Category Archives: iOS

Accessories, Health, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Apple Launches the Watch Series 8 and Watch SE – The Better Best-Seller

September 8, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Unfortunately for Android Wear fans, the Apple Watch is the best-selling smartwatch to date. There is a good reason for that though. Apple’s Watch just works, and it does that very well. Every iteration of the Apple Watch is even better than ever before. That case is also true for the latest Apple Watch Series 8 and the new Apple Watch SE.

watchOS 9

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

The latest Apple Watch 8, Watch SE, and even Watch Ultra come with Apple’s latest watchOS 9. There are no fundamental change in terms of its fundamental interface and looks. The added features for watchOS 9 includes international roaming that allows the Watch to be constantly connected to a network even when you are travelling abroad. Users with AFib conditions can also turn-on the AFib History feature if it is available in their region. The digital Compass App has also been redesigned to show even more information than before. There is a new Workout app too in watchOS 9 that allows in-session views with segments, splits, elevation, and even more precise workout data. Sleep tracking on the new operating system (OS) is also even better than before with more accurate and more comprehensive sleep data on tap. There is even a new Medications interface on the Apple Watch that helps users manage and track their medication schedules via the Health app.

Crash Detection

Apple has pioneered safety technology on the smartwatch with fall detection in their previous Apple Watch. Now, the Apple Watch is even better than before with Crash Detection. The gyroscope and accelerometer on the latest Apple Watch is even more powerful than before. Apple also had to develop entirely new algorithms to allow the Apple Watch to understand car crashes better and to detect when users are in one. They had to simulate various car crashes in test labs to ensure that the Apple Watch can detect when users are involved in a head-on collision, rear-end impact, side-impact, and even rollovers just based on the gyroscopic, acceleration, barometric, GPS, and sound data. After the fact, Apple Watch will check in with its users, like when it detects a fall. If the user does not respond within the next 10 seconds, emergency alert will be sent out to relevant services and even your emergency contacts. Of course, it works best with iPhones.

Even Longer Battery Life

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

One of the bigger complaints about the older Apple Watches is its dismal battery life. For the new Apple Watch Series 8, Apple has said that the device can last up to 18 hours, technically an entire day. Apple has also included a new Low Power Mode that is supposed to extend the device’s battery life to up to 36 hours (Watch Series 8) by limiting selected sensors and power-hungry features like always-on display.

More Health Centric Sensors

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

You still get all the sensors that are previously found on the Apple Watch Series 7. There is a brand-new sensor that is mainly used to monitor women’s health though. It is a dual sensor that detects body temperature. The two sensors measure two different temperatures at two different points of the watch, one at the back of the watch and the other right under the display. This way, Apple Watch can capture its users body temperature whilst reducing bias from outside environment.

The new added feature also improves sleep health detection by the Apple Watch. The Apple Series Watch 8 samples wrist temperature every five seconds and is so sensitive it measures changes as small as 0.1^oC. The Health App allows the users to monitor their sleep health and changes due to exercising, jet lag, or even sickness.

Apple Watch SE

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

The Apple Watch SE, while is the most accessible Apple watch, is no less powerful than the new Apple Watch Series 8. It still packs the latest S8 SiP processor found in the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. You also get International Roaming alongside Crash Detection features that the Series 8 and the Ultra gets. The only visual difference is that the SE gets a back case made with nylon composite material alongside the aluminium case making it the lightest Apple Watch available currently. The Apple Watch SE also only comes in 40mm and 44mm variants.

Price and Availability

The Apple Watch SE will be available in select regions from the 16^th of September 2022 onward. You can choose between midnight, starlight, and sliver colour options. The new Apple Watch SE will set you back US$ 249 (MYR 1,199*) onward. For more information on the Apple Watch SE, you can visit their website.

The Apple Watch Series 8 will be available in select regions also from the 16^th of September 2022 onward. You can choose between aluminium (Starlight, Midnight, Silver, PRODUCT RED) and stainless steel (Silver, Graphite, Gold) cases and various band, including the NIKE and Hermès edition bands for the Apple Watch Series 8. Prices start from US$ 399 (MYR 1,899*). If you want to know more about the Apple Watch Series 8, you can visit their website.

*Official Malaysian Pricing

Accessories, Health, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

The Apple Watch Ultra – The Ultimate Smartwatch by Apple

September 8, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

What do you do when you want to get an Apple Watch but you want to take it to all sorts of adventures? Before this, you would have to buy and Apple Watch and get some sort of silicon protection for it. You can take it snorkeling too, but that is about it. We would have to recommend you something like a Garmin or a Suunto in that case. But you want an Apple Watch. Fret not, you can get an Apple Watch for all sorts of extreme activity now.

Extreme Build for Extreme Conditions

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Welcome to the Apple Watch Ultra, the latest most advanced and most rugged Apple Watch you can get your hands on today. It is tough, made from aerospace-grade titanium. Unlike stainless steel, titanium is lighter, more durable, and more resistant to corrosion. Unlike the 3D glass that you might find on the regular Apple Watch, the Ultra’s display is a flat screen surrounded by the titanium case and covered by Sapphire glass for extra protection and durability in extreme situations.

Bright Needs to be Brighter

The Retina display is rather beautiful to look at too with a peak brightness of 2000 nits just in case you need to look at it under bright sunlight. To ensure that you know where to press, the action button is a bright International Orange. It is even customizable for different functions.

Built for Runners

The Apple Watch Ultra is built for the most extreme athletes and sports. Powered by WatchOS 9, the Apple Watch Ultra packs dual-frequency GPS with new algorithms to deliver the most accurate GPS system you can find on any Apple Watch. The technology allows for a more precise and accurate routing, distance, and even speed data for both training and competition purposes. It even offers you running metrics to measure stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and even running power. Of course, it has the battery life to match long-course triathlon events.

Built for Adventurers

If you are into exploring the extremities of the world, the Apple Watch Ultra can keep up with you as well. The Apple Watch Ultra is designed to operate in temperatures as low as 20^oC and up to 55^oC and built to MIL-STD-810H standards. The Compass App is more comprehensive than ever on the Apple Watch Ultra. You can even view elevation, incline, and even coordinate data as you go along for your long trek. You can even use the Apple Watch Ultra to backtrack just in case you feel like you are not getting anywhere, an 86-decibel siren designed for emergencies can be activated in case users get lost or injured. There is even something called Compass Waypoints; you can drop a point interest in the app to mark a location to create a waypoint. You can also extend its battery life up to 60 hours in Low Power mode in case you need the Apple Watch Ultra to last through your trip.

Built for Divers

The Apple Watch Ultra is not just meant to go high up the mountains too. It can go into depths up to 40m with WR100 and EN 13319 certification. Apple says you can take it to go kitesurfing and wakeboarding. If you are into scuba diving, the Oceanic+ app turns your Apple Watch Ultra into a powerful dive computer. Available later this year, the app runs Bühlmann decompression algorithm. The app also offers personalised user profiles, reports on dive conditions, and a dive logbook that you can share with your friends and family. All these data can also be viewed and synced to your iPhone.

Still an Apple Watch

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
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Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Of course, it is still an Apple Watch, you can take calls with it. For that function, the Apple Watch Ultra packs three microphones for improved sound quality and noise cancelling in calls. The Apple Watch Ultra also uses new advanced wind-reduction algorithms to ensure that you can take calls even in the most extreme situations.

There is also the regular heart rate monitor, ECG, Blood Oxygen detection, activity rings, mindfulness and other navigation features that are available on a regular Apple Watch. There are new sensors on the Apple Watch Ultra that is beneficial for women’s health monitoring though. The Apple Watch Ultra includes two new temperature sensors designed to separate noise from outside environment and monitors internal body temperature. Like the iPhone 14, the new Apple Watch Ultra also packs sensors that adds up to Crash Detection function.

Price and Availability

The Apple Watch Ultra will be available in select regions from the 23^rd of September 2022 for US$ 799 (MYR 3,799*) onward. There are no mentions yet on its availability date in Malaysia. You can see the Apple Watch Ultra is featured on the Apple Watch microsite for Malaysia though, indicating that it will eventually be available here. There are no available colour options for the main unit of the Apple Watch, but you can choose from different bands that might suit your chosen activities. For more information on the Apple Watch Ultra, you can visit their website.

*Official Malaysian Pricing

iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

The Most Powerful Apple iPhone is Everything You Want in an iPhone – the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max Has Launched

September 8, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

The regular iPhone 14 is more than just a hardware update, that much we know. Some of the new hardware fitted into the new iPhone 14 makes the device one of the best life companions you can ask for. It packs the previous generation A15 Bionic, which is still regarded, as per Apple, one of the most powerful System on a Chip (SoC) you can find in the current smartphone market.

But the Pro variant of the iPhone 14 deserves something better, something even more powerful. It is, after all, Apple’s most powerful flagship to hit the market. It is supposed to be the most technologically advanced and innovative smartphone in Apple’s range of smartphones.

Welcome to the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the two most innovative smartphones in the world by Apple’s standards.

Maximum Speed, Maximum Power

First up is the brand new A16 Bionic that is even more powerful than the already potent A15 Bionic chip you can find in the current iPhone 14 and the older iPhone 13 Pro series. According to Apple, the new chip is 40% faster than the A15 Bionic, which technically makes it the fastest smartphone processing chip you can find in the world today. Again, this is all according to Apple. For the first time ever in a smartphone as well, the A16 Bionic employs the 4nm build process to make it even more efficient than before. The A16 Bionic also packs an even more powerful dedicated imaging engine that allows the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max to fully take advantage of its 48-Megapixel quad-pixel main camera.

Brighter than Ever Retina

The display on the iPhone 14 Pro models are the most advanced you can find on any iPhone so far. You get either a 6.1-inch or 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion that allows the device to turn its refresh rate all the way down to 1Hz to prolong battery life. The displays now can push up to 2000 nits of peak brightness too, twice that off the iPhone 13 Pro. The new Super Retina XDR display also features Always-On display for the first time on an iPhone. Just to keep everything safe and protected, the displays are protected by Apple’s new Ceramic Shield front cover like the regular vanilla iPhone 14. Of course, the rest of the device is also water and dust resistant to ensure that it gets through life with no fuss.

Dynamic Island

Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Keen eyed readers might find that the notch on the new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max is a little different now. It is a sort of elongated punch hole instead of a forehead notch. The punch hole houses a TrueDepth camera and other sensors for Face ID to work. The proximity sensor and light sensor is situated behind the display unit instead of the island now.

While this type of solution is nothing new in the smartphone industry, the genius is in how iOS 16 ‘hides’ the island hole. They call it the Dynamic Island, and it is a rather clever way of integrating the island hole into the iOS experience.

The Dynamic Island functions as the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max’s notification and quick access panel for ongoing background apps. You can keep things like timer in view via the Dynamic Island as well, turn-by-turn navigation can also be kept on the Dynamic Island even when you are on other apps. It even displays Live Scores of live matches in the most sensible way.

48-Megapixel!? On an iPhone!?

Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Out the back is also the most advanced camera system that you can find on an Apple smartphone ever. You now get a 48-megapixel sensor instead of the usual 12-Megapixel sensor on the main shooter. Alongside the main shooter are 12-Megapixel Ultra-Wide and Telephoto cameras. Thanks to the more powerful A16 Bionic chip, the Pro model’s cameras performs at least twice better in low-light conditions.

The 48-Megapixel sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is the biggest ever found on an iPhone and that also helps with low-light photography. To ensure that photos are not hoarding your storage bandwidth, the 48-Megapixel photos are shrunk to 12-Megapixel sizes while maintaining the depth and detail of a 48-Megapixel photo. Thanks to the 48-Megapixel sensor as well, 4K videos and photos can be captured with in full resolution without digital zoom even when you put the camera to 2x zoom. Of course, more pixel count also means even more detailed photos in ProRAW formats.

Crash Detection & Emergency SOS via Satellite

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max also includes Crash Detection technology and Emergency SOS via satellite feature just like its more accessible cousins, the vanilla iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Unfortunately, again, Emergency SOS function is only available for the U.S. and Canada markets for now.

Source: Apple
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Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Price and Availabilty

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be available will be available in select regions on the 16^th of September 2022 onward. Malaysia will get both variants of the device not too long after that though from the 23^rd of September 2022 onward. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is available in four storage variants – 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. You can choose between four colour options for the most advanced Apple iPhone ever – Deep Purple, Gold, Silver, and Space Black. The iPhone 14 Pro starts from 5,299, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at MYR 5,799. For more information on the Apple iPhone 14 Pro, you can check out their website.

iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

The Apple iPhone 14 is Here, and it is Simply Mesmerizing

September 8, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

The Apple iPhone 13 was something of a wonder. It was, according to Apple, amongst the most powerful smartphones in the world. Of course, Apple would also like to think that they make the best smartphone in the world. Confidence is key, they say.

With the iPhone 13, Apple pulled all the stops to make the smartphone experience better than before. Instead of focusing on fitting new hardware to push technological boundaries, it was more about making the Apple iPhone a better companion to its users. They followed that same recipe in the new Apple iPhone 14, alongside some very welcome additions.

First up, there is no iPhone 14 Mini here. You have the Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus instead. You get the standard 6.1-inch display with the regular iPhone 14, and then you get a larger 6.7-inch display on the Plus variant. They are selling this as a separate thing to the Pro variants of the iPhone too, understandably.

New Bigger Display

Apple iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus hero 220907 — Source: Apple

You still get the recognizable notch on the top part of the display that now houses a TrueDepth camera. According to Apple, the front camera will now take better pictures than ever with newly added features like autofocus. On both variants also, you get a beautiful Retina XDR OLED display with peak brightness of 1200 nits making HDR contents as immersive as they come on an iPhone The Retina XDR display also boasts 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and Dolby Vision for an even better Netflix experience, especially if you go for the larger iPhone 14 Plus. The displays are also now covered in what Apple calls a Ceramic Shield front cover, a built-in screen protector to protect it from drops and other bumps it might meet in its lifetime. It is also water and dust resistant, to ensure that it can handle anything you can throw at it accidentally, obviously.

Power From the Pros

Beneath the new expansive display is Apple’s proven A15 Bionic System on a Chip (SoC). It is the same one found on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro models. It packs two powerful performance cores for all sorts of heavy lifting, and four efficiency cores within to keep the device going for long periods of time. It also packs a 16-core neural engine for Siri to leverage on and for iOS to keep things snappy and snazzy. For even better photos, the A15 Bionic also houses a new integrate image processor. The Apple iPhone 14 Plus also now features the longest all-day battery life of any available iPhone.

Even Better Photos and Videos

Apple iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus Action mode 220907 — Source: Apple

Out the back is a glass housing that adorns new colours for the iPhone. You still have the standard black (Midnight), and white (Starlight) variants of the Apple iPhone. The Product RED is also still an option for the iPhone. Additionally, you get to get your iPhone 14 in blue or purple.

The backs of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus house two cameras. The main camera is a 12-Megapixel shooter like before. Accompanying the 12-Megapixel main shooter is an equally impressive 12-Megapixel ultra-wide camera. Thanks to the dedicated Photonic Engine found on the A15 Bionic, the camera performance is much improved especially in low-light conditions. The Deep Fusion computational prowess also allows the camera to capture photos with breathtaking details and textures, true to life colours, and full of information.

There are a few new features on the camera too; it has a new action mode that cleverly stabilizes videos even when they are shot in the middle of the action. The LED flash has also been re-worked and is now 10% brighter than before and is supposedly more uniform and consistent. There is also the Cinematic mode available for videos shot in 4K 30fps and 24fps. Of course, you get to shoot your videos in brilliant Dolby Vision HDR colours.

Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

What is impressive with the iPhone 14 is not all the things listed above. It is not the latest iOS 16 for the iPhone. Nor is it the fact that Apple Fitness+ is coming to all iPhone users. What we find most impressive regarding the Apple iPhone 14 is that it now packs satellite technology and a high-impact accelerometer.

Having satellite technology might not seem like a big deal. Satellite based mobile phones have existed for a while now and it is used in various situations where cellular signals are choppy or when cell towers cannot be installed. It is a rather old school technology that is only good in very specific situations. On the iPhone, it is good for emergencies. They call it Emergency SOS, which is rather fitting. Because satellite signals can be very specific in terms of direction, the iPhone Emergency SOS interface guides you to get the best connection to an available satellite. In emergency situations, the feature allows you to quickly send SOS messages to available emergency services via satellite. Since the low-bandwidth nature of satellite communication means it might take a few seconds to minutes for messages to get through to the right people, Apple’s Emergency SOS interface presents a quick questionnaire to assess your situation before sending a distress signal to an Apple relay station and then to the right services. The satellite technology can also be used in the Find My app, for services to easily and accurately locate you in non-cellular or WiFi situations.

The high-impact accelerometer that is newly found on the iPhone 14 is like no other accelerometer on regular smartphones. It can withstand and measure G-Force up to 256Gs. Combined with a new high dynamic range gyroscope, the new iPhone 14 packs the first ever smartphone-based Crash Detection technology. Where the Apple Watch detects fall impacts and inform your emergency contacts, the iPhone detects when you get into a severe car crash and automatically dials emergency services if the user is unable to reach their iPhones for whatever reason. The feature is also made possible by combining several existing technologies like barometer, GPS signals, and microphones which have been trained to recognize a car crash by motion and sounds.

Source: Apple
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Source: Apple

Price and Availability

The Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available in five colour options mentioned above. Storage options starts at 128GB and tops out at 512GB. Pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 14 series in the United States will begin 9^th of September 2022 onward. The Apple iPhone 14 will start shipping on the 16^th of September onward while its bigger brother, the iPhone 14 Plus starts shipping on the 7^th of October 0nward. Malaysia will get its first taste of the new iPhone from the 23^rd of September 2022 onward. Emergency SOS via satellite will not be available in regions outside of the U.S. and Canada for now. If you are in the available regions, the service is included for free for two years if you purchase an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus. The Apple iPhone 14 will be available for MYR 4,199 onward and the iPhone 14 Plus will be available from MYR 4,699 onward.

Android, Business, Computers, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Google Duo Meets Google Meet

August 5, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Google is rather funny, if not indecisive. If you remembered, Google launched a few of their own services that seemed like a great idea. Google+ for example, seemed like a good idea for a Google social media platform. It failed miserably though, even though it comes with Google account as standard. Then there is Google Workspace, which was a rather great implementation of a collaboration platform that is like Trello. They axed the project a little later though.

A little while ago, Google had something called Hangouts, a video calling platform available to users for free. It is now known as Google Meet, but there is also a separate app called Google Chats as well. But there is also another video calling app from Google called Google Duo. Google Duo did not really take off though, despite being a mobile first app. It will also be known as Google Meet soon.

In some sense, you can say that this is Google consolidating their video calling apps into one. In the coming months, Google’s blue coloured Duo icon will replaced by the colourful Google Meet logo. Which also means that you might have two Google Meet on your smartphone in the future.

The Google Duo app will still be constantly updated for the time being, which means you should not be too alarmed about not being able to enjoy the Google Duo app any longer. New users should be downloading the new Google Meet app with Duo integrated into the app though. There is a possibility of an app overlap, in this case, but you may not have to worry about that entirely with the new updates.

The move to integrate Duo into Meet is not a surprise move by Google. Google has announced that their Google Duo app is meant to be integrated into Google Meet in the coming months since June 2022. Consolidating these apps are essentially the best way for Google to single-handedly manage their apps. Managing a single app will also proof much more viable and straightforward for Google. Users can expect to see their Google Duo app turn intot Google Meet in September 2022.

Android, iOS, Mobile, News

Move to iPhone They Said, WhatsApp Can Moved There They Said – Wait, What?

July 21, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

For the longest time, one of the biggest problems when it comes to moving from one smartphone platform to the other is data transfers and backup. To be fair, when you change from one Android manufacturer to the other, transferring your data can be as easy as setting up a Wi-Fi Direct connection with your older device today. It is a slightly different story when you shift from Android to an iPhone platform though. You tend to have to accept that most of your data will be gone and you must start building your own ecosystem from scratch. One of those databases that might be important to you is your messenger data, specifically WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is one of the only messengers currently active within both the Android and iOS ecosystem that relies on storing data locally. While that is better in terms of security, privacy, and encryption, it makes life a little difficult when you want to transfer your data between devices. For Android devices, WhatsApp can work with Google’s Drive platform to offer data backup and restoration. In iOS devices, WhatsApp relies on Apple’s iCloud service, which is a completely different platform entirely that has nothing to do with Google’s Drive cloud storage platform. That creates a problem when you shift from Android devices to iOS devices and vice versa.

Luckily, WhatsApp knows that this is a problem and has been working hard to rectify the issue, just so that users have more options in terms of choosing their next devices. Now, they have found a sort of solution. We say sort of because it currently only works one way and not the other.

WhatsApp has released an additional app that is available for free on the Google Play Store to make this shift happen. They call it the ‘Move to iOS’ app, which may be rather unoriginal, but straightforward. There are a few requirements to transferring your WhatsApp data from your old Android to your new iPhone though.

First, you need at least Android 5 installed on your device, which should not be too hard if you own a smartphone within the last 5 years. Second, you want to ensure that your new iPhone device packs iOS 15.5 and above, which also should not be too difficult if you go for the latest iPhone devices anyway. Of course, you need to install Move to iOS app as well on your Android device. WhatsApp must be updated too for this to work. You need at least WhatsApp version 2.22.7.74 for your Android device and WhatsApp version 2.22.10.70 for your iPhone. The iPhone device must also be a fresh unit or factory reset unit to pair with the Android app. Then you must ensure that both devices are being plugged in and charged, for some reason. Both devices need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi umbrella, or the Android device must be connected to the receiving iPhone’s hotspot. Of course, the phone number used must be the same.

Once you tick all those boxes, you want to head to the Move to iOS app on your donor Android device and start the process. The process itself is rather straightforward and easy to follow. Once you get on your iPhone, you simply have to log into WhatsApp with your attached phone number and sign in to the messages and other medias waiting for you.

There are no cloud backups, uploads, or download process in this process. Everything is done through Wi-Fi Direct to your iPhone. There is technically no way to monitor the data transfer progress via WhatsApp as well currently. At the same time, like with any WhatsApp transfer, your data is not moved to the new device, it is merely copied. So, if you sign into your Android device after the transfer, you will still have everything in place. There is also a few things you cannot transfer from the Android to the iPhone; namely your personal messages, and peer to peer payment messages (Not like this works in Malaysia currently anyway).

Like we said, the migration is a one-way street currently. There is no easy way for you to transfer your WhatsApp messages and data from the iPhone to an Android device currently. Obviously, transferring WhatsApp data from an iOS to Android devices can be a little complex given the various Android devices you get from differing manufacturers with different standards of complexity as well. If WhatsApp can be transferred from an Android to iOS though, you can expect the reverse to come soon.

Business, Computers, Health, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

More Apple Than Ever: Apple is Preparing to Launch More Products Beyond WWDC 2022!

June 27, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2022 was a big success. We saw the Apple M2 chip being introduced to the world. We also saw the new MacBook Air that is no longer a wedge-shaped laptop. There is also new MacBook Pro with M2 chip in it, obviously.

According to Mark Gurman, the Apple guy at Bloomberg, who has also been a highly reliable source for all things Apple, WWDC 2022 is really a pre-cursor to what Apple has planned out for the rest of 2022. In that case, 2022 looks rather busy for Apple.

We know that Apple’s next new iPhone will be coming somewhere in September, and it will come with a new proprietary Apple chip. The new Apple iPhone models, four of them, will also be the most powerful iPhone devices you can get your hands on. That is also a given, and a known fact.

According to Gurman, the new iOS 16 that was announced at WWDC 2022 is a good indication of what is to come with the next-generation iPhone. The revamped lock screen points to an always-on display feature on the new Pro models of the iPhone. At the same time, the lock screen could display a lot more information than just the clock. It could tell you the weather, your calendar, stocks, activities, and other information. For the sake of privacy, you can also control how much of the information gets displayed on the always-on display.

While the EU has made regulation changes and enforces that every electronics manufacturer, including Apple, to start transitioning to USB Type-C standards in the coming years, the new Apple iPhone 2022 will not sport USB Type-C just yet. It will still feature Apple’s proprietary Lightning port for now. You can expect USB Type-C iPhones to come in 2023 though.

Then there will be the new iPads. Apple did not release the M2 for nothing. Like the M1 chip in the iPad Pro, you can expect the new iPad Pro launching later in the year to feature the M2 chip. In that sense, there will be new 11-inch and 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro models coming at the end of the year with M2 chips. The M2 chips should be able to take advantage of the new iPadOS 16’s Stage Manager multitasking functions too. There is also a chance, according to Gurman, that Apple will launch larger form factor Apple iPad Pro models. He expects Apple to launch 14 and 15-inch variations of the Apple iPad Pro.

Unlike how Apple took their time with M1 chips spreading across Apple’s range of products. The M2 might spread more like wildfire this time. Gurman expects Apple to start launching even more products equipped with the M2 chip. There is an M2 Mac mini, M2 Pro chips on the Mac Mini and MacBook Pro models. There could be the M2 Max, M2 Ultra, and M2 Extreme chips coming too, since Apple already has the knowhow on building even more powerful chips based on their original SoC design.

The HomePod is also something that Apple might be looking to upgrade in the coming months. Apple might be looking to update the new HomePod with new processing chips, like the new Apple Watches. There is also supposed to be some new optimization made to the smart speaker in terms of size and audio performance. There are also rumours about multi-touch functions. Gurman also expects new AirPods Pro to be launched with new updated processing chips and higher quality audio.

Remember that all these things are just speculations. There are no straight up confirmations from Apple that they will be launching these new products immediately or in their regular September launch. Until they do make their official announcements, we can only wait and watch.

Source: Bloomberg

iOS, Mobile, News

[WWDC 2022] iPadOS 16 Can Now Take Advantage of M1’s Power

June 13, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Apple’s iPad ecosystem is one of, if not the most successful tablet line-up in the entire world. Even though we have always been fans of the Android ecosystem, even we must admit that the Android tablet experience pales in comparison to the modern iPad, especially when you consider the iPad Pro line-up. Sure, the Android tablet experience have improved tremendously over the years with more choices popping up at the same time. Even then, the basic iPad will still be our tablet of choice, if a decent basic tablet is what you are looking for.

Of course, every story today has a humble beginning. For the iPad, it started out as an oversized iPhone that runs on iOS. The iOS that was on the iPad evolved to become iPadOS though, and it started differentiating itself from the iPhone counterpart pretty much from the get-go. Now with iOS 16, we have iPadOS 16.

To be fair, the iPadOS 16 is not the 16^th generation of iPadOS. The iPadOS was an adaptation of the iOS for much larger screen formats, hence its confusing yet dignified naming scheme. Still, the iPadOS 16 is most likely the most significant iPadOS that Apple has ever developed for modern Apple iPad devices.

The whole idea behind the iPadOS 16 is making use of the Apple M1 chips you can now find on the Apple iPad Pro devices from 2021. Since the iPadOS can take advantage of the bigger display of the iPad devices anyway, it is built with more multitasking functions than ever. To make the iPad more of a productivity beast than ever before, there are more collaboration tools and capabilities built into the interface too.

Messaging, but Even Better

Apple WWDC22 iPadOS16 Messages 220606 — Source: Apple

Messaging on the iPadOS should be a little more distinctive even compared to the regular messaging app you can find on iOS. On the iPadOS 16’s messaging app, you can edit or recall messages that are recently sent. If you have mistakenly deleted a message, you can even quickly recover them. In case you need to save your messages for later, you can even mark them as unread to remind yourself to come back to it later.

Work And Collaborate, but Smarter than Ever

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Apple introduces Freeform, a new collaboration tool that gives users the ability to see, share, and collaborate within a single space and with full support for Apple Pencil. You can contribute to the board and edit the contents of the board at any given time, in real-time. You can even create and start a board right from FaceTime and see real-time updates in your messages thread.

Mail is even better too. Like the iOS version of the Mail app, messages can be recalled and cancelled before it reaches the recipient’s inbox. You can even schedule emails to be sent at your desired time. If you so wish to, you can even set your emails in your inbox folder to ‘Remind Later’ just so you can look at it again at a more appropriate time. If you need to pull up older messages, the new search algorithm also ensures that you can easily find your older emails quickly and accurately.

Check the Weather on iPad, Finally

The weather app for the iPad is now here and is much better than before. Well, it is a weather app, there is no running from its basic functions of telling you the current weather and other weather predictions. Instead of a plain image or background though, the weather app tells you weather with interactive animations that changes according to the current weather and weather predictions. Users who live in high-risk areas can even get notified if a severe weather alert is issued for their area. At the same time, users can even check the air quality in a particular area with easy to read, color-coded scale.

Professionally Adapted

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

The iPad Pro can now become another rather useful tool in a content creator’s arsenal. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro comes with a brilliant Liquid Retina XDR display that is rather wasted if not properly utilized. With iPadOS 16, users can now use the 12.9-inch display of the iPad Pro as a reference display for colour grading purposes and even compositing images.

There is also something called Display Zoom. It allows users to increase the pixel density of their display so that they can see more in their apps. When needed, Virtual Memory Swap can also adapt the iPad’s storage to expand available memory for differing application (up to 16GB) depending on their demands.

Apple also introduced Stage Manager, an iPadOS exclusive feature. It is a unique multitasking interface that automatically organizes apps and windows on top of one another so that users can easily and quickly switch between tasks. Windows can be stacked and overlapped atop one another in a single view too for more versatility in multitasking. Apps can also be grouped together if needed so that they can be quickly accessed when needed. Stage manager can also be used with external displays thanks to the power of Apple’s M1 chip.

More Mac Like that iOS Like

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

The biggest thing we think that Apple did not elaborate on with the Apple iPadOS16 is the fact that you can now run desktop, Mac class apps on M1 powered iPads. While there has not been too many examples or apps that is meant to run on the iPadOS and iPad devices, the potential of having a full desktop app like Adobe’s suite or even their own Final Cut Pro is a huge deal, considering that many are looking to replacing their current laptops and desktops with an iPad Pro.

Availability

The iPadOS 16 is now available as a developer preview on Apple’s Developer Program website. The public beta should be coming in the coming month at their website too. The full build of Apple’s iPadOS 16 will be available as an OTA update for 5^th Generation iPads and later. More information on the Apple iPadOS can be found on the iPadOS microsite.

iOS, Mobile, News

[WWDC 2022] Apple Introduces iOS 16 – of Widgets, Shared Library, Mail Scheduling, and Recalling Messages

June 7, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Every year at WWDC, Apple always says that their latest update to iOS is the biggest one ever. To be fair, iOS has come a long way since we first saw it in the first Apple iPhone. It got an App Store a few generations later and never looked back. But the modern iOS is more than its app store, it is the updates that Apple has added to the iOS that makes it such a versatile interface we know today.

Apple is not technically wrong to say that the iOS 16 update is the biggest ever for the iOS interface. In terms of visuals at least, iOS 16’s interface could be the most visually distinct iOS ever. It also seems like Apple is finally going into a completely different direction with making the iOS better than ever. The update, technically, is the most feature packed major update ever.

Lock Screen – Not Just a Screen Anymore

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Lock screens have always been the most plain looking part of the iOS experience. It is basically a transitional screen before you get to your main home screen. Most of the time, you probably use it as a sort of clock or watch replacement too, a quick glance to tell you the time of day and date.

The thing is, there is a lot more you can do with the lock screen. It is technically a blank canvas for quick glances. That is what they implemented on the iOS 16.

They say that it is an inspiration from the Apple Watch. The home screen is now an information throve but designed in such a way that you can absorb everything by just quickly glancing through it. It now updates you on your next calendar agenda, battery levels, the weather, upcoming alarms, time zones, and even your activity ring progress. Of course, your essential time and date information will always be the front and center of your lock screen notification center. Of course, there is only a limited amount of space for information as well, so you get to choose which widgets go on your lock screen.

At the same time, users get to work with multilayered effects to really personalize their lock screen. You can artfully choose a lock screen image and iOS can cleverly layer your clock and widgets behind the art subject to create this rather interesting 3D layering of your lock screen. It is not really a Live Wallpaper kind of thing, but it is still rather interesting to work with.

Focusing on the Important Stuff

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Not much here, but Apple have claimed that they have improved Focus on the new iOS 16. To activate different focus modes, all you need to do is to swipe to differing lock screens you have on your iPhone. Different focus modes can also be customized to notify and show different notifications to ensure that users are given relevant information at whatever focus mode they choose to work with at any time.

A Shared Library

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

With the power of iCloud, you can now share your photo library with your family. The Shared Photo Library feature gives users the ability to collaborate or share the library with up to five other people. Each user can also share photos from their own personal library to be included in the shared library. Each user in the library can also add, delete, edit, and favourite their photos or videos in the library.

Unsend Stuff on Messages

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Usually, when you send messages, once it gets through, you can hardly retrieve it. With the introduction of new messenger apps like Telegram, you can now unsend messages that you sent to unintended parties. WhatsApp also recently introduced the same “delete message” feature with a certain time limit to it. Now the feature to unsend a message is available of the iOS native messaging app. They did not stop there/

You can now mark messages as unread, just so that it still can appear on your message list as unread, just so you can come back to it later. You can also recover recently deleted messages if you accidentally delete an important message. SharePlay is also new on iOS Messages. You get to enjoy synced movies or songs and even control their playback all while through messaging via Messages.

Mail Better

Source: Apple
Source: Apple

With the Mail app, you can now schedule your emails ahead of time, just so that you have a lot more control over your working time. Just in case, the Mail app gives you time to cancel the delivery of emails before it hits the recipient’s inbox. With Remind Later and Follow Up features, Mail can remind users to follow up on emails they might have missed after a while. Search is also now better on the Mail app than ever. Apple claims that the Mail app’s search algorithm is much more accurate and relevant compared to its predecessors to help you find older emails.

More Intelligent, Even On-the-Go

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

Live text is now cleverer than before. You can use the feature in videos now by just pausing the video and interact with texts within the image or frame. You can even use Live texts as your personal translator or currency converter.

Beyond that though, Visual Look Up is also now improved. Instead of just recognizing a subject, users can now duplicate the subject and place it in other messenger apps. It also now recognizes birds, insects, and statues.

Apple’s Pay app is also improved at least in the United States (U.S.). They just introduced their very own microfinancing service in Apple Pay Later. If you have used Grab’s Pay Later wallet, it works very similarly there. The Pay Later feature also allows you to pay for your items in monthly instalments with no additional charges for now.

CarPlay is also improved with new features that makes it a powerful and versatile interface for in-car infotainment systems. CarPlay can now provide for multiple screens in a car to ensure that the CarPlay experience is consistent throughout a vehicle. There is more integration as well with CarPlay. Other than climate controls, CarPlay can also provide readings from multiple sensors in the car like fuel level, engine temperature, and even speed. Users can completely change what they see on their dash as well, if they choose to do so.

And more …

Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple

There are plenty of minor updates and improvements done on Safari, Apple maps, Siri, and even the Fitness app. For example, the Fitness App no longer requires users to own an Apple Watch to track their fitness goals. Apple News also now has My Sports section to allow users to easily follow their favourite sports teams in their favourite games. Spatial Audio is also improved on the iOS 16 to allow for a more precise and immersive audio with TrueDepth camera for a more personally tuned experience.

Availability

Apple’s iOS 16 is now available as a preview for members of Apple’s Developer Program. You can find it on their developer website. A public beta of the iOS will be available in the coming month. iOS 16 and its features will be available for iPhone 8 and later. For more information on iOS 16, you can visit their microsite for it.

Android, Computers, Gaming, iOS, Mobile, News

Diablo Immortal Gears Up for June Release in Southeast Asia – Welcome back to the World Of Sanctuary

May 23, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

“Hello my friend, stay a while and listen…”

Those are the immortal words that many who have ventured into the world of Sanctuary hear in their minds. The words string together an epic, gothic journey to save a small town which then turned into a quest to save the world.

Diablo Immortal is, perhaps, the most contentious entry into the long running series by Blizzard. The game was overshadowed by anticipation for a follow up to Diablo 3. However, hot on the heels of the announcement of the much anticipated Diablo 4, the doors of Sanctuary are now opening once again. Diablo Immortal will be debuting globally on 2 June 2022.

Diablo Immortal | Release Date & PC Announce Trailer

However, Southeast Asia will have to wait a few weeks until 23 June 2022. According to Blizzard, the is needed “to better optimise the player experience by setting up dedicated game servers for the region”. The game will be available in Malaysia, Macau, Philippines, Taiwan Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Thailand on iOS, Android and PC. However, it will only be available on PC in Vietnam at the time of launch. Pre-registered users will receive the Horadrim Cosmetic Set at launch. The game also supports cross play and cross progression between platforms.

The game takes place between the events of Diablo 2 and Diablo 3 after the shattering of the World Stone. With Tyrael presumed dead and the World Stone shattered, Sanctuary is thrown into chaos. The powerful fragments of the World Stone are now littered across the world, tainting Sanctuary. Diablo’s hordes of minions are seeking that power to bring the Lord of Terror back. It falls to the player, a nephalem, to stop them.

Diablo Immortal | Pre-Registration Cosmetic Trailer

Players will be able to play as one of six classes in Diablo Immortal – Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer or Wizard – as they embark on a journey through eight different zones and the great city of Westmarch. You will come across many familiar faces in your journey including the wise sage, Deckard Cain as you venture to gather the shattered pieces of the World Stone before the forces of the Burning Hells.

Unlike other entries in the Diablo franchise, Diablo Immortal is a Massively Multiplayer Online Action Role-Playing Game (MMOARPG) with a social experience that is totally new to the franchise. Players will now be able to interact with others in a massive world. You will be able to form Warbands and take on intense Helliquary raid bosses and even join Clans with up to 150 other players to unlock Clan achievements. You’ll even be able to test your strength as you vie for the Eternal Crown in the Cycle of Strife with brutal 1v30 showdowns as you defend the crown.

Diablo Immortal is free to play but has a microtransaction component to it. According to Blizzard, in-game purchases are optional with the game’s core experience being completely free. The company is also teasing new content for the game in the coming years. NetEase and Blizzard will be adding new zones, dungeons and character classes regularly.

Game Requirements

Platform	System Requirements
iOS	Hardware: iPhone 6S and newer Operating system: iOS 11 and later
Android	Operating System: Android 5.0 and higher Processor: Snapdragon 660 / Exynos 9611 and higher Video: Adreno 512 / Mali-G72 MP3 and higher Memory: 2GB RAM and higher
Windows PC	Minimum Requirements Operating System: Windows® 7 / Windows® 8 / Windows® 10 / Windows® 11 (64-bit) Processor: Intel® Core™ i3 or AMD™ FX-8100 Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 460, ATI Radeon™ HD 6850 or Intel® HD Graphics 530 Memory: 4 GB RAM Internet: Broadband Internet connection Resolution: 1920 x 1080 minimum display resolution *Recommended Specifications* Operating System: Windows® 10 / Windows® 11 (64-bit) Processor: Intel® Core™ i5 or AMD Ryzen™ 5 Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 770 or AMD Radeon™ RX 470 Memory: 8 GB RAM Internet: Broadband Internet connection Resolution: 1920 x 1080 minimum display resolution

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Messaging, but Even Better

Work And Collaborate, but Smarter than Ever

Check the Weather on iPad, Finally

Professionally Adapted

More Mac Like that iOS Like

Availability

Lock Screen – Not Just a Screen Anymore

Focusing on the Important Stuff

A Shared Library

Unsend Stuff on Messages

Mail Better

More Intelligent, Even On-the-Go

And more …

Availability

Game Requirements

Tech Your Way