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Apple cancels Jon Stewart

Apple cancels Jon Stewart

AI and China are a no-no

Leander Kahney
October 20, 2023

During the dark days of the Iraq War, the only way I could process the news was through comedian Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show.

I found it impossible to watch the unending daily drumbeat of horrible news from mainstream outlets. At the end of every broadcast, I’d want to weep and slash my wrists. The only prism that made it bearable was Jon Stewart’s bitter, angry comedy.

So it’s upsetting that Apple has reportedly canceled Stewart’s new show on Apple TV+ after just two seasons over concerns about AI and China.

Apple’s executives apparently find these topics too close to home, and have abruptly axed the show.

Not only is this cowardly, but it makes you wonder what Apple was thinking when it commissioned The Problem with Jon Stewart in the first place.

The show’s whole raison d'etre is to take on controversial subjects. It’s hard to believe Apple couldn't have seen something like this coming, and grown some kind of a backbone in advance.

It’s nice to believe that Apple stands for things beyond making a buck, so it’s disheartening to see the company silencing a potential critic to protect its corporate interests. Especially over topics like AI, which could potentially remake society.

It’s a big black mark against Apple.

Also in today’s newsletter:

The FCC’s decision to open up the 6 GHz band might have a big impact on future Vision Pro headsets.
B&H Photo has slashed prices on older but high-end MacBook Pros, including a whopping $1,900 off on a 16.2-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro with 64GB RAM and 4TB SSD, now $2,999 (was $4,899).
Tired of AirTag alerts from your partner’s keys? Here’s how to share the trackers with members of your household.
Momax’s AirBox Go is a great great way to charge all your Apple gear on the go, and it’s almost half off.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Apple TV+ cancels The Problem with Jon Stewart over creative differences

The Apple TV+ commentary series "The Problem with Jon Stewart" reportedly has abruptly been canceled.

FCC decision could make future Apple Vision AR headsets smaller

The FCC voted to allow wireless tethering on AR headsets and other devices to use the 6 GHz band for high-speed low-power connections.

^{A message from Cult of Mac deals team}

Slash $1,900 off this powerful MacBook Pro plus other major deals

Need a MacBook Pro? Get some of 2021's hottest models for more $1,000 off, or newer M2 models for $200 off.

Samsung T9 portable SSD offers big, fast storage in a tiny package [Review] ★★★★½

The Samsung T9 solid-state drive is small enough and tough enough to go almost anywhere, but can hold up to 4TB. We go hands on.

^{A message from Cult of Mac deals team}

Charge Apple devices on the fly with Momax AirBox Go (and get about half off!)

This 3-in-1 charging station keeps your gadgets going wherever you are. It's on sale, and Cult of Mac readers can pay about half price.

How to share an Apple AirTag with other people

You can share an Apple AirTag wireless location tracker with up to five people. Here’s how.

Today in Apple history: iMac goes big with 27-inch display

October 20, 2009: Apple goes big with its iMac redesign, introducing the first 27-inch all-in-one Mac. The sleek, sophisticated aluminum unibody design

Old and new MacBook Pros work in harmony [Setups]

Today's featured setup relies on a new M2 MacBook Pro for most of the real work, but a 2015 Retina model still contributes regularly.

Tweet o’ the day

🎥📸 ⌚️⌚️📸🎥
Probably best example of how powerful the Apple Ecosystem is.
You can use your Apple Watch as a viewfinder for your iPhone for both video and photo.
You can use the Digital Crown to zoom in and out (WatchOS 10 finally lets us know how much we’ve zoomed)
You… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
— Fernando Silva (@nandoprince93)
1:57 PM • Oct 19, 2023

One more thing ...

❝

Coming back after seven months in Indian villages, I saw the craziness of the Western world as well as its capacity for rational thought. If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes it worse, but over time it does calm, and when it does, there’s room to hear more subtle things – that’s when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before. It’s a discipline; you have to practice it.

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

How do you feel about Apple cancelling Jon Stewart?

Results from yesterday’s poll: Do you fast charge your Apple gear?

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