Microsoft Word is one of the most useful apps for attorneys on the iPhone and iPad. There are currently two ways to use Word. You can use the app called Microsoft Word, or you can use the app called Microsoft Office which contains Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more in a single app. The core features are identical, but there are some things that you can do in one but not the other. Brett Burney, my co-host on the In the News podcast, put together an informative (and high-quality) video to explain these differences along with lots of other useful information for using Microsoft Word on the iPad (and iPhone). If you use Word on your iPhone or iPad, you should check out Brett's video. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- Apple released a minor update for the iPhone this week, iOS 15.1.1. It fixes a problem with dropped calls on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, as noted by Chance Miller of 9to5Mac. I know that Apple is also doing a lot of testing of iOS 15.2 and I expect that to come out soon.
- Apple also released a minor update for the Apple Watch this week, watchOS 8.1.1. It fixes an issue with charging on the Apple Watch Series 7 that has been experienced by some users. Josh Centers of TidBITS offers more details.
- One of the nice new features of the Apple Watch Series 7 is fast charging, if you use the cord that comes with that Apple Watch along with a USB-C charger. It works really well. Chance Miller of 9to5Mac reports that Belkin launched a new 3-in-1 MagSafe charger this week that can charge an iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch at the same time, and it supports fast charging, along with a stand-alone fast charger. I'm thrilled to learn about these products because they show that third party manufacturers can take advantage of fast charging on the new Apple Watch.
- Corey Gaskin of Ars Technica reviews the Apple Watch Series 7.
- Victoria Song of The Verge shows you you can control an Apple Watch without even touching the screen using the Assistive Touch feature.
- Apple's new iCloud Private Relay and Mail Privacy Protection systems are not part of watchOS 8. Jason Cross of Macworld explains why this might make a difference to you.
- If you own an LG smart television but you don't own an Apple TV device, you can still watch the Apple TV+ channel using an app on the television. As reported by William Gallagher of Apple Insider, this week, LG added an Apple Music app so that Apple Music subscribers can listen to songs on an LG television, either using the built-in speakers or whatever external speakers you have hooked up to the LG television. Unlike the Apple TV 4K, the LG app doesn't support spatial audio, but for the circumstances in which it makes sense to use your television without a streaming box, it is nice to have this feature.
- Dan Moren of Six Colors describes a new service announced by Apple this week, the Self Service Repair program. Users of Apple products will be able to purchase official parts and tools directly from Apple to repair their own devices.
- John Gruber of Daring Fireball offers some additional thoughts on Apple's new Self Service Repair program. He notes that it may be great news for independent repair shops and the people who like the service advantages that come with those shops.
- Jason Snell of Six Colors describes another new service announced by Apple this week, the Business Essentials program. The program offers small businesses Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools along with an AppleCare+ service that can serve as tech support along with iCloud storage. I can see this being useful for many small businesses.
- Tweetbot is my favorite app for using Twitter. As Federico Viticci of MacStories explained, that app got lots of new features this week, in part because Twitter is now letting third-party apps do even more with the Twitter service.
- Jason Ciprani of CNet shares some useful but somewhat hidden features of iOS 15.
- And finally, Apple released a silly and fun Shot on iPhone video this week called A Dozen Eggs by Michel Gondry. Yes, that Michel Gondry, the Academy Award-winning French director and screenwriter known for films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It features clever special effects and ... well, I'll just stop there so I don't spoil it. It's only a minute long, so just go ahead and watch it and see for yourself.
