Rumor, strongly sourced, but move on if you don’t want to know.
That said, I’ve been wondering what Apple could bring to the table to make AirPods Pro 2 more compelling than the first gen.
Here’s the details:
> In a note to investors, seen by MacRumors, Kuo explained that the second-generation AirPods Pro will feature new selling points that will lead to strong demand, including support for Apple Lossless (ALAC) audio and a charging case that users can trigger a sound from to highlight its location.
And:
> It seems likely that this sound-emitting charging case will integrate into the Find My app, similar to how users can currently emit a sound from their individual AirPods inside the case to help find them.
And:
> All of Apple’s current AirPods products, including the third-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, do not support Lossless audio. This is because AirPods play audio via Bluetooth, limiting them to the AAC codec. Higher quality Apple Lossless Audio Codec files may need to be streamed to AirPods directly to circumvent Bluetooth and enable a Lossless listening experience, but it is possible that Apple could develop an alternative solution.
Are lossless and Find My support enough of an addition to make you plunk down the cash for the next gen? Of course, you’d also get a brand new battery and (seems likely) other new features.
In my mind, this might be the most powerful ad Apple has ever released.
First, there’s the cry for help, people in obvious danger. Then there’s the visuals, suggesting the scene of the accident, without direct footage, but perfectly chosen. And, finally, those background strings, swelling the tension. So very well done.
> I recently acquired several new Apple Watch bands of different types. Among them, I decided to splurge on my very first (and likely last) Apple Watch Hermès item for my collection—the Apple Watch Hermès 45 mm Navy Single Tour Band.
And:
> Inside, the Apple Watch Hermès band is not in cardboard, but enrobed in a luxurious microfiber pouch with a familiar texture and configuration.
And:
> Upon closer inspection, the pouch appears to be made from the same material as the now famous Apple Polishing Cloth, the $19 cloth that enjoyed about a month of media hype in 2021.
Follow the headline link and scroll down to the very last image, a side-by-side of the polishing cloth draped over the Apple Watch Hermès band pouch. Tap/click a few times to embiggen and you’ll definitely get a sense that these are, indeed, made of the same material.
Any other Apple product ship with this material? Do the Mac Pro wheels come with a wheel-polishing cloth?
> When listening to a song from your music library on iPhone and iPad, it used to be possible to ask Siri to “rate this song five [or whatever number] stars,” and the virtual assistant would do so without fuss.
And:
> Yet reports on Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and the MacRumors forums suggest that the function is not available in iOS 15 or iOS 15.1, and has remained out of action in the latest iOS 15.2 point release, issued in December. Instead of carrying out the request, Siri responds with “I’m Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” or some variation thereof.
This issue has been out in the wild for a while (here’s a Reddit thread from about a month ago), but the hope was that this was a bug, rather than an actual permanent change.
This week, Dave and I catch up from the holiday break taking about our experiences traveling over the holidays. Dave’s family received a stand mixer, which went over very well, while I got an Eddie Van Halen guitar, which didn’t work out so well. We also talked about our favorite Apple products this year.
