In Touch with iOS

032 iOS 12 and Visit to Apple Store with special guest Mike Potter This episode was recorded  at the Apple Michigan Ave Chicago store Dave welcomed very special guest Mike Potter from For Mac Eyes Only podcast and Macstock coodinator. They were sitting outside the store next to the Riverfront talking about iOS 12 and Mike switching to iPhone.Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com   
Direct Link to Audio Topics: Dave Ginsburg and Mike Potter discuss what was reviewed during the 3 hours sessions Apple provided the Suburban Chicago Apple Users group. They also reviewed the discussion on iOS12. Mike had his first anniversary of switching to iPhone from Android and they disussed what he is happy with and misses. Links and Items Mentioned: Apple Michigan Ave Chicago iOS12 Preview Apple ID Switching from Android to iPhone Fantastical Macstock Digital Pass If you missed Macstock Expo you can purchase access to all the talks and deeper dives click the link below for more information. Its a bargain at $79 and you get access to all session videos on both days. https://macstockconferenceandexpo.com/digital-pass/ Macstock 2019 dates were announced mark your calendars July 27-28, 2019.The theme will be "Create"   Meta: 032 iOS 12 and Visit to Apple Store with special guest Mike Potter was recorded August 11, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. In Touch with iOS or “ITWIOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.  

iPhones and roller coasters are not a good combination. Tune in to hear about this adventure as well as some important survival tips for when a lost device takes you on a wild ride! Dave reviews his experience from both presenting and attending the recent Macstock Conference and Expo. Melissa adds some device locating wisdom and an app update. Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com Direct Link to Audio Apple Releases iOS 12 Developer Beta 6 for iPhone, iPad — The Mac Observer Google Releases Android 9 Pie as Previous Oreo Release is Installed on Just 12% of Devices — MacRumors Apple Supplier TSMC Recovering From 'Debilitating' Computer Virus — MacRumors Getting More Out of Find My iPhone Dave’s friend went on a rollercoaster ride — and so did his iPhone — right out of his pocket! Find My iPhone to the rescue! Don’t leave home without it enabled on your iOS devices. Tips: • Go to Settings > tap your name at the top > iCloud > Find My iPhone > enable Send Last Location • Enroll in Family Sharing so you can see all members' devices using your own Apple ID• Add an alternate phone number of someone you trust and make sure you can access your Apple ID on their device. • Consider having your Apple ID login credentials stored in their password manager. Be sure to include answers to security questions or other pertinent details.• Use Lost Mode right away • Consider using Guided Access to lock your iPhone into the Find My iPhone app in the event you need to hand off your iPhone (depending on your level of trust in the situation)• If you power off your iOS device, you will not be able to locate it so consider leaving it in locked standby mode.• Keep the battery charged and be mindful of its status and the elements to which your device is exposed. Time is of the essence when the device is lost. Get help with Find My iPhone — Apple Macstock 2018You can still purchase a Macstock 2018 Digital Pass and watch the great content that was presented. It includes: • Saturday’s keynote session with Bob LeVitus• All featured Saturday and Sunday morning sessions • Main Stage Only Deeper Dive talks from Saturday and Sunday Apps & Gear:Castro Podcasts version 3.1 Meta: 031 Find My iPhone Is Your Friend was recorded August 8, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. In Touch with iOS or “ITWIOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.

It’s time to update iOS again. The App Store turns ten. HomePod makes its way back into Dave’s heart as well as his humble abode. Melissa shares tips for remote screen-sharing support from one iOS device to another using TeamViewer. Dave reviews a great iPad stand by Belkin. You won’t want to miss out on the apps and gear we recommend in this episode. Tune in for a great discount on a ticket to Macstock 2018 July 21-22! Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com  Direct Link to Audio  News: Happy 10th Anniversary, App Store! — MacRumors New releases: iOS 11.4.1, tvOS 11.4.1, WatchOS 4.3.2, HomePod 11.4.1.  iOS 12 Beta 3 was also released. As always, we do not recommend installing the beta on your main device. Use a spare to test it out if you have one. Allow some extra time for updating Apple Watch — perhaps watch an episode of your favorite tv show while it updates. Hands-On With the Siri Shortcuts Beta App in iOS 12 — MacRumors Topics: Airplay 2 is the deal-breaker that inspired Dave to repurchase HomePod. Add in multi-room support with stereo mode and he is a happy camper enjoying the experience. Melissa has tips for using TeamViewer QuickSupport to help support a loved one from afar. Install the apps first and pay close attention to the icon art. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls > add Screen Recording. To request help, swipe up from the bottom then LONG-press on Screen Recording icon in Control Center then be sure to select TeamViewer (it doesn’t SAY QuickSupport, it says TeamViewer with the QuickSupport icon. Next, tap Start Broadcast and send the link via Messages. A link will be texted and when tapped it will offer to open up the screen sharing session in the TeamViewer app.  Apps & Gear: TeamViewer: Remote Control  TeamViewer QuickSupport  Portable Tablet Stage™ by Belkin  Belkin Stage: Interactive Whiteboard and Document Camera - free with in-app purchases  Stage Pro: Interactive Whiteboard/Document Camera  IPEVO Whiteboard  Meta: 030 HomePod Returns was recorded July 10, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. In Touch with iOS or “ITWIOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.

Apple announced many new features during their WWDC18 keynote from this past week. We discuss those and more of what you may want to consider when it’s time to apply the upgrades to iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. The upgrades will be released sometime in the coming months, but we want you to be prepared. Tune in for a great discount on a ticket to Macstock 2018! Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com 
Direct Link to Audio News: Free Trials for All Paid Apps Now Possible Thanks to Updated App Store Guidelines — MacRumors Apple's watchOS 5 Adds Automatic Workout Detection, Walkie-Talkie, and More — MacRumors Apple Reveals tvOS 12 With Dolby Atmos Support for Apple TV 4K, Aerial Screensaver Updates, and More — MacRumors Apple's Podcasts app is coming to watchOS — Engadget The iOS 11.4 update adds Messages to the list of iCloud services that back up and store your device data so it synchronizes with your other devices whether they be additions or replacements. We recommend backing up and/or archiving your Messages texts using a tool like iMazing first till you’re comfortable with having your text messages stored in the cloud. WWDC Review for iOS 12 iOS 12 Preview — Apple Apple unveils iOS 12 for iPhone and iPad — 9to5Mac Performance - Apple said that iOS 12 doubles down on performance. CPU performance now ramps up ‘instantly’ when needed, apps launch 40% faster, keyboard appears 50% sooner and slide to take photo is 70% quicker. Siri shortcuts & lock-screen suggestions - Apple has long struggled with how to make Siri smarter without storing lots of personal data. Its new approach is to allow us to create our own Siri shortcuts, to access other apps, and to have Siri make proactive suggestions on the lockscreen, for example when it detects that you have started a workout. Measure app and AR experiences - Almost as soon as ARKit was available, there were a bunch of third-party augmented reality tape measurement apps. Apple has now created its own, able to quickly and easily provide 3D measurements of objects seen by the camera. Improvements to stock apps - Apple announced improvements to Apple Books, Apple News, Stocks and Voice Memos. Stocks and Voice Memos are also coming to iPad for the first time. The biggest overhaul is to the Books app (renamed from iBooks). Third-party maps now available in CarPlay - If you prefer Google Maps or Waze to Apple Maps, you can now use those in CarPlay. Three ways to tackle smartphone addiction - There’s been much talk of smartphone addiction over the past year or so, and Apple has responded with three ways to reduce the temptation to pick up your phone too frequently.1. A Do Not Disturb at Bedtime feature winds down notifications at night.2. Grouped notifications pull together all notifications from each app (for example, all Messages appear together).3. Screen Time allows adults to monitor their phone usage, and parents to set limits for kids. Memoji personalized avatars - In addition to several new Animoji characters, Apple now allows you to create your own. Known as Memoji, the idea is that you can use a range of facial features – from hairstyle to glasses – to create an Animoji that looks something like you. iPhone X gestures on iPad - Almost certainly in preparation for a new iPad with reduced bezels and an iPhone X style notch, iOS 12 now allows you to use iPhone X style gestures: swipe-up to return to the home screen, and swipe-down from top-right to open control center. Face ID now recognizes two faces - While most iPhone X users say they would never want to switch back from Face ID to Touch ID, one complaint is that you can’t register more that one face. That will be even more important when the iPad adopts the technology, so Face ID can now recognize two faces. Auto-fill of two-factor authentication texts - It’s currently a pain when you get a login code texted and have to exit the app, read the text, memorize or copy the code and then return to the app to type or paste it. iOS 12 spots when a text code has arrived and offers it as an autofill option with no need to exit the app. Automatic iOS updates - It’s not yet 100% clear how this would work, but a toggle in Settings suggests that you’ll be able to configure your iPhone and iPad to automatically install iOS updates. Closing iOS apps now easier on the iPhone X - iPhone X users can now quit apps in the same way as on earlier models. Once you’re in the app card view, you can simply swipe up on each app to close it, without the long-press required by iOS 11 on the iPhone X.

We share tips for optimizing your contacts list so it works more efficiently. Tune in for a great discount on a ticket to Macstock 2018! Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com 
Direct Link to Audio News:  Apple Offering $50 Credit to Customers Who Paid for iPhone 6 and Later Battery Replacements From January to December 2017 — MacRumors Google News vs. Apple News on iOS — MacRumors Apple Drops Lightning to USB-C Cable from $25 to $19 — Mac Observer iPhone 7 Plus tops customer satisfaction survey — Cult of Mac Castro 3 Review: The Castro You’ve Always Wanted — Macstories Topics:   Dave switched to TMobile from AT&T and shares his experience How to See Where Apple Tracks You on Your iPhone and iPad — Macobserver Contacts App Tips: • Begin at: Settings > Contacts • Enable Siri & Search even if you turn off Siri for voice search because it’s really useful for looking people up on your iPhone to call them just by pulling down on the home screen • Sort Order & Display Order: pick something and stick to it then change it on all your devices for consistency • Short Name - helpful if you’re the type of person who uses a lot of nicknames • My Info - very important to make sure this is set up properly; I see people adding a second contact card for themselves and making a mess of duplicates because of it; setting this up properly with all fields filled out helps to make filling out online forms less of a chore • Default Account - this means when you create a new card, it will go to this account if you do not specify otherwise • Another note on importing, iMazing is a handy app to have for importing contacts from an iOS device so you can better organize them on your Mac if you’re helping a family member, friend or colleague to get set up with their first iOS device PSA: Lots of seniors are getting Bluetooth Hearing Aids and some are feeling really disturbed by the phone ringing in their ears. Help your loved ones out with this if it’s become an issue. Settings > General > Accessibility > Hearing and make the necessary adjustments. Apps and Gear: WyzeCam for monitoring your home from your iOS device Manything for monitoring your home using the camera on a repurposed iOS device iMazing for managing contacts on an iOS device with a Mac We have special discount code for our listeners that will save you $70 off the full price of a 2-Day Weekend Pass to Macstock 2018! Contact: email us • like our Facebook page, tweet @InTouchwithiOS, @TheMacMommy or @daveg65 You can now find In Touch with iOS on Tune In and RadioPublic! Meta: 028 Getting More Out of Contacts App was recorded May 23, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. In Touch with iOS or “ITWIOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.

Wrangling your address book and all those contact listings can be a big challenge. We share tips on how to get started using the Contacts app on your iOS device so you can be more efficient and organized. Tune in for a great discount on a ticket to Macstock 2018! Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com 
Direct Link to Audio News: Apple Reports Record $61.1 Billion in Revenues and EPS of $273, Beating Wall Street Estimates — The Mac Observer Apple Watch Business is Equal to a Fortune 300 Company, Up 50% — The Mac Observer Apple Seeds iOS 11.4 Developer Beta 3 — The Mac Observer Should T-Mobile and Sprint Be Allowed to Merge? Not if You Believe Their Past Statements.— Slate Tips: Swiping left to delete a conversation or text from your listing of text messages in the Messages app now shows a confirmation message asking, “Would you like to delete this conversation?” and then shows the word Delete in red. This can be annoying for some despite it being there as a feature to protect people from accidentally deleting messages by swiping too quickly. We hope Apple will make this customizable in the future because now it’s just as easy to accidentally mute or “Hide” alerts from people when you didn’t mean to! This Apple Communities discussion explains it in more detail. It’s not that common, but if ever you have the need to remove all the photos from your iOS device in a snap, The Mac Observer has a handy tutorial here: iOS: How to Quickly Delete All iOS Photos and Videos Settings > General > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary This is handy if you’re experiencing an odd problem with the capitalization of wrong words as you type. It could be looking for names in your contacts list that are also words causing them to become automatically capitalized where it should not occur. Introduction to Contacts app on iOSSettings > Accounts & Passwords You can have multiple accounts that populate your Contacts listing. Be aware of which have been enabled because it could contribute to duplicates. Create a separate Apple ID for the sole purpose of sharing a contact list with a partner, family member, or spouse. This way, you can use your main iCloud account for your own professional and personal contacts that are kept separate. Select contacts on a separate iCloud account can be shared and synchronized with those who access that designated account on their devices to collaborate with you. For example, family members will all have the same contact cards for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and close friends. If someone changes their address, one family member can edit the card and it will synchronize with everyone else. Use the right tool for the job. A contact list is not the right tool for managing passwords. Do not store passwords or any important information in your contacts list notes because other apps you use may require access to your contacts database and will upload that information to their servers where a data breach could occur exposing that sensitive information. Use a dedicated password manager instead. Instead of adding ICE (In Case of Emergency) to names, use the Medical ID feature in the Health app to add emergency contacts. First Responders know how to access the Medical ID from locked iPhones. Teach young children how to access this screen from a locked phone as well. It’s also how they’ll learn where they can dial the local emergency code (9-1-1 in the U.S.) Use the Favorites list in the Phone app for an easily accessible list of numbers you call most frequently Apps and Gear:Contacts app RadioPublic  iMazing We have special discount code for our listeners that will save you $70 off the full price of a 2-Day Weekend Pass to Macstock 2018! Contact: email us • like our Facebook page, tweet @InTouchwithiOS, @TheMacMommy or @daveg65You can now find In Touch with iOS on Tune In and RadioPublic! Meta: 027 Getting Started with Contacts App was recorded May 2, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. In Touch with iOS or “ITWIOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.

We reflect on three years of Apple Watch plus tips for using Safari on multiple devices. Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com 
Direct Link to Audio News: Google Play Music’s Switch to YouTube Remix Could Give Apple Music a Big Subscriber Boost — The Mac Observer Apple Releases iOS 11.3.1: Includes Security Fixes and Addresses 3rd Party Screen Replacement Problem for iPhone 8 - The Mac Observer Happy Third Birthday Original Apple Watch! — The Mac Observer Flickr bought by SmugMug as Yahoo breakup begins — The Guardian Topics: Sync tabs with iCloud so you can start reading on one device and pick up on another Add emojis to bookmark favorites to make them easier to see Using Handoff with iOS PSA on DND iPhone X is good for for seniors Apps & Gear: Contact Cleanup Radio Paradise Flickr You can now find In Touch with iOS on Tune In! Contact: email us • like our Facebook page, tweet @InTouchwithiOS, @TheMacMommy or @daveg65 Meta: 026 Happy Birthday Apple Watch was recorded April 25, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. In Touch with iOS or “ITWIOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.

We share our most favorite tips for getting more out of Safari in iOS! Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com  Direct Link to Audio News: Apple Is Planning to Launch a News Subscription Service — Bloomberg Apple's iPhone 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' feature helping to reduce dangerous habits — appleinsider Messages in iCloud is still slated for a future release. It will likely show up as one of the apps you can toggle on or off in your iCloud settings. Settings > Safari: Autofill: We recommend using a password manager and doing the little bit of extra work required to interact with websites that require you to log in. Saving passwords in Safari on iOS is technically secure, but it enables complacency which can lead to insecure human behavior that hackers bank on. Block Pop-ups: We do not recommend enabling this especially if you log into banking or medical website portals regularly. It has been known to cause those sites to malfunction. If you feel safer with it enabled, be sure you know how to disable it when a website does not respond. Reading List > Automatically Save Offline: We recommend enabling this feature as it is really useful. If your device is older and has a small hard drive, know that this feature can eat up space over time. These are some of the Safari tips we discussed: • What is a tab? • How do you close tabs? • How do you close multiple tabs at once? • Can you reorder the tabs into a different sequence? • Can tabs be searched? • How to load the desktop version of a website • Should you use an ad blocker? • What is Private mode? • How do you switch between Private mode and “regular” mode? • How to use Reader View — TheMacMommy • Customizing the share sheet: We recommend moving 1Password (or your password manager app of choice) to the first spot. • Find on Page • Bookmarks vs Reading List and the case for each • Reading List for articles and saving them for offline access   Still need more help? Check out the Safari section in this iPhone guide from Apple: https://help.apple.com/iphone/11/#/iph1a4721132 Apps & Gear: Google Chrome    Mozilla Firefox  Microsoft Edge  Puffin Web Browser  Firefox Focus: Privacy Browser   You can now find In Touch with iOS on Tune In! Contact: email us • like our Facebook page, tweet @InTouchwithiOS, @TheMacMommy or @daveg65 Meta: 025 Navigating Safari was recorded April 18, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. In Touch with iOS or “ITWIOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.

Last time we talked a lot about devices that stay put. This time we want to talk about devices on the go — things we can wear while interacting with audible content. We’ll discuss tips for using Apple Watch with earpieces as well as news and hacks. Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com  Direct Link to Audio News  Apple announces March 27th event focusing on education — The Verge Apple Acquires the Digital Magazine Service Texture — TidBITS Apple Releases iOS 11.3 Developer Beta 6 for iPhone, iPad — The Mac Observer Apple opens WWDC 2018 registration: June 4-8 in San Jose — 9 to 5 Mac Apple Music Growing at Record Pace With Two Million Subscribers Added in Just Five Weeks — MacRumors  Wearable Devices  • Use the built-in Now Playing screen on Apple Watch to control playback while listening to podcasts • Melissa has an iPhone hack for connecting a lanyard to an iPhone case.  Thread a lanyard through the speaker cut-outs on the bottom of an iPhone case so that the iPhone hangs upside down with the glass facing outward. This way, it will be in the correct orientation when you pick up the phone to view the screen or snap a photo. • Outcast app on your Apple Watch makes it easy to listen to podcasts with just a Bluetooth headset while leaving your iPhone parked somewhere else.  Plan for reduced Apple Watch battery life by downloading podcast episodes ahead of time then charging your watch before leaving to use it. If you don’t have Apple AirPods, the cheaper counterparts are not as easy to pair, so plan on having a set of Bluetooth earpieces that remain paired to your Apple Watch and keep them charged up. Plan on downloading your podcast episodes when you have time to devote to keeping the Apple Watch screen awake. The investment of time needed for getting the podcast episodes to your watch is worth it for how liberating it feels to not have to carry your iPhone around.  • Bluetooth earpiece recommendations:  SleepPhones  MJYun Wireless Earbuds  Make the jump to truly wireless earbuds for just $32 today on Amazon - BGR  Apps & Gear:  RBdigital Outcast Apple Support Twitterific App Advice You can now find In Touch with iOS on Tune In! Here is our link: https://tunein.com/radio/In-Touch-with-iOS-p1102769/?topicId=120289506 Contact: email us • like our Facebook page, tweet @InTouchwithiOS, @TheMacMommy or @daveg65 Meta: 023 Wearable was recorded March 18, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. In Touch with iOS or “ITWIOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.

Dave took one for the team and got himself a HomePod, so we dig deep and discuss why it should or should not be your personal assistant. We discuss apps for managing podcasts, third-party keyboards, spam caller blocking, and camera tweaks. We also cover apps that repurpose your devices in fun ways. Full show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com  Direct Link to Audio Apple Releases iOS 11.2.6 With Fix for Telugu Character Bug That Causes iOS Devices to Crash — MacRumors Apple Releases Minor watchOS 4.2.3 Update With Bug Fixes — MacRumors Apple Releases Minor tvOS 11.2.6 Update — MacRumors Repurpose Your Old Phone into a Security Camera - The Digital Story Dave concludes that HomePod is great for those who live fairly exclusively in the Apple ecosystem. If you are an Apple user with a discerning taste for sound, and this will be your first speaker, then go for it! The sound is amazing and the internal microphone recognition is uncontested. Unfortunately, there were more downsides than value for Dave to keep the HomePod. It could not compete with other devices that already suit Dave’s personal assistant needs. There is no Spotify or SiriusXM — it’s Apple Music all the way and will likely remain that way. You can’t make phone calls or manage your calendar from HomePod. As Melissa points out, it really doesn’t seem like it’s a family-friendly product at this time as there are no distinguished voices. While it may currently disappoint on features, the hardware is impeccably crafted giving it great potential to be more than just another assistant in a can. We think HomePod can only get better and we look forward to future iterations. Melissa discusses her recent presentation at her local Mac Users’ Group on the topic of podcatchers. We will keep evaluating these apps for you, our dear listeners, and report our observations so you can make informed choices. Apple's HomePod speaker: Either way late or way early — Yahoo! Finance Google’s Art Selfie App Not Working in Texas or Illinois? Thank Tricky Biometric Laws — Fast Company Nuance Discontinues Swype Keyboard for iOS and Android — MacRumors   Apps & Gear:  Real Fireplaces HD Manything Focos Photo App for Portrait mode on iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, X. Allison Sheridan did a screencast on this app. Hiya Caller ID and Block   Contact: email us • like our Facebook page, tweet @InTouchwithiOS, @TheMacMommy or @daveg65 Meta: 022 Five Days with HomePod was recorded February 21, 2018. “Please Listen Carefully” by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. “In Touch with iOS” is an independently produced podcast, publication and social identity and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. All other Apple Inc. trademarks discussed are the property of Apple Inc. A full list of Apple trademarks is available here. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. We may use affiliate links for products in show notes. When appropriate, software, products, or services provided for review purposes will be disclosed. Unless otherwise noted, these products or services are not a sponsor. Your patronage helps to support our content production at no additional cost to you and does not alter our honest opinion of said product or service.