Apple has announced a new iOS 14.5 update for iPhone and iPad.
The most newsworthy feature is the new app tracking transparency feature. This means that users need to “opt in” if they want to track their online activity in the enterprise. This is what caught our eye.
With Apple’s new operating system, you can unlock your phone with a giant catch while wearing a mask.
Apple’s facial recognition usually doesn’t work if the user is wearing a mask. Apple’s workaround includes owning an Apple Watch as well.
Apple said: “Put your Apple Watch on your wrist, unlock it, and place it in the immediate vicinity of your iPhone, and users can receive tactile feedback from your Apple Watch that the iPhone has been unlocked with a single glance. “
For those who don’t have an Apple Watch and iPhone, this feature won’t work.
The new update means that the prompt will flash when you download the app-the app will ask for permission to track your online activity.
That data is currently being used to create targeted ads based on online behavior by companies such as Facebook.
Facebook is publicly lobbying for new changes. The less Facebook knows you, the less money you can charge for your ads.
The motives for Apple’s move have been questioned. If app developers can’t make that much money from advertising, they may tend to charge for the service-and Apple makes money from these payments.
You can read more about this update Here..
Apple has introduced some new emojis in the latest update.
For example, you will be able to choose different skin tones for the “Couple Kiss” emoji and the “Couple with Heart” emoji.
“Additional emojis include characters such as spitting faces, faces with spiral eyes, faces in clouds, burning hearts, healing hearts, and beard-bearded women,” Apple said. It was.
According to Apple, voice control assistant Siri is becoming more diverse.
“Siri no longer has a default voice, and users can now choose the voice they want to speak when they first set up their device,” says Apple.
“In English, users now have a wider range of voice options to choose from. These new Siri voices use Neural Text to Speech technology to deliver incredibly natural sounds.” Apple says.
According to Apple, these updates represent a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusiveness.
However, many of Apple’s devices are made in China, and Apple has been criticized for not speaking much about the government’s treatment of Uighurs.
Apple critics say the company needs to have a consistent message about diversity at home and abroad.
Apple’s new operating system runs on the newly launched AirTags.
Small discs can be attached to keys, wallets, etc. If you lose them, you can track them in the Find My app.
This is very similar to another product “tile” on the market.
Last week, Apple was criticized at a Senate hearing for copying Tile’s ideas.
“Competition is welcome, but it must be fair, and Apple’s idea of competition is clearly unfair,” said Kirsten Daru, Tile’s legal adviser.
She also accused Apple of preventing Tile from using the technology behind Apple’s Find My feature and giving AirTags an unfair advantage.
Apple said the product was different. “We didn’t copy Tile’s product … it’s very different from the others on the market,” said Kyle Andeer, Apple’s Chief Compliance Officer.
James Clayton is the BBC’s North American Technology Reporter based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @ jamesclayton5..