Category: apple

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iCloud Photos issues

I switched on iCloud Photos after using My Photo Stream for years and it then turned off by Apple.

I have noticed one problem with iCloud Photos and various iOS apps including Instagram and Snapseed.

The issue arises when you access the PhotoStream, there is a noticeable delay in the images appearing in the app.

With Instagram, you have to wait a while and even tap the screen before the images appear. Then the camera feed appears.

It is a similar story with Snapseed.

It also can take a while to swipe through your images with Snapseed.

It is easier to tap Open from device and then browse for the photo you need then.

I don’t know if there is a solution, at the moment it is more annoying than anything else. Initially I thought the Instagram app was broken, rather than thinking it was an issue with iCloud Photos.

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Moving to iCloud Photos

I really liked My Photo Stream. It made my blogging and writing workflow so much easier. I would take a photo on my phone and then using My Photo Stream I would be able to use the photo on my iPad or my Mac. So I was quite disappointed that Apple have closed it down.

According to Apple the solution is to move to iCloud Photos.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do that as I knew I would need to upgrade my iCloud+ subscription to the 2TB tier.

So for a week or two I tried doing stuff without My Photo Stream and without using iCloud Photos.

After a while it was apparent that this wasn’t working. So at the beginning of July I upgraded my iCloud+ subscription and on my home iMac I turned on iCloud Photos.

I knew it would take some time to sync my photo library to iCloud as I have over 70,000 photographs in the library.

I did initially have some teething issues, so had to restart the iMac and Photos a few times, but so far it appears to be working as needed. 

I also turned iCloud Photos on, on my iPhone to check it was working.

The photographs I take on my iPhone are now available in iCloud Photos on my other devices.

I do quite like the ability to access all my photographs on my iPhone, whereas with My Photo Stream it was only the last 1000 photos.

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AirPlay Hotel

hotel room

I have blogged recently about my problems and successes with using my Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter. I did write this:

I did check online for a solution, others had experienced the same problem. The solution offered though was to use AirPlay. Great if you have that set up (which I do at home with an Apple TV). However I don’t have that setup when travelling to different hotels.

So I was pleased to hear about AirPlay Hotel.

‌AirPlay‌ will also work with supported televisions in hotels, allowing users to easily enjoy their favorite content on the TV when traveling. Built with a foundation of privacy and security, this capability will be available before the end of the year in select hotels, starting with brands from IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Initially available across (some of) the IHG hotel chain, hopefully other hotel chains (and independents) will take up the technology as well.

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Freeform

I missed this announcement back in December.

Apple launches Freeform: a powerful new app designed for creative brainstorming and collaboration

Apple Freeform

It was mentioned in the recent Vision Pro announcements, which made me wonder initially what it was.

Freeform helps users organise and visually lay out content on a flexible canvas, giving them the ability to see, share, and collaborate all in one place without worrying about layouts or page sizes. Users can add a wide range of files and preview them inline without ever leaving the board. Designed for collaboration, Freeform makes it easier than ever to invite others to work on a board together. Users can even collaborate with others while on a FaceTime call. Freeform boards are stored in iCloud, so users can stay in sync across devices.

I discovered it was already on my iPad, so I opened it up.

It looks like a great planning tool, I did wonder if it would be useful for sketch notes, it could be, but it is missing many of the functions that I use in Paper by WeTransfer.

I currently use Miro for this kind of thing, one of the challenges with using Freeform is that others I work with may not have access to it. 

So for individual note taking I think this could be a possibility, so will give it a go.

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Well it worked this time!

In a recent blog post I talked about the problem I had with my Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter.

I recently connected my iPhone to a Philips TV in a hotel room and attempted to play a TV show from Amazon Prime. The result was a stuttering video which was unwatchable.

I have an Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter. As well as using it for presentations, I also bought it so I could connect my iPhone to a TV so I can watch video from services such as Netflix, iPlayer, and Amazon Prime.

Lightning Digital AV Adapter

According to the description on the Apple website this is what it does.

Use the Lightning Digital AV Adapter with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector. The Lightning Digital AV Adapter supports mirroring of what is displayed on your device screen — including apps, presentations, websites, slideshows, and more — to your HDMI-equipped TV, display, projector, or other compatible display in up to 1080p HD.

Well for that purpose it does what it says on the tin.

The page also says.

It also outputs video content — movies, TV shows, captured video — to your big screen in up to 1080p HD. Simply attach the Lightning Digital AV Adapter to the Lightning connector on your device and then to your TV or projector via an HDMI cable.

Well yes, that is what it says, my experience is that this experience is less consistent.

So I was a little surprised when staying in a different hotel (same chain as it happens) and connected my iPhone to the Philips TV in the room and watched a programme on Disney+ and it worked just fine and as expected.

Checking back on my last experience, in the other hotel I was trying to play Amazon Prime, I wonder if that was the difference. I didn’t do any testing as I wanted to watch television. Next time I will do some testing.

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My Photo Stream will be shut down on 26 July

My Photo Stream

I received an email from Apple about My Photo Stream closing down.

My Photo Stream is scheduled to be shut down on 26 July, 2023. The photos in My Photo Stream are already stored on at least one of your devices, so as long as you have the device with your originals, you will not lose any photos as part of this process. If a photo you want is not already in your library on a particular iPhone, iPad or Mac, make sure you save it to your library on that device. For more information on this transition and instructions on how to download photos from My Photo Stream, read Information about the My Photo Stream shutdown.

I really liked My Photo Stream. It made my blogging and writing workflow so much easier. I would take a photo on my phone and then using My Photo Stream I would be able to use the photo on my iPad or my Mac.

Sometimes I would load photographs from my Canon DSLR onto my iMac, then be able to use those photographs on my MacBook.

Now according to Apple the solution is to move to iCloud Photos.

Moving forward, iCloud Photos is the best way to keep the photos and videos you take up to date across all your devices and safely stored in iCloud.

The main reason I’ve not done this before, is partly as My Photo Stream worked, and I would need to upgrade to iCloud+ and with the number of photos in my library, I would probably need the 2TB upgrade.

Well I have until the 26th June.

As part of this transition, new photo uploads to My Photo Stream from your devices will be stopped on 26 June.

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Trying to work out why it doesn’t work

I have an Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter. As well as using it for presentations, I also bought it so I could connect my iPhone to a TV so I can watch video from services such as Netflix, iPlayer, and Amazon Prime.

According to the description on the Apple website this is what it does.

Use the Lightning Digital AV Adapter with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector. The Lightning Digital AV Adapter supports mirroring of what is displayed on your device screen — including apps, presentations, websites, slideshows, and more — to your HDMI-equipped TV, display, projector, or other compatible display in up to 1080p HD.

Well for that purpose it does what it says on the tin.

The page also says.

It also outputs video content — movies, TV shows, captured video — to your big screen in up to 1080p HD. Simply attach the Lightning Digital AV Adapter to the Lightning connector on your device and then to your TV or projector via an HDMI cable.

Well yes, that is what it says, my experience is that this experience is less consistent.

I recently connected my iPhone to a Philips TV in a hotel room and attempted to play a TV show from Amazon Prime. The result was a stuttering video which was unwatchable.

I remembered though that a few weeks back I had done something similar, but with a Sony TV and that had worked fine.

I did check online for a solution, others had experienced the same problem. The solution offered though was to use AirPlay. Great if you have that set up (which I do at home with an Apple TV). However I don’t have that setup when travelling to different hotels.

So the end result is, if it doesn’t work, I am watching video on the 6” screen on my iPhone rather than the 50” TV screen in the hotel room.

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It’s alive I tell you, alive!

Apple Pencil
Image by Nana Dua from Pixabay

One of the (now not so) little people got a new 10th generation iPad for Christmas.

He asked if he could borrow my first generation Apple Pencil to do some drawing on his iPad. I realised that the pencil was paired via Bluetooth with the older iPad, so I unpaired them. We then tried to pair the now charged pencil with the new iPad and no joy. 

Reading on the web, it was apparent that the method of pairing was to plug the pencil into the iPad. Now this is where we had a challenge. The 1st generation Apple Pencil has a Lightning connector, the 10th generation iPad had an USB-C connector.

We got one of those and then set about charging and pairing.

It seems to be failing to hold a charge, despite being connected and fast charging from the 10th generation iPad. Reading the web it looks like that as I hadn’t used the pencil in a while, the battery had died.

Though I had given up hope, my son hadn’t. While I was away for work, he tried once more to charge the pencil, and low and behold, it charged up, it paired and is working well with the 10th generation iPad.

It’s alive I tell you, alive!

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I think the Apple Pencil might be “dead”

Having purchased an USB-C to Lighting adapter from the Apple Store in Bristol to connect a first generation Apple Pencil to a 10th generation iPad, I think there might be a problem with the pencil.

It seems to be failing to hold a charge, despite being connected and fast charging from the 10th generation iPad.

Reading the web it looks like that as I haven’t used the pencil in a while, the battery has died.

Currently I have it connected to an older iPad with a lightning port, hoping it will charge.

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Used Apple Pay in a shop

Though it was July 2015 when Apple Pay was introduced in the UK, I have never actually used it until August this year! I bought some parking on my phone and used Apple Pay to pay for it.

It was only today that I actually used Apple Pay at a till! I paid for some shopping using the system at one of those “unexpected item in the bagging area” machine.

I know I should know this, but it was quite a seamless experience. I did have to double tap, which I didn’t think I would need to do.

Well done that now, do I need to do it again? Probably not.