So we started out the week with continued news from Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple would be collaborating with Hyundai on the Apple Car
And that Apple could work with General Motors and European manufacturer PSA for subsequent models or in other markets
Kuo believed Apple would use Hyundai’s E-GMP battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform
Has a 300 mile range, goes 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, a top speed of 160 miles per hour, can be charged up to 80% within 18 minutes.
these figures are for “the high-performance model”
Apple will focus on self-driving hardware and software, semiconductors, battery-related technologies, form factor and internal space designs, innovative user experience, and integration with Apple’s existing ecosystem.
Hyundai Group affiliate Kia will provide the U.S. production line for Apple Cars
Kuo said the model would be “very high end”
Launch would be 2025 at the earliest
Insider Deutschland reported that Apple has hired former Porsche Vice President of Chassis Development, Manfred Harrer.
Harrer worked for Volkswagen Group for more than 13 years and served as the head of chassis development at Porsche and oversaw the development of the Cayenne product line
A Bloomberg report claims Apple is planning to invest $3.6 billion in Kia Motors for production of the Apple car.
the report also claimed that could start production at Kia’s US Georgia factory in 2024 and that Apple could sign a deal with Kia as soon as February 17
With an initial target to produce 100,000 autos a year.
CNBC then backed up the Bloomberg report about Apple and Hyundai/Kia Motors being close to making a deal.
The CNBC report also claimed that the Apple vehicle will be totally autonomous and designed “not to have a driver”
Possibly targeted at car-riding or delivery companies rather than consumers.
There were then reports that Kia Corp was reaching out to partners about their plans to assemble vehicles for Apple at their plant in Georgia
Nikkei reported that Apple is in discussions with at least six Japanese automakers over supply partnerships and manufacturing contributions
The week ended with Bloomberg reporting that now Apple and Hyundai have “paused” their discussions
The report said one reason was that Apple was not happy about Hyundai’s pre-announcement of the deal.
It also noted that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers
And then finally Bloomberg reported that Hyundai and Kia said they are not, or at least not any longer, in talks with Apple.
New features in coming in updates OSes
The developer beta of iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 will have a new feature that will allow you to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask
FaceID will detect if you’re wearing a mask and have an unlocked Apple Watch and if so, unlock your iPhone
Your Apple Watch must be nearby, on your wrist, unlocked, and protected by a passcode.
you can also quickly re-lock your iPhone from your Apple Watch
It will also have Airplay 2 support for Apple Fitness+
Activity rings, workout time remaining, calories burned, and burn bars will not show up on the television set over AirPlay 2
It will also bring Apple’s App Tracking Transparency controls
Also a new Apple Card “Family” feature enabled through Family Sharing
The card owner can share the card with family members with the Wallet App and track everyone’s purchases.
Can set a spending limit for each user
Daily Cash would also be available for family members
Family members must be 13 or older to use the shared card
Global support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models
Support for Sony's new PS5 DualSense controller alongside the Microsoft Xbox Series X controller
Horizontal loading screen support on iPads
Set stereo-paired HomePods as the default sound output on Mac
Good week for AppleTV+
Apple posted great viewership stats in the week they launched the new Justin Timberlake film, Palmer, to their service
Based on information from sources who spoke with Variety
Apple saw a 33 percent jump in viewership with the release of Palmer. It was also their second-biggest film debut and the third-highest debut of any title on the service.
Servant and Dickinson, another two popular Apple TV+ shows also lunched new episodes the same day
In addition it looks like one of my favorite Apple TV+ shows, Ted Lasso, is getting some recognition in the upcoming TV award circles
The series this week received two Golden Globe Award nominations
"Best Television Series" in the "Musical or Comedy" category
"Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series" in the "Musical or Comedy”, for Jason Sudeikis
Apple TV+ content also got a couple other Golden Globe Award nominations
Best Motion Picture, Animated – “Wolfwalkers”
Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture – Bill Murray in “On The Rocks”
Ted Lasso also has received nominations for three Writers Guild of America Awards for comedy series, new series, and episodic comedy.
New details on Apple VR and AR
No secret Apple has been working on both VR and AR headsets
First the VR
Latest info coming from China Times via a story on iMore
They say we could see a VR headset from Apple in early 2022
The design would be similar to other VR headsets on the market with six lenses and an optical LiDAR scanner for motion tracking
The target market would be the “upper” end of the VR headset space and Apple’s offers could be in the USD $500 price range
Apple’s AR offering is likely much more ambitious, more expensive, and further from launch
Indications are that Apple’s tight specifications and issues in the supply chain mean the product is at least 12-18 months away
They want something that looks like glasses and can support prescription options
The site The Information offered up some more specifics
Would have more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movement
Two 8K ultra-high-resolution displays with advanced eye-tracking technology
Would also have an outward display that could be used to show content to people near you or to check information when the headset is not on your head
The camera would send real world video to the displays to create “mixed reality” effects
The site claims to have seen “late stage” prototype images of the product and described it as a “sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands."
Says it would have spatial audio technology like the AirPods Pro
Could add an optional headband for additional battery life
There would possibly be multiple ways to control the device
A “thimble” device that is worn on the finger
eye movements and hand gestures
Also one version with a physical “dial” on the visor
Would come in multiple colors and offer replaceable ear cushions, like AirPods Max
Would possibly use an updated version of Apple’s M1 processor
The product would launch at the extreme high-end of the market with a possible price tag around USD $3,000
The report claims Apple is targeting selling just 250,000 units in the first year of release in 2022 at the soonest
Could be targeting business uses first
Could be a sleeker more affordable “consumer” version in possibly in 2023
Man swallows AirPod
Not sure if this needs to be a warning or not, but if you sleep in your AirPods (I do), it’s something to think about.
A man in Massachusetts woke up and was having trouble swallowing, but thought at first it was just a dry sore throat
He also was missing an AirPod and his family joked that maybe he swallowed it.
He actually did and it had to be surgically removed because it had become lodged in his esophagus
Obviously a “freak” accident
‘Look Around’ now in San Diego and Portland
Yup, I finally have Look Around in my area and it’s glorious.
Apple added the “street view” to their Maps app in San Diego as well as Portland, OR
Sponsor: Helix Sleep
Helix Sleep
Buying a mattress at a mattress store is one of my least favorite experiences
Last time I had to do it was when I learned that different stores sell the same brand but under different names so you can’t price shop between stores. Really who wants to deal with that.
Buying and getting a mattress from Helix is an amazing experience.
They help you get the right mattress with their two minute quiz, you can take it right now, just go to Helix Sleep dot com slash maccast.
It’s walks you through a new basic questions so they can match your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. It even works for couples.
They offer a bunch of different mattress types
Soft to firm and mattresses great for cooling you down if you sleep hot. Even a Helix Plus mattress for plus-size folks.
I tend to sleep on my side and really like a firmer feel to my mattress so the quiz recommended a “Twilight” model
It came and it’s great. I loved not having to go to a showroom, the delivery was quick, and the unboxing experience is just fun
The mattress is the perfect amount of firmness and support while still being soft and comfortable.
We’re sleeping great and the pets love it it too!
If you’re looking for a mattress, you take the quiz, you order the mattress that you’re matched to, and the mattress comes right to your door shipped for free. You don’t ever need to go to a mattress store again.
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They have a 10 year warranty and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk free. They’ll even pick it up for you if you don’t love it - but you will.
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
Safari File uploads fixed
I’m mainly bringing this up because I had a Maccast listener reach out on Twitter to report having this issue.
Apparently file uploading in Safari 14.0.1 for macOS in websites broke
I don’t know if it was on all websites or specific sites
I couldn’t replicate it
A workaround seemed to be that you could drag a file or files onto the upload button.
But, apparently the recent Safari 14.0.3 update has resolved the issue.
HomeKit troubleshooting
Sean is a listener who recently purchased a “Smart House” not long ago
It’s connected with HomeKit and working mostly Ok except for a couple of issues
Specifically with Siri Shortcuts and a couple of devices
Occasionally using the shortcut manually or verbally will result in an error “read/write operation failed”
The house also has a Honeywell HomeKit compatible Thermostat that will often display the “no response” text in the Home app”
He can fix it by opening the Honeywell app, rebooting his phone, or rebooting the HomePod (HomeKit hub)
Apple blames Honeywell, Honeywell blames Apple
For the “read/write operation failed” I found a post on Apple’s developer forum that seems to indicate that error can happen when the Shortcut can’t access the accessory, so these two items could be related.
I’ve personally noticed that HomeKit accessories, or maybe the Home Pod, can be finicky when there are connectivity issues
If they lose connection they don’t seem to recover very well
Rebooting is the only fix that I have really discovered
One of the reasons I bought my Orbi router recently was to try and address this exact issue.
I think older routers might not be able to support just the sheer number of devices we are throwing onto our wi-fi networks.
I think another good thing to do is make sure you open the manufacturers app from time to time to get or download any new or recent firmware updates, if the device supports it.
I also think not all “HomeKit” devices are created equal. My Insteon stuff sucked, but that might hav been because they were some of the first and didn’t keep up.
For non-HomeKit devices I still love my HomeBridge
Remember if you don’t want to deal with rolling it yourself you can buy a [HOOBS](https://hoobs.org)
Any other tips for or ideas for Sean?
Where to store “Home Videos”
Phill had a great question about organizing and storing his personal videos on his Mac
He’s working on a project to consolidate his Photo Library and looking at setting up and using iCloud Photo Library, but had some questions
Specifically for his personal videos. Should he import them in to the Photos app (as they have resided in the past) or the TV application on my Mac?
The TV app seems nice because it has a tab for Home Videos and offers a nice user experience
But he wanted to know if he did that would those videos be available to his iOS devices as well if iCloud syncing was on?
The main answer is if you want the videos to sync and be available to all your devices you’ll need to store them in Photos
You can access the “Home Videos” section of your Apple TV library if you leave your Mac on and use Home Sharing, but only over your local home network
The second question was about “Photo Stream” and iCloud Photo Library
He has “Photo Stream” on
Is there a way to prevent specific photos from syncing with either method?
Photo Stream vs iCloud Photos
Photo Stream
Uploads your last 30 days and up to 1000 photos
Doesn't count against your iCloud storage.
Downloads to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch in a smaller resolution. On your Mac or PC, your photos download in full-resolution
