Posts in Linked

AppStories, Episode 286 – iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura Public Beta Previews→

To kick off our Summer OS Preview Series on AppStories this week, cover the top new features of iOS and iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, that are now available as part of Apple’s public beta program.

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On AppStories+, we talk about the purpose of the OS previews and the approach and process we take to writing them.

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Draft Emoji Candidates Revealed→

Source: [Emojipedia](https://emojipedia.org).

Source: Emojipedia.

Draft candidates for Emoji 15.0 have been released ahead of World Emoji Day, and Emojipedia has created the sample images seen above to show them off. Although there’s no guarantee that all of the proposed new emojis will be included in the final release of Emoji 15.0, which is expected in September, Emojipedia reports that most usually are.

Included among the candidates this year are shaking face, three new colors of hearts, left and right pushing hands in multiple skin tones, a moose, a donkey, a black bird, a goose, ginger, a hair pick, a flute, peas, and more. It’s up to each vendor that uses the Unicode Consortium’s set of emojis to create their artwork, but Emojipedia’s images provide a good touchstone for what they should look like.

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Stephen Hackett Announces the 2023 Apple History Calendar→

Today, our friend Stephen Hackett launched a follow-up to his successful 2021 Apple hardware calendar campaign on Kickstarter. This year’s calendar features more of Stephen’s excellent product photography along with notable dates in Apple’s software history.

You can watch Stephen’s announcement video here:

and read more about the campaign on 512 Pixels.

In addition to the wall calendar, Stephen has created a digital wallpaper pack for backers who pledge $5 or more. If you pledge $32 or more, you get the wall calendar, wallpaper pack, and a .ics file for importing Apple’s software dates into a calendar app. Pledge $38 or more, and you’ll get stickers too.

Stephen’s been working hard on this project for a while now. I’m really looking forward to seeing this year’s photos, which are a great way to show off his collection of Apple hardware, and browsing through the dates he’s compiled for this year’s calendar.

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AppStories, Episode 285 – Exploring Reading and Research Apps→

This week on AppStories, we survey some of our favorite reading and research apps across all of Apple’s platforms.

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On AppStories+, I explain the quirks of moving from one state to another to Federico and we both update listeners on the tools we’re using this year for our annual OS reviews.

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App Developers Can Apply to Use Third-Party Payment Processors in South Korea With Limitations→

To comply with a recent amendment to South Korea’s Telecommunications Business Act, Apple is allowing developers to use third-party payment systems for the first time. However, the new App Store entitlement comes with substantial limitations.

Developers who want to use a third-party payment processor must apply to Apple for a StoreKit External Purchase Entitlement. Apps with the new entitlement can only be released in South Korea’s App Store, which means that developers will need to make a separate version of any app that uses the entitlement. As Apple explains, using the entitlement also means certain App Store features will be unavailable to users too:

If you’re considering using this entitlement, it’s important to understand that some App Store features, such as Ask to Buy and Family Sharing, will not be available to your users, in part because we cannot validate payments that take place outside of the App Store’s private and secure payment system. Apple will not be able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management, and other issues encountered when purchasing digital goods and services through an alternative purchasing method. You will be responsible for addressing such issues.

Third-party payment processing isn’t a way to get around Apple’s commission on purchases made by users:

 Apple will charge a 26% commission on the price paid by the user, gross of any value-added taxes. This is a reduced rate that excludes value related to payment processing and related activities.

Developers will need to handle the payment of any taxes to South Korean taxing authorities themselves too.

It’s hard to imagine that Apple’s new StoreKit External Purchase Entitlement will be attractive to many developers, given its limitations and the need to create a separate version of apps just for South Korea. I expect we’ll see this new StoreKit entitlement offered on a country-by-country basis as other countries follow South Korea’s lead, but I don’t expect it will lead to meaningful use of third-party payment processors unless and until apps are available outside the App Store via sideloading.

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AppStories, Episode 284 – Mac App Spotlight→

This week on AppStories, we share some of our favorite Mac apps, including new discoveries and old favorites.

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On AppStories+, Federico investigates displays that work well with the Mac, iPad, and gaming PCs, and I share my spartan, furniture-free recording setup.

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Apple Tells The Verge That iPads Will Continue to Work as Home Hubs When iPadOS 16 Is Released→

Last week, MacRumors reported that beginning with iPadOS 16, the iPad would no longer be able to serve as a hub for your HomeKit accessories. MacRumors’ story was based on strings found in the iPadOS beta and was picked up by other websites, including The Verge.

However, it seems that’s not quite right. According to Apple spokesperson Catherine Franklin who contacted The Verge, the iPad will retain its current ability to operate as a home hub, but won’t be compatible with the Home app’s upcoming new architecture. That’s a shame, but at least users who rely solely on an iPad as their home hub won’t lose the features they currently have.

Here’s Apple’s full statement made to The Verge:

Alongside these releases, the Home app will introduce a new architecture for an even more efficient and reliable experience. Because iPad will not be supported as a home hub with the new architecture, users who rely on iPad for that purpose do not need to update the Home architecture and can continue enjoying all existing features.

Franklin also said that the upgrade to the Home app’s new architecture will be available in the app’s settings in a later iPadOS 16 update. No details on the new architecture were provided, although, during the WWDC keynote, a presenter mentioned that it is more efficient and reliable, allowing the Home app to handle many more accessories than before.

One aspect of what is going on with the Home app’s mysterious new architecture is undoubtedly the upcoming Matter standard. Matter, which incorporates Thread’s mesh network protocol to improve device connectivity and support over 250 devices at once, is slated to be released this fall. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple is building functionality on top of Matter for HomeKit devices too, but whether that’s the case and what it might entail remains to be seen.

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AppStories, Episode 283 – App Grab Bag→

This week on AppStories, we reach into the App Grab Bag and pull out five recommendations for listeners to try.

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On AppStories+, John has some personal news with a tech angle.

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AppStories, Episode 282 – What WWDC 2022 Means for Apple’s Platforms→

This week on AppStories, we take a step back to consider the future of WWDC and what this year’s announcements mean for each of Apple’s platforms.

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On AppStories+, we go behind the scenes of MacStories’ WWDC coverage and Federico explains the apps and approach he plans to take with his iOS and iPadOS 16 review this year.

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