980: AirPods, Are You Ready For iOS 11

Some of you might have already jumped on the “public beta”:https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/ program for “iOS 11”:https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-11-preview/. If you did, you might have discovered that some apps have stopped working for you. If you haven’t installed it yet this is a good time to get ready.

I’ve been an iPhone user since the iPhone 3GS and I’ve been an iPad user since the original iPad came out. iOS 11 brings on some similar hiccups that have plagued macOS, most apps and applications ( if it’s on the Mac ) will carry over and run, but eventually some apps and applications will stop working and you need to either replace or update them. Here’s the run down on why and what to look for with your iOS apps.

Through the iPhone 5, fourth-generation iPad, original iPad mini, and fifth-generation iPod touch, Apple used 32-bit processors. However, in 2013, Apple instead began putting 64-bit chips in all new iOS devices. Apple encouraged developers to make their apps run on 64-bit mode but kept iOS7 compatible with older 32-bit apps. Starting in 2015, Apple required apps to run in 64-bit mode to receive App Store approval. iOS 10 initially warned that 32-bit apps might slow down your device and later said 32-bit apps would need to be updated.

First off, don’t worry about what 32 and 64-bit mean, all you need to know is that 32-bit apps are old and won’t run on iOS 11, and that 64-bit apps will continue to work as they always have. But how do you know which of your apps are 32-bit? For apps that you use regularly you’ve probably seen one of these warnings. But other apps you may open only occasionally. How can you figure out which of those are destined for the chopping block?

In iOS 10.3, Apple added a feature to call out these apps. Navigate to Settings > General > About > Applications to see a list of 32-bit apps that don’t have direct updates available. Note: you do need to be running specifically iOS 10.3 for this to work. If you are on iOS 10.3 and Applications won’t let you tap it, it means you do not have any 32-bit apps. When I looked up any potential issues I found 4 of my 122 apps are 32-bit. Now what? Well there are some options for handling this.

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**Delete the app.** If it’s an app you don’t use much or perhaps at all anymore just get rid of it! Simply press and hold the icon until you get the familiar shaking apps and tap the X.

**Look for an update that’s a new app** It’s very possible that the developer simply released a completely new version of the app that you need to downloaded. This unfortunately might mean that you have to buy a paid app again, but if you like that app well enough it will be worth it.

**Look for an alternative app.** Few iOS apps are truly unique, so you may be able to find an alternative that does basically the same thing.

If you are in an unfortunate situation where it’s an app you must keep using but there is no update to 64-bit then you’ve got some options, but they may not be ideal. Just like when OS X came out and countless users were faced with costly software upgrades from OS9 to OS X, you might consider running an older iOS device exclusively for that app. You could also consider not upgrading to iOS 11 and keep your device back. Both of these options come with drawbacks and eventually you’ll need to upgrade and migrate to newer versions of the app, so this is only a bandaid. The best advice is to work to replace that older app as soon as possible.

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You’ve still got several weeks to work out a plan and prepare for the official release of iOS 11. For myself, I’m going with the easiest option and just deleting the apps and looking for alternatives.

I’m one of those types of people who likes to use different types of headphones when it comes to listening to music. At home I have a pair of studio headphones that I use with my Mac when I’m listening to music and watching movies. On my commute to work, I have another pair of studio headphones with noise cancellation, so that I can focus to getting to work on time and not so much on whats going on around me.

However, I’ve gotten to a point where I wanted something a little lighter in my ears for the commute to work. Primarily something I could just put in my pocket, and not something that I have to fold up, place in a bulky case, and stuff said bulky case back into my backpack. Initially I was a little unsure about the AirPods, but the more that I kept thinking about them, the more I kept noticing that these might actually be a perfect fit for me. I didn’t have a cord that I needed to spend time untangling (like with the Apple EarPods, for example), they weren’t difficult to pair with my other Apple devices (iPad, iMac, and yes the Apple Watch), then there’s the charging case that charges the AirPods when you’re not using them, and best of all it’s super small!

Music will pause, when you take the AirPods out and starts back up again when you put them back in your ears. You can interact with Siri to make calls, and change the volume of your music just to point out a couple cool features. They’re definitely worth checking out if you’re curious about what it’s like to have a completely unique wireless headphone experience. I’ve only had them for a couple weeks and I’m totally hooked.

Mid-August is beginning to feel like late September, and I’m not complaining! We’re experiencing beautifully foggy mornings in the South Burlington area, and nice, cool evenings. Things are busy as always in the South Burlington store, and we’re all looking forward to the back to school rush that is certainly upon us.

After our last edition of Tech Tails, I received some thoughtful feedback, and great questions from our customers in regards to film scanning techniques. As I mentioned last week, a lot of my spare time is spent shooting and scanning film. Soon to be added to the ritual is chemical processing at home. For those of you looking for the scanner comparison article, hang tight, I’m gathering resources to compare a few leading scanners, so look out for that article soon!

This week I received a great question about iPhoto vs. Photos, and how editing has improved between the platforms. While I understand the change can be jarring, I believe Photos is a superior application, though it does require a shift in perspective. I always tell my customers, Apple is aiming to merge your iOS and macOS experience. If your introduction to Apple products was through iPhone, or if iPhone is your most frequently used device (as it is for a lot of us) it would stand to reason that your macOS experience should grow to resemble the handheld interface that you’re accustomed to. The telltale sign is when I see customers trying to touch a MacBook Pro screen as if it were a touch screen, then remembering to use the trackpad. Today, we share documents, photos, emails, and more between our iPhone or iPad and Mac. With the replacement of iPhoto, you see a clear shift in the way photos are sorted and edited. Overall, I find that Photos allows for more detailed editing points, and the sorting method makes a lot more sense to me, as it resembles the iOS “Camera Roll.”

Have you found anything missing, or new features you recently discovered in the latest applications from Apple? I would love to hear your feedback to share with other customers. For now, I’ll be on the sales floor, and working on a few rolls of Kodak at home! Have a great rest of the summer, as autumnal as it may feel!

Patrick McCormack
“patrickm@smalldog.com”:mailto:patrickm@smalldog.com