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Apple

Zoom gained access to private iPad camera API for special multitasking

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App developer Jeremy Provost discovered that Apple has given Zoom access to a private iPad camera API. With that, the meeting app is the only one, except by Apple’s FaceTime, being able to use the camera during iPad Split View multitasking.

With this feature only available on the Zoom app, it gives an advantage to the app among the others, since the user can use the Split View multitasking to access Twitter, a notes app, etc.

As Provost explains in his blog post, when he first discovered Zoom could take advantage of the Split View feature, he started to search for the process for other developers being able to do the same.

“We asked Zoom and to our surprise, they gave us the answer, and in the process revealed an apparently private process, available only to those deemed worthy by Apple.“

To receive access to some API, Apple must give an “entitlement,” which is a right or privilege that grants an executable particular capabilities. Apple explains:

“For example, an app needs the HomeKit Entitlement — along with explicit user consent — to access a user’s home automation network. An app stores its entitlements as key-value pairs embedded in the code signature of its binary executable.“

While Apple provides public documentation and a process for requesting access to entitlements, for example, Provost discovered that there isn’t a public process for requesting this specific API.

 As we’ve been informed, it is called com.apple.developer.avfoundation.multitasking-camera-access. Unfortunately, unlike with CarPlay there is no public process for requesting this entitlement. In fact, its existence is not even documented by Apple publicly. Go ahead and Google it, you’ll only turn up the Zoom Developer Forum.

While it’s still unknown why Apple only gave this particular feature for the Zoom app — as the company says, it treats every developer the same, on Thursday, App Store VP testified in Epic trial as emails revealed special API access for Hulu and other devs:

“One email shows there was an internal question about why Hulu was able to switch between App Store billing and Hulu billing. As it turns out, Hulu is part of a “set of whitelisted developers” with access to the subscription cancel/refund API. The company had initially given Hulu access to this API to support upgrade and downgrade plan changes before this was natively built-in to the App Store.“

On the other hand, in the ‘Spring Loaded’ event in April, Apple announced a feature called Center Stage, exclusively available on the M1 iPad Pro, and will let all videoconference apps be able to take advantage of it if their developers choose to.

With the Center Stage feature, the Ultra-Wide front camera will be able to track the user in a conference and position him in the center of the frame. As for now, if you use an iPad in landscape mode, you’ll probably not look good in front of the camera.

 

 

 

iPad Camera Multitasking

A few months back I was surprised to see that Zoom had somehow been able to tap into using the camera during iPad Split View multitasking. This is an obvious feature for a videoconferencing app so that you can keep one eye on your meeting while you consult notes, look at a presentation, or slack off on Twitter.

I scoured the web and found no reference to how to enable this feature for our own iOS Zoom client, Participant for Zoom. We asked Zoom and to our surprise they gave us the answer, and in the process revealed an apparently private process, available only to those deemed worthy by Apple.

This capability is enabled by means of an entitlement. You can read more about entitlements here. In order to access certain OS features, app developers enable public entitlements, like iCloud access or push notifications. But for quite some time there have also existed private entitlements. One example is the ability for an app to integrate with CarPlay.

Apple provides public documentation and a process for requesting CarPlay access that any developer can apply for. Of course, Apple wisely restricts what types of apps can integrate with CarPlay. You need to fall into one of the following categories:

  • Audio
  • Automaker
  • Communication
  • EV Charging
  • Navigation
  • Parking
  • Quick Food Ordering

 

 

 

 

Once Apple has granted you the entitlement it will appear in your developer account for you to add to a particular app.

So then, what is the entitlement for iPad Camera Multitasking? As we’ve been informed, it is called com.apple.developer.avfoundation.multitasking-camera-access. Unfortunately, unlike with CarPlay there is no public process for requesting this entitlement. In fact, its existence is not even documented by Apple publicly. Go ahead and Google it, you’ll only turn up the Zoom Developer Forum.

 

 

 

 

It’s understandable that this entitlement may not be appropriate for every app, or perhaps there may be ways for it to be abused. Maybe it makes sense for there to be an approval process, like with CarPlay. But it doesn’t make sense for this to be private, undocumented, and only accessible to Apple’s preferred partners. You can’t say “we treat every developer the same” while privately giving special capabilities to certain developers.

We’ve gone ahead and reached out to Apple through their developer contact page and made a request for “iPad Camera Multitasking”. We’ll see where this goes.

❤ watchOS 8: Four short feature requests for future Apple Watch updates

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watchOS 8 will be shown off for Apple Watch in just one month, and we’re hoping for a feature-packed update this year. While there’s still time to dream about what could come in the next Apple Watch software update, we’re sharing four short feature requests that would be welcome in watchOS 8 or any future version of the Apple Watch software.

Always-on display

Apple Watch Series 5 introduced the always-on display for select instances, and Apple Watch Series 6 improved the brightness for always-on display in outdoor settings. In terms of hardware, Series 5 and 6 are already mature for this feature, but the software experience hasn’t changed in two years.

Always-on display works great with watch faces and Apple’s Workout app, but it’s just a digital clock with a blurry background in every other instance.

Some basic expansions for always-on display support include Apple’s Now Playing view, navigation in Maps, and active countdowns in the Timer app. Now Playing and Maps actively take over the watch face by default, yet neither of these features support always-on display. I would argue that the Timer app should also take over the watch face when actively counting down, but I would settle for proper always-on display support to start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

every Apple app in watchOS should have some level of always-on display support and not just the blurry overlay with the digital clock presented. And speaking of digital time, having a proper always-on display version of an analog clock would be highly welcome. It’s as jarring to see your analog watch face turn into a digital clock if always-on display mode kicks in when you’re in an app, using navigation, or playing audio.

Apple Notes

Bringing a scaled-back version of Apple Notes to the Apple Watch has long felt like a no-brainer idea for two reasons.

Bringing the ability to capture quick ideas through dictation, voice recording, or drawing characters through Scribble could be the modern day version of jotting down something on the back of your hand.

The third-party app Drafts is the best example of how this could work for Apple Notes users. And like with Voice Memos, notes created from the Apple Watch could be timestamped and geotagged. There could also be an Apple Watch spin to Apple Notes on watchOS: the ability to save heart rate and blood oxygen levels to notes created on the Apple Watch.

Referencing notes created on other devices is also long overdue. For example, you can already view your shopping list on your Apple Watch if you use Reminders, but it’s common for people to create grocery lists in Notes too. You could also subtly reference bits of information at a glance instead of pulling out your iPhone in discreet situations.

Breathe schedule

I’m admittedly not a frequent user of the built-in Breathe app on Apple Watch, but I never regret taking the time to focus myself when I do use the app. This is partly because I’m not a huge fan of how the Breathe reminders are currently handled in watchOS.

You can be alerted to use the Breathe app for a specific number of times if you haven’t yet in a day, but you can’t schedule when these alerts should come in. That’s probably intentional to promote pausing and meditating at different times each day, but I think I would be more likely to regularly use the app if I could schedule alerts.

The simplest method would be choosing specific times of the day for being reminded to use the Breathe app. You could go deeper and add Breathe alerts to part of your wake-up routine or wind-down routine for added encouragement. Finally, Breathe alerts could work sort of like the hand-washing reminders in watchOS. Rather than based on intervals of a certain number of hours, Breathe alerts could be triggered when you change locations.

Live lyrics

You know how Apple Music can show live lyrics for many songs with a focus on the current part of the track? I want that, but for Apple Watch. Visually, it’s a challenge to bring the feature from medium-sized rectangles to much smaller squares. What I have in mind is filling the screen with what would currently be in focus on the iPhone. This could make for instant, hands-free karaoke sessions or just make keeping up with current lyrics in solo listening sessions easier.

Scrolling through the lyrics with the Digital Crown to jump to a specific part of the song is a natural fit for Apple Watch. You could even bring the new lyric-based song-sharing feature from iPhone to Apple Watch with a long press.

More

While details are light so far on what we’ll actually see in watchOS 8 at WWDC, 9to5Mac has some other ideas for future watchOS versions that we’ve recently shared.

In my piece on toning down the Apple Watch, I recommended a new default for managing mirrored iPhone alerts. Currently, you have to manually turn off mirrored iPhone alerts per app. You also have to remember to turn off iPhone alert mirroring each time you install a new app on your iPhone. In practice, you’re probably unlikely to remember this step until you actually get an alert from some app you installed recently. Adding an option to make iPhone alert mirroring opt-in instead of opt-out by default would be terrific.

 

 

 

 

More recently,  Parker Ortolani forecasted a useful addition to the newly launched AirTag experience. You can locate lost items from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and you can find people with location sharing on the Apple Watch. What you can’t yet do is find or trigger AirTags from the Apple Watch. Here’s hoping watchOS 8 remedies this.

Want more ideas for what watchOS 8 and upcoming versions of the Apple Watch software could bring in the future? Parker published a two-part concept in January that goes even further, and other creative minds have dreamed up revamps to watchOS as well.

Apple kicks off its virtual Worldwide Developer Conference on June 7 this year. This is where we can expect to see iOS and iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, tvOS 15, and macOS 12 for the first time.

❤ User rebuilds AirTag as a thinner card that fits into wallets

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Apple’s AirTag is reasonably small and lightweight, but the accessory may be too thick for those who want to put it in a wallet. Because Apple only offers AirTag with a single design option, Andrew Ngai decided to make his own version of Apple’s tracking accessory that looks like a card — and the result is quite impressive.

The process is not exactly easy, as you might imagine, but Andrew managed to do it all himself with just a few tools and a lot of patience. As he demonstrated, removing the back of the AirTag was quite simple, but the components are all glued to the plastic shell with the exception of the removable battery.

Andrew had to heat the AirTag to 150ºF (or 65℃) to get the AirTag logic board out of the plastic shell. However, the biggest challenge in making the AirTag thinner was relocating the CR2032 battery, which is 3.2 millimeters thick by itself. Together with the whole structure, each AirTag is 8 millimeters thick.

By using extra wired connections, it was possible to connect the battery to the AirTag side by side instead of keeping them together on top of each other. The final step was to create a 3D card made to fit the AirTag’s disassembled components together so that they would not come loose. The result was a fully functional AirTag card that can be placed in a wallet just like a credit card.

 

 

 

 

 

This, of course, is not something you should do with your AirTags as the process can permanently damage the accessory, but it’s nice to see the possibilities with this product.

Each AirTag costs $29 and there’s also a 4-pack for $99, while Apple also sells multiple accessories like ring holders and leather loops. You can also check Amazon’s website for deals on AirTag and related accessories.

❤ Apple releases iOS 14.5.1 with fix for App Tracking Transparency bug

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One week after the release of iOS 14.5, Apple today is releasing iOS 14.5.1 to the public with bug fixes and performance improvements. Apple is also releasing iOS 12.5.3 for older iPhones that are not supported by iOS 14.5.

Today’s new release iOS 14.5.1 is available via an over-the-air update in the Settings app. As usual, if the update does not immediately appear for download, keep checking, as it sometimes takes a few minutes to roll out to all users. The build number for today’s release is 18E212.

iOS 14.5 was a major update for iPhone users, bringing new features such as App Tracking Transparency, Appel Watch Unlock, Siri improvements, and more. For such a big update, it is unsurprising to see Apple release a point update with bug fixes.

Apple says iOS 14.5.1 fixes a bug that prevented some users from seeing App Tracking Transparency prompts:

This update fixes an issue with App Tracking Transparency where some users who previously disabled Allow Apps to Request to Track in Settings may not receive prompts from apps after re-enabling it. This update also provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.

Notably, iOS 14.5.1 does not fix an issue that causes the App Tracking Transparency toggle in Settings to be grayed out. After updating to iOS 14.5.1, the “Allow Apps to Request to Track” toggle is still grayed out for some users in the Settings app.

iOS 14.5.1 is rolling out today and you can update by going to the Settings app on your device, choosing General, then choosing Software Update. Apple is also rolling out iPadOS 14.5.1 today as well.

 

 

❤ Apple teams up with Delta and AT&T to deploy iPhone 12 to 19,000 flight attendants

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AT&T, Delta, and Apple have announced a new partnership that will see the airline upgrade its fleet of devices to 5G-capable iPhone 12 models. Through this partnership, Delta will equip all 19,000 of its flight attendants with an iPhone 12 device.

In a press release, AT&T explains that this is part of Delta’s efforts to “lead the commercial airline industry into the 5G era.”

Delta Air Lines will help lead the commercial airline industry into the 5G era. Together with AT&T Business and Apple, Delta will equip every one of their 19,000+ flight attendants with iPhone 12, enabling them to harness the power of AT&T’s nationwide 5G network to enhance the travel experience for all passengers.

While a variety of smartphones support 5G nowadays, Delta and AT&T also point to the iPhone 12’s AR capabilities as reasons for choosing it over the competition:

  • More accurately assessing in-cabin inventory quickly using AR with the camera on iPhone 12.
  • Immersive training using AR to help flight attendants perform critical tasks – from safety checks to passenger assistance – from nearly anywhere.

Delta will also work with AT&T and Apple going forward to “develop new use cases and applications that will help Delta continue to set new standards for service.”

Delta is not the first airline to team up with Apple on rolling out iPhones to flight attendants. In 2019, British Airways gave all 15,000 of its cabin crew members an iPhone XR to help enhance the customer support experience. Apple and IBM also worked with United Airlines to distribute iPhones and iPads to its employees in 2017.

Delta Air Lines will help lead the commercial airline industry into the 5G era. Together with AT&T Business and Apple, Delta will equip every one of their 19,000+ flight attendants with iPhone 12, enabling them to harness the power of AT&T’s nationwide 5G network to enhance the travel experience for all passengers.

2021 is a crucial year as pandemic-driven travel behaviors continue to change. This new infusion of technology and connectivity from AT&T and Apple will help Delta and its flight attendants better adapt to whatever the future of travel holds.

The powerful capabilities in performance, durability and connectivity on iPhone 12 combined with the high-speed, low-latency connectivity of the AT&T 5G network opens entirely new possibilities on the ground and in the air.

This could mean unleashing the potential of augmented reality (AR) to shape the future of air travel and the passenger experience with capabilities like:

  • More accurately assessing in-cabin inventory quickly using AR with the camera on iPhone 12.
  • Immersive training using AR to help flight attendants perform critical tasks—from safety checks to passenger assistance— from nearly anywhere.

These new capabilities are not only possible, but are on the horizon, and Delta will continue work with AT&T and Apple to develop new use cases and applications that will help Delta continue to set new standards for service.

The Apple-designed A14 Bionic — the fastest chip in a smartphone — powers every experience on iPhone 12 while efficiently managing battery life.

It also features a new flat-edge design with an aerospace-grade aluminum enclosure, and the breakthrough Ceramic Shield front cover, with 4x better drop performance. iPhone 12 also has an industry-leading IP68 rating for water-resistance, giving flight attendants peace of mind while on the go. Viewing training and customer itineraries even in dim cabin lighting will be made easy with an expansive, edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR display with OLED for a brighter, more immersive viewing experience.

Flight attendants can also feel confident knowing that AT&T was recently named the fastest network for iPhones according to Speedtest® by Ookla. The iPhone 12 can also access AT&T’s fast, reliable and highly secure 5G network, reducing the need to connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots in between flights. AT&T’s 5G network reaches over 230M Americans in more than 14,000 cities and towns. The iPhone 12 is also capable of tapping into the AT&T 5G+ network, which is available in parts of 38 cities in the U.S.

In addition, Delta utilized the trade-in value of iPhones to enable a cost-effective lease from AT&T Capital Services and Apple Financial Services.

❤ Telegram for iOS to add long-awaited video group calls feature in May

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Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced the app will add group video calls starting next month. This feature has been long anticipated by many Telegram users.

Telegram often taunts rivals over their tardiness to add new features but on video calls it has been a laggard, only adding the ability to make one-on-one video calls last August — rather than prioritizing a launch of group video calls, as it had suggested it would a few months earlier.

In an April 2020 blog post, to mark passing 400M users, it wrote that the global lockdown had “highlighted the need for a trusted video communication tool” — going on to dub video calls in 2020 “much like messaging in 2013”.

However it also emphasized the importance of security for group video calling — and that’s perhaps what’s caused the delay.

(Another possibility is the operational distraction of needing to raise a large chunk of debt financing to keep funding development: Last month Telegram announced it had raised over $1BN by selling bonds — its earlier plan to monetize via a blockchain platform having hit the buffers in 2020.)

In the event, rather than rolling out group video calls towards the latter end of 2020 it’s going to be doing so almost half way through 2021 — which has left videoconferencing platforms like Zoom to keep cleaning up during the pandemic-fuelled remote work and play boom (even as ‘Zoom fatigue’ has been added to our lexicon).

How secure Telegram’s implementation of group video calls will be, though, is an open question.

Durov’s post mades repeat mention of “encryption” — perhaps to make a subtle dig at Zoom’s own messy security claims history — but doesn’t specify whether it will use end-to-end encryption (we’ve asked).

Meanwhile Zoom does now offer e2e — and also has designs on becoming a platform in its own right, with apps and a marketplace, so there are a number of shifts in the comms landscape that could see the videoconferencing giant making deeper incursions into Telegram’s social messaging territory.

The one-to-one video calls Telegram launched last year were rolled out with its own e2e encryption — so presumably it will be replicating that approach for group calls.

However the MTProto encryption Telegram uses is custom-designed — and there’s been plenty of debate among cryptography experts over the soundness of its approach. So even if group calls are e2e encrypted there will be scrutiny over exactly how Telegram is doing it.

Also today, Durov touted two recently launched web versions of Telegram (not the first such versions by a long chalk, though) — adding that it’s currently testing “a functional version of web-based video calls internally, which will be added soon”.

He said the Webk and Webz versions of the web app are “by far the most cross-platform versions of Telegram we shipped so far”, and noting that no downloads or installs are required to access your chats via the browser.

“This is particularly good for corporate environments where installing native apps is now always allowed, but also good for users who like the instant nature of web sites,” he added, with another little nod toward enterprise users.

As reported by Yahoo Finance, Durov made the announcement via a text message posted to his official Telegram channel today. He wrote:

“We will be adding a video dimension to our voice chats in May, making Telegram a powerful platform for group video calls”.

“Screen sharing, encryption, noise-canceling, desktop and tablet support — everything you can expect from a modern video conferencing tool, but with Telegram-level UI, speed, and encryption. Stay tuned!”.

While Telegram usually taunts its competitors over their delay in offering new features, the app is behind WhatsApp, which already offers end-to-end encrypted video calls.

Also today, Durov touted two recently launched web versions of Telegram, adding that it’s currently testing “a functional version of web-based video calls internally, which will be added soon.”

“He said the Webk and Webz versions of the web app are ‘by far the most cross-platform versions of the app we shipped so far’, and noting that no downloads or installs are required to access your chats via the browser.”

While Telegram is focusing on this new feature, WhatsApp is currently testing ways to integrate Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, as well as migrating chat history between an iPhone and an Android device.

❤ Apple introduces AirTag

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AirTag is a small and elegantly designed accessory that can be personalized with free engraving, and enables iPhone users to securely locate and keep track of their valuables using the Find My app.

 

 

Apple expands the Find My ecosystem with AirTag, an iPhone accessory that provides a private and secure way to easily locate the items that matter most, available beginning Friday, April 30
Apple introduced AirTag, a small and elegantly designed accessory that helps keep track of and find the items that matter most with Apple’s Find My app. Whether attached to a handbag, keys, backpack, or other items, AirTag taps into the vast, global Find My network  and can help locate a lost item, all while keeping location data private and anonymous with end-to-end encryption. AirTag can be purchased in one and four packs for just $29 and $99, respectively, and will be available beginning Friday, April 30
“We’re excited to bring this incredible new capability to iPhone users with the introduction of AirTag, leveraging the vast Find My network, to help them keep track of and find the important items in their lives,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. “With its design, unparalleled finding experience, and built-in privacy and security features, AirTag will provide customers with another way to leverage the power of the Apple ecosystem and enhance the versatility of iPhone.”
Precision Finding gives users the exact distance and direction to their AirTag, guiding them through a combination of sound, haptics, and visual feedback.

Lightweight Design with Magical Setup

Each round AirTag is small and lightweight, features precision-etched polished stainless steel, and is IP67 water- and dust-resistant. A built-in speaker plays sounds to help locate AirTag, while a removable cover makes it easy for users to replace the battery. AirTag features the same magical setup experience as AirPods — just bring AirTag close to iPhone and it will connect. Users can assign AirTag to an item and name it with a default like “Keys” or “Jacket,” or provide a custom name of their choosing.
A simple setup magically connects AirTag with iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Customers can personalize AirTag with free engraving, including text and a selection of 31 emoji, when purchasing from apple.com or the Apple Store app. Users can easily place AirTag into a bag or pocket on its own, or utilize a wide range of Apple-designed AirTag accessories, including the Polyurethane Loop, which is both lightweight and durable, and the Leather Loop and Leather Key Ring, featuring specially tanned European leather. The enclosure of each accessory fits securely around AirTag, while conveniently attaching to a user’s belongings, further personalizing AirTag while making sure it is always with their important items.
AirTag can be placed into a bag or pocket on its own, or utilized with a wide range of Apple-designed AirTag accessories, with personalized free engraving including text and a selection of emoji.
The Apple-designed Leather Key Ring features specially tanned European leather and comes in three elegant colors.
The Apple-designed Polyurethane Loop is both lightweight and durable, and fits securely around AirTag.

A Comprehensive Finding Experience

Once AirTag is set up, it will appear in the new Items tab in the Find My app, where users can view the item’s current or last known location on a map. If a user misplaces their item and it is within Bluetooth range, they can use the Find My app to play a sound from the AirTag to help locate it. Users can also ask Siri to find their item, and AirTag will play a sound if it is nearby.
Users can keep track of AirTag in the new Items tab within the Find My app.
Each AirTag is equipped with the Apple-designed U1 chip using Ultra Wideband technology, enabling Precision Finding for iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 users. This advanced technology can more accurately determine the distance and direction to a lost AirTag when it is in range. As a user moves, Precision Finding fuses input from the camera, ARKit, accelerometer, and gyroscope, and then will guide them to AirTag using a combination of sound, haptics, and visual feedback.
Precision Finding with AirTag fuses input from the camera, ARKit, accelerometer, and gyroscope on iPhone to provide a more precise, directionally aware finding experience.
If AirTag is separated from its owner and out of Bluetooth range, the Find My network can help track it down. The Find My network is approaching a billion Apple devices and can detect Bluetooth signals from a lost AirTag and relay the location back to its owner, all in the background, anonymously and privately.
Users can also place AirTag into Lost Mode and be notified when it is in range or has been located by the vast Find My network. If a lost AirTag is found by someone, they can tap it using their iPhone or any NFC-capable device and be taken to a website that will display a contact phone number for the owner, if they have provided one.
AirTag includes support for the accessibility features built into iOS. Precision Finding using VoiceOver, for example, can direct users who are blind or low-vision to AirTag with directions like “AirTag is 9 feet away on your left.”
If AirTag goes missing, the Find My network can help track it down, providing a notification to the user if it has been located.

Privacy and Security Built In

AirTag is designed from the ground up to keep location data private and secure. No location data or location history is physically stored inside AirTag. Communication with the Find My network is end-to-end encrypted so that only the owner of a device has access to its location data, and no one, including Apple, knows the identity or location of any device that helped find it.
AirTag is also designed with a set of proactive features that discourage unwanted tracking, an industry first. Bluetooth signal identifiers transmitted by AirTag rotate frequently to prevent unwanted location tracking. iOS devices can also detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner, and notify the user if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with them from place to place over time. And even if users don’t have an iOS device, an AirTag separated from its owner for an extended period of time will play a sound when moved to draw attention to it. If a user detects an unknown AirTag, they can tap it with their iPhone or NFC-capable device and instructions will guide them to disable the unknown AirTag.
iOS devices can detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner, and notify the user if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with them from place to place over time.

AirTag and Hermès

Apple and Hermès are introducing AirTag Hermès, featuring an elegant assortment of handcrafted leather accessories including the Bag Charm, Key Ring, Travel Tag, and Luggage Tag. Hermès accessories will be sold with a custom-engraved AirTag based on the brand’s iconic Clou de Selle signature.
AirTag Hermès features an elegant assortment of handcrafted leather accessories, including the Bag Charm, Key Ring, Travel Tag, and Luggage Tag — all of which will be sold with a custom-engraved AirTag based on the brand’s iconic Clou de Selle signature.

The Find My Network Accessory Program

Third-party products and accessories can also add support for finding with the new Find My network accessory program. Through the program, device and product manufacturers can now build finding capabilities directly into their products using the advanced Find My network with uncompromising privacy built in, allowing customers to use the Find My app to locate other important items in their lives. Details about the program can be found at mfi.apple.com.
With the Find My network accessory program, the vast and secure Find My network now helps users locate and keep track of even more important items in their lives using the Items tab in the Find My app.

Committed to the Environment

Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to have net zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. This means that every Apple device sold, from material collection, component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100 percent carbon neutral. AirTag will utilize 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board, is free of harmful substances and highly energy efficient, and uses wood fiber in the packaging that is recycled or comes from responsibly managed forests.

❤ Apple execs address merging the iPad and Mac, mini-LED, and more in new interview

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Following the announcement of the new M1 iPad Pro and M1 iMac on Tuesday, Apple executives John Ternus and Greg Joswiak have sat down with the Independent for an in-depth interview. The two Apple executives spoke in the interview about Apple’s plans for the iPad and Mac, the new features of the 2021 iPad Pro, and more.

On merging the iPad and Mac

The most notable comments during the interview came from Joswiak, who serves as Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. When asked about the future of the iPad and Mac, as the lines start to blur in terms of power, Joswiak explained that Apple has no plans to merge the two platforms.

“There’s two conflicting stories people like to tell about the iPad and Mac,” says Joz, as he starts on a clarification that will lead him at one point to apologise for his passion. “On the one hand, people say that they are in conflict with each other. That somebody has to decide whether they want a Mac, or they want an iPad.

“Or people say that we’re merging them into one: that there’s really this grand conspiracy we have, to eliminate the two categories and make them one.

“And the reality is neither is true. We’re quite proud of the fact that we work really, really hard to create the best products in their respective category.”

(Joz, however, is reluctant to name the category he’s talking about: he jokes that he “can’t even stand using” the word, because the “iPad is better than tablets”. “I hate to diminish it by calling it the category name,” he says.)

Ternus, who is Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, echoed Joswiak’s sentiment. He explained that Apple does not look at things with the lens limiting what one device can do in order to note “step on the toes” of another device.

“But we’re just going to keep making them better. And we’re not going to get all caught up in, you know, theories around merging or anything like that.”

“We don’t think about well, we’re going to limit what this device can do because we don’t want to step on the toes of this [other] one or anything like that,” he says. “We’re pushing to make the best Mac we can make; we’re pushing to make the best iPad we can make. And people choose.

“A lot of people have run both. And they have workflows that span both – some people, for a particular task, prefer one versus the other.

On the new iPad Pro’s M1 chip

 

 

 

 

When asked about the M1 processor in the new iPad Pro and the software part of that story, Joswiak explained that Apple has “provided that performance even before the need was there.”

“It needs to exist first, right? You can’t have an app that requires more performance than the system’s capable of – then it doesn’t work. So you need to have the system be ahead of the apps.

Joswiak went on to list examples of powerful third-party apps from companies like Adobe and Affinity, but he wouldn’t say whether Apple was working on its own ways to tap into the new power of the M1:

(When asked again, the morning after the reveal, whether Apple is one of those developers that is planning to take advantage of the extra headroom with its professional app, Joz jokes that he’s not going to let something like that slip out.)

Joswiak also explained that this gives users more headroom and ensures their new iPad Pro purchase “isn’t going to be immediately obsolete.”

On mini-LED in the new iPad Pro

Terns also provided some interesting detail on the mini-LED display in the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro. He explained that one of the biggest undertakings in this process was shrinking the display technology — which is also used in the Pro Display XDR — into the 12.9-inch form factor.

“Shrinking it was a huge undertaking,” says Ternus. “If you just look at the two products, obviously the iPad is a lot thinner than a Pro Display XDR, and the way the architecture works – you have the LED backlight behind the display.

As you shrink it down, you necessarily need to add more LEDs; you need to kind of increase the density, because you don’t have as much room for mixing the light and creating zones.

From the very beginning it was: how do we create a backlight with sufficient density? So we had to design a new LED. We had to to design the process for putting down 10,000 LEDs on this backlight in this incredibly precise manner.”

Ternus and Joswiak also noted that one of the reasons Apple is able to make technological leaps like this is because it develops so much of the technology in-house.

 

On the new Center Stage front-facing camera technology in the iPad

 

 

 

 

One of the most interesting new features of the 2021 iPad Pro is something called Center Stage. The new iPad Pros pack a 12MP Ultra Wide camera sensor on the front, and Apple is using this to follow users during video chats to ensure that they are always in the frame.

Ternus explained:

“One of the things that I found really cool about it is – spending all this time in these meetings, you sit a lot,” says Ternus. “And it’s so liberating to be able to just stand up and stay framed in the image, and stretch and move around and sit down,” he says, noting that it is a neat way to still be able to close rings on the Apple Watch.

“And one of the things I found sometimes is in group scenarios – you may be FaceTiming with your family and be able to get the family in the frame, or those kind of things, I think are going to be really, really big and powerful. It’s certainly an amazing technology for the times we’re in.”

❤ How to get your music video on Apple Music

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Today we are taking a look at how to get your music video on Apple Music. More specifically, the various options and difficulties with regards to independent digital distribution of our music videos and music-related video content to Apple’s streaming platform. We have previously discussed services like TuneCore — one of the better options for getting your music on Apple Music, Spotify, and many others — however, things have evolved in the space since then with TuneCore competitor Distrokid now making waves, but to some degree, options are still somewhat limited when it comes distributing your companion video content. So let’s take a closer look at Apple’s official list of distributor partners, the best options available for independent music makers/content creators, and how to distribute your music video on Apple Music.

How to get your music video on Apple Music

At this point it seems, for the most part, quite straight forward to get your music on Apple Music and other comparable services. Music videos, however, are a slightly more complicated beast for completely indie artists.

Apple’s Music Partner Search list – Apple Music video distribution

Apple’s official Music Partner Search list is an obvious place to start here, but there really aren’t very many of the officially highlighted services that you can just go sign up for, pay your money, and watch you music video on Apple Music (usually a few weeks later) as far as we can tell. You’ll find loads of them on there that say they do, and that might very well be the case, but it seems as though many of them are really more like a small label you would need to submit your package to before you’re even considered — or something to that effect. And on the other hand, much of the larger, well-known services on the list (TuneCore, Distrokid, etc.) do not support music video distribution.

 

 

 

 

Which services are the best for distributing music videos to Apple Music?

This leaves independent artists, bedroom producers, and aspiring content creators at a bit of a loss, or in a somewhat confusing mess of options to consider with limited possibilities for personal authorship when it comes to how to get music videos on Apple Music. Parsing through the royalty splits and pricing for each music video distribution avenue, policies/pricing for changes to content after delivery, and understanding video content requirements/limitations for each service, among other things, is already way more than enough for independent creatives to deal with — never mind some of the services on Apple’s list that present a complicated mess of a home page and/or are really only available for folks outside of North America.

So finding a service that’s simple and easy to understand with the details clearly laid out, is invaluable, even despite all of the other monetization considerations here. Some creatives just want to get their content out there to the world and on the biggest platforms in the game, so the ability to just submit content, pay the cash, and go without having to worry about the rest of it is what we are really after here today.

 

 

 

 

Symphonic music video distribution

And that brings us to Symphonic. Of all the options Apple mentions on its official Partner list, Symphonic appears to be the most straight forward for how to get your video on Apple’s platform. While TuneCore and Distrokid (use this link for 7% off your distribution job)— arguably the two biggest players in the indie music distribution game — don’t offer music video services, Symphonic appears to have a simple submission process that anyone can use.

The usual royalty splits and video spec requirements apply here as expected (no lyric videos on Apple Music anymore, no Facebook uploads unless you have a public official artist page, etc.), but in the end, you fill the forms out, send your cash, and you’re on your way. No need to have a million Spotify plays or a massive Instagram following for the independent distributor to consider you, just pay your cash and get your content out there.

 

 

 

 

Symphonic has a simple to follow submission process available that walks creatives through the entire process with several tips and details on what is required on your end and what to expect from the various streaming services, including Apple Music. There’s a handy four step checklist you can use to ensure your music video is ready to go as well as some important specifics regarding VEVO and videos featuring content in another language. You can browse through all of these details right here before you lay any cash down and you can review the Symphonic royalty schedule here.

More Apple Music distribution options

Sure, there are loads of options on Apple’s list that will get the job done, but most of them aren’t entirely open services. Popular distributor CD Baby, for example, is listed as supporting music videos but they don’t appear to offer or advertise that service anywhere. Does anyone have any experience paying for distribution with CD Baby and/or the music video situation?

Of the five services on the Partners list denoted as being a “Preferred Plus” option by Apple, CD Baby is the only one that doesn’t look like some kind of music label that has to want to distribute your creations to get your content out to the world or at least require some kind of private communication and submission process that feels like you’re trying to get a record deal or something. The others fall into the label-like side of things or aren’t even in english when you hit the home page.

While there are certainly other ways beyond Symphonic for getting your music video on Apple Music, when it comes to the officially supported options, it does appear to be the easiest way to make it happen at this point.

❤ Apple Fitness Plus adds workouts for beginners plus older and pregnant users

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Apple Fitness+ is gaining new workouts today, adding specific sessions for pregnancy and that target older adults and beginners. It’s part of a workout boost for the Apple Watch-centered subscription fitness system, and will also include a new Time to Walk session with Jane Fonda.

Announced last year, Fitness+ opened up its guided sessions in December 2020. It relies on exercise tracking through the Apple Watch, with tutorials and classes delivered via a variety of the company’s screens, such as Apple TV, iPad, and iPhone.

One of the challenges early-adopters have found, particularly those just getting into fitness, is trying to get up to speed. That’s something Apple is addressing today, with new workouts for beginners. Offered across the Yoga, Strength, and HIIT workout types, they consist of low-impact exercises and spend more time on how to perfect form to build good habits.

 

 

 

 

Much in the same way, the new workouts for older adults focus on the specific needs of older people trying to get – or stay – fit. They center on strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and mobility, Apple says, with a series of eight sessions led by trainer Molly Fox, with guest appearances by Gregg Cook for Strength, Dustin Brown for Yoga, Bakari Williams for HIIT, and Jhon Gonzalez for Dance.

Each workout is 10 minutes long, and many can be completed with either bodyweight or a light dumbbell, Apple says. Alternatively, they may use a chair or involve leaning against the wall. They can also be combined with other Fitness+ workouts, carrying those modifications over.

 

 

 

 

Finally, there’s a new workouts for pregnancy series. 10 sessions – covering Strength, Core, and Mindful Cooldown – will be led by Betina Gozo alongside trainers Emily Fayette and Anja Garcia, each 10 minutes in length. They’re designed, Apple says, to suit any stage of pregnancy along with any fitness level. Again, as with the older fitness sessions, they also include suggestions on how to modify the more general Fitness+ workouts in ways to accommodate those who are pregnant.

Beyond the three specific categories, there are now two new trainers: one in the Yoga section, and the other in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). From April 19, meanwhile, Jane Fonda’s Time to Walk session will be added. That takes the form of an audio interview with paired walking instructions.

 

 

 

 

Apple Fitness+ is currently available in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK. Three months access is bundled with a new Apple Watch Series 3 or later, while existing owners can try it free for a month. After that, it’s $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year – for up to six family members to share – or bundle as part of the $29.95 Apple One Premiere plan.

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