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MagSafe Battery Pack, iPad mini vs Kindle, iPhone water resistance on the AppleInsider podcast

Apple released its MagSafe Battery Pack, we compare the advantages of using iPad mini over Kindle for ebooks, and try out water resistance limitations for iPhone and Apple Watch.

Apple released its official MagSafe Battery Pack for use with the iPhone 12 lineup. Physically smaller than third-party alternatives, the new Battery Pack also has a smaller capacity, coming in at 1,460mAh. We examine what this really means for charging capability plus its reverse wireless charging feature.

Both returning from time at the beach, your hosts discuss the various water resistance features of iPhone and Apple Watch. In its support documentation, Apple specifies what activities are not recommended, such as taking a shower with Apple Watch, although many users have done so without issue.

Then rumors of the upcoming "iPad mini 6" suggest a Fall launch for the redesigned device. In his newsletter, Mark Gurman claims the new iPad mini design will resemble the current iPad Air, and the larger iMac sporting Apple Silicon will also launch this Fall.

This surfaces the now age-old debate over the advantages of using an iPad mini for ebook and audiobook consumption compared Kindle devices, including pricing and ecosystem compatibility.

Apple TV+ secures 35 Emmy Nominations, including 20 for the hit comedy "Ted Lasso". But this news was a little tainted by Apple's unsolicited notification to all iOS users. There has never been an "opt-in" dialog box for these kinds of alerts, so it raises the issue of antitrust and platform advantage.

Last, AT&T is lifting its throttling data cap for those on the Unlimited Elite plan, Twitter is shutting down Fleets on August 3, and a listener has a question about network attached storage backup and storage solutions.

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