LTA 118: June 2023

Panel:

• Bart Busschots (host) – @bbusschots

This month there was so much Apple news Bart decided the only possible way to get through it all was as a solo show. The show’s main top is WWDC, with the focus being on the new Macs, the OS updates, and of course, the entirely new computing paradigm Apple previewed — spatial computing!

You’ll find detailed show notes below the fold, and if you enjoy this free show, please consider clicking on the donate button at the top of the left side bar – the show is free for you to listen to, but not for Bart to Produce!

Updates & Followup

Quick updates to long-running stories the show continues to track, and to stories covered in recent shows.

• Apple’s union-woes continue: Apple World Trade Center anti-union practices ruled illegal by Labor Board — appleinsider.com/… & Apple to appeal NLRB ruling it ‘coercively interrogated’ staff about unions — appleinsider.com/…

Notable Numbers

• Apple is the world’s biggest company at $3 trillion – again — appleinsider.com/… (First crossed $3T in Jan 2022, then fell back below $2T before climbing again, $3.05T when the show was recorded)

Regulatory Rundown

• EU law requiring easier iPhone battery replacement inches closer to enactment — appleinsider.com/…
• The EU Data Act moves a step closer, with agreement in principle between the parliament and the council of ministers on the rules the act will enforce. The aim is to make it easier for users to migrate their data from one cloud service to another, and would cover iCloud — appleinsider.com/… & www.consilium.europa.eu/…
• Japan law will require Apple to allow alternate iPhone app stores — appleinsider.com/…
• Apple joins a long list of other tech companies in urging the government to abandon their misguided plans to ban End-to-End Encryption (and hence actual security) — appleinsider.com/…
• Related: Apple expands Self Service Repair and updates System Configuration process — www.apple.com/… (now includes iPhone 14 & more Macs, and Apple say some processes have been simplified)

Legal Latest

• Apple -v- Epic: Apple & Epic have jointly filed a request for an en banc (full 11 judge panel) review of the Federal Appeals Court’s most recent finding, which was almost, but not quite entirely, in Apple’s favour. Very few requests for and en banc review are granted, so the most likely outcome will be that the companies will need to appeal to the US Supreme Court — appleinsider.com/…
• Judge denies Amazon’s, Apple’s motions to dismiss class action price-fixing suit — arstechnica.com (Relates to Amazon’s crackdown on unauthorised resellers of Apple products)
• Judge rejects Apple’s bid to throw out China sales comment class-action lawsuit — appleinsider.com/… (Cranky shareholders claiming Tim Cook mislead them by being too optimistic in an answer on the November 2018 earnings call)
• Caltech -v- Apple: the Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal of the patent case Apple & Qualcom lost to CalTech over WiFi patents, so the $1.1Bn ruling stands — appleinsider.com/…

Apple HR & Acquisition News

• Apple’s machine learning head departs to run AI thinktank — appleinsider.com/… (Ali Farhadi → CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence)
• Apple Shortcuts engineering manager Ari Weinstein departs Apple — appleinsider.com/… (No word on why or where to)
• Beats signs up A-Cold-Wall’s Samuel Ross for new design role — appleinsider.com/…

Apple Services & Original Content Highlights

• My Photo Stream is closing down, Apple are directing users to iCloud Photo Library instead — appleinsider.com/…
• Apple have tweaked their iCloud pricing, with rises in many countries, including the UK, but a fall in Iceland, and no change in major markets like the US — appleinsider.com/…
• Apple TV:
  • Based on numbers from US movie & TV search engine JustWatch, Apple make the highest rated content of any US streamer — Apple TV+ produces best-reviewed content of any streaming service — www.cultofmac.com/…
  • Lionel Messi Is Coming to MLS, With a Revenue Sharing Deal From Apple — daringfireball.net/… (MLS = Major League Soccer)
    • Related: You can buy ‘Ted Lasso’ AFC Richmond shirts & scarves from Nike — appleinsider.com/…
  • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars people) have updated the requirements for films to be eligible for best picture in an apparent attempt to freeze out streaming companies. Given Apple’s recent moves to show more of their movies in US Theatres, this may affect Apple less than others — appleinsider.com/…

Main Stories (WWDC)

1. WWDC Tidbits
   • WWDC 2023: Apple Publishes Keynote Video — www.macstories.net/…
   • The Other Keynote: Platforms State of the Union — developer.apple.com/…
   • Apple Design Awards winners revealed at WWDC 2023 — appleinsider.com/… (Apple’s Press Release)
   • App Store Review Guideline updates go after fake apps, bad ads — appleinsider.com/…
   • There was no news about services in the keynote, that came later in a press release! — www.apple.com/…
     • Apple announces new Music, Podcasts, and Maps features coming in the fall — appleinsider.com/…
     • Apple Services Preview: Better Integration, Increased Customization, and Sharing Options — www.macstories.net/…
     • iOS 17 brings offline navigation to Apple Maps — www.cultofmac.com/… (including in CarPlay)
     • Apple Podcasts Adds New Subcategories and Refreshes Recommendations — www.macstories.net/…
   • Apple is adding adaptive audio to AirPods Pro — arstechnica.com (Apple’s Press Release)
   • Opinion: Apple’s biggest reveals at WWDC23 — www.cultofmac.com/…
2. New Macs — www.macstories.net/…
   • The MacBook Air gets bigger with new 15-inch model — arstechnica.com (Apple’s Press Release)
     • Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 processor is 12x faster than Intel’s version — appleinsider.com/…
     • Opinion:
       • Review: Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air says what it is and is what it says — arstechnica.com
       • 15-inch MacBook Air review: Hits the sweet spot for portability and power — appleinsider.com/…
   • Apple introduces M2 Ultra — www.apple.com/… & Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro — www.apple.com/…
     • Apple M2 Ultra: Everything you Need to Know — www.macobserver.com/…
     • As rumored, the Mac Studio gets an M2 refresh, including fused-together M2 Ultra — arstechnica.com
     • This is the new Apple Silicon Mac Pro — arstechnica.com
     • Apple Silicon Mac Pro does not support PCI-E Radeon video cards — appleinsider.com/…
     • M2 Ultra Mac Pro proves twice as fast as Intel Mac Pro — at half the price — www.cultofmac.com/… & Geekbench reveals M2 Ultra chip’s massive performance leap in 2023 Mac Pro — appleinsider.com/…
     • Maxed-out Apple Silicon Mac Pro costs 1/4 what a maxed Intel one did — appleinsider.com/…
     • Analysis:
       • M2 Mac Studio vs Mac Pro 2023 — compared — appleinsider.com/…
       • Why the Mac Pro lacks upgradable RAM and support for eGPUs — www.cultofmac.com/…
     • Opinion:
       • The new Apple Silicon Mac Pro badly misses the mark for most of the target market — appleinsider.com/…
       • Mac Pro M2 review – Maybe a true modular Mac will come in a few more years — appleinsider.com/…
       • M2 Ultra Mac Studio review: Who needs a Mac Pro, anyway? — arstechnica.com
       • M2 Ultra Mac Studio review: Top of the line — sixcolors.com/…
       • Mac Studio review roundup: The Pro’s choice — appleinsider.com/…
       • 2023 Mac Studio review roundup: Eye-watering power — www.cultofmac.com/…
   • Three New Macs Complete the Apple Silicon Transition — tidbits.com/…
3. OS Updates
   • Ecosystem Updates
     • Apple provides powerful insights into new areas of health — www.apple.com/…
       • Mental Health and Other Enhancements to Apple’s Health App — www.macobserver.com/…
       • Apple health updates boost mind and body across platforms — www.cultofmac.com/…
       • Hands-on: Apple Health App: How to Track Mental and Vision Health — www.macobserver.com/…
     • There also room for a section on security & privacy in the keynote, so that came by press release: Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features — www.apple.com/…
       • iOS 17 automatically blurs unsolicited nude images sent to adults — www.cultofmac.com/…
       • Hands-on: How to Send and Use iOS 17 Check In Messages on iPhone — www.macobserver.com/…
       • Hands-on: How To Enable and Use Sensitive Content Warning on iOS 17? — www.macobserver.com/…
       • Hands-on: How to Setup and Use iOS 17 Family Password Sharing on iPhone — www.macobserver.com/… & How to use the new password sharing in Safari on macOS Sonoma — appleinsider.com/…
       • Hands-on: How to share an Apple AirTag with other people — www.cultofmac.com/…
       • Analysis: Checklist 331: Privacy, Security, and WWDC23 — overcast.fm/…
     • Cross-OS features:
       • Apple dropping ‘Hey’ from ‘Hey Siri,’ and allowing users to issue multiple commands — appleinsider.com/…
       • Hands-on: How to Share Contacts with NameDrop on iPhone & Apple Watch — www.macobserver.com/…
       • Hands on with Safari Profiles, Apple’s latest attempt to curb tab clutter — www.cultofmac.com/…
       • Apple’s Notes App Now Lets You Create Links Between Notes — www.macrumors.com/…
   • Car Play: All the new features in iOS 17 CarPlay: offline maps, SharePlay, more — appleinsider.com/…
   • tvOS 17 brings FaceTime and video conferencing to the biggest screen in the home — www.apple.com/…
     • tvOS 17 Redefines Entertainment With Cutting-Edge Features — www.macobserver.com/…
     • FaceTime comes to Apple TV with the tvOS 17 update — appleinsider.com/…
     • AirPlay coming to hotel TVs soon thanks to LG and Apple partnership — appleinsider.com/…
   • Introducing watchOS 10, a milestone update for Apple Watch — www.apple.com/…
     • watchOS 10 arrives for Apple Watch, with widgets, new faces, and more workouts — appleinsider.com/…
     • watchOS 10 feature roundup: widgets, cycling, enterprise, and more — appleinsider.com/…
     • A good description of just how much of a redesign the OS got: WWDC 2023: watchOS 10’s redesign — sixcolors.com/…
     • watchOS 10 brings Optimized Charge Limit to older Apple Watch models — www.cultofmac.com/…
     • Hands-on Details (from beta users):
       • How to Add Widgets and Use Smart Stack in watchOS 10 — www.macobserver.com/…
       • How to Get New Cycling Metrics Measured in watchOS 10 — www.macobserver.com/…
   • macOS Sonoma brings all‑new capabilities for elevating productivity and creativity — www.apple.com/…
     • macOS Sonoma adds Game Mode, a new design for desktop widgets, and more — arstechnica.com
     • macOS Sonoma brings better gaming, new AR features and souped-up Safari — www.cultofmac.com/…
     • Apple has a Proton-like Game Porting Toolkit for getting Windows games on Mac — arstechnica.com
       • Related: Steam update brings new features & Mac hardware acceleration — appleinsider.com/…
       • Opinion: Apple opens the floodgates for Mac gaming — www.cultofmac.com/… & Apple’s Secret Weapon to Getting PC Games on Mac — www.inverse.com/…
     • What Intel Macs aren’t getting in macOS Sonoma — appleinsider.com/…
     • Hands-on Details (shared by beta users):
       • How to use desktop widgets in macOS Sonoma — appleinsider.com/…
       • How to Use Web Apps in macOS Sonoma, and Why You Should – The Mac Security Blog — www.intego.com/…
   • iOS 17 makes iPhone more personal and intuitive — www.apple.com/…
     • Apple’s iOS 17 adds better autocorrect, journaling, clock-like StandBy, and more — arstechnica.com
     • iOS 17 continues personalization push & makes big adds to Messages — appleinsider.com/…
     • iOS 17 feature roundup: StandBy, NameDrop, Contact Posters, more — appleinsider.com/…
     • iOS 17 Messages app can make Live Photos and all emoji into stickers — www.cultofmac.com/…
     • WWDC 2023: New FaceTime Features Coming This Fall — www.macstories.net/…
     • WWDC 2023: More responsive iOS camera apps — sixcolors.com/…
     • What iOS 17 features you aren’t going to get at launch — appleinsider.com/…
     • Hands-on Details (shared by beta users):
       • How to use interactive widgets in iOS 17 — appleinsider.com/…
       • WWDC 2023: A First Look at Messages in iOS 17 — www.macstories.net/…
       • How to Use iPhone StandBy Mode as a Mini Smart Display — www.macobserver.com/…
       • Hands on with iOS 17 Autocorrect and intelligent input improvements — www.cultofmac.com/…
       • How to Create and Use Personalized Contact Posters on iOS 17 — www.macobserver.com/…
       • How to Use iOS 17 Live Voicemail to Screen Missed Calls — www.macobserver.com/…
       • How to Ping Apple Watch From Control Center on iPhone with iOS 17 — www.macobserver.com/…
     • Opinion: 13 Best iOS 17 Features: Live Voicemail, NameDrop, Journal App and More — www.macobserver.com/…
   • iPadOS 17 brings new levels of personalisation and versatility to iPad — www.apple.com/…
     • Apple reveals iPadOS 17 with customizable Lock Screen, Health app, more — appleinsider.com/…
     • iPadOS 17 brings Lock Screen customization and interactive widgets to iPad — www.cultofmac.com/…
     • iPadOS 17 feature roundup: Interactive widgets, USB webcam support, Health app, more — appleinsider.com/…
     • Opinion: With iPadOS 17, Stage Manager Is (Finally) Moving in the Right Direction — www.macstories.net/…
     • Hands-on Details (from Beta users):
       • Hands on with long-overdue improvements to the Files app coming in iPadOS 17 — www.cultofmac.com/…
   • Odds & Ends:
     • First developer betas for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, tvOS 17, watchOS 10, macOS Sonoma are out — appleinsider.com/…
       • It wasn’t a mistake — Apple betas are now free — appleinsider.com/…
     • The features that didn’t get discussed onstage at WWDC – Six Colors — sixcolors.com/…
     • These iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma features are not coming to older devices — www.cultofmac.com/…
     • Opinion:
       • 12 Compelling Features Coming to Apple’s Operating Systems in 2023 — tidbits.com/…
       • 10 awesome new features Apple didn’t talk about at WWDC23 — www.cultofmac.com/…
       • The new Apple OS features I want right now — sixcolors.com/…
       • Apple avoids “AI” hype at WWDC keynote by baking ML into products — arstechnica.com
4. Spatial Computing
   • The Apple Vision Pro
     • Apple reveals Vision Pro, available for $3,499 “early next year” — arstechnica.com
     • Apple put 96Hz-capable screens in its Vision Pro headset — www.theverge.com/…
     • New Optic ID biometrics use your iris to unlock the Apple Vision Pro headset — appleinsider.com/…
     • Apple Vision Pro will launch with over 100 Apple Arcade games — appleinsider.com/…
     • Apple and Disney partner for Apple Vision Pro Disney+ day-one launch — appleinsider.com/…
     • Opinion: What to make of Apple’s intriguing $3,499 Vision Pro headset — arstechnica.com
     • Hands-on Reviews:
       • Up close and hands on with Apple Vision Pro at Apple Park — appleinsider.com/… (Andrew O’Hara)
       • Eyes (and head) on with the Apple Vision Pro — sixcolors.com/… (Jason Snell)
       • Hands-on with Apple Vision Pro: This is not a VR headset — arstechnica.com (Samuel Axon)
       • First Impressions of Vision Pro and VisionOS — daringfireball.net/… (John Gruber)
       • Apple Vision Pro: A Watershed Moment for Personal Computing — www.macstories.net/… (Federico Viticci)
     • Related: Apple faces trademark fight over the name ‘Vision Pro’ in China — appleinsider.com/…
   • Vision OS
     • WWDC Session: Principles of spatial design — developer.apple.com/…
     • WWDC Session: Design for spatial input — developer.apple.com/…
     • Here’s how spatial user interfaces work in visionOS — www.cultofmac.com/…
     • Apple’s visionOS keyboard is extremely thoughtfully designed — appleinsider.com/…
     • Vision Pro will turn any surface into a display with touch control — appleinsider.com/…
     • WebKit on VisionOS Will Support Open WebXR Content — daringfireball.net/…
     • Apple Vision Pro headset will get its own App Store featuring apps for visionOS — appleinsider.com/…
       • Related: Here are the Vision Pro apps that Apple won’t allow — www.cultofmac.com/…
     • Apple releases visionOS SDK to developers and details testing process — arstechnica.com (Apple’s Press Release)
       • Hands-on (with the beta in the simulator): Hands on with visionOS — using the Apple Vision Pro operating system — appleinsider.com/…
       • Related: Developers’ Early Experiments with visionOS — www.macstories.net/…
   • Related: Apple buys AR headset startup Mira — www.cultofmac.com/…
   • Opinion: Bart’s conversation with Friend of the Show Allison Sheridan about Vision OS: CCATP #769: Bart Busschots on visionOSwww.podfeet.com/…

Quick Stories

• Apple updates iOS and macOS iWork apps with new SVG support, ProRes on mobile — appleinsider.com/…
• Apple adds $25 million more to its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative — www.cultofmac.com/… & Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative surpasses $200 million in investments, doubling initial 2020 commitment — www.apple.com/…
• Apple have filed the paperwork to apply for permits to build its Research Triangle Park campus near Raleigh, NC — appleinsider.com/…
• Apple Back to School deal bundles gift card up to $150 with new Mac or iPad — www.cultofmac.com/…

Legend

Note: When the textual description of a link is part of the link it is the title of the page being linked to, when the text describing a link is not part of the link it is a description written by Bart.