Concerns raised over the new ‘Sign in with Apple’ feature

At WWDC 2019, one of the new features introduced as part of iOS 13 is a privacy tool called “Sign in with Apple.” Like what Google and Facebook offer, you will be able to sign into third-party apps using your Apple account now. Unlike what the two tech companies offer, Apple will give you the option to share or hide your email address from the developer. If you choose to hide your email address, Apple will generate a single-use email address for you to use within the app. Any emails from the developer will be forwarded to you by Apple. Now, if you decide to deactivate to opt out of emails, the single-use email address can be deactivated. And as 9to5Mac points out, since Apple already knows what apps you’re using, so you aren’t passing on new information to anyone new.

It’s great for consumers, but it might make its developers a bit wary. A condition for the Sign in with Apple feature is that developers who offer other third-party sign-in (like those offered by Google and Facebook) will need to offer Apple’s version, too. And they would need to place Apple’s option before its rivals’. While the latter isn’t a formal requirement to get approval, a lot of developers believe one way to get approved on the App Store is to follow these “suggestions.” And with Apple currently under scrutiny for alleged anti-competitive practices, these do raise some questions. Once this feature does roll out, is it something you’ll find yourself using?

watchOS 6 uncouples Apple’s wearable with the iPhone

A common theme that seems to be running at WWDC 2019 is Apple unbundling a lot of its devices’ reliance on each other. With the iPad getting its own operating system of sorts, watchOS 6 is introducing some new features that will make the Apple Watch a bit more independent from the iPhone. The apps on the wearable can now be run locally without having a companion app installed on a paired iPhone. There are new apps being introduced including audiobooks, voice memos, and a calculator. New APIs will let apps stream audio directly to the watch. watchOS 6 will also make it possible to read data for longer periods than before. This new version of watchOS will also bring an actual App Store where you can browse, pay, and download apps right on the watch.

On a cosmetic level, there are new watchfaces to choose from. There are also new health features you might find useful. watchOS 6 can track your hearing health in noisy environments and track a woman’s cycle right from the watch. iPhone users will also get this feature within the Health app (without needing the Apple Watch). This version of watchOS is coming to developers this week with a public launch set this fall. All Apple Watch models will get the new OS update, but not all features will make it to all versions.

Source: The Verge

Apple makes its platforms more accessible with Voice Control

For all the shiny new tech we get to see, sometimes the more interesting announcements are those that are more functional and serves more as equalizers. So, during Apple's keynote at its Worldwide Developer Conference, one of the new features we were excited about was an accessibility feature to help those with motor impairments use different Apple products. The company introduced Voice Control, which lets you control macOS, iOS, and iPadOS using voice commands. It's said to work "with virtually any app" and will let you tap, swipe, and scroll with your voice. At the same time, Apple promises that the feature "ensures personal data is kept private." Voice Control will reportedly come out this fall.

Source: Gizmodo

iPadOS brings more functionality to Apple's tablet

When Apple users shelled out money for the Apple iPad Pro, they expected more functionality out of the giant, premium slate. But Apple wasn't quite ready to deliver on that front. This time, though, Apple is addressing some of the features its users have been asking for years. Instead of relying heavily on iOS, Apple hopes the new iPadOS is the middle ground between the mobile operating system for the iPhone and macOS for its traditional desktop/laptop OS. With the launch of iOS 13, we’re going to see the iPad have less similar features to the iPhone and perhaps turn the tablet into something that can really work as a laptop replacement.

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