This week, Apple debuted a new look for the Apple website. There are still tabs at the top devoted to topics like iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but now you can hover your computer mouse over each tab, or tap once on a tab on an iPad, to see a large list of pages associated with that tab. There is a somewhat similar layout for the iPhone, but it is based on a menu button at the top right. It's a nice design change that makes it easier to get to the specific part of the Apple website that you want. Additionally, many of the pages on the website have been spruced up with graphics that animate as you scroll down the website. For an interesting look at past Apple website home pages, check out this page from the Version Museum, which covers 1994 to 2020. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- I added a new paragraph to my recent review of Camo, the app that lets you use your iPhone as a webcam, to note that I initially had some difficulties using Camo when my iPhone was connected to my Windows computer using a cord. I solved that problem by updating a driver, and it helped Camo to work much better. I'll discuss this issue in more detail when we record today's episode of the In the News podcast.
- What do people who pay attention think about Apple's performance in 2022? Jason Snell of Six Colors released the latest version of his annual Report Card to answer that question. Folks were happy with wearable technology like the Apple Watch and AirPods, but more grumpy about HomeKit and developer relations.
- Benjamin Mayo of 9to5Mac compares the original HomePod to the new model.
- If you want to use HomePods in a stereo pair, they need to be of the same generation. Unless you use a workaround, described by Chance Miller of 9to5Mac in this post, which involves using the Airfoil app on a Mac. If you own a single original generation HomePod and a single new HomePod, it might be something worth trying to see what you think.
- Anthony of CarPlay Life recommends apps that car owners should install.
- Nathaniel Pangaro of AppleInsider reviews the Meross Smart Plug Mini, a simple HomeKit-compatible smart plug.
- Amazon is selling the second-generation Apple Pencil for only $89.99, a substantial $40 discount.
- Aidan Pollard of Insider tells the story of a couple whose luggage was lost by Air Canada after their honeymoon. Thanks to an AirTag, the couple was able to track the bag for months, and they finally recovered it after learning that their ID tag had become disconnected from the luggage and then the airline donated the luggage to a charity. AirCanada says that the owners should have put identifying information inside of the luggage to account for the possibility of the tag outside of the luggage becoming detached, but I suspect that most people don't do that.
- I don't play a lot of video games, but I have fond memories of loving the game Myst when it came out on the Mac in 1993; the graphics were incredible (considering the technology of the day) and the puzzles were fun to solve. Juli Clover of MacRumors reports that a newly remastered version of Myst is now available for the iPad and iPhone called Myst Mobile. It is free to play, although you eventually need to pay $9.99 to unlock the entire game. For devices with an M1 or M2 chip, the games defaults to "Epic" settings to allow the graphics to look as good as possible.
- And finally, Apple released this video three weeks ago to advertise the new HomePod, but I hadn't seen it until last night, and it does a good job of promoting the key features.
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