Published stuff

Loads of activity on Stuff this week. I wrote why I think being able to pause your Apple Watch rings is the best watchOS feature in years, a follow-up to a piece from last year about losing my Apple Watch streak. And apparently having finally lost my patience with iPadOS, I wrote about how Apple’s iPadOS 18 killed pro-user hopes for the M4 iPad Pro. 

My weekend column moved away from Apple, because Apple Apple Apple was driving my editor bonkers and he wanted something – anything – else. So I wrote about how playing my Game Boy Micro again was a reality check about old games consoles – and getting older myself. Which is basically 600 words about how it turns out when you’re deep into your 40s, perhaps you shouldn’t be complaining about how big mobile hardware devices (and their screens) are getting.

Also on Stuff this week, an update to the best upcoming Lego sets and a guide to Android and iPhone footie apps for Euro 2024.

Over at TapSmart, I had one more thing to get out of my system regarding WWDC24: This year, Apple wants to make things personal – with more customization features than ever. There’s a (minor) sting in the tail of that one. And I wrote a new ‘toolkit’ feature about travel – apps to take on your next journey or vacation.

Other stuff

Mostly wondering why the UK appears to be in a loop where it thinks it’s late April spliced with torrential downpours that remind me of distant trips to Florida – without the heat. I’m wearing a fleece. In June. Bah.

Published stuff

This week’s column is Google’s AI disasters are a warning shot for Apple’s iOS 18 AI plans, in which I explore Google’s gaffes, and how Apple can avoid the same. I also wrote about two celebrations of famous properties hitting 40: Tetris and Transformers. 

This week for TapSmart, I kicked off a new apps series, with a ‘deep dive’ into Snapseed.

Upcoming stuff

It’s WWDC next week, and I imagine I’ll be writing about whatever Apple churns out, assuming it doesn’t have a new AI system that rewrites my brain to repeatedly type I LOVE TIM COOK every other sentence. 

Honestly, I’d be quite happy if a senior exec rocked up on stage and said: “No new features this year – we’ve just fixed all the bugs, including that weird one where iCloud Photos won’t sync, even if your iPhone has 94% of its battery charge remaining.” Although I would like one new feature: for Apple to finally give us an off switch for the Home indicator.

Other stuff

After a week in Spain, I felt mentally happier than I had in a while, although physically knackered. (It’s surprising how much walking/swimming/being outside can take it out of you.) Natch, I now have a stinking headcold in a British June best described as ‘grey’.

It was also interesting in Spain to note in which ways they do some better specialist food than the UK. Their cheapest gluten-free bread was superior to even the most expensive I’ve bought here. And lactose-free products were readily available.

In the UK, it seems there’s a lot of ‘two birds, one stone’ going on. Instead of lactose-free, you get ‘vegan’ produce in free-from aisles. And even beer is going this way, increasingly twinning gluten-free and alcohol-free. I’d… just like a normal beer or yoghurt now and again, thanks, albeit one that doesn’t make me violently ill.

Published stuff

For Stuff this week, I wrote: The iPhone 17 Pro Max will be Apple’s thinnest ever – here’s why I think that would be a mistake. The mega thin iPhone 17 Pro Max is currently a rumour. Let’s hope it stays that way…

And over at TapSmart, there was: Don’t just remind me, Apple Calendar – help me get to places on time. Because I apparently want the impossible.

Other stuff

Still recuperating. Feeling a bit more like myself. So another very short one this week!

Published stuff

My Stuff column this week is Why apps could be Apple’s next subscription service – and what stands in its way. I’m not sure it’s likely nor even viable that Apple would launch such a service, but it somehow feels logical.

A trio of pieces over at TapSmart: my guide to meditative audio apps for iPhone, an updated iPad buyer’s guide, and an Apple Pencil buyer’s guide. The last of those should not be necessary and may come with added snark.

Upcoming stuff

Lots and lots of WWDC24, no doubt. I’m currently wondering if we’ll hear these words: “And we call it… Apple OS”.

Other stuff

I’ve felt something nagging at me for some time now – a slowly building unease and feeling of being overwhelmed. Which I now realise is burnout. So apologies for the short one this week. I’m sure lots of interesting stuff happened, but I’ve decided this weekend needs to be one for me. Normal service will be resumed as soon as we know what normal is, as an excellent game, based on a towel, based on a book, based on a radio show, once told me.

Published stuff

For Stuff, I explain why Google AI will help you – but kill the web as we know it. This one features cameos by Arc Search, Retro Dodo and an actual dodo. I also updated my upcoming Lego sets round-up. Apologies to your bank account.

Over at TapSmart, I wrote about the best alternatives to Safari for iPhone and what I want to see at WWDC 2024. Somehow, the latter wasn’t just ‘an off switch for the Home indicator’ and ‘for Apple to FINALLY let you sync photos to iCloud without you having to manually trigger uploads because the iPhone only has 93% of its battery charge left’.

Other stuff

Apple’s emulation rules remain fuzzy, but RetroArch made it to the App Store. I never thought I’d see the day. Although it is cut down – many cores are missing, either because Apple won’t allow JIT, or because it’s pissing around with other developers and the RetroArch dev was being cautious. (Apple reportedly keeps rejecting MAME4iOS for spam, much to the chagrin of the MAME4iOS creator.) 

Unsurprisingly, RetroArch’s appearance on iOS kicked off yet more ‘emulation is illegal’ rubbish. Emulators are legal. Yes, a great many files people load into them may not be legit but that doesn’t make the tech itself illegal, just as it doesn’t make e-readers, music players and video players illegal. Of course, that doesn’t stop people arguing otherwise. (Personally, I wish more effort was expended by games companies and individuals to provide legal routes to play – and buy – old games than spreading rubbish about emulators.)

It also made very clear broader reporting on emulators is crap. As I said on Threads, articles should make it clear that emulators are not always straightforward to use. People assume they’ll be like Spotify, when at best they’re more like VLC. Even for seasoned emulation fans, RetroArch is a UX nightmare.

Personally, I use it often – but usually with a front-end on Linux. As-is on iPhone, it’s trying. And I fear for the people who spend time setting the thing up on Apple TV, only for tvOS to one day randomly flush the cache and crush all their efforts.

Speaking of crushing, Apple’s terrible advert continues to cause fallout. Ken Segall has a great piece on it. And Samsung tried to capitalise on it with its own ad. “Creativity cannot be crushed” was the theme. A few tiny snags, however.

First, while the ad has more humanity than Apple’s, it lacks creativity. Secondly, ‘with Galaxy AI’ is mentioned at the end, for… some reason. And thirdly, the actual product – a high-end tablet – does nothing more than display sheet music the guitarist in the advert barely looks at. If anything, that neatly sums up the depressing state of the app ecosystem on Android, which Google crushed all enthusiasm for long ago.

Finally, Quinn Nelson showed off a new iPad hover trick. Some will doubtless dismiss this as gimmickry. But this subtle effect surely has potential benefits, in providing another visual cue regarding a tool that doesn’t exist in reality, including its orientation. Previously, just the mark was previewed. Now, the shape of the tool itself can also be seen. It’d be interesting to hear from digital artists whether they find this useful.