The new year means new shows plus the debut of new seasons
Apple launched a new YT video, giving Apple TV+ watchers a glimpse of what to expect as the coming year unfolds. It’s a lot! The video breaks it all down with an exclusive preview of new TV shows, as well as films coming to the platform very soon.
There are now so many streaming platforms: Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Discovery+, with a new one launching on March 4th, Paramount+ (Teaming up with ViacomCBS).
Apple TV+, although live for some time now, can be viewed as one of the newcomers in the streaming game. With that, it’s not always easy to decide if you should jump aboard to pay for yet another monthly subscription if you aren’t already a user.
For those that do not currently have Apple TV, subscription starts at $4.99 per month with a 7 day free trial. For that low of a price and the handful of new TV shows and movies coming this year, it may be a perfect time to try. However, if you are a buyer of Apple products such as an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac, it includes one year of Apple TV+ for free.
The two minute clip unloads lots of titles. New shows and movies: Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, Cherry, Foundation, Lisey’s Story, Losing Alice, The Mosquito Coast, Mr. Corman, Palmer, Schmigadoon!, Physical and many more.
Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.
In addition, there will be returns of successful shows included: Central Park, Dickinson, For All Mankind, Ghostwriter, Home Before Dark, The Morning Show, Mythic Quest, See, Servant, Trying, and Truth Be Told.
Here’s a taste of some of the full trailers for most of the upcoming titles to be hitting the streaming service in in the next several weeks.
Billie Eilish Documentary – February 26:
Cherry with Tom Holland – March 12:
The Mosquito Coast – April 30:
Mythic Quest Season 2 – May 7:
Foundation – Fall 2021:
Most titles will be premiering late Spring and Summer 2021. From the previews alone, it seems that all the different titles will be well worth the wait. Apple TV+ even gave a teaser video of the highly anticipated adaption of Isaac Asminov’s “Foundation” sci-fi novels.
Apple had a big year – but how big will first become apparent in 2021…
By now, it is not unexpected for the latest iteration of the iPhone, iPhone 12 in this case, to do well and even best the competition across the board in any given year. While it is nearly an automatic ritual that doubt will be cast, and the demise or at least diminution of the iPhone and Apple are predicted, nearly every year the opposite in the case.
This year was different. There was plenty of doubt – but the surprise announcement of the M series of chips for mac and the even more surprising benchmarks and performance improvements pretty much obliterated the doubters.
Not only that, but a layer beneath that headline news was a secondary layer of innovation and areas where long planned improvements came to fruition.
The first steps into a massive multi-year system software transition, one that will eventually merge the mobile operating systems of the iPhone, iPad, Apple watch, etc with the mac, moved seemingly ahead of schedule, with the huge improvements in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur.
And all the various services such as Apple TV+ and many other offerings made huge strides as well.
As a matter of fact, a list of all the upgrades, added features and new services and products would be so long and varied that the transcription is beyond the reach of a simple article such as this one.
However, that alone is not where some of the biggest changes and most surprising evolutions have occurred. The real “action” so to speak is in the integration and unexpected by-products of the merging and deepening of all the new features and settings.
Take for example the macs that feature the M1 chip. It is not the chip itself, not even the new operating system that has the most impact on the performance or usability of the machines.
It is the integrated functionality of the various elements of the chips – Apple M1, the first ARM-based system on a chip – composed of several different components including the CPU, GPU, unified memory architecture (RAM), Neural Engine, Secure Enclave, SSD controller, image signal processor, encode/decode engines, Thunderbolt controller with USB 4 support, all of which are made more powerful by the continuously upgraded software system.
This – a kind of invisible interactive and synergistic ecosystem – not only has at it’s heart the “whole widget” philosophy legacy of Steve Jobs, but also a new and insanely futuristic definition of “whole” which now includes these proprietary Apple chips (CPU, GPU, NE), plus A.I. / machine learning and system core operating as one continuously evolving and reinforcing “unit”.
The future is already here, we just don’t see it like fish, maybe, never heard of a thing called water…
This new concept of the constantly increasing potential advancement in efficiency and power is not only the new standard basis for what constitutes computing technology at Apple, but will emerge as the ultimate re-definition of what “power” in computing means at all.
Similar to the internet – where the evolution and development is at stone age levels compared to where it will (and must) eventually reach in decades and even centuries, computing (or “personal” computing as it was dubbed in the last century) is also in very early and very primitive stages of evolution and this next step represents an early beginning, not a destination or accomplishment of a goal.
Even Apple has stated that the initial transition of a unified operating system shared by mobile and desktop / laptop devices, iOS / macOS, will be years still in development and implementation.
Meaning, in 2024 we may see the first real life trails and dissemination of a new kind of computing system, and, more importantly, computer assisted communicating, made possible by the complete integration of these hardware, software and A.I. advances.
Just in time, because the threats of global warming, pandemics, political upheaval and economic disaster need, more than anything, enhanced learning and communication that can be aided, we must fervently hope, by improved digital tools. A better bicycle, so to speak.
Fortunately, Apple has our back on this. And in 2021 more, much more will be revealed, if 2020 was any hint, of an exciting future not just for technology, but for the creative uses of it for the betterment of humankind.
Amazon is constantly changing and adding new deals – sometimes with big new discounts. These are some current examples and there are many, many more in all categories.
HD Viewing: Cutting-edge DLP technology projects a vividly-detailed 720p, 200-ANSI-lumen image up to 100 inches big. Ideal for use in low-light environments
Instant Clarity: Get an ultra-sharp, rectangular image from almost any angle in under a second with Capsule Max mini projector’s autofocus and keystoning technology
Ideal in the Home: Stay entertained at home with Capsule Max’s 100-inch image. Watch movies, take online classes, or keep the kids entertained with hours of cartoons and educational videos. The possibilities are endless
Unbelievable sound: 12W of pure audio power with enhanced bass Thunders from dual neodymium drivers. An advanced digital signal processor ensures pounding bass and zero distortion at any volume.
Intense bass: exclusive bass up technology and a patented spiral bass port boost low-end frequencies to make the beats hit even harder.
Outdoor-proof: IPX7 protection safeguards against rain, dust, snow, and spills. Get incredible sound at home, in the yard, or anywhere else imaginable.
24H Non-Stop Music: Anker’s world-renowned power management technology and a 5,200mAh Li-ion battery deliver a full day of sublime sound.
Grab, go, Listen: classic design that has been refined and lightened, with effortlessly simple controls.
No battery/electricity need. Manual operation only! Compact, lightweight and versatile, you may use any variety of coffee bean/roast, which will give you more flexibility in trying new flavors.
Need to add the boiling water! Minipresso GR is your best choice to enjoy up to 50 ml of authentic espresso at home, in the office and on the go.
Simple to operate! Add ground coffee to the filter basket with the help of the integrated scoop. Apply slight pressure to level the grind. Add hot water into the water tank. Finally unlock from its travel position the piston and pump a few strokes to pressurize and extract perfect espresso with generous crema.
Unique Gifts for Men Who have everything: Christmas Day is fast approaching and we know it can be hard to choose the cool present for dad from daughter son who is outdoor lover. This Survival Gear will brings smile to their face and they are sure to love.
Must Have Survival Gear and Equipment: 12 in 1 Emergency Survival Kit contains: Upgrade survival knife, Pocket bellow,Wire saw, Water Bottle Clip, Emergency Blanket, Flint stone Scraper, Flashlight, Credit Card Knife, Multi-use Spoon Fork, Carabiner, and Waterproof Box.
BEST SOUNDING SHOWER SPEAKER – A PREMIUM GIFT, BUILT TO LAST – Bluetooth version 5.0 and the unique iFox WHITE FILLED BUTTONS make it easy to see the buttons in the shower. With CE, FCC and ROHS certifications it’s guaranteed to last
100% WATERPROOF, EVEN FULLY SUBMERSIBLE – The iFox shower speaker is great around water as it’s not just water resistant it can be fully immersed in water up to 3 feet. Great also as a Bluetooth speaker in the car as it suctions to your car windscreen
DELICIOUS DOWN TO THE LAST CRUMB –Indulge in twenty-four gourmet biscotti bedecked with six decadent flavors. Do you have a boss you need a please? A girlfriend to show love to? A boyfriend to win over? Store bought candies or flowers pale next to these authentic biscotti!
ALL-NATURAL FLAVORS- This deluxe present box contains 4 biscotti of each flavor: chocolate craisin, chocolate chip, caramel chip, nut crunch, almond crunch, and cookie crunch. All Barnett’s confections are Kosher Certified CRC Hisachdus and non-dairy.
NO MESS OR CLEANUP REQUIRED- Forget the hassle of slaving all day to imitate the perfect Italian biscotti. We did it without using any harmful commercial ingredients so that it can sure seem that you have made these confections right at home with all the love in your heart.
Meet the all-new Echo Dot with clock – Our most popular smart speaker with Alexa. The sleek, compact design delivers crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound.
Perfect for your nightstand – See the time, alarms, and timers on the LED display. Tap the top to snooze an alarm.
Ready to help – Ask Alexa to tell a joke, play music, answer questions, play the news, check the weather, set alarms, and more.
Control your smart home – Use your voice to turn on lights, adjust thermostats, and lock doors with compatible devices.
NEW FAVORITE GAME: Rollors is a super cool new game which combines horseshoes, bocce ball and outdoor bowling. With a combination of luck and skill, this outdoor game is great for the whole family. So roll the disks, reach the goal, score points and win.
PERFECT CHOICE FOR KIDS: This outdoor game is the best choice for your children, as it can combine learning, dexterity and fun under the sun. The Rollors will help your kids develop their coordination and precision, all while having the best of times.
Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.
Black Friday sales for 2020 have already started, with so many great deals popping up online, it can be hard to know where to turn to first. Luckily, Amazon in particular has put out huge savings on many electronics including Apple product headphones, its Echo products, Fire TV, cell phones and much for for the cyber event. Below we’ve collected the best deals ready to buy in the Electronics category.
Unfortunately it is not likely the new iPhone 12 will have any sales since the launch was pretty recent, however there are many other bargains on older models of smartphones that Amazon is providing this Black Friday. Check out below.
Apple will expose the worst of predatory surveillance by Facebook, Amazon and Google with new privacy features
While wrong is wrong regardless of the perpetrator, when it comes to gargantuan tech behemoths, a company with a clearly defined mission such as Apple or Tesla are in a different category than Amazon, Facebook and Google.
While Tesla’s stated mission is to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” and Apple’s original mission statement, written by Steve Jobs was “to make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind”, predatory vultures hide behind ridiculous slogans like “aim to be Earth’s most customer centric company” (while decimating partners and competitors by any means necessary) and “don’t be evil” (don’t get caught) and “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together” (…all while stealing data for profit from every person on earth).
Click to See “Steve Jobs“ and to help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
It’s just not the same – particularly as Steve Jobs, while at Apple, pushed himself and his company to invent and build many powerful examples of “tools for the mind” and Elon Musk’s Tesla brought the electric car back from the dead (after it was nearly snuffed out by big oil) and is making incredible headway in revolutionizing battery and solar technology, all with a view to literally save the planet from a climate catastrophe.
Bezos? Became the richest living human via the destruction of millions of small business and jobs all while undercutting competitors by selling virtually anything he got his hands on at a significant loss; simply to cause the demise of any competitor or partner that might threaten his rise to idiotically massive personal wealth.
Zuckerberg? Pioneered ways to suck data from virtually every human with a view to monetizing every living soul exclusively for himself and his company. Illustration? Dividing Facebook’s market cap by the number of employees it has yields the sum of $14,906,500.00 per employee. Macy’s? That’d be $16,829. (Thanks to Scott Galloway for the numbers)
Google merely owns (91.75% as of June 2020) the search entryway to all web sites. It decides if you should or should not find them. If it can boost profits by hiding one and featuring another, either through “paid search” or by pointing you toward its own properties while hiding competitors from you, it will do exactly that. Ask the European Union’s anti-trust investigators. For them, this company is a convicted law breaker.
Announced at WWDC 2020, Apple is adding serious features to its various new operating systems. One big feature in Safari is the ability to track, and block as desired, all manner of data intrusions. These are not only identified, but shown and tracked and analyzed with a kind of professional dashboard, showing just how invasive and persistent these invisible spies are.
Apple is big, with more than 1.4 billion devices. Starting in around 2021 they will all be able to identify and block data surveillance by Amazon (the largest of all spies), Google and Facebook, among others. Thanks that’s not a big deal? Think again.
…the overall stance being taken regarding online tracking and surveillance should be seen for what it is: the first step to correcting the mistake of history that allowed the internet to be kidnapped and held hostage by a handful of companies that pretend to be “free” or “customer obsessed” while they are, in fact, Robber Barons that make the Standard Oil monopoly look like Santa Claus.
– D.L.
Tracking the Trackers will Change Your Life
Tracking the trackers is a clear and aggressive privacy stance, taken by the one company among the big four, that does not have a huge stake in you being the victim of online surveillance and tracking.
Not to say that Apple is blameless. Many are complaining about its fee structure for software sold by third parties via the app stores. While this issue is certainly a valid one, the overall stance being taken regarding online tracking and surveillance should be seen for what it is: the first step to correcting the mistake of history that allowed the internet to be kidnapped and held hostage by a handful of companies that pretend to be “free” or “customer obsessed” while they are, in fact, Robber Barons that make the Standard Oil monopoly look like Santa Claus.
Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.
Most articles on 5G since the Apple iPhone 12 launch event on October 13th have been looking in the rearview mirror to predict the future: 5G will “disappoint” due to the slow buildout, technical limitations of the format, and various issues with all the competing systems and carriers, and these arguments are casting doubt on the much touted potential.
This perspective misses the point on so many levels it’s difficult to know where to begin to unpack the myriad of misunderstandings.
Much of the technical discussion has been focused on the various flavors of 5G and the associated limitations and advantages of each. The fact that the fastest 5G, which goes by the sub-category moniker millimeter wave, is not instantly available everywhere for the 5G capable iPhones, and that they will not be in the hands of most consumers before next year, has been met with feigned shock and bewilderment.
And further, they highlight the confusion mounting over the various providers and the various flavors: 5G, 5G E, 5G UW or 5G+ as they are designated by “service indicators” on the iPhone 12 itself. Verizon Communications Inc., T-Mobile US Inc. and AT&T Inc. each have their own systems they have developed and are building out – looking for a piece of the 5G market, expected to be around $1.15 trillion by 2025.
First and foremost – since Apple and iPhone are the leader of all innovations in the marketplace – not necessarily by the sheer number of handsets sold, but by the focus on increasing technical and aesthetic quality and appealing to the top demographic, not to mention the majority of early adopters, it is precisely the fact that, until now, the iPhone 5G handset did not yet exist, and for that reason the buildout is not further along.
The fact that in real-world tests it is already performing at up to 7 times the fastest previously available connections, was coupled inevitably with the caveat; physical locations where these speeds can be accomplished are currently hard to find.
Due to the technical issues with this ultra-high speed version of 5G, the inability to travel more than very short distances and the lack of ability to penetrate obstacles or walls, the possibility to get these amazing speeds are, at present, more likely to be found in outdoor locations.
This is, admittedly, an odd conundrum, but you can be sure, with the upcoming massive increase in competition for ISP customers, it is one that will find at least some viable solutions very soon. There are many billions at stake for those that can find ways to improve this issue.
“Standing in front of a camera store in South of Market, I got 5G speeds reaching 2,160 megabits a second, which was 2,900 percent faster than 4G. Even where it was a tad slower — behind the Safeway parking lot in the Marina district — the 5G iPhone drew speeds of 668 megabits a second, which was 1,052 percent faster than 4G.”
– Brian X. Chen for the New York Times
The carriers have not had the market to build for and needed to be pushed by a huge influx of iPhone 12 owners. Then, meaning now, they will begin to compete with one another for that extremely lucrative group of users. And that rising competitive battle is not the only one looming on the horizon.
Regardless of the ultimate time frame of the build-out, there is an obvious and very meaningful conclusion that we can reach here: 1 year from now things will look very different in the options available for those who want to work and play with the help of a faster internet connection (meaning, obviously, everybody).
As can be seen from the chart above (source: fastmetrics) in early 2020 the US ranked 13th in desktop download speed while mobile speeds ranked even worse coming in at #33 (various sources have US at #10 for fixed broadband). Liechtenstein is nearly 4x faster, on average, than the US. Also note that the highest average is one-tenth to one-twentieth of the eventual “ideal conditions” speeds of 5G.
The future of connectivity can only get better and faster from here. And with the power of Apple, the iPhone 12 and that huge affluent user base the improvements will begin soon and quickly accelerate to a fever-pitch by next year’s iPhone launch. (Will they call it the iPhone 13?)..
Humans never seem to learn – but starting today our Phones do: Big-time
Seems like every year, and sometimes twice a year, we all go through the same song and dance. Apple -oriented publications and media tout all the “leaks” and how they predict that Apple will have a “lackluster” announcement based on those leaks.
Then reality hits and the leaks, while technically more or less correct, turn out to be meaningless or worse. The idea of “only” incremental improvements is blown away by an expanding and deepening ecosystem, so dominant and advanced, in and of itself, that the real world goes Gaga and Apple has yet another world-changing hit on its hands.
The iPhone 12, the HomePod mini and even the MagSafe system are each going to smash expectations and, ultimately, change the world we live in.
The innovative new MagSafe system enables seamless, high-powered wireless charging and easy-to-attach accessories. Photo / Apple
That’s a Strong Statement, Dude, what R you? A Fanboy?
Well, if we were looking at what’s been going on, particularly during the last several years, you would have noticed that the “incremental” improvements that so much of the media has been whining about are actually all part of a huge shift into areas, heretofore unimaginable, and all powered by an ecosystem that is unrivaled and unparalleled in any industry.
Apple has developed and advanced all its products and innovations using Hardware design, Software, machine learning and AI, as well as hardware and silicon development; and that has started the process of replacing and becoming the sequel to Moore’s Law – on a whole new level.
Computational Photography is Today’s biggest buzzword (not counting 5G)
5G and the 5G roll-out are the real secret to why all the nay-sayers are wrong. Apple does not need to adapt to the issues and problems of moving technology forward. Technology will move forward and adapt to Apple. That is the true legacy of Steve Jobs, and hallelujah!
Although there were many photography related bombshells in the presentation today – such as the 5x optical zoom rage / capability (iPhone 12 Pro Max) and the more powerful, larger sensors on the iPhone 12 Pro, it’s the payoff on the machine learning, and software based enhancements to the visual results and the shooting experience that is mind-bogglingly advanced and has only just begun.
Apple does not need to adapt to the issues and problems of moving technology forward. Technology will move forward and adapt to Apple. That is the true legacy of Steve Jobs, and hallelujah!
– D.L.
Without going into a list of the improvements and features related to Computation Photography upgrades (we will cover that in a series of articles and videos in the coming days, weeks and months) the ways that both the experience and results of shooting with an iPhone are improving is vast.
iPhone 12 Pro Max
Screen: 6.7-inch Retina display
Resolution: 2778 x 1284 at 458 ppi (pixel per inch)
Processor: Apple A14 Bionic
Rear camera: 12-megapixel wide camera with f/1.6 aperture + 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with f/2.4 aperture (120-degrees field of view and Sensor-shift optical image stabilization) + 12-megapixel telephoto camera with f/2.2 aperture +LiDAR scanner for depth mapping
Optical zoom: 2.5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out (5x optical zoom range)
Front camera: 12-megapixel with f/2.2
Internal storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB
In the box: No earpods and charging brick; Lightning to USB-C cable included
Software: iOS 14
Starting price: $1099
The iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro will be available in the US from October 23. The iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in the US from November 13.
And the sub-head should be: “wow” because the iPhone 12, just as was the case with the iPhone 11, will be further refining and improving these capabilities 24/7 while we sleep. The importance of this can not be overestimated. Your iPhone will take better photos and perform better with, not only, “incremental” software improvements that you will download throughout the year, but also with “invisible” upgrades that will happen 24/7 slowly but surely as a result of AI and machine learning, well, learning.
I believe that this incredible fact is actually downplayed by Apple because they are worried that the general public might actually fear the power, based on some kind of Terminator-like dystopian scenario, thinking that the iPhone is a potentially dangerous pseudo-living being. The power is real. The fear is unfounded. Enjoy the upgraded experiences and performance now, and watch if improve day by day, week by week and move us all into a more beautiful future, at least for photos and screens and, oh yes, SPEED.
iPad 8th Gen Announcement from the Sept. 15, 2020 Apple Event Today the details are announced of the new 8th Generation iPad (and in our next video the new iPad Air). Along with the new Apple Watch Series 6 it’s an active day – obviously leading up to the iPhone 12 reveal (likely in early October) this already debuts some interesting new features.
Apple announced the eighth-generation version of its 10.2 inch iPad for $329 and $459 for Wi-Fi+ Ceullar model (students and teachers are able to get a discounted price of $299).The iPad will be available in space gray, silver and gold with 32GB and 128GB configurations. You are able to apple.com starting today with the available purchase date on Friday, September 18, 2020.
“With its beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display, the performance boost from the A12 Bionic, great cameras, and so much more, the new iPad is an incredible value at a time when, more than ever, our customers need powerful and versatile ways to work, play, learn, and connect with loved ones.”
Greg Joswiak / Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing
The tablet has been given a power boost (40% faster GPU) and features the A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, a much faster processor than the A10 Fusion used in the prior model. Additional, the new model will still fit existing cases, keyboard cases as well as the first generation Apple Pencil.
Better, Faster, yet still Affordable
The iPad will run on iPadOS14 and give users tons of features, according to Apple include the following:
All-new compact designs for incoming FaceTime and phone calls, Siri interactions, and Search to help users stay focused on the task at hand.
Universal Search to quickly find practically anything, from locating and launching apps, to accessing contacts, files, and information, to getting answers to common questions about people or places.
New sidebars for many apps including Photos and Files, and streamlined toolbars that consolidate controls into a single place, making them more useful than ever.
Beautifully redesigned widgets that present timely information at a glance right on the Home Screen.
Finally here! Although we will all have to wait for the iPhone 12 announcement (October!), today we are getting Apple Watch Series 6 and the new iPad! Here’s the first, most exciting new feature of the Series 6 – the Blood Oxygen Sensor in detail.
The latest version of the Series 6, as many had anticipated took center stage at Apple’s September 15, 2020 event to showcase its hardware reveal. Apple dominates the smartwatch competition.
The new built-in sensor, which is the biggest addition to the latest model, is capable of measuring the color of one’s blood to determine your oxygen level, all in under 15 seconds. This is a helpful standalone feature, however its also helpful instrument for our current COVID-19 situation. The ability to bring attention and alert the wearer of any symptoms (i.e. low oxygen levels) is huge.
The watch is currently available for pre-order only and will be available for purchase on Friday, September 18, 2020 at the starting price of $399. In addition, Apple will be launching the Fitness+ subscription service, which will offer workout videos via Apple TV.
We all constantly interact with our iPhone in a myriad of ways. We use our phones for directions, searching for information, snapping a photo, communicating with work-family-friends-lovers, buying (drunk-dailing), accessing our financial data, enter and compiling health data…. the list goes on and on!
Apple’s newest ad highlights how important our privacy really is. Although funny, the ad also depicts what the worst case scenario could look like.
Privacy is extremely high on Apple’s list
No one would knowingly would scream out their password, but through this clever comedic device the video spotlights the scary truth that if your valuable information were to be shared continuously, the situation would be grave, indeed. Apple wants to make it clear that privacy should be a “given” and that they have taken extra steps to ensure users information will be safe.
New features create a more streamlined travel experience & totally new functionality
During the WWDC virtual event, Apple previewed the latest version of its upcoming desktop operating system – macOS Big Sur. There are so many new features, it is easy to get lost in all the detail. One highlight that stands out is the updated version of the Maps app. MacOS Big Sur is set for release next month for fall, there is, however a developer beta version currently available for download if you want a sneak peek before the official release date. Since this is beta (beta 4) and meant for developers, it is best only to download and test on a machine that you do not depend on as bugs are to be expected until the final official release (at least).
We have tested this and compiled features from what information Apple has released so far. The completely redesigned version of the app makes it even easier to find your navigation essentials. The new interface will be a more streamlined experience including: “Favorites” like home or work , “My Guides” where you can plan a trip or save places of interest you want to one day visit, and will also save your “Recent Places.”
Another new feature on the Mac is the ability to see the ETA from friends or family members that shared their routes with you. In this sort of hybrid with the features of “find friends”, now within maps, you will be able to see the current location of friends who have shared a route, and then you can monitor the progress as they journey towards their destinations.
The Maps app in Big Sur will also include all the newest features of Maps that will be included in the newest iPhone update iOS14 as well which will include: Guide, Cycling and EV routing.
Recommendations from top travel resources coming now with “My Guides”
Click to See “Steve Jobs“ and to help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Maps will offer all new tools and features that will elevate travel and planning your next exploration of the world. Through Guides, you can discover new places as well as events and activities to participate using trusted sources.
Apple is said to be working with top companies like Lonely Planet, Zagat, and AllTrails to give you the best information. You can also customize your trip with all the places you want to visit (ex: shops, restaurants, parks, historical landmarks, etc) and share with your family and friends. To start, Guides will be available for cities including San Francisco, New York, London and Los Angeles, with plans to expand many more cities options.
The new Maps will make more countries available to view that will include Canada, Ireland and the UK. Then using the “Look Around” feature will allow you a 360-degree view of a destination (which is extremely cool on the big screen of your Mac). You can scroll through streets and get closer to a realistic taste of what to expect; giving rich detail of roads, buildings, parks, beaches and much more.
Apple will also make navigating within airports and shopping centers a little less stressful with detailed views of its indoor maps.
Bike riders and electric vehicle excursions are one of the cool new features
Need to get to a destination and you want to take your bicycle? No problem. Your cycling trips can now be routed from your Mac and then sent directly to your iPhone when you are on the go. Maps will provide routes for cyclists to find bike lanes, paths or bike-friendly roadways to reach your desired location. There will also be the ability to preview the elevation of the roads and have the option to avoid routes that have steep inclines or stairs that will make for an easier and smoother ride
Apple will also be utilizing EV routing for those that want to plan a trip using their electric vehicles. EV routing will help take into account your electric vehicle’s route (highlighting weather, elevation and locations of charging stations). When you add your electric vehicle to your iPhone, the Maps app will keep track of your EV’s current charge level.
Photo / Apple Maps for Cycling
Since there are so many features coming in macOS 11 Big Sur and many of those will now be even more integrated with the carious iOS, iPad OS, watch OS and so forth, it’s a great idea to keep tuned in as we will continue to produce updates on all the features, tips and tricks for all your Apple devices.
Custom personalization, Face sharing and, yes, Dance…
At WWDC 2020, a first ever Apple virtual special event, the company officially announced the next update to the Apple Watch operating system called watchOS 7, which will have many new changes including custom personalization along with health and fitness features. The update is expected to be available to the public (for free of course) later this year, most likely around September, which is when the iPhone 12 is also anticipated to be released. The WatchOS 7 update has been confirmed to be functional on the Apple Watch versions 3, 4, and 5. Which means if you have the earlier versions like Apple Watch Series 1 or 2 you will not be able to retrieve the update.
One of the features includes big new upgrades to the Workout app which is one of Apple’s most popular and most used apps on the smartwatch, according to internal analytics, presumably. Running, swimming, rowing, cycling and more are some of the current commonly used workouts that can be tracked on the Apple Watch. Now, four completely new workouts will be available – Dance, Core Training, Functional Strength Training and Cool-down which will offer custom-built motion algorithms and heart rate sensors to best track your movements.
Pre-loaded styles and intelligence can set you free
Dance is set to be added as a total body workout and will have the ability to track movements from a handful of the most popular dance styles that includes Hip Hop, Latin, Bollywood, and Cardio Dance (see video, above). Getting accurate tracking and credit for dancing previously proved challenging since dancing is not always repetitive and rarely has synchronized arm and leg movements like running and walking often do. With the newest update, Apple is using advanced censor fusion that will combine data from the heart rate sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope to get a better full body reading (movements in your arms and legs ) that will generate a more accurate ‘calories burned’ calculations for dance movements.
The OS7 will also track accurate calories for: Core Training, Functional Strength Training, & Cooldown. Core training where exercise is primarily focused on abs and back. Functional Strength Training is a workout type that helps you get stronger and move better for everyday activity. And Cool-down which can be added onto various workouts is when you want to continue with easy movements and stretches to bring heart rate and breathing back to normal.
Not bad. Sounds like very little new on paper, but if you use the workouts, like I do, these small changes represent more freedom to do what you want, and add a more natural feeling to your routine.
All your workouts can be tracked extensively with tons of precise data within the Activity App which is completely redesigned in the new update. The redesign has a new summary tab system to allows seamless switching between the Activity, Workouts, Awards and Trends views, all within one tab. The Activity App has also received a new moniker – and will be called simply: “Fitness”.
The 20 second rule automated for your entertainment
With the new update, WatchOS 7, at the WWDC 2020 event, Apple announced a handful of significant updates to its product line. Many were unexpected and some where …yawn, but one in particular was, well, funny but not in a bad way. Apple Watch will do something that no other wearable device has yet to do, automatically detect hand-washing.
Why is this important? Well, hopefully most of us know that washing your hands can greatly help to prevent the spread of germs and protect yourself from getting sick. On a daily we are touching multiple surfaces and while we are all still actively in a pandemic with COVID-19, practicing good hygiene is a major key to lowering your risk as well as to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
So even though it’s totally obvious we should wash our hands, particularly as we are reminded constantly in the media, it is more than an appropriate for us all to go back to the basics. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands for least 20 seconds. The old trick of singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice is effective. But with the new watchOS 7 update, there will no longer be any guessing as to whether or not you’ve washed your hands for the recommended amount of time.
The Apple Watch will utilize motion sensors and on-device machine learning along with the microphone to automatically detect when you’re washing your hands. Once your watch detects you’re washing (hand motions coupled with sounds of running water and soap suds) – a 20-second timer will begin a countdown. If you happen to stop earlier than the 20 second mark, you will be prompted by haptic feedback (vibrations) to tell you to continue washing. When a successful 20 second hand washing session has happened, your watch will give you a nice message of “Well Done”. Your Apple Watch will also be able to remind you to wash your hands when you get home.
In case you missed it: here’s the breakdown courtesy of the CDC
Again, going back to the basics, here are five simple steps based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to washing your hands the correct way:
Wet hands with clean running water and apply soap.
Lather hands by rubbing them together with soap – including the backs of your hand, between your fingers and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands under clean running water.
Dry your hands.
Being able to rely on your Apple Watch to ensure you are keeping your hands properly washed and having good hygiene is an added health bonus, that again, while during a pandemic – is not only good for staying healthy but can also protect those around you. Hopefully next year a feature like this one will not be necessary and we can return to more exciting uses for our bionic time piece.
At WWDC 2020, a first ever Apple virtual special event, the company officially announced the next update to the Apple Watch operating system called watchOS 7, which will have many new changes including custom personalization along with health and fitness features. The update is expected to be available to the public (for free of course) later this year, most likely around September, which is when the iPhone 12 is also anticipated to be released. The WatchOS 7 update has been confirmed to be functional on the Apple Watch versions 3, 4, and 5. Which means if you have the earlier versions like Apple Watch Series 1 or 2 you will not be able to retrieve the update.
One of the features includes big new upgrades to the Workout app which is one of Apple’s most popular and most used apps on the smartwatch, according to internal analytics, presumably. Running, swimming, rowing, cycling and more are some of the current commonly used workouts that can be tracked on the Apple Watch. Now, four completely new workouts will be available – Dance, Core Training, Functional Strength Training and Cool-down which will offer custom-built motion algorithms and heart rate sensors to best track your movements.
Dance is set to be added as a total body workout and will have the ability to track movements from a handful of the most popular dance styles that includes Hip Hop, Latin, Bollywood, and Cardio Dance (see video, above). Getting accurate tracking and credit for dancing previously proved challenging since dancing is not always repetitive and rarely has synchronized arm and leg movements like running and walking often do. With the newest update, Apple is using advanced censor fusion that will combine data from the heart rate sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope to get a better full body reading (movements in your arms and legs ) that will generate a more accurate ‘calories burned’ calculations for dance movements.
The OS7 will also track accurate calories for: Core Training, Functional Strength Training, & Cooldown. Core training where exercise is primarily focused on abs and back. Functional Strength Training is a workout type that helps you get stronger and move better for everyday activity. And Cool-down which can be added onto various workouts is when you want to continue with easy movements and stretches to bring heart rate and breathing back to normal.
Not bad. Sounds like very little new on paper, but if you use the workouts, like I do, these small changes represent more freedom to do what you want, and add a more natural feeling to your routine.
All your workouts can be tracked extensively with tons of precise data within the Activity App which is completely redesigned in the new update. The redesign has a new summary tab system to allows seamless switching between the Activity, Workouts, Awards and Trends views, all within one tab. The Activity App has also received a new moniker – and will be called simply: “Fitness”.
After the initial release of iOS 13 proved to be a little buggy (but beautiful), today Apple released iOS 13.1 with updates and features along with added safety. Some features added since last weeks initial update include a “share ETA” feature in Apple Maps, as well as improved AirDrop performance.
iPad OS 13.1 is also going live in front of tomorrows release of the new seventh-generation iPad entry level. Orders start tomorrow with deliveries and in-store availability “later this week” according to Apple.
This is going to be an extremely eventful September and October for those who own a Mac, iPhone and iPad. With mac OS Catalina due out sometime in October (exact date not specified by apple yet) it will be weeks before all the new features are “digested” by our brains. Added to the fun is the fact that many features, such as Side-Car for Catalina, which allows the iPad to be used as not only an extended second screen but also as a sort of satellite stand alone control device for the Mac you choose as the source. We are working on live experiments with this feature and it is amazing, especially in conjunction with iPad OS 13.1. Stay tuned.
Although there are many, many new features, and this is the first year that there are three new major OS releases (4 if you have an Apple Watch) and the learning curve deserves a much more in depth look than just a hurried list of features and specs and comparisons to the same hurried lists from last year. These new updates will virtually define the word “synergy” and it will take months for the upgrades to be fully immersed into our digital worlds.
After last year’s Mojave update marked the first real emergence of iCloud and shared features across all devices as a ninja-superpower force, the triumvirate of iOS 13, iPad OS 13 and Catalina looks to be an even more incredible coming of age for the eco-system writ large.
This is really great news of those who use the devices on a daily basis professionally, just as the new omnipresent “pro” tag has taken hold, and, although it is understood that bugs will come and eventually get squashed, this really is the new platform we have waited for.
Oddly fitting, it seems, to be writing this on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and imagining a very different, yet strangely similar, world outcome at stake. As pundits and trolls debate prices and feature sets, something larger is happening just beyond the threshold of perception.
The superior ecosystem of integrated elements, conceived as a whole, is beginning to emerge after 35 years. And, as if rising from a fog, the outline of the way we will create and communicate via digital networks in the future, is getting clearer.
Beginning with a new Mac Pro featuring up to a 28-core, Xeon processor, and a new Pro Display XDR, a 32in, 6k Retina with a million to one contrast ratio and a billion colors, both announced along with macOS Catalina and iOS13, all due out in the Fall, there appears to be a pattern emerging.
“With overall improvements in connectivity coming with 5g, not to mention all the satellite systems being built, the trinity of hardware muscle, accelerated software evolution, and hi-speed networking will be the “one more thing” of the era to come”.
The real story is about the improvements in the creative and computational power coming together on three fronts:
“If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don’t bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking.”
― R. Buckminster Fuller
Powerful fast hardware (nobody is complaining about the speed and power of the new Mac Pro), extended functionality of software – whether embedded within macOS Catalina, or from third parties, and then, finally, the-up-and coming speed and low latency of 5G and satellite networks.
However, a fourth, and very important force, not to be forgotten, is user sophistication. Seldom mentioned, it is barely a ‘thing’, yet without this essential component, the adoption of new technologies and communication methods could not move forward.
The gradual evolution of user adoption and skill will always gradually follow where the tools lead. For example, the ‘Digital Hub‘ of 2001 was a mystery, at the time, to a public that had barely begun to adopt the digital camera, and yet is completely obvious in hindisght.There’s a battle here, but it’s not for the stock price, revenue targets or market share. It’s for hearts, minds and the fulfillment of a sacred vision of a young Steve Jobs. To build a set of tools, overtake the Condor and soar above the mundane.
This combination, the rapidly emerging four pillars, will be nothing short of a revelation for the ages, all at a time when Moore’s Law is said to be dead or at least dying. And I didn’t even mention AI or machine learning.
“What a computer is to me is, it’s the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with, and it’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.”
– Steve Jobs
“I think one of the things that really separates us from the high primates is that we’re tool builders. I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometer.
The rest of the quote above from Steve Jobs:
And, humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing, about a third of the way down the list. It was not too proud a showing for the crown of creation. So, that didn’t look so good. But, then somebody at Scientific American had the insight to test the efficiency of locomotion for a man on a bicycle.
And, a man on a bicycle, a human on a bicycle, blew the condor away, completely off the top of the charts.”
Mac Pro IMAGES:
[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”3″]
photos by Apple
THE SECOND WAVE STARTS WHEN THE FOUR PILLARS ARE COMPLETE
What shines through is the path that Apple has kept all throughout the years and into today. Steve’s continuing, guiding hand prevented the core value propositions and and underlying goals from changing. And hallelujah to that.
My understanding is that a great part, if not the greatest part, of that ethos, was that human creativity and communication are paramount. And that building tools, to enhance and engender those, are a scared quest, worthy of noble men and women.
Now, here we stand, in a world that cries out for, and is even in danger of perishing without, a new higher level of communication and creativity.
And the tools are arriving, hopefully in-time, so let us be thankful to Steve’s great legacy, to Apple’s perseverance, and now pull together – and get to work…
Pro Display XDR IMAGES
[gdgallery_gallery id_gallery=”4″]
photos by Apple
FROM WHENCE ALL WEALTH?
Much has been made of the high prices and perceived ‘lack of innovation‘ in this, most recent, stream of new products from Apple. One ‘Fair and Balanced’ news organization’s headline screamed that Apple was considered ‘criminal’ for charging $999 for a monitor stand.
Sometimes, information comes at us all so fast, our brains need some time to catch up to reality. T his year’s WWDC was a bit like that, an avalanche of updates and features, exploding from 90 foot screens.
“And whence will come the wealth with which we may undertake to lead world-man into his new and validly hopeful life? From the wealth of the minds of world-man — whence comes all wealth.”
– R. Buckminster Fuller
A thousand dollar stand? Horrors. 50k for the maxed out system, boo hoo. ‘You can buy a gaming PC for around the same as the stand’. So what?. Next we’ll see an article calculating that if you buy 10 Pro Display XDRs and 10 stands that’ll be over $60,000! And somebody groaned! Quel Scandale! Apple haters are still hating and if it bleeds, it leads. And missing the story like it was the the broad side of a barn.
As a species, Buckmintser Fuller probably also said, we have been on training wheels. Well, now they are coming off, and we will need every ounce of power we can get our hands on if we are going to innovate and communicate ourselves out the messes we’ve created in this world.
Are these the tools meant to help content creators contribute to Apple’s shift from primarily hardware profits to income from subscriptions and services? Yes.
They are also the tools to help creators, communicators and scientists to innovate and ideate our way out of a road to possible self-inflicted extinction. Oh, yea, there’s that.
So let’s stand up and cheer for the company that is trying, like Steve wanted, to give us the best tools. ‘Cause heroes are hard to find, these days. Hero companies? There’s only one, or maybe two.
Apple is leading the way with serious simultaneous improvements in 2 of the 3 pillars of the golden triangle: more muscular hardware such as the new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR, shown here, and a new galaxy of capabilities that will grow out of iOS13 and macOS Catalina, both announced and showcased this week at WWDC.
