In just a few days, on Monday, Apple will begin its 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC. Like last year, the conference is online-only due to the pandemic. The conference begins at 10 Pacific / 1 Eastern with a Keynote address by Apple, and Apple always uses this opportunity to announce new products. I’m sure that we will see previews of new features coming this Fall to the next version of the iPhone and iPad operating systems, iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. I’m especially hoping that we see some iPadOS advances that allow the new 2021 version of the iPadPro to take full advantage of the power of that hardware. I’d also like to see full support for widgets in iPadOS15 so that we can place widgets anywhere on the large screen, not just on the left side. Apple always previews new software at WWDC, but Apple sometimes uses the opportunity to introduce new hardware as well. Parker Ortolani of 9to5Mac did a good job of discussing the important announcements at prior WWDC events. For example, iPhone home screen widgets were introduced in 2020. I’m very excited to see what surprises Apple will reveal next week. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- The TranscriptPad app from Lit Software is an essential app for me whenever I am working with deposition transcripts in the discovery and motion stage of litigation. I most recently discussed that app as a part of my review of LIT SUITE earlier this year. This week, the app was updated to add the ability to share an annotated transcript with another TranscriptPad user. That way, another attorney working with you on a case can easily take advantage of your work product. Click here to learn more about this feature in a recent post on the Lit Software blog. I’ve been using TranscriptPad for almost a decade, and I love how much the app has improved over the years. (Here is my January 18, 2012 review of the first version of the app.) Ian O’Flaherty, the CEO of Lit Software, mentioned to me earlier this week that more cool features are coming to TranscriptPad over the next few months. I can’t wait to find out what comes next.
- In an article for Bloomberg Law, Miami attorneys Stuart Ratzan and Kimberly Boldt discuss the admissibility of cellphone videos at trial.
- Illinois attorney John Voorhees of MacStories reviews the new 2.0 version of the HomeRun app. I’ve long enjoyed the original iPhone app because it has allowed me to customize an Apple Watch app with buttons that I can press to control the HomeKit device in my home. The new 2.0 version adds support for widgets on the iPhone and iPad. It is not an automatic upgrade; you need to download a new app and either pay $5/year or $20.
- Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac explains why he hopes that Apple announces interactive widgets at WWDC next week.
- Will Apple announce something called homeOS next week? Hartley Charlton of MacRumors notes that Apple posted up a job listing looking to hire someone to work on homeOS, but has since revised the job listing, and Charlton wonders if this might possibly signal a replacement for HomeKit.
- William Gallagher of AppleInsider shares his thoughts on what to expect at WWDC.
- Chris Velazco of Engadget shares his thoughts on what to expect at WWDC.
- When Apple first released the AirTag, the company emphasized the built-in privacy features and noted that it could adjust these features through software upgrades over time. Apple has now done that, as first reported by Ian Sherr of CNet. If someone tries to use an AirTag to track another person’s location (for example by slipping the AirTag into a purse or briefcase), the original version of the AirTag would start to beep after three days. Apple is now releasing firmware version 1.0.276 to change that to a random window between 8 and 24 hours. (The AirTag shipped with firmware version of 1.0.225.) The update happens automatically when an AirTag is near an iPhone. If you want to see what version of the firmware you are using, open the Find My app, tap on Items at the bottom, tap on the entry for an AirTag, and then tap once on the name of the AirTag to reveal two lines of information that is normally concealed: the serial number and the firmware number.
- Speaking of the AirTag, a Reddit user posted an interesting story of how his wallet, containing an AirTag, was stolen at a gym and he tracked the thief through the New York subway system.
- If you want to attach an AirTag to a bike but don’t want it to be obvious to a bike thief, Killian Bell of Cult of Mac discusses a mount from Device Therapy that hides an AirTag holder in a bike reflector. That seems like a great idea.
- Jeff Benjamin of 9to5Mac wrote an extensive review of the new 2021 version of the iPad Pro.
- M.G. Siegler of 500ish reviews the new Apple TV 4K.
- Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac discusses a new iPad stand from Satechi that incorporates a USB hub.
- Luke Dormehl of Cult of Mac shares the tale of Frederik Riedel, who had a friend that dropped an iPhone into a canal (ugh!) but then used a magnet on a fishing rod to retrieve it thanks to the MagSafe connection (yeah!).
- And finally, here’s a video from Apple promoting the durability of the iPhone 12, including how it can stand up to spills. I don’t encourage you to do anything in this video, but if something like this happens anyway, hopefully an iPhone 12 will be okay.