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WWDC 2018: Apple announces iOS 12
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Software,
During today's WWDC 2018 keynote, Apple announced the next generation of its mobile software in iOS 12. Here are the biggest points of news for iOS 12:
PERFORMANCE
- Apple is doubling down on performance with the aim of making devices faster and more devices
- iOS 12 will be available on all the same devices that support iOS 11 - this includes devices that shipped back in 2013.
- Apps launch twice as fast on devices running iOS 12 on even the oldest devices
AUGMENTED REALITY
- A major update in iOS 12 is more AR support. Adobe took the stage to introduced simplified tools that will allow developers to create better AR experiences.
- There's a new file format for AR, called USDZ, created in collaboration with Pixar.
- A new app, Measure, will allow you to take measurements in real-time using an iOS device with AR. A demo was shown measuring a suitcase using just an iPhone X.
- Support for shared experiences is announced - multiple users can see the same AR environment in real-time. This allows developers to create worlds that people can all see simultaneously.
- LEGO took the stage to demo a shared AR LEGO app
PHOTOS
- The Photos app gets new updates and features, starting with search. Search Suggestions will highlight things like key moments, places you've taken photos, business names, and events like concerts and sporting events. You can search for multiple terms, like surfing and vacation, to drill down into your library.
- Effect suggestions give you reccomendations to edits you can make to your photos to make them even better.
- Sharing suggestions will find people in your photos and allow you to share them with the folks who are in them. Shared photos are full resolution.
- When you share, the receiver will also be given a suggestion to share photos from the same event with you.
SIRI
- Siri Shortcuts allows you to pull in specific tasks from your apps. An example given was "I lost my keys" to have Siri activate your Tile hardware.
- You can create your own Siri Shortcuts as well, so you can put together your own shortcut phrases.
- A demo was shown using Siri Shortcuts - the user said "travel plans" and got their hotel reservation with an image, address, and check-in time from Siri
- A "Heading Home" shortcut is able to set the home thermostat, play a podcast, send an ETA to a contact, and turn on a HomeKit fan. Very impressive stuff.
APPS
- The News app gets an updated sidebar to make navigation easier
- The Stocks app gets more granular vision to see stock performance. Apple News stories are now integrated into the Stocks app as well, giving you business news on the stocks that you follow.
- The Stocks app now comes to iPad with iOS 12.
- Voice Memos app also comes to iPad with iOS 12, with iCloud support built-in for syncing across devices.
- iBooks becomes Apple Books with a redesigned app.
- In iOS 12, CarPlay will support third-party navigation apps.
DIGITAL HEALTH
- Do Not Disturb is updated to hide notifications at night, and in the morning hides notifications until you specify that you want to see them.
- Do Not Disturb allows you to choose much more granular timeframes rather than just optimized for overnight.
- Notifications can be turned on or off on a per-app basis right from the lock screen
- Notifications can now be grouped by app, topic, or thread. With a swipe, you can dismiss an entire group of notifications.
- A new feature called Screentime offers reports, giving a weekly summary that shows how you used your iOS device. This shows how much time you spend in each app, how often per hour you pick up your phone, and which apps are sending you the most notifications.
- App Limits allows you to set a limited amount of time that you'd like to use specific apps per day.
- Kids get activity reports too, and parents get reports on their own devices of their kids usage. Parents can also create downtime periods and app limits. This is setup through the Family Sharing interfaces.
MESSAGES
- Animoji now support tongue detection for sticking tongues out
- New ghost, koala, tiger, and T-Rex Animoji characters
- Apple announces Memoji, allowing you to create your own customized 3D emoji character that looks like you
- Memoji has a slick creator app to design your character
- The Messages camera now includes effects, filters, stickers, and even Animoji and Memoji right in the camera
FACETIME
- Apple announces Group FaceTime, which allows you to chat with up to 32 simultaneous participants
- You can use both audio or video
- FaceTime is integrated into Messages, allowing you to quickly do a Group FaceTime right from a group chat
- A demo is shown, and as people speak, they become bigger on screen, or you can choose who to bring front and center
- The same effects mentioned above in Messages also applies to the FaceTime camera
Improved performance, new AR experiences, digital health, improved Messages, Group FaceTime, and more. That's iOS 12.
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Mega Smartphone Giveaway: Win an iPhone X, Pixel 2, or Galaxy Note 8!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Videos,
Welcome to our MEGA Smartphone Giveaway! We are giving away three of the best smartphones of 2017 to celebrate the end of the year, and this is your opportunity to walk away with an iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and Google Pixel 2! Here is how it will work:
- The first place winner gets to choose their pick from the 3 smartphones - iPhone X, Note 8, and Pixel 2
- The second place winner gets to choose between the 2 that are left
- The third place winner gets the remaining smartphone (The winner that chooses the iPhone may substitute an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus instead of the iPhone X if they prefer)
Big shout out to Erica Griffin and David Cogen (The Unlockr) for teaming up with me on this giveaway! Good luck to all! Which phone would you pick if you won? Do the Pixel 2 cameras call your name? Are you all about Face ID with the iPhone X? The stylus of the Galaxy Note 8? Let me know!
Keeping your devices and info secure this holiday season (and win a trip!)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Editorial, Features, Handhelds, Software,
With the holiday season in full swing, it’s easy to forget about the importance of privacy and security in this world of endless digital devices. More and more of our electronics are constantly connected to the Internet through cloud services, providing more and more entry points into our homes for those with nefarious intentions. McAfee reached out to me with some tips on staying secure when using different devices, and they’re good enough to be shared, as they just might help you avoid a privacy-related disaster. Additionally, McAfee is running a sweepstakes where the grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to Iceland. More details on that at the end of this article.
Click to continue reading Keeping your devices and info secure this holiday season (and win a trip!)
iPhone 7 Plus & Google Pixel XL Giveaway!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Apple, Smartphones, Google, Handhelds,
We are giving away two of the hottest smartphones on the planet right now - the iPhone 7 Plus and the Google Pixel XL! Each winner will get to choose whether they would like a 128GB iPhone 7 Plus, or a 128GB Google Pixel XL, and each winner will also get to choose the color that they'd like to receive. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay up on all the latest tech reviews and gadget giveaways!
Big shout out to Candid for sponsorsing this giveaway - be sure to check out the video I did on Candid and their anonymous social networking app down below.
Enter to win using the Gleam widget below, and good luck to all who enter!
iPhone 7 Plus / Google Pixel Giveaway!
iOS 10 will be released on September 14th
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Software,
During today's iPhone 7 event, Apple announced that iOS 10 will join watchOS 3 by rolling out to users on September 14th. Apple's latest mobile OS packs a bunch of new features to look forward to, including a more intelligent Siri, much more useful Lock screen, tosn of improvements to iMessage, Apple Music refinements, a new home automation app, and more.
Also coming along in iOS 10 is an overhauled Maps app that pulls in appointments and locations from your email, copy/paste history, calendar, and more.
Get ready to download the new hotness with iOS 10 on September 14th!
Los Angeles Judge Orders Defendant to Unlock iPhone with Fingerprint
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News,
The Apple encryption battles continues! Despite Apple coming up on top when the FBI and the DoJ’s petition to unlock the infamous Bernardino iPhone was withdrawn, a new brouhaha has commenced. A court order has been filed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Rosenberg mandating that Los Angeles defendant, Paytsar Bkjchadzhyan, unlock her iPhone by placing her finger on the Touch ID’s home button.
Click to continue reading Los Angeles Judge Orders Defendant to Unlock iPhone with Fingerprint
Read More 
| LA Times
iPhone SE: An iPhone 6S in an iPhone 5 body for $399
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds,
During its Let Us Loop You In event, Apple announced the new iPhone SE. Citing the demand from iPhone owners who don't want a larger display than what was offered on the iPhone 5 series of devices, the iPhone SE maintains the 4-inch display that was found on the iPhone 5 and 5S, but upgrades everything under the hood. It's powered by the far more capable Apple A9 and M9 chips, which are found in the current iPhone 6S flagships. The camera is also brought over from the latest models, giving the iPhone SE an upgraded 12 megapixel camera which supports Live Photos and shoots in 4K. Apple Pay support is also onboard, as is 802.11ac Wi-Fi and "Hey Siri" hands-free control. All-in-all Apple says the new iPhone SE is twice as fast as the iPhone 5S that it replaces.
The iPhone SE starts at $399 for the 16GB model, which makes it the cheapest iPhone ever. If you need more storage than that 16GB, there's also a 64GB model for $499. You can order ir starting on March 24.
Read More | iPhone SE
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes Is a Surprisingly Great Mobile Game
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Portable/Mobile, Reviews, Role Playing Games,
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, a role-playing game released for mobile platforms last fall, initially struck me as a game I could skip without a second thought. It had the appearance of a cheap cash-in meant to capitalize on the launch of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Although I'm not generally not the sort of person to write off a game for being free-to-play (some of my favorite games don't cost a dime to start playing), there's something about the combination of that business model, mobile, and a major franchise that made me assume it was not worth so much as a download.
I was wrong.
Click to continue reading Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes Is a Surprisingly Great Mobile Game
Bleeding Edge TV 573: ConnectSense Smart Outlet with HomeKit Review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, Household, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,
The ConnectSense Smart Outlet is an Apple HomeKit compatible device that plugs into any outlet in your home, allowing you to turn just about any device into a smart device. The Smart Outlet gives you two outlets, which can be powered on and off by using the ConnectSense app, Siri voice control, or even pressing a button on the side of the device. Plug in a lamp, and you can now control that lamp from anywhere, using your smartphone or tablet - even outside of your home if you own an Apple TV. I bring you my full rundown of the ConnectSense Smart Outlet in this episode!
You can pick up the ConnectSense Smart Outlet now.
Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel--also, we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!
Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 573: ConnectSense Smart Outlet with HomeKit Review
Apple to introduce the iPhone SE the week of March 21st
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds,
Apple is reportedly working on launching a 4-inch iPhone model dubbed the iPhone SE. Similar to what Apple has done with the iPhone 5c version albeit, in this case, with upgraded specs that are akin to the iPhone 6; perhaps higher. This is great news for those that find the bigger smartphones a bit unwieldy but without sacrificing cutting edge specs.
The iPhone SE design is slated to look closer to the iPhone 5s but with tapered edges mimicking the iPhone 6 design. A hybrid of sorts. All the newer bells and whistles will be included such as Apple’s in-house designed silicon A9 processor, M9 co-processor, perhaps all-in-one chip, “Hey Siri”, full Live Photo support, and an improved 8-megapixal iSight camera. Also rumored is Touch ID/Apple Pay features and, of course, upgraded wireless capabilities. Storage will likely be 16GB and 64GB. I must say, you might as well pony up for the 64GB version because 16GB is so 2007.
Mark your calendars for March 21st because it’s that time of year again where Apple reveals all the new cool gear. There’s a high probability that iPhone SE might go on sale as quick as March 25th.
Read More | 9to5Mac
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