As expected, Apple at its WWDC 2017 conference in San Jose announced the next iteration of iOS, the iOS 11. The new OS brings brings several new features, especially targeted towards the iPad like powerful multi-tasking feature, new Files app and more ways to use Apple Pencil.
The latest OS will also delivers the biggest AR platform as well. iOS 11 also brings redesigned App Store and features like ability to pay friends using Apple Pay, Do Not Disturb while driving, more intelligence and a new voice for Siri, and new professional capabilities to Photos and Camera.
ARKit
ARKit is a new platform for developer to let them bring high-quality AR experiences to iPhone and iPad. It will allow developers to use computer vision technologies to build apps that let users place virtual content on top of real-world scenes for interactive gaming, immersive shopping experiences, industrial design and more.
Improvement to Siri
Thanks to advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, Siri's voice is more natural and expressive, adjusting intonation, pitch, emphasis and tempo while speaking, and can translate English words and phrases into Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish. Moreover, using on-device learning, Siri is now capable to deliver smarter suggestions on based on personal usage of Safari, News, Mail, Message and more.
Professional camera and photo features
- With iOS 11, Potrait Mode images can be taken with optical image stabilization, True Tone flash and HDR, so every shots lokks more professional.
- Live Photos get a new Loop and Bounce effects that create continuous video loops, while Long Exposure can capture time and movement.
- In Photos, Memory movies are optimized to play in both potrait and landscape orientation.
- High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF): Reduces the file size of photos taken with iPhone and iPhone 7 Plus.
Pay friends with Apple Pay
Apple Pay is now integrated into iMessage app allowing Apple Pay users to make and receive payments with friends and family right in Messages. You can also tell Siri to pay someone using credit and debit cards they already have in wallet. When users get paid, they receive the money in their new Apple Pay Cash account. They can use the money instantly to send to someone, make purchases using Apple Pay in stores, apps and on the web, or transfer it from Apple Pay Cash to their bank account.
Do Not Disturb mode while driving
This mode will help drives stay more focused on the road while driving. iPhone can detect when you may be driving and automatically silence notifications to keep the screen dark. Users have the option of sending an auto reply to contacts listed in Favorites to let them know they are driving and cannot respond until they arrive at their destination.
Redesigned App Store
The all-new App Store has been designed from the ground up to make discovering apps and games easier than before. It original stories and editorial, updated daily in a new Today tab, as well as new Games and Apps tabs. Other new additions inlucdes Compelling stories, in-depth interviews, helpful tips and collections of must-have apps and games.
- Today Tab is all about games, apps and cuture. Through in-depth features and interviews filled with beautiful artwork and videos, the App Store’s global team of editors will share the stories of iOS developers and their apps and games.
- Game gets its own dedicated Home. It features recommendations of new releases and updates, compelling videos, top charts just for games and hand-picked collections.
- Apps will have its own tab, bringing customers everything they need, from photography to money management, shopping to social networking and more. Just like the Games tab, the Apps tab will have great recommendations, videos and hand-picked collections across 24 categories, as well as its own app charts.
- Search has been enhanced to include the editorial content found in Today, Games and Apps.
- App product page has been redesigned to spotlight more engaging content, and put the most important information front and center.
- In-app purchases will show up on an app product page and in search results, and editors can feature them in Today, Games and Apps
Additional iOS 11 Features:
- App Store for iMessage has a redesigned app drawer for more convenient access to apps and stickers
- Control Center offers more customization, enabling quick access to frequently used controls all on one page, and a new Lock Screen delivers a more convenient way to see Notifications all in one place.
- Apple Maps adds indoor maps for major airports and shopping centers around the world and lane guidance to avoid missing a turn or exit.
- Home supports more categories of accessories including AirPlay 2 speakers and more ways to automate your home with new triggers.
- AirPlay 2 offers multi-room audio enabling users to easily control speakers using Control Center, the Home app or Siri.
- Apple Music offers more ways to discover music with friends. Subscribers can create a profile so their friends can follow them, listen to playlists they’ve shared and see the music they listen to most.
- Apple News is even better at keeping readers informed and entertained with personalized top stories and suggestions from Siri, great stories curated daily by Apple News editors in the new Spotlight tab and the best videos of the day in Today View.
- One-handed keyboard mode on iPhone makes typing on the go even easier and a new QuickType keyboard on iPad delivers quick access to numbers, symbols and punctuation
As mentioned earlier, iOS 11 brings a additional new features for iPad, and Apple says it is the biggest software release ever for iPad. These include:
- A new customizable Dock that provides quick access to frequently used apps and documents from any screen;
- Improved multitasking, including a redesigned app switcher that brings Spaces to iOS, making it easier to move between apps or pairs of active apps, used in Split View and now Slide Over;
- New Files app that keeps everything in one place, whether files are stored locally, in iCloud Drive or across other providers like Box, Dropbox and more;
- Multi-Touch Drag and Drop, which is available across the system to move text, photos and files from one app to another, anywhere on the screen;
- A new document scanner in Notes, which lets users easily scan single or multi-page documents, removes shadows and uses powerful image filters to enhance readability; and
- Deeper integration with Apple Pencil, with support for inline drawing to write along text in Notes and Mail, Instant Markup to easily sign documents, annotate PDFs or draw on screenshots, and a new Instant Notes feature, which opens Notes from the Lock Screen by simply tapping Apple Pencil on the display. New searchable handwriting makes it easy to search for handwritten text or characters
- QuickType keyboard on iPad offers quick access to numbers, symbols and punctuation — no more switching back and forth. Just flick down on a key to quickly select what you need.
The developer preview of iOS 11 is now available to iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com, and a public beta program will be available to iOS users later this month at beta.apple.com. iOS 11 will be available this fall, which is sometime in September.
Here's the full list of Apple devices that will get iOS 11: iPhone 7 & 7 Plus, iPhone 6s & 6s Plus, iPhone 6 & 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st & 2nd generation, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad fifth generation, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2 and iPod touch 6th generation.
Source: Apple
Google's Smart Reply feature, which suggests quick responses to your messages, that is already available on Inbox by Gmail and Google Allo is coming to Gmail.
The Smart Reply feature will suggest three short responses based on the email you received and then allows you select a response, and send it immediately with the smart reply text. You will also be able to edit the response before sending.
The main aim is to save time while replying to received messages, when you're on the go. The feature uses machine learning to offer you the best response as you start using it more often. So if you’re more of a “thanks!” than a “thanks.” person, Smart Reply will suggest the more suited response.
Smart Reply will roll out globally on Android and iOS in English first, and Spanish in the coming weeks, with other languages to follow.
Source
Google is bringing its artificial intelligence-driven, voice-controlled digital assistant, Google Assistant to iPhone to take on Siri. The announcement was made at Google's I/O 2017. It also said that Google Assistant is now being used in over 100 million Android devices globally.
While Apple already has Siri as personal assistant on its device, Google's Assistant might challenge it to some extent, giving iOS users an additional choice for digital assistant. However, since Google Assistant will not have native integration on iOS device, the performance will not be exactly similar to that on the Android devices. This is due to API restrictions. And since you can't remap the Home button from Siri to Google Assistant, you will have a add a widget to access it.
Due to these limitations it is unlikely that Google's Assistant will replace Siri, and Siri will remain the first digital assistant option for iPhone users.
Google Assistant is available as a separate app from the App Store. To use Google Assistant on iPhone, open the app and log-in to your Google account. Then tap on the center button to give the Assistant voice commands, like play music, ask for weather updates, set reminders and more.
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Apple recently started rolling out iOS 10.3 update to its devices, which introduced new features like Find My AirPods, new Apple File System, CarPlay improvements and enhancements for Siri.
Now the company is rolling out a new update in the form of iOS 10.3.1. The change log mentions that the update includes "bug fixes and improves the security of iPhones and iPads". However, Apple's support page provides some details about the issue and security content:
iOS 10.3.1, Released April 3, 2017
Wi-Fi
Available for: iPhone 5 and later, iPad 4th generation and later, iPod touch 6th generation and later
Impact: An attacker within range may be able to execute arbitrary code on the Wi-Fi chip
Description: A stack buffer overflow was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2017-6975: Gal Beniamini of Google Project Zero
The
fix for WiFi vulnerability, which affected the devices, could have
allowed attacker within range to execute arbitary code on the WiFi chip of the iPhone and iPad.
The new iOS 10.3.1 update also adds 32-bit device support as well, so the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C are now ready to receive the iOS 10.3 (10.3.1) OTA update normally. To recall iOS 10.3 OTA update for iPhone 5/5C was pulled by Apple for unknown reasons. In addition to bug fixes and security improvements, iOS 10.3.1 for iPhone 5 and 5C will bring all the features included in the iOS 10.3 update.
The iOS 10.3.1 update weighs in at 30MB for devices on iOS 10.3, while for iPhone 5/5C the update weighs at 611MB and is rolling out OTA. You can also download and install the update by connecting your device to iTunes.
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Apple is refreshing its iPad line up with a new 9.7-inch iPad, that will replace the 2014's iPad Air 2. The new iPad comes with a brighter Retina display, better processor, offer better performance, and is priced lower than the iPad Air 2.
The new 9.7-inch iPad has bright Retina display with 2048 x 1536 pixels and is powered by an 64-bit A9 processor, which is san upgrade over the A8X chip found inside the iPad Air 2. Other specifications include 8MP rear camera, 1.2MP front camera, up to 10 hours of battery life and Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It runs iOS 10 and comes with Picture-in-Picture, Slide Over and Split Screen mode.
Apple is offering the 9.7-inch iPad with 32GB and 128GB storage variants with the option of WiFi and 4G LTE in Silver, Gold and Space Grey colors.
In the US (and 20 other countries) the 9.7-inch iPad will be available for pre-order from March 24 via Apple.com and will be available next week in Apple Stores, through select carriers and Apple Authorized resellers for
- 9.7-inch iPad 32GB + WiFi ã…¡$329
- 9.7-inch iPad 32GB + WiFi + Cellular ã…¡$459
- 9.7-inch iPad 128GB + WiFi ã…¡ $429
- 9.7-inch iPad 128GB + WiFi + Cellular ã…¡ $559
The 9.7-inch iPad will be available in more countries including India in April starting at Rs. 28,900 for the 32GB/WiFi model and Rs. 39,900 for the 32GB/WiFi/Cellular model via Apple Authorized resellers.
In addition, Apple announced that the 16GB and 64GB of the 7.9-inch iPad mini 4 will be discontinued and it will only sell the 128GB storage model. The 128GB WiFi only model is priced at Rs. 34,900 ($399 in the US), while the 128GB WiFi + Cellular model costs Rs. 45,900 ($529 in the US). It will be available through Apple Authorized Resellers in Silver, Gold and Space Grey hues.
Samsung's wearable devices were only compatible with Android devices to date. But now the compatibility has extended to iOS as well. Samsung has finally released Gear S and Gear Fit apps for iOS.
With the apps released, now the Gear S2 and Gear S3 smartwatches, and Gear Fit2 fitness tracker are compatible with iOS device and will pair with iPhones.
The Gear S app will let users download and install apps on the smartwatches, sync health and fitness data with S Health and push notification from iPhone to the smartwatch. The Gear Fit app supports notifications from iPhone to the device and sync fitness data to S Health.
Although the new apps brings iOS compatibility to Samsung's wearable, they still don't have support for IconX wireless earbuds and older wearables.
In related news, Samsung will launch the Gear S3 smartwatch in India tomorrow, January 10.
Download – Samsung Gear S | Gear Fit
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The much-anticipated Super Mario Run mobile game is finally available for download.
Super Mario Run was initally announced in September at Apple's iPhone 7 launch event. It is an endless runner game that can be played with just one hand. In the game you will have to guide Mario through the levels while you use a variety of jumps to navigate. The behaviour of the character is different depending on the timing of your taps.
The game also includes three game modes ― World Tour, Toad Rally and Kingdom Builder. In World Tour mode, you have to navigate Mario to run and jump to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser’s clutches, while traveling through plains, carvens, ghost houses, airships, castles and more.
In Toad Rally Mode, you can compete against friends and challenge people from all over the world and earn coins and gather toads, while in Kingdom Builder mode, you can use the collected coins and toads to build your very own kingdom using more than 100 kinds of items.
The game is available for free on the App Store, but you get access to only first three level. If you want unlimited access you have to shell out $9.99 or Rs. 620. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 8 or up. Android version will be coming later.
Download Super Mario Run
WhatsApp was already testing video calling feature for Android and Windows Phone devices as beta. Now the Facebook-owned popular instant messaging service has announced the official roll out of video calling feature to all devices.
The new video calling feature will be available in 180 countries for all one billion WhatsApp users on Android, iOS and Windows Phone platform starting today.
In order to make a video call, you'll have to tap on the call button, that will now give two options: one for voice calling and the other for video call. The video calling is supported by both front and rear camera, which means you can switch between seeing yourself or the other person in the preview screen. Video calling also features end-to-end encryption, just like messages and voice calls.
WhatsApp says that the video calling functionality has been optimised to work well in regions like India, where users often struggle with poor Internet connectivity. It also said that India now has over 160 million monthly active WhatsApp users, making the country its biggest market
Super Mario, One of the most popular game of the 90's is coming to Apple devices. Shigeru Miyamoto, the chief game designer at Nintendo at Apple's iPhone launch event announced the launch of Super Mario Run for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch in December. It will also make its way to Android as well in the near future.
Super Mario Run will be free to download and play but will offer in-app purchases. Super Mario Run is the first official game for smartphones and you can play the game one-handed.
In the game Mario runs to the right automatically, and you have to tap on the screen to make him jump to collect coins in a set amount of time before reaching the flagpole at the end of the level. The longer you tap, the higher Mario jumps.
In addition to single mode, there's a new battle mode called Toad Rally, where you have to beat high scores of others. There's also a mode that lets players create their own 'Mushroom Kingdom' using coins they have collected in first two modes.
The App Store listing for Super Mario Run is already live, but has a 'Notify Me' button, to let users know when the game is available for download. It will launch in 100 countries in December.
Finally, after the tsunami of leaks, Apple has officially unveiled its 2016 line up of iPhones, and they will be called iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Usually both models are differentiated by screen size and battery life, but this time the camera is also an exception as the iPhone 7 Plus comes with dual-rear cameras.
The new iPhones have the same design languages as iPhone 6s, but have major changes visually. The antenna lines on the new iPhones are moved to the top and bottom edge, making them less visible. They are also water and dust resistance thanks to IP67 ratings. The fingerprint sensor is embedded in the home button. Speaking of home button, it now features Force Touch sensitive with new generation of Taptic Engine.
The new iPhones also gets new color options, a glossy Jet Black and matte black, replacing the Space Grey design. This takes the total number of color hues to five, including the Gold, Rose Gold and silver variant.
Also as rumored, Apple has ditched 3.5mm audio jack and the audio will now be transmitted through bundled Lightning EarPods. Apple will also bundle a lighting to 3.5mm adapter to connect your normal earphone with 3.5mm jack. The company has also introduced a wireless headphone called AirPods as well. They connect to the iPhones via W1 chip and offers five hours of battery life. In addition, the new iPhones also pack stereo speakers as well for a richer sound experience.
The new iPhones run iOS 10 and also comes with improved battery life, with iPhone 7
offering two hours more battery than the 6s, and the iPhone 7 Plus
offering one hour more battery life than the 6s Plus.
Coming to the core specs, the iPhone 7 comes with a smaller 4.7-inch IPS display bearing the resolution 1334 x 750 pixels with 3D touch. Under the hood there's a new quad-core Apple A10 Fusion SoC, which is 40 percent faster and up to 50% faster graphics compared to the A9. For photography, the iPhone 7 gets 12-megapixel rear camera with Quad LED True Tone flash, f/1.8 aperture, OIS, 4K and Slo-mo video recording. On the front there's 7-megapixel camera with Retina flash.
The iPhone 7 Plus on the other hand comes with a bigger 5.5-inch 1080p display and gets dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, one wide-angle with f/1.8 aperture and the other a telephoto lens with f/2.8 aperture for 2x optical zoom. Similar to iPhone 7, it is equipped with Apple's new A10 fusion SoC and 7-megapixel selfie camera.
One of the biggest changes with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is the storage variant. Apple is scrapping the 16GB base model with the new iPhones and now starts at 32GB followed by 128GB and a new top end 256GB storage model.
Coming to the pricing, the iPhone 7 base model with 32GB storage model is priced $649, the 128GB storage model is priced $749, while the top end 256GB model will set up back by $849. The iPhone 7 Plus 32GB, 128GB and 256GB storage models are priced at $769, $869 and $969 respectively. They will be available for pre-order starting September 9 and will go on sale starting September 16.
Google last month released Gboard keyboard app integrated with Google search for iOS devices in the U.S. Now the search giant has expanded the availability of the app to UK, Australia, and will be soon available in India as well.
Google has integrated its search engine into Gboard's typing interface (search icon 'G' on top left) which makes it easier for iOS users to insert information, GIF, emojis and more without leaving the conversation. The keyboard app also comes with a typing feature called Glide which lets you type faster simply by sliding your finger over the letters.
In addition to English US, Gboard app now supports English UK, English CA, English AU and English IN languages. Google plans to add more languages in future versions, when it expands to more regions.
Highlights of Google Gboard for iPhone
- Search and send anything from Google: Nearby stores and
restaurants, Videos and images, Weather forecasts, News and
articles, Sports scores and anything else you’d search on Google
- GIFs – Search GIFs for the best reaction
- Emoji Search – Find the perfect emoji, faster
- Glide Typing — Type faster by sliding your finger from letter to letter
Download Gboard – iDownPhone and iPad
Google has released an app for iPhone users that will take Apple's
Live Photos to a whole new level. The app is called Motion Stills and
lets users to turn Live Photos to GIF. The app is compatible with iPhone
6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE.
Google's Motion
Stills app uses video stabilization technology to freeze the background
areas of Live Photos into a still photo or create sweeping cinematic
pans to remove shakiness. To keep the background steady while looping,
the app separates the background from the rest of the scene.
The
resulting output is a steady Live Photo in GIF format, which can be shared via
messaging or on social media. Users can also create a movie by
combining multiple clips.
Download Motion Stills for iOS
Here are some samples provided by Google:
Instagram has received a visual overhaul to its app, including a new icon and simpler design for Android and iOS devices.
The new app icon represents a simpler camera against a rainbow gradiant and the rainbow lives on in gradient form. Instagram has also changed the icon design to its other apps: Layout, Boomerang and Hyperlapse.
The latest update also brings a black and white interface instead of the usual blue and colorful theme. All the text will now appear in black, while notification will pop up in red color. Instagram said that the simple design will put more focus on photos and videos.
“Our updated look reflects how vibrant and diverse your storytelling
has become. The simpler design puts more focus on your photos and
videos,” said Instagram.
To get the new app icon and looks go to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and update the Instagram app.
WhatsApp has updated its app for Android and iOS, adding new features. WhatsApp has added the ability to reply directly from the notifcation panel, while iOS gets text formatting options.
WhatsApp for Android now lets you quickly reply to mesasages directly from the notification panel. The feature that is already available on iOS is currently available in beta v2.12.560 of the Android app.
After getting the latest WhatsApp version, you'll be able to expand WhatsApp notification in the notification panel and reply to messages from there itself, without having to open the app. When you receive a notification for new message, tap on the 'Reply' button in the notification bar, and you'll get a full screen quick reply overlay along with a dialogue box, emojis and keyboard to respond to the messages. This feature even works in lock screen.
The new update for Android also brings improved contextual options for contacts, and new solid color wallpapers.
WhatsApp has also updated its iOS app adding text format options such as bold and italics, which was recently rolled out to Android. To use the new text format options you'll have to put the text that you have to see as bold *inside asterisks* while typing, the phrase you need to italicise _between underscores_, and words you want to strike through ~between tildes~. If you want to make a text appear in bold + italics, you can type the text _*between their respective symbols*_. Similarly, to combine all three you can type the text ~_*inside all three respective symbols*_~.
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Apple has started rolling out iOS 9.3 update to iOS device, that brings new features including Night Shift, security for notes app and more.
The Night Shift feature removes the amount of blue light on your device's screen, when using it in low-light conditions. Studies have found that exposure to blue light near bedtime makes it harder to fall asleep and leads to eye fatigue. With this feature is turned on, it automatically switches to warmer color at night.
Another new feature in the iOS 9.3 is the inclusion of security for the notes app. You can now lock the personal data you store in note app with a password or by using the Touch ID.
Some of the other improvements in iOS 9.3 includes-
- “For You” section in News app with more personalized suggestions
- Apple Watch integration for Health - display move, exercise and stand data, as well as goals
- Health app gets support for third party apps to track health
- CarPlay now has point-of-interests feature and music recommendation in Apple Music
- New 3D Touch shortcuts for various apps (iPhone 6s & 6s Plus)
- Encrypted iCloud backups
The iOS 9.3 is now available for download on iPhone and iPad and iPod models that supports iOS 9. The update package is 300MB, and is available via OTA (Setting > General > Software) as well as via iTunes on your PC or Mac
Besides unveiling the 4-inch iPhone SE, Apple at its Spring event in Cupertino, also introduced a smaller iPad Pro that comes with 9.7-inch display. The smaller iPad Pro shares quite a few specs with its 12.9-inch sibling, that was introduced last year.
Just like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro comes with Apple Pencil comparability, and houses a connector on its side for attaching smart keyboard.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro offers a display resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels, which make it sharper than the 12.9-inch model. It features a new TrueTone display technology that adjusts the screen temperature depending on ambient light.
The tablet is powered by Apple's to-of-the line A9X processor, that made its debut with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It will come in three storage models 32GB, 128GB and 256GB.
Camera-wise, it offer 12-megapixel iSight camera with a TrueTone LED flash, Focus Pixels and 4K video recording. On the front there is 5-megapixel camera with Retina flash. The tablet also comes with Apple ToucID fingerprint sensor that is built into the home button and runs iOS 9.3. It packs 7.5 watt hour rechargable battery that offers up to 10 hours of web surfing on WiFi, video and music streaming on a single charge.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be available in WiFi only and LTE variants, and come in Silver, Gold, Space Grey and Rose Gold color. The WiFi variants of 32GB, 128GB and 256GB storage models are priced at $549, $799 and $899 respectively. The prices for the LTE variant starts at $729 for the 32GB model.
The Smart Keyboard cover and Apple Pencil should be purchased separately for $169 and $99 respectively.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be available to order starting March 24 from Apple.com and Apple's retail stores. It will go on sale starting March 31 in Australia, Canada, China (Wi-Fi models only), France,
Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK,
US Virgin Islands and the US and will be available in early April in
India and several other countries.
Apple is bringing back the 4-inch iPhone with the iPhone SE. As expected the new iPhone packs many features that of iPhone 6s, while the body is similar to the iPhone 5s.
The iPhone SE is Apple's first 4-inch iPhone since the iPhone 5s, that was launched in 2013, and will take iPhone 5s' slot at the bottom of Apple's handset lineup, which means that the iPhone 5s will be discontinued permanently. Despite the small screen size the iPhone SE has high-end hardware inside.
The iPhone SE sports a compact 4-inch 1136 x 640 display with curved 2.5D glass and is powered by an Apple A9 processor aided by an M9 motion processor, just like iPhone 6s. For storage it comes in two variants 16GB or 64GB. It runs iOS 9.3 and comes with always-on Siri integration.
It gets a 12-megapixel iSight camera with Focus Pixels, True Tone flash and 4K video recording. The selfie shooter is 8-megapixel and comes with Retina Flash.
The iPhone SE packs Touch ID fingerprint sensor with NFC, so that it can be used for Apple Pay. It also supports VoLTE, WiFI 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. It also comes with Live Photos feature, which records a few seconds of video before and after a photo is captured, but misses out on the 3D Touch functionality.
The Apple iPhone SE comes in Gray, Silver, Gold and Rose Gold colors. The 16GB storage model is priced at $399 (Rs. 26,00), while the 64GB storage model costs $499 (Rs. 33,000). The iPhone SE will go on pre-order starting March 24 and will be available starting March 31. The handset will be shipped in over 100 countries by May.
Popular messaging service WhatsApp has updated its app for Android, iOS and Windows 10 Mobile. While Android and iOS gets new features, Windows Phone gets minor UI tweaks.
WhatsApp for Android finally gets the option to share document. Currently you'll be able to share PDF documents, and it is not known when Word documents and other formats will be available. The document sharing option appears in the sharing menu alongside other options. The update bumps the WhatsApp version to 2.12.454 and is being rolled out in phases, so it will take a while to reach you're device.
The new version of WhatsApp for iOS also get document sharing feature (PDF supported), and allows users to share images, videos and documents from third-party apps such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.
The update also brings improved design for browsing photos and videos, gives you the option to add solid colors to chat background, and let's you zoom in on videos while they're playing. Another key feature is that you'll now see 'Blue Ticks' (indicating that the message has been
read by the other party) directly from the main WhatsApp chat list. The update bumps the WhatsApp version for iOS to 2.12.14.
WhatsApp update for Windows Phone bring changes to the UI, minor tweaks to message spacing, improved notifications and change to a user's profile page, with the status now highlighted at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately the Windows Phone version doesn't get the document sharing feature.
Download WhatsApp - Android | iOS | Windows Phone
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Microsoft has outed a new app for iOS devices called Selfie. As the name suggests the app focuses on enhancing your selfies.
The Selfie app considers age, gender, skin tone, lighting and other variables into account of the selfie image and automatically adjusts the color balance and instantly applies different filters to enhance your selfie. Users get to choose any one of the 13 photo filters, along with other functions such as noise reduction, color theme and others. Users will be able to enhance existing selfie images on their smartphone or click a new selfie.
A similar app is already available for Microsoft's Windows Phone devices. The Microsoft Selfie app is free to download and is available for iOS devices including iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Download Microsoft Selfie for iOS
Rockstar Games has released Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories game for iOS devices. The game was originally released for Sony's first handheld console Playstation Portable back in 2005, followed by Playstation 3 in 2013. This is the fifth GTA title released for mobile devices, the earlier ones being [GTA] III, Vice City, San Andreas and Chinatown Wars.
Rockstar promises 60fps gameplay, but only for iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPad Pro. You can even enjoy your own music in the game by creating a custom playlist and while playing the game select "MIX TAPE" as radio station. The game also gets support for cross-platform saves. In addition, if you download the game and sign in to Social Club within the app, you'll unlock the bonus I HEART LC t-shirt (virtual).
Rockstar Games also announced that the game will be available for Android and Amazon devices soon.
Download Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories ($6.99 | Rs. 420) – iPhone and iPad
Note that the game is compatible with iPhone 5 & 6 Series, iPod Touch 6th
gen, iPad 4th gen, iPad Air/Air 2, iPad Mini 2/3/4, and iPad Pro.
Highlights of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for iOS devices
- New high resolution textures and character art
- Real time lighting and shadows
- 60 FPS gameplay on iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus & iPad Pro
- Enhanced draw distance
- Rebalanced controls for touch-based gaming
- Cross-platform cloud saves via the Rockstar Social Club
- 3D Touch support for multiple control options
- Custom soundtrack support
- Physical controller support
- Native retina screen support including the iPad Pro
