Apple Operating Systems (macOS, iOS, watchOS, & tvOS) Catch-All

Now that Safari has extension support, the ad blocker I use 1Blocker can now block YouTube ads in Safari.

I installed iOS 15 on my phone because I wanted to play with text highlighting in pictures. That feature is, in fact, quite nifty.

I’m less enamored with the update to maps. It looks nice and all my web searches have told me about some nice sounding features. Unfortunately I cannot for the life of me figure out how to tell the app to start navigating once I’ve chosen a route, and the Internet is pretty unhelpful in that regard…

Vargen wrote:

I installed iOS 15 on my phone because I wanted to play with text highlighting in pictures. That feature is, in fact, quite nifty.

I’m less enamored with the update to maps. It looks nice and all my web searches have told me about some nice sounding features. Unfortunately I cannot for the life of me figure out how to tell the app to start navigating once I’ve chosen a route, and the Internet is pretty unhelpful in that regard…

Did you run across the new location of the browser bar in Safari? That's the most bizarre change to me. Thankfully it can be changed back.

DSGamer wrote:

Did you run across the new location of the browser bar in Safari? That's the most bizarre change to me. Thankfully it can be changed back.

Yeah, I understand that change, but it runs contrary to the convention that we've been taught since web browsers existed!

DSGamer wrote:

Did you run across the new location of the browser bar in Safari? That's the most bizarre change to me. Thankfully it can be changed back.

I saw a friend on Facebook comment on it before I ran into it myself, so I was prepared. I wasn't keen about that change but it's much easier to reach with my thumb when I'm one-handing the phone. After one morning of sporadic use I count it as an improvement, at least on a Mini.

OK, so apparently what you do is you kill the Maps process and restart it and then it will remember your earlier search and give you the expected list of routes with the green "Go" button. Seems like a rather clunky interface, especially for Apple.

Ah. The button with the car icon and travel time that was bringing up the routes on the map was also supposed to slide a new panel up from the bottom.

I wonder if it was launching from Calendar that confused it, or if it was something else. Ah well, seems to be working now.

The new home screen portrait layout on ipad is crap. They dropped from 6 to 5 columns for some reason, so you have icons swimming in space with huge gutters on both sides. From what I've read it has something to do with pushing widgets and the 'app library' instead of icons and folders. But I've never found a single widget to be useful at all, and the app library is equally useless; I have my own app library that I made by putting apps in the folders I wanted them in.

Maybe I'm the weirdo; I use my ipad in portrait mode 100% of the time unless I'm actually watching a landscape-mode video.

qaraq wrote:

The new home screen portrait layout on ipad is crap. They dropped from 6 to 5 columns for some reason, so you have icons swimming in space with huge gutters on both sides. From what I've read it has something to do with pushing widgets and the 'app library' instead of icons and folders. But I've never found a single widget to be useful at all, and the app library is equally useless; I have my own app library that I made by putting apps in the folders I wanted them in.

Maybe I'm the weirdo; I use my ipad in portrait mode 100% of the time unless I'm actually watching a landscape-mode video.

And the upgrade goofed up the organization I had, moving all sorts of apps to make space for widgets...

Thanks for the warning about the iPad. I'd held off on that one because my wife has been using it lately and heaven help me if I've screwed up her MtG Arena/Netflix device while she's trying to mind our 6-month-old...

I gave the bottom address bar a couple of days but I’ve just switched it back. I like the idea of it being more reachable at the bottom but it short circuits my brain when every other device I use has it at the top.

Also, I always tap the address bar and quick load my favorites so I was still constantly tapping the upper part of the screen anyway.

I did like swiping between open tabs though. Hopefully they add that feature for when it’s on top.

I find it weird that Apple apparently needs to screw up the icon layout and still has bad widget implementation. This is a solved issue. Android has had widgets for years and years now and you can still customize the icon layout within a generous range.

Wasn’t Apple’s plan to originally use USB-C (it has the same form factor as thunderbolt) but it wasn’t ready to standardise? What engineering advantage is there to lightening?

Yeah, it's not like they're poorly positioned to make the transition. They already have USB-C devices and the deadline is 2 years according to the article. Geez...

The proposal needs the green light from EU countries and EU parliamentarians, following which companies will have two years to adapt their devices.

Maybe they’re planning enhanced USB-C or something. Thunderbolt mobile! Maybe they’re planning to get rid of corded charging.

DoveBrown wrote:

What engineering advantage is there to lightening?

They were able to implement it faster. Lightning was a definite improvement over the big iPod 30-pin connector and the various micro and mini USB standards that were available. Now they've got a big install base of folks who want to keep using the old connectors. Of course this argument is undercut by Macs and iPads pushing USB-C harder than anyone else...

DSGamer wrote:

Maybe they’re planning to get rid of corded charging.

That's the common speculation...

DSGamer wrote:

Maybe they’re planning to get rid of corded charging.

They better deliver a rock-solid solution for adding wireless CarPlay to existing head units, then.

*Legion* wrote:
DSGamer wrote:

Maybe they’re planning to get rid of corded charging.

They better deliver a rock-solid solution for adding wireless CarPlay to existing head units, then.

CarPlay isn’t even rock solid yet. I have to reboot my stereo almost every time I use it.

I live in CarPlay. It was one of the big driving forces behind me switching away from Android, because Android Auto is embarrassing when put up next to CarPlay.

I can live with wireless-only charging, as that's basically the only way I charge my phone anymore. But I can't abide having my CarPlay cut off. There are 3rd party dongles for connecting to CarPlay wirelessly, but reportedly they aren't particularly good. Apple would need to produce a dongle that's better than that before I could say goodbye to a charging port on the phone.

*Legion* wrote:

I live in CarPlay. It was one of the big driving forces behind me switching away from Android, because Android Auto is embarrassing when put up next to CarPlay.

I can live with wireless-only charging, as that's basically the only way I charge my phone anymore. But I can't abide having my CarPlay cut off. There are 3rd party dongles for connecting to CarPlay wirelessly, but reportedly they aren't particularly good. Apple would need to produce a dongle that's better than that before I could say goodbye to a charging port on the phone.

I agree, fwiw. And I love CarPlay personally. I don't drive that much, but I find it really useful when I do.

That makes it all the more frustrating that at least with my Subaru CarPlay is very flakey.

Wireless Carplay should just be the right mix of existing Carplay, Airplay, and Sidecar features. I'm surprised it isn't a thing, especially since lots of new cars already seem to come with WiFi hotspots.

Wireless CarPlay does exist, but only on certain head units. The majority of CarPlay supporting units out there are wired-only.

Wireless is a little awkward in that Bluetooth doesn’t provide enough bandwidth, so a combination of Bluetooth and Wifi technology is used.

New iPhone day :D. Just a note that my 13 Pro Max did not arrive with iOS 15 installed, as an FYI.

My 13 Pro Max does not arrive until mid/late October.

trueheart78 wrote:

New iPhone day :D. Just a note that my 13 Pro Max did not arrive with iOS 15 installed, as an FYI.

That’s strange. Although, Apple is not forcing people to update to iOS15. They’re still providing security updates for 14 for now.

I already have a 12, so I’m trying very very very very hard not to get a 13. My friend who got one isn’t helping. Y’all aren’t helping either.

I just went from a first gen SE to an 11 :p.

Mr GT Chris wrote:

I just went from a first gen SE to an 11 :p.

wow. See, now THAT upgrade is more than entirely justified!!!

Eleima wrote:

I already have a 12, so I’m trying very very very very hard not to get a 13. My friend who got one isn’t helping. Y’all aren’t helping either. ;)

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/cEO4TjH.jpg)

I got a 12 from a trade-in holiday promo, knowing that I was going to turn around and trade it in towards a 13 Pro Max.