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The Coming-in-November Edition Friday, October 30, 2020

Tim Cook Teases 'More Exciting Things' Still Coming From Apple In 2020, by Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac

The comment is certainly a tease that Apple could introduce more than just its all-new Macs with custom chips in November. Cook actually shared that the first Apple Silicon Macs would start shipping before 2021 back in June at WWDC.

macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 Beta Includes References To 3 Unreleased Macs Ahead Of Apple Silicon, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

The first beta Big Sur 11.0.1 focuses primarily on bug fixes and performance improvements, alongside new wallpapers, but there are also references to three unreleased Macs included in the update.

Apple To Launch ‘Apple One’ Services Bundles On Friday, by Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

Apple Inc. will launch its Apple One services bundles on Friday and its upcoming Fitness+ digital workout service this quarter, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri told Bloomberg Television.

Despite Delay

Apple's Q4 2020 Marks Record Revenues But Lower Profits As Mac And iPad Boom, by Michael E. Cohen, TidBITS

Put simply, despite the iPhone’s delay, the Mac and iPad both saw rapid sales growth due in part to a wave of kids suddenly thrust into remote schooling and employees working from home. “Demand exceeded our expectations around the world,” Maestri said.

This Is Tim: Apple’s Q4 2020 Call With Analysts, Transcribed, by Jason Snell, Six Colors

Back in April, I said we were in the most challenging environment in which Apple as a company has ever operated. That atmosphere of uncertainty, of resolve, of making difficult calls with limited information has not only come to define Apple’s year, but each of our lives as individuals across this country and around the world. It has been a chapter that none of us will forget. In the face of these challenges, Apple stayed relentlessly focused on what we do best: seeing in every obstacle an opportunity to do something new, something creative, something better on behalf of our customers. Today, we report a quarter and a fiscal year that reflects that effort.

On Health

Diet App Promoted By Apple Harmful, Say Campaigners, by Cristina Criddle, BBC

Carrot Fit was featured by Apple as part of a short list of recommended fitness apps which appeared at the top of the App Store.

[...]

"The content and language could be very triggering for an individual with an eating disorder and in my professional opinion should be restricted or banned," psychologist and eating disorder specialist, Dr Khanya Price-Evans, said. "It is criminal that this industry is preying on the vulnerability of young people and creating a body dissatisfaction with an archaic oppressive approach."

Stuff

3D-scanning Canvas App Shows What iPhone 12 Pro's Lidar Can Do, by Scott Stein, CNET

The iPhone 12 Pro's depth-scanning lidar sensor looks ready to open up a lot of possibilities for 3D-scanning apps on phones. A new one designed for home scanning, called Canvas, uses lidar for added accuracy and detail.

Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 Speaker Can Charge Your iPhone Wirelessly, by Amber Neely, AppleInsider

Bluetooth speakers are always handy to have on hand, and if you're in the market for a high-end, attractive design, you may want to consider Bang & Olufsen's latest iteration of their Beolit model.

Notes

Amazon, Apple Probed By Germany Over Online Sales Curbs, by Karin Matussek, Bloomberg

Germany’s Federal Cartel Office, the country’s antitrust regulator, is probing both companies over a policy at Amazon called “brandgating,” the authority said in an emailed statement. The policy allows makers of branded products such as iPhones to have independent sellers removed from the platform as long as Amazon can sell the items, according to the statement.

“Brandgating agreements can help to protect against product piracy,” the Cartel Office said. “But such measures must be proportionate to be in line with antitrust rules and may not result in eliminating competition.”

Bottom of the Page

I don't know why Apple is not selling the HomePods worldwide. Just like the Apple TV's Siri Remote is not available all over the world, I suspect Siri is the reason.

Maybe Apple should just put a Lightning dock on top of the HomePods, and sell to the rest of the world as iPod Hi-Fi.

~

Thanks for reading.