BTS Radio Show Breaks Apple Music Radio Record for 2022
Image via Apple Music
01 JUNE 2022 - score a victory for BTS ARMY, as fans of the band are called. Over the weekend, the first episode of the three-part radio show “BTS: Past and Present” hit Apple Music 1. Now, a piece from Apple Insider says that episode has broken a record.
And it’s not even a record!
“#BTSARMY you did it!” said a Twitter post from the Apple Music account. That was followed by news that the band “broke the record for biggest show of the year with their debut episode of #BTSRadio on Apple Music 1.”
As for what show the BTScast unseated… Apple did not say. Nor do I remember ever hearing Apple Music brag about a any radio show’s performance. Smells like PR. Which is… well… it is what it is.
The first episode of “BTS: Past and Present” is available on demand now, and man did I mess up when the rest are going to be on. It turns out the times I’d told you Tuesday were all for the first episode of the three episode series. Episodes are airing weekly up to the 10 June debut of the BTS album Proof… which makes a lot more sense.
Making Supply, Gauging Demand
JPMorgan Expects Fewer iPhone 14s Than iPhone 13s
After a day of fun in various realities, let us go back to the production line. Barron’s (via Apple News) ran a piece to end the week last week, that had JPMorgan indicating that “iPhone 14 Production Could Be Worse Than Feared.”
According to the piece, “Analysts led by William Yang said they have a more ‘conservative view’ on build estimates than what the supply chain expects.” Theirs is not the only conservative view, though. Last week, Bloomberg ran a piece calling for iPhone 14 production to be even with production of iPhone 13. Still, JPMorgan says that there will be fewer iPhone 14s than there were iPhone 13s. That’s reflective of “‘smartphone demand weakness’ and cost pressures,” according to the report.
Okay - is it that? Or is it continued trouble in the supply chain? That demand would be down in tough economic times seems sensible. But JPMorgan also says:
China’s manufacturing problems in the wake of strict lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid-19 may hit output of Apple’s next iPhone worse than the industry expects…
So, which is it? One wonders whether both would kind of be a good thing. If demand is down but Apple is still unable to keep up with demand, that kind of looks good from the outside. You know - as long as revenue stays gold.
The Song That Never Ends: New for 2022!
Questions around the health of iPhone orders and manufacturing will likely go on and on and on until things are decidedly and obviously better. Late last week, TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted at trouble for the Jesus phone, saying on Twitter that Apple has not changed its shipping plans, but adding that “iPhone 14's challenges will come from the demand side instead of the supply side.” The assumption is that that’s a sign of the times, not a sign of disinterest in iPhone.
See also: Samsung.
Report: Samsung Reducing Smartphone Plans by 30M Units
Over the weekend, TechCrunch ran a report saying that the Korean electronics giant has reportedly cut smartphone production by 30-million units. According to the piece:
It’s a perfect storm of industry and global factors that have gotten us to this place. It’s not panic time for the larger manufactures — they’ll almost certainly come out of the dip unscathed. But there are broader questions that remain about the industry going forward. Biggest of all is whether this is a lull following a decade of explosive smartphones sales, or whether not even the arrival of new technologies like foldable screens will kickstart a return to the mobile golden age.
You know, this sounds like a job for a whole new product category. Also, I really like that perfect storm idea.
Word of More Riotousness at Shanghai Quanta Facility
Economic uncertainty is far from the only issue kinking the supply chain. Business Insider (via Apple News) ran a piece to end the week last week, saying that Quanta workers have had another run-in with authorities over working conditions - namely being stuck there since the start of April.
Quanta, which makes MacBooks for Apple and other computers for other companies, has been able to keep running through various COVID-related lockdowns by employing a “closed loop” system. Basically, workers can go to their dorms or to work and that’s it. That seems to be taking a toll. Earlier this month we heard of a riot at a Quanta facility in Shanghai after workers weren’t allowed to return to their dorms. Now, Business Insider cites reports from regional media, saying:
A dispute over their captivity and pay prompted a large group of Quanta workers to (…) storm a dormitory housing the company's Taiwanese managers, resulting in a lengthy standoff…
Decidedly little else around that story, unfortunately. Though the Business Insider piece was only posted on Friday 27 May, the incident was said to have happened over the weekend of Saturday 21 May. Neither Apple nor Quanta offered comment for the Business Insider report.
Dives Talkin’
Pretty gloom and doom for the week’s second Monday, huh? How about a bright spot? Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives took to Twitter on the week’s first Monday to post of a supply chain upswing. In the first of a couple of Tweets, Ives said:
Over the last week including this weekend we are seeing from our checks a clear improvement in the supply chain in Asia for names like Apple and other chip players which is a much needed positive heading into 2H.
He went on to say in the second post:
While spots around zero Covid are popping up in China, we are seeing a strong production trajectory heading into June for stalwart names such as Apple (good for iPhone 14 ramp) and Tesla which are key barometers for the overall market on this painful hot button supply chain issue
Ives has a “Buy” rating on Apple shares. TipRanks puts his price target on the shares at $200.
Atlanta Apple Store Pulls Plans for Union Vote
Atlanta’s Apple Cumberland Mall - Image via Apple
31 MAY 2022 - It looks like Apple Retail will not be facing its first union vote this week. Plans had been for Atlanta’s Apple Cumberland Mall to be the first Apple location to vote on whether to form a union. That was supposed to run this Thursday 2 June through Saturday 4 June. Now, a piece from CNBC says, “the union trying to organize the retail workers withdrew its request for an election.” According to the report:
The union, Communications Workers of America, alleged in a statement that Apple has violated labor laws and made a fair election impossible. In addition, CWA said that there are rising numbers of Covid cases at the store, which could affect the vote due to workers’ health concerns.
In a statement, CWA said:
An overwhelming majority of the workers at the Cumberland Mall Store announced that they were forming a union in April and requested recognition from the company… Since then, Apple has conducted a systematic, sophisticated campaign to intimidate them and interfere with their right to form a union,” a “behavior [that] violates U.S. law, the principles of Apple’s credo and vendor code of conduct, and international human rights standards.
While Apple has not formally come out against union moves, it pretty much has. Reports have had the Cupertino-company hiring an anti-union law firm and raising alleged concerns around unionization at start-of-shift meetings. A lot of those concerns were reiterated last week in a video message to employees from Apple Senior VP of Retail + People, Deirdre O’Brien. Not that it’s all been negative. Toward the end of the week last week, Apple let workers know that they were getting raises by as soon as July. The Wall Street Journal reported that:
Starting pay for hourly workers in the U.S. will rise to $22 an hour, or higher based upon the market, a 45% increase from 2018. Starting salaries in the U.S. are also expected to increase.
That’s happening about three-months earlier than usual, according to last week’s report. While organizers in the Atlanta store are not happy with how events have gone over the last few weeks, they do think the pay increases are tied to the movement they started. CNBC had the organizers saying:
Thanks to what we started here in Atlanta, Apple will be giving all employees in all stores an unplanned raise. This is because of us.
Judge Says Apple Must Face Cydia Antitrust Suit
Cydia logo - Image via AppSystem.fr
31 MAY 2022 - Cydia has a date in court against Apple. A piece from Engadget says the first name in app stores for jailbroken phones can proceed with its antitrust case against Apple.
The report says Cydia sued Apple at the end of 2020. The argument was that Apple had an “illegal monopoly over iOS app distribution.” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers (of Epic v. Apple fame) dismissed that complaint, saying that “the suit fell outside the statute of limitations.” But Cydia could amend the complaint, which it did. “In its latest complaint,” says the Engadget piece:
…Cydia argues that iOS updates Apple released between 2018 and 2021 constituted “overt” acts that harmed distributors like itself. That’s a claim Judge Gonzalez Rogers found credible enough to explore.
The organization is looking for damages. It also “hopes to force [Apple] to open iOS to third-party payments and app distributors,” according to the report.
BTS Gets Limited Series on Apple Music 1 Ahead of Next Album
Image via Apple Music
31 MAY 2022 - If you don’t know who BTS is, you’ve got a new radio show to fill you in. The Mac Observer says the K-Pop power group has a limited series on Apple Music 1 as part of a lead-up to the group’s next album.
“Dubbed ‘BTS Radio: Past and Present,’” the piece says the show debuted on Saturday 28 May. They’re not trying to set up a habit so much as whip up a frenzy. All three episodes have already aired - staggered Saturday, Monday, Tuesday for some reason. Listeners can catch the third one today at 2pm Pacific and again at 10pm Pacific on Apple Music 1. Episodes should be available on-demand soon after their broadcast days are done.
The BTS album Proof will hit weekend after next. It’ll land on Apple Music (and one assumes other streaming services) on Friday 10 June.
Rumblings 'Round realityOS
30 May 2022 - There seems to be movement on the RealityOS front. 9 to 5 Mac says Parker Ortolani has spotted trademark registrations for the term “RealityOS,” thought for years to be the operating system that will power whatever Apple does in any virtual reality and augmented reality devices.
Now I know what you’re thinking: Who is Parker Ortolani? No offense intended. He’d probably say, “Who’s Ken Ray?” Ortolani lists himself on Substack as “Product manager for The Verge, Polygon, and Vox Media Podcasts.” Perhaps more important for this story though, Ortolani says he nailed the name macOS Monterey, thanks to a bit of trademark sleuthing. Over the weekend he wrote:
Last year I discovered that Apple had renewed two of their macOS name trademarks: Monterey and Mammoth. I nailed the macOS Monterey name months ahead of WWDC in February.
He thinks macOS 13 will be Mammoth, by the way. We’ll find out in a week.
On the realityOS front, Ortolani writes:
There are two trademarks for “realityOS” that are currently active and owned by a company called Realityo Systems LLC. I can’t find any details about this LLC, much like the other shell corporations that Apple has formed in the past to trademark other operating system names. These two “realityOS” trademarks are also the only ones owned by the LLC.
Both were filed on December 8, 2021 in a wide variety of categories all related to the “design and development of computer hardware, software, peripherals, and computer and video games.” The marks also specifically mention “wearable computer hardware.”
But wait. There’s more. Someone has filed in opposition to another company’s use of the term “REALITY OS.” If you’re wondering how anyone could do that, my guess is it’s a combination of arcane trademark law and a bit of “if you know, then you know.” While we heard about references to realityOS in Apple code earlier this year, references to “rOS” go as far back as 2017.
But there is still more. Ortolani says:
The [realityOS] marks have a deadline for international filing on June 8, 2022 which is just two days after the WWDC keynote [set for next Monday 6 June]. Apple has historically transferred trademarks for announced products from their shell corporations a few days following the keynote.
Interesting timing, but can anybody actually tie this previously unknown LLC to anything having to do with Apple? Back to our friends at 9 to 5 Mac, who say:
…one of Apple’s shell companies is “Yosemite Research LLC,” which Apple uses to register macOS names like Yosemite and Big Sur.
[…]
…both Yosemite Research LLC and Realityo Systems LLC are registered at the same address, which points to “Corporation Trust Center” – a real company that provides trademark services of which Apple is a client.
That is, of course, not proof. Apple may not be (or probably isn’t) Corporation Trust Center’s only client. Still, hints start to add up. Now add this: It was just a couple of weeks ago that Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple had demonstrated its mixed-reality headset to the board of directors. That was seen as a sign “that development of the device has reached an advanced stage, according to people with knowledge of the matter…” In that same article, Gurman wrote:
In recent weeks, Apple has also ramped up development of rOS—short for reality operating system—the software that will run on the headset, according to other people familiar with the work. That progress, coupled with the board presentation, suggests that the product’s debut could potentially come within the next several months.
So why am I so into VR and AR?
AR and VR excite levels of belief in me that I cannot fully explain.
In 2006 - I think it was either Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer who talked about the death of the iPod - and no, they were not talking about the Zune. They were talking about a converged device - something that would do more than one thing, not just a thing to play media. To me - this made sense. I didn’t know what it would be. I didn’t know what it would look like. But the idea just made sense. And I believed.
“Mac OS Ken: Live” ran its first round from mid-2010 through mid-2012. Somewhere in there, we got into a discussion of wearable technology. And I was a believer. And I won’t even pretend that I saw Apple Watch or AirPods coming. At the time, I think I said you could make the case that we already has wearable technology in the form of iPhone - this thing without which many of us never were. I had no clue what the future of wearable technology was - but I believed in it.
Take On AR/VR
Allow me please to tell you about a few “ah-ha” moments around Virtual Reality, which I do think will fold well into our Augmented Reality thinking.
I had use of an Oculus Rift for a while. Boy was it heavy and uncomfortable. I also had use of a high-powered Asus gaming laptop to run the Oculus Rift - and boy did I not enjoy that. Fans came on pretty much the second you turned it on. Also, Windows 10 makes a crap-ton of noise - popping up pop-ups on the screen that I couldn’t see because I was wearing a VR rig.
I know I’m making it sound terrible. It was really amazing. My first “ah-ha” moment came in this sort of VR museum. There was a virtual map on the virtual table in this virtual museum I was virtually visiting. I had trouble making out some of the information on the map and so, I leaned down to get a better look. And the information came into focus. Not, I selected it and it enlarged. I bent at the waist to get closer to the info, just like I would over a real table, and the info got easier to read. And that was an ah-ha moment. Done well enough, you can forget that you’re wearing a thing. You can forget that the thing in front of you isn’t in front of you and just start… being in that reality.
My next ah-ha moment had to do with an excursion. You could transport from that museum to an Egyptian tomb that’s several thousand years old. It’s a real tomb. And it’s been photographed meticulously. And I’ve been inside it. I mean, I haven’t. Not really. But I’ve been closer to the wall of that tomb than I’d be allowed to be if I’d actually gone to Egypt to see it. You can get that close and examine.
I’ve turned and examined objects in VR that I would never be allowed to handle in the real world. Do I think AR and VR are replacements for actual experience? I do not. But they do give people versions of experiences that they’d never have otherwise, even if time and money and location were no object.
Also - virtual reality and augmented reality are not governed by reality. I have walked the length of the Apollo 9 mission. Not really. Another VR museum I visited was dedicated to Apollo 9. In a great hall were several artifacts, including a 1:1 scale version of the rocket that hurled men at our closest celestial neighbor. That’s cool, but here’s what was cooler. There was a scale model of the earth and the moon and Apollo 9’s journey between the two. The journey was represented by a line - kind of like the line that illustrated plane flights in the Indiana Jones movies. But what was really neat was - if you leaned near to the Apollo 9 trajectory, you could listen to the radio communications between the astronauts and ground control. That is a whole new way to imagine teaching and learning… and that - to me - is amazing.
The possibility for learning is amazing. The possibility for training is amazing. The possibility for seeing things we’d otherwise never see is amazing. The possibilities for entertainment are practically unfathomable.
No - I don’t know what they all are. But yes - I believe.
Also - if the AR thing hits, it’s time to start thinking about who’s going to replace Tim Cook.
Time for Tim to Fly?
Have you ever heard Tim Cook talk about Augmented Reality? Lately, he talks more about COVID and the supply chain, but he used to get a lot of questions about AR… and he spoke with the conviction if a zealot.
As far back as 2016, Cook said:
I do think that a significant portion of the population of developed countries, and eventually all countries, will have AR experiences every day, almost like eating three meals a day, it will become that much a part of you…
And as recently as last year, he said:
I am so excited about AR. I think AR is one of these very few profound technologies that we will look back on one day and went, how did we live our lives without it?
If you’re looking for more, The Verge has a long and (I assume) running roundup of Cook quotes on VR and AR. Definitely worth a look.
What does that have to do with replacing Tim Cook? In 2021, ten-years into his time as Apple CEO, Apple Insider says Cook was asked whether he’d be around for another ten. “Ten more years? Probably not,” said Cook. “But I can tell you that I feel great right now and the date is not in sight. But ten more years is a long time — and probably not ten more years.” According to a piece around that time, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote:
The belief inside Apple is that Cook just wants to stick around for one more major new product category, which is likely to be augmented reality glasses…
And there’s a trademark for the OS that’s expected to run those. And that team is said to have kicked it into high gear recently. And Apple's board is said to have seen an actual headset. And WWDC is a week away.
And I want to believe.
Education. Applications. Physical hardware. What comes next for Apple after AR - both in terms of tech and the company… AR and VR stand to be the next big thing for Apple, with lots of other big things to follow.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
iPhone Expectations: A Sentiment Journey
Bloomberg: Next Round of iPhone Production to Stay Even with Current Round
27 MAY 2022 - How will the next round of iPhones do? About the same as the current crop seems to be Apple’s thinking. Bloomberg (via The Irish Examiner) has secret people said to know something saying that the Cupertino-company is asking suppliers to supply “roughly 220 million iPhones…” That’s believed to be about the same as the current round of production.
Some might hear that and think, “not bad.” As Bloomberg points out, “[the] worst inflation in decades, a war in Ukraine and supply-chain turmoil all threaten to weigh on sales in 2022.” Adding color, the report had Strategy Analytics senior director Linda Sui saying last month:
This year will be a tale of two halves… Geopolitical issues, component shortages, price inflation, exchange rate volatility, and Covid disruption will continue to weigh on the smartphone market during the first half of 2022, before the situation eases in the second half.
If any company (even Apple) came through a year like that without a drop in sales, it might be seen as impressive. Still, Bloomberg says forecasters have been expecting production of 240 million iPhones next round, not the 220 pegged by the secret so-and-sos. That, they say, would be “driven by an expected major update to the iPhone in the fall.” Or “would have been.” We shall see.
Ming-Chi Kuo Raises Questions Around iPhone 14 Demand
Throwing a spanner in my mind-grapes was TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He hit Twitter with a couple of posts on Thursday. Quoting the first:
My latest channel checks suggest that Apple has not changed the shipping plan for the iPhone 14 models since the Shanghai lockdown. iPhone 14 Max is running behind, but it's still under control currently, and suppliers can work overtime to catch up with the schedule.
The second said:
I believe iPhone 14's challenges will come from the demand side instead of the supply side.
I’m sorry, what?
Let’s do the first one first. Young MC does not seem to be addressing the volume issue, but simply whether iPhone 14 will hit on schedule. Maybe Foxconn’s off and on early hiring spree has helped. Then again, a lot can happen in four-months.
As for the second Twitter post, I’m sorry, what? “I believe iPhone 14's challenges will come from the demand side instead of the supply side,” said the analyst. TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff posted a great question in response asking, “Why? Because of economic pressures?”
Would have been better if Ming-Chi Kuo had answered. Sadly, he did not. That’s gotta be the answer, though. I mean companies that make smartphones aren’t the only ones facing geopolitical issues, price inflation, Covid disruption, and so on.
Report: Apple Giving Raises to Hourly and Salaried Workers
27 MAY 2022 - Good news this week for Apple employees. It looks like they are getting a raise. A piece from The Wall Street Journal says the company sent an email to employees on Wednesday letting them know about the pay bump. According to the Journal:
Starting pay for hourly workers in the U.S. will rise to $22 an hour, or higher based upon the market, a 45% increase from 2018. Starting salaries in the U.S. are also expected to increase.
Addressing the news, an Apple spokesperson told the paper:
Supporting and retaining the best team members in the world enables us to deliver the best, most innovative, products and services for our customers… This year as part of our annual performance review process, we’re increasing our overall compensation budget.
Also, it’s all happening sooner than expected. The report says some workers, “including those hourly employees in its stores and AppleCare,” have been told that their reviews will be early this year, with pay hikes hitting as soon as July. Such things usually happen at the end of Apple’s fiscal year - so late September/early October, according to the Journal.
One doesn’t have to think too hard to guess at reasons for the earlier than expected increases. The Journal points out that Apple has faced a decent amount of contention from employees this year. That’s ranged from moves to unionize retail locations to corporate workers less than pleased with plans to head back to the office.
Apple Still Not Grooving on Revised American Choice and Innovation Act
27 MAY 2022 - Senator Amy Klobuchar has revised her proposed American Choice and Innovation Act [PDF]. A piece from MacRumors says:
The updates make it easier for Apple to defend privacy changes that it implements, but Apple would still be required to demonstrate that each change is “reasonably tailored and reasonably necessary” and that it could not be achieved in another “materially less discriminatory” way.
You might think that that would be a dealbreaker as far as Apple’s concerned, but the deal’s actually already broken. The revised proposal would still require Apple to allow sideloading of apps, and you can guess what the company thinks of that. Or they could tell you. After singing the praises of the system its built, a statement from Apple to MacRumors says:
We remain concerned that this legislation threatens to break this model and undermine the privacy and security protections our users depend on. Governments and international agencies worldwide have explicitly advised against sideloading requirements, which would empower bad actors who want to target users--including children--with malware and scams, and make it easier for data-hungry companies to track users without their consent.
Apple goes on to argue that the changes made this week do recognize the “unintended privacy and security vulnerabilities” the original legislation created for users. They don’t do enough though, so - you know - recognize the other ““unintended privacy and security vulnerabilities” created.
Apple Updates Developer App Ahead of WWDC22
27 MAY 2022 - With a little over a week until Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple’s app for developers has received an update. MacRumors says version 10.0 of the app makes way for WWDC22.
Apple’s release notes highlight conference offerings, “including session videos, Digital Lounges, 1-on-1 labs, Coding & Design Challenges, and more.” It also has activity sign-ups, SharePlay integration so developers who aren’t together can still watch videos together, other enhancements, and bug fixes.
Apple’s Developer app is free. Versions are available in the App Store for iPhone and iPad, as well as in the Mac App Store.
For Mac.
Obviously.
Apple Artifacts Up for Auction
Apple-1 - Image via RR Auction
27 MAY 2022 - And finally today, more rare Apple stuff is going up for sale. iMore outlines the latest lots from RR Auction. Three Apple related items up for bids, include a working Apple-1 computer, a check signed by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and a Time magazine cover with Jobs on it - also signed by Steve Jobs. On the computer, the auction house says:
This Apple-1 computer was examined and restored to operational condition in April 2021 by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen (…) he evaluates the current condition of the unit as 7.0/10. It is listed as #12 on the Apple-1 Registry.
The seller says it was numbered by Jobs. They also say they have a video of the thing working on their site. I looked for quite a while and couldn’t find it, but… you know…
Bidding stands currently at $50,000. It’s expected to go for as much as $450,000 when the auction is done.
Image via RR Auction
The check is for $9.13. It’s already been cashed though, so I’m not sure it’s worth that. Oh! Except for the part where it was signed by Steve Jobs. Opening bid is $5,000. No word on an estimated value.
Image via RR Auction
As for the magazine cover, Jobs signatures are pretty rare (this auction not included). RR Auction says the magazine cover, dated 15 February 1982, is:
…neatly signed in the lower left in black ink, "steve jobs." The cover story, "Striking It Rich," portrays "Steven Jobs of Apple Computer" as one of "America's Risk Takers.”
He’s got a mustache. It looks weird. Also - very 80s. Both the cover and the mustache.
Bidding on Time cover stands at $3,000. It’s expected to go for as much as $25,000. All three auctions end on 23 June.
Loop Capital Lowers Apple Target to $180
26 MAY 2022 - Another Apple price target has dipped a bit. Seeking Alpha says Loop Capital analyst Ananda Baruah has lowered his firm’s 12-month target on Apple shares, thanks in part to iPhone concerns for the current quarter. The note’s kind of weird. While he thinks others of his ilk are overshooting iPhone expectations for the June-quarter by 4-million to 6-million units, his team thinks the “Street remains low on iPhone revenue for the September and December Q’s given [average selling prices].”
While the analyst is still positive on Apple shares, his former price target of $210 looks like a steep climb in the next year. He’s dropped his price target on shares of the Cupertino-company to $180.
Apple HR Lead O'Brien Addresses Union Concerns in Video to Retail Workers
Apple Oxmoor in Louisville, KY - Image via Apple
26 MAY 2022 - Apple is leaning pretty hard against unionization moves at its retail stores. Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance) ran a piece Wednesday highlighting a video message from Apple Senior VP of Retail + People Deirdre O’Brien to retail employees. Leaked audio of that video had O’Brien telling staff:
It is your right to join a union -- and it is equally your right not to join a union… And if you’re faced with that decision, I want to encourage you to consult a wide range of people and sources to make sure you understand what it could mean to work at Apple under a collective bargaining agreement.
O’Brien’s messaging leaned heavily on a theme of openness and togetherness between Apple and retail staff. The messaging also expressed concern over what a union might do to that relationship. Quoting the video again:
…I worry about what it would mean to put another organization in the middle of our relationship. An organization that doesn’t have a deep understanding of Apple or our business, and most importantly, one that I do not believe shares our commitment to you.
O’Brien also expressed concern that the addition of a union would hinder Apple’s ability to react quickly to big issues like the pandemic, as well as issues raised by workers themselves.
How all of that plays with retail staff remains to be seen. A number of store staffs are eyeing union moves, with a couple set to vote on the issue next month.
Report: Louisville’s Apple Oxmoor Considers Unionization
Speaking of stores eyeing the issue - a piece from Bloomberg Law says workers at Apple Oxmoor in Louisville, Kentucky are considering unionization. According to the report:
…Jay Hedgspeth, the 20-year-old retail specialist behind the effort, said workers are motivated to unionize by pandemic burnout, low pay relative to Apple’s profits, and an increasingly metrics-driven culture that has left employees feeling disconnected from their work.
While they’re said to have crossed the 30% threshold needed to hold a vote on a union, the organizer says they’re looking for a solid majority before seeking an affiliation and calling for a vote.
A Few Dot-One Updates form Apple
Image via Apple
iOS 15.5.1 Lights Up Tap-to-Pay Functionality
26 MAY 2022 - News of three small updates from Apple on Wednesday, though one has big implications. Starting with that one, iMore says Apple has released iOS 15.5.1. According to the piece, the dot-one update “will bring iPhone-to-iPhone Contactless Payments for everyone.”
I will say, that makes a Twitter post from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman make more sense. That had Apple’s tap to pay lighting up across Apple stores beginning yesterday (Wednesday 25 May). Announced earlier this year, Apple’s stated goal with tap-to-pay is to:
…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.
Bug Fixing Updates for tvOS and HomePod
Making little to no waves are the updates for Apple’s media devices. A piece from Apple Insider says the Cupertino-company released tvOS 15.5.1 and a 15.5.1 version of the HomePod software. The piece says the HomePod update “addresses an issue where music could stop playing after a short time.” No word in any report I saw on a stated reason for the tvOS update.
Maryland Becomes Second State with ID in Apple Wallet
Image via MDOT YouTube Channel
26 MAY 2022 - What do Maryland and Arizona have in common? As of yesterday, they are the two states in the union that’ll let people put their drivers licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet. MacRumors says the “Old Line State” let residents know Wednesday that they can add the IDs to their iPhone and Apple Watch, and use them… almost nowhere. “For now,” the piece says:
…IDs in the Wallet app can only be presented at select TSA checkpoints at select U.S. airports, with Apple advising travelers to check TSA checkpoint signage to confirm availability.
The state also stresses that law enforcement will not accept licenses or IDs in the Wallet app. “…residents must continue to carry their physical driver's license or ID card with them,” according to the report.
Apple Car Manager Leaves for Luminar
26 MAY 2022 - You can look at news of arrivals and departures to Apple’s Project Titan as indicative of trouble for the fabled Apple Car. Personally, I’m thinking that is just a really hot job field right now. Witness the fact that Apple keeps hiring people from other companies and - yes - the fact that other companies keep hiring people from Apple.
A piece from Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance) has word of the latest departure. According to the report, Christopher “CJ” Moore, “a manager on [Apple’s] car project and a former director of Autopilot at Tesla,” has left Apple for Orlando-based Luminar Technologies. Luminar makes laser sensors used in semi-autonomous driving. Moore will lead Luminar’s global software development after a little over six-months at Apple.
I’m not saying everything is awesome inside Apple’s car project. There’s no way for me to know. But self-driving cars sounds like a really hot job market.
Apple Maps Activates AR Walking Directions for Tokyo
Image (modified) via Apple
26 MAY 2022 - Augmented reality (AR) walking directions for Apple Maps have landed in another city. iDownloadBlog says the feature has now been turned on for Tokyo.
This seems like one of those features that shows how amazing augmented reality could be. “To use this mode,” iDownloadBlog says:
…you must raise your iPhone to allow the Maps to scan buildings in your vicinity (…) Those scans, combined with GPS location information and data from the iPhone’s onboard sensors, enable Apple Maps to create a highly accurate position and deliver detailed AR walking directions overlayed with the real world.
It’s that raising your phone part that kills it, for me. In a pair of AR glasses, this would be amazing. Actually, it’s already pretty amazing. But the having to hold your phone up in front of you still kills it for me.
Good for the second-generation iPhone SE or iPhone XR/XS or later, you need to be running iOS 15 to access AR walking directions. You also need to be in London, Los Angeles, Montréal, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Singapore, Tokyo (as of yesterday), Toronto, Vancouver, or Washington, DC.
Daily Paper Beats Studio Buds Drop Today
Image (modified) from the Twitter feed of @beatsbydre
26 MAY 2022 - There’s a special set of Beats Studio Buds out this week. 9 to 5 Mac has word of a new pair, put out “in partnership with the Amsterdam clothing brand Daily Paper.” The buds themselves are white, though they come in “a graffiti-looking case” and “a Daily Paper sign in red.”
Otherwise, they’re Beats Studio Buds. Those include Active Noise Canceling and Transparency Mode. They do not include H1 or W1 chips, so some of the neater tricks in Powerbeats Pro, AirPods, or AirPods Pro are out of the mix.
Still, that Daily Paper groove. This special set goes on sale online today (Thursday 26 May) at Daily Paper Stores or on the company’s site. They’ll run buyers just shy of $150.
Report: JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Brining Live-Action “Speed Racer” Series to Apple TV+
Speed Racer - Image (modified) via CommonSenseMedia
26 MAY 2022 - “Speed Racer” may be racing onto Apple TV+. The Hollywood Reporter says there is serious talk of a live-action series of the animated property heading to the Cupertino-streamer, with JJ Abrams fingerprints all over it. According to the piece:
Sources say Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer, Get Shorty) is set to co-write the project and serve as showrunner as his “exciting take” on the source material is said to have impressed Apple, Bad Robot and Warners. Ron Fitzgerald (who works with Abrams on HBO’s Westworld), is the other co-writer and showrunner. Abrams and his Bad Robot banner are set to exec produce.
His “exciting take?” You know what’s exciting about “Speed Racer?” It’s “Speed Racer!”
There are so many reasons I won’t be getting excited about this anytime soon. First, has anybody watched JJ Abrams stuff lately? He kind of has this way of soiling the intellectual property on which some of us grew up. Second, we don’t know when it’s going to happen. And third, we don’t know if it’s going to happen.
The day I see a trailer, then I’ll get excited. Maybe.
Apple Posts Keynote Time and Session Schedule for WWDC22
WWDC22 will run 6 June - 10 June - Image via Apple
25 MAY 2022 - WWDC is just under two-weeks away. Probably the only good thing that the pandemic has done is make it possible for anybody with an internet connection to attend. To that end, MacRumors says Apple on Tuesday confirmed the keynote time and published the schedule for this year’s sessions.
Surprising no one, Apple has set the opening presentation for 10AM Pacific on Monday 6 June - the first day of WWDC. That’ll be followed by the Platforms State of the Union for developers at 2PM and the Apple Design Awards at 5PM.
Then the next day, start your learnin’. “Featuring over 150 in-depth session videos,” Apple says:
...WWDC22 brings together the latest tools and technologies to give developers the chance to learn how they can create the next generation of apps. Apple Developer Program members, Apple Developer Enterprise Program members, and 2022 Swift Student Challenge award recipients can request one-on-one lab appointments with Apple experts for guidance on implementing the latest technologies, following best practices, and designing their apps.
Session videos will be posted daily throughout the conference. Those will start on 7 June. WWDC will run through 10 June.