Apple & Tech The RSS feed for Apple & Tech.

  • I made discoveries today while doing some much-needed cleanup in my home office. Here, this is what could be the first Apple dongle1. More to come soon… 👀


    1. This box was an AppleTalk network junction box. The smaller beige piece was for connecting two AppleTalk cables. ↩︎

  • I’m weak. 🤦🏻‍♂️

  • FineWoven case-gate. Titanium-scratch-gate. Overheating-gate. What’s next for the iPhone 15 Pro?1


    1. so far, no issue with the Max! ↩︎

  • My iPhone 15 Pro Max is not overheating. But I find those reports, as reported here, a bit worrying. Could Apple fix or mitigate these occurrences with a software update or a new configuration toggle in the Settings.app? Did you experience overheating issues?

  • Why do I always feel nervous when changing my Apple ID password? 😨

  • Now it’s confirmed: my Finch Lavalier microphone1 doesn’t work with Apple’s USB-C to Lightning adaptor with the iPhone 15 Pro USB-C post. I repeat: it doesn’t work. It’s the first official and confirmed victim of the transition to USB-C. I’ll have to figure out a new solution for my podcast and YouTube video recording2. 😡


    1. a third-party review here ↩︎

    2. the iPhone’s microphone with voice isolation could be enough. ↩︎

  • Well, now one of my Apple Watch1 won’t pair with my new iPhone since the migration was completed yesterday. It’s the one that I wasn’t wearing. Rebooting the watch doesn’t help. Rebooting the phone doesn’t help. Now what? 🤔


    1. I’ve got two: a Series 6 for the night, a Series 8 for the day. ↩︎

  • iPhone 15 Pro Max - First Impressions

    It feels great in hand, similar in fact to the weight of my iPhone 13 Pro (not the Max), which is great. The back is darker than my iPhone 11 Pro, and I love it. I’m quite happy with the darker black. It’s a bit darker than I thought. It’s definitively a finger magnet. It’s very soft to the touch. Rounded contours are really making a difference. The device feels more approachable. The screen is so nice. The setup process is superbly executed. An update to iOS was required before transferring the content from my iPhone 13 Pro. Yet, there were many apps which required reentering my credentials. Data transfer was estimated at one hour1. The data transfer took about 45 minutes. The Always On display is… always on. 😳 I don’t know if I’ll keep that option… on.


    1. At that point, the WiFi logo disappeared and I started wondering if the data was going through 5G instead. That was curious. It’s not possible because my new phone didn’t have the SIM call installed yet. Or maybe it was going through Bluetooth or through a point-to-point WiFi connection? ↩︎

  • When Journalists Aren't Any Better Than ChatGPT

    In the “Craptacular Is More Like It” article, this is @gruber@mastodon.social at its best. I read the original article earlier this week and concluded that Apple had difficult times ahead with its modem development. This morning, in my usual reading routine, I read the article from Mr. Gruber, and I think it succeeds in demonstrating this: the original article wasn’t any better than any ChatGPT-generated content.

    Now I feel that I was deceived by the journalist who tried to fill me with unverified and barely possible facts tied together based on thin air. And you would think journalists can do better than AI-generated work? Not always. Thanks to Mr. Gruber for that one.

  • My expectations for the iPhone 15 Pro Max fit and finish and how it feels in my hands are very high. I’m looking for something similar to the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5 and iPhone 7 feelings… those never were matched by subsequent iPhones.

  • My iPhone 15 Pro Max is still in “Preparing to ship” state. Delivery is scheduled for tomorrow. I’m guessing the device is waiting in a warehouse somewhere near Toronto or in Canada. 🙏🏻🤓

  • Where's The Magic in Adaptive Audio?

    Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness don’t click for me

    I’ve been using Apple’s new AirPods features for the past week, and I’m sad to say that I don’t really understand either of them

    I’m with Matt here. I fail to find the magic here. I’ve read Gruber’s take on the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, and I’m afraid I don’t feel anything magical about Adaptive Audio. When activated, I hear too much from the surroundings; I prefer noise cancellation. Can we get adaptive noise cancellation instead? 🤔

    I feel that Apple’s engineers couldn’t figure out which new audio profiles to include and couldn’t decide, and they suggested including both. Then, the marketing guys came in and named these profiles Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness. Boom. I’m half-joking here.

    I’ll keep trying in the next few days to find the magic.

  • Review of Reviews: Great Updates to Already Great iPhone but...

    Today, I read many iPhone 15 Pro reviews and watched many YouTube videos too. For some reason, I get the feeling of a slight deception mood across many reviewers. Those are great upgrades, but since they are compared to last year’s iPhone, the improvements are dimmed as mostly minor. A mentioned the superiority of the iPhone in the video recording field, but in the photography field, it’s less clear. Sharpening seems a tad less aggressive with more natural tones. The 24MP resolution by default is a welcomed addition, and yet… it’s not a home run. Device physical tweaks are unanimously welcomed, though. Maybe tomorrow, my interpretation will be different. 🤷🏻‍♂️

  • It’s going to be a big phone. Got my Peak Design iPhone case yesterday😃. I like it. Great design1 and nice feeling to the touch.


    1. I worry a bit about the effectiveness of the case buttons when pressed against the iPhone’s buttons. Lack of “travel” will diminish the pressing effect. ↩︎

  • Testing Apple's USB-C to Lightning Adaptor with iPad Pro

    I wanted to follow up a previous post of mine about using my Lightning-based Lavalier microphone with a USB-C device, like my 2018 iPad Pro1. I ordered the USB-C to Lightning adaptor on the day of the Apple keynote. I got it this morning. If you are wondering if it works with Ferrite and Apple’s Voice Memos on my iPad Pro? No, it doesn’t.😔


    1. A positive conclusion would have been a good sign on the prospect of making it work with the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max. Now, it’s not sure at all. ↩︎

  • Ordered. I’ll wait before buying a case from Apple because I’m not sure about the new FineWoven texture and durability. Some YouTubers said the feeling to the touch is similar to suede and I’m not a fan. #iphone15pro #iphone15promax

  • Today is a caseless day with my iPhone 13 Pro. Best way to experience the device design and flaws1.


    1. Like the too sharp edges. The too shiny flat edges. ↩︎

  • Get Ready for iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro” on Apple.com1, is this new, or was it available for the iPhone 14 launch last year? I find this to be a great way to limit frustration on the day the new iPhones will go on sale (tomorrow). 🤔


    1. The new website feature enables anyone to build their iPhone order, including setting up the return of the older iPhone for a credit. In theory, on the day of availability, you’ll click “Buy”. ↩︎

  • Did anyone notice this new “time-based” page indicator on Apple.com?1. It is very well-designed and clever.


    1. Can be seen in the iPhone 15 Pro sub-website. ↩︎

  • Apple Wonderlust Event — My Initial Impressions

    These are my impressions of Apple’s latest product announcements.

    The mother nature segment was funny, and I smiled quite often. It was a great way to communicate their progress toward better environmental protection and reduced carbon footprint. Video production quality was top-notch. Aren’t tech press people tired of going to Apple Park to watch a movie?

    Many comments during the presentation about the desire by Apple to see people go into their stores to buy and activate the new iPhones1.

    We got a short update about the upcoming Apple Vision Pro, which is still on track for early 2024. That was expected but felt a bit short.

    Onto the Apple Watch.

    The Apple Watch Series 9 is a mildly interesting update. The new finger gestures are cool but only for Series 9. Too bad. I’ll probably buy a few new bands later this fall. I’ll skip this year’s updates and wait for next year’s rumoured redesign.

    Moving to the star of the show. The iPhone.

    The iPhone remains the crown jewel of Apple. Everything else is peripheral. The design of the Pro line is absolutely gorgeous (rounded edges, great pro finishes). The A17 Pro (bye-bye Bionic) is a powerhouse CPU! I’ll go with the 15 Pro Max with 512 GB of storage. I’ll order the “USB-C to Lightning adaptor” to keep using my excellent Cavalier microphone (see my previous blog post about the issue).

    The black finish is my choice with a blue FineWoven case2. Best of both worlds. Thanks to this video, which helped me confirm my decision3. Those wallpapers are gorgeous, too! This is the first time in a while that I love them so much. I’m overall happy with this year’s Pro finishes and tones. Very classy.

    I’m a bit surprised by the battery life capacity to be the same as last year’s Pro models. I was expecting longer battery life with the A17, but I guess since we get more features… something has to give. I expect next year’s iPad Pro to use a derivative of the A17 Pro announced today.

    About cameras. A 5x range for telephoto, not 6x4. I’m surprised it’s not 6x. But 120mm is great for travelling. Shooting with the phone and having the preview immediately available on the Mac, just like pros are expecting. Wow. Do images on the 15 Pro line have less over-processing / sharpening? I certainly hope so. And about those immersive spacial videos to be shot on the 15 Pro but visioned on the Apple Vision Pro, coming later this year. Consider me intrigued5. The camera app has a few tweaks, judging by some video segments, for the 2x mode, where you can select the focal length. Cool.

    There is no monstrous price increase, which is good. Some price adjustments on the entry-level iPhone 15 Pro Max. The speed limit of the USB-C on the non-Pro line is ridiculous6. iCloud+ storage tier at 6TB is a surprise, still 5GB7 at the entry-level, though. I like the action button flexibility.

    I’ll order my new phone this Friday. That is all for now.


    1. Apparently, the vast majority of iPhone in the US aren’t bought in an Apple Store. Apple would like to improve that. ↩︎

    2. I might change my mind, depending of videos from the hands-on area at Apple Park. ↩︎

    3. My second choice would probably be the blue finish next in third position, the natural titanium color. ↩︎

    4. 25x digital zoom apparently. Not bad. ↩︎

    5. I’m still not planning to buy an Apple Vision Pro. ↩︎

    6. 480 mb/s. Ouch. ↩︎

    7. Yes, that is right, a mere 5 gigabytes! ↩︎