Apple Outs “Beer Run” Trailer Ahead of Late September Premier
Russell Crowe and Zac Efron in “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” premiering globally on September 30, 2022 on Apple TV+.
18 AUGUST 2022 - Witness the power of a good movie trailer. When Apple TV+ announced the film The Greatest Beer Run Ever, I really couldn’t have cared less. Though based on a true story, the whole idea seemed a bit… whimsical maybe? A piece from Apple Insider explains:
The Greatest Beer Run Ever tells the true story of Chick Donahue, who left his home in New York in 1967 to bring beer to his friends serving in Vietnam.
Maybe I should have read Apple’s description. Quoting that:
Chickie (…) wants to support his friends fighting in Vietnam, so he does something wild— personally bring them American beer… What starts as a well-meaning journey quickly changes Chickie's life and perspective.
That sounds better but - seriously - maybe you’ve gotta see the trailer. Gave me a “Come to Lasso” moment. I did not care about “Ted Lasso” when Apple announced the show. Then I saw the trailer and was hopeful. Then I fell in love, like critics and award givers and almost everyone who’s watched the series. “We’re Richmond ’til we die.”
Back now to the Beer Run - Zac Efron and Russel Crowe star, with a what looks like a small role for Bill Murray. Directed by Green Book director Peter Farley, Apple seems to be targeting award season with this one. The film will be released simultaneously in theaters and on Apple TV+. The Greatest Beer Run Ever begins on Friday 30 September. You can catch the trailer below - and I highly encourage you to do so.
Sichuan Suppliers Adjust in Face of Heatwave Work Stoppage
17 AUGUST 2022 - Companies in Apple’s supply chain are “making adjustments” for the drought and heatwave in China. I told you yesterday of concerns for upcoming iPad production. This as the Chinese government told manufacturers in 19 out of 21 cities in the Sichuan province to suspend operation until 20 August so that people could have air conditioning. It might sound like I’m making fun. I’m not. A report in Apple 3.0 says the region is facing its worst heatwave in 60 years. A Reuters report earlier in the week also said that “drought has reduced hydroelectric power generation,” hence having to choose who gets power.
Now, Apple 3.0 highlights another Reuters report that has companies keeping a stiff upper lip. Or keeping their mouths shut. Foxconn declined to tell Reuters how its Sichuan facilities were doing exactly, though the company is said to have said that the hit it’s taking was "not big”.
Meanwhile, would-be iPhone display provider BOE said in a regulatory filing that it’ll “make adjustments” at its Sichuan location. Boy there’s a company that can’t catch a break. It was just last month that they were put back in Apple’s rotation for iPhone 14 displays. Apple benched the company back in May for changing the design of its OLED panels without letting Apple know.
In the face of this week’s shutdown, BOE says it’s expecting “no major impact on its overall operating performance.” The good news on Apple’s side - BOE is not a big supplier by Apple standards. Still, any disruption in the supply chain at this point feels sort of major given all the disruption in the supply chain over the past couple of years.
While BOE telegraphs “no major impact,” one imagines that that’s dependent on being able to hit the start button again at the end of the week. A couple of Twitter posts early in the week from TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated that device production should not be impacted in a big way, provided the power problems are behind us by 20 August, and that there are no more disruptions like this one in the coming weeks.
And somewhere, a director yells “Cue the zombies!”
Shannon Cross Joins Credit Suisse; Starts Apple with $201 Target
17 AUGUST 2022 - A new hire at an investment bank means a raised price target for Apple. Apple 3.0 says Credit Suisse has a new analyst covering the IT Hardware sector - Shannon Cross of Cross Research. If you listen to Apple’s earnings call every quarter, you’ve heard her name - always in there representing her boutique firm with the more established names. Now - she’s sitting at the big table.
Apple 3.0 says her addition adds $35 to the firm’s Apple expectation. Credit Suisse analyst Shannon Cross initiates Apple coverage with an “Overweight” rating and a 12-month price target of $201.
Public Testers Get Fourth Beta of watchOS 9
17 AUGUST 2022 - Better late than never for the latest watchOS beta, it seems. On Monday, Apple seeded the sixth developer betas of iOS/iPadOS/tvOS 16 as well as watchOS 9. The company also seeded the fourth betas of iOS/iPadOS/tvOS 16 to public testers. Running a few hours behind was the one for watchOS 9. MacRumors ran a piece Tuesday saying that the fourth beta of that was available to the public testing crew.
Next Apple Watch Activity Challenge Centered on National Parks
Image via Apple Insider
17 AUGUST 2022 - Word of the next Apple Watch Activity Challenge is in the air. While the wearable has yet to ping users, a piece from 9 to 5 Mac says a challenge centered on National Parks is happening in about a week-and-a-half. When the message pops it will say:
Let’s celebrate the beauty of national parks everywhere. On August 27, earn this award by recording a hike, walk, run, or wheelchair workout of a mile (1.6km) or more with any app that adds workouts to Health.
As usual, completing the challenge will gain users a virtual medallion and virtual stickers they can stick virtually anywhere virtual stickers go… FaceTime, iMessage… FaceTime…
Expect a notification from Apple Watch sometime before Saturday 27 August.
FDA Approves OTC Sales of Hearing Aids
17 AUGUST 2022 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may have just handed Apple a new market. Engadget says the FDA has given the all-clear to over-the-counter sales of hearing aids. According to the report, the regulator
…has issued a final rule allowing the sales of hearing aids for mild-to-moderate impairment without requirements for exams, prescriptions or audiologist fittings.
The rule’s been a few years in the making. Congress actually passed laws “requiring over-the-counter hearing aids in 2017,” according to the report. That was meant to lower their cost, “improve access,” and foster competition. Now five-years-later, it’s a thing.
Will Apple jump in? Between their earbud acumen, the accessibility features already built into AirPods, and the company’s ever growing interest in health, it kind of seems a natch. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal (via Apple 3.0) ran a report in October of 2021 that had Apple looking at ways to add more health and wellness features to AirPods, including - no surprise - enhancing hearing. According to that report:
It isn’t clear if Apple is developing specific new hearing-aid features for AirPods or wants to market the earbuds’ existing hearing-improvement features as hearing aids. AirPods Pro, Apple’s higher-end earbuds, already offer features to improve hearing, including “conversation boost,” (…) that increases the volume and clarity of people in front of the wearer.
Also there’s money in it. The Engadget piece says a number of audio electronics makers already have hearing aids on the market ranging in price from $800 to $1,800. Sounds like a lot though it’s apparently not, compared to the thousands of dollars prescription hearing aids can cost. One could easily see Apple either offering redesigned AirPods Pro at a higher price for the hearing aid market, or redesigning AirPods Pro and offering them at today’s price to undercut the competition while operating at roughly the same profit margin.
Or they might not do hearing aids. That would be surprising, but we’ve all been surprised before.
Kim K Beats Fit Pro Up for Sale Through Apple
17 AUGUST 2022 - So I guess the “Beats x Kim” are not called “Beats x Kim…” I told you last week of the special pairs of Beats Fit Pro the Apple subsidiary is putting out with Kim Kardashian. Aside from the celebrity branding, what sets the stoppers apart is the range of skin-tone colors in which they come. Of course, they’re not called that. They’re called “Moon,” “Dune,” and “Earth.”
I guess “Beats x Kim” was just the name of the campaign or the promotional video or something. They’re actually called “Beats Fit Pro True Wireless Earbuds — Kim K Special Edition.”
A report from MacRumors says the earbuds went on sale Tuesday through Apple’s site. They’re already sold out here in the States, it seems. If you have friends in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, or the UK - maybe they can score you a pair. Or - you know - get in line. MacRumors says:
The new colors will also be available at select Apple Store locations starting [today] Wednesday [17 August], including The Grove, Tower Theatre, and Third Street Promenade in the Los Angeles area, Fifth Avenue and SoHo in New York City, Aventura in Miami, Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Regent Street in London, Champs-Élysées in Paris, and Kurfürstendamm in Berlin.
Aside from the colors, MacRumors says there’s no difference between the Kim K Special Editions and a regular pair of Beats Fit Pro. That includes the price, which remains $199.
Apple and Skydance Partner on “The Family Plan” with Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg in “Whalburgers” - Image via IMDB
17 AUGUST 2022 - The Skydance/Apple combo is bringing another big name to the Cupertino-streamer. Deadline says Apple has “landed The Family Plan, an action-comedy feature from Skydance starring Mark Wahlberg, with Simon Cellan Jones directing.”
Not a lot more to know about the film right now - just that it “tells the story of a suburban dad who must take his family on the run when his past catches up to him.” The partnership between Apple Original Films and Skydance might be more interesting. Films in the works between the studios include the Matthew McConaughey film Dallas Sting, the Zac Efron/Russell Crowe film The Greatest Beer Run Ever, and the Chris Evans/Ana de Armas action/romance flic Ghosted. Plus there are the features and series between Apple and Skydance Animation, including Luck and Spellbound.
Now word on a planned release for The Family Plan. Now I’m gonna talk to a goat.
Apple TV+ Drops Trailer for Sidney Poitier Doc Ahead of September Premier
Sidney Poitier from “To Sire, with Love” - Image via IMDB
17 AUGUST 2022 - Oprah Winfrey’s Sidney Poitier documentary for Apple TV+ got a trailer and a release date this week. iDownloadBlog says the documentary was announced in the second-week of January - less than a week after the actor’s death. Called Sidney, Apple says:
…this revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier and his legacy as an iconic actor, filmmaker and activist at the center of Hollywood and the Civil Rights Movement.
I said it was Oprah Winfrey’s documentary, though that’s not completely accurate. It’s being produced by her production company, Harpo Productions, with Winfrey serving as executive producer. Reginald Hudlin, director of such films as House Party and The Black Godfather directed the documentary, which features interviews with such luminaries as Denzel Washington, Robert Redford, Halle Berry, Barbra Streisand, Lenny Kravitz, and Oprah.
Likely for Oscar eligibility, the film will premier in theaters and on Apple TV+ on Friday 23 September. You can catch the trailer
Bloomberg: Apple Calling Employees Back-to-Office by 5 September
16 AUGUST 2022 - From the third-time’s-a-charm file, Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance) says Apple will once again try bringing employees back to the office. According to the short report, the Cupertino-company:
…has set a Sept. 5 deadline for corporate employees to be in the office at least three days a week after delaying its return plans several times due to Covid-19 spikes.
Did I say “third time’s a charm?” Eh…
Everybody has to be in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, according to the piece. They also have to be in on a regular third-day a week to “be determined by individual teams.” Apple is said to have notified employees on Monday, though that was not said by Apple. Not publicly, anyway. The Cupertino-company declined to comment for the Bloomberg report.
Bloomberg: Apple Dismisses ~100 Contract Recruiters
Image: Olena Sergienko on Unsplash
16 AUGUST 2022 - Here’s a story that seems likely to be all over the pace today. Late Monday evening, Bloomberg (via MSN) ran a story saying Apple:
…laid off many of its contract-based recruiters in the past week, part of a push to rein in the tech giant’s hiring and spending, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
How many is “many”? In this case “about 100.” With an estimated headcount of 150,000 employees, 100 is ~0.07% of Apple’s workforce. Not many by comparison, though it is roughly 100-people who’s jobs were to hire other people.
Bloomberg sees the story as support for a previous piece it ran. The site points out “it first reported last month that [Apple] was decelerating hiring after years of staffing up, joining many tech companies in hitting the brakes.” At the same time, what the recently let go were reportedly told was that “the cuts were made due to changes in Apple’s current business needs.”
I’m not saying Bloomberg is wrong in its supposition regarding Apple’s reasons. There’s no way for me to know. At the same time, we don’t know a lot about the contractors let go. Were they hiring for a specific project or purpose for example? Bloomberg says they “were let go across many regions, including at Apple’s offices in Texas and Singapore.” Meanwhile, the piece indicates that not all of Apple’s contract-based recruiters were dismissed and none of its full-time recruiters were.
Assuming it’s true, the news is not nothing. It may not be as gloomy as Bloomberg indicates though, except for the roughly 100 contractors let go. Definitely troubling for them. “An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the decision,” according to the report. That sort of reads like confirmation of the staffing change… kind of…
Heatwave in China May Hamper iPad Production
16 AUGUST 2022 - You know what people don’t say as much anymore? “Is it hot enough for you?” It used to just be an inane thing we said. Now it leads to existential questions around mortality and - it turns out - whether we can have new iPads.
Not kidding.
Cult of Mac highlights a Reuters report and a couple of Twitter posts from TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. First, let’s make like R.E.M. and talk about the weather. Less like R.E.M. - let’s talk about the weather in China. Quoting the Cult, which also quotes Reuters:
Temperatures over 105 degrees [F] have caused increased demand for A/C. At the same time, a drought has reduced hydroelectric power generation. “Industrial users across 19 out of 21 cities in the [Sichuan] province were ordered to suspend production from Aug. 15 until Aug. 20 to prioritise residential power supply…”
According to the first of Ming-Chi Kuo’s posts:
A temporary power outage in Sichuan may affect iPad assembly plants in Chengdu (Foxconn) and Chongqing (Compal). Although it's difficult to assess impacts on production currently, impacts should be limited if the power outage can end on August 20.
Boy, “If” is doing a lot of lifting there, huh? Ming-Chi Kuo thinks so. In his second of two Twitter posts the analyst said:
…flexible production scheduling by assemblers should also help lower the impact of power outages. However, need to pay attention to whether similar incidents will occur again in the next few months and affect Apple's new product shipments during the peak season.
‘cause right? New iPhones and new iPads. Cult of Mac says folks are expecting a couple of new iPad models this fall. The piece says production problems in the Middle Kingdom are not likely to delay any tablet announcements, though supply may be tight… which is so unusual these days…
Berkshire Hathaway Buys More Apple
16 AUGUST 2022 - One of the world’s richest investors keeps adding to his Apple holdings. Apple Insider says Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought 3.9-million more Apple shares in the June-quarter. That’s on top of the $600 million worth of Apple shares Berkshire bought in the first-quarter of the year.
Historically, Buffett has been known to stay away from tech stocks, though he’s pretty keen on Apple. He started buying shares in the iPhone and other stuff maker back in 2016, according to the report. Now, Apple Insider says:
Apple represents one of the four giants in Buffett's portfolio, alongside Berkshire Hathaway's insurance business, BNSF Railway Company, and Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
Apple in the largest of Berkshire’s holdings, according to the report.
Apple Lauded for Policy Against Caste-based Discrimination
16 AUGUST 2022 - Reuters has run a really interesting piece on Apple tackling caste-based discrimination among Indian workers in Silicon Valley. According to Merriam-Webster, a partial definition of caste is:
1: one of the hereditary social classes in Hinduism that restrict the occupation of their members and their association with the members of other castes
2 a: a division of society based on differences of wealth, inherited rank or privilege, profession, occupation, or race
Officially, Reuters says, “caste discrimination was outlawed in India over 70 years ago…” Funny/not funny thing about discrimination (or social stratification) though, it often sticks around even when it’s officially a thing of the past.
Said to be doing a decent job combating it is Apple. 9 to 5 Mac highlights the Reuters report. The piece says Apple actually updated its policies back in 2020 “to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of caste…” The Reuters piece says that was “added alongside existing categories such as race, religion, gender, age and ancestry.”
While folks often think of Apple as forward thinking, the report says Apple’s caste addition was actually in reaction to a suit against tech giant Cisco. “California’s employment regulator sued Cisco Systems on behalf of a low-caste engineer,” according to Reuters, after that engineer “accused two higher-caste bosses of blocking his career.”
Funny/not finny again: Cisco argued that there was no evidence of discrimination, and besides - there are no legal protections for members of various castes, so what are we even talking about?
For its part, Apple is said to have said:
Our teams assess our policies, training, processes and resources on an ongoing basis to ensure that they are comprehensive… We have a diverse and global team, and are proud that our policies and actions reflect that.
While the added language is definitely a good sign for Silicon Valley, and while India outlawed caste discrimination over 70 years ago, it’s hard not to think of this stance in light of Apple’s planned and anticipated growth in India. Can of worms… kettle of fish… right side of history… take your pick.
New Rounds of Beta Software Out for Apple Developers and Public Testers
16 AUGUST 2022 - Monday was a big day of beta releases. Apple Insider ran a few pieces early in the day saying that Apple had seeded the sixth betas of iOS/iPadOS 16 to developers, along with the sixth betas of watchOS 9 and tvOS 16. I sort of assumed that that would mean a new round of betas for public testers today, but Apple pulled a fast one. Apple Insider ran a piece late afternoon Monday saying that the fourth betas for iOS/iPadOS 16 and tvOS 16 were out to the public testing crew. If you’re among the public testing people, you know what to do. If you’re not but you want to be, more info is available at beta.apple.com.
$30M Settlement Offer Accepted in 2013 Apple Retail Bag Check Suit
16 AUGUST 2022 - The wait to be paid for waiting without pay has ended. It’s a case nine-years in the making. Way the heck back in 2013, according to a piece from 9 to 5 Mac, retail workers in California sued Apple for time they had to wait to have their bags checked before they left work. The complaints weren’t tied to the bag checks themselves, but to having to wait for them while off the clock. The report says:
A California judge dismissed the class-action suit in 2015, but that decision was appealed. The United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals then asked the California Supreme Court to clarify the law. In February of 2020, the California Supreme Court ruled that Apple must pay its retail works for this time.
In 2021, Apple offered a settlement of $30 million. Now - in 2022, that settlement has been approved. According to 9 to 5 Mac, the settlement “will see workers receive an average payment of $1,328 while the lawyers in the case will rake in $10 million.”
Apple TV+ Outs Trailer for “Life By Ella”
16 AUGUST 2022 - Something inspirational on tap for Apple TV+. The streaming video service issued a press release and a trailer on Monday for the kids and family series “Life By Ella.” The release says the show:
…follows Ella as she returns to school with a brand new perspective, excitement for what the future holds and a major “seize the day” mentality following her stint with cancer. With her best friend by her side, she is ready to tackle everything she was too afraid of before, and determined not to let the minutiae of fake friends and social media status distract her.
The show hits Apple TV+ on Friday 2 September. If you want as sneak peek, you can catch the trailer below.
Apple TV+ Is Actually Streaming “Shantaram”
“Shantaram” is a new Apple Original drama series starring Charlie Hunnam.
16 AUGUST 2022 - A seriously fraught series for Apple TV+ finally has a release date. The Cupertino-streamer issued a press release Monday announcing a premier for “Shantaram.”
The Hollywood Reporter ran an article about Apple grabbing the rights for the show in 2018. In February of 2020 production on the show was halted (according to a piece from Variety). I know what you’re thinking - COVID. Funny story - no. Turns out the guy they’d hired as showrunner and screenwriter hadn’t written all of the scripts by the time they’d already shot two of them. Then COVID slowed everything down. Well - COVID and finding a writer to write the show, which reports say they did in November 2020.
And now - seriously - years later, Apple says the show is premiering month-after-next. In case you’ve forgotten, the release says:
“Shantaram” follows a fugitive named Lin Ford (…) looking to get lost in vibrant and chaotic 1980s Bombay. Alone in an unfamiliar city, Lin struggles to avoid the trouble he’s running from in this new place. After falling for an enigmatic and intriguing woman named Karla, Lin must choose between freedom or love and the complications that come with it.
Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy,” Pacific Rim) leads the cast. You can finally see him in action on Friday 14 October. That is when Apple will premier the first three of twelve episodes. They are scheduled to run through 16 December.
MacRumors Notes Considerable Wait for M2 MacBook Air
15 AUGUST 2022 - If you want a new MacBook Air from Apple tomorrow, you probably should have ordered a few weeks ago. MacRumors ended the week last week pointing out that waits are still kind of long for Apple’s latest laptop. Running through the baseline configurations for M2 MacBook Airs in all four colors shows a wait time of two-to-three weeks. Changing nothing shows most deliveries hitting between 30 August and 7 September - one week into our bah-di-yah-ing.
The situation may be a bit fluid. The MacRumors piece says configurations besides the baseline - changing up memory or storage options for example - brings delivery up to one-to-two weeks away. It’s possible I missed those configurations, or maybe there was a rush in the past couple of days. No poking around I did brought earlier delivery. In fact, the only changes I saw pushed delivery out a few days, not closer in.
A question raised by MacRumors: Are the waits thanks to lack of supply or abundance of demand? While indications are that Mac demand has been high, Apple said on the June-quarter earnings call that it could not say exactly how high demand was since the company had nothing like the supply to meet orders. That was thanks to supply chain disruptions tied to COVID lockdowns in China. Mac revenue got the tar beaten out of it last quarter as a result, though things seem to be looking up on that front. Apple execs said on the call that they expected supply constraints to be lower this quarter than last. Apple CEO Tim Cook also expressed a belief that the company has “a very strong offering for the back to school season,” expected to be a time of high demand, which brings us back to the question a moment ago: Are the waits for the M2 MacBook Air thanks to lack of supply or abundance of demand?
It’ll likely be October before we get a solid indication. That’s when Apple should report earnings for the fourth-quarter of fiscal year 2022.
Apple Launches New Ad for Apple One Subscriptions
15 AUGUST 2022 - Apple’s push to grow its Services segment continues. iDownloadBlog says the Cupertino-company has launched a new ad showcasing its Apple One subscription service. According to the report, the ad shows off all of the services one gets in a One subscription - depending on which One subscription one chooses.
Checking Apple’s site, the $14.95-a-month Individual subscription includes Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and iCloud+ with 50GB storage. That’ll save subscribers $6-a-month versus signing up for those services individually.
The $19.95 tier includes all of that with a couple of tweaks. Geared for the Family, users can share services with up to five people. With more people, one needs more storage. The Family plan offers 200GB versus the individual plan’s 50GB. Apple says the family tier represents an $8 monthly savings.
Finally, Apple One Premier is $29.95-a-month. It includes all of the same features, plus Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and 2TB of storage on iCloud+. With Family sharing included, Apple says the Premier tier saves subscribers $25-a-month versus signing up for everything à la carte.
Of course, what Apple launched last week was an ad, not an instructional video. Clocking in at just 30 seconds, iDownloadBlog says the spot doesn’t break down all of that information. “However,” they say it’s “flashy and it gets the point across.” If you want a quick hit of Apple’s marketing might, you can catch the ad below.