Category: Apple

  • Apple’s Live Translation and AI: What Makes iOS 26 Smarter

    Apple’s Live Translation and AI: What Makes iOS 26 Smarter

    iOS 26 is infused with a suite of AI-powered features under the umbrella of Apple Intelligence. One of the standout additions is Live Translation, which provides real time translation of both text and audio within Messages, FaceTime and the Phone app. Because translations happen on device, your conversations remain private.

    Key features

    • Live Translation – Translate conversations as you speak or type across multiple apps. The system can show both languages side by side, making it easy to follow along.
    • Visual Intelligence – Point your camera at text on screen or copy content from an app, and iOS will recognize it and suggest actions like adding events to your calendar
    • Genmoji and Image Playground – Create custom emojis and images using AI, injecting personality into your messages

    Why it matters

    By bringing translation and other AI features on?device, Apple reduces reliance on the cloud and protects user privacy. These tools could make traveling or working with international partners much smoother. Together, they represent Apple’s answer to rival AI platforms, blending language, vision and creativity into the core OS.

  • Exploring iOS 26’s Liquid Glass Design: A Translucent Interface Revolution

    Exploring iOS 26’s Liquid Glass Design: A Translucent Interface Revolution

    Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 introduces a visually striking Liquid Glass design language. Instead of opaque panels, core interface elements are rendered in a translucent material that lightly reflects colors and textures from your surroundings. The result is a home and lock screen that feels almost three-dimensional, adapting to the lighting and colors of your environment.

    What is Liquid Glass?

    Apple describes it as a flexible material that helps apps convey more personality. Widgets and notifications appear to float above the background, and users can tint elements with custom colors. The new aesthetic hints at Apple’s long-term interest in blending digital and physical environments.

    How it changes your phone

    • Customizable home screen – choose from themed color palettes and let accent colors bleed into widgets and icons.
    • Dynamic lock screen – notifications subtly reflect your wallpaper, and Live Activities appear more integrated.
    • Consistent design – throughout Messages, Photos and even Settings, the new translucent panels unify the look of iOS 26.

    Liquid Glass is more than a visual refresh. Combined with new on-device AI features, it makes the system feel alive and personalized.

  • Top 10 Must-Have Apps for South African Entrepreneurs in 2025

    Top 10 Must-Have Apps for South African Entrepreneurs in 2025

    Top 10 Must-Have Apps for South African Entrepreneurs in 2025

    Running a business in today’s fast-evolving digital world requires strategic planning, adaptability, and leveraging the right tools. For South African entrepreneurs, adopting innovative apps is crucial to staying competitive and driving success. Here are ten essential apps for 2025 that can streamline your operations, boost productivity, and help your business thrive.

    1. Xero – Advanced Accounting Solutions

    Xero is a comprehensive platform for managing your business finances. This cloud-based tool simplifies tracking expenses, sending invoices, and monitoring cash flow. Its ability to integrate with other apps makes it a must-have for entrepreneurs seeking seamless financial operations.

    2. Trello – Streamlined Project Management

    Trello’s intuitive design makes managing tasks and projects effortless. With its drag-and-drop boards and customizable cards, Trello ensures you stay organized, whether you’re working solo or collaborating with a team.

    3. WhatsApp Business – Enhanced Customer Engagement

    WhatsApp Business is perfect for maintaining direct and personalized communication with customers. Features like automated messaging, product catalog sharing, and quick replies make it an invaluable tool for efficient customer service.

    4. Google Workspace – Holistic Collaboration Tools

    Google Workspace provides a suite of tools, including Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, and Drive, that enable seamless collaboration. With real-time editing and cloud storage, it’s perfect for managing dynamic workflows and remote teams.

    5. PayFast – Optimized Online Payment Processing

    Tailored for the South African market, PayFast ensures secure and efficient online transactions. Supporting various payment methods, it’s a reliable choice for e-commerce businesses and service providers.

    6. Calendly – Intelligent Scheduling Software

    Calendly takes the hassle out of scheduling meetings. By syncing with your calendar, it allows clients and colleagues to book appointments effortlessly, saving time and avoiding email back-and-forth.

    7. Evernote – Comprehensive Note-Taking and Organization

    Evernote serves as a central hub for capturing ideas, creating to-do lists, and storing essential documents. Its cross-device syncing ensures you have access to your notes anytime, anywhere.

    8. Slack – Advanced Team Communication

    Slack transforms team communication with organized channels and seamless integrations. Its real-time messaging and file-sharing features foster collaboration and productivity, making it essential for any team environment.

    9. SnapScan – Simplified Cashless Payments

    SnapScan’s QR-based payment system is ideal for South African businesses looking to offer fast, secure, and cashless payment options. It’s a great choice for catering to tech-savvy customers.

    10. Canva – Professional Graphic Design Made Easy

    Canva empowers you to create stunning marketing materials, social media posts, and business collateral. With its extensive library of templates and easy-to-use tools, even non-designers can achieve professional results.

    Conclusion

    Integrating these apps into your business can transform the way you operate. By adopting these tools, you can optimize your workflows, improve collaboration, and focus on growing your business. Start exploring these solutions today and take your entrepreneurial journey to new heights in 2025 and beyond.

  • Top 10 Must-Have iPhone Apps for 2024

    The iPhone app ecosystem has evolved immensely over the years, and staying on top of the best tools can make life a lot more enjoyable and productive. Here’s a list of ten must-have iPhone apps for 2024, covering a mix of productivity, entertainment, health, and social connectivity. These apps represent some of the most helpful, innovative, and user-friendly solutions available today, and each one has something unique to offer.

    Productivity & Organization

    1. Notion

    Notion continues to be one of the top productivity apps. It’s versatile, with options to create notes, manage projects, and build databases—a great tool for students, professionals, and anyone trying to stay organized. Whether you’re managing a team project, tracking personal goals, or just organizing daily tasks, Notion can do it all. Plus, its clean interface makes planning much less daunting, while the flexibility of creating interconnected pages means you can structure information exactly as you need. Download Notion.

    2. Widgetsmith

    Widgetsmith is still riding the wave of home screen customization. It allows you to personalize widgets for weather, reminders, or even just stylish clocks, transforming your iPhone into a personal masterpiece. This app’s customizability brings a nice touch to any iOS user. You can change the entire aesthetic of your home screen, which makes it a favorite for those who enjoy giving their phone a unique look and feel. Widgetsmith also frequently updates with new features, giving you more and more ways to customize. Download Widgetsmith.

    3. Spark Mail

    Email management made easier. Spark Mail is known for its features like “Smart Inbox,” which prioritizes important emails and keeps clutter at bay. It’s ideal if you want to reduce your email stress and focus only on what matters. Spark also includes features like email scheduling, follow-up reminders, and integrations with other productivity tools, making it extremely useful for both personal and professional use. If you’re juggling multiple email accounts, Spark provides a unified inbox, ensuring you won’t miss important messages. Download Spark Mail.

    4. Obsidian

    If you’re a heavy note-taker and you like linking your thoughts, Obsidian is the app for you. It’s not just a note-taking app; it’s more like a personal knowledge management system where every note is interconnected, perfect for research or journaling. It allows you to create a web of interconnected notes, making it incredibly easy to see how your ideas are related. Whether you’re writing essays, planning projects, or even writing a book, Obsidian’s networked note-taking approach is perfect for visual thinkers. Download Obsidian.


    Entertainment & Leisure

    5. Spotify

    Spotify is still the go-to music and podcast streaming service. It has curated playlists for every mood, podcast recommendations, and one of the best discovery algorithms around. With millions of songs at your fingertips and exclusive podcasts, it’s worth every music lover’s attention. Spotify also allows you to create and share playlists, and its social features let you see what your friends are listening to, which makes it more interactive and engaging. If you love staying on top of new music releases, Spotify’s “Release Radar” and “Discover Weekly” playlists are excellent ways to find fresh content. Download Spotify.

    6. Apollo for Reddit

    Apollo is hands down one of the best Reddit clients for iPhone. It’s smooth, easy to use, and makes browsing Reddit a much more pleasant experience. The app offers advanced features like customizable gestures, a powerful media viewer, and even a jump bar for quickly navigating between subreddits. If Reddit is part of your daily read, Apollo will enhance it by providing a clean, intuitive interface and useful customization options. The app is also frequently updated with new features and optimizations, making sure it always stays one step ahead of the official Reddit app. Download Apollo.


    Health & Wellness

    7. MyFitnessPal

    For fitness enthusiasts or anyone trying to be more health-conscious, MyFitnessPal remains the gold standard for tracking food intake and exercise. It integrates with other health apps, making your fitness journey seamless. The app also provides an extensive food database, and it’s incredibly easy to log your meals and keep track of calories. You can also set personalized goals, track your water intake, and get detailed analytics on your nutrition. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a healthy diet, MyFitnessPal has the tools you need. Download MyFitnessPal.

    8. Headspace

    With more emphasis on mental well-being, Headspace is a fantastic app for guided meditations and mindfulness practices. The simple UI and easy access to different meditation types make it suitable for both beginners and seasoned users. Headspace includes a variety of guided sessions, ranging from quick 5-minute relaxations to longer, more immersive meditations. It also offers courses that focus on specific areas, such as stress reduction, improving sleep, and boosting creativity. Headspace’s Sleepcasts, in particular, are a favorite for those who struggle with sleep. Download Headspace.


    Learning & Self-Improvement

    9. Duolingo

    Learning a new language has never been more accessible. Duolingo makes it fun with its gamified lessons, ensuring you keep up with your progress every day. They’ve also expanded their language offerings to include some more niche ones. With daily reminders and bite-sized lessons, Duolingo ensures language learning fits seamlessly into even the busiest schedules. Plus, the competitive element—earning points, progressing through levels, and even competing with friends—keeps you motivated. Whether you want to learn French, Japanese, or even Klingon, Duolingo has got you covered. Download Duolingo.


    Security & Privacy

    10. 1Password

    In the age of constant cyber threats, keeping your passwords secure is vital. 1Password makes managing different logins simple and secure. It’s an absolute must-have to stay protected online. You can store all your passwords, credit card information, and secure notes in one place, and access them with a single master password. 1Password also offers features like password generation and breach monitoring, which helps you stay ahead of potential security issues. Its family sharing option also means you can keep your loved ones secure with minimal hassle. Download 1Password.


    These ten apps bring different kinds of value to your daily life—whether it’s staying organized, entertained, or taking care of your health and security. Each of these apps has been carefully selected based on its popularity, ease of use, and ability to make everyday tasks more efficient. If you have more apps in mind or want me to dive into any of these with more detail, feel free to reach out! Remember, the right tools can make a significant difference, and these apps are a great place to start for anyone looking to get the most out of their iPhone in 2024.

  • Get 20% Discount on MySwimPro Elite Subscription

    Get 20% Discount on MySwimPro Elite Subscription

    20% Discount code MARC20 

    I have been using the MySwimPro app for just over a year now. It is one of the best apps out there if you keen on learning to swim, a dedicated swimmer or just want to learn more about swimming. If you have read my story about swimming the (in 2 weeks time!!)

    The MySwimPro app offers a Free and Elite version of the product. The Free version allows you to do a couple of things including:

    • Write and log an unlimited number of workouts.
    • Load an unlimited number of Custom workouts to a compatible smartwatch.
    • Quick Log.
    • An entire Training Plan
    • Custom workout builder and save up to three workouts to your personal library.
    • Profile to show distance swum.
    • Earn achievements based on distance and number of workouts logged.
    • Global community of fellow swimmers.

    There are 3 components to the Elite version. You can select all 3 and pay a once off annual fee of $119 (which is actually a 55% saving) or you can select a specific component of the Elite version. The 3 components are

    Training

    • Unlimited Workouts
    • Training Plans
    • Fresh Workout of the Day
    • Personalized Dynamic Interval

    Technique

    • Instructional HD Videos
    • Technique Drills for Every Stroke
    • Body Position and Breathing Reference Guide
    • Flipturn Course

    Analytics

    • Heart Rate Analysis
    • Strokes Per Lap
    • Splits
    • SWOLF
    • Profile Analytics

    If you looking to get started I would suggest going for the Training component, which is $4.99 a month, which you can then bill annually and works out to $59.99 a year.

    I recently got the opportunity to join the MySwimPro Ambassador programme, which allows me to share this app even more. One of the benefits of being an Ambassador is I can offer a 20% discount on the Elite Subscription

    So to take advantage of the 20% discount, you go to https://myswimpro.com/elite/packs/ and select the package you want to use. If you haven’t signed up already you sign up and then use the Promo Code MARC20  on checkout to claim your 20% discount. Simple as that :)

    If you do use MySwimPro or plan on using it pop a comment below and let me know how it’s all going!