¶ Be My Guest

I’ve recently been exploring the power of Shortcuts, including trying to create some of my own. Most of them, so far, have been to help me automate specific tasks at work. But I did make one that has been useful recently as the pandemic has had much less of an impact on my local community as of late.

I call it Be My Guest, and it does a simple thing well: it displays a QR code containing your guest Wi-Fi info. It works with iOS and Android devices to help visitors join your guest Wi-Fi near instantly.

Upon installing the shortcut, you will be asked for your guest network’s SSID and password. Then, you can simply say, “Hey Siri, be my guest” and the QR code will pop up. Best of all, this works on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and even watchOS.

My favorite way to use this shortcut has been with the Apple Watch. My guest can scan the code straight from my wrist, and be connected to the guest network.

I hope you enjoy this shortcut. Let me know on Twitter Mastodon if you have any feedback.

¶ 2020 Year in Review | New Tech

This past year has been…well, something else. While a global pandemic certainly threw a wrench in so many things for so many people, it really wasn’t the worst year for me, aside from the longest spring break my kid has ever had. In January, I started a new job at my old flame, 1Password. Being a fully remote job, my day-to-day work wasn’t significantly impacted.

One thing that did go by the wayside was writing here. I just couldn’t muster the wherewithal to write during all this, even though I certainly had plenty fo topics to write about. You see, 2020 ended up being the year I had opportunity to refresh a good deal of my tech. So, in lieu of individual reviews, I’m going to summarize my thoughts on pieces of new tech I added to my collection this year.

AirPods Pro

As a “yay, new job!” gift to myself, I bought a pair of AirPods Pro in January. The regular AirPods were already one of my favorite pieces of tech in years, and the Pro variant set the bar even higher. I absolutely love the noise cancellation, which worked well on the few flights I took before the pandemic lockdown began.

But it is the Transparency mode that is really fantastic. Being able to clearly hear both music or podcasts and my surroundings is game changing, particularly on a walk through the neighborhood.

And the AirPods Pro have continued to get better. iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur allow for seamless automatic transfer between devices, and it works really well. It’s not foolproof, but it is rare for me to experience a hiccup in the transfer. And the new support for spatial audio is astounding. I’ve been watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Disney+, which supports spatial audio, and it is such an exciting audio experience. I really couldn’t recommend AirPods Pro enough. They are simply fantastic and remain my favorite gadget.

The Early 2020 MacBook Air

I had been rocking a 2012 MacBook Air until April this year. I loved that MacBook Air, and it was darn near the perfect computer. But it was certainly long in the tooth. Apple refreshed the MacBook Air back in 2018, giving it a Retina display and USB-C ports, but I held off because of the wretched butterfly keyboard. I was determined that my trusty MacBook Air would outlive the much-maligned butterfly keyboard design. That wager happened this year with a refresh bringing scissor switch keys to the MacBook Air.

I literally insta-ordered.

Little did I know I was buying the last Intel MacBook Air, since Apple swapped the brains for their own chips last month. Still, I am comforted knowing I bought the best Intel MacBook Air Apple had ever made. I have no regrets.

It’s a solid Mac, and more than fits my needs. But maybe this time around I won’t wait 8 years to upgrade.

The 2020 iPad Pro 12.9-inch

When Apple announced the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro and did a slight refresh on the iPad Pro, I knew this was a system I wanted (note: not needed) to own. I know what you’re thinking: “Chris! What are you doing? You just bought a 13-inch MacBook Air, and now you’re buying basically a 13-inch iPad Pro with a case that makes it a laptop?!”

Yep.

Here’s the deal: I love my Mac, and it is the de facto workhorse. But I also have strong associations of Mac = Work. At the end of my workday, I just don’t really feel like being on a Mac anymore if I can help it.

And the iPad is an exciting computing platform. I love the modularity. It can be a touch-driven tablet, a laptop with a real keyboard and trackpad, of a notepad with the Apple Pencil. And it seamlessly switches between and even combines these contexts.

My Mac is the stable, trustworthy stalwart of computing. My iPad is my personal computer. Everything about it feels very personal and approachable. And this year I decided to go big or go home — quite literally! The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is big, yet balanced.

And like the AirPods Pro, it got even better this fall with iPadOS 14. I find myself using the new Scribble feature with the Apple Pencil all the time. The iPad is a jack of all trades, and I can do most anything I need to on it. In fact, there are things I can do better on my iPad than on my Mac thanks to the versatility of input methods.

Could I go all in on iPad? Yeah, I think I could. But I’m not ready to put the Mac out to pasture yet.

Apple Watch Series 6

In September, I picked up the Apple Watch Series 6. My Series 4 was fine, and not failing me in any way, but I’ve been on a traditional 2-year upgrade cycle with my Apple Watch, and decided to upgrade, gaining the benefits of the always-on display, and also the blood oxygen sensor for kicks.

That always-on display is really nice. I didn’t think it would be a huge deal to me since I had been accustomed to having to tilt my wrist up to activate the screen, but it is a noteworthy addition to the watch. I think most people rocking a Series 4 are fine to wait another year before considering an upgrade, but if you have a Series 3 or older, the Series 6 would be a huge quality of life improvement.

iPhone 12 Pro

Being on the Apple Upgrade Program has the benefit of getting a new phone if I want it. The new industrial design of the iPhone 12 Pro had me sold straight away. The iPhone 4 was my all-time favorite iPhone design (and still is), and the iPhone 12 Pro feels like the modern reinterpretation of that design. The flat sides won me over instantly.

This also marked the first time I did not get an iPhone that was either black or space gray. I decided to branch out and get the Pacific Blue model, and I do not regret that one bit. It is a delightfully gorgeous color. I’ve never been one to use cases, and this phone is no different. I love seeing that blue.

I was concerned that the increase in the screen size from 5.8-inches to 6.1-inches was going to be ungainly, but it’s been a non-issue. Apple made the overall body of the phone very comparable in size to the iPhone 11 Pro, and it really doesn’t feel any larger in the hand (or pocket).

HomePod mini (x2)

The final piece of tech I picked up from Apple this year was a pair of HomePod minis. One for the living room, one for the kitchen. They’ve been a very nice addition to the house that everyone in the family have enjoyed.

I’m not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, so it doesn’t take much to impress me when it comes to audio quality. Needless to say, I’m impressed. At about 70% volume, the living room is filled with nice sound. I can’t believe how much sound a device the size of a softball can put out. And while it’s easy to pick on Siri, more often than not Siri works very well on both of our HomePod minis. Siri distinguishes easily between me, my wife, and my son, and hasn’t once been confused by who is talking.

If you’re skeptical about the HomePod mini, don’t be. It’s a nice little device to have around the house.

The New Year and Beyond

Only Apple knows what lies ahead for the coming year in its product line. There are some easy guesses: more Apple Silicon-based Macs, probably a more remarkable revision to the iPad Pro, new iPhones and Apple Watches, etc. But I’m thinking 2021 will be a quieter year for tech purchases for me. I updated most of my arsenal this year because the stars aligned just so. I’m not chomping at the bit to replace anything anytime soon at this point. But I am excited to see what is in store, especially on the Mac side with this architecture change to Apple Silicon.

Have a happy new year.

Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for all users in the United States→

Apple has been gradually rolling out their re-built Maps data across the United States for the past year or so. Today, Apple announced that work is complete.

Apple today announced that all users in the United States can now experience a redesigned Maps with faster and more accurate navigation and comprehensive views of roads, buildings, parks, airports, malls and more, making it easier and more enjoyable to map out any journey. Apple completed the rollout of this new Maps experience in the United States and will begin rolling it out across Europe in the coming months.

I will say the new Maps data is terrific. It is a huge upgrade over the old data. While most buildings in my area are represented by fairly generic boxes, there is a good deal of detail in important landmarks such as Memorial Stadium (of Cornhusker fame) and the Nebraska State Capitol building. They even got a good representation of the statue of the Sower on the top of the building.

Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska

Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska

But today is not the first I have seen of this new map data. Apple began a soft rollout for the new maps in my region (Nebraska) last month, and they were active on my iPad Pro, but not my Mac or iPhone. And then last week the new maps reverted back to the old maps on my iPad Pro, which was odd.

One change that came today — for everyone in the US, from what I can tell on Twitter — is the addition of stoplights and stop signs when getting directions. This is represented nicely, and Siri will even tell you to “turn right at the stop sign”. It’s a subtle way of telling the driver about traffic signs and signals, which also sounding more natural.

Directions showing traffic signals and stop signs along the route.

Apple also highlighted a few more features of the new Maps in their press release today, many of which have been around since earlier releases of iOS 13:

• Explore major cities with Look Around
  This is basically Apple’s answer to Google Maps’ Street View. It only works in a few cities, currently: New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston and Oahu.

  If you zoom into one of those areas and tap the binoculars icon that appears, you can try it out for yourself. It seems a lot nicer than Google’s Street View, and I can’t wait for that to roll out to more places.

• Users can share places they love with collections
  These are simple collections of places you can create and share. My only complaint is that when you share a collection, the recipient’s copy is standalone — meaning if they add something it doesn’t sync back to you. This feature would be more useful if it allowed collaboration, much like Notes and Reminders does.
• One-tap navigation to frequent places with Favorites
  Pretty much what it says on the tin. Pretty handy for places you frequent.
• Real-time transit information
  This is active in my city and appears to work pretty well.
• Share ETA
  This is a really nice feature. When you start directions, you can tap a Share ETA button, and choose a recipient. They will then be able to see you in Maps and see your estimated time of arrival. This worked a treat earlier this month when I needed to rendezvous with my dad for a road trip.
• Flight status
  Siri intelligences does a bunch of on-device processing, looking at Mail, Calendar, and Wallet passes for flight info, then keeps you up to date on terminal, gate, or departure changes. I’ll give this a go in a couple weeks.
• Indoor maps
  Zooming in on some airports and malls with now have a Look Inside label, and shows you the interior of the locations. This can come in handy when you need to find a certain shop, or plan out your rush through an airport between flights.

All in all, I’m really excited about the future of Apple Maps. If you are in the United States and the previous incarnation of Apple Maps left a bad impression, it’s worth your time to give it a fresh try.