Hello, once again! We're back from another big week in the world of tech, and this week's big news is mostly from Apple and its WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) keynote. We got all manner of new software that can do new and different things - but it's hard to say anything was truly revolutionary.
What we didn't see was anything on the new Apple Glasses or VR headset, or even a whisper of the new software, which was frustrating. So much so that it made the whole event feel a bit damp overall… yes, I know that's partly we, the media's, fault for hyping it in the first place, but we're just so desperate for something new and exciting to dissect.
That wasn't all that got the juices flowing this week: I appeared on Al Jazeera news to talk about the fact the EU might force Apple to make an iPhone without a Lightning port, a decision that could have huge ramifications for the whole industry. But if it saves tons of e-waste, that's worth it in my view.
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Start with This
A bumper Apple launch
(Future)
It's almost impossible to cover all the things that appeared at WWDC, and I could easily have dedicated this whole newsletter to what was announced.
Let's keep it top line then: iOS 16 appeared, bringing with it a whole new way to customize your lockscreen - something people have been hankering for for a while now. It also brings the ability to edit and delete Messages you send, which will save a few red faces after a drunken night out.
Apple's new wave of super-efficient (well, so it says…) silicon was announced in the shape of the M2, and it was instantly stuck in a new, redesigned MacBook Air (as well as being offered as an upgrade in the 13-inch MacBook Pro).
Your iPad is getting new software that allows you to resize and move windows like in, well, Windows. Also, macOS 13 is called Ventura, with multiple refinements including better support for gaming and the ability to use your iPhone as a webcam.
Finally, watchOS 9, which I'll go into more depth on next, brings enhanced fitness features as well as better sleep tracking: Apple is throwing down the gauntlet to Garmin in a big way.
This is Big
The new Apple Watch mystery
(Apple)
I spoke to Apple earlier in the week to find out more on its new Watch software, watchOS 9, and one of the things that bothered me the most is the new heart rate training feature.
I'm not annoyed that it exists; I think it's a great idea for those that want to push themselves a little harder. Apple taking so long to add this feature in is what's bugging me.
I'd heard that heart-rate training, where users run to a certain intensity and are pinged if they stray out of the correct zone, wasn't added into the Watch due to cardiac drift - basically, if you're not as fit as an elite athlete or are sub-optimally fed or watered, your heart rate will rise despite hitting the target pace or intensity, and it'll be hard to stay consistent.
But Apple hasn't said that it's solved this issue, or shared what's been added into the mix to let it decide that the feature is ready. Otherwise, why hasn't it been there since the first version of the Watch all those years ago?
Know This
The disappointment of Apple Glasses
(Apple)
Look, I know that we in the media are responsible for hyping up the possible unveiling of Apple's new glasses this year, but cut us some slack, OK? There have been so many leaks and rumors about their existence that it's almost certain Apple is testing them - plus, Google just showed its own prototype version off at Google IO earlier this year.
So Apple needs to stay in the race, and unlike in the smartphone world, the Cupertino brand could be one of the first big players out of the gate with an actual, real-world product.
Lance Ulanoff, our US Editor in Chief, has a lot more to say on this so check it out to see if it equally enrages you that Apple is dragging its feet on this transformative tech.
Read This
Is Netflix about to buy Roku?
(Ink Drop / Shutterstock)
I don't know about you, but I didn't know that Netflix developed Roku before spinning out the company in 2008, deciding that it didn't need hardware to make its service work.
So why is it so heavily rumored to be in talks to buy it back? Well, the popular opinion is ads: Roku is making many millions of dollars in revenue each year through advertisements on its on-demand content, and Netflix is looking into building an ad-supported model into its ecosystem.
Roku isn't having the best time financially either, so this could be a move that is a win-win for both parties - Netflix won't have to spend over the odds, and Roku will get an injection of stability that it needs.
Will we still see Roku sticks going forward? Hard to say - its hardware division isn't growing rapidly, so it could quietly be sidelined or sold off. But this would be a seismic move if it were to come off, and could help offset the rising cost of Netflix if the ad-funded model works out.
What About This?
Cable Power will soon solve one of your biggest TV woes
(iStock)
Have you invested in a fancy new AV system recently, but been sad to find out that your cable didn't reach between your console and TV? And then been even sadder to find out that if you bought a longer one, it couldn't carry the high-bandwidth signal needed for beautiful 8K, HDR content?
The solution used to be adding a power lead into the cable - which sounds wild enough as it is - but Cable Power is a new feature being added to the HDMI 2.1 standard, which would enable your source device to send power through the cable to power up the signal.
The bad news about this is that your devices will need a chip inside to send the power (otherwise things could get a bit dangerous) so your PS5 can't be upgraded to Cable Power with a firmware upgrade.
It's cool that this issue is being solved though, and I'm in love with the name. It's what I'd call myself if I was in a football team featuring cable installers.
Don't Miss This
The end of the Lightning port?
(Shutterstock)
I feel like I've been covering this story for over a decade… mostly because I have been. Ten years ago the European Union (EU) wanted to get all phone manufacturers to adhere to the same charging port so that there would be fewer phone chargers made, and eventually thrown away. The idea was (and is) that this would save massively on electronic waste, with consumers needing to only buy a cable or two.
Well, it looks like the EU has finally got around to passing this legislation, as it's apparently set to ratify a ruling that any phone, laptop, pair of headphones or games controller will have to use USB-C charging from next year (or 2026 in the case of laptops).
Apple, as you can imagine, is pretty mad about this, going on the record to say that such legislation would stifle innovation.
I guess that makes sense. Or… perhaps the reason really is that it makes many millions of dollars from licensing its Lightning port compatibility to accessory manufacturers, and going for a ubiquitous port would certainly stop that revenue stream coming in?
The medium-term question would be about older iPhones: would Apple have to stop selling older, Lightning-shod phones in the EU once the legislation comes in? Or will those be exempt? I've asked for a comment from the commission in charge of putting these plans through and will hopefully get a response soon.
The Sign Off
Apparently, the moon is an illusion
(Roadcrusher/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA)
OK, I'm not saying that the moon doesn't actually exist but that the way we see it in the sky isn't always accurate.
This piece caught my eye because, like the author, I once turned a corner and saw the moon looking more red and larger than ever before - I truly thought that it was the celestial body about to crash into our planet.
Safe to say, I crapped my pants.
But, according to Silas Laycock, Professor of Astronomy at UMass Lowell, this is just a very big trick of the mind:
"It can be hard to believe that it is just an illusion when the moon looks huge, but it is true. You can actually test the illusion yourself and even capture it with a camera."
Apparently, the reason it sometimes looks so huge is purely based on perspective: the moon can be up to 15% closer based on the non-circular orbit, but it only looks big because of its presence next to objects you're used to seeing.
So if you happen to see the moon next to a very faraway house, it'll look massive because the moon's size doesn't change with perspective, but things on the ground do. When it's up in the sky, it'll be back to moon-size once more.
This is one of those science articles that I struggle to wrap my head around. I get the principle and see how the phenomenon works… but I still feel like it doesn't explain the moon I saw. Honestly, it was gargantuan…
This is from the editor
I've got a couple of things from readers this week to go through - and thank you again to everyone who takes the time to email in (with the subject line NEWSLETTER) to let me know what they think of each week's musings.
First up was my father, reminding me that my wedding didn't go without a hitch (apart from getting hitched) because the bride was an hour late due to the rings being forgotten… so in the interest of transparency, I can say it went smoothly apart from that.
And the other interesting email came from Jeremy, who said: "I always enjoy the newsletter and the science at the bottom but I never actually clicked and read one of them until this week's Amazon River one.
"I'm so glad you shared it. It's such an interesting question and it's kind of mind-blowing. I never thought about it and never ran across that fact in my whole life even though I've been fascinated with the river and the jungle."
We then had an excellent conversation about whether Apple would impress at WWDC, and commiserated when it transpired there was no new VR headset (or changes to the App Store, which Jeremy desperately wanted).
If you have any thoughts about this week's newsletter, do get in touch using the link above - and remember, please do subscribe if you haven't already. And have a lovely weekend!
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