Mark Gurman (via Nick Heer):
As part of the [TV app] overhaul, the company will discontinue its dedicated apps on the Apple TV set-top box that let users rent and buy movies and shows. It will also remove the movie and TV show sections from the iTunes Store app on iPhones and iPads. […]
The idea is to steer more customers toward the main TV app, which sits at the center of Apple’s expanding video strategy. There, users are able to subscribe to TV+ as well as third-party video services like Starz and Paramount+. The app already lets customers rent and buy programs, making a separate iTunes option unnecessary.
That’s too bad since, though they could use lots of improvements, I prefer browsing purchased TV shows and movies in the old apps.
Kirk McElhearn:
iTunes was probably the most important app that Apple ever made. Released in 2001, it helped make Apple the company it has become. While it was not the first music management app, it quickly became the go-to tool for ripping CDs, creating playlists, burning CDs, and syncing music to iPods. iTunes became Apple’s Trojan horse; this free app’s popularity allowed the company to create the global music marketplace that changed the music industry.
After splitting iTunes on the Mac to a group of individual apps in 2019, Apple maintained the app on Windows. But the company is now planning to split iTunes into several apps on that platform as well: the Microsoft Store lists “preview” versions of apps for Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices, the latter being an app that manages syncing to iPhones and iPads.
[…]
Soon, all that will be left of the iTunes brand is the iTunes Store for music. And people buy much less music than in the past, having mostly shifted to streaming.
[…]
Apple no longer releases iProducts; the last iBook was released in 2005, Apple still uses the umbrella term iWork for its productivity apps (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote), and iCloud is the heart of its cloud storage system. But new products and services have Apple in their names: Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Watch, and so on.
John Gruber:
I purchase/rent all my movies and TV shows on my Apple TV, where “iTunes” isn’t mentioned. (And in the age of streaming, I really only purchase/rent movies — the TV shows I watch are all streamed nowadays.) So why keep the iTunes Store app around on iOS — they could just add a Store tab to the Music app. Buy your music — if you buy music — in Music, and buy your movies in TV.
Previously:
iTunes iTunes Store Sunset TV.app tvOS tvOS 17
Accidental Tech Podcast:
AirPods Pro 2 as concert earplugs
Soundbrenner Minuendo
Others tried: Eargasm, Etymotic ER20XS, Earpeace, Vibes, Mumba
I’ve used the Eargasm, and it’s OK.
Helmut (via Accidental Tech Podcast):
Perhaps you are wondering:
“Why not get rid of earplugs and ear defenders and use my AirPods Pro instead? They are more comfortable, seem to be doing the job, and I can also listen to music.”
[…]
Actual work earplug headphones (with a noise reduction rating) and earplugs typically press much more vigorously against your ear canal wall to maintain a consistent seal even when you are in motion.
[…]
Unfortunately, against higher-pitched noises, the ANC is ineffective. In my tests, there was no benefit beyond 1600 Hz.
[…]
For attending rock concerts or when working in loud environments, I will continue to reach for a tool that offers a more reliable seal and better passive noise isolation across the frequency spectrum (such as a good, inexpensive pair of earplugs with a suitable NRR).
Previously:
AirPods Audio Health Music
Joe Rossignol:
iOS 17 adds several features to all second-generation AirPods Pro, including Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and Personalized Volume. Keep in mind that these software features are also available on the original second-generation AirPods Pro released in September 2022, so there is no need to update to the USB-C model to use them.
Tim Hardwick:
Keep reading to learn what use cases the new noise control features are designed for, and how you can control them in iOS 17 when your iPhone is connected to AirPods Pro 2 with updated firmware.
Six Colors:
There’s a new listening mode, Adaptive Audio, that sort of sits in between Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes. (There’s even a new sound effect when you enter this mode, distinct from the chimes for the other modes.) According to Apple, when you’re in this mode, noise cancellation is emphasized in noisier environments and Transparency in quieter conditions.
I’ve spent the entire summer walking and running around my neighborhood and taking plane trips using a beta version of this new firmware. It’s basically replaced Transparency mode for me—in fact, I’ve set my AirPods Pro to toggle exclusively between Noise Cancellation and Adaptive Audio.
[…]
Another new feature is Personalized Volume, which supposedly adjusts playback volume as your environment changes as well as based on learning your preferences in various contexts. I’ve kept this feature on all summer, but it never felt like it worked right. Perhaps it was doing some amazing adjustments and I just never noticed, but what it mostly seemed to do was turn down the volume on my podcasts just as I was about to head out the door for a run. I would invariably turn the volume back up, but it never seemed to learn its lesson.
Tim Hardwick:
In this way, Adaptive Audio aims to automatically reduce loud or distracting noises in your surroundings, such as the sound of a leaf blower or a passing plane overhead, while other noises, like the sudden beep of a car horn, remain audible.
In a new interview with TechCrunch, Apple’s VP of sensing and connectivity Ron Huang revealed that Apple originally considered using GPS location to inform AirPods Pro of the user’s whereabouts and adapt the audio experience accordingly. In real-world testing, however, the method proved inefficient.
Previously:
Update (2023-10-27): John Gruber:
I’ve been wearing a pair of the revised AirPods Pro 2 earbuds since last week, paired with my year-old iPhone 14 Pro and a few other devices. I obviously can’t say anything about their special capabilities when paired with a Vision Pro, but in all regards related to currently-shipping features, they’re better than ever.
[…]
Conversation Awareness really is completely automatic. If you’re listening to music or a podcast and just start talking to someone, or if someone else just starts talking to you, it kicks in. It’s very clever, but whether you’ll enjoy it highly depends upon your listening environment. In my 5+ days of testing, it kicked in too frequently amidst a crowd of people, none of whom were talking to me. Sometimes on city sidewalks, oftentimes in a grocery store. In an urban environment, there are just too many people talking around me, and the AirPods have no way of knowing that they’re not talking to me, for this feature to be anything but an annoyance overall.
[…]
Transparency with AirPods Pro 2 has been great as an urban pedestrian; Adaptive is even better. It just automatically Does What I Want™ in seemingly every context. I hear traffic and passersby, but even loud trucks and buses passing by don’t keep me from clearly hearing the podcast (typically) or song (less typically) I’m listening to.
AirPods Audio iOS iOS 17
Niléane Dorffer:
Apple first introduced the Translate app in iOS 14. Although it was a welcomed addition to the language translation space, I stopped using it a couple of months after its release. Many languages were still missing, its interface was lackluster at best, and I found that its French translations were not great. I would also still often rely on Google Translate to translate text in the real world using the iPhone camera — a feature that was initially missing from Apple’s app. This year, however, the Translate app received a substantial makeover and a handful of new features in iOS 17.
[…]
Each translation card contains the same set of actions: ‘Show Full Screen,’ ‘Add to Favorites,’ ‘Define,’ and ‘Copy.’ Adding to Favorites is not something I expected to use, but it’s actually very useful, considering that the Translate app will not keep a full history of your translations after you close it.
[…]
Apple’s Translate app still doesn’t support as many languages as its competitors. However, I can safely say that there have been substantial improvements for the languages it already supports. The app also stands out with some of its features. The Conversation tab is unique in its well-thought-out design. Manually selecting the grammatical gender for gendered words sets it apart from a simple translation app you may use during your vacation abroad, perhaps transforming it into a daily work tool.
I still find the popover-based interface on the Mac frustrating. It doesn’t show much at once, you can’t select text, you can’t reference it while working in another window, you can’t make live changes to the input, and it doesn’t work in all apps (BBEdit, Xcode, Terminal). Why isn’t there also a separate app like in iOS? Catalyst and SwiftUI have already been available for 4 years.
Translation is working better for me now in Safari, but it only works within the app. There is no way to send someone a link to a translated URL, as with Google Translate.
Previously:
iOS iOS 17 Mac macOS 14 Sonoma Natural Language Translation Translate.app
Juli Clover:
When you plug a Lightning iPhone into an iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 will always provide power to the Lightning iPhone, even if the iPhone 15’s battery is lower.
If you plug an iPhone 15 into another iPhone 15, the two devices communicate with one another, determine which iPhone has the lower battery, and transfer power that way.
[…]
The iPhone 15’s USB-C port can be used to charge an Apple Watch or the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C Charging Case using a USB-C to USB-C cord, and it should also be able to work with most other USB-C devices in some capacity.
Previously:
AirPods Apple Watch iPhone iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max Power USB-C
