Tag: Siri

Apple publishes Release Candidate for iOS/iPadOS 17.2, macOS Sonoma 14.2, watchOS 10.2 and tvOS 17.2.

Xcode 15.1 RC is also available for download.

iMessage Contact Key Verification is being added in this RC. Also RC fixes wireless changing for GM cars, as well as enabling Qi2 support on iPhone 13 and newer. Improvements for telephoto camera for iPhone 15 Pro is also reported.

Siri gets access to health data on iPhone and Apple Watch.

Apple also prepared RC for iOS/iPadOS 16.7.3.

Beta download: Operating Systems

Release notes:

• iOS & iPadOS 17.2 RC Release Notes
• macOS Sonoma 14.2 RC Release Notes
• watchOS 10.2 RC Release Notes
• tvOS 17.2 RC Release Notes
• Xcode 15.1 RC Release Notes

References:

• iMessage Contact Key Verification
• Here are the full iOS 17.2 release notes: Every new feature and change
• iOS 17.2 unlocks Qi2 wireless charging support on older iPhone models
• OS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models
• iOS 17.2 improves Telephoto camera on iPhone 15 Pro, Apple says
• iOS 17.2 and watchOS 10.2 Allow Siri to Access and Log Health Data
• iOS 17.2 Fixes Bug Preventing Wireless Charging From Working in Some Vehicles
• Here are the new Weather widgets for iPhone with iOS 17.2
• Apple says iOS 17.2 fixes iPhone wireless charging problems in ‘certain vehicles’
• iTunes Movies and TV Shows app discontinued with new Apple TV update
• The Standalone iTunes Movies and TV Shows Apps Are Discontinued in tvOS 17.2
• Apple Eliminating iTunes Movies and TV Show Apps in tvOS 17.2

Apple releases bug fix updates iOS/iPadOS 17.1.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1.1 and watchOS 101.1.

iOS update targets NFC chip unavailability after using some car wireless chargers and weather Lock Screen widget.

watchOS addresses battery drain issue reported by some users.

macOS brings various updates. There is also update for macOS Ventura 13.6.2 to address M3 MacBooks update issues.

HomePod software is also updated to 17.1.1 to address slow Siri response.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are arriving to first customers. Hopefully, you've got the model you wanted and now you have some time to go through interesting reads.

• Michael Tsai got list of all interesting changes in Swift 5.9;
  
  
• How to intercept and edit a server response with Proxyman for iOS by Natascha Fadeeva is nice overview of network traffic debugging techniques;
  
  
• Leonardo Maia Pugliese goes through keyboard support in iOS – Discovering All SwiftUI TextField Keyboard Types;
  
  
• With new iPhones being delivered iPhone 15 Screen Sizes by Keith Harrison will help you build pixel-perfect graphics for your apps;
  
  
• WeatherKit Tutorial: Getting Started by Saleh Albuga will guide you through Apple's framework for weather data access;
  
  
• David Smith explores interactive widgets in Widgetsmith 5: Interactive Widgets for iOS 17;
  
  
• Majid Jabrayilov covers actors in Thread safety in Swift with actors;
  
  
• App Intent driven development in Swift and SwiftUI by Antoine van der Lee goes through new framework triggering integrations with Siri, Shortcuts and other system features;
  
  
• Jon Reid covers interesting aspects of code refactoring in See the Magic of Iterative Refactoring: A Swift Case Study;
  
  
• DocC: Project documentation structure by Marin Todorov (who also worked on DocC) guides through documentation structure;
  
  
• Domenico De Luca explains adoption of Dynamic Type in Supporting Dynamic Type and Larger Text in your app to enhance Accessibility.

And this is it for today. Have some fun over the weekend (especially if you got your new iPhone) and get back next Friday for another pack of great reads!

First day of WWDC23 was packed with announcements. Here is a list of announcements captured by media.

Optic ID

Apple Vision Pro will have its own biometric authentication based on iris. iOS and iPadOS apps running on headset which use Face ID or Touch ID for authentication will automatically switch to Optic ID for seamless experience.

Siri

Siri now drops "Hey" part of activation phrase. Moreover, you can now do follow-up requests to speed up interaction.

Vision Pro

Apple to provide developers with Development Kit later this year.

Headset will have support for prescription lenses, not all prescriptions will be supported though.

Safari

Safari gains extensive support for web apps in macOS 14 Sonoma. Safari also brings support for spatial computing with <model> tag providing easy way of displaying 3D content alongside with web page.

Health

Follow up notifications to take medications are added. Mental health and vision control features are also built in. Device will now notify users if they're holding device too close to their face.

Various enhancements

• Autocorrect and predictive text were significantly improved in iOS/iPadOS 17.
• iPadOS 17 adds support to external webcams, not just those which are embedded into display.
• AirTags now could be shared between multiple users.
• Used SMS verification codes could be automatically removed.
• App Store Review Guidelines now target fake and "bad" apps.
• Optimized charging comes to more Apple Watch models.
• Developers without paid membership now could install developer betas.
• Stickers in Messages now could be created from photos.
• Video conferencing features with presenter overlay would be available to different applications.
• iOS Photos will recognize pets.

Apple Newsroom: Apple previews new features coming to Apple services this fall

References:

• Apple announces new Optic ID biometrics for user authentication on Apple Vision Pro headset
• Apple says it has fixed iPhone autocorrect with iOS 17
• Siri no longer requires ‘Hey’ command to activate, now has back-to-back requests
• iOS 17 Lets You Share AirTags With Others
• iOS 17 Can Automatically Clean Up Verification Codes That Clog Up Messages App
• Apple to Provide Developers With Vision Pro Development Kits
• Apple Vision Pro Headset Supports Prescription Inserts for Glasses Wearers
• News from WWDC23: WebKit Features in Safari 17 beta
• iOS 17 Introduces Follow-Up Reminders to Take Your Medications
• App Store Review Guideline updates go after fake apps, bad ads
• iOS 17 Tidbits: Enhanced Siri Suggestions, Multiple Timers, Recipe Visual Look Up, and More
• watchOS 10 Extends Optimized Charge Limit to More Apple Watch Models
• Apple Makes Developer Betas Free to Download and Install
• iPadOS 17 Adds Support for Studio Display Webcam and Other External USB Cameras
• You Can Turn Your Photos Into Animated Stickers With iOS 17
• WWDC 2023: New FaceTime Features Coming This Fall
• iOS 17 Photos App Recognizes Your Pets

Apple starts selling HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod mini in Denmark.

References:

• HomePod Mini Launches in Denmark, Likely Ruling Out New Model in Near Future
• Apple starts selling HomePod and HomePod mini in Denmark

Apple publishes bug fix release addressing skin tone customizations for hand emoji and Siri responses. macOS addresses issue with Mac unlock with Apple Watch.

Update also incorporates security updates.

No developer-facing features are reported in this update.

References:

• iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, and macOS 13.3.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities
• PSA: iOS 16.4.1 and macOS 13.3.1 patch two ‘actively exploited’ security vulnerabilities

HomePod and HomePod mini will be available in Singapore starting April 6.

Apple Newsroom: Apple introduces HomePod and HomePod mini in Singapore

Reference: HomePod and HomePod Mini Launching in Singapore Next Month

Apple today releases first beta for iOS/iPadOS 16.5, macOS 13.4 Ventura, watchOS 9.5 and tvOS 16.5. No new Xcode beta is released though.

Not much is yet known on contents of the beta update. Currently, it is reported that News app gets dedicated Sports tab, and Siri could now trigger screen recording upon user's request.

Beta download: Operating Systems (release notes are not available yet)

References:

• Apple News App Gains Sports Tab in First iOS 16.5 Beta
• iOS 16.5 beta enables screen recording via Siri [Video]

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

Apple announces HomePod mini availability in Finland, Norway, Sweden in December 13. South Africa joins December 19. Denmark and possibly other countries to follow in spring.

Apple Newsroom: HomePod mini er tilgjengelig fra neste uke (no)

References:

• HomePod Mini Launches in Finland, Norway, and Sweden on December 13 [Updated]
• HomePod Mini Coming to Denmark in the Spring, Says Apple
• HomePod mini countries will soon include Finland, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, more