Maccast 2017.06.24 - Show #618
V Opening
V Opening Music
* Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
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V News
V Rumored iPhone 8 designs crystalize
V As we get closer to Apple's fall announcement of the next iPhone the rumors are converging and we get a possibly clearer picture of what Apple may show off at their keynote.
* Of course nothing is "real" until Apple says it is, so as with all rumors remember things can always come out differently
V One thing we are now getting a lot of is parts leaks
* Front and back glass, plus dual camera housing
* mostly confirming what we've already heard
V Impossibly thin bezel with the sensor "notch" at the top
* This should blend in with the digital "clock" bar at the top of the display
* Dual lens iSight camera with center mounted LED flash.
V One somewhat new development is "glass" backs for the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models
* Led to some speculation that all three new models could offer a wireless charging option. A theory first mentioned by KGI's Ming-Chi Kuo.
V Wistron's CEO made statements that the assembly process for new iPhones would include new processes and testing for new features like waterproofing and wireless charging.
* Interesting because Wistron is a smaller assembly partner and would likely be assembling the iPhone 7s Plus (not the 8)
V Apple supplier Largan said it's shipping 3D-sensing lenses in the second half of 2017 (of course they didn't say specifically to who).
* They are planing to nearly double their workforce in order to meet demand for their products.
* Used for things like 3D face recognition a feature the new iPhone's FaceTime cameras are believed to maybe have
* Use sensors and IR lasers to do depth mapping.
* Expected that both cameras on the iPhone 8 will get this kind of tech.
* Applications beyond just 3D face recognition. AR, games, etc.
V Gene Munster thinks Apple will announce in September and ship in October.
* Issues with the OLED screen are still being cited.
* New tech for Apple and the integrated TouchID sensor is likely a key factor in the delays too.
V Cowen and Compnay analyst Timothy Arcuri says the sensor is still and issue and while it will not be on the back how it works on the front is unknown
* Three possible options include thinning the cover glass over a sensor area, creating a pinhole through the glass for an optical or ultrasonic sensor, or trying a "film" sensor integrated into the display, using either capacitive or infrared technology.
* Even with the delay sales are expected to be very strong.
V This week also saw a "leak" about how Apple supposedly handles leaks
* Information from a leaked recording of an internal briefing used by Apple to educate employees on the culture of leaks was published by [The Outline]( https://theoutline.com/post/1766/leaked-recording-inside-apple-s-global-war-on-leakers)
* Apple has a global security team that has former members of the NSA, FBI, Secret Service, and U.S. military.
V When leaks happen that group is tasked with tracking down the sources and report back to Apple.
* They also will hunt for a long time if need be. They cite one example where it took three years to catch a leaker at Apple.
* Interestingly Apple notes they have so successfully waged war on factory leaks that in 2016 there were more leaks out of Cupertino than out of the supply chain.
* Remind new employees that they need to be diligent in not even discussing sensitive work projects with spouses, children, families or friends.
* Public areas of even the Apple campus are "red zones"
V Apple in the "Mother of all AI Projects"
* Tim Cook did a Bloomberg interview where he finally confirmed Apple's work focusing on "autonomous" systems.
* He called it "the mother of all AI projects"
* Mentioned not only self driving cars systems, but pointed to the "electrification" of cars and also the surge in ride sharing as "three vectors of change" coming together.
V I feel stronger than ever that one of the future innovations Apple is considering is the disruption of personal transportation
* Autonomous car service
* Part of why they've invested in Didi Chung, AI, Mapping, machine learning, computer vision through their AR efforts.
V He also concluded with, ""We'll see where it takes us"
* Very Apple and some see it as not committing or divulging their efforts
* I think it's actually honest. These are technologies that Apple is excited about and I know they have a current vision for, but I think they are not so arrogant that they don't know that vision could change.
* The key is all these technologies are foundational and have many possible advantages and benefit across many areas of Apple's business.
* Apple's ability to do this kind of cross pollination has served them well in recent years. iOS giving to macOS and vice versa. The Apple Watch heart of the MacBook Pro's Touchbar is another great example.
* Found his choice to say "autonomous systems" and not specifically "autonomous car systems" interesting.
V Teardown reveals 10.5-inch iPad Pro secrets
* Well, maybe not secrets, but there's some interesting stuff.
* iFixit notes the internal layout is more shrunk 12.9-inch than upscaled 9.7-inch
* Inside it's a thing of symmetric beauty. Big batteries on either side and logic board straight down the middle.
V Display cables right down the center and out of harms way for disassembly.
* And yes, that disassembly is still not easy
* Once inside though Apple seems to be using standard Phillips screws
* The new 120Hz display does require twice the number of connecting cables. Four instead of two.
V Other notes of interest:
* 4GB RAM
* Slightly bigger battery than the 9.7-inch iPad at 30.8Wh.
V [BareFeats]( http://barefeats.com/ipadpro2017.html) benchmarked a 2017 10.5-inch iPad Pro vs. the 2017 13-inch Macbook Pro
* They used GeekBench and GFXBench tests
* Surprisingly the 2017 Macbook Pro just barely edged out the iPad in multi-core tests (the Macbook won the single core)
* Even more surprising in the Metal GPU and graphics tests the iPad came out on top.
* Here's my issue with these tests, while fun, they really don't mean much in real world scenarios.
V Apple hopes all your med records belong to iPhone
* At least that what a [CNBC]( http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/14/apple-iphone-medical-record-integration-plans.html) report says
* They say Apple wants to become a "central bank" for health information.
* So expanding the Health app to not only encompass "wellness" data like steps and calorie counts but also keep medial records, lab results, allergy lists, etc.
* Then having the ability to let your device share that with your doctors and healthcare providers or even family members when needed.
V It not clear how Apple plans to accomplish this
* They have been having talks with developers, hospitals and other industry groups
* They have also been looking at acquisitions to support their efforts
* The piece calls it iTunes for your health data.
* The problem to be solved is how difficult it is you to access and share documents and data between your health providers.
* One challenge Apple will surely face is how to manage record storage and sharing yet not run afoul of regulations.
V One answer could be partnerships
* CNBC says Apple is working with Health Gorilla to add diagnostic data to the iPhone by cooperating with hospitals, imaging centers, and lab-testing companies
* Health Gorilla says they offer, a secure clinical network that aggregates health data from a range of providers, offering doctors and hospitals access to a comprehensive overview of a patient's health.
V Apple hires Sony TV execs
* Apple announced they hired Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg for new positions overseeing all aspects of video programming worldwide and reporting directly to Apple's Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.
* They both have served as presidents at Sony Pictures Television overseeing shows like Better Call Saul, The Crown, and Rescue Me
* They PR doesn't give specifics, but online most think they two are being brought on to beef up Apple's original programming
* Maybe, as at the moment Apple has just a couple of nascent shows like Planet of the Apps and the upcoming Carpool Karaoke series.
V I think the hire is also about the relationships and expertise in the changing TV market
* Apple is looking to do more in the space and these seem like the kind of guys who could help broker deals.
V Computer History Museum interviews Forestall
* Actually the second part of an event on the creation of the iPhone
* Available to watch on [Facebook]( https://www.facebook.com/computerhistory/videos/10155442557865816/)
* Forestall came over to Apple with Steve from NEXT
* "Project Purple" was a reaction to Steve not liking the comments from a Microsoft exec about their (MS) tablet efforts
* Steve "saved" Scotts life with acupuncture.
V Somewhat addressed the "skeuomorphism" debate
* The idea was to create easy to use, friendly, and approachable designs
* Borrowing from real life makes sense and it's what the original Mac "desktop" did. It was a natural choice.
* Photo illustrative designs and metaphorical designs were built into Apple, so they used those design philosophies.
* And it worked. Some applications were good and other not, but that's true of any design.
* It's also true that very few designs are "timeless" and trends take over.
V Apple Store MacBook Air (aka Chicago)
* Apple has been building a gorgeous new Apple Store on the Chicago River
* A number of the design elements like the curved glass panels and the carbon fiber roof are reminiscent of design features at the Apple Park campus.
* Not surprising since Foster+Partners is doing the project for Apple.
* This week though Apple installed a giant Apple logo on the roof and from the air it looks just like the lid of a MacBook Air.
V Apple is also hiring staff for the Apple Park Visitors center
* It will be a 10,000 square foot space with an Apple Store and a "Visitor Center Caffe" accessible to the general public and Apple employees
V A few more iMac Pro details
* The blog [Pike's Universum]( https://pikeralpha.wordpress.com/2017/06/22/imac-pro-comes-with-security-enclave-processor/) was doing some digging in the firmware code of the latest macOS High Sierra and trying to decipher clues to the possible architecture of the upcoming iMac Pro
V We already know that Apple said it would feature Intel Xeon processors, but which ones are unknown.
* At first Pike's thought Apple might be using "Purely" Xeons which have a socket (LGA3647) different than the LGA2066 socket
* Further research showed though that Intel has a roadmap for "Basin Falls" workstation that use a Xeon processor, like the iMac pro will.
* This uses a "Server Socket R" where only the top of the line Xeons, the Platinum and Gold" use the LGA3647 socket.
* The top of the line support 6 memory channels and images of the iMac Pro only show four memory modules.
* The filename references use both the names "Basin Falls" and "Purely"
V So what's it all mean at the end of the day?
* The iMac Pro will have "Purely" Xeons, but likely using the LGA2066 socket
* What's interesting is Intel has announced a next generation Skylake based desktop CPU called the Intel Core-X series that offer CPUs that seem to line up exactly with what Apple has announced
* CPUS with 8, 10, and 18 core offerings that support 4 memory channels.
* Thing is as near as I can tel these are NOT "Xeons"
* Pike's concludes Apple might be getting Xeon SKUs in similar configurations to the Intel Core-X (i9) processor lineup.
* Seems possible as Apple has often received customized configs that are not generally available to consumers or other manufacturers
V The "other" think the blog noted was references that make it look like the iMac Pro will come with a Secure Enclave Processor (ARM based)
* this is something in paired with the MacBook Pros Touchbar
* The assumption is this means TouchID support, but where it is unclear
* The iMac Pro will have a custom set of Space Grey Magic peripherals, so it might be contained in the Magic Keyboard for that model?
* Or maybe Apple releases a new "option" Magic Keyboard with Touchbar for "all" Macs?
V Feedback, commentary, opinions
V Clarifying how Activation Lock works
* On a recent show I shared a story about a listener who had his phone stolen by a teen who asked to borrow his phone.
* In that show the question was, since we have Activation Lock, why do people still want to steal iPhones.
* Also in that show it was mentioned that after not being able to track the phone with Find My iPhone, that the victim did a remote wipe of the device.
* Well that prompted Michael to ask this question, "doesn’t doing a remote wipe from iCloud remove the activation lock? I think, unless you absolutely have given up, you don’t want to do a remote wipe on a stolen device…right?"
* The short answer is "no". The only way to remove the activation lock from a device is remove the device from your Apple ID, typically done by turning off Find My iPhone from the device.
V This still caused some confusion with Michael and we went back and forth with a series of Apple support articles. Michael cites these steps that he's used when transferring old phones to relatives
* From iCloud.com:

1.    Go to  iCloud.com/#find on another device and sign in with your Apple ID.
2.    Click All Devices at the top of the screen.
3.    Select the device that you want to remove from iCloud.
4.    Click Erase iPhone.
5.    After your device has been erased, click Remove from Account.
* It's the "Click Remove from Account" step, step 5, that is some cause for confusion. Michael mention that, "option to just erase the device and not remove it from iCloud remote-wipe option", but that is step 3. If you do not do step 5 you should be OK and Activation lock should remain in tact.
* There is a difference between erasing or remote wiping the phone and removing it from your account.
V Apple article on [what to do if you have a lost or stolen iPhone]( https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201472)
* Try Find My iPhone.
* Turn on Lost Mode. This lets you lock the device with a passcode, display a custom message, and still track your device. Also suspends ability to use Apple Pay on the device
* Report the device stolen to local law enforcement
* Erase your device, once you do this Find My iPhone will no longer work. But the activation lock remains in tact until you remove the device from your account.
* So the key here is if you want to still be able to track the device you need to have Find My iPhone on and not remotely erase the device. If you want to protect your data but still keep activation lock on you can remotely erase but DO NOT remove the device from your iCloud account.
* To see which devices are associated with your account you can log into iCloud.com and go to the Settings area and look at "My Devices". It is also in this area where you can remove devices from your account.
V Reading list
V David wanted to know if there was a way to add the reading list icon to the toolbar in Safari
* There isn't, but it is under the first item under the 'Share' icon
* There is also a keyboard shortcut, Command+Shift+D (add to reading list)
* In addition you can Control or Right+Click any link and choose 'Add to Reading List'
V Reading List
* It's a way to build a custom list of articles or items you want to come back and read later or save.
* Syncs via iCloud so your have these items on all your Macs and devices.
* You can access items you saved later by using the 'Reading List' tab (glasses icon) in the sidebar of Safari on the Mac or 'Bookmarks' bar in Safari on iOS
V Search items in reading list
* Pull or scroll down to access search box.
V Remove items or Mark as read
* On Mac, hover over the item and click the "x" to remove.
* Right+Click on the Mac to access a menu to mark an item read or unread (there are also delete and clear all items options)
* Swipe left on iOS
* At bottom there is a link to view all saved articles or just unread ones.
* Use the command key while clicking on a Reading List item on the Mac to have it open in a new tab.
V Combined with 'Reader' view it's a pretty great way to read long articles and posts in a distraction free way.
* Reader is the four "lines" that appear in the Safari URL bar.
* Once in Reader Mode there is an icon with a couple 'AA' to let you change the style of Reader
* Increase the font size, change the font, change the background.
V Another handy Safari trick I forget about is 'iCloud Tabs'
* If you use iCloud for syncing Safari.
V On iOS or Mac
* Click the 'Tabs' icon
* Scroll to the bottom and you'll see a list of tabs open in Safari on your other Macs and devices
* On the Mac you can hover over these and click the "x" to close them from your current device. On iOS swipe left and tap 'Delete'
V Stuck on shuffle
* Erik wrote me to say his Music app on his iPhone was stuck on Shuffle and he couldn't figure out how to stop it.
* Taping 'Shuffle' on an album didn't make a difference.
* The "trouble" Erik is having is something I've suffered from too thanks to Apple's latest affinity for "hidden" secret interfaces.
* This is actually a HUGE usability problem in my option.
* A great example of this are the 'Do Not Disturb' and 'Night Shift' toggles in the Notification Center on the Mac. You have to scroll down to see them. If you didn't already know they were there you'd have no clue.
V Back to your issue Erik. In your case my suspicion is that you accidentally activated 'Shuffle' button from the currently playing sheet
* on the On playing sheet pull up and you'll find the buttons, 'shuffle' and 'Repeat'
* These are toggles and once activated apply to everything.
* The repeat on changes with extra taps repeat song, repeat all.
* I know about this because my daughter got stuck in song repeat mode.
V Other useful hidden UIs
* Time stamps in messages
* Already mentioned the Notification Center on the Mac.
* Swipe down in many areas, like the Home Screen on iOS, to access "search" box.
* 3D Touch on iOS (everywhere).
V On an iPad or an iPhone that supports 3D touch there is a trackpad under the on screen keyboard
* Drag with two fingers to access on iPad
* Force touch the keyboard to access on an iPhone
* You can drag around the cursor or if you make a selection then drag to adjust the start and end points of the selection.
V Actions in Photos hidden under the 'Share' menu
* Duplicate, Hide, Use as Wallpaper when viewing a photo
* In People album. In the "persons" album tap select, then share to get the "Make Key Photo" and " Not This Person" options.
* You probably have some more I don't know about so send in those tips!
V Changing "from" in outgoing replies
* Matthew wrote in to say he was in "desperation mode" with his email.
* "I'm looking for an email client for either macOS or iOS (preferably both) that allows me to do either of these two things: 1) pre-populates the From: field with the email address that the original email was sent to, or 2) allows me to dynamically change the From: field's address at compose time. "
* Why? Matt uses "alias" email addresses, something I use too. Addresses that can start with " anything@yourdomain.com" and still go to your main accounts inbox.
* The trouble is that if you receive and email from a service or person you've given the alias email address to it arrives in your inbox of your main account. When you hit "reply" Apple Mail (and most email clients) fill in the email address for your account (not the aliased one). They also don't you change the "from" to anything other than the from for one of your registered accounts (or so it may seem).
* Apple Mail actually does support email aliases on accounts set up in Mail (and many other 3rd party clients too)
V You just have to tell Mail about the aliases you use.
* Go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts (Different than just Mail > Accounts)
* Choose the account you want to add aliased addresses to.
* Click the 'Email Address' drop down and choose 'Edit Email Addresses…'
* Click the "+" and add the alias email addresses to the account.
* Click OK and close the preferences. Quit and reopen Mail.
* Now when you reply when you click the main account address and any added aliases will be available to select.
V A letter to Tim from Chelsea
* I think one of the most amazing things about Apple as a company is how they create a connection between people and their products and how that connection then connects those people to each other.
* This podcast is all about that connection and the community it creates.
* I have hundreds of friends and thousands of acquaintances because of this community.
* We all do. Unfortunately this week I found out through a member of our Maccast community, Chelsea, about the loss of one of her friends also a member of this extended community Apple has created for us.
V She wrote and asked me if I would share a letter she wrote to Tim Cook in remembrance of her friend and I'm happy and honored to do so
* Greetings Mr. Cook,

I'm writing to you today to tell you a story about a very dear friend of mine whose life Apple impacted immensely. Her name is Megan Bening, and she is from Minnesota. Megan graduated Cum Laude in December of 2016 with a B.S. degree in Computer Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Minnesota State University-Mankato. Computers and technology have always been huge passions of hers, and that infectious enthusiasm transferred to Apple products and was completely contagious. Megan introduced me to the world-transforming and life-altering device that is the iPhone in 2010, and helped me switch to the Mac a year later. She collected as many iPods and Macs as she could from various places, and has amassed quite a collection. I am enclosing photographs of her around the time of   high school graduation surrounded by the products that brought such richness and joy to her life, while also allowing her to contribute to the world. In addition to having an extreme affinity for any gadget, , Megan was always willing to embody the Apple credo and share her expertise with others. We spent many long hours enjoyably discussing the future of technology in general and apple in particular.

Megan loved Apple products for   the same reasons we all do, but she had a special reason to take pride in mastering them. Megan and I are both blind, and use VoiceOver to access our devices and use the technology your company has produced to live life to the fullest and do what we love!

Tragically, Megan passed away on January 28, 2017, at the age of 22. All who knew her are deeply affected, as Megan was the kind of person who would light up any room she occupied with an ever-optimistic spirit, and we are all coping with her loss as best we can. It is the least I can do to honor her memory by making you aware of this incredible young woman and all your products empowered her to become! Megan's ultimate professional goal was to become a white hat hacker for the FBI, or to work at Apple itself.

While Megan never physically made it out to Silicon Valley (which was definitely another bucket list item of hers) I had the distinct honor of visiting your headquarters and the Apple store there. I picked up the T-shirt displaying all the Apple products for her, as it suited Megan perfectly. Per her wishes, Megan was cremated, and her mother contacted me to let me know that the shirt had   gone in with her. In a soft but completely calm voice, she said, "Megan loved Apple and Megan loved Chelsea. I obviously couldn't put any electronics in the box, so I put in the shirt you gave her! Megan loved wearing that T-shirt; it had all the Apple products she owned and it came directly from Apple via you. I wanted to do something that would represent the bond you two shared, and I thought the shirt would be perfect!" It certainly was, and I'm still honored and touched by this gesture. While visiting an Apple store yesterday, I recounted this story to   the sales specialist and he was also touched. I intend to keep telling that story to associates at every Apple store I visit going forward, as a way to carry Megan there and keep her amazing legacy living. Megan has not left my Favorites list since I got my first iPhone 4, and she was the first person I corresponded with by text message. New product launches and Apple keynotes will never be the same. Because Megan and her pictures and spirit reached your inbox, I'm counting that as Megan finally reaching Silicon Valley and Apple Headquarters.

Thank you for everything that you do. Apple products proliferate throughout the world and have great, life-changing impacts, most poignantly for people with disabilities. Without Apple products, I wouldn't have found such a supportive community where I can grow both personally and professionally. More importantly, Megan would likely not have had the richness of life she enjoyed nor been able to pursue the career fitted to her passions. Thanks for heading the company that reminds us that we are all human, and that diversity should be celebrated. Megan was definitely one of those "crazy ones," who changed the world.

In loving memory of Megan "MegaByte" Bening,,
Chelsea Cook
* Chelsea, thanks for sharing your friends story and I'm deeply sorry for you loss.
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