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Welcome to the June 2023 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, your monthly digest of the latest and most notable content on the AppleVis website. This edition features a curated selection of community-submitted updates, including new app entries, updates, news, and podcasts. We're releasing this edition a couple of days earlier than usual due to personal reasons. Rest assured, we will return to our regular end-of-month publication schedule next month.

New and Noteworthy App Entries…

Apple has today released iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, and watchOS 9.5.2 to the public.

According to Apple's release notes, these updates include important security fixes and are recommended for all users. The iOS and iPadOS updates address a bug that could prevent charging with the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.

As today's updates appear to have been released to address a small set of specific issues, our expectation is that they do not contain…

Introduction

There has been quite a bit of discussion and debate of late around the merits of iOS and Android, and this has coincided with my own journey into using Android. In February this year, after thirteen years using iPhones, I bought a Samsung Galaxy S23. I had long been curious about Android and had dabbled with it over the years, primarily as my work phone. I had never really picked it up and used it as my primary day to day phone though, at least not since I spent a…

It's hard to believe that it was 8 years ago that the first Apple Watch was released! I wasn't someone who dived straight in with Apple's new smart watch, but I did watch the reviews with interest and eventually, in 2016 I finally got a series 1 watch, which was actually the second version of the watch (just to make life confusing). I remember reading David Goodwin's one year anniversary blog post and a lot of his…

Apple's highly anticipated annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicked off today with the customary keynote presentation. During the event, Apple unveiled the next major updates to all its software platforms and introduced the much-awaited mixed-reality headset and some new Mac models.

Our editorial team member Alex (‘mehgcap’), who typically provides detailed event summaries, regrets being unable to do so this time due to work commitments.

Summarizing a 2-hour…

If you’ve read my previous blogs, you know I enjoy deep dives into non-intuitive user interfaces—Discord, GarageBand, and Google Docs, to name a few. Documenting these beasts comes with some peril. Software is mutable. After I post my detailed description of (fill-in-the-complicated-app-…

Welcome to the May 2023 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, your monthly digest of the latest and most notable content on the AppleVis website. This edition features a curated selection of community-submitted updates, including new app entries, updates, news, and podcasts.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

BookPlayer (iOS/iPadOS, Free With In-App Purchases)

A wonderful player for your M4B/M4A/MP3 based audiobooks.

Import

• …

Ahead of its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starting 5 June, Apple has today announced the 36 finalists for this year's Apple Design Awards; and it's great to see that in the running for the Inclusivity category are a number of apps which will be familiar to many in our community.

The awards honor excellence in innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement in app and game design. This year, Apple is dividing the…

We are thrilled to announce the induction of GoodMaps Explore and lire: RSS Reader into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame.

First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is a way for our community to honor developers who are committed to making their apps fully accessible to blind and low vision users. The inductees transform lives, empower individuals, provide invaluable information, and bring joy and entertainment to users. They represent the very best in accessible iOS…

Apple has today released macOS Ventura 13.4, watchOS 9.5, and tvOS 16.5 to the public.

The release notes for macOS Ventura 13.4 say that it “addresses a VoiceOver issue with navigating to landmarks on webpages.” Additionally, we are aware of the following new bug:

• In System Settings > General > Software update > Beta updates, nothing happens when…

Apple has today released iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 to the public. While these updates seem to be relatively minor, they do introduce two changes. The first one is the Sports tab in the News app that allows users to easily access news, scores, and schedules for their favorite teams and leagues. The second is a new wallpaper option named "Pride Celebration."

These updates introduce an enhanced version of a feature initially introduced in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 for Braille users. In…

It was more than thirty years ago. My professional feelings were hurt. I had worked very hard for a long time and I was being passed over on something that felt important to me. The more I thought about it, the more it just didn't sit right. I trudged up the hill to my boss's office. No one had been nasty to me. No one had tampered with my budget, and no one had cut my salary. I walked in and shut the door. My boss could tell I was not a happy camper. He asked me what was the matter…

Dear AppleVis community,

We have always embraced a "light touch" approach to moderating our site, placing our trust in the incredible individuals who make up our community to maintain a positive and welcoming atmosphere.

Recently, however, we have noticed a significant increase in off-topic comments and posts that contribute little or nothing to the conversations at hand. We understand and accept that a certain degree of this kind of interaction can foster a natural and…

Apple is once again celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) by offering a preview of upcoming software features designed to enhance cognitive, vision, hearing, and mobility accessibility. These features, scheduled for release later this year, aim to empower individuals with disabilities and make it easier…

We're thrilled to announce that the voting for the 2023 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is now open, marking the twelfth year of this esteemed event. Our Hall of Fame is a way for our community to honor developers who are committed to making their apps fully accessible to blind and low vision users. The inductees transform lives, empower individuals, provide invaluable information, and bring joy and entertainment to users. They represent the very best in accessible iOS…

Welcome to the April 2023 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, your monthly digest of the latest and most notable content on the AppleVis website. This edition features a curated selection of community-submitted updates, including new app entries, updates, news, and podcasts.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Aiko (iOS/iPadOS, Free)

High-quality on-device transcription. Easily convert speech to text from meetings, lectures, and more.

The…

Apple's HomePod and HomePod mini smart speakers can now recognize the sound of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send a notification alert to your iPhone or iPad.

The feature, known as Sound Recognition, was first announced in January 2023, alongside the launch of the second-generation HomePod. However, it required the revamped HomeKit architecture, which was released in November 2022 but then pulled in December. Following the release of macOS Ventura 13.3 and iOS 16.4, the…

Apple has today released iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, and MacOS Ventura 13.3.1 to the public.

According to Apple's release notes, iOS 16.4.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1 bring fixes for the following bugs related to emoji and Siri:

• Pushing hands emoji does not show skin tone variations
• Siri does not respond in some cases

In addition to the emoji bug fix mentioned above, MacOS Ventura 13.3.1 also includes the following bug fix:

• Auto Unlock your…

Welcome to the March 2023 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, your monthly digest of the latest and most notable content on the AppleVis website. This edition features a curated selection of community-submitted updates, including new app entries, updates, news, and podcasts.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Blind Quest 2 (iOS/iPadOS, US$5.99)

In this stand-alone adventure, “THE FROST DEMON”, you will guide Nathan the mercenary in a NEW ADVENTURE in the…

Apple has today released macOS Ventura 13.3, watchOS 9.4, and tvOS 16.4 to the public.

Based on our experience, it appears that the following accessibility-related bugs have been resolved or significantly addressed in macOS Ventura 13.3:

• VoiceOver now speaks the contents of headings on Youtube.com in Safari.
• …