Newsletter Editor:
| Date | 19 July 2023 |
| Time | 4:00 - 5:30 |
| Presentations: | • Meeting Intro with Harry • "Apple's free Photo Stream service" with Ron Sharp • Q&A with "A" Team based on questions emailed prior to meeting |
| Location: | by ZOOM on-line |
by Wendy Shimada, Secretary
The zoom meeting was called to order at 4:03 pm by Ron Sharp; President Harry Anderson & Treasurer Gary McIntyre were not in attendance so the meeting was brief with no treasurer's report. 13 Members were in attendance. Ron welcomed Robert Elphick to provide the presentation. Robert wished everyone a Happy Solstice then proceeded with information on OS Ventura, which was followed by Q & A. Questions were answered by Ron & Robert. Ron noted that next month's meeting will include information on the upcoming (July 26) shutdown of Apple's free Photo Stream service.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 pm
I imagine that many of you are, like me, overbooked with summertime travels and activities. I will miss the July and August MAGIC meetings on Zoom because we have out-of-town guest one month and trip to New Mexico the next. That seems to be the way things go here in Northwest Washington. Take advantage of good weather while we may. And, of course, that's also the same thing our friends from much hotter places do — visit us in summer!
All this also helps explain why attendance at our Zoom gatherings is down a bit these months. And it may also explain why we aren't receiving as many questions for our experts to answer at our meetings. My guess is many of us aren't as tied to our phones, tablets and MacBooks when the sky's blue and the temperature is above 70.
Nonetheless I hope you will go online and add a question or comment so our meetings will stay relevant and lively. Our next meeting is Wednesday July 19 at 4 p.m., and Ron Sharp will be the host. If you have questions or comments, just send them by email to magicmug@whidbey.net
Stay cool and I will be back in September.
Harry Anderson
Note: This Software Update section of the newsletter lists the most relevant Apple updates. Not all updates are listed for all products. Additionally, I'll add other pertinent updates on occasion.
by Roman Lyola, macworld
Apple on Wednesday released macOS Ventura 13.4.1, an update that includes a couple of critical zero-day security patches. The release notes merely state that the update includes "important security fixes and is recommended for all users."
It's unclear whether this update includes any other fixes, but Apple has recently promised that a fix would be coming to correct a storage issue with the new Mac Pro. According to the security notes, the update includes the same two security patches as the iOS 16.5.1 update:
Kernel
WebKit
While the details for kernel patch include an issue that has been exploited on iPhones, it's still important to apply the fix in macOS. So it's a good idea to install the update as soon as possible. For older Macs, there are also updates to macOS Monterey (12.6.7) and macOS Big Sur (11.7.8) that address the kernel issue.
How to install macOS Ventura 13.4.1
An internet connection is required to install the update, and the Mac needs to restart. To install macOS Ventura 13.4.1:
Check out our macOS Ventura guide for more information. Also, Apple has similar security patches for the iPhone and iPad.
by Roman Loyola, macworld
Apple has announced that its Self Service Repair program will be expanded to include the current iPhone 14 lineup and M2 Macs. The company also changed its iPhone System Configurator process, and in some countries added new components that can be self-repaired.
Starting on June 21, each iPhone 14 model, the M2 13-inch MacBook Air, the M2 Pro MacBook Pro, and the M2 Max MacBook Pro are part of the Self Service Repair program. Anyone wanting to repair these devices can use the same parts, tools, and manuals the Apple Store locations and Authorized Service Providers use. These items are available at the Self Service Repair Store.
In Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., and the U.S., Apple added Self Service Repair for desktop M1 Macs, and the True Depth camera and top speaker on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups.
A major part of the self-repair process is System Configurator, an app that, according to Apple, "ensures repairs with genuine Apple parts-designed and tested to internationally recognized standards-were completed correctly, and the parts are working properly." Apple will now no longer require users to contact the Self Service Repair support to finalize a repair in System Configurator.
Apple launched the Self Service Repair program last year, in what seemed to be a response to pressure from the Right to Repair campaign. Customers can read the appropriate manual to check the difficulty of a repair-in some instances, tool kits will need to be rented, in addition to buying parts. The repairs all require a certain level of mechanical aptitude as well as a good amount of patience, but its a good way to fix a device that otherwise has a lot of life left in it.
by Karen Haslam, macworld
Want to buy a new Mac and don't want to spend a fortune? Buying a new Mac is an expensive business, but there is a way to get a new Mac for less money.
We don't mean buy a second-hand Mac from someone on eBay. We mean you can get a brand-new Mac directly from Apple for less money. Read Should I buy a secondhand Mac?
Want to know how? Shop at Apple's Certified Refurbished Store. On the Refurbished Store you can find Macs from the past few years all with money off Apple's usual price. See just how much you can save here: How much can you save at Apple's Refurbished Store.
The price isn't the only reason to shop at Apple's Certified Refurbished Store though. Here we'll tell you all the reasons why you should buy a refurbished Mac.
by Karen Haslam, macworld
The 2022 MacBook Air has a better chip, bigger display and new design, but is it worth spending more while the M1 version is still on sale?
At a glance
Our Verdict
The MacBook Air with M2 is a significant improvement over its predecessor. It offers better performance, a more modern design, an improved display and some small but excellent improvements. There will be many for whom the older model is more than adequate, but the newer model costs just $100/£100 more and offers so much more value for money so it is our recommendation.
by Martyn Casserly, macworld
Apple has upgraded the MacBook Air with a bigger screen, but is it enough to beat the 14-inch MacBook Pro?
At a glance
Our Verdict
The 15-inch MacBook Air is the perfect laptop for those who want a large display, compact build, and enough power for general day-to-day computing. If you want more power for things like video editing and high-end gaming, however, then it's the Pro all the way.
by Glen Fleishman, macworld
The iPhone can automatically drop a pin in Apple Maps when parking your car. But there are a few settings you need to adjust to make this work.
You can use your iPhone to find your car-if you remember to drop a pin in Apple Maps or Google Maps when you leave your car. Just park, grab your iPhone and open your maps app. But, if your iPhone is connected to your car via Bluetooth or you use a CarPlay system, it can automatically drop a pin in your Maps app that you can find on your iPhone. Below we will explain how to Find your car with an iPhone.
If your iPhone is connected to your car's Bluetooth or a CarPlay stereo you can set this up to happen automatically. If that isn't the case you can still record your parked position, but you'll have to remember to set it up yourself.
If your iPhone is connected to your car audio system it can drop a pin in your Maps app automatically, here's how to set it up to do so:
iOS infers this through your connection to your car audio system, relying on Bluetooth or CarPlay. When you disconnect or turn the car off and walk away, the location you left is where your iPhone believes you parked your car.
What to do if you can't find your parked car location on iPhone
Your iPhone won't automatically record your parked position if you weren't connected to Bluetooth or CarPlay. But there is another reason it might not work.
You might find this feature isn't working for you, as a family member did. In fact, they couldn't even find the option in Settings > Maps.
Apple mediates this feature through privacy settings. It, therefore, requires that you have Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services turned on and that Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services (swipe to the bottom to find it) > Significant Locations is also set to On.
The reason? Apple derives locations of importance to you through many signals and stores those in Significant Locations. It infers your home, work, school, and other significant places you visit repeatedly. iOS doesn't drop a pin at any regularly visited location.
The notion must be the feature would be irritating for people with that feature turned off, as they would have a pin dropped every time they parked in front of their house or in a work parking lot. Thus, Apple doesn't even make it available.
How to record your parked car on iPhone (without Bluetooth)
If you don't have Bluetooth in your car then you can still record your parked location in a Maps app. Here's what to do.
In Apple Maps:
by Jason Cross, macworld
Here's what you can do about that significant Other or System Data filling up all your iPhone storage.
I'm sure this sounds familiar: You're trying to install the latest iOS release, upgrade to a new iPhone, take photos or record video, or just download that cool app everyone's talking about, and your iPhone says the storage is full.
You've already deleted every app you don't think you need, and there's still not enough space on your iPhone. So you open Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage, and, sure enough, your iPhone is full. Worst of all, a huge chunk of it is just listed as Other (renamed System Data in iOS 15). What's that supposed to mean? How do you get rid of it? The Other/System Data storage sections are mysterious and confusing, and there's no one answer that works for everyone, but hopefully, this guide will help you deal with this problem.
How to view your iPhone storage
To see how much storage all your apps and data are taking up on your iPhone's storage, open the Settings app, select General, then iPhone Storage. At the top, you'll see a bar graph showing your total iPhone storage and which types of data are filling it up. Beneath that you'll find a list of applications on your phone and how much room they take up, both for the app itself and its stored data.
It may take several seconds for your iPhone to show the graph, as it takes time to scan and analyze its storage. Even after the chart first appears, you'll want to wait several seconds more for it to stabilize, as the app list and storage sizes can change while your phone completes its analysis.
by Ed Hardy, cultofmac
3 simple tricks every Apple Watch wearer should know
The Apple Watch Control Center has some nifty features you should be aware of.
Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple Watch does so much that it's possible for some of tis handy tricks to get lost. Here are a trio of them that aren't marquee features but can make life just a bit more convenient.
Here's how to turn on the flashlight, find your iPhone and silence alarms on your iPhone from an Apple Watch.
Apple Watch is useful all the time
Most Apple Watch users quickly master the features they bought the wearable for. They figure out the in-and-outs of activity tracking, or maybe how to send and receive texts from the wrist computer.
But the Apple Watch can do so much that it's easy to overlook some of its capabilities. Even ones that might be considered basic.
Here are three that all Apple Watch owners should know.
Flashlight
Surely, every iPhone user knows there's a flashlight built in their handset. But it might come as a surprise to some that Apple Watch has one, too.
Activating it is as simple as swiping up from the bottom of the wearable's watch face to open Control Center, then tapping the flashlight button.
This makes the watch's display light up bright white. The result isn't as intense as an iPhone LED, but it's always with you whenever you need it.
Read the full Cult of Mac guide to the Apple Watch flashlight for more details.
Find iPhone with Apple Watch
If you're wearing an Apple watch, you really can't misplace your iPhone. That's because you can always set off an audible alarm on the handset with the wearable. And it's quicker and easier than using Find My.
As with the flashlight, start by opening the Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the watch face. Then press the button that looks like an iPhone playing a sound.
The sound is loud enough to be heard from across a house. If that's not enough, you can even make your iPhone's camera flash on and off. To do so, simply tap and hold that same icon. That will add a blinking light to the pinging sound, which proves especially useful in dark places. If you're still having difficulties locating your handset, switch to Find My.
For all the details, check Cult of Mac's guide on how to find an iPhone with Apple Watch.
Cancel timers and alarms on iPhone
iPhone makes a convenient kitchen timer. It's 100% accurate, so you don't have to worry about burning the biscuits. And iPhone is the only alarm clock you ever need. But if a timer or alarm goes off when your iPhone isn't right next to you, you can silence it from your Apple Watch. Or start it again.
This one is easy because you don't have to do anything to set it up. When a timer starts going off on the iPhone, it'll also appear on your Apple Watch. Tap on the stop button or the reset button on the wearable to control the timer on the handset.
Alarms work the same way. You can stop or snooze an iPhone alarm right from the wearable.
There's a good chance you know about these two because the Apple Watch vibrates to get your attention when an iPhone timer or alarm goes off. Still, it doesn't hurt to be sure everyone knows about such a useful feature.
Go all through the Apple Watch Control Center
Two out of the three features described here are in the Apple Watch's Control Center. If either of them were new to you, it's worth your time to check all the buttons in the Control Center to be sure you know what they all do.
Like, do you know what the button with the comedy and tragedy masks does? If not, you should find out — you might find theater mode very useful. And everyone can use the remote camera shutter. It's brilliant.
by Bejamin Mayo, 9to5mac
Apple TV+ offers exclusive Apple original TV shows and movies in 4K HDR quality. You can watch across all of your screens and pick up where you left off on any device. Apple TV+ costs $6.99 per month. Here's every Apple original television show and movie available now on Apple TV+, as well as the latest trailers …
Apple TV+ content is available exclusively through the Apple TV app. You can watch on your Apple TV set-top box, iPhone, or iPad as you might expect.
But you don't need the latest Apple TV 4K to enjoy Apple TV+. The TV app is also available on other platforms like Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Sony PlayStation, Xbox, and even the web at tv.apple.com.
Apple TV+ offers original comedies, dramas, thrillers, documentaries, and kids shows.
For your $6.99/month subscription, you can watch all of Apple's originals — as listed below. You can download to watch offline too. Apple is adding new content every single month.
How to watch the free Apple TV+ shows
The TV app is the exclusive destination for Apple TV+, but the TV app is a little confusing because it blends together purchasable TV shows and movies from the iTunes Store, which you can buy or rent, content from other apps like Amazon Prime and Disney+, and Apple TV Channels.
The Watch Now screen does not really distinguish between content that you own and can watch, and just Apple's general recommendations.
The easiest way to get started with Apple TV+ is to open the Apple TV app on your device, and tap on the Originals tab. (On some platforms, this tab is simply labelled using the 'tv+' logo.)
This tab takes you to the Apple TV+ channel page. This shows you all of the Apple TV+ shows and movies available to watch, separated into categories like comedy, drama and family fun.
Be aware, the web experience at tv.apple.com is a bit barebonds compared to the native TV app on devices, and it only shows Apple original content. For the best experience, use the TV app on a device like Apple TV 4K.
What to watch on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ (Apple TV Plus, or as some erroneously call it Apple+ TV) is still in its infancy but has already seen breakout hits including comedy Ted Lasso and workplace sci-fi drama Severance.
Apple aims for premium quality across its drama, comedy, and documentary TV shows and movies so everything should reach a reasonable level of quality and hopefully be worth your time. In terms of personal recommendations, I suggest starting with Ted Lasso, For All Mankind, Severance, Trying, and the movie Finch.
Read on to see all of the TV shows, movies and specials streaming now on Apple TV+ as well as trailers for upcoming releases.
by Bejamin Mayo, 9to5mac
Bloomberg today released a report describing some of the planning going on in the Apple retail division to prepare for the launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset, previously announced as available in the US "early next year." The report says that — at least out the gate — Vision Pro will only be purchasable by appointment. Apple retail workers will help ensure customers get a Vision Pro with an appropriately fitting headband and light seal. It will represent the most logistically complex rollout ever for an Apple product.
Appointments will be required for retail purchases. Apple will section off a special area of the store to support the headset demos and necessary sizing tools to help select the right headset and accessories for the buyer. The device will be available to buy at all of Apple's US retail stores eventually, but the initial plans are focusing on preparations for major areas like New York and Los Angeles.
Much of the logistical complexity is a product of how many variations of accessories will exist. Apple will offer many different sizes of head bands and light seals. As well as purchasable stock, stores will also need to maintain a vast inventory of 'try-on stock' and spares if customers wants to buy more than one per headset. Similarly, Apple stores will need to keep a stock of the prescription lenses, manufactured by Carl Zeiss. Bloomberg says Apple retail locations may need hundreds or thousands of lenses in stock at any one time.
Another accessory, the top strap is apparently still in development, and aimed at improving comfort for users with smaller head sizes. To accommodate all kinds of clothing, Apple is also exploring partnering with accessory makers to make pouches for the external battery pack:
Apple has also investigated how the Vision Pro would fit for people wearing cultural apparel, such as a hijab. Aware that some customers may not wear clothes with pockets capable of storing the battery pack, the company has considered asking accessory makers to create shoulder-worn pouches.
These factors make it even harder to imagine how Apple will deploy Vision Pro outside of Apple Stores. The report says Apple does not anticipate selling Vision Pro in third-party retail locations at least until 2025.
Customers will also be able to buy online. Apple is developing a face scanning app that will help users pick the right size of light seal for their face. As part of the checkout flow, users will be asked to upload their face scan result and provide any eye prescription, if the customer normally wears glasses and will need corrective vision insert lenses in order to use the headset.
At launch, Vision Pro will be exclusive to the United States. Apple has promised it will expand to additional countries before the end of 2024. Bloomberg says likely first candidates for expansion are Canada and the UK, followed by Europe and Asia.
by Michael Simon, macworld
Along with iOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS 14 Sonoma, Apple today announced tvOS 17, which includes a few new nice-to-have features, including a redesigned Control Center and the ability to locate a lost Apple TV remote with your iPhone. But the main reason you'll want to update this fall is FaceTime.
That's right, Apple is finally bringing the FaceTime app for video calls on Apple TV 4K. Using Continuity Camera and the iPhone, users will be able to wirelessly connect to the iPhone while presenting calls on your television. With the advantage of the bigger screen, Apple is also introducing Split View for Apple TV which lets users enjoy watching shows or movies while on a call.
Apple says video conferencing apps from Cisco, Zoom, and others will launch on Apple TV later this year. Other apps are likely to follow thanks to the expansion of the Continuity Camera API to Apple TV 4K.
Apple has been rumored to be working on a new Apple TV with a built-in camera, so this new feature could be a signal that a proper camera is coming for the Apple TV 4K. tvOS 17 will be available for all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models following a beta testing period. The FaceTime feature is limited to Apple TV 4K models.
by Amber Neely, applieinsider
Smartwatches like the Apple Watch may be able to provide data to AI models that are capable of detecting Parkinson's disease nearly a decade before patients show symptoms. Parkinson's disease is a neurological degenerative disease that typically appears in people over 50. There is no cure for Parkinson's, and current treatment largely focuses on managing symptoms.
As with many degenerative diseases, earlier detection can be critical. Unfortunately, current diagnostic criteria rely on a patient being symptomatic, with symptoms including rigidity, tremors, and progressive deterioration of movement.
However, one study has shown that smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, can collect data that can then be analyzed by advanced AI algorithms. This data could then be used to detect the disease as early as seven years before the onset of obvious symptoms.
Researchers at UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI) and the Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute (NMHII) at Cardiff University believe smartwatches could be used as new screening tools for Parkinson's disease.
The study, spotted by Euronews states that researchers used data from 103,712 UK Biobank participants who wore a medical-grade smartwatch for a 7-day period between 2013-2016.
The Apple Watch didn't ship until 2015, so only the tail-end of the study period used Apple's wearable. However, the study notes that modern Apple Watch models have better motion sensors than what they were using for most of the study.
The smartwatches gathered data about participants' average acceleration over a week. Then, after analyzing the data, the algorithm could accurately predict who would go on to develop the disease.
In fact, the AI was more accurate than current methods of early detection that doctors typically rely on.
In 2022, brain data firm Rune Labs received FDA clearance to start using the Apple Watch to monitor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's.
Apple has internally explored how to use the Apple Watch and iPhone to monitor Parkinson's symptoms in the past. It has also filed for a patent application for more advanced technology to treat or diagnose the disease.
by Penny Holland, MAGIC*
I asked my son to go get me a phone book. He laughed, called me a dinosaur, and handed me his iPhone.
The spider is dead, the iPhone screen is cracked, and my son is furious!
Why do stormtroopers only have iPhones?
They couldn't find the Androids they were looking for.
by Ron Sharp and Robert Elphick, MAGIC *
Any one bothered by internet criminal activity should report it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at this web page. This includes phishing, malware, spoofing, any demand for money.
by Ron Sharp, MAGIC
My Photo Stream service will be discontinued on July 26th. If you use My Photo Stream option of Apple's iCloud service then you will need to save those photos to another album before July 26th. If you have My Photo Stream option selected and you use iCloud Photo Library then you don't have to make any changes. Your photos will be save in the Photos Library.
So, if you use My Photo Stream without any other iCloud photo options then you need to select all My Photo Stream images and save them to another album on your Mac or iPhone & iPad.
The My Photo Stream option was used to save your last 30 days of photos, up to 1000 pictures, to iCloud. The photos would be shared to any other device you had that option turned on. Then you could save them to any folder you wanted.
On the Mac, the iCloud Photo Library option is now just labeled "iCloud Photos." On the iPhone and iPad the option for all photos is now labeled "Sync this Phone."
The iCloud Photos, or Sync this Phone option, saves all your photos to iCloud. When you delete photos on any device they are deleted on all enabled devices. When you edit photos, the edits are also saved to iCloud photos as well. The settings for iCloud Photos have to be set on all devices to work the way you want. For instance, you may want all your iPhone photos to be saved to iCloud but not all the photos on your Mac. You might not want your Mac photos to go to iCloud in you have so many that it would require you to purchase more iCloud storage. Fortunately, Apple's cloud storage is not expensive. 99 cents a month for 50 GB. $2.99 for 200 GB storage.
If you turn the My Photo Stream option off the photos are removed from your device and from iCloud. If you log out of your Apple account, then your My Photo Stream photos are removed from your device.
by Ron Sharp, MAGIC
How To Use Live Text And Visual Look Up On MacOS Monterey:
MAGIC, the Macintosh Appreciation Group of Island County, serves people who use Macintosh computers, software and peripherals. Our goal is to share information and get answers to questions to make us more productive with our use of technology. Our monthly meetings give us a chance to discuss computer problems and share ideas with other Mac users, feature speakers on specific topics, and to keep apprised of Apple news.