Messages in iOS 10: How to Use Digital Touch
In iOS 10, the Messages app is gaining Digital Touch, a communication feature that was previously limited to watchOS. With Digital Touch, you can send friends and family drawings, heartbeats, fireballs, kisses, and more, all with just a few taps.
Sketches, taps, and other Digital Touch messages created on your iPhone are also viewable on the Apple Watch and vice versa, giving you plenty of ways to express yourself. Here’s how to use the new feature.
Accessing Digital Touch
Open the Messages app.
Open an existing conversation or start a new one.
Tap the icon that looks like two fingers over a heart.
Tap on the arrow on the right hand side to expand the Digital Touch window.
You can send taps and drawings by using the smaller Digital Touch interface that replaces the keyboard, but there’s more screen real estate to work with when it’s expanded to the size of the full iPhone display.
The Digital Touch interface supports several tap-based gestures to send various taps and icons, plus it allows for drawing with a finger and annotating short videos with the included video tool.
Drawing
To draw with Digital Touch, just start sketching in the black Digital Touch box, visible both in standard view mode and full screen mode. When using the standard view, tap the small circle on the left side of the screen to see the different color options. In full screen mode, the colors are all available at the top.
TIP: To access custom colors, long press on any of the color swatches. It’ll bring up a color wheel with custom color options for more personalized drawings.
On the Apple Watch, Digital Touch drawings are sent as soon as your finger is removed from the screen for a few seconds, but on the iPhone and the iPad, you can take your time because drawings aren’t sent until you tap the send arrow.
The person who receives your Digital Touch drawing will see it drawn out in real time, just as you sketched it. If you make a flower, for example, it’ll play like a video, showing each petal drawn in succession.
When you receive a Digital Touch drawing in Messages, tap it and you can see it full screen.
Annotating Photos and Videos
A Digital Touch feature unique to the iPhone and the iPad is the ability to snap photos or record short 10 second videos that can be annotated using Digital Touch sketching tools. Here’s how:
In the Digital Touch interface, tap on the Camera icon.
Choose the front-facing or rear-facing camera by pressing the smaller camera icon on the bottom right of the screen. The front-facing camera is the default.
Tap the red button to start recording. While the video is recording, you can use the Digital Touch tools to draw on top of it.
Alternatively, if you want to draw on the screen before you start recording, simple start sketching with a finger. When finished, tap record and your video will record with your drawing on top.
To take a photo, press the white button instead of the red button, and then draw on top of it as you would for a video.
In addition to drawing on photos and videos, use tap gestures to add taps, heartbeats, kisses, and more.
Press the blue arrow to send your finished photo or video.
Taps, Kisses, and Heartbeats
There are several different Digital Touch gestures, each with a different effect. You can send kisses, heartbeats, taps, fireballs, and more. Below is a list of the gestures and their effects.
- Single finger on the screen – Starts a drawing.
- Single finger tap – Sends circular “taps” in the selected color. One tap sends one circle, and you can send multiples.
- Single finger press – Sends a fireball. Hold down longer for a longer lasting fireball animation.
- Two finger tap – Sends a kiss. Tap multiple times to send multiple kisses.
- Two finger tap and hold – Sends a beating heart.
- Two finger tap and hold, then a downward drag – Sends a heart that beats and then breaks in two.
Sending Digital Touch content can only be done on an iPhone running iOS 10 or an Apple Watch running watchOS 2 or 3, but it can be viewed on iOS devices running older versions of the operating system and on Macs in the Mac Messages app.
You can combine all of the photo, sketching, and gesture tools in Digital Touch to create unique multimedia messages to share with friends and family and make communicating more fun.
As a side note, Digital Touch messages are temporary. They will be deleted after a few minutes unless you tap on “Keep” in the messages window to permanently save them.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
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Best Buy Delays Apple Watch Series 2 Shipments, Offers $50 Promo Code as Compensation
Many customers who pre-ordered the Apple Watch Series 2 from Best Buy will not be receiving their new devices on launch day, according to emails the company sent out this evening.
During pre-orders that took place on Friday, September 9, Best Buy listed a Friday, September 16 delivery date, leading customers to believe they would receive their devices on launch day. Instead, Best Buy won’t be shipping out orders until 9/28, nearly two weeks later.
To compensate pre-order customers who are facing delays, Best Buy has included a promo code for a $50 discount on a future Best Buy purchase in each email, which must be used by October 14, 2016. That will get pre-order customers an extra Sport Band or another Apple Watch accessory.
Customers affected have ordered a wide range of Apple Watch Series 2 models, including the stainless steel Apple Watch with White Sport Band and various Sport configurations.
Apple Watch Series 2 supplies were constrained from the moment Apple’s pre-orders started, with shipping estimates on many models slipping within a matter of minutes, so it is no surprise Best Buy has been forced to delay its own shipments. Most Apple Watch Series 2 models placed today won’t ship from Apple for 3 to 5 weeks, and Best Buy now lists all Series 2 watches as “Coming Soon.”
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Tag: Best Buy
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Falcon Northwest FragBox (2016) review – CNET
The Good The Falcon Northwest FragBox can fit two brand-new graphics cards into an very compact chassis, and configurations are incredibly flexible. Performance, as expected, is outstanding.
The Bad Even basic configurations are expensive, and just adding a single paint color to the box drives up the price quickly. The tightly packed interior makes it hard for tinkerers to swap components as easily as in bigger desktops.
The Bottom Line The Falcon Northwest FragBox can be configured anywhere from pricey to super-expensive, but making a big investment in this expertly assembled compact gaming desktop is a way to future-proof against the next generation of VR and 4K gaming.
Configure at Falcon Northwest.
The FragBox by Falcon Northwest is a gaming desktop you could say we’ve had some experience with. This compact powerhouse has reinvented itself over and over again, and the latest version is packed with new components for an unmatched virtual-reality experience, in a chassis that’s about a small as any Oculus Rift- or HTC Vive-ready desktop gets.
Before this, the most recent full review of a FragBox is from 2013, when it featured a fourth-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 GPU, and Windows 8. The oldest review I could find on CNET was from 2003, when the FragBox, in an earlier version of its toaster-like case, ran a Pentium 4 CPU, an Nvidia GTX 5600 GPU, and Windows XP.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
That’s all to say, this company and this compact gaming desktop line have been around for a while. When we slotted the latest FragBox into our roundup of gaming PCs equipped with Nvidia’s newest GeForce GTX 1080 graphics cards, it stood out in a couple of ways. It was obviously the smallest, although the Alienware Aurora and Acer Predator G1 are fairly compact as well, but it also squeezed two new full-size video cards into its cozy case. Most PC makers dare only do that with a larger chassis that has plenty of room for fans and airflow (after all, liquid cooling can only do so much on its own).
But if you peer through the vent holes on top of the case, you will indeed see not one, but two new Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 cards, packed tightly together. It’s a feat of expert system building and cable bundling, and what’s more, even under heavy use the aluminum exterior never gets very hot (although it’s definitely on the high side of warm). The system fans, while audible at times, don’t have that loud hurricane effect that some gaming systems do.
New York: don’t use your Galaxy Note 7 on the subway
Samsung just can’t catch a break. On top of aviation regulators and safety officials warning against using pre-recall versions of the Galaxy Note 7, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority now says that Note 7 owners are “urged” against using or charging their phone on buses and trains. You should turn it off before entering the station, the MTA says. This isn’t a formal ban, but it’s safe to say that you’ll be a persona non grata if the Authority catches you using the fire-prone handset on the subway.
There haven’t been any reported fires on MTA rides. This is really more of a precautionary measure than anything. However, it illustrates the increasing fear surrounding the Note 7. Despite the relatively low number of fires, institutions don’t want to take any chances — they’d rather issue blanket warnings (or in some cases, bans) than risk an incident on their home turf.
MTA customers are urged not to use or charge their #Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile device on trains and buses.
— MTA (@MTA) September 13, 2016
Via: Tom’s Guide
Source: MTA (Twitter 1), (2), (3)
Sony will have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player — next year
The PS4 Pro is launching with 4K streaming and only a standard 1080p Blu-ray disc player, but Sony is ready to announce its first Ultra HD Blu-ray device. The UBP-X1000ES will ship in the spring of 2017, however, even then it will be tough to get one since Sony says it will be exclusively available through custom installers at first. The player is ready for “virtually any optical disk format” as well as Atmos and DTS:X audio tracks. From the sounds of things, it will be similar to Panasonic’s $699 DMP-UB900, although we can only guess at the price since it has not been announced yet (if you have to ask…).
Still, if you’re really ready to dive into the highest quality video (and given the tastes of people who pay attention to the CEDIA custom installer show where it’s being announced, you probably do) it also has a new high-end projector. The VPL-VW675ES continues the tradition of Sony’s SXRD projector technology, and will support not only the latest 4K HDR content, but is one of the first devices to support Hybrid-Log Gamma HDR. That will allow content to be compatible with both standard def and HDR-capable technology, but it’s not widely available or supported yet.
Projector fans should note that it’s capable of up to 1,800 lumens of brightness and a claimed 350,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It will be available in November 2016 for a mere $14,999.99. Otherwise, check out the latest additions to Sony’s ES receiver line, which will be ready to deliver high-end audio and video in spring 2017.
STR-ZA5000ES (current model), $2,799.99 msrp, 9 x 130w, 11ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 8 port switch (2 POE), Pre out, Aluminum panel, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji
STR-ZA3100ES (new in 2017), $1,699.99 msrp, 7 x 110w, 9ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 8 port switch (2 POE), Pre out, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji
STR-ZA2100ES (new in 2017), $1399.99, 7 x 105w, 9ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji
STR-ZA1100ES (new in 2017), $999.99 msrp, 7 x 100w, 7ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (5/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet, Crestron Connected, Supporting ihiji
STR-ZA810ES (new in 2017), $799.99 msrp, 7 x 100w, 7ch + Phantom 2ch Decode, HDMI (6/2), Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, HDR/HDCP2.2, 1 Ethernet
Source: Sony
How to Use the New Control Center in iOS 10
Although iOS 10 brings with it a few subtle visual and mechanical changes, some of its alterations to the most-used iPhone software features will probably be pretty easy to spot. One of those is the new Control Center, which has not only received a cosmetic upgrade, but has gotten a few new added abilities as well.
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The Control Center, in essence, is no longer a single card stocked with all of the expected iOS features you’ve become used to seeing (like the flashlight, calculator, and timer) — it’s now a sliding collection of three panels. The first is a basic launchpad of settings like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the second is dedicated to Apple Music, and the third houses your favorite accessories from Apple’s new HomeKit-focused app “Home.”
Control Center in iOS 9 (left) and iOS 10 (right)
Some of these shuffled-around buttons can make Control Center in iOS 10 a bit discombobulating when you first bring it up, so follow this guide to get a general impression of how to use Control Center, and how to find your favorite features that may not be where they were before.
Navigating Control Center in iOS 10
From anywhere in iOS 10 (including the main lock screen), swipe up from the bottom of the iPhone to bring up Control Center. The landing tab of Control Center mirrors a lot of the features from iOS 9 and prior versions of iOS, because it’s there you’ll find Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, and Portrait Orientation Lock buttons lined up along the top of the tab, all sitting above the brightness toggle.
The second row of buttons brings the first major Control Center change in iOS 10: two medium-sized squares for AirPlay Mirroring and AirDrop, whose locations have been flipped this time around. AirPlay Mirroring lets you mirror your iPhone screen on a connected Apple TV, while the AirDrop button lets you toggle between “Receiving Off,” “Contacts Only,” and “Everyone” for Apple’s media sharing tool.
Night Shift has its own dedicated row, so you can enable or disable the feature before its scheduled on/off times — in iOS 9 it was a small icon between timer and calculator. Lastly, at the bottom of the first Control Center tray, you’ll find the Flashlight, Timer, Calculator, and Camera, unchanged from iOS 9. New, however, are 3D Touch shortcuts for each app: the Flashlight can change intensity, Timer includes common interval options, Calculator lets you copy the last result, and Camera has multiple picture options.
Controlling Music
While in the first panel of Control Center, swipe left to switch over to the Apple Music panel. With the iOS 10 update, Apple has moved music playback and volume controls into its own separate panel. The change will undoubtedly be a hassle for many iOS users who listen to music regularly, but with a dedicated section of Control Center a few of the controls have been enlarged and a new feature has been added.
After starting a song in Apple Music, the new panel will come alive with the currently playing track, name of the artist and album, and scrub controls to jump to any section of the song. You can tap on any of these text readouts, and even the album artwork, to jump into the full Apple Music app. In addition to basic play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward buttons, and a volume toggle, Apple has introduced a new broadcast feature in Control Center as well.
The button is located all the way at the bottom of the Apple Music section, and should default to “iPhone,” so tap on it to see a list of potential devices you can connect to in order to expand the listening capabilities of the current track to a larger group. These devices could include any Bluetooth speaker within range that you’ve already set up via Settings, or a 3rd or 4th generation Apple TV. Choose whichever output you prefer to transfer playback to, and you can reset the iPhone as default by returning to Control Center, or simply powering down the connected device.
Controlling Home
If you plan on using Apple’s new HomeKit app “Home,” the third panel of Control Center should prove useful. Once synced up with any compatible HomeKit accessories in the main app, you can swipe left twice from the Control Center launchpad to gain a few basic controls over your smart light bulbs, thermostat, and more.
Before you get started in Control Center, make sure you have your accessories installed in Home. On the main screen in the app, tap “Edit” in the top right corner to rearrange your favorite accessories, the top nine of which will appear in Control Center. You can follow the same process to prioritize your favorite scenes to activate in Control Center.
Within its section of Control Center, Home’s actions are straightforward: you can tap each accessory to either turn it on or off, depending on its current state. More useful is a clever 3D Touch gesture that brings up a brightness toggle that allows for incremental percentage control of a connected lightbulb such as Hue, for example. Tap “Color” at the bottom of this screen to dive into a dynamic color wheel to pick six preset color options, or edit one to jump into a rainbow color selector to truly customize your lights within Control Center.
A “Temperature” wheel further lets you choose from brighter blue light or softer orange light. Although not automatic, this option is similar to Night Shift, letting you generate softer light at night to encourage better sleep. You can tap any empty space in these 3D Touch menus to return to Control Center.
To get a glimpse of your favorite scenes — which are grouped collections of HomeKit accessories — tap the “Scenes” button in the top right of Control Center’s third panel. Here you’ll see your top eight favorite scenes, which offer similar on/off controls for each scene, but without any expanded 3D Touch support. Tap “Accessories” to return to the favorite accessories tab.
iOS 10 is full of new features that you’ll find when you start playing around with the software update. Keep checking back with MacRumors for more helpful how-tos on everything from creating and sending handwritten text messages to avoiding tolls in Apple Maps to using lyrics in Apple Music and more.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
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