Julio Ojeda-Zapata
Julio Ojeda-Zapata is a technology reporter and blogger at the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has written books about Twitter, the iPad, and mobile productivity. Keep up with him at ojezap.com.
Do you want content from your iOS notes app to show up on your Apple Watch? You’re out of luck with Apple’s Notes, but Google Keep now has watchOS support. It won’t likely trigger defections from Notes, but iOS users invested in Google’s ecosystem will be happy. Note, though, that other Apple Watch-friendly notes apps exist.
The new Apple News+ service seems like a bonanza for news junkies and magazine aficionados who get access to nearly 300 periodicals for just $9.99 a month. But would-be subscribers need to take a close look before plunking down money because Apple News+ still has a few issues.
Apple has debuted Apple News+, a $9.99-per-month digital news service with access to about 300 top magazines along with a handful of major newspapers and digital publications. The new offering, built into Apple’s News app for iOS and Mac, will give multiple members of a Family Sharing group access for a single monthly fee, and it promises to shield users from advertisers.
Most Apple users won’t be interested in the new Palm, a super tiny Android phone that’s also deeply flawed. But what might an iPhone with similar proportions look like? How would it work? And would anyone want it? Let’s take a flight of fancy!
Apple has released a third generation of its iPad Pro line with a top-to-bottom redesign and high ambitions to set the tablet in competition with notebooks. Unfortunately, although a revised Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio provide added flexibility, the iPad Pro remains hobbled at times by software limitations.
Apple isn’t possessive of Portrait mode, the iPhone photography feature for creating shots with blurred backgrounds; it allows third parties to integrate the capability into their iOS apps. Google and Facebook are the latest to do it, each in their own way.
Apple announced in September that its new Apple Watch Series 4 is capable of taking electrocardiogram readings as part of its health-monitoring features. That feature didn’t ship with the watch, but it’s now available to users in the US with the watchOS 5.1.2 update, along with irregular heart rhythm monitoring on all supported Apple Watch models.
Astro HQ’s Luna Display dongle for the Mac turns an iPad into a secondary monitor via Lightning or Wi-Fi. Others have pulled off such an iPad-as-Mac-screen maneuver using software, but Luna’s hardware approach taps into the Mac’s graphics acceleration to improve performance.
For those whose offices cannot accommodate a full-size standing desk, a converter placed atop an existing desk serves the same function. Ergotron’s newest converter, the WorkFit-TX, remedies the flaws in other such products. It isn’t cheap, though.
The Mac mini, long believed to be on death’s door, has received an overhaul that brings it up to date and offers configuration options that will please professional users.
With watchOS 5 and new apps, the Apple Watch comes into its own as a standalone podcast player. Apple has released an Apple Watch version of its Podcasts app, and developer Marco Arment has followed suit with Overcast.
Apple has announced the Apple Watch Series 4 models that morph a bit in size and shape and boast larger, edge-to-edge screens. Also new are health-monitoring capabilities courtesy of new hardware—including a Digital Crown that can take an electrocardiogram.
The Arlo Baby security camera is officially a souped-up baby monitor. But look beyond its marketing and you’ll find a quality—if pricey—security camera with broad appeal. Though HomeKit is not yet fully integrated, other capabilities help make up for its limitations. Just ditch those animal ears.
On the Mac, Mailplane is a good fit for Gmail users who like Google’s Web-based interface but also want desktop features. With version 4, Mailplane rolls out many changes, including a new reliance on the Google Chrome browser under the hood, enabling the use of Gmail-focused Chrome extensions.
With Apple’s AirPort line of base stations gone to that Wi-Fi network in the sky, the Velop wireless system from Linksys is a solid alternative. Unlike Apple’s base stations, Velop is “mesh” hardware, with multiple units working in unison to bathe a residence in bandwidth. Velop works well but is costly. Luckily, there are less expensive options.