One of my favorite tips to share for using an iPhone and iPad is Apple’s built-in text replacement system. You access it by going to Settings -> General -> Keyboard -> Text Replacement. You can create traditional shortcuts, such as as series of letters that your device will turn into something longer. (For example, if I type jji my iPhone/iPad changes it to jeff@iphonejd.com; if I type jja it becomes jeff.richardson@arlaw.com; etc.) You can add a phrase without a shortcut to add a word to the built-in dictionary. (For example, I added the phrase “limine” and left the shortcut field blank so that my auto-correct doesn’t annoy me whenever I type “motion in limine” on my iPhone or iPad.) And you can even use the feature to access characters that cannot be directly typed on the keyboard. (For example, I have ¶ as a Phrase which appears when I type #7, which is useful because there is no way to directly type the paragraph symbol on an iPhone.) I mention all of this today because California attorney David Sparks reported this week that the built-in text replacement on the iPhone, iPad and Mac is much more reliable now that Apple improved the way that phrases and shortcuts are synced among multiple devices using iCloud. It is nice to see a good feature get even better. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- New York attorney Nicole Block recommends a few of her favorite Apple Watch and iPhone apps for lawyers.
- Sarah Perez of TechCrunch reports that the iPhone remains the most popular camera on Flickr.
- In an article for Lifehacker, Patrick Lucas Austin agrees with my recommendation that you add a clip to your Apple Pencil.
- Cody Lee of the iDownloadBlog has gift recommendations for Apple Watch owners.
- Seamus Bellamy of Macworld says that if you like Apple’s AirPods but want something that sounds better (and costs more), the B&O Beoplay E8 are a good option, which are $299 on Amazon.
- Charlie Sorrel of Cult of Mac says that the AirPods are the best wireless earbuds, but has some other recommendations if you want an alternative.
- Adam Engst of TidBITS reports that watchOS 4.2 was released this week, which lets you send and receive payments using Apple Pay Cash on the watch, and which also adds support for HomeKit sprinklers and faucets. I’ve never thought about turning on a faucet using my watch, but I suppose I could do that now.
- Tom’s Guide names the most innovative tech of 2017, and explains why the iPhone X is on the list.
- Amazon Prime Video is (finally) available on the Apple TV. Dave Mark of The Loop explains how to get it up and running.
- Jason Cipriani of PC World recommends the best USB car chargers for your phone.
- Nick Guy of Wirecutter recommends the best iPhone X cases. His overall pick is the Anker Karapax Touch, but for a leather case he likes the Apple Leather Case that I reviewed last week.
- Juli Clover of MacRumors reports that Apple updated its Renew and Recycling program to accept the Apple Watch. Apple will pay you $50 to $175 for your used watch, depending upon which model it is.
- And finally, earlier this week I mentioned that Apple Pay Cash is now active. If you haven’t had a chance to try Apple Pay Cash yet, Apple posted a short video this week that shows off how easy it is to use: