Amazon Alexa app on iOS now has voice control support

It took many, many months (or even a year or two) since Amazon has been able to add voice control support to its Amazon Alexa iOS app. It might have felt like this wasn’t going to happen but it’s finally here. The update will be rolling out to users in the coming days so keep an eye for it. What this brings to users is the ability to ask for help from Alexa. Since it’s not baked in natively, you’ll need to tap a button to interact with it. But once you do that, you can ask Alexa questions, access skills, listen to music, and control smart devices. There will also be a visual component in the app for queries related to weather, sports, movies, and calendar.

Source: TechCrunch

Microsoft makes photo transfers from mobile to the PC easier with new app

Microsoft just launched a new app called Photos Companion to make transferring photos from both Android and iOS devices an easier thing to do. After installing the app, all you need to do is scan the QR code you see on the Windows Photos app. This is where you can access the photos you’ll transfer to your PC. Make sure you have the latest version of the app. Once you’ve paired your devices, this will let you batch send photos to the PC while you’re on the same Wi-Fi network. You will have to pair your devices every time you want to transfer files over. But as GSMArena points out, it’s possible to start a video project on Windows Photos and then directly get images and videos from your phone.

Upcoming iOS update will let you turn off apps that slow down your iPhone

Apple caused quite an uproar with customers when it was discovered that the company released software back in 2016 that slowed down older iPhones to prevent problems with the aging lithium ion batteries on these phones. Now, Apple is working to appease customers with an upcoming update coming to iOS. Version iOS 11.3 will get a recommendation or notice if the battery needs to be serviced. (Apple recently cut the price of replacing an iPhone battery from $99 to $35.) You will also see if the power management feature is on for your device and you’ll get the option to turn this off. iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus users will find this feature in the Battery section of the Settings menu. iOS 11.3 is set to arrive in the spring but the beta release will be coming soon. It must be noted that the new battery feature is coming at a later beta release.

Source: CNET

iOS 11.2 to introduce faster wireless charging capabilities

Review: Apple iPhone X

The upcoming iOS update will be bringing good news to wireless charging fans. It’ll add support for faster wireless charging for Qi-compatible smartphones. It’ll support Qi wireless charging at a rate of 7.5 watts, which at the moment is limited to 5 watts. Of course this feature won’t work if you don’t pair it with a proper wireless charger. As Lifehacker points out, Apple is currently selling two third-party wireless charging pads that support 7.5-watt charging rate: Samsung’s 9-watt charging pad and RavPower’s 10-watt charging pad. Both are compatible with iPhone 8 and iPhone 10 because of Qi wireless charging standard. Apple is supposedly also working on its own wireless charging pad that can charge up to three devices at a time.