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3D Printable Stand Lets You Try Continuity Camera With iOS 16 and macOS Ventura Right Now
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I wonder if the phone has to be positioned horizontally for this to work. If you could mount the phone vertically and have this feature still work, this opens up for the possibility that they place the mag-safe magnets right into the display lid and you wouldn't even need a mount.
And if the Qi charging stuff is thin enough, you could charge your phone when you have it mounted on your Macbook screen at the same time.
And if the Qi charging stuff is thin enough, you could charge your phone when you have it mounted on your Macbook screen at the same time.
Check your local library. Most cities have at least one library with a 3-D printer, and they only charge for materials.
Here are my thoughts on this.
1. This feature should have come in early 2020 - as soon as the pandemic hit - or much much earlier. There is absolutely no reason to have an additional external camera when the iPhone already boasts one of the best cameras that can be used for video conferencing.
2. This solution was not created for the iPhone to be mounted onto the MacBook. Older MacBooks (all kinds) have crappy cameras - that's true. Newer MacBooks (starting with 2021 14" and 16" MacBook Pros) have much better cameras. Mounting the iPhone onto a MacBook's thin screen makes no sense; it's a precarious position for an iPhone to be in: it could fall down onto the MacBook's Touch Bar or keyboard and either get damaged itself or damage the MacBook. What does make sense is either mounting the iPhone onto an external monitor or onto a stand.
3. Apple should not have put a camera or microphones into the Studio Display. That camera is absolutely horrible; the microphones (while not horrible) are significantly inferior to microphone arrays in the last year's MacBook Pros (and I would bet even compared to the 2020 M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro). Instead, Apple should have created a mounting solution on top of the Studio Display (maybe a pop-up mount with a MagSafe charging adapter) onto which an iPhone could be mounted and charged while being mounted. That would have been an elegant solution. Because Apple put a useless camera and sub-par microphones into the Studio Display, it had to put an Apple silicon chip in the Studio Display to control the advanced features in the camera and microphones. It would have been much better not to have Apple silicon in the Studio Display and instead have a charging MagSafe mount. The camera and microphones could be supplied by the docked iPhone and controlled by the attached Mac with the help of the Apple Silicon chip in the iPhone. Thus, Apple could have reduced the price of the Studio Display to a reasonable amount: maybe $1299. It really should cost $999 (pre-inflation), but with the inflation, $1299 is probably justified.
I have a 2021 14" MacBook Pro and a Studio Display. I use the microphones in the MacBook Pro (which sits to the right of the display, so the location of the microphone array is not optimal, yet it sounds much better than the microphones built into the Studio Display). I use the Studio Display's camera and speakers. The speakers are better than the speakers in the 2021 14" MacBook Pro but only marginally better. The camera in the Studio Display is inferior to the camera in the 2021 14" MacBook Pro, but because my MacBook Pro sits to the side (on a stand - used as another monitor), I am using the Studio Display's camera for work. However, when it gets dark, the quality of that camera is simply atrocious. It makes no sense for me to have paid for the camera in the Studio Display just to cover it with an ugly iPhone mount. That's just a terrible design of the entire ecosystem.
My preference would be to have an Apple 5K Display (call it Office Display - if you wish) that has no built-in camera, no built-in microphones, no Apple Silicon chip, but has a built in MagSafe charging iPhone mount capable of retracting into the body of the display. I would mount my iPhone onto that mount during my work day and take it off the mount when I am done for the day or when I leave for lunch. In this setup, I could use the MacBook connected to the Display in a clamshell mode - if I so wish - because I can leverage the iPhone's camera and microphones. When I work outside my office, I would just utilize the camera, microphones, and speakers built into my MacBook Pro and not bother with mounting the iPhone onto the MacBook Pro's screen. Or, I would use a tripod stand to mount the iPhone onto if I wanted to use a better camera while being outside my office.
1. This feature should have come in early 2020 - as soon as the pandemic hit - or much much earlier. There is absolutely no reason to have an additional external camera when the iPhone already boasts one of the best cameras that can be used for video conferencing.
2. This solution was not created for the iPhone to be mounted onto the MacBook. Older MacBooks (all kinds) have crappy cameras - that's true. Newer MacBooks (starting with 2021 14" and 16" MacBook Pros) have much better cameras. Mounting the iPhone onto a MacBook's thin screen makes no sense; it's a precarious position for an iPhone to be in: it could fall down onto the MacBook's Touch Bar or keyboard and either get damaged itself or damage the MacBook. What does make sense is either mounting the iPhone onto an external monitor or onto a stand.
3. Apple should not have put a camera or microphones into the Studio Display. That camera is absolutely horrible; the microphones (while not horrible) are significantly inferior to microphone arrays in the last year's MacBook Pros (and I would bet even compared to the 2020 M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro). Instead, Apple should have created a mounting solution on top of the Studio Display (maybe a pop-up mount with a MagSafe charging adapter) onto which an iPhone could be mounted and charged while being mounted. That would have been an elegant solution. Because Apple put a useless camera and sub-par microphones into the Studio Display, it had to put an Apple silicon chip in the Studio Display to control the advanced features in the camera and microphones. It would have been much better not to have Apple silicon in the Studio Display and instead have a charging MagSafe mount. The camera and microphones could be supplied by the docked iPhone and controlled by the attached Mac with the help of the Apple Silicon chip in the iPhone. Thus, Apple could have reduced the price of the Studio Display to a reasonable amount: maybe $1299. It really should cost $999 (pre-inflation), but with the inflation, $1299 is probably justified.
I have a 2021 14" MacBook Pro and a Studio Display. I use the microphones in the MacBook Pro (which sits to the right of the display, so the location of the microphone array is not optimal, yet it sounds much better than the microphones built into the Studio Display). I use the Studio Display's camera and speakers. The speakers are better than the speakers in the 2021 14" MacBook Pro but only marginally better. The camera in the Studio Display is inferior to the camera in the 2021 14" MacBook Pro, but because my MacBook Pro sits to the side (on a stand - used as another monitor), I am using the Studio Display's camera for work. However, when it gets dark, the quality of that camera is simply atrocious. It makes no sense for me to have paid for the camera in the Studio Display just to cover it with an ugly iPhone mount. That's just a terrible design of the entire ecosystem.
My preference would be to have an Apple 5K Display (call it Office Display - if you wish) that has no built-in camera, no built-in microphones, no Apple Silicon chip, but has a built in MagSafe charging iPhone mount capable of retracting into the body of the display. I would mount my iPhone onto that mount during my work day and take it off the mount when I am done for the day or when I leave for lunch. In this setup, I could use the MacBook connected to the Display in a clamshell mode - if I so wish - because I can leverage the iPhone's camera and microphones. When I work outside my office, I would just utilize the camera, microphones, and speakers built into my MacBook Pro and not bother with mounting the iPhone onto the MacBook Pro's screen. Or, I would use a tripod stand to mount the iPhone onto if I wanted to use a better camera while being outside my office.
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I've gotta admit, Continuity Camera is absolutely amazing for me. I do a lot of public speaking in the media, to government bodies, etc, and to date it's been a PITA to set up a tripod every time I need to do a media hit or appear somewhere equivalent. I have a small home and work off a kitchen table so I can't just have a permanent tripod set up. Also, I (and many of my colleagues) travelled a lot pre-pandemic and the ability to have a high-quality remote broadcast system solves a lot of pain points for all of us.
I *fully* recognize that my use case/wants are not the same as most people, and also that this isn't the sole most elegant solution. But I'm just looking for something that is light and relatively easy to setup/takedown/travel with, and this seems even better than Camo's options (which I've been using all pandemic and is fine but doesn't work perfectly with everything whereas Continuity promises to).
I *fully* recognize that my use case/wants are not the same as most people, and also that this isn't the sole most elegant solution. But I'm just looking for something that is light and relatively easy to setup/takedown/travel with, and this seems even better than Camo's options (which I've been using all pandemic and is fine but doesn't work perfectly with everything whereas Continuity promises to).
You can do semicolon + option to rapidly write an ellipsis …
(this may vary depending on your keyboard config though)
My guess is this will be popular with beginner YouTubers.
Webcams in the $75-150 range generally suck for this purpose IMO, and even most $200+ webcams are not great for YouTube content. The ones with a bigger budget will get dSLRs and they look great, but those are $$$$ and have their own issues. This iPhone solution will fit in the middle ground in terms of quality, so budget conscious customers won't have to spend an $200+ just to get something that doesn't completely suck.
Webcams in the $75-150 range generally suck for this purpose IMO, and even most $200+ webcams are not great for YouTube content. The ones with a bigger budget will get dSLRs and they look great, but those are $$$$ and have their own issues. This iPhone solution will fit in the middle ground in terms of quality, so budget conscious customers won't have to spend an $200+ just to get something that doesn't completely suck.
Since the early days of the pandemic I recall there is 3rd party software for using an iPhone as a Zoom camera and mounting options to go with it.
Yes, but reports are that it is unreliable over long periods. I haven't confirmed this myself since I haven't used the app, but it's been reported in these forums.
There are ring lights with smartphone mounts in the middle, to use the phone for video conferencing.
I have to vehemently disagree on the nature of the iPhone, mostly because I digest media on the go, and the forced intrusion of the notch instead of allowing content to be in a reasonable aspect ratio irks me. it needs to go away.
I do agree you'll see it disappear on the MacBook, especially in dark mode.
Don't need any special software. Join with video only from your phone, join for audio/video from your computer.
Of course. Working fine with my 2020 Intel MBA and iPhone 11.
So cool we're at the point where someone needs an object and they just download a file to print it. Think about how much waste that eliminates. Plus it's instant gratification lol.
You're asking me, with an iPhone 11, whether iPhone 13 features work. No idea. You'll need someone with a better phone to answer
Ah my bad - I meant portrait mode and desk view effects. Available on iPhone 11 apparently, but not sure if it needs an M1 Mac:You're asking me, with an iPhone 11, whether iPhone 13 features work. No idea. You'll need someone with a better phone to answer
‘Continuity Camera’ Turns iPhone into Webcam for Mac, But Features Limited by Phone Hardware | iPhone in Canada
Here are the limitations of Continuity Camera, which turns your iPhone into a webcam for Mac.
www.iphoneincanada.ca
This is by far the most self-humiliating feature Apple has ever released. There are tremors in California because Jobs is turning over in his grave so aggressively.
Please get what's happening here: Apple is letting you clamp your phone to jut out the top of your otherwise sexy laptop to compensate for the fact that Apple continues to put a sucky camera in the laptop.
Maybe next, to compensate for the fact that iPhone 13 Pro's selfie camera still sucks, Apple will sell a mount so that we can attach a DSLR camera on top of it so we can take a decent selfie when we're out at a party.
Please get what's happening here: Apple is letting you clamp your phone to jut out the top of your otherwise sexy laptop to compensate for the fact that Apple continues to put a sucky camera in the laptop.
Maybe next, to compensate for the fact that iPhone 13 Pro's selfie camera still sucks, Apple will sell a mount so that we can attach a DSLR camera on top of it so we can take a decent selfie when we're out at a party.
I have just been considering issues of privacy related to remote medical appointments.
A few months ago, I had a phone appointment during which photographs of my issue were requested.
I had to use my phone to take the photos. I stood in front of a mirrored wardrobe door with the screen pointing at the mirror. By doing that, I could see the reflection of the screen and therefore judge the framing, angles, etc. (That bit worked amazingly well - but location on your body will dictate techniques required.)
I ended up with several photos on my phone, which were then copied to iCloud. And, on my Mac mini, I had to pick them up and send as email attachments. Plenty of room for mistakes (e.g. send to wrong email) and security loopholes (copies in iCloud, in Sent Items, etc.)
At some point, I think we will get a dedicated app for communicating with the doctor. It would be good if any such app could use the Continuity Camera feature to capture images/video and tell the phone not to store the images/video - just hand it straight across to the app. That is, you would know any images were as secure as possible. Especially good if the "no storage" mode could be set even without the app needing to be aware.
Obviously privacy can often be compromised in all sorts of ways and I'm not suggesting this is perfect. Just a considerable improvement on what is currently available.
A few months ago, I had a phone appointment during which photographs of my issue were requested.
I had to use my phone to take the photos. I stood in front of a mirrored wardrobe door with the screen pointing at the mirror. By doing that, I could see the reflection of the screen and therefore judge the framing, angles, etc. (That bit worked amazingly well - but location on your body will dictate techniques required.)
I ended up with several photos on my phone, which were then copied to iCloud. And, on my Mac mini, I had to pick them up and send as email attachments. Plenty of room for mistakes (e.g. send to wrong email) and security loopholes (copies in iCloud, in Sent Items, etc.)
At some point, I think we will get a dedicated app for communicating with the doctor. It would be good if any such app could use the Continuity Camera feature to capture images/video and tell the phone not to store the images/video - just hand it straight across to the app. That is, you would know any images were as secure as possible. Especially good if the "no storage" mode could be set even without the app needing to be aware.
Obviously privacy can often be compromised in all sorts of ways and I'm not suggesting this is perfect. Just a considerable improvement on what is currently available.