Have you heard the good news? With iOS 18.1 now released, you can now use AirPods Pro 2 to check your hearing. I tested my hearing this week, and my iPhone concluded that my hearing was fine. My wife might sometimes disagree [insert rim shot here]. On the other hand, former practicing attorney John Voorhees of MacStories ran the test and learned that he had some minor hearing loss. Next, he used the AirPods as a hearing aid, and he says that it made a big difference. I've heard others say that if you already have expensive ($1000+ hearing aids), those are probably better. That makes sense. But for the countless people who have hearing issues but haven't yet done anything about it, they now have easy access to a solution—perhaps using devices that they already own—that may noticeably improve their lives. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- Apple updated many of its computers this week to add a super-fast M4 processor, more RAM, and more. I especially enjoyed the write-ups from Jason Snell and Dan Moren of Six Colors with their thoughts on the M4 Mac mini, the M4 MacBook Pro, and the M4 iMac. My home computer is an M2 Pro Mac mini, so I certainly don't need a new Mac mini, but as Dan More points out, that doesn't make the new Mac mini any less tempting.
- If you are interested in an iPad instead of a Mac, Apple released the iPad Air (M2) just a few months ago, and I think that it is the best iPad for most professional users. Unless you want a luxury iPad or you have specific reasons to use a top-of-the-line model (in which case, get the iPad Pro), the iPad Air is perfect. And Amazon is running a substantial iPad sale right now, with some models selling for under $500.
- I noted earlier this week that one of the useful new AI features in iOS 18.1 is Clean Up for Photos. But is it ethical to use it? In an article for Six Colors, Joe Rosensteel explains why you can use it with a clear conscience.
- There has been a lot of talk about what you can do with Apple Intelligence in the new iOS 18.1. But what if your device doesn't support Apple Intelligence? Juli Clover runs down what else you get in iOS 18.1, such as the ability to record phone calls.
- Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac discusses changes in Apple Music in iOS 18.1.
- In the upcoming iOS 18.2, if you cannot find the perfect Emoji to use, you can just use AI to create one that matches the style of other Apple Emoji with the Genmoji feature. Nick deCourville of The Mac Observer provides some humorous examples.
- Allison Sheridan of Podfeet Podcasts discusses the pros and cons of the Apple Notes app.
- John Voorhees of MacStories notes that Apple has made a minor update to the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad to add support for USB-C. I regularly use a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad with my iPad and my Vision Pro, and it is a little annoying that I still need to use Lightning to charge them. I wish Apple had added even more new features to these accessories, but adding USB-C is better than nothing I suppose.
- Voorhees also weighs in on Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1, concluding that it is somewhat of a mixed bag. I agree with that assessment.
- Bradley Chambers of 9to5Mac recommends the THIRDREALITY Smart Color Night Light if you are looking for a HomeKit-compatible night light. It is $29.99 on Amazon.
- Roderick Scott of Wirecutter recommends iPhone cases for the iPhone 16 line of devices.
- I very much enjoyed the first season of Presumed Innocent on Apple TV+, which tracked the book by Scott Turow. David Snow of Cult of Mac reports that while there will be a second season, it will feature a new female lead as the star and a new story, an adaptation of the upcoming book Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray. Interesting. By making this more of an anthology, Apple TV+ could have an unlimited number of seasons of this legal thriller, and that sounds great to me.
- And finally, here is a new video from Apple that shows, in a comedic fashion, how quickly you can use Apple Intelligence to create a Memory Movie. I see that Scott McNalty called this ad "smug and gross" but I think it is cute. And I can confirm from the ones that I made this week that you really can create an AI Memory Movie very quickly.
