Skip to main content

 Apple gave us a lot to digest at today’s WWDC event, including big announcements about iOS 8, Mac OS X Yosemite, and a new programming language called Swift.

But even with two hours to present, Apple still couldn’t fit everything in. The company mentions dozens of new features to be released when iOS 8 hits this fall.

While some of the features will likely be enjoyed by a fairly limited audience (multi-device support for MFi hearing aids), there are a few features that stand out as things Apple lovers have been craving for some time — or hint at cool possibilities in the future.

Wi-Fi Calling

First up is Wi-Fi Calling, which lets smartphone owners route calls over local wireless connections rather than through potentially flaky cell service. Of course, your cell phone provider has to have the technology in place to support it, which means that right now, only T-Mobile iPhone users have confirmation on the feature’s availability.

DuckDuckGo

For those concerned with privacy, keeping your information off of Google’s (or Microsoft’s, for that matter) servers just got a bit easier on the iPhone: DuckDuckGo is now an option as a default search engine in Safari. With recent updates giving the privacy-focused search engine many of the same capabilities as Google’s Knowledge Graph, leaving Google’s world is more appealing than ever for those who don’t rely on it for mail and other tools.

Battery usage by app

One new feature that just made its way to iOS from its desktop cousin is battery usage by app. While OS X Mavericks let users see which apps were gulping down power (spoiler: it’s probably Chrome), iOS users have had to guess which apps were taking away their sweet, sweet time between charges. In iOS 8, that information is now available in the same part of the settings menu that shows how you’re using storage on your phone or tablet.

Hey, Siri.

Rounding out the bunch is a feature inconspicuously titled “Hey, Siri.” Just like the “OK, Google” command on Android, the feature lets you summon Apple’s virtual assistant without touching your device at all. Unlike on Motorola’s Moto X (the only device that lets you use the command when the screen is off), however, you can’t simply say that command at any time. Your iPhone has to be plugged in to a power source (or tucked in a battery case) in order for Siri to respond to your voice alone.

The Moto X can afford to listen at all times thanks to a low-power coprocessor dedicated to the task, so perhaps Apple’s A8 system-on-a-chip will include something similar in the new iPhone and iPad models we expect to hit sometime this fall.

via The Coolest iOS 8 Features Apple Didn’t Talk About Today | TechCrunch.

Vincent DROUOT

Vincent Drouot est formateur diplômé et expert en Digital Publishing pour différents centres de formation professionnelle et écoles d'infographies. Il est partenaire certifié pour les solutions Aquafadas AVE Digital Publishing et Quark App Studio. Il accompagne également les éditeurs de livres, la presse et l'industrie pour leur permettre d'aborder la transition numérique avec plus de perspective et de stratégie. Récemment formé au serveur Quark Publishing Platform, il ouvre de nouveaux horizons pour la publication multi-canal pour permettre la centralisation des données (textes, images, vidéos, audio…) et leur publication en temps réel. Il a aussi développé dernièrement des solutions pour la connexion entre les logiciels de mise en page comme Indesign et QuarkXPress avec les CMS comme WordPress, pour l'édition de magazine dont le contenu est issus des Blogs.

Pin It on Pinterest