October 2024

iOS & Apple news

The new products launched Sept 21, including the new iPhone 16. Here is Tim Cook interviewed on launch day (3 mins), by NothingButTech:

John Gruber writes his Thoughts And Observations In The Wake Of Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ Keynote. It's worth reading, as he gives an overview of the new product lineup introduced last month, but he also goes into where Apple is today, and the leadership style that Tim Cook embodies, contrasting it vs. that of Steve Jobs', with nuance and detail. Also, he shares an example of when Tim Cook got angry while defending Apple's principles. A worthwhile read.

[ RUMOR ] Will there be an Apple October event? The tea leaves suggest there might be one later in October, introducing new M4-based Macs and possibly iPads. Only time will tell ;-)

Steve Jobs

October 5, 2024, marked 13 years since Steve Jobs passed away. Tim Cook commemorated the day:

iOS 18

Here is Marques Brownlee spotlighting his `Top 5' new features` from iOS 18 (not including AI of course, as it has not yet been released):

He talks about 1). Control Center, 2). The Passwords app, 3). Homescreen customization, 4). `The little things' (and RCS), and 5). That calculator doe

Here is a small but impressive detail. The flashlight on iOS 18 for the iPhone has been enhanced and the UI reflecting this is remarkable:

With iOS 18, you can Send Messages Without a Wi-Fi or Cellular Connection. This uses the satellite network(s) that Apple has introduced in the past. However, starting with iOS 18, you need NOT be having any emergency to do this, you can use this for regular messages, when connectivity is not possible via cell services. You can use it for everything: texts, tapback, and emojis. The service is available to the US and Canada.

For a very extensive overview of iOS18 features, links to articles, and more, see iOS 18 Roundup, by Macrumors.

Here is a 5-min overview of some key iOS 18 new features, including, 1). Home & App Icon Customization, 2). The Redesigned Control Center, 3). Lock Screen Customization, 4). The New Photos App, 5). Messages Features, 6). Passwords App, 7). Lock & Hide Apps, and 8). Distraction Control. Take a look:

And here is a preview of iOS 18.1 features coming soon:

iPhone 16

There are 4 models of the iPhone 16: the regular (in 2 sizes) and the Pro (in 2 sizes).

iPhone 16 battery life results are in — and we can hardly believe our eyes, reports TomsGuide. `the entire iPhone 16 series has managed to exceed the battery life of their predecessors in our battery test — No doubt thanks to the larger batteries and the boosted power efficiency of the A18 and A18 Pro chips. We put the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max through the Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves surfing the web over 5G at 150 nits of screen brightness. The iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Plus have risen to the top with some incredibly impressive results — making our best phone battery life list in the process. Here’s how the new iPhone 16 models’ battery life stacks up against their iPhone 15 counterparts, and rival flagships.'

John Gruber's iPhone 16 detailed overview & review is worthy reading.

This is a very nice demo of the audio capabilities offered by the new iPhone 16 Audio Mix :

iPhone 16 (PM) camera

The new camera button on iPhone 16 is a big deal. Sebastiaan de With, the main developer of Halide camera app, observes:

Here is an overview & tutorial of the new iPhone 16 camera button:

The new iPhone 16 Pro has a 48 MP sensor:

An iPhone 16 Pro camera review, by Sebastiaan de With, the main developer of Halide camera app for iOS. A thoughtful and detailed review, ending with thoughts on Steve Jobs' inspiration and goals for cameras.

Photographer Austin Mann has done it again: he took an overseas trip with the new iPhone 16 PM and has written a thorough review of the camera capabilities based on his Kenya adventures. You can see still photos and videos, all shot on iPhone, including this photo & video overview:

products via Prime

Amazon is holding Prime days with many deal on October 8 and 9, 2024. A list of Apple products offered by Amazon Prime Deals, compiled by Macrumors. Some have significant discounts.

Apple Design for Devs

Here is a very good thread of Apple Design principles for developers. Compiled and presented by developer Dára Sobaloju.

iOS apps

Tubi Tubi is a free video streaming service for movies, TV shows, sports, news. It offers content from Paramount, Lionsgate, MGM and more. It comes with a free iOS and tvOS app. Tubi works in the US. If you are traveling, you can use a VPN to access it.

podcasts

Last month, we discussed Overcast, one of the most successful podcast apps, and its latest major release. Mac Power Users interviewed the developer about this complete rewrite project, how he thinks through user feedback, and Apple's annual release cycle. The New Overcast, with Marco Arment.

Freakonomics episode: Multitasking Doesn’t Work. So Why Do We Keep Trying?

tips & tricks

iPhones that have FaceID offer a feature that can be buried or forgotten: Turn Attention Aware features on or off on your iPhone or iPad Pro. This setting says: `iPhone will check for attention before dimming the display, expanding a notification when locked, or lowering the volume of some alerts.' If your alarms are surprisingly at low volume, you might want to turn off this option.

A reminder: Apple offers the option for additional Stolen Device Protection (in Settings > FaceID Stolen Device Protection). This can sometimes mean you get forestalled when trying to add a face to FaceID while traveling. This happened to Olga recently while flying. She tried to train FaceID to recognize her with an additional set of glasses. But she had to wait for 60 minutes to do so.

On your Mac, if you have several Safari tabs open and one of them is playing a video or audio, you can quickly identify which:

Spam text messages can be a nuisance. Occasionally, some can also be tricky, disguising themselves as legitimate. Always remember to be skeptical and avoid clicking links unless you are really sure about the sender. Here is an example of a spam text message:


screenshot
Example: Screenshot of a spam text message.

gadgets & accessories

The QWERKYWRITER is a wireless keyboard that is meant to remind you of old typewriters. It has an integrated stand for your iPhone or iPad.

A favorite keyboard for many developers is the Flow84, bt Lofree. It is a low-profile mechanical keyboard, extremely slim and thin design, made to be very durable due to a aluminum-alloy design for long-term use. It is white backlight and with an RGB sidelight.

The Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s is a wireless keyboard that works with your iPhone or iPad. The NYTimes Wirecutter considers it the best choice for a wireless bluetooth keyboard, writing that `it is comfortable to type on, compact, and delivers long battery life. Plus, it can pair with and switch between three Bluetooth devices.'

the Logitech K585 is another wireless keyboard by Logitech. It includes a number pad and has a cradle for your device. The NYTimes Wirecutter considers it the 2nd best choice for a wireless bluetooth keyboard, writing that `this model has a number pad and a stand for your phone or tablet. Like our top pick, it feels comfortable to type on and offers long battery life.`

Pay

When you use Apple Wallet/Apple Pay to order an item online, very often you now get Wallet notifications with tracking info, helping you view the progress of the purchase from packed, shipped, all the way to the delivery. Plus you can see the past history of all your purchases.

watch

The Rocky Point watch band by Nomad is a high quality rugged style band.

general news and crossover

iMore, one of a few standard Apple and iOS related sites, is saying goodbye.

And here's a chuckle:

next iPUG meeting

Our next iPUG meeting will be on Tuesday, November 12, at 7 pm AZ Time. (Note that the first Tuesday in November is Election Day.)