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:
