The new iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple TV 4K will be available in stores from May 21, with previously placed orders starting to arrive too.
Charlotte Henry
Charlotte is a media junkie, covering how Apple is not just a revolutionary tech firm, but a revolutionary media firm for TMO. She is based in London, and writes and broadcasts for various outlets.
Articles by Charlotte Henry
Deezer Now Allows Users to Manage Playlists and Listen Offline on Apple Watch
Deezer subscribers can now download and manage their playlists and listen to music directly from their Apple Watch.
Apple Music Going Lossless, but Will Anyone Really Notice? — Media+
Adrian Weckler joins host Charlotte Henry to discuss the imminent arrival of Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and lossless audio to Apple Music. It’s cool, but are many people actually going to notice the difference?
Apple Music Lossless Audio Doesn't Work on AirPods, Not Even Wired AirPods Max
It turns out that no AirPods will be able to play lossless audio when the feature arrives on Apple Music. This includes the US$549 AirPods Max, even when they are using a wired connection, The Verge reported.
“Lossless audio is not supported on AirPods, any model,” an Apple spokesperson said by email. “AirPods Max wired listening mode accepts analog output sources only. AirPods Max currently does not support digital audio formats in wired mode.” It makes complete sense that the AirPods and AirPods Pro have no way of playing lossless audio. They’re totally wireless, and Apple supports the AAC codec over Bluetooth. AAC sounds plenty good, but it’s nowhere near the bit rate of CD-quality or high-resolution tracks. To do any better, Apple would need to come up with some new wireless codec — its own version of Sony’s LDAC, sort of — or make these things play music over Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. None of that is happening today or by June when Apple Music will start offering lossless. Things are a little more complicated with the AirPods Max, which can be plugged into audio sources with a cable. However, it turns out that even if you have Apple’s $35 Lightning-to-3.5mm cable plugged into a device that’s streaming lossless Apple Music tracks, you’re not going to hear the full audio fidelity of the source.
EU Apple Pay Probe 'Quite Advanced'
The EU’s investigation into Apple Pay is “quite advanced” according to the bloc’s antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager.
iOS 14.6 Developer Release Candidate Includes Apple Card Family and Podcast Subscriptions
Apple pushed a release candidate for iOS 14.6 to developers which includes Apple Card Family and Podcast subscriptions.
'Charlie Bit my Finger' to be Auctioned as an NFT... Then Deleted
The ‘Charlie Bit my Finger’ video joining the NFT action, The Verge reported. One of YouTube’s most famous and popular videos, it will be deleted after the auction. (The title of the clip has even changed to reflect this.)
At the end of the auction, which will begin on May 22nd, the original video will be deleted from YouTube forever, according to a press release, where it currently has over 880 million views. The auction will kick off on the video’s 14th anniversary. Since NFTs exploded onto the cultural landscape earlier this year, we’ve seen plenty of early-to-mid 2000s memes being sold on the blockchain, with many of them fetching higher prices than I would’ve ever have imagined… Seeing these numbers, some people (including myself) have snidely said something along the lines of “why would you pay that much for something that’s not actually scarce? I can see Nyan Cat on the internet whenever I like.” Deleting one of the most well-known videos from YouTube does at least somewhat solve that argument, since whoever ends up with the NFT will actually be able to lay claim to something scarce.
Inside The Episode Four of Apple TV+ 'The Mosquito Coast'
The latest ‘Inside the Episode’ video for episode of The Mosquito Coast was released over the weekend. In it, cast and creators, including Justin Theroux, discuss the various characters’ motivations.
Apple Unveils 2021 Pride Watch Bands and Faces
Apple revealed its Apple Watch Pride bands for 2021 – a Braided Solo Loop for US$99 and Nike Edition Sport Loop for US$49.
Spatial Audio With Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio Comes to Apple Music
Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos is coming to Apple Music and the service’s entire library of tracks is also going to become available in Lossless audio.
Official Trailer for Prince Harry, Oprah Apple TV+ Series Emerges
The official trailer for Oprah and Prince Harry’s Apple TV+ series about mental health has emerged. It gives a hint at the range of voices that will appear in The Me You Can’t See. The show itself premieres on May 21. The trailer was still ‘unlisted’ on YouTube at the time of this writing, but MacRumors had spotted it!
Apple TV+ Recap - Iconic Book Characters as Seen in 'Ghostwriter'
New episodes of Ghostwriter are now available on Apple TV+. A video was also released on Friday recapping some of the iconic book characters that have already appeared in the series. They include The White Rabbit from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Mowgli from The Jungle Book.
You Can Search and be Directed to Contact's Address in Apple Maps
You can search for the address of someone in your Contacts directly in Apple Maps, using the name you’ve saved them under.
Why Putting macOS on iPad is a Bad Idea
Since the introduction of the M1 chip to various iPad models, there has been lots of talk about replacing iPadOS with macOS. One person who is not a fan of this idea is Ed Hardy. He explained why at Cult of Mac.
No matter that Macs and iPads run on the same chip. macOS isn’t designed for a touchscreen. Apple would need to redesign the operating system to run on a tablet, and devs would need to alter third-party applications, too. And that would anger people using non-touchscreen laptops and desktops. Plus, people happy with the iPad now wouldn’t like the change either.
Tile Trackers Didn't Sell Well in Apple Stores
Tile trackers did not sell well in Apple Stores, according to Apple Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer in a letter to lawmakers.
Texan Man Imprisoned For Apple Store Thefts in Multiple States
Jalek Ingram, a 20-year-old man from Texas, has been given two-year in prison for his links to thefts at Apple Stores in various states. These included shoplifting 25 iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads from the retail outlet in Little Rock, Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Sentencing papers filed Thursday show Jalek Ingram received a total of three years in prison after pleading guilty to theft and commercial burglary for the March 2018 Apple store theft for a two-year term, with an additional year in prison for a second-degree battery charge stemming from his role in beating a fellow jail inmate unconscious last November. Three other men are charged in the Apple thefts while three other jail inmates, including two murder suspects, are accused in the attack on Marcus Lorenzo Daniels of Crawfordsville about 1½ weeks before Thanksgiving.
U.S. and China Activists Hit Out at Apple App Store During Epic Games Trial
As Apple’s court clash with Epic Games continues, campaigners in the U.S and China have reiterated their complaints against the App Store.
Experts Key to Epic vs Apple Battle
The Epic Games vs Apple case is well underway. A key part of the trial is expert witnesses, with David Evans, chairman of Global Economics Group set to be there for the Fortnite maker. Reuters has a breakdown of the significance of his, and other, appearances.
On the stand this week, Evans testified that Apple is what is known as a single-brand market, arguing that once consumers buy an iPhone, the costs of switching to an Android are so high that they rarely make the jump. Since about 2010, Evans testified, Apple’s App Store has effectively been its own market, and users rarely venture outside. After Apple kicked “Fortnite” off the App Store, Evans testified, only a small fraction of Apple users jumped to other devices like PCs or gaming consoles to play “Fortnite.”
Pixelmator Pro Available With 50 Percent Discount
Pixelmator Pro is currently available with a 50 percent discount, and users also got a sneak peek at version 2.1 of the software.
YouTube TV Added Direct to App as Roku Row Escalates
Google and Roku are still rowing over how to get YouTube TV back on the streaming platform. It seems like Google has taken things into its own hands, as The Verge reported that YouTube TV is now in the main YouTube app.
YouTube users will start seeing a “Go to YouTube TV” option in the main YouTube app over the next few days. When they select that, they’ll then be switched over to the standard YouTube TV user experience. This option is coming to Roku devices first — where it’s currently most needed — but will also come to YouTube on other platforms as well. In essence, Google has basically stuffed the YouTube TV app into YouTube itself, a solution that seems unlikely to make Roku very happy. Google says it’s “still working to come to an agreement with Roku to ensure continued access to YouTube TV for our mutual customers,” and it notes the YouTube TV app remains usable for those who already have it installed
App Tracking Transparency Most Popular New Feature With iPhone Users, as Brand Loyalty Soars
Apple brand loyalty is at 92.6 percent, with App Tracking Transparency the most popular new iOS 14.5 features with iPhone users.
Apple Engineer Leaves After Two Weeks After Racist, Sexist Comments Criticized
A product manager has left Apple after a couple of weeks in the job following an internal backlash over previous racist, sexist comments.
Two Months After it Was discontinued, HomePod Models Remain Available to Purchase
The HomePod was meant to be discontinued on March 12. However, 9to5 Mac picked up on reports of the device’s ongoing availability.
Apple announced that the original HomePod would be discontinued on March 12, as it shifted its focus to the HomePod mini. Here’s what the company said back then: HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control all for just $99. We are focusing our efforts on the mini model. We are discontinuing the original HomePod, it will continue to be available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers. Apple will provide customers with software updates and service and support through Apple Care. Over these past two months, evidence has emerged on just how poorly Apple’s smart speaker sold. The YouTuber Michael Kukielka, also known as DetroitBORG, bought at least two HomePods after Apple discontinued the product, and by his surprise, the models he bought were from the launch stock three years ago.
Joel Coen’s 'The Tragedy of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand Coming to Apple TV+
Apple Original Films and A24 are partnering on ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.
