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The Options-and-Sets-and-Styles Edition Thursday, June 30, 2022

iOS 16 Brings Just The Right Amount Of Android To Our iPhones, by Jason Snell, Macworld

When I look at the Lock Screen in iOS 16, I see an Apple that’s gotten the message that we want to personalize our devices but isn’t willing to do what Android did and let everyone have at it.

Instead, it’s going to do this the Apple way. The company seems to be building a set of themes that allow users to express themselves by choosing from options and sets and styles rather than making decisions they’ll probably regret later.

App Store Apps Can Now Use Third-party Payment Providers In South Korea, by Filipe Espósito, 9to5Mac

Apple on Thursday provided more details about how it will let developers offer third-party payment providers in their apps distributed in South Korea.

Similar to what happened in the Netherlands, where Apple created a special entitlement for dating apps that offer alternative payment methods, developers who want to offer an alternative payment processing option in South Korea must use the StoreKit External Purchase Entitlement.

Stuff

Apple Enhances HomeKit With Sensor-Based Automations And Timed Turn Offs, by Josh Centers, TidBITS

In iOS 15.1, Apple finally made it so sensor-based automations could be triggered based on air quality, humidity, or light level.

With the right sensors, this new capability can open up a world of possibilities, and if you have a lot of HomeKit accessories, you may have more sensors than you realize.

Can A Mental Health App Help You Deal With Anxiety?, by Antonia Mufarech, Smithsonian Magazine

Although mental health conditions can be successfully treated at a low cost, studies have found a significant gap between individuals needing care and those able to access it. According to the WHO, to close this gap, three things need to happen: better understanding of mental health in order to reduce stigma; more effort placed on increasing access to high-quality treatments; and more research conducted to develop better treatments. Experts say that in addition to efforts by psychologists and psychiatrists, a new resource can be used to tackle all three of these needs—mental health apps on mobile devices.

Develop

Apple Launches A New Program For Its App Store To Help Lesser-known Developers, by Daryl Baxter, TechRadar

Apple has launched a new campaign for developers in its App Store called Founders, which aims to put certain developers in the spotlight with editorial support across Europe, alongside celebrating the apps that are currently available from them.

Notes

Apple Plans To Launch MacBook Air With M2 Chip On July 15, by Sami Fathi, MacRumors

The redesigned MacBook Air with the all-new M2 Apple silicon chip will be available for customers starting Friday, July 15, MacRumors has learned from a retail source.

[...]

With a launch planned for July 15, pre-orders can be expected to go live on Friday, July 8.

Immue Discovers New Vulnerability In Apple’s Private Relay, by Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, VentureBeat

Immue has seen attackers abuse Apple’s new feature to mask their IPs and send thousands of bots to attack their customers. These private relay IPs are also whitelisted by Apple, giving adversaries uninhibited access to any website.

Apple Adjusts Anti-Union Pitch As Labor Board Counsel Bears Down, by Ian Kullgren, Bloomberg Law

Apple Inc. didn’t use the most potent weapon in the management-side playbook—requiring workers to attend anti-union meetings—in recent organizing efforts in Maryland and Georgia, signaling a shift in strategy as the Biden administration seeks to crack down on the practice.

The results at the two stores couldn’t have been more different. In Atlanta, Apple exerted enough pressure that workers withdrew their election petition. In Towson, Md., the union prevailed by a wide margin in an election June 18.

Bottom of the Page

I have not used any of the beta operating systems from Apple yet, but it certainly seems to me Apple, with the new iPhone lock screen, has gotten a good balance between allowing for customization while maintaining the iPhone brand.

Of course, Apple has years of perfecting this lock screen on the Apple Watch, so it was not surprising that it has done such a good job for the iPhone.

It will be very interesting, I believe, to find out what Apple has in stored for the iPad's lock screen next year.

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Thanks for reading.