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10 things you didn’t know you could do with an Apple Watch

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:30:00 +0000

When Apple unveiled its first-ever smartwatch back in 2014, it’s fair to say that the world wasn’t exactly sure what it was for… and neither was Apple. In those early days, along with the fitness elements which would remain an enduring part of the product’s appeal, the company talked enthusiastically about sharing taps, sketches, and heartbeats with friends, which would not. It took time for users and third-party developers to teach Apple what they wanted from a smartwatch, and for the company to take that on board.

Today, the Apple Watch is a mature and versatile product. It’s so versatile, indeed, that you may not be aware of some of its most useful capabilities. In this article, we’re going to catch you up.

Take better iPhone photos

This was a superb piece of lateral thinking. There have always been situations where it’s difficult or impossible to trigger a camera because it needs to be out of reach, or out of sight, of the person taking the picture: when you’re trying to photograph the ports around the back of your Mac, for example, or when setting up a formal group photo that everyone wants to be in. Timers used to be the main solution, but often resulted in a mad scramble to place the camera correctly and get back in time before the time ran out. But the Apple Watch offers something better.

Open the Camera Remote app on your watch, and it will simultaneously open the Camera app on the paired iPhone. Whatever the iPhone’s camera can see, you can now see on your watch; you can switch between the front and rear cameras (and toggle some other settings) using the options button at the bottom right. Once you’re happy, hit the three-second timer button, look up and smile, and enjoy your perfect photo.

You can turn off the three-second timer using the options menu on the right, but it gives you time to compose yourself.

Foundry

Unlock other Apple devices

An Apple Watch, once you’ve unlocked it with a single passcode input, remains unlocked as long as it stays on your wrist. It can thus act as a handy digital key that’s on you at all times, unlocking your Mac and iPhone by proximity alone.

On iPhone, open the Settings app and go to Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode on older devices), then scroll down and tap the toggle under Unlock With Apple Watch. On Mac, open System Settings and go to Touch ID & Password and click the toggle next to your Apple Watch.

Play games

As small as the Apple Watch’s screen may be, it can still support some fun games; they just need to be designed with that limitation in mind. You need to be selective. We’d recommend Deep Golf and Lifeline, both of which make perfect sense in this format, but there are some more excellent suggestions here.

Talk to ChatGPT

You probably have your own thoughts on the ethics of AI, but it’s hard to deny that ChatGPT is fun to play with. Thanks to the Petey app, you can now have those conversations on Apple Watch. Tap the ‘Ask me Anything’ button then type in a query (or better still, use the dictation button and save your tapping finger) and you’ll soon hear what our future AI overlord thinks of the matter. There’s even a complication, which means Petey is never more than a tap away.

Petey can handle life’s most serious questions.

Foundry

Control navigation with air gestures

The standard control method for Apple Watch involves having the device on one wrist, and then tapping the screen and pressing and rotating the buttons and dials with the other hand. But there are situations where you need to control the watch with the same hand it’s on. And this is possible, thanks to AssistiveTouch, one of Apple’s handy accessibility features.

Open the Watch app on the paired iPhone. (Alternatively, you can set the feature up in the Apple Watch’s own Settings app, but I found this fiddly.) In the My Watch tab, select Accessibility, then scroll down until you see AssistiveTouch. Tap this, then tap the toggle at the top of the next screen to turn it on.

By default, doing a pinch gesture with the watch-bearing hand will take you forwards in menus, while double-pinching (pinching twice, rather than pinching once with two fingers) will take you back; clenching your fist will act as a tap, while double-clenching will open a menu of actions, which takes a little getting used to. In fact, the whole thing has a learning curve, but practice makes perfect, and you can change the actions tied to each gesture.

Tell the time without looking

If for whatever reason you are unable to look at your Apple Watch but you’d still like to know the time, Speak Time is the lesser-known feature for you. To set it up, open the Settings app on the watch and go to Clock, scroll down until you see Speak Time, then tap to turn it on. (Again, this can also be done in the Watch app on a paired iPhone; again, go to Clock then hit Speak Time.) Now you need only hold two fingers on the watch face for a second or so and it will tell you the time out loud.

Conversely, if you’d like to know the time silently without looking at the screen, consider Taptic Time. (You can turn this on in the Watch app by going to Clock > Taptic Time, or following a similar route in the Apple Watch’s Settings app.) There are various options but I find the Digits format easiest: this would for example give one long tap, followed by four short taps, followed by three long taps, followed by six short taps, to give you the time 14:36.

Quickly reply to messages

The Apple Watch probably doesn’t seem like the optimal device for writing out messages, but watchOS has been cleverly designed to help. Tap a notification of an incoming message (or open the Messages app on your Apple Watch and tap a message there) and you’ll see the option to reply. This is easier than it sounds.

The easiest method is to select one of the pre-written replies, such as yes, no, and “Can I call you later?” One tap and the canned reply is winging its way to the recipient: easy. And if these replies seem too limited, write some of your own by opening the Watch app on your paired iPhone and going to Messages > Default Replies.

By default the Messages app offers context-sensitive Smart Replies, but you can turn this off in the settings.

Foundry

If you’d rather be spontaneous, you can type out a reply on your wrist in the onscreen keyboard, but we’d recommend that you instead swipe up and select the Scribble keyboard instead: this has you scrawl a letter at a time using the entire screen, which is much easier than hitting tiny keys. Or best of all, tap the dictation button and speak your thoughts out loud.

Make your battery last much longer

Hardly anyone seems to know that the Apple Watch now has a Low Power mode–perhaps because it already had a Power Reserve mode, which was far more drastic and made the watch basically unusable. But Low Power, finally added in watchOS 9 in 2022, is much closer to the equivalent iPhone feature, simply cutting back on features and settings to eke out a little more battery life.

To turn on Low Power mode, open Control Center by swiping up from the clock face, then tap the battery percentage. Just below the Battery Remaining figure, you’ll see a toggle labeled Low Power Mode. (Note that in watchOS 10, Control Center is instead accessed by pressing the side button.)

Preserve your privacy

The always-on screen offered on the Series 5 onwards has many good qualities, but you might be worried that it means personal data may be visible to other people. Fortunately, you can adjust the settings so that sensitive complications and notifications only appear when your wrist is raised.

Let’s start with complications, which could display personal data such as calendar appointments or health information. Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone. From the My Watch tab, go to Display & Brightness > Always On > Show Complications Data. From here you can pick and choose which complications are allowed to display their data when the always-on screen is in dimmed mode.

Think carefully about information that could be embarrassing if seen publicly.

Foundry

Similarly, if you go to Display & Brightness > Always On > Show Notifications you can fine-tune the notifications which appear in dimmed mode, and which are only allowed to reveal their information when you’ve raised your wrist.

Get discreet directions

When you’re lost in a new city, the last thing you want to do is advertise the fact that you’re a tourist (or indeed the fact that you’ve got an expensive smartwatch on your wrist and an expensive smartphone in your pocket). For this reason, it’s desirable to have Maps advise you of turnings in a way that’s discreet and doesn’t require that you look at the screen of your Apple Watch or iPhone.

While you’re still somewhere safe, open Maps on your iPhone and select a destination and the type of directions you want. Start the journey, and make sure you turn off the sound alerts by tapping the mute/unmute button on the right-hand side. Tuck the iPhone away in a pocket.

Now, as you walk along, the Apple Watch will alert you to left turns by giving you three sets of two short buzzes and signal right turns with a rapid and even series of 10 to 12 haptic taps. (You don’t need to count them, it’s the rhythm that gives it away.) When you reach your destination you get a long vibration.

Apple Watch

Best Mac for music production

tigaman webdesign — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 16:04:38 +0000

Macworld

The Mac is an obvious candidate if you’re looking for a computer with which to make music. The choice can be overwhelming, though, with devices ranging from a few hundred dollars or pounds to thousands more than you might spend on a car. In this article we compare them all and explain which Mac is right for you.

There was a time when music production required hiring a studio, but technology moves fast. During the 1980s, there was a revolution in analog home recording kit; then the 1990s saw home computers gradually take over. Today, you can do everything from recording pop songs to mastering movie soundtracks on a Mac. But which Mac? That’s the question we’re here to answer!

Why use a Mac for music production

Whether you choose a Mac or PC for music production is largely down to the platform you prefer and who you’re collaborating with. However, there are a few reasons why musicians who choose to use Macs do so.

One reason is the simple fact that Macs are incredibly easy to use, so musicians don’t get sidetracked trying to set things up or fix problems. The recent addition of the M-series of Apple-made chips also means that they are very powerful, often outperforming Intel-equipped PC equivalents. Mac laptops are also slim and light, with superb build quality – a benefit if you are carrying them around to gigs as well as using them in a studio.

Best Mac configuration for music production

If you are going to make music with a Mac then there are a number of things that you need to consider. We’ll run through each of these below to help you make your final decision.

Software

Apple

The software you use – your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) – is as arguably as important as the computer you choose. There are plenty of options available on macOS, which you can read about in our round-up of the best music recording software for Mac.

Two impressive packages you can only find on Macs are Apple’s own Logic Pro and its enthusiast-focused cousin GarageBand. (Read our Logic Pro and Garageband reviews.)

GarageBand is essentially an audio sketchbook, albeit a powerful one in the right hands. It’s great for quickly getting down the bones of songs or compositions, with plenty of support for plug-ins. We know of several professional musicians that use it for creating demos of ideas, which they can then share with other musicians in the early stage of writing. Best of all, GarageBand comes free with every Mac, just another good reason for using Apple’s computers to create your music.

When they want to get serious though, there’s a good chance they’ll switch to Logic Pro X, which is the far more powerful and feature-rich DAW.

RAM

Music software is notoriously hungry for memory. A lack of RAM (in Apple terms this is referred to as Unified Memory) becomes a serious bottleneck in any pro-level project. You’ll be able to run fewer instruments and fewer effects; you’ll spend more time rendering and less time doing things live.

Consider 16GB your minimum. This shouldn’t be difficult, all Macs and MacBooks can be equipped with 16GB RAM – and we recommend that you do configure your Mac to at least this level, if not more. Note that M2 and M1 Macs ship with 8GB RAM as standard. The M2 Macs can be updated to 16GB RAM and top out at 24GB, while M1 Macs could only support up to 16GB RAM. If you think you might need 32GB RAM then you will need to upgrade to the M2 Pro (an option in the MacBook Pro or Mac mini), which comes with 16GB as standard and supports 32GB. For 64GB or 96GB RAM, you need the M2 Max (an option for the MacBook Pro or Mac Studio). And for 128GB or 192GB RAM you’ll need to look at the M2 Ultra (in the Mac Studio or Mac Pro).

Storage

Storage is likely to be an important factor in your decision. All Apple Macs use SSDs and have done so for many years now. This is a benefit because hard drives can be a bottleneck due to their relatively low speed compared to SSDs, and they can be noisy.

However, SSDs are far more expensive per GB than hard drives. Entry-level Apple notebooks have 256GB SSDs, but pro instrument and effects collections when installed can require hundreds of GB, and that’s before you even start to add your own music files. So you probably want a minimum of 512GB SSD with your Mac. Another reason to avoid the lower-capacity Macs is that we’ve found the smaller SSDs to be slower than their larger-capacity counterparts.

You must figure out what you’ll need, and whether assets will be stored internally or externally. External drives can be fine for large sample libraries and the like, especially when connected using Thunderbolt, but you then need to determine how to take everything with you if you’re a musician who works with people in many different locations. Cloud storage might be a good option here: check out our Best Cloud Storage Services for Mac.

Portability

Speaking of being at different locations, you must decide whether you need the Mac to be portable or not. If you’re always moving around, working with various musicians in different countries, a Mac Studio probably won’t fit in your hand luggage. But if you’re a solo musician who only ever creates music in a home studio, you could get more bang for your buck with a desktop machine such as the M2 Pro Mac mini.

If you are studio based you may think that you need an iMac so that you can take advantage of the large display, but you can plug in an external display to any Mac, so even if you had a laptop Mac you could happily use it with a 30-inch screen when you are at your desk.

Ports

You also need to consider the other kit you want to use. If you don’t have any extra kit (if all of your music-making happens inside a Mac) then this won’t be a concern, and, in theory, any Mac might do. But if you have a pile of audio interfaces, USB instruments, headphones, monitors, and other vital hardware, trying to get by the two USB-C ports found on the MacBook Air and entry-level MacBook Pro models will drive you to despair. (In which case you might want a USB hub to use with your new Mac).

Luckily in recent times, Apple has added more ports to its newest Mac laptops, so you will find SDXC, Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and more on the side of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. The Mac mini and Mac Studio also have a nice selection of ports.

Some Macs have more ports than others.

Apple

Processor

High-end audio work can be extremely processor intensive, especially when using professional plug-ins and effects. If your demands are great, you’re going to need a Mac with fairly serious processing power. Ergo, whichever Mac you decide to buy, avoid low-end models that seem to lurk in the line-up to enable Apple to say ‘from’ and use a lower price-tag in marketing material. That said, the current crop of entry-level Macs with their M2 Chips are proving to be quite formidable.

For the ultimate option turn to the MacBook Pro, Mac mini or Mac Studio with the M2 Pro or M2 Max. The M2 Ultra in the Mac Studio and Mac Pro might also appeal, but would likely be overkill.

Graphics

There’s also the question of the GPU. Historically, recording and editing audio didn’t utilize many graphics card resources, unlike 3D design and video editing. Things are more complicated these days as some audio software is GPU-accelerated. It’s also a factor should you require additional displays. Apple’s M2 Macs offer 8 or 10-core GPUS and should suffice in most cases.

If you think you will benefit from more graphics prowess then look to the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro (16 or 19 graphics cores) or the M2 Max (30 or 38 graphics cores). The Mac Studio and Mac Pro go further offering the M2 Ultra with 60- or 76-core GPU.

Display support

Speaking of external displays, note that if you want to plug in more than one additional display the standard M1 and M2 MacBooks won’t officially support more than one additional display (although there are ways around this, see: How to connect two or more external displays to Apple M1 or M2 Macs). The Mac mini, Mac Studio and all other MacBooks support a number of external displays. This could matter if you wish to use graphics with the music you play.

Best Mac for musicians

1. MacBook Pro, 14-inch, M2 Pro (2023)

If you want a good-sized screen, plenty of ports, and plenty of power the 14-inch MacBook Pro, introduced in January 2023, is a good option (and the 16-inch MacBook Pro if you want an even bigger screen). Both come with the M2 Pro chip and 16GB Unified Memory (aka RAM) as standard. This can, of course, be upgraded at the point of sale, maxing out at 32GB for the M2 Pro (you can get up to 96GB in the more expensive M2 Max models).

You’ll get 512GB or 1TB storage as standard, with the option to increase that to a mega 8TB. There is no 256GB SSD option for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, which avoides the whole issue with slower SSDs that plagues the 256GB SSDs.

Those are all good reasons to choose the larger MacBook PRo over the 13-inch model, another is the M2 Pro, which brings extra GPU cores (16 or 19) that can be used to crunch the numbers needed when using loads of plug-ins, VSTs or rendering multi-channel compositions onscreen. Should you want the most powerful MacBook Pro you can buy, then you could look at the M2 Max, which maxes out at 38 GPU cores.

This is an expensive Mac, but we often see very good discounts so we strongly recommend that you shop around to save. Check out these MacBook Pro deals for the best discounts.

2. MacBook Pro, 13-inch, M2 (2022)

Best Prices Today:

$1,099.00 at Amazon $1099.00 at Best Buy $1299.00 at Adorama

Not every musician has the budget for Apple’s M2 Pro-powered MacBook Pro though. The good news is that even the 13-inch M2-powered MacBook Pro is worthy of consideration for music-making.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro, introduced in June 2022, uses Apple’s M2 chip. The M2 is powerful enough to offer great performance and make short work of projects with plenty of layered tracks, effects, VSTs, and give smooth playback without stuttering or overloading. True, the baseline model does only come with 8GB of RAM, so we’d advise upgrading this to either 16GB or 24GB at the time of purchase, as you can’t make any adjustments later on due to the non-upgradable way these are built.

The M2 MacBook Pro is also the last remaining MacBook to feature the Touch Bar, which can be really helpful for adjusting settings or scrubbing through a timeline. You do only get a couple of USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, but these can be expanded via a USB-C hub if you need more connections for external peripherals or drives. If you want power and portability, then the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 is quite the workhorse.

Read our full

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) review

3. MacBook Air, 13-inch, M2 (2022)

Best Prices Today:

$999.00 at Amazon $999.00 at Best Buy $1099.00 at Adorama

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 is another Mac laptop that could be considered for your DAW. In terms of weight, it’s the lightest of the current crop at 2.7 pounds/1.24kg, but that doesn’t mean it’s a lightweight in the performance stakes. The M2 model is claimed by Apple to be 1.4x faster than the previous M1 version, plus you also get a little more display space as it was increased from 13.3-inch to 13.6-inch.

Due to Air’s power efficiency, the laptop also comes without a fan, which could be a godsend if you record near the laptop. As with all Macs, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can edit on the go without worrying about latency.

The MacBook Air is a little less powerful than the MacBook Pro, but you can choose a model that meets our requirements of 512GB storage, and you can up the RAM to 16GB or 24GB as we recommend. The 512GB MacBook Air, upgraded to 16GB of RAM, costs $1,599/£1,649 from Apple, which isn’t exactly cheap (but Apple did drop the price by $100/£100 in June 2023. There is a cheaper $1,099/£1,149 model, but that only has 8GB of RAM and 256GB, but could be usable if your workload is light.

To save more money you might consider the M1 version, which is still available from $999/£999, we’d advise against this and suggest that you save money by shopping around for a good deal. See: Best MacBook Air deals. You can see how the two different models compare by reading our MacBook Air (M2) vs MacBook Air (M1) article.

Read our full

Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review

4. MacBook Air, 15-inch, M2 (2023)

Best Prices Today:

$1,199.00 at Amazon

Feel like the screen on the 13-inch MacBook Air might be too cramped for your needs? In June 2023 Apple introduced a 15-inch MacBook Air. It costs more than the 13-inch MacBook Air, but actually represents good value for money in comparison to the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which has a similar-sized screen but costs a lot more. See: 15-inch MacBook vs 14-inch MacBook Pro for more information.

Read our full

Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M2, 2023) review

5. Mac mini, M2 Pro (2023)

Best Prices Today:

$1299.00 at Adorama $1299.00 at Apple $1299.00 at Best Buy

If you don’t need the portability of a laptop the best value for money Mac for musicians is the Mac mini with M2 Pro, which launched in January 2023. For $1,299/£1,399 you can get the same chip that will cost you $1,999/£2,149 in the MacBook Pro. Sure you’ll need a separate screen, mouse and keyboard, but it’s still going to save you a ton of money.

It’s small, quiet, and has great connectivity options, along with an additional audio-in port that could be useful for legacy products. What more could you ask for?

Read our full

Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) review

6. Mac mini, M2 (2023)

Best Prices Today:

$598.73 at Amazon $599.00 at Adorama $599.00 at Apple

If you don’t need the M2 Pro there’s a standard Mac mini with M2 chip, which starts at just $599/£649. If you already have a display, keyboard, mouse and are just looking for an engine on which to make some music, the Mac mini is a solid choice.

It’s small, quiet, and has great connectivity options, along with an additional audio-in port that could be useful for legacy products.

The Mac mini is currently available with the M1 chip and 256GB SSD for just £649/$599. There’s also a 512GB model for £799/$849. Double the RAM to 16GB, for another £200/$200.

If funds are low, the Mac mini is a great choice for making music. Here are the best prices for the Mac mini.

Read our full

Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) review

7. Mac Studio, M2 Max (2023)

Those looking to create professional-level music in the home or studio will definitely want to look at the Mac Studio. Aimed at the Pro market, but still affordable, this beefed-up Mac mini boasts the M2 Max SoC, with a 12-Core CPU and 30-Core GPU, or the M2 Ultra for 24-core CPU and up to 60 or 76-core GPU. Both options deliver enviable levels of performance.

Add to this up to 64GB RAM for the M2 Max, or 192GB RAM for the M2 Ultra, and up to 8TB of storage (all of which can be upgraded at the point of sale) and you have an incredibly potent Mac that can handle anything you throw at it. There are plenty of ports available, including 4x Thunderbolt 4 and 2x USB-C and 2x USB-A, so all of your outboard kit should be able to plug directly into the Mac Studio. As with the Mac mini, you’ll need to bring your own display, keyboard, mouse and speakers.

Check out the best deals for the Mac Studio to see if you can save on the usual price of $1,999/£2,099.

Read our full

Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023) review

Mac, Professional Software

Apple expands Self Service Repair and updates System Configuration process

tigaman webdesign — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:55:44 +0000

Today Apple announced Self Service Repair will be available June 21 for the iPhone 14 lineup and additional Mac models, including the 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro powered by M2. Since April 2022, Self Service Repair has given anyone with experience repairing electronic devices access to the same manuals, genuine Apple parts, and tools used at Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Apple will also make the System Configuration process used for iPhone repairs, such as displays, batteries, and cameras, even easier to use. System Configuration is a postrepair software tool that ensures repairs with genuine Apple parts — designed and tested to internationally recognized standards — were completed correctly, and the parts are working properly. The tool is available for free to all Self Service Repair users and participating service providers in Apple repair programs.

Running System Configuration after a repair authenticates genuine Apple parts, updates firmware, and calibrates parts to ensure maximum performance and quality. Additionally, for repairs involving biometric authentication, such as Touch ID or Face ID, System Configuration links the biometric sensors to the Secure Enclave on the logic board to ensure device security and customer privacy.

Self Service Repair users can now initiate System Configuration by placing their devices into Diagnostics mode and following onscreen prompts. Users no longer need to contact the Self Service Repair support team to run the final step of a repair, but the team will still be available to assist as needed.

Self Service Repair will also be available for the True Depth camera and top speaker for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups — as well as Mac desktops with M1 — in the U.S., Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K.

Self Service Repair is part of Apple’s efforts to expand access to repairs. Widespread repair access plays an important role in extending products’ longevity, which is good for users and good for the planet. For the vast majority of users who do not have experience repairing electronic devices, visiting a professional authorized repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair.

Over the past three years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and training, including more than 4,500 Independent Repair Providers. A global network of more than 5,000 Apple Authorized Service Providers supports more than 100,000 active technicians.

MacDailyNews Note: Self Service Repair is intended for individuals with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices. If you are experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices, Self Service Repair provides you with access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and repair manuals to perform your own out-of-warranty repair. More info here.

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The post Apple expands Self Service Repair and updates System Configuration process appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple just fixed the most annoying part of its Self Service Repair program

tigaman webdesign — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:25:34 +0000

Illustration: The Verge

Apple will expand its Self Service Repair program to cover recent products, including the iPhone 14 lineup and M2-based MacBooks, starting on June 21st. But perhaps more importantly, the company seems to be responding to feedback by eliminating needless friction from the process. The “System Configuration” validation step that’s required after repairs — and involves calling Apple on the phone — has been criticized as burdensome. With the new changes, you won’t have to call the company’s repair support team anymore.

“Self Service Repair users can now initiate System Configuration by placing their devices into Diagnostics mode and following onscreen prompts,” Apple wrote in today’s press release. “Users no longer need to contact the Self Service Repair support team to run the final step of a repair, but the team will still be available to assist as needed.” No more time-wasting phone calls? Sounds like the right move, Apple. Our own Sean Hollister found the previous requirement to be one of the leading frustrations of his experience repairing an iPhone.

The System Configuration step “authenticates genuine Apple parts, updates firmware, and calibrates parts to ensure maximum performance and quality,” according to the company. As of June 21st, you’ll be able to order said parts for the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. That’s in addition to the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air and M2 Pro / M2 Max MacBook Pro laptops. No luck for the just-introduced 15-inch MacBook Air, but clearly, there’s some lead time required here, considering it took nine months for the current iPhone lineup to join the program.

Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

Apple’s Self Service Repair program involves a whole lot of tools.

“Self Service Repair will also be available for the True Depth camera and top speaker for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups — as well as Mac desktops with M1 — in the U.S., Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K.,” Apple wrote in today’s news release. The company is trumpeting its efforts to increase “widespread repair access” through Self Service Repair and a growing network of authorized service locations.

But the message for most consumers remains the same: you’re better off seeking professional assistance than giving this a go yourself. “For the vast majority of users who do not have experience repairing electronic devices, visiting a professional authorized repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair,” Apple said.

Here’s How Apple Watch Widgets Work in watchOS 10

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 12:48:12 +0000

Apple last week previewed watchOS 10, its next major software update for compatible Apple Watch models. Among a handful of new features, one of the most impactful is the introduction of widgets. Let’s take a closer look at how they work and what you can do with them.

What’s Up With Widgets?

Widgets offer a new way to quickly bring up app-related information from any watch face on your Apple Watch, without having to open the corresponding app or rely exclusively on complications. In other words, if you choose simple faces without complications, you can still access the information you want, and if you like complication-rich faces, now you can get even more info at a glance.

In watchOS 10, an upward turn of the Digital Crown or a swipe up from the bottom of the watch face using your finger (Control Center is now accessed via the Side button) reveals a dynamic Smart Stack of widgets below the time and date that takes up half of the screen. You can scroll through these widgets with the Digital Crown or your finger, and tap a widget to open its corresponding app.

By using machine learning, the order of widgets can change based on your needs at any given time of day.

For example, if you have upcoming events in your calendar, a boarding pass for an upcoming flight, or tasks you need to complete, these will be displayed in order of priority. Or if you start a timer, it will appear at the top of the widget stack so you can easily see how long is left.

In addition to relevance-based ordering, Smart Stack also includes the ability to manually organize widgets, so the Smart Stack can be as dynamic or as fixed as you want.

There are actually two types of widget in watchOS 10: Dedicated app widgets that provide information from a single app, and a user-configurable complications widget that shows up to three watch face-style complications.

At the very bottom of the widget stack is a button that takes you to the traditional app menu to access all your Apple Watch apps.

Choosing the Widgets You Want to See

Like iPhone Home Screen widgets in iOS 16, Apple Watch widgets in watchOS 10 can work as a Smart Stack that changes based on the context or time of day, or you can manually choose the ones you want to include and also pin widgets to the top of the stack. The following steps show you how to edit widgets from any watch face.

On an Apple Watch running watchOS 10, scroll up using the Digital Crown, or swipe up from the bottom of the screen using your finger.

Long press any widget to enter the stack’s jiggle mode. (Note that you can’t edit the date and time display at the top of the stack.)

Tap the red minus button on a widget to remove it from the stack, or tap the large plus button above the stack to add one.

To pin a widget so that it remains at the top of the stack, tap its yellow pin icon.

To edit the complications widget, scroll to the bottom and tap the minus icon next to a complication, then tap the plus symbol to replace it with another available complication. (Note: You can also pin the complications widget.)

Summing Up

Apple is pitching widgets as a way of enjoying simple watch faces like Portrait, without being far from the sort of onscreen information that complications typically provide. By using the Digital Crown, real-time data from your favorite apps is just a dial turn away. What do you think of widgets? Let us know in the comments.

watchOS 10 will be released to the public this fall and is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 and later. In addition, you’ll also need an iPhone capable of running iOS 17. This includes the iPhone XS or later and iPhone XR or later. For a full list of iPhones compatible with iOS 17, check out our quick guide.

Related Roundups: watchOS 10, watchOS 9

This article, "Here's How Apple Watch Widgets Work in watchOS 10" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Three WWDC software announcements that hint at new Apple home gear

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 10:30:00 +0000

Macworld

Hardware was by no means in short supply at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Not only did Apple launch three new Macs but there was also that little matter of a revolutionary spatial computer. But just as the company uses its annual gathering to show off what software features are coming down the road for its platforms, it turns out that it’s also the ideal occasion for Apple prognosticators to read between the lines and see what additional hardware devices might lie just beyond the horizon.

This year, more than most, shed some light on a few places that Apple might be looking to expand its footprint–notably in the home. That’s a market where Apple has staked a few meager claims in the past, but hasn’t really invested in expanding over the past several years. But if this year’s software news is any indication, that may be about to change.

StandBy for launch

It’s not every day that Apple launches a novel interface for its most popular device, but the company managed to slip one in while dishing about iOS 17. The new StandBy mode takes a page from the Apple Watch’s Nightstand feature. When your iPhone is charging and in landscape, it can display information in a large, glanceable format. That could be as simple as a clock, or as complex as a Smart Stack of widgets.

This feature made me sit up in my seat at the keynote, because it sure seems as though this would be the ideal way to present information on a HomePod with a screen. Apple’s competitors in this market, Amazon and Google, have offered their own takes on that kind of device over the past few years, but Apple has stuck steadfastly to the utterly display-less HomePod and HomePod mini, despite recurrent rumors that the company is working on a version with a screen.

The new iOS 17 StandBy mode seems like it could lead to a HomePod with a screen.

Foundry

Adding a display to the HomePod opens up a ton of possibilities, especially with two key features that Apple’s implementing: support for Live Activities, which can offer proactive and timely information (such as viewable timers or sports scores), and—best of all—the ability for Siri to display query results onscreen. To every HomePod owner who’s been repeatedly frustrated by having Apple’s voice assistant report that it sent more information to your iPhone, this seems to finally deliver on the idea of an ambient computing platform that truly lets you go hands-free.

Maintaining Continuity

The last few revisions to the Apple TV have been fairly minor, but with tvOS 17, Apple is also hinting at a potentially bigger move to come. The company’s announcement of Continuity Camera support for its set-top box finally transforms the device into a usable appliance for video calls, by allowing people to use their iPhone or iPad as a camera and microphone.

As someone who has weekly Zoom calls in their living room, this is welcome news. There have been reports over the years that Apple is working on an Apple TV with a camera for just such a purpose, and while I’d welcome such a device, the implementation of this feature has me wondering whether or not there’s a need for it. I’d wager most Apple TV owners already have an iPhone or iPad; the idea that Apple would build a camera and mic directly into an Apple TV seems odd: where would it go? Would that even make sense with where most people put their set-top boxes? It seems even more unlikely that the company would build an external camera and microphone unit for you to place somewhere else.

Then again, this might be an opportunity for Apple to see whether such a device would get any traction in the marketplace. The company will no doubt be able to see how many users take advantage of this feature for both FaceTime and third-party video conferencing options; if it’s a hit, then maybe another hardware device could be in Apple’s future.

Apple announced FaceTIme on Apple TV that uses an iPhone or iPad camera. COuld a new camera-equipped Apple TV box be coming?

Apple

Preparing for DockKit

Speaking of videoconferencing appliances, there was one other interesting tidbit that didn’t garner keynote time but could play a major role in an Apple product for the home: DockKit. This development framework allows apps to work in concert with motorized iPhone docks, enabling them to track the subject of a video around a room. Similar technology has existed in products like Meta’s Portal videoconferencing device.

Apple, of course, doesn’t make a motorized iPhone dock of its own, but whenever it opens opportunities like this to third parties, it’s generally worthwhile to ask whether there’s a first-party reason for the technology. In this case, it’s not hard to imagine a future Apple videoconferencing device that can follow you around the room–a hardware version of the company’s Center Stage feature. (Why go through the trouble of building hardware if Center Stage already exists? For one thing, a motorized dock supports 360 degrees of panning, while Center Stage is limited to whatever direction the device’s camera is facing.)

Now, bear with me as I go out on a limb: maybe these aren’t separate devices, but rather a single new device with a movable camera for videoconferencing and a display for status information. With Siri onboard you have yourself an ambient computing device that can handle a ton of different tasks that users might otherwise have needed to pull out their iPhone or iPad to do. Maybe, at long last, Apple can really justify putting that “home” in “HomePod.”

HomePod, iOS

Apple previews new features coming to Music, Maps, Podcasts, and much more

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 21:10:14 +0000

New features coming to Apple services include SharePlay for the car in Apple Music, Custom Plans in Apple Fitness+, and offline maps in Apple Maps.

Apple’s world-class services are an integral part of many millions of users’ everyday lives, from helping them discover new artists on Apple Music, to catching up on current events with Apple News and Apple Podcasts, and navigating and exploring the world with Apple Maps. Later this year, users worldwide will be able to discover, enjoy, and accomplish even more on their favorite Apple devices with new features and enhancements arriving with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17.

“Apple’s services enrich millions of users’ lives every day, so we constantly strive to deliver the best experience possible,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “Not only do we want to make services more powerful for users, we also want to make them more fun. And I think the teams have done an incredible job with the lineup of new features we’re delivering this fall, from Collaborative Playlists in Apple Music, to offline maps in Apple Maps, to new experiences in Apple Podcasts.”

Here are some of the most exciting new tools and experiences users can look forward to:

Listen with family and friends using Collaborative Playlists. Apple Music subscribers can collaborate on playlists with family and friends. Users can invite each other to select and edit tracks, and even add emoji reactions to specific songs.

Apple Music subscribers can collaborate on playlists with family and friends.

Enjoy an even more immersive Apple Music Sing experience with Continuity Camera. With Apple Music Sing and Continuity Camera, users will be able to see themselves onscreen and apply all-new camera filters as they sing along to the lyrics of their favorite songs.

With Apple Music Sing and Continuity Camera, users will be able to see themselves onscreen and apply all-new camera filters.

Discover the artists behind favorite songs with Song Credits in Apple Music. Fans can view comprehensive data about the artists who contributed to their favorite tracks, including their roles and the instruments they played.

Contribute to what’s playing in the car with SharePlay. Apple Music is bringing SharePlay to the car so that everyone can easily choose what’s playing. When users are in a car and listening with Apple Music, other trusted iPhone devices will automatically suggest joining the session. Listeners can control the music from their own devices, even if they don’t have an Apple Music subscription.

Stream the entire catalog of Apple Music radio shows on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers will be able to listen to the entire catalog of award-winning, commercial-free Apple Music radio shows in Apple Podcasts, where they can follow individual shows to automatically download and be notified of new episodes as soon as they’re released.

Subscribers will be able to listen to the entire catalog of award-winning, commercial-free Apple Music radio shows in Apple Podcasts.

Browse offline maps with just a tap using Apple Maps. Users can easily select an area on their device and download it with just a tap. While offline, users will be able to access turn-by-turn navigation for driving, walking, transit, and cycling; see their estimated time of arrival; find places in Maps; and more.

Apple Maps is introducing offline maps, so users can easily select an area on their device and download it with just a tap. While offline, users will be able to access turn-by-turn navigation and see their estimated time of arrival, seen here on a route to Yosemite National Park.

See real-time electric vehicle charging availability. Maps users with electric vehicles will be able to see real-time charging station availability filtered by charging network, plug type, and more, and users with compatible vehicles will be able to designate a preferred charging network.

Explore the great outdoors with thousands of park trails. Maps is making it easier than ever to discover thousands of trails in parks across the U.S. with place cards that include detailed information like trail length and type, difficulty, and elevation gain.

Maps is making it easier than ever to discover thousands of trails in parks across the U.S. Place cards for trails in Maps include detailed information like trail length and type, difficulty, and elevation gain.

Build a workout or meditation routine with Custom Plans in Apple Fitness+. Custom Plans are a new way to receive a custom workout or meditation schedule based on day, duration, workout type, and more.

Queue Fitness+ workouts and meditations with Stacks. Fitness+ is also introducing Stacks, allowing users to select multiple workouts and meditations to do back to back, so they can seamlessly move to their next activity without interruptions. Stacks can be saved to a user’s library to use again in the future.

With Stacks, Fitness+ users can select multiple workouts and meditations to do seamlessly back to back.

Dial in a workout or meditation with Audio Focus on Fitness+. With Audio Focus, Fitness+ subscribers can prioritize the volume of the music to stay energized or the trainers’ voices so they can concentrate on their coaching.

Enjoy daily crosswords with Puzzles on Apple News. Apple News+ subscribers will be able to enjoy even more benefits, including Puzzles, which will include a daily crossword and mini-crossword in partnership with The Puzzle Society.

Listen to audio stories from Apple News+ on Apple Podcasts. Apple News+ subscribers will have the ability to listen to professionally narrated audio stories from the world’s leading magazines and newspapers in Apple Podcasts.

An all-new Now Playing experience comes to Apple Podcasts. Listeners will enjoy a refreshed Now Playing design, featuring a sleek, dynamic background that showcases a podcast’s art and provides enhanced controls for managing the queue.

Learn more about the topic of a podcast with episode art. With support for episode art throughout Apple Podcasts, listeners will be able to explore more about an episode. It’s also easier to preview, play, or follow podcasts with a new design for episodes, shows, and channels in Up Next.

Connect subscriptions to top apps on the App Store with Apple Podcasts. Listeners will be able to access new shows and other benefits by connecting eligible subscriptions to top apps on the App Store, including Bloomberg, Calm, The Economist, L’Équipe, Lingokids, The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and WELT.

Dive deeper into a favorite series on Apple Books. With Apple Books’ new series pages, users can easily see all of the books available in a series, toggle between ebook and audiobook versions, purchase and read the next title in the series based on their reading, discover recommendations for related series, and more.

With Apple Books’ new series pages, users can easily see all of the books available in a series.

Set up recurring payments with Apple Cash. Apple Cash users will be able to set up weekly, biweekly, or monthly Apple Cash payments, making it even easier for parents to pay allowances or for users to pay back friends and family for regularly shared expenses, such as rent payments. Users can also choose to automatically top up their Apple Cash balance when it runs low.

Present an ID to businesses using iPhone and Apple Wallet. Starting this fall, businesses will be able to accept IDs in Apple Wallet — no additional hardware needed. This will streamline their ability to securely check a customer’s age in person for things like alcohol purchases, or to verify a customer’s identity at checkout for car rentals, and more. To seamlessly and securely present their ID in Wallet to an enabled business, users simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the business’s iPhone. Users will be shown what information is being requested and whether the receiving party will be storing the information. Users will then be asked to authenticate and consent by using Face ID or Touch ID.

Starting this fall, businesses will be able to accept IDs in Apple Wallet — no additional hardware needed. To seamlessly and securely present their ID in Wallet to an enabled business, users simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the business’s iPhone.

Share and request locations using Find My with Messages and Maps. Users will be able to share their location — and request someone else’s location — through Find My directly in Messages with the new “Location” option in the Send Menu. From here, users can also easily create a route to someone’s location in Maps.

Share items using AirTag and Find My. Item sharing for AirTag and Find My network accessories will allow device owners to invite up to five other people to a sharing group. Everyone in the group will be able to see the item’s location and will not receive unwanted tracking notifications. Members of the sharing group can also use Find My to get directions to the item and use Precision Finding to help pinpoint a shared AirTag’s location.

MacDailyNews Note: A developer beta of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. A public beta will be available to users next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages.

TGIF! Interns, please do your duty. TTK! Let’s hoist one or five to the Apple Vision Pro – prost, everyone!

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