At this meeting, held on the 5th January, members helped each other with a number of questions and queries. Robert also demonstrated some apps and shared tips.
Apps & Tips
Robert demonstrated:
- Vinegar - Tube Cleaner - a Safari extension for iOS and Mac which replaces the YouTube video player with a standard HTML video player. This removes ads, and restores functionality such a picture-in-picture.
- Journal - this new app, introduced with iOS 17.2, allows you to keep a diary with prompts based on the day’s activities.
- Built-in Shazam - Apple has added music recognition based on Shazam to the menu bar or Control Centre in macOS 14.2.
He pointed out some of the useful tips that have been published over the Christmas period:
- Hidden features in iOS 17.
- iPhone battery life tips (for when you want to extend battery life as far as possible).
News
We also discussed some recent Apple news:
- No new iPads were released in the year 2023, for the first time since its introduction.
- The US Apple Watch import ban has been suspended.
- The historic Infinite Loop Apple Store is to close.
Member Topics
- Alan asked about checking and cancelling Amazon Prime.
- Alan also mentioned RAR files. We explained that these are archive files (similar to ZIPs) and should be treated with caution since they could contain malicious content. RARs can be opened with an archive app like The Unarchiver.
- DavidB demonstrated the new Personal Voice feature.
- Sue asked about removing unwanted books from the Books app.
- Ben mentioned that it is possible to move your iMovie library to an external drive to save space on your Mac.
- DaveK demonstrated how he uses Reminders to plan for the year using the Scheduled view.