Category Archives: Apple

Episode 144, Apple’s Sept. 14 Keynote announced; RECCO, ‘twICEme’ iPhone App uses technology to bring bike helmets to a digital level of safety



In this episode, we will bypass the speculation nonsense, other than making sure you know about the Tuesday, September 14 Apple Keynote.  It’s at 10 am PDT streaming live, and will be available later.   We are expecting to see several new models of the iPhone, an AppleWatch and other hardware and software announcements.  There are plenty of stories already out there, but I’d rather spend the time on a topic more meaningful.   We will save that coverage for a Tuesday evening special Mac Minutes Podcast when we know the facts.  I’d encourage you to tune into the keynote and come back for our analysis.  This week I want to talk about a major step forward for biking safety, especially for those of us who venture out alone. I purchased this new bike helmet which came out this year, specifically the POC Kortal Race MIPS Bike Helmet. It has tons of structural safety features but the technology is what sold me.

The RECCO Search and Rescue (SAR ) detector can overlarge areas fast. From a height of 100 meters covering a search area of approx. 100 meters wide, the SAR enables rescuers to search 1 square kilometer within 6 minutes.
Mountain-biking wearing the POC Kortal MIPS Race helmet.
Photo of the Kortal Race MIPS helmet equipped with RECCO rescue reflector. The helmet retails for $250.  a 10% discount is available on their website
twICEme is the digital application on the Apple App Store that integrates vital ICE information into equipment, such as an equipped bike helmet.

Episode 143, Apple acquires Primephonic, classical music service; first states to adopt driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet; and new changes coming to the Apple App Store



In this episode we will review Apple’s top stories this week including Apple acquiring Primephonic, the renowned classical music streaming service; Apple announcing the first states signed up to adopt driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet; and App Store improvements, announcing a number of changes coming to the App Store after resolving dispute with developers.

 

The renowned classical music experience is coming to Apple Music.
Apple announced this week the first states including Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah to be among the first states to bring state IDs and driver’s licenses in Wallet to their residents.

 


Episode 142, Apple celebrates National Parks, offering fitness award; Activity Awards creates your achievements into beautiful magnets



In this episode we will discuss Apple celebrating National Parks in the United States by raising funds and an opportunity to earn a beautiful Apple Activity Challenge Fitness award and stickers this Saturday, August 28.  We will tell you how to participate in this noteworthy effort.  In the second half of the podcast we will talk about the Activity Awards company that offers physical representations of the digital fitness awards that Apple provides when Apple Watch owners meet their goals.

The 2021 National Parks Challenge Fitness Award available to those who participate on Saturday, Aug. 28.

Episode 139, Apple means business, personally and professionally



In this episode we will discuss a dozen reasons why Apple should be the choice of your personal and business interests.

See it all in sharp detail on the immersive 24‑inch 4.5K Retina display. The P3 wide color gamut brings what you’re watching to life in over a billion colors. Images shine with a brilliant 500 nits of brightness. Industry-leading anti‑reflective coating delivers greater comfort and readability. And True Tone technology automatically adjusts the color temperature of your display to the ambient light of your environment, for a more natural viewing experience. 
The thinnest, lightest notebook, completely transformed with an Apple M1 chip. CPU speeds up to 3.5x faster.
M1 has an 16 billion transistors with the Apple computing system on a chip.

 


Episode 138, Apple launches iPhone 12 MagSafe Battery Pack; & updates operating systems



In this episode we will discuss the recent launch of Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack, an add-on battery that is tailored to work with the Phone 12 models.  We will cover its features, some of the reasons you may want to buy one, and how to use it properly.  We will end the podcast to tell you about the recent update for various Apple operating systems, including macOS Big Sur 11.5, iOS 14.7, watchOS 7.6, and tvOS 14.7.

The MagSafe Battery Pack only comes in white, priced at $99 US and has a rounded, rectangular design that matches the shape of the iPhone, and it attaches to the back of all of the iPhone 12 line up.
To see your charging status in Today View or on the Home Screen, add the Batteries widget:  Go to Today View or the Home Screen page where you want to add the widget, then touch and hold the background until the apps begin to jiggle. Tap the Add Widget button at the top of the screen to open the widget gallery.  Scroll or search to find Batteries, tap it, then swipe left through the size options. The different sizes display different information.  When you see the size you want, tap Add Widget, then tap Done.

Episode 137, Using the iMovie App with iPhone to make video magic



In this episode we will have a special guest, Ms. Liana Hanson, who will telling us how she has used the iMovie application with her iPhone to make good quality videos with audio for use on various platforms without expensive programs and support equipment.


Episode 135, Colorful Apple Watch International Collection bands and watch faces show patriotism for upcoming Olympic Games; Apple launches public OS Beta program



In this episode, we will discuss the Apple’s launching this week of New Sport Loop bands and matching downloadable watch faces feature bold designs that represent 22 nations around the world. These bands are just in time to show your support for your summer Olympic teams taking place July 23 through August 8. Additionally, we will briefly talk about Apple launching the public beta operating systems.

Australia, Belgium, and Brazil International Collection Sport Loop bands and matching Stripes watch faces
The US International Collection Sport Loop and Stripes watch face.

Episode 134, Using Spatial Audio on Apple Music; Apple Fitness+ releases new episodes of ‘Time to Walk’ starting Monday, June 28



In this episode, we will discuss the Apple Music launching industry-leading sound quality to subscribers with the addition of spatial audio from some of your favorite artists with support for Dolby Atmos.  Additionally, new episodes of ‘Time to Walk’ are available for Fitness+ users on Apple Watch starting on Monday, June 28, with a whole new group of guests covering a wide spectrum of interesting topics.

New episodes of ‘Time to Walk’ are available for Fitness+ users on Apple Watch starting June 28, with guests including Randall Park, Michaela Jaé “MJ” Rodriguez, Anthony Joshua, and more.
Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio has arrived for Apple Music subscribers. First there was mono, then stereo, and now there’s Spatial Audio. Spatial is an immersive experience with sound moving around you in different directions.

Episode 132, Apple debuts iOS 15 bringing new ways to stay connected and powerful features that help users focus, explore, and do more with on-device intelligence



In this episode, we will discuss one of Apple’s announcements Monday kicking off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference 2021 with major updates to FaceTime, new Focus features to reduce distraction, enhanced on-device intelligence to discover information, and more ways to explore the world using Maps, Weather, and Wallet.

iOS 15 introduces SharePlay in FaceTime, Live Text using on-device intelligence, redesigned Notifications, and more.
The stunning Portrait mode from the Camera app is now optimized for video calls in FaceTime.
Focus helps users filter notifications to reduce distractions, using a custom Focus or a suggested Focus like Work or Sleep.
An all-new city navigation and exploration experience comes to Apple Maps with more realistic and colorful details.

Episode 131, Not all USB-C ports or cables are equal; why one USB-C cable is not likely like another; and what you should know. WWDC 2021 begins Monday.



In this episode, I’ll explain the USB-C charging system and tell listeners the differences between the cables and why not all USB-C ports or cables are equal; why one USB-C cable is not likely not like another; and what you should know.  Ushering in several years ago was the idyllic age of the one-size-fits-all cable. Despite the USB-C connector supplied as default in modern smartphones, the standard has, unfortunately, failed to live up to its promises.  It’s now become time, especially here in the past year, where to keep track which cable belongs to what device if you want a device to work or work optimally.  Also, you need to know what your device USB-C port’s capabilities.  We have some fixes for the interim and there is some promise of improvements in the future.   We will close with information about WWDC 2021 which kicks off Monday.

Typical USB-C male connector