Tag: iPhone

iTunes replaced on Apple devices by Apple Music and TV apps

iTunes has been replaced by Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Books, and Apple Podcasts on iOS and MacOS devices.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.

Apple iTunes is still available for Microsoft Windows.

Apple reports some iPhone 6 smartphones experiencing power on issues

Apple released a statement that some iPhone 6 smartphones cannot be turned on due to a failed internal component.  iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users can see if their phone may be affected by entering the phone serial number at this link.

Apple iPhone 5 users will also have to do an iOS update or they may experience issues in several major iPhone apps starting on November 3rd 2019.

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:

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.

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.

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) announcements

Apple made several major announcements at its Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2019, including:

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.

CloudConvert app can convert between hundreds of file formats

CloudConvert is a file conversion application developed by Lunaweb that allows you to convert various file types into hundreds of other file formats.  It can run as a free web version (with user registration), and it also available as an iPhone and iPad app and as a Google Chrome Web Store extension.

iPhone 5 added to Apple vintage and obsolete products list

Apple recently added the iPhone 5 smartphone to its vintage and obsolete products list. The iPhone 5 is considered vintage by Apple because it was discontinued between five years and seven years before today. Products discontinued more than seven years ago are considered obsolete by Apple.

Apple has discontinued hardware service for its vintage products with some exceptions, and all obsolete products with no exceptions.