I purchased AirPods Pro in late 2019 and recently began encountering issues with crackling sounds and poor noise cancellation performance. I made an appointment at a local Apple Store from Apple’s AirPods Pro Service Program page and got both AirPods replaced for free later the same day. They gave me a new pack of ear tips and returned my existing wireless charging case. It was a very short appointment; they took the AirPods into the back, ran a test, and told me that they both failed the volume and noise cancellation tests.
If you own AirPods Pro and are hearing a crackling sound and/or notice poor noise cancellation performance, hop over to the AirPods Pro Service Program page.
Jim and I discussed this on this week’s podcast (drops tomorrow afternoon). Jim has the crackling sound and my noise cancellation has started to fail. We’re both taking trips to the Apple Store to see what’s what.
Note that the program is good for two years from “the first retail sale of the unit”, which means we are closing in on the end of coverage. The AirPods Pro were released October 30, 2019. Still time to get them fixed, if you qualify.
Attaching the MagSafe Battery Pack is a snap. Its compact, intuitive design makes on-the-go charging easy. The perfectly aligned magnets keep it attached to your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro — providing safe and reliable wireless charging. And it automatically charges, so there’s no need to turn it on or off. There’s no interference with your credit cards or key fobs either.
And:
At your desk and need a charge? Just plug a Lightning cable into the MagSafe Battery Pack for up to 15W of wireless charging. Short on time? With a higher than 20W power adapter, you can charge both the MagSafe Battery Pack and your iPhone even faster. And you can track the status of your charge on the Lock Screen.
The pack is $99. A premium price, but an elegant solution if you own an iPhone 12 series and find yourself running out of charge towards the end of the day.
The battery pack has two 1,460mAh cells (according to this tweet).
The total of 2,920mAh is right around the capacity of the iPhone 12/12 Pro, more than the mini, less than the max, but nowhere near the $20 battery packs, like this model from INIU, which sports extra ports and 10,000mAh of charge.
That said, the MagSafe Battery Pack is slim, very tightly integrated (charge shows up in the battery Home Screen widget), uses the same Lightning cable as the iPhone, and, of course, has the convenience of MagSafe. The battery will also pass-through charge (charge when you plug in your phone).
If you own an iPhone 12 series, this will give you a constant trickle charge, topping off your phone, getting you through the day if that’s ever been an issue.
Attach your MagSafe Battery Pack to your iPhone and then plug the MagSafe Battery Pack into a power adapter. Using a 20W or higher power adapter, the MagSafe Battery Pack can charge your iPhone with up to 15W of charging power.
You can also charge both if you attach your MagSafe Battery Pack to your iPhone, then plug your iPhone into a power source. You might want to charge this way if you need to connect your iPhone to another device while charging, like if you’re using wired CarPlay or transferring photos to a Mac.
The benefit of a separate power pack like the INIU mentioned above is the additional power (days of charge without having to recharge the pack) and the flexibility (multiple ports, and with the right cable, you can charge all your devices). But the cost is a bit of extra weight and the need for a cable.
If you’ve ever considered changing carriers, take a read of the linked article. There’s a lot of good detail, but here’s the bottom line:
For a single line, unlimited talk and text with 500 MB of data costs $25 per month, with various tiers up to $60 per month for unlimited everything. You can have up to three lines, and with three lines, each person gets unlimited talk, text, and data for $30 per month or $90 per month total. Not too shabby. I’ve been paying $130 per month for three lines of lousy Verizon service, and that’s with a 19% state employee discount my wife gets for being a teacher.
There are a few caveats, but nothing truly problematic. If you are considering such a move, take the time to read Josh’s article.
If you’re an iPhone user, the weather is always a particularly nice 70 degrees. Or 68 degrees. Any temperature but 69 degrees, actually, because it turns out that the built-in weather app on some versions of iOS — including the current version, iOS 14.6 — will refuse to display the internet’s favorite number, even if the actual temperature in a given location is, in fact, 69 degrees.
This silly piece of fluff has been flying around the internet. Lots of hot takes, lots of “nice”. It did make me laugh, imagining Tim Cook demanding that the number 69 be removed from the weather app!
In a nutshell, it’s a rounding issue, not censorship.
My favorite line, from Gruber’s take (with the URL ending “69_dudes”):
Sometimes a cigar is just an integer math conversion glitch.
Rockley Photonics, an Apple supplier, has today unveiled an advanced digital sensor system that is likely to come to the Apple Watch to enable a wide range of new health tracking features.
And:
The company today revealed a full-stack, “clinic-on-the-wrist” digital health sensor system, enabling wearable devices to monitor multiple biomarkers, including core body temperature, blood pressure, body hydration, alcohol, lactate, and glucose trends, and more.
The technology uses a miniaturized chip solution with optical sensors that provide continuous, non-invasive monitoring of various biomarkers, in an attempt to overcome many of the challenges associated with wearable health monitoring and avoid the need for invasive sensors that must perforate the skin.
Apple is Rockley Photonics’ biggest customer. Not too much of a stretch to imagine these new sensors making their way into a future Apple Watch.
Apple today landed 35 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including 20 nominations for “Ted Lasso,” which broke records by becoming the most nominated comedy series this year, and the most nominated freshman comedy series in history.
Another sign that Apple TV+ is on the right path in its bid to stand alongside Netflix, HBO, Amazon Video, and friends as a first tier streaming service.
Apple’s global comedy phenomenon “Ted Lasso” dominated across major categories with 20 nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series; Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Jason Sudeikis; two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple; four nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Brendan Hunt, Brett Goldstein, Jeremy Swift, and Nick Mohammed; three nominations for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series; two nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series; and two nominations for Outstanding Single-Picture Editing in a Comedy Series.
Every review I’ve read says that Ted Lasso’s about-to-be-released Season 2 (starts a week from Friday) is every bit as good as Season 1. That’s certainly great news for Apple TV+.
Apple also earned nominations across 10 total programs, including “Mythic Quest,” “Central Park,” “Servant,” “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry,” “Boys State,” “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special,” “Bruce Springsteen’s Letter To You,” “The Year Earth Changed,” and “Carpool Karaoke: The Series” for this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards.
Not too shabby. Follow the headline link for all the nomination details. The winners will be announced September 19.
Recently, we noticed FastCompany editor (and friend of How-To Geek) Harry McCracken on Twitter experimenting with running Windows 3.1 on an iPad. With his blessing, we’re about to explain how he pulled off this amazing feat.
And:
Here’s the tricky part: To install Windows 3.1 in iDOS 2, you’ll need to somehow copy the Windows 3.1 installation files over to your iPad. The good news is that there’s a completely legal way to do this if you own original Windows 3.1 installation floppies—by literally copying all the files off the floppies and putting them into a folder. While exploring retro setups like this, I recently came across Visa casinos, which have modernized payment options, allowing for smooth and secure transactions, something that parallels how we navigate digital spaces today. If you do own the disks (and thus, a license to use Windows 3.1), you might also be able to find disk images of the floppies somewhere on the web, but we’re leaving the legal and ethical implications of doing that up to you.
Apple has signed a first-look deal with AR Content, the production company led by Academy Award-nominated producer and director Alexander Rodnyansky (“Beanpole,” “Leviathan,” “Loveless”), Variety can reveal.
The deal is for a slate of both Russian-language and multilingual shows for Apple TV Plus, set both inside and outside Russia, and creatively led by both Russian and international writers and directors.
Apple TV+ continues to grow, slow and steady. To get a sense of the market here, take a look at what Netflix has to offer in terms of Russian language content.
Apple today released a new advertisement specifically for Canadians. The “Made in Canada” video, which is part of the “Behind the Mac” campaign, highlights multiple artists from Canada, including Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar, and Shawn Mendes.
Save on select Apple products in stores or online during your state’s sales tax holiday. Combine your tax break with our additional offers to save even more.
Follow the headline link for Apple’s state tax holiday details. So far, there are listings for Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, and Virginia.
If you live in one of those states and are thinking of buying an Apple product, follow your state’s link to see what products are eligible for the tax exemption.
The first look (embedded below) does a nice job introducing the cast and offering a sense of the show itself. If you are a fan of classic Broadway musicals, this is for you.
Notably, the series was executive produced by Lorne Michaels. Episode 1 (of 6?) drops Friday.
On Monday, the California State University (CSU) announced a new initiative that will see up to 35,000 first-year and new transfer students receive an iPad Air, Apple Pencil, and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio.
The initiative, dubbed CSUCCESS (California State University Connectivity Contributing to Equity and Student Success), aims to create more equitable opportunities for CSU students across eight campuses. The students will be provided with the iPad Air for their entire undergraduate experience.
“CSUCCESS will assure that students have immediate access to innovative, new mobile tools they need to support their learning, particularly when faced with the lingering effects of the pandemic,” said CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro. “The new initiative will establish a foundation for their achievement and has the potential to play a key role in eliminating stubborn equity gaps among our talented and diverse students. In addition to truly addressing equity and access, we see iPad Air as a powerful tool to prepare our students for their future careers.”
While the CSU said they plan to offer classes in person beginning this fall, some classes will still have to be virtual because of COVID-19. Having an iPad Air will allow the students to be prepared for those learning environments as well.
“At Apple, we believe that education is a powerful force for equity and opportunity, and that technology can empower all students to achieve their goals,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice President of Education and Enterprise Marketing. “We’re thrilled that iPad Air and the incredible education apps in the App Store will be central to the experience at CSU campuses across California, and will play a part in the learning and career development of students from Humboldt to San Marcos.”
Unite 4 lets you turn websites into customizable, native apps on your Mac. Unite 4 includes dozens of new features, including support for native notifications, new customization options, M1 support, and much more. Unite apps also serve as a great alternative for resource hogging Electron apps or half-baked Catalyst apps.
You could create a Gmail web client that behaves like a native mail client, or a status bar app for Apple Music or Overcast, and much more.
The latest effort from Foo Fighters. Pretty damn good cover, part of the upcoming “Hail Satin” album releasing next week, all Bee Gees covers. And Dave Grohl, DG, get it?
Apple’s lawyers warned it could quit the UK market if a court forces the company to pay a “commercially unacceptable” fee for the technology used in its iPhones. Amid these discussions, the tech community has been drawing parallels to how industries like the best crypto casinos UK have navigated similar regulatory challenges, managing to thrive by offering innovative solutions while operating in a rapidly changing legal landscape.
And:
Apple issued the warning as part of a court battle with UK patent holder Optis Cellular Technology.
And:
Optis is suing Apple for patent infringement after the iPhone maker refused to pay licence fees worth a possible $7billion for using ‘standardised’ smartphone technology in its products.A High Court judge ruled last month that Apple had infringed two Optis patents, which help iPhones connect to the 3G and 4G networks.
The article is a hot take, but interesting nonetheless. If the follow-on court proceedings levy more in fines than Apple can make in profits in the UK, what choice would they have?
The first ad is solid, but there’s something about that Haystack ad that struck a chord. The song, the setting, the telling of a story without dialog, absolutely charming.
Follow the headline link to read the well-deserved lavish praise, but here’s the quote:
“When we saw that first system and then you sat there and played with it for a few hours and the battery didn’t move, we thought ‘Oh man, that’s a bug, the battery indicator is broken,’” said Bob Borchers, VP of worldwide product marketing for Apple. “And then Tim’s laughing in the background, ‘Nope, that’s the way it’s supposed to be’ and it was pretty phenomenal.”
Apple TV+ today released the trailer for “Mr. Corman,” a new Apple Original comedy series created by, directed by and starring Emmy and SAG Award winner Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The first two episodes of the 10-episode first season will debut globally on Friday, August 6, 2021 on Apple TV+, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday.
Maybe it’s just me, but I continue to feel that Apple TV+ trailers rarely do justice to the source material. This started with Ted Lasso, whose original trailer mystified me, did not give a sense of the greatness of the show.
Here’s the trailer for Mr. Corman. I’m a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a follower of Apple TV+, so I will definitely tune in. But the trailer is not selling me.
The debut of the new American Express Platinum Card had me thinking a lot about the Apple Card, the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. collaboration that came out nearly two years ago. So far, it doesn’t appear that the card has made much headway: It’s still U.S.-only, the rewards are mediocre, and the revenue impact for Apple Inc. doesn’t seem significant.
And:
I think what the product needs is an Apple Card+: a product to target the high-end market dominated by the Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve. Those cards charge $550 to $695 a year, prices that aren’t out of reach for the sorts of Apple consumers who regularly spring for the Pro models or Hermès watch bands.
Two thoughtful points here: Apple Card has not reached its potential. In the discussion of credit cards, it’s not on the shortlist, other than for Apple related purchases, where the 3% cash back is worth considering (to me, it’s a no-brainer), especially given the lack of an annual fee.
And second, take a look through Mark’s list of imagined perks for an Apple Card+. I do think Apple could compete against the American Express Platinum Card, the gold…er…platinum standard for business folk. Apple can use its ecosystem to sweeten the pot, draw users, in ways American Express cannot.
I had a crocodile swim up on me while enjoying a beer and some music in Puerto Vallarta this week. It is truly an amazing experience to see one of those creatures close up. Brazilian thieves detail how they are accessing bank accounts from stolen iPhones and a new Ted Lasso trailer is available, which has Dave very excited.
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Nice bit of video on The Lasso Way, with lots of teases on season 2. Don’t miss the shot at 2:18 in where you see them actual filming a scene, with the camera operator and boom operator both in view.
Season 2 premiers July 23 (two weeks from tomorrow).
Apple Maps received several notable improvements in iOS 15, including new details in cities, an interactive globe, and enhanced driving directions. It also gained a feature that has long been available in rival map apps – the ability to set leaving and arrival times for driving directions.
The goal is to have a realistic driving time for future trips, based on predicted driving time for the time of day you specify.
In the past, to get this, had to use Google Maps. Glad to finally have this feature come to Apple Maps.
The Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported last month how criminals had been stealing iPhones in Brazil to access people’s bank accounts instead of reselling the devices. Now, the police seem to have finally figured out how they gain access to bank accounts, and to our surprise, the process seems easier than you might think.
And:
Basically, thieves take the SIM card out of the stolen iPhone and then put it into another iPhone. Using social networks like Facebook and Instagram, they can easily find out the email address used by the person who had the phone stolen. In most cases, this email address is the same as the one used for the Apple ID. All they need to do is reset the Apple ID password using the victim’s phone number.
The portability of the SIM card comes back to bite us. Is there anything Apple can do to prevent this?
Apple has promised the Brazilian newspaper that it will make it easier for users to delete all data from a stolen iPhone. However, the company did not give details of what exactly it will implement. With iOS 15, users will finally be able to track a powered-off iPhone using the Find My app.
And, of course, the best thing you can do to protect your accounts is not to store your passwords in the Notes app or other non-secure apps. Another good option is to only use an eSIM instead of a regular SIM, as the eSIM cannot easily be transferred to another device.
Louis Rossmann is well known for his continued fight to pass right to repair legislation. He sent a Cameo request to Wozniak, asking about right to repair.
Here’s Woz’s response:
And here’s Louis talking about the cameo request and his approach to lobbying for right to repair:
Apple today announced “9/11: Inside the President’s War Room,” a new documentary special that tells the story of 9/11 through the eyes of the presidency by gaining unprecedented access to the key decision makers who responded for the nation. Brought to audiences by Apple and the BBC, the documentary will make its global debut on Apple TV+ and BBC One this September, marking the 20th anniversary of the attack.
And:
“9/11: Inside the President’s War Room” recounts the 12 hours after the strike on that momentous day, offering rare and unique insight into the dilemmas of decision-making against the clock, as those involved provide intimate, revealing and heartfelt details for the first time.
Astonishing to me that 20 years have passed since 9/11. Wow.
This looks like a great project, lots of never before seen images, never heard before testimony from folks who were in the room. Just writing this is churning up some pretty raw memories, even after all these years.
When it came to Kyoto, Oshima Hiroshi was Steve Jobs’ man. Oshima worked as a chauffeur and a tour guide for Jobs on four trips, the last in 2010, just one year before the Apple founder’s death. Jobs would arrive with a vague idea of what he wanted to see but left the specifics to Oshima.
Follow the link, read the story. Some fascinating insight into Steve and his love of Japan.
> The machine is made by ASML Holding, based in Veldhoven. Its system uses a different kind of light to define ultrasmall circuitry on chips, packing more performance into the small slices of silicon and then sealed using the best CNC burntables according to this burntable reviews. The tool, which took decades to develop and was introduced for high-volume manufacturing in 2017, costs more than $150 million.
And:
> The complex machine is widely acknowledged as necessary for making the most advanced chips, an ability with geopolitical implications. The Trump administration successfully lobbied the Dutch government to block shipments of such a machine to China in 2019, and the Biden administration has shown no signs of reversing that stance.
And:
> Manufacturers can’t produce leading-edge chips without the system, and “it is only made by the Dutch firm ASML,” said Will Hunt, a research analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, which has concluded that it would take China at least a decade to build its own similar equipment. “From China’s perspective, that is a frustrating thing.”
Most importantly:
> TSMC uses the tool to make the processors designed by Apple for its latest iPhones.
It’s the most complicated machine in the world, and vital to Apple’s plans. It’s one bit of the stack too expensive and complex for Apple to replicate.
