Report: Some Studio Display Users Having Trouble Updating
Image via Apple
11 APRIL 2022 - Some owners of Apple’s new Studio Display are facing update troubles. Because, you know… it runs an operating system and those need updates. MacRumors notes a growing thread on Apple’s support forums that has people attempting to update being told that they cannot. According to the report:
…they’re being presented with an error message that reads “Apple Studio Display firmware update could not be completed. Try again in an hour. If the problem persists, contact an authorized Apple service provider.” According to users on the thread, reconnecting the display to another Mac and/or restarting the monitor does not address the issue.
If you’re encountering this problem, I’d suggest you “Try again in an hour.” Also, “If the problem persists, contact an authorized Apple service provider.”
I know. Where do I come up with ‘em?
Apple Posts (Then Pulls Down) Dual USB-C 35W Power Adapter Support Doc
Modified image by Denys Vitali from Pixabay
11 APRIL 2022 - Apple may have let a smallish cat out of the bag. 9 to 5 Mac says the Cupertino-company has posted a support document covering the use of a dual USB-C 35W power adapter. Oh, don’t look for it now. It seems that the “how to” was pulled down almost as soon as it was noticed. The post left little doubt what they were talking about, saying:
Use the Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter and a USB-C cable (not included) to charge your device. Connect a USB-C cable to either port on the power adapter, extend the electrical prongs (if necessary), then plug the power adapter firmly into the power outlet.
Just imagine! You could charge two things, you could power one thing and charge another, you could power two things, the possibilities are… well… pretty much limited to that. As for when we get it, we may not. MacRumors says, “It’s unclear when Apple plans to release this accessory, and it’s also possible that it has been scrapped altogether.” Why write up a “how-to” though? Seems more likely that Apple will release the thing at some point, and somebody just jumped the gun on posting documentation.
Apple Maps Teams Updating Cologne Coverage
Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay
11 APRIL 2022 - If you see somebody walking around Cologne, Germany with a big, teched-out backpack, scanning and beeping like they’re from the future, fear not. It’s just someone from Apple making the company’s Maps app better. Similar to a story a couple of weeks back about getting a better look at England, a piece from Apple Insider says:
Four Apple Maps teams will be hiking across Cologne in order to build up data for the mapping service, from updating existing detail, to adding new pedestrian routes.
I’m pretty sure they mean adding them to the Maps app, not adding them to Cologne. Citing a report from the German site Macerkopf, the piece says the four teams will start their hiking today, Monday 11 April, and wrap it up around 4 July. They’ll be supplemented by a road team, hitting the straßes and bahns beginning Friday 22 April.
Some Bash Week One of “Friday Night Baseball” on Apple TV
11 APRIL 2022 - To say that Apple’s first night of “Friday Night Baseball” went off without a hitch would not be totally true. I dipped in for a few minutes and had no trouble. But I’m just one guy who already had an Apple TV. A report I saw someplace, and sorry - I’ve lost track of it… But a report I saw someplace had people complaining about getting the app installed around game time. No offense, but that’s a bit like opening an Xbox for the first time on Christmas morning and expecting to be able to play right away.
A report from iMore had the site DownDetector noting a slew of outage reports during the first game of Friday’s double header. A piece from Apple Insider indicates that some people liked the clean, simplistic graphics Apple used, while others complained they were too simplistic. And a decent amount of scorn seems to have been served to the broadcast teams. I honestly didn’t watch long enough to have an opinion on them, though I will say - I wonder if Apple’s making a mistake switching up broadcast teams every week. I have known and known of broadcasters in the past that people started off hating and ended up loving once they got to know them and got used to them. Wouldn’t it be great to give people time to gel with the teams broadcasting the games the same way they have the teams playing them.
Just a thought. Week two of “Friday Night Baseball” is this Friday 15 April. Game one will have the Tampa Bay Rays visiting the White Sox of Chicago. Game two will see the Cincinnati Reds visiting the LA Dodgers.
High (and Backhanded) Praise for Apple TV+
High Praise for “Slow Horses”
11 APRIL 2022 - Vogue is really into one of Apple’s newest shows. The site for the magazine says the Gary Oldman/Kristin Scott Thomas/Jonathan Pryce series “Slow Horses” is TV's new spy thriller to beat. I won’t tell you more about what they said because - honestly - reading it, I know more about the show than I want to. The person writing it up for Vogue got to see all six of the season’s episodes through press screeners, and doesn’t seem overly concerned that the rest of us did not. Suffice to say, it has gotten very positive notice.
Reelgood: Apple TV+ Lands Three Titles in Top-Ten for First Week of April
The crew at Slough House had a notable premier week - that’s the word from the good folks at Reelgood. Watching what it’s five-million users watched between 31 March and 6 April, “Slow Horses” was one of three Apple TV+ titles in the Reelgood top-ten. The spy show premiered in ninth place for the week. The next to last episode of “Severance” season one took the fifth spot. And still riding high on its Oscar wins for Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture - the Apple TV+ film CODA came in at number three.
GQ UK: Apple TV+ a Streaming Force to Be Reckoned With
The British edition of GQ has strung a series of backhanded compliments into something like praise for Apple TV+. They really didn’t like CODA, though they definitely see the value in its Oscar win for Best Picture. They also don’t think “Ted Lasso” is funny, though I’m not really sure that that show is for a British audience, despite its setting.
That said, shows like “Severance,” “WeCrashed,” “Slow Horses,” “Pachinko,” “Roar,” and “Shining Girls,” as well as films like Killers of the Flower Moon and Emancipation (assuming the Will Smith issue hasn’t killed that) make Apple TV+ a force to be reckoned with in GQ UK’s estimation. Asking the rhetorical question, “Is Apple TV+ worth it?” the publication responds, “The message is clear: Apple TV+ is more than ready to play with the big boys.”
Smartphones Versus iPhone, Revisited
Image via Apple
CNBC: While Smartphone Sales Drop in China, iPhone May Escape Unscathed
08 APRIL 2022 - Smartphone sales look ready to tank in China - iPhone not included. That seems to be the thinking of a number of analysts in a piece from CNBC. A resurgence of COVID-19 and associated lockdowns to slow it are kind of bumming out Chinese consumers. Or - said more formally - IDC research manager Will Wong tells CNBC:
The impact is expected to be mainly coming from the soft consumer demand and sentiment caused by the Covid outbreak and slower economic momentum… The supply disruptions will be a less disturbing factor as the factory bubbles and the government’s experience in curbing the outbreak could help to mitigate the impact.
So the problem won’t be supply but demand - again, iPhone not included. Probably. Wong says it’s weaker demand in the Android market that’ll drive smartphone sales in China down. The piece has Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston agreeing on the Android front. He tells CNBC:
The Android segment in China remains a brutal marketplace, with half-a-dozen brands (like Xiaomi) fighting fiercely on price for a piece of a shrinking Android pie…
While most of the analysts with whom CNBC spoke see iPhone not getting hit as hard, it will get hit… unless it doesn’t. For the Chinese smartphone market as a whole, Counterpoint Research analyst Neil Shah says the drop could be anywhere from 3% to 12%, depending how COVID goes. Focusing in on iPhone, Counterpoint’s Shah said “that Apple could see a decline of around 4% to 5% in shipments in the second quarter,” though he attributes that to the usual, seasonal decline that comes after Apple introduces new products. That said, CNBC has Strategy Analytics’ Mawston indicating that he “expects Apple to actually grow its overall market share in China in 2022 ‘as its loyal, affluent fans upgrade to new or more affordable 5G models.’”
JP Morgan: Apple Won’t Escape Consumer Uncertainty Totally Unscathed
What’s interesting is, while a bunch of people following the decline in sales of electronics think iPhone is likely to do well, one guy who follows Apple is cutting iPhone expectations based on that decline. Apple Insider has JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee drawing down his iPhone expectations as his firm takes “a more cautious view on consumer spending…” Quoting his note:
…we are trimming our earnings forecasts for Apple, led by a modest haircut to our revenue growth estimates for iPhone (primarily iPhone SE) and Services, although the overall reduction in estimates is fairly modest given the resilience of high-end smartphones, tablets and laptops to the broader slowdown in consumer spending…
Ah. That would be the global version of Apple’s “loyal, affluent fans” mentioned by Mr. Mawston. “Despite the headwinds” in iPhone and perhaps in Services, Apple Insider says:
…Chatterjee still believes that Apple "should drive offsets through market share increases." He says Apple is (…) well-positioned to (…) deliver resilient performance in product revenue growth because of market share gains.
Chatterjee has a positive rating on Apple shares. His price target on the shares is $210.
Apple Commissioned Study Points to Success of Third-Party Apps
08 APRIL 2022 - Apple apps don’t do as well as a lot of competing apps in the App Store. That’s the word from a bunch of analysts hired by Apple. CNET writes up a report published by Apple. Put together by Analysis Group, the report shows established third parties like Spotify, Netflix, and Google Maps beating Apple’s answers to those services in terms of use. In the U.S., according to the firm’s findings, usage of Apple Maps stands at 36%, usage of Apple Music stands at 21%, and usage of Apple TV+ stands at 3%. CNET has Analysis Group saying:
“For many countries and app types, the Apple app accounts for 20 to 30% of total app usage,” (…) adding that Apple's apps are “eclipsed” in popularity by third-party apps in nearly every country. “This reflects that while the Apple apps are widely used, third-party apps are used more frequently.”
If you’re wondering why Apple would brag about such numbers, it’s not bragging. It’s self defense against “pressure from lawmakers, regulators and competitors around the world about how it manages and controls its iPhones and iPads…” The case made by Apple and Analysis Group:
The App Store has grown substantially throughout the years, sustaining an expanding community of developers and content creators and fueling a massive and growing ecosystem. This growth reflects the dynamism of the App Store, its community, and its ecosystem, which benefits developers, users, and Apple.
Charts via Apple
Seven Months Later, Navalny App is Back in App Store in Russia
Image via Apple Site Russia
08 APRIL 2022 - The Navalny app is back in Russia’s App Store. Formally called “Smart Voting,” the app was pulled from both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store ahead of elections in Russia back in September. A piece from Cult of Mac says that removal came after Russia threatened to prosecute top Apple employees in the country if the app stayed up.
Now, the Cult says, it’s back. To the site’s credit, they do not talk about a defiant Apple standing up to Russia, as a number of sites I saw indicated. While that would be an easy assumption, it would be a hard case to make. A piece from CNET last September said the app:
…was designed to “consolidate the opposition vote in each of Russia's 225 electoral districts," according to the [New York] Times. It reportedly let people enter their address and would then offer up candidates to vote for. The idea behind the protest vote was to get politicians not approved by the Kremlin into parliament, whether or not people agreed with an individual candidate's views…
The app was pulled from Apple’s store and Google’s store before that election. After the election, Google put the app back in its app store, so - please - let’s not clap Apple on the back for its bravery in this case. I’m not saying there’s anything Apple could have done differently last September. I’m saying let’s not put them on a pedestal for doing something seven-months after the election the app was made for and a few months after Google did.
Anyway, the app is back now. And - seriously - three cheers for that.
Apple Updates iWork Apps for Various Platforms
08 APRIL 2022 - Updates this week for Apple’s productivity suite. MacRumors says the Cupertino-company has updated Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for iOS, iPad, and the Mac.
The biggest change across the board seems to be on the Mac side, where the Shortcuts app can be used to create, open, and manipulate presentations, spreadsheets, and documents. Pages and Numbers also get deeper VoiceOver integration for the Mac, iOS, and iPad. Other updated features await. All three apps are free for the various platforms. The updates are available now in their respective app stores.
Apple Support App Updated for Business Essentials Users with AppleCare+
08 APRIL 2022 - Apple has updated its Apple Support app. 9 to 5 Mac says v4.6 of the application brings support for Apple Business Essentials customers who’ve opted for AppleCare+. The app also brings unspecified “Performance enhancements and bug fixes.” Apple Support is a free application. The updated version of Apple’s Apple Support app is available now in Apple’s App Store.
Headed to Apple TV+
Noomi Rapace and John Banks - Image via Apple TV+
Apple TV+ Announces Noomi Rapace/John Banks Series “Constellation”
08 APRIL 2022 - News of a couple of new shows for Apple TV+. Earlier this week, the Cupertino-streamer issued a press release announcing the new psychological thriller “Costellation.” Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks are set to star. According to the release:
“Constellation” will star Rapace as Jo, a woman who returns to Earth after a disaster in space — only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing. The action-packed space adventure is an exploration of the dark edges of human psychology, one woman's desperate quest to expose the truth about the hidden history of space travel and recover all that she has lost.
Rapace you know from Prometheus and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Banks is more of a TV guy, having taken turns in “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul,” and as former cop, aspiring cartoonist, and criminology professor Buzz Hickey in season five of “Community.”
What? I’m a fan.
Emmy Award winner Michelle MacLaren will direct. She and Apple have done well so far. She’s directed and served in other capacities on the Apple series “The Morning Show” and the upcoming series “Shining Girls.” No word on when “Constellation” will be visible.
Tom Hiddleston to Star in Apple TV+ Series “The White Darkness”
Tom Hiddleston - Image via Apple TV+
Tom Hiddleston has another show lined up with Cupertino. Coming soon is “The Essex Serpent.” Following that, another press release from Apple TV+ has the MCU’s “Loki” staring in the Apple Original limited series “The White Darkness.” Based on the book of the same name, the release says:
“The White Darkness” is inspired by the true life account of Henry Worsley, a devoted husband and father, a former soldier, a man of deep honor and sacrifice, but also a man deeply obsessed with adventure, manifesting in an epic journey crossing Antarctica on foot. Starring Hiddleston as Worsley, this is a spellbinding story of courage, love, family and the extremes of human capacity.
“Pachinko’s” Soo Hugh is developing the show. No clue when it will premier.
Apple TV+ Leans Hard Into Sport Programming with New Trailer
World champion Stephanie Gilmore in “Make or Break” - Image via Apple
08 APRIL 2022 - Apple is leaning hard into the whole sports thing. iMore has written up a trailer the company’s released for four different sports related docuseries on the way. The trailer features cuts from the Makur Maker docuseries “The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball,” the short-form unscripted series “Greatness Code,” the Magic Johnson series “They Call Me Magic,” and the seven-part surfer series, “Make or Break.”
That last one actually made other news this week. Apple issued a press release mid-week announcing a second season for that one before the first season’s even premiered. According to that release:
“Make or Break” offers an intimate deep dive into the aspirations, challenges, accomplishments, and personal lives of the surfers who compete to remain on the elite 2021 Men's and Women's WSL Championship Tour, and takes viewers on a journey to stunning surfing locations across the globe.
Season one surfs in on the 29 April. Now word on when season two crashes our way. As for the four-series trailer, it’s less a trailer than a mashup of trailers to me. You can see what I mean below.
Apple Mixes Up the MLB Broadcast Teams
08 APRIL 2022 - Just a day before Apple starts its baseball streams, we know who’s calling the games. Cult of Mac says it’s a lot of people. “Apple plans to announce game assignments for Friday Night Baseball broadcasters weekly,” according to the report. Kind of bummed to not see Bob Costas’ name on the list. Then again, if it changes every week, who knows?
The first week, at least, makes it much less of a boys’ club. “On Friday,” the Cult says:
…the broadcast team of Melanie Newman (play-by-play), Chris Young (analyst), Hannah Keyser (analyst), and Brooke Fletcher (reporter) will call the New York Mets at Washington Nationals game.
Coverage for game one starts at 6:25PM EDT/3:25PM PDT. For game-two of the double header:
Stephen Nelson (play-by-play), Hunter Pence (analyst), Katie Nolan (analyst), and Heidi Watney (reporter) will call the Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels game.
Coverage for that one is scheduled to start at 8:55 EDT/5:55 Pacific.
I do not expect to talk about this much, by the way. I will let you know though, the MLB section of the Apple TV app is a gateway to a ton of baseball content - from classic moments to today’s highlights to links to books in Apple Books on baseball stuff to news in Apple News covering the national pastime.
If that is your thing, there is a wealth of content to explore.
Batter up.
Apple Rules Latest Piper Sandler Teen Survey
As they have been for years, the kids in America are cooler than cool with Apple stuff. Apple 3.0 has run part of a note from Piper Sandler analyst Harsh Kumar, wherein he talks his firm’s Taking Stock with Teens Spring 2022 survey.
The numbers are crazy. Quizzing roughly 7,100 respondents:
87% own an iPhone, while a near record 87% think their next phone will be an iPhone
Over 23% think they’ll upgrade to an iPhone 13 this spring/summer, a bit better than the 22% who thought they’d upgrade in the fall/winter
~18% of kids surveyed already own an iPhone 13, well ahead of the ~12% who owned iPhone 12 for the same survey a year ago
A record 30% of respondents own an Apple Watch, with Apple owning 83% percent of the teen smartwatch market
72% of teens surveyed own AirPods, with 9% of respondents planning to buy a pair in the next 12 months
Kids just starting out their buying lives happily ensconced in Apple’s ecosystem would seem to bode well for the Cupertino-company’s future. Mr. Kumar has an “Overweight” rating on Apple shares. He’s set Piper Sandler’s price target on the shares at $200.
Ming-Chi Kuo: Tech Has Yet to Factor In Levels of Global Uncertainty
Image by TheDigitalWay from Pixabay
07 April 2022 - Encouraging as Piper Sandler’s Taking Stock with Teens survey may be, there’s more to the world than what a 16-year-old thinks will happen (no offense to 16-year-olds). TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hit with a truly sobering Tweet in the wee small hours of Thursday morning. Translated to English, the message said:
At present, most consumer electronics brands’ orders cut only reflect the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the market demand of these two countries. These brands still haven’t taken into account (or are still unwilling to admit) the further impact on consumer confidence and shipment forecasts of events, including global inflation, the damage to the European economy from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and the recent COVID-19 lockdown in China. It will be the most considerable risk for tech stocks in the following months.
Apologies, by the way. I said the Tweet was “sobering.” I was actually sober when I read it, though the Tweet did make me question why I spend so much time in that unaltered state.
Latest Round of OS Betas Out to Apple’s Public Testers
07 APRIL 2022 - The betas Apple seeded to developers on Tuesday have made it out to public testers. Cult of Mac ran a piece Wednesday saying that the first betas of iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6, and macOS 12.4 were out to public testers.
While, they haven’t been out for long, the longer the betas are out, the more we learn. On release day for developers, spelunkers spotted references to “Apple Classical,” new buttons for Apple Pay Cash in the Wallet app, changes to SportsKit integration, and more. And now there’s even more.
Betas Bring New Notifications for Home, Sweet HomePod
iDownloadBlog has found a bit of performance functionality in the updates tied to HomePod. According to the piece:
Apple’s iOS 15.5 software adds HomePod Wi-Fi signal bars to the Home app, which also now features a notification for critical alerts.
The first one is what it sounds like. For the first time, the Home app will show you the wifi signal strength for a HomePod or HomePod mini. One would imagine you’d know if the speaker’s wifi connection was weak sauce, but now you’ll actually really know.
As for the Critical Alerts, these are similar to such alerts on things with screens, only without the screen. The piece explains that critical alerts are for truly important things like “health alerts, weather emergencies, battery notifications,” and so on. They break through Do Not Disturb on iPhone, but have not been turned on for HomePod. They can (or will be) in iOS 15.5. If that does not sound good to you, don’t worry. “Just like with standard notifications,” the piece says, “the user must opt-in to receive critical alerts [in the Home app for HomePod].”
iOS 15.5 Beta Makes Way for External App Purchases
While Critical Alerts can be critical to end users (it’s right there in the name), a potentially bigger change has been spotted in the iOS 15.5 beta. 9 to 5 Mac says the on-the-way update “includes support for apps with external purchases to satisfy regulators…”
Bet it won’t work. I mean, I’m sure the code will work. It’s the satisfying regulators part that I question.
The piece says examination of the code shows Apple implementing an alert “that will show up when the user opens an app that offers external purchases for the first time.” They’ve also spotted another alert that should present when someone deletes an app with the possibility of external purchases. That alert reminds folks that it may “not possible to manage purchases and subscriptions through the App Store” on those applications.
You know, I see no way that this can go wrong…
No word on when iOS 15.5 will be out to John and Jane Users. If you want to get in on the beta fun - beta.apple.com is the place to go. Remember, though, beta testing is suggested for spare or developer machines only. Running them on mission critical machines could brings shame upon your house and ruin upon the nation.
Okay, not really. But it could hose your machine.
Nielsen: Streaming Customers Happily Overwhelmed with Content
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
07 APRIL 2022 - Remember Mr. Creosote? He was the more than morbidly obese individual in Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life who ate some much he literally exploded. Apparently, that’s us with over-the-top video streaming services.
Apple Insider has word of a new survey from the analytics firm Nielsen. According to their “State of Play” report, 46% of survey respondents who use streaming video services “feel overwhelmed by the amount of programming available,” and have no plans to get rid of any of it. How could they feel overwhelmed? Well, the piece says:
Nielsen says that there are 817,000 unique programs across various streaming services, including TV series, movies, specials, and more. That's a 26.5% increase of nearly 171,000 titles since the end of 2019.
And yet, Apple Insider says the survey indicates that:
…72% of Americans say that they love their user experience with video streaming services. A majority — 93% — said they either plan to expand the services they use or make no changes to their existing subscriptions.
What they would like is a better way to manage it. “With the amount of choices,” the piece says, “users want an option that makes finding and viewing content from different services easier.” Just over two-thirds of respondents say they’d be cool paying for a bundle service that would do that, as long as they could pick what goes in the bundle.
That gives me an idea for a startup. All sorts of content that you could choose to watch - or not - all in one package. I’ll call it “Cablé.”
I know what you’re thinking. And you’re right. And I don’t care. I’m still gonna make a mint.
Apple Adds MLB Section to TV App Ahead of MLB Premier
07 APRIL 2022 - There’s been a change to your Apple TV overnight. 9 to 5 Mac ran a piece in the middle of the night saying that Apple has started “rolling out the new MLB sections for Friday Night Baseball…” First pitch for Apple TV+ is tomorrow - Friday 8 April - with the Mets and the Nationals taking the field at 6:25PM EDT/3:25PM PDT. Game two of Friday’s double header sees the Angels host the Astros, with coverage scheduled to start at 8:55 EDT/5:55 way out west.
Apple TV+ Orders Second Season of “Severance”
Image via Apple
07 APRIL 2022 - I’m having trouble squaring my emotions on this one. Apple issued a press release Wednesday, announcing a second season order for the Adam Scott-led, dystopian workplace drama “Severance.”
I love this show. And I am really bummed that it’s been picked up for a second season. Somewhere along the way, I got the impression that it was a limited series. “One and done,” if you will. I even held off watching last week’s episode, planning to watch the penultimate and the series finale in one night. I was looking forward to a story with an ending. A resolution for these characters.
Maybe someday. For now though, Apple TV+ has announced an order for season two of the show. Directer and executive producer Ben Stiller is quoted in the release, saying:
It’s really exciting to see the response from people who are loving the show — and the level of fan engagement… It has been a long road bringing ‘Severance' to television. I first read [the] pilot over five years ago. It has always been a multi-season story, and I’m really happy we get to continue it.
Yeah. Me too, I guess. Season one of “Severance” ends tomorrow on Apple TV+.
Dates And Venue Set for WWDC22 (The Venue is Your Sofa)
Image via Apple
06 APRIL 2022 - Good news and other news around WWDC 2022. The good news, Apple issued a press release Tuesday announcing dates for the event. It’s set to run Monday 6 June through Friday 10 June. The other news, it’ll be a mostly online affair. I say mostly, because a few people will get to get together to watch at Apple Park. According to the release:
…Apple will host a special day for developers and students at Apple Park on June 6 to watch the keynote and State of the Union videos together, along with the online community. Space will be limited, and details about how to apply to attend will be provided on the Apple Developer site and app soon.
As for saying it’s good news/other news… eh. A lot of developers as well as media folks who were regularly invited to the keynote miss the in-person thing. Others appreciate the fact that, since the event shifted to online-only, virtually anyone who wants to participate can do so, albeit virtually. To that end, Apple’s press release says:
…this year’s program will also include more information sessions, more cutting-edge learning labs, more digital lounges to engage with attendees, and more localized content to make WWDC22 a truly global event.