AppleVis Unlimited: What's New and Noteworthy for November 2018

By AppleVis, 1 December, 2018

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Welcome to the November 2018 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - 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

DiscussionFairy (iOS, Free)

Record yourself anonymously for 60 seconds sharing your opinion on any subject.

Users will respond to you with their own recordings of 60 second or less.

Every discussion creates a web link you can share to get others to join the discussion.

Read DiscussionFairy's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit DiscussionFairy's App Store page 

Microsoft Edge (iOS, Free)

Microsoft Edge, now available on iOS, creates one continuous browsing experience for Windows 10 users across their devices. Content and data sync seamlessly in the background, so users can browse across devices, without skipping a beat. Familiar Microsoft Edge features like the Hub allow users to organize the web in a way that cuts through the clutter, making it easier to find, view and manage their content on-the-go. Microsoft Edge is designed for Windows 10 users to browse the web how they need to, wherever they are, without disrupting their flow.

Continue on PC: Go anywhere and pick up where you left off by seamlessly moving content between your mobile device and PC (requires Windows 10 Fall Creator’s Update).

Data Sync: Your favorites, passwords, and reading list are synced across your devices, so no matter the device, your browser is always personalized to you.

Hub View: With your favorites, reading list, history and books all in one place, finding and managing your content is made simple.

QR Code Reader: Easily read QR codes at the touch of a button. Microsoft Edge will pull up the reading and information right onto your screen.

Voice Search: You can now use your voice to search the web. Ask a question or speak a prompt to use the web in more natural, familiar ways.

InPrivate: When you browse with InPrivate mode, your browsing data (like your history, temporary internet files, and cookies) isn't saved on your PC once you're done.

Current Version: 42.7.4 (November 19, 2018)

Read Microsoft Edge's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Microsoft Edge's App Store page 

Minesweeper Deluxe (iOS, US$0.99)

This version of Minesweeper just gets harder and harder.

More mines and bigger minefields.

How many levels can you clear?

Features

  • No Clock as the game is designed to be picked up and put down.
  • A real time killer.
  • Simple controls.
  • Fully accessible with voiceover for blind and VI users.

Current Version: 1.0.1 (November 28, 2018)

Read Minesweeper Deluxe's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Minesweeper Deluxe's App Store page 

Subwords (iOS, US$1.99)

Subwords is an exciting mix between a trivia and a word game. Words are split into fragments and you have to put them back together as fast as possible. The words in every level are bound to a certain topic, so you have to know about the topic to solve it! But it's no problem if you aren't that familiar with a specific topic: Simply click the bulb to learn something new!

The 27 topics not only range from general knowledge like animals and fruits to more specific fields of study like European countries, our solar system or greek mythology. And all of these topics can be played in the classic and in timed mode!

Subwords will help you learn new concepts improve your spelling skills and may even help you learn German!

Plus, it is fully accessible via VoiceOver!

Current Version: 1.1.2 (November 27, 2018)

Read Subwords' AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Subwords' App Store page 

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

iOS
Mac
Apple Watch
Apple TV

Notable App Updates

Dice World: Fun with Friends (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)

Dice World is going viral around the globe! Join the fun and meet new people while playing great dice games!

The ONLY dice game with 6 different games. Play your favorites, or learn a new game!

Includes Yatzy, Farkle, Pig, Threes, Balut and 1-4-24! Easy tutorials for all games!

Dice World is also completely accessible to the visually impaired, allowing EVERYONE to play on a level playing field!

Voted game of year by AppleVis.com... TWICE!

Play friends, play computer, play tournaments, play however and whenever you want. On YOUR schedule!

Play against:

  • Funny computer characters
  • Friends
  • Contacts
  • Facebook friends
  • Twitter followers
  • Random opponents
  • The possibilities are endless!

Key Features:

  • Daily Tournaments!
  • Play multiple games against different opponents at the same time.
  • Turn based game play. There is no need for both players to be online at the same time.
  • Track from which countries around the world your opponents are playing!
  • Superior stats - Wins, Losses, Ties, High Scores… it’s all recorded!
  • Leaderboards – Are you good enough to make it onto the worldwide leader board? Represent your country!
  • Chat with your friends during game play - multiple lingual support for chat text (even user names support all languages)!
  • Player ranking - work your way up from a starting level of DiceJoke to the surprise highest level! Be the first in your country to accomplish this feat!
  • Offline? No problem - play some games against the computer opponents to hone your skills!
  • Seamless integration with Push Notifications for lightning fast game play.
  • Detailed help for each game to help new players get up to speed.
  • 100% Voice over Accessible!

We are constantly improving this game. Our goal is simply to provide the best dice gaming experience available. Give it a try!!

Current Version: 14.01 (November 29, 2018)

Changes in Version 13.07
  • NEW Daily Leaderboards! See how you rank daily against players around the world!
  • New accessibility enhancements.
  • Voiceover users: there is now a setting to turn on or off headings within each game.

Read Dice World: Fun with Friends' AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Dice World: Fun with Friends' App Store page 

Game World: Play With Friends (iOS, Free With In-App Purchases)

Fully accessible so the sighted and visually impaired can compete on a level playing field!

With EIGHT fun games, chat functionality, and 100% voiceover accessibility, Game World sets the standard for social gaming. Advance your level by playing any one of the eight games and then share (or taunt) your results with friends using the in game chat!

Games included:

  • Ludopalooza
  • Simon Says
  • Trivia Trail
  • Pirate Poker
  • Barracks Blackjack
  • Battle Cats
  • Word Builder
  • Hangman

New games added all the time!

Game World is 100% voiceover accessible and fun for all to play. Available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese to allow you to test your skill against opponents all over the world!

Current Version: 4.1 (November 20, 2018)

Changes in Version 4.1

Streamlined navigation!

Major Accessibility Upgrades!

We are now Game World!

Read Game World: Play With Friends' AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Game World: Play With Friends' App Store page 

Loopback (macOS, US$119)

Loopback makes it easy to pass audio between applications on your Mac. Create virtual audio devices to take the sound from applications and audio input devices, then send it to audio processing applications. Loopback gives you the power of a high-end studio mixing board, right inside your computer!

Play Audio to All Your Podcast Guests - Combine your mic with audio sources like iTunes or QuickTime Player, then select your Loopback device as your source in Skype. Presto! Your guests all hear both your voice and your audio add-ons.

Record Gameplay Videos - Making gameplay videos with great audio can often be very difficult. If you're using a device like Elgato's Game Capture hardware and you want to record both your microphone and the game's audio at once, Loopback can assist!

Combine Hardware Devices - Apps like GarageBand, Logic, and Ableton Live only record from a single audio device at once. Thankfully, they offer recording from many channels. With Loopback, you can combine multiple input devices into one virtual device for easy recording.

Create Top-Notch Screencasts - Screen recorders, including QuickTime Player, allow you to include your mic's audio. Some allow recording of system audio instead, but neither option is ideal. Create a virtual device that grabs just the mic and the app’s audio to get exactly the audio you want.

Route Audio For Broadcasts - Set a simple (pass-thru) device as the output at the end of an Audio Hijack chain, and then as the input source in Nicecast. Now listeners can tune in to a live stream of your podcast as you record it!

Features

  • Combine Audio Sources - Configuring a virtual audio device from multiple sources is easy. Just add the applications and physical audio devices you want to include to the Audio Sources table to get started.
  • Available System-Wide - Your Mac will show Loopback's virtual devices exactly like physical devices. Find them listed among other devices in System Preferences or select them as an input or output in any audio app.
  • Send Audio Between Apps - Loopback can also create pass-thru devices, which send audio from one app to another. Set the Loopback device as the output in one app and the input in another to make audio flow directly between the applications.
  • Works With Any Application - Make a virtual audio device with audio from the applications on your Mac, including production apps like Logic or Reason, as well as simple audio players, like iTunes or QuickTime.
  • Works With Any Input Device - Pull audio from the physical audio devices connected to your Mac. Whether you’ve got simple USB microphones, or high-end studio mixers, Loopback can access it all.
  • Combine Apps and Physical Devices - Of course, you can create a virtual audio device that includes audio from both apps and physical audio devices.
  • Multichannel Audio - Your virtual audio devices can be configured to have up to 32 channels, providing tremendous power.
  • Custom Channel Mapping - By default, Loopback sets up channel mapping automatically. If you want to manually configure things, though, you’ve got powerful options!
  • Nested Devices - You can now nest one Loopback device inside another, allowing for easier configuration, as well as even more power and control.

Current Version: 2.0 (November 30, 2018)

Changes in Version 2.0

This is a major update with too many new features and changes to include here. Full details of the changes are available here, but there are two notable changes for VoiceOver users:

  • We know Loopback is widely used by many folks with visually impairments. We worked hard to make Loopback fully accessible with Apple’s VoiceOver, as we do with all of our software.
  • Audio can now be captured from previously unavailable sources, like Siri, VoiceOver, and Text-to-Speech. Hold down the option key while clicking the Add Source button to reveal the “Running Processes” menu, then select the correct hidden source.

Read Loopback's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Loopback's website

Threema (iOS, US$2.99)

Threema is the world’s favorite secure messenger and keeps your data out of the hands of hackers, corporations and governments. Threema can be used completely anonymously, allows to make end-to-end encrypted voice calls, and offers every feature one would expect from a state-of-the-art instant messenger. With Threema Web, you can also use Threema from your Desktop.

Threema is designed to generate as little data on servers as possible – this is a core part of our concept. Group memberships and contact lists are managed on your device only, and never stored on our servers. Messages are immediately deleted after they have been delivered. Local files are stored encrypted on your mobile phone or tablet. All this effectively prevents the collection and misuse of your personal information, including meta data. Threema is fully compliant with the European privacy legislation (GDPR).

Threema encrypts ALL your communications END-TO-END including messages, voice calls, group chats, media files and even status messages. You can rest assured that only the intended recipient can read your chats, and nobody else – not even us. Threema uses the trusted open source NaCl cryptography library for encryption. The encryption keys are generated and safely stored on user’s devices to prevent backdoor access or copies.

Threema is not only an encrypted and private messenger but also versatile and feature-rich.

  • write text and send voice messages
  • make voice calls (requires iPhone 5s / iOS 9 or above)
  • share videos, pictures and locations
  • send any type of file (pdf, animated gif, mp3, doc, zip, etc.)
  • use Threema Web to chat from your Desktop
  • create groups
  • conduct polls with the unique poll feature
  • choose between a dark and a light theme
  • quickly and silently reply with the unique agree/disagree feature
  • verify the identity of a contact by scanning their personal QR code
  • use Threema as anonymous instant messaging tool
  • synchronize your contacts (optional)

Each Threema user receives a random Threema ID for identification. A phone number or email address is not required to use Threema. This unique feature allows you to use Threema completely anonymously – no need to give up private information or to open an account.

Current Version: 4.0.2 (November 27, 2018)

Changes in Version 4.0

We have completely overhauled the app “under the hood” to bring you the following exciting new features:

  • Threema Web (navigate to Settings > Threema Web, and follow the on-screen instructions)
  • Individual notification settings
  • Groups of up to 100 members
  • Multiple/all media files of a chat can be deleted at once
  • VoiceOver improvements
  • Miscellaneous other improvements and bug fixes

Read Threema's AppleVis App Directory entry for more information 

Visit Threema's App Store page 

Recent News and Views

Scratching an Itch: 48 Hours with the 2018 iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard Folio

By David Goodwin | November 23, 2018

As the iPhone X was for iPhone and the Series 4 was for Apple Watch, the 2018 iPad Pro is a significant step forward for the iPad. Sporting a completely new and striking design with slimmer bezels than ever before, it is powered by a processor capable of outperforming those in several current MacBook models; gains Face ID biometric authentication that works in any screen orientation; and switches from Apple's proprietary Lightning port to USB-C.

Additionally, by removing the Home button and slimming down the bezels, Apple has been able to give the new 11-inch iPad Pro essentially the same overall footprint as the 10.5-inch model it replaces, whilst the 12.9-inch version puts the same-sized display into a much smaller form factor than the prior 12.9-inch model.

In short, the 2018 iPad Pro is the best iPad ever made ... and since its launch I have been curious whether it would be a good fit for my use case and workflows.

For it to fit, the iPad Pro would need to offer me something new or better to what my iPhone XS Max and 2014 MacBook Pro already deliver. I wanted to believe that there was scope for this, but any musings on this nearly always returned to it being a lot to spend on something which might only offer a small return.

However, it was an itch that kept urging to be scratched, and this week that urge finally became irresistible, and I found myself hurrying home from my local Apple Store clutching a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a Smart Keyboard Folio.

Read More: “Scratching an Itch: 48 Hours with the 2018 iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard Folio”

Off My Chest: Confessions Of An Apple Watch Lover

By Morgan | November 15, 2018

Some folks regard me as a tad eccentric. Although I have been retired for many years, I still wake up every morning, put on a nice pair of slacks, a long sleeved dress shirt, and hard soled leather shoes. Basically, I dress for work, but I don't leave for the office and no one writes me a check. Other fellow retirees around my neighborhood would likely sport tennis shoes or slippers, shorts or blue jeans, and they would almost certainly don a comfy shirt without a pocket. Those same guys probably would not even pull on a nice pair of black socks like those that I wear proudly to the gym every day.

My current fashion choices are not completely wacko because I require lots of pockets. I put doggy bags and keys in my right front pants pocket. Often, I drop in my knife and some extra USB cables. Next, the AirPods and my wallet go in the left front pocket, occasionally joined by a large reserve battery and stuff my wife does not want to carry. The right rear pocket holds my comb and handkerchief. The left rear pocket remains empty for emergency storage. I like being organized.

The most important pocket is the one nearest to my heart. My shirt pocket has long been reserved for things that talked to me. This was critical in the era of wired headphones. Back before my hair went silver, I used to stuff my modified Sony cassette player into that pocket so that I could listen to Talking Books on the go. That gadget was expensive, fragile and heavy. Evolving talking technologies like the Road Runner, Book Courier and Book Port were all carried in that pocket, each straining the stitches and tugging on the fabric.

In 2010, I purchased my first iPhone, the iPhone 4, and it took up residence in my shirt pocket. With its protective case, the dead weight was like an albatross. As I upgraded to newer and more capable iPhones, they were all heavy and warm, causing me to sweat in rectangular swaths.

Read More: “Off My Chest: Confessions Of An Apple Watch Lover”

Apple Profiles Blind Veteran and Competition Longboard Surfer to Showcase how iPhone Accessibility Features Remove Barriers

By AppleVis | November 9, 2018

Apple has today shared a profile of Scott Leason, a blind veteran and competition longboard surfer from San Diego, in which it showcases his use of the accessibility features of iPhone and Apple Watch to prepare for his daily surfing sessions:

Scott Leason is an early riser. By 5:30 a.m., he’s checked his email, social media, the news and the weather. He’s reviewed the day’s surf reports via the Surfline app on his new iPhone XR, prepping for the day’s ride. Before the sun rises on this particular Friday, he’s geared up and ready to go for his session at Mission Bay Aquatics Center in San Diego where he’ll surf Mission Beach.

Scott is a US Navy veteran who was blinded in 1993 by a robber's bullet, making him unable to continue in his role as a visual communications expert.

He was provided with his first iPhone by the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center in Long Beach in 2012, and says that he thinks “a lot of the visually impaired prefer the iPhone because they can do everything on it. And VoiceOver works pretty darn good.”

Read More: “Apple Profiles Blind Veteran and Competition Longboard Surfer to Showcase how iPhone Accessibility Features Remove Barriers”

This Month in Podcasts

AppleVis Unleashed November 2018: Secret Little Nugget

In this month's edition of AppleVis Unleashed, Thomas Domville, Randy Rusnak, and Mike Malarsie discuss recent Apple news and other topics of interest. Topics featured in this podcast include:

You can contact the Unleashed Team with feedback or questions at unleashed@applevis.com.

Listen to “AppleVis Unleashed November 2018: Secret Little Nugget”

How to safely Prepare Plus Wipe Your iPhone for Resale or Trade-In

In this podcast, Thomas Domville shows us How to safely prepare plus wipe your iPhone for resale or trade-in.

Listen to “How to safely Prepare Plus Wipe Your iPhone for Resale or Trade-In”

How To Request a Copy of Your Apple ID Account Information

In this podcast, Thomas Domville shows us How to request a copy of your Apple ID account information.

Listen to “How To Request a Copy of Your Apple ID Account Information”

AppleVis Extra 62: An Interview with the Developer of Dystopia

In this edition of the AppleVis Extra, Michael Hansen and Alex Hall interview Sal Husain, developer of Dystopia.

Listen to “AppleVis Extra 62: An Interview with the Developer of Dystopia”

Enter the World of The Game: Nothing is as it Seems

In this podcast, Thomas Domville shows us The Game: Nothing is as it Seems. The World’s First Interactive Audiobook App. Based on 2016 YA Book Praised by Deepak Chopra and Jack Canfield – “THE GAME: Nothing is as it Seems,” conceives existence as a virtual reality game, where you are born into the program, your feelings run the binary code and Earth is a playing field for your infinite consciousness!

TheGame Nothing is as it seems on the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-game-nothing-is-as-it-seems/id1243227695?l=pt&mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D8

Listen to “Enter the World of The Game: Nothing is as it Seems”

Spell checking using the misspelled word rotor option with VoiceOver on iOS 12

In this podcast, Scott Davert demonstrates using the Misspelled Words rotor option with iOS 12. He notes some of the limitations, what to do when a misspelled word does not have the replacement word you want, and proves to us he doesn't always know what he's talking about. Note that as of iOS 12.1, this rotor option appears in text fields with Safari, Mail, and Messages. AT this time, it's not available in Notes, Pages, or Microsoft Word.

Listen to “Spell checking using the misspelled word rotor option with VoiceOver on iOS 12”

A complete list of all podcasts posted to the AppleVis website can be found at www.applevis.com/podcasts

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