Another week, another From the Editor's Desk, my fellow iMorians! I hope you've all been having a terrific week.
It seems that all the media is talking about lately is the coronavirus from Wuhan, China, and it seems to even be impacting Apple's iPhone and AirPods Pro production at this point. I haven't seen the chaos in person myself, but it's definitely sounding like a bad time in China right now. Honestly, while it may be frustrating to those who have been waiting for AirPods Pro to be back in stock, or want to snag a new iPhone, I think that making sure the employees are safe is more important. I applaud the suppliers and factories that are temporarily closed, because it's the right thing to do. Hopefully the coronavirus situation blows over soon, and things just return to normal.
If you're looking for a nice blast from the past, take a look at Luke Filipowicz's editorial about Apple's 'Get a Mac' ad campaign in the 2000's. I remember these ads fondly, and they're pretty much one of my favorites. I bought my first MacBook — you know, those white plastic ones — back in 2008, not long after my OG iPhone (my first Apple product), and I think these commercials were part of the reason why. I loved that they humanized Macs, and made them look fun and hip to own, and were designed for creatives. They also pointed out facts and didn't straight on attack PCs, but made jokes in a playful way. Honestly, I don't love ads, but I sure do miss the 'Get a Mac' ones. I wish Apple brought them back.
There's also some new rumors of possible over-ear headphone styled AirPods "Studio" Pro coming from Apple. This would be more like HomePods for your ears, and honestly, I would welcome this with open arms. While I love my AirPods Pro, I still prefer the over-ear can style headphones, just because they're usually better at blocking out environmental noise and help me hunker down and focus. Though I have way too many headphones laying around the house, I think headphone-style AirPods would be an interesting addition to Apple's audio lineup. The thing I would like to see the most is how they look — it would be cool if there was a Siri waveform light like with the HomePod. One can dream, right?
In other news, Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet is finally out on Apple TV+, and I can't wait to begin watching. It's one of the few things that caught my interest when Apple TV+ was announced, so I'm glad it's available to stream now. And you get all nine episodes at once, not weekly, so it's perfect for a binge!
Until next week,
- Christine Romero-Chan
