MacOS 11 Big Sur Compatibility (+ iPadOS, iOS 14 and WatchOS) :
It is only about a month until the release of MacOS 11 (Big Sur), iPadOS and iOS 14. With each update will come a host of new features and additions to trick out your Mac or iDevice. The question is will your current device get the update or is it time to consider an upgrade?
Well, here are the answers:
New 2020 Emoji :
This post is one for the techies, tweeters, WhatsApp’ers and all the rest of the Social Media fraternity who love a bit of emoji action.
Friday 17th July 2020 marked World Emoji Day, and in celebration of the event, Apple shared a preview of upcoming 2020 emojis that will be added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs with Emojipedia.
2020 will see the Emoji 13 update being released and some of the loveable little images planned include :
The update also features 55 gender and skin-tone variants, along with new gender-inclusive emojis that can be used as an alternative to gendered versions, such as person with veil and person with tuxedo rather than the current woman/man options.
Unfortunately after ‘Emoji 13’ there will be a six month delay to ‘Emoji 14’ which means it will most likely be 2022 when the next big update comes along.
“Under the current circumstances we’ve heard that our contributors have a lot on their plates at the moment and decided it was in the best interests of our volunteers and the organizations that depend on the standard to push out our release date,” said Mark Davis, President of the Consortium. “This year we simply can’t commit to the same schedule we’ve adhered to in the past.”
Mark Davis : President of the Emoji Consortium
Disclosure : I purchased this Mous Clarity iPhone 11 Case direct from Mous.co the review is my own as are my thoughts on the product.
Mous Limitless 3.0 Case Review : https://tbni.blog/2019/09/30/mous-limitless-3-0-case-for-iphone-11-pro-review/
If you start off by reading the above post you will see that I was already using a Mous case for my iPhone 11 Pro and in fact you will learn that I have been using Mous cases for quite some time.
They are great. Well designed offering superb protection but with a form factor that isn’t offensive and they are made with a variety of stunning materials from leather to walnut to carbon fibre.
There is a lot to like.
However I also wanted something a little different. For that difference I chose a slickwraps skin – actually one from their retro range, being a child of the 80s I love retro and they have a great range of retro Apple skins…
Apple TV+ launched on 1st November 2019, and if you purchased an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod Touch or Mac (iMac, MacBook Air / Pro, iMac etc) after 10th September 2019 then you will be eligible for an Apple TV+ 1 Year Free Trial!
NOTE : You only have a limited time to take up this offer. I believe that limited time is 3 months so do not hang about too long.
However some users are reporting that when they go into their Apple TV app on their device it seems to only be offering 7 days of a trial – then the billing starts at £4.99 / month.
There is a very easy work around for this issue (I was one such user who experienced this).
If you are looking for an Apple Watch Series 5 Case there are two real options.
I previously had a Spigen Tough Armour Case on my Apple Watch Series 2. It was on there from Day 1 until I sold it around 3 years later. When the case was removed the Apple Watch was as new. I wore it to work, in the gym, day to day and it preformed flawllessly. It gave the Apple Watch a sort of G-Shock vibe, and offered good protector for daily use. It proved itself well and I had no hesitation in buying another when I bought my Apple Watch Series 5.
But this isn’t a review of the Spigen Tough Armour, it is a review for the RhinoShield CrashGuard NX.
One question you may have is if it works why change it?
The first port of call was Amazon and with Prime the following day a RhinoShield CrashGuard NX arrived.
D’Oh! I had managed to order the wrong colour. Thinking I had ordered black when in actual fact I had ordered Camo Green.
MacOS 10.15 Catalina : How to Find 32 Bit Apps : Since MacOS 10.13 Apple have been warning users that 32 Bit Apps are on the way out. Well, with the release of MacOS 10.15 Catalina that time is now.
So before you upgrade you really should test what is going to stop working. At least then you can make the decision to go ahead with the upgrade or wait a while and see if the App Developer releases a 64 Bit update. Although to be fair – they have had enough warning so probably should have already done so! Don’t give up though, some lazy developers are still releasing updates.
Personally I have upgraded my MacBook Pro and not my iMac. I’m impressed with Catalina and would love to upgrade my iMac too however I can’t bear to loose Cannon Fodder, Theme Park, Sim City 4 and a few other classic games. Everything else that hasn’t bothered with updating – well I’m happy enough to move on without them, no doubt better alternatives are already out there.
Two programs of note that are a potential sticking point for many are :
1. Microsoft Office 2011 – this is not compatible and upgrading to Catalina will force you onto the Office 365 Subscription model.
2. Aperture : Apple’s own image software will no longer work with MacOS Catalina.
The Apple Watch Series 5 has been out for a couple of weeks now however the Nike edition of the watch only became available on 4th October 2019.
Having had a Apple Watch Nike Series 2 for a few years I thought it was time to upgrade. The Series 2 was still going strong, the battery was lasting all day and it was in great nick having been housed in a case with a screen protector for its entire life. So the question then is – why upgrade?
Disclosure : I purchased this Mous Limitless 3.0 iPhone 11 Pro Walnut Case direct from Mous.co the review is my own as are my thoughts on the product.
It is officially new iPhone season and this year we have three choices to go for, namely the iPhone 11, the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Now two things have been agreed across the tech world.
I was never planning on upgrading my iPhone X I was more than happy to aim for and get a third year out it. Then I made the mistake of watching some previews, reviews and the iPhone 11 keynote. Needless to say I was walking into the Apple Store on 20th September 2019 to pick up my new iPhone 11 Pro 256 GB.
This isn’t a review on the iPhone 11 though.
Apple have just announced the September Special Event to be held on 10th Sept 2019 at the Steve Jobs Theatre. Expect : new iPhone(s) ? , a 16” MacBook (Pro) ?, new Apple Watch ⌚️, and hopefully ‘something else’ #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/7C4Mji6KRE
— ?TomBoyNI™? (@TomBoyNI) August 29, 2019
Get yourself over to the Apple Wallpapers Section of the site to get a preview of the wallpapers coming with iOS13 this Autumn (or for our American visitors – ‘this Fall.’
You can be Autumn Fresh at least 2 months early!
Apple Wallpapers : https://tbni.blog/apple-wallpapers/
