iOS 17.4 is packed with changes including new emoji characters, podcast transcriptions, virtual Apple Cash card numbers, and much more.
Apple on Tuesday rolled out an urgent software update to fix multiple security flaws in its flagship iOS platform and warned there is evidence of zero-day exploits in the wild.
Apple’s not just running that podcast through a standard transcription engine like the one I use to generate transcripts on my Mac, but one that’s been built to detect some detailed information about how the podcast is structured.
That’s important, because many modern podcasts use something called Dynamic Ad Insertion to insert different ads depending on where you are, who you are, and when you downloaded the episode. A traditional transcript file won’t keep sync with a podcast if the time codes of the ads keep changing. Apple’s engine should be able to detect the beginning and end of those ads and adjust its transcript accodingly, inserting a filler animation (three slowly filling dots that will be familiar to users of lyrics in Apple Music) until the podcast content resumes, at which point the transcript should pick up right where it should.
Alongside many other changes and new features, iOS 17.4 also includes a big change for personal finance apps. Starting today, budgeting apps can now access Apple Card, Apple Cash, and Apple Card Savings accounts information and import that data.
iPhone owners in the EU will see different update notes that specifically mention new options available for app stores, web browsers, and payment options.
You can use Screen Time restrictions to disable installation of third-party app marketplaces entirely. You can also use Screen Time on your own device to configure the same setting for yourself.
The availability of functionality is geo-restricted to the EU only, and Apple has detailed for the first time how it detects this. But perhaps more surprisingly, it also turns out that existing app marketplaces you have downloaded to your device will stop working if you leave the EU for too long.
Apple says that developers have a one-time option to terminate the new rule addendum and swap back to Apple's standard business terms, though there is a catch. Developers who want to change back cannot have distributed an app through an alternative app marketplace or have used an alternative payment processing method.
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Developers who have been a member of good standing in the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more and have an app that had more than one million first annual installs in iOS in the EU in the prior calendar year can create a marketplace without the proof of funds.
As a result of the valuable feedback received, we’ve revised the Alternative Terms Addendum for Apps in the EU to update the following policies and provide developers more flexibility.
Spotify has already sent Apple its plans to introduce pricing information within its app. It’s up to Apple to accept or reject the proposal, and this time, the European Commission will be around to scrutinize the decision.
The European Union is attempting to loosen the grip that companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google have over the digital economy. Tech giants targeted by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) — a law passed in 2022 aiming to make the tech industry less monopolistic — are required to remove unfair competitive advantages that have let them dominate their respective markets by March 6th.
But some experts believe the status quo is unlikely to shift. Many of these companies have announced compliance plans in response to the DMA, and for the most part, these changes — as one might expect from a plan crafted by the company itself — are unlikely to result in a loss of power. And then there’s Apple, which appears to be engaging in outright malicious compliance, leaving European developers at a disadvantage.
MacPaw, the developer of popular Mac and iOS apps, has released a new iPhone app called CleanMyPhone, which helps users free up storage by removing duplicate photos and other unwanted images.
The App Store Review Guidelines have been revised to support updated policies, upcoming features, and to provide clarification.
Over 50 new reports are now available through the App Store Connect API to help you analyze your apps’ App Store and iOS performance. These reports include hundreds of new metrics that can enable you to evaluate your performance and find opportunities for improvement.
Oregon has joined the small but growing list of states that have passed right-to-repair legislation. Oregon's bill stands out for a provision that would prevent companies from requiring that official parts be unlocked with encrypted software checks before they will fully function.
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Apple had surprised many with its support for California's repair bill. But the company, notable for its pairing requirements for certain repair parts, opposed Oregon's repair bill. John Perry, a senior manager for secure design at Apple, testified at an Oregon hearing that the pairing restriction would "undermine the security, safety, and privacy of Oregonians by forcing device manufacturers to allow the use of parts of unknown origin in consumer devices."
When I woke up today, I did not expect to feel any sort of way about a wedge. But looking back, a wedge-shaped Air was present during some of the most momentous parts of my life and career. Now that I can’t get another one? I’m going to hold onto this M1 Air for as long as I can.
I live in a place where there probably isn't a lot of advertisers want to target with their podcast ads. I still do hear ads in podcasts, but these are mostly advertisements about other podcasts.
And, oh dear, so many of these advertisements are so bad, they actively discourage me from even want to sample an episode or two.
However, that's not the worst form of advertisement. I really hate it when partial or full episodes of different podcasts get inserted into the feed. Thankfully, not a lot of podcasts do this, but this will actively encourage me to unsubscribe from the podcast. (I have too many podcasts to listen, and too little time in a day. I can always unsubscribe from a podcast or two.)
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Thanks for reading.