Tag Archives: Apple

iOS, Mobile, News

[WWDC 2023] iOS 17 is Here, and it is More Personal Than Ever!

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At WWDC 2023, the one that just happened, we expected a new iOS, and we got a new iOS for the not so new iPhone, and it is a major one. The iOS 17 replaces the iOS 16 and it is technically better than the older iOS in some ways. No, you do not get a new iPhone to come along the new iOS. Yes, it is still the same iOS that you have come to know and love. The people from Cupertino have made a few minor improvements that might majorly change your user experience though.

New Phone App, Who Dis?

  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Contact Posters 230605
    Source: Apple
  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Contact Posters Hari Nair 230605
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  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Contact Posters Vivian Chou 230605
    Source: Apple
  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Live Voicemail 230605
    Source: Apple

One of the minor things they changed is the Phone app. It is a minor change but huge experience improvement, supposedly anyway. Instead of a boring plain screen with the usual ‘swipe to answer’ slider and a few other buttons, you can now customise what appears on the caller screen. You can choose a photo that not only appears in a small circle, but fill the entire screen with the photo, just so that you know is calling. You can even change the fonts that shows the name of the caller, just to add some flavour to your friend’s caller ID screen. If you want, you can even add emojis to it. They call it Contact Poster and it does not just work with the default phone app. Apple says that Contact Poster is also available for third-party apps, so you can expect your Telegram and WhatsApp calls.

If you are not available to listen to voicemails, the app also now does real-time transcriptions. That way you can just read your voicemail like it is a text from your friend. You can either choose to reply to your friend via messenger apps or the default messaging app. It even cleverly filters out identified spam calls even when they leave a message.

New Messages Too, Who Dat?

  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 iPhone 14 Pro 3 up 230605
    Source: Apple
  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Check In 3up 230605
    Source: Apple

iOS 17 also updated the iMessage app. While stickers have been a feature for the iMessage app for a while now, they have improved the experience with the 17th iteration of iOS. You can now create Live Stickers, allowing users to quickly create stickers out of their everyday subjects and environments in an instant. All that can be done through the iMessage app itself.

Apple has also overhauled the search engine for their messaging app. It is more precise, more powerful, and much more accurate this time. There is a new catch-up arrow tat allows users to know where their conversations trailed off or where they left their conversation. You can easily reply to different text lines too on the app by just swiping the desired bubble. Live Locations is also a new feature added to the app. Even audio messages can be turned into a text with the new app with Live Transcription. Rather than texting your loved one that you have arrived at your destination safely, the app allows you to quickly Check In to quickly send out notifications to your family members and friends with is a single click. Your emergency contact will also receive information on your location, battery level, and cell service status when you are not making any progress to your destination.

Autocorrect and dictation is now better than ever. Instead of just picking predicted words, you can form full sentences with Autocorrect now. Based on how you type, and the kind of words you like to use, the algorithm can easily complete your sentences as quick as you can hit the spacebar. There is a new speech recognition model too that is supposed to be more accurate for Dictation.

FaceTime, Now on Apple TV

Leaving voice messages is one thing, you could never have left a video message, not like what you do with FaceTime now. Instead of hanging up the video call, you can just directly leave a voice or video message right on the FaceTime app itself. You do not have to hang up and then record a video, or a voice mail and send it to them via your messenger anymore, which adds a layer of convenience to FaceTime that has never been seen before.

FaceTime now also allows users to express like never before. You can be more expressive with the addition of Reactions in FaceTime now. For iPhone users, it is not just FaceTime that gets the feature though, other video calling apps can also take advantage of the new features.

They also made FaceTime even more accessible than ever before. The Apple TV 4K now supports FaceTime with the new update. In fact, the new update will also install FaceTime to Apple tvOS by default. Users can now start video calls directly from their Apple TV hardware and use the cameras from their iPhones or iPads. You can even start the call from your iOS devices and pass the call on to the Apple TV. Center Stage also makes it to FaceTime for Apple TV.

AirDrop, NameDrop, Drop Whatever You Want to Each Other

  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Apple Music collaborative playlists 230605
    Source: Apple
  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 AirPlay connect 230605
    Source: Apple

AirDrop is the one feature that Android users wish they had, and it is now better than ever. NameDrop now allows users to quickly share contact information by just putting their iPhones close to the other iPhone they want to share information with. You can even do that with Apple Watch devices. AirDrop now also works with SharePlay feature to share music quickly from one iPhone to the other. They also say that you can share a game session with another iPhone user all from using AirDrop bringing all kinds of possibilities for mobile multiplayer gaming.

Everything Else

  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 StandBy lifestyle 230605
    Source: Apple
  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 StandBy Siri Weather 230605
    Source: Apple
  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 StandBy photo album 230605
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  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 StandBy Calendar 230605
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  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 StandBy Apple Music 230605
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  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Privacy 230605
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  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Maps offline 230605
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  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Journal recent activity 230605
    Source: Apple
  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Journal prompts 230605
    Source: Apple
  • Apple WWDC23 iOS 17 Health emotion 230605
    Source: Apple

Since wireless charging and docking has been a thing now, your iPhone with iOS 17 can be more than just a smartphone you put on the wireless charging station. It can sort of become a quick info hub on the side of your bed, or your workstation with the new StandBy feature. There is also a new Journal app that helps users take notes and keep a log of their daily lives. You can even include photos and videos in the journals app to keep tabs on what you have been up to. They have improve Safari and its Private Browsing functions and protection. There is a new Health app that offers new mental health check and measuring features. Maps is also now available in offline mode, if you need to still find your way around without data. They even improved the Home app so that you can track your use data in the past 30 days. Of course, your Privacy is now more important than ever in iOS 17 with more parental control options and a new Sensitive Content Warning feature that also helps adults navigate the web safely.

Availability

iOS 17 is now available on Beta for developers on the developer link. You technically can sign up as a developer and try out the beta version for yourself. If not, they are releasing a public beta in a month’s time. They have not mentioned the availability of the full-fledged iOS 17 just yet. We are guessing it will be available about a month after the public beta is released. More information on iOS 17 can be found on their website.  

Accessories, Android, Business, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Apple and Google Agrees on Something Again – AirTags Needs Better Standards for Improved Privacy.

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Apple and Google hardly agree on many things when it comes to their consumer offerings. When we say that they hardly agree, of course we do not mean that they are always on each other’s throats on every single issue. They offer two wildly different products that arrive at the same solution most of the time. Take Android and iOS for example, both highly successful smartphone platforms that offer an app ecosystem, smart integrations, and even machine learning based digital assistants. Both platforms look vastly different and function even more so in the hands of consumers though. There is a common denominator for both Google’s and Apple’s offerings though – privacy and security.

In this case though, while Apple and Google share the same concern over privacy and security, their approach can also be quite different. Android’s privacy and security layer has a slightly different depth compared to Apple’s. The Apple Play Store and Google Play Store ensure that app developers comply to certain practices and regulations to stay relevant, but both Apple and Google offer slightly different guidelines for their app marketplaces. Still, if developers want to have their app listed on both stores, their apps naturally must comply to both Apple’s and Google’s guidelines. Not so for location tracking devices so far though.

Apple introduced a clever Bluetooth based location-tracking tool we now know as AirTags. While the AirTags were intended as a sort of keychain or tool to keep track of your things at home or as a reminder for you not to leave things in your favourite café, the reality is a little different. A few weeks after AirTags were introduced, there were reports of the tiny pucks used for stalking purposes. To be fair, while AirTags was the center of attention in many of these cases, Apple’s solution was not the one being used in privacy invasion cases. Solutions from manufacturers like Samsung got involved shortly after they were introduced. To be fair though, thanks to the sophistication of the AirTags, offenders preferred Apple’s solution.

Over the years, Apple has introduced new measures as a stop gap solution to ensure that users are not being unwantedly tracked by other individuals. One of the solutions was a sort of notification when an AirTag device that your iPhone does not recognize comes in proximity via Find My app on the iOS. But this is only a solution for AirTags, what about others in the field? This is where Google also comes in.

Google does not make their own Bluetooth based location-tracking tool, but their partnering manufacturers do. Players like Samsung, Tile, and a few others make tracking devices that can easily pair to both Android and iOS devices. That also means there needs to be a standardized specification to ensure that all the trackers are as safe as one another to use. Yes, it is a beneficial thing for us the users.

Google and Apple’s partnership in the issue of standardizing Bluetooth based locating-tracking tools is a big step forward for this segment in the industry. In one way, it allows other players in the industry to catch up to what Apple has done with their AirTags. It ensures that industry players comply to a certain standard in making these little tracking devices, meaning there will be standardized parts produced by a single or multiple manufacturers creating economies of scale allowing the technology to be a lot more accessible. Standardized parts not only ensure that the industry can be policed at higher standards, but it also offers plenty more compatibility for users. It could allow Android users to use an AirTag to track their keys, for example and vice versa.

For now, standardized specifications for these trackers are not yet a reality. Google and Apple have submitted their draft proposal to the authorities for now, which means you can only expect to see some sort of results in the coming few months. Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security, and Pebblebee have expressed their support in the program, which is a good sign for the proposal. Google and Apple expects to have some sort of production guideline and implementation by the end of 2023 with support for both iOS and Android in the same timeline.

Android, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

iPhone Users Can Now Try the Galaxy S23 On Their iPhone.

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Samsung has been at the forefront of Android smartphones for quite sometime now. Samsung has also led the charge in getting iPhone users over to the Android boat. The employed many tactics for this. They poked fun at Apple in their own ads, they offer incentives for Apple users choosing to opt into Android, they made data transfer from an iPhone to Galaxy smartphone much simpler and hassle free than before, and they encourage iPhone users to try the Galaxy devices as much as they can. In their latest effort, iPhone users get to use the Samsung Galaxy S23 for free, on their iPhone that is.

They cheekily call it the Galaxy app. Yes, it is an app that will run the Galaxy S23 interface on your iPhone. It is not available on the Apple App Store, so you have to download it via web. It is also not a proper app that overlays your iPhone with Android 13 based One UI 5.1 interface. It is a web app, a web page that lets you test run the Galaxy S23 on the web.

But it is not just some web app that lets you scroll through the home page, the app tray, and nothing else. It allows you to try the camera interface too, through your iPhone cameras and experience things like Nightography and Night Mode. You can even try apps like Photo Remaster on the web app, allowing you to edit whatever photos you take on the app. All this is to show how powerful a Samsung Galaxy S23 camera system is. You can even try gaming on the Galaxy S23 to see how smooth it can be, although you are not technically playing a game.

Of course, you can customise your Galaxy S23 experience all on the web app. You can change the wallpaper, background, themes, icons, and even more that is available on One UI 5.1. The app is also designed specifically for iPhone, so it will not do anything if you try going on your web browser on your PC to test it out. If you are on an Android device, there will also be an attached warning for the web app. In that case, if you are on an iPhone, you can test out the web app and try out the Samsung Galaxy S23 yourself via their web app.

iOS, Mobile, News

iOS 16.4 is Here and It Is Nearly All About Emojis

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It is that time again, that time to update your iPhone. No, not buy a new iPhone, just update its operating system (OS). The iOS 16.4 is here!

Apple’s release notes should be a good enough indication of what you technically can expect from your iPhone once you update it. In this update, you get some bug fixes as expected, but you also get plenty of new emojis you can use for iMessage. Of course, it is not just about those.

New Emojis

ios 16 4 emoji characters
Source Apple

That is the first thing they listed in their release notes for the new version of iOS. To be fair, they did release 21 new emojis for you to use. You get a new shaking head, pink heart, blue heart, grey heart, and a few new animals like a donkey or a moose now. There are also a few new objects you get like   flute, maracas, a comb, and even a pea pod, for some reason. You get a few new hand gesture emojis too, like a ‘talk to the hand’ in left and right variations.

Push Notifications for Webs

Your websites now can send your iPhone a push notification if you add the webpage to your home screen. While it is something that just makes sense, the feature has never been a thing before for Apple’s iPhones. You can now opt in for notifications from your favourite websites. You can also easily opt out from notifications via the notification tab in Settings. Your notification can be received on the iPhone itself, viewed from the lock screen, or you can even get your web app to notify you on your Apple Watch. Since it is a new feature, not all websites might work with push notification.

The web push notification is also supported by Focus. You can choose which notifications appear at whatever appropriate time you set.

To be fair, the feature has been teased and mentioned when iOS 16 was launched. The feature was not included with the original iOS 16.0 release though. It is now, so you cannot say that Apple does not deliver on their promised features.

More for Podcasts

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Source: Apple

iOS 16.4 has not just added a tonne of new emojis to the iPhone. It offers big update to Apple’s Podcasts app. Users can now see the channels that they are subscribed to on the top of their library. If users follow a show that is part of a channel, that channel will also appear in their library so that they can also explore other shows from the same channel.

They have also updated the ‘Up Next’ feature. Apple Podcasts helps queue new episodes from shows that users follow or channels that users subscribe to. The feature is not only for shows users follow though, it will also play other podcast shows or episodes they do not follow. Once the show is fully played, Apple Podcasts will remove it from your ‘Up Next’ list.

You have more overview of the podcasts that you have or have not played too. It is not a huge change in interface, but your followed, played, and unplayed podcasts now surface better. You can see more of your subscriptions and probably have a better overview to what you are paying for.

All of these functions mentioned will also go to CarPlay. Of course, you still have to access Apple Podcasts on CarPlay to access the new ‘Up Next and Browse’ interface. The Browse tab allows users discover even more shows they might like in the comfort of their car.

AppleCare Overview

You can also now see your AppleCare coverage right on your iPhone. You can go to Settings and find out what sort of warranty coverage that is available to you iPhone and even how long you have left before your iPhone goes out of coverage.

Emergency SOS via Satellite Expanded

Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone YT
Source: Apple

Emergency SOS is not necessarily a brand-new function to iPhone. It is not available everywhere in the world though. In the case that you live outside of the coverage area like North America, you are out of luck. The new iOS 16.4 expands its availability to six more countries though.

If you own an iPhone 14 with iOS 16.4 installed and you live in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Portugal, you now can use Emergency SOS. It connects to Globalstar satellites where available and allows users to send text messages to emergency dispatch even without a cellular signal. It is a subscription-based service though, oddly enough. Users get to use the function for free for two years after activating their iPhone 14. For existing iPhone 14 users in newly supported countries, their two-year deal starts as soon as they update to iOS 16.4.

They have also expanded the emergency calling feature. Users will automatically connect to 112 in their emergency in case there is no cellular signal. Of course, since it is a satellite technology, you want to ensure that you have a clear line of sight of the sky at least to function it.

PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge Controller Support

The subheading should be an explanation on its own. Sony’s DualSense Edge is Sony’s answer to the high-end aftermarket controllers in the market. Since it is new, it is not supported on the iOS, until now at least.

Even More Security Patches

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Source: Apple

Every new update should come with security updates. On The new iOS 16.4 there are over 30 security and bug fixes. Apple found possible exploits to accessibility feature that could allow third-party apps access to user information and patched that. They have also fixed potential exploits that affects Apple Neural Engine, Calendar, Camera, CarPlay, Bluetooth, Find My iPhone, iCloud, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari browser. There was also a kernel exploit that allows codes to be executed on your iPhone without your knowledge.

Time to Install iOS 16.4

iOS 16.4 is now available for your latest iPhones. You might not care about the PlayStation DualSense Edge, or the new emojis. You do not want to ignore the security concerns that your iOS device can raise though. Most updates bring not only new features to your smartphone, they also bring new security patches that can help protect you in the long run. The iOS 16.4’s full release notes are as below.

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

  • 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
  • Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen
  • Voice Isolation for cellular calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you
  • Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
  • VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
  • Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
  • Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent’s device
  • Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home
  • Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models”
Computers, News

Introducing the Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max in the New Macbook Pro

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The Cupertino giant has made an announcement last night. They announced their latest silicon product, the M2 Pro and M2 Max. You can also find them on the MacBook Pro in 14-inch and 16-inch guises. These are the most powerful silicon products that Appel has ever made.

Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max

  • Apple M2 chips M2 Pro 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple M2 chips M2 Max 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple M2 chips lifestyle 230117
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  • Apple M2 chips image processing in Photoshop 230117
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  • Apple M2 chips hero 230117
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  • Apple M2 chips code compiling in Xcode 230117
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Apple’s M2 chip is technically a bigger, badder M1 chip. It is, in physical form, a tad larger than the M1 but with more horsepower than ever before. In its MacBook Air guise, it proved to be a potent chip for anything that is optimised and tuned to run on it.

Just like the M1 Pro and M1 Max, the M2 Pro and M2 Max are even bigger and in turn, even faster than the M2 chip. The M2 Pro adds four more cores to the eight-core set-up of the original M2. It now also has a 19-core GPU and up to 32GB of unified RAM. The M2 Max comes with the same 12-core CPU but carries double the GPU core count at 38 cores. The unified fast memory is also expanded to 96GB for even better and faster productivity. Additionally, both chips features Apple’s new 16-core neural engine and media engine.

Of course, like the M2 chip, the M2 Pro and M2 Max are built on 5nm process technology. That allows Apple to fit more transistors within the chips than before, about 40 billion transistors on the M2 Pro, 20% more than before. The M2 Pro packs twice the memory bandwidth of the regular M2 at 200GB/s. There are more GPU cores on the M2 Pro than the M1 Pro too. All this adds up to a 20% better multithread performance over the older chip and 30% graphics performance bump.

On the M2 Max, there are 10 billion more transistors over the older M1 Max. That is about three folds of the regular M2. Its memory bandwidth is even faster at 400GB/s. At 96GB as well, there is nearly no wait time for large files to open, especially useful if you are working with plenty of video folders and such. Its 38-core GPU with larger L2 cache also allows the M2 Max to process graphic-intensive projects much better and more efficiently.

The New MacBook Pro, Featuring the New M2 Pro and M2 Max

  • Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max hero 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max ports left 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max ports right 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro Adobe Photoshop 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro XCode 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro Motion 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max Stage Manager 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max lifestyle 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max Freeform 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max 2 up 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro DaVinci Resolve 230117
    Source: Apple
  • Apple MacBook Pro Cinema 4D 230117
    Source: Apple

When we say new, there is technically nothing too new about the new MacBook Pro for 2023. It comes in 14-inch and 16-inch flavours. They look the same as before too. They sort of come in the same Retina display guise with no change in resolution. The weird forehead notch is still there. The display is not even a touch-sensitive one.

Yes, the big difference between the 2022 MacBook Pro and 2023 one is more than skin deep. You have the massive jump in power from the M2 Pro or M2 Max you find within. According to Apple, the massive jump in power also comes with even more efficiency than before too, resulting in a long-lasting battery life; up to 22 hours to be exact.

Obviously, with a massive power bump, comes greater performances and capabilities. Image processing in Photoshop is claimed to be up to 40% faster than before. Thanks to better optimisation in the SoC as well, Adobe’s Photoshop can process images 80% faster than the most powerful Intel-based MacBook Pro (keep in mind, Intel-based MacBook Pros are a thing of the past). With the M2 Max, colour grading with DaVinci resolve is now 30% faster than before allowing for a much faster video workflow.

They also mentioned that they have upgraded the HDMI port on both the Macbook Pro to an ‘advanced’ HDMI port. The HDMI port now can support 8K displays for the first time. Why they could not say that it is an HDMI 2.1 port is beyond us; but hey, you can connect your MacBook Pro 8K displays now. There is also WiFi 6E support now for even better wireless connectivity. You also want to keep in mind that the latest router technology tops out at WiFi 6 too, so there is some future-proofing with the MacBook Pro. You will also find the usual Thunderbolt 4 port that can double as display outputs as well, an SDXC card slot, and the ever popular MagSafe 3 charging port. Of course, the latest MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max comes with MacOS Ventura.

Price and Availability

The Apple MacBook Pro is now available for pre-order in the United States (U.S.) and 26 other countries and regions. The first Apple MacBook Pros will ship out 24th of January 2023 onward. The MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max will be available also in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, and Singapore from the 3rd of February 2023 onward. There are no mentions on when the new MacBook Pro with M2 chips will reach Malaysia just yet. But Apple’s local website has already listed them. The MacBook Pro, as mentioned, comes in 14-inch and 16-inch flavours. The M2 Pro equipped 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at MYR 8,799, while the M2 Max variant comes in at MYR 13,199. The 16-inch variant will set you back MYR 10,799 onward for the M2 Pro while the M2 Max variant will set you back MYR 14,799 onward. For more information on the new Apple MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, you can head over to their website.

iOS, Mobile, News

iPhone 14 Crash Detection and Emergency SOS saves lives

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Apple’s Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite service has saved the life of an iPhone 14 user involved in a car crash in the USA.

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A potential life saver in your iPhone 14.
Image source: Apple

Intelligent crash detection and vital information sharing

According to a Twitter post by law enforcement and first responders, a vehicle with two passengers swerved off the Angeles Forest Highway and plummeted 300 feet into the canyon of in the Angeles National Forest. This fall was detected by the users iPhone 14 through the Crash Detection feature. This feature detects crashes with the help of the gyroscopes, accelerometer,barometer and even microphone to detect elements of the crash such as abrupt motion and the sound of glass breaking.

When a severe crash is detected, an alert will appear with a slider to make an emergency call. You can slide to call emergency services or dismiss this alert if not required. If no response is received in 10 seconds, a further 10-second countdown will start. At the end of it, emergency services will be contacted immediately. Siri will then read out the automated message “The owner of this ‌iPhone‌ was in a severe car crash and is not responding to their phone”. It will then relay your approximate location with latitude and longitude. It will also send a message to your emergency contacts after another 10 second countdown, if you have them set up.

Emergency SOS uses satellite when cellular

reception is unavailable

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Emergency SOS sends a text to Apple relay centers by satellite. Image source: MacRumors

However, during the car crash at Angeles Forest Highway, there was no cellular reception for Crash Detection to call emergency services. So, Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite feature came in to play. It sent an emergency text message to an Apple relay center via satellite. An employee then called the LA County Sheriff’s department to relay that information. With this, rescuers were able to locate both passengers and get them to a hospital for treatment. Apple’s features have definitely come in clutch to save the lives of at least these two people.

For more information on how to set up Crash Detection on your iPhone, visit the Crash Detection feature page on Apple’s official website. This feature is available on iPhone 14 and iPhone Pro, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra.

Source: MacRumors, 9to5Mac

iOS, Mobile, News

Apple’s Freeform helps you collaborate creatively

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Apple releases a brand-new app for creative brainstorming and collaboration called Freeform.

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Apple’s Freeform is a flexible canvas to share ideas in a creative way. Image source: Apple

Freeform is available now and comes included with iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1. Apple describes the app as a “flexible canvas” with an emphasis for sharing and collaborating visually. Think of it as a digital whiteboard, where you can draw or write freely without being limited by things like layouts or page sizes.

Sketch and share with easy-to-use tools

To express your creativity on its blank canvas, Freeform comes with a variety of tools that are easy to pick up. Building on the canvas theme, the app comes with various brush styles and color options for freeform writing, enhanced with built-in gesture support. iPhone and iPad users can use their fingers for freeform sketching and support for Apple Pencil is a plus for iPad users in this regard.

The app supports a wide variety of files that can be used in your canvas. Apart from the expected photos, videos and audio, you cand add links to websites and map location, sticky notes, preset shapes and diagrams and even PDF files. Adding content is easy too with drag-and-drop support for Files app and Finder on macOS. You can even add photos or scanned documents directly with iPhone and iPad cameras.

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Collaborate easily with support for up to 100 people and built-in FaceTime and Messages features.
Image source: Apple

Work creatively and collaboratively

Apple’s vision is for Freeform to be a collaborative space and has added features to support this. The app supports up to 100 collaborators in a single board. Getting those other 99 people is made easier with the new collaboration features in Messages. You can invite others by dropping a board into a Messages thread to invite all the people in that thread. All changes made to the board will also be tracked in the same thread. If messaging is not enough, FaceTime is built-in with the app too. FaceTime calls to all collaborators can be started by tapping the collaboration button at the top right of the screen. You can also view edits by all collaborators in real-time via FaceTime call. Freeform also allows boards to be shared via email, exported as a PDF or even a screenshot.

Source: Apple

Accessories, Health, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

The Oceanic+ App is Live! Meet Your New Dive Computer, the Apple Watch Ultra.

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Apple launched their most expensive wearable item back in September alongside their Apple iPhone 14 devices. They launched the new Apple Watch Ultra, which was made with space age technology and is built to endure the most extreme conditions you can subject your body to. One of them is to go down to depths you will only go as a scuba diver.

According to Apple, the Watch Ultra can go in depths up to 40 meters. While there are dive watches and computers that can go deeper than that, you want to remember that the Apple Watch Ultra is no bigger than the regular watch and is also built as a watch and fitness tracker you can take anywhere with you. In that sense, the Apple Watch Ultra is a feat on its own.

While it was able to go down to 40 meters under water, and into the ocean for that matter, you could only get basic information from it like a regular watch. It did not have the right tools to record your depth, or how much air you have left, or how long you’ve dived. Until now, that is, with the Oceanic+ app.

Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Complications
Source: Apple

The app was also announced when they launched the Apple Watch Ultra, so it should not come as a surprise. The app is not an in-house developed one (developed by Huish Outdoors in collaboration with Apple), that could also be why it launched later than the Watch Ultra itself. It is still 2022 though, so it is not like we had to wait years for it.

The Oceanic+ app basically turns your Apple Watch Ultra into a rather comprehensive dive computer. They say that the app allows the Watch Ultra to act as an advanced dive computer and robust dive planner. Of course, you can review all information post-dive as well.

Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Scuba Slow Down
Source: Apple

The dive computer on the Apple Watch Ultra may not be similar to other dive computers you might have come across. They say that they have built the interface to be as intuitive as possible to be used on the Apple Watch platform. The interface is designed to allow users to quickly get information from the watch and dive stress free without making mental calculations during their dive. That also means that they need to cram and simplify as much information as they can into the tiny display that is the Apple Watch Ultra. It even gives users some form of directive to ensure their safety during the dive with “Stop”, “Go Up”, and even “Go Down”.

They have managed to integrate things like surface time, depth, and gas capacity into an interface that would be familiar to any Apple Watch user. On top of that, the dive planner gives you extra information like tides, water temperatures, weather updates, currents, and updated information uploaded by other users. It even tracks your GPS location, so you know where you are in your dives. You can even tell if you have a notification from the Apple Watch Ultra in the water with the Watch vibrating. They say you can even feel the vibration through a 7mm thick wetsuit. Haptic feedback, according to the developers, is a better way for your watch to communicate with you under water.

  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Compass Scuba Air
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus second screen
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Scuba Slow Down
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Scuba Dive Settings
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Safety Stop
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus primary screen
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus pre dive
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus No Deco Planner
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Location Planner Information
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus iPhone 14 Pro in hand
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus hero
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Dive Log Book
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Dive Depth
    Source: Apple
  • Apple Watch Ultra Oceanic Plus Complications
    Source: Apple

The Oceanic+ app is now available for the Apple Watch Ultra via the App Store. Of course, there is a companion app for your iPhone as well where you can view all sorts of information from your Apple Watch post-dive. The Apple Watch Ultra will set you back from MYR 3,799 onward, which is a lot of money for an Apple Watch. Then again, a dive computer will set you back just as much or more.

iOS, Mobile, News

Apple Releases iPadOS 16 Finally

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The Apple iPad, in our humble opinions, is still the best type of table device out there. Well, when you consider that the iPad is no longer just one tablet, and that Apple makes all kinds of tablets to suit different types of users, it is clear why we say that the Apple iPad range is the most versatile range of tablets out there. Even just the regular iPad offers a better tablet experience than most Android tablets.

There are plenty of reasons why the Apple iPad range is so successful and sought after. The one thing that really sets Apple’s iPad apart is the operating system, the iPadOS. While it did start out as a glorified and enlarged version of the iOS, it really is in a class of its own today, especially with iPadOS 16 that is just released today. So, what is new?

New Messages Feature

Apple iPadOS 16 collaboration
Source: Apple

While the most popular messaging app in the region (Malaysia) is still WhatsApp, Apple’s Messages app has gone from strength to strength with every new iteration. In their latest iPadOS 16, you can now edit, unsend, and mark conversations as unread. That also means you get a little more control over your messages, who you send the messages to, and how you send the messages. If you made a mistake, simply retract the message instead of explaining that you made a mistake.

Via the new Messages app as well, users can invite their friends and family to SharePlay. Simply send them a SharePlay invite via Messages, and they can also join into the fun of watching a movie or TV show together, game together, or even workout together. For work, collaboration invitations can be sent via Messages, and everyone tagged on that messages thread can be automatically added to a document or spreadsheet.

Smarter Mail

Apple iPadOS 16 Mail search
Source: Apple

No more missing your emails with iPadOS 16. You now can mark an email with ‘Remind me’ feature so that you can always come back to the email later. That way, you can put emails in backburners and not forget to respond to the email or act accordingly. At the same time Mail will now alert you if you forgot to include recipients and attachments into your email just before you send it out. If you feel like you have made a mistake, you can retract or cancel delivery of the mail before it even reaches the recipients inbox. If you need to, you can even schedule your emails to be sent out at specific times.

Share Your iCloud Library

Apple iPadOS 16 iCloud Shared Photo Library
Source: Apple

Sharing is caring, and that holds true especially when it comes to your family. Via iCloud Shared Photo Library, up to six family members can share, edit, contribute, and enjoy the photos within the library. Of course, all the shared photos will appear in each user’s Memories and Featured Photos as well. Family moments, after all, is meant to be shared.

Safer Safari

Apple iPadOS 16 Safari
Source: Apple

Apple has also included passkeys with Safari with next-generation credential encryption feature. With passkeys, you can be sure that your credentials will never fall into the wrong hands. You simply use Touch ID or Face ID for all your verification needs. This function is synced across devices with iCloud Keychain. For better collaboration, Tab Groups allows you to share groups of webpages with your family and friends. Your friends and family can even add tabs to the group, and you can see what everyone is viewing.

Even Better Collaboration with Freeform

Apple iPadOS 16 Freeform
Source: Apple

The iPad is meant to be just more than an enlarged display for entertainment purposes. The iPad is also meant to be a productivity tool that offers a larger canvas to work with compared to smartphones. With Freeform, it becomes a powerful productivity and collaborative tool that allows users to share and work on the same canvas. With full support for Apple Pencil, the iPad takes collaborative productivity to the next level. Freeform also allows you to keep track of changes made by each user.

Weather App Comes to iPad

Apple iPadOS 16 Weather
Source: Apple

Of course, with the larger real estate of the iPad’s display, you really want to fully take advantage. The Weather app does just that complete with immersive animations, detailed maps, and forecasts. With a single tap, users can check on precipitation, air quality, and temperature of the region. If there is a severe weather alert issued in the area, users will also be notified via the Weather app.

Drag and Drop

Apple iPadOS 16 Live Text
Source: Apple

With iPadOS 16 users can also pick up objects from within images to be put into apps like messages with Visual Look Up. The feature now also recognizes birds, insects, and statues. Live Text is also better at understanding texts in videos throughout the system. Users can easily transpose videos and audio to text and quickly copy and paste the texts.

Pro Workflow

  • Apple iPadOS 16 Pro feature Stage Manager
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPadOS 16 family overview
    Source: Apple

Exclusive to the iPad Pro, iPadOS 16 makes it an even more indispensable tool for the ones working in the creative industry. Taking advantage of the highly vivid and accurate Liquid Retina XDR display on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the OS allows users to use the iPad as a reference display for your editing workflow. This is especially useful for colour grading your work on or for visual approval work too.

Multitasking with Stage Manager

Apple iPadOS 16 Pro feature Stage Manager
Source: Apple

Apple has teased Stage Manager for a while now and it has come to the iPadOS 16, finally. It works pretty much like custom widow groups in Windows OS. You can group apps that are open together and layer apps on top of each other and open all of them simultaneously so that you do not lose time switching from one task to another. You can even create a group of apps that can be opened together in the Dock area to save even more time on your workflows. At the same time, an update that will be brought forth to the M1 and M2 versions of the iPad Pro will allow the tablet to support external displays with up to 6K in resolution.

Availability

  • Apple iPadOS 16 Home
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPadOS 16 Game Center
    Source: Apple

Apple’s iPadOS 16 is now available for download over-the-air (OTA) for your Apple tablet. Of course, you want to make sure that you have an Apple iPad no older than the 5th generation. If you own a 5th generation iPad Mini and later, you get to enjoy iPadOS 16 too. All iPad Pro models will get iPadOS 16 update. More on Apple’s iPadOS 16 can be found on their website.  

iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Finally, a USB Type-C on the new Apple iPad! Oh, There Are New Colours Too.

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Apple and their proprietary lightning port and cable goes way back. It is the first sort of port and cable combination that is reversible. That means that you can plug your Apple device via the Lightning port in either orientation. Technically Apple’s lightning port is the first ever reversible connector for charging and data transfer purposes.

Since the introduction of USB Type-C though, most modern devices adopted the technology with no issue. It has become the most universal type of port there is today. It also looks like USB Type-C is here to stay, since they have been updating the USB Type-C cable and port for even more power delivery and data transfer capabilities. That is usually enough for organisations to sway into the USB Type-C ecosystem, except for Apple.

Apple has been reluctant to shift to the USB Type-C platform. They technically do have USB Type-C equipped devices like the Apple iPad Pro and iPad Air, but that was about it. Today, they add another device to the USB Type-C collection, the brand new 2022 iPad.

Apple iPad 10th gen Magic Keyboard Folio Apple Pencil 221018
Source: Apple

The USB Type-C is not the only new thing on the Apple iPad for 2022 though. It looks different too compared to the ones that came before. The tenth-generation Apple iPad now shares a similar design language with the Apple iPad Air and Apple iPad Pro. The unibody back and sides have a more rounded edge over the other two USB Type-C devices in Apple’s stables though.

Alongside the new body design, comes a new display layout with a thinner overall bezel. It is still a 10.9-inch tablet with Liquid Retina display. They have also updated the processor to Apple’s A14 Bionic chip that is supposed to be more powerful than the A13 Bionic before while remaining more power efficient. You still get a 12-Megapixel ultra-wide angle camera up front, which makes for excellent video calls. Out the back is a new 12-Megapixel camera though. This new camera comes with 4K video recording capabilities.

On top of the added flexibility of USB Type-C port and connection, the Apple iPad also packs Wi-Fi 6 for an even faster and more stable connection to the web. If you want to, you can also opt for the 5G capable variant for all sorts of work on-the-go. For an added versatility, you can also opt for a Magic Keyboard Folio designed specifically for the Apple iPad.

The Apple iPad also now comes in four vibrant and unique colours. You can get your hands on a blue, pink, yellow, and sliver shades. Yes, you noticed, there is no space grey option this time. There is also no home button. Your Touch ID is now moved to the power button on top of the device, near the camera.

  • Apple iPad 10th gen silver 2up 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen pink 2up 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen blue 2up 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen yellow 2up 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen hero 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen Magic Keyboard Folio Apple Pencil 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen Liquid Retina display 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen lifestyle 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen iPadOS 16 Mail Split View 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen iPadOS 16 Pages Messages Split View 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen iPadOS 16 Freeform 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen iMovie Storyboards 221018
    Source: Apple
  • Apple iPad 10th gen Apple Arcade SharePlay 221018
    Source: Apple

The new Apple iPad with USB Type-C and the A14 Bionic chip is now available for pre-order in the US and select regions. It will ship out and hit stores 26th October 2022 onward in these select regions too. Malaysia’s Apple website has also started teasing the Apple iPad alongside the newly launched iPad Pro. We are expecting the device to arrive in Malaysia sometime in November 2022. The new Apple iPad will set you back at least US$ 449 (MRY 2,099*). As usual, it is only available in 64GB and 256GB storage configurations. For more information on the Apple iPad for 2022, you can visit Apple’s website.