Tag: HomeKit

Apple introduced HomeKey several years ago, and now The Connectivity Standards Alliance (Apple is a part of it) introduced Aliro – new open standard for electronic keys. CSA is also responsible for Matter standard.

The standard will include definitions for Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth^® Low-Energy (LE), and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) experiences, as well as asymmetric cryptography and credential data.

CSA

CSA:

• The Connectivity Standards Alliance Announces Aliro, A New Effort to Make Mobile Devices & Wearables Central To A Digital Access Future
• Aliro

Reference: New 'Aliro' Standard Aims to Simplify Unlocking Doors With Smartphones

Apple releases second beta for iOS/iPad 16.5, macOS 13.4, watchOS 9.5 and tvOS 16.5. No corresponding Xcode beta is published.

New beta seem to be focused on administrator users and Matter support in Home app.

Beta download: Operating Systems

Release notes:

• iOS & iPadOS 16.5 Beta 2 Release Notes
• macOS Ventura 13.4 Beta 2 Release Notes
• watchOS 9.5 Beta 2 Release Notes
• tvOS 16.5 Beta 2 Release Notes

Philips Hue postpones plans to support Matter for their devices til the end of 2023. According to their messaging, firmware update for Hue Bridge takes more time that it was initially expected.

Eve on the other hand announces Matter firmware availability on April 17. And currently Eve already started selling accessories supporting Matter.

Matter smart home standard simplifies hardware development and unifies APIs between multiple smart home solutions. Matter is industry standard which is adopted by multiple venders including Apple. Home app and HomeKit support Matter accessories starting with iOS 16.1.

References:

• Philips Hue Bridge Matter Support Update Appears to Have Been Delayed
• Eve announces Matter firmware upgrades are coming on April 17 for a more reliable HomeKit experience
• Eve Starts Selling Matter-Enabled Smart Home Devices

Apple releases iOS/iPadOS 16.4, macOS Ventura 13.3, watchOS 9.4 and tvOS 16.4. HomePod software is also updated to 16.4. Apple also released Studio Display firmware update.

Xcode 14.3 receives RC 2.

Apple also releases iOS/iPadOS 15.7.4, macOS Monterey 12.6.4 and macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 with security fixes.

iOS

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

• 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
• Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen
• Voice Isolation for cellular calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you
• Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
• VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
• Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
• Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent's device
• Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home
• Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

iPadOS

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

• 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
• Apple Pencil hover adds tilt and azimuth support so you can preview your mark at any angle before you make it in Notes and supported apps on iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation)
• Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen
• Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
• VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
• Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
• Fixes an issue with Apple Pencil responsiveness that may occur while drawing or writing in the Notes app
• Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent's device
• Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home

macOS

This update includes new emoji along with other enhancements, bug fixes, and security updates for your Mac.

• 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
• Remove background option in Freeform automatically isolates the subject in your image
• Photos duplicates album expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
• Transliteration support for Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu keyboards
• New keyboard layouts for Choctaw, Chickasaw, Akan, Hausa, and Yoruba
• Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
• VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
• Resolves an issue where Trackpad gestures may occasionally stop responding
• Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent's device
• Addresses an issue where VoiceOver may be unresponsive after using Finder

watchOS

watchOS 9.4 includes improvements to Apple Watch and brings features to new regions. 

• Wake-up alarms are no longer silenced with cover to mute gesture to avoid accidental cancellations during sleep
• Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates and cycle deviation alerts now supported in Moldova and Ukraine
• AFib History now available in Colombia, Malaysia, Moldova, Thailand, and Ukraine

Beta download: Applications

References:

• Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 16.4 with New Emoji, Notifications for Web Apps on the Home Screen, Voice Isolation for Cellular Calls, New Shortcuts Actions, and More
• WebKit Features in Safari 16.4
• Apple Releases Studio Display Firmware Update
• iOS 16.4 Expands iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite to Six More Countries
• Apple releases tvOS 16.4 with new ‘Dim Flashing Lights’ feature
• iOS 16.4 is now available, with a lot of user-facing updates
• iOS 16.4 Includes New Apple Podcasts App Features Across iPhone and CarPlay
• iOS 16.4 Adds Order Tracking Widget, Lets You Share Order Information
• Apple releases Studio Display firmware update with new ‘Pro Display’ feature
• PSA: Make Sure to Update Older Devices to iOS 15.7.4 to Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerability
• iOS 15.7.4, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 all get security updates
• Apple releases security notes for iOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4, macOS Ventura 13.3
• iOS 16.4 Adds Support for PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge Wireless Controller
• iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4
• iOS 16.4 and macOS 13.3 Gain Multiple New Shortcut Action Options

Following recent updates to tvOS and HomePod software, Apple now releases updates to iOS/iPadOS, watchOS and macOS. tvOS and HomePod software are updated to 16.3.2 to address Siri and HomeKit issues.

iOS 16.3.1 updates Crash Detection algorithms to address recent reports of false positives.

These updates fix issues and address important security vulnerabilities. Notably, WebKit security issue is resolved in macOS 13.2.1.

However, there are reports that iOS 16.3.1 is breaking Google Photos app.

References:

• iOS 16.3.1 Breaks Google Photos App
• macOS 13.2.1 update fixes WebKit security breach that has been ‘actively exploited’
• iOS 16.3.1 includes iPhone 14 Crash Detection changes after false positive complaints
• macOS 13.2.1
• iOS 16.3.1 and iPadOS 16.3.1
• Big Safari & Kernel issues fixed in iOS 16.3.1, macOS 13.2.1 updates
• PSA: Make Sure to Update Soon, macOS Ventura 13.2.1 and iOS 16.3.1 Address Actively Exploited Vulnerability
• Apple fixes Siri bug in tvOS 16.3.2 & HomePod update
• Apple Releases HomePod 16.3.2 Software With Fix for Siri Request Failures
• Apple fixes annoying HomePod bug that caused HomeKit requests to time out and fail the first time you ask

Following the yesterday's updates to iOS and other platforms Apple now updates tvOS and HomePod software to 16.3.

Most notable feature would be enabling humidity and temperature sensors in HomePod mini.

HomePod software updates include: 

• Temperature and humidity sensing measures your indoor climate with HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod mini
• Remastered ambient sounds are more immersive and can now be added to scenes, automations, and alarms in the Home app
• Find My on HomePod now enables you to ask Sir for the location of friends and family, if they have shared it with you
• Recurring Home automations can be set up using just your voice
• Siri confirmation tone will now play to indicate when smart home requests are completed for accessories that may not visibly show a change or are located in a different room
• Audio tuning optimizes spoken content such as podcasts for even greater clarity on HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod (1st generation)
• Updated volume controls on HomePod (1st generation) give you more granular adjustments at lower volumes

References:

• HomePod software update 16.3 now rolling out, here’s everything new
• Apple Releases HomePod 16.3 Software With Humidity and Temperature Sensing, Find My Improvements, Audio Tuning, and More

Apple now no longer offers users to upgrade Home architecture in iOS 16.2. This follows several reports claiming that home is stuck in upgrading state and couple of other issues including inability to invite residents and some accessory problems.

Existing users who already upgraded the architecture do not have an option to downgrade.

Reference: Apple Pulls iOS 16.2 Option to Upgrade to New Home Architecture

It is last weekend before Christmas, so we have a bit more time to read something interesting.

• Starting with good article on Apple Pencil features in Apple Developer blog – Spotlight on: Apple Pencil hover;
  
  
• Good take by Natascha Fadeeva on code signing in iOS – Developer guide on iOS code signing & provisioning (yes, we still need to understand that properly);
  
  
• Couple more design notes by David Smith – Design Notes Diary #7, Design Notes Diary #8 and Design Notes Diary #9;
  
  
• Jesse Squires writes on issues with iOS Simulator – Workaround: simctrl status_bar broken for iOS 16 simulators;
  
  
• Quick reminder on how to make enum's easier to read by Marco Eidinger – Swift Enum With Labeled Associated Values;
  
  
• And another guide on stride function – Swift Stride Quick Guide by Keith Harrison;
  
  
• Antoine van der Lee explains OptionSet – OptionSet in Swift explained with code examples;
  
  
• Majid Jabrayilov keeps his series on SwiftUI layouts – Building custom layout in SwiftUI. LayoutValueKey.;
  
  
• Creating a HomeKit-enabled App with SwiftUI by Moritz Philip Recke guides us through smart home app development process;
  
  
• Ole Begemann creates great example app to demonstrate SwiftUI view lifecycle – Understanding SwiftUI view lifecycles;
  
  
• Dynamically Change App Icons for a Unique User Experience with SwiftUI by Leonardo Maia Pugliese explains the process of changing app icon in iOS;
  
  
• Couple of Swift articles by Sarun W. – What is the difference between #available and @available and How to make Swift Enum conforms to Identifiable protocol.

And returning with video section! Great talk on JavaScriptCore usage – Make your app securely extensive with JavaScriptCore.

https://youtu.be/u1iJAalE8lw

And that is for today! Have a great weekend!

Following recent RC Apple now releases iOS/iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1 Ventura, watchOS 9.2 and tvOS 16.2. Xcode 14.2 is also released.

HomePodOS received corresponding update (which is required for Home updates and Matter support).

Apple also releases security bug fixes for previous OS releases - iOS 15 and macOS 11 Big Sur and macOS 12 Monterey.

This update brings several important updates:

• iCloud Advanced Data Protection;
• Support for Rapid Security Responses;
• Freeform application;
• Apple Music Sing;
• New Apple Watch workout modes;
• Apple Home reliability improvements;
• iPadOS external display support.

Apple Newsroom: Apple launches Freeform: a powerful new app designed for creative collaboration

References:

• iOS 16.2 rolling out today with Apple Music Sing, Freeform app, much more
• Apple Releases New HomePod 16.2 Software
• Apple Releases iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 With Freeform, Apple Music Sing, Advanced Data Protection and More
• Apple Releases watchOS 9.2 With Outdoor Workout Improvements, Crash Detection Optimizations, Noise App Tweaks and More
• Apple Releases tvOS 16.2 with Apple Music Sing, TV App Tweaks and More
• iPadOS 16.2 and Stage Manager for External Displays: Work in Progress, But Worth the Wait
• Apple Releases macOS Ventura 13.1 With Freeform, Advanced Data Protection, Find My Improvements and More
• Freeform Leverages the Freedom and Flexibility of a Blank Canvas
• Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature is here - what you need to know
• iPadOS 16.2 brings these improvements for Stage Manager, plus AirTag tracking alerts
• Hands on with Apple's Freeform collaborative brainstorming app
• watchOS 9.2 now available for Apple Watch; here’s everything new
• iOS 16.2 patches over a dozen security vulnerabilities, iOS 15.7.2 also available with fixes
• Apple Music launches collection of playlists with songs perfect for ‘Sing’ karaoke feature
• iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2
• macOS 13.1
• iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 Fix Over 30 Security Vulnerabilities
• Xcode 14.2 released with support for iOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1
• Xcode 14.2 Release
• Apple Watch Ultra gains battery improvement with watchOS 9.2 and Multisport workouts
• New Apple Music Sing Playlists Now Available in iOS 16.2
• 9to5Mac Daily: December 13, 2022 – Everything new in iOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, and more
• iOS 16.2 Features: Everything New in iOS 16.2

This week is a little bit shorter in US, so weekend good reads come a little earlier. Let's find some good reads for this long weekend.

• Let's start with a pitch to introduce Reflection API to Swift – [Pitch] Reflection by Alejandro Alonso;
  
  
• Natalia Panferova shows how to make graphs similar to Weather app – Area chart with a dimming layer up to the current point in time;
  
  
• And if you want a refresher on Swift Charts – Swift Charts Tutorial: Getting Started by Vidhur Voora will get you covered;
  
  
• Peter Tretyakov continues his set of articles on Metal – Shaders Explained: Dithering;
  
  
• Developing Apps with the HomeKit Accessory Simulator by Moritz Philip Recke explains on how to develop smart home applications for HomeKit ecosystem without actual smart devices present;
  
  
• Leonardo Maia Pugliese guides us on how to work with Objective-C code in Swift – Swift and Objective-C Interoperability With @objc and @objcMembers;
  
  
• Point-Free Pointers share their approach to SwiftUI navigation – Better SwiftUI navigation APIs;
  
  
• Nested reusability in SwiftUI by Magnus Jensen covers interesting design pattern for SwiftUI applications;
  
  
• Lee Kah Seng explains how to properly use concurrency in Swift – A Deep Dive Into the Swift Concurrency Bottleneck;
  
  
• Jordan Morgan shares his experience developing SwiftUI apps – My Real Challenge with SwiftUI;
  
  
• @dynamicCallable in Swift explained with code examples by Antoine van der Lee covers dynamic features in Swift and their potential uses;
  
  
• Two great articles by Marco Eidinger – A critical look at Swift Snippets (Swift 5.7) and Test Your Command-Line Tool In Xcode;
  
  
• If you're still using Combine Cheat sheet on Combine operators for iOS development by Natascha Fadeeva is good to have handy;
  
  
• Sometimes you need to remove onscreen keyboard, SwiftUI Dismissing The Keyboard by Keith Harrison explains exactly this case.

And to wrap up this issue, here is a great video for those who are interested in security – Using A Magic Wand To Break The IPhone's Last Security Barrier by Tihmstar | hardwear.io NL 2022.

Happy holidays and see you next week!