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The Screen-Maximization Edition Thursday, November 4, 2021

Design Secrets Of Apple Watch Series 7 Revealed, by David Phelan, Independent

“The size limits the amount of information that, that can be shown and so every single pixel counts,” Ng said. “The re-engineered display on Series 7 is a major technical innovation. Growing the display is such a huge benefit to users, but only if it doesn’t compromise any other part of the experience, such as comfort or aesthetics or battery life or band compatibility.”

So, the design team were faced with questions such as how you maximize screen area without significantly growing the overall case size. “It’s a unique challenge. It required completely re-engineering the display, the front crystal, the internals and the internal enclosure. And these changes resulted in reducing the border from 3mm on Series 6, to just 1.7mm on Series 7.”

The Trials And Travails Of iOS 15’s Digital Vaccine Cards, by Dan Moren, Six Colors

But if there’s been any constant in my interactions with health and technology (especially over the last year and a half), it’s that things are always more complex than it seems like they should be—especially here in the U.S., where healthcare is a fractured mess of public and private concerns.

Craig Federighi Vehemently Speaks Out Against iPhone Side-loading In New Keynote: 'Side-loading Is A Cybercriminal's Best Friend', by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

He likened buying an iPhone to buying a “great home with a really great security system,” but then a new law gets passed that forces you to weaken the security of your home. “The safe house that you chose now has a fatal flaw in its security system, and burglars are really good at exploiting it,” Federighi said.

Stuff

Apple Debuts First Standalone Original Podcast, The True Crime Series 'Hooked', by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac

Hooked is a nine-part true crime podcast about the true story of Tony Hathaway, whose opioid addition led him down a career in bank robbery. The show is available for free inside of the Apple Podcasts app, or via this RSS feed to listen in any podcasts app.

Apple Releases HomePod 15.1.1 Software With Bug Fixes, by José Adorno, 9to5Mac

Today’s build is 1A2591. It’s not yet clear what is changing with this version, but it’s probably just bug fixes, as with tvOS 15.1.1.

Brydge’s 11-inch Max Plus iPad Keyboard Is Now Available, by Dan Seifert, The Verge

Despite its smaller size, the 11-inch Max Plus’ pitch is exactly the same as the 12.9-inch model’s: it’s meant to provide a MacBook-like experience with an iPad. That includes a full keyboard layout with a function row, plus a large trackpad that supports multitouch gestures and navigation.

Grammarly Rolls Out Full Set Of Features To iPhone And iPad Users, by José Adorno, 9to5Mac

With version 2.0 of the app, users can access Grammarly Editor, Grammarly Keyboard, and its Safari browser extension with easy installation.

Develop

TestFlight For Mac Officially Launches, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

Apple today informed developers that they can invite people to try out early versions of Mac apps prior to release using the TestFlight platform, marking the end of a beta test that’s been ongoing since August.

Notes

Facebook Skirts Apple’s App Store Fees With Custom Subscription Links For Creators, by Alex Heath, The Verge

On Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook parent company Meta, announced that creators will soon be able to share custom web links directing their fans to pay them for subscriptions using Facebook’s native payments system. If a fan signs up through the link rather than Apple’s in-app subscription, the creator will keep all of the money minus taxes.

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Which UI 'designer' has this bright idea to 'gray out' the menu clock in macOS Monterey when a Focus mode is in effect without the Focus icon in the menu bar? You mean I don't need to read the time when I'm focused on something?

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Remember how Apple lost focus on what a Pro customer really need for their Mac, and so they form a Pro Workflow group to bring their Mac platform back on track?

Apple should set up a Accessibility group, consisting of users with not-so-good eyesights, and users with not-so-good hearing, and users with not-so-good motor control, to vett any UI decisions in all their platforms before they even release them to public betas.

For my old eyes, there are simply too many gray text in Apple's platforms nowadays.

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Thanks for reading.