We can only admire Apple’s approach to the most complex technology. Her goal is always to make it easy, magical, effortless. Regular users shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the onslaught of settings and options. Things should work.
The problem is, of course, sometimes things just don’t work out that way. “Sit back and enjoy,” Apple tells us. “We have everything under control.” But it’s not always the case. And in many cases, there is no solution.
Apple’s Studio Display, with its confusing and controversial webcam, exposed many of these frustrating sentiments. We could start discussing whether to include the Center Framing feature on a display that is probably aimed at the most monstersbut let’s leave that aside.
And what about Apple’s audacity to launch it without any interface? And would the Studio Display’s camera have been better received if users had been able to adjust it to produce more visually pleasing images?
a dark gray box
I could accuse Apple of turning its webcam into a black box, impervious to any interaction or understanding, but that wouldn’t be fair. It’s actually a very dark gray box, but not totally black.
In fact, you can control some camera functions from the Studio Display, as well as other Apple devices. This is a new addition to Control Center, and you can now enable or disable Center Framing and Portrait mode.
Apple even lets you adjust settings for each individual app, in case you want to use Portrait mode in FaceTime but not Zoom, for example.
And that’s all. Apart from the Studio Display, all Apple laptops h ave a front-facing camera and there is no official way to adjust its settings.
It is true that there are external tools (which are essentially hacks) to adjust the settings. Our partner Jason Cross from iGamesNews wrote about them in 2020. Some examples are webcam settings and iGlasses from Ecamm Network, although this one has limited compatibility.
But it shouldn’t be like that. Apple should provide users of any Mac with webcam tools to improve the image. With webcam settings, you can improve contrast, reduce color saturation, and give the image the look you want. You can also switch back to automatic mode and let the camera do it for you.
Many people use chromas and other technologies to replace backgrounds and darken them. Some applications allow this; some don’t. Apple has allowed this for years through the Photo Booth app (which doesn’t support Center Framing, by the way).
Obviously, Portrait mode smartly sets the foreground and background. It would be nice if Apple allowed users to replace this background (or chroma key) with another image of their choosing, no matter what app they’re using.
Who controls the framework?
But that’s not all. If you don’t like how center framing works in the Studio Display (the image is framed as you move in front of the camera), you can turn it off, but Apple will decide which part of the camera is used as static version. of the image.
Initially, this ratio was incredibly high, but in the preliminary versions of the firmware of the Studio Display is a little lower. Still, we wonder why you can’t manually adjust this frame. And not just for the Studio Display, but for any Apple webcam.
Occasionally I use chroma key and yet my camera is a little too wide and suddenly it shows the edges of the green screen.
When using the excellent Reincubate Camo app to use my iPhone as a webcam, you can choose to zoom in on the image slightly and make sure you’re centered and the chroma key completely covers the background. This is an option that all users should have.
While a lot of people complain about the “virtual camera” panning and zooming when using center framing because it’s a bit flashy and distracting, other people love it. However, at present, this algorithm is an all or nothing.
Why doesn’t Apple let users choose between different types in Center Framing? With a wider frame you may pan less, while a tighter frame will pan more.
Personally, I would prefer a softer fit to the eye rather than a sudden, jerky movement. have several presets or sliders to adjust how it works would allow users to choose the centered framing experience they want, rather than being forced to use the only option offered by Apple.
The power of interfaces
In this article, I’ve focused on the Studio Display’s camera because it’s a good example of how Apple’s protective instincts towards its users can backfire in incredible ways. Having a good set of defaults doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer other options!
But finally, there is another aspect of the Studio Display that I must mention. It’s a clear example of Apple’s tendency to oversimplify its design of Material.
Think the iPod Shuffle without buttons, the third-generation iPod without a scroll wheel, the removal of Touch ID and the headphone jack on the iPhone, and the drastic reduction in ports on MacBooks in the end. of the 2010s.
Well, the Studio Display (a complicated piece of Material which actually runs a version of iOS on an A13 processor inside) doesn’t have a power button. Or a reset button. Not even buttons, in fact.
Sounds good, right? Apple has everything under control. Why have a power button if you don’t need it?
But the truth is that Apple doesn’t have everything under control. Studio Display users have reported that sometimes the sound from the Studio Display (either the speakers or the microphones or both) cuts out a bit.
This is a common problem with Material Mac’s audio subsystem (and as a podcast host, I’d like to suggest that Apple spend some time making the Mac’s audio subsystem more reliable), but it’s fixed the same way than traditional problems: turn it off and on again. to light
Except… the Studio Display has no buttons. If the Studio Display sound deteriorates, your only option is to hide under your desk, unplug it from power, and plug it back in.
It’s too late for the Studio Display to have a button on the back, but it’s not too late for Apple to offer a solution.
May I suggest including a menu option, preference or other button in Software to allow the Studio Display to restart. Sometimes Apple adding adjustments isn’t a loss, it’s a win for your customers.
Original article published on igamesnews.
