I just returned from ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago, and it was great to catch up with lots of iPhone J.D. readers while I was there. I was disappointed by the content of the conference this year because there were so few sessions devoted to mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, but that was offset somewhat by lots of folks sharing tips on using their iOS devices, and the Expo floor featured lots of companies showing off iOS apps. I’ll have more to say on that next week. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac shows how you can use the Spotlight search feature which is built-in to iOS 11 to track flights on an iPhone or iPad.
- Tim Hardwick of MacRumors has a good list of tips and tricks for the Apple TV remote.
- Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac shows off a very quick way to share your current location with someone else using the Messages app.
- Charlie Sorrel of Cult of Mac explains how to use custom vibration alerts on an iPhone.
- Leif Johnson of Macworld describes some of the interesting features of the Photos app on the iPhone.
- Federico Viticci of MacStories reviews HomePass, an app that stores HomeKit setup codes.
- If you feel that you need a screen protector on your iPhone X, Nick Guy of Wirecutter picks the best one.
- Jason Snell of Six Colors posted a helpful review of the HomePod.
- In an article for Macworld, Jason Snell speculates on what Apple might do to improve the AirPods.
- And finally, to create a commercial for the Apple HomePod, Apple hired Spike Jonze to create what amounts to a tiny movie about how using the device can let you escape from the hum drum of life. There is a 60 second version that Apple is running as a commercial on TV, but I think that version is too short and loses some of the impact. The full four minute version is the one to watch:
Yeah, I was disappointed in many aspects of TechShow as well. Here’s a link to my 2-minute YouTube video overview: https://youtu.be/tJ-nzf9PfSM