August 24, 2021, was the 10-year anniversary of Steve Jobs announcing that he was stepping down as CEO of Apple due to his health issues. In that announcement (which I posted in full in this post), Jobs recommended that Tim Cook take over as CEO, which is of course what happened. (Jobs passed away a few months later, on October 5, 2011.) Parker Ortolani of 9to5Mac wrote a very good article looking back at that announcement 10 years ago and the reaction from the Apple community. At the time, it was well known that Jobs was having health problems, but I remember that it was still a shock to learn that the person that we all associated with Apple was stepping down. That anniversary means that Tim Cook has now been the CEO of Apple for 10 years. Austin Carr and Mark Gurman of Bloomberg Businessweek wrote a good article about the incredible financial success that Apple has seen with Cook as CEO and also discuss how Cook's "unflappable temperament makes him well suited to the polarized political climate" in the United States. And Matthew Drummond of the Australian Financial Review interviews Apple CEO Tim Cook. For those who do not subscribe to that publication, Ben Lovejoy of 9to5Mac provides some of the highlights. For example, Cook explains that he likes to start his workday at 4am because the early morning is the one time of the day that he can control, before things start to happen that "blow you off course." Folks might disagree with Cook on some specific decisions that he has made over the past decade. For example, I know that some people were upset about his frequent meetings with President Trump, but Cook decided that it was more important to work with the leader of the government even though Cook openly disagreed with many of Trump's policies. And just a few days ago, Cook attended a cybersecurity summit to meet with President Biden. But what I think that everyone would agree with is that Cook helped Apple to become the most successful company in the world. At the same time, much more than the Apple run by Jobs, the Apple run by Cook has promoted important values like diversity and privacy. It is hard to imagine that anyone else would have done as good of a job over the past decade as Tim Cook. Tim Cook and Steve Jobs are very different types of people, but Apple was lucky to have the opportunity to transition to Cook after Jobs. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- The Windows 365 Cloud PC is a virtual PC that you can access and run from pretty much any device, including an iPad or a Mac, if you pay a monthly fee. If you want to use Apple devices but you have one or two things that need to run on a PC, this is a possible solution. California attorney David Sparks tested Windows 365, and while he hasn't yet written about the experience on his MacSparky website, he did talk about it during the most recent episode of the Mac Power User podcast, starting around the 39-minute mark.
- Last week, on Episode 15 of the In the News podcast, Brett Burney recommended a new recipe app called Mela based on a review by Illinois attorney John Voorhees on MacStories. I'm mentioning it today just so that you have the link handy. It looks like a good app.
- As noted above, President Biden met with Tim Cook and other CEOs at a cybersecurity summit on Wednesday. Cat Zakrzewski, Joseph Marks, and Jay Greene of the Washington Post reported on the meeting, noting that several companies used the meeting as an opportunity to announce new cybersecurity initiatives. For example, "Apple said it would start a new program to ensure the security of its supply chain, by requiring its more than 9,000 U.S. suppliers to adopt practices such as security training."
- In many parts of the country (including New Orleans, where I live), you can currently dial a local number using seven digits, such as 555-5555. Adam Engst of TidBITS reports that in many parts of the United States you will soon need to use all ten digits — 504-555-5555 – even when making local calls. This change goes into effect on October 24, 2021, because 988 will become a nationwide 3-digit suicide prevention number next year, but that wouldnt't work in areas with phone numbers beginning with 988 unless everyone uses all ten digits to dial. Note that this means that if you have contacts in your iPhone for which you have only stored a seven-digit number, you need to change that to a ten digit number before October 24, 2021.
- If you are a fan of musicals, especially the classics, then you should watch Schmigadoon! on Apple TV+. It's a fun, silly show with fantastic music. Every song leaves you thinking "wait, that reminds me of another song from that famous musical," and Chris Murphy of Vanity Fair explains all of the musical references in all six episodes of the first season of this series.
- If you are thinking of subscribing to Apple TV+, Jason Cross of Macworld has a good article with all of the key information about the Apple TV+ service. For example, I didn't realize before reading this article that Apple TV+ has the best 4K streaming quality of any streaming service.
- If you are looking to improve the Wi-Fi in your home, Glenn Fleishman wrote an article for TidBITS to explain all of your options. I'm a huge fan of the eero Pro 3-pack that I reviewed last year, and I subsequently updated that article to address the newer eero Pro 6, which can provide even better Wi-Fi in certain situations. Improving Wi-Fi makes your iPhone, iPad, and computers much more useful, so if you are still using the Wi-Fi system that you installed many years ago, consider an upgrade.
- Alex Birch of The Gadgeteer reviews the Kensington StudioCaddy, an iPad stand that also features a dual Qi charger.
- There was a time before the iPhone, and there will, eventually, be a time after the iPhone. What will be the hot Apple product when that day comes? In an article for Macworld, Dan Moren has three predictions.
- Wirecutter put together an impressive list of recommended smart home products for people with disabilities or mobility needs — and frankly, it is a good list for anyone, not just that audience. I recently purchased one of the recommendations, the eufyCam 2 Pro wireless outdoor security cameras, and I'll be writing a full review after I have put the system through its paces.
- Zac Hall of 9to5Mac says that the $549 AirPods Max is expensive but worth it. I tried out a pair the last time I was in an Apple Store, and they felt and worked great. I could definitely see myself enjoying them, but I don't see how I could justify that price, especially considering that I already have, and love, my pair of AirPods Pro.
- Eric Griffith of PC Mag recommends some useful iPad tips.
- Hiwatha Bray of the Boston Globe tells the tale of Dan Pfau, a man whose life has been saved not once, but twice, because he was wearing an Apple Watch. Two years ago, he fell off of a bike and was knocked unconscious, but his watch called 911 and he was brought to the ER. Last month, he fainted, hit his head, and started bleeding, but fortunately he was conscious enough to use his Apple Watch to text his wife to call for help.
- I presume that in just a few weeks, iOS 15 will be available. When it comes out, I'll be circling back to articles like this one from Jason Cross of Macworld in which he identifies some useful but less obvious features of iOS 15.
- Juli Clover of MacRumors discusses the improvements to Apple's HomeKit and the Home app coming in iOS 15.
- And finally, here is a new video from Apple providing tips on using an iPhone to take really good pictures of pets. The video shares some good tips for using the Camera app. But frankly, you may just enjoy watching it just to see lots of great pictures of dogs and cats.