Zac Hall, 9to5Mac, pulled together a bunch of unboxing videos, and some insight into the Apple Watch packaging.

Two things that stuck out:

First, Apple Watch Series 3 without LTE will no longer include the 5W USB charging brick, although the charging cable is still included. You can buy these separately of course, but a lot of customers probably also have spare bricks from iPhones and other devices.

This change strikes me as similar to not including a headphone to Lightning adapter in the iPhone box. A practical decision, no doubt fueled by market research. Not an issue for most folks, I suspect.

The second thing that stuck out to me was the pure beauty of the Apple Watch Series 4 packaging, enthusiastically shown off by iJustine in the video embedded below.

Lots of great insight here. One particular such nugget:

This past year with the iPhone X I’ve had a lot of difficulty with vertical panoramas. I’ve shot so many over and over trying to get everything sharp, but the focus seems to degrade as I continue upward. After talking with Apple engineers, I’ve learned it was not an issue of focus depth but of the accelerometers inside the device and how they are tuned to read your motion.

The iPhone XS fixes this problem. Combined with the new Smart HDR, I’ve shot a bunch of vertical panos that are exposed beautifully and tack sharp from top to bottom. Check out the vertical panos below and note the fixed focusing issue and the insane exposure improvement from iPhone X to iPhone XS.

Smart HDR seems like a big gain for the new camera. This is a terrific post. Keep an eye out for the closeup comparisons between the iPhone X and iPhone XS cameras.

Malcolm Owen, Apple Insider:

The iPhone XS is similar in terms of size to the iPhone X, sharing the same length, width, and thickness with last year’s model. While this may mean that most cases made for the iPhone X will fit the iPhone XS, a report from Macotakara notes the slightly larger camera section on the back may be too big for cases where the camera cutout is made with the iPhone X’s dimensions in mind.

It is likely the camera bump has been expanded to accommodate a new larger sensor for the wide-angle camera in the iPhone XS, which features an increased pixel pitch.

If you already have an iPhone X and a case, good to know, but not much you can do about this. But if you are buying a case for the iPhone XS, keep this in mind. Make sure the case is specifically built for the iPhone XS, and not sold as a one size fits all.

Reminds me of the early days, before online pre-orders and a more precisely managed supply chain, when sleeping out in tents for a week, just to be the first one with Apple’s newest shiny was a thing.

[H/T Mr. E]

Wired:

Whenever Apple shows off a new iPhone, the company always has a great deal to say about its camera. True to form, this year’s iPhone Xs and Xs Max—announced last week and available on Friday—have a camera that bests last year’s model and, as the first round of reviews indicates, does a notch better than almost every competing smartphone.

To test the new hardware, we gave an iPhone XS Max to the film director Jon M. Chu. The Crazy Rich Asians director shot a short film for WIRED, and the results are truly special.

Apple increases the capability of the iPhone’s camera with every iteration and there’s no doubt this is the best they’ve ever jammed into an iPhone enclosure.

AppleInsider:

AppleCare+, Apple’s warranty add-on service to help manage the cost of accidental damage, received some changes as part of the introduction of the iPhone XS and the Apple Watch Series 4. AppleInsider explains what has been altered, and why you should consider paying for the extra cover.

AppleCare, like most insurance, is a bit of a crapshoot. This is a good piece that may help you decide whether or not to get it.

Delicious.

Another grab-a-hot-beverage, put your feet up read. And read you should. Lot’s of great detail here.

Stephen Pulvirent, Hodinkee:

> During my tenure covering the watch industry, there is no single watch that has been talked about more than the Apple Watch. At first glance, this is very strange. The device is not made by a watchmaker, it is not distributed and sold through the traditional channels for selling watches and jewelry, it has none of the patrimonie and heritage that watch brands so love to talk about, and its primary purpose is almost certainly not telling the time. But then you remember that it is a key product for the most valuable company in the history of the human race, it is created by some of the best designers and engineers on planet Earth, and it is making the case for wearing a watch to a generation who previously roamed the streets with naked wrists. So yeah, I’m not actually all that surprised it garners the attention it does.

First things first, Hodinkee is the preeminent modern and vintage wristwatch review site. It focuses, almost exclusively, on mechanical watches. Their embrace of the Apple Watch is notable.

This review is, hands down, worth your time. It is elegantly and knowledgeably written, from a very rare point of view, that of a true watch enthusiast and connoisseur.

From the conclusion:

> For now though, the Apple Watch Series 4 truly is, as Apple is fond of saying, the best Apple Watch yet. It’s a mature expression of what the Apple Watch can be, taking the next steps on the path set out by Apple over the last four years and showing us early glimpses of where it might go in the future. So whether you’re someone still wandering around with a naked wrist, checking the time by pulling out your phones like it’s a new-age pocket watch, or a die-hard watch collector who can’t imagine giving up their mechanical marvels, I think it’s high time you give the Apple Watch a shot.

High praise indeed. If you are interested in the Apple Watch Series 4, grab a cup of something, put your feet up, watch the video embedded below, then follow the headline link and dive into the written review. You’ll also find a great selection of stylish watch bands to personalize your device.

Side note: All the images in the review were shot with the iPhone XS.

This is a fantastic community resource. If you have reviews that are not on the list, jump onto the Reddit thread and ask to get your review added.

Kirk McElhearn:

One of the more interesting apps in iOS 12, which Apple released this week, is Measure. It uses augmented reality (AR) to calculate the length, width, and area of items. This is a complex process, which involves having the iPhone or iPad calculate the distance between its camera and the object your are measuring in order to determine the object’s dimensions.

The problem is that it is not very accurate.

Kirk and I went back and forth on Twitter about the Measure app yesterday. I love the concept, but as Kirk (and a number of other folks) weighed in, it became clear that the app was not accurate, at least for us.

Read Kirk’s post, check out his examples. Better yet, grab yourself a tape measure and try the app out for yourself.

My hope is that Apple figures this one out quickly. Measure could be an incredibly handy app to have. But if it doesn’t work, it has the potential to cause problems, especially if you are making decisions based on its measurements.

Whether you have a podcast in the works or are just getting started, Apple’s new podcaster site is worth a visit.

Out of the gate, the site focuses on marketing your podcast and building an audience. Each of the five main sections has a Learn More link that offers a series of bite-size tips.

There’s nothing terribly deep here, but if you are just getting started, this is a terrific tree of information, food for thought to help get the juices flowing.

[Via 9to5Mac]

Google today updated its popular Google Maps navigation app, introducing support for CarPlay. With iOS 12, third-party mapping apps work with CarPlay for the first time, giving CarPlay users an alternative to the built-in Apple Maps app.

I still use Apple Maps a lot, but I know this will be a popular feature for many users.

Twitter:

After a year of touring ballparks across the US, Hailey Dawson (@hailey’s_hand) finally completed her mission of throwing out the first pitch for every MLB team. With the help of the UNLV engineering department, Hailey had customized, 3D-printed prosthetics for each throw.

I’ve been following this story all summer and am so happy she reached her goal.

Kabir Chibber, writing for Quartz, culled two Steve Jobs anecdotes, one from the Wired Oral History of Infinite Loop, and the other from Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography.

But what I really loved about the Quartz post was that image of Steve from 1999, clutching a brand new (what I believe to be) iBook 3G, with a big, proud smile on his face. There’s something so genuine about that smile, a real sense of pride and accomplishment.

Follow these steps:

• Jump to the site hotspot3d.com. That will show you the current default, comparing the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. Tap and drag to rotate the rendered images. Be sure to go left/right and up/down.
• Once you’re done playing, tap the “Apple iPhone XS” label (upper left corner), then tap the iPhone 8 Plus. You should then return to the main screen, with the iPhone XS Max and iPhone 8 Plus, side-by-side. Rotate as you like.

This is an interesting tool, but it makes a specific point. The iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone XS Max are almost identical in size (the Max is actually just a smidge smaller), but the Max has a much, much larger screen, even taking the notch into account.

Enjoy.

Check this tweet from Speedsmart.net. In particular, take a look at this image:

For each carrier, the top part of the image is the download (top) and upload (bottom) speed of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max (I read this as, both models have identical speeds).

Below that set of bars is a smaller set which show the speeds for the iPhone X. These are tremendous speed increases. I’d love to see some verification of these tests from other iPhone X and iPhone XS users, but if these results are accurate, and mobile speed is an issue for you, that’s a compelling reason to upgrade.

The headline overstates this a bit, but even so, this is absolutely worth knowing.

Chris Smith, BGR:

When Apple unveiled the new iPhones last week, it revealed that all of them support a feature called “Express Cards with power reserve,” without really explaining what it was.

It’s a brand new iPhone feature that will let you use the NFC chip even when the battery life is dead. It might not sound like a big deal, but if you’re using your iPhone to pay for transit, or get access to your building, then it really is.

The details are laid out in Apple’s iOS Security Guide:

If iOS isn’t running because iPhone needs to be charged, there may still be enough power in the battery to support Express Card transactions.

Supported iPhone devices automatically support this feature with:

• A transit card designated as the Express Transit card
• Student ID cards with Express Mode turned on

Pressing the side button displays the low battery icon as well as text indicating Express Cards are available to use. The NFC controller performs express card transactions under the same conditions as when iOS is running, except that transactions are indicated with only haptic notification. No visible notification is shown.

This feature isn’t available when a standard user initiated shutdown is performed.

The idea of being able to use your Student ID to get back in your dorm room when your phone is dead is a brilliant little detail. I’m guessing there are other NFC use cases that apply here as well.

Yesterday, we posted a link to some gorgeous shots taken by former White House Photographer Pete Souza. In the post, we referenced “Austin Mann’s Petapixel post”.

Here’s a link to the Petapixel post, with some gorgeous shots, dripping with color. Both galleries really do the new iPhone XS camera justice. A worthy upgrade, especially if you are using an iPhone short of the iPhone X or iPhone 8 Plus.

Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac:

When Touch ID debuted with the iPhone 5s, the home button became cryptographically paired with the display and logic board. Replacing an iPhone screen and digitiser without going through Apple’s proprietary calibration process would result in an iPhone with a new screen, but non-functional fingerprint sensor. The same is true with the Face ID biometric system introduced with iPhone X.

And:

Until today, Apple has needed to distribute bulky repair equipment to its own Apple Store repair centers and authorized resellers to affirm that the 3D Touch system is working correctly.

And:

Apple has now managed to achieve all the calibration steps using software alone, dropping the need for dedicated physical hardware to be installed at repair locations.

Makes me curious how they solved this problem. The good news is, screen repairs are now going to be much easier to schedule, with a much faster turnaround.

Daily Mail:

Former White House Photographer Pete Souza has released the first images taken using the new phone, showing off its new camera capabilities.

He took these shots exclusively for Dailymail.com around Washington DC, and any editing was done on the phone using Apple’s tools.

‘Smart phones have turned everyone into a photographer but they haven’t necessarily turned everyone into a “good” photographer,’ he told Dailymail.com

Several Twitterers are pointing to Austin Mann’s Petapixel post with images shot on the new iPhone but, to me, Mann’s shots are “just” the typical ones any tourist would take and don’t show off the capabilities of the new iPhone. Souza shows a wide variety of shots that do a great job of showing the range of the iPhone X s.

Apple:

Shortcuts in iOS 12 let you get things done with your apps, with just a tap or by asking Siri. In addition to running shortcuts available on your iOS device, you can use the Shortcuts app to create custom shortcuts, simplifying everyday tasks by combining steps across multiple apps.

I wasn’t a beta user of iOS 12 so I’m looking forward to digging in to what Shortcuts can do for me.

Macworld:

If you already have the Workflow app, you just need to open the App Store and hit the Updates section. Shortcuts comes as an update to Workflow, and replaces that app.

If you don’t have it yet, you’re missing out on one of the best parts of iOS 12! Just click Shortcuts from the App Store to grab it and get started unlocking the real potential of Siri.

The app obviously requires iOS 12 so don’t bother to download until you’ve upgraded.

Ipswich Star:

A tormented mother living in Bramford Road with her two young children has been woken on an almost nightly basis by a tinny, distant rendition of ‘It’s Raining, It’s Pouring’.

She said the threatening undertone of the song had left her frightened and questioning whether she was imagining things. After months of torment, she finally reported the unusual complaint to Ipswich Borough Council. The team sprang into action. They joined the woman at the scene and went out to investigate this ongoing mystery.

Months!? She listened to that creepy sound for months!? I know about the British “stiff upper lip” but this is ridiculous. I would have reported that the first night I heard it.

My thanks to Bare Bones Software for sponsoring The Loop this week. I’ve been using BBEdit since 1995, so I know first hand that it can handle any job I throw at it.

BBEdit is crafted and continuously refined in response to meet the needs of writers, web authors, and software developers, providing an abundance of high-performance features for editing, searching, and manipulation of text. All in all, BBEdit is a powerful editor with an interface that stays out of your way, and well worth checking out.

BBEdit 12 is 64-bit ready. Download and try it today!

The Guardian:

For a growing number of users – and mental health experts – the very positivity of Instagram is precisely the problem. The site encourages its users to present an upbeat, attractive image that others may find at best misleading and at worse harmful. If Facebook demonstrates that everyone is boring and Twitter proves that everyone is awful, Instagram makes you worry that everyone is perfect – except you.

“On the face of it, Instagram can look very friendly,” says the RSPH’s Niamh McDade. “But that endless scrolling without much interaction doesn’t really lead to much of a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. You also don’t really have control over what you’re seeing. And you quite often see images that claim to be showing you reality, yet aren’t. That’s especially damaging to young men and women.”

Much like Twitter and Facebook, Instagram is what you make of it. I don’t see any of these “feel good” posts because I don’t follow those kinds of Instagrammers.

Two Bit History:

There are two stories here. The first is a story about a vision of the web’s future that never quite came to fruition. The second is a story about how a collaborative effort to improve a popular standard devolved into one of the most contentious forks in the history of open-source software development.

The future once looked so bright for RSS. What happened? Was its downfall inevitable, or was it precipitated by the bitter infighting that thwarted the development of a single RSS standard?

I am still a big fan of RSS. I don’t know if it’s “dead” or not but it’s a shame it’s not more popular.

Macstories:

iOS 12, available today for the same range of devices that supported iOS 11, feels like a reaction to changes that have occurred around Apple and consumer technology over the past year.

It’s important to understand the context in which iOS 12 is launching today, for events of the past year may have directly shaped Apple’s vision for this update.

This will be the first of many reviews of iOS 12, available today.

Apple:

You can use two cellular plans with your iPhone Xs or iPhone Xs Max, a nano-SIM, and an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular plan from your carrier without having to use a physical nano-SIM. Here’s how to set up and use a cellular plan using an eSIM.

Follow the headline link to the Apple knowledge base article (big hat tip to Loop follower and furniture maker J. Leko) and dig in.

Side note: The new iPhone branding is all over the place. In this post, it’s “Xs”. On Apple’s front page, it’s “X?”, and on a variety of other pages, it’s “XS”. I think Apple is going for “X?” and, if typing the s-in-a-square is not practical, “Xs”. I suspect the “XS” was inadvertent and will slowly disappear.