before? Because the latest beta wasn’t out before. I mean, it was, but there’s a later latest beta, now. Along with the “Tap to Pay” news, Apple on Tuesday released the second betas of iOS15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 to developers, along with the second beta of macOS Monterey 12.3, the second beta of watchOS 8.4, and the second beta of tvOS 15.4, according to a few pieces from MacRumors.
The newest newness in the iOS update is the framework making way for “Tap to Pay.” Other upcoming features we’ve heard about, for iPhone and iPad include:
The addition of Face ID with Mask
Support for Universal Control
Loads of new emoji
Other features we’d not heard about (or that escaped my notice) are said by MacRumors to include:
Full 120Hz ProMotion support for app animations on iPhone 13 Pro
The ability to add EU vaccine certificates to Apple Wallet
The ability to turn off notifications for Shortcuts automations
Keyboard brightness controls in Control Center on the iPad
An Apple Card widget
iCloud Keychain notes
Support for adding custom email domains to iCloud Mail on device
The addition of a SharePlay option in the share sheet
There is one fix of note. A piece from Apple Insider says the iOS 15.4 beta “fixes [a] bug that stored Siri recordings even if users opted out.” The first I remember hearing about that was yesterday’s story. Glad to hear it’s getting fixed.
We can’t be certain which of those features will beat the beta gauntlet and make it out to users. We also can’t be certain when the next version of iOS and iPadOS will hit. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman thinks it’ll happen around the same time Apple updates iPhone SE and iPad Air. He’s expecting that in the first half of March.
Apple Releases Second macOS 12.3 Beta to Developers
Not unlike the latest iPadOS 15.4 beta, we’ve heard about some of what’s new in the latest beta for macOS Monterey 12.3, also released to developers on Tuesday. Among anticipated features:
Universal Control, the feature that lets one mouse and/or trackpad and/or keyboard control a number of Macs and iPads in close proximity. After updating to the latest betas on supported machines, indications from MacRumors are that it just works.
And something for which some have clamored - The Mac update “adds support for updating the AirPods firmware when the earbuds are connected to a Mac…”
Not unlike the iOS 15.4 beta, this one comes with an intended fix as well. A piece from iDownloadBlog says it looks like a problem where Bluetooth devices would drain the batteries of some MacBooks while those MacBooks slept is being addressed.
Apple Releases Second Beta of tvOS 15.4 to Developers
The latest beta of tvOS 15.4 gets something it almost never gets: new features! MacRumors says the second beta of the TV operating system (also released to developers on Tuesday):
Adds support for captive Wi-Fi networks. The piece says that “means that an iPhone or iPad can be used to connect your Apple TV to networks that require additional sign-in steps, such as in hotel rooms.”
The “Up Next” listing will now list directly to the video player, making “it easier to get from show to show” while watching shows, instead of having to back out to the Home Screen.
tvOS 15.4 brings a couple of audio tweaks, including a “new volume button that's accessible from the video player,” and a new look for spatial audio controls.
And “Tap to Navigate” is back as an accessibility option, according to MacRumors.
Apple Releases Second Beta of watchOS 8.5 to Developers
Perhaps Tuesday’s most lackluster beta was the second one for watchOS 8.5. While the macOS beta, iOS and iPadOS betas, and even the tvOS beta bring something new to the table, MacRumors says the second beta of watchOS 8.5 does not. Well, unless you count the new emoji, but everything that gets emoji is getting those so… it looks like there’s nothing new coming to Apple’s chronometer.
Apple Announces Spring Slate of App Store Sessions
Image via Apple
It’s not just a slew of new OS betas developers got on Tuesday. A piece from 9 to 5 Mac says Apple also announced a string of remote sessions for members of the Apple Developer Program. Called “App Store Sessions,” the report says, “Apple is offering multiple sessions in several different languages with the virtual events including a live Q&A.”
Sessions presented include:
Get Started with Custom Offer Codes
Get Started with Product Page Optimization
Get Started with In-App Events
Get Started with Custom Product Pages
Optimize Subscriptions for Success: Acquisition
The sessions run from Tuesday 15 February through Tuesday 29 March. Registration is open now for members of the Developer Program.
Films “CODA” and “Macbeth” Earn Six Oscar Nominations for Apple TV+
If it’s really an honor just to be nominated, Apple was honored six-times over on Tuesday. That’s when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards. That’s six-nominations divided by two-films - CODA and The Tragedy of Macbeth. Apple did, of course, rush to the fax machine and fired off a press release. We’ll start with Shakespeare. “Macbeth” got three of Apple’s six-nominations:
Bruno Delbonnel for Best Cinematography
Stefan Dechant for Best Production Design
Denzel Washington for Best Actor
According to Apple’s press release, Washington’s nomination for Macbeth is his tenth Oscar nom, making him one of the most nominated actors ever and the most nominated Black man in history. He’ll face Javier Bardem for Being the Ricardos, Benedict Cumberbatch for The Power of the Dog, Andrew Garfield for Tick, Tick … Boom!, and Will Smith for King Richard.
CODA kinda did better, garnering more high profile nominations than “The Tragedy…” They include:
Siân Heder for Best Adapted Screenplay
Troy Kotsur for Best Supporting Actor
CODA for Best Picture
Kotsur will go up against Ciarán Hinds for Belfast, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee - both of whom are up for The Power of the Dog, and J.K. Simmons for Being the Ricardos.
As for Best Picture, CODA gets to slug it out with Belfast, Don't Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, The Power of the Dog, and West Side Story.
While every nomination is historic, CODA’s are particularly so. According to Apple’s press release, the film:
…becomes the first motion picture starring a predominantly Deaf cast in leading roles to receive a Best Picture nomination, and Troy Kotsur becomes the first Deaf male actor to receive a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for his powerful performance.
Commenting on the nominations, Apple head of Worldwide Video Zack Van Amburg said:
We are humbled by reaching this milestone of receiving a Best Picture nomination for ‘CODA,’ a groundbreaking motion picture that uplifts, entertains and transforms. We applaud the visionaries in front of and behind the camera who brought ‘CODA’ and ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ to life, powerful films that connect story with humanity and will resonate with audiences for generations to come.
Also offering comment, Apple’s other head of video Jamie Erlicht said:
After watching audiences connect with these undeniably deserving films all over the world, it is rewarding to now see this diverse selection of Apple Original Films being honored at the highest level. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many talented creative storytellers and send our warmest congratulations to all of the nominees.
Amazingly neither one said “it’s an honor just to be nominated.” Maybe that’s what you say after.
The ceremony for the 94th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday 27 March. Oh look - they’re having it in Los Angeles this year. You will, no doubt, be able to watch it on the TV.
Apple Stores in France Return to Normal Hours After Latest COVID Spike
Apple Opéra - Image via Apple
It’s not back to normal, but back toward normal. Apple Insider say Apple stores in France have resumed normal business hours. The piece says hours were reduced a couple of months ago, amid a spike in COVID-19 cases headed into the holidays. “According to Consomac,” according to Apple Insider:
...cutting hours meant being able to operate with a reduced staff. Stores typically opened later than their usual 10 a.m., and closed one or two hours earlier than their normal 8pm.
Now, the piece indicates, all 20 of Apple’s retail locations in France are back to the old 10-8 grind. Toward normal, but not to it. Visiting stores is still by appointment, according to the report. The number of visitors in a store is being kept low. And physical distancing and masks are still required.
Bloomberg: Next Apple Product Event Expected Around 8 March
Lightly circle Tuesday 8 March on your calendar. Last Friday, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that’s around the date Apple is targeting for its next “wish you were here” media event. Citing secret so-and-sos, Gurman says:
The announcement will mark Apple’s first major event since a new MacBook Pro debuted in October. Like the company’s other recent launches, it’s expected to be an online presentation rather than in-person, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private.
As for what’s expected, he’s looking for a new iPhone SE - the first in a couple of years. This one’s believed to sport a better camera, a faster processor, and - of course - 5G. Also in the offing, a new iPad Air. This will also have a faster processor and a 5G option for the “+ cellular” version. There are, of course, new Macs in the works as well, as the company continues its Apple Silicon transition. The next “could also come as early as March,” according to Gurman, sounding less like someone who’s convinced and more like someone hedging their bet.
Also, iOS 15.4. Because, sure.
Assuming 8 March is the date, it’ll likely be about three weeks before Apple notifies the world. And so, we wait.