Apple’s new file system revolves around encryption
One of Apple’s quietest announcements at WWDC might also be its most important. The company has introduced a brand new file system, simply called Apple File System (APFS) that makes security its centerpiece. It offers a unified encryption method for virtually every device Apple makes, ranging from the Apple Watch to the Mac. That includes multi-key encryption, which makes it tough to crack even if you have physical access to the storage. In short, the FBI won’t be happy: Encryption is now a core part of the operating system, not just something bolted on after the fact.
APFS also acknowledges the advances in technology in the nearly two decades since Apple’s current file system, HFS+, hit the scene. It’s optimized for flash storage, uses extremely fine-grained time stamps (down to the nanosecond) and supports a whopping 9 quintillion files on a single volume. You’ll also see “snapshots” (read-only instances of the file system) that make Time Machine-style backups easier.
The file system is available to developers in preview form right now, and it should launch in earnest in 2017. However, unlike the usual operating system previews, you don’t even dare try this unless you’re writing apps where it’d be a factor. The pre-release APFS can’t be used to boot a device and doesn’t support many Mac staples, such as Fusion Drives or Time Machine. There’s no certainty that the data you put on a drive now will be readable by later versions of APFS, for that matter. Nonetheless, its very existence is noteworthy: It’ll likely dictate the features of Apple gadgets for years to come.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
Source: Apple (1), (2)
Apple opens Siri up to third-party apps
Apple has announced that the latest version of its mobile operating system will allow developers to access Siri. It means that third-party apps will be able to add functionality to the voice-based assistant, such as WeChat and Uber. Rather than having to touch your display and open an app, you can simply bark a command and have your phone do the work for you. So, should you want to a hail a ride from Uber, Lyft or Didi, then you’ll be able to do so by asking your smartphone to get you somewhere. Apple executive Craig Federighi even mentioned that payments would work in the same way, although we imagine the potential for muggers to demand you hand them money simply by talking.
It’s a smart move from Apple, which has seen its ostensible “lead” in the voice-assistant game lag behind Google’s competing product. By letting developers leverage Siri’s voice comprehension, the feature should start to regain some important ground. Siri, of course, is also gaining positional intelligence and will be able to scan your messaging conversations to predict your behavior. In one of the onstage examples, Siri would know that if you were talking to someone about getting dim sum later, then you’ll need to find a dim sum place nearby.
It’s not the only previously reserved feature from iOS that’s now open to developers, with Maps another option now included. Similar to Siri, app creators can add in services that can connect to your location information, such as OpenTable when you’re looking for some food. You can, surprise surprise, also request a ride from inside Maps, like an Uber, and pay with Apple Pay without leaving the app. All in all, these moves should cover some of Apple’s more notable blind spots, like poor location data in Maps and Siri’s lack of utility with non iOS-native apps. It should also reduce the amount of time spent touching your device, which is probably good for your battery life.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
Apple WatchOS 3’s SOS feature alerts emergency services anywhere
Apple’s formidable WatchOS 3 will launch as a free upgrade in the fall, the company announced today at WWDC. Among the slew of new features is SOS, a feature that users hold down the Apple Watch’s button to alert local emergency services without needing to know your current country’s version of 911.
Users can also set up SOS to ping preset contacts and, bigger still, send them a map of their current location. Obviously, this is a huge development for travelers who don’t know how to get help wherever they are, but it could be key to surreptitiously alert the authorities during dangerous situations.
Lastly, SOS pulls up the user’s Medical ID they uploaded into the Health app onscreen to display data and known health conditions for emergency responders.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
Source: Apple WWDC
Apple iOS 10 uses AI to help you find photos and type faster
Apple is making artificial intelligence a big, big cornerstone of iOS 10. To start, the software uses on-device computer vision to detect both faces and objects in photos. It’ll recognize a familiar friend, for instance, and can tell that there’s a mountain in the background. While this is handy for tagging your shots, the feature really comes into its own when you let the AI do the hard work. There’s a new Memories section in the Photos app that automatically organizes pictures based on events, people and places, complete with related memories (such as similar trips) and smart presentations. Think of it as Google Photos without having to go online.
AI plays a role even when you’re punching out a message, for that matter. QuickType text suggestions now lean on Siri intelligence to understand the broader context of what you’re trying to say. It’ll be aware of what you’re doing that day, and suggest things based on elements like your contacts or your location. If a friend asks for someone’s email address or wonders where you are, you can share it with one tap. QuickType is better at handling multiple languages and schedules, as well.
These features were somewhat expected — until now, Apple was one of the few big tech companies that wasn’t focusing heavily on AI as a helper for all your day-to-day tasks. We’re not going to knock a serious upgrade, though, and that local support might come in handy for those times when internet access isn’t always guaranteed.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
Apple introduces Home app to control your connected devices
Apple’s connected home platform HomeKit got its very own app today called Home. Apple’s senior VP of software engineering, Craig Federighi announced at WWDC that the new IoT application for iOS will give users quick access to all their HomeKit-supported devices.
The new app can control individual devices and groups of items called scenes. It also includes features like, access to connected cameras from the lock screen, access from Control Center, geofencing, automation, Siri commands and Apple Watch support.
Apple announced HomeKit back in 2014 with products finally making it to market in 2015. Since then third-party developers have created their own apps that control a home’s devices. With today’s news Apple is taking a larger leadership role within its own connected-home platform.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
iOS 10 will transcribe voicemails and show calls made in apps
Not many of us send voice messages anymore, and most folks sure hate checking them. Apple’s trying to solve that with voicemail transcription, a new beta feature on iOS 10 revealed at WWDC 2016. Instead of listening to Aunt Edna drone on for 10 minutes, you can get the gist by scanning a transcript of the message in text form. At the same time, you can still listen to the message visual voicemail-style, call her back or delete the message.
Another related feature is an API for VoIP apps, which will help developers like Cicsco incorporate their apps into favorites, recents and the lockscreen. So if someone calls on a VoIP app when your iPhone is locked, for instance, you’ll see their picture on the lockscreen. Other than mentioning Cisco, Apple hasn’t said which, if any, apps will support it yet, but developers will soon get their hands on the API.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
Apple WatchOS 3 is faster, more intuitive and fitness-friendly
The Apple Watch might only be a little over one year old, but that isn’t stopping Apple from introducing the wearable’s third major release in a year. WatchOS 3 tackles some of the biggest gripes of early adopters, most notably performance: it keeps favorite apps in memory and updates them in the background. You won’t stare awkwardly at your wrist while software loads, in other words.
The interface is getting a significant overhaul, too. There’s a Dock (accessible by swiping up from the home screen) that gives you quick access to favorite apps. Smart replies are now baked right into message notifications, and emergency calls are just a matter of holding down the side button. Also, like with Android Wear 2.0, you can now draw text onscreen with a Scribble mode. That’s more than a little helpful for those moments when it’s too noisy (or just too embarrassing) to dictate with your voice. And yes, there’s the obligatory round of new watch faces — there’s an activity face that highlights your progress, a minimalist “numerals” face and even a Minnie Mouse face with customizable skirt colors.
This is also a big update for fitness mavens. Besides a more prominent quick start for workouts, you’ll also find activity sharing that both shows how friends are doing and gives you an opportunity to talk smack (or, if you’re nicer, offer some motivation). WatchOS is more accommodating, to boot. You can optionally set reminders for deep breathing exercises that help manage stress, and wheelchair users get activity progress optimized for their vehicles.
Developers should be happy. Third-party apps can now use Apple Pay, and fitness apps can gather data in the background. They also have access to digital crown and touch events, inline video, speaker audio and existing iOS frameworks like CloudKit and Game Center.
Want to try it? A developer preview of WatchOS 3 is available today, while the finished release arrives in the fall.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
President Obama got rid of his BlackBerry
President Obama has had to use a BlackBerry since the moment he took office. However, he’s finally moving on with less than a year left in his term. The Commander-in-Chief tells Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon that he was given a new (and currently unnamed) smartphone this year to replace his increasingly rare BlackBerry. Not that there’s much reason to celebrate. The President notes that his phone is so locked down “for security reasons” that he can’t call, play music, send texts or take pictures. It’s like one of those “play phones” you’d give to a 3-year-old, he says.
A switch wasn’t entirely unexpected, especially when the White House has been considering a move like this for 2 years. While BlackBerry devices are still secure, they’ve been less and less of a mainstay in government. Android and iOS have enough available security measures (such as strict device policies and end-to-end message encryption) that they’re usually up to the job, and sticking to BlackBerry’s proprietary operating system might not be easy when app developers are leaving the platform. Even so, this is more than a little symbolic — when one of the world’s most important leaders is swapping devices, you know the mobile industry has moved on.
Via: BGR, The Verge
Source: The Tonight Show (YouTube)
WhatsApp can quote messages you want to respond to
WhatsApp now has the ability to quote messages you want to reply to, which sounds especially useful for group chats with friends or family. Only problem is, it’s unclear if everyone already has access to it. It first came out a day ago or so as an experimental feature for the Android app’s beta version (v.2.16.118). However, we were able to quote messages on our stable apps (v. 2.16.6) for Android and iOS without having to update either of them. Note that we also didn’t see a new update on iTunes or Google Play.
According to NDTV and some other sources, the Facebook-owned application already began rolling the feature out to the general public, so it’s possible that you can already use it. To find out if you have access to it, simply press on the message you want to respond to for a few seconds until the action bubble/bar pops up. Next to star, trash, copy and forward is a new option that looks like the arrow typically associated with reply. Click that, and the message you want to quote will show up right above your text box like in the screenshots below. If you can’t seem to make it work, try reinstalling your app or checking again in a day or two — you might have it then.
Source: 9to5google, Android Police
Cyanogen 13.1 adds Microsoft features to OnePlus One phones
You’ll find an important update waiting on your OnePlus One, if you haven’t installed it yet: Cyanogen OS 13.1. The OS’ latest version is “MOD ready,” which means the manufacturer can tweak parts of the Android-based platform it couldn’t before. In fact, version 13.1 already comes with the “mods” Cyanogen introduced in February, which mostly insert Microsoft features into various parts of the software. For instance, you can now make Skype calls straight from the device’s Phone app and use OneNote to take notes within the Email and Phone applications.
If you’re in the US, Cortana for OnePlus One can take hands-free selfies if you tell it to. It can also set reminders and access your sched with voice commands without having to unlock your device. Microsoft took the chance to bring its Hyperlapse technology to the phone, as well, giving its camera app the capability to capture stable time-lapse videos.
The only non-Microsoft mod of the bunch shows trending tweets right on your lock screen. But you don’t have to worry about random people seeing them on your phone — you’d have to manually activate both Twitter and Cortana lock screen mods via Settings. If you’d rather not make them accessible, simply leave them off. You can watch a video of the new features below to get a better feel of how they work and how they’re integrated into the platform’s apps.
Source: Cyanogen
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