Panel:

• Bart Busschots (host) – @bbusschots
• Chuck Joiner from MacVoices – @chuckjoiner
• Lynda Gousha from the Silicon Valley MUG – @llg4cdg

The show starts with the usual followups and updates on long-running stories. That’s followed by some some Apple-related legal news, and some highlights from Apple’s original content and subscription services. The three main stories are Apple’s ‘Unleashed’ event, the release of macOS Monterey, and Apple’s Q4 2021 earnings call. The show ends with a quick rundown of some smaller Apple-related stories that made the news in October.

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.

• Ecobee make use of the new features announced at WWDC to add Siri to their SmartThermostats — www.imore.com/…
• Apple backpedals on almost all changes made to Safari — www.imore.com/…
• As promised in last month’s keynote: Apple Fitness+ expands to fifteen new countries — www.imore.com/…
  • Related: The Apple One Premier subscription bundle rolls out to 17 new countries — www.imore.com/…
  • Related: The new countries are not getting Apple News+, but three more American cities are getting local news via News (Washington DC, Charlotte NC & Miami FL) — www.imore.com/…

• AppleToo developments:

  • Apple have fired Janneke Parrish, one of the leaders of the #AppleToo movement for interfering in an investigation into product leaks. Their supporters are portraying the ground as a technicality, but that’s just one side of the story, and Apple are not commenting — www.imore.com/… & daringfireball.net/… (The accusation is interfering in a company investigation into product leaks)
  • Parrish went on to file labor charge against Apple — www.theverge.com/…
• Pegasus Spyware/NSO Group developments:
  • 🇪🇺 Pegasus Project: European Parliament awards journalism prize to investigation of use of spyware — www.brusselstimes.com/…
  • 🇺🇸 Pegasus spyware maker NSO added to Entity List as a national security threat — www.imore.com/…
• The fallout from iOS 14’s App Tracking Transparency continues:
  • Snap shares plummet 25% as it reveals Apple privacy changes crushed ads — www.imore.com/…
  • Facebook, Google earnings show mixed impact of iOS 14 changes — www.imore.com/…
  • Peloton says Apple privacy changes partly to blame for revised outlook — www.imore.com/…
  • Customer feedback on iPhone tracking changes ‘overwhelmingly positive’ — www.imore.com/…
• Apple continue their fight against side-loading:
  • Apple have released a 47-page white paper detailing the dangers as they see them — www.tomsguide.com/…
    • The PDF — www.apple.com/…
  • Craig Federighi spoke strongly and passionately against side-loading at the Web Summit in Lisbon — www.imore.com/… & arstechnica.com/…
• 🇨🇳 China’s authoritarian regime continues to cause headaches for Apple & other tech companies:
  • Did China just force Apple to remove a Quran app from the App Store? — www.imore.com/…
  • Audible App Unavailable in China App Store [Updated] — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Yahoo Finance and Bible App Amongst Latest to be Removed From China App Store — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Yahoo Exits China Due to ‘Challenging’ Environment — www.macobserver.com/…

Legal Latest

• 🇺🇸 Apple -v- Epic:
  • Epic Games files opposition to Apple appeal in App Store case — www.imore.com/…
  • Apple updated it’s developer guidelines in line with the Epic ruling, allowing developers to ask for contact information to contact users outside the app, and announcing a new in-app events API — www.imore.com/…
    • The actual changes — developer.apple.com/…
    • In-app events will come to the App Store on October 27 — www.imore.com/…
  • Apple filed paperwork with the court describing the changes above as complying with part of the court order, and asking for a stay on implementing the provision to allow steering — www.imore.com/…
  • Related: Mark Zuckerberg unveils plan to bypass Apple’s 30% fees — www.imore.com/…
• 🇰🇷 South Korean -v- Google & Apple:
  • Google unveils South Korea alternative billing system, fees still attached — www.imore.com/…
    • Opinion: John Gruber points out that Google’s move to charge commission even via alternative payment providers will prove an interesting test case — daringfireball.net/…
  • Related: Apple South Korea head resigns amidst App Store payments scrutiny — www.imore.com/… (It’s not at all clear there is any connection)
  • Related: Google has reduced it’s PlayStore cut from 30% to 15%, and as low as 10% for some kinds of in-app content — www.macobserver.com/…
• 🇷🇺 Russia opens antitrust case against Apple’s App Store — www.imore.com/…
• 🇫🇷 Apple says $1.3 billion France fine should be overturned — www.imore.com/…

Apple Services & Original Content Highlights

• Apple TV+ continues to go strong as it reaches its second birthday
  • Apple TV+ breaks into weekly streaming charts with ‘Ted Lasso’ — www.imore.com/… & Apple TV+’s ‘Ted Lasso’ finale sees strong viewership but can’t compete with Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ — www.imore.com/…
  • ‘Finch’, ‘Dickinson’ Season Three, and ’Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show Out Now on Apple TV+ — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Mariah Carey returns for Apple TV+ Christmas special — www.imore.com/…
  • Access to Apple TV+ continues to get easier:
    • LG offers its smart TV customers a free three-month Apple TV+ trial — www.imore.com/…
    • Latest Amazon TVs Will Support AirPlay 2, HomeKit — www.macobserver.com/…
    • 🇺🇸 Apple TV Plus Is Coming to Comcast’s Xfinity and Other Video Platforms — variety.com/…
    • 🇬🇧 🇮🇪 🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇮🇹 Apple TV+ coming to Sky Glass and Sky Q — www.imore.com/…
  • Related: New report says Apple is battling TV+ piracy online — www.imore.com/…
  • Related: Apple TV+ bags 20th Television’s Erin May as a new senior creative executive — www.imore.com/…
• New games continue to flow into Apple Arcade regularly
  • Tiny Wings+ has flapped its way into Apple Arcade — download now! — www.imore.com/…
  • ‘NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition’ Now Available to Play on Apple Arcade — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Official Crayola Game ‘Crayola Create and Play+’ Now on Apple Arcade — www.macobserver.com/…
  • Transformers: Tactical Arena has rolled out to Apple Arcade — www.imore.com/…
  • Related: Netflix launches video games for members on Android — www.brusselstimes.com/…
• Maps improvements continue to roll out around the world:
  • 🇦🇺 Improved Apple Maps rolling out in Australia — www.imore.com/…
• ApplePay’s world-wide rollout continues:
  • 🇸🇪 Express Travel with Apple Pay comes to Skånetrafiken in Sweden — www.imore.com/…
  • 🇦🇿 🇨🇷 🇨🇴 Apple Pay comes to Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, and Colombia — www.imore.com/…

Main Stories

1. “Unleashed” Event
   • Here’s how to re-watch Apple’s ‘Unleashed’ MacBook Pro event — www.imore.com/…
   • Apple announces new third-generation AirPods featuring Spatial Audio — www.imore.com/…
     • What Does the AirPods IPX4 Rating Mean? — www.macobserver.com/…
     • AirPods Pro are now available with the new MagSafe Charging Case — www.imore.com/…
   • Apple announces new HomePod mini colors and new Apple Music plan — www.imore.com/…
     • Related: Apple have re-hired Afrooz Familyto head the HomePod team – he left Apple in 2016 to co-found the audio startup Syng — www.imore.com/…
   • Apple announce a new Apple Music Voice Plan for Siri-only access to Apple’s entire catalogue with no ads and infinite skips for $4.99p.m. — www.apple.com/…
     • Apple Music Voice Plan: Everything you need to know — www.imore.com/…
     • Related:
       • Apple rolls out new Apple Music playlists — www.imore.com/… & A Comprehensive Guide to 250+ of Apple Music’s New Mood and Activity Playlists – MacStories — www.macstories.net/…
       • Apple Music is now officially available on PS5 — www.imore.com/…
       • Travis Scott ‘Astroworld’ Performance To Stream Exclusively on Apple Music — www.macobserver.com/…
     • Context: Spotify has nothing similar, but Amazon has an Amazon Music Echo plan for $4p.m. — daringfireball.net/…
     • Related Opinion: Trying to Understand Why The Apple Music Voice Plan Exists — www.macobserver.com/…
   • Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max chips: Everything you need to know — www.imore.com/…
     • Related: 🎧 🎦 Rene Richie interviewed Apple executives Tom Boger & Tim Millet about the new chips. You can watch the video on YouTube or listen to it on his podcast — youtu.be/… & podcasts.apple.com/…
   • Apple intros 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros with display notches, M1 Pro, and M1 Max — arstechnica.com
     • Apple’s new MagSafe cable now comes separate from power adapter — www.imore.com/…
     • MacBook Pro’s 140W adapter is Apple’s first GaN charger — www.imore.com/…
     • It Costs Another US$20 to Get Fast Charging For The New 14-Inch MacBook Pro — www.macobserver.com/…
     • Apple updates Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for new MacBook with M1 Pro and M1 Max — www.imore.com/… & iMovie gets update for iPhone 13’s cinematic mode, new MacBook Pro chips — www.imore.com/…
     • The notch causes controversy:
       • MacBook Pro Notch Menu Bar Issues Surface — www.macobserver.com/…
       • Apple’s new MacBook Pro can use the full screen around notch — www.imore.com/…
       • How to adjust an app’s settings to appear below the camera area on your 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro — support.apple.com/…
       • Update for Menu Bar Organizer ‘Bartender’ Supports MacBook Pro Notch — www.macobserver.com/…
     • New MacBook Pro teardown reveals big internal upgrades — www.imore.com/…
     • Review: 2021 MacBook Pro review: Yep, it’s what you’ve been waiting for — arstechnica.com
   • Related: Apple cuts another Intel tie by discontinuing 21.5-inch iMac — arstechnica.com
   • Just for Fun: 🎦 A Song Made From Apple Sounds — www.macobserver.com/… (featured in the keynote)
2. macOS Monterey is Now Available — www.macobserver.com/…
   • Universal Control was not ready to launch with the OS, it will come out later this fall — www.imore.com/…
   • How to Use Focus to Limit Notifications in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey – The Mac Security Blog — www.intego.com/…
   • 🎦 Apple Support: How to use Shortcuts on Mac — www.loopinsight.com/…
   • Apple rolls out fix for macOS Monterey bug that bricked some Macs with the T2 chip — 9to5mac.com/…
   • Trivial Fun: Apple didn’t release a photo background for Monterey, so a group of photographers did! — www.vyncher.com/… (I’m using it, and love it)
   • Related: iOS 15.1 Adds SharePlay, ProRes Video Capture, and Vaccination Cards in Wallet — www.macobserver.com/…
   • Reviews:
     • macOS Monterey review: A worthy update with some holes still to fill — www.imore.com/…
     • macOS 12 Monterey: The Ars Technica review — arstechnica.com/…
3. Apple’s Q4 2021 Earnings Call — Apple announces record fourth quarter — sixcolors.com/…
   • Apple Reports EPS of $1.24 on $83B in Revenues for September Quarter — www.macobserver.com/…
   • Despite huge iPhone sales, Apple misses the mark in Q4 earnings report — arstechnica.com
   • Apple experienced $6 billion in supply constraints in Q4 2021 — www.imore.com/…
   • Apple shares slide as Tim Cook warns of holiday supply constraints — www.imore.com/…
   • Apple earned $1 billion every day this financial year — www.imore.com/…
     • Related: Microsoft passes Apple as world’s most valuable company — www.imore.com/… (still higher on 6 Nov)

Quick Stories

• As expected, Apple is doing it’s bit on climate change in time for COP26
  • Apple announces big environmental leaps ahead of COP26 — www.imore.com/…
  • Apple joins Imec’s new Sustainable Semiconductor research program — www.imore.com/…
  • Apple joins First Movers Coalition as part of company’s environmental goals — www.imore.com/…
  • Related: 🎧 Jane Goodall interviews Lisa Jackson on her excellent Hopecast — overcast.fm/…
• Apple joins the Blender Development Fund, will help out with ‘engineering expertise’ — www.imore.com/…
• Beats ditches the Powerbeats, Beats Solo Pro, and Beats EP as Fit Pro earbuds arrive — www.imore.com/…
• Apple reportedly has hired CJ Moore, a former head of Tesla’s Autopilot team to join its car project under fellow Tesla alum Stuart Bowers who joined Apple last year — www.imore.com/…
• Tile takes on Apple’s AirTag with its new item tracker lineup — 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.