In addition to introducing Face ID changes for mask usage and the Exposure Notification API, iOS 13.5 adds a new feature for sharing Medical ID information.
Today's iOS 13.5 beta prompts users to review their Medical ID settings when opening the Health app, introducing options to share Medical ID info during an emergency call and on the Lock screen.
Based on the text accompanying the feature, enabling the option sends Medical ID information to emergency dispatchers who answer an emergency call. Apple says it will provide emergency services personnel with key info like allergies, language, and medical conditions.
iPhone and Apple Watch can automatically send the information in your Medical ID to the dispatcher who answers your call.
This can speed up the process of getting the care you need.
This feature can be toggled on when adjusting medical settings after updating, as can the option to provide access to Medical ID even when an iPhone is locked.
These settings can be adjusted in the Health section of the Settings app by tapping on Medical ID and then the "Edit" option.
According to Apple, when the Medical ID sharing feature is enabled, a call or text to emergency services shares location and encrypted Medical ID info with Apple.
Apple uses location to determine whether Enhanced Emergency Data is supported in your area, and if so, the Medical ID info is forwarded to a partner for delivery to medical services.
If Emergency Calls & SOS in Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services is disabled, the feature does not work.
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
This cultivated social awareness mentality that they appeared to be getting high on... downside with following any mob reaction (or basically any recent social trend) is that mob’s are ruled by emotion not logic.
The actual underlined, dotted I’d and crossed T’s, preliminary research findings won’t happen at least until next year. At which point the hysteria and clutter in the data always gets cleared, as it does in any ‘disaster’, and likely everything being done will have been for naught. The government never does anything right in a disaster, and their prep is equally laughable with any hindsight.
Nobody has saved any lives here, let’s stop pretending that anybody deserves any medals for social distancing or locking themselves away. Because hiding out of disease fear is the single most selfish, ugly reaction a person could have in a crisis. Those people chose to sit in their caves, while the world crashed, hoping to better pick thru the scrapes after.
All Apple is doing is enabling a horrendously poor social reaction by trying to make a trendy tool to continue into the skid. Worse it’s useless wishy, washy pop-sci-ish bloat with the abuse potential outweighing any supposed benefit.
Tim Cook should be ashamed of himself. He is a horrible person ruining actual technical innovation for the sake of his ego. Worse, he’s a reactionary ninny who often gets it wrong, and wastes investor money on ******** causes purely for the upkeep of his trendy brand name, “I care” persona.
“If saving trees” or “feeling accepted” is a feature you are looking for in a tech product... I’m sorry, you are just superstitious looking for deep personal validation and spiritual significant from a hammer.
As an investor, I think it’s time Apple bottom lines on all of Tim’s pet issues, how much more expensive is the iPhone with the features inspired by Tim overreacting to watching MSNBC on his exerbike? Whatever the savings are, $2 or 10 cents from the price of an iPhone... worth it.
Like what does the Watch cost just without the Breath function? Take that in a second.
