iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

Like many readers, working from home is my new norm. And that means acquiring the right teleconferencing equipment. Additionally, podcasters, hardcore gamers, streamers, and YouTube influencers all need a quality microphone. That means a USB-based digital microphone and not analog. And you might want one that accommodates different type of conversations (conference room, one-on-one interviews, and solo broadcasting.) For years, I've been using the microphones from Blue, like the Snowball and Yeti. Recently, Logitech, which owns Blue, let me try its higher-end model, the Yeti X ($169.99). 

As popular as Apple's AirPods are, there are openings where other vendors can fill in the gaps. For starters, enough with the white plastic. I had the opportunity to try ATH-CK3TW In-Ear Wireless Headphones ($99) by Audio Technica at the Consumer Electronics Show. Immediately, you see the dark teal blue color and know these are not your standard earbuds. They are also sold in black or white for those who prefer more mundane color choices.

If you alternate between listening to music and podcasts or web conferences, there's a pair of headphones for that. ONANOFF sent me a review unit of its Fokus headphones ($49.99) to try. The name is appropriate, as at the flick of a button, you can switch between music and voice modes, to emphasize bass sound or spoken words, alternatively. Additionally, they are covered in stylish gray fabric on the earcups, exterior, and headband. I found them quite comfortable to wear for a long time, in part due to the fabric, but also because the earcups go around my ears instead of resting on them.

The announcements at Apple’s WWDC 2020 had plenty of hype for iPhones, iPads, Mac, and Apple Watch, but not every reveal that day came with a song and dance. A few key features of the new suite of operating systems were slipped into documentation released online without fanfare: on-device Siri processing; deeper support for third-party mail, web browsing, and music apps; and more. Maybe Apple thought we wouldn’t be as excited about these features, but for at least a few of these, we definitely are!

Today during the WWDC 2020 keynote event, Apple announced all the features of its upcoming software updates, including iPadOS 14. In addition to all the new features being developed for iOS 14, iPadOS 14 has a few additional enhancements optimized for the larger screen real estate of the tablet. App Layouts have been improved, with many receiving a new Sidebar for easier navigation. Siri interactions and phone call announcements no longer take up the whole screen. And the Search bar behaves more like Spotlight does in MacOS. With over 1 million applications exclusively designed for the iPad now available on App Store, Apple expects this number to rapidly grow as iPadOS continues become more and more similar to macOS.

The Apple Watch is getting a software update with watchOS 7. The update, announced at Apple's WWDC keynote event, will include sleep tracking (finally), potentially endless new faces and complications, and new workouts. The new OS offers exciting new tools, some long anticipated, some novel, and some with great potential.