Tag: watch

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Going Maskless

When Apple debuted Face ID for the iPhone, it was a wonderful idea and one wherein they thought the days of Touch ID were numbered. COVID completely derailed the reliability of something that worked so well. Apple, nor anyone for that matter, could’ve predicted constant mask-wearing. Now, finally, with iOS 15.4 Apple has created a system to work around it. Jose Adorno at 9To5Mac has more. Just after you update your iPhone to iOS 15.4, a new prompt screen will appear explaining the new “Use Face ID with a mask” feature. Even though Apple actively gives users this new option,…

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iPhone Ho Hum

Another September is upon us and that means another Apple event where they inevitably say “This is the best iPhone yet” and “Today we’re making the iPhone even better.” Today Apple announced: iPhone 13 (Mini, normal, Pro, and Pro Max), iPad normal and Mini, then Watch Series 7. Ryan Jones, the developer of the awesome Flighty app, put it succinctly. Normal person summary of iPhone 13 Pro:1.5-2.5 hours more battery lifesuper fluid animationslight bluemacro photosPortrait Mode for videosmaller notchbetter cameras https://twitter.com/rjonesy/status/1437846287743848462 I know we’ve reached the point where iPhone updates are incremental. There is really not a tectonic shift year-over-year…

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Getting the Apple Watch Bands Back Together

Ahead of Tuesday’s “California Streaming” event from Apple, comes news that certain watch bands for Apple Watch are no longer available. This isn’t surprising, since Apple refreshes their watch bands quite often. Usually it happens without any fanfare. In this instance it’s more proof that a Series 7 Watch will get stage time next week. There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not bands will fit the new watches. Apple kept compatibility with 38mm and 42mm bands on the 40mm and 44mm models. The flat-edged design calls into question whether or not they will actually fit and, if they do,…

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Another Good App Bites The Dust

Over on Twitter, Kosta Eleftheriou announced the discontinuation of FlickType for iPhone. This is a keyboard app specifically for visually-impaired users. The twitter thread goes into some detail about Eleftheriou’s issues with dealing with Apple’s App Review and the insane hoops developers have to jump through. I can’t say I blame him for tossing up his hands on this app and calling it quits. I am disappointed at Apple, especially when they are generally all for accessibility within their products. FlickType for iPhone is an asset to the platform. Thankfully the Apple Watch version of FlickType isn’t going anywhere because…

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Hello, Wrist

Events happen during our lives shaping how we live from that moment on. Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone in 2007 changed everything we do. The Nintendo Entertainment System hitting the US in 1985 revived a dying industry and set off a video game revolution. On April 11, 2012 an unknown group of five people would cause a seismic shift in a category without a name (now called ‘wearables’). While they’re gone now, it is fun to look back at what was an ambitious product that predated the proliferation of Apple Watch being a normal device. This is a look back…

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Wear O-mesS 3

More information is coming to light over on The Verge about Wear OS 3 and what this means going forward with both the software and hardware. This quote strikes at the heart of the matter: It’s not just about improving on the low bar of either Wear OS or Tizen. There are low bars everywhere for Android users. As Wear OS stagnated, OnePlus, RealMe, Oppo, Fitbit, and others have turned to proprietary, simplified platforms that lack the features you’d expect in a smartwatch today. The fact that Wear OS had an entry as the first wearable OS to market and no less…