Apple updated the MacBook Air adding TrueTone and dropping the entry level price USD $100
The entry level 13-inch MacBook Pro was also updated
Now has the latest 8th generation Intel quad-core processors
Added a TouchBar and Touch ID (discontinuing the “EscapeBook”).
Has a True Tone Retina display and the Apple T2 Security Chip
iFixit already tore it down and noted:
A bigger battery
Soldered down, vs modular, SSDs
Gains modular speakers, modular Thunderbolt, and a modular “masterpiece” containing the headphone jack, mic, and TouchID sensor so they can be replaced without replacing the entire logic board.
The two new models both have Apple’s latest generation butterfly keyboard design and interestingly, according to a 9to5Mac report, are eligible for Apple’s Keyboard Service program.
They have also seemingly discontinued the 12-inch MacBook (or at least are not selling it)
Also started up their Back To School promo.
Get a pair of Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones with the purchase of a qualifying Mac notebook, iMac, or iPad.
Still have rumors of a possible 16-inch MacBook Pro on the horizon.
Possibly the biggest news was the one noticed by MacRumors
Apple dropped the pricing on SSD storage upgrades across the Mac line-up
In general 1TB SSD upgrades are USD $200 less and 2TB SSD upgrades have dropped as much as USD $400
The 4TB upgrade on the iMac Pro is down USD $1200
Possible iPhone 11 Logic Board
Published on Slashleaks
Show a more “standard” rectangular design vs the “L” shape found in the current iPhone X, XS and XR.
The assumption is that with losing the lower portion of the “L” and having just a narrow vertical rectangle Apple is providing more room for the new triple-lens camera and larger batteries
Others have suggested that it’s not clear which iPhone model these boards are for, so it could just be the XIR. The current XR has a similarly shaped logic-board.s
A rumored feature of this years iPhones is that they will allow bi-lateral wireless charging, so bigger batteries could mean more juice to power things like you AirPods or a friend’s dining iPhone
Ming-Chi Kuo has said he believes the iPhone 11 will see a 20 percent increase in battery capacity and the iPhone 11 Max about a 10 percent bump. The 11R would see a small increase, possibly about 6 percent.
YouTuber Marques Brownlee showed off new “dummy” models sent out to case manufacturers
The “cracker bump” is fugly. Sorry, I hate it on anything other than a black iPhone
Other rumors
Frosted glass backs
New green and lavender colors.
Rainbow Apple logo on some “special edition” products?
2020 iPhones with a smaller notch and a version with no notch and a full screen fingerprint scanner.
Seems unlikely since Apple is so invested in FaceID as a “superior” technology.
A Wedbush analyst, Daniel Ives, says Apple will release third-generation AirPods late in 2019
The biggest feature, water resistance
He also says they could feature some “unspecified” design enhancement. Woo
If it’s a case that doesn’t collect grungy junk in the hinge that you can’t every clean out I’ll rejoice!
Ming Chi-Kuo has previously mentioned new two new models of AirPods in late 2019 or early 2020.
One featuring an “all-new form factor design” and priced higher than the current 2nd gen AirPods
Both new AirPods models will supposedly adopt a new system-in-package design expected to improve assembly yield rates, save internal space, and reduce manufacturing costs
HomePod will finally make it to Japan this summer
Gizmodo Japan noticed the new order page on Apple’s site with the price set ay 32,800 yen (just over USD $300)
Non exact release date is given, but it’s expected to be available in the coming weeks.
Promoted their “Snoopy in Space” short on Apple TV and release a trailer for the new Snoopy in Space series coming to Apple TV+ this Fall.
We are also starting to get word on “second wave” shows that may appear in 2020
The BBC and Apple are reportedly partnering on an eight episode comedy series starring Imelda Staunton who you might know as Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter movies.
The working title is “Alabama” and it is supposedly already in production with director Jim O’Hanlon and writer Andy Wolton.
It is being produced by the comedy chief at BBC Studios, Chris Sussman.
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
SSD Upgrades and the Fusion effect
We've been talking about the MASSIVE advantages of updating aging Macs with SSD drives
If your Mac life is a bad day at the beach, meaning beachball city, the best remedy outside buying a new Mac is upgrading your spinning HDD to an SSD
If you don't feel comfortable doing yourself, then you friendly neighborhood Apple Authorized Repair Center should be able to help you out for a reasonable fee.
I say should because John tried to follow my advice, but when he asked his Apple Authorized Repair Center in Nashville to replace the fusion drive in his 2015 27-inch iMac with an SSD they told him it was going to be "problematic" because of the way the System treats the Fusion Drive.
They discouraged him from doing the upgrade.
It does add a complication, but it’s not THAT difficult to deal with.
What they are likely calling "problematic" is that your Fusion Drive iMac actually has two distinct drives in it, but the OS "fuses" those into a single virtual volume and that is all you see.
There is a 128GB SSD and whatever your HDD size is.
Because of this if you simply swapped the HDD with a shiny new SSD the OS would promptly fuse that to the 128GB built in one.
So to do the upgrade in your iMac you need to take the extra step to "break" the set. And you can't do that with something like Disk Utility.
It's really not that hard though. Three simple Terminal commands will do it.
Running the command will completely destroy and erase the data on the existing "fusion" drive so backups are a must before trying this. You'll also want a new OS install disk handy as you won't have a recovery partition either.
After that, then installing a new SSD should be straight forward and bonus you'll have an extra 128GB internal SSD volume you can use as well.
Apple funding “exclusive” podcasts is BAD.
It’s bad for us ALL.
When I asked about the future of podcasting at Macworld podcasting panel in 2007 Leo Laporte expressed concerns of Apple having too much control over podcasting
Now we’re seeing Spotify buying great podcast networks like Gimlet and the concern is companies could start siloing podcasts.
It’s possible what’s happening is we’re really just “blurring” the lines on what is a podcast and what is a “radio” program?
Adding exclusive talk “radio” show to Beats 1, seems OK, but a podcast I can only get on Apple Music?
Feels like what is happening in streaming media in general and I don’t like that that world may come to Podcasts.
Also seems bad in a way for the podcasts, why would you want to limit your reach?
Guess it’s really just for Apple produced content, but really?
Apple Music is on other platforms too, but NOT the Apple Podcast app?
I also don’t like the power Apple would have, as they sort of already do, to control placements of their shows in the Podcast app.
I dunno, am I crazy? Confused? Maybe both? Seems to ”muddy” the waters.
Family Music sharing, not "sharing"
When is "Sharing", not sharing? When you want to set up your Family on an Apple Music Family Share Plan and then "share" your large ripped Music Library over iCloud Music Library.
This is something Ryan, unfortunately, had to learn the hard way.
See he switched from a single Apple Music subscription to a family subscription in the hopes that his wife could pull up his music library on her phone with her Apple ID.
His library is a "mix" of ripped music, purchased music and Apple Music content.
Here's where the definition of "sharing" gets confusing.
Family Sharing in Apple's world means that you can "share" your purchases, but not really your Library or your playlists. Those are yours.
The account is a single billing account so the primary account owner does get to foot the bill for everyone, but you can't "share" you'r music library, your playlists, or your Apple Music playlists or songs with anyone else in the Family plan.
You family members can see and "download" your purchases in the "purchases" tab in iTunes, but they need to put those into their own Library. Once there they can "share" those with their other devices vid iCloud Music Library.
Same goes for any ripped content.
Your wife will need to copy those tracks into her own Library in order to see and play them on her devices.
Apple Music she'll have access to the same stuff you do, bit her Apple Music will be her own, so music she downloads and playlists she creates.
Thing of the Moment: Apple Texas Hold’em
In 2006 Apple launched games on the iPod and one of their first games was Texas Hold’em
I loved playing that, but it hasn’t been available since 2011.
For the 10th anniversary of the App Store Apple release Texas Hold’em 2.0
Redesigned with 24 opponents and 10 locations
There is an 8-player Wi-Fi Multiplayer mode
The animation (rotating between players) can be a bit distracting
You can tap through that
Rotate to get top down view
It is a 1.5GB download which seems crazy, but still fun and it’s FREE!
