Week 5–1, May 2021
“Some people don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster.” — Elon Musk
1. AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch is destined for Apple Glasses control, suggests analyst
● The announcement of AssistiveTouch on the Apple Watch caused a great deal of excitement among those with motor disabilities, with many others impressed by the sheer technical achievement of it. Analyst Neil Cybart believes that Apple is likely to use the tech as a means of controlling Apple Glasses.
2. Bloomberg: Apple ‘readying’ new third-gen AirPods, fitness-tracking AirPods Pro in 2022
● Apple is said to be close to launching new third-generation AirPods according to Bloomberg. The new buds, rendered above, will feature shorter stems and look similar to current-generation AirPods Pro. Bloomberg also reports that redesigned AirPods Pro will arrive next year and feature new motion sensors to enable onboard fitness tracking. This would be the first time the functionality of AirPods expands beyond audio.
3. iPadOS limits iPad Pro power: apps only able to use up to 5 GB RAM each
● There’s a more direct limitation of iPadOS today for customers hoping to use that high-specced M1 chip for pro apps. It turns out that the operating system on the new iPad Pro limits all third-party apps to a maximum of ~5 GB RAM each. This OS policy limit has come to light in part because of an overnight update to digital art app Procreate, which is now officially optimized for the new iPad Pro.
4. Procreate updated with better performance and more layers for M1 iPad Pro users
● Procreate is one of the most popular illustration apps available exclusively for iPhones and iPad. The latest version of Procreate for iPad finally brought full support for the new iPad Pro with an M1 chip. This enables not only better performance, but also more layers in the app.
5. Twitter confirms ‘Blue’ paid subscription with color themes and alternative icons in iOS app
● Earlier this month, an app researcher revealed that Twitter was working on a new service called “Twitter Blue,” which is basically a paid subscription that unlocks new features for users of the social network. Twitter has now quietly confirmed the existence of the “Blue” subscription, and now it brings alternative color themes and icons to Twitter’s iOS app.
6. New iPad Air initiative to power curriculum for incoming students at University of Nevada, Reno
● The University of Nevada, Reno announced that the iPad Air would power its Digital Wolf Pack initiative for its incoming freshman for the Fall of 2021 as students return to campus. The Digital Wolf Pack Initiative includes a new iPad Air and dedicated training for students and faculty to improve digital literacy and fluency with apps like Keynote, Pages, Numbers, Swift Playgrounds, and GarageBand. In addition, each incoming first-year student will receive an Apple Smart Keyboard Folio and an Apple Pencil.
7. PlayStation franchise games could come to iOS devices as soon as next year
● After Nintendo’s successful games on mobile devices, it’s time for Sony to bring PlayStation franchise games to iOS. The company’s president and CEO said Sony intends to bring some of its “iconic IP” to mobile as soon as March 2022.
8. iPhone 13 to feature sensor-shift camera stabilization in all models
● A report shared by DigiTimes expects iPhones to outstrip Android handsets in Voice coil motors (VCM) demand starting July. This part is typically used as the camera’s focus function and is expected to feature in all iPhone 13 models.
9. Twitter now lets users join Spaces via desktop and mobile web browsers
● Spaces is a live audio chat platform developed by Twitter, which was officially introduced earlier this year as an alternative to Clubhouse. As Spaces is now available to most users of the social network, Twitter is finally expanding the feature to desktop and mobile web browsers.
10. Apple seeking person with cryptocurrency background for new ‘Alternative Payments’ job
● Apple is looking to expand its Apple Wallet team with someone experienced in cryptocurrency and other alternative payment solutions, according to a new job opening posted this week. The person chosen for the role would join the Apple Wallets, Payments, and Commerce team, which Apple internally refers to as the WPC team. The cryptocurrency mention is specifically listed in the “key qualifications” of the position.
11. Instagram and Facebook officially launch ability to hide like counts, here’s how it works
● After testing various forms of the feature going back to 2019, Instagram and Facebook have officially launched the option to hide like counts. The functionally comes with control to hide others’ like counts as well as your own.
12. New iPad Pro Center Stage camera feature comes to Zoom in latest update
● Just after the new iPad Pro started arriving to customers last week, Zoom is ready to take advantage of the updated hardware. The popular video call platform has launched support for the handy new Center Stage feature that follows users as they move, a new Gallery view for all iPads, new developer support resources, and more.
13. Reinvention through restoration: Apple Via del Corso pays tribute to the history of Rome
● Apple Via del Corso opens in Rome on May 27. With magnificent architecture and a space designed to gather and learn, Apple is celebrating the creativity of one of the world’s most historic cities. Apple Via del Corso reinvents Palazzo Marignoli, a 19th-century block on Rome’s famous shopping street.
14. Apple Watch Series 3 Owners Now Required to Perform Restore When Updating Due to Storage Constraints
● Following the iOS 14.6 and watchOS 7.5 updates, Apple Watch Series 3 owners who update their devices to a new version of watchOS are prompted to unpair and re-pair the Apple Watch from the iPhone during the update process because of storage space constraints.
