The holiday shopping season is already kicking off for some folks, and some companies. Apple, for instance, has officially launched its holiday efforts for 2021, which includes a nice new addition to the offerings for customers who are looking to buy some new Apple-branded gear this holiday season.
Tim Cook, Apple's current chief executive, has gone on record saying he owns cryptocurrency. That, in itself, and in certain spheres, will be enough to cause quite a stir. But, for folks who have already jumped on that particular bandwagon, maybe the idea that someday Apple Pay might support it will do the same for you.
Back in March, it was reported that Apple was one of the leading bids on a brand new film called The Greatest Beer Run Ever. The film is set to star Zac Efron (The Greatest Showman) and Russell Crowe (Gladiator). But, since that first news drop, we've been hearing quite a bit some casting details for the upcoming Apple TV+ movie.
Netflix has been working for quite some time to add access to video games for subscribers. In November of 2021, that dream became a reality. Netflix Games was officially announced on November 2, 2021, but the bad news for would-be gamers with a Netflix account was that it was for Android only. No iOS support available out of the box.
While the reality is that finding a product is a lot more difficult than it has been in the past, it appears to still be a good indication of how well something is selling if you can't find it at all. Which is why even though the brand new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro are probably just like every other piece of technology out there (including touchscreen in some vehicles), and hindered in supply by chip shortages, it would appear Apple's new professional laptops (or laptops for professionals) are selling quite well. Which also means that there are a lot of people out there with a brand new laptop that has a notch.
Back in March of this year, Apple TV+ announced that it had secured its first Korean-language series, which is based on a popular web toon based out of South Korea. Not only is this the company's first Korean-language show, it also marks the launch of the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV+ in the region as well.
Well, that was fast. After reinstating a mask mandate for its employees and in-store customers in July of this year, the company has decided that, in some states, that rule no longer has to be in place. According to a new report, beginning this week, Apple will start to dial back mask mandates for in-store visits.
Apple would very much like to keep tabs on the repair process for all of its devices. For some, that's a bonus because it means that the company who makes the devices can also fix them. And there are also authorized service providers if one can't make it to a physical Apple Store. However, some see it as a way for Apple to keep an iron grip on something it doesn't want out of its control. Both are probably true.
We are almost through the first week of November 2021, and it looks like Apple is doing everything it can to drag its feet when it comes to a brand new requirement regarding third-party billing options in the Play Store. This new law was passed by the government in South Korea, and Google was swept up in the action as well. The difference is, Google's set forth a plan to make those changes. Apple? Not so much.
Apple TV+ has been a source of documentaries right out of the gate. And, ever since the original video streaming service went live, it has been adding to that library of content ever since. And today marks yet another new addition coming soon to the service.
Sideloading iOS apps is not a thing that's possible right now in the default setting of Apple's most popular mobile operating system. But it is a pipe dream for a lot of people. Even for the folks who aren't already jailbreaking their devices. But, if you ask Craig Federighi, it doesn't look like Apple's even kind of considering the idea.
Thankfully, it doesn't happen all the time. And, even when it does, Apple is usually right on top of the issue(s) with a fix. But, from time to time, there are outages that impact Apple's online services. And today is one of those days, with Apple's new iCloud Private Relay feature feeling the burn.