Apple’s iOS has evolved tremendously over the years and there are a lot of obvious, cool things the system is able to do. However, there are still secrets up iOS 11’s sleeve that you may not be aware of. This guide will help you master some useful and fun features of your iPhone. Press the Right Arrow to Learn 12 Incredible iOS 11 Tricks.
Love it or hate it, Apple’s new Face ID system is pulling the industry forward. But Chinese smartphone vendor Huawei thinks it can outdo Apple’s facial recognition platform with its own biometric solution.
Huawei conducted a presentation of its Honor V10 handset today, the latest in a long line of flagships with reduced bezels. But brand new smartphone aside, the Chinese OEM teased something else at the end of the presentation: a depth-sensing camera system that, clearly, is meant to be a Face ID competitor.
But rather than just copy Face ID, which many Android makers have been scrambling to do, Huawei wants to one-up the Cupertino-based juggernaut. At the presentation, the company claimed that its system can capture 300,000 infrared points in about 10 seconds, according to German-language site WinFuture. If you’re keeping track, that’s about 10 times as many as the iPhone X can currently capture.
In addition, unlike current Android facial recognition systems like the ones on the OnePlus 5T and the Samsung Galaxy S8, Huawei’s solution will be secure enough to make payments and will be able to authenticate an identity as quickly as 400 milliseconds.
Not to be outdone by Apple’s more fun-focused features, Huawei also teased a not-so-subtle clone of Animoji which can also track facial expression. Its big selling point? Unlike Apple’s TrueDepth system, Huawei said that its facial mapping platform can detect if a user sticks their tongue out.
Of course, there’s a caveat to all of this. Namely, the fact that Huawei’s facial recognition system isn’t going to ship on the Honor V10 — or anytime soon, for that matter. In fact, the company failed to mention when the feature would ship at all, or which phones would use it.
In other words, Huawei teased a new technology to show that it has an answer to Face ID — even if that feature is still a few years off from being included on a Huawei device. Perhaps 2.5 years off, if previous analyst forecasts turn out to be accurate.
Some of the sales data for the Black Friday weekend is starting to roll in, and it seems to suggest that Apple had a great weekend in terms of performance.
Similarly, early sales data for Cyber Monday also bodes well for Apple — particularly as this year’s event was the “largest online sales day in history” with a total of $6.59 billion spent globally, according to Adobe.
Various Apple products did extremely well yesterday, including both Apple’s AirPods wireless earbuds and its iPad lineup. Both devices were listed as top electronics sellers this year by Adobe, alongside Google Chromecast, Nintendo Switch and others. Similarly, AirPods were listed as overall top sellers this Cyber Monday.
In terms of discounts, a handful of online retailers offered sales prices on several varieties of iPad, including the entry-level 9.7-inch tablet, and both the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
As far as AirPods, Walmart was one of a handful of retailers which offered a discount on the popular Bluetooth headphones — offering a $15 discount on the normal price tag of $159.
While Apple’s products did well, the entire online shopping industry logged record highs in 2017. Compared to Cyber Monday 2016, this year’s online shopping day saw a 16.8 percent year-over-year increase in total sales. In addition, Cyber Monday 2017 also did better in revenue compared to the usually busy Black Friday shopping day this year, which brought in $5.03 billion compared to $6.59 billion for its online Monday counterpart.
Adobe’s data also suggests that more shoppers are shopping on mobile. The firm recorded that a record high of 47.4 percent of total visits came from mobile devices. Broken down, that’s 39.9 percent from smartphones and 7.6 percent from tablets. When it comes to total order value, iOS had the lead with an average value of $123 compared to Android’s $110.
In a blog post published this week, Facebook announced the rollout of its advanced new suite of artificial intelligence (AI)-based software tools designed to not only detect, but also provide assistance to, individuals whose posts encompass suicidal thoughts.
“When someone is expressing thoughts of suicide, it’s important to get them help as quickly as possible,” Facebook’s VP of Product Management, Guy Rosen, explains, while noting that “Facebook is a place where friends and family are already connected, and we are able to help connect a person in distress with people who can support them.”
The new software tools have been implemented as part of the company’s broader push to “identify situations” — timeline posts, uploaded photos, or live video streams — in which a user may hint at or outright suggest having suicidal thoughts or tendencies. For instance, the software is designed to interpret comments on a post identified as “problematic,” with Facebook indicating specifically how comments like “Are You Okay?” may be an indication that something is wrong.
According to Facebook’s explanation, the initiative will function as follows:
Additionally, Facebook noted that it currently has employees working 24-hours a day, 365-days a year, whose jobs are to specifically monitor the site for posts “suggesting a user might be suicidal.” Moreover, in accordance with its ultimate objective of ‘Getting Our Community Help in Real Time’, Facebook says it’s working closely with local police departments, first responders, and community support groups to help identify and provide assistance to the distressed in a timely manner.
The company claims that its new approach was developed in collaboration with a number of leading mental health organizations, including save.org, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as well as “input from people who have had personal experience thinking about or attempting suicide.”
“With the help of our partners and people’s friends and family on Facebook, we hope we can continue to support those in need.”
Apple has reportedly cut the iPhone X’s retail profit margins in India by up to 30 percent, frustrating local retailers and large format chain owners.
Retailers in the country are not happy, claiming that Apple is reducing their cut of the iPhone X sales while itself profiting from the device’s large margins. Some outlets, such as Sangeetha Mobiles, have even stopped taking orders of Apple’s new flagship, the Economic Times reported last week.
“Apple has cut margins on the iPhone X from 6.5% to 4.5% for large retailers like us, and if a customer pays by card, which is usually the case, the margin reduces to almost 1.5-2%,” Sangeetha Mobiles Managing Director Subhash Chandra told the Times. The Bengaluru-based retailer has more than 400 stores across India. The CEO of another top Indian retail chain said that it would stop stocking iPhones at its more than 300 stores, partly due to the margins cut and the lack of control on retail pricing in various markets.
Chandra noted that Apple already offers some of the lowest margins to retailers. Industry sources reveal that other phone makers, like Samsung and Xiaomi, offer at least double the margin that Apple does.
The retailer frustrations come in the midst of a massive supply-demand mismatch in the country, as well. One handset retailer said it had only received 400 iPhone X units in the three weeks after the device’s launch — far less than what the company had originally promised.
That fact is leading some analysts that Apple should make India a higher priority, and start shipping more iPhone X units to the country. India is a critical market for Apple, being the second-largest phone market in the world. It’s also a region that Apple lacks a strong foothold in.
“India should rank very high on Apple’s priority index … it is yet to have a single owned and operated retail store in India,” said Manjunath Bhat, research director at Singapore-based Gartner.
Analysts at another research firm, Counterpoint, added that Apple’s “window of opportunity” will begin closing in the next few years if the company doesn’t start to expand its user base. Counterpoint added that Apple should not wait for regulatory, policy or business certainty in India — a fact that’s underlined by the company’s appeals to the local government.
Sources familiar with Apple executives’ plans countered, however, told the Times that India is a high priority for the Cupertino-based company. The sources claimed that Apple had gotten supplies of the iPhone X to India quicker than it had shipped them to other markets like South Korea and Thailand.
But while retailers may be frustrated at Apple, another local media report published on Nov. 26 suggests that the Indian government is pleased with Apple’s manufacturing initiatives within the country.
It’s not clear if similar margin squeezing is occurring in other markets, but data suggests that Apple may be making slightly less on the iPhone X than previous flagships due to its more expensive components.
Don’t know what to get grandma this year? Contrary to what you might think, a tech gift might be just the right thing for her. To help you out, we’ve put together this list of awesome and useful electronics and gadgets that we’re sure she’ll love.
This comfortable eye mask and headphone combo is the perfect companion for a nap. Made of ultrasoft memory foam, this eye mask helps to block out exterior noise and ambient light for a restful ambiance, whether on-the-go or on the couch. The built-in over-ear headphones can connect to a smartphone or MP3 player, and have a layer of memory foam so that the wearer can lay on them comfortably. Get it here.
There are times where holding a phone or tablet isn’t the most convenient or comfortable option. That’s where these incredibly small and portable stands come in. The adjustable support bar allows for several viewing angles, and they fold up to about the size of a credit card, so they fit easily into a bag or wallet, but they can support most smartphones, tablets or e-readers. Get them here.
This clever smartphone stand allows drivers to safely use navigation apps on-the-road without futzing with their smartphones. It easily installs onto virtually any type of dashboard with its ultra strong suction cup. And its one-handed operation allows it to rotate 360 degrees to allow for basically any smartphone viewing angle. Compatible with all iPhone and many Android models. Get it here.
Let’s face it: we all misplace something sometimes. With the Nut Find 3 Smart Tracker, losing an important item doesn’t have to be as much of an inconvenience. Attach it to keys, smartphones or a plethora of other items, and the Nut will helpfully beep when called via an app. It can also be configured to beep if it gets out of range of a smartphone, so she’ll never leave her car keys behind again. This set comes with four individual trackers, so they can be used on a range of important items. Get them here.
It’s a well-known fact that most grandparents love pictures of their grandkids and family. That’s why a digital picture frame is a great choice. This model features a 10-inch high-resolution display, 16 gigabytes of internal memory for storing tons of photos and videos, and support for both audio and video playback. It also comes with a remote control, allowing for convenient and user-friendly operation. Get it here.
Keeping active and staying healthy is important at any age. To help with those goals, the Fitbit Charge 2 is an excellent choice. It’s simple and tracks a variety of data from activity and heart rate to sleep quality and duration. Its OLED screen also displays call, text and calendar notifications, letting grandma keep up-to-date even without having her smartphone in-hand. Get it here.
Upgrade grandma’s clock with the Amazon Echo Spot. Like other Echo devices, the stylish and compact Spot features the smart home assistant Alexa — which can help with a variety of tasks via voice command and is always getting smarter. The Spot also features a camera for hands-free voice or video, and its onboard display allows for visual news briefs, music lyrics, weather forecasts, calendar updates and to-do lists. It’s not out quite yet, but Amazon says all orders will arrive by Christmas. Get it here.
Don’t let grandma’s record collection sit in a box and collect dust. Let her know that vinyl is back with this elegant, all-in-one Victrola record player. It combines a nostalgic and luxury real-wood design with modern-day technology. It’s a three-speed turntable that can play basically any LP, but it also features built-in Bluetooth, CD and cassette players, an AM/FM radio, and a full-function remote for easy controls. Get it here.
Give grandma the gift of safety on the road. This dash cam can record a huge amount of footage with support for micro SD cards up to 128GB. Best of all, this dash cam has your back — literally. Unlike many other models, this two-pack records HD video from both the front and rear of your vehicle, giving users 360 degrees of protection. It’s also packed with safety features like stop sign recognition, driver fatigue alarm and headlight reminder. Get it here.
Give your book-loving grandma the latest in e-reader technology. The Kindle Oasis features Amazon’s highest resolution display yet — it’s a 7-inch screen that reads like paper in bright sunlight, but also features a lighted display for darker environments. It’s made with a thin, ergonomic and waterproof design for easy holding and page-turning. Best of all, it only needs to be charged every few weeks. Get it here.
Apple was awarded a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday, which specifically covers methods of engaging and interacting with a Mac computer utilizing hand-based gestures.
Developed in collaboration with PrimeSense (the Israeli-based 3D imaging firm Apple acquired back in 2015), the iPhone maker’s patent takes its previous Face ID-equipped Mac patent to a whole new level: by specifically describing various ‘focus’ gestures, which would both initiate and facilitate the TrueDepth camera-assisted technology on a Mac laptop or desktop.
According to Patently Apple, Apple’s patent (No. 9,829,988) describes “A method, including receiving by a computer executing a non-tactile three dimensional (3D) user interface, a set of multiple 3D coordinates representing a gesture by a hand positioned within a field of view of a sensing device coupled to the computer, the gesture including a first motion in a first direction along a selected axis in space, followed by a second motion in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, along the selected axis. Upon detecting completion of the gesture, the non-tactile 3D user interface is transitioned from a first state to a second state.”
In simpler terms, as you can see in the patent image above, Apple is essentially describing a TrueDepth camera-equipped Mac computer that’s been calibrated to respond to various hand-based gestures. For example, the patent specifically outlines three “additional gestures” which can be executed to control various functions on your Mac, including “The Push Gesture” (Fig. 2), “The Wave Gesture” (Fig. 3), and “The Up Gesture” (Fig. 5), which is essentially a vertical lift of the hand.
While it’s certainly interesting to think that we may be able to control our Mac computers using various gestures one day, as with all Apple patents, we encourage you to take this one too with a grain of salt until further notice. While we’ve seen futuristic renders of Face ID-equipped Mac computers, and while we’ve even heard rumors that the technology will be coming to a future iPad Pro as well as a second-generation HomePod, what we’re looking at here is still very much a concept.
Of course, given consumers’ overall warm reception to Face ID on its high-end iPhone X, it’s more likely than not that we’ll ultimately see TrueDepth cameras integrated into other Apple products down the line.
Apple on Tuesday seeded the fifth beta of iOS 11.2 to registered developers, just about a month after releasing the iOS 11.1 update.
iOS 11.2 will introduce Apple Pay Cash, the peer-to-peer payment system introduced earlier this year. The platform allows iOS 11 users to send and receive payments through iMessage, with deep smart integration — in other words, Messages will recognize when the conversation talks about money and respond accordingly.
With Apple Pay Cash, sent cash is pulled from a linked debit or credit card, while received payments are stored in a new Cash card in Wallet. From there, it can be used to make Apple Pay purchases or withdrawn to a bank account.
iOS 11.2 also introduces faster 7.5W wireless charging for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. Faster wireless charging speeds were hinted at earlier this year, and in iOS 11.2, the faster speeds will be available via third-party wireless chargers that support 7.5W charging.
As far as user interface updates, there’s now a small bar in the top-right corner of the Lock screen. The bar is designed to make the location of the new Control Center gesture more apparent, as it is now accessed by a swipe-down from the top of the display on the new iPhone X. There are also new pop-ups which explain the new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality in Control Center, specifically the fact that toggling either function from the menu only temporarily disables them.
Minor changes included in the new update include a Now Playing function in Control Center for controlling Apple TV content, a redesigned camera emoji, a new animation for loading Live Photos effects, and new Live wallpapers for the iPhone X.
iOS 11.2 will also introduce the ability for developers to offer discounts on auto-renewing App Store subscriptions for the first time.
iOS 11.2 will also fix a minor animation bug in Calculator that caused certain functions to be ignored when typing them quickly. Presumably, iOS 11.2 will also introduce a fix for the autocorrect bug that changes the words “it” or “is” to “I.T” or I.S”.
Registered app developers can now install iOS 11.2 as an over-the-air update, provided that the proper configuration profile is installed on a device. It’s also available from the Developer Center.
There’s currently no word on when a public beta of iOS 11 beta 5 will be released. Similarly, we’re not sure when the final version of iOS 11.2 will be rolled out to the public — but, judging by the beta release timeline, it’ll likely come sooner than later.
Apple on Monday released a new set of iPhone X ads on its YouTube channel that highlight Face ID and the related Animoji feature.
The first and longest video ad sees the company capitalizing on the “Animoji karaoke” trend that spread across social media this month after a Fast Company editor posted his own foxy rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on Twitter. Since then, the fad has only taken off — with hundreds of users posting their own takes on advanced, 3D-mapped karaoke.
The Animoji ad sees several of Apple’s new animated characters singing “All Night” by Big Boi. Later in the video, the respective humans behind the facial animations appear alongside the Animoji, appropriately dressed to match the colors of each specific character. It’s a tongue-in-cheek ad which obviously hints at the fact that Apple pays attention to trends on social media.
Apple also released three videos focused on its new Face ID platform. The first is a 38-second overview of the facial recognition platform, boasting that the iPhone X uses the “most unforgettable, magical password ever created” — a user’s face. The ad also highlights the ability to use Face ID with Apple Pay.
The other two ads are 15-second spots that detail two specific features of Apple’s Face ID. The first touts the system’s ability to work in the dark, while the second focuses on the fact that Face ID can read a face despite certain changes — such a user wearing makeup, glasses or hats.
Interestingly, Apple posted a similar ad to its Canadian YouTube channel that also highlights Face ID’s adaptability — though this ad lets users know that Face ID can recognize them even if they grow a beard or make other facial hair changes.
Notably, these are the first iPhone X-specific ads that Apple has posted since releasing a couple announcement videos when the device was introduced in September. Aside from YouTube, the ads will be shown on television, the web and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Whether it’s happened behind courtroom doors before a judge and jury, or as part of a broader, more commercialized campaign blitz, Apple and Samsung have a rich history of “going after” each-other’s flagship products. Save for their years-old intellectual property and design patent disputes, which were most recently laid out before the U.S. Supreme Court, Samsung even more recently sought to outright delegitimize Apple’s high-end iPhone X via its latest and most deceptively misleading Pro-Galaxy propaganda yet.
Now, in what appears to be a half-baked attempt at flaunting its latest Z2 Play smartphone, the Lenovo-owned Motorola has come out with its own satirical ad spot which not only picks up right where Samsung’s left off (as far as the storyline and smartphone smack-talking are pertinent), but is ingeniously dedicated to promoting a modular accessory as the cornerstone feature of the otherwise mid-range Z-series device.
Dubbed “Up-upgrade” — a clear swipe at Samsung’s previous ad bearing the similar “Upgrade” name — Motorola’s ad can be viewed in the YouTube video below. Of course, what’s most interesting about this ad is that Motorola essentially came waltzing along and, unwittingly or not, decided that instead of flaunting the Z2 Play’s specifications, it would simply dedicate nearly the entire, 35-second ad to showcasing the handset’s after-market projector mod accessory.
Not included with the purchase of a Z2 Play, of course, the projector mod, when attached, allows users to project an expanded display on any flat surface for an additional $299, according to Motorola’s website.
In comparison, Apple and Samsung have historically knocked each other over the objective superiority of their flagship’s in-built features and/or designs — while the vast assortment of accessories for iPhone and Galaxy devices, respectively, have seldom if ever made such major appearances in their commercials.
Still, the Motorola-designed projector mod is pretty awesome — and it certainly gives Z2 Play owners willing to shell out the cash a talking point as to how Moto ‘blows away the competition’ or whatever. However, at the end of the day, it’s definitely worth pointing out that the unit is merely an overpriced, cumbersome, and somewhat inconvenient add-on accessory for what’s inherently a middle-of-the-road Android smartphone.
What do you think about Motorola’s latest ad spot promoting its Z2 Play over Apple’s iPhone X and Samsung’s Galaxy? Let us know in the comments.
