iPhone J.D.

Podcast episode 61: Sleepy Maps and Multi-Stop AirTags

This week's episode of the In the News podcast starts with a discussion of some of the best new features coming to iOS 16, iPad OS 16, and CarPlay this Fall.  We also talk about sleep tracking with an Apple Watch, new options for charging your devices, and clever uses for AirTags.  Finally, we discuss some great sales at Amazon on Apple products.

In our In the Know segment, Brett shares a useful tip for using Focus mode when you are exercising.  I share a non-useful, but fun, tip about figuring out how many of you there are.

Click here to listen to the audio podcast, or just use your podcast player of choice.  You can also watch the episode on YouTube:

In the News

Throughout this Summer, we have seen reports of features that will come this Fall when Apple updates all of its operating systems.  Most of the reports have been about the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but this week, I saw a report from attorney John Voorhees of MacStories about the next version of CarPlay and related updates to the Maps app.  There is some great stuff coming.  For example, although you can currently use the Maps app to go to more than one destination, it works so poorly that I find that it makes more sense to just use Maps to go to the first destination, then start over again to get to your second destination, etc.  Voorheees shows that the Maps app in iOS 16 and the next version of CarPlay will have a sophisticated new interface for multi-stop routing, and it looks like a great improvement.  CarPlay also features a new chime for Siri, the ability to send your response to a text message without first asking "Ready to send it?", and support for upcoming third-party apps that relate to refueling (I can imagine an Exxon app to get to the nearest Exxon station) and driving tasks (road assistance, towing assistance, etc.).  It will be nice to use the new CarPlay in just a few months.  And now, the news of note from the past week:

• Apple Maps may be improving, but so is Google Maps.  In a blog post, Amanda Leicht Moore, Google's director of Google Maps, explains how Google is moving towards much more immersive maps.
• Jason Cross of Macworld explains why dictation in iOS 16 will be substantially better.  He also provides dictation tips.
• Using the Music app will be different in iOS 16 when you control volume or scrub through a track.  Jason Snell of Six Colors explains what is new.
• M.G. Siegler identifies three features that he really likes in iOS 16, including haptic typing.
• If you wear an Apple Watch while you sleep, the built-in Sleep app can track data associated with your sleep.  But third-party apps offer additional sleep-tracking features, and Chance Miller of 9to5Mac identifies some of the best options.  The idea of sleep-tracking appeals to me, but when I have tried it in the past, I haven't found the data to be all that relevant to me.  Nevertheless, I feel like there could be a point in the future when this data seems more important and useful to me, and obviously there are lots of folks who already find the information interesting—which is why these third-party apps exist.
• Apple has three high-capacity USB-C power adapters to choose from.  While designed for computers, that also work with the iPad, iPhone, etc.  Jason Cross of Macworld provides advice on which power adapter to choose.
• Allison McDaniel of 9to5Mac came up with seven interesting ways to use an AirTag that might not have occurred to you, such as placing one in a jacket or coat that you might lose track of at a party or when you check it.  It is so hot this Summer that I've almost forgotten what a jacket is, but now that I am reminded, that is a pretty good idea.
• Juli Clover of MacRumors reviews the newest version of Belkin's Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Charger that charges an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.  The new version adds fast charging for an Apple Watch Series 7, and costs $150.  This looks like a great charger to use on a nightstand next to your bed.  Note that the version currently being sold on Amazon, also for $150, appears to be the 2021 version—which you can tell because it doesn't mention Series 7 fast charging.  I presume that the 2022 version will show up on Amazon soon.
• Francesco Rizzato of OpenSignal compares enhanced 5G on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
• Alex Sherman of CNBC reports that starting Monday, the NFL is launching a new service called NFL+.  It costs $5/month, and it will let you stream live football games—both local and out-of-market—but you have to watch on a mobile device.  You can get more information on the NFL website.  One of the big questions for NFL fans is who will take over the NFL Sunday Ticket service that has been on DirecTV since 1994, but this upcoming season will be the last year on DirecTV.  The rumor is that this service is coming to Apple TV+.
• The Apple TV 4K is once again on sale on Amazon for $129.99, a $40 discount.  Here is my review of this second generation Apple TV 4K from last year, and here is my post describing how great the Apple TV 4K works with a modern 4K HDR television like the incredible LG OLED C1.
• The iPad Pro 11" with 1TB is on sale for 25% on Amazon right now, $1,117.14 instead of $1,499.  1TB is a ton of space and perhaps more than you need, but with this sale, it is only barely more than the 512GB model.
• And finally, Apple released two short videos to show off the durability of iPhone 13.  The one called Edge addresses the durability of a dropped iPhone; the one called Shake addresses water resistance.  Both are funny and made me smile.  Here is the Edge video:

Podcast episode 60: Minnie Mouse, Search Warrants, and Arcade Expirations

This week's episode of the In the News podcast starts with a short discussion of the release of iOS 15.6 and a related discussion on AirTags.  Next, we discuss iPhone privacy: should the government be allowed to force users to unlock their iPhone?  Next, we discuss a large number of HomeKit home automation topics, and then we end up with a discussion of how the Apple Watch and iPhone can save your life.

In our In the Know segment, Brett recommends an app called AllTrails for folks who like to hike.  I provide a number of tips for using AirPods or AirPods Pro with a Windows computer.

Click here to listen to the audio podcast, or just use your podcast player of choice.  You can also watch the episode on YouTube:

In the News

I don't discuss the Apple Arcade subscription service much because I rarely use it myself although my kids use it, but it is $5/month or it is part of the Apple One subscription bundle.  The service provides high-quality video games without having to pay to download the app and, better yet, without have to pay any in-app fees.  It is also included as a part of the Apple One bundle.  If you use the Apple Arcade subscription service, you have seen new games added since the service debuted in 2019.  José Adorno of 9to5Mac notes that, for the first time, Apple is retiring some games from the service.  Presumably, these are less-popular games.  When Apple removes a game, you have two weeks to continue to use it, and then it disappears—although the developer may decide to offer a new version of the app in the App Store, and it may be possible to load your saved game progress, if the developer enables that feature.  And now, the news of note from the past week:

• The debate over whether and when the government can compel a person to unlock an iPhone is far from over.  Thomas Brewster of Forbes discusses an incident in which the FBI forced a man use his face to unlock encrypted messages in an app called Wickr as part of an investigation of child abuse sexual material. 
• Apple released iOS 15.6 this week.  As José Adorno of 9to5Mac reports, it is mostly bug fixes and security improvements.
• iOS 15.6 changes the way that the Find My app alerts you to AirTag battery status, as noted by José Adorno of 9to5Mac.  In the past, you would always see an icon indicating the amount of battery life.  In iOS 15.6, you only see a red battery icon if the battery is low and needs to be replaced.  The new system makes sense to me since the old battery indicator was never very precise, but you should be aware of the change if you use AirTags.
• Glenn Fleishman of Macworld explains how to use the built-in Home app to monitor specific zones using a HomeKit-compatible security camera.
• Although there is a lot that I like about Apple's HomeKit Secure Video platform, it does have some disadvantages.  Rachel Cericola of Wirecutter explains all of the reasons that she does not trust HomeKit Secure Video.  I agree with some of her complaints.  For example, it is a shame that the service does not use 4K or 2K (only 1080p) and it often forgets to record.  But she does not mention that you can use both HomeKit Secure Video and other platforms—for me, for example, I use the Eufy platform too—and I sometimes find that the Eufy failed to record but the HomeKit Secure Video did so.  The article also ignores some advantages such as cost (free), the fact that it lets you view your camera on an Apple TV, and security.  Nevertheless, if you are trying to decide whether to rely solely on HomeKit Secure Video, whether to use that in connection with another platform, or whether to ignore HomeKit Secure Video completely, you should read this article to learn about the cons as you consider the pros.
• Ben Lovejoy of 9to5Mac discusses a new product from Eve: the second generation Eve motion sensor.  The prior version of the Eve motion sensor, which I reviewed in 2018, does a nice job of sensing motion and triggering HomeKit actions.  For me, when I walk into my home theater after not being in there for at least three hours, it turns on the lights for me.  The second generation of this product uses Thread, and Lovejoy's article includes an excellent description of what that means and why you might want it.  The new version also includes a built-in light sensor that can trigger actions based on sensing light.  This looks like a great product if you want a motion detector.
• In another Macworld article, Dan Moren explains how parts of the next version of the iPhone operating system are laying a foundation for big changes coming down the road.
• Ken Macleod of CBS News Boston shares the story of a woman who was told by her Apple Watch that she was in atrial fibrillation.  The woman didn't believe it at first, but after being told three nights in a row, she went to the hospital and discovered that the culprit was a fast-growing tumor near her heart.  The tumor was removed in a surgery, and her doctors say that this saved her life.
• Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac shares the story of a Ukranian soldier whose life was saved because the iPhone in his vest stopped a bullet.
• Rosy Cordero of Deadline reports on what the actors on the Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso had to say about the series coming to an end soon after three seasons.
• In this TikTok video, comedian Becca Bastos impersonates the Apple Watch, and does so rather effectively.
• And finally, in a 15 second video released by Apple UK, Apple quickly shows why ApplePay is more secure than using a credit card.  There are two other even shorter videos in this series: one called Contactless and one called Exposed.

AirTag battery replacement: avoid bitterant coatings

If you use an Apple AirTag, after about a year or so, your iPhone will alert you that the battery needs to be replaced.  I own four AirTags that I purchased about 14 months ago, and two of them have alerted me that it is time to replace the battery.  I replaced the battery in one of them shortly before taking a trip to Italy, only to discover that I bought the wrong battery.  Learn from my mistake, and make sure that when you purchase a replacement CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery, do not purchase the version with a bitterant coating on it.

These batteries are small circles, and some children may be tempted to put them in their mouths and swallow them.  Which is not good.  A CR2032 battery with a bitterant coating tastes bitter when it reacts with saliva in a mouth, and the idea is that this encourages the child to immediately take the battery out of his or her mouth instead of swallowing it.  This type of battery should give you clear indications on the packaging that a bitterant coating is being used.  Here is the one that purchased from Amazon:

The idea of deterring improper use by children is a laudable goal, but apparently, the coating makes these batteries not work with certain electronic equipment.  Including the AirTag, as Apple warns on its website.

I didn't think about this warning when I purchased this set of batteries, so I installed one of these in the AirTag attached to my suitcase shortly before my vacation.  I should have realized instantly that there was a problem because when you twist off the cover of an AirTag and replace the battery, before you even put the cover back on, the AirTag is supposed to make a sound to indicate that the new battery is connected.  I didn't hear that sound when I replaced this battery. 

The battery with the coating did occasionally work with the AirTag.  For example, when I arrived in Milan, Italy, the battery worked well enough for this AirTag to notice that it was in Milan.  But that was the last place that the AirTag worked.  Even after I returned home to the United States, the AirTag still incorrectly reported that it was in Milan, about 5,200 miles away:

The solution, of course, was to purchase a new set of CR2032 batteries that do not contain a bitterannt coating.  When I installed the new battery, both in this AirTag and my other one that needed a new battery after my vacation ended, the AirTags immediately worked.  As soon as I installed the battery, I heard the sound.  And the AirTags correctly reported their location.

What annoys me about my mistake is that I should have known better.  Almost exactly a year ago, I linked to a report that CR2032 batteries with a bitterant coating might not work with the AirTag.  But a year later, I forgot about that.  Hopefully, after reading this, you won't forget when it is time for you to purchase a new battery.

Podcast episode 59: An AirTag and a MagSafe Walk Into a Picture-in-Picture…

This week's episode of the In the News podcast starts with a follow-up discussion to last week's travel episode because we discuss using AirTags to track luggage and using Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack.  Next, we talk about the top new features coming to iOS 16 and iPad OS 16, the mini version of the iPhone, YouTube's addition of picture-in-picture, and the durability of the Apple Watch Series 7 (and the possibility of an even more durable Apple Watch in the future).

In our In the Know segment, Brett shares a tip for changing the tab bar layout in Safari on the iPad.  I share a tip for using the right kind of batteries when you need to replace the battery in an AirTag.

Click here to listen to the audio podcast, or just use your podcast player of choice.  You can also watch the episode on YouTube:

In the News

Summer is often a time for travel, and travel is a perfect time to take advantage of Apple's AirTags.  Glenn Fleishman and David Price of the Macworld wrote an excellent roundup of some of the best AirTag accessories such as key rings, bag tags, holders, etc.  I've been very happy with two of the products that they mention: the Belkin key ring and the Belkin strap, which only cost about $8.  And to underscore the value of AirTags, Ben Lovejoy of 9to5Mac collects some recent stories of people using AirTags to track down lost luggage that airlines claimed that they were unable to find.  And now, the news of note from the past week:

• Speaking of AirTags, while I still think that an AirTag is too thick to put in a wallet, I admit that I've never actually tried it.  California attorney David Sparks has been using the Nimalist AirTag Wallet for four months, and he says that it works well.
• Illinois attorney John Voorhees of MacStories wrote a good article previewing all of the key features coming in macOS Ventura this Fall, based on the current beta version of the software.  The reason that I'm linking to the article is that he had an opportunity to use a pre-production version of a clip that Belkin will sell that will let you use an iPhone as a camera for a Mac laptop, and it was interesting to see how that product will work.
• Federico Viticci of MacStories has been using iOS 16 and iPad OS 16 for about a month, and he wrote a great overview of these updates coming this Fall.  This looks to be one of those years when the iPhone and iPad both take major steps forward because of operating system improvements.
• Alex Guyot of MacStories wrote a good article previewing all of the key features coming in watchOS 9 this Fall, based on the current beta version of the software.
• I was delighted to see the first few pictures from the James Webb Space Telescope this week.  If those pictures don't give you a sense of awe of the size and contents of the universe, I don't know what will.  Chance Miller of Space Explored created versions of those photos that are optimized for an iPhone screen.  I also appreciated Zac Hall's comment on Twitter that going from the pictures from Hubble to the pictures from James Webb "is like going from iPhone 3G to iPhone 13."
• Nick Pino of Tom's Guide reports that Netflix has started to upgrade the audio in certain shows to support spatial audio.  If you watch a Netflix show using a sound system that supports Dolby Atmos, you already know how that provides an immersive, surround-sound experience.  With spatial audio support, you can get a similar surround-sound experience using only two speakers.  This caught my eye since Apple has been using a version of spatial audio on some models of the AirPods for a while now, and it is a nice improvement over stereo. 
• Louisiana has expanded its LA Wallet app so that it can not only show the COVID vaccination status of the owner of the iPhone but also that person's children, which is helpful now that children six months old and above can be vaccinated.  Of course, there are still relatively few places that check for vaccination status, but perhaps the spread of the BA.5 variant will start to change that.
• Apple announced that Apple TV+ shows received 52 Emmy Award nominations.  Ted Lasso was the most nominated comedy series with 20 nominations.  Severance also received an impressive 14 nominations.  The other nominated shows are Schmigadoon!, The Morning Show, The Problem with Jon Stewart, Foundation, Pachinko, See, Lisey’s Story, Central Park, They Call Me Magic, and Carpool Karaoke: The Series.
• In an article for Macworld, Jason Snell praises the iPhone 13 mini, saying that he likes it so much that he doesn't plan to upgrade to whatever iPhone 14 that Apple announces later this year—assuming that Apple is done with the mini iPhones.
• In case you missed it, and as reported by John Gruber of Daring Fireball back on July 1, President Biden awarded Steve Jobs a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.
• Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac reports that all iPhone users can now use picture-in-picture on YouTube.
• And finally, in the video called Hard Knocks, Apple shows off the durability of the Apple Watch Series 7.  But what really makes the video compelling are the impressive action shots.

Lit Software's iPad apps are coming to the Mac

If you are a litigator who uses an iPad, you probably already know about the powerful litigation apps from Lit Software: TrialPad, TranscriptPad, DocReviewPad, and ExhibitsPad.  I use Lit Software's apps in my own practice, and I know that many other attorneys do so as well.  For example, if you want to present evidence a trial, it is incredibly easy to do so using TrialPad on an iPad, and the end result looks incredibly professional.  And TranscriptPad is by far my favorite way to review a deposition transcript.  Thanks to some changes in the software that Apple provides for app developers, it is now possible for a developer to create an app that will work on multiple Apple platforms—iPad, iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, etc.  Lit Software has taken advantage of this technology to bring its popular iPad apps to the Mac.

I announced this upcoming expansion to the Mac last year, and we are now very close to the apps coming out of beta.  In fact, we are now so close that Lit Software is ready to do a public demonstration of how the new Mac apps will work.  The webinar will take place this Thursday, July 14th, at 11 Pacific / 2 Eastern.  The presenter will be Tara Cheever, co-founder of Lit Software, and the event will be hosted by Tom Lambotte of GlobalMac IT, who has been helping lawyers make better use of Macs in a law practice for longer than I can remember.  You can sign up and get more information on this free webinar by clicking here.

When I started at my law firm in 1994, we were one of the few large law firms in the country using exclusively Macs. For various reasons, we had to switch to PCs about 20 years ago, but I know that a large (and, I suspect, growing) number of attorneys use Macs in their law practice.  Now that the Lit Software apps are coming to the Mac, I find myself even more jealous of attorneys who can use a Mac instead of a PC in their law practice.

Review: MagSafe Battery Pack from Apple -- small, lightweight solution for additional iPhone power when you are on-the-go

Almost exactly one year ago, Apple released a new product: the MagSafe Battery Pack.  The initial retail price was $99.99, but you can now often find it for less on Amazon.  As I type this, it is on sale for $79.99.  I was intrigued by this product when it was released last year, but because I wasn't doing much travel in 2021, I didn't purchase one.  About six weeks ago, I took advantage of one of the sales on Amazon to purchase this product in anticipation of a vacation to Italy that my wife and I were planning.  We just returned, and we had a fantastic time in Italy—even though COVID did its best to interfere.  My wife and I originally planned this trip for the Summer of 2020, but obviously that trip had to be canceled due to COVID.  And when we finally took what was supposed to be a two-week trip while my kids were in summer camp, we had to cut our vacation short and come home early because my son got COVID, followed a few days later by my daughter getting it.  So as I sit here in my home, typing this review while wearing a mask, I cannot help but think that I should be in Venice right now.  Darn COVID!

My vacation didn't turn out as planned, but what did perform like a champ was Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack.  I really cannot say enough good things about this product.  If you are looking for a great way to extend the battery life of any iPhone that supports MagSafe, and if you use an iPhone that supports MagSafe, this is the product to get.

Get through a long day

During a normal day, the battery in my iPhone 13 Pro has no trouble lasting all day.  But on a normal day, I'm not using the phone non-stop.  And even when I am using the iPhone, I typically have easy access to a Lightning cord connected to a computer or a wall outlet so I can easily top off the battery during the day.

When traveling for work or pleasure, however, you often find yourself away from a power source for most of the day.  And you may also find yourself using your iPhone far more than normal.  That was definitely true while I was in Italy.  I frequently used the TripIt app and PDF Expert to keep track of my itinerary.  I made extensive use of Apple's Maps app to guide me around cities in Italy (Milan, Verona, Bologna, and Parma).  When walking around cities that are over 2,000 years old, the street pattern can often seem chaotic for a tourist, so it is easy to get lost without GPS and a map on an iPhone.  I also used ApplePay on my iPhone to pay at restaurants and other establishments, used translation apps to read signs and menus and communicate with others, used train apps to get from town to town, used apps like Messages and WhatsApp and sometimes even the phone itself to make reservations or request information.  And of course, I used my iPhone to take hundreds of photos and many 4K videos.  Suffice it to say that I was using my iPhone all day long every day.  And because my wife and I would often start early in the day and not get back to our Airbnb or hotel until late at night, I had no easy access to traditional charging methods.

Fortunately, my MagSafe Battery Pack was with me at all times, so I had no trouble using my iPhone all day long.  The amount of extra battery power that you get depends upon the iPhone model that you are using.  Apple says that you get:

• Up to 70% additional charge with iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 13 mini and MagSafe Battery Pack
• Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 and MagSafe Battery Pack
• Up to 60% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro and MagSafe Battery Pack
• Up to 40% additional charge with iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro Max and MagSafe Battery Pack

I use an iPhone 13 Pro, and about 60% additional charge seems about right.  Without this battery pack, my iPhone would have died most days in the afternoon, but instead, I was able to make it through the end of the day.  I never once ran out of power during my vacation thanks to the MagSafe Battery Pack.

By the way, the MagSafe Battery Pack is designed to stop charging your iPhone when it hits 90%.  This reduces the stress on your internal battery.  If you want to push pack 90% anyway, there is a way to do that.  First, make sure that the Lower Power Mode icon is visible in your Control Center—which you access on a Face ID iPhone by swiping down from the top right.  (If it is not there, go to the Settings app and add it.)  Second, hold down on that icon, which looks like a battery, for about two seconds.  You will now see an option to continue charging past 90%.

Small size and lightweight

The MagSafe Battery Pack is about 11mm thick and weighs about 114 grams.  When I slipped it into a pocket in my pants or shorts and walked around, I never even noticed that it was in my pocket, except for the times when it might bounce against something else in my pocket.  And frankly, that is the only test that matters.  Because you can easily slip it into a pocket, it is always with you without being annoying to you when you are not using it.

When you are ready to use the MagSafe Battery Pack, just put it behind your iPhone.  There are no on/off switches to flip.  There are no cords to get in the way.  It just works.

Of course, there are tons of ways to have portable power with an iPhone.  For example, I'm a big fan of the Anker PowerCore 10000 PD Redux ($49.95 on Amazon), which I can slip into my pocket along with a USB-C to Lightning cord to recharge my iPhone.  And the 10,000 mAh of the PowerCore provides far more power than 1,460 mAh of the MagSafe Battery, not only because of the difference in power capacity but also because transferring power over a cord is far more efficient than wireless charging, which can waste up to 30% of the power due to heat. 

It is also worth noting that Apple's MagSafe wireless charging is better than other wireless charging solutions, such as Qi chargers, because Apple has a higher voltage potential, and also because the magnets put the charger in the best position to maximize efficiency—which is why you lose only about 30% of power during MagSafe charging but you lose about 50% using traditional Qi charging.  (This article by Simon Jary of Macworld provides more information on all of this.)  But even if you can get more power with a product like the PowerCore, I still think that the MagSafe Battery Pack is better because it is so small and lightweight.

When you add the MagSafe Battery Pack to the back of an iPhone, it does make the iPhone a little heavier, and enough to notice the difference.  Because of the curves on the sides, I didn't find the iPhone to be much more uncomfortable to hold, but the additional weight does mean that you notice the iPhone in a pocket even more. 

On the other hand, the experience is far better than using an external battery such as the PowerCore along with a cord to connect the external battery to the iPhone.  I have had times when the PowerCore was in my pants pocket, my iPhone was in my shirt pocket, and a cord extended from my pants pocket to my shirt pocket.  That works, but I look silly, and I need to be incredibly careful that the cord doesn't catch on something, especially if I'm walking around.  If I'm sitting at a desk, it works fine.  But if I'm walking around, an external battery+cord is a pretty miserable solution; in comparison, the MagSafe Battery Pack is a dream.

You can use the MagSafe Battery Pack when your iPhone is in a case that supports MagSafe.  For example, I sometimes use Apple's leather case on my iPhone, and I used it pretty much all of the time that I was on vacation because it added some friction to side of my iPhone, reducing the chance that it would slip out of my hands.  This battery pack worked fine with that case.

Note that for the leather case, if the battery pack is attached for an extended period of time, it makes a small mark in the leather that, in my tests, went away a few hours after I removed the battery pack.  These are just imprints from the compression of the leather as a result of the magnets.

Useful information on charging

If the MagSafe Battery Pack was nothing more than a small and lightweight charging solution that avoids a cord, that would be enough to make me happy.  But what puts this product over the top is how versatile it is.  For example, I love the information that you can see on charging status.

If your iPhone screen is off, when you put the MagSafe Battery Pack behind the iPhone it quickly connects using the magnets.  Next, you see an indication on the screen of how much power your iPhone has and how much power the MagSafe Battery Pack itself has.

No third-party battery has the capability, and it is a great feature, making it very easy to see how much total power you have.

If I continue to make extensive use of my iPhone with the battery pack attached, I find that the iPhone's battery percentage doesn't change very much, neither adding nor decreasing the battery percentage.  In other words, adding the battery pack stops the drain of my battery percentage.  When my iPhone is turned off and in my pocket with the battery pack attached, then the percentage of power on my iPhone will increase at a pretty decent pace as power is transferred from the matter pack to the iPhone. 

To see the battery indicator again, I can quickly pull off the battery pack (to disconnect) and then place it on again (to connect) to once again see the current battery percentages.  Or, you can swipe to the right on your Home Screen to see a widget showing battery percentages, assuming that you have that widget enabled.

Multiple choices for charging

The MagSafe Battery Pack has a Lightning charging port at the bottom, just like the iPhone.  Thus, if I plug the battery pack into a Lightning connector, I can recharge it.

Additionally, when the MagSafe Battery Pack is connected to the iPhone, you can plug a Lightning Cord into either the iPhone or the battery pack to charge both.  If you connect the Lightning cord to the battery pack and use a 20W or higher power adapter, then the MagSafe Battery Pack can provide up to 15W of charging to the iPhone, first charging your iPhone and then recharging the battery pack.  Or, you can connect the charging cord to the iPhone, which will charge the iPhone and then charge the battery pack connected to the iPhone.  (When you use the battery pack on-the-go, without being attached to a power cord, it provides 7.5W or charging to the iPhone.)

There is a rumor that the 2022 or 2023 model of the iPhone will use USB-C instead of Lightning.  When that happens, perhaps Apple will release a new version of the battery pack that supports USB-C instead of Lightning.  I mention this because if you buy this product today and buy a new iPhone with USB-C in the Fall, it will be somewhat less convenient to use two different charging options for a future iPhone and this battery pack.  On the other hand, because you can use a cord that charges the iPhone and have the iPhone charge the battery pack, or you can use a cord that charges the battery pack and have the battery pack charge the iPhone, I don't think that any transition to USB-C will have a big impact on the usability of this Lightning version of this product.

AirPods Charging Case

Apple advertises the battery pack as a way to recharge an iPhone.  Having said that, in my tests, if you put an AirPods Charging Case that supports wireless charging on top of the MagSafe battery pack, you can use the battery pack to recharge the AirPods Charging Case.  And Apple's website does seem to acknowledge that this works on a page that address MagSafe charging in general, although not the MagSafe Battery Pack in particular.

Conclusion

The best part of the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is how easy it is to use.  It is easy to carry around in a pocket.  It is easy to attach—just put it behind your iPhone and let the magnets do the rest.  And it makes it easy to get through a long day with your iPhone even if the built-in battery wouldn't provide another power to do so.

There are countless other ways to use a portable battery to charge an iPhone, including options that try to mimic some of the features of Apple's battery pack, and most of those options are cheaper than the $80 you will pay to get this device on sale the $100 normal price.  But what you save in up-front costs is, in my opinion, made up for in convenience.  If you have an iPhone that supports MagSafe (iPhone 12 or 13 line), there is simply no easier way to charge an iPhone when you are on-the go.

Click here to get the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack from Amazon ($99.99, but currently on sale for $79.99).

Podcast episode 58: A Treasure Trove of Travel Tips & Trinkets (Special Edition!)

A new episode of the In the News podcast is now available, and this is a special one.  If you are a regular listener/viewer, I think you are going to really enjoy this one.  If you haven't listened much in the past, this is an especially good episode for you to check out.

Why do I say this?  Brett and I normally end every episode of the podcast with an "In the Know" segment, in which we each recommend one tip.  Sometimes, that is the best part of the episode.  This week, the entire episode is one big "In the Know" segment, full of recommended products, apps, services, etc. that relate to the topic of travel.  Whether you are preparing to travel for work or for pleasure, domestic or international, by plane or by car, there is something for you in this episode. 

If you are like me, you typically listen to the audio versions of podcasts, only looking at the video every once in a while.  However, this is an episode for which it is worth checking out the video because Brett Burney did a fantastic job of creating an enhanced video version of this episode.  And whether you listen to the audio or watch the video, Brett also prepared a PDF file containing the slides that appear in the video—an interactive PDF file, so you can click on the buttons to get more information about the products that we describe.  Of course, you can also look at the podcast show notes for lots of links.  (A big thank you to Brett for all of the extra behind-the-scenes work on this episode.)

I hope that you enjoy this episode as much as Brett and I did when we recorded it!

Click here to listen to the audio podcast, or just use your podcast player of choice.  You can also watch the episode on YouTube: