Lead Editor at 9to5Mac
Zac covers Apple news and product reviews for 9to5Mac and hosts the weekly 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast.
Email tips, typos, and any feedback to: zac@9to5mac.com
Tweet and follow: @apollozac
Today
Apple has reportedly been developing a non-invasive glucose monitoring system using the Apple Watch, but a new report claims the feature won’t be shipping anytime soon. The New York Times has detailed the Apple Watch proving its role as a medical device, and included is this bit:
New data from Flurry Analytics shows Apple continuing to dominate with new device activations during the week leading up to Christmas Day. iPhones and iPads made up 44% of devices measured by Flurry from December 19 to December 25 with second seen as a distant second at 26%.
Spigen TEKA RA200 Airpods Earhooks Cover
December 26
iMac Pro — Apple’s most powerful Mac yet — is hitting stores and arriving for customers today, and a special black Lightning cable isn’t the only surprise in the box. iMac Pro includes a new macOS desktop wallpaper as seen on the box, and 9to5Mac alumnus Dom Esposito has shared the source image with us below.
Receiving a new iPhone or iPad as a gift is a wonderful thing, but setting up a new device has historically been a chore. Manually pairing accessories, joining Wi-Fi networks, remembering which password goes with which account, and the ever-increasing steps required to actually use your shiny new toy make up the worst first world problems.
The good news is Apple has acknowledged this pain point and created a dramatically simpler way to pair or upgrade new products including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and AirPods.
Apple’s stock price has seen a sharp drop this morning on the first day of trading since Christmas Day, and a new report on tepid iPhone X demand going into next year is to blame. Analysts are adjusting their forecasts on iPhone X shipments at the start of 2018 based on demand largely being fulfilled during the holiday quarter, and the $999-$1149 price may be the cause.
December 21
Happy Hour Podcast 152 | Living with Alexa, iPhone batteries and speed, and iOS apps back to the Mac
This week Benjamin and Zac discuss the iMac Pro launch, using Amazon Echo and Alexa with HomeKit products, the fake Cuphead game that appeared on the App Store, Apple throttling older iPhone batteries, iOS 12 and macOS 10.13 cross platform apps, and the Apple Watch New Year’s Challenge.
9to5Mac’s Happy Hour podcast is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
AliveCor’s KardiaBand for Apple Watch
Bloomberg has published a new report that details Apple’s plans to ship a built-in EKG heart monitor in a future version of the Apple Watch. The watch already features an all-day heart rate monitor that tracks beats per minute while wearing, but third-party accessories are needed to add EKG functionality.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted earlier this month that new iPhones next year will pack noticeably higher capacity batteries, but that move may not be entirely to extend battery life. Kuo’s latest investment advisory predicts “upgraded 3D-sensing and AR-related functions” that are more power-hungry.
December 20
Fibaro Flood Sensor is the first leak detector that works with Apple HomeKit. This lets you use Flood Sensor ($69) in Apple’s Home app in interesting ways not possible with other leak detectors.
Twitter has announced an important change to how it handles two-factor authentication for new logins on its service. Twitter now lets you use third-party apps for two-factor authentication as an alternative to SMS.
Tidal may be running out of cash according to recent reports, but Jay-Z’s music streaming service has been on fire with shipping app updates for Apple’s platforms lately. Earlier this month Tidal shipped its iPhone X app update which added support for Apple CarPlay. Now, Tidal is coming to the Apple TV with a new tvOS app.
After first demoing improved augmented reality features for Pokémon GO back at Apple’s developer conference in June, Niantic has officially announced AR+ mode for the hit game. AR+ leverages Apple’s ARKit framework to make Pokémon appear hyper realistic.
December 19
In the wake of the HomePod delay, I’ve found myself tinkering more and more with Amazon Alexa-enabled smart speakers like the Sonos One and Echo Dot. The main appeal of HomePod for me is HomeKit control, managing Apple Reminders and Cultured Code Things tasks and entries, and controlling Apple Music and Apple Podcasts playback.
I’ve found that most HomeKit accessories also work with Amazon Alexa, so voice-enabled smart home control is relatively easy to do with Alexa. Adding new entries to lists in Reminders is something else I frequently do with Siri, and luckily it’s possible to make this work with Alexa too.
[UPDATE 12/20: iOS 11.2.5 and tvOS 11.2.5 public beta 2 are now available.]
Apple has released new beta versions of iOS, watchOS, and tvOS for developers to test. iOS 11.2.5, watchOS 4.2.2, and tvOS 11.2.5 beta 2 are all available now. We’ll update to the latest versions and note any changes below.
While Apple Pay works with nearly all of the major banks across the United States, there are still plenty of regional banks and credit unions with customers waiting for Apple Pay to work with their institution. The latest expansion includes several new US institutions as well as new partners in China, France, Finland, and Ireland.
HomeKit-connected smart lights are easy to find these days, but there are still opportunities to make specific bulb types smarter. Sylvania is doing just that with its new Smart+ Soft White A19 Filament Bulb, the first HomeKit-connected filament bulb to hit the market.
December 18
Apple releases second macOS 10.13.3 beta for developers
Apple has released the second macOS 10.13.3 beta through the Mac App Store. The update is likely a bug fix and security update given this point in the development cycle of macOS High Sierra. We’ll update if any new features are discovered in the new beta.
Reddit has launched a major new version of its iOS app that includes loads of new features for moderation and communication. Reddit says these features were developed as a response to community feedback.
December 15
Apple and Stanford are currently conducting a heart study with Apple Watch
Scott Killian never imagined his Apple Watch might save his life, but that’s exactly what happened a few weeks ago when he had a heart attack in the middle of the night. Killian recently shared his personal experience with 9to5Mac, and the details of his story are absolutely amazing.
