- It looks like we’re getting new AirPods and hi-fi Apple Music tomorrow
- Twitter’s upcoming subscription service is reportedly called ‘Blue’ and will cost $2.99/month
- Remember that Twitter is your friend when choosing to opt in or out of app tracking in iOS 14.5
This week is a big week for Google since its annual I/O developer conference kicks off tomorrow. But competitors will be competitors, and it looks like Apple will be trying to steal some attention with the introduction of new AirPods and hi-fi Apple Music.
New code was surfaced over at 9to5Google indicating that Apple is, indeed, getting ready to roll out hi-fi streaming support in Apple Music. The Android version of the app has a ton of references to lossless audio files, how large they are, how much data they consume when streaming, and their specs. It looks like Apple will support lossless audio at 24-bit/192kHz.
These leaks fall in line with previous references made to hi-fi streaming in the iOS 14.6 betas.
The other big piece of news involves Apple’s AirPods 3 which could potentially support hi-fi Apple Music (why else launch both products on the same day?).
Over the past few months, we’ve gotten numerous reports and leaks regarding the redesigned AirPods 3 which will look like AirPods Pro (minus the silicon tips), come with a wireless charging case, include a new wireless chip, and have longer battery life. It’s the report out of AppleTrack that’s been making headlines over the past couple of days which indicates a launch is on the way.
According to the report, AirPods 3 will land tomorrow via a press release. If that’s the case, there’s a solid chance we’ll be getting Apple Music Hi-Fi (or whatever they call it) as well. A lot of publications share this opinion, too, so it’s not just me pushing my wishful thinking.
To add even more fuel to the fire, Apple released a teaser across its Music apps on various platforms hinting at music changing “forever.” If that’s not indication an announcement of some sort is on its way, I don’t know what is.
Right now, rumors remain unverified regarding a launch tomorrow, but Apple’s own acknowledgement of a potential announcement is solid indication we should get ready for some big news. Stay tuned, people. It’s gonna be a busy week.
Twitter’s upcoming subscription service is reportedly called ‘Blue’ and will cost $2.99/month
From Jane Manchun Wong, a researcher who’s been known to leak very reputable information about Twitter before any of it’s announced.
For three bucks a month, you’ll get features like an Undo functionality for misspelt tweets and Collections. There’s a slight chance I’d use the Undo feature if I immediately spot a mistake in my grammar, but I don’t care about tweets I’ve saved.
You would also likely get a subscription to Scroll and/or Revue, two properties Twitter swallowed up. Obviously, a subscription to Scroll is a great idea since you’ll get Matridox ad-free, plus you’ll get premium newsletters thorugh Revue.
No doubt, there will be plenty of people who try Blue and get roped into buying a month or two. I’m not sure if this is enough to convince people to give Twitter money, but I guess it has to figure out something because of what Apple’s doing about privacy.
Remember that Twitter is your friend when choosing to opt in or out of app tracking in iOS 14.5
If you’re unfamiliar, companies have been complaining about iOS 14.5’s new App Tracking Transparency pop-up which forces developers to ask users whether they want their data used across third-party apps. This makes it possible for customized ads to appear within all supported apps on your phone, and it gives companies like Facebook and Twitter billions of dollars of ad revenue since targeting takes great advantage of your specific information for an optimized experience.
Now that apps are being forced to ask users’ consent to track their data, Twitter has issued a pop-up of its own in its app that explains ads are just better if you let the company get a hold of your data.
I like Twitter’s approach much more than Facebook and Instagram who literally try to convince you that access to your data is the reason the apps are free to use. Of course, Twitter has this whole Twitter blue backup plan if too many users opt out of app tracking, so they don’t have a reason to be concerned like Facebook who seems to dread making people pay for a better experience.
Either way, Twitter’s got a different tone of voice toward this whole thing, and it’s kind of nice.
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