It’s time for “One more thing.” That’s right, Apple has scheduled another event for 10 November 2020. Could it be the unveiling of Macs with Apple silicon and a release date for macOS 11 Big Sur? Apple tweaked search in iOS 14 to be less reliant on Google, leading some to speculate that Apple may be working on its own search engine. The company posted a strong Q4 2020 with record revenues thanks to burgeoning Mac and iPad sales, but the delayed iPhone 12 release hurt profits. Josh Centers bought an Apple Watch as a gift for a relative, but numerous setup headaches cause him to urge caution with such gifts and when working on others’ devices. Finally, Glenn Fleishman, author of Take Control of Home Security Cameras, explains HomeKit Secure Video and how it can help you keep an eye on your home while ensuring your privacy. Notable Mac app releases this week include SoundSource 5.1, BBEdit 13.5.1, Fission 2.6, Zoom 5.4.1, and Alfred 4.2.
Apple is having a third event in as many months to announce “One more thing.” We’ll likely learn more about the future of the Mac and Apple silicon then, along with getting the release date for macOS 11 Big Sur.
Search in iOS 14 is a bit less reliant on Google, leading some to consider the possibility that Apple is building its own search engine.
In this pandemic year, Apple’s Q4 performance saw reduced profits but steady revenue compared to the same quarter last year, with iPhone sales drops mitigated by increased Mac and iPad sales as well as continuing growth in Apple’s services and wearables offerings.
No good deed goes unpunished. Josh Centers bought an Apple Watch for a relative who had heart surgery but ended up spending many hours getting it set up.
You can use a home security camera without sending its video stream off to cloud storage that’s accessible by the camera’s maker—or anyone who can log into the account. Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video works with existing iCloud subscriptions and numerous third-party cameras. Glenn Fleishman, author of “Take Control of Home Security Cameras,” looks at HomeKit Secure Video’s strengths and weaknesses.
Watchlist
Adds a new Headphone EQ effect and updates the Audio Capture Engine to version 11.2.2. ($39 new, free update, 15.8 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Maintenance release brings a new Compare Using BBEdit item to the Services menu and bug fixes. ($49.99 new, free update, 18.7 MB, macOS 10.14.2+)
Brings full compatibility with macOS 11 Big Sur and increases minimum system requirements to 10.13 High Sierra. ($29 new, free update, 12.8 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Improves Join Before Host settings and introduces end-to-end encryption as a technical preview. (Free, 23.9 MB, macOS 10.9+)
Prepares the keyboard-driven launcher for the release of macOS 11 Big Sur. (£23 new, free update, 3.1 MB, macOS 10.11+)
