October 7, 2021
Written by Dave Mark
Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac:
One of the features Apple announced for iOS 15 is Legacy Contacts, a way to ensure that your digital life outlives you – if you would like it to.
The company hasn’t yet launched it, saying only that it is “coming in a software update to iOS 15,” but there are signs that Apple is preparing for its introduction.
From Apple’s iOS 15 features page, in the Apple ID section:
Digital Legacy program
The Digital Legacy program allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your account and personal information in the event of your death.
As Ben mentioned, this text is marked with the “Coming in a software update to iOS 15” footnote.
The ability to mark a contact (or set of contacts) as Legacy Contacts is long overdue. When my Mom died last year, we were unable to retrieve the data on her iPhone, including years of pictures she’d taken.
When she first bought the iPhone, someone at the Apple Store helped her set up a new Apple ID, which we didn’t realize until we tried to access her phone after she was gone. We pushed, but were told we had to get a court order to get Apple to give us access to her Apple ID, intimidating at normal times, beyond us during the pandemic.
The option to designate a Legacy Contact should be part of the normal startup for any devices that store important personal info, whether Apple, Android, or any other device.
Written by Dave Mark
Mark Gurman, Bloomberg:
Apple Inc., whose CarPlay interface is used by millions of motorists to control music, get directions and make phone calls, is looking to expand its reach within cars.
The company is working on technology that would access functions like the climate-control system, speedometer, radio and seats, according to people with knowledge of the effort. The initiative, known as “IronHeart” internally, is still in its early stages and would require the cooperation of automakers.
IronHeart. Love the name. Sounds like a Marvel superhero.
Sounds like a logical extension for CarPlay, especially if it extended to passengers in the car. Imagine being a passenger and being to adjust your A/C, seat position, change up the music, all from your iPhone.
Not sure this is at all in Apple’s CarPlay plans (the article itself is reporting rumor, after all), but it’d be interesting to be able to hand-off a bit of CarPlay control to another iPhone, perhaps in the passenger seat, perhaps in the back seat. If they had permission, CarPlay control of music in the back seat would be a nice extension, all without extra hardware (beyond the iPhone). And someone in the back seat could control the AC until they were comfortable.
Just a thought.
October 6, 2021
Apple posted a slew of new stories on its Apple at Work web site on Wednesday highlighting how companies are using Apple technologies to help their businesses.
There are six different categories of businesses including Retail, Finance, Insurance, Construction, and Manufacturing. Each category features stories and videos from a variety of businesses and how Apple devices have helped them.
For example, from the story on grocery store chain H-E-B:
“Grocery stores might seem an unlikely place for cutting-edge technology, but H‑E‑B and Apple are transforming how fresh food is sold, and improving the Partner’s lives who keep it on the shelf. With thousands of iPhones and iPads deployed across hundreds of stores, custom Apple apps, and a team of inspired developers, H‑E‑B is improving the grocery business aisle by aisle.”
There are some fascinating stories in there, so be sure to have a look around the categories.
Written by Jim Dalrymple
Apple is unveiling new resources for elementary school students and educators, including a new activity guide, Everyone Can Code Early Learners, that extends its coding curriculum resources from kindergarten to college. Educators can also try Apple’s new one-hour Inclusive App Design activity to introduce students to the world of coding and app development. In addition, updates to the popular Schoolwork app include support for exit tickets and enable educators to use the app on their personal devices.
We are in a world where the fundamental understanding of coding is more important than ever. These new resources will help children have access and comprehend a talent that will help them as they continue to grow and mature.
Apple also added an important part:
During Europe Code Week, October 9-24, and through Computer Science Education Week, December 6-12, Apple is encouraging educators and their students to participate in an introductory Inclusive App Design activity. This new lesson from Apple helps educators guide students through a one-hour session to turn their ideas into apps with inclusion and accessibility in mind. The app design process helps students identify problems they care about, and then plan, prototype, and code creative solutions. It helps students think critically about how to build apps that are inclusive for all and prepares them to be the innovators of tomorrow.
Leadership like this is exactly what we expect from Apple.
Written by Dave Mark
Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac:
Earlier today, we reported that new firmware versions are gradually rolling out for Apple’s wireless headphone products. This new software enables Find My support for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, which Apple first teased back in June at WWDC.
This means that the compatible AirPods models gain new functionality inside of the Find My app, including precise location, a new Nearby Finding UI, Lost Mode, and the ability to get notifications when your earbuds are left behind.
For the AirPods Pro, the old firmware is 3E751, the new is 4A400. No advertised way to force a firmware update but, for me, a method that’s worked:
- Connect your AirPods Pro to your iPhone
- Listen to something for a few minutes
- Put the AirPods back in their case
- Plug the case into your charger
Reliable? Pure superstition? Who knows. But I just did this and it worked for me. Your mileage may vary.
Back to the update:
The new integration now means that AirPods Pro and AirPods Max participate in the Find My network, and send out a continuous Bluetooth beacon message. When other Apple devices are in the area, they can detect this signal and report it to the Find My network, placing its location on the owner’s map. This is just like how AirTags work at long range.
As to Conversation Boost, start by going to:
Settings > Accessibility > AirPods > Audio accessibility settings
From there, with your AirPods Pro or Max in/on and connected, tap on Headphone Accommodations, then tap on the switch to turn Headphone Accommodations on.
Now tap on Custom Audio Setup. You’ll go through a sequence to test and customize your settings (this part got added with iOS 14). At the end of the process, you’ll see a switch (towards the bottom of the screen) to enable Conversation Boost.
As far as I know, this is new to the new firmware.
