Welcome to Soundbyte 304. In this issue:
- June Meeting
- Invites to other Apple User Groups
- Which 13-inch laptop?
- Apple Glass?
- There’s a hidden trackpad on your iPad
- Latest Offers for Members
June Meeting
Join LMUG at 7pm this Monday on Zoom for Special Interest Groups. We will have a choice of Zoom channels in the call to discuss:
- Tips and Tricks
- Technical corner
- Photos
Invites to other user groups
With the advent of online user group meetings, the idea has arisen: why can’t Apple User Group members join each other’s meetings? A few groups have opened their meetings to LMUG members and the next one is being run by an Apple user group in Naples Florida on June 10 at 11:30am (Florida time)/16:30 (UK time). Click here to learn more about the group .
Which 13-inch laptop?
The 13-inch laptop is Apple’s most popular computer and they now make 3 variants: The iPad Pro 12.9 with Magic Keyboard, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro 13-inch. One of these is different to the others. Of course that’s the iPad which is a tablet, and also the MacBook Pro that’s the fastest. At least you might assume that the MacBook Pro is the fastest. Macrumors put it to the test:
In other news, unfortunately, Apple has doubled the price for a RAM upgrade on the MacBook Pro 13-inch to £200 (8GB RAM to 16GB). Apple describes this as a ‘price correction’ that brings the upgrade price in-line with other Apple products.
Please also note that as of publication, Apple’s UK retail stores remain closed. When they re-open they will require customers to wear a mask, and have a temperature check. You should also expect queueing outside to limit numbers inside. Apple explains their approach here.
Apple Glass?
A big leak was reported last month about Apple’s augmented reality glasses in development. They are calling it Apple Glass and it may cost $499. It will be linked to your iPhone, like the first Apple Watch and you will be able to make gestures in front of your face to control it. It will also be able to read QR codes. One could imagine something like a smart heads-up display. You might look at an advert for John Lewis, and Apple Glass might then ask if you want directions to the store.
Is this science fiction? No, but the question remains: how will this all work in practice? Looking over the garden fence, this video review of a Canadian smart glasses product called Focal, shows some of the problems Apple needs to solve in its version.
There’s a hidden trackpad on your iPad
One of the top features on iPad OS13 is proper support for trackpads. But did you know that your iPad already has a (text selecting) trackpad built in? Where is it? It’s so simple, you might be surprised. Click the image below to see Apple’s page on typing and editing. Scroll to the bottom to learn about the built-in trackpad.
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- TidBITS Content Network for Apple professionals: Get a free month of tips and articles!