Having trouble creating or seeing the new Bubble and Screen Effects in the iOS 10 Messages app? The culprit may be an iOS Accessibility setting. Check out our quick tip for a possible solution as to why your iMessages suddenly seem so dull compared to everyone else.
iOS
How I Turned a Bunch of Drawings into iOS 10 Sticker Packs
What happens when you tell artists they can make sticker packs for iOS 10 Messages easily? They do, and I took that as an invitation, so I went through the process of creating two sticker packs to learn how the process works. It’s a win-win scenario, because I know a lot more about what developers experience, and you get two sticker packs.
Apple Releases iOS 10 and watchOS 3
As expected, Apple today released the latest versions of its mobile operating systems. iOS 10 is now available for the iPhone 5 and newer, iPad mini and newer, iPad (4th generation) and newer, and the 6th generation iPod touch, while watchOS 3 is ready to go for all Apple Watch owners.
Hands-On with iPhone 7 Home Button: Disappointing Haptic Feedback, Increased Functionality
Apple had two major changes in iPhone 7 beyond incremental improvements. The first is the much-talked about lack of an auxiliary port for headphones, but the other will effect the way we do things far longer than the transition to Lightning audio. That’s moving from a physical Home Button to a touch-sensitive, stationary Home Button. Here’s what Bryan Chaffin thought about it during his hands-on session at Apple’s media event.
iOS 10, watchOS 3 Available Sept 13
iOS 10 and watchOS 3 are finally getting the nod of approval from Apple and will move from beta status to official releases on September 13th. The free upgrade will come three days before the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 ship on September 16th.
Apple Patches Critical Zero-Day Data Security Exploit in iOS 9.3.5 Update
Apple released iOS 9.3.5 on Thursday to address a big security flaw that could expose iPhone and iPad user’s personal data. The threat could be used to exploit information from email, contacts, text messages, phone calls, and more—and it looks like NSO Group has been doing just that so governments can spy on journalists and people they classify as dissidents.
Avoid Endless Scrolling: How to Quickly Return to the Top of a Page in iOS
Have you ever scrolled all the way to the bottom of a long webpage or list on your iPhone, only to realize that you need to return to the top? You could start rapidly swiping your finger on the screen to scroll back up to the top, or you could use a handy little trick to instantly jump to the beginning. Mac Geek Gab listener Scott provides today’s Quick Tip that every iOS user should know.
Barbra Streisand Says iOS 10 Will Be Released September 30th
According to Barbra Streisand, Apple will release iOS 10 on September 30th. I know what you’re thinking: what does Barbra Streisand know about Apple’s release dates? Normally, Bryan Chaffin would be the first to say “nothing.” Followed by “Gimme a break.” But she has an interesting story, and it starts with Siri mispronouncing her name.
1010! for iOS is Fun, Addictive, and Just Enough Like Tetris to Love
Tetris lovers, I have a game for you called 1010! (The bang is part of the name.) 1010! is clearly rooted in the tradition of Tetris, but it changes some things around. It’s fun, challenging, and has that just-one-more call.
Apple Patches Pangu Jailbreak Exploit with iOS 9.3.4
Apple released iOS 9.3.4 on Thursday, only a couple weeks after rolling out iOS 9.3.3. This surprise update shuts down the Pangu jailbreak, and the credit card and PayPal security breaches that came along with it.
Apple's Squirt Gun Emoji is a Subtle Dig on Gun Violence
Apple always adds new things to its big operating system upgrades, and sometimes it takes away things, too. When iOS 10 ships this fall it’ll be missing the handgun emoji icon and in its place we’ll get a bright green squirt gun. The change comes as gun-related violence and deaths are on the rise in the United States, and following a public campaign urging Apple to remove the gun emoji.
iOS Messages: Leaving Group Conversations
This Quick Tip is all about a neat Messages feature called “Leave this Conversation.” Melissa Holt will discuss why you need it and why you might not be able to use it in certain situations.
New Security Threat Targets OS X, iOS through Graphics
There’s a new security threat for OS X and iOS that could let attackers remotely control your device or install malware by sending you an image file. The threat is fairly serious, although so far it’s still just a proof of concept, and Apple patched the flaw in OS X 10.11.6 and iOS 9.3.3.
Satechi's Excellent 60 Watt Charging Station: 2 USB-C and 4 USB-A Ports
Satechi has introduced the “60W 6-Port Multi-Port USB Desktop Charging Station.” It’s a pure charging hub that intelligently partitions up to 60 watts of power to four USB-A ports and two USB-C ports. Notable features include a great exterior design, a power LED and an on/off switch. John reviews it.
WebP Comes to iOS 10, macOS Sierra Betas: What You Need to Know
Apple added support for Google’s WebP image format to Safari in the beta versions of iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, which could make websites load faster. “Could,” in this case, assumes Apple keeps WebP support in the shipping versions of its operating systems, and Web developers adopt the format for their site images.
iOS: Fixing Color Casts on Pictures
If you’ve never played around with the photo-editing tools available on your iPad or iPhone, you really should check them out! Today’s Quick Tip is about one of the easiest to use. We’ll talk about how you can adjust for unwanted color cast in your images, so you can make ’em cooler and warmer as needed!
Apple Watch: Using Notification Privacy
This Quick Tip is on a nifty feature of the Apple Watch, one that’ll prevent a wrist raise from showing off any recent notifications you’ve gotten. You might spend all day texting with your friends, but no one else needs to know what those conversations are about, do they?
Apple Rolls Out Bug Fix and Security Updates for OS X, iOS, watchOS, tvOS
Apple rolled out updates for OS X, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS on Monday. The updates are all free and fairly easy to install, and they haven’t caused any problems on The Mac Observer’s test devices so far. Read on to learn about the updates and how you can get them installed.
Apple Launches iOS 10 and macOS Sierra Public Betas
Apple delivered on its promise of public betas for iOS 10 and macOS Sierra on Thursday. The betas were previously available only to developers, but now everyone can get in on the pre-release action.
Apple Adds Organ Donor Registry to iOS 10 Health App
Apple is making it easier to be an organ doner by adding the ability to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor in iOS 10’s Health app, due to ship this fall. Apple teamed up with Donate Life America, which manages the National Donate Life Registry, to add the feature to iOS 10.