#Preview, but my app failed to animate an accordion style layout using a List and Sections.
@State var switchText: Bool = false
var body: some View {
List {
Section {
if switchText {
Text("123")
}
} header: {
HStack {
Text("My Section")
Button {
withAnimation {
switchText.toggle()
}
} label: {
Text("Switch the text")
}
}
}
}
}This worked flawlessly, but it took me a while to realise that I wasn't using a @State value but @AppStorage instead.
This complicates the situation as the values are not updated in the same way. I didn't want to give up @AppStorage approach as I wanted values to persist between app usage so came up with a solution that toggles using @State in the view and then updates @AppStorage on the change of the value:
@State var localSwitchText: Bool = false
@AppStorage var switchText: Bool = false
var body: some View {
List {
Section {
if localSwitchText {
Text("123")
}
} header: {
HStack {
Text("My Section")
Button {
withAnimation {
localSwitchText.toggle()
}
} label: {
Text("Switch the text")
}
}
}
}
.onAppear {
localSwitchText = switchTest
}
.onChange(of: localSwitchText) {
switchTest = localSwitchText
}
}Inside .onAppear, I assign the @AppStorage value to the localSwitchText variable so that it's original state is known and can be toggled. Whenever that value changes, it is stored in a correspending @AppStorage variable, in this case switchText.
It adds a bit of an overhead in state management but provides great animations in SwiftUI out of the box.
]]>Ideally, I could automate it because I never stopped gathering items to review, but posting takes time as I collate images and information. I haven't quite figured out making it a more seamless process but I'm much closer than I was than before.
As part of its revival, I decided to focus on the SEO a little more and leant on AI to give me some suggestions. Let's just say it was hit and miss. I know there are a bunch of changes that were made, but Google's Search Console it flagging them as issues, but it's an ongoing process. All I want to do is make the items, and the site overall, more discoverable. I believe it's in a good place, but it will evolve more over time as it's something I am paying more attention to.
]]>After the pandemic, our first trip abroad was planned using Guides in Apple Maps but it lacks so many features that earlier this year I launched Waylist as a replacement for that feature and it integrates directly with Apple Maps as an extension.
But all of this is within the context of needing maps on my phone. When it comes to things like mapping out routes for running, Google Maps still wins. It's far more cluttered than Apple Maps, but usable.
I also realised that I'd been submitting reviews on Google Maps rather than Apple Maps. Mostly because Google Maps requests directly, as do the places you visit. It's possible to rate in Apple Maps but less obvious and it's less pushy.
I'm happy to contribute to both, but I need to look into Apple's offering some more to see if I can contribute in the same way. I know they've not gamified it in the same way as Google have.
I have been submitting corrections to Apple Maps for a few years now, and mostly they're accepted. Nice to be a part of making it better for everyone
]]>The cast is brilliant and it captures smoking culture at work in Britain just as the smoking ban was coming in to force. I've never been a smoker but I full appreciated the dynamic of the characters. I bought the DVD and have watched the whole collection twice, but I was so pleased to see that it's now back on iPlayer for everyone to watch. I'll be giving it a third viewing for sure.
I couldn't find a trailer for the first series and the trailer for the second series doesn't really sell it.
The clips on YouTube from BBC Studios are unfortunately capped at 144p, but here's a taste of the show:
What would I put in the top 3 with The Smoking Room? Arrested Development for sure and Scrubs.
]]>That last one is unrealistic given the current RAM pricing crisis we're in the middle of, but had they kept the prices stayed the same, I'd have called success.
Apple's flagship iPhones were up first. They continue to be a photographer's best friend.
Lots of promises have been made this year, but grounded in reality. I'm sure intents will take time to come through, but it's what Siri should have been years ago.
Just a year on after the introduction of the vapour chamber, there's already been an update that introduces 3 times the surface area for heat dissipation. Paired with graphite and copper layers it proves to help keep the iPhone cooler. The iPhone 18 Pro now achieves 17 Pro MAX battery life. 45 hours on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Both amazing headline figures but the ability to charge for 5 minutes and gain 6 hours of video playback time is something to shout about!
The main camera on the iPhone now features a variable aperture. It adapts based on available light to help capture the right amount of light for the situation.
Pro Controls gives you more, well, control than ever before in the default Camera app. Not just for photos either, you have more control when shooting videos too.
Photographic styles get an upgrade, they're available on my iPhone 14 Pro but they get baked into the photo so I never use them. The iPhone 15 introduced a better version that was no longer baked in and now we get texture and grain controls. I use these sometimes when editing my DSLR photos so happy to see them. Apple Reference Image will let you verify photos for edits. A digital negative is one way of looking at it.
There's a smaller Dynamic Island which means that there's more space for secondary items and even for a third item.
Normally the phone most people should buy. There isn't one this year!
Looks great unfolded and the animations are stunning. The consistent screen ratios are welcome but I can't get on board with the odd folded shape. The way it's been designed for multiple apps, it looks a bit like CarpPlay to me.
Apple Pencil support is interesting. I assume for the unfolded screen only.
Software wise, being able to pair apps looks very useful and how it adapts to folds and orientations is pretty cool.
Kids Cue is a clever feature for the outer display when taking photos. Getting a kid to look at the right place is always the biggest challenge of family photography. Shame it's limited to 2 lenses, although it's not a "Pro" phone.
The nano-texture finish makes the crease disappear. I've not really used an Android foldable but I'm sure you've seen the durability tests before. I'll leave it there.
The new AirPods have better ANC and the same Live Translation feature of the AirPods Pros 2 & 3. There's a volume swipe control available as an option too.
Better sensors that can check readings 60x more than before and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 can stretch to 2 days. I think real world usage will mean you can get 3 days in between charges. Finally.
There's a suite of audio features like Live Rewind and Live Recap. All very cool, but I bet turning them off will extend battery life by a significant amount.
The white ceramic finish for the Apple Watch 12 is beautiful and I'm glad it's back. I personally think the black Apple Watch Ultra models are overrated. I'm glad I bought the natural titanium one and would never buy a dark one again.
That's my quick look at the event, what stood out to you? Get what you were wishing or hoping for?
]]>Over the last 4 generations, Apple delivered fully on 3 of my 4 wishes.
So not bad at all, I'm not desperate to get a USB-C device, but I am keen to get a device that manages battery health better. I'm down to 76% battery health which puts me in a tough spot. Do I rectify that or just make do for another year? I think I'll do the later. I'd considered fixing it last year, but didn't so I intend to just wait it out now.
Battery life is definitely better on the newer devices. Battery health management appears to be in a great place. But my iPhone 14 Pro is flagging and can not last a day anymore. Two-thirds, maybe. But that's more dependent on me just not using the phone much.
The iPhone Air is impossibly thin. It is lovely to hold but looks so fragile. If we get an update, it should be simplified and tied to the number schema.
The regular iPhone is fine, probably the right phone for most people and should get the usual trickle down of features.
The iPhone 18 Pro though. What is my wish list?
That's really all I can think of. A lot of what I would want is software based and iOS 27 is already very close and performance wise it promises to tick a lot of boxes. Pricing is going to be a hot topic I'm sure, the crisis in RAM pricing has already impact computer prices at Apple and it's surely going to have an impact on the iPhone line up too.
The iPhone line up is in a great spot, feature wise it already has a dedicated shutter button for photography and has done for years now.
I'm interested to see how Apple tackle this problem, a folding iPhone has long been rumoured. Is the first generation the one to go for? Not for me, but if I hold out another year, but maybe I'll consider it.
I see folding phones in the wild quite often now, but they are chunky and that is the problem Apple need to solve most. I don't want a thicker phone unless battery life rivals Nokia's from the 90s and 2000s!
Update
Worth noting, the orange iPhone 17 Pro was one that I really wanted for the colour alone. It won't be an option next week and who knows if we'll ever see one again. I hope so, I've seen more orange iPhone 17 Pros in the wild than any other colour.
]]>I'm not sure what to make of this trailer but I'll be watching this for sure.
Sam Altman comes across as a wannabe in real life. None of his ventures have panned out and very quickly, OpenAI no longer stands alone or as the leader of the pack.
The whole AI hype-cycle is still quite new so not sure what the narrative will be in this movie when there's, unfortunately, still a long way to go.
]]>I saw finally saw The Odyssey this weekend. I thought I'd missed the chance, especially to see it in the intended IMAX format, but things worked out well as it's run in UK cinemas was extended by at least a week.
This movie came out the same year in which I stumbled across Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics. Natalie was a guest on The Full Disclosure podcast and I had been watching Alice Robert's Roman Empire by Train.
Once I got home, I dived straight into readying about about Odyssey to connect some of the dots.
Christopher Nolan had said already that the movie is not a direct telling. The wikipedia entry varies a fair bit from the movie, but I have no issue with that.
Here are some videos on The Odyssey (movie and myth) that you might find interesting:
What else should I be watching!?
]]>My DSLR is over a decade old, a Canon 700D that I usually pair with a prime lens. Either my 50mm f/1.8 or 24mm f/2.8 lens. Sometimes with a telephoto lens. I never use the 18-55mm kit lens.
The photos always have more character than those taken on my phone.
So maybe out phones should do less. Or I need to take more advantage of the tools at my disposal. Especially given I spend time and energy lugging them around.
]]>I also post a small selection of non-family photos to Flickr and have started to occasionally use Grain, although it's been rejecting my uploads the last few days for some reason.
]]>The program is really good and I'm now a massive advocate of the whole thing. I did try continuing with the graduation programs but found that the app would crash meaning I lost audio feedback and couldn't log the runs in the C25K app.
I found the custom workout feature for workouts on the Apple Watch to be really useful. I've set one up to start and end with 500m of walking around 4x 1km intervals. This gives me audio feedback and a clear goal to aim for rather than just running for a certain amount of time as the C25K doesn't actually use any of my Apple Watch or GPS data to determine speed and distance. It's all about endurance.
I don't have a real goal in mind, only that I want to keep it up and remain consistent. I've started tracking my post-C25K runs plotting them on a chart:
The lower the line, the faster I am (average pace) and at the time of writing I continue to surprise myself as I hit personal bests. The green line shows my 5K time, it continues to tumble and I've knocked about 3 minutes of my time. The whole thing is skewed by the including of 1km of walking, but it's a necessary warm up and knowing I will have a cool down just makes it easier to get through it all so they'll be staying.
Just knocking a few seconds of each time shows progress and as my weight falls slowly, running should just get easier and easier.
If you're reading this soon after publishing, you'll see one of my previous runs was not in keeping with the others due to a long gap between that run and the one before. Consistency seems to be key.
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