Apple's HomePod could be the big iOS move to the home

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Little is known about Apple's upcoming HomePod speaker. It is expected to offer amazing sound for its size, it has accelerometers and advanced acoustic technologies to determine location, bounce off sound and calibrate for optimal sound. This could make it a truly-smart speaker in terms of audio playback.

HomePod has been easily dismissed as a late-to-the-game, me-too smart speaker. Apple's feeble attempt to eke out some profit from the insanely popular smart speaker segment led in the US by Amazon Echo and growing globally thanks to Google Home and the various sizes and variants they offer.

Click to read more ...

Apple reportedly delaying iOS visual enhancements to focus on performance and stability

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

A report today says that Apple is foregoing a visual update to iOS to focus on performance and stability enhancements on stability and security. Apple's iOS hasn't had a major visual overhaul since 2013 with iOS 7.

A report from Axios states that Apple's engineers will focus on improving performance, battery life as well as security will receive attention over visual redesign and a new look. This includes delaying some interface features, new photo-taking features, photo editing and sharing features. The iPhones 8 and X are already superior cameras, delaying new features this year won't make an impact.

I think this is a great move. iOS 11 has been generally a good update when used with new devices but seems to show its cracks when running on older iPhones or iPads. This is a case where the plumbing and electrical systems require repair before Apple can consider adding a new facade and splash of fresh paint. 

Click to read more ...

ChickAdvisor uses Push and Pull to help match consumers and brands

 

ChickAdvisor, A Canadian-created pioneer of consumer brand engagement in Canada, created a real-time engagement tool that allows brands to reach their target consumers better than ever before. Dubbed “Dispatch,” the real-time offering combines both in-browser push notifications and embedded chat capabilities. 

The PUSH feature has consumers to “opt-in” for notifications, which allows companies to develop highly-curated messages that will land directly on consumers’ screens, all without any personal information (ex. email address). In layman's terms, this allows brands to say exactly what they want (up to 90 characters), when they want, directly to those who care about their brand: no more competing for attention in a brand-and-email-saturated inbox. 

Click to read more ...

WhatsApp is now available on Apple CarPlay

Apple CarPlay users who are also WhatsApp users can now consider using the popular messagin app in hands free mode while in a car.  WhatsApp users who have updated the app to the latest version on iOS will see the app's icon appear on their CarPlay console.

You can’t browse a list of conversations, but you can tap on the icon to start sending a new message using dictation. Notifications from WhatsApp also appear in the CarPlay UI and users can tap to listen and respond. This makes it safer for passengers sitting in front, or parked drivers, to engage in WhatsApp conversations. Using any sort of messaging app is still a cause of distracted driving and should be avaoided.

Source: 9to5mac