Essential Apple User Magazine August 2020

The next versions of the iPhone’s and iPad’s operating systems, iOS and iPadOS respectively, are looking good. Unveiled in a keynote at the online-only Worldwide Developers’ Conference 2020, they’re make significant strides on improving the way we use our iPhones and iPads. Unsurprisingly, they have a lot of features in common, which is probably why they’ve both been given the version number ’14’, even though this is only the second version of iPadOS since it split from iOS as a separate operating system for Apple’s tablets. But what do iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 have in store when they launch in September 2020, and what concerns do we have about the new systems?…

1: Home Screen Widgets Widgets give you information at a glance. They’re already a boon on the iPhone’s Today screen. iOS 14 takes things further, allowing you to add Home Screen Widgets for your apps anywhere. They’re to come in different sizes too, both on the Today screen and on the Home screen. This lets you choose what level of information you wish to display. On-screen widgets can be moved around the available screen area, just like app icons, and you can add and remove them as you wish. Best of all, you can add a Smart Stack of widgets and scroll through them to select the widget you need. Widgets aren’t exactly a new concept, but on the Home screen, they take things to a new level. Imagine having the weather…

1: Copying Android Home Screen Widgets, App Library and App Clips are all very nice, but let’s not pretend they’re new. Android users have enjoyed similar features for years. Steve Jobs famously said, ‘We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas,” and it seems his successors are of a similar mind. 2: App Icon Problem There’s a curious hiccup in the early builds of iOS/iPadOS 14. If you add a Home Screen Widget to the Home screen and delete the app icon for the app in question, there’s no easy way of getting it back. For example, if you add a Calendar widget to the Home screen and remove the Calendar icon, but later want it back, you can’t restore it from the App Store because the app is still installed and…

Last autumn, Apple released its Series 5 Apple Watch; the most innovative update since the watch’s launch in 2015. The display is now significantly larger than before, despite the casing only measuring 2mm bigger. It’s been pushed to the edges of the screen, cutting down on the boarder and giving an active surface that’s over 30% larger than before, but it’s the health benefits of the new Apple Watch we’re interested in here. The Series 5 watch has gained a range of new heart rate features. The watch can automatically detect if your heart rate is too high or low and also if your heart’s rhythm is irregular, which could be a result of atrial fibrillation: a potentially serious condition. The watch sends you a notification and if you’ve not already…

The Series 5 Apple Watch takes a new look at the smartwatch. It has some great new features, and Apple has instigated a great new way of selling them. Buy online, or in an Apple Store, and you no longer have to buy a set watch and strap. Instead, you choose the case you want and combine it with a band of your choice. With over a thousand combinations, it makes for a much more personalised timepiece. Always On The Apple Watch Series 5’s Retina display is always on, giving instant access to important information without tapping or lifting the screen. Just the thing when you’re doing a workout and you simply can’t turn your wrist. It does, however, dim itself to preserve battery. A tap or raise returns the watch face…

Clue Period Tracker, Ovulation Developer: BioWink GmbH Price: Free (IAP) System requirements: iOS 10.0 or later Track your period, record energy levels and learn how your cycle affects your fitness routine. Subscribe for more features. Runkeeper Developer: FitnessKeeper, Inc. Price: Free (IAP) System requirements: iOS 10.0 or later Whether you’re running professionally or just for fun, this running tracker with GPS for iPhone and Apple Watch is great. Calorie Counter + Developer: NutraTech Ltd Price: Free (IAP) System requirements: iOS 10.0 or later A calorie-counting app, used for scanning barcodes, with a database of over 240,000 foods. After a seven-day trial, it needs a subscription. Fitocracy – Fitness Collective Developer: Fitocracy, Inc. Price: FREE (IAP) System requirements: iOS 8.0 or later One for the competitive keep-fit fans, work out with the app and join the Fitocracy community to test youself against others. Streaks Developer: Crunchy Bagel Price: £4.99, $4.99, 5,49 € System requirements:…