Federico
John
AppStories Episode 127 - Returning to Apple Mail
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This week, Federico and John discuss why they’ve both returned to Apple Mail after years of looking for a better email solution.
Returning to Apple Mail
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Our thanks to MacUpdater for sponsoring MacStories this week.
Monthly Log: August 2019
In this month's edition of the Monthly Log:
MacStories Weekly: Issue 189
This week, in addition to the usual links, app debuts, and recap of MacStories' articles and podcasts:
Apple Announces Fall Media Event
As first reported by Rene Ritchie, Apple has announced a media event for September 10, 2019 at 10:00 am Pacific. The event will be held at Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino.
https://twitter.com/reneritchie/status/1167105373775548417
Based on widespread speculation, Apple is expected to introduce three new iPhones based on the iPhone XS design with a new rear-facing, three-camera array that includes a new wide-angle lens and will be able to take better low light photos. Rumors also point to the introduction of new Apple Watch models, and possibly a 10.2-inch iPad to replace the current 9.7-inch model. Apple is said to be working on a 16” MacBook Pro, new water-resistant, noise-cancelling AirPods, and a new HomePod, but it’s likely if those products materialize at least some won’t be shipped until later this year or 2020.
In addition to hardware, Apple is expected to announce release dates for updates to its operating systems, including iOS 13, iPadOS, macOS Catalina, and watchOS 6. As in the past, Apple should release a Gold Master of the OSes shortly after the event with a public release date within approximately 10 days.
Connected, Episode 258: Technically iOS 13→
On this week’s episode of Connected:
Federico’s back just in time for Apple to release the first beta of iOS 13.1 He, Stephen and Myke get into what this could mean for Apple’s upcoming busy season before discussing the changes Apple has made to its Siri grading program.
You can listen below (and find the show notes here).
Sponsored by:
Health in iOS 13: A Foundation for Apple’s Grand Wellness Ambitions
Apple’s Health app first debuted in 2014 as part of iOS 8. In the five years since its launch, Health has been one of the only iOS apps to receive redesigns every couple of years. The basic purpose of the app has remained the same through those changes, still serving as an aggregation tool for wellness data from sources like the Apple Watch to third-party apps and devices. However, Health’s regular reimagining serves as strong evidence that Apple has never quite felt content with how that original goal was being fulfilled.
It may be too early to cast judgment, but I have a strong suspicion that this year’s rebrand will stick. iOS 13’s Health app finally brings a design that feels intuitive and user-friendly, doing away with complication and creating a streamlined, inviting interface. Simultaneously, this year’s update adds compelling new features related to cycle tracking and hearing health that may hint at an evolving vision for the Health app’s future.
Apple Announces New Initiative to Support Device Repair Providers→
Following news earlier this summer that Apple was partnering with Best Buy for expanded repair service, today the company has announced another initiative to make device repairs more accessible:
“To better meet our customers’ needs, we’re making it easier for independent providers across the US to tap into the same resources as our Apple Authorized Service Provider network,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “When a repair is needed, a customer should have confidence the repair is done right. We believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested.”
Independent repair providers can join Apple’s new program at no cost, provided they have an Apple-certified technician on staff. Joining provides a variety of benefits:
Apple will provide more independent repair businesses — large or small — with the same genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals and diagnostics as its Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs). The program is launching in the US with plans to expand to other countries.
Apple’s moves this summer to make authorized repairs more accessible from outside an Apple Store reflect the company’s struggles to keep up with accelerated repair demand from a growing user base. While repairs will likely always be a core element of Apple Stores, by pushing more people to third-party providers, Apple can perhaps make its retail locations less crowded and thus more pleasant to visit moving forward.
Apple Announces Changes to Siri Grading Program
Earlier this month, Apple suspended its Siri grading program, in which third-party contractors listened to small snippets of audio to evaluate Siri’s effectiveness. Today in a press release, Apple explained its Siri grading program and changes the company is making:
We know that customers have been concerned by recent reports of people listening to audio Siri recordings as part of our Siri quality evaluation process — which we call grading. We heard their concerns, immediately suspended human grading of Siri requests and began a thorough review of our practices and policies. We’ve decided to make some changes to Siri as a result.
Apologizing for not living up to the privacy standards customers expect from it, Apple outlined three changes that will be implemented this fall when operating system updates are released:
First, by default, we will no longer retain audio recordings of Siri interactions. We will continue to use computer-generated transcripts to help Siri improve.
Second, users will be able to opt in to help Siri improve by learning from the audio samples of their requests. We hope that many people will choose to help Siri get better, knowing that Apple respects their data and has strong privacy controls in place. Those who choose to participate will be able to opt out at any time.
Third, when customers opt in, only Apple employees will be allowed to listen to audio samples of the Siri interactions. Our team will work to delete any recording which is determined to be an inadvertent trigger of Siri.
This is a sensible plan. It’s clear, concise, and has the benefit if being verifiable once implemented. It’s unfortunate that Siri recordings were being handled this way in the first place, but I appreciate the plain-English response and unambiguous plan for the future.