Apple Launches Apple Sports to Track Sports Scores →

Today’s the opening day of MLS, and Apple has a new iPhone app out for sports lovers. Here’s a bit from the company’s press release:

Apple today introduced Apple Sports, a free app for iPhone that gives sports fans access to real-time scores, stats, and more. Designed for speed and simplicity, the app’s personalized experience puts users’ favorite leagues and teams front and center, featuring an easy-to-use interface designed by Apple. Apple Sports is available to download now in the App Store in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada.

Everyone’s favorite Report Card Daddy Cal fan Jason Snell spoke with Eddy Cue about the new app:

“I just want to get the damn score of the game,” Cue says. “And it’s really hard to do, because it seems like it’s nobody’s core [feature].” In a sports data world increasingly driven by fantasy and betting, Apple’s not trying to build an adjunct to some other app business model. (There are some betting lines displayed in the app, but there’s also a setting down in the Settings app to turn them off if you don’t want to see them.)

“We said, ‘We’re going to make the best scores app that you could possibly make,’” Cue said.

I love Eddy Cue.

The app is pretty straightforward. It pulls in any favorite teams you’ve set in the TV app, and you can add additional favorites. If you’re freaking out that your college football team isn’t listed, don’t worry, an update will be coming to add them before they get started later this year.

My beloved Memphis Tigers don’t play basketball until this evening, but in poking around the app this morning I was a little surprised at the lack of notification settings, especially given how much control sports fans have come to expect in this area thanks to apps like ESPN or Sports Alerts. I will report back after I see how this all sorts out.

In terms of data, the app has everything I would expect as a basketball fan, including play-by-plays, team stats and full box scores. However, you can only go back in time one day to see data from previous games. I would like to see Apple have historic data in the app, at least for the current season. I’d also like to see widget support, but I can see that coming in an update easily enough.

More on Accessibility and Vision Pro →

Zach Knox has published a very insightful article exploring the accessibility ramifications of Apple’s new platform:

I have low vision. A kind you can’t really correct for with glasses or contacts. I also bought Apple Vision Pro at launch. Why would I do this? Well because I’m a nerd who wants to see the future, but also because I was fascinated to see how Apple would handle accessibility for this new product. Apple’s track record on accessibility in the past decade has been stellar, in my opinion, with their teams adding powerful options every year and ensuring every new platform has accessibility support built in from the start.

After watching Apple’s WWDC23 session on visionOS accessibility, I knew accessibility on visionOS was an important point for them. But even after consuming as much information on the platform as I could, I knew I had to try it for myself to know the answer to the important question: how well does it work for me?

Apple Vision Pro Gaming →

I think John Voorhees has played just about every game out for visionOS, but it’s interesting that the software isn’t the biggest issue:

In the final analysis, the trouble with the Apple Vision Pro is its lack of ports. Unless you’re relying on the games available on the App Store, that means you’ll have to contend with some sort of wireless connection. And, although there are some fun games on the App Store, the selection is far more limited than on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS, so it’s worth casting a wider net.

My Complete 2023 Six Colors Report Card Replies

Jason Snell posted his excellent Six Color Report Card this morning, and I have done before, I thought I would share my complete answers here:

The Mac: 4/5

The MacBook Pro

2023 marked the end of the transition to Apple silicon. It may have taken longer than Apple anticipated, but it’s hard to argue with the results. Macs are running faster, cooler and longer than they ever could with Intel inside.

All it cost was the Mac Pro’s dignity, which it just regained in 2019. The last Intel model was everything a Mac Pro should be — expandable, upgradeable and more powerful than anything else in the line. The new one is a Mac Studio with slots and optional wheels. That’s disappointing for users who were hoping to throw more GPU power at their problems.

On the software front, Sonoma is proving to be a stable release, which is nice after a few years of bumpy builds. Its hallmark feature is probably the addition Desktop Widgets. They aren’t for me though; call me when Dashboard is brought back to life.

However, problems remain. Just try to walk someone through making a change in System Settings over a FaceTime call and you’ll want to hurl your iPhone into the nearest body of water. And look no farther than this blog post by Jason to relive the horror of setting up a new Mac. Apple has a lot of work to do in these areas, and I’m hopeful progress is being made on them for macOS 15 this year.

The iPhone 5/5

iPhone

As a long-time member of the Big iPhone Club, I couldn’t be happier with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Titanium rails and aluminum frame make it noticeably lighter and the USB-C port makes it much easier to live with.

The 5x optical zoom changes the types of photos and videos the iPhone is capable of creating, and it’s been a lot of fun using it at sporting events and school plays.

The camera is the mainstream feature of the iPhone. I’m not sure the Action Button is, but I love that Apple gave us the ability to hook it up to Shortcuts. I’m using it to send ideas to my task manager and it’s great.

On the software front, I’ve been encouraged over the last several years over Apple’s emphasis on its first-party productivity apps like Notes, Reminders and Mail. Apple continues to push them forward while keeping in mind that they are apps made for the masses.

The iPad 2/5

iPad

I recently had a family member ask me what iPad they should buy, because after they visited Apple’s website, they were confused. I told them that was perfectly reasonable, as the iPad lineup is a mess of different features and specs.

It seems that Apple has put “Hit All the Price Points” at the top of their priority list with the iPad hardware, leading to the current situation. I’d like to see the company make the lineup cleaner and easier to understand.

The same could be said for iPadOS, with its multi-tier approach to multitasking. I would love to know how many iPad owners uses their devices in the classic one-app-at-a-time mode vs. using Split Screen and Slide Over vs. Stage Manager. I know each of these modes have their fans, but I still think a lot of iPadOS needs a rethink.

Personally, I have basically given up on using an iPad for much more than social media, reading and video watching. With Apple silicon, Mac notebooks are just a much better tool for what I need to do each day. Even if Apple straightened out its hardware, the iPad just isn’t the computer for me.

Apple Watch: 4/5

Apple Watch

watchOS 10 represents one of the biggest changes to the platform ever. I really like the new, full-color designs Apple and third-part developers are shipping. This work makes the Watch feel more whimsical and fun.

Sadly, the update also brought a shuffling of the core OS, with the side button being remapped to Control Center instead of the Dock, a change that I still think was the wrong move. I would love a setting to change this back, like the one Apple recently added to return the ability to swipe between watch faces without needing to press first.

2023 was a quiet year in terms of Apple Watch hardware, with the Ultra 2 and Series 9 being rather small improvements over their predecessors. However, most folks don’t upgrade their Watch each year, so it’s mostly fine. Personally, I’m still wearing — and loving — my original Ultra.

(I’d love a black one though, Apple…)

Wearables: 4/5

I continue to use my second-generation AirPods Pro every day, and they continue to be marvelous. While Apple stumbled a little bit by not offering a USB-C case upgrade on day one, it’s available now.

The AirPods Max are getting pretty long in the tooth, and are not worth paying full price for. Just don’t do it.

Apple TV Hardware/OS: 2/5

Apple TV

The Apple TV hardware has been so overpriced and overpowered for so long, it feels like I’m wasting everyone’s time by mentioning it again.

Speaking of repeating earlier comments: APPLE PLEASE ADD FIND MY SUPPORT FOR THE APPLE TV REMOTE MY KIDS ARE ALWAYS LOSING THAT THING.

tvOS front continues to feel like it’s trapped between Apple’s vision for the platform and what it can work out with streaming giants like Netflix. Until recently, even Apple’s own strategy was unclear in places, but the recent retirement of Apple’s legacy media apps have helped clear that up.

Services: 3/5

Services

Apple’s services offerings feel like they’ve been in stasis for a while. A lot of them are good, some are okay, and the ad-infested Apple News+ continues to be bafflingly bad.

What is less baffling is Apple’s upselling of these services. I understand this is a growth area for the company, but it’s hard not to think that iOS feels like a yard sale sometimes, with red badges and full-screen interstitials tied to services junking up the place.

HomeKit/Home: 4/5

The big HomePod is back! Matter is here! Neither of these things make much of a difference to my life! However, one day Matter may matter, making it easier to add all sorts of things to HomeKit. And maybe one day the HomePod will grow a screen, which would be an instant-buy for my kitchen.

Until those futures arrive, HomeKit continues power all sorts of stuff around my house, quietly and reliably. I rarely think about my smart home setup, and that’s the best praise I could give it.

Overall Reliability of Apple’s Hardware: 5/5

It has been years since I’ve needed hardware support from Apple that wasn’t due to me accidentally breaking something. While I have purchased AppleCare for years, I’m starting to go without it on some devices, and honestly, am fine with it.

Apple Software Quality: 3/5

Living in Apple’s ecosystem continues to come with weird bugs. Personally, I’ve seen Messages crashes on my Mac, Fitness competitions fail to update and iOS widgets refuse to update, all in the last 24 hours. None of these are show-stopping issues, but they are annoying.

Even more annoying is the lack of tools to troubleshoot these issues. Too often the only answer is to reboot a device to log out of iCloud. The former isn’t a big deal, but the latter is a real pain… especially if you have to use System Settings on the Mac to do so.

Social/Societal Impact: 4/5

Carbon Neutral Logo

Apple’s environmental goals are inspiring, and I didn’t even mind that Mother Nature video. Less mining means fewer troubling work environments around the world, which is another big win for humanity. I would like Apple to put more of its weight behind climate change legislation in the US and around the world.

On the social front, Apple’s response to unionization efforts in some of its retail locations hasn’t been stellar. That’s something worth keeping an eye on in the future.

Kbase Article of the Week: If You See a Liquid-Detection Alert on Your iPhone →

Apple Support:

When you connect a Lightning or USB-C cable or an accessory to your iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or later, your iPhone can warn you if there’s liquid in the connector.

If you see one of these alerts, your iPhone has detected liquid in the Lightning or USB-C connector or on the cable or accessory. To protect your iPhone and the accessory, charging and accessory connection are unavailable until the connector, cable ends, and the accessory are dry.

It goes on:

Here are a few things not to do:

  • Don’t dry your iPhone using an external heat source or compressed air.
  • Don’t insert a foreign object, such as a cotton swab or a paper towel, into the connector.
  • Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.

via Macworld via 9to5Mac

The 2023 Six Colors Report Card →

Jason Snell is back at it:

It’s time for our annual look back on Apple’s performance during the past year, as seen through the eyes of writers, editors, developers, podcasters, and other people who spend an awful lot of time thinking about Apple.

This is the ninth year that I’ve presented this survey to a hand-selected group. They were prompted with 12 different Apple-related subjects, and asked to rate them on a scale from 1 to 5 and optionally provide text commentary per category.

Much Love to the Drang Family →

Heart-breaking news in our community this evening from Dr. Drang:

Four years ago, my wife was diagnosed with stage IV endometrial cancer. Today, after many treatments — some quite helpful for a while, others that just did nothing for her — she passed away. She was the bravest and best person I knew, and I don’t understand how she could possibly be gone.

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Dr. Drang personally over the years, and this Mastodon post really hurt to read. Send some love in the direction of Doc and his kids this evening.

On Vision Pro Accessibility →

Shelly Brisbin, writing at Six Colors:

I know a number of blind or visually impaired folks who are excited about the Vision Pro. They’re Apple enthusiasts and embracers of new tech like most of us hanging out at Six Colors. But when I’ve asked blind colleagues what they want from Vision Pro, the conversation almost always moves to the future—not the opportunity to do computing tasks on a head-mounted device or even to watch a movie in the headset. Many blind people want Vision Pro to be an eyesight alternative or assistant, a way to see the world, identifying both the wondrous and the mundane.

Shelly just published a new episode of Parallel all about the Apple Vision Pro and it’s at the top of my queue.

Apple Vision Pro Privacy Overview →

As pointed out by Chance Miller, Apple has published a new white paper about the privacy it has built into the Vision Pro. Here is a bit from its introduction:

We built visionOS from the ground up to protect your privacy and the privacy of people around you. Apple Vision Pro is the first Apple product that uses advanced always-on camera streams of your eyes and the world around you to enable spatial experiences. And where you look can reveal what you are thinking, such as links you almost clicked or apps you thought about downloading. To keep your thought process private, where you look before you interact with content is not shared with Apple or the apps you are using, and does not leave your device. Similarly, because Apple Vision Pro blends digital content with your physical space on-device, the apps you use cannot access information about your surroundings by default.