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  • All the new features in iOS 9

    All the new features in iOS 9

    iphone-ipad-ios-9

    Apple has finally unveiled the much awaited iOS 9. This new soon to be launched operating system is more intelligent and packed with improved privacy and Siri features. The system also features new multi-tasking features that’s specifically designed to allow iPad users to simultaneously work with 2 apps, side-by-side.

    The new iOS also comes with picture-in-picture feature that allows one to browse the web, compose an email, or use any other app while watching a video.

    More so, the built-in apps become more powerful with this new operating system. You will therefore encounter a redesigned Notes app that allows for easy capturing of ideas, an all-new News app that allows for easy access and reading of the news, together with detailed transit information in Maps.

    A detailed look into iOS 9 Features is available below:

    Siri is Pre-loaded with an all new Super-Effective Design

    Siri becomes more intelligent with iOS 9 as it provides for new ways to search videos and photos together with contextual reminders. Proactive assistance provides you with the most relevant info without compromising your own privacy. Your usage patterns allow iOS 9 to automatically suggest the apps to launch or the people to contact even before you start typing. You will also be notified when to leave for appointments, taking into account the traffic conditions at the time. Typed queries will deliver even more precise and accurate results than ever before.

    Slide Over feature for your iPad

    The Slide Over feature allows you to work on a second app without leaving the first with a simple swipe. A quick tap will give you access to the new Split View feature. The Picture-in-Picture feature allows you to continue watching a video or go on with your FaceTime call and still get to use your favorite apps. A new Shortcut Bar also provides for easier and faster typing.

    More Support for the Built-in Apps

    You now get even more support and functionality with the built-in apps. For instance, Maps features more precisely mapped subway station entrances and exits together with metropolitan schedules and transit systems. A Nearby feature in Maps will quickly find the nearest shopping mall or restaurant.

    The Notes app is also completely redesigned to allow you to easily create checklists, draw a quick sketch with your finger, or snap a photo directly to your note. You can as well easily save important items from other apps directly to your note. Keep them synced across all devices using iCloud.

    The News app on the other hand delivers a rich reading experience using an immersive design of a print magazine and the interactivity of digital media. The app will quickly learn your interest and suggest relevant content for you.

    Apple Pay also receives support for Discover. It also issues rewards for merchant programs such as Kohl’s Department Stores and Walgreens. The Wallet app allows for easy management of store-issued debit and credit cards. Apple Pay will be available to UK users starting July, 2015.

    Availability

    The iOS 9 SDK and beta software are available for iOS Developer Program members. The beta program will be available for public use starting July, 2015. iOS 9 is however set to launch this fall as a free software update for iPad mini and later, iPad 2 and later, iPod touch 5th generation, and iPhone 4s and later. Some features may only be available for certain regions only.

  • Apple Gaining Control over Android’s Dominant Features Speech and Navigation

    Apple is nowadays concentrating high over the things that are really causing hindrances to overtake the acceleration of Android. Android’s major plus points are Speech and Navigation features that are really gaining upper hand over the Apple’s iPhone. These two features are always successful at keeping intact their customer base and helping to improve further too.

    Most of the major features on Android such as SMS, email, search box and many more are speech-enabled. Here, iPhone successfully enabled their devices with “voice control commands” which allows user to perform few functions such as making call, playing music etc. In fact, this narrower facility on iPhone is failing to result as a match for the facilities that are available with Android. Here, it is essential to recognize that the voice search facility on iPhone over Google and Bing is supported through Microsoft and Google technologies and nothing to do with Apple.

    Recently some rumors and news floating all around mentioning that Apple is under talks with popular speech firm Nuance in this aspect. Nuance was the front-end speech facility provider for Siri, which was recently acquired by Apple. Also, Nuance provided speech-enabled keyboard in FlexT9 for Android and Dragon Search apps for the iPhone. This is clearly indicating that the Apple is moving its cards safely towards the “speech enablement”, which has been a competitive weakness for the iPhone since very long. Pretty soon Apple is going to conclude a deal with Nuance in this aspect.

    Smartphones mapping and directions is another vital factor that is ruling the market currently. Currently, Apple is using Google maps for this purpose. Here, the Google maps and direction experience over the iPhone is quite anemic when compared with Maps and Navigation with Android. Also, Google withheld releasing a latest Navigation version for iPhone keeping in mind the prevailing competition.

    Apple is calmly witnessing every development in the Maps and Navigation spectrum and slowly moving its steps towards the right direction. Recently, apple bought Placebase, which is a Google maps current competitor. In June 2010, Apple bought Poly 9 which is almost similar type as Google-Earth and offers 3D mapping successfully. Recently, Apple announced its interest for “locationgate”, which is mainly emphasizes over “crowd sourced traffic database…and will be available within coming two years.

    So, the current scenario is clearly indicating the major interest of Apple and perhaps intended to announce these specialities along with upcoming iPhone 5. It is definitely indicating that the Apple is intended to achieve upper hand over the lacking Maps and navigation aspects and trying to achieve the next level in it.

  • Google Enters Navigation Market

    It is now official and will completely change the mobile and PND navigation market. Google announced Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 devices.

    It comes with 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting, but unlike most navigation systems, the Navigation was built from the ground up to take advantage of the phone’s internet connection, as Google claims.

    The features possible because Google Navigation is connected to the internet are:
    • recent map and business data: phone automatically gets the most up-to-date maps and business listings from Google Maps — there is no need to buy map upgrades or update the device;
    • search by voice: searching destinations using google voice search (speak your destination instead of typing);
    • traffic view: live traffic data over the internet (a traffic indicator light in the corner of the screen glows green, yellow or red, depending on the current traffic conditions along the route);
    • search along route: searching for a specific business along the route (you can also turn on popular layers, such as gas stations, restaurants or parking);
    • satellite view: the same satellite imagery as Google Maps on the desktop;
    • Street View: shows the turn as you’ll see it, with the route overlaid (Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination).

    There is also car dock mode available for certain devices – placing a phone in a car dock activates a special mode (new user interface with, e.g. much larger iconography) that makes it easy to use the device at arm’s length.

    The first phone to have Google Maps Navigation is Motorola’s Droid. It hits the U.S. market next week (Nov. 6th) for $199 on contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate) and will be available from Verizon with voice plan starting at $39 and a web and email plan for $29 per month.

    Like other Google Maps features, Navigation is free.

    Here is the official Google video

  • Maps Upgrade Expected For BlackBerry OS 5.0


    RIM’s plans for its soon-to-be unveiled BlackBerry OS 5.0 include an overhaul of maps and messaging options.

    BGR reports that the Canadian smartphone maker is bringing in new maps features, including displaying the address location of a message – such as email, text or PIN.

    They are identifed by the OS and will bring up the location in Maps.

    Maps will also render around two times faster, while lagging will no longer occur when scrolling around and zooming in.

    Other Maps improvements include a lot of new towns, cities, counties and countries being included and the ability to display geotagged images on Maps, according to BGR.

    They also detail a raft of upgrades to the Calendar and Browser functions, while Storm users are to get a full-QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode.

    More details are expected at WES 2009, which starts on 5th May.

  • Mobile Internet Becoming Part of Daily Lives


    The number of people in the US using their mobile device to access news and information on the Internet more than doubled in the last year.

    An estimated 63.2 million people accessed news and information on their mobile devices in January 2009, up from 36.9 million doing so in January 2008, according to figures released today from comScore.

    Of these, 22.4 million (35 percent) did so daily – also more than double the size of the audience last year.

    The highest growth, however, was in accessing social networking sites or blogs, with 9.3 million using the mobile internet daily to access a social network site or blog in January 2009 compared with 1.8 million in January 2008.

    Mark Donovan, comScore’s senior vice president, mobile, said that that over the course of the past year, mobile Internet use has evolve from an occasional activity to being a daily part of people’s lives.

    "This underscores the growing importance of the mobile medium as consumers become more reliant on their mobile devices to access time-sensitive and utilitarian information."

    Donovan said that social networking and blogging have emerged as very popular daily uses of the mobile Web and these activities are growing at a torrid pace.

    "We also note that much of the growth in news and information usage is driven by the increased popularity of downloaded applications, such as those offered for the iPhone, and by text-based searches."

    In January, 22.3 million people accessed news and information via a downloaded applications, with 8.2 million people using downloaded maps applications.

    SMS is still a strong channel, with 32.4 million people using SMS to access news and information—including 14.1 million people using SMS for search.

    Donovan said that hile smartphones and high-end feature phones, like the Samsung Instinct and LG Dare comprise the Top 10 devices used for news and information access, 70 per cent of those accessing mobile Internet content are using feature phones.

    Other significant segments included:

    • Traded stocks or accessed financial account, which grew by 188 per cent to 3.3 million
    • Accessed movie information, which grew by 185 per cent to 3.1 million
    • Accessed business directories, which grew by 161 per cent to 2.4 million
    • Accessed entertainment news, which grew by 160 per cent to 5.5 million.

  • Location Sharing Start-up Wizi Sees Google Latitude As Challenge


    For a start-up like Wizi having Google launch a competing product might seem like the kiss of death.

    Not so with the Lisbon, Portugal-based developers who have welcomed the launch of Google’s Latitude as a way of bringing attention to their instant location sharing application.

    The free mobile application allows you to share your location instantly by e-mail or SMS.

    André Gonçalves, Wizi’s marketing manager told smartphone.biz-news that they saw Latitude’s launch as a challenge and an opportunity to let consumers find out about their product.

    He said Wizi’s focus was on individual networks rather than social networks and the app is typically used to tell friends your location or where you are going to meet.

    "We are something like Latitude but a bit different," he said. "Our focus is on instant location sharing.

    "We cannot compete with Latitude but it is a challenge to tell people how our app is useful to them."

    Locations can be shared between Wizi users or with an email or SMS.

    Privacy is a key feature and visibility is totally controlled by the user: with the option to become invisible to friends or disable the link to a location map.

    Wizi works on Windows Mobile or J2ME compatible devices but versions are in the pipeline for Blackberry, Android and the iPhone.

    Wizi for the Apple handset has already been used by a restricted community of early adopters who volunteered to be part of the Beta Testing Program.

    Another feature of Wizi is recommending the best routes when driving in the city using traffic data collected in real time by its community, helping to save time and the environment.

    Gonçalves said they are currently talking to handset manufacturers and operators. The former were interested because Wizi was a useful add-on to show the potential of the latest phones.

    He said the latter saw Wizi as an opportunity to increase ARPU.

    Wizi will be launching Brazil this year and the start-up is in discussions with operators in Spain and the US.