Category: Apple Insider

Apple launches are, as always, accompanied by a variety of teardowns and tests by tech vloggers, and in a variety of different ways. For the Apple Watch Ultra, billed as a durable diving-capable watch that adventurers could depend on, two videos neatly sum up the extremes of testing capability.

In a Sunday video, DC Rainmaker wanted to test out the diving capabilities of the Apple Watch Ultra, which is EN13319 certified, water resistant to 100 meters, and also offers a Depth app to show how far the user has descended.

However, based in Amsterdam, there are few opportunities to actually dive deep, so the test was conducted with a custom table-top dive chamber. Throughout the controlled “dive,” the Depth app was shown to be accurate enough to use, as well as demonstrating the readings a user would see on completion.

In testing the app going to further depths than rated, the app changes to show a bright yellow background, along with the text “Beyond 130ft,” indicating it has gone beyond the parameters of the app. The Apple Watch Ultra survived going to a simulated depth of 159 feet, before being returned to the “surface.”

While the app didn’t display depths after 130 feet on the screen, the Health app does show deeper depths for Underwater Depth. Unlike the watchOS app, the results show it went “beyond 144 feet,” not quite the level the chamber was set to, but beyond what Apple uses in its marketing.

The more conventional and sensational testing of the Apple Watch Ultra was uploaded to YouTube on Saturday by TechRax. The same channel that wrecked a car to demonstrate the crash detection capability of the iPhone 14.

In a battery of tests right after unboxing, the YouTuber initially dropped the Apple Watch Ultra face-first onto concrete, with only minor scratches to the titanium case.

The second test involved dropping the Apple Watch Ultra into a jar full of screws, which was then vigorously shaken to try and scratch the device. Aside from a little dirt on the band, there was very little extra damage to the device.

Lastly, the YouTuber brought out a hammer and liberally applied it to the watch face, starting somewhat gently then ramping up in power. The screen turned off after 12 hits, but again, there was minimal external damage visible from the outside.

A further three hits caused the display glass to break, and a direct hit to the rear glass broke the back cover.

Amusingly, it seems that the Apple Watch Ultra is tougher than the YouTuber’s furniture. After six hits, the surface of the table started cracking underneath the Apple Watch itself, forcing the YouTuber to reposition it and continue with the “testing.”

While obviously attention-grabbing, the video does at least demonstrate that Apple really did make the Apple Watch Ultra a very rugged device. If it can shrug off a few hammer blows, it can certainly handle everyday life.

AppleInsider doesn’t recommend conducting similar destructive testing at home. Partly because of the safety issues behind such activities, but mostly because it’s a $799 smartwatch.

Firefox lags far behind most other browsers in the world, with it used by 7.4% of desktop users and 3.16 of overall browser usage according to Statcounter. In a report published by Mozilla, platform owners including Apple are claimed to make it too difficult for rivals to persuade users to try out other browsers available on the market.

The report, “Five Walled Gardens: Why Browsers are Essential to the Internet and How Operating Systems are Holding Them Back,” offers that competition is needed to advance innovation, privacy, and security, and that Apple’s Safari, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge are just too dominant. In part, this is down to the operating systems doing a lot to lock in users to the parent company’s choice of browser.

Mozilla makes the additional point in that the only large browser engine producers are Apple for WebKit, Google’s Chromium Blink, and Mozilla’s Gecko. With Apple focusing on its own platforms for WebKit, Chromium Blink has become the most-used engine, including being used by Edge, Brave, Opera, and other browsers.

The 66-page document asserts that operating systems make it “difficult or impossible for a consumer to switch browsers,” and they do so by various means. This includes “inhibiting independent app discovery” by setting the company’s own browser as the default and in prime position on the home screen or dock.

Curiously, Mozilla also complains about a lack of discovery in voice assistants like Siri, a feature that wouldn’t usually rely on displaying a browser screen for the majority of audio-based interactions.

There are also issues in “prohibiting independent app adoption” by making it difficult to remove the existing default browser in place of using another. In cases where another browser is selected, Mozilla also claims that an operating system overriding the user’s choice and opening the original default is “even more egregious than prohibiting rival software adoption.”

Mozilla also warns of commercial practices aimed at independent firms, such as restrictive contracts that tie browser to operating systems and liming the preinstallation of alternatives. This is in reference to concepts such as Google’s arrangement with phone vendors to allow the Play Store to be usable.

Restrictive App Store policies are also attacked, such as Apple’s ban on alternative browser engines than WebKit. Mozilla does acknowledge that regulators are stepping up to combat such anti-competitive behaviors, but also that they have “yet to take action.”

“As these companies have so far failed to do better, regulators, policymakers and lawmakers have spent considerable time and resources investigating digital markets,” the report concludes. “They should therefore be in a good position to recognize the importance of browser competition and to act to prevent further harm to consumers from continued inaction and competitive stagnation.”

“We call on them to enforce the laws which already exist and the laws and regulations which will soon come into force. And where existing laws and regulations are lacking, we call for them to be introduced and their importance for the future of the internet to be highlighted.”

Collaboration works across iPhones, iPads, and Macs running the latest operating systems.

Here is what you can do with Collaboration and how you can send a collaboration invite via iMessage to people you want to work on a project with.

Previously, you would have to send a copy – and not the live version – of a document to share with others, but in iOS 16, Apple resolves this issue with Collaboration. This feature allows you to select a document and instantly start collaborating with others on it from the share sheet.

When inviting others to collaborate on a project, you can send an attachment within iMessage. Sending the invite is as easy as sending a link to others.

Once you want to start collaborating with others on a project, you can select the share button and select the people you want to collaborate with. You do not need to select multiple people, but if everyone you wish to share with is in one group chat, you can easily select or type in the group chat name and everyone in it will have access to the project. Make sure “Collaborate” is the option selected and not “Send Copy” in the share sheet.

When the people you sent the project to get it, they can start making edits and changes right away. In the project, a side message in the corner will appear of the people who have joined the collaboration.

On the top of the messaging thread, you can see updates on the edits that were made or the changes you have missed. From the document, you can kick off communication right from within the toolbar. You can send a message to the group, call, or start a FaceTime them as well.

You can also collaborate with Shared Tabs in Safari too.

Members can share a group of tabs for the whole team to see and interact with. Once looking at what was shared, you can see who is in what tab by their profile picture showing up next to the webpage’s name.

More tabs can be added at any time, and when they are added, team members can jump into them right away.

Once a member jumps into the project and starts making edits and changes to it, you can see what they are changing and the elements they are altering in real-time. Turning on “Participant Cursors” will allow a name to pop up next to the text they are changing – which will be highlighted.

Collaboration is a great way to work with others on a project simultaneously and get updates in real-time about what changes are being made. The feature works across all devices running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura.

Sending a Collaboration invite is very easy and simple to do with iMessage. Sending an invite is like sending a link to anyone. Here is how you send one.

1. Go into the document you want to collaborate on
2. Tap on the “Share” icon to bring up the share sheet
3. Make sure the setting is set to “Collaborate” and not “Send a Copy” under the document name. You can also select the option of who can edit the document and what permissions they have.
4. Tap on the person or group chat you want to send the invite too. If who you want to collaborate with is not accessible within the share sheet, you can send a new message and type their name in there.
5. Once you send it, others will be able to start accessing the document right away. You will get a notification within the document of the people who have joined.

Once an invite is sent out, you can alter who has access – by adding or revoking it – at any time. To do so, you just tap “Manage Share” within the document’s communication toolbar (located in the area you would go to make a FaceTime call within the document).

Collaborations can be sent to people other than within the Messages app.

Collaboration is a great tool to help any group complete a project simultaneously while being remote. You can see changes and edits made to the document in real-time and get a summary of what you have missed within the messaging thread in iMessage.

The feature is a quick and easy way to work together, and with the addition of iMessage – and being able to share the invitation and communicate upon it quickly and effortlessly – make the completion of a project less of a hassle.

Collaboration works on iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura. iOS 16 is available now with iPadOS16 and macOS Ventura being released in October 2022.

The yet-untitled project will also star “Better Call Saul” star Rhea Seehorn as the lead. The project marks the second collaboration between Gilligan and Seehorn.

Deadline points out that the pitch was highly anticipated, with at least 8 networks lined up to hear and read the script. It is suspected that each episode could cost upwards of $15 million.

In the end, Apple TV+ landed the series, which may have been due to Gilligan’s relationship with Apple executives Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht. Both executives had spearheaded Gilligan’s previous projects while working at Sony Pictures.

“And what nice symmetry to be reunited with Zack Van Amburg, Jamie Erlicht and Chris Parnell! Jamie and Zack were the first two people to say yes to Breaking Bad all those years ago,” Gilligan told Deadline.

“They’ve built a great team at Apple, and my wonderful, long-time partners at Sony Pictures Television and I are excited to be in business with them.”

The series will join other Apple TV+ hits such as sports comedy”Ted Lasso,” workplace psychological thriller “Severance,” and alternative-reality space drama “For All Mankind.”

Apple’s update to the iPhone 14 Pro includes a number of camera changes, including a 48-megapixel sensor and an Action Mode to generate smooth video. However, it seems third-party apps that use the camera are encountering issues with the new hardware.

A number of users are discovering the camera module is shaking when in use in apps including Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. First reported by 9to5Mac, the issue is causing video recorded using the camera within the apps to be unpublishable, due to the constant erratic movement.

Posts to social media including Reddit claim there to be a lot of jitters, believed to be a shaking of the optical image stabilization (OIS) system. In the case of the iPhone 14 Pro, the 48MP Main camera has Apple’s second-generation Sensor Shift OIS, which physically moves the sensor, while the other uses an older and more conventional OIS system.

Some users claim they can see and hear the shaking and mechanical movement when they use the third-party app’s camera features. In one video demonstrating the issue, the iPhone is seen slightly moving and generating a grinding noise.

It is unknown how many iPhones could be affected by the issue. AppleInsider tried, and failed, to reproduce the bug independently.

While the problem manifests with third-party apps, it doesn’t seem to occur when using the default camera app included in iOS 16. This may indicate that there could be a software problem that needs to be addressed by the apps in how they communicate and work with the camera module.

It’s also plausible that Apple could release an update to iOS 16 that eliminates the bug. At this time, it is unclear what Apple’s response will be to the phenomena.

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To activate the APINSIDER code, simply follow two easy steps:

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If you’re looking for the best deals on Apple products, it’s worth checking out our Apple Price Guide. Updated daily, there are hundreds of exclusive discounts on everything from iPads to MacBook Pros. Here are a few specials running this week:

“Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” was published in a collection of previously unpublished novellas by Stephen King on April 28, 2020. It tells the story of a young man played by Jaeden Martell (“It,” “Knives Out”) who becomes friends with a retired billionaire, played by Donald Sutherland (“Citizen X”).

Through their friendship, they bond over books, as well as their first iPhones.

After Mr. Harrigan passes, the boy Craig, is shown to place the man’s iPhone in the coffin. Later, in a classic Stephen King twist, Craig leaves a voicemail for Mr. Harrigan’s number, saying that his bully in school badly beat him up, and receives a response.

“Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” will debut on Netflix on October 5.

Director Rian Johnson said in 2020 that Apple doesn’t let filmmakers show villains using an iPhone on camera. The trailer makes it seem as though some kind of ghost of Mr. Harrigan is killing on behalf of Craig, but it seems unlikely that he will be shown using his iPhone during the vengeful killings.

This initial developer beta arrived a mere two days after iOS 16 was fully released. Thus far only the developer beta has been released while a public beta will follow.

These point updates usually refine many of the flagship features that debuted in the major update and that is the case here with improvements to the Lock Screen, Matter, and more.

In iOS 16, you can customize your Lock Screen with new fonts, colors, wallpapers, depth effects, and widgets. With iOS 16.1, Apple has modified the setup process,

When you tap customize, you can now choose Lock Screen or Home Screen from the get-go rather than after making your changes. This should make it more apparent how you can edit the Home Screen.

The button to link a Focus mode to your Lock Screen is gone in beta one. Instead, you must link the Focus from Settings. In the Settings app, you can trigger a Focus mode from multiple Lock Screens whereas, in iOS 16.0, you were limited to a one-to-one relationship.

The Settings app has a new panel for Matter smart home accessories now. Apple says you need to have a profile installed to use Matter devices, though that may change as we approach the official launch of Matter.

Clean energy charging

Previewed by Apple with iOS 16, iOS 16.1 will be adding Clean Energy Charging. This will prioritize off-peak hours for charging to help reduce the load on the electrical grid and reduce your overall carbon footprint.

The battery percentage indicator now supports more devices. iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 mini, and iPhone 13 mini now supports the numbered status in the batter icon.

After being removed late in the development cycle, the Shared iCloud Photo Library is back. You can share your photos with friends and family and move between a personal and shared library.

Other changes include the ability to remove the default Wallet app and redownload from the App Store as well as a modified screenshot UI. Developers also have access to the Lock Screen Live Activites API.

Apple will beta test iOS 16.1 with developers and public users before releasing it, likely later this year. If you haven’t done so already, you can update your existing iPhone to iOS 16.

The study, which surveyed over 5,000 emoji users from the United States, sought to uncover how Americans use emoji for self-expression.

As it turns out, 73% of those polled thought people who used emojis are friendlier, funnier, and cooler than those who don’t. And 91% of respondents felt that emoji make it easier to express themselves — with 60% reporting that emojis have the ability to boost overall mental health.

Americans have their favorite emoji, too. Perhaps least surprising of all, the tears of joy emoji continues to be the favorite emoji of those in the U.S.

Thumbs up, red heart, and rolling on the floor laughing took second, third, and fourth place, respectively. The fifth favorite emoji is the crying face emoji.

While many respondents thought emoji make it easier to express yourself, 50% of those polled noted that they used emoji differently than their intended meanings.

The study found that the cowboy emoji is the most understood in the U.S., while cherries and upside-down face took second and third place, respectively.

The survey also uncovered that two out of five Americans do not see their identities reflected in current emoji options. In addition, U.S. emoji users would like to see age, race/ethnicity, culture, and disability categories expanded to be more inclusive.

Unicode’s upcoming 15.0 release is set to roll out sometime in September. Some of the new emoji set to hit devices include a pink heart, a jellyfish, and a shaking face.