Hello, OK, ∫thanks. :) We shall look out, and see.... Sent from an iPad. Please excuse any spelling errors.
> On 1 Dec 2015, at 5:00 p.m., Jonathan Mosen <jmo...@mosen.org> wrote: > > I guess since these things are rumours, we don't know if any of them are > true, which is what makes them rumours :). > But I have heard the one about the disappearing Home button for a few years > now. It wouldn't surprise me if it happens at some point, although I'd have > thought the arrival of Touch ID may make it less likely. > Jonathan Mosen > Mosen Consulting > Blindness technology eBooks, tutorials and training > http://Mosen.org > >> On 2/12/2015, at 5:56 AM, rajmund <brajmund2...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Hello, >> Is the roomer about the home button also true? Apparently it will be no more? >> >> Sent from an iPad. Please excuse any spelling errors. >> >>> On 1 Dec 2015, at 3:49 p.m., Jonathan Mosen <jmo...@mosen.org> wrote: >>> >>> Hi everyone, I waited a few days to see if this issue might be raised by >>> someone else. But I'll raise it here myself, because I'm not sure whether >>> Apple may be flying a kite here and seeing what reaction this idea gets. >>> >>> There's an unconfirmed rumour from a source that has in the past been >>> credible, that the next generation iPhone will not include a headphone >>> jack, so Apple can make the phone thinner. >>> I'm pasting a blog post that I wrote and published on this subject 72 hours >>> ago. Here goes. >>> >>> I like thin, lightweight technology, but it isn’t the only criterion that >>> determines what I use. If thin and light doesn’t give me the performance I >>> need, I’m happy to choose something heavier or bigger. >>> >>> When the iPhone 6 Plus came out, I bought one. Initially, it seemed >>> absolutely enormous, and I thought I’d never get used to it. Now I’m on the >>> 6s Plus and would never go back to a smaller iPhone. The battery life and >>> the bigger screen for Braille screen input make it the right choice for me. >>> >>> After being a MacBook Air user for three years, I recently bought a 15-inch >>> MacBook Pro with all the specs maxed out. It includes 16GB of RAM and 1TB >>> solid state storage. >>> >>> Compared to my MacBook Air, the Pro feels heavy and thick, and I’ve >>> therefore given it the nickname “The Big Kahuna”. But it fits in my >>> backpack just fine when I travel, it isn’t really that arduous to take >>> places, and the thing is, it goes like a rocket. I enjoy having OS X for a >>> few apps and functions, but Windows is still my primary operating system. >>> With a laptop this fast and powerful, I can run JAWS in a virtual machine >>> with superb results, and still tend to iMessages and FaceTime calls. >>> >>> Sometimes I pick up my old MacBook Air and think, “oy, what have I done? >>> This thing is so cute!” But the performance factor soon reminds me that I >>> made the right decision for my particular needs. >>> >>> There’s plenty of choice of form factor in the MacBook line now. If you >>> want to go ultra-portable, there’s the new 12-inch retina MacBook, which is >>> just adorably thin and light, with compromises to match. It sports a single >>> USB type C port, which is the only way both to connect peripherals to it >>> and charge it. And the keyboard is, to put it charitably, an acquired taste. >>> >>> So when it comes to Mac, Apple now has a line-up that can meet the needs of >>> the road warrior who wants something really light for a bit of word >>> processing, email and web surfing, all the way to someone who needs plenty >>> of grunt and is willing to lug it around. >>> >>> There is not so much flexibility in the iPhone stable, where there are >>> usually now two current models with similar specs but different screen >>> sizes. So when I read a rumour that Apple may dispense with the 3.5mm >>> headphone jack in iPhone 7 models, it had me concerned. >>> >>> Before I explain why, let me be clear that Apple itself has made no >>> official statement about the future of the headphone jack. It’s only a >>> rumour. But I read a lot of technology sources, and have come to know which >>> sources tend to be more reliable. The source of this story, the Japanese >>> technology site Mac Otakara, has a good track record. No news site that >>> reports things like this gets it right 100% of the time though. It’s also >>> possible that Apple wants to monitor customer reaction to the idea, by >>> letting it leak. But there’s no doubt that decisions as fundamental as this >>> are being taken now, or probably have already been taken. >>> >>> You can read an English summary of the story at Mac Rumours. >>> >>> Even if the story is wrong, and I hope it is, I want to write a defence of >>> the headphone jack for those who think its loss wouldn’t be a big deal. >>> Some of us really, genuinely need it. >>> >>> The story suggests that the 3.5mm headphone jack will be dispensed with, >>> because it’s preventing Apple from making the iPhone thinner. If they >>> removed the jack, they could shave more than 1mm off the thickness of the >>> phone. >>> >>> If this rumour is correct, Apple would probably include Earpods with a >>> Lightning connector, since specs for headphones that use the Lightning port >>> have been available since 2014. >>> >>> According to the story, the Lightning port would include a digital to >>> analogue converter, so you’d still be able to connect 3.5mm headphones. >>> There is no word in the story that this Lightning port would be in addition >>> to the one already on iPhones, implying that you’ll have one port for both >>> charging your device and listening to wired headphones or connecting the >>> device to a mixer. >>> >>> My first objection to this rumour is a philosophical one. 3.5mm headphone >>> jacks are ubiquitous. The standard is supported by a massive number of >>> manufacturers. It would be sad if Apple required its users to carry a >>> proprietary adapter, probably sold separately, to connect standard >>> equipment to their single proprietary port. But they’ve done this before. >>> Even on my maxed out MacBook Pro, I have to buy a special adapter just to >>> connect to wired Ethernet. >>> >>> My remaining concerns relate to functionality. As a hearing-aid wearer, I >>> use my iPhone with a cable between the headphone jack and my hearing aids >>> about 95% of the time. There’s no latency because it’s analogue all the >>> way, and since no Bluetooth is involved, it’s energy efficient in terms of >>> hearing aid battery usage. The Lightning to analogue adapter would be one >>> additional device to carry, use and potentially lose, and it would mean >>> that I couldn’t use my iPhone in the way that is optimal for me while I’m >>> charging it. There’s also the possibility that the digital to analogue >>> converter may introduce latency. That wouldn’t be important for most tasks, >>> but it would be detrimental to all VoiceOver users who use 3.5mm devices, >>> not just hearing aid wearers. >>> >>> But there’s always Bluetooth, and that’s the way the world is going, right? >>> There may be a few exceptions, but the majority of Bluetooth audio I’ve >>> used on iOS is laggy with VoiceOver, Apple’s built-in screen reader for >>> blind people like me, that I find it a frustrating, sub-optimal experience. >>> Streamers for hearing aid wearers often power down very quickly after >>> VoiceOver has stopped speaking, to save energy. This means that hearing aid >>> wearers who use VoiceOver with Bluetooth streamers often must cope with >>> missing the first second or two of what VoiceOver is saying, as the >>> Bluetooth streamer powers up after detecting audio. If you’re taking a >>> phone call or listening to music, that’s no big deal, but for a VoiceOver >>> user, it’s not a good experience. And Bluetooth streamers chew through >>> hearing aid batteries faster than an analogue connection, imposing >>> additional costs on hearing aid wearers. >>> >>> Taking hearing impairment out of the mix, there are many people who use the >>> 3.5mm jack, and want to do so while charging their device. Bonnie, for >>> example, has a pillow speaker, because she likes the radio on at night. It >>> plugs into her iPhone while it’s charging. >>> >>> We may be about to see a similar controversy with iPhone to the one that >>> greeted the new MacBook’s single USB C port and all the inconveniences that >>> go with that. When that controversy was at its peak, proponents said that >>> Apple often likes to move the tech agenda forward, and that they’re >>> uniquely positioned to do that by making “bold” decisions like this. Sorry, >>> I don’t consider a single port for peripherals and charging a bold >>> decision. It’s just a pain. If you want to use multiple devices, you have >>> to buy some sort of hub, which detracts from the convenience of having an >>> all-in-one device. >>> >>> I realise that as a VoiceOver user with a hearing impairment passionate >>> about getting the most optimal audio experience, I’m a minority within a >>> minority. But if this rumour proves to be true, it will be my queue to >>> seriously examine other mobile options. I really don’t want a phone one >>> more millimetre thinner, when it’s going to create an experience for me >>> that would be poorer. >>> >>> >>> Jonathan Mosen >>> Mosen Consulting >>> Blindness technology eBooks, tutorials and training >>> http://Mosen.org >>> >>> >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >>> >>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners >>> or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >>> >>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor and your owner is Cara Quinn - >>> you can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com >>> >>> The archives for this list can be searched at: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor and your owner is Cara Quinn - >> you can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor and your owner is Cara Quinn - > you can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com > > The archives for this list can be searched at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. 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