New Study Finds Siri More Distracting Than Google Now While Driving

Siri and other voice-activated systems can cause potentially unsafe mental distractions lasting several seconds while driving, according to a new research study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Siri’s score of 3.4 on the five-point scale is considered more distracting than Google Now’s 3.0 score, but less distracting than Microsoft Cortana, which received a 3.8 rating.

AAA’s mental distraction rankings also included vehicles, ranging from the least distracting Chevy Equinox at 2.4 to the Mazda 6 at 4.6, which is nearly the highest level of cognitive distraction. The study found that mental distractions can persist for as long as 27 seconds after using hands-free or voice-activated systems, as drivers readjust to the task of driving.

“The lasting effects of mental distraction pose a hidden and pervasive danger that would likely come as a surprise to most drivers,” said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “The results indicate that motorists could miss stop signs, pedestrians and other vehicles while the mind is readjusting to the task of driving.”

Researchers found that potentially unsafe levels of mental distraction can last for as long as 27 seconds after completing a distracting task in the worst-performing systems studied. At the 25 MPH speed limit in the study, drivers traveled the length of nearly three football fields during this time. When using the least distracting systems, drivers remained impaired for more than 15 seconds after completing a task.

AAA’s mental distraction rankings while driving are broken down into five categories:

– Category 1: About the same as listening to the radio or an audio book
– Category 2: About the same as talking on the phone
– Category 3: Equivalent to sending voice-activated texts on an error-free system
– Category 4: About the same as uploading social media
– Category 5: Highly challenging, scientific test designed to overload a driver’s attention

The study did not include the latest in-dash systems such as CarPlay or Android Auto.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety published Phase I and Phase II of this study over the past few years. In the second phase, the foundation found Siri’s high complexity and low intuitiveness resulted in some of the highest levels of mental distraction compared to other in-car tasks such as adjusting the radio or navigating complex menus.

Runkeeper’s new Apple Watch app lets you jog phone-free

The Apple Watch got a lot more useful with WatchOS 2.0, an update that let developers write apps that can run natively on the Watch without the need for your iPhone. Runkeeper’s latest app update enables exactly that — you can now use the Apple Watch to track a workout without needing to bring your phone with you, something that’ll certainly be appreciated by those who don’t want to have an iPhone 6 Plus strapped to their arm during a run.

When you open the app on your Apple Watch, you’ll be asked if you want to start a run, walk, cycle or “other” workout. Once you give the Runkeeper app permissions to access the data stored in the iPhone’s central Health app, you’re good to go — the Watch app can track time, distance, and minute per mile as well as your heart rate data for the entire run.

What’s not clear yet is how the Runkeeper app will track your route. One of the iPhone app’s main features is the ability to see exactly what route you take as well as the elevation you climb throughout your run — that all comes thanks to the GPS in the phone as well as its motion processor. While the Apple Watch can certainly track steps and distance on its own, it doesn’t seem possible for the Runkeeper app to show you the route you take when using it just with the Apple Watch.

Still, if you’re more interested in just tracking your distance and run stats and don’t need to know the exact route, Runkeeper’s Apple Watch app should provide another good option compared to the built-in Apple Workout app. Still, serious runners should use caution: our testing showed that the Apple Watch’s distance tracking features were a bit hit-or-miss, even when you carry your iPhone with you. Going without your phone reduced its accuracy even more, so take these readings with the appropriate grain of salt. We’ve reached out to Runkeeper to get more details on the new app — and if we take it for a run, we’ll let you know how that goes as well.

Via: Venturebeat

Source: iTunes Store

iPad Tops Holiday Technology Wish List, Apple Watch Ranks 12th

In a new nationwide study conducted by retailer Best Buy, the top gadgets and products planned to be gifted and asked for this holiday season were detailed in a “Top 15 Tech Gifts for 2015” list. Apple’s iPad (with no specific preference given to the Air or Mini line) came out on top, with the Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Headphones, MacBook, and smart HD TVs rounding out the top five spots.

1. iPad
2. Bose QuietComfort 25 Noise Cancelling Headphones
3. MacBook
4. Samsung 48” Smart 4K Ultra HD TV
5. Sharp 43” Smart HDTV with Roku
6. Microsoft Surface
7. Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker II
8. Fitbit Charge HR Heart Rate and Activity Tracker
9. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
10. Dyson V6 Absolute Bagless Cordless Vacuum
11. Vizio 43” Smart 4K Ultra HD TV
12. Apple Watch
13. SONOS PLAY:1 Wireless Speaker
14. iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot
15. GoPro HERO4 Action Camera

Apple’s products account for three of the top 15 gifts this year, with the newest device — the Apple Watch — also ranking the lowest of the company’s devices in the twelfth spot, four places below the Fitbit Charge activity tracker. Unsurprisingly, Best Buy’s study also found that those aged 18-34 placed consumer electronics highest on their wish lists, prioritizing technology over other categories like clothing, books, and jewelry.

The report also found that men are both more likely than women to want tech-related gifts for the holidays are be the ones who gift consumer electronics to friends and family more frequently. Self-gifting was also factored into the survey thanks to the highly discounted nature of holiday shopping, with 19 percent of those interested in Apple’s iPad planning on buying it for themselves during the gift-giving season. Similarly, 15 percent of those who chose the MacBook said it would be a present for themselves.

HTC Says ‘It’s Apple That Copies Us’ After One A9 Called iPhone Lookalike

HTC has denied claims that its new flagship One A9 smartphone copies the iPhone. At a press briefing in Taiwan, company executive Jack Tong said that “it’s Apple that copies us” in terms of antenna design—the Taiwanese handset maker was first to release a metal unibody smartphone nearly three years ago.

The HTC One A9 compared to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (via The Verge)
The response was reported by Want China Times (via BGR):

“We’re not copying. We made a uni-body metal-clad phone in 2013. It’s Apple that copies us in terms of the antenna design on the back,” Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said at a press briefing at the Taiwan launch of the One A9.

“The A9 is made thinner and more lightweight than our previous metal-clad phones. This is a change and evolution, and we’re not copying,” he said.

The original HTC One M7 launched in March 2013 with an aluminum unibody frame and plastic antenna lines along the top and bottom of the smartphone, both design cues that Apple adopted for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, released 18 months later, and has since carried over to the iPhone 6s lineup.

The original HTC One with an all-metal unibody design launched in March 2013
The One A9 is considered an iPhone lookalike because it has a similar rounded chassis, plastic antenna lines and a protruding rear-facing camera, and because it is available in almost identical colors as the current iPhone lineup. The smartphone also has one speaker located next to the charging port on the bottom.

HTC’s rebuttal comes after The Verge described the One A9 as “the most blatant and highest-profile iPhone ripoff since Samsung’s original Galaxy S,” a bold argument that has been contested by some HTC supporters. The copycat allegations have received significant media coverage this week.

Ultimately, while there is no denying that HTC’s One A9 is an iPhone-driven evolution of the HTC One series, it is clear that both smartphone makers have borrowed similar design qualities from each other over the years. Apple has not commented on the matter, but has taken legal action against Samsung for copying in the past.

The One A9 is HTC’s latest flagship Android smartphone, featuring a 5-inch screen with a curved-edge display, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.5 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB storage, Quick Charge 2.0 and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The smartphone is available in a range of colors, including Carbon Gray, Opal Silver, Deep Garnet and Topaz Gold, for $399 unlocked.

LifeProof Unveils ‘FRĒ Power’ Waterproof Battery Case for iPhone 6s

Popular rugged case manufacturer LifeProof today revealed its newest protective offering for the iPhone 6s, the FRĒ Power, which promises to double the battery life of the smartphone while providing the expected protection the brand’s previous products have afforded. LifeProof says the new case is fully waterproof and will let users take Live Photos and 4K videos “in almost every environment.”

“We challenge our engineers to defy what is expected and they’ve gone well beyond that with our waterproof iPhone 6s battery case,” said LifeProof President and CEO Pete Lindgren. “FR? Power provides protection and power so you can adventure further than ever before. The combination of iPhone 6s Live Photos and 4k video with double the battery life from FRĒ Power lets you capture better content and keep shooting longer than ever before.”

The source of the FRĒ Power comes from a built-in 2,600 mAh lithium ion battery, which LifeProof says provides “2x battery capacity” over the normal life of the iPhone 6s. On the outside, the case will protect from water, drop damage, dirt, and snow, the usual tenants of the LifeProof line. The company also ensures that the case’s built-in scratch protection screen allows uninhibited access to the new features of the iPhone 6s, like 3D Touch and the front-facing retina flash.

Those interested can visit LifeProof’s official website to pre-order the $129.99 FRĒ Power iPhone 6s case, which has an estimated in-stock launch date of Friday, November 6. The color options for the battery case include Blacktop, Base Jump Blue, and Avalanche, although the last two have no estimated release date. The new case is also available for last year’s iPhone 6, but the company hasn’t announced support for the iPhone 6 Plus or iPhone 6s Plus.

KGI Forecasts Around 75M iPhone and 4M Apple Watch Sales During Holiday Shopping Season

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released shipments forecasts for the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch for upcoming fiscal quarters. Kuo estimates from 70 to 75 million iPhone and 3.5 to 4 million Apple Watch shipments during Q1 2016 of the fiscal year, which encompasses the busy holiday shopping season in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Europe and many other regions.

In a research note, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, Kuo believes that iPhone sales momentum could gradually decline in the new year, possibly enough for the device to experience its first year-over-year shipments decline in the first quarter of a year in 2016.

We estimate iPhone shipments rose 2.1% QoQ and 23.6% YoY to 48.5mn units in 3Q15, of which 20-22mn units were iPhone 6s. We attribute the solid YoY growth to the inclusion of China as the first-launch market for iPhone 6s and to increased output of the new model (versus 14-15mn units of iPhone 6 in 3Q14).

However, as we do not expect overall demand for iPhone 6s to be significantly stronger than that for iPhone 6, we expect shipments momentum could gradually decline in 4Q15-1Q16F on a YoY basis. We expect iPhone may see its first YoY shipments decline in the first quarter of a year in 2016.

Kuo also forecasts between 14.5-15.5 million iPad shipments and 5.4-5.6 million Mac shipments in fiscal Q1 2016, which lines up with Q4 2015 of the calendar year, a three-month period ending December 31.

The analyst expects iPad Pro shipments to be around 2 million in fiscal Q1 2016, and believes the tablet’s higher selling price will help offset an annual decline in iPad shipments, which could fall 16% to 40-42 million units in 2016.

We now expect shipments of iPad Pro to be around 2mn units in 4Q15, versus our previous forecast of 4-5mn units given quality issues with Sharp’s panel supply. However, thanks to a higher shipments weighting of iPad Pro, coupled with a lower mix of iPad mini, we anticipate the ASP of end-products and some components will trend up in 2016F (e.g. we estimate the ASP of backlight unit to rise 30-35% in 2016). This should be enough to offset total iPad shipments decline, which we estimate will fall 16% to 40-42mn units in 2016F.

Kuo expects that, amid lackluster sales for PCs, Mac sales will continue to be better than those of competitors. The well-informed analyst says the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro is Apple’s most popular notebook, followed by the 12-inch MacBook, and expects the new iMacs with 4K and 5K Retina displays to account for at least 50-60% of total iMac shipments in Q1 2016 of the fiscal year.

Fleksy Keyboard for iOS Gains Custom Theme Builder

The developers behind popular third-party keyboard Fleksy today announced the debut of a new custom theme builder for a keyboard with deeper personalization. With the custom keyboard feature, the Fleksy keyboard can be customized with a range of unique colors, photos, and other effects.

Fleksy has long had different themes available in the app as additional in-app purchases, allowing users to adjust the look of the keyboard, but its new options take customization even further. As can be seen in the image below, a photo can be used underneath a keyboard for a one-of-a-kind look.

The background color of the keyboard can be customized, and users can also select specific colors for things like keys, word suggestions, and autocorrected words. According to Fleksy, its built-in themes have been popular with users, so the idea was to allow them to create personalized content that can be changed and updated on a regular basis.

Custom themes created by Fleksy users can be used on their own devices and also shared with friends. A sharing tool within the app makes it easy for themes to be shared with other users. Theme recipients who have the Fleksy app on their iOS devices can install new themes with a click, while those who are not current Fleksy users will be prompted to download the app.

Fleksy Keyboard can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple invests in more clean power for Chinese manufacturing

It’s no secret that Apple takes its energy responsibilities seriously. It already powers a large percentage of its buildings via renewable sources, but ensuring that its manufacturing facilities run on clean energy isn’t as easy, especially when it has partners located in various different regions. China is now Apple’s fastest growing market, but it’s also where the majority of its products are assembled, so it’s embarking on two new programs to improve its environmental impact in the country.

First is a big commitment to solar energy, which will see it build new solar grids in northern, eastern and southern China capable of generating over 200 megawatts of power. They’ll add to the 40 megawatts of solar energy it already produces in the Sichuan Province. Apple says it will provide energy for more than 265,000 homes each year and will also help it offset the energy used by its supply partners.

The second is a new program designed to make those suppliers more efficient. Apple will partner with Chinese manufacturers to generate more than 2 gigawatts of solar, wind and hydropower for manufacturing processes over the next five years. Foxconn is on board and will generate 400 megawatts of solar by 2018, completely offsetting the energy it takes to manufacture the iPhone at its Zhengzhou factory.

Leaving the world better than we found it: 2 gigawatts of renewable energy for manufacturing in China by 2020. https://t.co/LYuRiejUtV

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 22, 2015

In May, Apple committed to responsibly sourcing paper, wood and other fibers as part of a multi-year project with the World Wildlife Fund to achieve a “net-zero impact on the world’s supply of sustainable virgin fiber.” It’s a start, but China has a long way to go before it can shed its title of being the world’s most polluting country.

Source: Apple, Tim Cook (Twitter)

Apple Invites Developers to Begin Submitting tvOS Apps for Review

Following today’s slew of software updates, including a golden master of tvOS for developers and a release of Xcode 7.1, Apple is now inviting developers to begin submitting their tvOS apps for App Store review. Apple will begin taking orders for the new Apple TV next Monday with shipping beginning later in the week, allowing a week or so of lead time for Apple to begin reviewing and approving apps for the new platform before customers begin receiving their set-top boxes.

Alongside today’s invitation to developers, Apple has also published a new overview giving developers an idea of what steps they need to take to ensure their tvOS apps are ready for submission. The company points developers to Xcode 7.1 and the latest version of the tvOS SDK, and reminds them that apps may be a maximum of 200 MB in the main app bundle with up to 20 GB of content to be downloaded on-demand as users need it.

Apple also includes reference to the company’s Human Interface Guidelines for Apple TV to help developers ensure their designs are optimized for the big screen and that their apps will work with the new Apple TV Remote.

Finally, Apple gives an overview of the requirements for App Store product pages on Apple TV, including tips on app naming, icons, descriptions, keywords, screenshots, and universal purchases to support both iOS and tvOS. Apple notes it will review tvOS apps according to the company’s App Review Guidelines, and app submissions set for automatic release could go live at any time and immediately become available to developers and testers who already have the new Apple TV.