Welcome to Soundbyte!
In this issue:
- October Meeting
- iPhone 14 and 14 PRO
- AirPods Pro 2
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Tim visits London
- BBC at 100
- Remembering Steve Jobs
- Offers for members
October Meeting
This October we are hosting a special meeting at 7 pm on Tuesday October 11 (note the change from our usual schedule on Monday).
The London Mac User Group will be welcoming some very special guests who have travelled to London from Texas, USA. This month we will be joined by Brain Chaffin and Nancy Gravley – the founding members of The Mac Observer. Due to the special venue, members should have received an RSVP invite last Monday the 3rd and also on Sunday the 9th, October via email. Check your inboxes and please let us know if you are joining online or in person.
Tuesday’s meeting will be held in the rather nice Riverside Pub, about 5 minute’s walk from Vauxhall Station (Victoria Line/National Rail from Waterloo).
If you are a user of the What3Words App, you can find us easily at https://what3words.com/woods.trader.wells
iPhone 14 and 14 PRO
A new year a new iPhone. This year in old parlance was an ”S” year where the design stayed the same, but the internals, particularly on the iPhone 14 PRO, received significant upgrades. One thing that changed is size, the iPhone mini is gone, replaced by a bigger Plus model. The regular sized iPhones are the same size as the iPhone 13, with 6.1-inch diagonal screens. The Plus versions now have 6.7-inch screens, surely big enough for anyone?! As an aside, Apple announced that some iPhone 14s are now made in India as Apple slowly diversifies its production lines from reliance on China.
The iPhone 14 includes two new personal security features we hope never to use. The first new feature is crash protection which builds on fall protection, found in other Apple devices. Crash detection will try and identify if you have just suffered a car crash and then alert the authorities to aid you. The second feature is satellite phone calls, which will activate when you do not have mobile coverage. There are not many places in the UK where we do not have mobile coverage but we can imagine perhaps a walker getting lost in the Munros of Scotland or a wild camper breaking a leg in the valleys of Wales. These unfortunates will be able to point their iPhone 14 at the sky and make a satellite phone call for help (unless they already have the British alternative of course).
The iPhone 14 PRO includes some significant upgrades. The main camera has been upgraded from 12 to 48 megapixels. Apple claims this gives four times as much detail including improved low light performance. Of course the quality of pictures you get will depend on your camera skills! The video camera is also improved with increased stabilisation resulting in less shaky footage
Driving the iPhone 14 PRO is a new processor. The Apple A16 appears to be focused on improved efficiency and better battery life rather than performance. The iPhone will also run iOS 16. This is a significant update with new home screen widgets and much more. IPhones back to the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone SE (Second generation) will run iOS 16. As Apple says “Your features and apps may vary depending on your iPhone model, region, language, and carrier. To find out which features are supported in your region, see the iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability website.”
When you turn on the iPhone 14 PRO, you may notice that the super retina screen is brighter. But most importantly, you will see that the infamous notch is gone! (Sort of – ED). Apple has replaced the notch with the Dynamic Island. The notch is gone and not gone. The island is a ’pill’ which contains the same hardware as the notch, but now miniaturised, and animated, Apple style! See more below:
AirPods Pro 2
Apple announced an update to their 2019 Apple AirPods Pro. AirPods Pro 2 feature a new H2 chip which provides double the noise cancellation and an improved transparency mode. Reviewers have noticed improved sound quality and a sound signature with support for much deeper bass. The case now includes a speaker, so you can find it, if you lose it in the house, and a lanyard hook so you can hang it from your neck. More importantly, the case supports an additional charging function. It can now use your Apple Watch MagSafe charger. Finally, it comes with a selection of ear tips, now including an extra small pair for small ears. (That’s it, I’m buying this for my small ear canals – ED)
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple has upgraded the Apple Watch to series 8. This includes a temperature sensor which can help women track ovulation and improved sleep tracking. It also runs watchOS 9 which includes new watch faces among other features. But all the attention this year went to the Apple Watch Ultra. Designed for those for whom the Apple watch wasn’t enough. Not tough enough, not enough battery life (now 48 hours), not tolerant of gloves or deep deep water (now suitable for diving). These are, perhaps the same sort of people who might get lost in the Munros, while on an ultra marathon.
But you know many people will buy it for its new chunky design, titanium case, larger screen and new pro-style watch straps. Is it worth it?
Tim visits London
Yes, Apple’s CEO was in town recently. It seems he came to talk about and promote women in the technology profession and black creatives. You can read his interview with the BBC here.
BBC at 100
The National Museum of Computing is celebrating 100 years of the BBC with a new exhibition. It showcases the analog and digital technology used by the BBC since its inception. See more on the BBC.
Remembering Steve Jobs
There is always a Steve Jobs quote for that situation requiring inspiration or pithy condemnation. Now, his contributions have been formalised by his widow, Lauren Powell Jobs, Sir Jonathan Ive and Tim Cook into the Steve Jobs archive, which aims to carry forwards his ideas through fellowships, collections and partnerships. Related, they have sat down with Kara Swisher to discuss Steve’s legacy. You can watch this unique event below:
Offers for members
Find below the special offers available to our paying members. Access these great discounts from the discounts page in the member’s section of the LMUG website.
- AgileBits 1Password 7: 25% Discount
- Eve Products: 25% Discount
- EverWeb by RAGE Software: 50% Discount
- Opus ][ Complete Collection: 25% Discount
- Que Publishing Products: 35-45% Discount
- Take Control Books: 30% Discount on All eBooks
- Teams ID, a Password Manager for Teams: 33% Discount
- TechTool Pro: 50% Discount
- TidBITS Content Network for Apple professionals: Get a free month of tips and articles!