AppleVis Unlimited: What's New and Noteworthy for February 2025

By AppleVis, 3 March, 2025

Welcome to the February 2025 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 content, including new app entries; updates; news; podcasts; how-to guides; and popular discussions.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Adventure To Fate: Core Quest (iOS, US$4.99)

The follow-up to TouchArcades 2024 Game of The Year!

Descend into the Core of the Dungeon, where the dark entity Thanatos awaits, spreading corruption and chaos.

Adventure To Fate: Core Quest is a casual yet deeply strategic turn-based RPG featuring roguelike gameplay, endless customization, and an extensive bestiary that tracks every foe, their stats, skills, and loot. Uncover the secrets of six hand-crafted zones, collect powerful spirits, and wield legendary weapons forged by your own hands. The fate of the dungeon is in your hands, can you survive the quest to the Core?

Current Version: 1.44 (March 3, 2025)

Adventure To Fate: Core Quest's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Adventure To Fate: Core Quest's App Store page

Apple Invites (iOS, Free)

Create unique invitations and bring people together for life’s most exciting moments. Customize the background of your invitation with a photo from your library, or choose an emoji background to bring your event to life. Easily see who is attending and make sure you never miss a moment by adding a Shared Album directly to the event. Whether you’re attending an event or hosting one yourself, Invites makes it easy to get the party started.

Create beautiful invitations:

Choose a background from a curated set of options or pick a photo from your own library to catch your guests attention.

Customize the font of your invitation so it feels just right.

Maps and Weather are automatically added to make sure guests have all the details.

Invite and manage RSVPs:

Invite others with just a link using any messaging platform.

Guests can RSVP in the iPhone app or on the web from any device.

Keep guests up to date on any last minute items by posting a message in the event for all to see.

Fuel the party with Music and relive it with Photos:

Add a collaborative playlist so guests get to hear their favorite songs at the party.

Include a Shared Album so everyone can add their favorite photos from the event.

Access to collaborative playlists and Shared Albums is automatically given to guests in your event.

Requirements:

Apple Invites is available for all iPhone models running iOS 18 or later.

Ability to collaborate with Apple Music Playlists requires an Apple Music subscription.

Anyone can reply to invitations. Creation of invitations requires an iCloud+ subscription.

Current Version: 1.0.1 (February 6, 2025)

Apple Invites' AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Apple Invites App Store page

Grok (iOS, Free with In-App Purchases)

Introducing Grok 3: get access to the world's smartest AI model with the Grok app.

Grok is an AI-powered assistant, developed by xAI, designed to be maximally truthful, useful, and curious. Get answers to any question, generate striking images, and upload pictures to gain a deeper understanding of your world. With Grok, the universe is in your hands!

Key Features:

DeepSearch: Get your very own web researcher that delivers detailed, well-reasoning answers to all your queries.

Think: Have Grok solve the hardest problems in math, science, and coding using Grok's reasoning model.

Image Generation: Get free access to generating high quality images using Grok AI's advanced capabilities.

Real-Time: With access to current X and web data, Grok provides up-to-date information for your queries, keeping you informed about the latest developments.

Conversational Tone: Engaging and humorous, Grok makes learning and information gathering enjoyable, setting it apart from other AI chatbots.

Privacy-Focused: All data interactions are handled with user privacy in mind, ensuring a secure experience in line with xAI's privacy policy.

With Grok as your copilot, navigating the vast expanse of knowledge becomes an exciting journey. Its integration with X and focus on real-time information make it the perfect companion for those seeking an AI-powered assistant.

Current Version: 1.0.42 (March 2, 2025)

Grok's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Grok's App Store page

Jacket.fm — Social Audio (iOS, Free)

Jacket.fm is the audio-first platform where creators of all kinds can express themselves, connect with others, and build meaningful communities. Whether you’re sharing stories, hosting live conversations, or reflecting privately, Jacket.fm is your space to be your authentic self and find your people.

Express Yourself: Record and share audio posts, stories, or shows – or keep them private.

Discover New Voices: Explore trending posts and find creators who inspire you.

Connect in Real-Time: Live audio booths give you a space to chat, laugh, and share ideas with people who get you.

Build Community: Create and follow panels, grow your audience, and connect with like-minded people.

Keep an Audio Journal: Record private journals with AI summaries and automatic emails to track your thoughts, moods, and growth.

Voiceover Compatibility: Designed from the ground up with accessibility for the blind and visually-impaired in mind.

Current Version: 1.3.18 (March 3, 2025)

Jacket.fm's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Jacket.fm's App Store page

RYFT: A Timely Manor (iOS, Free with In-App Purchases)

Welcome to the Nexus Manor. A place that exists outside of time — and in between your ears. RYFT is an audio-based adventure game played with speech commands. Featuring a full voice cast, challenging puzzles, and a compelling narrative, this mystery game is powered by the world's greatest graphics engine: your imagination.

HANDS-FREE TO EXPLORE

Navigate freely using “north,” “east,” “south” and “west” to get around

Explore rooms and interact with objects

Pick-up and combine items to solve puzzles

Chat with a fully voiced cast of eccentric characters as you attempt to solve the mystery of the manor without lifting a finger

Supports Bluetooth game play

Free to play, donations appreciated

Current Version: 1.0.15 (February 16, 2025)

RYFT's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry RYFT's App Store page

Tapestry by Iconfactory (iOS, Free with In-App Purchases)

Tapestry weaves your favorite blogs, social media, and more into a unified and chronological timeline.

The Web Your Way

Tapestry combines posts from your favorite social media services like Bluesky, Mastodon, Tumblr along with others like RSS feeds, podcasts, YouTube channels, and more. All of your content is presented in chronological order, with no algorithm deciding what you should or shouldn't see.

A Bird's Eye View

Tapestry makes it easier than ever to browse content from dozens or even hundreds of sources. Create custom timelines, seamlessly sync your reading position across devices, and keep track of feeds in an easy-to-read, color-coded stream of content.

Avoid Spoilers. Everywhere.

Quickly create powerful rules that control what you do and don't see across all your feeds. Avoid potential spoilers and stay clear of unwanted topics by creating rules that muffle and mute items in everything you follow.

Powerful Searching

Search for topics and terms across all feeds simultaneously. Tapestry makes it easy to find that blog post, YouTube video, or podcast you're looking for - and easy to mark it for later.

Private By Design

Your privacy is a priority. Tapestry works with content stored on your device, so searching and viewing content is completely private. We never sell or share your data with third parties.

Custom Connectors

Expand Tapestry’s potential with third-party connectors. Import custom connectors from trusted developers, or even write your own to add your favorite bit of data to the timeline. If there's an open data feed available, a connector can weave it into Tapestry.

Additional Features:

Universal app for iOS and iPadOS

Quickly open posts in your favorite third party apps to take action -Syncs your reading position via iCloud across devices

Fully accessible using VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, and more

Customize Tapestry's app icon, layout, and fonts

Create custom timelines of your favorite feeds

Mark your favorite items to read later

Light and dark mode support

Current Version: 1.0.3 (February 26, 2025)

Tapestry's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Tapestry's App Store page

All recent app entries posted to AppleVis can be found at:

Notable App Updates

ElevenReader - Text To Speech (iOS, Free)

Your ultimate listening experience.

ElevenReader lets you listen to any text, articles, ePubs and PDFs like never before. With unlimited access to ultra realistic AI voices, you can level up your listening experience.

Take this powerful text-to-speech app on-the-go as the ideal audio companion during your commute, at the gym, for work and school, or for accessibility uses. Powered by ElevenLabs contextually-aware Text to Speech (TTS) model, ElevenReader puts the highest-quality AI voice technology in your pocket.

Current Version: 1.4.9 (February 27, 2025)

App Store Release Notes for Versions 1.4.0-1.4.9 (February 2025)

Version 1.4.0 (February 3, 2025)

Fixed crash on iPad when switching apps

Version 1.4.1 (February 7, 2025)

Improved sleep timer

VoiceOver improvements

Pasting improvement while importing text

Version 1.4.2 (February 7, 2025)

Improved preview mode

Improved imported content survey

Version 1.4.3 (February 11, 2025)

Stability improvements

Version 1.4.4 (February 18, 2025)

Bookmark sharing

Current clip sharing

Stability improvements

Version 1.4.5 (February 22, 2025)

Improved deep linking support

Version 1.4.6 (February 24, 2025)

Discover hundreds of new audiobooks from independent authors

Version 1.4.7 (February 25, 2025)

Improved preview mode for authors

Version 1.4.8 (February 26, 2025)

Deep linking improvements

Intro section for new users

Bug fixes

Version 1.4.9 (February 27, 2025)

Bug fixes

Issue reporting improvements

UI improvements on the Library page

ElevenReader's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry ElevenReader's App Store page

Land of Livia: An Epic Fantasy (iOS, Free with In-App Purchases)

*** AppleVis calls Land of Livia "a pioneering title in the realm of inclusive mobile gaming." ***

Escape to a cozy RPG adventure in Land of Livia, where you'll explore a beautifully hand-crafted world at your own pace. Uncover a rich, immersive story, gather resources, complete quests, and build meaningful social connections -- all in a stress-free, accessible experience.

RELAXING EXPLORATION

Progress at your own pace, with gameplay that fits into your life rather than taking it over.

ENGAGING NARRATIVE

Discover a deep, lore-rich story filled with memorable characters.

INCLUSIVE & ACCESSIBLE

Designed for all players, with comprehensive VoiceOver support and Dynamic Font Support for improved readability.

SOCIAL CONNECTION

Gather around the Campfire, where players share wisdom and stories in a welcoming community.

FAIR & TRANSPARENT

Play the first chapter for free, and unlock the remaining 4 with a single purchase. No loot boxes or predatory microtransactions.

Current Version: 4.2.5 (March 3, 2025)

App Store Release Notes for Versions 4.2.3-4.2.5 (January-March 2025)

Version 4.2.3 (January 31, 2025)

LOW VISION ACCESSIBILITY

Continuing on from our previous efforts, we’ve rebuilt the Item Card and Inventory UI to increase the base font size and fully support Dynamic Type.

This means you can now customize the font size to your preference. Just head to your device’s Settings app: Accessibility → Display & Text Size → Larger Text.

This marks the completion of our first implementation of Low Vision support. We are excited to welcome new players to the Land of Livia and keen to hear your feedback for ways we can continue to improve!

ENHANCED MAP NAVIGATION

Map Navigation is an innovative new feature accessed directly from the Map. It provides accessible and convenient shortcuts to the next location for your current goal, nearby locations, and exits to different regions. Excited to see what you think!

NEW CRAFTING TAB

As part of rebuilding the Inventory UI, we have introduced a new dedicated crafting tab for upgrading gems, lore items, and legendary items. It provides a more intuitive experience and also helps new players learn about the crafting options available.

MORE REWARDING QUEST COMPLETION

Quest completion now displays a full screen quest reward screen that is much easier to read and understand. Plus it also includes fun visual animations, with sound effects coming soon!

CHANGES

Buffed Lore Fragment drop rate from quest by 50%

The Rankings leaderboards are now displayed as a list rather than a series of tab

Fresh news items are now presented as a popup when the app is next launched

BUG FIXES

Fix for the issue where campfire notifications were not being cleared

Various fixes for reported spelling and grammar mistakes

The player's position in leaderboards is now correctly highlighted

Version 4.2.4 (February 15, 2025)

CHANGES

Due to popular demand, Gems can now be sold from the Crafting screen in addition to the Hero screen

For improved convenience and clarity, the Item and Gem equip screens now display currently equipped items alongside available options

Equipped items and Gems can now be sold

Active Lore Sites are now displayed for reference in the Lore section of the Crafting screen

Added two new tooltips explaining what to do when you reach max gold or a full inventory

BUG FIXES

Fixed an intermittent bug on app loading that caused quests to remain incomplete and travel popups to not display

Fixed a threading issue that could cause performance drops or instability on the map screen

Fixed a bug where map exit locations were permanently marked as new

Fixed a bug where lore discovery quests did not display a rewards screen

Fixed an issue that allowed player names to be created using only whitespace characters

Fixed an issue where goal navigation was incorrect after completing the Prelude without purchasing the Chapter Bundle

Fixed an intermittent visual layout bug in the quest and inn activity views

Version 4.2.5 (March 3, 2025)

We’ve resolved some critical bugs affecting players on iOS 16 that were introduced in the 4.2.0 update. Some of these issues were the product of a major overhaul of the game engine in preparation for future updates. Thank you to everyone who reported these problems and helped us track them down!

BUG FIXES

Resolved an issue for new players where the "Create Hero" alert would appear every time the app launched, and hero names wouldn’t save

Fixed a bug that prevented activities like traveling and questing from completing, blocking game progress

Fixed a crash that could occur when switching between Hero, Real Estate, Companions, and Progress tabs on the Hero screen

Fixed a freeze that could happen when upgrading a legendary item in the Crafting screen

Restored missing visual upgrade indicators for slots and items

Corrected the navigation bar size on the Campfire screen

Thanks for playing and supporting the game!

Land of Livia's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Land of Livia's App Store page

OOrion (iOS, Free)

Are you visually impaired ? Discover OOrion, the application that will enable you to easily identify and find the objects and texts around you.

OOrion will help you find the keys you dropped on the floor, find the product you're looking for in your closet or fridge, find the electrical sockets in a hotel room, find the right door in the street or the right name on an intercom. The uses are endless.

OOrion is powered solely by the smartphone's camera and onboard artificial intelligence. No need for physical beacons or an internet connection.

OOrion also lets you add your own personal items for later retrieval.

Our application is compatible with VoiceOver screen reader and Siri.

Current Version: 6.2.1 (February 19, 2025)

App Store Release Notes for Versions 6.2.0-6.2.1 (February 2025)

Version 6.2.0 (February 8, 2025)

What’s new in this release:

Improved personal object capture: More accurate detection, better guidance, and automatic naming & size suggestions with GenAI.

iOS 18 Widgets: Launch OOrion features directly from your lock screen.

Refined UI/UX: Enhanced VoiceOver compatibility and a reorganized Settings view.

Better Partner Pages: new configurable buttons, improved configuration, clearer notifications.

Try it now!

Version 6.2.1 (February 19, 2025)

This new version includes the following minor enhancements:

support for large text for users who have chosen this accessibility option from their iPhone's system settings

optimized display of buttons on different pages (main menu and partner pages)

correction of a bug affecting the detection of specific partner objects

broader support for the different types of WIFI networks that can be configured by partners

OOrion's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry OOrion's App Store page

Please Don't Rain (iOS, Free with In-App Purchases)

Please Don’t Rain is a fun, convenient way to track whether rain (or snow) will affect a day that’s important to you.

When you have an important day coming up it can be cumbersome having to look up the weather for it over and over again. Not anymore! Choose a place and a day and you’ll get details about the weather for that day that will continue to update automatically if you have the Pro version.

Please Don't Rain is a nominee for the 2023 AppleVis Golden Apple awards for its accessibility support.

App Store Release Notes for Versions 5.3-5.4 (February 2025)

Version 5.3 (February 3, 2025)

Nearby Days Improvements

The Nearby Days section got a lot of attention this release!

If the app was running in a situation with a smaller amount of space, an iPad in Slide Over mode for example, then only the percent chance of precipitation was shown. The logic for displaying the Nearby Days section has been improved. There are many scenarios now where an amount of precipitation will also be shown.

Added a share button to this section.

Misc

Added link to the app’s Bluesky account.

Added an Easter Egg for an upcoming pizza themed Swift conference in the Windy City. Can you find it?

Bug Fixes

If the day to track was too far in the future for a forecast the image displayed was always an AI generated image, even if Settings indicated those weren’t allowed.

Version 5.4 (February 16, 2025)

High and Low Temperature Times

Apple Weather now returns the times for when the high and low temperatures will happen.

The times will appear in the main forecast section. Note: The high for today could be listed as midnight TOMORROW. Therefore the day will be indicated if the time is 12AM since that could refer to the beginning of the day or the very end.

The app doesn't have to calculate them for charts any more, which should speed things up a little.

The point marks that indicate high and low temperatures on the temperature chart aren't limited to the top of the hour any more.

Accessibility

There was a VoiceOver bug introduced fairly recently. If accessibility text sizes were in use then VoiceOver wouldn’t read the most important forecast statistics, such as high and low temperatures.

If accessibility text sizes were in use then the weather image would actually be smaller than when smaller text was in use. A bigger image that will be easier to see is now used.

Chart Improvements

Addressed an axis alignment issue that could occur in some of the charts.

Made the chart axis labels better adjust to scenarios where there is limited space, such as an iPad in Slide Over.

Misc

Made some internal optimizations that make the app much more efficient at launch and when changing days.

Please Don't Rain's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Please Don't Rain's App Store page

Seeing AI (iOS, Free)

Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed with and for the blind and low vision community, this ongoing research project harnesses the power of AI to open up the visual world by describing nearby people, text and objects.

Seeing AI provides tools to assist with a variety of daily tasks:

Read - Hear text as soon as it appears in front of the camera. Document alignment provides audio cues to capture a printed page and recognize the text along with its original formatting. Ask Seeing AI about the contents to easily find the information you need.

Describe - Take photos to hear a rich description. Ask questions to focus on the information you care about. Explore photos by moving your finger over the screen to hear the location of different objects.

Products - Scan barcodes and Accessible QR codes using audio beeps to guide you; hear the product name and package information when available.

People - Save photos of friends and coworkers so you can recognize them later. Get an estimate of their age, gender, and expression.

Currency - Recognize currency notes.

Find My Things - Teach Seeing AI to recognize your personal objects and follow the audio cues to find them later.

World - An Audio Augmented Reality experience to explore an unfamiliar environment, including hearing objects announced around you with Spatial Audio (requires a device with a LiDAR, and iOS 14+).

Colors - Identify colors.

Light - Hear an audible tone corresponding to the brightness of your surroundings.

Photos and Videos in other apps - Just tap “Share” and “Recognize with Seeing AI” to describe media from Mail, Photos, WhatsApp, and more.

Browse Photos - Hear descriptions of photos and videos saved on your device.

Current Version: 5.5 (February 3, 2025)

App Store Release Notes for Version 5.5 (February 3, 2025)

We have updated the Seeing AI interface to make it faster to access the features you use the most.

The app is split into three tabs:

Read: Provides tools for reading, combining the functionality of the previous Short Text, Document, and Handwriting channels.

Describe: Provides rich descriptions of your surroundings, or photos already on your phone. This combines the functionality of the previous Scene and Person channels.

More: Provides access to all the other task-specific channels.

Plus, various bug fixes under the hood.

Seeing AI's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Seeing AI's App Store page

Super Race Grand Prix (iOS, Free with In-App Purchases)

Super Race Grand Prix, are you the fastest pilot?

Super Race Grand Prix is a race in which blind pilots are allowed to participate. Your pleasantly crazy co-pilot will try to guide you to victory.

Use your concentration, reaction speed, memory and tactical insight to bring this game to a successful end.

Concentration: Concentrate on the different sounds you hear during the race.

Reaction speed: React quickly when steering, braking or accelerating.

Memory: Try to remember the curves of the circuit so that you are prepared for the next curve.

Tactical insight: Decide whether to make a pit stop and what improvements you make to your racing car.

This audio game is fully accessible for people with a visual impairment using VoiceOver.

Use your iPhone or iPad as the steering wheel of your racing car.

Super Race Grand Prix integrates Game Center, allowing you to compare scores and race against your friends in real time.

Don't hesitate to try Super Race Grand Prix for free.

Current Version: 1.2 (February 14, 2025)

App Store Release Notes for Version 1.2 (February 14, 2025)

Leaderboard and multiplayer improvements.

Super Race Grand Prix's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Super Race Grand Prix's App Store page

Voice Dream - Text to Voice (iOS, Subscription Required)

Apple Design Award Winner! Voice Dream - Read Aloud lets you listen to PDFs, textbooks, Web pages, emails, and books using advanced AI Text To Speech!

Featured by Apple as Best New App and App of the Day in 81 countries. Voice Dream - Read Aloud is also part of App Store Permanent Collections in Education.

Current Version: 5.0.6 (February 20, 2025)

App Store Release Notes for Versions 5.0.5-5.0.7 (February 2025)

Version 5.0.5 (February 11, 2025)

Includes Heather voice

Adds support for importing multiple files

Fix bug with audio pausing

Override to have next track button on AirPods to book current paragraph

VoiceOver fix for audio samples

Fixes Audio Settings view with large text

Version 5.0.6 (February 20, 2025)

Fix bug when adding articles from web

Fix bug with loading files

Version 5.0.7 (February 27, 2025)

Improvements to onboarding flow

Voice Dream's AppleVis iOS App Directory entry Voice Dream's App Store page

Recent News and Views

Hands On with the iPhone 16e: My First Impressions

By Michael Hansen | February 27, 2025

iPhone 16e availability in the U.S. is less than 24 hours away, and ahead of the launch, I was provided a unit for review.

Going into today, I was looking forward to sharing the iPhone 16e with our community, especially as there has been much anticipation and excitement on AppleVis surrounding this phone in particular. Unboxing podcasts are a lot of fun, especially when the recording goes well. And I am of the opinion that as Apple no longer sells a device with a Home Button, we should be doing everything possible to ease the transition for people who are still on older devices for whatever reason. It’s a bigger deal than you might think, especially for the everyday blind, DeafBlind, or low vision user who really relies on that Home Button as an anchor.

All in all, there is a lot to talk about with the iPhone 16e, but I wasn’t going to say any of it today. But that changed when I actually experienced the iPhone 16e for myself.

Apple Introduces iPhone 16e with 6.1-inch Display, Face ID, A18 Chip, and More

By Tyler | February 19, 2025

Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, bringing a 6.1-inch display, Face ID, USB-C, the A18 chip, an upgraded camera, and more to the company's lowest-cost iPhone model. With the new design and display size, Apple no longer sells iPhone models with Touch ID or a physical Home button.

With a starting price of US$599, the iPhone 16e replaces the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 in Apple's lineup. Curiously, however, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, which includes the Dynamic Island and MagSafe, but lacks a chip capable of supporting Apple Intelligence, remains available for US$699.

The iPhone 16e is powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, the same chip that powers the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. With this upgrade, the iPhone 16e will support Apple Intelligence, making the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus the sole remaining models in the iPhone lineup to lack this capability. In addition to the A18 chip, the iPhone 16e includes the Apple C1, the first Apple-designed cellular modem, which Apple describes as "the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone."

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 17.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, and watchOS 11.3.1

By AppleVis | February 10, 2025

Apple has today released iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1, macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, watchOS 11.3.1; and iPadOS 17.7.5 for iPads that cannot run iPadOS 18.

According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 18.3.1 update contains important bug fixes and security updates:

This update provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100

While not stated in the release notes, MacRumors reports that iOS 18.3.1 contains a fix for a security vulnerability that was actively being exploited. MacRumors further reports that Apple has released iPadOS 17.7.5 for iPads that are not able to run iPadOS 18.

As iOS 18.3.1 and its companion updates were not distributed to external testers prior to their release, we do not have any information on whether they contain any accessibility fixes for blind, DeafBlind, or low vision users at the time of writing. However, as these updates appear to have been released to address a small number of specific issues, we do not expect them to contain any such fixes.

Apple Introduces new "Invites" app for creating and managing events

By Tyler | February 4, 2025

Apple has today introduced Invites, an app available on iOS, iPadOS, and the web for creating and managing invitations to events. Users who have a paid iCloud storage plan can invite others to events, and anyone can RSVP, regardless of whether or not they pay for iCloud storage or have an Apple device.

According to Apple's press release, invitations can be customized with personal photos, themes, and images generated using Apple Intelligence features. In addition, invitees can contribute their own photos via shared album, as well as music via collaborative Apple Music playlist.

This Month in Podcasts

iPhone 16e First Look: Unboxing, Setup, and Initial Impressions

In this podcast, Michael Hansen takes a first look at Apple's iPhone 16e, the latest member of the iPhone 16 family. He unboxes the device, goes through setup, and gives his initial impressions.

Listen to "iPhone 16e First Look: Unboxing, Setup, and Initial Impressions"

2024 AppleVis Golden Apples and David Goodwin Award Winners

This month, we were very excited to interview the people behind each of the winners of the 2024 AppleVis Golden Apples and David Goodwin Award:

How to Enable Severe Weather Notifications on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS

In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to enable severe weather notifications on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. With this feature enabled for a supported location, the weather app will notify you whenever the weather authority for that location has issued a severe weather alert, such as a storm watch or storm warning.

To enable this feature in the Weather app on iOS and iPadOS, double-tap the "Manage notifications" button near the bottom of the screen, and toggle the "severe weather" switch on to enable notifications for your current location, or double-tap a location under the "your locations" heading to access the same options for that location, if it is supported. To do the same in the Weather app on macOS, choose Weather > Settings (or press Command-Comma), click the Notifications button in the toolbar, and select the "Severe weather" checkbox to enable notifications for your current location, or interact with the collection under the "your locations" heading to access the same options for locations in your location list, if those locations are supported.

Listen to "How to Enable Severe Weather Notifications on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS"

Discover Global Music & News with Eter Radio for iOS

In this episode, Dennis Long demonstrates Eter: Streaming Internet Radio for iOS. Eter is a versatile internet radio application available across all Apple platforms, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It provides access to over 40,000 global radio stations, encompassing a wide range of genres such as news, sports, and music. citeturn0search8

Key Features:

Extensive Station Access: Utilizes the publicly available radio-browser.info database to offer a vast selection of free internet radio stations. - Universal Compatibility: Designed for seamless use across various Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. It also supports CarPlay and AirPlay for enhanced listening experiences.

User-Friendly Interface: Features a clean and intuitive design, making it easy to navigate and discover new stations. The app includes a hand-crafted list of recommended stations and allows users to search for others.

Recent Updates: The latest version, Eter 2.3, introduced on February 7, 2025, includes Shazam support for automatic song recognition, enabling users to identify tracks even when stream metadata is unavailable. Additional enhancements include customizable preferences for favorite stations and various bug fixes.

Premium Upgrade:

While Eter is free to use, a one-time in-app purchase unlocks premium features, including:

Saving favorite stations for quick access.

Hiding recommended stations to view only personal favorites.

Setting a sleep timer to automatically stop playback after a specified duration.

Viewing listening history and opening tracks in Apple Music.

Supporting the app's ongoing development.

Eter is available for download on the App Store and offers a comprehensive internet radio experience tailored for Apple users.

Eter: Streaming Internet Radio on the App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eter-streaming-internet-radio/id1523221566

Listen to "Discover Global Music & News with Eter Radio for iOS"

New and Updated Guides

Finding Your Way Home in a (Home) Buttonless World: Using an iOS Device Without a Home Button

By Scott Davert | February 28, 2025

Introduction

With the recent release of the new iPhone 16e, this means the end of the Home Button for iPhone users. Those who have been using iPhone SE's for years will now have to face not having a phone on the market which has the Home Button. We can't bring Touch ID back, but we can do something about duplicating the function of the Home Button. While many users have adapted in various ways, including performing the gesture, the fact remains that this gesture isn't as simple to perform until you are used to it as hitting a button. Speaking of buttons, I've sent the feedback several times to Apple that this should be an option for the Action Button. As of iOS 18.3.1, this still isn't one, though you can set up a Siri shortcut to assign the Action Button to the Home gesture (discussed below).

Read "Finding Your Way Home in a (Home) Buttonless World: Using an iOS Device Without a Home Button"

The better way to control your iDevice from your mac

By Levi Gobin | February 24, 2025

Intro

For those who may not like the current implementation of iPhone mirroring, there is a free solution to do the same thing, which might be even easier compared to the iPhone mirroring app. As a bonus, this method also works on iPads as well.

How it works:

This approach uses a free app called Keypad, which is free for one device. The in app purchase unlocks the ability to use more than one device, as well as the ability to use your mouse with your device.

Using a Braille Display on iOS: an Introduction

By Scott Davert | Updated February 8, 2025

Can I use a braille display with my iOS Device? If so, which models are compatible?

Any iOS Device that runs VoiceOver can support a large variety of Bluetooth braille displays. Common models include Humanware's Brailliant line, the Focus displays from Vispero, displays from Orbit Research, Alva, VissioBraille , HIMS, and other companies. Please see Apple's official list of supported braille displays. Over thirty models are supported, according to Apple, so chances are that if your display includes Bluetooth connectivity, it will be supported. At last check, in February 2025, Supported devices excluded on this page were the Actilino and Activator from Helptech, Braille eMotion and QBraille From HIMS, BrailleNote Touch and Touch + from Humanware, the NLS eReaders, along with all devices from Orbit Research. There may be others, but those are the models that spring to mind.

a Guide to Verbosity Options in macOS VoiceOver

By Levi Gobin | January 31, 2025

For macOS Sequoia 15.3

Intro

This guide discusses the many ways you can change verbosity options in macOS VoiceOver, and how they work.

The Purpose of This Guide

This guide is here to explain in great detail how the plethora of verbosity options can affect the way VoiceOver behaves. If VoiceOver is or isn't speaking something you want it to, this guide will hopefully allow you to configure VoiceOver the way you want it to behave.

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