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The Production-Strain Edition Saturday, October 21, 2017

Apple, Foxconn Executives To Meet Amid iPhone X Production Strain, by Debby Wu, Emi Okada, Kotaro Hosokawa, Nikkei Asian Review

Terry Gou, the chairman of key iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn Technology Group, and Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams are planning to meet when the latter visits Taiwan later this month, according to two industry sources.

The meeting comes at a time when iPhone X production continues to be plagued by problems with the dot projector, a component in the 3-D sensor module used for facial recognition.

Apple Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts: We Will Not Upsell Customers To The iPhone X, by Josh Lipton, CNBC

"The way we look at it is building a relationship," Ahrendts said. "It's no different from fashion — don't you go back to someone who's taken really good care of you, who you trust, to make you a better version of yourself?"

She also acknowledged that Apple has told retail employees not to try to upsell customers to the most expensive iPhone model, the upcoming iPhone X (that's a Roman numeral "10," not the letter "x.")

Apple Urges iPhone Upgrade Program Members To Get 'Head Start' On iPhone X Order Process, by Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider

Apple is encouraging participants of its iPhone Upgrade Program to be prepared for the release of the iPhone X, inviting customers to go through a pre-approval process for the upgrade a few days before it ships on October 27.

No Events For HomePod?

Apple's Craig Federighi Confirms There's No October Event In The Works, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

"Will we see an October keynote event?" Luke asked. "I think we're all Keynoted out for the season! :-)" Federighi replied.

There, And Not There

Apple's New Flagship Store An Understated Gem On The Chicago River, by Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune

With its huge sheets of laminated glass and an ultra-thin roof of lightweight carbon fiber the store, opening Friday, is simultaneously present and absent, there and not there. From North Michigan Avenue, you look through its glassy membrane and see the river’s blue-green waters and passing tour boats. A plaza of tiered granite steps spills down to the riverfront.

[...]

Even accounting for possible problems, like the glare that invaded a portion of the interior during a preview Thursday, the store is a gem, realizing the vision of the late Chicago architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for buildings that would be reduced to their essence — an architecture of “almost nothing.”

New Band

Apple And AT&T Activate LTE Band 8 To Give iPhone Users In Puerto Rico Cellular Service By Loon Balloon, by Matthew Panzarino, TechCrunch

Apple has been working with AT&T to extend and activate cell service for users in Puerto Rico. To improve what is a terrible connectivity situation there, it’s going to enable a provisional band of LTE that has been recently approved, but not activated in the US and Puerto Rico, where it has not been licensed.

Because LTE is not licensed on Band 8, many phones have not yet been equipped for use with it, though some newer radios are able to connect to it and use it. Apple devices from the iPhone 5c and up and running iOS 10 or higher can download a carrier setting and begin using it right away.

Stuff

Tyke Is The Mac's Simplest Note-taking App, by Charlie Sorrel, Cult Of Mac

Tyke might be just about the simplest app you ever saw. It is also really, really useful. Tyke puts a little icon in your Mac’s menubar, and when you click it, it opens up a text scratchpad. You can jot in a quick note, or paste in some info. And that’s about it.