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Welcome to the April 2018 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Birdees - Birthday…

Apple has today released iOS 11.3.1 and a new security update for macOS High Sierra 10.13.4.

iOS 11.3.1 addresses a recently identified problem that could cause third-party repairs done on iPhone 8 models using aftermarket parts to disable the touch functionality of the screen.

According to the release notes via…

In a very interesting development for the blind and low vision community, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has announced that Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's Director Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, has been elected to the AFB's National Board.

In the AFB's press release, Kirk Adams, AFB President and CEO, is…

Welcome to the March 2018 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

AMI-tv (iOS, Free)…

Along with the release of iOS 11.3, today has also seen the releases of watchOS 4.3, tvOS 11.3 and the first software update for HomePod.

According to MacRumors, the watchOS 4.3 release:

... introduces support for Nightstand mode when the Apple Watch is…

Apple has today released iOS 11.3 to the public. In addition to some new features and enhancements, this release also brings a number of improvements for blind and low vision users.

Accessibility Improvements in iOS 11.3

In iOS 11.3, Apple has made continued progress towards addressing the accessibility bugs in iOS 11. Based on our testing, we believe the following issues have been resolved in iOS 11.3:

• …

Apple today held an education-focused ‘Lets take a Field Trip’ event in Chicago, during which it announced a new iPad and a range of new and updated tools for schools, teachers and students.

The main feature of the new 9.7-inch iPad is the fact that it's compatible with Apple Pencil, something that's previously only been available on the iPad Pro range, and is intended to enable students to ditch their notepad in favor of an iPad.

In an early hands-on review of the new iPad…

This morning Unicode posted a proposal from Apple recommending the addition of 13 disability-themed emoji to Unicode’s global character standard. New emoji proposed include a guide dog, woman with white cane, man with white cane and ear with hearing aid.

The proposed emojis broadly cover four main categories - Blind and Low Vision, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Physical Motor, and Hidden Disabilities - and have…

Apple's commitment to accessibility has made life easier for large numbers of visually impaired and other disabled people. Gone are the days of buying a Nokia phone and having to send it away and wait weeks for Talks to be installed. We have devices that we can use immediately after buying, without installing an expensive screen reader. Our devices include accessibility settings to accommodate several different disabilities. Many app developers have admirably taken on the challenge of making…

Welcome to the February 2018 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Accessible flash cards…

On February 9, 2018, Apple finally released the highly anticipated HomePod to the general public. I was lucky enough to receive one as a gift from Cupid for Valentine’s Day and I thought that I would share my first impressions of Apple’s latest gadget.

Product Description

The HomePod is Apple’s smart speaker which, according to Apple, takes the listening experience to a whole new level. It comes equipped with Apple’s virtual…

Welcome to the January 2018 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Geekbench 4 (iOS, US$0.…

Introduction

Apple's iOS operating system doesn't suffer from a paucity of ebook readers. In fact, the situation is so exemplary that one might ask for advice when it comes to selecting between the $14.99 Voice Dream Reader and the free but feature-rich Dolphin EasyReader. And I haven't yet mentioned Apple's very own…

Along with the release of iOS 11.2.5, today has also seen the releases of macOS High Sierra 10.13.3, watchOS 4.2.2 and tvOS 11.2.5.

According to MacRumors, today's macOS release focuses on security and under the hood improvements:

No major…

Apple has today released iOS 11.2.5 to the public.

According to Apple's release notes, via MacRumors, this update includes the following changes.

HomePod support

• Setup and automatically transfer your Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri and Wi-Fi settings to HomePod.

Siri News

• Siri can now read the news, just ask, "Hey Siri, play the news". You can also ask for…

Apple has today announced that its HomePod speaker will Launch in the United States, UK and Australia on February 9, with orders beginning Friday, January 26 via Apple's online store or the Apple Store app.

HomePod will also be available from select resellers in each country, such as Best Buy in the United States, John Lewis and Argos in the UK, and Harvey Norman and…

Welcome to the December 2017 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Cyberduck (macOS, Free…

Apple has today released iOS 11.2.1 to the public, bringing a fix for a zero-day security exploit in iOS 11.2 that allowed unauthorized access to HomeKit accessories.

This vulnerability was patched server-side last week by Apple, but today's release now fixes this on the operating system itself.

As iOS 11.2.1 appears to be mainly a security update, we do not expect this release to contain…

today has seen the release of macOS High Sierra 10.13.2.

According to Apple's release notes, this update includes the following:

• Improves compatibility with certain third-party USB audio devices
• Improves VoiceOver compatibility navigation when viewing PDF documents in Preview
• Improves compatibility of Braille displays with Mail

There are also some…

Apple has today Released watchOS 4.2, bringing support for Apple Pay Cash, Apple's new peer-to-peer payment service that allows users to send money to one another via the Messages app.

According to MacRumors watchOS 4.2 also “adds support for HomeKit sprinklers and faucets, plus it introduces a new workout type that allows third-party apps to track distance, average speed, number of runs, and elevation…