A new app for the Apple Watch will help you get a better overall view of your health and fitness levels. The new Vitals app synthesizes details from your Health and Fitness data. During the keynote at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, Apple announced new features coming to watchOS 11.
In addition to the new Vitals app, the Activity app is getting new abilities like Training Load that measures the intensity of your workout and rates your workouts. A unique algorithm will gauge your effort rating from one (easy) to ten (all out) so you can see how much you're deviating from your norm. You can also now set rest days and hang on to your streaks.
If you like the Photos watch face, there's good news here too. Machine learning models will now help you find the best photos to feature and will automatically crop and frame it for you.
This story is developing, please refresh for more updates.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watchos-11-includes-a-new-vitals-app-to-see-all-your-key-health-metrics-175600647.html?src=rss
To start, iPadOS is getting new customization options for your home screen including the ability to put app icons wherever you want. Control Center has also been expanded with support for creating multiple lists and views, resizing and rearranging icons and more. There's also a new floating tab bar that makes it easy to navigate between apps, which can be further tuned to remember your favorite software. Screen Share is getting the ability to draw diagrams on someone else's iPad or even share their screen.
Apple
After years of requests, the iPad is now getting its own version of the Calculator app, which includes a new Math Notes feature that supports the Apple Pencil and the ability to input handwritten formulas. Math Notes will even update formulas in real-time or saved in case you want to revisit them later. Alternatively, the Smart Script tool in the Notes app uses machine learning to make your notes less messy and easier to edit.
General privacy is also being upgraded with a new feature that lets you lock an app. This allows a friend or family member to borrow your device without giving them full access to everything on your tablet. Alternatively, there’s also a new hidden apps folder so you can stash sensitive software in a more secretive way.
Apple
In Messages, Tapbacks are now compatible with all your emoji. You can also schedule messages and even send messages via satellite in case you aren't currently connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network. Apple even says messages sent using satellite will feature end-to-end encryption.
The Mail and Photos apps are also getting similarly big revamps. Mail will feature new categorizations meant to make it easier to find specific types of offers or info. Meanwhile, the Photos app will receive a new UI that makes it easier to scroll through your timeline to find specific images while hiding things like screenshots. And to help surface older photos, there will be new categories like Recent Days and People and Pets to highlight your top shots across a range of scenes and environments.
Audio on iPads is also getting a boost with a new ability for Siri to understand gestures for “Yes” and “No” by either shaking or nodding your head while wearing AirPods. This should make it easier to provide Apple's digital assistant with simple responses in areas like a crowded bus or quiet waiting room where you might be uncomfortable talking aloud.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ipados-18s-smart-script-uses-machine-learning-to-make-your-handwriting-less-horrible-175306533.html?src=rss
Apple’s iOS 18 update will have major changes for the Photos app. The company previewed a redesigned version of the app, that will organize all your photos around memorable moments like trips and events.
The company described the changes as the “biggest-ever” update for Photos. The new version of the app will ditch the current tabbed layout for Photos in favor of a single screen where you can view all your photos, albums and memories in one place. The familiar grid view of all your images will live at the top of the app, with intelligently organized “collections” below.There’s also a new filter button so you can look for specific types of pictures or easily weed out screenshots.
Apple is also making the app smarter with its new collections, which will sort your photos into album-like views based things like on recent trips and the people you spend the most time with. The app is also more customizable with the ability to pin albums to a dedicated section of the app.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-redesigned-the-photos-app-in-ios-18-to-intelligently-organize-your-memories-174959393.html?src=rss
At WWDC 2024, Apple revealed a few key updates coming to AirPods this year. First, the company is adding a new head-nodding gesture on AirPods Pro that allows you to respond to Siri in crowded places where you'd rather not speak. You'll be able to nod affirmatively to silently say "yes" or shake your head for "no" and the voice assistant will react accordingly. In a demo, Apple showed a man in a crowded elevator shaking his head to tell Siri he didn't want to take a call from "Gam Gam."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/airpods-pro-update-adds-head-nodding-gesture-to-silently-respond-to-siri-174141928.html?src=rss
Alongside announcing its next-generation OS for Vision Pro, Apple wants to improve the content you can capture and share on the headset. Camera expert Canon is working on a new dedicated spatial lens for its R7 camera.
While details are light for now, the new lens, shown briefly during WWDC’s big presentation, is a lot more subtle than previous stereo lenses. It’s a 7.8mm f/4 lens with STM (stepping motor technology) that keeps focus quiet and smooth.
Canon has teased lenses aimed at VR and spatial content in the past, but intriguingly, the company has already said that none of its current cameras are high-speed enough to offer video that matches the Vision Pro. We’re waiting to hear exactly what kind of video (and at what refresh rates and resolution) this lens-and-camera combo can capture. Apple followed up with updates to its 180-degree 3D 8K video format, partnering with Blackmagic to create a new workflow to make Immersive Videos easier to capture and work with.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/canon-is-making-a-new-lens-to-capture-spatial-video-for-apples-vision-pro-173600145.html?src=rss
Apple has updated the operating software for the Apple Vision Pro, visionOS, and added a bunch of features. The company unveiled the changes at its live WWDC keynote and they look pretty useful.
The biggest news with visionOS 2 is the addition of spatial photos that provide depth to 2D images. When the Vision Pro released earlier this year, Apple had reserved this technology for videos. Spatial photos will allow you to peek beyond the frames of the photo by moving your head, giving people a bit more to see from the right and left sides of the original image.
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There's a new way to share these spatial photos with friends and family. The SharePlay feature in the Photos app lets people simultaneously view content and discuss it in real-time by integrating the headset's avatar personas. Vacation photos just got a serious level up.
The operating system is also bringing updated gestural control options. You'll be able to hold your hand up and tap to open the home view and flip your hand over to bring up time and battery details. Another tap will bring up Control Center and quick access to notifications.
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Later this year, visionOS 2 will offer some benefits to those who use the AVP for screen-mirroring. Both the size of resolution is getting an upgrade, along with a new option for an ultrawide display that wraps around you to approximate two 4K monitors resting side-by-side.
Travel mode is even getting a little bit of an update here, with train support. In other words, the algorithm will be familiar with the usual bumps from a subway or long-distance train ride, so you can continue using the headset without any interruptions.
For developers, there are plenty of new APIs coming down the pike, like one for tabletop apps and another for advanced volumetric images. Finally, there's a lens coming for the Canon EOS R6 digital camera that will allow filmmakers to make immersive video experiences for the headset.
While not a game-changing software update, the addition of the aforementioned features should make strapping a computer to your head more of an attractive notion. The thing’s still $3,500 though.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/visionos-2-adds-spatial-photos-new-ui-gestures-and-improved-mac-mirroring-172746000.html?src=rss
WWDC is always where we learn about the year's biggest updates to Apple's operating systems. Given that the iPhone is Apple's most important product, it's no surprise that iOS takes up a major chunk of the attention each June. WWDC 2024 is no exception, as Apple had a ton of new features and updates to go over, many of which concerned AI (or Apple Intelligence, as the company is calling it).
First up, Apple focused on customization. You'll be able to make the home screen look more like your own vibe than ever. You'll be able to change the colors of app icons, which can automatically get a different look when you have Dark Mode enabled. Your apps won't need to be locked within a rigid grid anymore either. Your home screen can look almost as messy as you want.
Control Center is getting some big changes. You'll be able to access things like media playback and smart home controls from here. Developers will be able to take advantage of this and offer Control Center management for their apps too. It'll be possible to pin custom controls to the home screen for your most frequently used apps and functions (so you'll be able to switch out the flashlight control for something else, for instance). Custom controls can also be mapped to the physical action button as you see fit.
When it comes to Messages, there's another nice update in the form of scheduling. When you're catching up on things late at night, you'll be able to time a message to send in the morning, for instance. Those who use emoji reactions in Messages (aka Tapbacks) are getting a nice update too. You'll be able to choose from any emoji instead of the five basic reactions Apple has offered for years. Text effects (the little animations that show up when you type a certain phrase) are getting an upgrade as well.
This being Apple, of course it has some privacy features to go over. There are some new privacy controls for apps in iOS 18. You'll have the option to lock apps behind an authentication method (i.e. your PIN or Face ID) so that when you pass your iPhone to someone to show them your camera roll, they can't go snooping in your Messages. You can also hide apps — perhaps ones you use for dating — in a locked folder too. Elsewhere on the privacy front, you'll be able to decide which of your contacts an app has access to instead of absolutely everyone's phone numbers and personal information.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ios-18-gets-a-revamped-control-center-and-loads-of-home-screen-customization-options-172350046.html?src=rss
Nokia just announced that it has made the first-ever audio and video call using 3D spatial audio. This is actually a big deal, as all phone calls currently made over a cellular network are monophonic, so there’s no possibility for spatial audio.
This call, however, was placed over a cellular network using the 3GPP Immersive Video and Audio Services (IVAS) codec, which lets people hear “sound spatially in real-time.” For the uninitiated, spatial audio splits into multiple channels to make it sound like it's coming from different directions. This technology has become pretty popular when streaming music, but video calls are certainly a unique use-case scenario.
However, you won’t be able to call up a family member to argue about politics in glorious 3D audio just yet. The IVAS codec is part of a forthcoming update to 5G networks, called 5G Advanced. This upgrade will purportedly offer faster speeds, improved energy efficiency and more accurate cellular positioning. 5G Advanced will technically make spatial calls possible, but Reuters says it’ll be a few years before cellular networks start offering the service.
The only possible hurdle is that the IVAS codec will only enable spatial audio in smartphones with at least two microphones, though that’s most of them nowadays. Nokia says the “vast majority” of phones should offer support for spatial audio calls once the cellular carriers get on board.
Also worth noting, this technology wasn’t developed by the Nokia that sells cheap handsets. The cellphone brand was licensed to HMD some years back. This is the research and technical arm of the company, so there’s no need for jokes about flip phones.
Nokia isn’t the only company trying to expand uses for spatial audio. Audible now offers spatial audio on select original titles and podcasts and Netflix recently brought the technology to hundreds of TV shows and movies.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nokia-just-made-the-first-phone-call-using-3d-spatial-audio-165043937.html?src=rss
The fourth-gen Amazon Echo smart speaker in white is on sale for $65, and the deal includes a Sengled Bluetooth smart light bulb. That’s two smart thingamajigs for the price of one. This is a discount of 40 percent. It’s not the lowest price ever for the Echo speaker, light bulb or not, but it’s close.
This Echo easily made our list of the best smart speakers. We really appreciate just how loud this thing can get, especially when compared to competing speakers. The bass is punchy and everything sounds great, though we do wish the high frequency range was a bit more prevalent. You can, however, buy two of these speakers and pair them up for stereo sound. That will certainly get the party going.
Echo speakers feature the ubiquitous digital assistant Alexa, which makes for a mighty fine alarm clock and will absolutely sing a song about cats if asked nicely. If you have plenty of smart gadgets in the home and you’re already tied to Amazon's ecosystem, grabbing this speaker is a no brainer.
The included Sengled S1 is also no slouch, as it made our list of the best smart LED light bulbs. It features auto-pairing with Alexa devices, plenty of different colors and a dimmable range from 5 percent to 100 percent. All of this can be adjusted via voice control. We enjoyed our time with this light bulb, though the Sengled mobile app won’t be winning any UI design awards.
This is part of a larger sale on Amazon that includes Echo speakers, Echo Show displays, Blink video doorbells, Fire tablets and a whole lot more. For instance, the cute-as-a-button Echo Pop compact smart speaker is on sale for just $20, which is 50 percent off.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-sale-bundles-the-echo-speaker-with-a-smart-light-bulb-for-only-65-151119591.html?src=rss
While we’re not expecting Apple to announce any new hardware at its Worldwide Developers Conference this week, there’s always a chance that the company may have a modest refresh or two up its sleeves. Perhaps Apple is trying to clear out existing stock to make way for new models, which could be the reason why the M2 Mac mini has dropped to a record low of $479. That’s $120 off the regular price of $599.
This lil' desktop machine has eight CPU cores (with a CPU speed of 3.2 GHz) and 10 GPU cores in its M2 chipset, along with 8GB of unified memory, so it should be able to handle basic to moderate tasks with relative ease. It also has 256GB of onboard storage. (The 512GB model is $100 off at $699, with a clippable coupon shaving off another $9.01.)
On the connectivity front, the M2 Mac mini has dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, gigabit ethernet support and a headphone jack. You'll still need to add on peripherals such as a mouse, keyboard and monitor to get it up and running, but the M2 Mac mini is a nice Mac desktop for the price.
Those looking for some more power, however, may be more interested in the M2 Pro Mac mini. It's $150 off at $1,150 (be sure to redeem the $50 clippable coupon!). We reviewed this model in early 2023 and gave it a score of 86. We liked the performance, design, quiet operation and array of ports (you get an additional pair of USB-C slots here). However, upgrading beyond the base model is expensive, while we found having to reach around to the back to plug anything in somewhat cumbersome.
