iOS Today (Audio‪)‬ iOS Today

In this episode of iOS Today, hosts Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard dive deep into the world of HomePod and HomePod mini, revealing a treasure trove of tips and tricks. From setting alarms and using intercom features to leveraging built-in sensors and personal requests, the duo explores the full potential of Apple's smart speakers. The episode concludes with a Shortcuts Corner segment, addressing a viewer's question about customizing shortcut menu appearances.

HomePod Tips and Tricks:

Setting alarms: Using voice commands or the Home app to set and manage alarms on HomePod
Shazam integration: HomePod can identify songs playing nearby, though it doesn't save the results
Temperature and humidity sensors: Newer HomePods can measure room conditions
Intercom feature: Send voice messages to specific rooms or the entire house
Ambient sounds: Apple's remastered soundscapes for relaxation and focus
Personal requests: Access messages, reminders, calendars, and more through voice commands
"What's my update?" feature: Get a personalized morning briefing including weather, reminders, and news
Troubleshooting: Rosemary shares her experience with Siri weather responses and offers tips for resolving issues
Feedback:

A listener wants to know how to omit BBEdit from constantly showing up as a "Recent" file
Shortcuts Corner:

Custom menu images: A viewer asks how to add custom images to shortcut menus
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

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In this episode of iOS Today, hosts Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard unveil a treasure trove of hidden features and advanced tips for iOS and iPadOS devices. From transforming your on-screen keyboard into a precision text-editing tool to customizing contact notifications, the hosts cover many practical tips to enhance your Apple device experience. They also explore photo editing tricks, Wi-Fi password sharing, live captions in FaceTime, and creating shortcuts for health management.

Keyboard tricks:
Using the spacebar as a trackpad for precise text editing
Quick-switching between letters, numbers, and symbols without changing keyboards
Contact customization:
Setting personalized vibrations and ringtones for important contacts
Managing emergency bypass settings to prioritize notifications
Photo management:
Copying text from screenshots when apps don't allow selection
Applying consistent edits across multiple photos
iOS 17 features:
Streamlined two-factor authentication with automatic code-filling
Customizable home screen layouts and focus modes
Communication enhancements:
Live captions in FaceTime calls
Replying to specific messages in iMessage threads
Feedback:

Discussion on authentication for the new iPhone mirroring feature
Shortcuts Corner:

Medication reminders:
Creating a shortcut to set alarms for medication schedules
Nutritional tracking:
Developing a custom shortcut to log dietary information in the Health app
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

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Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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In this episode of iOS Today, hosts Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard dive into the second half of the 2024 Apple Design Award winners, covering the categories of Social Impact, Visuals and Graphics, and the new Spatial Computing category. They discuss standout apps and games that push the boundaries of design and functionality across Apple's platforms, including innovative uses of Apple Vision Pro technology.

Social Impact category winners:

Gentler Streak: A fitness app that takes a more compassionate approach to fitness tracking

The Wreck: A narrative game exploring themes of grief and sisterhood

Visuals and Graphics category winners:

Rooms: An 8-bit style room design app with social features

Lies of P: A Pinocchio-inspired action game with stunning visuals

Spatial Computing category winners:

djay: A DJ app that creates an immersive turntable experience in Apple Vision Pro

Blackbox: A puzzle game that cleverly uses device sensors and features

Shortcuts Corner:

Discussion of how to add custom app icons to shortcuts in iOS 17 and 18

Rosemary and Mikah also addressed a listener question about the potential of AI-enhanced Siri to provide personalized recommendations based on user data, discussing the possibilities and limitations of such features.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

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Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard check out the first set of winners and finalists of the Apple Design Awards 2024. They discuss apps and games that stood out in the categories of Delight and Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, and Interaction, highlighting how these apps and games make the most of Apple's technologies and deliver exceptional experiences. Later in the Shortcuts Corner segment, Rosemary tackles a listener question about creating a medication reminder shortcut.

Main Topic: Apple Design Award Winners - Part 1

Bears Gratitude (winner, Delight and Fun): A cute and colorful journaling app that encourages daily gratitude entries and self-care.
NYT Games (winner, Delight and Fun): A comprehensive collection of games from the New York Times, including crosswords, Spelling Bee, Wordle, and more.
Crayola Adventures (winner, Inclusivity): An adventure game for children that sets a new standard for inclusive character creation options.
oko (winner, Inclusivity): An accessible navigation app that uses AI to provide detailed instructions and assistance for visually impaired users.
Lost in Play (winner, Innovation): A beautifully drawn adventure game that feels like an interactive graphic novel.
Procreate Dreams (winner, Innovation): A powerful drawing and illustration app that takes full advantage of the Apple Pencil and its features.
Crouton (winner, Interaction): A feature-rich recipe manager and meal planner with unique interactions, such as using facial gestures to navigate recipes on iPhone and iPad.
Rytmos (winner, Interaction): A clever puzzle game where solving mazes creates layered audio loops, resulting in a full musical composition.
Shortcuts Corner:

Listener Alex asks for help creating a shortcut to remind his father-in-law to take medication every five hours, without disturbing him during the night.
Rosemary explains that while it's not possible to directly log medication in the Health app, a close solution can be achieved.
She suggests adding an icon to the home screen that, when tapped, logs the medication as taken and sets a reminder for the next dose.
The shortcut should also disable any existing medication reminders and avoid setting reminders during the father-in-law's sleeping hours.
Rosemary walks through the process of creating the shortcut using actions like Find Alarms, Adjust Date, and If statements.
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

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In this episode of iOS Today, Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard explore the additional features coming in iOS and iPadOS 18 that weren't covered in their initial WWDC recap. They discuss the exciting potential of Apple's new AI capabilities with Apple Intelligence, fascinating updates to the Notes app with enhanced handwriting recognition, and much more. The show concludes with an insightful Shortcuts Corner segment exploring automation improvements tied to AirPods and the Home app.

Main Topic: iOS 18 Additional Features

- Apple Intelligence: Apple's take on generative AI with a focus on privacy and on-device processing. Woven into many new iOS 18 features.

- Writing tools: Enhancements to make text more friendly/professional, summarize, proofread, and more. Smart reply improvements in Mail.

- Image generation: An "image playground" to create custom images based on context. Unique "Genmoji" to make your own emoji.

- Photos: Improved search, memory movies, and the ability to clean up unwanted elements in pictures.

- Siri: ChatGPT integration and potential for other large language models in the future.

- Notes app: Auto-refine and straighten handwriting, copy handwriting as text, audio recording, and more updates coming post-release.

- Calculator app and Math Notes: A new place for handwritten equations, graphing, and dynamic calculation.

- Maps: Integrated hiking trail maps and topographic maps, potentially replacing third-party apps.

- Passwords app: A dedicated place to manage passwords across devices, similar to third-party password managers.

- SharePlay: Shared playback controls on HomePods and screen sharing with device control in FaceTime.

- Wallet app and Apple Pay: "Tap to Cash" for easy money transfer, rewards/points balances, and installment financing options.

- Journal app: Search functionality, widgets for writing prompts and streaks, and integration with Health app.

- Apple TV app: "Insight" feature to identify on-screen people and music, plus enhanced dialogue options on more devices.

- Home app: Granular controls for guest access, HomeKey improvements for hands-free unlocking.

Shortcuts Corner

- AirPods: Head nodding/shaking detection for automation prompts and enhanced voice isolation for better audio in windy conditions.

- Home app: Robot vacuum integration to run cleaning automations when everyone leaves home.

- Energy monitoring: Ability to add utility providers to track energy usage and work towards more eco-friendly automations.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

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Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard dive deep into the core features of the highly anticipated iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, fresh off the heels of Apple's WWDC keynote. The duo explores the major changes and improvements users can expect, from the redesigned Messages and Photos apps to the enhanced customization options for the home screen and Control Center. Rosemary also shares her insights on the upcoming changes to the Shortcuts app in the Shortcuts Corner segment.

iOS 18 and iPadOS 18:

Messages app improvements: scheduled messages, text formatting, animated effects, and RCS support
Phone app updates: T9 search and the ability to record and transcribe calls
Home screen customization: large icons, free placement of apps, and tinted icons
Control Center enhancements: widget-like functionality and customizable pages
Photos app redesign: new carousel view, collections, memories, and AI-powered features
Mail app updates: categorization, grouping emails, and design changes (coming later)
Siri improvements: seamless switching between typing and talking, and enhanced understanding
Privacy and security updates: limiting app access to contacts, local networks, and Bluetooth devices
Minor updates to the Health, Fitness, Reminders, and Calendar apps
Shortcuts Corner:

App Intents: the magic behind Shortcuts, driving many of the new features
Redesigned Shortcuts app UI: improved organization and faster loading times
Enhanced scripting actions: checking device type and adding multiple conditions to an "if" action
Shortcuts in Control Center and on the lock screen for quick access
Simplified Home app actions for controlling accessories
New Reminders actions: opening specific lists, pinning/unpinning lists
Books app actions: navigating pages, opening specific views, and controlling page scrolling
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

You can also contribute to iOS Today by sending an email to iOSToday@TWiT.tv.