Apple as tastemaker
Apple this past week acknowledgedthe best App Store apps and games of the yearand best Apple Music artists and albums this past week. The company also appears poised to spend big money for rights to a documentary already produced highlighting the ambitious debut album of Billie Eilish, the top-honored artist of Apple’s inauguralApple Music Awards. Eilish got the nod for Songwriter of the Year, Artist of the Year and Album of the Year.
Both news items highlight how embedded so-called “Services” have become to Apple, not only for revenue but also for cultural significance. Apple wants to be perceived as not just the maker of the devices that people depend on, but as the arbiter of taste on the services upon which users of those devices derive so much entertainment value.
Apple’s reportedlypaying $25 millionfor the rights to the new documentary, which finished production earlier this year when Eilish released her debut,When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
The expensive doc is headed to Apple TV+, which is available for $4.99 per month on Apple devices and smart TVs and streaming devices from other manufacturers orfree with the purchase of new Apple hardware. The company isreportedly spending billionslining up original content for Apple TV+ as it seeks to establish a foothold in the exploding streaming entertainment market.
Not all the Apple TV+ content about the music industry will be so pop-minded, however. Apple’s collaboration with Oprah Winfrey willinclude a documentaryabout sexual assault in the music industry, according to a new report.
MacBook Pro and iPhone problems
Apple’s continuing to make tweaks and develop service protocols for managing hardware that’s not working right out of the box. A newApple service bulletin made the roundsthis week highlighting a potential issue on the 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro model. Apparently a small number of them are prone to unexpected shutdowns even when their batteries are operating with plenty of remaining charge. The service directive tells users to let the MacBook charge eight hours or longer, then run Software Update to capture the latest maintenance releases from Apple.
That’s not the only errant MacBook Pro issue this week. Apple also noted that its much-ballyhooed 16-inch MacBook Pro modelmay make a popping soundfrom its speakers when used in conjunction with some audio and video software. The problem is software-related and will be addressed in future updates, according to Apple, which advised personnel affiliated with its Authorized Service Provider network in a service bulletin.
The iPhone 11 caused some concern in security circles this week when Brian Krebs noted on his security blog that his iPhone 11 Properiodically polled its locationeven with Location Services turned off. Krebs didn’t think anything malicious was going on but was confused.
While an Apple engineer on social media sought to reassure him, Apple didn’t respond through its usual PR channel until several days later, whichgot heads scratchingabout what was really going on.
It turns outto be a side-effect of the new Ultra Wideband (UWB) data transfer techfound in the newer iPhones. The gear has to light up periodically to make sure it’s passing regulatory muster, since there are still places UWB is forbidden to be used. Apple said users will be able to shut off UWB altogether in a future update.
Feds take up robocalling, 4G coverage shenanigans
The U.S. government was maddeningly inconsistent in its support of consumers this past week. The House of Representatives finally – and almost unanimously – approved a bill that seeks to reduce the scourge of robocalling. TheTRACED Actprovides more oversight of the problem, accountability from the appropriate federal regulatory bodies, and an attempt to outlaw spoofed numbers.
It’s expected to get through the Senate and onto the President’s desk for a signature by the end of the year.
On the other hand, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) caught major telecommunications carriers lying to them and to consumers about 4G LTE coverage quality in rural areas. That confirms the suspicions of small rural cell service carriers, who complained to them about the actions of Verizon, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular. And they’re going to let them get away with it, too.
The acknowledgment came buried on a press release announcing a $9 billion, decade-long plan to improve 5G coverage across rural America. This is ironic, since it was to thwart the 4G equivalent to this plan that carriers Verizon, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular overstated the actual signal strength of their coverage in rural areas. By doing so, they were able to block small rural carriers from federal money earmarked to expand coverage in underserved areas.
The FCC conducted its own tests to show that real-world signal strength was dramatically different in some areas than what the carriers showed on their official filings. It said that requirements haven’t been met for this malfeasance to rise to the occasion of “enforcement action,” however. Instead, the carriers have been warned with an “enforcement advisory.”
Let’s hope that 5G technologycanmake it to underserved areas in a more evenly distributed way than its predecessor has. The future of telecommunications is a constant work in progress.
Wrapping up
That’s it from this week’s Editor’s Desk. What news items caught your eye this week? Tell me in the comments.
