On November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ debuted. The cost is $4.99 a month (or it is also part of an Apple One subscription), but from the beginning, Apple made the first year free for anyone who bought certain new Apple hardware such as an iPhone or iPad. There have been some fantastic shows on Apple TV+. Ted Lasso is universally loved, and my wife and I are both looking forward to the second season, which starts on July 23. I also really loved For All Mankind; after watching the first two seasons myself as new episodes came out, I'm currently re-watching that series with my son, who loves it too. And I've enjoyed lots of other shows: Mythic Quest, Trying, Tiny World, Dickinson, Tehran, The Morning Show, Bruce Springsteen's Letter to You, Greyhound ... and even the show See had some good moments. When Apple announced that the first year was free, I'm sure that Apple expected to have new shows and the second seasons of the original shows available in late 2020 as most folks would be deciding whether to renew. But the pandemic slowed production for the entire industry, and with not much that was new in late 2020, Apple extended the free deal. (And for those of us paying for Apple One, Apple has been sending a $4.99 credit every month.) Benjamin Mayo of 9to5Mac reports that, starting in July, the free trial period is being reduced to three months, and those who have been enjoying the extended free subscription until now will have to start paying in July. I plan to continue paying for the service. Even though the service started with only a few shows, Apple has ramped that up fairly quickly (aside from the pandemic) and there are many things coming later this year. But if you don't plan to start paying for a subscription in July, then you have a lot of binging to do this month. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- New York attorney Neil Squillante of TechnoLawyer discusses the TranscriptPad app from Lit Software.
- On the latest episode of the Apps in Law podcast, Brett Burney interviews Colorado attorney Ryan Kalamaya. It is an interesting episode in which Kalamaya explains how he uses technology such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft To Do, and more to share a law practice with other attorneys who are in different parts of the state. And given that I just went through a big mailing list move here at iPhone J.D., I was interested to hear how he uses mailing list software to send specific communications to his clients at the outset of his representation.
- Blair Altland of 9to5Toys discusses Anker’s new Nano II GaN chargers, which are powerful but very small.
- In an article for Macworld, Jason Snell explains that when iOS 15 comes out this Fall, Apple will (for the first time) offer the option of not upgrading to the next operating system but instead continue to receive security updates for iOS 14.
- Matthew Panzarino of TechCrunch discusses the improvements to multitasking in iPadOS 15 with Apple VPs Bob Borchers and Sebastien Marineau-Mes.
- Jason Snell of Six Colors notes that that iPadOS 15 features many new keyboard shortcuts.
- In a 30-minute video on YouTube, Rene Ritchie had an interesting discussion about the Apple Watch with Apple VP Kevin Lynch (who is in charge of Apple Watch) and Deidre Caldbeck of Apple marketing.
- Apple has added new detail to Apple Maps in certain cities. Justin O'Beirne provides some great screenshots and animations that make it easy to see how the maps have improved. Presumably, we will see similar changes roll out in additional cities.
- There are two reasons that I have no desire to put an AirTag in a men's wallet that goes in a back pocket: the device is too thick, and the round shape would be awkward in a wallet. Juli Clover of MacRumors describes a product from Nomad that seems to solve the second problem, but I'm not sure that it can address the thickness.
- Ben Lovejoy of 9to5Mac discusses the Level Lock, a smart lock for your front door that is HomeKit compatible and that looks like (and replaces a) normal deadbolt.
- Back in 2019, I reviewed a USB-C hub for the iPad Pro called the HyperDrive 6-in-1 ($89.99 on Amazon). I love that product because it attaches snug to the side of the iPad Pro and gives you lots of different ports. It has been my go-to hub for the last two years. When I upgraded to the 2021 version of the iPad Pro, at first I thought that the HyperDrive 6-in-1 would not fit the slightly thicker new iPad Pro. But I just learned that the HyperDrive has always shipped with a somewhat larger plastic clip that was made for an older model of the iPad Pro with a screen protector. You can use that same larger clip with the 2021 iPad Pro if you are not using a screen protector. It took me 30 seconds to swap out the clips, and now I am back in business. I'm glad that I can continue to use that valuable accessory with my new 12.9" iPad Pro.
- And finally, Apple created a cute video recommending that your next computer should be an iPad. The video features a fun parody of a song from The Little Mermaid. Worth watching:
