May was a slow month. The M1 iPad Pros finally shipped, and Ryu is excited about the 12.9 inch one. 24 inch iMacs are nice, Apple TV and iOS 14.6 are boring. And he waits for WWDC.
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The MacRyu Podcast Episode 2: The M1 iPad Pros, 24 inch iMacs started shipping! And some other worthless tidbits
Posted June 3rd, 2021 by Ryu at 7:00 am in MacRyu Podcast. 0 CommentsApple Announces 2021 Pride Bands for Apple Watch
Posted May 17th, 2021 by Ryu at 9:39 pm in Apple Watch Bands and Pride Bands. 0 Comments
OMFG.
The braided solo loop version is extremely nice.
I personally hated the solo loops and the braided solo loops for their inability to adjust, and sworn off buying them previously, but it looks like I may have to eat my words just for this once. Will have to go into store to test my sizing though, which is a pain in the arse.
Apple also announced the Nike+ Sport Loop version, which looks uninspired and reused the design from one of their previous pride bands (Woven Nylon 2018).
The Braided Solo Loop is available for 149SGD, and the Nike+ Sport Loop is available for 69SGD.
In other news, Apple also announced Apple Music is getting Hi-Res.
The Apple iPhone 12 mini Silicone Case with MagSafe – Capri Blue
Posted May 14th, 2021 by Ryu at 12:42 pm in Accessories. 0 Comments
Capri Blue is my favorite color from the current Spring 2021 release of Apple accessories, and I could not help myself from buying one of the silicon cases for my iPhone 12 mini.
Here it is. This is how the blue looks indoors. For photos of how Capri Blue looks like brighter (Apple Store level) lighting, check out my previous post.
Here is a comparison of the Capri Blue Silicon Case with the Dark Navy Silicon Case I am currently using on my iPhone 12 mini.
And here it is installed on my iPhone 12 mini, charging on the MagSafe puck.
Pixelmator Pro, easily the most native image manipulation app on macOS, is now on sale for 50% off. It is not often that Pixelmator Pro goes on sale, and 50% is the biggest discount that I have tracked so far.
Buy it from the Mac App Store.
First Look at the Purple iPhone 12 and the Spring 2021 Apple Accessories
Posted May 7th, 2021 by Ryu at 5:12 pm in Accessories, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Bands, iPhone and iPhone 12. 0 Comments
The shade of purple on the new Purple iPhone 12 is just such a fantastic color. In the whole iPhone 12 and 12 Pro lineup there is no other color that comes close to it. As mentioned in a previous post, if Apple had released this color on launch day I would not have picked blue for my iPhone 12 mini. The blue for the 12 mini is decent, but it is way too dark for my liking. I prefer something brighter or visually more striking than a dark shade of blue for my main iPhone. As far as blue on iPhones go nothing has beaten the blue on the iPhone XR even today.
But Apple also just released what was probably the best shade of blue for its accessories since they started making accessories seriously half a decade ago.
Capri Blue, which is probably best described as a more saturated version of Surf Blue, is my favorite shade of blue that Apple has released so far. It joins Amethyst as the most popular colors for official accessories this season.
Unlike Amethyst, however, Capri Blue is available on the Apple Watch Sport Band as well, so it is a double whammy of accessories to buy for blue lovers this time around.
Amethyst, along with its leather variant Dark Violet, was released to compliment the Purple iPhone 12 and 12 mini, and looks superb, probably only the second best purple Apple has ever released for accessories, after Ultra Violet a few years ago. Dark Violet, on the other hand, is disappointing. Purple dye on leather is probably way too hard to do correctly.
I also managed to take a look at the various official AirTag accessories, including the Hermès ones. I have to say, they do not feel any different in quality from the Apple leather accessories, and unless you really want Hermès, the official Apple ones will feel as premium.
Listen to my discussion of the latest Apple accessories on my brand new podcast, the MacRyu Podcast, available on the following platforms.
Almost one week after the launch of the AirTag, mine is finally here. Having my order engraved meant that I will definitely not be receiving my order on launch day, as the item will be shipped from China on the 30th of April, instead of being shipped from Apple’s Singapore warehouses.
The shiny stainless steel of past Apple iPods ia back!
There is just the AirTag and some documentation inside.
The box the single AirTag pack comes in is the same size as the box for the MagSafe charging puck.
You have to choose an emoji to represent the AirTag on the map in Find My.
Despite the additional delay, everyone buying an AirTag directly from the Apple Online Store should have the AirTag engraved, especially with an emoji mixed in. You will be asked to select an emoji during the AirTag pairing process for the purpose of identifying the AirTag in Find My, so engraving with at least an emoji will help to mark the AirTag physically.
This shiny back itself is worth the 45SGD.
Sorry I prefer not to expose what I engraved.
A closing look at the AirTag without its plastic wrapping.
Unlike the laser engraving on iPods and iPads, which are tiny enough to be insignificant (yet causing a significant drop in their resale value), the engraving option on the AirTag is essential to the design of the AirTag. The plain white circle side of the AirTag is an empty canvas where your personal design (albeit with a maximum of 4 characters/3 emoji) will go on. You pay the same whether you get your AirTag engraved or not, so definitely choose to have it engraved unless there are discounts for unmarked ones. I mean, nobody buys a notebook and leave it empty for its lifespan.
I talked about the AirTags and the other new products Apple introduced at their Spring Loaded event on my brand new podcast, the MacRyu Podcast, which is now available on Apple Podcasts. You can also subscribe using one of the links below or by adding the RSS link directly to your podcast player.
The MacRyu Podcast Episode One: Apple’s Spring Loaded Event, iOS 14.5 and macOS 11.3
Finally.
The MacRyu Podcast is now a reality.
Unlike ExFAT, the MacRyu Podcast is hosted only by myself and marks the first time i am podcasting in the one person format. The podcast has been planned for a while, but everytime i think about talking to myself to the micrpphone makes me procastinate. Not anymore.
The MacRyu Podcast will be published on a regular schedule, with one episode per month at (he start of each month. I will be mainly covering and talking about the main Apple news from the previous month. There may also be additional episodes if and when Apple hold events or releases new products.
Episode One is online since Monday morning, but I had originally wanted to wait until it is published in Apple Podcasts to post this, but has now changed my mind. The Anchor.fm web player is embedded at the end of this post, and i will update it to the Apple Podcast one when that is ready. You are currently able to search and subscribe to the podcast in Anchor.fm, PocketCasts, and (fucking) Spotify. Or add the show directly to your podcast app using the RSS link here:
https://anchor.fm/s/29a6b20/podcast/rss.
UPDATE: WE ARE NOW ON APPLE PODCASTS!!!!!!!!!!
I heard DHH wasn’t a huge fan of companies taking a 30% cut so I wonder how his day is going
— willman (@willmanduffy) April 30, 2021
In case you don’t understand the context, here is what happened earlier today.
Fuck DHH. And Spotify and Match Group and Tile. Because they are just nothing more than a bunch of evil, greedy people that the world does not need in this day and age.
Should you preorder or buy the 24 inch M1 iMac?
Posted April 30th, 2021 by Ryu at 7:30 pm in iMac and M1. 0 Comments
It is only less than an hour before preorders for the new 24 inch M1 iMac start. Have you decided if you are going to buy one?
First things first. Uninformed outlets (including the idiots whom MacWorld UK pay to write their trashy articles) think that Apple shrunk the 27 inch iMac to 24 inches and gave it a low end processor, making it a “down grade†in their eyes.
That is not the case.
The new 24 inch iMac is a replacement for the 21.5 inch iMac, which was always a low end computer filled with low end parts to meet a price point. If you are a current 27 inch iMac user (like myself) you should wait for now.
If you were already thinking of buying a desktop Mac and price is more important than more performance and the absolutely biggest screen size, then the 24 inch iMac is a no brainer (unless of course, you prefer to use your current monitor to save some money or you hate all-in-ones).
The 24 inch is an absolute steal. You get power that’s better than the majority of intel Macs being sold until today, all at a starting price that is only 50 USD more than the 12.9 inch M1 iPad Pro (which comes with no accessories).
Of course you should really buy at least the mid range model to enjoy the benefits of the new system, like the TouchID keyboard and the power adapter with built in Ethernet. But if you prefer to save some money the entry model is definitely as powerful as the other two models. You just will not have the choice of purple, yellow or orange colours if one of those is what you wanted to go for.
If you are a first time Mac desktop user and wonder if the iMac will last you long enough to make your investment worth it, here is an example – my first iMac is the 2007 model, and it is still being used today. Macs are built to last, and the massive performance overhead of all the M1 Macs ensure that you will have them at a usable performance level for probably way longer than the latest Intel Macs (or any x86 machine, for that matter).
The final question is, of course, what colour will you pick? (I pick purple, because while I cannot decide between blue and purple, purple is limited to online sales and only reserved for the higher grade models).
Things to note when using Unlock with Apple Watch (with your FaceID iPhone)
Posted April 28th, 2021 by Ryu at 7:51 pm in Apple Watch, iOS 14.5 and Unlock with Apple Watch. 0 Comments
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By now you should have heard and seen the news about the lifesaving feature in iOS 14.5 – Unlock with Apple Watch. In this age where masks are compulsory, FaceID is a pain when you are outdoors. With iOS 14.5 and a compatible Apple Watch (Series 3 and above), you can now unlock your iPhone even when masked.
Steps to enable Unlock with Apple Watch
- Make sure your Apple Watch (only works with Series 3 and onwards, and SE) is on watchOS 7.4. If not, follow instructions to install watchOS 7.4 on your watch first.
- Next, go to your iPhone Settings > FaceID and Passcode, and make sure the Apple Watch setting you want to use “Unlock with Apple Watch†with is turned on. If you have “Update Needed” beside your inactive (currently not connected) Apple Watch shown, even though that particular watch is already updated, there is no need to worry. It seems to be a bug. Once the watch is connected it goes away.
- Tap on “Turn on” for the following prompt
- Enjoy!
- Every time you unlock your iPhone, your Apple Watch will provide haptic feedback as well as a prompt to lock the iPhone down if the unlock is unwanted.
Things to take note of
Does Not Work for Authenticating Apple PayÂ
It will not work for authenticating Apple Pay to pay with your iPhone. You still have to enter your iPhone’s passcode. But since you are already wearing your Apple Watch you should just use that instead. If Apple Pay has yet to be set up on your Apple Watch, set it up now. Remember that you need add the same credit card to the iPhone and Apple Watch separate, the card you have in your iPhone doesn’t appear in the Watch automatically.
Unlock will Fail if the Connection to your Watch is Weak
This is the case especially for iPhones with multiple Apple Watches paired. Sometimes the auto switching can fail or even when the correct watch is shown as connected, the Bluetooth connection might be weak. The easiest way to test this is by going into the Watch app on your iPhone and setting a random “as your current watch face”. If the watch face on your Apple Watch does not change  immediately then the connection is not working normally. Usually it will resolve by itself in a few minutes. Sometimes it requires you to reboot both your iPhone and your Apple Watch.
Does not Work for iCloud Keychain or when FaceID is Set to Unlock/Login into Apps
If you have previously set FaceID as a quick way to login or unlock certain apps (bank apps, payment apps, etc), Unlock with Apple Watch will not unlock your app. It is strictly for unlocking the iPhone only. This means it will not work when you are trying to unlock your PayLah! app to pay at Daiso or if you are trying to login to Health Buddy by authenticating with the Singpass app. If you have not set FaceID to unlock those apps then you will need the relevant passwords you set for those apps. Or you can just enter your iPhone’s passcode. Either way it is still friction in the usage process, and prevents the some people from using those apps when they are outside for fear of CCTVs catching their passwords/codes.
Conclusion
I am trying to think of more negative points for Unlock with Apple Watch all while typing this on a train ride, but I really can not find any. This is the feature we needed all along for the past 12 months, and while it is a year late I am glad we got this after all. With the rumors of the next iPhone getting under display TouchID going away somewhat, Unlock with Apple Watch is definitely needed to survive the pandemic days going forward.
For those with older Apple Watches (Series 0, 1 and 2), while it is possible to use your Apple Watch with iOS 14, the Unlock with Apple Watch feature is a watchOS 7.4 feature. Since Series 1 and 2 can only run watchOS 6, maybe it is time to consider buying a new Apple Watch. Amazon US has the latest Series 6 40mm Product RED Apple Watch at 100USD off its MSRP of 399USD.
