In the News

Over the last few weeks, we have seen major releases from Apple.  All versions of the iPhone 14 (except the iPhone 14 Plus) are now available and have been in peoples' hands for a while.  The new second generation AirPods Pro have been out for a week, as has the Apple Watch Ultra.  The Apple Watch Series 8 has been out for more than a week, as has iOS 16 and watchOS 9.  With all of these new hardware and software products in folks hands for a little while, we are starting to see lots of interesting reports about how people are taking advantage of these new devices.  It's an exciting time in the world of the iPhone and related technology.  Whether you are using new hardware or just the latest operating systems, I hope that you are experiencing the delight that comes along with great new features.  And now, the news of note from the past week: This is your last chance to donate to St. Jude before the September fundraiser ends.  It will take you about 10 seconds, and it will help make a huge difference for kids with cancer.  No donation is too small, and all of the money raised goes directly to St. Jude. Lit Software, which is sponsoring iPhone J.D. this month, shares a great story on its blog from Los Angeles attorney (and iPhone J.D. reader) Tom Vidal who used the ExhibitsPad app in a jury trial, so each juror had an iPad on which they could view all of the evidence.  There is an interesting article on Apple's website about how archaeologists are using the iPad Pro's LiDAR sensor and other features to explore the ancient history of Pompeii.  According to Dr. Allison Emmerson of Tulane University, the iPad has revolutionized the field. I've seen countless reports about how the battery life on the new Apple Watch Ultra is amazing.  Now we know a big reason for that.  Sam Goldheart of tech repair company iFixIt opened up an Apple Watch Ultra and discovered that the Apple Watch Ultra has a 2.1 Wh battery, almost twice as much as the 1.19 Wh in the Apple Watch Series 8.  You can also see that the speakers are much larger on the Apple Watch Ultra. David Smith, the developer of fantastic apps such as Widgetsmith and Sleep++, took a multi-day hike through the Scottish Highlands with the Apple Watch Ultra.  He prepared a fascinating video along the way, showing many of the strengths and weaknesses of this device.  He made a good argument that an Apple Watch Ultra is like a pickup truck: you can use it for regular life, like taking the kids to school and driving to the mall, but it also has the extra power and strength you need to head offroad or carry gravel from the garden store. Roman Loyola of Macworld compares the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Series 8. In an article for Macworld, Ken Mingis explains why he switched from using Garmin watches to the Apple Watch Ultra. Attorney John Voorhees of MacStories reviews the second generation AirPods Pro.  (You can currently get them from Amazon for cheaper than you can from Apple.) When I reviewed the second generation AirPods Pro, I said that one of the new features is the Adaptive Transparency feature, which lets you hear the outside world while also reducing some loud, obnoxious sounds (sounds above 85 dB).  Juli Clover of MacRumors reports that, based on the latest beta of iOS 16.1, the first generation AirPods Pro will also gain this feature soon. Jason Snell of Six Colors wrote a good iPhone 14 Pro review with a great title: No phone is an island. Mark Spooneuer of Tom's Guides explains and shows that the iPhone 14 Pro's 48 MP camera is astonishingly good. Ben Lovejoy of 9to5Mac explains why the camera on the iPhone 14 Pro is good enough to use as his only travel camera.  I've been thinking about that topic a lot lately.  The Nikon DSLR camera that my wife and I have used since 2005 is having some issues.  But do we replace it?  Nikon and most other camera manufacturers don't even make new DSLR cameras anymore.  I can get a very good mirrorless camera for around $1,000, but I suspect that in many circumstances, the iPhone 14 Pro can take pictures that are as good or better.  It's fascinating that the iPhone camera has gotten so good that we even have this debate. An upcoming feature of the iPhone 14 phones is the ability to connect to a satellite in an emergency.  Felipe Espósito of 9to5Mac explains that the iPhone will have a satellite demo mode so that you can see what it is like to connect to a satellite without actually calling for help. William Gallagher of Apple Insider reports that, according to display technology firm DisplayMate, the iPhone 14 Pro Max display is the best on any smartphone to date. In an article for Macworld, Dan Moren recommends features not to miss in iOS 16 and watchOS 9. Apple CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives have been visiting Apple campuses and stores throughout Europe.  Chance Miller of 9to5Mac shares a number of pictures from some of the places they visited.  That included the set where they film Ted Lasso; there is a great picture of Apple executives Tim Cook, Eddy Cue, Lisa Jackson, Diedre O'Brien, and Kristin Huguet Quayle cheering for AFC Richmond along with actors Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso), Juno Temple (Keeley), Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca), Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard), and Jeremy Swift (Higgins).  One of Cook's stops in Italy was a university, and as Sami Fathi of MacRumors reports, Cook said that in the near future, people will wonder how they led a life without augmented reality.  That's an interesting comment because at the present, Apple sells almost now augmented reality products—aside from some isolated things you can do on an iPhone or iPad.  But many have reported that Apple is also working on some sort of augmented reality headset or glasses, and surely Cook himself knows what Apple is working on.  As Cook speaks more freely on this topic, I wonder if that signals that we are getting even closer to Apple announcing its first augmented reality product. One of the selling points of a smart thermostat is that by turning down the AC or heat when you are not home you can conserve energy.  In an article in The Atlantic, Ian Bogost reports that this might not really be true because the savings that you might get when you are not home are often outweighed by the increased use of the thermostat when you are home.  If you are in bed at night and you find it a little warm, you probably won't get up out of bed to turn up the AC.  But if you can do so from your iPhone or Apple Watch, you are more likely to do so, using more energy.  It's an interesting argument (and one subject to critique, as noted in the article) that I hadn't contemplated yet.  As a former high school and college debater, I'm always intrigued by a "turn": an argument that something designed to do X would actually result in the opposite of X.  If you want to use a game controller with your iPhone, attorney John Voorhees of MacStories recommends two models: the Razer Kishi V2 and the Backbone One. And finally, I loved this video from Marques Brownlee in which he discusses why he is so impressed with the second generation AirPods Pro.  He even includes an interesting suggestion: if you are at a live concert and close to a speaker, you can wear the AirPods Pro in transparency mode and you will hear everything but the super-loud noises that could otherwise hurt your ears will be reduced somewhat.  Interesting suggestion:

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Review: Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

On September 7, 2016, Apple introduced the world to AirPods.  It was another four months before most folks could start to find them in stores, but for over five years now, AirPods have been a sensation.  I frequently hear people say that AirPods are their favorite Apple product, and there are certainly times when I agree.  Apple has added lots of new features since 2016 including better battery life, the ability to just say "Hey Siri" out loud, Qi charging, and the force sensor button, but I think that the biggest improvement was when Apple added noise cancellation in the AirPods Pro.  I will admit that when Apple first introduced the AirPods Pro on October 28, 2019, I was not very enthusiastic.  I thought that noise cancellation was only useful when you are on a long plane flight.  But two months later, I started using AirPods Pro myself, and I quickly became a convert.  Reducing the noises of the outside world makes listening to anything much more enjoyable.  It doesn't have to be the white noise on a plane flight.  It can be the sound of a treadmill, the sound of air conditioning in a building, or the sound of other people around you.  Any time that you can reduce that noise, it is much easier to appreciate the music or voices that you are trying to listen to.  A few days ago, Apple started selling the second generation of the AirPods Pro.  The new model takes everything that you already love about AirPods and AirPods Pro, and adds many more features to make everything better.  Apple sells them for $249, but you can often find them cheaper elsewhere.  (They are currently $239.99 on Amazon.)  I love them and recommend them, and this review explains why. Improved noise cancellation There are two ways that earphones can reduce noise from the outside world.  One way is to block the outside noise from coming in, which is passive noise cancellation.  Over-the-ear headphones with lots of cushions around your ears aim to do that.  The other way is active noise cancellation, which works by using a microphone on the outside of the headphones to listen to the outside world.  Virtually immediately, the headphone then produces the equal but opposite sound waves inside of your ear canal to cancel the outside noise.  Bose pioneered this technology, and it released the first consumer active noise cancellation headphones in 2000.  Active noise cancellation relies on not only microphones but also computing technology.  The computer chips need to listen to the outside world, figure out how to produce the opposite sound waves, do so incredibly quickly, and do so in a chip so tiny that it can fit in a device small enough to fit in your ear.  You know what company does an excellent job creating small and powerful computer chips?  Yep, that would be Apple.  Apple is replacing the H1 chip used in prior AirPods with a brand new H2 chip.  And many of the advantages of the second generation AirPods Pro are due to this chip.  For example, Apple says: "Featuring up to two times more noise cancellation than their predecessor, the H2-powered AirPods Pro are built to let you listen in peace.  With control over what you hear—and don’t hear—you'll be immersed in songs and podcasts like never before."  Noise cancellation on a first generation AirPods Pro is very good.  But with the second generation model, the noise reduction is noticeably better.  It's a substantial improvement.  This is nice because it further reduces the distractions of the outside world.  It is also nice because I can more easily focus on the music or podcast or audio portion of a movie or whatever else I am listening to. Do you want to see how much the noise is being reduced?  If you have an Apple Watch, you can do that.  I played a loud video on a computer using the computers built-in speakers and then opened the Noise app on my Apple Watch.  My watch warned me that because the noise was over 80 dB, it could be dangerous if I was exposed to it for a long period of time.  But then I put my second generation AirPods Pro in my ears (connected to my iPhone, not the computer), and the Noise app showed me that, because of noise reduction, I had reduced the noise from the computer by about 20-25 dB such that I was now in the safe zone.   Improved Transparency mode As nice as it is to block out the outside world, sometimes you want just the opposite.  You want to pay attention to the world around you, but you want to listen to something on top of the outside world.  Transparency mode does this, taking the sounds from the outside world and playing them inside of your ear, along with whatever is playing from your iPhone or other audio source.  I probably use Transparency mode almost as much as I use Noise Cancellation mode. The second generation AirPods Pro adds an (optional) mode called Adaptive Transparency.  It works like the normal Transparency mode, but thanks to the H2 chip, it can also minimize the intensity of outside loud noise like a siren or power tools so that you can listen to all of the outside world except the truly annoying parts. Better sound quality Yet another advantage of the H2 chip is that is helps the AirPods to have even better sound quality.  When I first read about this feature, I thought that this would be great for other folks but probably not relevant to me.  I don't find that I'm all that discerning when it comes to listening to music; as long as the sound is decent enough, I tend to enjoy it. Having said that, even I can hear that while the first generation AirPods Pro sound good, the second generation AirPods Pro sound better.  For example, this weekend I was listening to a new album from New Orleans legend Dr. John.  He passed away over two years ago, and the album that he was working on when he died is finally out.  (There have been many interesting reasons for the delay; music reporter Keith Spera of the Times-Picayune has an interesting article on the drama.)  It is a great album with lots of good songs, both originals and covers.  I especially love that the first line in the first song on the album is: "Well, hello there. My, it's been a long, long time."  Yes, Dr. John, it is indeed nice to hear your voice again.  Anyway, I mention this album because it includes a great version of the song "End of the Line" originally recorded by the Traveling Wilburys.  This version features Dr. John, Aaron Neville, and the new singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt.  This is an excellent arrangement, and it sounds noticeably better using the second generation AirPods Pro versus my first generation AirPods Pro.  Each voice and instrument seems more distinct.  The sound is slightly crisper and more precise.  I noticed the same thing on many other songs. I don't mean to make too much of a fuss over this.  I've enjoyed listening to music on every version of the AirPods.  If I'm not paying close attention and going back and forth between different headphones, I probably would never notice the difference.  But I'm certainly in favor of music sounding even better, so it is nice to see Apple using the new H2 chip to provide a better listening experience. Battery life Allowing AirPods to recharge when they are in their storage case was a great idea.  It means that most of the time, you'll never have to worry about battery life.  It's only an issue if you are listening for four or five hours in a row.  Nevertheless, there have been times when I've used AirPods with very long videoconferences, such as a deposition that goes all day long, and in those circumstances, battery life is an issue. With the first generation AirPods Pro, Apple advertised about 4.5 hours of battery life.  Apple says that the more efficient H2 chip provides six hours of battery life.  I haven't yet kept a pair in my ears for six hours straight to test this, but I'm sure that there will be times when I will appreciate the additional power. Volume control Let's now discuss some changes that are not directly related to the H2 chip.  One change is the ability to change the volume on the AirPods themselves.  In the past, you would have to do this on your iPhone (or whatever device was playing sound) or with your Apple Watch.  But sometimes it is not convenient to reach for your iPhone.  And even if you are wearing an Apple Watch, you need to first go to the Now Playing screen and then change the volume, which takes a few steps. With the second generation AirPods Pro, you can slide a finger up or down the touch sensor to increase or decrease the volume.  It takes a few tries before you figure out the right way to do it.  I recommend putting your thumb behind the stem to give it support while you use your pointer finger to swipe, and a larger swipe motion works better than a smaller motion.  The volume does not gradually change as you are swiping up; a single swipe-up motion tells the iPhone to increase the volume, in both ears, by the amount that would occur if you pressed the volume up button on the side of the iPhone.  And to tell you that you did the swipe motion correctly, you hear a tiny sound to confirm that the swipe was recognized. Adding a volume control to the side of AirPods is a fantastic idea.  I’ve seen a few reviewers write that they found the feature hard to use and that sliding a finger can cause the AirPod to come out of an ear.  I thought that at first too, but now that I have gotten used to the gesture, it is working well for me just about every time. Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac has some good suggestions on the way to change volume successfully. Volume control has become one of my favorite new features of the second generation AirPods Pro. Skin detection When Apple introduced the third-generation AirPods a year ago, it added a skin-detection sensor.  This sensor helps the AirPods detect when they are in your ear so that when removed from an ear, the music can pause.  (And when put back in your ear, the music resumes.)  The first generation AirPods Pro, and earlier models of the AirPods, used an optical sensor, which can get confused and think that they are in your ear when they are instead in a dark pocket.  It is annoying to resume a podcast and find out that it had been playing, without your knowledge, so you have lost your place.  This didn't happen to me very often, but it has happened more than once.  Thus, I'm glad to see Apple's skin-detection sensor added to the AirPods Pro. MagSafe charging—even with an Apple Watch charger When Apple introduced the second-generation AirPods in 2019, you could get the regular version for $159 or, for an extra $40, you could get a version that supported a wireless Qi charger.  Nowadays, with the third-generation AirPods, it costs only $10 more to get a case that supports a wireless Qi charger. With the third generation AirPods, Apple added another advantage: MagSafe charging.  Not only can you charge the case without using a cord, but if you use a MagSafe-compatible charger, the AirPods case will attach magnetically to the charger so that you can be assured that there is a good connection; plus, the case is less likely to slide off of the charger by accident.  The magnetic part of MagSafe charging is a big advantage over regular Qi charging. With the second generation AirPods Pro, Apple has added yet another advantage.  Not only do you get MagSafe charging, but you get MagSafe charging that works with an Apple Watch charger.  I've only been using the Airpods Pro for a few days, but I've already found this feature rather useful.  I have Apple Watch chargers in various places in my home or office, and I love that if I find myself near one, I can just put the AirPods case on there to recharge it. Find My AirPods Pro Before the second generation AirPods Pro, you had some options for trying to find your AirPods if they were lost, but they were limited.  With prior models, you can see the location on a map of where they were last connected to your iPhone.  That could be helpful if you cannot find them at your house and the Find My app reminds you that you left them at your office.  But it doesn’t help if you are in the same building where your AirPods are located and you cannot find them. If AirPods are outside of their case, you can use the Find My app to play a sound.  The sound is not very loud since the internal speaker is designed to play sound directly into your ear canal not to fill an entire room.  But this can be helpful if you are in a very quiet room and an AirPod slips between the couch cushions. But what if your AirPods are in the case and you cannot find them?  With the second generation AirPro Pro, you finally have options.  Two of them, in fact.  First, you can use the Find My app to locate the case.  The new case includes Apple’s U1 chip so it works like it has an AirTag built-in.  Walk around your house and the Find My app will tell you how far away you are from the case and whether you need to go left or right.  This makes it incredibly easy to find the case.     Second, this is the first AirPods case that has a built-in speaker.  Thus, you can tell the case to play a tone, and hunting down that tone makes it easy to find the case even if it is covered up by something else. For me, when my AirPods leave my ear, they go directly in the case, and I suspect that many folks work the same way.  Thus, being able to find the AirPods case is huge.  I'm very happy to have this as a new feature. Speaker on the case Having a speaker on the case is great if you lose the case.  According to Hunter Fenollel of Popular Mechanics, the speaker has a peak volume of 67 decibels when on a table 10 feet away.  It is certainly easy to hear. The speaker on the bottom is one of the ways that you can distinguish this new case.  In the following photo, the first generation case is on the left, the second generation on the right: The speaker is used for other purposes as well.  When you put AirPods in the case to charge, once they are recharged to 100%, the case plays a short ding to alert you.  If you put the wrong AirPods into the AirPods case, the case will make noise to warn you.  The case will also ding when it is running low on battery power. When you put the case on a charger, it will ding to tell you that it has started charging, a nice way to get confirmation that the case is in the correct position for charging.  It also plays a ding when you connect a Lightning cord to charge the case.  If you don’t like these charging sounds, you can turn them off.  Go to the Settings app on your iPhone, select your AirPods Pro, make sure that at least one AirPods Pro is out of the case, and then turn off the switch next to Enable Charging Case Sounds. Ear tips Unlike regular AirPods, AirPods Pro has replaceable tips.  With the second generation AirPods Pro, the product comes with a new tip, a new XS size, plus the traditional S, M, and L sizes.   For my ears, I’ve always had a mixed experience with the tips provided by Apple because I often feel like they are going to come out of my ear. Thus, for most of the past year, I’ve been instead using the COMPLY Foam Apple AirPods Pro 2.0 Earbud Tips (available on Amazon for $24.99.) If you purchase replacement tips from Apple, you will see that Apple has different listings for the first generation and second generation tips.  Apple explains the difference this way:  "AirPods Pro (1st generation) ear tips have noticeably denser mesh than AirPods Pro (2nd generation) ear tips."  But even if the tips have changed, the way that the tips attach to AirPods does not appear to have changed.  Accordingly, these COMPLY replacement tips work just as well on the second generation AirPods Pro as they did with the first generation AirPods Pro.  Thus, I suspect that other third-party tips already on the market will continue to work just as well. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to continue with the COMPLY ear tips or give the Apple tips another try.  Nevertheless, it is nice that you can take advantage of existing third-party tips with the second generation AirPods Pro. Personalized engraving For a while now, Apple has given you the option to personalize an AirPods or AirPods Pro case with engraving.  This year, there are some changes. First, the engraving itself is different and larger.  In part, that is because you are RESTRICTED TO USING CAPITAL LETTERS, which seems like an odd restriction.  But the letters are also larger, in a more pronounced font that reminds me of engravings on AirTags. Instead of letters, you can also use a (limited) selection of emoji characters.  In the following picture, the engraved first generation case is on the left, second generation on the right: Second, the engraving is not limited to the physical case; it also appears on the virtual representation of the case that shows up on an iPhone when you first pair and when you open the top and see an indication of the remaining battery life: This is a neat trick.  I notice that the engraving does not show up on my iPad, only on my iPhone, but perhaps that is because this requires iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 has not yet been released.  Regardless of how it works, I like it. By the way, Apple is now letting you use Memoji for the engraving on any AirPods case.  To do so, you need to order using the Apple Store app on an iPhone. Lanyard loop I carry my AirPods Pro case in my pocket, but if you prefer to carry it or attach it to something via a lanyard, you can now do so.  The right side of the case now has a lanyard loop.  In the following picture, the first generation case is on the left and the second generation case is on the right: Apple does not sell lanyards, but you can easily buy them from third-parties. Windows In my opinion, AirPods Pro is the best earphone to use with the iPhone or iPad.  But they also work very well with Windows, which is the computer I use in my office in my law practice.  I've used my first generation AirPods Pro for years to listen to audio on my Windows computer and to participate in videoconferences.  They work great.  The first time you do so, you need to open the lid and hold down the button on the back to put the AirPods Pro into pairing model.  But after that first time, you can just put the AirPods in your ears and use the Settings app in Windows to connect them. I've tested the second generation AirPods Pro with Windows, and everything continues to work as expected.  Noise cancellation and Transparency Mode work.  You can hear everything, and others on a videoconference can hear you via the built-in microphone.  You can squeeze on the tips of the AirPods to play/pause video.  You can use the new swipe up / swipe down gesture to instruct the Windows computer to increase or decrease the volume.  Everything just works as you would expect. Conclusion The second generation AirPods Pro looks somewhat similar to the first generation, and that is a good thing.  The first generation model was great, and all of that greatness continues forward in the new model.  But on top of that, there are substantial improvements.  The H2 chip improves active noise reduction, Transparency mode, music quality, and battery life.  The volume controls are a great convenience.  Better skin detection, lanyard support, and MagSafe charging on even an Apple Watch charger are small but nice changes.  The U1 chip and the speaker help you to find AirPods when there are lost and in the case, and the speaker is useful in other circumstances too.  And even the engraving is nicer.  Add all of this together, and the second generation AirPods Pro is a substantial upgrade. Click here to get second generation AirPods Pro from Amazon ($239.99)

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Podcast episode 69: All the Shiny New Toys! Plus Shiny New iOS Updates!

Brett Burney was in Chicago when we recorded this week's episode of the In The News podcast, and shortly after we finished recording, he got to see all of the shiny new toys from Apple at the beautiful Apple Store on Michigan Avenue.  We talked about those devices during this week's episode.  First, we talked about the iPhone 14 Pro and some of the new features I've discovered since I wrote my review earlier this week.  Next, we talked about the fascinating Apple Watch Ultra, which went on sale yesterday.  We also discussed the new second generation AirPods Pro, which also went on sale yesterday.  (Mine arrived just a few minutes after we finished recording, and I'll have more to say on this product soon.)  Finally, we discussed even more useful iOS 16 tips. In our In the Know segment, Brett discusses seeing full-size cover art on your lock screen in iOS 16, a great new feature.  I talk about all of the different status icons that appear at the top of the screen and recommend that folks check out this page on Apple's website to learn about the ones that they don't already know.  (If any of you out there can honestly say that you already know about every single one of those icons, then I tip my hat to you.) Click here to listen to the audio podcast, or just use your podcast player of choice.  You can also watch the episode on YouTube:

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In the News

Today, Apple starts taking pre-orders for the new iPhone 14 models and the new AirPods Pro.  Given the supply constraints around the world that have affected every industry, but especially the electronics industry, get your order in early if you don't want to have to wait a long time for delivery.  Or, you can skip the pre-order and just plan to show up at your local Apple Store on the  morning of September 16 (or September 23 for the new AirPods Pro) because Apple traditionally sets aside a small number of units for Apple Store shoppers.  I pre-ordered an iPhone 14 Pro, 256GB, Space Black, a leather case, and the new AirPods Pro.  And now, the news of note from the past week: While you are thinking about spending money on new Apple products, how about throwing in a few bucks to help kids with cancer?  Simply go to the page, click the big green DONATE button, and donate any amount.  Thanks in advance! Mark Spooneuer of Tom's Guide discusses what is new in the iPhone 14 Pro Max, after having spent a little time with the device this week. Jason Cross of Macworld discusses the new iPhone 14 models.  He notes in the article that many had expected Apple to raise prices this year because of inflation and supply constraints, and while Apple did do that in some countries, it did not do so here in the United States. The satellites that work with the iPhone 14 models are operated by Globalstar, a company from Covington, LA, which means it is just across the lake from where I live.  In an article for the New Orleans newspaper, the Times-Picayune, Timothy Boone says that Globalstar has been working with Apple for years to prepare.  The article says that "Apple will pay 95% of the costs Globalstar incurs launching new satellites to build out the network," and Apple "will spend $450 million to build out satellite infrastructure to support the feature," with most of that money going to Globalstar.  "Because of the Apple deal, Globalstar has dropped the development of its second-generation duplex service, which provides two-way communications," so that the company can instead concentrate on Apple. The new iPhone 14 Pro models support the Dynamic Island, which looks like a great new feature.  Felipe Espósito of 9to5Mac explains how it works. Ed Blumenthall of CNet reports that AT&T is rolling out a new 5G midband network, but the only iPhones that can use it are the new iPhone 14 models. Three new Apple Watch models were announced this week: the Apple Watch Ultra, the Apple Watch Series 8, and the second generation Apple Watch SE.  Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac compares the new models. In an article for Macworld, Jason Snell shows off some initial pictures of the Apple Watch Ultra. California attorney David Sparks wonders if the Apple Watch Ultra might be the start of other new versions of the Apple Watch.  Now he has me wondering what features I'd want to see in an "Apple Watch J.D." Can you use the new bands designed for the Apple Watch Ultra with other versions of the Apple Watch, and vice versa?  Zac Hall of 9to5Mac explains the band compatibility issues. Attorney John Voorhees of MacStories discusses the second generation AirPods Pro. Voorhees also write an in-depth preview of the iCloud Shared Photo Library feature that is coming in iOS 16. Dan Moren of Six Colors labels certain features as winners, losers, and in-between based upon the Apple announcements this week. Jason Snell of Six Colors discusses some of the bold moves by Apple that were revealed this week. John Gruber of Daring Fireball notes that the iPhone is extremely popular in the United States, Japan, and in many English-speaking countries like Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia, but Android phones are more popular than iPhones in countries like Germany and France. Jay Peters of The Verge wrote an article titled "Apple Maps Turns 10—And It's Finally Worth Using." The Steve Jobs Archive is a new website created by friends and family of Steve Jobs that is devoted to the core ideals that motivated Steve Jobs throughout his life. Kara Swisher interviewed Tim Cook, Jony Ive, and Laurene Powell to discuss Steve Jobs.  Chance Miller of 9to5Mac provides some highlights of what they said. Mitchell Clark of The Verge notes that Apple's Lightning port is now 10 years old.  I remember being impressed when Apple introduced it with the iPhone 5; it was so much smaller than the 30-pin connector, and the plug worked no matter which way you inserted it. Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac reports that Apple Pay now handles over $6 trillion in transactions each year, which is more than MasterCard. Juli Clover of MacRumors reports that YouTube TV on the Apple TV has been updated to support 5.1 audio.  (YouTube TV is a streaming television service; this is not the YouTube app.) And finally, if you didn't already watch the Apple video introduction on Wednesday, I encourage you to watch this three minute video from the beginning of the show.  In it, real people explain how an Apple Watch enhanced or saved their life as they describe—and recreate—what happened.  Some of these stories are amazing.

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Why lawyers will love the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14

Yesterday, Apple introduced the 2022 versions of the iPhone, and there is a lot to love about these new models.  There are four new iPhones in two sizes.  If you want the regular size with a 6.1" screen, you can get either the iPhone 14 or the iPhone 14 Pro.  If you want the larger size with a 6.7" screen, you can get the iPhone 14 Plus or the iPhone 14 Pro Max.  This is the fourth year that Apple has introduced a "Pro" model of the iPhone, and while I've always enjoyed the extra features, in the past, they may not have been worth the extra expense for many folks.  This is the first year that the Pro version has substantially more features, and I suspect that this will result in more folks getting the Pro model even if they didn't do so in prior years.  Let's jump right in and talk about the features that lawyers and other professionals are going to love about these new devices. Safety thanks to satellites There are two different ways in which the new iPhones can help to keep you safe, and the first safety feature is provided by satellites. If you find yourself in times of trouble, it has always been comforting to know that you can use Wi-Fi or cellular to send a message to friends or families—or, in a real emergency, to 911.  But what if you are "off the grid" and cannot get even a cellular signal?  I’ve certainly had situations in the past when I was driving to a remote location to interview a witness or take a deposition and there is suddenly no cell phone coverage, and I find myself wondering what would happen if I had car trouble with no way to call for help. All four of Apple's new iPhones can communicate with satellites to send an emergency message, should you need it.  It works best when you have a clear line of sight to the sky; those emergency messages take about 15 seconds to send.  If you are under trees, Apple says that it could take over a minute to send a message (and bigger obstructions might block the satellites completely).    The way that Apple is implementing this feature is interesting.  When you use Emergency SOS via Satellite, your iPhone will ask you a series of questions to figure out what is wrong.  It can then communicate, in the most efficient way possible, from your iPhone to a satellite to a ground station (that communicates with the satellite) to a relay center.  People at the relay center then contact the appropriate emergency services. If you are stuck in the middle of nowhere, this feature can be a real lifesaver.  But you can also take advantage of this feature even if you are not in an emergency.  The iPhone already has the ability to share your location with family members or friends that you designate.  So long as you are on the cellular grid, this feature works great.  But if you are off the grid, the new iPhone will use the satellite feature to communicate your location to Find My.  That way, your designated friends and family members will still know where you are located. Apple hasn't said how frequently your location is updated via satellite, and I have to imagine that it doesn't happen very often.  In the example photo (above) provided by Apple, the person's location was as of 4 minutes ago, which is great.  Hopefully, the locations are updated frequently enough for this feature to be useful, but I'm sure that Apple took that into account. The ability to communicate with satellites is a service that costs money.  Apple says that the service will be free for the first two years that you use one of these phones.  After that, you will have to pay a fee that Apple has yet to disclose.  (Currently, satellite communication services from companies like Garmin cost over $100 a year depending upon the features, but who knows what Apple will charge.) Safety in a car accident Another safety feature with all four new models of iPhone is that they can use the improved accelerometer and gyroscope to detect when you are in a severe car crash.  If the iPhone detects this, it will automatically call emergency services (giving you about 10 seconds to stop this, in case of a false alarm) so that your iPhone can call for help even if you are unconscious or unable to reach your iPhone.  Dynamic Island for improved notifications If you lead a busy life and are a heavy iPhone user, then your iPhone always has a lot going on.  You are dealing with lots of incoming messages, and you have different apps running that sometimes need your attention.  One of my favorite features of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max (not available on the other two models) is called Dynamic Island.  Apple has taken what used to be a notch at the top of the screen (where a front-facing camera and sensors are located) and turned it into something the size of a pill.  But the size of the pill changes dynamically to display different messages. The best way to understand this feature is to see it in action.  Here is a very short, under-one-minute, video from Apple that shows how the Dynamic Island feature works.  (You can keep the sound turned off if you want; it is just background music.) Having useful information displayed at the top of an iPhone seems like a fabulous idea, and I cannot wait to try it out myself.  This feature looks amazing.  And you have to love that Apple has taken something that used to be considered a hindrance—the notch—and found a way to turn it into a feature for which people will want to pay extra. Impressive camera improvements Every year, Apple does something to improve the iPhone camera. There are a few new features that come to the cameras on all four new iPhones.  First, Apple is using technology that Apple calls the "Photonic Engine" to improve the quality of low-light images.  Second, a new Action Mode will use sensors to improve the stabilization of video when you are recording video as you move around.  These are both nice improvements. For the major improvements, you need to use a Pro model.  Instead of the 12-megapixel camera that has been standard in the iPhone for a long time, the Pro models use a 48-megapixel camera.  Normally, the iPhone will treat this like a 12-megapixel camera, and the 4x pixels will be used to capture maximize the amount of light that is captured, resulting in sharper pictures.  Apple will also use the increase in pixels to offer a true 2x optical zoom using the main camera (which is in addition to the 3x optical zoom using the telephoto camera that is on the Pro model).  But if you want to take a 48-megapixel picture (which will be huge!), you can do that as well when you use the ProRAW model on the iPhone.  Apple has also improved the lenses, so all of them should produce better pictures even with less light.  And there are other improvements too, such as the ability to use Cinematic mode (introduced last year) for 4K video, not just 1080p video. Thus, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will have very nice cameras that should take great pictures.  But the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will have truly incredible cameras, and I cannot wait to see the resulting picture quality.  Considering that low-light is always such a problem for taking pictures with a cellphone camera, it is great to see that Apple is doing so much to make pictures look much better even when you are not outside with lots of sunlight. A display that is always-on, and more Another feature that only comes to the two Pro models is an always-on display.  I've mentioned in the past that the lock screen in iOS 16 will be vastly improved with the ability to display lots of useful information in widgets.  With the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, you can see those widgets even when your iPhone is just sitting on  your desk.  This works similar to the always-on display on the newest models of the Apple Watch; after a short period of time, the image dims and the refresh rate goes down substantially—which means, for example, that a timer will stop displaying seconds, although it will still countdown minutes.  I'll have to try this out to see how useful it really is, but I imagine that, in some circumstances, it will mean that you can get the information that you need with a quick glance instead of taking the time to pick up and use the iPhone. The peak brightness is also improved on the Pro models, going up to 2000 nits when you are outside, twice as bright as the iPhone 13 Pro.  This should make it much easier to see the iPhone screen when you are outside on a sunny day.  If you are inside, the iPhone 14 Pro can go up to 1600 nits for displaying HDR photos, an improvement from the 1200 nits of the iPhone 13 Pro. A16 Bionic: a faster processor Yet another improvement that only comes to the two Pro models is Apple's newest, fastest processor: the A16 Bionic.  (The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus use the same A15 Bionic chip that was used in all four of last year's iPhone 13 models.)  I'm sure that one of the things that this new processor does is enable some of the features noted above that are unique to the iPhone 14.  But in addition, the new processor should make the iPhone even faster and more responsive, which is always nice.  Apple says that the biggest improvements that come from the A16 Bionic are in power efficiency, the display, and camera features. Goodbye, SIM One interesting change for all four new models is that the devices no longer have a SIM Card slot.  Instead, they use an eSIM.  I'm sure that not having a SIM Card slot is useful for several reasons: cost, one less point of entry for water, a little extra space for battery, etc. But if you are someone who likes being apple to swap a physical SIM card in and out of your iPhone, you can no longer do that.  However, the new iPhone does support up to two eSIMs at a time. Colors The iPhone 14 comes in Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, and (PRODUCT) Red.  The iPhone 14 Pro comes in Deep Purple, Gold, Silver, and Space Black. Storage and Price The iPhone 14 starts at $799 for 128GB, which is the same price as the iPhone 13.  For an extra $100, you can double the memory to 256GB.  Or you can pay $1099 for the 512GB model.  If you want the larger iPhone 14 Plus model, each of those price points is $100 more expensive. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999, so you are paying an additional $200 over the iPhone 14 for all of the extra features noted above: Dynamic Island, better cameras, always-on display, and the faster processor.  From there, the pricing tier is what you would expect.  For an extra $100, you can double the memory to 256GB.  Or youc an pay $1299 for the 512GB mdoel.  Or you can pay $1499 for the 1TB model.  If you want the larger iPhone 14 Pro Max model, each of those price points is $100 more expensive. Pre-pre-order If you know that you want to get a new iPhone, the new models go on sale for pre-orders starting Friday, September 9, at 8am Eastern.  But a nice change is that you don't need to wait until then to start your order.  If you use the Apple Store app on your iPhone, you can choose a model (and any accessories) and make most of your decisions now.  That way, once pre-orders begin on Friday morning, you should be just a few button clicks away from completing your order.   Conclusion I'm very excited about the Pro models of the iPhone this year.  The improved cameras along would have made this a nice improvement.  The Dynamic Island features looks amazing, and the always-on display and faster processor could be quite useful.  For folks who are often on the fence between the Pro and the regular models, it is going to be very tempting this year to spend the extra $200.  But even if those Pro features don't appeal to you, the safety improvements that come to all new iPhones could be useful to anyone.  Plus, the idea that an iPhone can communicate with a satellite in sky is pretty darn impressive.  The 2022 models of the iPhone are very impressive.  I look forward to using an iPhone 14 Pro soon.

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New iPhones and more to be announced today

Today at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern, Apple will announce the 2022 versions of the iPhone.  A limited number of members of the press were invited to come to the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, for the announcement, presumably so that they will have the ability to get some hands-on time with the new products after the announcement.  Nevertheless, there is a good chance that much of the event itself will simply be a video stream, much like Apple has been doing for the past two years.  In addition to a new iPhone, the rumors are that we will see a new Apple Watch and perhaps new AirPods.  But you never know what surprises Apple may have. You can watch the live stream on this page of Apple’s website or on YouTube.

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Hate cancer? Consider donating.

I suspect that almost everyone reading this has experienced first-hand the horror that cancer brings to a family.  I watched my mother die of cancer a few years ago, and it was devastating.  And before that, both of my grandfathers died from cancer.  But if there is anything worse than watching a loved one with cancer, I have to imagine that it must be a watching a loved one who is a child with cancer.  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been researching cures and means of prevention for pediatric cancer since before I was born.  St. Jude has more cancer clinical trials than any other children’s hospital.  And when children are treated at St. Jude's, there is no cost to the family, which is amazing because goodness knows that the family has had to endure countless other economic and emotional costs as a result of a child with cancer. For many years, I've donated to St. Jude during September as a part of a fundraising campaign run by the Relay FM podcast network, home of many of my favorite podcasts such as Automators, Clockwise, Connected, Downstream, Liftoff, Mac Power Users, Rocket, and Upgrade.  Many of those podcasts address technology topics, and the information that I learn from those podcasts frequently becomes a part of what I do here on iPhone J.D. This year, Relay FM has asked folks in the Relay FM community to help with the fundraising effort, so I have created a fundraising page.  Simply go to the page, click the big green DONATE button, and donate any amount.  It just takes a few seconds and could not be easier.   You will be helping families who are directly affected by childhood cancer now, and you will be helping to find a cure for cancer in the future. Cancer is horrible.  But by contributing to this fundraising campaign, you can do something about it.  I just made a donation, and I hope that you will do so too.

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Podcast episode 66: Persistent Paper Clips and Apple Watch Kids

In this week's episode of the In the News podcast, Brett and I start by discussing features that might be coming to the iPhone a few years down the road.  Then we talk about using an iPad display right next to a Mac display.  We discuss how one person's life was saved by an Apple Watch and others use an Apple Watch to communicate with young children.  We also pay tribute to Microsoft's "Clippy" and discuss a new trivia game from Tom Hanks. In our In the Know segment, Brett shares a tip for checking the battery level on your AirPods or AirPods Pro.  I discuss lots of different Apple Watch bands and explain why you need to be careful with the Solo Loop, even though it is a fantastic band. Click here to listen to the audio podcast, or just use your podcast player of choice.  You can also watch the episode on YouTube:

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In the News

I am very excited for next week.  No, it is not because of the holiday on Monday (in the United States); it is Wednesday that I am looking forward to.  On Wednesday, September 7, Apple will announce the 2022 line of iPhones, and perhaps also a new Apple Watch and other new products, software, and services.  If the rumors are true, we will see an iPhone 14, a larger version of the iPhone 14 (iPhone 14 Plus? iPhone 14 Max?), an iPhone 14 Pro, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max.  There are conflicting reports about what the new features will be, but I feel safe predicting that the Pro models will have the best iPhone cameras yet.  I'm counting down the hours until the announcement.  And now, the news of note from the past week: Attorney John Voorhees of MacStories reviews Captionista, a simple app for adding subtitles to videos on the iPhone or iPad. In an article for Macworld, Jason Snell discusses what might be coming in a future iPhone ... not necessarily the one being announced in a few days, but in the coming years. David Snow of Cult of Mac discusses using an iPad Pro and the Sidecar feature to make a 5K display even bigger.  Even if you don't read the post, click to see the cover photo with the clever use of desktop wallpaper. Back in 2016, Apple invested $1 billion into a company called Didi, which was basically the Uber or Lyft of China.  Apple even got a seat on the board of directors as a result of the investment.  Now, six years later, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that Apple has given up its board seat after the Chinese government is now cracking down on the service and has forced the app to be pulled from mobile stores.  It's a rare bad investment for Apple. Michael Chen of KGTV in San Diego reports on a man who had a horrible accident on a mountain bike that rendered him a quadriplegic.  But he still lived, thanks to his Apple Watch.  Although he couldn't move his body after the crash, he was able to say "Hey Siri, call Peter," and his friend described his location to 911 so that he could be rescued. Kalley Huang and Brian X. Chen of the New York Times report on parents buying Apple Watches for children as young as 8 or even 5 years old. José Adorno of 9to5Mac describes some upcoming HomeKit products from Eve, including new MotionBlinds and a new Eve Light Switch. Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac reports that USB 4 2.0 is coming and will support speeds up to 80 Gbps.  That's very fast.  I don't expect to see USB-C on the new iPhone that Apple will announce next week, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple replace the Lightning port with a high-speed USB 4 2.0 port next year. Hardy also reports that the new Apple TV+ show called Bad Sisters is getting good reviews.  I haven't watched it yet. Long before Siri was our virtual assistant, we had Microsoft's Clippy.  Benjamin Cassidy of Seattle Metropolitan uncovers the history of the paperclip that people loved to hate.  One fact that I did not know: Clippy was designed by Kevan Atteberry using a Mac. If you subscribe to Apple Arcade, starting today you can play a new game from trivia buff and movie star Tom Hanks.  It is called Hanx 101 Trivia, and according to Todd Spangler of Variety, it "features an initial set of some 58,000 questions across a range of categories such as history, science, geography, food, art, business and technology." And finally, while I don't plan to create my own Alter Ego version of myself, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the creative process in this Today at Apple video.  Artist Temi Coker and Apple Creative Pro Anthony meet up at the beautiful Apple Store in Chicago to use the Procreate app on an iPad with an Apple Pencil to add color and style to portrait photos.  This video also reminds me that a cool feature of the Procreate app is the ability to create a video, sped up, of the process of creating a photo, which can be pretty neat:

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