Category Archives: Technology

Episode 279, Get Active with Apple Watch and earn your Global Close Your Rings award on April 24

Activity Awards, Apple, Apple Watch, fitness, Fitness+, health, heart health, Technology, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss an event on April 24 for Apple Watch users to close their Activity rings and earn a special Global Close Your Rings Day limited-edition award.  Learn more about how you can earn this special award.

The Activity app on Apple Watch encourages users to close their three Activity rings — Move, Exercise, and Stand — by hitting personal daily goals for active calories burned, minutes of brisk activity completed, and number of hours when they stand up for at least a minute.
The Workout app on Apple Watch allows users to track a wide range of workouts, including Outdoor Run, Indoor Cycle, Outdoor Push, Yoga, and many more.
The Workout app on Apple Watch allows users to track a wide range of workouts, including Outdoor Run, Indoor Cycle, Outdoor Push, Yoga, and many more.
The Vitals app gives Apple Watch users a way to quickly view these key health metrics and gain better context when it comes to their health.

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Episode 278, iOS 18.4 for iPhone brings many new features and improvements

Apple, Apple Music, Technology, Uncategorized, Vision Pro, , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss the new features and enhancements brought by iOS 18.4, Apple’s most recent update for iPhones. Whether you’re in Anchorage, Alaska or anywhere else, this update is packed with changes that aim to improve your device’s performance, privacy, and overall user experience.​

iOS 18.4 introduces significant advancements in Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI-powered features.
Once you’ve installed iOS 18.4, you can open the Control Center, tap and hold an empty part of the screen, and hit the Add a Control button near the bottom of the display. Scroll down until you see the Ambient Music tab and select one of the controls. Apple lets you pick one of four moods: Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. In the Control Center, tap and hold any of these playlists to reveal more options. You can tap From Library to add your own playlists to any of these controls.
Go to the News app on your iPhone. Tap Following at the bottom of the screen, tap Food, then scroll down to see stories and recipes. The more food content and recipes you read, the more personalized your recommendations are. Tap Recipe Catalog at the top of the feed or the Recipe Catalog button in the top-right corner, then do any of the following: Search by recipe title, ingredient, or keyword: Tap the search field, enter a term, then tap Search. Filter by category: Tap a category, such as Vegetarian.

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Episode 276, ‘Friday Night Baseball’ returns to Apple TV+ on March 28

Apple sports, Apple TV, iPad, iPad Pro, MLB Baseball, software, Technology, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss Apple “Friday Night Baseball” returns to Apple TV+ on March 28.  Apple and Major League Baseball announced that “Friday Night Baseball,” a weekly doubleheader available on Apple TV+, is set to return for the 2025 regular season. Fans across 60 countries and regions can enjoy two marquee matchups over 25 weeks, featuring enhanced production quality, expert commentary, and no local broadcast restrictions.

“Friday Night Baseball” will be available to Apple TV+ subscribers throughout the 2025 regular season, beginning on Friday, March 28. Subscription required, ™/© 2025 MLB.

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Episode 275, Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip, a new sky blue color, and a lower starting price of $999

Apple, MacBook Air, Technology, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss Apple’s introduction of a new MacBook Air with the M4 chip, a new sky blue color, and a lower starting price of $999.  The popular laptop delivers more value than ever with greater performance, up to 18 hours of battery life, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and enhanced external display support — all in its strikingly thin and light design.

Available in an all-new sky blue, MacBook Air features the superfast M4 chip, is built for Apple Intelligence, and delivers even greater value, starting at $999.
MacBook Air comes in two perfectly portable sizes: a 13-inch and a 15-inch model.
With systemwide Writing Tools powered by Apple Intelligence, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write, including Apple apps like Pages, Keynote, and more.
Desk View simultaneously displays the user and a top-down view of their desk, making video calls even more engaging for those who want to show off their latest DIY project or present a prototype at work.

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Episode 273, Celebrate Heart Health Month by earning an Activity Award on Valentine’s Day

Apple Health, cardiology, fitness, Fitness+, health, heart health, Technology, , , , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss how Apple is celebrating Heart Health Month.  We wanted to get this out so Apple and fitness enthusiasts can plan ahead.   Let’s go to the show for this quick update.

2025 Heart Health Month Activity Award available on Friday, February 14. 
Sticker Pack available for those who complete their exercise ring on Valentine’s Day.

 

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Episode 270, Apple Intelligence now features Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools enhancements, seamless support for ChatGPT, and visual intelligence

Apple Intelligence, iOS 18.2, Technology, , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss Apple Intelligence now features Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools enhancements, seamless support for ChatGPT, and visual intelligence and more.  This came with Apple’s release this week of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, introducing a brand-new set of Apple Intelligence features that will elevate users’ experience with iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Happy Holidays from the Mac Minutes Podcast team.

This week’s release of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 brings new features to Apple Intelligence on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Image Playground allows users to easily create fun and unique images, with concepts like themes, costumes, accessories, and places.
Users can create their own unique emoji with Genmoji, making conversations with family and friends more fun and playful.
With Image Wand, users can transform a rough sketch into a polished image by simply circling it.
Describe Your Change in Writing Tools gives users even more flexibility and control by allowing them to specify the change they’d like to make to their text.

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Episode 269, Apple’s Find My enables users to share the location of lost items with third parties

Air Travel, AirTags, Apple, Identification, iPad, Technology, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss Apple’s Find My enables users to share the location of lost items with third parties. Now available in beta with iOS 18.2, users can share a secure link with the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with others — and soon, with airlines.

Share Item Location is a new iOS feature that helps users locate and recover misplaced items by easily and securely sharing the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with third parties such as airlines.
After a user generates a Share Item Location link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, the recipients will be able to view a website that shows a location of the item on an interactive map.
Find My is built with privacy and safety at its core — the shared location will be disabled as soon as a user is reunited with their item, can be stopped by the owner at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days
Find My is built with privacy and safety at its core — the shared location will be disabled as soon as a user is reunited with their item, can be stopped by the owner at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days.

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Episode 266, iOS18, Satellite Messaging on your iPhone

Apple Health, Computers, Emergency SOS, fitness, iOS16, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, Satellite Messenging, Technology, , , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss Apple’ introduction of Messenging via satellite on your iPhone that is now available with iOS18.  With all model of iPhone 14 or later, you can send iMessages or SMS messages via satellite when you’re off the grid with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

Try the Satellite Connection demo — To learn how to connect to a satellite, open the Settings app > Apps > Messages, then tap Satellite Connection Demo.
When your iPhone detects that you’re outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, it alerts you — on the Lock Screen, you get a prompt that you can send and receive messages via satellite. Otherwise, you get a notification to Use Messages via Satellite when you open the Messages app.
To send a message, just open the Messages app — you’ll be prompted start accepting messages, if you haven’t already, and your iPhone provides instructions to connect to a satellite to send a text. If you have iPhone 14 Pro or later, the Dynamic Island at the top of the screen has indicator dots that show the strength of your connection and, if your connection could be improved, arrows that direct you to turn left or right. You can tap the Dynamic Island to open Connection Assistant for more help.
If you have cellular or Wi-Fi coverage and you’re messaging with someone who is using Messages via satellite:  In iMessage conversations, you see an alert that your contact is accepting messages via satellite.  After you tap send, you need to also tap Send via Satellite underneath the message bubble. If you have cellular or Wi-Fi coverage and you’re messaging with someone who is using Messages via satellite: If you’re an emergency contact or a member of a Family Sharing group, you can send an SMS message before your contact sends you a message via satellite. They’ll receive the message once they start accepting messages via satellite.

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Episode 265, Apple launches macOS Sequoia with new and improved features

2024 Apple Event, Apple, Apple Event, business, Computers, iOS16, iPadOS 16, iPhone, Mac OS Sequoia, National Parks, safety, security, software, Technology, , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss Apple’ introduction of macOS Sequoia, now in the public format, bringing iPhone Mirroring, Apple Intelligence, and more improvements to Mac. We will talk more about these and other significant new features and upgrades to our desktop system. For a comprehensive list of everything that’s new in macOS Sequoia visit this link furnished from Apple.

macOS Sequoia now features iPhone Mirroring; new updates to Safari, video conferencing, and more; and starting next month, will mark the arrival of Apple Intelligence on Mac.
With iPhone Mirroring, users can now fully access and engage with their iPhone right from Mac while iPhone remains locked nearby.
Highlights in Safari make it even easier to discover information on the web, quickly pulling up relevant information about a site.
Easier window tiling lets users quickly drag windows into key areas on their screen to effortlessly arrange them into side-by-side tiles, or place them into corners to keep even more apps in view.
A new Passwords app makes it even easier to access passwords and organize credentials all in one place.
Users can select beautiful built-in backgrounds, while Apple’s industry-leading segmentation technology helps them look their best while video conferencing with macOS Sequoia.

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Episode 262, Apple celebrates America’s national parks with an Apple Pay donation campaign and new ways to explore with Apple Maps

Activity Awards, Apple, Apple Health, Apple Watch, education, fitness, health, heart health, medical, National Parks, Technology, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss how Apple is celebrating America’s national parks with an Apple Pay donation campaign and new ways to explore with Apple Maps.  We will also telll you how to earn an activity award on Sunday, August 25 by participating in a fitness activity.  (Graphics courtesy of Apple Inc.)

This week, Apple celebrates the 108th birthday of the U.S. National Park Service with an Apple Pay donation campaign and new ways to explore with Apple Maps. Photo by Jude Allen. Shot on iPhone 14 Pro.
On August 25, Apple Watch users can earn a limited-edition award and animated stickers for Messages to celebrate national parks.
This fall, Apple Maps users can explore thousands of hikes in U.S. national parks and save them for offline use.
On August 25, Apple Watch users can earn a limited-edition award and animated stickers for Messages to celebrate national parks.

On August 25, Apple Watch users can earn a limited-edition award and several animated stickers for Messages to celebrate national parks.

 

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