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The How-Loud Edition Thursday, December 26, 2019

Apple Watch Health App Cuts Through The Noise, by Alice Clarke, Brisbane Times

The app works by having the watch sample background noise every 30 seconds using the second microphone introduced to the Apple Watch from Series 4 (2018’s model), and processes it on the device. It doesn’t record, share info, or listen to what’s being said: It just tells you how loud the environment is. If it’s been at 90dB or above (or a custom level you’ve set) for more than three minutes, it’ll send an alert to let you know.

You can have the Noise app as either a complication on the face to easily check how loud things are at any time. Or, if you don’t feel the need to constantly monitor your environment, you can just wait for it to give you the heads up. You can then see the trends in the Health app on your phone and see if any patterns stick out.

How Smart Tech Could Transform Disabled People's Lives, by Sandy Murray, BBC

Smartphones and other devices are an added layer of convenience for many people - but they are making it possible to create innovations which could transform the everyday experiences of disabled people.

Stuff

Apple Holding New Year's Shopping Event In Japan On January 2, by Joe Rossignol, MacRumors

Apple today announced that it will be holding a one-day New Year's shopping event in Japan on Thursday, January 2, offering customers an Apple Store gift card worth up to ¥24,000 with the purchase of select Apple products.

10 Things New Users Should Do With A New Mac, by Peter Cohen, Macworld

Got a new Mac this holiday season? If this is the first Mac you’ve ever owned, a hearty congratulations! Your new Mac is easy to use and incredibly powerful. As easy as the Mac is, doing some things may not be instantly obvious, and you owe it to yourself to make sure you’re getting the most out of your new investment.

Here are ten things that you can do right away that will help you get started down the path towards being a Mac power user. Most of these will cost you absolutely nothing except a bit of time to set up.

Did You Just Get Your iPhone 11? Do These 10 Things First!, by Jason Cross and Macworld Staff

Congratulations! You’re the proud owner of a new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max. You probably want to dive right into the phone the moment you get the box in your hands, but take a beat and do a little prep first! We have a little setup advice you’re going to want to pay attention to. Sure, it seems like an unnecessary drag, but this stuff is going to really save you a lot of time and frustration later.