Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

How to watch Apple’s iPhone event live today

apple

The Biggest Event of Apple


The biggest event of the year of Apple is finally here. The new iPhones of Apple named the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be launched today and Apple will be hosting a special event at the Bill Graham auditorium in San Francisco. The event will be live-streamed on its website. For Indian fans, the time will be 10.30 pm. Users have an option of adding it to your iCalendar directly from the Apple event website. In San Francisco on September 7, Apple would be revealing the new iPhone just in time for the holiday season. Rumours before the event indicate that the new phones would not have an essential design and the iPhone 7 may be totally water-resistant. The next generation iPhone 7 is said to be designed without a headphone jack and would be provided with headphone which will be wireless or plugged directly into the Lightning port. You could watch the event live –

  • The event is said to be scheduled at 10 am Pacific time, 1 pm Eastern time, 5 pm London time and 1 am Hong Kong time 
  • Apple would be streaming the event with a link. 
  • The details of Apple’s live stream can be viewed through a dedicated channel on the Apple TV set top box or on its Safari browser on iOS devices which run on iOS 7 or later and Mac running OS X 10.8.5 or later. The event would also be streamed to second as well as third generation Apple TV devices. In order to watch on a PC, users need to utilise the Microsoft Edge browser from a mechanism running Windows 10. 
  • The stream is not always reliable 
  • Quartz would be covering the entire event as it takes place. Matt Quinn, tech editor would be reporting on the ground. Users could check for live blog which can be done by tuning into The  live blog for the detailed updates, commentary together with images directly from the venue.

Improve Image Quality/Low-Light Performance


The iPhone of Apple, could be a meek update with improved battery, an enhanced Touch ID button together with a simple antenna and a faster processor to be packed in the iPhone design while the iPhone 7 Plus could also get a dual-lens camera. The later upgrade may improve the image quality and low-light performance while the two lenses would also enable the smartphone to utilise the visual depth information for various innovative photographic actions.

The iPhone 7 is predicted to have one less than interesting tweak and the same may be the first smartphone of Apple to ditch the traditional headphone jack. However, the more concern for the possible iPhone 7 users is the early word on the iPhone 8. The next generation smartphone is doubtful of being mentioned at the event though rumours regarding its flashy upgrades appear over its unreleased forerunner.

 According to some reports, the Apple Watch is also expected to get some upgrades and would be having built-in GPS and hence it will be capable of tracking runs together with other activities accurately when it is not connected to an iPhone. This would enable more sophistication location based apps. Moreover, Apple also intends to improve the inadequate computing power of the watch which means that the entire user experience would be getting sharper.

Friday, September 2, 2016

Apple May Launch 'All Glass' iPhone in 2017

iPhone

Apple’s All-Glass iPhone – 2017


One can expect an all-glass iPhone probably by 2017. Foxconn, the supplier for Apple has been developing a glass casing for the iPhone which is likely to show up in 2017 as per a report on the Japanese website, Nikkei. The latest iPhone design of Apple is believed to have a glass chassis to enhance the slowing demand of Apple’s main products.

Reports by Apple on its first decline in the sales of iPhone in the quarter which ended in March has been considering on means of countering tough competition from its opponents like South Korea’s Samsung Electronics.

Foxconn which has been assembling iPhone presently provides the metal casings for Apple and has been developing the new glass casing that would be out in 2017 according to the website report. India, the world’s third largest smartphone market after China and US, had faced a 35% fall in the market share of Apple, where 800,000 smartphones had been shipped to India, by Apple in Q2 2016. This is in comparison to the 1.2 million smartphones it had shipped during the same quarter the previous year, as per a report from Strategy Analytics.

Featuring Curved OLED Display


The latest iPhone besides an all-glass design would also feature a curved OLED display. And an addition feature which could make an appearance is something which has been considered is possibly of getting rid of the Home button.

There have been reports regarding Apple implementing the Home key within the display though till now it has not been possible. The information tends to come from an insider having access to the Chinese production company and stated that Foxconn has been working on glass bodywork for the 2017 iPhone right from 2015 and has gone through various design models.

Moreover, the report also added that it expects the 2017 iPhone model to have a glass frame, front as well as back for the complete glass build, complete with an AMOLED display panel together with a Touch ID Home key accompanied with fingerprint scanner which is inserted below the display.

However with the arrival of 3D Touch together with the latest AMOLED display technology, getting the Home Key in the display is actually a go ahead sign for the 2017 release of iPhone.

More Multifaceted Tactile Vibrations on Display


According to BGR, the 2017 iPhone of Apple would be capable of creating more multifaceted tactile vibrations on the display due to a tiny though high-performance motor which has been equipped within. The trackpad on the revamped MacBook of Apple is entirely stationary with no `click button. On the contrary, the MacBook has a system of well-designed sensors together with vibration, providing the users with the tangible feedback they are familiar to.

Those familiar with the new MacBook could confirm that the implementation is impeccable if not strange. This is the technology which will basically enable Apple to do away with the requirements of a physical Home button. This means that for the overall design and appearance of the iPhone it is likely that the phone would look and operate extraordinarily to the earlier ones. Consumer response to the latest iPhone is yet to be seen.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Apple Said to Plan First Pro Laptop Overhaul in Four Years

mac pro

MacBook Pro Laptop – Thinner/Touch Screen Strip/Powerful/Efficient


According to some source, Apple is organizing its first significant overhaul of its MacBook Pro laptop line in over four years and will be utilising one of its older products in helping to reverse two quarters of sliding sales. The latest notebooks would be thinner, comprising of a touch screen strip for function keys and would be provided with more powerful as well as efficient graphics processors for expert users like video gamers, as per unnamed source.

The updated computers is said to be in advanced testing since early this year within Apple, as reported by some source who did not wish to be identified discussing the product before its release. As per some source, the MacBook Pros are not likely to be unveiled at an event which has been scheduled for September 7 to introduce the next-generation versions of the iPhone.

Spokesman Bill Evans of Apple refrained from commenting. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple signalled the tablets as probable laptop replacements by stating the iPad as a `post-PC’ device when it had been launched in 2010 though products such as the MacBook Pro had portrayed amazing flexibility. The sales of Macs inclusive of Pro line had ascended by 6% to $25.5 billion in the last fiscal year, while iPad sales fell 23% to $23.2 billion.

Organic Light-Emitting Diodes


MacBook Pro’s overhaul this year is targeted at increasing notebook sales at a time when consumers seem to be taking longer in buying or replacing iPads. Apple research has advised customers to upgrade iPad approximately every three years, while purchasing new iPhones every 18 to 24 months as per source familiar with the strategy of Apple.

This helps in understanding why iPad sales had tumbled from a peak in 2013. The most noteworthy addition to the latest MacBook Pro is a secondary display directly above the keyboard which tends to replace the standard function key row. As an alternative to physical key, a strip-like screen would be functioning on an as-needed basis which seems to fit the present job or use.

The smaller display would be utilising Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, which is thinner, lighter with a sharper screen technology, as per Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst of KGI Securities who mentioned it earlier this year. The objective of Apple with regards to the dedicated function display is to simplify keyboard shortcuts which is usually utilised by experienced users.

Casing – Shallower Curves Around Edges


The panel is said to theoretically portray media playback controls when iTunes is open though it would be displaying editing commands such as cut and paste during word processing work, according to some source. Moreover the display would also permit Apple to add new buttons through software updates instead of, through more costly slower hardware recharges.

The new top-of-the-line MacBook Pros would be slightly thinner than the prevailing models though are not narrow like the MacBook Air and modern 12-inch MacBook, according to sources. The fresh MacBook Pros have a smaller footprint than the present models and the casing tends to have shallower curves around the edges.

The source had also informed that the pressure-sensitive trackpad also seemed to be slightly wider. The new design would comprise of USB-C technology, a multifunctional kind of port which can manage charging, data transfers and display connectivity. Apple is also considering gray, gold and silver colours to its new line of product like the other products such as iPhone, iPad and the 12-inch MacBook. I

t is not known whether the coloured Pro laptops would be made available when the new line would be released.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Dota 2 Fans Now Able To Watch Games via VR

Dota 2

Dota 2 online gaming


The VR hall allows people to view the game with friends and can be also provide a ground view. Dota 2 online game followers can now view the largest match of the world battle by the means of digital certainty. The VR hub of Dota 2 could be downloaded free, now available under the DLC men in the game, which permits you to begin the game in virtual authenticity. The game cannot be played directly; nevertheless, you can view full size forms of the characters in the game to view as well as to observe live or recorded matches in the past of Dota 2. And doing so is enchanting.

The owners of HTC Vive headset received an update which allows them to watch via a ‘spectator hub.’ With its help, the respective players can view by moving around the in-game battle arena or via a huge virtual screen, as the players battle.Just before the International e-sports tournament commenced, the hub had been released, in which a Dota players battle to win a prize amount of $18m (£14m). Dota was created by Valve, a game developer, which is also a main partner in the establishment of the Vive headset. Dota 2 in which there are two teams, each consisting of five players, battle to control a small map, is an arena based battle game.

Complete control


The system of Valve’s hub gyrates around a simulated ‘lobby’, with the help of which, players are allowed to view an archived match or view a tournament, simultaneously as it is played. Along with that, this hub also allows the HTC Vive owners to arrange a lobby exclusively for themselves and for 16 others max.With the help of voice chat, these players can travel around the lobby and interact with other players, who like them, are virtually present.

The people or players per say, as displayed as disembodied facades and their hands as shown as gloves by the system. The system allows the viewers to watch the characters which are controlled by the players battle against each other and also against the sycophants controlled by the computer. People can either view the game from overhead or are even given the option to dive down to floor level, once in the game.

“Anybody viewing Dota games through the in-game system, would come across a sharp ‘learning curve’ in get acquainted with the animation created by the angles of the camera” was mentioned on the new site by a reporter named Sam Machkovech. Nonetheless, he also stated that, with regards to the spectating system, his early experiences were ‘totally comfortable.

“This mind-boggling idea of an in-game broadcasting analysis in leagues of professional sports has been a dream for many people. However, as an alternative for having complete control of how we view Messi or Lebron, viewers would be able to do that for the likeness of Admiral Bulldog and Dendi” he said.The tournament in 2015 was won by US Dota2 team, called Evil Genuises, who bagged more than $6.6m (£5m) as cash prize.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Powerful New Siri Capabilities and Single Sign-On Are Coming to Apple TV

Siri

Apple’s Powerful New Siri Proficiency


Apple recently announced a powerful new Siri proficiency, single sign-on for Apple TV as well as several more great latest features for users, enhancing the experience of entertainment in the living room. With the extended proficiencies of Siri, inclusive of searching across more app, YouTube search, and topic search as well as tuning right into more live channels, consumers tend to get to their favourite content much quicker.

The yet to come of the TV is apps and with single sign-on, customers could authenticate all the video channels for their pay-TV providers by signing only once in order to enjoy the benefit of their network TV apps. Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue stated that `the future of TV is apps and Siri on Apple TV has changed the way we interact with our television and these long-drawn-out features will continue to deliver viewers what they want to watch even faster.

 There are more than 6,000 apps to be enjoyed on your Apple TV including over 1,300 video channels, which are even more fun to watch with the new Siri features united with single sign-on’. Siri has become more powerful since the launch of Apple TV, presently searching over 650,000 TV events and movies. Siri is made available to more countries with expanded abilities

Some Features & Functions


Some of the features and functions are:

  • Topic search for movies – Having the skill of asking Siri for a movie by topic or theme, user has many options of locating the films they prefer to watch like `Show movies about baseball, Find documentaries regarding cars, etc. 
  • YouTube search – Later in the month user can ask Siri to search YouTube for instance `Search YouTube for attractive wrestler videos’. 
  • Live tune-in – You could ask Siri to go directly to a live channel within a supported app like `Watch CBS News or Watch ESPN’ 
  • Achieve HomeKit accessories– Apple TV provides users’ control of HomeKit enabled accessories so that you can ask Siri to `turn on the lights’ or `set the temperature to 70 degrees. Apple TV also enables users to control KomeKit accessories when they tend to be away from home or utilise it for home computerization together with the Home app on their iOS device.

 

Simplified Way of Enjoying Pay-TV Video


Customers in the US, for the first time have a simplified way of enjoying pay-TV video channels by utilising single sign-on and beginning this fall, they will only have to sign in, once on Apple TV for the facility of immediate access to their favourite video channels which are included as part of their subscription for pay-TV. When the user tends to sign into a network app, any other app on Apple TV from participating pay-TV provider will inevitably log the user in all the other supported app needing verification.

During the process of the single sign-on, customers can view a page of all the verified apps which a pay-TV provider offers to determine, download easily and enjoy their favourite video channels. Any of the network-TV app could have the benefit of this technology enabling single sign-on, simplifying the process for their audiences. Single sign-on would be made available on Apple TV as well as iOS.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Apple Launches iOS 10 Beta Version to the Public

iOS 10 Beta

Biggest iOS Release - iOS Beta Version


A beta version of Apple’s latest mobile and desktop software, iOS 10 and macOS Sierra has been released by the company. Promoted by the company as `the biggest iOS release ever’, the latest software is said to be intended for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch featuring a revamped lock screen inclusive of the removal of `swipe to unlock’, customisable widgets as well as lively add-ons to iMessage.Though Apple is likely to release the update together with the iPhone 7, users could download the early version of the software using their Apple ID.

The company has been motivating users of beta to report on any bugs or errors they may come across in the iOS, which is not the confirmed version and would be updated all through the testing period before its general release. In order to download the software, the user is required to sign up to the Beta Software Program of Apple utilising the Apple ID.

When the user has signed up they can register the device they would like to upgrade to iOS 10 or macOS Sierra to be able to download the same. Apple has recommended consumers to backup any device they may be utilising for the beta and emphases that since the software is in its testing stage, it may feature malfunctions and viruses.

Altered the Way Users Open their Phones


You can back up the device in Settings by using iCloud or by connecting it to a computer. For those having over one Apple device, the iPhone maker states that it is better to download the beta on a secondary one and once the backup of the device is done, if you would like to update, it can be done by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

The iOS 10 is said to be the most essential change that Apple has released for the software in a few years. To be precise, it has altered the way users tend to open their phones. Picking up a device which runs iOS 10 mechanically lights up the screen showing notifications, weather information, calendar appointments and news updates.

From there, the `swipe to unlock’ feature has been removed by Apple which has been a basic since the first iPhone, the pressing of the home button was the only function needed to unlock the phone. Other useful alteration comprise of customisable widgets, the capability of deleting default apps and voicemail transcription.

Modification in Mac OS Sierra – Assimilation with Sri


To the developers, iMessage has also been opened who can now develop apps within it, which means that users can now order food, send money or shop within messages. The biggest modification in macOS Sierra is the assimilation with Siri that also tends to work now with third party apps.

Siri has got a huge makeover and is much smarter which includes writing your messages, performing image searches as well as transcribing voicemails. Apple Music has brought back useful iTunes features, comprising of the `Recently Added and Recently Played’, segments.

 It has also included statistics in Browse and For You, which has daily playlists, top charts as well as radio, somewhat like Spotify Discover Moreover the computer software also comprises of updates to the Photos app, tabs for every app and Apple Music.

Friday, July 1, 2016

Apple reveals ‘smarter’ Siri at WWDC conference in San Francisco

Siri

Apple’s Smarter Siri/Message App


At WWDC in San Francisco, Apple released a smarter Siri together with a Message app to take on Facebook Message and Snapchat’s filters in the wrap of latest features shown recently. Tom Cook CEO of Apple had started the WWDC keynote with a tribute to the victims of the Orlando shooting before beginning a list of the new software features which users would see later in the year. Apple launched the latest iOS 10; MacOS and an upgraded Siri at the event together with latest versions of Watch OS and tvOS.

 As expected, Siri seemed to be among the highlights with Apple introducing it up for third party app developers. Siri would also be available on macOS with the Sierra update. Apple supporters expecting new hardware were dissatisfied though there were main changes to the operating systems for Macintosh computers, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch.

Cook had calculated up the significance of the development community to Apple. There were now two million apps in the App Store that have been downloaded around 130 times with US$50 billion which had been paid to the developers. Apple Watch app would eventually be more usable with new control centre, which will make it easy to switch between apps as well as a new way of opening app seven times quicker.

Siri Added to Mac – First Time


Apple’s voice-based virtual assistant, Siri, was added to the Mac for the first time with the ability to pay utilising Apple Pay. Option to use the payment facility would be appearing on the websites together with confirmation requests sent to a user’s phone wherein they could use their fingerprint to permit them.Mac users would be able to utilise their Apple Watch in unlocking a Mac when they tend to be in close proximity of their laptop.

Between Apple devices like iPhone’s Touch ID, there will be better incorporation for the purpose of online purchases with your Mac computer and copy and pasting from one device of Apple to another. Together with the software changes, Apple had also mentioned a free app in order to encourage children in learning programming. He had stated that they believe that technology should lift humanity.

Information regarding improvements on how the app seems to run on Apple Watch was also acknowledged by the audience of developers at WWDC in San Francisco with the potential of Apple Watch OS3 making apps to open faster by seven times.

New SOS Feature in Watch


One of the main figures behind Apple Watch, Kevin Lynch had announced a new SOS feature in the watch that tends to call an emergency number, sending a text message with the location to the emergency contacts, automatically. In order to activate the emergency call, you could hit and hold the button towards the side of the Watch.

Other developments to the operating system of the Watch comprise of a new control centre, a much simpler way of responding to text messages together with new Watch faces. The capability of swiping between open apps in the way identical to using apps on the iPhone seems to be the major modification to the Watch.

The fitness section of the Watch also tends to get a renovation under the latest operating system wherein you can compete with family and friends on number of steps taken, minutes of exercises and calories burnt. A new fitness app known as Breathe has been designed to encourage people to lessen stress by regular sessions of deep breathing. The latest version of Watch OS is said to be released in spring.

Monday, June 27, 2016

iScout ‘Head up Display’ Helps Drivers with Directions and Blind Spots

iScout

iScout Head-Up-Displays for Safe Driving


Having no standouts on the markets, Heads-Up Displays – HUDs for cars did not catch up and a new competitor, iScoutis making attempts in addressing several of these issues. iScout is a patent that is pending HUD which develops all information needed for driving like fuel level, car speed, GPS navigation as a floating virtual image before the vehicle. It syncs to the smartphone displaying incoming calls, reminders, messages, social media content together with notifications and several other features like blind-spot view accompanied with an integrated dashcam.

 It shows notifications from apps such as WhatsApp, rejects or takes call with a hand-wave and tends to have blind-spot cameras. The purpose of HUD is to make driving much safer wherein the driver will not have the need to take his eyes off the road for any information needed while driving. Recent study indicates that it takes less time for the driver to get this information from a HUD as against looking at a conservative display – phone screen/GPS device, as it takes substantially lesser time for the eye to move the focus from the road to the display and back. This warrants that the attention of the driver is on the road and hence tends to lessen the accident risks.

Photochromic Display Works in Day/Night Conditions


It is launching on Kickstarter and may never be shipped. With this bit of doubt out of the way, the company tends to have a solid-looking sample together with plenty of good features. The `photochromic display works in both day and night conditions and seems to have its own app and GPS to display heads-up route direction. Moreover the device also tends to connects to the smartphone over Bluetooth, enabling the user to accept or reject calls by waving your hand, for instance while keeping the GPS on the screen.

 The user can also compose text through voice dictation and view notifications from apps like WhatsApp and Twitter or even control music from Spotify etc. Since iScout has the capability of connecting with the OBD plug of the vehicle, you could also view information such as fuel level, speed and maintenance problems. Should you be running short of gas, it could indicate an alert, guiding you to the nearest service station.

Premium Model – Blind Spot Cameras


Premium model tend to have blind spot cameras which activates automatically when turn signals are used helping to keep the eyes on the road. With regards to the camera, the device has a forward looking dashcam in the event of any accidents. The product is being marketing by the company as a safety device. However, receiving notifications on the device could be as distracting as checking the same on the phones. According to the company, it’s about as safety-friendly as one is going to get in a connect car.

The display for instance `is focused into the distance and shown just below your line of sight, which means that it will need very little of your attention to check your GPS, speed together with the other information compared to in-car on-dash devices. The iScout is on pre-order for basic edition, starting at $269 and $299 for premium model with blind spot cameras.

Monday, June 20, 2016

The Smart Earplugs That are Giving 20,000 US Soldiers 'Super Hearing’ and They Could be Coming to Your iPhone

Super hearing

Smart Earbuds to Diminish High-Level Instinct Noise


With more than half of the troops returning from battle zones having some kind of damage to their hearing now around 20,000 military members seem to be using earbuds which tends to diminish the high-level instinct noises while intensifying very low signature kinds of sound for great hearing capabilities. The military device known as Tactical Communication and Protective System – TCAPS, can be utilised in headset for all ranges from construction workers to music lovers.

TCAPS tends to reduce noise to 85 decibels, enabling soldiers to hear as well as communicate over loudnoise of gunfire which is at least 150 decibels. When placed in the ear, the tip of the earbud tends to sit for 15 to 20 seconds to enlarge to full capacity for comfortable fit where the tips can last from a week to a month based on how clean the ears may be as well as the fit, as reported by Leesville Daily Leader.

The unit tends to bear a resemblance to a traditional pair of earbuds together with some additional high tech features and some of the models can connect to the communication gear of the soldier. TCAPS was first developed in 2007 by Army’s Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe.

Earbuds – Solve the Problem of Hearing Damage


Captain Jack Moore, part of the Project Manager Soldier Warrior team stated that the team wished that these earbuds would solve the problem of hearing damage by actively decreasing damaging battlefield noise as well as enhancing the hearing and communication in delivering tactical advantage.

He added that over the years, they have seem a large amount of dollars being spent in benefiting the soldiers who had lost their hearing in training or battle and that they are now attempting to resolve the problem in a way which they can not only get improved hearing protection but also an improvement in communication competences integrated too. Lt. Col Kristen Casto, audiology consultant to the Army’s surgeon general had informed NPR that `your ears cannot handle loud sounds without suffering mechanical damage to the inner ear which results in permanent hearing loss’.

Adjustable Volume Knobs


Casto explained that the soldiers have turned to a simple way of protecting their ears by sticking a piece of expandable foam in the ear though when the need to maintain auditory awareness arises, it is not the proper hearing protector. TCAPS could only provide soldiers with protection from high ambient sounds as well situational alertness though the device permits clear two-way audio communication between the radio and the user.

Doug Brungart, chief scientist at the audiology and speech pathology centre at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre informed that the technology is not actually that complicated and adds that you can think of the system as having adjustable volume knob. The louder the sound tends to get outside, the more it seems to turn down the volume and the person wearing the device could still hear the sound though it will never get so loud that it would cause any kind of damage.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

8 Reasons you are finally Going to Wear Your Apple Watch


iWatch

The Next Software Update of Apple Watch 

Apple had made an announcement at its yearly developer conference on Monday and renamed OS X to MacOS showing off new features on TVOS. The succeeding software update for Apple Watch - Watch OS 3 drew a lot of attention and tends to look exceptional. The following are the eight features which seem to make the Apple Watch a lot better:

1. No staring blankly at the wrist

The Apple Watch from the first day, has been overwhelmed with slow loading time for apps and presently the process goes thus - one can raise their wrist and tap on an app icon, the circular, spinning dots start up and with the wrist raised, on can walk the dog, take out the trash, or take a nap and then the app tends to eventually load. According to Apple, with WatchOS 3, the mostly used apps seem to load seven times faster. The onstage demo of app launching seemed to be inspiring and if it tends to work the same after the WWDC stage, loading the app faster would be making the watch very helpful.

2. Apple Watch gets an app dock

Now with the loading of app being much faster, it could be reasonable to have a quicker access to these apps. Apple presently has included an app dock which is similar to MacOS or iOS and you could set some apps to reside in the dock and open the dock quickly on pressing the side button of the watch. On scrolling through the previews of the apps, you could tap on the respective card in launching the app which is much better than using the side button as a shortcut for digital touch.

3. In fitness, compete with friends 

Tracking of activities on the Apple Watch has been remote since the same cannot be shared or the stats sent to family members or friend and to motivate them for improvement. Apple seems to bring friends on the Activity app wherein one can cheer on or trash talks with those on your list of friends based on their regular activity status.

4. Scribble

Apple has the potential of writing on the watch utilising the finger when at times, one is unable to dictate a message to the watch. Apple has a feature known as Scribble and when it is activated, you can write the message one letter at a time on the screen of the watch. The watch will then identify the handwriting, translating it into text which is ready to be sent as a message.

5. More Apple Pay 

With the launch of WatOS 3 this fall, one will not only have the option of using Apple Pay on tapping your wrist on compatible terminal for payment but also complete purchases directly on your wrist with the help of the app.

6. Improved switching between watch faces

The procedure of switching between watch faces has been enhanced which needs a simple swipe to the right or left across the prevailing watch face. Besides this, the Apple Watch app on the iPhone would now display the complication an app tends to have which would be helpful in making a purchase decision, on being aware precisely what an app seems capable of doing on the wrist.

7. Just Breathe

A health app known as Breathe will alert you to take a moment and breathe and the thinking here is that you take some minutes daily to clear your mind and be more conscious of your breathing to relax and reduce stress levels.

8. Accessibility 

Apple has created a wheelchair mode for the Apple Watch and when activated, user would get credit for activity as they move around in a wheelchair. Instead of getting hourly alert to stand up, wheelchair user would be informed that `it’s time to roll’.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Apple Pencil 2 new Features and Release Date Rumour

Apple Pencil

Apple Pencil – Stylus for iPad Pro – Best Tablet Stylus


The Apple Pencil, the stylus for the iPad Pro is perhaps said to be the best tablet stylus presently in the world. The first Apple Pencil had been launched together with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in September 2015 and hence the most apparent time to anticipate an update is in autumn 2016. In the iPad Pro 2 report summary, various theories were considered regarding when Apple would update the 9.7-inch types of the device and these could have suggestions for the stylus accessory.

One is that Apple tends to do an iPad update in September 2016 though it is clearly a minor one, only to bring the Pro 12.9 to the standards of the 9.7 and then the iPad Pro 2 comes out in March 2017 thereafter is updated on a yearly basis. An Apple patent has been found which recommend that the future Apple Pencils could be offering same features. The patent filed in 2011 and had been published on May 3, 2016, defines an intelligent stylus wherein each nib seems to have its own sensor that tends to pair with a separate sensor in the body of the stylus. Two tilt sensors in the tip tends to calculate the precise orientation and the angle of your hand and as one tends to write or draw, the relative position of the sensors is detected by the Multi-Touch display.

Touch Input Information


Hence one can create the effects of shading by just tilting Apple Pencil the way one would do with a charcoal or a conventional pencil. The patent’s detailed description states that `the stylus 110 can include multiple sensors to provide information about its condition, where the sensors can be selectively used alone or in various combinations. The ability to provide information beyond simply touch input information, particularly information about the condition of the stylus which the stylus determines itself, gives this stylus intelligence, absent from a traditional stylus’.

Apple has also mentioned in the patent that the possibility of turning the back end of the Apple Pencil into an erase. The detailed description states that `for the additional contact/proximity sensor at the stylus non-tip end, the MCU can determine the stylus’s condition at the non-tip end as touching or hovering over a surface for instance, to emulate an eraser’. Besides this it also states that the MCU can extract fingerprints from the touch measurement and can identify the user of the stylus. The MCU can transmit the user identification to the touch sensitive device.

Touch Sensitive Device – Authenticate User’s Stylus


The touch sensitive device can then perform some action based on the identification. For instance, the touch sensitive device can authenticate the user of the stylus and can accept stylus input if the user is authenticated and deny stylus input if the user is not. Patently Apple had smartly marked what it tends to believe to be a reference in a 2014 Apple patent filing to a stylus which can control the track-pad on a Mac.

 It is speculatedif the Apple Pencil would achieve the skill of controlling iPhones and other iPads besides the Pro models, the Mac range is a bigger jump than expected. Patent for the Stylus With Inertial Sensor comprise of drawing which tend to show what appears to be a Mac and track-pad system.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Apple's Echo Rival Could See You With Built-In Camera

Echo_Appletv

Apple’s Echo Featuring Camera/Facial Recognition Functionality


Apple is said to be working on an Amazon Echo rival which according to reports may feature a camera and facial recognition functionality. The device with the in-built camera would be capable of detecting who will be in the closeness of the speaker using facial recognition technology and automatically activates that individual’ preferences like choice of music and lighting.

The hardware would be released by the end of the year though it is likely to be made available in 2017. However, they have warned that Apple would change its plans to include a camera or may even scrap the device completely. Apple had refrained from commenting. Due to the Echo together with its built-in voice assistant known as Alexa, Amazon tends to play a vital role in the transition in the homes of people.

Apple finds itself behind even though it had launched Siri before the digital assistant had come in. Presently neither Echo nor Google’s recently proclaimed devices, Google Home, tend to have cameras. They are both voice-activated speakers which enables you to control the home appliances by loud communication commands.

Intelligent Cameras in Devices – Risky


Apple’s device also tends to obey voice commands via Siri, Putting intelligent cameras in devices seems to be risky for companies since it tends to raise questions regarding privacy. Intel intended to release a TV box with a camera though it ditched the plan for its first product.Intel had informed that it was owing to the cost as well as the time taken to build the device though the company also encountered backlash over concerns that the box would be watching you all the while. Intel eventually had sold the business, OnCue to Verizon which did away with the hardware in support of a streaming service known as Go90.

Supporters of smart cameras in devices, state that there is little privacy or security risk to consumers as long as the camera is kept turned off by default and consumers have the option to use it. Apple has been the leader in the drive for more security and privacy for its consumers and its combative battle with the FBI earlier in the year had drawn attention to the requirement of stronger security on devices. It is doubtful that Apple would include a camera in a smart home speaker unless it could also ensure the device is secure.

New Model of Apple TV Set Top Box – Built-in Mic/Speaker


Though the Independent had reported that the device would be Siri-based and would be a standalone device, another report later in the week claimed that the device would be coming to homes as a new model of the Apple TV set top box that would have a built-in mic and speaker.

But a main drawback to an Apple TV based Echo competitor would be the hard wired connection to a television set which would eradicate an attractive feature of the Echo, the facility of putting it anywhere in the house. Though the earlier reports had not revealed a possible delivery date for the device, Sources had indicated that it could probably be by the end of 2016 but 2017 would be a possibility.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Apple Patents iPad Cover with its own Display

patent

Apple’s Patent – iPad Smart Cover with Flexible Display


Apple has been awarded a patent for iPad Smart cover having its own `flexible display’ built-in. Based on a patent that has been granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the latest version of Apple of its Smart Cover comprises of a flexible display, solar panels to collect energy, inductive charging together with a smart keyboard and its smart connector. The prevailing cover tends to fold over the screen, awakening the iPad from sleep mode but besides that it does not seem to live up to its smart branding. However a notion sketched out by the company foresees an accessory which would be providing `significant expansion in functionality’. For instance it could roll out in front of the device in order to provide extra screen space or display the name of a song or a movie that has been playing on the tablet when rolled up. It could also be used as a full second display or utilised as an input device wherein a stylus or finger could be used in controlling the screen of the tablet. The patent application has also mentioned that the solar cells could be added to the cover which would soak up the rays of the sun to power the iPad. A variety of patents have been held by technology firms that have never seen the daylight and hence there is no guarantee that this would go into production in the future.

Extending Usability/Functionality of Tablet Device


Apple had noted in the filing that this was a way of extending the usability as well as the functionality of a tablet device without the need of making it larger. Though there is no sign that Apple has been working on making this a reality, patent blog Patently Apple which has reported the news first, records that permitting this patent also comprises of a smart connector for the cover something that is used in its latest device, the iPad Pro that comes with a smart keyboard which tends to connect in a similar manner. The patent had been filed initially in 2011 a year after the launch of the iPad and had been approved recently.The patent officially granted, for a cover attachment with flexible display, envisages a futuristic iPad cover with its own display spread over the folding panels which could be utilised for anything as per the drawings of Apple. Different notification or reminder can be displayed on the panels or transform into media controls when a movie is being played on the tablet.

Serves as Wacom-Style Drawing Pad


Its patent application notes that AMOLED screens would be perfect here as they can light up single pixels, leaving the rest turned off, thus saving battery life. Another image portrays the cover that serves as a Wacom-style drawing pad which seems a bit laid off with the refined precision which has been permitted by the Apple Pencil and the screen technology in iPads recently though it is yet a neat idea. The patent illustrates various ways in which the Smart Cover display can be used from simply extending the iPad’s own display through text only displays of things like reminders to a joint display and the touchpad. Selected options tend to show the display as a full input device, enabling both handwritten notes as well as drawings.

Monday, May 23, 2016

India Claims to Have Tool to Defeat iPhone Encryption

iPhone

Tool for Mobile Forensics


According to the New Indian Express, communication and IT minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad had mentioned recently that as part of a program, a tool for mobile forensics has been created which could handle smartphones, inclusive of Apple’s iPhone. India apparently has a secret technology to decrypt iPhones.This is not to say that a tool has been developed which would bypass encryption, instead a process to get past the lock screen has been created.

 Prasad had stated that the tool had come about, as a part of a continuous process of research and development instead of being a case of singling out iPhone for specific attention. Prasad has not revealed which other handsets and devices the government is capable of accessing, though smartphone users would be pleased at his admission that a universal encryption key has not been developed.The iPhone was in the midst of a legal battle between Apple and the FBI, earlier this year, when the FBI had sought the help of Apple in accessing a locked iPhone 5C that had been utilised by one of the two terrorist involved in the December attack in San Bernardino, California which had left 14 people dead.

Endanger Security & Privacy of Users


While the company had initially complied, it refused a court order demanding that it build a tool providing backdoor access into the iPhone. Apple together with most of the tech industry, believe that building such a tool would endanger the security and privacy of users. The conflict had ended towards late March when the feds had paid for a technique which had successfully unlocked the iPhone. The FBI had persevered that it needed the help of Apple for another case but relented after it had successfully hacked into the second iPhone.

As per tech firms, weakening encryption that seems to scramble data in order to be read only by the intended person tends to violate the privacy of device owners. Law enforcement officials state that encryption obstructs their ability to access data in criminal investigations. BlackBerry had faced trouble in India as well as other countries that had insisted on gaining access to encrypted customer data stored on the company’s server, in 2010. BlackBerry debated that it did not possess the encryption key and hence could not provide access to the data.

India On-going in its Research & Development


Apple had refrained from commenting immediately in response to writers request. India has a forensic tool for mobile which can apparently break into iPhone of Apple and maybe FBI should make a note of it. It is not known precisely what the tool is, which devices it is capable of cracking into and what operating system version they tend to run on.

However the confirmation of the tool comes from Ravi Shankar Prasad. The LAPD recently, had been successful in hacking into an iPhone, which raised doubts as to whether the FBI legally could break into the iPhone. If what the Indian communication minister says is true regarding the tool, then it would mean that India has a more sophisticated tool than the FBI. The minister allegedly said that India is on-going in its research and development in order to upgrade its tools and technologies in harmony with its ever-changing software and devices.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Apple Granted Patent for System With Wireless Messages To Enhance Location Accuracy

patent

Apple Address Weakness Characteristic in GPS Based Navigation System


In a patent granted to Apple, the company imagines complete cities outfitted with low-power wireless transmitters capable of sending pinpoint precise location data as well as dynamic environmental alerts, to iPhones and in-car navigation systems. As issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Patent of Apple, tends to continue the investigation into beacon-based navigation of the company though on a grand scale. Rather than aiding iPhone owners in locating car that may be parked in an underground lot or locate their position utilising advanced geo-fencing algorithms, the latest invention of Apple tends to address weakness characteristic in all GPS –based navigation systems.

The present patent endeavours to resolve reception issue which come up in thickly inhabited cities, at times referred as urban canyon environments for their elevated buildings while simultaneously increasing the granularity of positioning data. Essentially, the solution of Apple tends to consume less power than A-GPS, Wi-Fi positioning as well as cellular tower triangulation procedures, all present augmentation to vanilla GPS.The plan calls for a multitude of stationary transmitters to be installed at strategic locations next in the vicinity of the city roads, like adjacent building, within pre-existing traffic lights, guard rails, roadside signs together with other structures.

Transmitter – A Smart Wireless Hub


Every transmitter is mostly a smart wireless hub rising with radio transceivers, which is a perfect configuration support cellular, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi and GPS data transfer proprieties and the equipment can be fed by AC line power or solar system.A stationary waypoint device, in operation broadcasts its location data, plotted on a Cartesian plane through wireless Bluetooth LE message.

Each message is sent at known signal strength enabling the receiving device such as iPhone or car to induce relative location built on received signal strength indicator – RSS value. The receiving device could utilise various techniques in determining its total position based on the number as well as quality of the messages received, with two choices comprising of triangulation together with time-of-flight computations. In some examples, an iPhone could utilise location data provided by static devices in performance with GPS details though the invention of Apple has the capability of operating as a locked system.

Apple’s Invention – A Role in Autonomous Vehicle Logic


As an addition, the transmitters could also send out z-axis data to be used on multi-level highways for instance, a measurement which is regularly available from commercial GPS system. With regards to navigation, the system can be organised in tracking vehicle movement with great degree of precision. A series of transmitters for instance, could be installed along off-ramps and on-ramps, forks in a road, freeway exits as well as other locations where the traditional GPS system tends to fail in resolving user position with sufficient accuracy.

Though it has not been mentioned in the recent document, the invention of Apple could play a role in autonomous vehicle logic and the described transmitters in particular could be shaped to broadcast rich data comprising of information with regards to traffic, road as well as other driving conditions. User for instance could be informed of an upcoming speed limit change, rough weather, and risky road condition while driving past a connected transmitter.

With the prevailing car equipment, these messages could present an audible alert and an onscreen dialogue. In future, nevertheless, the same roadside beacon could inform an on-board AI of the neighbouring atmosphere warning it to take action when necessary.

The Rise of the Robots — Friend or Foe?

Robot

Robots – Friends or Foe


Advancement in technology would mean that robots tend to look and behave like humans and also seem to behave like their human counterparts. Financial Times’ Richard Waters and Kana Inagaki have learned the latest humanoid robots and debate whether these machines could really bring about a change in the society. FT has put forth this question whether robots could be Friend or Foe in their very 21st century YouTube series `Living with Robots', all about man and machine.

Japan seems to have a thing for robots right from aiding the elderly in Japan to humanoid robots being created and the series going ahead in the role of these man-made machines, in our home to our workplace and to the world that surround us.

The series, ‘Man or Machine? Building Robots Like Us takes us to Japan wherein the researcher are making use of the prevailing technological advances by creating robots which look like humans. In the documentary – Man or Machine, Building Robots Like Us, there are two examples and Japanese one tends to focus on creating robots with faces and bodies like human beings. They are android and Kana Inagaki of Financial Times speaks to one of them, Matsukoroid, a popular late-night TV host.

Technology – Interesting Less Machine-Like


Chief executive of A-Lab, co-creator of Matsukoroid, Takeshi Mita had commented that people would find it creepy or scary on seeing an android at first sight, However, human seem to be malleable and hence they can accept the presence of androids with passage of time an occurrence which does not tend to happen with other robots. The Japanese method is to make the technology very interesting to the common people as well as less machine-like.

Senior Manager of Toshiba, Hideo Aruga, state that there are people who are not good with machines such as the elderly, people with disabilities as well as children and for them it is essential to have android who can transmit information for them. The Japanese tend to see android robot as the solution to the altering demographics in their nation and with the biggest rate of elderly on the earth together with a decline in birth-rate, it envisages androids as an appropriate replacement for less human workers. Androids can look after the elderly, work in childcare and can help the disabled. The designer is of the belief that the public feels the link due to the characteristic of human in these machines.

Interesting Prospective, Not Shared by Robotic Researchers


Richard Waters of Financial Times state that it seems to be an interesting perspective which is not shared by robotic researchers in the United States. He goes on to describe that the approach of North America’s Silicon Valley is aimed on emerging technology which is definitely not human but focused on learning to expect what we humans need to do. Robot that has also contested in DARPA’s robotic challenge should not be mistaken for human inspite of being most bipedal and in possession of two upper limbs.

Silvio Savarese, assistant professor at Stanford University has described the kind of androids that are developed in Japan as robots which according to him could create fear in people and debates that robot need to be practical and cute and not anthropomorphic. He together with his colleagues are the creators of the Jackrabbot in the Computational Vision and Geometry Lab at Stanford, which is a self-navigating automated electric delivery cart which tends to operate in the attendance of human without colliding in them.

New Immersion lawsuit adds Apple's iPhone 6s, MacBook to patent infringement row

Apple

Immersion Corporation – Prolonged Legal Battle Against Apple


A leader in haptic feedback technology, Immersion Corporation, has prolonged its legal battle against Apple on Thursday with new patent infringement suit directing technology built into iPhone 6s together with numerous MacBook models. The lawsuit that was filed with the United States District Court for the District of Delaware states that Apple had significantly infringed on four owned patents linking to haptic technology defined as physical feedback to user action or UI dealings. Apple had first debuted an accurate haptic engine in Apple Watch and since then had incorporated same technology all through its device line-up. The latest declaration of Immersion comes on the heels of an U.S.

International Trade Commission complaint and the lawsuit that is filed in the same Delaware court in February and all these three case have named AT&T as a co-defendant. In present day’s complaint, Immersion mentions owned U.S. Patent Nos. 8,749,507, 7,808,488, 8,581,710 and 7.336,260, each of which tend to cover a feature of the in-house developed haptic technologies of the company. Three claims seems to go after 3D Touch tech of Apple that combines a force-sensitive display as well as a linear vibratory motor that has been dubbed as the Taptic Engine offering contextual vibratory feedback of z-axis user gestures.

Peek and Pop


Immersion’s 507 and 488 patents, specially covering timing intervals and variable input pressure in haptic systems are being declared against `Peek and Pop’ generation on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The most recent flagship smartphone introduced in Apple, `Peep and Pop’, is a function of 3D Touch pressure-sensitive gesture input which tends to permit users to preview cross-linked content without the need of opening a standalone app. For instance, user can start a light press in order to `peek’ a hyperlink included within an email, while a deeper press tends to `pop’ the content into Safari.

The Quick Actions feature of Apple that portrays a list of app shortcuts on the iOS home screen on a deep press event is said to be in infringement of Immersion’s 710 patent for Systems and Methods for Haptic Confirmation of Commands. `Quick Actions tend to enable a main function of 3D Touch. Lastly, Immersion is leveraging its `260 patent for a Method and Apparatus for Providing Tactile Sensations’ against the Force Touch track-pad technology of Apple as included in the 12-inch MacBook, 13-inch MacBook Pro and 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Jury Trial to Resolve the Lawsuit


Force Touch has also been included in the Magic Track-pad 2 that is equally open to examination in the case of Immersion who is in search of compensatory as well as supplemental damages which could be tripled if Apple is found to have deliberately infringed the declared intellectual property. Immersion states that as to why AT&T has been included in the lawsuit, is because the carrier sells Apple products and is thereby encouraging and facilitating infringing use by others.

By that logic, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, together with the other carriers should be included also in the lawsuit. Immersion has stated that it would like a jury trial in an attempt of resolving the lawsuit against Apple and AT&T and would like to receive compensatory damages for the same. In its earnings released recently, the company has also asked that progress be made with regards to United States International Trade Commission Complaint over the same problem which seeks a U.S. sales addition on the aforementioned products.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

The Main Reason Apple Just Invested $1 Billion in the Uber of China


Apple

Apple’s $1 Billion Investment in Didi Chuxing Technology


Apple Inc. has confirmed that it has invested $1 billion in Chinese ride-sharing company, Didi Chuxing Technology Co, which rivals Uber in China. With this investment Didi will have the rights in the Middle Kingdom where it can claim to be one of the few companies to be receiving funding from Apple.

The competition in building and providing autonomous vehicles tends to pit the two most valuable companies in the world, namely Apple and Google parent Alphabet Inc. besides others, against one another as well as against the worlds’ most valuable private venture-capital backed company, the rival of Didi – Uber Technologies Inc.

Apples’ investment lines up with Chinese Internet giants Alibaba Group Holding Ltd together with Tencent Holdings Ltd who are investors for Didi and Lyft Inc., the biggest U.S. rival of Uber who had taken an investment from Didi last year. The high profile venture capital firms such as Coatue Management, Global, GGV, Softbank and Tiger have supported Didi and their support had set the foundation for a global anti-Uber alliance which comprise of Lyft in the US, Grab in Southeast Asia and Ola in India.

Apple the Outlier in the Mix of Tech Heavyweights


In spite of its influence and brand name, Apple seems to be the outlier in this mix of tech heavyweights, a smartphone company among a mass of global investors and Chinese media giants. The assets in mapping as well as artificial intelligence of Apple would definitely help Didi in the future, the emerging self-driving car industry overlaps with the ride-hailing industry.

As of now, it is difficult to imagine what Apple could bring to Didi which Alibaba as well as Tencent cannot. Apple had enjoyed success in the Middle Kingdom due to its popularity of the iPhone and now makes almost a quarter of its revenue from sales to China, though its glorious day seem to be diminishing. Other indications of stress in China have emerged recently.

A high profile Apple investor, Carl Icahn has confirmed that he sold off all his shares in the company two weeks ago, since he was worried about the possibility of reducing sales by the Chinese’s government. Coordinated reports had been published by Chinese state media outlets that Huawei, the Chinese maker of Telco equipment and smartphones, had started charging Apple patent fees linked to wireless communication technologies.

Apple True Beneficiary of Deal


However, in spite of how the $1 billion would be placed in Didi’s reserves, Apple would be the true beneficiary of the deal. It would be a cause for celebration for any tech company to be receiving an investment from Apple but Didi has such an enviable position in China that the funding would be bringing little more than cash at least in the short term, for the company.

If funding seems the gasoline for ride-hailing company, then Didi seems to be leading Uber in China. The company had raised $4 billion in secured funding after a merger last year valued at $15 billion. Meanwhile, Uber China has been reportedly valued at around $8 billion after a $1.2 billion funding somewhere in January. Strong reliable data contrasting the popularity of the services of the company tends to remain scarce.

However, company numbers suggest broadly that Didi seems to occupy around 90% of the ride-hailing market in China. Apple has not confirmed publicly regarding its interest in automobile, though Mr Cook had stated that the automobile industry is on the threshold of a massive change with software and self-driving technology having a huge role in future cars.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Siri creators will unveil rival virtual assistant Viv

Viv

New AI Bot – Taking Technology to Next Level


Apple has been getting ready to unveil, two creators of Siri, virtual assistant for iPhone and iPad, with a new AI bot which say will be taking the technology to the next level. According Washington Post report, for the first time, Viv which will be demonstrated publicly at a most important conference soon is said to be the most highly expected technology to come out of a start-up this year.

However, Viv is by no means alone in this attempt. The mission to define the next generation of artificial intelligence technology had generated an arms race among the five major tech giants namely Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon.com who have announced major investments in virtual assistant software over the past year. Envisioned to be an improved vision of Siri, developers want consumers to capable of getting a pizza delivered for instance, without the need to phone, fill out a form online to use a restaurant app.

All that is needed is to tell Viv what pizza is needed and from which location. AI assistants have been advertised for long as the next big shift in digital commerce enabling users of smartphone to book a cab, make reservation in a restaurant as well as buy film tickets without the need to type a letter.

Makers Want Technologies in a Range of Products


According to the Post, Viv Labs has been partnering with about 50 outside companies comprising of GrubHub, Uber, Zocdoc and SeatGuru to enable its AI tap into their services. Viv’s chief executive, Dag Kittlaus, informed Washington Post that `it is about taking the way that humans have naturally interacted with each other for thousands of years and applying that to the way they interact with services. Everyone knows how to hold a conversation.

Mr Kittlaus together with his colleague Adam Cheyer were among the co-founders of Siri that had been the first mainstream virtual assistant when it had been obtained in 2010 by Apple. The newspaper had reported that instead of restricting Viv to another company, like Siri, the makers wanted the technology in a range of products comprising of TVs, cars and all types of connected devices. Siri, since its launch in 2011 has become progressively intelligent and now can hold basic two-way conversation with its users. Though it is not without faults but still tends to struggle in understanding different accents as well as specific commands.

Changeover to Turn Smartphones/Smart Homes/Cars – Virtual Assistants


In 2014, Microsoft had launched its own assistant known as Cortana while Facebook had unveiled `M’ in August. The silent four year old Viv is among the extreme along in an endeavour which several in Silicon Valley believe heralds the next big shift in computing and digital commerce.

 Julie Ask, an expert in mobile commerce at Forrester, stated that for the next five years, that changeoverwould turn smartphones and probably smart homes as well as cars together with other devices into virtual assistantswith supercharged conversational abilities.Powered by artificial intelligence and exceptional volumes of data, they could be the portal wherein billions of people tend to connect to every service and business in the internet world.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Autocorrect Fail? Apple has a Solution

patent

Apple’s Patent Application – Autocorrected Words Underlined within Text Message


Autocorrect has been an indispensable tool to text quickly though it could also lead to some humiliating errors. A new patent application has been reported that Apple intends fixing autocorrect and has come up with a solution to this error. The company had filed a patent for a fix which would see message recipients warned that the words by the sender have been automatically corrected, thus averting the confusion of viewing incoherent or rude message.

At the moment, autocorrected words are presented just the way as any other word, when messages are being written as well as read. The proposal of Apple is that they would be highlighted using an underscore in both the typing window andwhen it is read by its intended target, distinguishing an autocorrected word from any other word.

The document which had first been marked by blog Apple Insider, intends a feature which would distinguish visually specific words in a text message which has been autocorrected. It is not known how Apple intends to do so, though the images of the patent application portray autocorrected words being underlined within a text message. Thepatent reads `an improved user interface for displaying electronic messages including replacement character strings is needed.

Accept Changes/ Request Clarification


An idea illustrated in the document included an `Accept changes’ button which a user can tap to approve the autocorrected message prior to sending it. Another image shows a `Request Clarification’ button that seems to be an option for the recipient to utilise it while receiving a text which does not make much sense owing to autocorrect edits.

 Additional method could include a few proposals for words which could make more sense in the given context. iPhone keyboard of Apple tends to offer option to choose from, while autocorrecting a misspelled word yet once the change has been applied, has no graphic display that a word had been edited. It is a good idea which could eradicate confusion but there is no sign that Apple intends to bring this feature to iPhone software in the near future. Patent application only indicates that this is an issue which Apple is looking into.

Additional Details at Worldwide Developers Conference


Devices, methods and graphical user interfaces for sending and receiving electronic messages comprising of replacement character strings, tends to improve communication between a sender as well as recipient, which is done by notifying the sender or the recipient when a character string had been replaced by an electronic device. As in the case of several patents of Apple, it is not clear when or if this would really make it into its software and probably the fix would work only on iMessage of Apple.

 The metadata involved in marking some words as corrected would not be suitable for text messages together with other services like WhatsApp or emails would find it complex to support the standard. Apple would probably unveil additional details regarding the new features coming to the iPhone at the time of the opening keynote at its Worldwide Developers Conferences to be held on June 13.