Category Archives: Technology

Episode 286, macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

Apple, macOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, Productivity, software, Technology, , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss what makes macOS Tahoe 26 for the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever.  Amongst the new features, we will be telling you about a stunning new design, more Continuity experiences with the Phone app and Live Activities, the biggest update to Spotlight ever, expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities, and more.

macOS Tahoe 26 introduces a beautiful new design, additional Continuity experiences, along with even more features to turbocharge productivity.
The new design unlocks even more ways to personalize the Mac.
The new design elevates iconic elements of macOS, making them at once fresh and timelessly Mac. From the moment a user unlocks their Mac, the desktop is instantly familiar.

With the new Phone app for Mac, users can conveniently access familiar content — like Recents, Contacts, and Voicemail — synced from iPhone, and easily make a call with a click.
Live Activities from iPhone appear in the menu bar on Mac; and when users click on one, the app opens in iPhone Mirroring to show more information. 
All of a user’s apps are now on view in Spotlight, including apps from their iPhone, thanks to iPhone Mirroring.
Users can now take hundreds of actions directly from Spotlight — like sending an email, creating a note, or playing a podcast — without jumping between apps.
Items from the menu bar for the app a user is currently working in are searchable in Spotlight.
Spotlight introduces quick keys, which are short strings of characters that get users right to the action they’re looking for.
Live Translation on FaceTime helps users communicate across languages by following along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice.
Safari offers a fresh but familiar experience, featuring a rounded tab design that floats in the toolbar, along with a refreshed sidebar.

 

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Episode 285, watchOS 26 delivers more personalized and productive ways to stay active, healthy, and connected

Apple, Apple Health, Apple Music, Apple Music, Apple Watch, fitness, Fitness+, health, Technology, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss watchOS 26 delivers more productive and personal ways to stay active, healthy, and connected. A new software design makes using Apple Watch even more helpful, Workout Buddy brings a first-of-its-kind workout experience with Apple Intelligence, and the Smart Stack and Messages are more intelligent.  We will cover these new features and a lot more.

watchOS 26 offers a new look and even more intelligence for a more personalized experience.
A new software design enables a vibrant and expressive experience that reflects and refracts content using real-time rendering, which brings even more focus to content.
The Workout app debuts the biggest update to its layout and navigation since its introduction, with four new buttons in the corners that make it easier for users to access their favorite features to customize workouts.
Apple Music can now select the best playlist for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes. Alternatively, users can see suggestions for playlists or podcasts based on what they’ve recently listened to during that particular workout type.
Smart Stack hints offer a proactive prompt for actionable suggestions that are immediately useful. For example, a hint for Backtrack may appear when a user is in a remote location with no connectivity.
Apple Watch now supports Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence, allowing incoming texts to be automatically translated into a user’s preferred language.
Notifications are now even easier to manage with a simple wrist flick gesture. When a user raises their wrist to check a notification but isn’t ready to respond, they can quickly turn their wrist over and back to dismiss the notification.

 

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Episode 282, Universal Music Group and Apple Music announce Sound Therapy

health, iPhone, Sound Therapy, Technology, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

In this episode, we will discuss Universal Music Group and Apple Music announce a new feature called Sound Therapy,  Sound Therapy is a collection which leverages cognitive science and Universal Music Group’s roster of global superstars, adding subtle auditory beats to well-known curated tracks, aiming to help listeners focus, relax, and sleep.

The collection leverages cognitive science and UMG’s roster of global superstars, adding subtle auditory beats to well-known curated tracks, aiming to help listeners focus, relax, and sleep.
The Focus category is designed to support improved cognitive performance and concentration, tapping into the power of gamma auditory beats to help listeners get in the mindset to achieve optimum focus. White noise masks distracting sounds, aiming to help listeners stay in the moment.
The Sleep category is designed to encourage deeper sleep through an infusion of delta auditory beats or pink noise, which works similarly to white noise but uses natural sounds like rainfall and ocean waves.
Songs in the Relax category are made for letting go, blending and infusing in theta auditory beats to help achieve ultimate relaxation.

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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

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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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