Home

Michael Doise

Can You Get Ultra Battery Life From The Apple Watch Series 10?

by
Wrist wearing Apple Watch Series 10 with modular watch face.

I have been a fan of the Apple Watch since it was released, but I’ve never found them to have the best battery life until the Ultra was released. I immediately purchased one, and have enjoyed the battery life ever since, but I never really enjoyed the size of the watch.

When Apple released the Apple Watch Series 10, I was excited by the new features, and the size of the watch, but I worried about the battery life since they claim that it should get 18 hours of battery.

Last Sunday, I decided to just go and pick up a Series 10, and give it a try. I got the watch home, and just fell in love with the size. The device is thin and light, and the titanium versions are polished like the stainless steel watches. So I quickly found that this watch was what I was looking for in design, but I still worried about the battery life.

It is nearly a week later, and I can typically use the device all day. My use typically includes a few workouts, and checking notifications while on the go. What really impresses me is that it is typically still is at 40% battery when I charge it and get ready for my day.

While the Series 10 may not quite have the 48 hours that I would get from my Ultra when it was new, it still has the battery life to last all day and then some. I personally think that anyone buying this watch will be very impressed, and battery life will not cause an issue as I’ve noticed on other watches.

Croissant – Cross-Posting

by

App Name

Croissant – Cross-Posting

App Version

1.0.4

Platform

iOS/iPadOS

Category

Social Networking

Description

It’s a social network explosion! And you can now post to all of them in one app.

Croissant solves that oh-so-2024 problem of wanting to post to all these great new social networks — Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon.

Now you can, in one shot. Croissant makes cross-posting buttery smooth.

Features:
* Set up your social media accounts, choosing from Threads, Bluesky or Mastodon
* Write posts using our composer, allowing you to attach images, hashtags, at-mentions.
* Create threads by chaining multiple posts together.
* Save drafts for later editing or sending.
* Make Croissant your own with custom app icons and colour themes!

Looking for features or support? Contact me at aaron@innoveghtive.com.

Privacy Policy: https://croissantapp.com/privacy.html
Terms of User: https://croissantapp.com/terms.html

Free or Paid

Free

Devices you’ve tested on

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Accessibility Rating

3 – Average

Accessibility Comments

Croissant can be used with VoiceOver, but some areas may navigate strangely. some buttons are read twice and some are just not labeled where they may say, “Number” when there is a hashtag.

Screen Reader Performance

The app works with VoiceOver, and everything can be focussed in the app. Not everything is labeled correctly.

Button Labeling

There may be buttons that appear twice to VoiceOver, and they may not have the most descriptive labels. This is especially true for the post screen.

Usability

This app is easy to figure out after learning the purpose of each button that may not be labeled correctly.

Low Vision Accessibility Comments

This app does have support for dark mode, and the app is fairly easy to read.

Other Comments

This app is free, but it has a subscription for more features. The best thing is that there is a lifetime option for $60 USD.

App Store Links

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/croissant-cross-posting/id6670288979

Developer Website

https://croissantapp.com

Panels Wallpapers

by

App Name

Panels Wallpapers

App Version

1.0.4

Platform

iOS/iPadOS

Category

Photo and Video

Description

Welcome to Panels! Get amazing full resolution wallpapers for your smartphone and get inspired!

Panels is the ultimate wallpaper app that transforms your device with hundreds of high-quality, full-resolution art pieces for your smartphone. New wallpapers are added weekly!

By teaming up with top-tier digital artists, Panels delivers an exclusive visual journey, bringing the ingenuity of global artists directly to your screens.

Our wallpapers cater to every taste and style, ensuring your device always reflects your personality.

With Panels, you’ll get:
• Hundreds of Full Resolution Wallpapers: A massive library of stunning, crystal-clear wallpapers.
• Ensured to work with your smartphone: Make them beautiful.
• Unlock unique wallpaper collections curated by top digital artists.
• Frequent Updates: New wallpapers are added regularly so you can stay ahead of the trends.
• Easy Navigation: Intuitive design for effortless browsing and wallpaper selection.

We’re more than just a regular app. We’re here to make you want to stare at your phone to inspire and excite you instead of the mundane and boring stock images that come with your phone. Change that wallpaper; it doesn’t hurt!

Privacy policy: https://panels.art/privacy
Terms of Service: https://panels.art/terms
Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Free or Paid

Free

Price

Devices you’ve tested on

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Accessibility Rating

1 – Not Accessible

Accessibility Comments

This app is not accessible from the start. The app has unlabeled buttons, and video overlays on top of buttons that VoiceOver can’t focus.

Screen Reader Performance

VoiceOver can’t access much of this app.

Button Labeling

Most buttons can’t be focussed with VoiceOver, or are not labeled at all.

Usability

This app is not usable with a screen reader.

Low Vision Accessibility Comments

This app does not offer low vision accessibility, and is very visual. There is no way to describe the image you are seeing, and what you think an image is may not be what it means.

Other Comments

I would not consider using this app if blind or low vision.

App Store Links

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/panels-wallpapers/id6474455074

Developer Website

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/panels-wallpapers/id6474455074

Clubhouse

by

App Name

Clubhouse

App Version

24.09.17

Platform

iOS/iPadOS

Category

News

Description

Clubhouse is where people come together to hang out, talk about anything, and make new friends from all walks of life.

  • explore thousands of live conversations—go deep on the big topics happening today or just chill out and hang with friends

  • share your thoughts, or just listen in—raise your hand to speak up or lean back and break out the popcorn

  • vibe with your people—curate a personalized hallway just “for you,” where every room is filled with people that love what you love

  • host a room—be the one to bring people together and lead the conversation

  • sidebar with friends—talk privately during and after live rooms, even when you’re not online at the same time

  • drop in to rooms throughout the day—when your commuting, running errands, or out for a run, you never know who you might bump into

Free or Paid

Free

Price

Devices you’ve tested on

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Accessibility Rating

3 – Average

Accessibility Comments

Clubhouse has several areas that could be improved. The app is usable with VoiceOver, but there are some unlabeled buttons, and other elements can’t be easily found.

Screen Reader Performance

VoiceOver may not be able to focus on all elements in the app, and images may not be labeled throughout the app.

Button Labeling

Many buttons are labeled for VoiceOver, but a few are not.

Usability

This app can be used, but there is a learning curve. Especially if you started with Clubhouse and are coming back to it.

Low Vision Accessibility Comments

The user interface for clubhouse is not the easiest to understand visually. Placement of options are nested in other controls, and simple tasks take longer than expected. Clubhouse does support dark mode.

Other Comments

Clubhouse is still used in the blindness and low vision community, but many have moved away from it after the pandemic ended. Clubs are now Houses, and there are other changes like this in the app. You can now do chats, and send voice status updates, which is confusing to many users who just want to create and join rooms.

App Store Links

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clubhouse/id1503133294

Developer Website

https://clubhouse.com

Podbean

by

App Name

Podbean

App Version

6.1.5

Platform

iOS/iPadOS

Category

News

Description

The best podcast app / podcast player and audio livestream app to search, download, and listen to your favorite podcast, live stream, FM, radio and audiobook anywhere, anytime.

Listening to over 50 million episodes of podcasts worldwide on iPhone/iPad. The Podbean podcast app enhance your podcast listening experience with intelligent speed, volume boost, customizable playlist, and all the best features:

— DISCOVERY / RECOMMENDATION —
•  Search by podcast name, episode name, or author name.
•  Browse new/trending/top podcasts by topics or categories.
•  Get customized recommendations based on your play history.
•  View your play history and favorite episodes.
•  Choose audiobooks from bestsellers and classics for free.

— PLAYBACK / AUDIO EFFECTS —
•  Instantly stream or download podcasts to play offline.
•  Stay organized with customizable playlists.
•  Intelligent speed removes silences from an episode without distortion.
•  Volume boost normalize the volume and make shows easier to listen to.
•  Advanced playback features like auto-play next and Sleep timer.
•  CarPlay Support.
•  Integrates with Amazon Alexa.
•  Play podcasts using Apple Siri.

— NOTIFICATION / AUTOMATION —
•  Stay updated: Get new episode notification from followed podcasts
•  Automatic download and option to delete after being played.
•  Supports batch mode to download, delete, and add playlist.
•  Settings can be customized by podcast.

— AUDIO RECORDER —
•  Professional audio recorder with easy-to-use interface.
•  Rich background music and various sound effects to choose from.
•  Remote group recording to collaborate with invited people.
•  Powerful post production including edit, split, merge and export.
•  All-in-one podcast creator with free large space, various promotion and social sharing.

— Audio Live Streaming—
• Listen to an exciting variety of live audio shows
• Engage with the host and other listeners with messages
• Send gifts to reward the host
• Call-in to share your thoughts and ask questions

Podbean Podcast app now supports English, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Chinese, French, Spanish and Japanese.

Listen to the best podcasts on Podbean – Podcast App & Podcast Player, including This American Life, Serial, The Joe Rogan Experience, S Town, Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History, Radiolab, My Favorite Murder, True crime, Criminal, Joel Osteen, The Dave Ramsey Show, ESPN Radio, The Moth, The Tim Ferriss Show, Freakonomics Radio, Startup, Stuff You Should Know, How Stuff Works, Bloomberg, Revision3, Relay FM, PodcastOne, The New Yorker, Showtime, Slate, TEDTalks, NPR podcasts, WNYC, 5by5, KCRW, NASA, CBS Radio, CNET, CNN, CBC, BBC and Bill O’Reilly etc.

Podbean podcast app & player is ad-supported. User can choose to purchase Podbean VIP Subscription to remove ads, and get advanced features including: customize homepage, unlimited playlist and priority support. Current price for Podbean VIP Subscription is $9.99 USD per year, and may vary from country to country. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

Podbean podcast app & player’s terms of use: https://www.podbean.com/podbean-terms

Free or Paid

Free

Devices you’ve tested on

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Accessibility Rating

3 – Average

Accessibility Comments

This app works with VoiceOver with some minor accessibility issues.

Screen Reader Performance

This app can be used with VoiceOver, but not all images and buttons are labeled.

Button Labeling

Not all buttons are properly labeled with VoiceOver.

Usability

This app can mostly be used with VoiceOver, but a user must be fairly advanced to use this app.

Low Vision Accessibility Comments

This app has certain areas that may not work the best for low vision users. This app does not support dark mode in iOS.

Other Comments

This app can be used, but is not recommended for users who want to listen to podcasts.

App Store Links

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/podbean-podcast-app-player/id973361050

Developer Website

https://podbean.com

CT Braille Lite

by
CT Braille Lite Braille letter c in red and braille leter b in black over a blue to white gradient.

App Name

CT Braille Lite

App Version

1.0

Platform

iOS/iPadOS

Category

Education

Description

In a world where Braille literacy is at an all-time low, a revolutionary tool emerges to change the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals.

Introducing CT Braille Lite, an innovative, one-of-a-kind app developed entirely by blind and visually impaired professionals from Commtech USA. This app is designed to empower users by making Braille learning accessible, intuitive, and engaging, offering an essential resource for vocational rehabilitation clients and anyone eager to master Braille.

Whether you’re new to Braille or seeking to enhance your skills, CT Braille Lite will provide step-by-step guidance, making learning fun and transformative. This app is not just a tool, it’s a movement to restore Braille literacy and open up new opportunities in education, employment, and daily life.

CT Braille Lite contains the alphabet and numeric Braille symbols. Want to learn even more Braille? search the App Store for CT Braille to experience a more complete list of Braille symbols

Join the Braille revolution today with CT Braille Lite and experience the life-changing benefits it offers!

Free or Paid

Free

Price

Devices you’ve tested on

iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPad Pro.

Accessibility Rating

5 – Fully Accessible

Accessibility Comments

CT Braille Lite is extremely accessible.

Screen Reader Performance

This app works great with VoiceOver

Button Labeling

All buttons are properly labeled with VoiceOver.

Usability

This app is extremely usable with VoiceOver.

Low Vision Accessibility Comments

This app works with dark mode and other low vision accessibility features.

Other Comments

App Store Links

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ct-braille-lite/id6624314054

Developer Website

https://commtechusa.net

CT Learn VO

by

App Name

CT Learn VO

App Version

1.0

Platform

iOS/iPadOS

Category

Education

Description

In a digital world, having access to an iPhone transforms the lives of visually impaired individuals by providing independence and empowerment.

Introducing CT Learn VO, a revolutionary app designed to teach blind users how to navigate the iPhone using VoiceOver. Created entirely by an all-blind team at Commtech USA, this app is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s not just an instructional tool—it’s a life-changing resource that opens up new possibilities for blind individuals and those working in vocational rehabilitation.

CT Learn VO offers step-by-step lessons, practical exercises, and real-world examples, ensuring users gain confidence in mastering their iPhone through VoiceOver. Whether you’re a rehab staff member teaching others or an individual wanting to learn for personal use, this app will be a game-changer.

Developed by those who know firsthand the importance of accessibility, CT Learn VO stands as a beacon of innovation, designed for blind users, by blind users.

Take the next step toward independence with CT Learn VO, and let the digital world be at your fingertips!

Free or Paid

Free

Price

Devices you’ve tested on

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Accessibility Rating

5 – Fully Accessible

Accessibility Comments

This app was designed to be accessible for all users.

Screen Reader Performance

This app works well with VoiceOver.

Button Labeling

All buttons are labeled with VoiceOver.

Usability

This app works well with VoiceOver

Low Vision Accessibility Comments

This app works well for low vision users, and supports high contrast.

App Store Links

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ct-learn-vo/id6633444008

Developer Website

https://commtechusa.net

Threads

by

App Name

Threads

App Version

346.0

Platform

iOS/iPadOS

Category

Social Networking

Description

Say more with Threads — Instagram’s text-based conversation app.

Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.

A few things you can do on Threads…

■ Access your Instagram followers
Your Instagram username and verification badge are reserved for you. Automatically follow the same accounts you follow on Instagram in a few taps, and discover new accounts too.

■ Share your point of view
Spin up a new thread to express what’s on your mind. This is your space to be yourself, and you control who can reply.

■ Connect with friends and your favorite creators
Jump to the replies to get in on the action and react to commentary, humor and insight from the creators you know and love. Find your community and connect with people who care about whatever it is you’re interested in.

■ Control the conversation
Customize your settings and use controls to manage who can see your content, reply to your threads, or mention you. Accounts you’ve blocked will carry over from Instagram, and we’re enforcing the same Community Guidelines to help ensure everyone interacts safely and authentically.

■ Find ideas and inspiration
From TV recommendations to career advice, get answers to your questions or learn something new from crowd-sourced conversations, thought leaders and industry experts.

■ Never miss a moment
Stay on top of the latest trends and live events. Whether it’s about new music, movie premieres, sports, games, TV shows, fashion, or the latest product releases, find discussions and receive notifications any time your favorite profiles start a new thread.

■ Leap into the fediverse
Threads is part of the fediverse, a global, open, social network of independent servers operated by third parties around the world. Servers share information with each other to enable people to connect and discover new things across the fediverse.

Meta Terms: https://www.facebook.com/terms.php
Meta Privacy Policy: https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy
Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy: https://help.instagram.com/515230437301944
Threads Supplemental Terms: https://help.instagram.com/769983657850450
Instagram Community Guidelines: https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119
Consumer Health Privacy Policy: https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policies/health

Learn how we’re working to help keep our communities safe across Meta technologies at the Meta Safety Center: https://about.meta.com/actions/safety

Free or Paid

Free

Devices you’ve tested on

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Accessibility Rating

3 – Average

Accessibility Comments

Threads is mostly accessible with a few buttons not in the correct flick order.

Screen Reader Performance

Threads works great with VoiceOver.

Button Labeling

most buttons appear to be labeled.

Usability

This app appears to be fairly usable with VoiceOver. The app could have better support for going between posts, and VoiceOver actions.

Low Vision Accessibility Comments

This app could use the ability to change text size in the app.

App Store Links

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/threads/id6446901002

Developer Website

https://threads.net

The Truth About Web Browsers on iOS

by

Browsing the web on an iOS device has typically ben accomplished with Safari. We now have the option though to use third party web browsers like Firefox, or Google Chrome to browse the web as well. The advantage is that Safari isn’t the only option for browsing the web on iOS, or is it?

Web Browsers on iOS

There are several web browsers now on iOS, but are they actually different from Safari? The truth is that all web browsers on iOS are based on Apple’s WebKit technology, which also powers Safari. This is because third party apps can not run code like Javascript in a way that is required to render web pages. This may change if Apple allows JIT which stands for Just In Time code execution in third party apps. In short, it means that apps like Chrome or Firefox could not load web pages quickly like Safari, so the rule is that all iOS web browsers must use the same technology that powers Safari.

So Are Third Party Browsers Just Safari?

Third-party browsers employ the same technology as Safari, yet they offer distinct advantages. Notably, Google Chrome and Firefox enable users to synchronize bookmarks across devices. While this functionality is also available in Safari, its implementation is limited to the Apple ecosystem, and many users prefer not to exclusively utilize a Mac or Safari. Consequently, third-party browsers provide users with the flexibility to access tools and features that are not exclusive to web browsing.

Conclusion

Third party browsers allow alternatives to Safari on the iPhone and iPad. Many users believe that they are faster and more reliable than Safari without knowing that these browsers work the same while browsing the web. The only reason to consider a third party browser would really be if you like the other features provided by your favorite web browser that you use on your desktop computer.

Tape It

by

App Name

Tape It

App Version

3.13.0

Platform

iOS/iPadOS

Category

Music

Description

THE professional songwriting app that helps musicians record, organize & share song ideas. We are frustrated musicians that always wanted a straightforward app that gets how we artists work— so we created Tape It. And thousands of professional musicians love it!

Never lose song memos, never spend time with songwriting headaches again; Focus on what really matters for your music, record many ideas, don’t think too much and unmess your songwriting!

–––––
20+ FREE FEATURES — NO ADS, NO BULLS**T

■ Group recordings into mixtapes:
Your next song idea, your next EP, a compilation of synthesizer ideas; regain control and built your own structure, so you always know where to find which ideas!

■ Collaborate in your mixtapes:
Why would you send memos in emails and messages back and forth when you can do it all in-app? Work with your bandmates, your producer and your manager like you always wanted to.

■ Start recording straight from your iPhone lock screen:
Why do photographers get a dedicated camera button and musicians don’t?! Capture sudden ideas as fast and simply as possible.

■ Add photos to your recordings:
Ever noted down vocals or chords on a random piece of paper or lost your synthesizer settings because you didn’t capture them? Guess what!

■ Airdrop files into your DAW:
An incredibly powerful way to easily turn your ideas into production or enhance your songs with field recordings!

■ Sync between devices & never lose anything with Tape It’s EU-encrypted cloud:
You wouldn’t believe the number of times users told us how it saved them from losing thousands of their ideas! It also saves iCloud space.

■ Add notes to your recordings:
Add additional information like chords, BPM, lyrics or just random ideas!

■ Listen to recordings as you would listen to Spotify:
Unlike most apps, Tape It is a fully functional audio player. Listen in your car on your commute, or use your workout time to review yesterday’s ideas!

■ Add markers while and after recording:
Perfect for jam sessions to mark specific parts and song transitions, for music lessons and for longer recordings!

■ Listen to long recordings more easily:
Tiny playback bars on tiny phone screens are a tiny bit annoying. Tape It breaks down long recordings into multiple lines like a paragraph of text to make skimming through a whole session completely natural. Add markers to that and you will never go back!

■ Detect instruments automatically and see smart waveforms:
Now you can see what a recording contains before you even listen to it! And the added photos and notes make it even more easy.

■ Mark favorite recordings:
Listen to your best ideas all in one place instead of scrolling and scrolling.

& more!

Free or Paid

Free

Devices you’ve tested on

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Accessibility Rating

5 – Fully Accessible

Accessibility Comments

This app is fully accessible.

Screen Reader Performance

This app works well with VoiceOver.

Button Labeling

All buttons appear to be labeled.

Usability

This app is extremely usable with VoiceOver.

Other Comments

This app is extremely accessible and usable. THe only thing I found frustrating is that the app sends a lot of email to promote the app when you sign up.

App Store Links

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tape-it-pro-audio-recorder/id1576341885

Developer Website

https://tape.it

Notification Summaries in iOS and iPadOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence

by

Apple is adding artificial intelligence in in iOS 18.1 for iPhone 15 Pro models and up, and any other devices that support M series processors. One of the features coming is the ability to have notifications summarized on the Lock Screen through the use of Apple Intelligence

How Does This Work?

Sometimes an app may show several notifications on your Lock Screen, and you will need to expand the group of notifications to see what everything is about. This can take time and effort to click through all of your notifications, or to scroll through them if you are low vision. Notification summaries will show a summary of your notifications at the top of the stack, and there will be a number next to the app icon to show how many items are in that stack.

Example

Here’s how this is nice. I have a Discord bot that states who has joined my Discord server in a text channel, This allows us to know when someone is online, so that we can all join the conversation. Apple Intelligence saw several notifications and summarized them by saying that Multiple people have joined General including @Person1, and @person2. This makes it much easier to understand these notifications without moving through each of the items in the notification stack.

Conclusion

I think Notification Summaries are going to be extremely helpful to iOS users, and I look forward to seeing what they do in the full release. We are starting to see some major improvements to iOS through AI, and it will only get better from here.

Do you use Apple Intelligence, or have you tried this feature? Let us know in the comments, or anywhere in the community.

+ More
Back to Top