August 6, 2024

iOS & Apple news

Apple announces Apple Maps on the web launch in beta. `allowing users around the world to access Maps directly from their browser. Now, users can get driving and walking directions; find great places and useful information including photos, hours, ratings, and reviews; take actions like ordering food directly from the Maps place card; and browse curated Guides to discover places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world. Additional features, including Look Around, will be available in the coming months.'

Apple changed policy, and permitted PC Emulator Utm Se In App Store For Ios And VisionOS , reports Macrumors.

Apple financial results: Quarterly record, all-time high in Services. `Total company revenue was $85.8 billion, a record for its fiscal third quarter, which is traditionally the company’s quietest quarter. Services revenue reached an all-time revenue high of $24.2 billion.' reports Jason Snell.`

With further analysis, Jason Snell notes Apple’s Profits From Services Are on the Cusp of Surpassing Its Profits From Device Sales. `This is what was buzzing in the back of my head as I was going over all the numbers on Thursday. We’re not quite there yet, but it’s hard to imagine that there won’t be a quarter in the next year or so in which Apple reports more total profit on Services than on products. When that happens, is Apple still a products company? Or has it crossed some invisible line?'

Apple won 51 patents covering Finger Devices for use with virtual keyboards, AssistiveTouch with ECG+ and a Design Patent, reports Patently Apple.

iOS 18

Marques Brownlee shows the best 5 features of iOS 18 (beta) so far:

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 5, reports Macrumors.

New feature with iOS 18 beta; Safari's New Distraction Control in the iOS 18 Beta, reports Macrumors. Here is a demo:

iOS apps

Overcast has a significant update. On its 10th anniversary, the app is overhauled for the future.

Flighty app Now Able to Provide Early Warnings About Flight Delays, reports MacRumors.

Penbook turns your iPad to a `magic notebook.' Take a look at the Penbook manual to get a sense of its capabilities. The app has been featured by Apple's Editors' Choice. It works on macOS as well. They offer a free 7-day trial (via their Pro offering). Olga has been using it and recommends it.

tips & tricks

Remember that the native Notes app lets you easily `scan' a document with your iPhone/iPad camera. On your iOS device, start a new Note, then tap the camera, and select Scan Documents. Similarly, on your Mac, in the Notes app, you can click on Scan Documents and it will connect to your iPhone which you can use to take a photo. Either way, it's fast and efficient.

gadgets & accessories

Amazon Introduces Record Low Prices on Every iPad Mini, Starting at $379.99, reports Macrumors.

Shane Whatley reviews smart outdoor lighting options from Govee, including their new Outdoor Wall Light, Triad Flood Light, and Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro. All these options support Apple Homekit:

Also, Shane Whatley reviewed the new Aqara U200. He notes that it supports Apple Home Key. It's a retrofit smart lock that also supports unlocking via fingerprints, NFC, passcodes, voice assistants, and more. `This is the first smart lock of its kind and we'll cover all the features, the installation, pros and cons, and everything else you'll need to know to determine if this would be a good addition to your smart home.'

watch

Apple Releases Third watchOS 11 Public Beta With Vitals App and More.

privacy & security

Massive data breach: Nearly all AT&T cell customers’ call and text records exposed, reports CNN.

This is how massive this was: `The call and text message records from mid-to-late 2022 of tens of millions of AT&T cellphone customers and many non-AT&T customers were exposed in a massive data breach, the telecom company revealed Friday. AT&T said the compromised data includes the telephone numbers of “nearly all” of its cellular customers and the customers of wireless providers that use its network between May 1, 2022 and October 31, 2022. The stolen logs also contain a record of every number AT&T customers called or texted — including customers of other wireless networks — the number of times they interacted, and the call duration. Importantly, AT&T said the stolen data did not include the contents of calls and text messages nor the time of those communications.'

Additionally, At&T Only Learned Of Massive 2022 Data Breach This April (2024). ATT Delayed Revealing It At The Request Of U.S. Law Enforcement.

general news

The Webby Awards, winners and nominees, always provide a wealth of Internet content worth discovering.

Wiser Than Me, by Julia Louis Dreyfus, won Podcast of the Year.

Tech journalist Kara Swisher won Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hermès’s H08 Watch, The Other Source For Samsung’s Ultra Rip-Off, reports John Gruber.

The rip-off is so blatant, Marques Brownlee did a video:

Google is terminating its URL shortening service, all such links will be broken.

‘Google Is a Monopolist,’ Judge Rules in Landmark Antitrust Case, reports the NYTimes: `The ruling on Google’s search dominance was the first antitrust decision of the modern internet era in a case against a technology giant.'

Google and Apple's Search Engine Deal Violates Antitrust Law, reports Macrumors. `The paid agreement that Google has with Apple to be the default search engine on the iPhone and other Apple devices violates antitrust law, a federal judge ruled.'

general apps & services

Ask WWDC is an AI_powered web service. It provides answers to WWDC-related developer questions. It is not done by Apple, it is the product of a creative developer.

next iPUG meeting

Our next iPUG meeting will be Tuesday, Sept 3, 2024, at 7 pm PT.