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Good morning! ☀️ *Tim Cook voice*

iOS 17 Public Beta is out, the future of CarPlay, some security patches you need to be aware of, and more!

Estimated reading time: 3.1 minutes

📊 Poll

Last week, I asked what apps have consumed the most of your 🔋..

Here were some of my favorite replies:

This week: Do you install iOS Betas on your main iPhone? Why or why not?

🤖 iOS 17 Public Beta (& More)

iOS 17 Public Beta

Over a month after announcing iOS 17, Apple just released the first Public Beta for their big new software update.

This year was the easiest it has ever been to install a Public Beta, because you didn’t need to download a profile. The software just appeared in your Beta Updates section in Settings, given that you enrolled in the Public Beta program.

If you’re running the Beta now, be sure to report all bugs in the pre-installed Feedback application!

iOS 16.5.1 Rapid Security Response

This was the strangest release of the week.

Apple dropped a new rapid security response update - 16.5.1(a) - for those on 16.5.1. This was a very important update, as it patched a zero-day vulnerability that had been actively exploited.

But a couple hours later, they pulled the update - citing issues with Safari.

Then, 2 days later, they released iOS 16.5.1 (c) to fix the issue that the first (a) version caused. Confusing, I know 🤣.

iOS 16.6 Beta 5

This one was also a bit confusing because why do we need 5 Betas when nothing new is being added!? (not literally, only minor changes)

Anyways, this one has an “a” at the end of the build number, so it’s safe to assume an RC (release candidate) version is coming next week, followed by the public release.

Misc. Software Updates

• macOS Ventura 13.5 released this week to patch a bug on the 3rd & 4th gen iPod shuffle. Yes, the one that was discontinued in 2017. Only Apple!

• New Firmware updates for the AirPods Beta + an update for Beats Studio Buds

🚗 Is This the Future of CarPlay?

Porsche just released an update to the My Porsche app, and it adds a new layer to CarPlay that we haven’t seen before!

Here’s what you’ll be able to do via CarPlay:

• Adjust the climate control & ambient lighting

• See the state of charge of the vehicle battery

• Show an image of your car model (like Tesla does)

• Adjust audio settings, such as sound profiles & changing radio stations

• These functions can be combined into wellness modes, such as “relax”, “warm up” and “refresh”, using quick actions in CarPlay

And to make this experience even better, all of the vehicle functions can be controlled using Siri!

It’s always been nice to have Waze on CarPlay and to be able to control your music, but to be able to control actual vehicle functions is another level of awesome!

Even if you aren’t a Porsche owner, this is exciting because it shows what is possible with 3rd party apps layering on top of CarPlay. And I guarantee you other car manufacturers are going to start doing something similar very soon.

FYI: This is not the next-generation of CarPlay that’s coming (hopefully) later this year. This is done on top of the existing iOS 16 CarPlay interface.

So, what do you think of this? Are you wanting touchscreen controls for functions like adjust the AC or lighting?

😎 New Emoji, RIP Threads & More

New emoji are coming to the iPhone as part of iOS 17 next year, and here’s a first look at how they could look.

These emoji include a head shaking vertically, head shaking horizontally, a lime, phoenix, broken chain, brown mushroom, family silhouettes, and directional people emoji with multiple skin tones.

Apple only recently added new emoji to iOS 16 with 16.4 in March, so I wouldn’t expect these new ones to hit our phones until Spring next year.

Threads Interest is Dying

Meta’s new Threads app was all the rage last week, but the interest seems to have dissipated at a rapid pace.

This wasn’t necessarily unexpected, as the interest will nearly always peak when a platform first launches. But the drop-off compared to Twitter is quite telling.

It’s still in the early days though, and once Meta figures out how to make my feed halfway decent (it’s a bunch of unrelated junk I’m not interested in right now), it will keep users coming back more consistently.

Question for you: Are you still using Threads? Lmk!

Tap to Pay Coming to the UK

This week, Apple announced the launch of Tap to Pay on iPhone in the United Kingdom, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers to use ‌iPhones‌ as a payment terminal.

This eliminates the need of a Square reader or any other type of POS system and it requires an iPhone XS or newer. Great news for the UK!

📰 Quick News Bites

• Larger iMac With Around 32-Inch Display Reportedly in Early Testing

• iPad Pros With 11-Inch and 13-Inch OLED Displays Expected to Enter Mass Production Early 2024

• Apple lands record 54 Emmy Award nominations

• Apple to Announce Q3 2023 Earnings on August 3rd, Following New Macs

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Until next week, ✌️

- Brandon

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