Week 1, September 2021
“You shouldn’t do things differently just because they’re different. They need to be… better.” — Elon Musk
1. BMW i4 Showcases Fully Integrated Apple CarPlay in Instrument Cluster
● BMW’s upcoming flagship electric vehicle the “i4” features one of the most integrated Apple CarPlay experiences yet, recent promotional material has shown. BMW describes the Apple CarPlay experience in the i4 as “even more seamless.” The i4 features two curved displays and a heads-up display. All three displays can display information from Apple CarPlay simultaneously.
2. Twitter’s Privacy Feature Plans Include Option to Hide Your Old Tweets
● Twitter is planning new privacy-related features that provide users with greater control over follower lists and who can see their posts and likes, reports Bloomberg. The plans are said to include an option to archive old tweets so that other users can’t see them after a set period of time designated by the account holder (such as 30, 60, or 90 days, or a whole year), as well as the ability to edit follower lists.
3. Everything New With the iOS 15 Notes and Reminders Apps
● Those who use the Notes and Reminders apps will be pleased to hear that iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 bring some useful new features. The Notes app has enhanced functionality on the iPad with the Quick Note feature, while Reminders features better Siri integration and natural language support.
4. Apple’s Upcoming AR/VR Headset to Require Connection to iPhone
● The first AR/VR headset that Apple has in development will need to be wirelessly tethered to an iPhone or another Apple device to unlock full functionality. It will be similar to the WiFi-only version of the Apple Watch, which requires an iPhone connection to work. The headset is meant to wirelessly communicate with another Apple device, which will handle most of the powerful computing.
5. Apple Reportedly in Talks With Toyota About Apple Car Production Starting 2024
● Apple is rumored to be in Asia visiting Toyota as it prepares to lay the supplier groundwork to mass-produce a branded car by 2024. However, delays caused by the ongoing global health crisis or the current chip shortage could always push production to 2025 or beyond.
6. Best portable USB-C displays for MacBooks: iPad, ASUS, AOC, more
● All the displays included work with a single USB-C cable connected to your MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, other Macs, and PCs. Or in the case of Sidecar with iPad, you can even use it wirelessly as your external display.
7. Bloomberg: Apple Watch Series 7 to feature 16% more screen real estate, exclusive faces
● A new report from Bloomberg offers additional details on what to expect from this year’s Apple Watch Series 7. While it had previously been reported that the Apple Watch Series 7 will come with exclusive new watch faces to take advantage of its larger display, today’s report gets more specific about what to expect. The report corroborates that Apple plans to market the Apple Watch Series 7 as being available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
8. Twitter working on new archive tweets feature and more ‘social privacy’ upgrades
● According to Bloomberg, Twitter wants to give users greater control over their follower list and who can see their posts and likes, something executives are calling “social privacy.”
9. Report: Apple Watch Series 7 production to ramp up this month, M1X MacBook Pros in October/November
● A pair of new reports from Digitimes this morning claims to offer new details on production timelines for two highly-anticipated new products from Apple this fall. According to the reports, new M1X-powered MacBook Pros are expected to launch later in the fall, while the Apple Watch Series 7 is slated for mass production at the end of September.
10. US states and cities ranked by 5G speeds and availability in new Opensignal report
● When it comes to the fastest average download speeds, New York state came out reportedly on top while Illinois and Texas led for availability. Keep reading for a look at the findings from Opensignal’s comprehensive new US 5G study.
11. Apple will let developers redirect users to sign up for services outside the App Store
● After several complaints from developers, Apple made a major announcement in which the company confirms that it will finally let developers redirect users to sign up for services on websites instead of using the App Store’s in-app purchases system.
12. Twitter will soon let users send and receive Bitcoin in its ‘Tip Jar’ platform
● Twitter earlier this year introduced a new feature called “Tip Jar,” which lets users send money to others in order to support content creators they follow. Although the platform currently only accepts regular money, Twitter is working on adding Bitcoin to the Tip Jar.
13. Facebook adds pop culture Fantasy Games to its iPhone app
● Facebook announced it’s rolling out Facebook Fantasy Games in the US and Canada on its app for iOS and Android. According to the company, they’re “free, simple prediction games that help fans enjoy sports, TV shows, and pop culture content together.”
14. Google was inspired by Apple, designing its own chips for phones and Chromebooks
● It appears that Google was inspired by Apple when it comes to the benefits of custom-designed chips. The company had already confirmed that the upcoming Pixel 6 smartphone will have a Google-designed System on a Chip (SoC).
