Review of the Year 2019

We had such fun doing the review of the year for 2018 we thought we’d do it all again for 2019.

It’s great fun looking back and seeing how all the stories from the year developed over the year.

Originally, we thought the review of the year would be a blog post but when we starting reminiscing about the year together just like last year we thought we’d record it and share it with the MacBiters. If you want to hear the fun we had with it check out MacBites 0124.

January

04: iPad Cannot Restore iCloud Backups

• iOS versions were out of sync over the Christmas break after Apple hurriedly released the iOS 12.1.2 iPhone update out
• One of the more serious ramifications of this is that backups made on iPhones running 12.1.2 cannot be restored to iPads running older iOS versions
  

04: MacBites After Hours 0008: We Have a Cunning Plan

• The first Friday of 2019 saw the first MacBites After Hours of the year and according to the title we had a cunning plan!
• Elaine was deep in her beloved Notion again
  

05: Speculation About a New iPad mini in 2019

• Only days into the new year and the rumour mills are rumbling
• This time it’s the likelihood of a long awaited update to the iPad mini
• As ever only will time would tell if the images purported to be of the impending iPad mini 5 turn out to be accurate – more on that in March when the long awaited device actually arrived
  

08: Bend-gate Rumbles On

• Apple refined what straight means
• “This flatness specification allows for no more than 400 microns of deviation across the length of any side — less than the thickness of four sheets of paper.”
• We covered this story in MacBites 0115 – Captain Sensible’s Happy Talk
• Let’s just say Elaine’s sarcasm reached new heights!
  

08: Thick as a Plank?

• CES is always a laugh but a smart plank?
• Seriously, there Elaine was minding her own business and she spot Rory Cellen-Jones from the BBC tech team demonstrating a smart plank
• And it was nowhere near April 1st
  

08: The CES Famous Five

• 4,500 companies worldwide showcasing over 300,000 gadgets
• Always going to be some weird stuff … like these!
• Lab-Grown Beef
• Robot Dogs
• “Self-Walking” Suitcases called Ovis
• Hands-Free Breast Pump – replete with model demonstrating it
• $99 Indestructible Pantyhose
  

08: Toys of an Adult Nature Win an Award … or Not!

• Lora DiCarlo a designer of … toys of an adult nature won a Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Award for their latest innovation the Ośe
• However, almost as soon as the award been made it was unceremoniously withdrawn with the CTA declaring the product to be “immoral, obscene and indecent”
• Fair enough you might think it’s their award and their decision but just a minute
• Weren’t the potential winning products reviewed in some way?
• What did they think it was?
• An electric tea stirrer?
• A deformed banana with a buzzing disorder?
• A possessed protein shaker?
• Tells you more about the lack of due diligence in the CTA awards investigation process than it does about the morality of the actual product!
• However, if as much effort went into finding a cure for cancer as goes in to it would be as prevalent as the plague by now
• Needless to say an online campaign demanded the award be returned and so it was all laid to rest amicably 😉
  

11: MacBites After Hours 0009: True Colours

• A mustn’t miss MacBites After Hours where Elaine showed her system for tracking all things tech at MacBites HQ
• Not satisfied with that she also demonstrated how to re-colour a black and white photo in the awesome Affinity Photo
  

18: MacBites After Hours 0010: Hard Drive Heaven

• https://macbites.co.uk/macbites-after-hours-0010
• Tonight’s unboxing consisted of a plethora of SSD drives
  

22: MacBites 0115 Released: Captain Sensible’s Happy Talk

• The first MacBites of year is released to an unsuspecting audience!
• The Crew were sick of the doom mongers and negativity surrounding Apple and so the show was full of Captain Sensible’s Happy Talk
  

26: MacBites After Hours 0011: Publish and Be Damned!

• Oh yes 26 January 2019 will go down in history as a great day in MacBites history not only a new show but a new show published live during a MacBites After Hours
• Yes, we were worried about the space-time continuum involved in that one but we all lived to tell the tale and MacBites After Hours 0011 Publish and Be Damned! is where you can catch up on all the fun involved in the great event
  

26: MacBites 0116 Released: Shooting Through 2018

• Shooting through 2018 was our review of the year
• What’s the reference to shooting all about? You’ll have to listen to find out!
  

28: Ramping Up the Hype for the Q1 Earnings Call

• Before we knew it it was the end of the month and time for the first real news from Apple of 2019
• Apple Earnings Call Q1 2019
  

29: We’re Doomed!

• Said earnings call didn’t end well!
• Well to be absolutely accurate the tech press
• iPhone sales slump, but Apple’s in it ‘for the long term’
• Live blog: Witness Apple’s high-stakes earnings call
• Apple announces Q1 2019 revenue of $84.3b following revision down from $89-93b
• Apple touts Services growth with 85M monthly active Apple News users, 50M paid Apple Music subscribers, 1.4 billion active devices, more
• Apple will lower iPhone prices, thinks services are the way forward
  

29: Apple Tackling TV Again?

• Timmy tackles TV … yes again!
• And NO we STILL haven’t bought a TV
• Move along nothing to see
• Tim Cook says Apple will participate in the ‘breakdown’ of the cable bundle ‘in a variety of ways’
  

30: Are Apple Going Over to the Dark Side?

• iOS 13 will reportedly include a dark mode and new iPad home screen
• Looking back now it seems so obvious but even now I can’t believe the amount of digital ink spilt pondering and lauding Dark Mode
  

30: The Lesser-Spotted GoodReader Rises Again

• 5 years after the last major update a favourite app at MacBites HQ gets a meaningful update
• Just as well really as one of The Crew has managed to break the last point revision of the previous version!
• GoodReader iOS PDF app gets major update with all-new UI and viewer, Apple Pencil 2 support, Split View on iPad, much more
  

February

01: MacBites After Hours 0012

• Bossing Crossing Apps
• A show dedicated to Affinity as Elaine demonstrated a cross Designer and Publisher workflow
  

04: Surely There’s More Important News Out There?

• We don’t know what you want most from the news of a release of a new iOS Beta
• But you can rest assured The Crew were hoping for more than 4 new animojis 🙄
• “Now iPhone and iPad Pro users can choose between the new giraffe, shark, boar and owl Animoji characters during FaceTime calls and in the effects option for iMessage.”
• Apple adds 4 new Animoji to iOS 12.2
  

04: Talking of More Important Stuff … FaceTime-gate

• Not only more important but when a 14 year old can tell you something so damning about your software it’s time for some new engineers Apple
• Maybe you could recruit at the local Kindergarten!!
• Short version of this crisis? Group FaceTime calls were about as secure as a leaky bucket!
• Folks called via the group could be seen and heard WITHOUT actually accepting the call
• Basic Apple … VERY basic!
• Apple initially addressed the issue on Monday 28 Jan, nine days after the report, by suspending the group FaceTime feature. It then issued a statement apologising for the bug on 2 Feb.
• FaceTime hack: Is FaceTime private? Can FaceTime be hacked, tapped?
  

04: Hero Apple Watch

• Some positive news about an Apple related story?
• The usual journos must have had the day off!
• A 67-year old man in Norway was saved when he had a fall, hitting his head, rendering him unconscious in his bathroom
• His Apple Watch summoned help via the fall detection feature
• This was the second report of such an outcome as last year an Apple Watch owner in Sweden was saved by an automated alert
• Coincidence or could it be dangerous visiting the Nordics!
• Apple Watch fall detection credited with saving user in Norway after severe overnight fall
• Apple Watch wearer saved by fall detection in Norway
  

04: Flickr’s Deletion Party

• After many years being the go-to place for online photo hosting Flickr pull the plug on some hosted images
• Flickr May Delete Photos Tomorrow If You’re Over the New Limit
  

04: MacBites 0117 Released: Bravo Sierra and the Science of the Bin Collection

• Another MacBites show?
• Yes, indeed and boy was it a good one!
• It shows just how complicated the world has become when it takes a degree in nuclear physics and a post-graduate degree in rocket science to add details of the local bin collection to your calendar!
• Hence the title of Bravo Sierra and the Science of the Bin Collection
  

05: The Taxman Cometh

• Just as the UK annual tax deadline passes came news that Apple had settled a ten-year tax battle with France
• This included Apple agreeing to pay a reported half a billion Euros ($570M) in back tax
• All to do with the controversial Irish HQ
• Controversial since Ireland’s government offered Apple a sweetheart tax deal which the European Union later declared illegal
• EU ordered Ireland to collect €13B ($14.8B) in back-tax
• Both Apple and Ireland have appealed the ruling
• In the meanwhile Apple has paid the bill
• Apple settles 10-year tax battle with France, paying a reported €500M ($570M)
  

05: HomePod at 6%

• After launching late as has become normal with Apple TBH
• HomePod racks up 6% of the smart speaker market
• Going to replace our Echo devices any time soon?
• Short answer no
• Not a chance
• Key thing with this kind of tech is compatibility and Amazon is way ahead on that basis
• HomePod captures 6% of US smart speaker market as cheaper Google Home and Amazon Echo models dominate
  

06: Did She Jump or was She Pushed?

• Apple’s alarming haemorrhaging of staff continued apace when yet another head of retail leaves abruptly
• 5 years at Apple
• Saw the kind of changes in visiting Apple stores that mean I don’t feel welcome any more
• Maybe that was the intention?
• Maybe I’m not their demographic anymore
• Having said that the amount I spend there would say otherwise
• At Apple for 5 years
• I would say anybody would be better than Browett but since I now feel as welcome in an Apple store as a rattle snake in a lucky dip even that’s not as clear as it once was
• Anyway as Angela left Deirdre O’Brien was announced as her immediate replacement
• A 30 year Apple veteran … Timmy assured us she was the right woman for the job
• Which begged the obvious question if she’s the right person for the job now why wasn’t she when Browett left?
• Or even before Browett arrived?
• Apple names new retail boss as Angela Ahrendts exits company
• Quit or canned? Why is Angela Ahrendts leaving Apple?
• 5 ways Angela Ahrendts changed Apple and the Apple Store forever
• Angela Ahrendts: How Apple Stores have defied the retail odds
• Angela Ahrendts reveals surprising post-Apple plans
  

07: Apple on the Podcasting Backfoot

• With Spotify buying Anchor commentators were quick to point out that Apple were falling further behind in their podcasting endeavours
• Anchor’s purchase means Spotify has a podcast creation platform while Apple do not
• Hard to believe when you think back to Steve Jobs’ personal demonstration of creating a podcast back in 2005
• Apple and Podcasting
  

07: Health Watch

• Health tech is all very well but seriously Apple?
• At least one Crew member was last seen running for the hills screaming in terror at the mere thought
• Apple hires prominent obstetrician for its growing health efforts
• Apple hires famous OB-GYN to boost women’s health efforts
  

07: FaceTime Fix

• In keeping with many of Apple’s latest strategies “a day late and a dollar short” this day brought news of a fix for FaceTime-gate
• So the 14 year olds who discovered the original bug can go back to their day jobs which appears to be running rings around Apple’s programmers!
• Apple releases iOS 12.1.4, fixing Group FaceTime privacy bug
• Apple fixes FaceTime bug that let hackers listen in secretly
• We should all be VERY grateful that the FaceTime bug was fixed before Apple decided to offer virtual OB-GYN appointments using it 🤣
  

09: MacBites After Hours 0013: The Good Life

• It was all “Good” in MacBites After Hours 0013
• It was the release of new versions of GoodReader and GoodNotes two of The Crew’s favourites here at MacBites HQ
  

15: MacBites After Hours 0014: Mojave Tips and Scanner Apps

• In After Hours 0014 we looked at Apple’s latest MacOS (well it was at the time)
• We also covered iOS scanning apps including Office Lens, Scanner Pro and Photo Scan
  

18: MacBites 0118 Released: High Jinks with Enterprising App Bandits

• Our 4th show of the year and it’s only mid-February
• Is that some kind of record?
  

19: Google Keep Comes to Apple Watch

• Google Keep note Taking App Now Available on Apple Watch
• From Google you say?
• When’s it due to sunset?
• Asking for a concerned friend!! 🤣
  

21: We’re Doomed!

• iPhone Sales Suffered Worst Quarterly Decline for Three Years Over 2018 Holiday Period
• Still one of the world’s most profitable company’s though
  

22: You Couldn’t Make It Up!

• Adobe released an update for Adobe Premiere Pro
• No big deal?
• Oh indeed it was … it was intended to resolve an audio issue that left some users with blown-out MacBook Pro speakers
• BLOWN OUT SPEAKERS?
• Now there’s a bug!!
• Adobe Issues Premiere Pro Fix for Bug That Caused Blown-Out MacBook Pro Speakers
  

24: Happy Birthday Steve

• Steve Jobs would have been 64 today
• Thanks for changing our lives Steve
  

26: Apple Announces Winners of Shot on iPhone Challenge

• Shot on iPhone?
• I think Mike wins that one
  

27: Tim Cook on Health Records Privacy

• People Will Look at This and Feel That They Can Trust Apple
• Did he really say Trust and Apple in the same sentence?
  

March

01: MacBites 0119 Released: Road Warriors … Doing the Dongle Dance

• The Crew had been on the road but never fear it didn’t stop them delivering a new show aptly named Road Warriors … Doing the Dongle Dance
  

01: MacBites After Hours 0015: Road Warriors…Back Home

• Two MacBites on the same day!! Is this a record? After releasing MacBites 0119 in the morning we went on to do After Hours 0015
• We showed you what tech we’d been using on our road trip and talked about screenshotting apps
  

01: Timmy Promises to Blow Us Away

• In true Apple style Timmy spent the first day of March over promising and with the benefit of 2020 hindsight underdelivering
• He assured us products they were working on would blow is away
• Maybe they’re working on a fan
• The iFan?
• More likely the prices will blow you away!
• Tim Cook to Investors: Apple is Working on Future Products That Will ‘Blow You Away’
  

07: Tim Apple

• You can always rely on President Trump to grab headlines with a perceived faux pa
• This time it was calling Timmy “Tim Apple”
• Something wrong with that?
• Believe me I call him a LOT worse!!
• Timmy’s response?
• A passive aggressive change of his Twitter description to Tim 
• Way to go Tim … how about telling The Don at the time your correct name?
• Tim Cook Changes Twitter Name to ‘Tim Apple’ After President Trump’s Name Flub
  

09: MacBites After Hours 0016: Did We Stay or Did We Go?

• In MacBites After Hours 0016 we talked about our decision to leave Screenflow for Camtasia (oops we just gave the answer away!)
  

15: MacBites After Hours 0017: Foxing Clever on Our Jollie Hollie-day!

• In MacBites After Hours 0017 Elaine showed some cool animation tricks for making holiday videos
• She also demonstrated Firefox Send – a great way to transfer files…for FREE
  

18: New iPad mini (5th Generation) Released

• A week to go to the first Apple event of the year and Apple announce the new iPad mini
• Starts at £399/$399.
• A12 chip offers and Apple’s Neural Engine
• 64GB or 256GB versions.
• Still has Home button.
• Supports Apple Pencil 1st generation
• Basically more expensive but with 1st gen pencil support
  

18: iPad Air 10.5″

• 10.5-Inch iPad Air
• “High-End Features and Performance at a Breakthrough Price” according to Apple
• More like interim releases for those not interested in the high end/higher priced models
  

22: MacBites After Hours 0018: Brushing FileBrowser

• In MacBites After Hours 0018 we looked at Affinity Brushes as well as FileBrowser and FileHub Plus
  

25: Apple Event: It’s Show Time

• Much excitement at the arrival of the first Apple event of the year
• Services, services and yet more services
• The MacBiters were NOT impressed
• Make your own mind up
  

29: AirPower Binned

• With the ink barely dry on the reports from the It’s Show Time Apple Event more news from Apple
• You know it’s something they’re trying to bury when it’s announced on a Friday
• Less impact on the share value too
• All of which meant it was bad news
• Neatly done AFTER announcing and taking orders for the latest wireless AirPods
• AirPower Cancelled – Apple Says Wireless Charging Mat Wasn’t Up to Standards
  

April

05: MacBites After Hours 0019: Shall I Tie A Brush To It?

• Two dinner parties meant that we skipped a week but we were back with MacBites After Hours 0019
• More Affinity, more Brushes and a “light” unboxing
  

02: Apple Watch Battery-gate

• Another month another law suit for Apple
• This time it’s Apple Watch batteries expanding so much the screen pops off
• I was pondering Apple’s options for a defence
• Obvious really … it’s not a fault it’s a feature
• The front pops off for ventilation purposes
• Apple Sued Over Swollen Batteries in Apple Watches
  

02: Apple News+

• Proving there are more mugs about than we thought …
• Over 200,000 People Subscribed to Apple News+ in First 48 Hours After Launch
• Apple News+: Is it Worth the $9.99 per Month Subscription Price?
• Apple News+ Guide: Everything You Need to Know
  

03: AirPods v New Beats

• Apple Announces Powerbeats Pro
• $250 wireless ear buds
• Available in pink?
• Be still my beating heart 🤮
  

04: Facebook’s Open Data Policy

• Proving the point that security is only an idea Facebook stumbled again
• Millions of Facebook Records Exposed on Amazon Cloud Servers
• At least they had Amazon dragged through the mud too!
  

04: Going, Going … Down

• Fastest reduction in price of an Apple product ever?
• Certainly up there
• HomePod drops $50 to $299
• Are we buying yet?
• Nope!
  

09: Pixelmator Photo for iPad Now Available

• Oooooo new tech toys
• A new version of Pixelmator just for iPad
• Pixelmator Photo for iPad Now Available
• You either loved it or loathed it
• Opinions were split right down the middle during Elaine’s live session on Pixelmator Photo
  

09: Next Level Cookie

• Tim Cook Profiled in New Biography as ‘The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level’
• I didn’t read enough of the story to know if the next level to which they referred was up or down!!
  

10: We’re Doomed!

• Yes, again!
• I have an idea Timmy … bring something out we want to buy at a price that doesn’t involve selling body parts and watch the sales figures fly off the charts
• Mac Shipments Down in Q1 2019 Amid Worldwide PC Decline
  

11: Fall Detection and Heart Health

• New videos from Apple highlighting the health related features of the Apple Watch
• We genuinely feel the only time these are needed at MacBites HQ is when we’re apprised of the price of new Apple kit
• Apple Shares New Apple Watch Videos on Fall Detection and Heart Health
  

12: MacBites After Hours 0020: Let Them Eat Cake

• In MacBites After Hours 0020 we unboxed cake – yes we really did
• Oh and we also did some tech
  

15: Angela Ahrendts Left

• And with that Angela left the building
• Her profile was removed from the Apple website
• No news on whether she received one of her very own 14 karat gold Apple Watches as a leaving gift!
• Angela Ahrendts Officially Leaving Apple Today
  

19: MacBites After Hours 0021: (Un) Boxing Clever

• In MacBites After Hours 0021 it was unboxings galore
• In fact almost half the show was unboxings!
  

22: Apple Celebrates Earth Day 2019

• Green leaves on Apple logos
• A personal message from Timmy via Twitter
• It could only mean one thing … it was Earth Day!
• Isn’t that when we’re supposed to turn our lights off for an hour?
• Oh yes The Crew regularly get bombarded with messages about that
• Earth Hour shaming!
• The fact The Crew have not taken a single flight in 18 years and 36 years respectively seems not to mitigate their ire
• Believe us when we say we have earnt the right to have every light at MacBites HQ blazing for the duration!
• Apple Celebrates Earth Day 2019
  

24: Happy Birthday Apple Watch

• The Apple Watch Launched Four Years Ago Today
  

30: Aperture RIP

• Another long drawn out death
• Aperture will not run on future versions of macOS
• Ceased development in 2014
• Removed from the App Store in 2015
• Conditional Terminal!
• Apple Says Aperture Won’t Run in Future macOS Versions After Mojave
  

May

01: iPad 2 now Vintage and Obsolete

• Apple Adds Eight-Year-Old iPad 2 Models to Vintage and Obsolete Products List
• Is that like vintage wine in that it gets better with time?
• Or vintage as in you need to send Apple more money for an updated toy?
  

01: Apple in Logo Infringement Row

• Apple Believes This German Cycling Path Logo Infringes on Its Own Logo
• Apple recently objected to the logo of a new German cycling path in an appeal filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office
• Apple has taken issue with the logo’s green leaf and supposed “bitten” right side, attributes the company believes are too similar to its own logo
• The logo, was designed for a new cycling path named Apfelroute, which translated into English is Apple route
• Do they not have an issue with the name too?
• There was a time when they were going to come after podcasts with Mac in the name 😱
  

02: Apple’s Big Services Push is Starting to Pay Off

• Apple chose to highlight their services division in the earnings call
• At the expensive of much mention of the iPhone
• So news games and video are where it’s at
• In other words subscription subscription subscription!
• Apple’s Big Services Push is Starting to Pay Off
  

03: MacBites After Hours 0022: The Morning After The Night Before

• In MacBites After Hours 0022 we went shopping with Elaine!
• When we say shopping we mean BIG STYLE!
  

07: Apple Stores Becoming Less Shopper Friendly

• Apple Retail Employees Vent Frustrations About Stores Becoming Less ‘Shopper-Friendly’ in Recent Years
• According to some current and former Apple employees, the retail stores have become more focused on branding than satisfying shoppers
• Has lead to more complaints lodged against some stores
• What do we think?
  

09: Find The Perfect Shoe Size Using Your iPhone

• Nike Reveals AR Feature That Will Let You Find The Perfect Shoe Size Using Your iPhone
• Using augmented reality, you’ll be able to scan your feet directly within the Nike mobile app to find the right shoe size to wear
• When we were kids they used a mechanical foot measure if you were lucky
• And a tape measure if you weren’t
  

11: MacBites After Hours 0023: Elvis has NOT Left the Building!

• In MacBites After Hours 0023 Elaine showed how to create an Elvis poster complete with flashing lights
• She also covered lots of Notion
  

24: MacBites After Hours 0024: Foxing Facebook with Camera Holding Patterns

• In MacBites After Hours 0024 we looked at Firefox containers
• We also unboxed lots of sexy AV kit!
  

29: Microsoft Brings ‘Insert Data From Picture’ Excel Feature to iOS Devices

• Something sexy for Mike
• Take a photo of tabular data and Excel on iOS converts it into editable data
• As demonstrated by Mike in MacBites After Hours 0038
  

31: MacBites After Hours 0025: The Owl and The Pussycat

• In MacBites After Hours 0025 we made a big announcement…
• The launch of our very own radio station MacBites.fm
  

June

03: MacBites 0120 Released: Radio Ga Ga

• The WWDC opening day started well with a new MacBites
• Did you miss the big announcement that we made on last week’s MacBites After Hours?
• If so, we repeated it on MacBites 120
  

03: WWDC

• Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! But that could just be us!
• No of course it wasn’t just us you should have heard the chatroom during the live show!
• They were more incensed than The Crew … something they didn’t think was possible
• It was subscriptions all round
• Live From WWDC 2019: Coverage of Apple’s Keynote with iOS 13, macOS 10.15, and More
• Apple Reveals tvOS 13 With New Home Screen and Support for Multiple User Profiles
• Apple Unveils watchOS 6 With Dedicated App Store, New Apple Watch Faces and Native Apps
• Apple Unveils 32-inch 6K ‘Pro Display XDR’ Monitor Starting at $4,999
• Apple Reveals All-New Mac Pro With Up to 28-Core Processor and 1.5TB of RAM, Starting at $5,999
• Apple Unveils ‘iPadOS’ Designed Specifically for the iPad’s Larger Display
• Apple Announces ‘macOS Catalina’ With Separate Apple Music, Podcasts, and TV Apps
• Apple Unveils iOS 13 Featuring Dark Mode, Swipe Keyboard, Performance Improvements, and More
• Apple Watch Getting New Health Features, Including Noise App and Menstrual Cycle Tracking
• Apple Announces ‘Sign in With Apple’ for Signing into Apps Using Your Apple ID
• Apple Introduces Sidecar App for Using an iPad as a Mac’s Secondary Display
• Here Are All the Macs Compatible With macOS Catalina
• The Stand for Apple’s New $4,999 Pro Display Costs an Extra $999
• Apple’s New iPadOS Software Includes Mouse Support as an Accessibility Option
• Here’s the New iOS 13 Volume Indicator
• Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2019 in Nine Minutes
  

03: Spotify Piddles on Apple’s Parade

• European Regulators Awaiting Response From Apple After Spotify Called the App Store a Monopoly
  

04: Timmy Hits Back

• Tim Cook Says Apple ‘Should be Scrutinized’ But Disputes Claims Company is a Monopoly
  

06: Presidential Podcasting

• Only 12 years after we took to airwaves with MacBites Barack and Michelle decide to follow in our footsteps
• We lead where others follow!
• Barack and Michelle Obama to Produce Podcasts for Spotify
  

06: MacBites.fm News

• We celebrated the launch of MacBites.fm by hosting a 1 hour news show
• We discussed live on air, the latest news in the Apple and tech world
  

07: MacBites After Hours 0026: In Print

• In MacBites After Hours 0026 we did a 2 minute roundup of WWDC
• Then Elaine took us through how she put together an article for a global magazine with a readership of several thousand people
  

11: Amazon Leapfrog Apple and Google

• We don’t like to pay too much attention to what the money men think of our favourite tech company but others clearly do!
• Amazon Surpasses Apple and Google to Become World’s Most Valuable Brand
  

11: iMovie for iPad Goes Pro

• iMovie for iOS Gains Green Screen Effect, New Soundtracks and More
  

11: New iCloud for Windows App Goes Live in App Store

• Apple extend their reach over on to the dark side!
• Apple Launches New iCloud for Windows App in Microsoft Store
  

12: Back to Paying to Surf?

• If you’ve used the Internet for long enough you may recall browsers used to be available as paid for apps
• Shocking isn’t it!
• Seems Firefox are intending to return to those days
• We wonder what the surfing will make of that
• Mozilla Says Paid Version of Firefox With Premium Features Coming Later This Year
  

13: Dashboard RIP

• Apple Confirms Dashboard is Going Away After 14 Years
  

15: MacBites After Hours 0027: A 1,000 Not Out

• In MacBites After Hours 0027, Mike as you’ve never seen him before!
• and Elaine celebrates 1000 consecutive days of Apple Watch movement
  

18: New Task Manager from Microsoft

• After buying Wunderlist Microsoft roll its feature-set into a new FREE app Microsoft To Do
• Microsoft To-Do App Now Available on the Mac App Store
  

20: Battery Replacement Programme

• More trouble in battery-land
• Apple Launches Recall and Replacement Program for Batteries in 2015 15-Inch MacBook Pro With Retina Display
  

20: Google Sunsets Their Tablets

• It’s not just their software that suffers the
• Google’s Not Going to Make Tablets Anymore
  

21: MacBites After Hours 0028: Clipperty Clop

• MacBites After Hours 0028 was brought to you by the letters A and N
• That’s Affinity, Alfred and Notion
  

27: JonyI is Leaving Apple

• The latest staffer to leave Apple is probably the most surprising
• Or maybe not given his lack of involvement in the last few years
• Concentrating on Apple Campus meant we long ago lost those icon JonyI videos
• And now we’ve lost Jony
• Leaving to start his own company
• The twist? With Apple as a client
• How long will that last?
• Months rather than years at best is our prediction
• Apple’s Longtime Design Chief Jony Ive Leaving to Start New Design Company With Apple as a Primary Client
  

28: MacBites After Hours 0029: Now THAT is What You Call a Cake!

• In MacBites After Hours 0029 Elaine built vector maps in Affinity Publisher
• She also unboxed several Alexa’s and made Graham jealous with a HUGE cherry bakewell cake
  

July

01: Dispirited Jony?

• June opened with rampant speculation about JonyI’s loss of spirit at Apple in recent years
• Apparently manifesting itself in a failure to show up at meetings
• A claim called “absurd ” by a vocal Timmy last seen circling the wagons
• WSJ: Jony Ive Became ‘Dispirited’ After Apple Watch and Sometimes Failed to Show Up to Meetings
• Apple CEO Tim Cook Calls Recent WSJ Report About Jony Ive ‘Absurd’
  

01: “Up Next Live”

• Cool beans … free concerts at Apple Stores
• The Crew got excited
• Then we read the list of those performing
• Current Status: Feeling VERY old!
• Apple Announces ‘Up Next Live’ Concerts for its Retail Stores, Featuring Artists Like Khalid and Lewis Capaldi
  

03: Some Hairy Scary Photos of Apple Battery Failure

• The 2015 MacBook Pro battery issue rises again
• Damaged 15-Inch 2015 MacBook Pro Demonstrates Why Apple Initiated Battery Recall Program
  

05: MacBites After Hours 0030: Now You See It, Now You Don’t

• MacBites After Hours 0030 was all about repairing photos
  

08: A Memoji Tribute?

• Immortalizing achievement memoji style?
• This is a thing?
• Apparently so!
• Apple’s Website Celebrates US Women’s World Cup Victory With Memoji Tribute
  

08: Apple Relaunches ‘Texas Hold’Em’ Game to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of App Store

• Our gaming started and finished with Super Monkey Ball or Cromag Rally
• Brings back memories of buying the iPhone 3G
• Apple Relaunches ‘Texas Hold’Em’ Game to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of App Store
  

08: $10,000 for a Manual?

• Apple I operation manual
• Only 200 made
• Only 175 sold
• Extremely rare item
• Almost as rare as a manual for any Apple product today!
• Bidding on ‘Extremely Rare’ Apple I Manual From 1976 Reaches Nearly $10,000 at Auction
  

09: Apple Delivers Modest Update to MacBook Pro

• The update might have been modest but price certainly wasn’t
• Apple took the opportunity to raise the price in the UK by a minimum of £50 and the top of the range by £100
• Each model now has a touch bar but still £100 increase for that?
• Apple Delivers Modest Update to MacBook Pro
  

09: Zoom Crisis

• A serious zero-day vulnerability in the Zoom video conferencing app for Mac was publicly disclosed
• Uninstall it?
• Not so fast … simply uninstalling the app didn’t help
• Zoom installs the localhost web server as a background process that can re-install the Zoom client on a Mac without requiring any user interaction besides visiting a web page
• Really?
• Apple were having none of it and deployed the big guns
• The big guns? An automatic Mac Software Update
• Zoom Zero Day
• Serious Vulnerability in Zoom Video Conference App Could Let Websites Hijack Mac Webcams
• Apple Pushes Automatic Mac Software Update to Remove Vulnerable Zoom Web Server
  

09: 2019 Back to School Promotion

• Eligible purchases will include a free or discounted pair of Beats headphones
• Apple Launches 2019 Back to School Promotion: Free Beats With Select Mac and iPad Models
  

09: 12″ MacBook RIP

• Yay! Refreshes to the MacBook Air and the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro
• Oh no! Apple has discontinued the 12-inch MacBook
• Apple Discontinues 12-Inch MacBook
  

10: Apple Staff Retention

• Angela Ahrendts was a guest on RBC Disruptors podcast and proudly proclaimed that Apple’s retail employee retention rate rose from 61 percent to a “historic high” of “nearly 89 percent” during her five-year tenure
• Under Ahrendts, Apple introduced new communication tools for its retail employees
• Including:
• The “Hello” app that provides a daily summary of “need to know” information
• The “Loop” app that allows retail employees to share useful tips and tricks amongst each other to help do their jobs better
• Angela Ahrendts Says Apple Store Employee Retention Rate Rose to Historic High of Nearly 89% During Her Tenure
  

11: Another Google Sunset

• Google nuked the ability to control Nest thermostats from Apple Watch
• Why?
• The stated rationale “only a small number of people” used the watch apps
• Therefore Nest will focus on developing its full mobile app and Wear OS-only Google Assistant functions going forward”
• Come on give folks a chance to adopt the concept
• Folks still stand there slack jawed when The Crew pay for purchases with their watches
• It’s a slow burn Google!!
• Google Kills Off Nest Thermostat App for Apple Watch
  

12: Apple Pay Users Can Get Free McDonald’s Fries With Purchase on Fridays in July

• Non Nom Nom. A certain member of The Crew was extremely interested until he read that it was limited to USA only
• Yes more of our favourite geographic machinations!
• We wonder how Apple felt about that given their investment in all things health related
• Apple Pay Users Can Get Free McDonald’s Fries With Purchase on Fridays in July
  

12: MacBites After Hours 0031: Nellie the Elephant

• MacBites After Hours 0031 included more photo repair training
• Including spots and elephants (Don’t ask!)
  

19: MacBites After Hours 0032: How Many Slides?

• In MacBites After Hours 0032 Elaine explains why she created a presentation of over 400 slides
  

19: Apple Music Renames Hip-Hop Playlist to ‘Rap Life’

• Different name same music
• Sorry but the artist formerly known as Hip-Hip is just not our cup of tea
• Apple Music Renames Hip-Hop Playlist to Rap Life
  

19: The Drive to Subscribe

• Yet another story involving a subscription
• 1Password brought an update out that silently removed the option to use a local vault bypassing the need to subscribe
• If already enabled it continued to work
• BUT should the need to reinstall arise or the need to setup a new device you’d be straight out of luck without a subscription
• 1Password backtracked but the writing’s on the wall for the rise of subscription based software
• 1Password Restores Free-to-Use Local Vault Option in Latest Version of iOS App
  

27: MacBites After Hours 0033: It Was How Long?

• Photo tutorials galore in MacBites After Hours 0033
• Affinity Photo, Pixelmator Pro and part 2 of the Comic Creation Kit
  

30: Apple Reports Q3 2019 Results

• $10B Profit on $53.8B Revenue, Highest June Quarter Revenue Ever
• Apple’s Services Revenue Hits New All-Time High of $11.46 Billion
• Wearables, Home, and Accessories category, which includes devices like the AirPods and Apple Watch, set a new June quarter revenue record of $5.5 billion, up from $3.7 billion in the year-ago quarter.
• Let us translate that for you – we made loadsamoney
  

August

01: Mac Book Recommends Surface Laptop 2 in New Microsoft Ad

• Microsoft surpass themselves by finding a guy called Mackenzie (or Mac) Book to recommend the Surface Laptop 2
• Let’s call it payback for all those Mac v PC ads Apple released a few years ago!
  

01: Google > Apple

• Google has more cash than Apple
• And this matters to whom?
• The money men … so nothing to see move along
• Google Overtakes Apple to Become Most Cash-Rich Company
  

01: Apple Sued Again

• This time it’s claims of the intentional throttling of older iPhones
• Known by Apple as the performance management system
• Apple Faces Yet Another Class Action Lawsuit Over ‘Secretly Throttling’ Older iPhones
  

01: Siri-gate

• Apple Suspends Employee Program That Lets Employees Listen to Siri Recordings
• Apple Suspends Program That Lets Employees Listen to Siri Recordings for Quality Control, Opt Out Option Coming
  

02: MacBites After Hours 0034: We’re Jammin’

• In MacBites After Hours 0034 we compared Microsoft Whiteboard and Google Jamboard
• Plus part 3 of the comic creation kit and the usual unboxings
  

05: Follow My Leader

• Following Apple’s suspension of the Siri-recordings programme Google and Amazon do the same with their human review of voice assistant recordings
• Google and Amazon Put Brakes on Human Review of Voice Assistant Recordings
  

05: Apple Card Arrives

• In the US obviously!
• Apple Card Coming Soon as Apple Activates Webpages and Launches Preview for Some Users
• Apple Card Offers Benefits From Mastercard, Base APR Lowered to 12.99%
• Apple Card Doesn’t Support Exporting Data to Financial Apps
• How to Activate Your Titanium Apple Card Without the Original Card Packaging
• Apple Shares Details on Cleaning and Protecting Your Apple Card in New Support Document
  

07: Right to Repair

• Right to Repair advocates continue to lobby the U.S. government
• Their argument? That large tech companies like Apple are monopolizing repairs of consumer electronics in order to preserve profits
• Apple claim they want customers to be confident their products will be repaired “safely and correctly”
• Would increased planned sustainability adversely affect profits? Probably
• Apple on Right to Repair: We Want Customers to Be Confident Their Products Will Be ‘Repaired Safely and Correctly’
  

07: Microsoft Jump On Board the Eavesdropping Bandwagon

• Microsoft Contractors Found Listening to Some Audio Calls When Skype Translator Feature is Active
  

07: Another Day Another Lawsuit

• “Unlawful and Intentional” Recording of Confidential Siri Requests
• Apple Facing Lawsuit for ‘Unlawful and Intentional’ Recording of Confidential Siri Requests Without User Consent
  

07: Apple Watch Catching Dementia

• A new study is aiming to discover if iPhone and Apple Watch can detect early signs of dementia
• Well without a doubt they can detect early signs of lunacy given what they cost and how many buy them!
• New Study Aims to Determine Whether iPhone and Apple Watch Can Detect Early Signs of Dementia
  

08: More on the Right to Repair

• This time it’s a claim Apple are “locking” iPhone batteries to discourage third-party replacement
• iFixit: Apple ‘Locking’ iPhone Batteries to Discourage Third-Party Replacements
  

09: MacBites After Hours 0035: Don’t Stop Him Now!

• In MacBites After Hours 0035 Mike and Elaine as you’ve never seen them before
• Part 4 of the comic creation kit and more unboxings
  

13: Spotify ❤Apple

• At least one Crew member will be keeping an eye on this story
• Mike has long longed for the ability to get Siri to play songs and playlists in Spotify
• Spotify and Apple in Talks to Let Siri Play Spotify Content
  

16: MacBites After Hours 0036: An Apple a Day … Keeps the Dentist at Bay!

• In MacBites After Hours 0036, Mike dresses up AGAIN, Elaine visits the dentist
• As for tech – Notion, some unboxing and more comic creation
  

19: MacBites 0121 Released: Predictive Analytics with Mrs Brown’s Bunions

• In MacBites 0121 we discussed Evernote, passwords, Cardhop and OmniFocus
  

20: Dark Side Surfing

• The official beta of a new browser from Microsoft landed
• Microsoft Edge will be available for Mac as well as Windows
• Microsoft Launches Beta Version of Microsoft Edge Browser for Windows and macOS
  

20: Siri’s Dad Leaves the Building

• Bill Stasior, Apple’s former head of Siri development, joined Microsoft as corporate VP of technology
• Former Siri Chief Bill Stasior Joins Microsoft to Lead AI Team
  

22: Jony’s Book RIP

• Who recalls that exorbitantly priced coffee table book Apple brought out?
• Not exactly top of your mind we suspect given it was such an odd thing to do
• 2016 it was when 2 different sizes of the publication were made available at $199 and $299 respectively
• It covered all the Apple products released from the iMac in 1998 to the Apple Pencil in 2015
• Well news now is that it’s no longer available
• Given the subsequent news about Jony leaving Apple it starts to look like a tribute to his Apple design work
• ‘Designed by Apple in California’ Book No Longer Available on Apple’s Online US Store
  

23: MacBites After Hours 0037: Creating Relations

• In MacBites After Hours 0037, Elaine gets down and dirty with network devices
• Plus more comic creation kit, Notion and unboxings
  

23: 1,000 Siri Recordings Per Shift?

• The Irish Examiner gives more information regarding the suspended Siri grading programme
• According to one of the contractors who worked on ‌Siri‌ grading in Cork, Ireland, employees were expected to listen to more than 1,000 ‌Siri‌ recordings per shift
• Good grief there’s a job!
• It was reported that while most recordings were a few seconds in length “occasionally” employees would hear personal data or

snippets of conversation

• We are assured that contractors primarily heard ‌Siri‌ commands, though … big deal we didn’t sign up for anyone listening
• Apple Contractors Listened to 1,000+ Siri Recordings Per Shift
  

26: Something to Lighten the Mood

• A news version of NetNewsWire is launched
• Free and open source
• With an iOS version in development
• NetNewsWire Rebooted
  

28: An Apology? A Day Late and a Dollar Short … Yet Again

• Apple announced that it will resume its Siri quality evaluation process in the fall with several privacy-focused changes
• In other words as it should have been done in the first place!
• Apple Apologizes Over Siri Privacy Concerns, Will Resume Grading Program in Fall With Several Changes
• Apple Will Continue to Review Computer-Generated Siri Transcripts Regardless of Opt-In Status
  

29: Independent Repair Provider Program

• Proving they’re not as tone deaf as often appear Apple introduce an approved repair program
• Apple to Allow Independent Repair Shops to Service Out-of-Warranty iPhones With Genuine Parts
  

29: Apple Announce the Great iPhone Event of 2019

• As predicted the 2019 iPhone event is slated for 10 September
• Apple Invites Media to September 10 Event at Apple Park: ‘By Innovation Only’
  

29: MacBook Pro Ban

• Apple had already recalled some 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro models with faulty batteries
• Airlines around the world started to implement bans, some of which affect other non-impacted MacBook Pro
  

models

• Qantas Airways banned all 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models from checked luggage
• They must remain switched off for the duration of the flight
• Safety first
• Some Airlines Banning All MacBook Pros From Checked Luggage and Preventing Use During Flights
  

30: MacBites After Hours 0038: Templates, Templates, Templates!!

• Mike’s regular Excel slot makes it’s first appearance in MacBites After Hours 0038
• Plus creating posters in Affinity Designer and how to create Affinity templates
  

September

03: First Apple TV Show Canned Before the Service Even Launches

• Binned?
• Canned?
• No … Apple are “not moving forward with” a show set to feature Richard Gere
• Apple Nixes ‘Bastards’ TV Show Starring Richard Gere
  

06: MacBites After Hours 0039: Teeth Tourism…Don’t Do It!

• In MacBites After Hours 0039, we discussed dental treatment but we also looked at tech including OCR in SnagIt, geo-data in Excel, Notion templates and Affinity Designer
  

06: Siri Health Horror

• Apple is working on a new Siri feature for release by iOS 15 in fall 2021 that will allow users to have a back-and-forth conversation about health problems, according to internal documentation obtained by The Guardian
• So now your phone can nag you about your choices as much as your partner or your parent!
• Great stuff … more a case of where do I opt out rather than where do I sign up
• Apple Working on Siri Feature Allowing Back-and-Forth Conversations About Health Problems
  

09: MacBites 0122 Released: Otis Rides Again … While Playing Vatican Roulette

• In MacBites 0122 we had more diabolically dodgy doings in Didcot
• The Pope made an appearance too (don’t ask!)
  

09: ‘Twas the Night Before the Keynote

• Elaine and Mike put out a special show exclusively on MacBites.fm in which they chatted about the following day’s Keynote at which the new iPhone was expected to be announced
  

10: Apple Keynote: By Innovation Only

• Keynote Day!
• For once the MacBites chatroom was thrilled with news from Apple HQ
• Apple to Live Stream September 10 Event on YouTube
• Apple Arcade to Launch September 19 for $4.99 Per Month With One-Month Free Trial
• Apple TV+ Launching November 1 for $4.99 Per Month
• Apple Unveils New Low-Cost 10.2-inch iPad Starting at $329
• Apple TV+ Will Be Available on Web in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox
• iPhone 11 Lineup Has New 5 A.M. Pacific Pre-Order Time on Friday
• Apple Announces iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max With Triple-Lens Rear Camera and Midnight Green Color
• ‘Apple Watch Studio’ Offers Over 1,000 Different Band and Watch Finish Combinations
• Apple Offering Free Year of Apple TV+ With Purchase of iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod Touch or Mac
  

11: AppleCare+ Another Subscription

• Keeping true to their word of the year Apple introduce yet another subscription based service
• This time it’s AppleCare+ a rolling monthly subscription to their premiere protection plan allowing users to continue to pay monthly for their coverage and extend that coverage beyond the standard length of the usual AppleCare Plan
• Unbridled joy … NOT!
  

12: Grace Period for App Store Subscriptions

• Subscribers who experience unsuccessful auto-renewals will be able to continue to use an app’s paid content while Apple attempts to collect payment
• Apple Announces Billing Grace Period for App Store Subscriptions
  

13: iPhone Pre-order Day

• While others reported “Preparing to Ship” notifications The Crew were without a paddle in the dispatch department
• iPhone 11 Pre-Order Statuses Begin Shifting to ‘Preparing to Ship’
  

14: MacBites After Hours 0040: Back to the Future

• In readiness for next week, in MacBites After Hours 0040 we demonstrated editing a video, and talked about YouTube Premieres.
• We also showed how we edit the MacBites podcast
  

18: Another One Bites the Dust

• This time it’s Steve Dowling, Vice President of Communications
• He’s leaving after 16 years in his position
• Phil Schiller is taking over on an interim basis
• Apple’s PR Chief Steve Dowling Departing, Phil Schiller to Take Over on Interim Basis
  

19: iOS 13 Launches

• The Games Sub Has Landed
• Apple Arcade is here … be still our beating heart!
• In much better news The Crew were hoping to lose the jumping bean icons
• Plagued their iOS 12 devices since its release
• The lava lamp wallpaper?
• Can honestly say The Crew weren’t impressed!
• Apple Arcade Subscription Gaming Service Goes Live Alongside iOS 13, One Month Free Trial Available
• Apple Releases iOS 13 With System-Wide Dark Mode, Privacy Updates, Revamped Photos App, Find My App, New Maps Features and More
  

20: iPhone 11 Day

• Well The Crew had a fabulous day …eventually
• Hairy moment when the delivery driver went AWOL on the way to MacBites HQ!
• Hear all about it in MacBites 0123
• Apple CEO Tim Cook Visits Fifth Avenue Store as iPhone 11 Launch Day Continues Around the World
  

20: MacBites After Hours 0041 (YTP): The MacBites Time Machine

• MacBites After Hours 0041 was The first MacBites After Hours YouTube Premiere
• A YouTube Premiere? Basically a pre-recorded show. We were there but not there, if you see what we mean!
  

23: Google Gaming Takes on Apple Arcade

• Google launched Google Play Pass with 350 games on the Android platform
• Needless to say it’s only available in the US initially
• Google Launches New $4.99 ‘Play Pass’ Service on Android Devices to Compete with Apple Arcade
  

24: Project Gemini Becomes Adobe Fresco

• Just what the iPad needs … another drawing app
• That’s exactly what Adobe Fresco is
• Adobe Launches ‘Fresco’ Painting and Drawing App for iPad
  

25: Amazing Amazon Event

• More new devices announced by Amazon than you could keep up with
• Smart speakers
• Echo Buds
• Echo devices
• Amazon Unveils Multiple New Echo Devices, Including HomePod and AirPods Competitors
  

27: MacBites After Hours 0042: Petrolhead Tony

• Who is Tony and why was he late?
• Find out by watching MacBites After Hours 0042
  

30: Apple News+ Launches in the UK

• To an unimpressed audience by all accounts
• Apple Launches Apple News+ in the UK and Australia
  

October

01: The Big Draw

• Apple is supporting The Big Draw, the world’s largest annual drawing festival
• So free hands-on art sessions at Apple Stores worldwide in October
• Guess who one of the patrons of The Big Draw is … go on have a guess!
• Only our favourite “artist” David Hockney!
• If you have no idea why David Hockney is a favourite here at MacBites HQ you need to check out a couple of previous shows:
• MacBites Episode 0116 – Shooting Through 2018
• MacBites Episode 0119 – Road Warriors … Doing the Dongle Dance
• Apple Stores Celebrating the World’s Largest Drawing Festival With Free Art Sessions Throughout October
  

02: Microsoft Surface Event

• Talk about giving you notice of a launch
• Microsoft surpassed themselves this time!
• The new toys in question won’t launch for at least a year
• Neo and Duo are two foldable dual display devices
• Before you scoff if these devices were from Apple you’d be drooling over them in a very inelegant way!
• Neo has a wonderbar
• Think of it as a more useful version of the Apple TouchBar
• Microsoft Debuts New Dual-Screen Devices, Updated Surface Laptops and More
  

04: MacBites After Hours 0043: More Than a Token Gesture

• In MacBites After Hours 0043 we looked at video editing and conditional formatting in Excel
  

04: Here’s Jony!

• London’s National Portrait Gallery commissioned a portrait of Apple’s departing design chief Jony Ive
• Shot at Apple Park, by internationally renowned photographer Andreas Gursky
• A pensive looking Jony is seen gazing out of a window at the inner circle of Apple Park
• Jony Ive Now Featured in London’s National Portrait Gallery
  

04: Apple Arcade Arrives

• Or as we call it here at MacBites HQ … Yawn Fest of the Year
• Apple Arcade Launches for macOS Catalina Beta Users
  

05: Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011)

• Tim Cook lead the tributes to Steve Jobs as the 8th anniversary of his death approached
• Tim Cook Remembers Steve Jobs on 8th Anniversary of His Death
  

06: iCloud Folder Sharing?

• Apparently we’re not there yet
• Good grief how long has Dropbox had folder sharing?
• Poor show Apple, poor show
• Apple Says iCloud Folder Sharing in macOS Catalina Coming ‘This Spring’
  

08: Twitter in Trouble

• After extracting customer information for the purposes of securing accounts what do Twitter actually do with it?
• Use it for targeting advertising of course!
• You couldn’t make this stuff up
• Email addresses and phone numbers were used in Twitter’s Tailored Audiences and Partner Audiences advertising systems
• Tailored Audiences is a feature that’s designed to let advertisers target ads to customers based on the advertiser’s marketing lists, while Partner Audiences is similar
• Twitter ‘Unintentionally’ Used Some Customer Data Provided for Account Security for Advertising Purposes
  

09: Texas Hold’em Comes to iPad

• It must be the year of the game as yet more news broke about gaming
• Apple’s Reintroduced ‘Texas Hold’em’ Game Expands to iPad
  

10: Amazon Music Comes to Apple TV

• 4th and 5th generation Apple TVs now have their own version of the Amazon Music App
• Amazon Music Launches on Apple TV
  

11: MacBites After Hours 0044 (YTP): It’s Internet Jim But Not as We Know It

• MacBites After Hours 0044 was another YouTube Premiere
• This one was famous for the dial-up connection speed at the hotel where Elaine was trying to upload the recorded show from
  

15: Dark Mode from the Dark Side

• Microsoft OneNote received an update on iOS bringing much-awaited ‌Dark Mode‌ support
• Really?
• And how does the highlighting of notes look in that mode?
• 💩Thought so!
• Microsoft Office Apps for iOS Gain Dark Mode Support
  

16: Rapid Adoption of iOS 13

• Apple announced 55% of devices introduced in the last 4 years are already running iOS 13
• iOS 13 Now Installed on 55% of iPhones Introduced in Last Four Years
  

19: MacBites After Hours 0045: Here’s Jony!

• The Crew were back home and live for MacBites After Hours 0045
• Mike covered Power Pivot in Excel and Elaine covered Scrivener
  

25: MacBites After Hours 0046: Blogging with 2020 Vision

• In MacBites After Hours 0046, Mike did more Excel and Elaine did more Scrivener
• No, it wasn’t a repeat of last week!
  

25: Trade-In

• In an interview with GQ Timmy announces at least one third of Apple Store visitors are using the trade-in program
• Apple have heavily promoted the scheme but the rewards are somewhat dubious for those participating
• Tim Cook Says One-Third or More of Apple Store Visitors Now Using Trade-In Program
  

28: Google Fitbit

• Google have bought Fitbit?
• Our first question?
• When’s it sunsetting?
• Cynical? Us? Never!
• Google to Acquire Apple Watch Competitor Fitbit for $2.1 Billion
  

28: HomePod Brick-gate!

• A new update … what could possibly go wrong?
• Don’t ask … seriously don’t ask!
• New 13.2 Update Bricking Some HomePods – Update Pulled by Apple
  

30: Services Revenue Boost

• Money, money, money!
• The drive to subscribe strikes again
• Apple’s Services Revenue Hits New All-Time High of $12.5 Billion in Q4 2019
  

November

01: Apple TV+ Launches

• While the rest of the world goes mad with prospect of even more opportunity to veg out in front of the goggle box The Crew yawn quietly and move on!
• Apple TV+ Launches With New $49.99 Annual Subscription Option, Save $10 Per Year
  

02: MacBites After Hours 0047: Compiled Logic

• In MacBites After Hours 0047, there was more Excel and more Scrivener
• These two can certainly talk can’t they!
  

04: Adobe Ride Again

• Adobe’s MAX conference brings news of new versions of their subscription apps
• Seems like the rest of the world has moved on from paying exorbitant amounts to rent software yet Adobe are still there telling us all about it
• In fact not only telling us about updates but also about completely new apps on iOS
• Both Photoshop for iPad out right now and Illustrator coming at some point in 2020
• The design community glanced up briefly at the announcement before returning to work in Affinity Designer for iPad!!
• Adobe Releases Major Updates for Creative Cloud Apps on Mac: Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, and More
• Adobe Launches Photoshop for iPad
• Adobe Bringing Illustrator to iPad in 2020
  

04: Office Unification

• Microsoft release a preview version of Office for iOS
• But it’s not exactly what you might think
• It’s a single app that is actually all the Office apps rolled into one
• Why?
• We have no idea either!
• Microsoft Introduces Unified Office App for iOS and Android
  

05: New Outlook

• Oh shiny!
• A rather radical redesign for the macOS version of Microsoft Outlook arrived to those users on the Office 365 fast track
• Microsoft Outlook for Mac Redesign Bringing New Features and Performance Improvements
  

07: Another Day Another TV Service

• This time it’s BritBox
• Basically you’re paying for repeats of old favourites
• Good business plan that … fill the channels with reality rubbish then charge for repeats of good stuff you know folks enjoy … genius!
• No we still didn’t buy a TV here at MacBites HQ
• BritBox UK Streaming Service Launches for £5.99 per Month
  

07: Cool Comparison

• YouTuber MKBHD posted a comparison between iPhone 11 Pro and the 2007 iPhone
• YouTuber Compares Original 2007 iPhone to New iPhone 11 Pro
  

08: Encrypted Email Vulnerability

• Another hole in Apple’s armour
• This time it’s Mail leaking like a sieve!
• Apple to Fix macOS Mail Vulnerability That Leaves Text of Some Encrypted Emails Readable
  

09: MacBites After Hours 0048: Igniting Pro Demos

• Notion and Scrivener were the order of the day in MacBites After Hours 0048
• Elaine gave a great demo of Demo Pro which got Mike VERY excited
  

12: Twitter Topics

• Twitter continues to morph into Instagram
• The ability to follow topics as well as people is promised to be imminent
• Twitter Introducing ‘Topics’ Feature That Lets Users Follow Subjects of Interest
  

13: December Joy

• Finally news of the Mac Pro (Bin 2.0) and the new monitor
• Notice it’s not an actual delivery date just a suggestion
• Apple Announces Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR to Ship in December
  

13: The Physical ESC Key

• It’s back!
• Apple back down in keyboard-gate
• Phil Schiller Discusses 16-Inch MacBook Pro, Says Virtual Esc Key Was Number One Complaint About Touch Bar
  

14: Apple News+ Struggling

• Struggling for subscribers that is
• Well there’s a surprise!
• Apple News+ Struggling to Get New Subscribers
  

15: MacBites After Hours 0049: Liquid Birthday

• In MacBites After Hours 0049 Elaine gave a comprehensive demo of Screenflow 9
• We also had some QR Code Magic and Mike went on a date with Excel
  

19: Flexgate: The Monitor

• iFixit shared a full teardown of the new Mac Book Pro and discovered a new sensor …the lid monitor sensor
• It’s certainly one way for Apple to monitor how often the lid is opened and to what angle it is set
• 16-Inch MacBook Pro Features New ‘Lid Angle Sensor’
  

19: Think Different

• Tim Cook attended the Salesforce Dreamforce 2019 event and talked Apple’s values, environmental efforts, privacy focus, and his memories of Steve Jobs
• He also explained that the well-known “Think Different” slogan is still a major part of Apple’s culture
• “Apple want to play a new game”
• Apple CEO Tim Cook: ‘Think Different’ Still Embedded at Apple ‘Very Deeply’
  

21: Photoshop for iPad: The Reviews Are In

• And they’re not good!
• So Adobe have taken the opportunity to shout from the rooftops what they’re planning to bring in the way of new features in future updates
• Talk about over-promise and underdeliver 🤣
• Adobe Outlines Additional Features Coming to Photoshop for iPad Following Poor Reviews
  

22: MacBites After Hours 0050: 50 Not Out

• We celebrated our 50th MacBites After Hours with our favourite apps
• Notion, Scrivener and Excel
  

28: JonyI Leaves the Building

• That globally recognized sign of leaving Apple hits as JonyI’s profile is removed from the website
• Certainly feels like the end of an era
• Jony Ive Removed From Apple’s Leadership Page
  

29: MacBites After Hours 0051: New Bollards Please

• In MacBites After Hours 0051 we gave you an update on the traffic bollard outside the house
• We also covered Notion and Excel (quelle surprise!)
  

December

02: The Nightmare Apple “Event” from Hell

• Just don’t go there!
• Apple definitely announced an event
• It was definitely on 2 December
• The Crew were there
• Or to be more precise Elaine was there since Mike was poorly
• The MacBiters were there
• Sadly Apple were not!! 😱
• Said event had turned into a press event where all that went on was Apple briefing them as to what to expect from the App of the Year awards
• WHAT?
• What were The Crew supposed to do with a chatroom full of MacBiters and NO EVENT?
• Yes, you guessed it, Elaine manfully carried on
• It proved to be one of the best events of recent years with Apple not piddling on our collective parades!
  

06: MacBites After Hours 0052: Separate Postcodes

• Elaine hosted MacBites After Hours 0052 on her own
• Although Mike was away looking after his ill Father, he still managed to join the chat
  

06: More Class Action

• This time it’s Law firms suing both Apple and Samsung claiming the phones exceed radio-frequency radiation safety levels
• It’s a wonder Apple find the time to actually make products given the number of suits they’re fighting
• Law Firm Sues Apple and Samsung, Claiming Phones Exceed Radio frequency Radiation Safety Levels
  

13: MacBites After Hours 0053 (YTP): There in Spirit

• An Abba tribute concert meant that MacBites After Hours 0053 was a pre-recorded YouTube Premiere
• Whilst Mike was a Dancing Queen, Elaine was logged in and chatting
  

10: Bin 2.0 Arrives

• And only 6 years after the release of Bin 1.0!
• New Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR Now Available to Order
• Mac Pro Build to Order Options
• Apple Says Rack-Mounted Version of New Mac Pro is Coming Soon, Pricing Starts at $6,499
• A Maxed Out Mac Pro Will Cost Over $52,000
  

10: Timmy’s Bangs the Innovation Drum

• Yes Timmy really did chose the day Bin 2.0 arrived to bangs on about how innovative Apple are
• We presume he means in terms of price increases rather than anything else!
• Tim Cook: The Ethos and DNA of Apple ‘Have Never Been Stronger on the Innovation Front’
  

12: Toting Your Pods

• One of Apple’s great oversights has been considering the way people want to carry their AirPods
• The case is fine, shiny and thus slippy but generally, fine
• But what about attaching the case to something for safety and security?
• That’s where the Jura Anchor comes in
• It’s a carabiner that attaches via the Lightning port
• Initial thoughts? Are you serious? A disaster waiting to happen!
• Judging by the comments on the initial posts highlighting the Jura Anchor we weren’t alone in those worrying thoughts
• Jura Anchor Uses the AirPods Lightning Port to Add a Carabiner
  

13: iTunes Remote Update

• A dark side update to the iTunes Remote app
• We can honestly say we’ve not sure The Crew have ever used this app never mind in living memory!
• iTunes Remote App Gains Dark Mode and macOS Catalina Support
  

16: Games, Games, Games

• Something else to leave The Crew lukewarm at best
• No let’s be honest something to leave The Crew freezing cold
• Apple Arcade Now Available With $49.99/Year Subscription Option
  

16: iPad Born Out of the Need to Ruthlessly Cut Costs?

• According to Phil Schiller in an interview about tech of the decade it was
• This was due to Steve Jobs aiming for the launch price to be $499
• Walt Mossberg guessed the price to be $999 when challenged to place a price on the iPad
• Phil Schiller Talks About the Development of the Original iPad in New Interview
  

18: Toting Your Pods Redux

• While the Jura Anchor gave all of us a rise in blood pressure when it came to toting your AirPods the Twelve South AirSnap Pro only managed to cause palpitations in the pricing department
• A much sturdier option that came with a sturdy price to match
• $39.99 for a leather case with carabiner for AirPods and AirPods Pro
• Very nice but $39.99????
• Twelve South Announces ‘AirSnap Pro’ Case for AirPods Pro
  

20: MacBites After Hours 0054: By the Skin of Our Teeth

• Two events in one day: Mike’s Father’s funeral and MacBites After Hours 0054
• We arrived back at MacBites HQ with literally minutes to spare
  

24: MacBites After Hours 0055: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

• MacBites After Hours 0055 was our Traditional Christmas Eve show
• It was also the day that we launched the MacBites Slack Chat
  

27: MacBites After Hours 0056: It Didn’t End Well!

• The last MacBites After Hours of the year, show 0056 ended early due to technical problems
• Both Elaine’s and Mike’s iMacs froze. Time for new kit at MacBites HQ
  

30: Upgrading Your Apple TV Remote

• The remote control shipping with the Apple TV 4K is heading for being 5 years old with no significant updates in that time
• Maybe time for third parties to step in and provide what Apple hasn’t then
• Step up Salt, a Swiss company, offering just that
• In close conjunction with Apple no less collaboration with Apple after the Salt TV customer base complained about the poor usability of the default remote that comes with the ‌Apple TV‌
• Sells for under 20 Swiss francs
• More traditional look than Apple’s touch enabled remote
• Doesn’t really add any functionality
• So come on Apple it’s time to upgrade both the Apple TV and the remote too
• Apple appears to have never gotten over the status of the Apple TV being a hobby
• Hands-On With Salt’s Apple TV Remote Replacement
• YouTuber Compares Original 2007 iPhone to New iPhone 11 Pro