I saw lots of buzz this week on a study published in the June 2023 issue of the journal Advances in Infectious Diseases. Just in case that one is still waiting for you on your coffee table, the authors discuss bacteria that can build up on wristbands. The article doesn't mention the Apple Watch, but that didn't prevent headlines like this one: Apple Watch bands harbor dangerous bacteria — because no one cleans them. As a reminder, Apple has a helpful page on its website for cleaning both the Apple Watch and Apple Watch bands. And now, here is the news of note from the past week:
- If you are interested in Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset—like I am—then you are probably especially interested in what app developers will come up with to take advantage of this new device. Apple is letting developers who are working on upcoming apps try out their apps on prototype versions of the hardware, and Apple published a story on its website in which a few developers describe the experience of developing for the Apple Vision Pro.
- How long has Apple been working on the Vision Pro? Patently Apple reports that Apple just had a patent granted that it applied for back in 2007—the same year that the original iPhone launched—describing a Virtual Reality Headset that could present users with 3D environments. I wouldn't have guessed that Apple has had folks working on the project for that long.
- Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac reports that select users of the Apple Card credit card can get up to $1,300 Daily Cash on travel and dining expenses thanks to a 5% Cash Back promotion. I haven't seen this offer in my email Inbox, but I would definitely use it if Apple tells me that I'm selected.
- Josh Ginter of The Sweet Setup explains all of the different things that you can do with Apple's Notes app.
- Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac reviews the qCharge 2.0 ($59 on Amazon), a tiny Apple Watch charger that can recharge an Apple Watch two or three times.
- MacRumors has a buyer's guide that typically does a good job of letting you know whether an Apple product seems to be new enough that you should be safe to get it while minimizing buyer's remorse whenever the next version comes along. Joe Rossignol of MacRumors identifies the five oldest products that Apple is still selling today, and they include the AirPods Max, the HomePod mini, and the Apple Pencil. I'd love to see a new Apple Pencil with more features, but as Rossignol notes, there are no credible rumors of a new Apple Pencil yet.
- And finally, when Apple TV+ first started, there were four main shows: Dickinson and See (two shows that are now finished), and For All Mankind and The Morning Show. There were also some kid shows, like Snoopy in Space. For All Mankind was my favorite, and indeed it is one of my all-time favorite shows from any network. But it always seemed that The Morning Show was Apple's favorite, the one that it hoped would put Apple TV+ on the map, long before people were thinking about Ted Lasso. So for that reason, it is notable that The Morning Show is about to start Season 3 on September 13. Perhaps also notable is that Apple previously ran a series of funny ads with the tagline Everyone But Jon Hamm, and of course, Hamm will be on the upcoming Season 3. This week, Apple released the official trailer:
