Introduction
Nice to have you with us again for another episode of Digital4Productivity and today once again a complete Apple episode, namely the keynote of the WWDC, the World World Developer Conference, which took place on Monday evening.
Yes, WWDC is normally a conference where the main focus is on software for developers. But this time, a lot of hardware was also presented. And of course, one piece of hardware that was presented and long awaited was the new headset from Apple . Vision Pro is the name of the mixed reality headsets called Apple Glasses and I will definitely have something to say about them in this episode.
However, other hardware was also presented. First of all, the MacBook Air 15 inch, which is 11.5 millimeters thin, 15 inch Air or laptop, so very thin in four colors, the whole thing with a 1080p webcam with six speakers with the M2 chip and what is very interesting with 18 hours of battery life. It’s very quiet because there’s no fan. So from 1,299 dollars there is, as always, a little more euro. Also available immediately.
The new 15-inch MacBook Air
Yes, for whom is the 15-inch MacBook interesting? It’s interesting for all those who don’t need a lot of native connections. I have a 16-inch MacBook Pro and the main reason I have it is because I have a native port for HDMI and I also have three ports for USBC/Tundrabolt. The MacBook Air only has two Thunderbolt ports and I don’t have an extra HDMI port. That means I would need an extra adapter here. In other words, one connection is given away with the HDMI connection. In other words, you practically have two more ports on the MacBook Pro. In other words, if you’re a speaker, for example, then I would normally go for a Pro, because I think the HDMI port without an adapter is a huge advantage, firstly because if you forget the adapter, you can still get in, and secondly because a port without an adapter is always a bit more trouble-free. And especially if you’re perhaps working with two additional monitors on the road, you’ll quickly run out of additional connections on the Airs. Of course, if you don’t absolutely need the additional ports, then the MacBook Air really is excellent value for money. And the 13-inch model is still available with a 100-dollar discount and the M1 model is even cheaper at 999 dollars. So the older devices are getting a little cheaper.
And for most users, a MacBook Air is definitely the best value for money they can get.
The new Mac Studio
Yes, then there was an update to the Mac Studio, the device that looks something like three Mac Minis stacked on top of each other. Now with the M2-Max and the M2-Ultra. It’s practically two Macs doubled up with a maximum of 192 gigabytes of unified memory. What does unified mean? Unified means that the graphics card and the main memory practically share the memory. It used to be the case with integrated graphics, or so we think in marketing speak. Yes, of course Apple saves some additional memory there, but of course you also save transport time there and back and it is significantly more powerful than an on-board GPU, but it really is its own graphics engine. But you save time with this shared memory. So it’s quite good. Yes, it will then have a faster HDMI with 240 MHz frame rate with up to 8K and you can connect up to 6 of these Pro Displays.
This Mac Studio has the same housing as the previous one and is available from just 2,000 dollars. And there’s only one thing to note about the Mac Studio: it has a very noticeable fan noise. So it’s always ventilating a bit. And in some environments, it’s a bit annoying. So with that in mind, you have to consider whether the Mac Mini might be a better fit for your setup. Because it’s fanless, it’s definitely quieter. And if you use the large Mac Mini, it should be completely sufficient in terms of performance for most people. And the fanless design makes it significantly quieter.
The new Mac Pro
Yes, the long awaited Mac with Intel computer, the Mac Pro, is now the cheese grater and is now also available with the M2-Ultra. In other words, the advantage over the Mac Studio is above all simply the expandability, but then it also costs a whopping 7,000 euros if you want it, has the same cheese grater housing, has up to eight integrated Thunderbolt ports, six expansion slots, is available as a tower and rack version. So it’s for those who really need high-end video production with expandability.
The new iOS17
Yes, then iOS 17 was presented. When it came to iOS 17, there were innovations in the area of phone calls. Firstly, you can now – and I’ve already downloaded the beta on one of my devices and had a look at it – when you go into the contacts area for the first time, it asks you to create a contact poster when you make a call. This means you can create your own contact picture, which is then displayed to others when you call or when you share contacts. This can be customized in the same way as the log screen, and is also available for third-party apps.
Then rather ingenious function Live Voice Mail. This means that you have switched your phone to voice mail. Now someone calls and now you can listen to what they are saying on the voice mail. And if you say oh, I might want to answer that after all, then you can answer during the call and can react to it and have already read what is being said on the voice mail. A really great function. In messages, for example, you can also use the voice mail feature and the voice messages can also be practically converted into text messages. What you previously had to do with Voice Pop can now be done there. I simply had to test again whether this would also work with the voice mails afterwards. So if I look here now, I have a voice mail on it, for example, and if I now say, so, I have the voice mail, I can see information. But at the moment, at least in the first version of the beta, when I type and hold here, I don’t see any way to read the message. So either that will come later or it’s a function for which you still need apps like Voice Pop, for example.
Messages & iMessages
Yes, then with Facetime, if you can’t reach someone, there is now the option to leave video messages. Great, we didn’t have that before. There are now improved search filters in the Messages & iMessages section. And especially if you have a lot of traffic in a message group, you can always jump to the first message you haven’t seen. Can also reply quickly, also has the audio message transcription issue as just mentioned. And I hope, as I said, that the voice mails can be listened to not only live, but also afterwards. If not, I recommend the Voice Pop application.
Stickers
Yes, stickers. I always think it’s a bit of a gimmick, but you can definitely use it for branding. And especially as photos can now also be converted into stickers. Emojis can be converted into stickers. So you can create effects. You can also crop a photo and turn it into a sticker and things like that. So it’s not just a gimmick for some people, but can also be used for good brand communication.
Airdrop
Yes, Airdrop is being expanded. So on the one hand, it’s very nice if you share a lot of things, then you always had to wait until it was through. Now you can say, no, if it takes too long, then you can also remove the devices from each other. Then it is practically transferred over the Internet. And there is a new Rename Drop function. This means that the contacts (…) are displayed and can then be exchanged. Incidentally, also between iPhone and Apple Watch.
Yes, with Airdrop there is also the option of simplified share play, so that you can look at things together, so it’s also interesting for sharing, for video conferences and things like that.
Autocorrect
Yes, then the auto-correction, which I always deactivate, should now become smarter, also on the basis of sentences. You can then always see what you have typed, what the original idea was and you can also overrule it. Maybe I’ll test it, maybe I’ll come to the conclusion that you shouldn’t deactivate it first after all.
Diktierfunktion
The dictation function is also set to become smarter. So let’s see. I think it’s already pretty good. Definitely better than my typing skills on the 13 Mini. Because I can read it relatively well. But I find the typing is sometimes difficult.
Journal
Yes, let’s talk about the journal. So anyone who has a diary app in the AppStore needs to get ready now, because there will be a journal app. In other words, a diary app that will include intelligent suggestions based on AI, which will then be integrated. Where was I, what music did I listen to? And things like that. Which places have I been to. All things that the iPhone can log and track. So you probably don’t need any more third-party apps. Unfortunately, in many areas Apple makes really good things like meditation apps obsolete at some point by integrating them into their own systems.
Yes, this journal app should also be lockable and encrypted. The suggestions should also be available via API. This again gives hope to providers of journaling apps that they will say, well, maybe I can also use this function in my application, which is then a bit better than the standard. There are also third-party note-taking apps.
Yes, then if you take the iPhone in landscape mode and have it connected to the power, then there will be a so-called standby function. I’ve already seen the settings on my 10S Max in the beta version, but I haven’t managed to put this phone into standby yet. So that’s a feature they seem to be implementing later, or if anyone has managed it, feel free to let me know. Maybe it’s also the case that sometimes we don’t have some features available on all of the older smartphones. But I’m always very reluctant to use a productive device, especially the iPhone, where I also navigate, for a beta. Of course I have the beta on one of my iPads and one of my iPods, but they should always have at least one productive device per category. So for Phone, for Watch, for iPad, where you still have the iOS16 version on it. Because you know, stability before creativity. It would also be nice to have a desk clock function for standby, which is what I always call it, where you can also personalize the whole thing. There will also be another very expensive stand from Apple, I think from Belkin. But ultimately you can also organize it yourself with a very inexpensive holder for €10 on Amazon.
Offline-Karten
Yes, then other functions, IOS17, offline maps, I think it’s very, very good that you can download maps for navigation without an internet connection. For me, this has been one of the reasons why I really like working with TomTom, for example, because I don’t necessarily need an internet connection. Maybe it will work better with the map app.
Person recognition
Yes, then for all of you who have pets. There’s the person recognition, where I say okay, who is probably shown in this photo? And this will also be expandable in iOS17 so that Woofi and the kitten can also be recognized as people.
Widgets
Yes, then on the subject of iPad OS17, the widgets and the customizable lock screen are also coming to the iPad, similar to what you know from iOS. What you have there, and also on the iPhone, is that these widgets are more interactive. This means that I can not only display something on the widgets, but I can also directly tick off activities or start or pause music, for example. In the past, he always opened the music app. You no longer need that. You can do that directly in the widgets. You can also set several timers at the same time. So you always have to look at how much of it really promotes productivity and how much promotes distraction. I find that more of it encourages discarding. That’s why I’m always a bit cautious, but different timers can definitely make sense.
Health app
Yes, the Health app was previously only available for the watch and iPhone. It will also be available for the iPad.
Topic PDF
Then on the subject of PDF, there was already the option of adding further functions in the preview application, which was linked to some extent with the Files app and the Mail app. These will be enhanced, although to be honest, many things were already possible before. But autofill, even for scanned documents, will be much more powerful again and you can also edit PDFs more in the Notes app. I’m not always a big fan of the Notes app, because it’s only really usable when synchronized with iCloud and iCloud, like iCloud Drive, is simply not GDPR-compliant in the corporate environment.
Whiteboard-Freeform app
Yes, the whiteboard app Freeform, which can only be synchronized via iCloud, has a Follow Me function. You can see who is writing what and where. As I said, I think it’s a good function. You always have to look and say, okay, do I really have the option of synchronizing via iCloud or is it not an option for me?
Mac operating system Sonoma
Yes, then the next thing that was shown is the theme of the new Mac operating system. The name is Sonoma, like the famous wine region north of San Francisco. What’s new there? Well, for one thing, there are new screensavers, Welcome to Unproductivity Land. There are widgets that can now be placed anywhere, not just in the news section. And you can also access the iPhone widgets via this Continuity function. It’s great if there’s a soccer match on, you can have it running on the side and say, okay, if a goal is scored, I can be notified immediately. You know, I say less notification means more productivity. That’s why you have to be a bit careful.
Yes, when it comes to gaming, Macs are never really the optimal system for gaming, but it’s getting better and better with the Metal Gaming Engine. And there’s a gaming mode that gives you lower latency with Bluetooth delays, with Bluetooth things, where you can port games and things like that. So for gamers, the Mac is getting better and better.
It is also getting better and better for video conferences. You will be able to upgrade the integrated camera in the MacBook or even connected ones with a virtual cam function so that you have a kind of green screen function and can also place yourself in front of charts, for example, and things like that. A bit like what you know from ManyCam, i.e. third-party solutions, or ChromeCam. I think it’s quite good, of course, because if it’s built into the operating system, it’s usually much more stable than if you build it with third-party solutions. Because it can be used not only for Facetime, but also for other video conferencing services such as Zoom or Teams, for example. And it’s a really cool idea, for example, if I say I’m going to give a thumbs up in the camera, then emojis will be fired accordingly in the video camera. And I can not only use this in Facetime, but I can also use it in other video applications. They’ve really thought this through in a smart way.
Yes, then on the subject of Safari. Firstly, the iCloud keychain is being expanded so that you can also share passwords with your family. I’m still not a big fan of passwords in the cloud. I like to work with eWallet, where I say I’m local and can synchronize via my WLAN. I’m still not a big fan of the cloud.
Yes, you can now set up profiles in Safari in addition to enhanced security measures, which of course are added and improved every time for anonymous browsing, which I think is really smart, because with profiles you can set up different profiles with bookmarks, add-on settings and favorites for school, university, private and so on, so that you can say I need these things for private use and I need them for business use. A nice solution.
Then add a function that has always existed on the iPad to the home screen. This is a function that is now also being added to Safari, so that you can add web apps, which then also have a simplified menu and so that push notifications are also displayed. So it will be interesting to see what this looks like in practice, because I haven’t had a look at the beta on my Mac yet, but I will do so at my leisure over the next few days.
Yes, then it was on to the topic of airports and we thought oh, are new airports being introduced? No. But new software functions will be presented, which will then come as an update, namely adaptive audio. Quite interesting. The idea here is that it’s practically a mixture of pass-through and suppression mode, which is simply recognized by AI. What are background noises that are more like construction site noise? What is background noise such as honking or ringing, which is important, is looped through. And if you start talking, for example, then he realizes okay, you’re talking to people, then he just turns the music down, for example. I’m curious to see how he reacts when I sing along, whether the music goes down or whether he can manage that. But the idea is a good one. And the muteness, the sound, even with a pressure. So well done, I have to say.
Then very smart in cooperation with hotel TV providers, there will be the option of Airplay in hotels, where you simply scan a QR code and it then automatically transfers the Internet connection to the iPhone. So you don’t have to search for the Wi-Fi data again and connect to the TV. Smartly done, it will be available in conjunction with selected TVs.
Yes, when it comes to Car Play, there is a neat new function that allows passengers in the car to send music to Apple Car Play. These then go into a playlist and are then played. So it’s also quite good, because otherwise the driver would be distracted.
Yes, on the subject of Apple TV. There will be redesigned settings here, that the small stuff and that the remote control can be searched for with the iPhone is also quite nice. And that Memory is now available as a screen saver, i.e. the reminders that we know from the iPhone. But what’s really cool is that Facetime is coming to Apple TV. In other words, the idea is that you can quickly pair your iPhone with the Apple TV. Then there will be a stand from Belkin, but also from third-party manufacturers. Then you simply place your iPhone in front of the TV, under the TV, above the TV and then the Apple TV automatically connects to the iPhone’s camera. And then I can practically use it as a video conferencing system and can use Share Play, for example, to watch things together on the Apple TV. It’s very neat.
Yes, then WatchOS 10, the new version of the Apple Watch operating system. I have to say, I didn’t find it revolutionary. What I did find quite nice was that when you turn the crown upwards, widgets appear. It’s a bit like the Siri watch face and you have the same thing, regardless of which Siri or watch face you’re using. It’s great if you say, I don’t like this Siri watch face, then it works with everyone.
Yes, you can add widgets with a long press, i.e. by tapping and holding. And small but nice, if you have the time of day in locations, then if it is dark there, it will be displayed in dark. If it is light there, it is displayed in light. It’s not so stupid that you can quickly see, okay, can you call someone there or not.
Yes, there will be new activities, full screens and probably also more options in the design in general to display more information on complete screens. Sometimes there are such small changes, for example when I went from the 44 millimeter to the 45 millimeter with the watch with the slightly larger display. That really had a huge effect. So with such a small display, a millimeter or two really makes a difference and the details are really quite good.
Yes, then there are also new dials. One is something that changes color depending on how the minute hand turns, and the second hand. And then there’s not just Mickey and Mini, but now there’s also Snoopie & Friends. So there are also some very funny new watch faces.
For the athletes among you, there are new possibilities for cycling that can be coupled with cadence sensors, for example, with Bluetooth sensors, that you can measure and display power zones and that you can synchronize the whole thing automatically with the iPhone.
Yes, when it comes to hiking, you’ll be able to see where the last point is where you still had coverage if you have to go back and say, let’s see where I can make a phone call. And the same thing if you have an Apple Watch Ultra to say the last point where I can make an emergency call. Topographical maps come first in the USA. So there again quite good for hiking. We’ll have to wait a little longer for Germany.
Yes, then there will be new Workout APIs, i.e. interfaces for third-party apps. This means that these additional connections for Bluetooth sensors, for example, will not only be available for Apple, but also for third-party apps.
Yes, then there will be a new mental app, also on the iPhone, where you can carry out short psychological tests that tell you how high my potential is for depression and anxiety and things like that. There’s an app for kids to measure the time they spend in daylight. It’s really interesting that you can reduce the risk of myopia by spending more time in daylight.
Yes, it’s also great for the kids, but also for us adults, that there will be a function for measuring the screen distance.
Yes, perhaps for your information, the developer betas are available immediately and the public betas from July.
Apple Vision Pro – the mixed reality headset from Apple
Yes, so that’s the first part of the things that are so products that we know. And now we come to the Apple Vision Pro. This is the mixed reality headset from Apple. What does mixed reality mean? There is virtual reality. There’s augmented reality and there’s this term mixed reality. This means that virtual reality means that I only see virtually generated content and augmented means that I see the real world and elements superimposed on it. The cool thing that Apple was the first to really achieve here is that with a crowd, you can even use a control dial to switch back and forth between how much pass-through I want and how little. So how much of the surroundings do I want to see. And the quality of what you see, both in virtual reality mode and in augmented reality mode, is simply light years better than what you see even in Meta’s Quest Pro. So when you look at it, many people say, to put it bluntly, that this thing costs 3,500 dollars, that’s crazy. A Microsoft Holo Lens 2 costs another 500 thousand dollars more and is significantly less powerful. Their approach is that they don’t see the real environment through cameras, but by superimposing things as displays over the real reality. But of course you can’t go completely virtual with that and the quality is also significantly different. So it’s certainly not a mainstream product like an Oculus Quest 2 or the upcoming Oculus Quest 3, but I know the Oculus Quest 2 pretty well because I use it at least once a week to try things out with a group of like-minded people at a VR regulars’ table. I haven’t had the Apple glasses on my head yet. Unfortunately, they will only be available in the USA for the time being. But what I’ve seen so far, and what I’ve heard from other US tech bloggers who have already worn these glasses, is that the quality is outstanding. The glasses have a display on the outside where you can see the real environment and then have elements superimposed on it. And I have to say that the quality of the Apple device is significantly higher. In other words, it’s 500 ticks cheaper and significantly more powerful. So it’s fair to compare it accordingly.
Yes, the whole thing can be synchronized via iCloud. You can also receive 3D objects there in Messenger, you can pair the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, you can pair the Mac in the same way, as you know from the Meta Quest, but you can see it much better in 4K. So you can work together much better, work via Facetime and your own avatar is also really great to see.
There’s a 3D camera that you can use by taking off the glasses and then simply holding the camera in front of you. The audio, so you can pair it with the Airpods, but it has its own special audio in it, so it’s probably very, very good. Also good 3D content, where you just have to look. The fact is that, especially in the gaming sector, you still see it in 2D. So the first step is certainly that many iPad and iPhone apps will also be available on the glasses, just as you can use many iPad apps on the Mac. So if you have Silicon, Apple Silicon, i.e. M1, M2, M3, then you can also use the whole thing on the Apple. Always a bit limited. You may be familiar with this with Apple if you have an iPad app. Either you have the iPad size or you have it completely in full screen. Unfortunately, you can’t change the size in between. That’s kind of the first step that you have to take here. But of course it remains to be seen what great things the developers will do here. The thing has an external battery. A lot of people will laugh and say, extra battery and so on. The battery pack is a bit bigger than an iPhone, but much lighter and lasts about two hours. You can also charge it while you are using it. So you could even use it all day. However, in a video by a tech blogger, I heard a very nice saying that you can also wear Overear headphones all day, but do you want to? That’s the big question. There’s also a discussion that people are saying that these devices are replacing phones. I believe that, just as we pick up a phone today and use it more or less, we will also pick up a pair of glasses that we use more or less. When we get to the point where we can fully integrate this functionality into contact lenses, then I can imagine that at some point we will really no longer have a smartphone. Especially as Apple’s solution to the control issue is really excellent, because it doesn’t come with a controller, but instead uses eye and finger control. And in the Meta, for example, Quest 2/3 and the Pro, there are also finger controls, but Apple’s are simply light years better. So you can see that Apple is already doing a much better job. This issue of eye control is also completely present in the Meta Quest, but Apple has solved it much better. When you do it, you do it really well.
The topic of Microsoft apps and Office applications is also available. Zoom, Teams and WebExpert will be coming to the glasses, so you’ll be able to share really great video conferencing experiences and things. So it’s really good to be able to say that perhaps I no longer have a laptop and everything with me when I’m on the move, but can simply go into video conferences via the glasses.
Incidentally, everything that is based on Unity. Unity-based apps run natively. In other words, they are 3D-oriented applications that run in parallel with other apps. In other words, a pioneering technology.
There will be a separate AppStore with its own and compatible iPhone/iPad apps. There will be an optical ID for identification purposes. A bit like Face ID, but which will recognize the whole thing like a kind of iris scanner and, of course, with the usual Apple security levels. For example, apps and websites cannot see where you are looking. Even your own surroundings, which you can see, are not shared. So it really is an exciting thing. It has over 5,000 patents. So I can still remember when Steve Jobs said, man, great phone and boy have we patented it. And it’s similar with the glasses. They will be available in the USA from 2024 for 3,500 dollars. Where many are now saying complete nonsense, far too expensive. An Oculus Quest somehow only costs 400-500 in that direction. Yes, but to be fair you have to compare it with systems like the Microsoft HoloLens 2, which, as I said, costs 500 thousand more and is significantly less powerful. That’s just the first version. And if I compare it with the first iPad, which came out 13 years ago in 2010, and with the current iPad, then you can see what has happened in 13 years. And what’s good is that developers have now practically got their hands on the software kit to program apps for it. And so we now have another six months as developers to simply show really ingenious apps for the glasses. Let’s assume that the glasses won’t be available in Germany from January. This gives us perhaps three quarters of a year or a whole year for developers to develop programs. And Apple simply manages to provide very usable programming developments that can also be used by programmers, so that it is very easy to build really great solutions very quickly. After all, what you’ve just seen was primarily the applications from Apple itself, and an iPad with just Apple applications is of course already good, but it gets even better with third-party applications. It’s the same with the glasses. So the glasses are certainly not a mainstream device, just as an iPad with the maximum configuration, which also costs 2,500 euros, is not necessarily for the mainstream either. But it will definitely remain exciting and I will definitely keep you up to date here when there is news.
Conclusion
Yes, with this in mind, I hope that I have been able to give you a few ideas. I have the beta version on an iPad and an iPhone, I’m testing it and will keep you up to date. But please don’t use the beta version on production devices. You should definitely wait with that. But if you still have an older device and it goes down to the 10S, so not to the iPhone 10, but down to 10S, you can install the beta. I have installed it on the 10S Max myself, it runs very smoothly and for a first beta I have to say very stable. So all functions such as the standby issue. It didn’t find standby once in the search in the settings. And when I activated standby, it still didn’t show me the standby display, even though I was charging the device and holding it horizontally. So a few things don’t work. And of course you always run the risk that your productive apps won’t work either. And you know, stability before creativity and I’m happy to test for you.
Yes, with this in mind, I wish you another successful week and look forward to seeing you again next time when it’s Digital4Productivity.
Yours, Thorsten Jekel.
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