It’s that time already…

I’ve officially fallen for the AirPods Pro 2.

In addition, another week has passed, bringing us closer to the holiday season. At this rate, we’ll be preparing for Thanksgiving before we know it!

This week has been bustling and exciting, so let’s dive into this week’s Appleviews as we wrap up September.

That’s all folks

After the Far Out event, many of us expected at least one more Apple keynote in October. However, Mark Gurman revealed over the weekend that he believes we have seen our final Apple event for the year.

In his Power On newsletter, Gurman indicated that Apple may not have enough new products to justify a full-scale event. The remaining items expected for release this year include:

• M2 & M2 Pro Mac minis
• M2 Pro and M2 Max 14-inch & 16-inch MacBook Pros
• M2 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros

Since these releases are more about incremental upgrades rather than major overhauls, it's likely we’ll see press releases instead of a grand event. The biggest surprise might be the absence of the anticipated Apple Silicon Mac Pro this year, which now seems more likely to debut in spring.

Fancy a job?

Tony Blevins, Apple’s VP of Procurement, is set to depart the company following a controversial TikTok video that went viral.

Blevins was responsible for negotiating with suppliers and played a key role in Apple’s partnership with Globalstar for its new satellite feature. Known for his tough negotiating style, he earned the nickname "Blevinator."

Blevins, who enjoys a luxurious lifestyle and has a penchant for high-end cars, was recently seen at a car event in Pebble Beach, California. When asked about his profession, he made a regrettable remark:

“I have rich cars, play golf and fondle big-breasted women, but I take weekends and major holidays off…I also have a hell of a dental plan.”

Apple has since distanced itself from Blevins, removing him from his team, and confirmed he will leave the company soon.

When is a Plus not a Plus?

It seems the iPhone 14 Plus experienced a bit of an identity crisis! The Dutch site iCreate discovered references to an 'iPhone 14 Max' on Apple's website just days before the launch, suggesting Apple may have initially intended to name the entry-level 6.7-inch model “Max” before changing their minds.

AirPods Pro update

This week, I shared how impressive the new AirPods Pro 2 are. I’m particularly fond of the enhanced Automatic Noise Cancelling and the new swipe volume controls located on the stems.

One highlighted feature from last month’s Apple keynote is ‘Adaptive Transparency’. This technology, which filters out loud, sudden noises, is expected to be available for the original AirPods Pro as well. Initially thought to be exclusive to the AirPods Pro 2’s H2 chip, recent information indicates that this new audio feature will soon be accessible for the original model.

If only they could roll out a firmware update for a lossless audio CODEC—then the AirPods Pro 2 would truly deserve a perfect score from me!

A wider stage for Stage Manager

Apple's latest effort to enhance multitasking on the iPad has drawn considerable attention. Stage Manager, first introduced at WWDC in June, has faced various user issues during its beta testing and remains unreleased for the public.

Originally, Stage Manager was exclusive to newer iPads equipped with the M1 chip, meaning that earlier iPad Pro models were left out. However, Apple has now announced that Stage Manager will be available on iPad Pro models from 2018 onward, responding to customer demand.

Apple stated, “We introduced Stage Manager as a whole new way to multitask with overlapping, resizable windows on both the iPad display and a separate external display, with the ability to run up to eight live apps on screen at once. Delivering this multi-display support is only possible with the full power of M1-based iPads. Customers with iPad Pro 3rd and 4th generation have expressed strong interest in being able to experience Stage Manager on their iPads. In response, our teams have worked hard to find a way to deliver a single-screen version for these systems, with support for up to four live apps on the iPad screen at once.”

Apple is also set to add external display support for Stage Manager on M1 iPads through an upcoming software update later this year.

Hurricane Ian news

For those struggling to reach loved ones after Hurricane Ian hit Florida, there is some good news. AT&T announced that users of other networks that are currently down can roam on their network until their own services are restored.

The company stated, “We are working to help the people affected by Hurricane Ian in Florida. To assist in the recovery, we’re now welcoming other carriers’ customers to roam on our networks, so they can connect, even if their carrier’s service isn’t available after the storm. Once this roaming begins, customers will automatically be connected to our network.”

Tim’s been travelling

Tim Cook has been on the move this week, receiving an Honorary Degree in Innovation and International Management from the Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II in Naples.

After the ceremony, he participated in a live-streamed discussion with students. When asked about Apple’s stance on augmented reality, Tim expressed his enthusiasm:

“I’m super excited about augmented reality. Because I think that we’ve had a great conversation here today, but if we could augment that with something from the virtual world, it would have arguably been even better. So, I think that if you, and this will happen clearly not too long from now, if you look back at a point in time, you know, zoom out to the future and look back, you’ll wonder how you led your life without augmented reality. Just like today, we wonder, how did people like me grow up without the internet? I think it could be that profound, and it’s not going to be profound overnight…”

His passion for augmented reality suggests that it may become a significant part of his legacy as CEO, much like the iPhone was for Steve Jobs.

The travel bug is spreading

Not only has Tim been on the go, but so have I!

On Wednesday, I ventured out for a 200-mile round trip to meet fellow writer and creator, Mark Ellis from Mark Ellis Reviews.

This summer, I invited Mark to join me on my Minus Sixteen podcast. Initially, I planned to record our session online, but then I proposed driving to his studio for an in-person interview.

I had a fantastic time, proving that face-to-face interactions for interviews still reign supreme. The energy and vibe from sitting next to someone are truly unmatched. It was one of the best interviews I’ve conducted for the podcast, full of insights into what it takes to build a successful content creation brand.

You can listen to that podcast on all major platforms on Saturday, October 15th, featuring Casey Liss from the popular ATP podcast.

…now, hand me those AirPods Pro 2—I can’t get enough of them right now!

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Get in the vibe and listen to today’s chosen soundtrack. I wrote this while listening to [The Poet](https://music.apple.com/gb/album/the-poet/1551256064).

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Originally published at https://talkingtechandaudio.com on September 30, 2022.