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Connected

327: The Rickies (Early 2021)

 

00:00:00   [Music]

00:00:08   Hello and welcome to Connected, episode 327, "The Rickies Early 2021."

00:00:16   I'm your host, Steven Hackett, and I am joined by my friend, Mr. Myke Hurley.

00:00:21   Happy New Year, everybody!

00:00:23   Happy New Year!

00:00:24   I am so excited for today's episode, because we get to read the rules again.

00:00:29   We're gonna read the rules. I'm also gonna thank our sponsors because I got distracted by the title.

00:00:33   And me.

00:00:33   This episode is made possible by Squarespace, Smile, and Pingdom.

00:00:37   And we're also joined by Mr. Federico Vatici.

00:00:40   Hey babe, how are you?

00:00:42   Hey man. Wow, that's nice.

00:00:44   Happy new year.

00:00:45   If you would like to know why that just happened, you should become a connected pro member

00:00:51   by going to connected pro- what's the URL? I never remember it.

00:00:55   Oh my god, I never remember it.

00:00:57   No, again.

00:00:58   relay.fm/connected/join

00:01:02   No, that's not so catchy, but it's easy to remember. You can't remember the other one.

00:01:06   I think it's connectedpro.co

00:01:10   Wait, why is it .co?

00:01:13   Because Steven liked it.

00:01:15   Steven liked it and now no one can remember it.

00:01:18   Connectedpro.co

00:01:19   Does it rhyme though?

00:01:20   Like does it?

00:01:21   Pro.co? It's not a rhyme.

00:01:23   Connectedpro.co

00:01:25   That's not a rhyme. If you go to... Wait, which one is it? Is it connectedpro.co or

00:01:34   is it getconnected? It is? No, there's no get. Why do you keep saying this? No, because

00:01:38   I have get domains. getconnectedpro.com also works. Yeah. Oh my god. Well, it will work.

00:01:45   I haven't directed them to the new address yet. It's like we don't want people to give

00:01:49   us money. So, Steven, can you just do that again? Tell people very clearly. Where can

00:01:54   they get the members only pre and post show? Well I would go... Oh don't do it. No no it's not an opinion.

00:02:01   Not this terrible domain that you keep using the fun catchy ones.

00:02:07   connectedpro.co. And have you forwarded that to the correct place? It currently

00:02:14   directs to the monthly plan. Okay but that's not where you want it to go is it?

00:02:19   No I want it to go to relay.fm/connected/join. Right. But I haven't set

00:02:23   that up yet. What I will say though is if you go to getconnectedpro.co you

00:02:28   will go to the right place because I manage that one. getconnectedpro.co

00:02:33   yes it does very very nice. No that goes to the silver plan too, the monthly plan.

00:02:38   Well you've got to wait for DNS propagation you know like I can't be in

00:02:40   control of everything here. DNS is terrible. Mm-hmm takes time but anyway if

00:02:46   you want to know why we're calling Steven Babe now well become a member.

00:02:52   I think we just gotta say something, don't we?

00:02:54   Well, we can't pretend that we live out of time.

00:02:57   It's true.

00:02:58   So, we're recording this on Thursday, January 7th, we're a day-

00:03:02   Luckily.

00:03:03   Huh?

00:03:04   Luckily?

00:03:05   Luckily.

00:03:06   Luckily.

00:03:07   Just pure coincidence that we moved the show by a day, which is awesome.

00:03:09   Yes.

00:03:10   Somebody had a holiday something, or family, I don't know.

00:03:13   I don't remember why we moved things.

00:03:14   Anyways, we're a day later than normal-

00:03:16   I think Federico was partying.

00:03:17   Yesterday, January 6th, saw just a terrible display here in the United States.

00:03:23   I mean, I speak for, I think, almost everybody.

00:03:26   I basically just stopped working after lunch and watched the news until I couldn't take

00:03:30   it anymore, and my wife said, "You have to stop doomscrolling and go to bed."

00:03:34   I mean, I don't know what to say.

00:03:36   It's really infuriating and heartbreaking at the same time that people have been led

00:03:42   to believe the things they believe about the way our country works.

00:03:46   And I know we have friends and listeners, even members in the Relay Discord who live

00:03:50   in DC.

00:03:51   Thankfully, everyone is safe, but it was a terrible thing to witness to think that this

00:03:57   sort of thing can happen in the US was a little shocking.

00:04:02   Yep.

00:04:03   Eye-opening.

00:04:04   Shocking, but not surprising, if that makes sense.

00:04:07   Yep.

00:04:08   But we have a bunch of tech stuff to talk about.

00:04:13   We got the RICCIs, so we can move on.

00:04:15   The show must go on.

00:04:16   Wait, what did you say?

00:04:17   I said, "The show must go on."

00:04:19   The show must go on.

00:04:20   Yeah.

00:04:21   Have you ever heard this phrase before?

00:04:23   Is this new to you?

00:04:24   The show must...

00:04:25   What a great phrase.

00:04:26   Did you come up with that?

00:04:28   That's great.

00:04:29   Man, you should put that on a bumper sticker.

00:04:31   I'm gonna put it on a t-shirt or something.

00:04:33   So much.

00:04:34   That'll be the new Connected t-shirt.

00:04:36   The show must go on?

00:04:37   The show must go on.

00:04:38   Nice.

00:04:39   It has a Capitol building.

00:04:41   The show must go on, babe.

00:04:42   Let's start follow-up with Dr. Drang.

00:04:45   It's a good place to start follow-up.

00:04:47   So we have spoken about needing to recalculate the Hackett number, which is the number of

00:04:52   computers in my household against the number of people.

00:04:57   That's a fixed number at 20.6, as we described in a recent episode.

00:05:03   But Dr. Drang, I think anytime we talk about math, which is going to happen later, so I'm

00:05:08   going to apologize to Drang in advance that we have more math talk coming later, but he

00:05:14   recommended that future calculations of the collection should be reported in terms of

00:05:19   the Hackett ratio.

00:05:21   So it's the computers per household member then divided by the Hackett number.

00:05:27   And I think that...

00:05:28   I'm a little bit confused.

00:05:29   I'm not going to lie.

00:05:30   I mean, he's...

00:05:31   I've already lost...

00:05:32   He's an engineer.

00:05:33   Yeah, I read Drang's tweet and I was like, "Yeah, I don't understand that."

00:05:35   Okay.

00:05:36   - Frank, send us a link to the blog post

00:05:38   telling us young boys how math works.

00:05:41   - Yeah, no, I don't get it.

00:05:44   So what is it like, because the Hackett number's fixed,

00:05:47   if we now wanna work out something by the Hackett number,

00:05:51   it now needs its own name.

00:05:53   So the Hackett ratio is everybody's own number.

00:05:57   - So the Hackett ratio would be the current Hackett number,

00:06:01   if you will, so the current number of computers

00:06:04   divided by the number of people in the house,

00:06:06   and that, the relationship between that and the original number.

00:06:11   So say, I don't know what the number is because I haven't done this yet.

00:06:13   I'm not sure that Babe understands this either.

00:06:15   No, no, no, no.

00:06:16   I just wanted an explanation and it's getting worse.

00:06:20   In this moment you can sell me anything, I'm not following.

00:06:23   I will buy literally everything you're saying, Babe.

00:06:27   I have no idea.

00:06:29   I'll figure the new number, and let's say the new number is 30.6.

00:06:34   What is the number?

00:06:35   The number being the number of computers in the household into divided by the number of people in the household. Okay, so

00:06:41   Okay, okay. Okay. Yes. This is the thing that we invented. Yes, right. So let's say the new one is 30.6

00:06:49   Yes, so the Hackett ratio would describe the relationship between the new number and the constant. Wait, what is a constant?

00:06:57   The constant is 20.6 the original Hackett number

00:07:02   So what you would get at the end of this is I am you know one point two times

00:07:07   More in trouble than I was originally because I've got that many more computers and that's the Hackett ratio. Yes

00:07:14   But if I calculate it is it a Hackett ratio or is it only a Hackett ratio if it's you? I

00:07:20   Mean any well, how would you do it? I mean you got to come over here and count everything

00:07:24   No, but like if I did my own calculation of what is mine? Yeah

00:07:28   Yeah, you would be like you would have a negative ratio.

00:07:33   You don't know, but that's the thing, right?

00:07:36   So what we're seeing now is the Hackett number, you don't calculate your own Hackett number

00:07:40   because there's only one Hackett number.

00:07:42   You calculate your own Hackett ratio, which is figured out by multiplying or dividing

00:07:48   by the Hackett number.

00:07:50   Okay.

00:07:51   Yep.

00:07:52   Great.

00:07:53   We got there then.

00:07:54   Wait, but who asked for the Hackett ratio?

00:07:55   I think we accidentally described it on the show and then Drang tried to clarify it, but

00:08:00   clearly our lack of...

00:08:02   I think we kept getting confused about how to calculate what the Hackett number was because

00:08:10   we kept calling it Hackett number.

00:08:12   Up next, AirPods Max.

00:08:14   I retarded mine.

00:08:16   You did do it.

00:08:17   Oh.

00:08:18   Yep, they're gone.

00:08:19   Really?

00:08:20   You give them back.

00:08:22   Yeah, they sounded great.

00:08:23   I loved the way they sounded, but they were just too heavy.

00:08:26   Interesting. Was that the reason?

00:08:29   Yes. I find mine comfortable.

00:08:32   I use them every day for multiple hours.

00:08:34   I have one complaint, which is the battery life ain't that great.

00:08:38   Really? Yeah.

00:08:41   I feel like I'm charging them every day or so.

00:08:44   You don't have that with my AirPods.

00:08:47   And I guess the reason is the AirPods Max battery, I guess, is less

00:08:51   than the other AirPods because it doesn't have a battery case to recharge them again,

00:08:57   right?

00:08:58   How many, for how long do you wear them each day?

00:09:01   Multiple hours.

00:09:02   Multiple.

00:09:03   Like two or six or seven, like what is multiple?

00:09:07   Let's say four or five.

00:09:08   I have noticed though as well, like I really have noticed that under certain circumstances

00:09:14   and I don't know what they are, the battery is draining faster at certain times.

00:09:19   I don't know if maybe I'm putting them down in such a way that the sensors are still triggering

00:09:24   or something, like if I don't put them in their very fancy case.

00:09:27   But like I know that there was one day last week where I charged them the night before

00:09:32   and then used them, I put them down on my desk when I was done for the day and the next

00:09:36   day they were completely dead.

00:09:38   So I think I'm having some kind of battery discharging issue in certain circumstances.

00:09:45   So I haven't done anything scientific but basically the thing is you know how

00:09:50   you feel like you don't really notice when you charge your AirPods right? It's

00:09:54   just like you don't think about it you just charge them every now and then and

00:09:57   it's fine. I'm feeling like I'm having to charge my AirPods Max more intentionally

00:10:03   than my regular AirPods. It's almost as if the case they designed is a total

00:10:06   failure. Do I bet the case... Almost. Even if the case was designed well it wouldn't

00:10:11   helped I don't know if it too much because like I think the difference is

00:10:15   like I think it's the charging nature of the case yeah just make a giant case

00:10:20   with a huge battery in it that can charge yeah because Apple says you're

00:10:24   supposed to get 20 hours so clearly something is is up yeah I don't know I

00:10:29   don't know what to do I don't know what the deal is I'd love to know if other

00:10:32   people are having this or if it's just something that you know maybe we can

00:10:35   rule out you doing something weird that you're not aware of I think that they

00:10:39   could just there's like a few things that could be going on right well like

00:10:42   sometimes I could use my AirPods and then just put the case on charge like

00:10:47   and I'm not really thinking about it like you can't do that with the AirPods

00:10:51   Max right it's like you're either using them or you're charging them you can't

00:10:56   charge them and use them really and like a convenient way where with the regular

00:11:01   AirPods I can use the AirPods and I'm draining their battery while its case is

00:11:05   getting a charge. So you know like I think that that also maybe reduces the

00:11:10   amount of times that I notice the AirPods themselves as reducing as like

00:11:15   lowering their battery which is just not the case with the Max it's like it's

00:11:19   more of a traditional tech product then right where like charging it kind of is

00:11:26   a thing that you do when you're not using it or like you can do it at the

00:11:30   same time but it's not seamless where I think with the regular AirPods with their

00:11:35   charging case is you can very easily just leave the case somewhere charging

00:11:39   especially if you use wireless charging and so I just think that there's maybe a

00:11:44   situation where like the product is different and I'm just noticing it more

00:11:47   because it's close enough to my regular AirPods that it just I can see it as a

00:11:51   place of comparison. Nevertheless I love them oh my god the the noise cancelling

00:11:58   It's so good. So, so good. I am continually impressed by these headphones and I enjoy

00:12:05   using them very much.

00:12:08   What about you Federico? Any additional thoughts a few weeks in?

00:12:11   I've been using them not as frequently as mic I think. I mostly try to stay offline

00:12:22   for the past few weeks and therefore using my Sony Walkman and my wired Sony headphones.

00:12:29   So I haven't really used them multiple hours each day but I like them. I confirm my comment from

00:12:38   a few episodes back, these are going to be my main wireless headphones. Like I used them today again

00:12:44   when I was trying to get some work done. I like them, they're not as, you know, they don't sound

00:12:50   nearly as good as my other wired headphones, but in terms of wireless headphones, they're the best

00:12:57   ones that I have. So I really like them, the noise cancellation is good, Siri I don't particularly

00:13:03   care about, and the digital crown works. And the case is stupid, but I'm waiting for the

00:13:09   Waterfield Designs case to arrive at some point for the next few days, I think. So yeah, I like them.

00:13:16   Steven, have you considered the fact that maybe it's not the AirPods Max that are too heavy,

00:13:20   but that in your old age it is your neck that doesn't offer enough support anymore?

00:13:26   Yeah, pencil neck.

00:13:28   That was my only question for you.

00:13:31   Wow. I hope that's not the case.

00:13:34   Well, you know, some food for thought for you over the next few days.

00:13:39   Yeah, my brittle bones, can't take the weight.

00:13:43   No, I think I'm just... I think I'm just overly sensitive to head pressure.

00:13:52   I feel like I'm sensitive to headphones or anything that are heavy, or like a hat that's too tight,

00:13:58   or if I've got to come a hair back in a bandana or something, like if it's too tight. I feel very

00:14:03   sensitive to those things, so I may just be... I may just be too weak for my head to be squeezed.

00:14:09   Well, I hope that's not the case.

00:14:11   Real quick before we move on to our topics, I did just want to point people to episode

00:14:17   11 of Flashback, my show with Quinn Nelson.

00:14:21   It is back for season two.

00:14:22   This is the show where we talk about failed tech products and this season we're looking

00:14:27   at them through the lens of kind of where those companies or markets are now.

00:14:32   So episode 11 is about the Nexus Q which is this failed Google media streamer, kind of

00:14:37   like the Chromecast before the Chromecast but it never actually went on

00:14:41   sale and they took a bunch of pre-orders and had to give people their money back

00:14:44   it was really bad. Let's talk about that and then set top boxes it was a lot of fun.

00:14:49   I am looking forward to listen to it I have not yet please forgive me but I am

00:14:53   pleased the show is back. As a little teaser Quinn is listening to connected

00:14:57   right now Quinn I'm gonna tell people what we're doing in episode 12 we're

00:15:00   gonna talk about the Amazon Fire phone and then we're going oh then we're going

00:15:05   We're going to draft weird Amazon products.

00:15:08   Okay.

00:15:09   Okay.

00:15:10   Episode 12 will be fun.

00:15:11   Like products that you found on Amazon or made by Amazon?

00:15:16   Weird products made by Amazon.

00:15:17   So you know that they make a microwave with the Echo Assistant built in.

00:15:21   Like why?

00:15:22   Why do you do that?

00:15:23   So nice.

00:15:24   Go check it out.

00:15:26   Just before we begin the Ricky's today, I wanted to just know, I feel like that there

00:15:31   is a constant theme on this show of charging solutions and I saw today that Anker have

00:15:39   released their MagSafe charging stuff. Well at least they've announced that they're going

00:15:46   to release it which is kind of weird but it's coming. They've got two products. One is a

00:15:50   $22 MagSafe charging puck which is capped at 7.5 watts so it can't do any faster charging

00:15:59   than that. And it has a really weird chunky USB connector. So I invite you all to look

00:16:05   at the link in the show notes to see this. So are you guys looking at this image right

00:16:12   now? Yeah. Why is it so big? So that's the USB-C connector. It makes it look like it's

00:16:18   a USB mini or something. And it's apparently because this is pretty much just a standard

00:16:25   Qi charger it's not doing anything special because it seems like there's

00:16:29   just a little bit of secret sauce as they call it in Apple's charging solution

00:16:33   for MagSafe so to make it super thin and to make it all fit correctly which

00:16:38   basically all that's in the little disk part the puck part is the coils and a

00:16:44   lot of the like technology stuff that's required to make one of these Qi

00:16:48   chargers work is housed inside of the USB C connector instead. Interesting

00:16:54   choice? Well I mean what it does is it allows for it to be still a thin and

00:16:58   small just circular connector right you can still connect by magnets and get all

00:17:03   of the benefit that you get from MagSafe and really it's like whilst that looks

00:17:07   weird it's gonna be plugged somewhere right like you're not gonna deal with it

00:17:11   and it's a 1.5 meter cable so it's half a meter longer than Apple's cable which

00:17:16   is great but the I think the real good product here is they have a another

00:17:22   product which is like a stand, what do they call it? The PowerWave MagSafe charging stand.

00:17:30   So it's like a MagSafe charger suspended, kind of like how the screen on the Magic Keyboard

00:17:40   for the iPad Pro is suspended, it's not particularly like that but you get what I'm saying. You

00:17:46   You can charge vertically or horizontally and the magsafe part where you clip your phone

00:17:52   to can also be tilted which is kind of nice.

00:17:55   And then the base of the charger is also a Qi charger so you could charge your headphones

00:18:01   and charge your iPhone at the same time.

00:18:04   This looks super cool and it's $36.

00:18:07   So is it or is it not magsafe?

00:18:09   It is magsafe yes.

00:18:11   But it's not but it's Anker's magsafe right?

00:18:14   I don't think that they're MFI certified or whatever.

00:18:18   So the first one, the Verge article says "Here's why Anker's MagSafe style charger has a gigantic

00:18:25   USB-C plug.

00:18:26   Subtitle.

00:18:28   It's because it's not actually MagSafe."

00:18:30   So I'm very confused.

00:18:31   It's not Apple's MagSafe.

00:18:33   It's working like a MagSafe charger.

00:18:35   It's got magnets in it, it's doing Qi charging and whatever, but it seems like that they've

00:18:40   not gone through whatever you have to go through to get that official "here you go" from Apple.

00:18:46   Oh, the MagSafe like brand? Okay, okay, got it. Right, like it's not, I don't know, like

00:18:51   it's called MFI certified or whatever, they've not done that. They've just reverse engineered

00:18:55   it. It's a Qi charger with magnets in it. Got it. Okay. Right, which is also why it

00:18:59   doesn't get the faster speed. So it's like quote unquote MagSafe. Yeah, it's magnetically

00:19:05   safe charging is what they should call it and then we'll all know what it means. But

00:19:10   I think it's cool. I think it's cool that these products do exist because it's different price points and it's different use cases.

00:19:16   And so I'm into it. I'm going to keep my eye on the the sand one.

00:19:21   I think that looks like a pretty cool product.

00:19:23   You could charge your day phone on the top and the night phone at the bottom.

00:19:26   Yep.

00:19:27   Because it's laying down. You have a little blanket for him.

00:19:29   Be great.

00:19:32   Good night phone.

00:19:34   So today we will be judging our annual picks for 2020.

00:19:39   The annual Chairman Twitter account is up for grabs.

00:19:44   And then we will be making our picks for the Ricky's

00:19:47   looking forward to 2021.

00:19:50   So a real big day, but first let's take a break

00:19:53   and thank our first sponsor.

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00:21:41   - Please read the Bill of Rickeys.

00:21:44   - The Bill of Rickeys.

00:21:46   The winner who should be called keynote chairman

00:21:50   from the previous Ricky's--

00:21:52   - Daniel Chairman, right?

00:21:53   - Look at the bullet point, I'm getting there.

00:21:56   Oh okay, okay, okay.

00:21:57   What are those Corky note chairmen, are they in this instance?

00:22:00   They're called annual chairmen.

00:22:01   AMEND THE RULES!

00:22:02   AMEND THEM!

00:22:03   [Laughter]

00:22:06   It's time to amend the rules.

00:22:08   No!

00:22:09   It's right there.

00:22:10   The Bill of Rickeys.

00:22:11   Uninterrupted by Myke Hurley.

00:22:14   But it's wrong though!

00:22:15   No it's not!

00:22:16   Okay, so...

00:22:16   It is!

00:22:17   Okay.

00:22:18   So what we need to do...

00:22:19   [Laughter]

00:22:21   It's wrong.

00:22:22   Alright.

00:22:23   It should just be like the winner.

00:22:24   We did it shouldn't say who should be the keynote chairman.

00:22:27   Well, we need, we need.

00:22:28   So one thing I've noticed is we have a problem.

00:22:31   We need to identify that there's actually two different types of Rickies.

00:22:34   There's annual Rickies.

00:22:36   Yeah.

00:22:36   There's keynote Rickies.

00:22:37   Yeah.

00:22:38   So, um, maybe we just start there.

00:22:41   So there are two types.

00:22:45   The rules are being rewritten again, live on the show.

00:22:50   You're the one who interrupted.

00:22:51   We have a lot of stuff to talk about, but, Oh, we got to take care of this for Myke.

00:22:54   All you have to do is just remove who should be called keynote champion from the first sentence.

00:22:58   No, because if we're gonna remove anything we should make it clear.

00:23:01   Okay.

00:23:03   Annual and...

00:23:06   Annual Ricky's and keynote Ricky's. Okay.

00:23:09   Yes.

00:23:10   Because I guess this also leaves room for other types of Ricky.

00:23:14   Yes.

00:23:15   Because we did do the audio predictions once.

00:23:18   The soundies is what we called those I think.

00:23:20   [Laughter]

00:23:21   Wait, what?

00:23:22   Do you remember we did a set of audio-based predictions?

00:23:25   It was just about AirPods and HeadPods and all that stuff?

00:23:28   We did?

00:23:29   Yeah, it was a one-off thing.

00:23:30   But I like leaving the door open for things like that.

00:23:34   There was just so many rumors and things going on at that time

00:23:38   that we ended up just making a whole separate set of Ricky's

00:23:40   like halfway through the middle of a year or something.

00:23:43   This is getting longer.

00:23:45   I really feel bad for the listener who created the...

00:23:50   the beautiful Bill of Rickeys document,

00:23:54   'cause every single time they have to change it,

00:23:57   provided they wanna keep it up to date.

00:23:59   I would also understand at this point

00:24:01   if they just told us to jump off a bridge, right?

00:24:04   Like, we're just done.

00:24:05   This is totally done.

00:24:06   We're dealing with our, every whim here.

00:24:11   And basically at the moment,

00:24:12   I'm filling time while Steven's writing in the document.

00:24:15   That's what's happening right now,

00:24:16   in case you hadn't guessed already.

00:24:18   - Okay. - I'm just vamping.

00:24:19   Okay, we have to agree to this change.

00:24:22   - I know, I'm putting this in front of the committee.

00:24:24   There are two types of rookies,

00:24:26   annual rookies and keynote rookies.

00:24:29   The winner of the annual rookies

00:24:31   is named the annual chairman and retains the rights

00:24:34   to the corresponding Twitter account for the full year.

00:24:38   - Nice. - The keynote rookies winner

00:24:39   is named the keynote chairman and retains the rights

00:24:41   to the corresponding Twitter account

00:24:43   until the next keynote is held.

00:24:45   - Nice.

00:24:47   Yeah, you did it, you did it.

00:24:48   I like it. - Mm-hmm, yep.

00:24:49   like that it's longer too so it takes no no no no I didn't get it I'm not smart

00:24:53   enough can you can you say that winner of the annual Ricky's is named annual

00:24:57   chairman and retains the rights to the corresponding Twitter account for the

00:25:02   full year I would say this position is awarded every January nice okay just make

00:25:10   keep making it longer the keynote Ricky's winner is named the keynote

00:25:14   chairman and retains the rights to the corresponding Twitter account until the

00:25:17   next keynote is held. Right. And then we go into the ordering. None of that's changed. Carry on.

00:25:25   So point one has been invented. Let's go to point two. Annual winners roll over to preserve the

00:25:33   order. For example, the 2019 annual winner gets to go first for the next annual picks.

00:25:40   Order of the keynote rookies is based on the previous Apple event. The loser goes last. To

00:25:47   earn any points everything written down in the prediction document must come

00:25:52   true. No half points may be awarded in any round and picks cannot be reused. One

00:25:58   point is awarded for any pick deemed correct in the first two rounds. Two

00:26:04   points will be awarded for the correct picks in the risky pick round. If your

00:26:09   risky pick is wrong you will lose a point and the other two hosts must agree

00:26:14   that your pick is "risky". The scoring window starts, I'm starting to say, for event

00:26:21   rookies. I would like to point out while you're writing something else, Josh in

00:26:26   the relay FM members discord has posted their version of the rules which is one

00:26:32   pick stuff, two grade stuff, three win stuff, which ultimately is all they need

00:26:38   to be but we're just not those type of people that could live by those three

00:26:41   simple rules. For event rookies the scoring window starts when the event

00:26:45   begins and closes when the picks are scored. Should say for keynote rookies

00:26:51   keynote rookies. The winner of the regular and risky picks must be granted access

00:26:57   to the annual or event chairman Twitter account and will retain access until

00:27:02   another winner is named. We also have the flexis so we should say as a point of

00:27:07   order. The flexi rules are introduced after we did the annual rookies for 2020, so these flexi

00:27:15   rules don't apply to this set of picks. So I'll read those. We do have the flexis, but there's no

00:27:21   money on the line. Right, so I will read those as we get there. Yeah, because we don't need those

00:27:26   until we're set in the 2021 predictions, right? Correct. Yeah, we don't retroactively apply rules,

00:27:34   Because that would just be silly. We're not savages. As a reminder, Federico is the current

00:27:40   annual chairman and Steven, that's me, Babe, is the current keynote chairman. Yes you are, babe.

00:27:50   Twitter handles are on the line. Well, one twitter handle. Federico's twitter handle.

00:27:55   Twitter handle. I could walk away with both. I would love a day where both of them are on

00:28:00   on the line at the same time. That would be fun, huh?

00:28:03   If Apple had a January event, it would be four hours long.

00:28:09   Oh, it would be forever. It would be great though, right?

00:28:13   Okay, so let's review the 2020 Rickies. Federico, you went first.

00:28:19   Just real quick before we start. Just because, you know, reflecting on

00:28:23   how weird 2020 has been, like just think back to

00:28:26   just where we were and how things were when we made these picks.

00:28:30   a different world. It wasn't just like how it normally is, where a year has passed. It's

00:28:35   just a completely different reality almost at this point. Anyway, please continue.

00:28:42   Okay, so I went first last year, and my first regular pick was "Apple will name a successor

00:28:52   to Steve Dowling, former head of public relations at Apple." And there was also a bullet point

00:28:58   saying either named by Apple officially or is reported by more than one outlet that a

00:29:04   person has been appointed.

00:29:06   What I like about this pick is that that secondary bullet was put into place to make it easier

00:29:12   on you to score it, right? Because I think we said at the time it is incredibly unlikely

00:29:18   that if they, well at least I think me and Steven felt that it was incredibly unlikely

00:29:21   that if there was a new head of PR that Apple would like release a press release about it.

00:29:27   Regardless, I was wrong, because there may be a new head of PR at Apple, but Apple hasn't

00:29:36   announced anyone, and no outlet has reported on anything, so no change.

00:29:42   I think the reason I always thought this was a difficult one for you is I don't know, I

00:29:48   don't recall it being public knowledge who the head of Apple PR was, you know what I

00:29:55   mean?

00:29:56   it was one of these rules like roles that they put on the leadership page or

00:29:59   whatever like Katie was it Katie cotton before Steve Dowling yes I think Steve

00:30:05   Dowling used to be on the leadership page really I think he was I think okay

00:30:11   yeah that's why that's why I had this pick yeah I don't think Katie cotton

00:30:15   ever was though but she was like right Steve Jobs style PR and she didn't last

00:30:19   very long under Tim Cook okay well nevertheless I always thought that it

00:30:23   was risky because it just didn't necessarily feel like a job to me that they would make

00:30:30   a big song and dance about. But, so yeah, you could be right Federico, right? There

00:30:35   could be someone who has this job. We just don't know who that is.

00:30:39   I guess, you know, Steve Dowling, like my, my context for this pick was used to be like

00:30:46   a very public figure. He was on the leadership page. Um, and, uh, and, and he had like, uh,

00:30:52   was the internal memo that was published announcing his departure. And I just figured, you know,

00:30:57   within the next 12 months, there's going to be a public thing where we have a new person

00:31:01   in charge. And, uh, but, but, but no, that hasn't happened. And, um, yeah, so this is

00:31:07   not a point for me. And, uh, it's, uh, it's kinda, it's very surprising to me still, but

00:31:15   also maybe this is one of the, of those things that was delayed by 2020. I don't know. Um,

00:31:22   Maybe Apple is just content to keep working with multiple heads of PR for different departments.

00:31:28   I don't know.

00:31:29   I have no idea what's going on.

00:31:30   So, no point.

00:31:31   Yeah, maybe they don't have like a single head of PR.

00:31:35   Just all of the different product heads or country heads feed into JAWS.

00:31:40   Maybe.

00:31:41   Yeah, who knows.

00:31:42   So no point.

00:31:43   No point.

00:31:45   My round one pick was that the 2020 iPhone line will feature at least one 5G phone.

00:31:50   Stephen, would you like to read your sub points that you insisted were put in the document?

00:31:55   Stephen is highly skeptical.

00:31:57   How do you feel about that now?

00:32:00   5G, 5G, 5G?

00:32:01   I mean, it's, some people say it's real.

00:32:03   I was super right on this one, huh?

00:32:06   Yeah, every time he said it was like a tiny dagger through my heart.

00:32:11   And then I made the joke, this wasn't a prediction, that they would name it the iPhone 11s Pro

00:32:17   Max 5G.

00:32:19   Was that a joke?

00:32:20   Okay, I don't know if it was. I think it was your actual prediction of the name.

00:32:26   My pick in the first round was the 13-inch MacBook Pro will gain larger screen. There

00:32:33   was a lot of talk, there still is a lot of talk about a 14-inch MacBook Pro, but it has

00:32:36   yet to materialize. It did not materialize in 2020, so I did not get the point.

00:32:44   So at the end of round one, it's mic one. Federico and I have zero.

00:32:49   Feels good. Feels good up here. Yeah. Alright Federico, kick off round two.

00:32:55   Round two, and this just makes me sad, really sad, I said at least one of the

00:33:03   2020 iPhones will have a higher refresh rate display, parenthesis, promotion. Yeah.

00:33:10   Yeah. That was wrong. That wasn't a point. Again, we talked about this in October. We

00:33:22   would have liked to see the promotion display. It was rumored. And then we also got the reports

00:33:29   saying that Apple was facing difficulties getting it to work. You know, battery life

00:33:34   concerns. I guess that maybe Apple prioritized 5G in these new phones rather than higher

00:33:42   refresh rate display. It's in the rumor cycle again for 2021. I saw yesterday, I think,

00:33:49   or today, I don't remember, saying that Samsung may be one of the suppliers for the higher

00:33:54   refresh rate display in the iPhone 13 or whatever it's going to be called. But yeah, not in

00:34:00   2020 so no point for me. I'm still at zero.

00:34:03   Yeah, it does feel like something that they've got to do at some point. I mean it is it is

00:34:08   All over the place on high-end Android phones. All right, Michael?

00:34:12   My second pick was that the iPad Pro line is updated before the iPhone of a hardware feature

00:34:18   That's not on any current iPhone 2019 or 2020 and I was right

00:34:25   LIDAR. LIDAR.

00:34:29   First to the iPad this wasn't the thing that I was I think potentially LIDAR was in contention

00:34:35   I thought it was gonna be 5G

00:34:38   5G 5G 5G 5G, but instead I got LIDAR instead so I

00:34:44   Having won this pick makes me feel less bad about buying that 2020 iPad Pro. I

00:34:49   Don't have one Federica. You don't have one. Do you know I was the only fool that did it

00:34:55   I do have a 2020 iPad Pro. Do you? Yeah I do. Sorry that was delayed for your point.

00:35:03   Thank you, I appreciate it. As of when and why? How? Who? It's a review unit.

00:35:10   Oh. I will get to write about it at some point eventually before I send it back, but yeah.

00:35:16   What are you gonna write about? Oh man, you should write a review of it. That would be so funny.

00:35:21   I honestly have no idea. Here's my review of the 2020 iPad Pro. I mean I guess the fact that I talked about it on

00:35:29   multiple podcasts maybe constitutes some kind of work about it. You're doing it right now.

00:35:34   You're doing the work right now. I'm talking about it right now. Would you like to review the 2020 iPad Pro? Yes, here's my review of the 2020 iPad Pro.

00:35:41   It's got a lighter.

00:35:46   Is that it?

00:35:52   And a different letter in the chip name.

00:35:56   That's the tweet.

00:35:57   That's good.

00:35:58   That binning.

00:35:59   It's fast.

00:36:00   It's got the same design, the same storage, the same display of the 2018 iPad Pro.

00:36:06   At least it fits in the Magic Keyboard case correctly, you know.

00:36:10   It fits in the Magic Keyboard correctly, so that's a very nice plus.

00:36:12   I don't see the, you know, the empty slot anymore.

00:36:17   So that's very aesthetically pleasing, I would say that's a plus, right?

00:36:21   The LiDAR scanner is not really used for photography as it was on the iPhone.

00:36:26   You can use it for AR.

00:36:28   I don't use AR on my iPad Pro, but if you're one of those people, then I guess you'll be

00:36:32   happy and that's the review.

00:36:36   Very nice.

00:36:37   Yeah, yeah, I'm done.

00:36:38   That's a huge weight off my shoulders.

00:36:39   Thanks guys.

00:36:40   Anytime.

00:36:41   Stephen, what was your pick?

00:36:43   My pick is that Apple would launch its own podcast content beyond its existing deal with

00:36:49   Oprah.

00:36:50   I got at least two.

00:36:52   Apple News Today and then Zane Lowe's show is being released as a podcast.

00:36:57   So point for me.

00:36:58   Yeah, I feel like the Zane Lowe one was correct but could have been questioned.

00:37:03   The Apple News Today is the one that really just confirmed that you got that point.

00:37:07   Yes.

00:37:08   I think is still just a podcast version of his Apple Music show.

00:37:13   Yeah, it's shovelware. It's just like, we made this content somewhere else,

00:37:16   let's just stick it into an RSS feed.

00:37:18   This content is too good to be hidden in Apple Music.

00:37:22   So we'll put it in podcasts.

00:37:24   Yeah, but Apple News today is really like, that is Apple's first, like, original podcast content.

00:37:33   So you did get that one.

00:37:35   It's good. So at the end of round two, Myke has two points. I have one point.

00:37:42   Federico has no points. Zero points. How are you feeling about your chances, Federico?

00:37:50   Um, not very good. You could still win it. I felt better in the past. Am I right? At this point,

00:37:57   Federico could still win? Technically, yes. Technically, yeah. I could still take it away

00:38:03   from you both. I'd like to thank our second sponsor. This episode of connected is brought

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00:39:51   for the Ricky's Federico redeem yourself.

00:39:56   No, I'm not. I'm not gonna redeem myself. In fact, I'm gonna come out of this and be even sadder

00:40:04   than before. Because technically my reiki was the reiki of passion, I would say of wit, and of hope.

00:40:14   But not of correctness.

00:40:15   Yes, in fact this reiki is a perfect reflection of 2020. I said...

00:40:24   Apple will release at least one new Pro app for iPad that we haven't previously seen on iPad.

00:40:32   The app can be universal. So my idea was Apple is bringing one of their Pro apps to iPad.

00:40:38   They're gonna do so with iPadOS 14, was my theory. And maybe there's gonna be an iPhone version as

00:40:46   well, but primarily they're bringing, I don't know, Xcode or Logic or Final Cut, one of those,

00:40:52   right? To iPad. And nope, that was not the case. They've done plenty of things for

00:41:00   iPad in 2020. The pointer, the Magic Keyboard, multi-column, the sidebars, but

00:41:07   they haven't launched any new Pro application for iPad themselves. So this

00:41:16   makes me really sad. I continue to believe that Apple should lead by

00:41:21   example here, and show that it is possible in 2021, at this point, to build

00:41:28   and support a mature kind of application on iPad, taking advantage of all the

00:41:35   modern features that the platform offers. But regardless, this pick is incorrect,

00:41:40   because they didn't do that in 2020. So I stand by my belief, I stand by my Ricky,

00:41:47   but the rules are the rules and you know I'm trying to keep a more open and

00:41:54   positive and loving attitude in this game this year so I will happily

00:42:01   concede that I was wrong. And it's worth noting now at this point Federico is no

00:42:07   longer the annual chairman because he cannot cannot succeed. I am NOT. I think

00:42:12   it is also the first time someone has scored a minus two. Really?

00:42:18   No, minus one. Minus one. Minus one. Minus one. Wasn't there the one that we did on stage

00:42:24   where we all got the same, or did we all get zero? I think we all got zero. That is still

00:42:30   a record in and of itself, right? Yeah, be proud of yourself. I am, I am, I really am.

00:42:35   Whatever it takes to get you through. Right. All right, this one's gonna be tricky.

00:42:41   read it and then I have some things to say. Okay cool. My pick was the notch on the iPhone

00:42:48   will get physically smaller in at least one of the 2020 iPhones. So I spent my morning looking

00:42:56   through Apple's accessory design guidelines. Can I say why this happened? Like I think that

00:43:04   that because I think people will hear the fact that you did all this work and it won't make

00:43:08   sense why you even started it.

00:43:10   Okay, yes.

00:43:12   Alright, so there was a couple of reasons that I made this pick.

00:43:16   One was that there could be a change to the screen size.

00:43:20   Another was that they may just make the notch smaller. And the other was there would be

00:43:24   a smaller iPhone and therefore would have a smaller notch, right? Right.

00:43:28   And it is inconclusive

00:43:32   or had been inconclusive that the mini

00:43:36   would have a smaller notch if how people say that it did, but we couldn't find any.

00:43:40   I couldn't find anything that would suggest definitively that was the case.

00:43:44   So I posited to the group

00:43:49   that the iPhone 12 has a smaller notch than the iPhone 11.

00:43:56   Now, I wasn't going to fight this necessarily,

00:44:02   but there is a truth in that,

00:44:06   depending on how you look at it.

00:44:08   Then Steven went away and did some work.

00:44:10   - Yes, so the Apple Accessory Design Guidelines

00:44:14   is a giant PDF for people who make cases

00:44:19   and other things for Apple devices.

00:44:23   And it has design schematics

00:44:26   of a bunch of different products.

00:44:27   And so I went through that PDF this morning.

00:44:29   There is a link in the show notes

00:44:32   where I've put together three charts.

00:44:35   The first one is the width of the notch.

00:44:39   The second one is the height of the notch.

00:44:41   These are looking at the safe areas,

00:44:43   that's what Apple calls them.

00:44:44   And then the total notch area.

00:44:47   I will say for the math majors out there,

00:44:52   my area number doesn't account for radius,

00:44:55   but it's close enough for our uses.

00:44:58   - How dare you.

00:45:00   - I got the wrong degree to figure that out.

00:45:01   So a couple of interesting things here.

00:45:03   One, the notch is actually bigger than it was

00:45:07   in the beginning in width and height.

00:45:12   Got a little bit bigger.

00:45:13   - Okay.

00:45:13   - But we're talking in like fractions of a millimeter.

00:45:17   So visually, it's pretty hard to tell most of these apart.

00:45:22   The ones that really stand apart are the LCD phones.

00:45:26   So the iPhone XR and the iPhone 11

00:45:29   both had substantially larger notches

00:45:32   than their OLED counterparts, right?

00:45:36   So for instance, the iPhone XR notch

00:45:40   is 35.96 millimeters wide,

00:45:44   and the XS is 34.3.

00:45:47   The iPhone XR's notch is 5.15 millimeters high,

00:45:51   and the XS was 4.99.

00:45:54   So the area was 185 millimeters squared

00:45:59   versus 169 millimeters squared.

00:46:02   So the LCD ones have bigger notches.

00:46:05   The reason for this is that the bezels around the screen

00:46:07   are bigger and they can't cut in quite as close

00:46:11   as they do with the OLEDs.

00:46:13   Remember Apple even talked about this,

00:46:14   about how they do like the anti-aliasing

00:46:19   around the edges and all that stuff.

00:46:21   So moving to your pick specifically,

00:46:26   that at least one iPhone would see a smaller notch in 2020.

00:46:31   If you go from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 12,

00:46:38   that's true, 'cause it goes from,

00:46:42   and then we should say too,

00:46:43   the iPhone 11 notch was bigger than the iPhone XR notch,

00:46:48   actually by quite a bit.

00:46:49   And so going to the 12, it is smaller.

00:46:55   So by the letter of the pick, I think you're correct.

00:47:00   You are correct.

00:47:01   But in the, what a good friend of mine calls

00:47:06   the passion of the pick, you don't get this.

00:47:09   But we don't grade on passion, do we?

00:47:11   All of this is, like it's not a,

00:47:14   like just eyeballing it, it's not a smaller notch, right?

00:47:17   Smaller notch means MKBHD points it out in a video.

00:47:20   We were always getting out the calipers for this

00:47:22   no matter what happened, right?

00:47:24   Maybe.

00:47:25   always going to be measurements. But like, this is the question. I'm just positing it

00:47:28   to the group here. Yes. By what I wrote down, it's correct. It isn't what I thought would

00:47:37   happen though. Can you sum it up for me because I got very confused by all the numbers? Alright,

00:47:42   so yeah, I can do it again. You're doing okay over there, you did a lot of summing up today.

00:47:46   It's okay. But basically, Federico, the only way that I could get this pic is the iPhone

00:47:53   11 has a larger notch than the iPhone 12 because the iPhone 11 had an LCD screen

00:47:59   and the iPhone 12 has an OLED screen. So you did get that just because they

00:48:04   switched to OLED. If they had stayed with LCD you would have missed it. Yep. So I

00:48:09   think you get it but I'm not happy about how you got it. Me either but I'll take

00:48:14   it. I think he gets it but he shouldn't be too happy about his win. It's not a

00:48:19   it's not a it's not a honorable win. It's a technicality. Here's the thing if I win

00:48:26   with this like if I become chairman with this I'm not gonna feel good about it.

00:48:31   Well you better get used to it because I think you know you have a really good

00:48:38   chance at this point. Well no but spoiler alert I was doing pretty okay going into

00:48:43   this round. So yeah, me getting this right doesn't necessarily mean it's the reason.

00:48:50   We'll get to that huh? Steven, why don't you read yours? This is only going to take a second.

00:48:54   Apple podcast app launches on Android. So yeah, there you go. Myke is the new annual

00:49:00   chairman. Yep. And I, so here's the thing, if I would have had to, if my winning would

00:49:06   have come down to that Ricky, I don't know how I'd feel, but I'll just take it because

00:49:10   I'm winning anyway, so I may as well just sweep the whole board. And I got this thing

00:49:14   for a year, boys. This feels good. I wanted to win this one the most, because then no

00:49:19   one could take it away from me for a whole 12 months.

00:49:22   So yeah, so that's Notch data. I think I'm gonna do a blog post about this, because it's

00:49:27   interesting that it's gotten bigger over time.

00:49:30   But I have a question for you, though. Because you did it by what, the developer guidelines?

00:49:37   This is from Apple's specifications.

00:49:40   But is that for developers?

00:49:42   It's for accessory makers.

00:49:43   It's for accessory makers, cool.

00:49:45   That was the one I wanted to check, because this was the trouble that I had, was like,

00:49:49   by the simulator and stuff, they're wildly different in a bunch of different ways, and

00:49:53   I really struggled to try and find an answer on this.

00:49:56   Yeah, I did too, I looked at that, and that's complicated by some are 2x and some are 3x,

00:50:02   right?

00:50:03   The LCD ones, you have to shift that math over.

00:50:07   The reason I went with this is because A) it's publicly available, everyone can see it,

00:50:11   and it's the—Apple measures it the same way across all the phones.

00:50:15   So doesn't—millimeters don't care about 2x or 3x graphics, right?

00:50:19   It cares how wide is this thing.

00:50:21   And the PDFs in there, this starts on page 157 of that PDF.

00:50:26   You can go look at all this.

00:50:27   It's actually a fascinating document, but it is your win.

00:50:34   So congratulations Mr. Annual Chairman.

00:50:38   Thank you.

00:50:39   I will now sign into the account.

00:50:41   Because the account is mine.

00:50:43   I'm going to change all of the information.

00:50:45   And remember too, we had a request.

00:50:48   I think we should honor it.

00:50:49   If we tweet at those accounts we should put our initials after it so people know who's

00:50:52   who in the past because they change hands.

00:50:54   Yeah, I also won't tweet for a few days so I don't spoil it for people.

00:50:58   Yes, you don't want to spoil the show for people who don't listen to The Weeknd.

00:51:03   We do have flexis to look at.

00:51:05   Remember, the rules around the flexis don't apply to these, because the rules were implemented

00:51:09   after this.

00:51:10   These are just non-graded picks, basically, for bragging rights.

00:51:15   Federico, please tell me you got one right.

00:51:18   I did.

00:51:19   Woo!

00:51:20   And I said, "Shortcuts will gain folders and/or new ways to run shortcuts," which is correct.

00:51:27   Yeah, both are true.

00:51:30   Yeah, there's the folders, there's the new widget. I think it was last year that they added, like,

00:51:36   the accessibility stuff for running shortcuts via, like, in... if you assign, like, a custom

00:51:41   keyboard shortcut. Anyway, it is a correct pick, yes.

00:51:45   And this is just a pick of pure happiness.

00:51:49   This is a very happy pick. Oh, and also you can keep... you can run shortcuts from the Apple Watch,

00:51:54   which is also, you know, the new... the new Watch app. So yeah, I'm very happy that I got this right,

00:51:58   and I'm very happy that it came true.

00:52:00   Mm-hmm.

00:52:02   All right, Myke.

00:52:04   "I still believe Apple will announce a services bundle."

00:52:07   I love the way I phrased this.

00:52:09   Like, I still believe it,

00:52:11   because I think at that point we'd stopped believing.

00:52:13   Like, there'd been a lot of disbelief from people

00:52:16   that it would happen.

00:52:18   But, yeah, there it is.

00:52:20   This was a pic made out of pessimism and sorrow

00:52:25   at the state of Mac Catalyst a couple years ago.

00:52:28   But I said, "WWC brings no real changes to Mac Catalyst."

00:52:33   Glad to say I was wrong, because Catalyst is a lot better now.

00:52:37   Yeah. It made sense why you made that pick, because of SwiftUI, right?

00:52:41   And the way that the WWDC presentation prior to that

00:52:44   had presented Catalyst, of kind of like sweeping it under the rug a little bit.

00:52:48   Mm-hmm. And in a way, it's more swept under the rug

00:52:53   rug because it's really more important on Intel Max, but it is what it is.

00:53:03   Interesting. Federico, we only did two rounds of flexis, there's another change.

00:53:09   What was your second or final? This is a whole bag of sadness. The iPad home

00:53:14   screen will continue to change with new elements and additions.

00:53:20   Nope. No, just... nope, nope, nope. If you had said iOS, the phone would have pulled you over the line.

00:53:28   Yes, yes. This is just sad. It's one of my hopes for 2021 to actually get the

00:53:36   new home screen features on iPad, but not in 2020. So. Mm-hmm. Sorry about that.

00:53:43   yeah that one sucks honestly like yes that's a good description it sucks

00:53:50   all right Apple will introduce a new iMac design of an accompanying external

00:53:54   display didn't happen either did it did not happen either

00:54:02   Apple okay so the history of this pick is in 2019 I said Apple's gonna ship the

00:54:10   first ARM Mac in 2019 and they didn't so I got discouraged and then I said stick

00:54:16   it to Apple they're not gonna ship the first ARM Mac in 2020 they shipped three

00:54:21   of them. I still don't know why. Well so I'm swinging it we'll find out in a

00:54:27   minute but I'm swinging hard the other way when it comes to Apple Silicon.

00:54:30   You can't chill can you? It's just you're all over the place when it comes to Apple Silicon.

00:54:35   I'm all over the place man there's so much to think about so many things to see but

00:54:40   But that was 2020, much like the year the Rickies, for the most part, total disaster.

00:54:46   But maybe 2021 will bring hope.

00:54:49   Maybe we can vaccinate our picks and everything will go better.

00:54:53   Interesting.

00:54:54   But first, I think our third and final sponsor, this episode is brought to you...

00:54:58   Wait, are you saying that your previous picks have COVID?

00:55:00   I mean...

00:55:01   Is that what you're saying?

00:55:04   There's a lot of red in there.

00:55:05   My picks must have worn a mask because they were all good.

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00:56:29   first invoice. Our thanks to Pingdom from SolarWinds for their support of the show and

00:56:34   Relay FM. 2021 the order was just set. Myke and then me and then Federico.

00:56:45   All right so my round one pick. Apple announces a new Mac Pro powered by Apple Silicon.

00:56:52   Oh this year? This year yep. Interesting that's a bold one.

00:56:57   I do not think it's going to ship.

00:57:00   But you think it'll be announced.

00:57:01   This year, but I think it will be announced.

00:57:04   Either they do it at WWDC or they do it later.

00:57:08   And so I've got a couple of reasons for this.

00:57:10   One, I think that Apple were being very aggressive with their timeframes, like purposefully.

00:57:19   So I don't think it's going to take them the two years that they gave to make the full

00:57:23   transition.

00:57:25   And also the Mac Pro, like the top end of the professional line of Apple's products

00:57:30   is one of the only product lines where they have a history in recent times of pre-announcing

00:57:38   stuff.

00:57:40   So the Mac Pro, the Trash Can Mac Pro, they did this.

00:57:43   The iMac Pro, they did this.

00:57:45   And the Mac Pro, they have done this.

00:57:46   Because I think this is one where the volumes are lower and the people that need them are

00:57:50   are going to keep buying them even if there's a new one coming, you know what I mean?

00:57:55   So I think that Apple will announce their new top-end Mac Pro powered by Apple Silicon

00:58:04   many months before they ship it.

00:58:06   And I reckon they will do that in 2021.

00:58:09   But you're not saying anything about shipping, just announcement?

00:58:12   No, because I don't think it's going to ship.

00:58:14   I mean, this is just between us.

00:58:16   It's not going in my pick, but I do not think it will ship this year.

00:58:19   I think they will announce it this year.

00:58:20   Yeah, see if that were the greater thing, I would have, I would think you'd be wrong

00:58:23   because Apple generally ships these pro machines around December 20th or so.

00:58:30   Yeah.

00:58:31   All right.

00:58:32   Yeah, we'll see how that goes.

00:58:33   I have a pick related to this in a second.

00:58:34   So I'm starting out 2021, on a sad note, the iPad mini does not receive the new design

00:58:43   language in 2021.

00:58:46   Why would you do this?

00:58:47   Are you sure about this negative peaks, Steven?

00:58:51   Yeah, why are you going to be like this?

00:58:53   I now want it to happen.

00:58:56   The iPad mini just like so far down the bottom of the line, they only updated every three or four years.

00:59:01   But now this is an energy you're putting into the world.

00:59:03   Yeah, it's energy the iPad mini team is putting into the world.

00:59:07   Have you seen the rumors saying that Apple was working on this?

00:59:11   There was a rumor saying that cheap iPad.

00:59:14   That was a recent one.

00:59:16   But going back further though, there's been rumors, hasn't there?

00:59:18   You know what?

00:59:19   No.

00:59:20   The iPad Mini does receive the new design language of 2021.

00:59:24   Oh my god.

00:59:25   Wait.

00:59:26   I guess this is technically legal to do this.

00:59:30   Was that so easy?

00:59:33   The iPad Mini does receive--

00:59:35   I want to be positive.

00:59:35   You've talked me out of my negativity.

00:59:37   See, this is my love spreading already having its effects.

00:59:41   Now, if they don't do it and you guys got me to change this,

00:59:44   I'm going to be mad.

00:59:45   In fact, I'm going to write as a note, originally, Stephen...

00:59:50   Didn't want to do it.

00:59:52   ...said it would not be...

00:59:56   This was so easy to do.

00:59:58   Yeah, I know. This is a power that we should maybe work together.

01:00:02   I should have like an outlet where I write things and can convince people about stuff.

01:00:07   Hmm. Like stories.

01:00:11   Yeah, something like that. Interesting.

01:00:14   So the iPad mini does receive the new design, right?

01:00:17   Yes.

01:00:18   Yeah.

01:00:19   And I will buy it on day one.

01:00:21   Perfect.

01:00:22   Okay.

01:00:23   Well, I wish you the best of luck.

01:00:25   Thank you.

01:00:26   I also hope it comes out.

01:00:29   Okay.

01:00:30   So my first round one pick is Apple launches at least one iPad model with a mini LED display

01:00:39   in 2021.

01:00:40   This has been rumored multiple times that Apple is working on a new display technology.

01:00:46   The rumors are saying for the iPad Pro specifically, but I'd rather keep it generic, you know,

01:00:50   because this is how you get the points.

01:00:52   Yeah, I want to help you a little bit here.

01:00:58   I don't know if you should specify the display technology.

01:01:02   Oh, with the new display technology then?

01:01:04   Yeah, because there's been a lot of names out there.

01:01:09   also like the essence of the pick but yeah with the new display yeah because

01:01:13   that's what you're saying right so that's why I'm trying to help you no I

01:01:17   don't particularly care about mini LED or OLED or just new display tech yeah

01:01:21   and also like it might be one of those things where Apple give it a name and

01:01:25   it's difficult for us right but is it actually like a custom yeah yeah so

01:01:31   should you clarify further new display tech to the iPad because if it's OLED

01:01:36   that's not new display tech they have that in the phone for yeah for the iPad

01:01:40   new on the iPad okay can you I don't know how can we clarify that new on the

01:01:46   iPad yeah yeah that's I know that's what you wanted but I know future us would

01:01:51   yes wobble squibble squabble squibble that sometimes it's good to know

01:01:57   yourselves and try and make it easy on yourself you know yeah to know yourself

01:02:02   ahead of time. So that's round one. Okay. It is. So time for round two. It is. My first

01:02:10   pick for well my second pick my round two my first pick in round two which is therefore

01:02:14   my second pick in the 2021 rookies is the iOS 15 gives users more home screen customization

01:02:22   options. What if they just bring iOS 14 widgets out onto the home screen of the iPad? Does

01:02:30   That would be iPadOS 15.

01:02:32   That's an iPadOS 15.

01:02:33   I picked it specifically so it wasn't there.

01:02:35   This is on the iPhone, right?

01:02:37   Okay.

01:02:38   I don't know what these things are going to be.

01:02:39   There are a lot of potential options, right?

01:02:41   It could be icon customization, it could be theming, it could be wider widget choices than before.

01:02:48   I don't know what exactly, but I think this is going to be a "we'll know it when we see it" and it will be clear.

01:02:54   because again this is not in my pick but I imagine Apple very literally saying

01:03:00   right we know people love to customize their home screen so in iOS 15 we're

01:03:05   doing this and like this is a pick where I just think if they don't do this I

01:03:10   don't know what's going on over there right because they became an accidental

01:03:15   cultural moment with iOS 14 in a way that they weren't expecting and if you

01:03:19   were not going to capitalize on that I don't get it I just don't get it when

01:03:24   when they've already clearly shown they're willing to by making those changes and shortcuts, right?

01:03:29   They're happy to make it easier for people. I don't know why they don't just go further and

01:03:35   do more stuff that allows people to customize their home screens.

01:03:38   My round two pick is no in-person WWDC 2021.

01:03:45   This feels like a lock.

01:03:46   Yep, just wanted to get it on the board.

01:03:49   This is honestly, of all of our picks, this feels like the most certain to me.

01:03:54   I can't imagine it, right? Like, I'm in lockdown until March in the UK, right? So, like, I

01:04:04   can't imagine, I just can't imagine it happening, right? So, it just doesn't seem possible or

01:04:09   safe or clever.

01:04:11   Yeah, it's not happening. So, this is very likely a point. Okay. My second pick is Apple

01:04:20   launches, and again this is between quotes, AirTags accessories for tracking

01:04:27   physical objects. So the name isn't necessarily like we should clarify that

01:04:32   the name may be different. I'm basically referring to the accessory that's been

01:04:38   rumored for years at this point. The little, you know, tile-like device that

01:04:44   you're gonna stick it or put it somewhere and you're gonna be able to

01:04:46   track a physical object in the real world.

01:04:49   Basically like these small tags that we've seen referenced

01:04:53   in dozens of different versions of iOS.

01:04:57   We've seen screenshots, we've seen animations,

01:05:00   we've seen all kinds of references in code.

01:05:04   And I suppose that in 2021,

01:05:06   these accessories will finally come out at some point.

01:05:09   So this is my pick.

01:05:11   - Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of smoke for that fire.

01:05:14   So I think you're gonna get this.

01:05:16   I hope so.

01:05:17   All right, so that is the end of round two.

01:05:20   As a reminder, each of those picks is worth one point.

01:05:25   Time for the Rikis.

01:05:27   If you get these right, you get two points.

01:05:29   If you get it wrong, you lose a point.

01:05:31   So this can make or break a game.

01:05:33   Myke, you're up.

01:05:34   I'm having cold feet at the very last moment.

01:05:37   Mm-hmm.

01:05:38   Let me talk through this.

01:05:39   Wow, this is a Riki, if I've ever seen one.

01:05:43   Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:05:44   I need to, I want to go back on this.

01:05:46   Alright, so as of a, I don't know, a year or two ago,

01:05:50   the way that we spoke about this before, the way that we come up with this,

01:05:54   so there isn't just 95 minutes of screaming,

01:05:58   is we have to get pre-agreement from each other

01:06:02   that our Ricky picks are risky enough.

01:06:06   Because there have been many times where somebody has produced something

01:06:10   and either one or two of the three people will say that is not risky enough and then there's like

01:06:16   two days of fighting until we come up with the answers. I would say that I think in the last

01:06:22   12 months we have all got really good at picking risky picks right because I feel that is way less

01:06:29   fighting now but it's still worth going through it before we come to the show. So I presented,

01:06:37   I think we all did this in the end. Three picks that were all deemed risky.

01:06:43   I ended up choosing one of them and then two of those picks have gone into my flexies.

01:06:49   I am now torn between two of my picks for my Ricky. I will just say what they are. One,

01:06:59   a Mac gets a touch screen. Two, iPad multitasking is overhauled again.

01:07:07   I think that both of these things are going to happen.

01:07:10   I don't know if they're 2021, which is why they're risky, right?

01:07:14   Like, I think we could probably all agree that it seems like these things will probably happen at some point,

01:07:20   but it's just, are they gonna happen this year?

01:07:24   And I'm not sure which one I want to go with.

01:07:31   So I firmly believe that the touch screen is riskier.

01:07:36   - Yes, it is. - And what that means

01:07:40   is that the glory is better if you get it right.

01:07:44   - Oh, I know, yeah.

01:07:46   - And Apple has overhauled multitasking

01:07:48   every two or three years for like five or six years.

01:07:52   So that one feels, I mean,

01:07:54   I'd be okay with it being a risky pick,

01:07:56   but I think the Mac is way more glorious.

01:07:59   I think I want to go with the glory and the passion, right?

01:08:03   I think I'm going to keep it.

01:08:04   Learn from the best.

01:08:05   I'm going to keep it.

01:08:06   A Mac gets a touch screen is my Ricky pick.

01:08:10   I love it.

01:08:11   I love it.

01:08:11   I love it.

01:08:12   I want it to happen.

01:08:14   Me too.

01:08:15   I really love it.

01:08:15   Can I ask a clarifying question on that?

01:08:18   Yes.

01:08:19   So Jason said something on upgrade

01:08:21   that I hadn't thought about, which was like,

01:08:23   what if the iMac didn't get a touch screen,

01:08:27   but it could be operated by the Apple Pencil.

01:08:30   And I had not considered that.

01:08:32   It's still touch.

01:08:33   Still touch.

01:08:35   See, I would say it's not touch.

01:08:36   If your meaty finger can't move an item around, it's not a touch screen.

01:08:39   Well, but you're touching the display with something.

01:08:41   So maybe, maybe.

01:08:44   It is technically touchable.

01:08:45   Here's the thing.

01:08:46   So if the i...

01:08:48   So I would say if the iMac got use of the Apple Pencil,

01:08:52   that would still be monumental and is still quite risky.

01:08:57   So what if the pick is a Mac gets a screen that can be...

01:09:04   See, I'm trying to find a phrase that could encapsulate both of those.

01:09:06   A screen that supports touch input.

01:09:09   That supports touch input?

01:09:11   Touch input and/or pencil input.

01:09:14   Yes, there you go. A screen that supports touch or pencil input.

01:09:18   That's going to be my pick.

01:09:19   Because I think that both of those...

01:09:20   And/or. You have to say and/or.

01:09:22   Yeah, I think that both of those are risky.

01:09:25   It would really, I think it would really suck if they made an iMac that worked with the Apple pencil and I got my Ricky wrong.

01:09:30   Like that would be sad. And look we've talked about that for years. I wrote a thing for Federico

01:09:35   Probably four years ago about like hey the trackpad and this MacBook Pro is humongous

01:09:40   Why can't I use an Apple pencil on it? Right? Like it's just right there

01:09:44   Well, and the other one is the Surface Studio, right? Like everyone thinks and talks about the Surface Studio

01:09:48   Yeah, they've sold six of them

01:09:49   But it's still an industrial design that is interested and cool and people would like on the Mac.

01:09:55   And I could imagine the iMac being maybe one of the harder ones to put touch on,

01:10:01   but maybe you put pencil support on it and have a really weird adjustability, which by the way,

01:10:06   I'll get to later I suppose. So yeah, okay, that's what I'm going to go with.

01:10:11   And Apple announces a... Sorry, a Mac gets a touch screen... Sorry, let me do it again.

01:10:17   third time's a charm. A Mac gets a screen that supports touch and/or Apple Pencil support.

01:10:22   Or Apple Pencil input we should say. Alright, so my pick is related to yours about Apple announcing

01:10:31   a new Mac Pro. I'm going even further. Oh no. Because I'm gonna say that Apple has Apple

01:10:38   Silicon replacements for all of its Intel Macs on sale by the end of 2021. What is wrong with you?

01:10:45   Why have you done this?

01:10:47   They did, look, they went super fast with Intel.

01:10:52   I think they're ready.

01:10:53   I think we're just going to see how they're going to rip the Band-Aid off.

01:10:56   And the two-year thing was just a cover in case it was slower than that.

01:11:00   But I believe...

01:11:01   On sale.

01:11:02   Yeah.

01:11:03   By the end of this year.

01:11:04   On sale.

01:11:05   On sale.

01:11:06   That means I can give them my credit card number for an Apple Silicon Mac Pro within

01:11:10   the year.

01:11:11   Or whatever the last one is.

01:11:13   Because I think it's going to be tricky to judge this, even.

01:11:16   No!

01:11:17   If you can put money into a website and get a computer out of it, then it's for sale.

01:11:22   Alright, but what if I can still buy an iMac Pro?

01:11:26   With Intel chips in it.

01:11:27   I don't think they're going to keep any Intel Macs around, but I see what you're saying.

01:11:31   Well, he's saying that Apple has Apple Silicon replacement, so you may still be able to buy

01:11:37   an Intel iMac Pro.

01:11:39   Apple Silicon versions.

01:11:40   Versions, yes.

01:11:41   Yeah, but what if there is no Apple Silicon iMac Pro? Then what are we going to do?

01:11:46   Then if the Intel iMac Pro is gone, then we know...

01:11:51   Exactly.

01:11:52   But what if it isn't, is what I'm saying? What if you can still buy it?

01:11:55   That's 11 months away.

01:11:59   So, if on December 31st 2021 you go to the Apple website and you see an Intel-based iMac Pro,

01:12:09   and there's no Apple Silicon version of it, Steven does not get the point.

01:12:14   But what if the Apple Silicon Mac Pro is for sale? I think it's, we all understand the Mac Pro will

01:12:20   be last, it always is. If the Apple Silicon Mac Pro is for sale, then the Apple Silicon Mac Pro

01:12:26   has replaced the Intel Mac Pro, but the iMac Pro is still there, so that's not an Apple Silicon.

01:12:32   In this, this is the only scenario I'm painting here, because it's the outlier product to me,

01:12:36   right? Like everything else seems obvious. Yeah, you know, I don't think that's going to happen.

01:12:39   I think the iMac Pro is one and done. It's going to disappear. So I'm going with this.

01:12:44   Apple has Apple silicon versions of all of its Intel Macs on sale by the end of 2021.

01:12:48   Man. Okay. But so I'm putting the iMac Pro in as your potential downfall here,

01:12:54   that if they're still selling. So the sub point. Yeah. So the sub bullet point,

01:12:58   which is not great as for clarification is no Intel. Hmm. As I type it, I'm unsure.

01:13:06   No, no, you would have to say no Intel Macs on sale without an Apple Silicon counterpart.

01:13:13   It's like if you can still buy an Intel Mac and is it an Apple Silicon

01:13:17   counterpart in a category that has no Apple Silicon product in it, then you don't win.

01:13:21   Yes.

01:13:22   Man, you've gone, you've gone too hard on this one. I don't think you had to

01:13:29   to do this, but this is what you've decided for yourself. So as far as passion goes,

01:13:34   I think you got it. I really don't think this is the case which is as I have made in my round one pick

01:13:40   I don't think the Intel the Apple silicon Mac Pro is on set is on sale this year. I don't think it's gonna happen other than

01:13:46   Getting the year wrong Apple silicon Macs have not let me down. I won the keynote

01:13:53   Chairmanship because the Apple silicon Mac mini I have let you down, right?

01:13:58   So there's gonna be a desktop because you've made us freaked out up until that point and even including today

01:14:04   every pick that you've made about Apple Silicon Max has been wrong.

01:14:07   That was what you were setting out earlier, that you kept picking times and it kept being wrong.

01:14:12   Twice. But the Mac Mini gives me hope.

01:14:15   And I choose to believe in Gianni Cerulli's team the year of Apple Silicon Max.

01:14:21   Mad lad.

01:14:21   Well, absolute mad lad.

01:14:24   Look at Federico.

01:14:26   So we need to have a lot of things to talk about Federico.

01:14:28   We haven't gotten to Federico yet, all right?

01:14:30   So far you are the mad lad.

01:14:32   All right, Federico, lay it on us.

01:14:34   Okay, I have a very simple statement, very simple idea.

01:14:37   I'm being very bold and surgical about it.

01:14:40   2021 is the year of Xcode on iPad, okay?

01:14:44   I'm calling it right now January 7th, 2021.

01:14:48   Okay.

01:14:49   Therefore, my reekie is Apple will release a new programming app for iPad.

01:14:53   Oh, man.

01:14:54   I'm going all in.

01:14:56   I don't care.

01:14:56   This is happening because I said this is happening.

01:14:59   What was the year when we were at the Twitter headquarters watching at their viewing party?

01:15:07   2015?

01:15:09   It was the iMessage app store was the big thing of that WWDC.

01:15:14   What year was that? What year was the iMessage app store?

01:15:18   2016?

01:15:21   Because at that year we were saying this was going to happen.

01:15:24   So my point here is that the year of Xcode on iPad is almost like the year of Linux on

01:15:30   the desktop.

01:15:31   Well, but unlike Linux, this is going to happen.

01:15:34   Okay.

01:15:35   So Linux has happened.

01:15:38   Has it though?

01:15:41   No, this is happening.

01:15:43   This is happening.

01:15:44   Otherwise I wouldn't have chosen it as my Ricky.

01:15:47   I am very, very positive, and you can quote me on this, that I will win and I will be

01:15:53   the annual chairman 2022. 2020 I lost for a variety of reasons.

01:15:58   Well, the variety of reasons is you got none of your picks right.

01:16:01   I said a variety of reasons.

01:16:03   One of them was, let me just quote it back to you, that Apple released one new Pro app

01:16:10   for iPad. You've been let down by this very concept before.

01:16:17   I said a variety of reasons.

01:16:19   One is the same reason.

01:16:23   I choose to believe in what didn't come true in 2020, will come true in 2021.

01:16:31   2021 is the year of rebirth and hope, and this is one of those things.

01:16:37   New programming app on iPad, big announcement, WWDC Xcode, or may not even be called Xcode,

01:16:45   is why I didn't specify the name, but a new app for programming, so writing software and

01:16:51   testing software on iPad. That is not, and I guess you can clarify, that is not Swift

01:16:56   Playgrounds because that is not new. But yes, a new programming app for iPad made by Apple

01:17:02   that lets you write code.

01:17:03   Man.

01:17:04   Okay. I don't care. I'm going all in.

01:17:09   Is this a reuse of the previous pic? It's awfully close.

01:17:12   It's close but it's not a reuse.

01:17:14   Because he wasn't specific.

01:17:16   This is riskier because he's being specific.

01:17:19   So like, can you imagine the logic and final cut?

01:17:23   (laughing)

01:17:24   They'd be logic and final cut this year.

01:17:27   How would that make you feel Federico?

01:17:29   - I will take it badly.

01:17:33   - Oh.

01:17:34   - Yes, yes.

01:17:35   - Good, good.

01:17:36   (laughing)

01:17:39   - I was trying to say I will take it, you know.

01:17:41   with an open mind, but no, no, no, I will be upset.

01:17:45   - One of the differences of this year's picks

01:17:48   to last year's picks is it really is going to pretty much

01:17:53   take us all the way to the end of the year before we know.

01:17:58   That wasn't the case this time.

01:18:01   - Yeah, we've basically known this since the fall event

01:18:06   that this is how this was gonna go.

01:18:08   That leaves the flexies, let me read the flexy rules

01:18:11   because I didn't read them earlier.

01:18:13   Loser of the non-graded flexis must compensate

01:18:17   the winner of the flexis by donating to the charity

01:18:20   of the winner's choice.

01:18:22   The amount of the donation is $25 per wrong flexi

01:18:27   made by the loser.

01:18:28   In the case of a tie, the ratio of correct

01:18:31   to incorrect flexis will be taken into account.

01:18:34   Each host must make a minimum of five flexi picks.

01:18:40   Flexis may be reused as future flexis or regular picks and the money of course

01:18:46   Must be donated on air. I think so far only Federico and I've had a donate

01:18:52   I don't think Myke you've had to give anything yet. No

01:18:54   You've been in the middle. I think I won a Federico one and you've been so why do you hate charities Myke?

01:19:00   Yeah, gosh, man. Jeez why cuz I'm a winner not a loser, I guess Wow the medium is connected host

01:19:09   Alright, Myke, draw up your flexis on us.

01:19:12   Alright, so I have five because I'm sensible and I don't go over five.

01:19:18   Hmm, interesting strategy.

01:19:21   Because history has shown it behooves you to do that.

01:19:27   My five on another variant of over-ear headphones will be released.

01:19:31   Wait, what?

01:19:32   I think there's a, yep, I think that Apple will release a cheaper version of the over-ear

01:19:37   AirPods, AirPods Max, something else.

01:19:41   Apple releases a weather API.

01:19:44   Right, because they bought Dark Sky.

01:19:46   Dark Sky, yeah.

01:19:47   New Apple TV released.

01:19:49   iPad multitasking is overhauled again.

01:19:53   And my final flexi, which was my third Ricky option,

01:19:59   is a new iMac has adjustability that is reminiscent of the Pro Display XDR.

01:20:05   Adjustability you mean by the stand?

01:20:06   The stand and the way that the stand moves up and down.

01:20:09   I think that they will use something very much like that for the iMac.

01:20:14   So they're going to take a thousand dollar stand and put the technology in a

01:20:19   $1,500 iMac.

01:20:20   I'm not saying they're going to take a thousand dollar stand.

01:20:22   But here's a few things on that.

01:20:24   One, things get cheaper to make over time because part of the price of that stand

01:20:30   is because they know they weren't going to sell a lot of them and it took them a

01:20:32   lot of money and time to make them, right?

01:20:34   in research and development, in tooling and all that kind of stuff.

01:20:37   I like to think that each one is handmade.

01:20:40   Each one may be handmade, it isn't.

01:20:42   It's made by robots, but you know, you can probably, you probably have to tell yourself

01:20:46   that that's the case, right Steven?

01:20:47   It helps me sleep better at night.

01:20:49   There you go.

01:20:50   Um, so, but I think that they will take that technology and that knowledge, because it

01:20:55   does seem to be a really nice, uh, stand and mechanism and bring that to other products.

01:21:01   It is.

01:21:02   Yeah.

01:21:03   It'd be nice. You know, the iMac with the G4 was like super flexible and where you could put the

01:21:10   screen was really up to you and we lost that with the iMac G5 and that's where we've been until now,

01:21:16   until the XDR. So I like all of these. I do want to go back to the weather API just for a second.

01:21:24   Maybe this is a topic for a show at some point, but I really just wonder what the possible

01:21:30   ramifications of that would be on the the ecosystem of iOS weather apps. I have lots of

01:21:36   thoughts on the good and bad of that. It could be better for them. So if it's free then so the way

01:21:43   most weather apps work now unless they steal all your tracking data like some of them have been

01:21:46   caught doing is you pay an in-app subscription to access the weather data because they have to go pay

01:21:55   the weather service that you're using. So you pay the developer and they can pay their cost

01:22:00   of accessing that data. If it's free, then those developers can't get away with charging for

01:22:08   something that people know is going to be free. And like, will the bottom fall out of this

01:22:12   ecosystem? I think it could be good, but it could be bad.

01:22:15   Like, what about calendar apps?

01:22:18   Yeah, but think of how many weather apps there are and how varied they are. There's

01:22:21   three decent calendar apps and there's five or six good weather apps.

01:22:25   No, you see, I don't disagree. I don't think this is an issue because you're presuming that customers

01:22:32   know that web app developers have to pay for the APIs. Nobody knows or cares. I think people do know.

01:22:40   I think people who are willing to pay for that do know and care. If you want additional sources, yeah.

01:22:46   So your argument is that Apple will not release a weather API because a bunch of developers

01:22:51   rely on third-party APIs? No, no, no, no. I think they're going to do this. I just wonder

01:22:59   what it will mean in the ecosystem. I don't think it will make a difference.

01:23:03   No, I get it. The idea that a bunch of developers on weather apps switch to subscriptions because

01:23:10   it's a good way to support the fact that you're paying for ongoing service to a third-party

01:23:17   and therefore it's an easier sell for people because you're saying, "Well, look, it has

01:23:23   to be a subscription because I gotta pay an ongoing cost to the service provider." But

01:23:28   then what if it becomes like a native thing, right? Like the reminders integration, for

01:23:32   example. It's not like you're paying Apple to get access to reminders. So I get it. But

01:23:38   also, I think if you're a developer, that you could do something like, you can get the

01:23:43   Apple data for free, or if you want to get more accurate data, you can subscribe and

01:23:48   get the third party.

01:23:49   You can still get all your Storm stuff. It's like the same as it has been before.

01:23:54   Like it becomes a premium thing, I guess. Like there's the basic version, which is the

01:23:57   Apple one. I could see something like that. And if you want to have wider coverage or

01:24:03   more details or like those crazy radars that you see in the US, you can subscribe and get

01:24:09   whatever, you know, AccuWeather and KlimaCell, whatever, you know, all these services are.

01:24:15   So... but it's a good point, actually. You do make good points every once in a while,

01:24:20   Steven. Thanks.

01:24:21   Yeah. Sure, babe. Okay. You're not ready for my flexes, because these are the best flexes

01:24:29   you've ever heard on the show. I'm really happy with them.

01:24:32   All right. So the first one, Apple releases its own game

01:24:35   controller. They're going to do this. Oh, okay then. They are going to do this. Why?

01:24:46   I think it's going to be part of the new Apple TV experience and also a nice tie-in with

01:24:53   Apple Arcade. I think the combination of those two factors, Apple working on a new Apple

01:24:58   TV, sort of trying to find a reason for a new Apple TV to exist in a world where you

01:25:03   can get a cheap Firestick 4K, which we now have in our household, by the way. It's super

01:25:10   cool. Or you can get the Google Chromecast, there's so many alternatives at a much lower

01:25:17   price point. Like, what's the reason for an Apple TV to exist at that price point, this

01:25:22   is? Right, but so, the question on this then, if it's Apple TV, you think that they would

01:25:27   include this game controller with the Apple TV? Potentially, maybe with a version of the

01:25:32   Apple TV. Maybe. Why not? I think it could be a nice, you know, sort of a change of direction,

01:25:41   but not so much. Like, it wouldn't be a total shocker when you think about it. There's Apple

01:25:45   Arcade. It features wide, you know, it features really, really well at this point with TVOS

01:25:52   14, really well done support and integration with third-party controllers. I don't know.

01:25:56   I just feel like it's kind of weird at this point that Apple has worked so hard to get

01:26:01   the DualShock and the Xbox controller and MI5 controllers to work, just make your own.

01:26:07   So I don't know, maybe.

01:26:09   Second flexi, iOS gets a native feature to change icons for any app you want.

01:26:17   So the idea is Apple must have noticed just how badly people want to change icons on their

01:26:22   home screens, and rather than using shortcuts or using those third-party utilities that

01:26:27   sort of let you do that by installing custom certificates on your device. Just have a native

01:26:33   feature that lets you change the icon anytime you want from settings. And yes, I know, changing

01:26:38   the icon you're going against the original artistic intention of the app developer, whatever.

01:26:45   People just want to change stuff, people just want to customize stuff. Nothing is sacred

01:26:50   anymore I think in terms of the iOS home screen. So anything goes, and if anything goes, just

01:26:55   let people change the icons whenever they want. And yeah, you can still choose the default

01:26:59   icon and developers can still provide alternative icons, but ultimately give the power to the

01:27:05   people. That's basically the idea of this flexi.

01:27:08   Third flexi, Apple releases a bigger iPad Pro. Why not? We talked about this before.

01:27:13   Give me a 15 or 16 inch iPad Pro and I'll be happy. Hasn't been rumored though, so...

01:27:21   It's still a good flexi I think, but it's... I don't know.

01:27:24   It's a good flexy, a bad pick. That's a good description. I list a new iPhone

01:27:29   model as both Face ID and Touch ID. I think I really want this to come true. I really

01:27:36   want to have a phone where it works with either Face ID or Touch ID if I have a mask on and

01:27:41   I can just touch a button. Like on the iPad Air, it's got Touch ID in the button. Or maybe

01:27:46   it could be Touch ID under the display. I don't know. I still want to have multiple

01:27:49   biometric options for authenticating myself on my iPhone. I used to think this wasn't necessary.

01:27:57   That was pre-pandemic. In a post-pandemic world, I don't think masks are going away anytime soon,

01:28:04   anyway, even after the vaccine. I don't think we're just gonna stop... Personally, I will just

01:28:09   not stop wearing a mask. So this is something that we have to live with for the foreseeable future.

01:28:15   And if that's the case, I don't think Face ID alone is going to be good enough.

01:28:20   I hear it every day from my friends, like, just how annoying Face ID is these days, when

01:28:27   you're outside and you're wearing a mask.

01:28:29   So multiple options.

01:28:31   Face ID and Touch ID in the same iPhone.

01:28:33   And lastly, sort of this is something that Myke also mentioned, I'm going a little more

01:28:37   specific, WidgetKit, which is the framework that supports widgets on the iOS and iPadOS

01:28:44   home screen, will support new widget sizes and more interactivity.

01:28:51   Now the sizes are kind of obvious, I think Apple will do more and different layouts for

01:28:58   widgets, maybe a small vertical one, maybe different rectangle sizes, maybe L-shaped

01:29:04   widgets, that would be fun and interesting, round widgets, why not, but I also think they're

01:29:09   going to start adding some kind of interactions without necessarily having to support the

01:29:14   the same full-on interactions like on Android. I don't think you will be able to bring up

01:29:19   a keyboard in a widget in iOS 15, but maybe tapping some buttons or like, yeah, maybe

01:29:25   like a single tap, choosing from one option or the other, or like I'm thinking like a

01:29:29   playback widget, for example, for music. Literally just be able to pause and play, that would

01:29:35   be good enough, and it would be more interactivity than we have today. So new sizes are more

01:29:41   A deep and open widget framework.

01:29:42   No, it doesn't have to be deep and open. That joke stopped being funny years ago.

01:29:49   Deep and open framework. No, for us it didn't.

01:29:52   Of all the things that I say on the show, I don't know why you still hold that specific

01:29:55   joke against me after all these years.

01:29:57   Because it was such a wild thing to say in the first place.

01:30:01   It was about messages. Apples closed the call.

01:30:07   Of all the things I say on this show, many questionable things, but that one...

01:30:12   Apple's shallow and closed messages system.

01:30:14   I'm never gonna let it go.

01:30:16   I made six Flexys.

01:30:18   Why?

01:30:19   Why do you do this?

01:30:21   Because he likes charities.

01:30:23   I do like charities, but I just had a lot of stuff rolling around in my head and I thought,

01:30:28   you know what, I'm just gonna put my cards on the table.

01:30:31   So Flexi One, Apple puts a cheaper display on sale as a sibling to the XDR.

01:30:38   So I'm not saying anything about how it looks or how it works, just a cheaper display.

01:30:41   I mean, come on, why haven't they done this?

01:30:45   I've got a couple about names.

01:30:47   The simplest thing to predict.

01:30:50   A faster Apple Silicon chip is named M1X, not M2.

01:30:56   What if they do have an M2?

01:30:58   Why have you done this?

01:31:00   I think maybe I can reword this, but my thought is the number is going to be about the generation

01:31:05   just like it is on iOS and iPadOS.

01:31:08   So they're only going to have two chips?

01:31:10   Well it could be M1X, M1Z, whatever.

01:31:13   Okay.

01:31:14   But I think the number corresponds to the generation.

01:31:20   So should I reword it to be that?

01:31:22   No, because you just explained yourself, so stand by your pick.

01:31:28   And a little change is marked by an increase in number.

01:31:36   It's wild to me that in the same predictions, you have said Apple will revamp every single

01:31:46   Mac, right?

01:31:48   But they're not going to go up a generation at any point.

01:31:51   I'm not saying there won't be an M2.

01:31:52   I'm saying the number marks the generation.

01:31:56   I don't think that you get these are now multiple different picks at this point.

01:32:00   What is going on with this?

01:32:01   Yeah, these are multiple different picks now because now you're saying they can have an

01:32:04   M2, right?

01:32:06   Like why don't you just say that?

01:32:10   Right okay because we're all getting confused now.

01:32:13   Okay so just okay just make it the first part.

01:32:17   Faster Apple Silicon chip is named M1 not M2.

01:32:21   Just say there's going to be a chip named M1X.

01:32:24   That's the pick.

01:32:25   rid of the M2 part. You don't even know if it's gonna be faster. There will be a chip named M1X. Done.

01:32:33   Why have you chosen that? Why have you put all your eggs in the X basket? M1 followed by a letter.

01:32:43   There you go. M1 followed by an A. Alright, the next one is also about naming. We see the iPhone 12s this year, not the 13.

01:32:51   I see I think you're wrong here. Why though? I think they've gotten rid of the S now. They did it last year

01:32:57   You can't say it's gone yet. No, I think they're gonna get rid of it. I genuinely do

01:33:02   I think you're gonna get rid of it. They did it with such passion that okay, you know, well 12s

01:33:08   No, no, we're not saying no. No, don't say there's gonna be an iPhone 13. It's not please don't reverse your pic

01:33:12   I'm not just keep it as it is. I'm not gonna reverse it

01:33:15   You've never talked me into changing a pic. My opinion is that they will from now on

01:33:19   implement that increment by a solid number every time like it will be like 13 14 15 if they keep numbers

01:33:26   But I think they will I don't want them to but I think they will

01:33:29   Apple ships an AR dedicated device. What is what does this mean? It means it's a device dedicated AR

01:33:37   Well, what is an air tag?

01:33:39   It's something for tracking things

01:33:41   Okay, so you're saying like?

01:33:44   No, it's strapped me and baby. I want to see the world. Mm-hmm

01:33:48   What if it's mixed reality, AR and VR?

01:33:52   I would say that still counts.

01:33:54   That's not dedicated then, is it?

01:33:56   Because Apple will sell it as AR.

01:33:58   Okay.

01:34:00   What if they do VR as well?

01:34:01   What Apple does now is mixed reality, really.

01:34:04   I take it back, these are the best flexes I've ever heard on the show.

01:34:08   They won't apologize.

01:34:10   Babe, these are really excellent.

01:34:11   We weren't expecting Federica to be one up so soon.

01:34:14   but also the following two are just...

01:34:17   *mwah*

01:34:18   Japanese...

01:34:19   This is so good!

01:34:21   I love this.

01:34:26   Please go on.

01:34:27   Please never stop.

01:34:28   I hope we have seven of them.

01:34:29   Can you just...

01:34:30   Where did we settle with the AR one?

01:34:32   An AR or MR.

01:34:34   Yeah. That's good.

01:34:35   What about VR though?

01:34:37   Apple ships and R dedicated to the fights.

01:34:43   Apple ship something from another reality.

01:34:46   No, just say AR, VR, MR.

01:34:48   Go for it.

01:34:49   AR, AR, VR, OR, AND, OR, MR dedicated device.

01:34:59   And or, sure.

01:35:01   That's really what was missing from the video.

01:35:06   Wait, you can't have AR, VR, AND, MR.

01:35:09   And or MR.

01:35:10   There's no and.

01:35:11   And or.

01:35:11   No, but...

01:35:12   Hmmm.

01:35:13   That ore's doing a lot of work.

01:35:15   Yeah.

01:35:16   Alright.

01:35:17   Number five of six.

01:35:22   No Mac gets cellular data option.

01:35:26   There we go again with the negative peak.

01:35:29   Okay.

01:35:30   They would have... why would you not have done it off the bat?

01:35:32   I don't think it's coming.

01:35:33   Because they didn't change anything else.

01:35:35   There's a little cellular radio in there.

01:35:38   But they changed nothing.

01:35:39   They did the whole logic board.

01:35:41   totally different computer inside. But like nothing else changed in these machines. All they did

01:35:46   was get the new chips in them. Yeah all they did was completely redesign the logic board from the

01:35:51   ground up. The perfect time to do this. But by that logic you are saying they will add no more

01:35:57   features of any kind to the Apple Silicon Mac. No I'm just saying that the Oportune time would have been

01:36:02   with the first ones. No Mac it's cellular data option. Also I think Apple's just happy with the way that

01:36:08   the handoff hotspot stuff works, which they shouldn't be, but they are. Okay. And last but

01:36:16   not least, 2021 will bring a loss to the Apple family. The iPod touch will be cancelled.

01:36:25   Oh come on, the iPod touch too? What did it do? Nothing, that's the point. Yeah, why cancel?

01:36:33   first been there, then the iPod touch is really going downhill.

01:36:37   Look, the iPad mini has taken over what it, or the cheap iPad has taken over what people

01:36:45   wanted the iPod touch for. It's amazing to me it's still hanging on. Let me just read you some

01:36:50   technical specifications of the current iPod touch. And I doubt that it's trash, but like,

01:36:56   see if this sounds like a product Apple cares about. Okay. It has a four inch screen.

01:37:02   So pretty tiny. The A10 Fusion, two gigabytes of RAM. It was updated last May of 2019. The update

01:37:13   before that was in 2015. It went from the A8 to the A10. That was effectively it. No one wants

01:37:21   these hanging around. People got to support them. What if what did their software? What did the last

01:37:26   iPad mini having it before the iPad mini

01:37:30   Let me see the fifth generation similar had an a12

01:37:37   The one no the one before I know I'm comparing and scrolling the one before that included the a8

01:37:45   Right so so the the iPad mini

01:37:48   Went further than the new iPod touch did when was the iPod touch?

01:37:52   Now my touch is still two generations behind the iPad mini. It's term of processor. It's time to go

01:37:57   And I think it's gonna happen in 2021

01:38:01   It's just that the expression the iPod touch is cancel

01:38:05   Well discontinued no, no, please keep canceled

01:38:13   When have we ever referred to a product going away as canceled

01:38:21   This is not a thing that we know anyone's ever said.

01:38:27   Maybe it's just on my mind, you know, there's been stuff going on. You know, I think I'm

01:38:31   really in a strong position for the next year.

01:38:33   I really think you are. I really think you are.

01:38:38   Do you?

01:38:40   Starting off 2021 on the right foot, metaphorically, Steven, of course.

01:38:44   Yeah, I can't put much weight on my right foot.

01:38:49   [laughter]

01:38:53   Oh babe. Foot surgery joke. Well that's what we're going to be looking forward to in 2021.

01:39:00   We keep these in the bottom of our document, we check in on them throughout the year,

01:39:05   and we're really excited to do so. Congratulations again to Myke for being the annual chairman

01:39:12   this year. You and I reign side by side. Not really.

01:39:16   Federico is nowhere to be found.

01:39:18   I wouldn't say it's side by side. I would say the annual chairman.

01:39:22   It's still a bit of a higher pedestal than the annual chairman.

01:39:24   I don't think so. Because the longer you're the keynote chairman, the better you are at the game.

01:39:29   How long have you been keynote chairman?

01:39:31   Since November.

01:39:33   That's not very long.

01:39:34   It's true. It also is more dependent on Apple's release schedule than me or anyone else.

01:39:40   And also like, you know, you have to pick so far in advance with the annuals.

01:39:45   Yeah, and there are no rumors really that you can bank on if you're playing the game, right? So, you know

01:39:52   But you know, it's a nice thing that you did if you want to find links to the stuff

01:39:57   We spoke about head on over to our website relay.fm/connected/327

01:40:03   While you're there, you can get in touch via email with any feedback or follow-up

01:40:08   You can also join on that page become a member and get connected pro

01:40:13   Which is a longer ad free version of the show each and every week. So go check that out

01:40:18   You can find us all online. You can find Myke on Twitter as I M Y K E

01:40:25   Myke hosts a bunch of other shows here on relay FM Myke. What are you up to in the coming days?

01:40:32   Recording more shows as I always am on Friday. I'm gonna be back on Twitch Myke got live

01:40:39   I've had to set up my streaming situation at home

01:40:42   now, because we're in lockdown again. But if you want to join me on Twitch at 1pm Eastern

01:40:49   time on Friday, please do that. Myke.live.

01:40:53   You can find Federico on Twitter, if it's V-I-T-I-C-C-I, and he is the editor-in-chief

01:41:02   of MaxStories.net. Federico, I have a question for you.

01:41:08   First one of the new year, so...

01:41:10   I know.

01:41:11   waiting for it. I've thought a lot about this and I've looked at a lot of

01:41:14   articles. What is the worst text that you accidentally sent? Worst text? Huh? Huh.

01:41:26   You accidentally sent. Accidentally sent? I once sent a message to Jeremy Budge

01:41:32   that included a pet name for Adina and he didn't let me forget it for a long

01:41:36   time. There are maybe a couple of episodes in my life that I guess I learned my lesson

01:41:44   and I never did it again. When I was 15 or 16, I meant to text my ex about the night

01:42:03   before but I accidentally texted my mom.

01:42:07   We'll just leave that there. Yes, thank you. Thanks. I assume she wasn't your ex at that point? No. No? Very much not. No, no, but we didn't break up

01:42:26   because of the text, so to this day she doesn't know, so... But you were grounded.

01:42:30   No, I wasn't. I wasn't. You can find me on Twitter as ismh and my writing over at

01:42:38   512pixels.net. This week on Twitch I rebuilt a fifth generation iPod and it

01:42:44   totally worked when I was done so that's a victory. Which is rare for you so far.

01:42:50   You've been having some bad luck on your Twitch stream. Yeah. So that one went

01:42:56   great though. Yeah. I watched it. Thanks. I'd like to thank our sponsors this week

01:43:00   Squarespace, Smile, and Pingdom. Until next week gentlemen, say goodbye.

01:43:05   Arrivederci. Cheerio. Bye y'all.