The Apple Silicon M1 Chip – Everything You Need To Know!

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Whether it be on the radio, the news, or from your co-workers and friends, you’ve probably heard whispers of excitement over the new Apple Silicon processor for Macs, officially announced on November 11. Or if you haven’t, you’re now probably wondering – what is the new Apple Silicon chip?

For over a decade, Apple’s world class design and development team has been building and refining Apple silicon for iPads and iPhones, while they have simultaneously relied solely on Intel to provide processors for their Macs. The transition to their own homegrown processor represents the biggest and boldest leap ever for the Mac, but it will take up to two years to complete the shift from Intel. Nevertheless, Apple has already unveiled three Macs powered by Apple Silicon; available for orders as of 11 November 2020: the MacBook Air, the MacBook Mini, and the MacBook Pro. 

The Apple Silicon M1 Chip

“With industry-leading performance, powerful features, and incredible efficiency, M1 is Apple’s first chip designed specifically for the Mac”

The seismic and daring shift from Intel to Apple M1 enables Apple to create an experience on Macs that is more consistent with that of iPads and iPhones, and allows Apple to have more control and flexibility over the launch cycles and features for its notebooks and desktops.  Combined with macOS Big Sur, M1 delivers extraordinary battery life, maximum performance capabilities, and access to more software and apps than ever before.

The Apple M1 is a 5nm 8 core System-on-Chip (SoC) with 16 billion transistors and an integrated 8 core graphics processor (GPU).

 

What This Means for Future Apple Macs

The best CPU performance per Watt: The 8-core CPU (consisting of 4 high performance cores and 4 high efficiency cores) provides industry-leading performance while running as efficiently as possible. This means photographers are able to edit high-resolution photos at lightning speed and developers can build apps nearly 3x faster than before!

Faster Integrated Graphics: The M1 includes Apple’s most advanced GPU. Featuring up to 8 powerful cores capable of running nearly 25,000 threads simultaneously, the GPU can handle extremely demanding tasks with ease. This includes smooth playback of multiple 4k streams and rendering complex 3D scenes.

Blazing-fast On-Device Machine Learning: The Neural Engine in M1 enables up to 15x faster machine learning performance, so tasks like video analysis, voice recognition and image processing will have a level of performance never before seen on the Mac.

MacOs Big Sur Optimised for M1: Apple’s latest macOs is engineered to take full advantage of the capability and power of M1. It delivers a massive boost in performance, incredible battery life and the strongest security protections on the market. Macs will instantly wake from sleep, and iPhone/iPad apps can now run directly on the Mac.

The Next Generation of Mac

 

MacBook Air: A Thin and Light Powerhouse

Boasting the title of one of the world’s best-selling 13-inch notebooks, the M1 chip will take the MacBook air to extraordinary new heights.

The powerful 8 core CPU and GPU allows it to perform 3.5x faster than its predecessors and run immersive graphics-intensive games up to 5x faster. It’s fanless design means no matter what users are doing, it remains silent at all times. It also features astonishing battery life, with up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 18 hours of video playback (compared to approx. 11 hours on previous generations).

From November 11, it will no longer be possible to buy MacBook Airs with an Intel CPU.

 

13-inch MacBook Pro: More Powerful, More Pro

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is Apple’s most popular pro notebook and combines high performance with a portable design. The introduction of M1 to the MacBook Pro will allow professionals to channel their creativity and provide the tools students need to succeed. Enjoy a system that is 2.8x faster than its predecessor thanks to its 8 core CPU, and take advantage of remarkably smooth graphics performance due to its 8 core GPU. Other new features include studio-quality mics and Apple’s latest camera ISP, which enables sharper images on video calls.

Apple claims the 13-inch MacBook Pro is up to 3x faster than the best-selling Windows laptop in its class, and now boasts up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing and 20 hours of video playback – up to twice the battery life of the previous generation and the longest battery life ever on a Mac.

Unlike the MacBook Air, you can still purchase a 13-inch MacBook Pro with an Intel CPU, but you’ll be paying a considerably higher price for them compared to their M1 counterparts.

 

Mac mini: Staggering Performance, Ultra-Compact Design

The Mac mini is by far Apple’s most versatile computer, and with M1 it combines incredible performance and new features with the compact design many users have come to love. M1’s 8 core CPU and GPU make for a faster desktop that delivers a massive 6x increase in graphics performance, allowing users to play graphics-intensive games like “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” with 4x higher frame rates.

Mac mini also features an advanced thermal design to remain cool and quiet throughout heavy usage and supports up to two displays (including Apple Pro’s Display XDR in 6K resolution).

The Mac mini will also continue to offer options with Intel CPUs, but like the MacBook Pro, these will be priced higher than M1 minis.

 

Watch Apple’s ‘One More Thing’ event for a complete overview on their latest announcements and products!

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What happens to my Intel Mac after Apple completes the switch to M1?

Considering Apple is still releasing products with Intel CPU’s and it will take 2 years to complete the switch to M1, it should be expected that Apple will continue to provide support and updates for Intel Macs for years to come. This is backed by the fact that Big Sur, Apple’s newest macOS update, will be compatible with MacBook Pros from 7 years ago!

What are the major benefits of M1? 

Longer battery life, faster performance, and enhanced graphics on the new Macs are the major benefits of Apple’s M1 chip. Combining those with the cost-effectiveness, and the ability to access all of your apps across all your Apple devices, makes it hard to deny this is a major upgrade for Mac products.

Intel vs M1: Which Mac is right for me? 

While the M1 boasts myriad new features, we understand it can be difficult to say goodbye to what we’re used to, especially considering Intel has been the trusted leader of CPU’s for over 15 years. While Apple is still offering a range of Macs available with Intel processors, it is predicted most versions of Macs will be transferring over to M1 by late 2021. It is therefore recommended that you purchase the M1 Macs if you are currently in the market for a new device, HOWEVER please check with eStorm before doing so as your current software may not be compatible with Big Sur or the M1 chip. Big Sur, Apple’s latest macOs update, is also expected to run marvellously on M1’s, as it was specifically engineered to accommodate the new chip.

What’s Big Sur?

Big Sur (or MacOs 11) is Apple’s newest desktop and laptop operating system, released on November 12 2020. It is full of new and redesigned features that make for a better user experience, and is compatible with Apple’s new M1 devices along with its older Intel-based machines. It features a revamped Safari browser, improved privacy features, and the option to have widgets on your home screen. More info on the Big Sur update can be found here: https://www.apple.com/macos/big-sur/

The newest technologies to introduce into your classroom

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New and advancing technologies are shaping almost every aspect of our lives. It is no surprise then that the typical classrooms are starting to shift to incorporate new educational opportunities. As access to technology increases, so does the technical literacy and savviness of our students. Teachers are now leveraging all kinds of technology to engage students and provide immersive learning experiences.

Creating personalised learning experiences

Introducing technology into the classroom isn’t about replacing teachers; it is about supporting the delivery of a lesson while also providing a personalised experience for the students. In the past, there has been a stronger push for the education system to shift standardised testing and start making allowances for each child’s unique learning style.

These new technologies introduce students to the concept of blended learning, where they become their own directors of when, where, and how fast they move through an activity. Additionally, many new technologies are built-in with the ability to analyse student behaviours and can adapt the lesson in real-time depending on the student’s strengths and weaknesses.

Let’s take a look at how these new forms of technology are being used today.

Augmented, virtual and mixed reality

The lesson plan ideas are endless with the introduction of augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies in the classroom! These forms of transformative technologies are supporting the instructions given by teachers as well as creating immersive lessons to be fun and engaging for students of all levels.

These adapted lesson plans can include a way for students to experience:

  • A virtual reality roller coaster during a physics lesson,
  • Going on a virtual field trip to ancient Greece during a history class,
  • Providing a way for students to deep-dive into molecular structures, or
  • Compare the real size of dinosaurs to nearby trees or buildings in the schoolyard.

Devices

We have already seen the huge impact one-to-one devices have made on the education industry. However, there is still a clear divide and disadvantage for students of lower socio-economic background whose parents cannot afford a device for each of their children. The effects of this were further seen during the remote-learning period at the start of this year due to COVID-19.

Students who leave school unfamiliar with technology or with the risks and responsibilities associated with it will lag behind their peers when it comes to further education, jobs and general life skills.

Artificial intelligence

Having access to virtual assistants in the classroom can assist students who may be struggling to comprehend tricky concepts. This allows teachers to spend their spare time on students who may have higher needs. The use of AI in the classroom can also create a personalised learning experience tailored to their strengths, weaknesses and needs.

Gamification

Children have always learned through play, with lessons revolving around hands-on experiences and creativity. The shift in our educational system has seen an increase in classrooms being more ‘sit still, listen and learn the facts.’ We are potentially reaching an enlightened age in education, whereby play is re-introduced to the classroom, and students are experiencing a more immersive and engaging learning experience.

3D Printing

3D printing has slowly been introduced into Australian classrooms for some time now and is being used to assist students coming to grips with complex concepts. Furthermore, students are now able to bring their designs to life or assist in providing visual representations of what they can interact with.

We are seeing an increase in 3D printing being used in subjects such as Chemistry where students can print molecules in 3D. History students are also able to print out models of historical artefacts.

Robots and Coding

Robots have made an incredible impact on today’s classrooms by assisting in the teaching of coding. Robots are not just reserved for older students; small and simple bots can help very young students to understand sequencing, estimation and problem-solving concepts.

It is often said that coding will be the next universal language as well as an essential skill for many new jobs. Using robots to teach this topic in a fun and engaging way will hopefully support students who wish to explore new and advancing industries when they finish school. Students get instant feedback since the robot either behaves according to their intentions or doesn’t, exposing a bug in the code that students must then fix themselves.

Drones

A key element of today’s education pedagogy is encouraging students to view information from a variety of perspectives. Drones can assist in doing that in a literal way, by leveraging their interest and love of technology to show them different ways of looking at the world or viewing a physical problem.

Drones can be used in several ways, such as:

  • Using footage to stimulate writing exercises,
  • Mapping the path of the drone to learn about distance and time,
  • Flying a drone to help improve hand and eye coordination, and
  • Encouraging physical activity and education by filming their movements and discussing them later.

Is this the end of iTunes?

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Apple’s recent announcement that the TV app is coming to the Mac has led to the confirmation that, within the next major version of macOS, the system will also include standalone Music, Podcasts and TV apps, a long with a major redesign of the Books app.

The upcoming release of standalone media apps has sparked discussion around whether or not the next major macOS version will still include the iTunes app at all. Currently it would appear as though Apple will still include the iTunes app, mainly because there has been no news of a new solution for manually syncing devices, particularly older iPods and iPhones. However, with the recent trend of siloing media (Disney and other networks creating their own standalone Netflix-like platforms) it could definitely be on the cards for removal.

This news also came with the announcement that Apple are currently testing a web interface for its podcast directory. Previously, podcasts and episodes were listed on the website, but couldn’t be played without opening iTunes. The new interface not only lists shows and episodes, but also allows users to listen to episodes within the browser itself.

apple podcasts browser version

This move from Apple comes after competition within the podcast space has ramped up in recent months. Spotify have recently increased their focus on podcasts with the acquisition of Gimlet Media, a long with the recent acquisition of Australian made podcast app Pocket Casts by a combined public radio group of WNYC, NPR, WBEZ and This American Life.

eStorm Service Centre Springfield Awarded Apple Premium Service Provider Distinction

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eStorm Service Centre Springfield, 1/145 Sinnathamby Boulevard Springfield Central, has today been awarded the “Premium Service Provider” distinction by Apple.

Apple has recognised the Springfield Service Centre as having “demonstrated its commitment to premium service and technical excellence.”

Only the top performing Apple Authorised Service Providers are given this title, with Apple stating that “Premium Service Providers consistently deliver exceptional repair support and customer experience that meet Apple’s exacting standard for high-quality repair and prompt service.”

It is an honour to receive the Premium Service Provider distinction. The team has worked very hard to offer exceptional service, advice and quality repairs to everyone who comes in contact with the Springfield location.

About eStorm Service Centre

eStorm Service Centre is your dedicated Apple Authorised Service Provider & Reseller. Offering products and services for both PC and Mac users, our goal is to take the hassle out of your computer and phone repair experience, all while delivering you the highest quality service and support with a timely turnaround.

apple premium service providers

Everything you need to know about the new 2018 MacBook Air, iPad Pro and Mac Mini

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Apple’s 2018 October Special Event held in the Brooklyn Academy of Music Howard Gilman Opera House in New York has come and gone, but not without leaving us with the new iPad Pro, MacBook Air and Mac mini.

 

MacBook Air 2018 eStorm Service Centre Apple Repair Brisbane Springfield Toowoomba

 

One of the most loved Macs is back with some exciting new additions.

  • Silver, space grey and gold
  • 13.3″ high-resolution Retina display in razor-sharp clarity and 48% more colours than the previous generation
  • Display glass now goes all the way to the edge of the enclosure, which makes the borders 50% thinner
  • Touch ID, making your fingerprint your password (place your finger on the Touch ID sensor to unlock your Mac, as well as locked documents, notes and system settings)
  • Redesigned keyboard with butterfly mechanism, which provides four times more key stability
  • Force Touch trackpad
  • Up to 12 hours of battery life and 13 hours of nonstop movie play
  • 1.25kg
  • 15.6mm thin
  • Intel Core i5 processor
  • Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)
  • 25% more volume
  • 2x more bass for fuller sound and greater range
  • 100% recycled aluminiu

 

iPad Pro 30th October 2018 eStorm Service Centre

 

The brand new iPad Pro has been completely redesigned along with the all new magnetised and sleeker Apple Pencil.

  • 11-inch & 12.9-inch
  • New gestures introduced with the removal of the Home button
  • New Liquid Retina display goes from edge to edge
  • Industry-leading colour accuracy
  • Face ID for secure unlocking (works seamlessly in both portrait and landscape)
  • Multitasking allows you to work on a project, message a friend, search the web and make a FaceTime call
  • Apple Pencil redesigned, attaches magnetically for pairing and charging, as well as having touch technology built in for changing tools
  • USB-C for higher performance connection to accessories and external displays
  • Smart HDR 12-megapixel camera, 4K video, document scanning and AR experiences
  • Less than 500 grams

 

New Mac Mini 2018 eStorm Service Centre Apple Repair Centre Brisbane Springfield Toowoomba

 

The new Mac mini powers everything from home automation to live concert sound and render farms.

  • 8th gen quad-core and 6-core processors
  • 2666MHz DDR4 memory
  • Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) – up to 40Gbps data transfer speeds
  • HDMI 2.0
  • 10Gb Ethernet available
  • 2x increased airflow

 

You can learn more about the releases at Apple’s previous Keynote event this year where they announce the new iPhones and Apple Watch.

5 Mac tricks you’ll actually use everyday!

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The Service Centre is a series that highlights the best Apple tips and tricks that you can start using right now! We want to help you get the most out of your Mac by showcasing some of the best features you might not know about.

In this episode of The Service Centre, we showcase 5 super simple and easy to use tricks that you can use every day that will boost productivity.

Let me know if you have any Mac tips and tricks you use (I’m always looking for easier and better ways to do things on the Mac) and let me know if you’re finding these videos useful!

The Best Features In macOS’ Preview App

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In this series of Apple Tech Tip videos, we want to show you some of the best features you might be unaware of that Mac has to offer so you can get more out of your Mac.

In this episode we delve into the power of the macOS Preview App where you can edit photos, remove backgrounds, sign documents and so much more!

Apple TV’s Original Content Line Up To Rival Netflix

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Move over Netflix and Stan – there’s some competition in town!

Over the course of 2018, Apple is said to be spending as much as $1 billion on original TV programming…that’s a lot of television! While it doesn’t quite compare to the $8 billion Netflix is spending in 2018 – it’s still a big step in the direction of Apple carving out a slice of our on-demand entertainment.

But what exactly does $1 billion get you? According to Mac World – 200 episodes at $5 million a piece is a reasonable per-episode price for high-end TV. However, it is unlikely that we’ll receive 10-20 shows with 10-20 episodes each, as the $1 billion has to cover more costs than per-episode production.

The majority of Apple TV’s content is likely to be in production during 2018 with suspected 2019 release dates. Currently Apple TV shows are accessed through Apple Music, which is not the typical user-friendly experience we’ve come to know and love from Apple. It is unclear at this stage whether or not Apple intend to release content through iTunes, the TV app, or via a new channel – but access is likely to be tied to Apple Music subscriptions (at least for the short-term).

 

Previously Aired (2017)

 

Planet of the Apps

Think Shark Tank but for app developers. A panel of celebrity judges (Jessica Alba, Will.i.am, Gary Vaynerchuck and Gwyneth Paltrow) are pitched by app developers who then advance to the next stage where they try to earn venture capital backing. The show has been largely criticised as being boring and made for Apple instead of for the viewer at home. (No second season has been announced).

Planet of the Apps

Carpool Karaoke: The Series

James Corden’s famous bit from The Late Late Show where he jumps into a car with celebrities and they delight in singing along to the radio together. The Carpool Karaoke series sees James Corden replaced (except for episode 1, 19 and the final episode) with different celebrities each episode.

Carpool Karaoke The Series

Exclusive Apple TV Content Under Development

Time Bandits

The time-traveling adventure comedy Time Bandits may be coming to small screens in the form of a TV series. Deadline reported that Apple is buying the right to make a TV show of the cult classic film with sources saying it will be co-produced by Paramount TV, Media Rights Capital and Anonymous Content.

Time Bandits is about a a young boy who gets caught up with a troupe of thieves as they hop across history to steal treasure while being pursued by the Supreme Being from whom they’ve stolen their time map.

Release date not yet announced.

See

Written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Dirty Pretty Things) and directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mocking Jay Parts 1 & 2), See is a futuristic drama and world-building series that is set in a different reality than our own.

Variety reports that Jason Momoa has been cast in the lead role as Baba Voss, a fearless warrior, leader and guardian.

Deadline reports that a full series order has been made by Apple, however the size of the series order is still unknown – but will most likely consist of 8 episodes.

Release date not yet announced.

Calls

An English-language remake of a French television series. Calls’ 10 episode arc for the first seasons consists of 10 ten-minute episodes. Each episode consists of a playback of an audio recording—an airplane black box, a voicemail, a 911 call—that depict some sort of tragedy. They all tie to together to tell the story of some sort of impending apocalypse.Release date not yet announced.

Sesame Workshop – Children’s Programming

Variety reports that Apple has struck a deal with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organisation behind Sesame Street, to produce children’s TV shows for the streaming service.

Oprah

Apple announced on June 15th that they have agreed to a multi-year content deal with Oprah Winfrey. Scarce details released by Apple in their press release, with no details on the types of shows that will be produced. The release does say that, “Together, Winfrey and Apple will create original programs that embrace her incomparable ability to connect with audiences around the world.”

oprah winfrey

Hilde Lysiak Drama Series

10 episode straight-to-series run for a mystery drama inspired by the life of pre-teen journalist Hilde Lysiak.

The series will be about a young girl who moves from Brooklyn to a lakeside town, where she gets involved in uncovering a cold case that the community has concealed. Lysiak runs Orange Street News, which features her writing and local reporting in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. At the age of 9, Lysiak made headlines beyond her neighborhood when she broke news on a murder in her town.Release date not yet announced.

Shantaram

Based on the hit novel, Shantaraman is about an escaped convict from a maximum security Australian prison. On the run and cut off from friends and family, he disappears into the Bombay underground in India.According to Variety, the book was first to be developed as a film, with Johnny Depp having acquired the book rights and Warner Bros. producing with Joel Edgerton in the starring role. The plans were later scrapped and the rights auctioned off, with Anonymous Content and Paramount Television winning the rights to Shantaram and its sequel novel The Mountain Shadow.Apple has now won the rights to develop the series.Release date not yet announced.shantaram

Little Voices

10 episode season of a half-hour comedy/drama series with executive producers J.J. Abrams and Sara Barellies onboard.

Little Voices is a love letter to the diverse musicality of New York, which explores the universal journey of finding your authentic voice in your early 20s.

Release date not yet announced.

Dickinson

A new comedy series about the early life of Emily Dickinson. A 19th century coming-of-age story – a comedic look into Dickinson’s world, exploring the constraints of society, gender and family from the perspective of a budding writer who doesn’t fit in to her own time through her imaginative point of view.

Release date not yet announced.

Foundation

Based on the original science fiction book trilogy by Isaac Asimov, Foundation sees a mathematician spend his life developing a branch of mathematics known as psychohistory. Using the laws of mass action, it can predict the future, but only on a large scale. Seldon foresees the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a dark age lasting 30,000 years before a second great empire arises. Seldon’s calculations also show there is a way to limit this interregnum to just one thousand years. To ensure the more favourable outcome and reduce human misery during the intervening period, Seldon creates the Foundation – a group of talented artisans and engineers positioned at the twinned extreme ends of the galaxy – to preserve and expand on humanity’s collective knowledge, and thus become the foundation for the accelerated resurgence of this new galactic empire.

Release date not yet announced.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Central Park

A 2 season, 26 episode animated music comedy series called Central Park. A family of caretakers, who live and work in Central Park, end up saving the sake and basically the world.

Release date not yet announced.

M. Night Shyamalan Thriller Series

Apple has ordered a straight-to-series run of a psychological thriller produced by M. Night Shyamalan with 10 half-hour episodes.

Release date not yet announced.

Swagger – based on Kevin Durant

A drama series based on the early life and career of NBA superstar Kevin Durant. The series will explore the wold of amateur athletic union basketball and the lives of the players, their families and coaches.

Kevin Durant

Release date not yet announced.

Amazing Stories

A revival of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. The original series ran for 2 seasons in the ’80s  and was nominated for a dozen Emmy Awards.

The series is rumoured to have a $5million per half hour episode.

amazing stories

Are You Sleeping

Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine has been tapped to adapt the true crime best-selling book Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber.

The story is about a hit podcast that reopens a long-closed murder case in the public eye and unravels the life of our protagonist, Josie, who had finally put her troubled old life behind her.

Are You Sleeping will see a 10 episode season.

Release date not yet announced.

Are You Sleeping Book Cover

Little America

Husband and wife team Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani will co-write and executive produce a half hour anthology series about immigrants called Little American.

The series will be based on true stories printed in Epic Magazine’s Little America series. The show will go beyond headline to look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and unexpected lives of immigrants in America.

the big sick the contenders

Reese Witherspoon & Jennifer Aniston Morning Show

This drama series is about making a morning TV news show, which draws heavily from the book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV by Brian Stelter.

latimes witherspoon aniston

No release date or title have been announced.

Ronald D. Moore Science Fiction Series

Best known for Battlestar Galactica, Ronald D. Moore is partnering with Apple to produce a TV series that explores what would happen if the global space race had never ended.

No release date or title have been announced.

Home

Billed as a documentary series, Home is rumoured to offer viewers a never before seen look inside the world’s most extraordinary homes and delves into the minds of the people who built them.

No release date has been announced.

Damien Chazelle Drama Series

Apple ordered a whole series without even shooting a pilot! Damien Chazelle is the acclaimed writer and director of La La Land and Whiplash.

No details are presently available about the series other than Chazelle will write and direct every episode.

Vital Signs

Produced by Dr. Dre, it is said to be a 6 episode miniseries where each episode focuses on a specific emotion while also being a semi-autobiographical tale of Dr. Dre’s life.

The series was originally conceived as a way to help promote Apple Music and boost subscriptions.

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Source: https://www.macworld.com/article/3245534/streaming-services/list-of-apple-tv-shows-and-series-news-actors-release-dates.html