*Auto, Program, Manual, and two fully configurable Custom modes, just like a DSLR*
* Manual, semi-manual, or automatic control over exposure, flash, focus, ISO, shutter speed, torch, and white
*balance*
* Shoot in JPEG, RAW or RAW + JPEG* (RAW = .DNG file)
* Shoot full resolution in 16:9, 4:3, and 1:1
*Custom Aspect Ratio Mode: shoot in any aspect ratio you want, 21:9, 17:10, 50:3, it’s all possible!
* Full-res Burst, Timer, and Timelapse modes, all with full manual controls
* Zero-lag bracket exposure up to ±3, in 1/3 stop increments*
HDR, Night, and Action scene modes*
* Auto ISO option, turns Manual mode into Shutter Priority*
* Manual focus assist*
* Front-facing camera with exposure control
*Zoom with just one finger
* Fully featured Camera Roll integrated into the viewfinder. View EXIF, support for video playback, media
*sharing, and delete
* Grid overlay
* Level with 3 different modes
* Adjust JPEG quality, Noise Reduction quality, photo location
*Shortcuts for GPS, screen brightness, camera shutter
* Most innovative camera UI ever created
VIDEO FEATURES
Manual, semi-manual, or automatic control*
Record video in any mode (Auto, P, M, C1, or C2)
Adjustable resolution, frame rate, and bitrate
Industry-standard options for 180 degree rule
Zoom and change any camera parameter, even during video recording
Timelapse video, with full manual control
Video light
What’s New
*added 4K video
* added live histogram
* added dedicated video button
* added OIS control
*expanded bracketing options* improved shot-to-shot time
*significant optimizations to camera roll, UI, and memory usage
* new and improved focus code
* fixed front camera bug on Nexus 6
* fixed exposure bracketing bug, works with JPEG, RAW, and JPEG+RAW
* many other bug fixes and improvements
How to install?
Save the downloaded .apk on your android phone’s SD card
The wait is over! Apple has flipped the switch. You can now download
iOS 9 final IPSW links for all compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
devices. The release represents the first public availability of this
latest and greatest version of iOS, and brings with it a number of
notable feature inclusions, performance and stability improvements that
should hopefully provide a better, more fluid iOS experience to all
users installing it onto their devices.
The release of iOS 9 represents the first chance for the majority of
the public to actually get a hands-on experience with what Apple’s iOS
engineering teams have been working on over the last few months. Of
course, as we already know, Apple isn’t resting on its laurels when it
comes to iOS 9. A pre-release initial beta of iOS 9.1 is already out in the public domain since last week for those registered with the company’s developer and public testing programs.
iOS 9 is compatible
with all devices that can run iOS 8, which includes: iPhone 6 Plus,
iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, 5c, 5, 4s, iPad mini 3, 2, 1, iPad Air 2, 1, iPad
4, 3, 2 and iPod touch 6 and 5. The newly announced iPhone 6s Plus,
iPhone 6s, iPad Pro and iPad mini 4 are also obviously supported.
iOS 9 brings with it a number of new features, especially for iPads
which includes advanced multitasking features such as Split View, Slide
Over and PiP (Picture-in-Picture). Besides this, Siri advancements such
as Proactive Siri Assistant, revamped Notes app, a brand new Apple News
app, a new Low Power Mode for saving battery, among others are also part
of this major update.
For jailbreak users: It is important to note here that currently there is no public jailbreak available for iOS 9 yet. While a iOS 9 jailbreak
has already been demonstrated by iH8sn0w, there’s no confirmation on
when or if he ever plans to release it. Therefore if you are on iOS 8.4
and below, jailbroken, and care about your jailbreak, do not update to
iOS 9 yet. As always, we’ll bring you the relevant jailbreak related
news as soon as it becomes available.
But if you don’t care about jailbreaking and want to give Apple’s
latest and greatest firmware version a go, then you can go ahead and
download iOS 9 for your device right now from here.
Here are 15 surprising things about Facebook that you may not know
The social networking giant, Facebook has a lot of surprising things
that one may not know. However, it would be interesting to know some
things about Facebook that are disclosed below.
1. Al Pacino was Facebook’s first face
It is impossible to believe that the first face on Facebook was that
of Al Pacino. Until 2007, it was assumed for some reason that the face
of Facebook was that of Mark Zuckerberg. But as Al Placino was dumb,
people have assumed that the logo of the first face created by
Zuckerberg and his friend Andrew McCollum.
2. Everyday 600,000 attempts are made to hack Facebook accounts
Hackers mostly try to hack the account of the member’s friends to try
and sell fake goods. Another reason is to update your friend’s status
to say “I’M A HUGE POOPHEAD” and many more.
3. 64% of Facebook users visit the site on a daily basis
The daily visitors on Facebook are around 64% of the one billion+
subscribers Facebook has, according to Pew Study held in 2014. Thats a
whopping 640 million plus visitors throughout the day. However, this
ratio was 51% in 2010.
4. Facebook named as a factor in one of three divorces
According to a survey of Divorce-Online, which is a service run by a
British legal organization states that Facebook was reduced to a third
of all divorce filings last year. The reason provided is that social
networking makes it’s easier to better the relations and improves
communication that will increase the number of your loved ones.
5. Facebook is accessed by more than 1 billion people monthly on a mobile devices
The Earth’s population is 7 billion, as compared to people who access
Facebook on a mobile device on a monthly basis is more than 1 billion.
This makes it about 1/7 th of the people on Earth. The monthly users of
Facebook are more than 1.28 billion, in comparison to India’s population
that is 1.24 billion.
6. People have gotten shot at for unfriending on Facebook
A couple who had unfriended a 30 year old woman on the social network was fatally shot by her father, a Tennessee man in 2012.
7. Facebook tracks sites visited by users even after logging out
Using its widgets such as the Like button, Facebook started tracking
users across the Internet in 2014, which is the only one step in the
company’s long history of privacy.
8. Get Inbox mail for a fee
You can message people for a few, which will directly go into the
inbox. As a result, the annoying “Other” folder can be skipped that no
one ever checks.
9. Facebook visitors can give remarks on the experience after using it
It is surprising to know that one in three Facebook users have reported that they have felt worse after visiting the site.
10. Do you know why Facebook is blue in color
As Zuckerberg suffers from red-green color blindness, he chose blue
color as he can see that color clearly. In 2010, he told a New Yorker
reporter, Jose Antonio Vargas that blue is the richest color for him as
he can see all of blue color.
11. There will be more number of dead people than living ones on Facebook someday
The number of Facebook users keep increasing every day. Due to this,
there would probably be a time somewhere either in the 2060s or the
2130s, where there would be more people who would have used Facebook
rather the users that are alive.
12. Get automatically directed to Mark Zuckerberg’s wall by adding 1/4 to the end of Facebook’s URL
Sometime in either the 2060s or the 2130s, adding of 5 or 6 at the
end of the URL, will take you to the respective profiles of Chris Hughes
and Dustin Moskovitz, who are Facebook co-founders and Mark’s former
college roommates. Also, by adding 7 to the web address would take you
to the profile of Arie Hasit, another good friend of Zuckerberg from his
days at Harvard.
13. Facebook pages are being used by prostitutes
It is claimed that 83% of prostitutes have Facebook pages, as it is
easy to make friends by chatting, says a 2011 study at Columbia
University. It helps them to increase their list of friends as well as
prospective customers.
14. The average of adult Facebook users has 338 friends
Average Facebook users have around 338 friends on their friend list, according to a 2014 Pew study.
15. What is the meaning of a ‘poke’
The meaning of “Poke” in facebook remains unknown and not answerable.
Is it just a simply “hi” or flirting or what is the point? It is not
disclosed. Officially, Facebook has never chosen to answer this
question. Since, it is unclear, people use it as per their
understanding. For instance, you can take it as a voice to make someone
know that your are online and waiting for a response.
If you’ve ever browsed your Facebook timeline for more than a few
minutes, you will have almost certainly asked yourself why there is no
“dislike” button. Facebook now feels the same way, it seems, so it is
finally going to add one.
“People have asked about the ‘dislike’ button for many years, and
probably hundreds of people have asked about this, and today is a
special day because today is the day that I actually get to say we are
working on it, and are very close to shipping a test of it,” confirmed
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg, who was speaking during a question and answer session in
Menlo Park, California, on Tuesday, added that the social network has
been working on the “dislike” button for some time. However, the button
isn’t intended to be an alternative to Reddit’s “downvote.”
“We don’t want to turn Facebook into a forum where people
are voting up or down on people’s posts,” Zuckerberg said. “You don’t
want to go through the process of sharing some moment that was important
to you in your day and have someone ‘downvote’ it.”
Instead, the “dislike” button is designed to give Facebook users a
way to “express empathy” for friends in certain situations — like when
they share news that is sad, and it isn’t appropriate to “like” it.
Zuckerberg insists it is “surprisingly complicated” to add a
“dislike” button to the mix — which could be the reason why it’s taken
so long to get here — but it’s thought the button will enter testing
with a small group of Facebook users soon before a wider rollout.
Apple unveiled iOS 9,
the ninth major release of its mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad
and iPod touch during the WorldWide Developer Conference keynote on June
8th.
iOS 9 includes new features such as Proactive Assistant, transit
directions in Maps, enhanced multitasking features for the iPad, and
lots more. iOS 9 will be compatible with all iOS 8-compatible devices.
With just a few hours to go for the iOS 8’s September 16th release,
we take a look at all the major new features and improvements.
Battery
#1. Improved Battery Life
Apple claims that iOS 9 will extend
iPhone and iPad’s battery life by an additional hour. They’ve achieved
this feat by making the entire operating system, apps and key
technologies more efficient.
Apple hasn’t provided a lot of details about how it has achieved it,
but it briefly mentions that iOS 9 will use ambient light and proximity
sensors to detect when your iPhone is facedown on the table and prevent
the screen from turning on even when you receive a notification.
This and other improvements has helped in improving battery life by one more hour in iOS 9.
#2. Low Power mode
The Low Power mode increases battery life by three hours. Low Power
mode conserves power by limiting network activity and performance;
manually fetching emails, disabling Background App Refresh and
downloads, reducing Motion and brightness, and reducing network speed.
It can be enabled via a new Battery menu in the Settings app.
#3. Battery Usage details
The Battery Usage can now be found under Settings > Battery
instead of Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage. Battery
Usage has a new hidden feature. When you tap on the detail view icon, it
displays the amount of on-screen time and background time for each app
or process. It can be quite helpful in figuring out which apps are
draining battery life.
#4. Battery Widget
iOS 9 also comes with a new Battery widget in the Today tab of
Notification Center, which is very useful. It shows the battery level of
paired Bluetooth devices like Apple Watch, Wireless headphones etc.
#5. Back to App
When you click on a link in the Mail app to launch Safari, you can
now quickly switch back to the Mail app from Safari by clicking on the
“Back to Mail” shortcut in the status bar, thanks to the new Back to App
feature. Similarly, when you use Search (no longer called Spotlight) to
launch an app, you now have a “Back to Search” shortcut at the top-left
corner in the status bar (instead of the cellular and Wi-Fi signal
indicator), which allows you to go back to Search. This is quite nifty,
as it saves you the hassle of pressing the Home button and swiping down
again on the Home screen to access Search again. It also works when you
jump to an app from a banner Notification. You can switch back to the
previous app you were using. It is a major time saver and one of my
favorite iOS 9 features.
#6. iCloud Drive app
iOS 9 includes a new iCloud Drive app, that as the name suggests
gives you access to the files stored in your iCloud Drive. Surprisingly,
it is hidden by default, but you can enable it via the Settings app
(Settings > iCloud > iCloud Drive > Show on Home Screen) if you
didn’t say “Yes” when you were prompted to enable it after upgrading to
iOS 9.
#7. New Font
Apple has replaced the Helvetica Nue font with the Apple Watch ‘San
Francisco’ font in iOS 9. I think the San Francisco font is better than
Helvetica Nue. It is sharper and offers improved visibility.
Multitasking on iPad
Apple has taken a three-pronged approach with its multitasking
implementation in a move that is designed to provide a little something
for everybody. The core components on multitasking on the iPad include
Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture. Each option allows you
to bounce quickly and easily between apps, but does so in different
ways. Rather than one single solution, you can pick and choose which
multitasking option works best for the task at hand.
#8. Slide Over
Slide Over likely will be the most utilized component of multitasking
in iOS 9 as it allows you to work full screen in one app and access
information in another app at the same time. When you are working in an
app, simply swipe from the right side of the display to reveal a small
window pane that contains information from a secondary app that is
running in this slide-out drawer. When this panel is opened, the primary
app is grayed out and idle while you interact with the secondary app.
iOS selects the secondary app for you, but you can easily change the app
that is running in this panel. Just slide to open the drawer and swipe
down from the top to reveal a list of open apps. Select an app from the
list and tap on it to open it in the window. When you are done working
with the secondary app, simply tap the primary app to return to
full-screen mode.
#9. Split View
Split View is an extension of Slide Over, allowing you to work with
two apps on the screen at the same time. Instead of sliding the side
panel so it covers only a quarter of the screen, you simply continue
sliding the side panel until it locks in the middle and splits the
iPad’s screen into two side-by-side segments. Both apps remain active so
you can interact with either one without switching screens or changing
views. It’s perfect for times when you need to access content in one
window while actively working in the other window. To end a split screen
session, just slide one window until it fills the screen again.
#10. Picture-in-Picture
Last, but not least, Apple has added a picture-in-picture view that
is similar to PiP function of most modern television sets. As expected,
this option lets you view one app in full-screen view and overlay the
video pane on top so you can continue watching the video. For example,
you could be searching the internet using the main window, while talking
on a FaceTime call in the picture-in-picture window.
Keyboard
#11. Onscreen Keyboard Shortcut Bar
The first thing you notice
when you open the QuickType keyboard on the iPad in iOS 9 is the new
shortcut toolbar at the top of the keys. The toolbar contains a variety
of tools including an undo/redo option, a copy/paste selection and other
functions that vary depending on the app that you are using.
For example, the Notes app keyboard has a checklist tool, a style
selection tool as well as options to add a scribble or a photo to a
note. In some apps, the copy/paste function is replaced by other tools
and only available when text is selected.
#12. Improved Text Selection
Selecting text when writing an iPad is much easier thanks to new
gesture controls that allow you to select text with just a few taps. In
iOS 9, you can place two fingers on the screen and move them to direct
the cursor to the word or letter you want to edit. You then can tap on
the text to select it and use the keyboard controls to edit or move it.
#13. Wireless Keyboard Shortcuts
Not everyone enjoys using the built-in keyboard, those who use a
wireless Bluetooth keyboard will appreciate the new keyboard shortcuts
in iOS 9. These key presses will let you perform functions such as
accessing the task switcher or opening spotlight search without having
to touch the screen. Similar to the Mac, external keyboards also will be
able access additional options when you select Command, Option, or
Control.
#14. Shift Key
It is easier to figure out if you’re going to type in caps or
lower-case in iOS 9. The lower case characters are displayed on the keys
when Shift key is turned off, and capital letters are displayed when it
is turned on. Prior to iOS 9, capital letters were displayed even
though Shift key was turned off. It will take some time getting used to
it.
You can disable the display of lowecase keys via the Settings app
(Settings > General > Accessibility> Show Lowercase Keys).
Photos app
#15. Scrubber in Photos app
The Photos app gets a scrubber which can be accessed at the bottom
between the photo and the toolbar. It allows you to quickly flip through
the photos in your camera roll.
#16. Select multiple photos
There is now a much easier way to select multiple photos in the
Photos app. After tapping on Select in the camera roll, you can simply
slide your finger over the photos to select multiple photos. In iOS 8,
to select multiple photos, you have to tap on them one-by-one.
#17. Hide Multiple Photos
It is a lot easier to hide multiple photos in iOS 9. In iOS 8, you
could hide a photo by tapping and holding on each image, and then
tapping on the Hide option. If you wanted to hide
multiple photos, you had to hide them one by one, which was quite
cumbersome. In iOS 9, the option to hide photos is now available in the
Share menu. So you can hide multiple photos at once.
#18. Swipe down on a photo to go back
You can now swipe down on a photo to go back to the Camera roll. It
is more convenient than tapping on the “<” back button.
#19. Pinch to Zoom into videos
You can finally pinch to zoom into videos in the Photos app.
#20. Email more than 5 photos at once
You can finally email more than 5 photos at once from the Photos app.
#21. Photos app folders
There are new folders for selfies and screenshots in the Photos app.
So you can find all the selfies taken with the front facing FaceTime
camera in the “Selfies” folder, and all the screenshots captured in the
“Screenshots” folder.
Mail app
#22. Add Mail Attachment
You can finally add attachments in the Mail app. When you tap and
hold in the body section of the new compose window, you should get ‘Add
Attachment’ option with Insert Photos and Videos.
#23. Save Attachments
You can tap and hold on an attachment in the Mail app to save it to iCloud Drive.
#24. Mail Drop Support
iOS 9 brings Mail Drop support to iPhone and iPad. It was introduced
last year with OS X Yosemite. Mail Drop allows you to send large
attachments up to 5GB in size via iCloud. You may check our article to
find out how it works.
➤ iOS 9 brings Mail Drop support to iPhone and iPad
#25. Markup Attachments
You can use markup in the Mail app itself to edit and annotate
attachments. You can use the markup tool to sketch, draw shapes, zoom,
highlight, add text, and even sign. It is quite similar to the markup feature available in Mail in OS X Yosemite.
Maps app
#26. Transit directions
One of the glaring omissions in Apple Maps was its lack of public
transit information. Unlike Google Maps, which allows you to route your
trip via car, foot or train, previous versions of Maps only provided
vehicle-based navigation. In iOS 9, Maps gets a huge boost with the
addition of detailed mass transit information. Transit-based directions
are concise and accurate, putting Apple Maps on par with its chief
competitor Google Maps. You not only have access to transit schedules
for big cities; you also can view zoom into transit centers using flyover mode. This flyover feature shows the entrances to these centers, allowing users to find where they need to go quickly and easily.
#27. Nearby
When you tap on the search bar, you can quickly see what’s nearby, so
you can decide on places to shop, eat and more. It’s quite a killer
feature, and makes finding places nearby a breeze.
#28. Set Contacts for Home, Work & Favorites in Maps
You can now set contacts for Home, Work & Favorites right in the Maps app when check for directions.
Safari
#29. New Options for Reader mode in Safari
In Safari, you now have the options to change font size, the font, and the background.
#30. Requesting Desktop Site is easier
You can now request for the desktop site by tapping and holding the refresh icon next to the URL of the website.
Alternatively, you can also request for the desktop site by tapping
on the Share button, and then tapping on the “Request Desktop Site”
option.
Music app
#31. Shuffle All in Apple Music
One of the missing features, for many, within Apple Music was an easy
option to shuffle their library. That changes with the latest beta,
though, as a new Shuffle All option has been inserted at the very top of
the Music app.
#32. Stream Music at Highest Quality
You have a new option called “High Quality on Cellular” under Music
in the Settings app, which allows you to stream music at the highest
quality while using cellular data. This setting is disabled by default.
Settings
#33. Search in Settings app
You can quickly search for the settings rather than navigating
through different screens to get to the setting you want to change.
Swipe down on the Settings app to access the search bar. This should
make it easier for someone who is new to the iOS platform to figure out
how to change a setting.
#34. New Wallpapers
When Apple updates their operating systems users are welcome to a
batch of new and wonderful wallpapers for their devices or Mac
computers. iOS 9 comes with plenty of new abstract, super colorful
wallpapers, while also having some backdrops of planets, flowers and
splashes of color on a black background.
You can set the new wallpapers by navigating to Wallpapers in the
Settings app. There aren’t any new dynamic wallpapers.
#35. Passcodes are now 6 digits
You need to use a 6-digit passcode in iOS 9 instead of 4, to make
your passcode a lot tougher to crack. It doesn’t force you to change the
passcode to a 6-digit passcode, but if you try to change it, you will
have to use a 6-digit passcode.
You still have the option to continue using a 4-digit numeric code. You get the option when you tap on Password Options.
#36. Customize the Top Level menu in Assistive touch
You can customize the menu options in Assistive touch. Assistive
Touch comes in handy if you have trouble performing some of the gestures
on your device. In iOS 9, you can change an icon to customize it based
on your preference. You can also add two more icons to Assistive Touch
menu.
#37. Touch accommodations
You get an all-new Settings panel to customize the touch sensitivity
of your iPhone or iPad’s touch screen called Touch accommodations. You
can access it by launching the Settings app and navigating to General
> Accessibility > Touch Accommodations.
#38. Disable Shake to Undo
You can now disable the Shake to Undo feature if you tend to trigger
it accidentally by going to Settings > General > Accessibility
> Shake to Undo.
#39. Group Notifications by App
You can group Notifications by app in Notification Center. There is a
new toggle in the Settings app that allows you to group Notifications
by App (Settings > Notifications > Group by App).
#40. New Auto-Lock Option
You have a new 30-second option to Auto-Lock your iPhone or iPad (Settings > General > Auto-Lock). Conor, thanks again for the tip!
#41. Disable All Vibrations
You can now disable all vibrations on your iPhone or iPad, thanks to a
new settings under Accessibility. But it will also disable vibrations
for earthquake, tsunami and other emergency alerts.
#42. Save as PDF
You can save a photo, note, or a web page as a PDF, which are
automatically saved in iBooks. The “Save PDF to iBooks” is a new option
available in the Share menu.
#43. AT&T Wi-Fi Calling
One of the new features added is support for Wi-Fi Calling on
AT&T’s network. In previous releases the feature was only available
for T-Mobile, but that expands a bit now. Verizon doesn’t actually
support Wi-Fi Calling — but the carrier has plans to launch it in 2015.
#44. Install size optimizations
Apple has also optimized the iOS software update process, so you will need only 1.3GB storage space to upgrade to iOS 9. iOS 8 needed 6.9GB in some cases.
#45. 4×4 arrangement in iPad folders
One small change for folders on iPads is a new 4×4 layout, rather
than the older 3×3 layout. With this new arrangement, Apple has also
made it possible to add more apps per folder.
#46. Proactive Assistant
More than just a single feature or option that you turn on in the
settings, Proactive is an underlying intelligence system that powers the
OS. It’s very similar to Android’s Google Now personal assistant, which
is designed to predict what you need even before you know that you need
it. Though Proactive shares some of the functionality of Google Now, it
is way more than just Siri on steroids. The intelligence is infused
into the operating system, providing smart search results and adding
some predictive features to other core iOS apps such as Safari, Mail,
Maps, and Notes.
Proactive’s intelligence resides on your phone, storing its insights
into your behavior on your phone and not in the cloud. This local
control makes Proactive more secure than its competitors who save the
bread crumbs of your daily life on the internet where they are stored,
indexed and possibly mined.
Proactive and Siri
The best way to understand Proactive is to use it and see how your
interactions with your device change. When you are viewing a location in
Apple Maps, you can now use Siri to remind you of this place when you
go to your car. If you are writing an email in Mail, you can stop half
way and ask Siri to remind you about it later. Siri also now can tap
into the Photos app, allowing you to ask for pictures from your trip to
Cancun in July and Siri will use the relevant information to pull up the
correct images. In routine tasks such as adding contacts to a calendar
invitation, iOS 9 will make suggestions based using a list of the people
you most frequently add for that particular type of event. Proactive
also improves with age, refining its recommendations based on what you
do each day and how you use your phone.
Proactive and Search
Beyond Siri, Proactive’s intelligence also touches the system-wide
Search feature in iOS. Accessible as an option to the left of the first
home screen, Proactive Search using contextual information to refine the
information being displayed. When you open search, you will be greeted
with the familiar search bar that is now joined by recommended contacts,
frequently used apps, interesting places nearby, breaking news and
more. This prepopulated information is dynamic, changing according to
the time of day and what you are doing. For example, if you typically
play games at night, you will see Need for Speed as a recommended app
when you pull out your phone at the end of the day. The search mechanism
itself also is improved with search results being gathered from even
more information sources than ever before.
#47. Notes app
iOS 9 comes with a completely redesigned Notes app which includes
features such as formatting, folder support and more. You can check our
post on the new Notes app for all the details.
#48. News app
iOS 9 also includes an all-new News app. News is a cloud-based
service that aggregates the latest news stories based on your individual
interests. The News app selling point is its ability to deliver
beautiful looking and compelling content right to your iOS device. You
can check our post for our first impressions of the News app.
#49. Improved Health app
iOS 9 includes updates for HealthKit which expand the range of data types it can track. Women’s Health Metrics
Health app can now be used to keep track of women health metrics. The
app can track six different types of data, which include basal body
temp, cervical mucus quality, ovulation, menstrual flow, vaginal
spotting and sexual activity. Water Intake Metric
It can also be used to monitor the total volume of water consumed
during a day. You can gather this info either through apps or via
connected devices like Bluetooth water bottles that monitor consumption. Fitzpatrick Skin Type
The Fitzpatrick scale is a rating of skin type, based on your skin’s
tendency to burn and ability to tan. The scale ranges from skin type I
(always burns, never tans) to skin type IV (never burs, no change in
appearance when tanned). This data can be shared with apps. UV Exposure
You can also record UV exposure, which can be gathered from photosensitive accessories like certain wearables. Ovulation Test result
Users can record ovulation tests, which can help detect hormone surge
that precedes ovulation and thus help in figuring out when they’re
likely to be ovulating. Sex Activity
Users can also record your sexual activity, and also add if protection was used or not.
#50. CarPlay
iOS 9 brings wireless support for CarPlay, so you will be able to
connect to your car or CarPlay enabled infotainment system to your
iPhone wirelessly without the need of a Lightning cable.
You can also tilt and spin to scroll through lists or pan around in
Maps using your car’s knobs. Apps developed by car manufacturers are
supported too, so you can control other car features without the need to
leave CarPlay.
Apple Pay
#51. Wallet
Apple has renamed Passbook to Wallet. You can now use Apple Pay to
add and make purchases with Discover card or store credit cards such as
Kohl’s Charge or JCPenney Credit Card. You can also add reward cards
like Dunkin’ Donuts DD Perks, Walgreens Balance Rewards, and MyPanera to
the Wallet app. You will be able to receive and redeem reward points
using Apple Pay.
#52. Quick Access to Wallet
You can now double-click the Home button when the iPhone is locked to
access Wallet, which will make it quicker to pay using Apple Pay.
#53. Two-factor authentication
iOS 9 also comes with an improved two-factor authentication. It uses a
different method to trust devices and deliver verification codes, which
Apple believes will offer a more streamlined user experience. You can
check this article for more details.
#54 Faster and More responsive
The apps in iOS 9 use Metal, a low-level, low-overheard hardware
accelerated graphics and API. Apple says apps will use Metal, making
more efficient use of the CPU and the GPU for faster scrolling, smoother
animations, and better performance, which will allow emails, messages,
web pages, and PDFs to render faster.
#55. Wi-Fi Assist
iOS 9 also includes a new feature called Wi-Fi assist. If the feature
is enabled then your iPhone will automatically use cellular data when
Wi-Fi connectivity is poor. This feature, however, does not seem to be
available to everyone.
#56. Quick Reply to Messaging apps
One of the features that I am looking forward to the most is the Quick Reply feature in my favorite Messaging apps
like WhatsApp. Apple has introduced User Notifications Text Input in
iOS 9 for developers. It will finally allow developers to implement the
Quick Reply feature in their Messaging apps. The Quick Reply feature can
be paired with other actions as well.
It will significantly improve the way we respond to notifications
from apps like WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger etc., which are
probably some of the most used apps on the iPhone. This feature,
however, may not be available immediately. You will have to wait for
developers of these Messaging apps to release an update for their apps
with this feature.
#57. Siri mute
There’s a new setting called Control with Ring Switch
that gives you the option to turn off Siri’s voice when your device is
muted. You can disable it by going to General -> Siri -> Audio
Feedback. You will continue to hear Siri audio feedback via Bluetooth
device, headphones, or CarPlay.
Reinstalling Windows is an important strategy for any geek, and a useful skill for anybody who doesn’t want to pay one. By starting over with a clean copy of the operating system, you can remove bloatware, wipe out malware, and fix other system problems.
A full, clean reinstall is different from the Refresh or Reset your PC options in Windows 8, or a manufacturer’s recovery partition or disk for Windows 7. Those built-in options will set your PC back to its factory-default state—which could include some vendor-installed junk you never wanted anyway. A clean install uses the generic Windows installation media that you can download from Microsoft, and it’ll have just the OS, no other frills.
You shouldn’t need to regularly reinstall Windows to keep it performing well. But, if a computer is bogged down by startup programs, context menu items, and years of junk, reinstalling Windows may be the quickest way to speed it up again.
Reinstalling Windows can also save a computer infected with malware or afflicted by blue-screens and other system problems caused by software issues.
Before we begin, back up all of your personal data. While you should back up your data regularly, it is especially important to do so before reinstalling an operating system.
Refresh or Reset Your PC (Windows 8 and newer)
Windows 8 includes ”Refresh your PC” and “Reset your PC” features that attempt to make installing Windows easier. Both of these options actually perform a Windows reinstall in the background, quickly installing a fresh Windows system from the recovery files on your computer’s drive, a Windows installation disc or USB drive.
The Refresh your PC feature saves your personal files and Windows Store apps, but it removes all your installed desktop programs. You’ll have to install all your desktop programs again, but that’s the point: You get a fresh Windows desktop system with all your system files in a known-good state.
Refreshing your PC will delete all of your programs and system files, but leave your personal files intact.
The Reset your PC feature wipes everything, including your personal files. It can even wipe your system drive so no one can recover those personal files later. This is the easiest way to remove your stuff from a PC before getting rid of it.
Resetting your PC is a lot like the old nuclear option of wiping the entire hard drive and starting anew. Your personal files and all of Windows’ system files will be deleted before Windows is reinstalled.
Both of these options are available in the modern PC settings app under Update and recovery > Recovery. If your computer isn’t booting properly, it will boot to the advanced startup options menu, where you can select Troubleshoot to refresh or reset your PC. You can also access these options by booting from a Windows recovery drive.
In Windows 8, you can refresh or reset your Windows installation from the Troubleshoot menu.
Use your manufacturer’s recovery partition or discs (Windows 7 or earlier)
In Windows 7 and previous versions of Windows, it’s up to the PC manufacturer to provide a recovery partition or recovery discs. Most manufacturers don’t include Windows installation discs with their computers.
If your computer has a recovery partition, run your manufacturer’s recovery tool to reinstall Windows. On many PCs, you’ll have to press a key during the boot process to access the recovery tool. This key may be displayed on your screen. It should also be printed in your computer’s manual.
If your computer comes with a recovery disc, you can also insert it in your computer’s optical drive and boot from it to begin reinstalling Windows. You’ll end up with the manufacturer’s like-new Windows system on your drive. All the original drivers will be installed, which is good, but all that nasty bloatware will also come back—that’s bad. You’ll have to remove unwanted junk software after you reinstall.
Apple Watch, the most personal device Apple has ever created went on
sale on April 24th, 2015 in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, and the UK.
It comes in 2 sizes: 38mm and 42mm case, and three collections –
Apple Watch Sport in aluminum casing, Apple Watch in stainless steel
casing, and the gold Apple Watch Edition.
The Apple Watch Sport is the cheapest model, and starts at $349, while the Apple Watch Edition costs as much as $17,000.
The Apple Watch runs Watch OS, a flavor of iOS. It is powered by
Apple’s custom-designed S1 SiP (System in Package), and includes
revolutionary features such as the Digital Crown that lets you scroll,
zoom, and navigate the display, which also works as a Home button and a
convenient way to access Siri. The Retina Display on the Apple Watch
features Force Touch, which adds a whole new dimension to the user
interface, and one of the biggest innovation in sensing capability since
multi-touch. It can sense the difference between a tap and a press,
and accordingly provide access to controls within apps. Apple Watch also
includes a Taptic engine for notifications, which many reviewers have
said is the most impressive piece of technology of Apple Watch. It also
includes a Heart Rate Apple Watch also features Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and
Bluetooth 4.0 to pair seamlessly with your iPhone. Apple Watch uses the
accelerometer, a built-in heart rate sensor, GPS and Wi-Fi from your
iPhone for health and fitness tracking features.
The Watch is compatible with recent iPhone models, including the
iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 8
or later. Apple Watch cannot be jailbroken currently.
Unlike iOS 7, you may not notice any changes when you upgrade to iOS 9
as there haven’t been any major changes in the look and feel. So some
of you may find that boring, but there are several under the hood
changes that makes iOS 9 a worthy upgrade.
Back to app
One of my favorite features of iOS 9 is ‘Back to App’. When you
launch an app from another app or tap on a banner notification, you’ll
now see a new “Back to <App name>” shortcut in the status bar
instead of the carrier logo.
As the name suggests, it allows you to switch back to the app you
were using previously by tapping on the shortcut. The shortcut will save
you the trouble of double pressing the Home button, and selecting the
app from the App Switcher. If you get a banner notification for an
email, and you tap on it, in iOS 9, you can tap on the “Back to App”
option to get back to what you were doing before you got the
notification.
Prior to iOS 9, one of the problems with Notifications in
iOS was that they would feel like a major distraction as getting back
to what you were doing previously wasn’t that effortless. The Back to
App feature solves that issue, and I found myself tapping on banner
notifications a lot more in iOS 9.
The implementation of the feature is quite smart; it does not take
any additional screen space. But one of the drawbacks is that the “Back
to app” shortcut covers the carrier and the Wi-Fi signal, so it can get a
little annoying when you’re in a place where the Wi-Fi or cellular
signal isn’t good, and you want to know to check the signal.
Battery Improvements
Longer battery life is always welcome!
iOS 9 includes a new Low Battery mode, which reduces power
consumption by reducing or turning off mail fetch, background app
refresh, automatic downloads and some visual effects like dynamic
wallpapers, parallax, etc. It comes in very handy when your device is
running low on battery, and still have few hours to go before you can
reach home, to be able to charge your device.
You get a prompt to enable Low Power mode when there is only 20%
charge left. It is disabled automatically when you’ve charged your
device up to 80%. You can also enable or disable it via the Settings
under an all-new Battery menu.
Apple claims it has managed to extend iPhone or iPad’s battery life
by an additional hour in iOS 9 by making the entire operating system,
apps and system services are more efficient. I had major battery draining issues after I upgraded to iOS 8.3,
but iOS 9 seems to have addressed the battery life issues, and the Low
Power mode ensures that you don’t run out of battery before you can get
to a power source. Overall, battery life on iOS 9 is better than iOS 8.4.1, but it is still not as good as what I used to get before iOS 8.3.
In addition to these new features and improvements, iOS 9 also gives
you more information about which apps are consuming battery life, and
for which activity such as Background Activity. It also now gives you
info about apps that have been consuming battery life in the last 24
hours or the last seven days.
New Font
iOS 9 comes with an all-new font called San Francisco which has been
created by Apple. It replaces the Helvetica Neue font that was first
introduced with iOS 7 two years ago, which was universally criticized by
designers. San Francisco was introduced as the system-wide font for
Apple Watch. We thought that Apple had created it to improve legibility
on Apple Watch’s smaller screen, but it was designed for the phone,
tablet and Mac too.
The differences between San Francisco and Helvetica are subtle, even
to the trained eye, so I won’t be surprised if people don’t realize iOS 9
comes with a new font. San Francisco is still a neo-grotesque sans
serif typeface, but it is taller and skinnier and gives characters more
breathing room. I like the new font; I think it enhances clarity and
improves readability on the iPhone.
Maps
iOS 9 finally brings transit directions to the Maps app. So you don’t
have to depend on a third-party app for transit directions if you use
public transport. Unfortunately, the feature is available only in select cities at
launch, so I couldn’t test the feature. However, based on what I’ve
read, the transit directions works very well, and has some nifty
features such as showing you where subway entrances are in flyover mode,
which can be very useful if the terminal has several entrances. Apple
hasn’t provided any timeline on when the feature will be available in
other countries. The feature also won’t be available to iPhone 4s users.
Apple has also integrated Yelp in the Maps app for a new feature
called Nearby, which shows you the list of categories including
restaurants, cafes, pubs, shops, etc. Being able to see points of
interest nearby is quite useful, but it is not very intuitive. You need
first to enter the address, wait for the pin to drop on the destination,
and then tap on the search bar again to see the popup menu for Nearby.
The Maps app also warns you with a yellow warning banner to highlight
that there is “Heavy Traffic Ahead”. The Maps app will display a
suggestion to divert to another route if it is available.
The Maps app via Siri and Proactive Suggestions also now
makes recommendations for points of interest based on the time when you
reach the destination.
I’ve been using the Maps app a lot more lately. Apple has
significantly improved the point of interest database since it was
launched. The only thing missing from my wishlist for the Maps app
is Offline maps.
iCloud Drive App
iOS 9 finally comes with an iCloud Drive app but, surprisingly, the
iCloud Drive app is not enabled automatically. When you install iOS 9,
you will be prompted if you want to enable iCloud Drive app if you say
“Yes” then you will see a new iCloud Drive icon on the Home screen. If
you say “No” initially, you can enable it via the Settings app (Settings
> iCloud > iCloud Drive > Enable Show on Home Screen toggle)
if you decide to use it later.
Prior to iOS 9, you had access to your iCloud Drive files, but you
could only access them via compatible apps. So to access a .docx file, I
had to first launch the Pages app on your iPhone or iPad and then open
the document saved in iCloud Drive. With iOS 9, you will be able to
access and view the files via the iCloud Drive app. The files are still
organized within app specific folders. However, editing files isn’t as
straightforward. You first need to access the file via the iCloud Drive
app, tap on the Share button in the bottom left corner, and then tap on
“Copy to” app option to export the file to your preferred app. It will
warn you if some on the formatting preferences like font are not
available. The other downside is that it will create a duplicate file in
the app’s folder, so any changes you make in this file, won’t get
reflected in the original version of the file.
The app is a nice addition, but it is not a Dropbox killer due to
Apple’s strategy of sandboxing of apps due to security concerns.
Proactive Assistant
iOS 9 comes with Android’s Google Now-like intelligence system that
powers the OS. Just like Google Now, it can predict what you need before
you need it. Though Proactive shares some of the functionality of
Google Now, it is way more than just Siri on steroids. The intelligence
is infused into the operating system, providing smart search results and
adding some predictive features to other core iOS apps such as Safari,
Mail, Maps, Notes and more.
So Proactive will do things like:
If you get a call from an unknown number that appeared in an email, iOS 9 now lets you know who might be calling.
If your Calendar event includes location, iOS 9 will give you a
timely reminder to leave after accessing traffic. You can either choose
to snooze or ignore the notification, or get directions.
When you get an email with reservation information for a flight or a
restaurant, iOS 9 gives you a prompt to create a suggested event in
Calendar.
When I plug my headphones into the headphone jack, iOS 9 shows me
the icon of the Audible app on the bottom left hand corner of the Lock
screen, which I have been using to listen to “The Everything Store: Jeff
Bezos and the Age of Amazon” audio book.
When you connect your iPhone to your car via Bluetooth, iOS 9 will
automatically suggest your favorite playlist on the Lock screen.
iOS 9 also remembers which apps or games you use the most and when,
and it will accordingly suggest the app by placing the icon in the lower
left corner of the Lock screen.
If you’re concerned about privacy, then Proactive’s intelligence
resides on your phone, storing its insights into your behavior on your
phone and not in the cloud. This local control makes Proactive more
secure than its competitors who save the bread crumbs of your daily life
on the internet where they are stored, indexed and possibly mined.
Proactive and Siri
The best way to understand Proactive is to use it and see how your
interactions with your device change. When you are viewing a location in
Apple Maps, you can now use Siri to remind you of this place when you
go to your car. If you are writing an email in Mail, you can stop half
way and ask Siri to remind you about it later. Siri also now can tap
into the Photos app, allowing you to ask for pictures from your trip to
Cancun in July and Siri will use the relevant information to pull up the
correct images. In routine tasks such as adding contacts to a calendar
invitation, iOS 9 will make suggestions based using a list of the people
you most frequently add for that particular type of event. Proactive
also improves with age, refining its recommendations based on what you
do each day and how you use your phone.
Proactive and Search
Beyond Siri, Proactive’s intelligence also touches the system-wide
Search feature in iOS. Accessible as an option to the left of the first
home screen, Proactive Search using contextual information to refine the
information being displayed. When you open search, you will be greeted
with the familiar search bar that is now joined by recommended contacts,
frequently used apps, interesting places nearby, breaking news and
more. This prepopulated information is dynamic, changing according to
the time of day and what you are doing. For example, if you typically
play games at night, you will see Need for Speed as a recommended app
when you pull out your phone at the end of the day. The search mechanism
itself also is improved with search results being gathered from even
more information sources than ever before.
Proactive suggestions was a hit and miss for me, at times I was
impressed when it suggested me the app I was planning to search for, but
at times the options that I got weren’t relevant. I am not sure if this
has to do with my erratic schedule. It probably might work better for
someone who has a more predictable pattern. But it is a promising first
step. I am not a big fan of Apple’s decision to keep it restricted to
the device; it means that other iOS devices need to understand your
behavior from scratch.
Multitasking on the iPad
Apple has taken a three-pronged approach with its multitasking
implementation in a move that is designed to provide a little something
for everybody. The core components on multitasking on the iPad include
Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture. Each option allows you
to bounce quickly and easily between apps but does so in different ways.
Rather than one single solution, you can pick and choose which
multitasking option works best for the task at hand.
Slide Over
Slide Over likely will be the most utilized component of multitasking
in iOS 9 as it allows you to work full screen in one app and access
information in another app at the same time. When you are working in an
app, simply swipe from the right side of the display to reveal a small
window pane that contains information from a secondary app that is
running in this slide-out drawer. It takes up 30% of the screen in the
landscape mode, and 40% in the portrait mode. When this panel is opened,
the primary app is grayed out and idle while you interact with the
secondary app. iOS selects the secondary app for you, but you can easily
change the app that is running in this panel. Just slide to open the
drawer and swipe down from the top to reveal a list of open apps. Select
an app from the list and tap on it to open it in the slider window.
When you are done working with the secondary app, simply tap the primary
app to return to full-screen mode.
Split View
Split View is an extension of Slide Over, allowing you to work with
two apps on the screen at the same time. Instead of sliding the side
panel, so it covers only a quarter of the screen, you simply continue
sliding the side panel until it locks in the middle and splits the
iPad’s screen into two side-by-side segments. Both apps remain active so
you can interact with either one without switching screens or changing
views. It’s perfect for times when you need to access content in one
window while actively working in the other window. To end a split screen
session, just slide one window until it fills the screen again.
Picture-in-Picture
Last, but not least, Apple has added a picture-in-picture view that
is similar to PiP function of most modern television sets. As expected,
this option lets you view one app in full-screen view and overlay
a video pane so that the video can continue playing. For example, you
could be searching the internet using Safari, while talking on a
FaceTime call in the picture-in-picture window.
When you’re watching a video, you will see a new button for PiP
on the right side of the control bar in the video pane, to the left of
the full-screen button. Tapping on the PiP button, the app with the
video pane stops to get the video, and the PiP begins. So if you switch
apps or go to the Home screen, the video keeps playing. You have the
option to go back to the in-app video pane, pause the video or close the
PiP to stop watching the video.
If you start a video and then press the Home button, you enter the
PiP mode automatically. The same should happen when you tap on a banner
notification. However, the automatic PiP mode seems to work only in the
Video app at the moment, and will work with other media players when
they add support for the PiP feature. It doesn’t work when you’re
playing a video in Safari and press the Home button. It doesn’t enter
the PIP mode automatically. You can disable this feature in Settings.
PiP also works with FaceTime, so you can engage in a video conference
while using other apps, which comes in quite handy if you want to surf
the web to find some related information, or to add an appointment in
the Calendar app while you’re in the conference call.
You can drag and drop the PiP pane anywhere on the screen. If the PiP
pane is distracting, but you don’t want to kill it either, you tuck it
off to the side of the screen for a while. You are only limited to play one video through PIP.
Multitasking features like the ability to run apps side-by-side has
been on everyone’s wishlist ever since Apple introduced the iPad in
2010. So it was good to see Apple finally adding it in iOS 9. In fact, I
think they have nailed it with the three-pronged approach. It is a pity
that the features aren’t available on at least the iPhone 6 Plus,
though I am not sure if it makes a lot of sense on the smaller devices.
You will also have to wait for developers to get their apps support
multitasking.
Other Noteworthy features
The Notes app is the most radically revamped apps in iOS 9 with new
features including actionable checklists, sketching, and photo
uploading. These new features make Notes much more useful than its
previous versions, and finally earns a spot on the Home screen.
You can now drag-to select multiple photos in the Photos app.
You can swipe down on a photo to go back in Photos and Messages app.
The new Batteries widget that displays the battery level of paired
Bluetooth devices like Apple Watch, Wireless headphones, speakers etc.
Selecting text when writing an iPad is much easier thanks to new
gesture controls that allow you to select text with just a few taps. You
can place two fingers on the screen and move them to direct the cursor
to the word or letter you want to edit. You then can tap on the text to
select it and use the keyboard controls to edit or move it.
The ability to finally zoom in videos in the Photos app.
The ability to save or attach any file in the Mail app.
Search in the Settings app may seem like a trivial addition, but it
will make it a lot easier for users who are new to the platform to
change Settings. They now have to just type a keyword like Brightness to
change the brightness settings.
The Wi-Fi Assist feature allows your iPhone to automatically use
cellular data when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor. Unfortunately, it looks
like Apple hasn’t rolled it out across all users.
Performance
One of the least talked about feature of iOS 9 is the ability for
apps to take advantage of Metal. Apple says it makes more efficient use
of the CPU and GPU to deliver faster scrolling, smoother and better
overall performance. It’s not very noticeable as I’ve hardly felt any
lag in iOS 8, but emails and web pages seem to render a little faster.
The overall user experience should get better in third-party apps when
they use Metal. All iOS devices powered by A7 chip or higher including
iPhone 5s, iPad Air, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3
support Metal.
I think Apple has also optimized memory management, as apps and tabs
in Safari don’t refresh as frequently on my iPhone 6 Plus in iOS 9,
which was one of my biggest gripes about the iPhone.
Final comments
Unlike previous updates, iOS 9 has few notable features such as
Proactive Assistant, Transit Directions, Low Power mode, Multitasking
features for the iPad etc., but majority of them have been under the
hood changes.
With multitasking features in iOS 9,
Apple has finally started differentiating features based on the size of
the screen. I hope to see more pro features for the iPad in the future. I
primarily used my iPad for consuming content, but the iPhone 6 Plus
with its 5.5-inch display was good enough for reading books, watching
videos, etc as well. There was no compelling reason for me to use the
iPad as the iPhone 6 Plus is also a great device for content
consumption. With iOS 9 though, this changes, as it makes the iPad a
great productivity tool. In fact, I will say that this is the first
major feature that Apple has added to iOS since it released the original
iPad back in 2010 to improve the productivity on the iPad, rather than
simply consuming content on it.
iOS 9 isn’t Apple’s biggest iOS update ever, and you could say the
company is catching up with competition from Google’s Android operating
system, but iOS remains the most user-friendly operating system. Nifty
little timesaving features like Back to App and battery life
improvements with the new Low Power mode make iOS 9 the most satisfying
update in the last few years and unlikely to evoke a polarizing response like iOS 7.
Should you install 9?
The biggest question after reading about the major new features in iOS is “Should I install iOS 9”.
If you’ve last year’s devices such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus,
iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 then upgrading to iOS 9 is a no-brainer. I’m
assuming that you don’t care about jailbreaking, if you do, then you
should wait for the official jailbreak to be released.
iOS 9 GM has been quite stable for me and I haven’t come across any
show stopper to advise you to avoid installing the iOS 9 update. It has
also resolved some of the minor annoyances I had in the previous betas.
However, beta testers have complained
of lag, even on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iCloud backup issues (which
was one of the issues that got fixed when I installed iOS 9 GM) and poor
battery life with iOS 9 GM.
I briefly tested iOS 9 on iPhone 5s, and I did not notice any
significant lag or performance issues. Apple seems to have paid special
attention to older devices in iOS 9 with features like App thinning and
the ability for apps to use Metal, so if you’re already on iOS 8 or
above, then I wouldn’t worry about upgrading to iOS 9. You’ll be able to
enjoy most of the new iOS 9 features.
There’s also a few nagging bugs that Apple hasn’t cleaned up,
including a settings bug that automatically scrolls you down the screen,
obscuring search and the Airplane mode toggle, when you open the
Settings app. Some of our readers have also told us that iOS 9.1 beta is more stable. Despite some of the minor issues, iOS 9 feels as stable as iOS 8.4.1.
