Password manager apps have been around for a long time. I’ve been using 1Password since late 2012. Thus, I suspect that it is difficult to come up with new features for password manager apps that haven’t been thought of already, other than working with emerging technologies such as passkeys. Nevertheless, the latest update to 1Password managed to come up with a new feature that I think is quite clever and useful. As Julie Clover of MacRumors explains, the app now supports location-based passwords. Select a username/password and assign a location where you frequently use that password. When you are at that location—such as your work, your home, a coffee shop, etc.—passwords associated with that location will appear in the Nearby section of the Home screen. This is a nice new feature that makes it faster to get to the password you want without having to take the time to search for it. It’s nice to see that you can teach an old dog new tricks. And now, the other news of note from the past week:
- If you are thinking of upgrading from an iPhone SE (3rd generation) to the new iPhone 16e, I suspect that you already know about the major changes: a larger device with a bigger screen, Face ID, Action button, faster processor, Apple Intelligence, much better camera, and USB-C instead of Lightning. But there are some smaller but still notable differences as well, and Michael Burkhardt of 9to5Mac discusses them in this article.
- When iOS 18.4 is released next month, it will include new emoji. Jovana Naumovski of Gadget Hacks shows off the new characters, which include Face with Bags Under Eyes and Fingerprint.
- I normally don’t use beta software on my devices like my iPhone and iPad because I depend upon them to get work done. I don’t want to worry about the bugs associated with software that is still being worked on. But I have installed beta software in the past on my Apple Vision Pro because everything about that device is already sort of a beta for the future of technology. Thus, I installed visionOS 2.4 beta 2 on my Apple Vision Pro a few days ago. As Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac explains, this beta includes Apple’s new Spatial Gallery app, an app that includes notable spatial photos, videos, and panoramic pictures. For now, there is only a small amount of content, but it is interesting, and it demonstrates that 3D content can be compelling even if it isn’t immersive spatial video that feels up your entire field of view and then some.
- If you want a portable battery that is powerful enough to run a refrigerator but is portable enough for off-grid trips, Brian Patterson of Apple Insider reviews the Jackery 2000 Explorer. It is not cheap ($1,499 on Amazon) but for many uses it will provide all of the power that that you could need. If you want something less powerful but far cheaper, the Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300 is currently on sale on Amazon for an all-time low price of $169.
- I stopped using Twitter/X for obvious reasons and switched to Mastodon, and the primary reason that I enjoy using it is that the Ivory app from Tapbots is such an excellent client app. Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels reports that Tapbots is working on a similar client app for Bluesky that will be called Phoenix. I don’t use Bluesky right now, but with an excellent app, maybe I will start doing so.
- John Gruber of Daring Fireball explains some of the changes coming to how Apple handles child accounts.
- Greg Wyshynski of ESPN explains how NHL referees are using Apple Watches to receive real-time, in-game notifications.
- In this video clip from an interview of Ben Stiller on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Stiller explains that he offered a role in Severance to former President Barack Obama.
- Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac says that the Apple TV+ movie The Gorge is a perfect date-night film because it includes both action and romance. I watched it recently, and I thought it was great fun. I recommend it.
- And finally, I understand that it can be difficult to explain what makes the iPhone 16e special other than saying that it is a modern but less expensive iPhone. But this new ad from Apple doesn’t really clear up anything for me. This one is just bizarre: