We have just started the part of the year that is after Apple's WWDC conference and before the new operating systems for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and more are released. But beta versions are out, so a few folks are starting to play with the new technology and explain how things work. I virtually never run beta operating systems on my devices; I depend upon them too much to get work done and I don't want to deal with the inevitable instability of pre-release software. But I do enjoy reading about some of the interesting features that are now coming to light, and there are quite a few to report on today. Here is the news of note from the past week:
- Michael Grothaus of Fast Company discusses the privacy-focused features in iOS 17 and talks to Apple VP Craig Federighi about them.
- Gabriel Zamora of PCMag lists some favorite features in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.
- Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac notes that the Files app in iPadOS 17 has new features when you are working with external thumb drives.
- Chance Miller of 9to5Mac notes that in iOS 17, if you change your iPhone's passcode and then forget the new number, you will have 72 hours to go back to the prior passcode. If you don't want to have this ability, you can select an option to Expire Previous Passcode Now.
- Miller also notes that iOS 17 adds interactive widgets for the Home app. This lets you put a button on your home screen that you can tap to, for example, turn a light on or off. Very useful.
- You have long been able to press a button on an Apple Watch to make your iPhone ping so that you can find it when it is misplaced. Zac Hall of 9to5Mac notes that in iOS 17, you can do the reverse: press a button on your iPhone to make your Apple Watch ping.
- Federico Viticci of MacStories wrote a great article explaining why the Apple Vision Pro is a watershed moment for personal computing.
- If you want a great, detailed, and thoughtful description of what it was like to demo the Apple Vision Pro last week, Myke Hurley does an amazing job of describing it in the most recent episode of the Cortex podcast. That's not a podcast that I normally listen to, but I heard great things about that episode, and I'm so glad that I listened to it.
- The amazing 4K-per-eye screens on the Apple Vision Pro were new to me, but Evan Selleck of AppleInsider notes that Sony first showed them off in 2022, and he even links to a video posted by Sony to YouTube on March 14, 2022, that shows it off. I guess Apple doesn't just snap its fingers and create cool new technology out of thin air.
- Ben Lovejoy of 9to5Mac cites a report claiming that because of the limited number of these Sony displays being produced, Apple won't be able to make more than 450,000 Vision Pro devices next year. I have no idea if this is true, but if it is, it may explain part of the decision for the $3,499 price tag: Apple knows that there won't be many to sell, and thus they will all sell no matter what the retail price.
- If you are a long-time follower of Apple, the name "Apple Vision" might ring a bell. Stephen Hackett explains why on his 512 Pixels website.
- Andrew Cunningham of Ars Technica argues that Apple is being very careful about how it starts to show off the Vision Pro in an attempt to normalize the public's reaction to seeing someone wearing a headset device.
- Scanner Pro from Readdle has long been my favorite iPhone scanner app. Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac notes that you can now use the app to scan receipts and automatically create a nice-looking expense report based on what it scans.
- Since 2017, Apple has come out with a new version of the Pride band for the Apple Watch every year. Nathaniel Pangaro of AppleInsider takes a look at all of the designs. I think that the 2019 version might be my favorite so far.
- Zac Hall of 9to5Mac notes that the next Apple TV operating system will make it easier to setup and personalize the device.
- Benjamin Mayo of 9to5Mac notes that Apple TV+ has renewed Silo for a second season, which I am delighted to hear. He also says that Silo is Apple's most popular drama series to date, and that news actually disappoints me a little because it means that a ton of people have somehow missed other great Apple TV+ dramas like For All Mankind, Severance, Slow Horses, Shining Girls, Tehran, Five Days at Memorial, and many more.
- Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac reports that, according to the JustWatch streaming guide, Apple TV+ has the highest rated content of any streaming service based on average ratings. Or to say it differently, the quantity of shows on Apple TV+ is smaller than other services, but the quality of the stuff that is there is good, unlike other streaming services that have some good content but also lots of stinkers. I agree with this completely. It used to be that when a new show came to HBO, I had a presumption that it was probably going to be good. Now, I feel that way about Apple TV+. And with this new Max rebranding, the HBO seal of approval is starting to become diluted.
- And finally, if you didn't see Apple's video from last week that introduced the Apple Vision pro, it is worth watching. But if you did see it and have been thinking about the Vision Pro since then, I recommend watching it again. I caught tons of details that I missed the first time.
