shownotes_20180502

Opening

Opening Music

Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles

News

Apple outperforms in Q2 earnings

The numbers came in and when it comes to revenue all things are up.

In fact Apple had their best March quarter ever with revenue of $61.1 billion up 16 percent from the same quarter a year ago.

Apple sold 52.2 million iPhones, 9.1 million iPads and 4.1 million Macs.

That means iPhone unit sales were actually up just slightly 1.4 million over the same period last year.

Despite the rumors of supply chain watchers Tim Cook said, "Customers chose iPhone X more than any other iPhone each week in the March quarter, just as they did following its launch in the December quarter"

iPad sales were also slightly up year over year, by just 0.2 million units. While Mac sales were down just a hair.

Cook didn't speak specifically about HomePod, but the Apple's "Other" category, which includes Beats, HomePod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch say the largest percentage of year over year revenue growth. Up 38 percent. Followed closely by services which was up 31 percent coming in at 9.19 billion.

They don't breakdown numbers but noted that Apple Watch is growing "string double digits".

Apple noted all-time record revenue from App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and more. Now doubt helped by paid subscriptions to said services which were up 100 million from a year ago at over 270 million. 40 million paid Apple Music subscribers.

Active Apple Pay users doubled and transactions tripled.

In the Q&A Tim addressed the iPhone X high price point with "Revenue up 14 percent" (nuff said?). He also noted that Apple would, "… continue to provide different iPhones to meet needs".

iPhone X was the most popular smartphone in China last quarter

macOS and iOS will 'merge', not like you think

We're talking about project 'Marzipan', or NOT, really if you believe Gruber.

It was called that maybe early on, but isn't now.

What is it? Not the merging of Mac and iOS

That is NOT going to happen

It's an active cross-platform UI project for macOS and iOS

The goal is to make it much easier for developers to build apps that work on both macOS and iOS

The trouble now is you have to develop and maintain totally separate code bases.

As such apps, particularly on the Mac, tend to get the short end of the stick

Or apps tend to not have feature parity.

It's not happening this year at WWDC though.

Gruber says it's a "2019 thing".

Right now iOS uses UIKit and Mac apps use App Kit.

As for Mac and iOS devices merging Tim Cook was asked about that by the Sydney Morning Herald.

He reiterated, "We don’t believe in sort of watering down one for the other." and "if you begin to merge the two … you begin to make trade offs and compromises."

The 2018 iPhones

Lots of rumors and speculation here

iPhone SE 2

images with and without a headphone jack.

Same design, but with a glass back.

TouchID and A10 fusion chip and might arrive in May

Barclays’ analyst Blayne Curtis thinks Apple will dump the bundled 3.5mm headphone adapter

Not great news for some, but doesn't bother me a bit.

We still have the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone along with OLED models in 5.8 and 6.5-inches (replacing the iPhone X, which is being REPLACED, not discontinued due to poor sales (see the Q2 earnings). Let all your friends know).

edge-to-edge display, true-depth sensor system (notch), and FaceID

Stronger more durable glass according to Ming-Chi Kuo

May have a new touch technology and dump 3D Touch to keep cost down.

Could start as low as USD $550

Kuo also mentions the possibility of a second "dual-SIM" variant that would appeal to international travelers and the Chinese market.

With three models planned for the fall it's also being said Apple will simplify the naming. With the LCD "base" model simply being called "iPhone" and the 5.8 and 6.5-inch models being the iPhone X (and maybe iPhone X Plus)?

Will the 'Air' attend WWDC?

Latest reports say no because the Air may be waiting on new processors from Intel

DigiTimes now thinks Macbook Air production won't happen until the second half of the year.

Apple will bring a slim design with a Retina display and the latest Intel processors

It's also expected to arrive with a price drop between $100-200 making it start possibly as low as $799.00 USD

That price point and update would see a TON of Airs flying off the shelf and could be a nice boost to Apple's Mac numbers.

Kuo calls it Kuits

Oh no, Kuo!

According to the China Times the Apple focused analyst has left KGI Securities as of April 27th and plans to reduce his coverage of Apple.

Kup was a great source for fairly reliable rumors on Apple coming out of Asia. What are us Mac fans to do. Guess Gurman's gonna have to up his game. ;)

Apple working on VR

Rumors out of CNET, codenamed T288. Follows a similar report from Bloomberg back in January.

System would be a stand alone "PC-tower-like" box (not a mac) powered by a custom Apple 5-nanometer processor more powerful than anything currently available.

The headset would have 8K-per-eye displays and connect via high-speed short range wireless technology, 60GHz WiGig.

Right now a research product and IF it ever sees the light of day it would hit around 2020 at the earliest.

Apple is likely to hit a crowded market by then, playing catchup, but that's never stopped them. (Oculus Go hit for $199, stand alone).

Apple will be about quality of the product and quality of the experience, but at a premium price.

Headset would not only be wireless but also require no external tracking hardware.

We heard recently about an advanced eye tracking system that could use mirrors and IR light to track eye movements in a confined amount of space.

Could possibly mix an AR/VR headset in the same system.

The death of AirPort

Yes, it's now official Apple is out of the AirPort game.

An Apple spokesperson told iMore, "We're discontinuing the Apple AirPort base station products. They will be available through Apple.com, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last"

We sort of already knew as back in 2016 Bloomberg reported that Apple had assigned many, if not all, of the AirPort team to other projects.

Apple also has not updated the Airport lineup since about 2013 (not that that means much *cough* Mac Pro).

Apple added a [support article](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208753) to their site with tips on transitioning. Basically they recommend a router with 802.11ac, dual-band support, WPA2 Personal encryption, and MIMO or MU-MIMO.

In their own Apple retail locations they offer the Linksys Velop Mesh Wi-Fi System.

Non-Touchbar 13-inch iMac Battery Replacement program

Apple announced a [13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) Battery Replacement Program](https://www.apple.com/support/13inch-macbookpro-battery-replacement/)

Apple has determined that, in a limited number of 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) units, a component may fail causing the built-in battery to expand.

Affected units were manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017 and eligibility is determined by the product serial number.

You can check you Macbook using the link above.

If you qualify then you can have the replacement done at an Apple Authorized Service Provider, take it into a Retail Store (may be sent out anyway), or mail it to an Apple Repair Center

If you already paid for a battery replacement then you can contact Apple for a refund.

The program will cover the units for this issue for 5 years from the date of purchase, but it doesn't extend any other AppleCare coverage.

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Feedback, commentary, opinions

Rockin' the Cheese Grater

A couple shows back I mentioned that I got quite a bit of feedback from Pro Mac users in our community that they are not really too bothered by the announcement of the new Mac Pro systems being delayed.

I personally was upset but mainly because I figured Pros who've been waiting for so long would be upset.

What I'm learning is there are two camps and some Pros are more impacted then other "Pros" who work at the very high end of the industry.

Apple's seems to feel the "Pro" system is for that "upper" Pro market and if other "pros" also buy the system great. Might also be why the iMac Pro, seems to be a system that is in the short term serving folks with more modest "pro" requirements like pro photography, vlogging, podcasters, artists, etc.

I heard from Maccast Patron supporter Keith in the Maccast Slack and he says he's still using his 2008 2.8GHz Mac Pro and it's still perfectly fine.

Reason? It's upgradable.

Over the years he slowly maxed the RAM, added storage to all the bays.

He also added a Mercury Accelsior E2 PCIe SSD drive as the main drive and it's "like a new system".

He added a graphics card to quadruple the graphics power and use a three monitor set-up

And upgraded the wi-fi and bluetooth to 4.0 along with adding in USB 3 connectors.

He was even able to bypass the High Sierra restriction with [Collins Patch Tool](http://dosdude1.com/highsierra/)

It all sounds expensive, but these improvements were made slowly over time as needed.

He got me thinking about the 2009 Mac Pro I inherited recently.

Replacing an Airport

With Apple announcing the death of the Airport I'm getting asked more and more what should I buy to replace it?

First and foremost I think you have time. Yes the existing Extreme and Time Capsule are now 5 years old, but they should last and i think Apple will continue software support for a bit.

The Time Capsule might be due for replacement sooner

There are a number of decent NAS systems from Synology, Drobo, Western Digital and others that support Time Machine network backups. Just do your research before buying.

Do you need "mesh"? I would say it depends on you space. If you've found typically that you have "dead zones" with your existing AirPorts of you've used extenders or bridges to cover areas they I think YES.

The advantage of mesh is that each access point is a "first class" citizen not just a slave. They work together to distribute your bandwidth to your various devices.

Large spaces are also prime candidates for a mesh system. Also if you have lots of walls and obstacles to get around. I believe most mesh access point will cover a space up to about 1,000 sq/ft. or so, but it will vary by manufacturer.

Also mesh can help if the placement of your main modem is not centralized.

There are now TONS of mesh options from companies like Eero, Linksys Velop, Netgear Orbi, Ubiquiti, and others.

Generally two 2x 2 radio systems are fine, if you have a ton of clients (i.e. a lot of IoT) then two 3 x 3 radios might be better.

A "nice" feature to look for is ethernet or in some cases wireless backhaul. Good if you have long distances between mesh points.

Generally a mesh system is gonna run you in the range of $200US - $400US for a 2-3 unit setup depending on features. It's competitive space so prices are coming down and there are often deals.

If you're looking for some recommendations:

For ease of setup and I would say Eero (gen2) still has an edge and they are low profile and good looking.

For the geeks who want to control and tweak everything then consider Ubiquiti.

Apple has attached their name behind the Linksys Velop for what it's worth.

If you're looking for a more budget system my friend Dave at the Mac Observer says the TP-Link Deco is worth a hard look. $228USD on Amazon for a 3-pack.

For smaller spaces or a house that you can centrally locate a router you might be good with a single unit. There are some awesome dual and triband options now that can provide a LOT of coverage for about the same cost as an AirPort Extreme.

Again there are a lot of great options in the $199USD range

If I was buying for myself today it's be a Synology RT2600ac

Other good choices are the Netgear R7000P and the Asus RT-AC3200

One nice thing with the Synology is it has USB ports and Time Machine compatibility.

A couple quick questions

Play questions from Brian

On the Airport, I would recommend opening up the Airport utility on your Mac or iOS device to see "why" it's blinking

An "amber" flashing light means, "Wi-Fi base station has detected a condition that requires your assistance".

Open Airport Utility (Applications > Utilities)

In the AirPort Utility window, locate your Wi-Fi base station and double-click on it to open the Summary window

When the Summary window appears, double-click the amber circle to the right of Wi-Fi base station Status to open the Status window.

The Status window lists any conditions that require your attention. Respond to each item until there are no more items listed.

I know a common issue might be a "double NAT" (Network Address Translation) translates between addresses on the Internet and those on a local network. Enable NAT only on the device that acts as a router for your network (probably the Airport) if it's enabled on your cable modem too, you may want to disable it there.

For the server it keeps trying to mount. Chances are you have it added to your "Login items"

Open System Preferences and click on Users & Groups

Select your user account and click the 'Login Items' tab

See if the server is in the list. If so, select it and click the "-" icon

My issues with "dust" and kernel task

I was having an issue where my Macbook Pro would bog down and beachball

I was also having the fans constantly running at high speed.

I monitor with [iStat Menus](https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/) and the processor didn't seem that hot (typically around 150ºF)

Tried the typical fixes like zapping PRAM and resetting the SMC.

Later also had my Drobo fans spinning out of control.

The issue, "dust".

I opened up my MacBook book and removed the large dust bunnies from around the fans and in the vents. I uses a small paint brush to remove some stuck areas and carefully use compressed air to low out the dust.

I've had no issues since.

Steaming limits on Apple Music

David wrote in because he and his wife share a single Apple Music and iTunes account.

He says he and his wife used to be able to listen to different playlists at the same time as long a one playlist was downloaded locally.

More recently he's found if his wife is streaming Apple Music and he tried to listen to a locally downloaded one he'll get the message saying someone else is currently listening.

The way around it is to turn off my wi-if or put the phone to airplane mode to play offline. He's curious why the change and if others are having this issue.

I have a "family" plan and I wasn't even aware of the restrictions until this email

If you have a "single" account you can only stream to one device at a time. The HomePod interestingly doesn't count against the limit.

For a Family plan you get six simultaneous streams.

I'm not entirely sure the changes or restrictions are Apple's. More likely it's part of their deal with the record labels.

It might be because they have to pay per/stream and they get less revenue for a single vs. a family subscription.

One source I found claimed the plays are recorded and transmitted back to Apple next time you connect to the network.

So this could be more about making sure they can afford to play the labels and the artists. If you're able to consume twice the music two people and only paying for one account it lowers the revenue Apple has available to make those payments.

Controlling HomePod Music from Watch

Steve wrote in because he has a new HomePod and noticed something odd when using the "Now Playing" app on his Apple Watch with his HomePod.

One of the reasons he bought the HomePod vs an Sonos One was the ability to was the ability to control the HomePod from the apple watch Siri face.

The trouble is the first time he tried it, it didn't work. He asked Siri to play some music on the HomePod and it didn't show up in the Now Playing interface on the watch.

At the time he didn't do any troubleshooting and just let it go.

Later he was AirPlaying music from his phone to the HomePod and sure enough, it showed up in the Now Playing app on the watch.

So at the moment it seems like you can only control AirPlayed music from the Watch in the Now Playing screen.

Why does the iPhone have to be used as a conduit. Both the Watch and the HomePod are wi-fi devices?

The answer, Apple just hasn't implemented the feature yet.

I just installed watchOS 4.3 beta and in the release notes the first item is: Control volume and playback on HomePod from your AppleWatch.

So it's coming.

Just like on the phone you can tap the 'source' an switch between controlling the music on the iPhone or HomePod.

For those who don't remember on the iPhone you go into the Control Center and force press tap on the player controls. Then you should see "cards" for each device that can play music. For me on my home network I see my iPhone, HomePod, and Apple TV.

whichever one is currently selected is then what appears in the control center player until you switch again.

Closing

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