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Welcome to the November 2020 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which highlights what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis by members of the community - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

A…

I found a cure for the pandemic lockdown blues. Online shopping. I started clicking the buy button back in early November, bogging down Safari with megabytes of product page HTTP cookies. But after buying gifts for my spouse and grandson, I found it difficult to stop.

I felt a sudden urge to buy the iPhone SE 2020. I mean, that iPhone XR stretching the lining of my pocket just seemed so heavy. And how could I sleep at night knowing I could never upgrade my 2012 MacBook Pro to Big Sur…

For years, my early childhood only included me and my younger sister. We lived with our parents near Lake Michigan in a small Indiana town. We enjoyed the temperate summers and were buried in snow each winter. It was an idyllic time, nary a care, just us two little kids being adorable.

In the second half of 1958, life morphed in a new direction. My Mom began to expand. She had always been tall, slim and athletic, but now she waddled about with what appeared to be a watermelon hidden…

In 2020, Apple has given consumers the widest ever selection of iPhones to choose from. From the 2nd generation iPhone SE with its legacy home button design and a 4.7 inch screen, to the four new iPhone 12 models which range from 5.4 inches to a massive 6.7 inches, there really should be something in the line up to suit everyone’s preferences.

Why the 12 mini?

I won’t recap all of the ins and outs of the various options here, but I will say that from the earliest rumours…

Apple has today released iOS 14.2.1 to resolve a small number of notable issues specific to the iPhone 12.

Here are the release notes for iOS 14.2.1;

• Some MMS messages may not be received
• Made for iPhone hearing devices could have sound quality issues when listening to audio from iPhone
• Lock Screen could become unresponsive on iPhone 12 mini

As iOS 14.2.1 is a limited release for the iPhone 12 only and addresses issues specific to these…

Apple has today released macOS 11 Big Sur to the public. As usual, we won’t cover the mainstream features here, concentrating instead on what's new and changed for blind and low vision users. For an overview of the mainstream changes, we recommend that you read this in-depth review by MacStories.

Please remember to check the section about bugs to see if now is the right time to upgrade. There’s no…

Intro

Today, Apple held what is probably its final live event of the year: "One More Thing". True to its title, this announcement consisted of one thing: the M1, Apple's first custom chip, and the new Macs that will be powered by it.

If you regularly read my summary articles, you'll know that I'm not afraid to editorialize a bit. Well, be ready for more of that than usual. I'll tell you what Apple said, as…

Alongside the release of iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2, Apple has today released watchOS 7.1, tvOS 14.2, macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update, and new 14.2 software for HomePod to the public.

In watchOS 7.1, our testing indicates that Apple has resolved an issue which saw the 2-finger 'Magic Tap' gesture not work to answer a phone call. Now, to answer…

Apple has today released iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 to the public. In addition to bringing fixes for a large number of the bugs that iOS 14.0 and iPadOS 14.0 introduced for VoiceOver and braille users, these releases add the …

Apple has today announced a “One More Thing” media event for November 10, 2020, at 10:00 am Pacific. As with its two previous Fall events, this will be online only.

Apple said at WWDC that its first Apple silicon Mac would debut before the end of the year, so it's almost certain that this will be the “one more thing”.

It’s possible that Apple could also announce the long-rumored AirTags tracker, and possibly AirPod Studio over-ear headphones too.

Apple is likely to…

Welcome to the October 2020 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which highlights what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis by members of the community - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

…

In the upcoming releases of iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2, Apple is adding a new People Detection feature to its Magnifier app on liDAR-equipped devices that will enable blind and low vision users to determine the distance between themselves and nearby people.

With the introduction of People Detection, Apple is delivering the first example of how the LiDAR Scanner's ability to quickly and accurately scan and map nearby objects can be harnessed to offer significant added value to blind and…

Coming away from Apple's recent “Hi, Speed” event, I found my thoughts travelling back ten years to being in line to buy my first iPhone, when the only decision needed before reaching the front of the line was whether I wanted the 16GB or 32GB model. With Apple releasing five new iPhone models this year - the SE, 12 mini, the 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max - it was hard not to feel some nostalgia for the purity and…

Apple has today released iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1 to the public.

For blind and low vision users, our preliminary testing suggests that Apple has resolved the most critical issues present in the initial releases of iOS and iPadOS 14. However, there are also a couple new bugs in today's releases.

Fixes for Blind and Low Vision Users in iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1

• …

Also in this series:

• GarageBand Part 1: The Basics
• GarageBand Part 2: Mixing and Mastering
• GarageBand Part 3: Drummers and Loops
• Related podcast: …

Apple has today released watchOS 7.0.3 for the Apple Watch Series 3.

According to Apple's release notes via Mac Rumors, watchOS 7.0.3 contains a fix for an issue which could cause Apple Watch Series 3 devices to restart unexpectedly:

watchOS 7.0.3 contains improvements and bug fixes, including an issue where Apple Watch Series 3 may unexpectedly restart for some users.

…

Hi, Speed

Today was Apple's second event this fall, named "Hi, Speed". The previous one, about a month ago, introduced new Apple Watch and iPad models, among other announcements. Notably absent that day was any mention of iPhone.

That's what today was all about. We now have all the details on iPhone 12, which is seeing some changes to its line-up with the inclusion of a "mini" option. Of course, today's announcements covered more than just iPhone; we also got the details on…

Update: AppleInsider and MacRumors both now report that these updates were not meant for the public but were briefly, and inadvertently, published to the main release channel. Apple subsequently pulled the initial downloads and has re-released them as downloads exclusive to…

Apple has today released watchOS 7.0.2, bringing a fix for an issue that caused an Apple Watch's battery to drain more quickly than expected.

According to Apple's release notes, via MacRumors this update:

• Addresses an issue that could cause the battery to drain more quickly
• Resolves an issue that prevented some users from accessing the ECG app in regions…

Apple has today announced that it will be holding its second fall special event on October 13.

It is anticipated that this event will see the launch of the iPhone 12; and possibly other products such as Apple AirPods Studio, AirTags, an Apple Silicon powered MacBook, a smaller HomePod, and an updated Apple TV.

As with the recent “Time Flies” event, this will be a virtual presentation likely featuring pre-recorded sections for each new product. It starts at 10am PT and will be…