Showing posts with label its. Show all posts
Showing posts with label its. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Its the little things What we like and dont like in iOS 7
Now that we’ve been living with iOS 7 for a while, we’ve had a chance to uncover some little things we might not have noticed at first.
Some of those little things are good, others not so much. Here’s our list. What about yours? Let us know in the comments below.
What we like
Wayfinding and leveling with Compass: In iOS 7, Compass received a thorough revamp, gaining a couple of cool new features. One my favorites: Say you’re trying to find your way in a specific direction. Just orient yourself in that direction, and then tap the compass. Now, when you start to stray from the direction you specified, a red bar on screen indicates just how far off course you are. My other favorite: If you swipe to the left on the compass, you bring up the new level, which works when you place the phone flat on a surface or set it on its side.—Dan Moren
Wayfinding and leveling with Compass: In iOS 7, Compass received a thorough revamp, gaining a couple of cool new features. One my favorites: Say you’re trying to find your way in a specific direction. Just orient yourself in that direction, and then tap the compass. Now, when you start to stray from the direction you specified, a red bar on screen indicates just how far off course you are. My other favorite: If you swipe to the left on the compass, you bring up the new level, which works when you place the phone flat on a surface or set it on its side.—Dan Moren
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| The iTunes Store wish list. |
Wish List in the iTunes Store: I’ve used the Wish List in iTunes on my Mac for years to keep track of music I want to buy someday. I was never able to access that list from my iPhone—until iOS 7 came along. Now, I can tap the list icon at the top right of the screen in the iTunes Store app to get access to my Wish List. (There’s also a list of tracks I’ve previewed or played in iTunes Radio.) Coincidentally, my Wish List is also more accessible now on my Mac, too, thanks to iTunes 11.1: For example, when I like a track in iTunes Radio, I can add it to the list with one click on a contextual menu.—Dan Miller
Specifying short names in Mail, Messages: The new Short Name feature, which you can find by going toSettings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Contacts, lets you customize how contact names display in Mail and Messages, when real estate is at a premium. If you activate it, you can opt to show first name and last initial, first initial and last name, or first or last name only. Moreover, you can ask iOS to show nicknames to shorten things even more, so you see ‘Dan’ instead of ‘Daniel’, for instance.—Dan Moren
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| Timestamps in Messages. |
Reminders geofence perimeter: The geofencing capabilities of Reminders are handy when you need a location-based reminder. But if you’ve ever wished for more fine-grained control over when your phone believes you’ve arrived at your Home or Work location, iOS 7 can help. When you select a location, you’ll now see a small map, with a blue circle around the location’s address. By tapping and dragging on the black handle of that circle, you can expand or contract the area in which your reminder will fire. So if you want to remember to call someone when you’re a couple of miles from home, Reminders is your new best friend.—Dan Moren
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| Shared links in Safari. |
Timer on the home screen: You probably know that you can set a timer using Siri—it’s even more efficient than using the timer shortcut in Control Center. But when you want to check on that timer, the easiest thing to do, by far, is simply to wake up your iPhone. You’ll see the current timer, counting down, on the lock screen, right beneath the clock. Even better, when the timer is done, you can silence it from the lock screen, with just a tap.—Dan Moren
More info in Weather: The Weather app now includes sunset and sunrise times, as well as the basic high and low temps. Just side-scroll on the hourly forecast section, and it’ll include the time the sun is coming up or going down—handy whether you’re trying to plan a morning run or you’re a vampire concerned about curfew.—Scholle Sawyer McFarland
Swipe right to go back: In most stock iOS apps, as well as many apps that have been updated to support iOS 7, the familiar Back arrow in the upper-left corner of the screen is gone. You now navigate to the previous view (whatever that was) by swiping to the right from the left edge of the screen. I initially disliked this approach, because it wasn’t obvious and I didn’t know exactly where that gesture would get me. (The arrow would always include the name of the previous screen or section.) But after using iOS 7 for a while, I have to say the swipe-back gesture has grown on me. In fact, I’ve gotten so used to it that when I encounter an app that hasn’t been updated to use the gesture, I find my self swiping right, over and over again, wondering why nothing is happening.—Dan Frakes
What bugs us
Control Center’s tricky target: Although I like the new Control Center, I wish it were easier to summon. Yes, it sounds simple: Just swipe upward from the bottom of the screen. But in my experience, it takes a few swipes before Control Center actually appears. Perhaps I’ll acquire the touch over time, but for now I find it really frustrating (especially, for some reason, on the iPad mini).—Christopher Breen
Wasted space in home-screen folders: In iOS 6, folders on the home screen could display up to 20 apps at a time on the iPad, and 16 at a time on the iPhone 5 and the most recent iPod touch. In iOS 7, you see only nine apps at a time. Granted, you can now put many more items in a folder and then swipe to navigate among multiple folder screens. But the nine-apps-at-a-time limit—which appears to have been implemented solely for aesthetic reasons, so folders can zoom out and in gracefully—feels like it’s wasting a lot of useful space. Worse, it forces you to perform more taps and swipes to access a given app.—Dan Frakes, Armando Rodriguez
Email groups in Mail: While iOS Mail has improved steadily with each major update to iOS, it still doesn’t support sending to email groups. And the iOS Contacts app still doesn’t let you create such groups. You can, of course, create contact groups in OS X’s Contacts app. But those groups don’t function the same way in iOS as they do in OS X. I can’t, for example, send an email to the ‘Macworld Editors’ group on my iPhone—the group doesn’t even show up. And, while I’m at it: When filing email, Mail no longer remembers your last-used position in the mailbox list; you have to scroll from the top each time. And although it’s great that you can now search all mailboxes from within Mail, iOS 7 has eliminated the option to search only, say, message subjects or senders.—Dan Frakes
Less accessible media controls: In iOS 6, you could always bring up the media-control buttons from the lock screen—even if you weren’t currently playing media—by double-pressing the Home button. That made it easy to resume listening to your most recently listened-to track. In iOS 7, if you disable Control Center on the lock screen (which is better for security), you can’t initiate media playback without unlocking your phone and opening whatever music-playing app you usually use; the media controls appear on the lock screen only if you’re already listening to something.—Dan Frakes
That tiny blue new-app indicator: The little blue badge that iOS 7 puts next to new or newly updated apps is really hard to make out, especially if you’re using a lighter-colored background. It isn’t as prominent as the old ‘New’ banner we had in iOS 6, so figuring out if you’ve used an app since you downloaded it is harder.—Armando Rodriguez
Folders versus bookmarks in Safari: In the past, telling the difference between folders and bookmarks in iOS Safari’s bookmarks list was really easy. But now, owing to the “simplification” of iOS 7’s visual language, each of them has a similar blue outline; you have to squinch up your eyes to tell the difference. The problem is particularly annoying on an iPad mini.—Christopher Breen
A less powerful Spotlight: iOS 7 makes Spotlight easier to access, but it also makes the feature less useful. You can now search for files only locally, whereas before you could also use Spotlight to quickly search Google or Wikipedia. I can understand Apple’s wanting us to rely on Siri for quick Web searches, but the virtual assistant is less reliable, and sometimes I don’t feel like dictating everything I’m searching for.—Armando Rodriguez
Data source: via Macworld (By Macworld Staff)
Control Center’s tricky target: Although I like the new Control Center, I wish it were easier to summon. Yes, it sounds simple: Just swipe upward from the bottom of the screen. But in my experience, it takes a few swipes before Control Center actually appears. Perhaps I’ll acquire the touch over time, but for now I find it really frustrating (especially, for some reason, on the iPad mini).—Christopher Breen
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| Folders in the iOS 7 home screen. |
Email groups in Mail: While iOS Mail has improved steadily with each major update to iOS, it still doesn’t support sending to email groups. And the iOS Contacts app still doesn’t let you create such groups. You can, of course, create contact groups in OS X’s Contacts app. But those groups don’t function the same way in iOS as they do in OS X. I can’t, for example, send an email to the ‘Macworld Editors’ group on my iPhone—the group doesn’t even show up. And, while I’m at it: When filing email, Mail no longer remembers your last-used position in the mailbox list; you have to scroll from the top each time. And although it’s great that you can now search all mailboxes from within Mail, iOS 7 has eliminated the option to search only, say, message subjects or senders.—Dan Frakes
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| Media controls in Control Center (from the regular home screen). |
That tiny blue new-app indicator: The little blue badge that iOS 7 puts next to new or newly updated apps is really hard to make out, especially if you’re using a lighter-colored background. It isn’t as prominent as the old ‘New’ banner we had in iOS 6, so figuring out if you’ve used an app since you downloaded it is harder.—Armando Rodriguez
Folders versus bookmarks in Safari: In the past, telling the difference between folders and bookmarks in iOS Safari’s bookmarks list was really easy. But now, owing to the “simplification” of iOS 7’s visual language, each of them has a similar blue outline; you have to squinch up your eyes to tell the difference. The problem is particularly annoying on an iPad mini.—Christopher Breen
A less powerful Spotlight: iOS 7 makes Spotlight easier to access, but it also makes the feature less useful. You can now search for files only locally, whereas before you could also use Spotlight to quickly search Google or Wikipedia. I can understand Apple’s wanting us to rely on Siri for quick Web searches, but the virtual assistant is less reliable, and sometimes I don’t feel like dictating everything I’m searching for.—Armando Rodriguez
Data source: via Macworld (By Macworld Staff)
Friday, April 3, 2015
Xiaomi might work on its Project Ara
The photo represents the actual "Project Ara" sponsored by Motorola. It was mainly inspired by the Phoneblocks buzz.
It is a revolutionary concept build from modular parts which have specific functions like one for the CPU, another one for the internal storage, etc... You upgrade only what you need, for example, if you need more RAM, instead of the 1 GB part, replace it with the new 3 GB part.
Lately, Xiaomi CEO, Lei Jun said on his weibo account that such an idea was discussed and they are now debating whether to pursue this or not.
Source
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Apple to make its iWatch in collaboration with Nike
According to sources close to Apple that got in touch with Techmaniacs.gr the Apple smartwatch (dubbed iWatch) may be conceived in collaboration with long-time fitness band maker Nike.
Apple has a long relationship with Nike involving fitness tracking accessories and iPhones have carried the Nike+ app out of box before. According to said sources Apple and Nike will be making the iWatch with focus on tracking more than just fitness but also the user’s constant movement.
Nike recently fired the majority of the team working on its FuelBand product and will likely stop making it. In light of this the company is said to focus it’s fitness-tracking efforts into software, thinking of ways to expand its Nike+ suite and releasing a public API for developers. Apple is reportedly aiming to incorporate that same API into its iWatch for which the company allegedly recently secured the trademark through another firm. Furthermore Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has been seen wearing Nike’s FuelBand and has being sitting on Nike’s board for almost a decade now – strong corporate ties that add credibility to the rumors.
But Apple’s smartband device will do more than just follow your fitness routines. According to the sources it will be able to make electronic payments using an iBeacon technology (see this for reference) or possibly the AirDrop Wi-Fi-enabled sharing method introduced with iOS 7. Additionally the smartwatch will be able to use Apple services like CarPlay.
The iWatch is expected to arrive in Q3 of this year. As for the rumor that it will be made by LG exclusivelywe’re not sure. Perhaps Nike will be just a software partner, perhaps something more. Another theory could be that Apple will release a smartwatch and smartband, similarly to competitors like Samsung.
Thanks for the tip!
Asus reported to announce its Android Wear Smartwatch during IFA
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| Asus $99 smartwatch is slated to go official during the IFA 2014 Screengrab/YouTube |
Googles Android Wear platform for Wearables, which was showcased at the companys I/O Developers Conference earlier in the year, has been the cynosure of all eyes since its launch.
Major technology players such as Samsung, LG, HTC, and Google itself have all caught up with the Wearables trend and are engrossed in developing/releasing Smartwatch-like Wearables running Android Wear.
Jerry Shin, CEO of Asustek, mentioned at a conference for investors that the company is more or less likely to launch its first Wearable in the IFA conference. He also said that the Taiwan-based companys smartwatch-like Wearable was well-received by Google, which has a tie-up with Asus under its Android Wear initiative.
"Were dreaming big about the future of wearable devices, but the dream will not come true this year or in the first half of next year because the market demand has not picked up," Shen said at the investors conference.
the gadget will incorporate an AMOLED display, and the smartwatch is likely to pack in gesture and voice control functionality as Jonney Shin, chairman of Asus, had hinted early this year. The chairman had said that his company was looking at launching wearable devices featuring movement controls.
Android wear smartwatch price comparisson :
Samsung Gear Live $199
LG G Watch $299
Asus Smartwatch $99 (prediction)
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Samsung Z1 specifications and images of its first smartphone with Tizen
We few weeks talking about the first smartphone with Tizen, a device that takes several months late and that, finally, it seems that the time has come to know every detail. A very interesting and above all, competitively priced device.
The never ending story. We could define the interminable “agony” the first smartphone from Samsung with Tizen, the operating system developed by the Koreans themselves. After a series of project cancellations, new ideas, twists and turns, finally seems clarified everything for the company and it could present, very shortly, the Samsung Z1, the name became known to the terminal. During the day there are new real images of the terminal and most interestingly, the official technical characteristics that account, all thanks to a secret event held in India.
As you can see, the smartphone has a very similar appearance, both front and rear, as of the first Samsung Galaxy, with rounded edges and a central button that allows access to multitasking and close applications, and the two buttons touch on both sides to go back or open the settings in a particular app. As we know, it is a model input range, with a 4-inch TFT PLS and resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, more than enough to enjoy your Tizen 2.3 OS.
With respect to the technical specifications, the Samsung Z1 integrates a dual core processor Spreadtrum SC7727S 1.2 GHz accompanied by a graphics processor ARM Mali-400 and 512 MB of RAM. Furthermore, the rear and front cameras are left with 3.2 megapixel sensor and VGA respectively, confirming that this is a very simple phone. As usual in these devices, it is possible to carry two SIM cards at once, one of them being able to connect to 3G networks. It also integrates functions such as WiFi b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB port version 2.0.
Early reports pointed to the presentation of Samsung Z1 was to be held on the 10th of this month, but eventually was postponed until today, when it has appeared all images and specifications of the terminal. With respect to the operating system, the interface, icons and widgets are as already knew before, very similar to those found in Android and especially in the Samsung TouchWiz interface.
Samsung Z1, specifications and images of its first smartphone with Tizen
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Forgot where you parked the car Its cool iOS 8 will have you covered
iOS 8 might not deliver the improvements to Apple Maps that Cupertino intended, but theres one nifty feature that might make its way through.
As spotted in a screenshot, iOS 8 contains files that reference parking pins, which we assume would give you a reminder of where you parked the car.
Its especially worth noting as the rumour of this feature actually popped up last September, where sources said Apple would use the M7 chip to analyse your parking location and register its exact position, helping you to find it when you return.
Apple said nothing of this during WWDC, so we cant guarantee that this will come in iOS 8 - perhaps well see it in iOS 8.1 instead.
For now, wed take improved mapping data over extra features such as this, however handy it might be. It wont be much use if Apple Maps is telling us we left the car in the middle of Euboea.
After all, it needs to catch up with Google, which rolled out a similar car-finding feature for Google Now earlier this year.
Read more »
As spotted in a screenshot, iOS 8 contains files that reference parking pins, which we assume would give you a reminder of where you parked the car.
Its especially worth noting as the rumour of this feature actually popped up last September, where sources said Apple would use the M7 chip to analyse your parking location and register its exact position, helping you to find it when you return.
Park it, pal
Apple said nothing of this during WWDC, so we cant guarantee that this will come in iOS 8 - perhaps well see it in iOS 8.1 instead.
For now, wed take improved mapping data over extra features such as this, however handy it might be. It wont be much use if Apple Maps is telling us we left the car in the middle of Euboea.
After all, it needs to catch up with Google, which rolled out a similar car-finding feature for Google Now earlier this year.
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