Category Archives: Technology

Episode 205, Apple ‘Rings in the New Year’ with new fitness award; Apple announces 2023 Major League Soccer Apple TV schedule



In this episode, we will discuss the announcement that you’ll be able to work towards earning the Ring in the New Year activity badge beginning on Sunday, January 1, 2023 and we will follow up on our earlier podcast with Apple announcing the Major League Soccer, or commonly referred to as MLS, Apple TV schedule (https://mlssoccer.com/schedule).  We have got a lot to cover in this New Year’s edition.

Apple Watch users will once again in 2023 be able to complete an Activity Challenge for New Year’s. Those who close all three of their stand/roll, exercise, and move rings for seven days in a row at any point in January will earn a special award in the Fitness app and custom animated stickers that can be used in the Messages and FaceTime apps.
Fans can visit https://apple.co/MySportsMLS on iPhone or iPad to be directed right to the Apple TV app and follow their favorite Major League Soccer clubs, and get alerts before upcoming games.

Episode 204, Use It, or Lose It—Save Your New Devices with an Uninterrupted Power Supply



In this podcast, we will look at how Uninterrupted Power Supplies, commonly referred to as a UPS, to protect your new Apple devices and valued accessories you may receive over this holiday season.  We will teach you how differentiate between the different features and capabilities when shopping for one.

APC UPS Battery Backup Surge Protector, 425VA Backup Battery Power Supply, BE425M, is just one of many UPS which offer low-cost protection to your prized electronic devices.

 


Episode 203, Apple launches Freeform: a powerful new app designed for creative brainstorming and collaboration



In this podcast Apple launched Freeform this week with their recent update. Freeform is a powerful new app designed for creative brainstorming and collaboration.  Freeform for iPhone, iPad, and Mac makes visual collaboration easier than ever.  Freeform is an all-new app included in any iPhone, iPad, and Mac supporting iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1.  Happy holidays!

Freeform provides a flexible canvas across iPhone, iPad, and Mac — bringing conversation topics, content, and ideas all into one place.
Whether taking notes with Scribble, sketching with the drawing tool, or coloring with the crayon or fill tool, Freeform users can take their creativity to the next level.
Freeform boards support a wide range of files, and users can preview inline without ever leaving the board — making it the perfect tool for gathering documents for a school project or planning an upcoming trip.
With FaceTime and iCloud integration, Freeform is designed for collaboration, making it easier than ever to invite others to work on a board together.

Episode 202, Apple and Major League Soccer announce MLS Season Pass launching in early 2023



In this podcast Apple and Major League Soccer announced MLS Season Pass will launch February 1, 2023 an unprecedented subscription service to fans in over 100 countries and regions that features every live MLS regular-season match, the entire playoffs, and the Leagues Cup, all with no blackouts.  We will tell you about and how to get the games, prices and all the details.  Happy holidays from the Mac Minutes Podcast.

MLS Soccer will be available to sign up starting Feb 1. To keep up-to-date with the latest information and sign up for updates about MLS Season Pass, go to https://apple.com/apple-tv-app

Episode 201, Winter ‘Slopes’ App offers new features for Apple Watch and Ultra winter ski and snowboarding enthusiasts



In this podcast we will review the winter skiing and snowboarding application ‘Slopes’ and all its new features for Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra owners this season.  We will additionally tell you about a new Action Button feature that has been added to the Apple Watch Ultra for the Slopes application.  Happy Holidays!


Episode 200, Emergency SOS via satellite available today on the iPhone 14 lineup in the US and Canada



In this podcast we will tell you about Apple’s announcement today that emergency SOS via satellite is available on the iPhone 14 lineup in the US and Canada.  iPhone 14 users can now connect with emergency services when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage are not available; the service extends to France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. We will talk about this new potential life-saving feature and how it works and use it.

Apple’s groundbreaking safety service Emergency SOS via satellite becomes available to customers in the US and Canada starting Tuesday, Nov. 14.
With Emergency SOS via satellite, users can send and receive messages in as little as 15 seconds in clear conditions
The intuitive interface guides the user where to point their iPhone to connect to a satellite.
With Emergency SOS via satellite, users can send and receive messages in as little as 15 seconds in clear conditions.
When users want to reassure friends and family of their whereabouts while traveling off the grid, they can open the Find My app and share their location via satellite.

Episode 198, Apple launches macOS Ventura with new features



macOS Ventura is now available to download and takes the Mac experience to a whole new level with groundbreaking capabilities that help users achieve more than ever.  We will do all this in minutes so let’s get started.  New features we will cover include Continuity Camera, which enables users to seamlessly work across their Apple devices, and productivity tools including Stage Manager, helping users stay focused and easily move between tasks. Also, we will cover Safari which uses ushers in a passwordless future with passkeys, and big updates come to popular apps including Mail and Messages. 

macOS Ventura includes new productivity tools and Continuity features that make the Mac experience better than ever. You can see graphics of all these new features at https://www.apple.com/macos/ventura/

Episode 197, Apple’s ‘Take Note’ event launches next generation iPad Pro with new M2 chip and redesigned iPad in vibrant colors



In this podcast, we will discuss Apple’s “Take Note” announcement of the next generation iPad Pro, supercharged by the M2 chip; and the completely redesigned iPad in four vibrant colors, featuring a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, the powerful A14 Bionic chip, advanced cameras, fast wireless connectivity, USB-C, support for the new Magic Keyboard Folio, along with more Apple news.

Apple upgraded Tuesday, Oct. 18 several devices at its ‘Take Note’ announcement, including iPad, iPad Pro and Apple 4K TV.
With breakthrough performance of the M2 chip, a next-level Apple Pencil hover experience, and superfast wireless connectivity, the new iPad Pro delivers a powerful and unique iPad experience.
With all new vibrant colors the redesigned iPad features a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, the powerful A14 Bionic chip, advanced cameras, fast wireless connectivity, USB-C, support for the new Magic Keyboard Folio, and more.

Episode 195, Safety Check on iPhone works to keep you safe; iPhone 14 Plus now available in stores



In this episode, we will discuss how Safety Check on iPhone works to keep you safe and briefly cover the launching of the iPhone 14 Plus.

You can use Safety Check to check whom you’re sharing information with, restrict Messages and FaceTime to your iPhone, reset system privacy permissions for apps, change your passcode, change your Apple ID password, and more.
iPhone 14 Plus features a durable and sophisticated aerospace-grade aluminum design in five beautiful colors — midnight, blue, starlight, purple, and (PRODUCT)RED.1 With an expansive 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display, iPhone 14 Plus is great for seeing more content on-screen, having a larger canvas for on-the-go photo and video editing, and watching TV and movies. And the larger display, combined with A15 Bionic with a 5-core GPU makes it a bargain at its current pricing. 

Episode 194, Emergency SOS via satellite coming soon to iPhone 14



In this episode, we will discuss using Emergency SOS via satellite feature on your iPhone 14 that was announced during the September Apple Event.  With iPhone 14 models, you will soon be able to use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you’re out of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.