Panel:

• Bart Busschots (host) - @bbusschots
• Simon Parnell from the Essential Apple Podcast - @serenak
• Mark chappell from the Essential Apple Podcast - @oceanspeed

The show starts with the usual followups and updates on long-running stories. That's followed by some Apple HR news, and some highlights from Apple's original content. The four main stories are the Apple -v- Epic trial, Apple Music going lossless, the Matter smart home standard, and Apple's pre-announcement of some new accessibility features. The show ends with a quick rundown of some smaller Apple-related stories that made the news in May.

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!

[audio mp3=”http://www.mymac.com/podcast/lta/LetsTalkApple-EP93-May2021.mp3”]

Followup

• Some Apple Podcast Subscriptions Developments:
  • Podcast subscription service Wondery+ joining Apple Podcasts Subscriptions — www.imore.com/…
  • Apple launches affiliate program for Apple Podcasts Subscriptions — www.imore.com/…
  • Apple has delayed Apple Podcasts Subscriptions until June — www.imore.com/…
• Apple shares more details on how Apple Card Family works — www.imore.com/…
• More regulatory rumblings all around the world:
  • 🇪🇺 The Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC) has backed the EU’s anti-trust case against Apple over streaming music — www.macobserver.com/…
  • 🇪🇺 EU Apple Pay probe moves forward as antitrust issues pile up — www.imore.com/…
  • 🇺🇸 The FTC has accused Apple and others of anticompetitive repair restrictions — www.imore.com/…
  • 🇺🇸 Apple slams antitrust claims in letter to Senate subcommittee — www.imore.com/…
  • 🇬🇧 The UK will investigate whether the iPhone Upgrade Program discriminates against disabled people — www.imore.com/…
    • Apple Dismisses UK App Store Allegations as ‘Meritless’ — www.macobserver.com/…
• Awards Season isn’t quite over yet!
  • ‘Ted Lasso’ and ‘Stillwater’ Earn Peabody Awards Nominations — www.macobserver.com/…
  • ‘Servant’ From Apple TV+ on TV Choice Awards Longlist — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Daytime Emmy Awards 2021: Apple TV+ Shows ‘Ghostwriter’ And ‘Helpsters’ Earn Nominations — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Apple TV Plus lands ‘The Big Door Prize’ from ‘Schitt’s Creek’ writer — www.imore.com/…
• Some AirTag/FindMy Updates:
  • iOS 14.5 Adds Beats Headphones Into the ‘Find My’ App — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Amazon Partners With Tile to Create Location Trackers — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Apple announces privacy update to AirTag and promises an Android app — www.imore.com/…

Apple HR & Acquisition News

• Apple have hired Samy Bengio, another former Google engineer, who will be joining John Giannandrea’s AI team — www.imore.com/…
• Stella Low to joins Apple as VP for Worldwide Corporate Communications, she’s previously worked in the communications departments of Cisco & Dell — www.macobserver.com/…
• Apple have hired Scott Croyle, formerly referred to as HTC’s Jony Ive to lead the Beats design team — www.imore.com/…
• Apple briefly hired a former Facebook exec:
  • Apple hires former Facebook exec Antonio Garcia Martinez to ads team — www.imore.com/…
  • A petition is circulating among Apple employees regarding the company’s ‘misogynistic’ new hire — www.imore.com/…
  • ‘Misogynistic’ Apple hire is out hours after employees call for investigation — www.theverge.com/…
• Apple Health executive Myoung Cha is leaving the company for a startup — www.imore.com/…
• Apple hiring for ‘Alternative Payments’ business manager — www.imore.com/… & Apple Looks to Hire Business Manager With Cryptocurrency Experience — www.macobserver.com/…
• Apple Loses Several Top Managers From Self-Driving Car Division — www.bloomberg.com/…

Apple Original Content Highlights

• Prince Harry and Oprah’s mental health docuseries debuts on Apple TV+ — www.imore.com/…
  • Oprah and Prince Harry docuseries number one TV+ program, says Apple — www.imore.com/…
• ‘Who Are You, Charlie Brown?’ debuts on Apple TV+ June 25 — www.imore.com/…

Main Stories

1. Apple -v- Epic Goes to Trial
   • Two superb summaries of the lead-up to the trial:
     • Epic vs. Apple trial starts today—here’s what to expect — arstechnica.com
     • Epic Versus Apple: The MacStories Overview - MacStories — www.macstories.net/…
   • The Trial Itself:
     • An excellent summary of the opening arguments: Epic vs. Apple opening arguments suggest a bitter battle over iOS’ future — arstechnica.com
     • Epic Games would have accepted special deal with Apple, says CEO — www.imore.com/…
     • At trial, Epic and Apple squeeze Microsoft over Xbox, xCloud restrictions — arstechnica.com
     • Epic vs Apple judge dumbfounded over Apple’s xCloud policy — www.imore.com/…
     • App Store chief on Epic Games payment hotfix: ‘I was blindsided’ — www.imore.com/…
     • App Store head says Apple promotes competitors’ apps ‘all the time’ — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple says less than 1% of app rejections appealed by developers — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple files motion to label testimony from Microsoft’s Lori Wright not credible — www.imore.com/…
     • Epic Games says iOS is its own market with high switching costs and lock-in — www.imore.com/…
     • Epic v. Apple judge floats potential compromise over App Store payments — www.imore.com/…
     • Phil Schiller details why Microsoft’s xCloud game service isn’t on the App Store — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple slams ‘unspeakable’ Itch.io content hosted on Epic Games Store — www.imore.com/…
     • Phil Schiller reveals $50M cost for WWDC, App Store Small Business Program details, more — 9to5mac.com/…
     • Apple’s Small Business Program dates back to 2016, says Phil Schiller — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple seeks early trial win against Epic over denial of access to iOS — www.imore.com/…
     • Craig Federighi defends iPhone security by throwing the Mac under the bus — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple accuses Microsoft of being in league with Epic during trial — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple CEO faces tough questioning as Epic Games trial wraps up — arstechnica.com
     • Tim Cook says Apple would still collect commission on alternative App Store payments — www.imore.com/…
     • Tim Cook faces barrage of tough questions in frantic final minutes of testimony — www.imore.com/…
     • The Epic v. Apple trial is over - here’s what’s next — www.imore.com/…
   • Analysis:
     • 10 quotes that could reveal the outcome of the Apple vs Epic Games trial — www.imore.com/…
     • Epic Games v. Apple by the numbers: Fortnite is worth that much money? — arstechnica.com
     • Nine things we learned from the Epic v. Apple trial — www.theverge.com/…
     • Why Roblox’s definition of “games” is key to the Epic vs. Apple case — arstechnica.com
   • As expected, the evidence presented revealed some interesting behind the scenes info:
     • Apple and Epic Games worked out details of a Fortnite subscription bundle in the past — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple’s Phil Schiller talked about reducing App Store fees a decade ago — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple debated whether or not to bring ads to the App Store back in 2015 — www.imore.com/…
     • Internal emails reveal Epic concerns ahead of ‘Project Liberty’ — www.imore.com/…
     • Microsoft’s feud with Apple over xCloud on iOS got a cloud gaming rival kicked from the App Store — www.theverge.com/…
     • Email reveals Apple had given Hulu special access to App Store API — www.imore.com/…
     • 128 Million Apple Users Unknowingly Downloaded Malware in 2015 — www.macobserver.com/… & Apple brass discussed disclosing 128-million iPhone hack, then decided not to — arstechnica.com
     • Internal docs reveal project ‘Columbus’, Apple’s huge push to improve App Review — www.imore.com/…
   • Related Apple Press Releases:
     • App Store prevented $1.5bn in fraud last year, removed 150,000 spam apps — www.imore.com/…
     • Apple touts $643 billion in App Store billings and sales in 2020 — www.imore.com/…
   • Related News:
     • Developers have a new way to advertise apps on the App Store — www.imore.com/…
     • Spotify exec brands Apple ‘ruthless bully’ in scathing article — www.imore.com/…
     • Snap CEO happy to pay Apple 30%, says they wouldn’t exist without iPhone — www.imore.com/…
2. Apple Music gets a free upgrade – Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos — arstechnica.com/…

   • What Apple devices are compatible with Apple Music Lossless? — www.imore.com/…

     ‘Apple Music lossless audio is supported on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV on iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS 11.4, or tvOS 14.6. However, you can’t listen to lossless audio without a wired headphone. So, no Apple wireless headphones will work, including the AirPods Max, even if using them wired.’

   • Apple’s support document explaining Lossless Audio in Apple Music — support.apple.com/…
   • Apple confirms lossless audio is coming to the HomePod lineup — www.imore.com/…
   • Apple Music Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio: Everything you need to know — www.imore.com/…
   • Related: Amazon make their lossloss option a free upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited (same price as Apple music) — www.imore.com/…
3. The new Matter Smart Home connectivity standard is launched — www.imore.com/… & tidbits.com/…
   • What was the Zigbee Alliance becomes the Connectivity Standards Alliance (Apple, Amazon & Google are all members)
   • What had been in development as CHIP (Project Connected Home over IP) has been released as the Matter standard
   • Certified devices will be able to securely interact with each other and the leading home assistants (Siri, Alexa & OK Google)
   • The first Matter-certified devices are expected later this year
4. International Accessibility Awareness Day (20th May)
   • Apple celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day across its services — www.imore.com/…
   • Apple Fitness+ Getting Closed Captioning Coming And Other Accessibility Features — www.macobserver.com/…
   • Apple pre-announced a slew of new accessibility updates that will be coming out over the remainder of the year — www.apple.com/…
     • A nice summary: Apple Announces Upcoming Accessibility Features — tidbits.com/…
     • SignTime rolled out immediately in the US, UK, and France, and allows customers to communicate with Apple using their local sign language (ASL, BSL & LSF)
     • Assistive Touch will be rolled out in the autumn and will allow the Apple Watch be used to detect gestures that can then control the user’s iPhone
     • Apple is also improving voiceover and adding hardware support for bi-directional hearing aids and eye trackers

Quick Stories

• Apple has published its supplier responsibility report for 2021 — www.imore.com/…
• Apple awards Corning, iPhone 12 Ceramic Shield maker, $45 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund — www.imore.com/…
• You’ll soon be able to Fast Pair your Beats headphones to Android devices — www.imore.com/…
• Apple announces two new Apple Watch Pride bands and a watch face — www.imore.com/…
  • The New Pride Apple Watch Faces Have an Easter Egg Feature — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Related: Apple celebrates Pride Month across Apple Music, Apple Fitness Plus, more — www.imore.com/…
• Apple confirms its WWDC21 schedule, beginning with June 7’s keynote — www.imore.com/…
  • Related: Apple announces the 2021 Apple Design Award finalists across six categories — www.imore.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.