Benjamin Mayo

Netflix launched its cheaper “Basic with Ads” plan back in November. But the launch had a significant gotcha for Apple users: The Netflix tvOS app did not support the ads tier, meaning subscribers on that plan simply couldn’t use their Apple TV set-top box to watch Netflix.

At the time, Netflix said support for the ads plan on Apple TV was “coming soon.” Five months on, support for the plan is finally available for Netflix users on Apple TV.

Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today reports that production for Apple’s AR/VR headset has likely been delayed again. Kuo now believes that the supply chain will ramp assembly for the device in mid-to-late Q3 of this year.

The delay means Kuo now predicts only 200,000 to 300,000 units will be manufactured and shipped this year, down from original estimates that exceeded half a million units.

I’ve been a long time user of Synology NAS products, having first reviewed them on 9to5Mac in 2016. At the end of the last year upgraded to a 4-bay DS920+. Upgrading from a 2-bay to a 4-bay model has unlocked even more use cases for me, but I still get the impression that to most people, a NAS is a scary and uninviting concept.

Hopefully, in this post, I can highlight how a NAS can dramatically enhance your Apple experience, and that the whole venture is a relatively straightforward thing to integrate in your life, and get ongoing value …

Picture-in-Picture has been a feature on Apple’s platforms for a few years, allowing a single video to pop out into a floating window while the user browses the rest of the OS.

Apple appears to be working on upgrading that capability, at least for live sports matches in the Apple TV app. Code references first spotted by Steve Moser in the iOS 16.5 betas describe a new “Multiview” experience for the Apple TV app, supporting up to four simultaneous streams at once.

Apple TV+ today announced its theatrical release plans for its highly-anticipated film ‘Killers of the Flower Moon‘ directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonard DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemmons, Lily Gladstone, Brendan Fraser and more.

The film will debut worldwide in theatres in October 2023. The title is the first Apple Original Film to have a wide theatrical run before heading to the Apple TV+ streaming service.

In a report today from The New York Times, anonymous employees at Apple expressed their skepticism about the upcoming AR/VR headset, expected to be officially announced to the world at WWDC in June.

The NYT says that, unlike some other recent product launches, Apple has failed to rally all of its employees behind the project. Some employees have left the teams because they are not convinced the product will appeal to customers.

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that iOS 17 was originally destined to be a release focused on bug fixes and performance, and not so much new features. (Gurman previously said that work on the Apple Reality headset operating system had taken priority over iOS 17 feature development.)

However, Gurman says that the strategy deviated from the original plan and iOS 17 will now have some notable new features.

Apple TV+ became the first streaming service to win the prestigious Oscars Best Picture award last year, for Sundance acquisition CODA, but its overall film slate has been somewhat underwhelming so far.

Via Bloomberg, that may be set to change as Apple is significantly expanding its original films division to focus on blockbuster titles that will debut widely in theatres first, before arriving on the streaming service. Apple will purportedly spend $1 billion annually on its movie slate.

The Apple-Major League Baseball partnership continues. A weekly doubleheader lineup of baseball games will air on Fridays on Apple TV+, beginning April 7 with a matchup between the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs.

Last season, Apple made Friday Night Baseball available to all users for free — it was watchable by anyone with an Apple ID and access to the Apple TV app. That “limited time offer” has now gone away. For 2023, an Apple TV+ subscription is required to tune in to see the games.

A new deal between Foxconn and Apple will see AirPods manufactured in India for the first time. Via Reuters, Foxconn is investing $200 million in a new factory in India that will produce Apple’s wireless earbuds, among other products.

Although AirPods manufacturing offers much lower margins than what Foxconn makes on iPhone production, the company reportedly went ahead with the deal to “reinforce engagement” with Apple. Apple specifically requested an Indian production site, as the company prioritizes diversification from China.

Apple TV+ today premieres the new season of its biggest hit to date, with the release of the first episode of the third (and possibly final) season of the comedy series Ted Lasso.

The show is airing weekly on Wednesdays, a change from the service’s usual Friday scheduling. Season three is set to conclude the rivalry between AFC Richmond and West Ham United, with an impending showdown between Lasso and Nate Shelley.

For the 2022 Oscars, Apple TV+ had a landslide presence, becoming the first streaming service to win prestigious Best Picture award for CODA. This season was a much more muted affair for the streamer, with Apple’s film slate lacking anything substantive aside from Emancipation, which was tainted by the Will Smith association.

Nevertheless, last night, Apple TV+ picked up Best Animated Short Film for its original film The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse.

All reports point to Apple launching its mixed reality headset — an augmented reality and virtual reality capable device — this year, likely at WWDC in June. But the Financial Times this weekend notes that the decision to ship now has been divisive inside the company.

The report says that operations team led by Jeff Williams wanted to ship a technologically-advanced headset as soon as possible, even if the device would be bulky and expensive. Members of the design team disagreed, wanting to wait until lightweight AR glasses product was feasible. Cook backed operations.

The (non-revolutionary) yellow iPhone 14 and yellow iPhone 14 Plus are now available to order from the Apple Store, if for some reason you were holding out on upgrading lest a banana yellow color option.

First orders for the yellow iPhone 14 will ship on Tuesday, March 14. The iPhone 14 is otherwise identical, except for the yellow colored glass bezel and aluminium sides.

The Apple Store is down ahead of orders opening up for the new iPhone, the yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The incredible addition to the iPhone lineup adds a new color option for the spring.

This matches the tradition of recent years, where Apple launches a color refresh mid-cycle. To coincide with the release, the company also launched new bands and case colors this week.

A new three-part docuseries on Real Madrid premieres today: watch Real Madrid: Until the End now on Apple TV+. The Apple show goes behind-the-scenes of the team’s legendary run in the Champions League 2022 season.

Apple TV+ has officially renewed its new comedy Shrinking, starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, for a second season. The show premiered in January and has seemingly struck a chord with audiences and critics alike.

Although Apple does not share viewing numbers, anecdotally, the show seems to be performing well relative to other Apple TV+ releases. It sits at the #1 spot on the US TV+ chart, although it will likely topple next week when “Ted Lasso” returns for its highly anticipated third season.