There are some things that I would like to see changed with Apple's platforms. These are mostly "paper cuts", in that none of them show-stoppers in themselves but combined they make it a lot tougher to deal with the platforms. These are not my predictions for WWDC, those will be in a separate post.

Apple TV

• A way to save specific screensavers while still downloading new ones.
• Have the ability to have Siri limit to the media I already own.
• Have Siri have the ability to add more categories. For example "Show me movies that are action comedies."

macOS

• Specifically for Catalyst, more refined controls for macOS Catalyst apps that match macOS even better.
• Fix Bluetooth, for keyboard, mice, and trackpads. I have issues with bluetooth disconnecting randomly and in the middle of using it.
• Within the Mail app, keep order of accounts. The order will randomly reset when showing the app window even if the mail app was not closed, but the window was.

iCloud

• More default iCloud storage. 5GB really is paltry and just embarrassing at this point. I do not expect 100GB, but even 10GB or 25GB free would be better than the 5GB we get now.

iOS

• Improvements to Mail, like actually indicating messages have been read.
• Quick method to enable or disable "Block Unknown callers" from Control Center.
• Set default for Noise Cancelling headphones other than "Active Noise Cancelling".
• I love that iOS 13.4 added keyboard and trackpad support for iOS, but system-wide support for navigating alerts with the keyboard would be very helpful.
• Fix Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a mess on iOS, particularly for audio. For instance, my Beats Solo Pros will have distortion when using any other app, but not all the time. It is consistent enough to notice that it is a problem. For instance, if I am typing in messages while listening to something, the audio will stutter and its not the key taps making noise. The same goes for many other apps.
• Within the Files app, provide option to always show file extensions. I say an option because some will not want it, but power users, like myself, can really need it.

iPadOS

• True multiple user support, not limited to schools or businesses.
• Have a calculator, specifically license PCalc, for use on the iPad.

Screen Time

• Have actually accurate synchronization and reports. Here is a great example. April 12th, I got the following reports: iPhone: 15 hours, 59 minutes, iPadOS stated, up 51% for an average of 16 hours and 15 minutes per day, and macOS stated "You averaged 13 hours, 33 minutes of screen time per day last week." So obviously something is amiss between the synchronization of the devices and the reported screen time. Synchronization should be forced before sending the notification.

watchOS

• Qi Charging on the Apple Watch. Right now the Apple Watch uses proprietary charging, but having standard charging would be nice.

Wallet

• We need a website with the ability to see all transactions, make payments, etc.
• Additional user on the same card including adding children, and even possibly giving them a budget.

Notes

• Add the ability to not have urls automatically be created for links, preferably on a note-by-note basis.

Numbers

• Copy a table as HTML, even without any formatting, with the header rows as thead rows.

Pages

• Have it remember your place when you switch between Pages and another app, when using it on iOS.
• Provide ability to edit styles when a file is in a shared folder on iCloud. Currently, you cannot edit any styles if the file is in a folder that is shared on iCloud. You can select them, but not edit

iTunes Connect

• Create an API, similar to the App Store Connect API, for users to be able to manage their iTunes Connect items in a similar manner as App Store Connect. This would be a tremendous improvement.

These are just some of the things that I have managed to come across that would be helpful for improving the functioning of Apple's platforms. Some of these are easier to accomplish than others, and some are just bugs that should have already been fixed, but for some reason are still present within Apple's software.

The week before a World Wide Developer Conference can sometimes have new items become known. The release for these is because the items will not be discussed at the WWDC keynote. This year there are two hardware updates and a service update.

16-inch MacBook Pro Graphics

The first update is for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. There is a new graphics option available. You can now configure a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an AMD Radeon 5600M with 8GB of HBM2 memory. The other options available are all GDDR6 memory. The difference with the HBM2 memory is that it has more bandwidth available and ideally suited for Artificial Intelligence and advanced computing, like Machine Learning. Typically, HBM2 is more expensive than GDDR6 and this new option will cost you $800 to add to a 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Mac Pro SSD Kit

If you are using the high-end of the high-end, the Mac Pro, there is a new kit for you, the SSD Kit. The SSD Kit for the Mac Pro will allow you to swap out the internal storage on your Mac Pro. The SSD Kit comes in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB kits. Once you have purchased your SSD Kit you can see how to install the new SSD with Apple's support article.

Apple Card Payments

When you want to go and purchase that new 16-inch MacBook Pro, you may want to be able to use your Apple Card and finance it. Previously you could finance an iPhone over 24 months, but now you can finance other products as well. You can finance a HomePod, AirPods, and the Apple TV for six months, or an iPad or Mac for 12 months. When you do this, you get the Apple Pay Cash right up front.

Closing Thoughts

The inclusion of the new hardware options will be great for pro users who can benefit from the options and can significantly enhance their productivity. For those who may not be able to utilize the hardware, you can use the monthly payments option on your purchase of a Mac, iPad, HomePod, or AirPods, in addition to an iPhone.

Source: TechCrunch

Today Apple unveiled the some details about their annual World Wide Developer Conference, or WWDC. Previously, Apple announced that the conference would be all digital. At the time, the did not provide many details except that there would be a Keynote and a State of the Union. Today we received some more details. Let us look at a few different areas, including Keynote, Videos, Labs, and Developer Forums.

Keynote

As expected there will be a keynote streaming at 10:00 am Pacific Time on Monday, June 22nd. This will be streaming from Apple Park, instead of the San Jose convention center. You will be able to stream it via the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. If you are within China, you will be able to stream it via China, the keynote will also stream on Tencent, iQIYI, Bilibili, and Youku.

Platforms State of the Union

While the main WWDC Keynote is done at a developer-focused conference, it is also designed to be a main-stream announcement. The main keynote does not go in-depth. That is reserved for the Platforms State of the Union. If you have not watched or attended the Platforms State of the Union keynote, you can think of it as the developer-focused keynote. This will be available on-demand at 2pm pacific time on June 22nd. This keynote will be streamed via the Apple Developer app and the Apple Developer website. For those within China, you can get the video from encent, iQIYI, Bilibili, and YouKu.

Session Videos

Because WWDC 2020 is virtual conference, you may be wondering how the sessions will be handled. When WWDC is held in-person, these are presented throughout each day of the conference. These sessions are recorded and typically available the next day. Because of the virtual nature of this year's WWDC, all of the day's videos will be available starting at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. There will be over 100 session videos, and these will be available using the Apple Developer app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, as well as on the Apple Developer website.

Developer Labs

One of the big reasons to attend WWDC is to be able to talk one-on-one with Apple's developers in one of the labs. This is important for some because they are able to talk directly to the engineers who build the frameworks and they can help you figure out a knotty problem and you can help them find bugs in the frameworks. These will be available by appointment only and will be open to Apple Developer Program members as space is available.

Developer Forums

One of the resources that developers have, but may not utilize as much are the developer forums. These forums are vital during a beta period because developers can work with other developers to try and figure out problems, or get clarifications, with Apple's software. From the announcement:

The all-new Apple Developer Forums will connect the developer community with more than 1,000 Apple engineers to answer questions and engage in technical discussions. Starting the first day of WWDC, anyone can search and view the forum discussions to follow along, and Apple Developer Program members will be able to post their own questions and learn directly from Apple experts.

The new developers forms will be coming on June 18th.

Closing Thoughts

For a vast majority of developers the only difference between this year's WWDC and previous years is that the videos will be dropping all at once. I do feel bad for those who were really looking forward to attending WWDC in person, as it is a time for people to get together, and create relationships with other Apple developers.

It has been said quite often as of late, but we live in interesting times and I think Apple is doing the best it can with the present situation. You can keep up with announcements via the Apple Developer App and the Apple Developer Website. I will try to do a predictions/hopes post before the Keynote. I will also have a recap about what Apple announces at WWDC 2020.

Source: Apple

Apple has been a presence in Education for a majority of its existence. Over the years they have provided educational discounts for Macs, iPads, and other Apple hardware. They give discounts on software, and even allow third-parties to office bulk discounts in the iOS and Mac App Store. One of the things that they wanted to do was be able to provide a simple tool for creating rich interactive books. These could be any type of books, but textbooks were the primary market. And who uses textbooks the most, education.

The tool that Apple introduced was called iBooks Author. iBooks Author is a tool that allowed you to create these rich books, but they were in a proprietary format that was exclusive to Apple's platforms. iBooks Author allows you to include video, images, table of contents, and more.

iBooks Author is now officially deprecated. Per an email to iBooks Author users:

Thank you for being a member of the iBooks Author community. We have some news to share with you about the future of book creation.

Two years ago we brought book creation into Pages. With key features such as the ability to work on iPad, collaborate with others on a shared book, draw with Apple Pencil, and more, Pages is a great platform for making books.

As we focus our efforts on Pages, iBooks Author will no longer be updated and will soon be removed from the Mac App Store. You can continue to use iBooks Author on macOS 10.15 and earlier, and books previously published to Apple Books will remain available. If you have iBooks Author books you’d like to import into Pages for further editing, we have a book import feature coming to Pages soon.

Important Phrases

There are two important phrases that I want to highlight. First "You can continue to use iBooks Author on macOS 10.15 and earlier". This phrase indicates, at least to me, that iBooks Author will not work on macOS 10.16. It is possible that it will work, but may stop working and if that happens, there will be no support.

The second phrase to highlight is "If you have iBooks Author books you’d like to import into Pages for further editing, we have a book import feature coming to Pages soon". This is a good move. Once available, it will help users be able to keep updating their existing iBooks Author books, albeit in a new editor. As far as we know now, when you import an iBooks Author book into Pages, it will become a Pages document and you will not be able to publish them as iBooks Author books.

Closing Thoughts

This is not a real surprise. Apple's iBooks format did not take off as a way of publishing. While the tool was easy enough to use, it was proprietary to Apple's platforms and no other vendors were going to try and read the books. Furthermore, there was never an iBooks Author app on iOS, so you could not create books on the device you were going to read them on. You could preview them on device, but not create or edit them. Additionally, there was no way that Apple would move iBooks Author to iCloud for collaboration and sharing. That would be too much work for not much result.

I did not mind using the app to create books, however, even I stopped using it to publish my books in 2017. Instead, like so many others, I moved to the ePub format for my books. This is a standard and if the file is DRM free, it can be used on other devices and services. It is much easier, particularly for independent authors, to be able to create a book once and use that file to upload to various stores.

Apple has created a page that will help you transition from iBooks Author to Pages for creating books. There are some limitations that I have found with Pages, but they are minor.

Overall, I think it makes senses to focus on a single application that can work across all of Apple's platforms, and that app is Pages. One things that is not clear though, is how long the Apple iBooks will be supported by the Books app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

There is a minor update to both wwrite and wwriteLite. There is only one tweak which is to the Feature Request screen. The entire screen has been reworked to accommodate smaller screens and the submit button is now at the top of the screen instead of the bottom.

As always these are free updates for existing users.

I have released new versions of wwrite and wwriteLite. These are a minor update that provides a few new features and some tweaks. The biggest changes are the new Sentiment icon and the ability to show only Family-Friendly ads.

New Features

• Added Sentiment option which shows how positive your text is. 0 - 33 is negative, 33 to 66 is neutral, and 66 to 100 is positive.
• There is a new option to only show "Family Friendly" ads. This is available by going to Tools -> Settings -> Family Friendly Ads. (wwriteLite only)
• The Paragraph count of the current file is now in the "Info" panel.
• Want a new feature? Use the new "Feature Request" option available under Tools -> Support. This is entirely anonymous with no email necessary.

Tweaks

• Added additional debug information. Debug information will now be sent to support when you send an email.
• Added error logs, which will be included with any email to support.

If you have played any games on any device, one of them has likely been Tetris. Tetris has been around since 1985 and there have been many versions of the game even on iOS. Tetris licenses out the name of the game so others can create a game. Back in January of 2020, a whole new version of Tetris was released by the development group N3twork. The release can be viewed on tetris.com.

As is the case with many apps these days, they are free with ads. Quite often there is the ability to remove the ads. When the app was released, there was an offer to remove ads. This was a one-time fee of $4.99. I immediately purchased this, because I do not like seeing ads when I am playing a game. The one-time purchase mechanism is useful in some situations, however, it is becoming less common. Instead, many apps are moving towards a subscription model.

In many cases, this makes sense, because a subscription can generate consistent revenue. The reason for this is because many people sign up for a subscription and often forget that they have subscribed. When it comes time to renew, if they didn't pay attention the notice from Apple, and say, "oh it's only x, I'll keep subscribing". If the fee is small enough, say $4.99 a month, most would not argue with that.

While I was digging through the interface of Tetris, I noticed that there was the option to change avatars and your background. These had a lock in the lower right corner. So I tapped on it, and it brings up the option for "Tetris Premium", which I can understand.

What shocked me though was not that they were offering a subscription, but the price. It is $4.99 per week. This is not $4.99 per month, which I can somewhat understand, but PER WEEK. This means that if you were to subscribe to Tetris Premium for an entire year, it would cost your $259.48. Here is what you would get for that:

1. No interstitial ads
2. Exclusive LCD Theme
3. Three Exclusive Avatars

That is it. I would hope that they would add more backgrounds and avatars.

My Thoughts

To me, this is completely absurd. I will concede that it is possible that this is an "accident" and it meant to be per month, but it does not seem to be the case. It is also possible that the interface can update to whatever the current offer. There are many apps that are scammy apps that try to trick people into spending money for very little in return.

I am not saying that $4.99 is inappropriate for all applications, quite the contrary. However, for a game like Tetris, pricing of $4.99 per week is definitely not worth the price. To me, this just seems like a cash grab. Not only should N3twork be ashamed, Tetris Holdings, Inc. should protect their brand, because this is going to make people stop trusting any Tetris apps in the future.

Today Apple released Logic Pro X 10.5. According to Apple, this is the "biggest update to Logic since the launch of Logic Pro X". The primary focus of this update is around a few new features including professional version of Live Loops, a completely redesigned sampling workflow, and new beat-making tools.

Live Loops

With Live Loops on the Mac, Logic users can now create music in new freeform and nonlinear ways. Loops, samples, and recordings can be organized into a new musical grid, where musicians can spontaneously perform and capture different arrangement ideas into the timeline. From there, tracks can be further refined using all of the professional production features in Logic.

Remix FX enhances Live Loops with an exciting collection of electronic effects like Bitcrusher, filter, gater, and repeater that can be performed in real time over individual tracks or the entire song mix. Both features become even more powerful when using the free Logic Remote app, allowing users to pair their iPhone or iPad with their Mac to provide Multi-Touch control over Live Loops and Remix FX.

Quick Sampler

Quick Sampler is a fast and simple way to turn any individual sound into a playable instrument. Musicians can pick a sound from within Logic, the Finder, Voice Memos, or even record directly into Quick Sampler. With just a few clicks, an imported sample can be trimmed, looped, and played across a keyboard controller, with access to creative sound-shaping controls.

Logic Remote

Along with Logic Pro X being updated, the free companion app Logic Remote has also been updated. Logic Remote for iOS that will allow you to trigger your sounds within Live Loops or even apply a Remix FX to your session.

Closing Thoughts

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new features. For a full listing, check out the press release.

I will be the first to say that I am not a musician in any way. Yes, I enjoy listening to music, but I doubt I could ever create a full song. However, if you have used Logic Pro X to create your own music, this update should make it a much better experience. That is not me saying that, but instead Finneas O’Connell, Grammy Award-winning producer of artist Billie Ellish states:

"Logic Pro X has always been my one and only DAW. The workflow is unmatched, and the built-in sound libraries have been essential to my music from the beginning. Now with the addition of Quick Sampler and Drum Machine Designer, I’m getting back hours I used to spend in the studio building sounds and kits. This lets me spend more time writing new verses and editing 70-take vocals."

Logic Pro X is a free update for existing customers, or $199 to purchase. If you are not sure that Logic Pro X is right for you, there is a seven-day free trial at https://www.apple.com/logic-pro/.

Source: Apple

Here is the iPhone SE availability for the evening of May 11th, 2020. The availability times have been reduced, in terms of range. All models are now May 26th to May 28th.

Changes for Apple

• ATT - 64GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• ATT - 128GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• ATT - 256GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• ATT - 64GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• ATT - 128GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• ATT - 256GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• ATT - 64GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• ATT - 128GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• ATT - 256GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 64GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 128GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 256GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 64GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 128GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 256GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 64GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 128GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sprint - 256GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 64GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 128GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 256GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 64GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 128GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 256GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 64GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 128GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• T-Mobile - 256GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 64GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 128GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 256GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 64GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 128GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 256GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 64GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 128GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Verizon - 256GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 64GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 128GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 256GB White iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 64GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 128GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 256GB Black iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 64GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 128GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28
• Sim-Free - 256GB (PRODUCT)Red iPhone SE has changed from May 21 - May 29 to May 26 - May 28

iPhone SE

Here is the iPhone SE Availability for the evening of May 5th, 2020. There has not been much change, all models are still 3 to 4 weeks out, as they were at the last update.

iPhone SE