iTunes has been replaced by Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Books, and Apple Podcasts on iOS and MacOS devices. Prior iTunes media library content can now be found in these new apps. Instructions on how to manage Apple Music and other subscriptions are available.
Category: iOS
New Apple products include iPhone 11 and Watch Series 5
Apple announced the upcoming release of several new products at its September 10th 2019 event, including:
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- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max with new camera features such as Night Mode
- iPad with 10.2 inch display and iPadOS
- Watch Series 5 and WatchOS 6 with built-in compass and international emergency calling, Noise app decibel detector and Calculator app
- iOS 13 with Dark Mode and Silence Unknown Callers call blocking feature
- Sign in with Apple secure app authentication for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS using Apple ID
- Apple TV+ (Apple TV Plus) streaming video service that starts at $4.99 per month, but is free for one year if customers buy an Apple device after September 10th 2019.
Update: The new 16-inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard was released in November 2019.
Microsoft Office free apps for smartphones and tablets with 10.1 inch or smaller screen
Microsoft Office apps such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint are available as free downloads for iOS , Android and Windows smartphones and tablets that have a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller. Users can view, edit and create new Office format files with these free apps once they login with a Microsoft user account, but they must subscribe to Office 365 to unlock all app functionality. Free web brower versions of Office apps are also available for users logged into OneDrive.
Students and teachers with a valid school email address are also eligible for the free Office 365 Education version.
Apple device users can run the iWork productivity apps, which includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.
Office Apps for Windows 10 Mobile will no longer be supported by Microsoft as of January 12, 2021.
Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) announcements
Apple made several major announcements at its Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2019, including:
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- The upcoming release of iOS 13 for iPhone 6s and later versions with Dark Mode and Sign in with Apple authentication
- iPadOS – a dedicated operating system for iPad
- watchOS 6
- macOS Catalina
- Mac Pro – a high end desktop computer
- SwiftUI – a development framework that can create apps across Apple platforms
Apple iOS 12.2 security updates
Apple released iOS 12.2 on March 25th 2019 to fix various security issues. Instructions on how to update your iOS device may be found here.
Apple disables FaceTime until security bug is fixed
Update: Apple released iOS 12.1.4 on February 7, 2019 to fix the FaceTime issue. FaceTime is now available at the Apple System Status page.
USA Today and the Washington Post have reported that some iPhone FaceTime users have been able to listen to people they are calling before the call is answered. FaceTime runs on iPhones and iPads running iOS 12.1 as well as Macs running macOS Mojave.
Apple is currently working on a fix for this security issue. FaceTime has been temporarily taken down as noted on the Apple System Status page.
Apple AirPlay allows wireless communication between compatible devices
Apple AirPlay is a wireless protocol that allows MacOS computers, iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs to wirelessly send content to compatible TVs and speakers. Each device must meet Apple’s system requirements in order to use AirPlay.
Apple AirPlay is currently at version 2.0 and uses Apple HomeKit technology. This wireless protocol functionality was originally developed under the names Apple AirTunes or Apple AirPort.
Smart devices and media centers that are not Apple products can communicate using Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) or Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standards.
Apple announces release of new Mac and iPad products at October 2018 event
Apple announced the release of several new products on October 30th 2018, including new iPad Pro and MacBook Air models with Retina display, and a new Mac Mini. These devices use a more secure Apple T2 chip, use Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C ports, and are made of environmentally-friendly recycled aluminum. They will be publicly available for retail sale on November 7th.
Apple has a comparison of all iPad models on its website.
A new Apple Pencil will also be available at the same date. This pencil will magnetically snap to the iPad for storage and wireless charging.
iOS 12.1 will be available on October 30th and includes Group FaceTime for up to 32 users, camera depth control, dual SIM card support, and new emojis.
Apple releases iOS 12.0.1 update to fix iPhone and iPad issues
Apple released iOS version 12.0.1 on October 8th 2018 to fix some recent issues on iPhones and iPads, which includes iPhone X battery charging problems, as well as security updates.
A full list of Apple device security updates is available at support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222. Instructions on how to install updates on Apple iOS devices are available at support.apple.com/en-us/HT204204.
Airtable is a cloud based hybrid of spreadsheets and databases
Airtable is a cloud database that allows users to design databases in a spreadsheet-like format. It allows collaboration with multiple users and can be accessed from MacOS, Windows, iOS, and Android devices. Multiple templates are available to download including calendars, project management, etc.
Airtable can be accessed for free for databases smaller than 1200 records. Paid versions with additional features are also available.