News on the Fringe Week 2 - June 8

Personal Voice feature in iOS 17 to create a copy of your voice that speaks on your behalf using artificial intelligence, a development library for developers for Apple Glass, features you hear about for the first time in the iOS 17 update, trial versions are available even to non-developers, and other exciting news in the Margin…

WhatsApp announces one-way broadcast channels

A new feature launched by WhatsApp, a one-to-one broadcast service, allows users to follow people and organizations of interest to them on WhatsApp. Channels are one-way broadcast services where moderators can send texts, photos, videos, stickers, and polls to followers.

and will be In a new tab called "News". Users can join channels through an invite link or by browsing a directory where they can discover the different channels. Moderators can decide who can follow their channel and whether or not they want to include it in the directory.

Moderators and Followers' personal information is kept hidden from each other, so things like a phone number or profile picture aren't shown. Moderators also get the option to block screenshots and forwards from their channel.

Channels are not end-to-end encrypted by default, but WhatsApp is looking into that as a future option. Channel messages are deleted from WhatsApp's servers after 30 days, and the company says it will add ways to make updates disappear faster from followers' devices.

WhatsApp says it is building the channels for entities such as non-governmental organizations, medical research institutions, information certifying bodies, hobbies, sports teams and local authorities.

WhatsApp is launching Channels in select markets now and will roll out the feature to everyone later this year.

WhatsApp says Channels is facilitating large group conversations after launching group video calling. The company launched Rooms last year to help clubs, schools and apartment complexes be able to have discussions in one place.

iOS 17 can automatically block nude photos

In iOS 17, Apple added a new feature that aims to block incoming messages and files that may contain sensitive content such as nudity. The blur setting can optionally be applied to sensitive photos sent in Messages, AirDrop, Phone app contact stickers, FaceTime messages, as well as third-party apps. The feature will prevent users from being exposed to unwanted images. All nudity will be masked, but it can be viewed by clicking on the "Show" button.

Sensitive content warnings work like the Communication Safety function Apple added for kids, with every detection made on the device itself so that shared content won't be seen by Apple.

Sensitive content warnings are intended to protect users from harassment, intimidation, or manipulation of images or videos of sexual content. Users can choose to enable this feature through the iOS 17 settings, after which you will see an alert message before opening any photo or video suspected of containing nudity. Users will also see some useful resources and tips to help them deal with this situation, such as "It's not your fault, but nude photos and videos can be used to hurt you."

Apple encrypts all messages and files end-to-end, which means it can't see or access users' content. Apple also performs every detection on the device itself using machine learning, ensuring that no data is sent to Apple's servers or third parties. Apple says this feature respects users' privacy and does not conflict with free speech policies.

The Reminders app in iOS 17 can automatically organize your shopping list into categories

If you use the Reminders application on the iPhone to create a list of products that you need to buy from the supermarket, in iOS 17, Apple added a new feature that allows you to automatically arrange your list of purchases by categories, such as vegetables, dairy, baked goods, and others. This makes shopping easier and faster, and prevents you from forgetting anything.

This feature may be important in terms of faces, because it helps you organize your shopping list in a logical and practical way, avoiding confusion or dispersion while shopping, and saving you time and effort, as you do not need to write each product in a specific place or search for it in a long list, and it also keeps Maintain the privacy of your shopping list, as Apple or third parties do not send any data about the products you add, as well as enhance the experience of using the Reminders application, and make it more useful and effective

iOS 17 update lets you share passwords with friends and family via iCloud Keychain

If you use the iCloud keychain to save and manage your passwords on the iPhone, Apple has added in the iOS 17 update a new feature that allows you to share passwords and passkeys with friends and family easily and securely. As a reminder, iCloud Keychain is a service provided by Apple to save and sync your passwords, login credentials, credit cards, and passkeys on all your iOS or macOS devices.
iCloud Keychain helps you create and save strong, unique passwords for every site or app you use, and automatically enters them when needed. It keeps your passwords private, as they are end-to-end encrypted, and neither Apple nor third parties can access them.

This feature helps you share passwords in an easy and secure way with people you trust, without having to send them through messages or email.

Finally download maps for offline use on iOS 17

This feature has become closer to the functionality of Google Maps. Allows iPhone users to download specific areas in Apple Maps for offline use. They include turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, biking, and public transit, as well as estimated time of arrival, and information on places like hours and ratings. Offline maps can also be accessed on the Apple Watch when the paired iPhone is nearby.

The Camera app in iOS 17 helps you correct the shooting angle

If you like taking photos with the iPhone, in iOS 17, Apple added a new feature to the Camera app, which allows you to see a horizontal line on the screen when the shooting angle is slightly tilted, and helps you correct it. This is an optional feature that you can enable in the Camera app's settings.

And when activated, you will see a horizontal line broken on the screen when the iPhone feels that you are trying to take a picture from the front, and you tilt the device slightly. The line appears white when the device is not flat, and turns yellow when it becomes flat, indicating that the correction was successful.

This feature only appears for a short time and only in a narrow range of angles close to horizontal (whether in wide or tall), so it doesn't bother you when you want to take a photo at a certain angle.

This feature helps you take more professional and aesthetic photos, as it prevents distortion or distortion of lines and shapes in the image, and provides you with accuracy and speed, as you do not need to add a grid or level to the shooting screen, or to adjust the shooting angle after taking the picture.

The App Store can now tell you how long an app will take to download

Apple has added a new feature to the App Store application, which allows you to see the remaining download time when you start downloading the application, and it is a default option that appears to you when you press the “Get” button or install to download any application, and when the circular download icon appears, you will see next to it the download time. Remaining in minutes and seconds, and if the upload is too fast, you won't see the upload duration, because it won't be necessary.

The download time depends on the speed of your internet connection and the file size of the application, which is why it may differ from one application to another.

This feature helps you know how long the download process will take, and if it's worth the wait or not, and provides you with transparency and confidence, as you don't have to guess or get upset about the lack of a download progress indicator.

Apple makes developer betas free to download and install

If you want to try out the latest features of Apple's operating systems before it's officially launched, Apple has changed its beta program, allowing developers to download and install beta versions of the systems for free. Previously, the company charged a $99 annual fee for its developer beta program, while public betas were free for all. The developer version is the first to be released, and contains more features and fixes, but it may be more prone to bugs and problems. As for the public version, it is the second in the version, and it contains more stability and security, but it may be missing some features or updates.

In a silent update, Apple has added an “OS beta releases” option to the Resources available to Apple ID account holders page. This means that anyone who can sign in with an Apple ID account can download and install trial versions for free, and that the user does not need to pay an annual fee for the software. Developers, or to wait for the release of public betas.

The Notes application allows you to create links between notes

In iOS 17, Apple added a new feature to the Notes app that allows you to create links between notes and link related notes together. With just a few clicks, you can create links between notes, making it easy to jump from one idea to the next. Links between notes is a new option that you can find in the menu that appears when you long press a space in a note. When you choose this option, you can link a note to another by searching for its title or entering a URL, and you can create an optional alternate title for the link, or stick with the original one.

When you're done, the link appears as hyperlink-style underlined text in your note, and clicking on it takes you directly to the note you linked.
Notes also offers an additional, faster way to add links: typing two greater than (>>) characters in a note calls up a list of six of the most recently modified notes, and tapping on one adds a link to that note.

This feature helps you group and organize your notes in a logical and useful way, as it allows you to move easily between related notes, and helps you discover new connections and relationships between your ideas, as it makes your notes a network of knowledge.

Insert contacts and passwords into any text field

One of the advantages of iOS 17 is the ability to insert contacts and passwords into any text field that you encounter in the system. When you long press on a text box, the Insert option appears in the popup. When clicked, another menu appears with two new options: “Contacts” and “Passwords.” Selecting Contacts takes you directly to your contact list to make a selection, while clicking Password takes you to your password keychain after authentication.

This feature makes sharing contacts and passwords much easier in iOS 17, be it in Messages, Mail, Notes or other apps. This feature appears to only support iCloud Keychain for passwords, which may make it useless for people who use third-party password managers.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Soccer player Lionel Messi announced that he will join Inter Miami in the MLS. As part of his contract, Messi will receive a portion of the revenue from new subscribers to the MLS Season Pass streaming service. This streaming service, the result of a partnership between Apple and MLS, allows viewers to watch live streams of all MLS matches through the Apple TV app. Apple TV + subscribers can subscribe to the service at a discount. Messi's decision to join MLS is significant because he is considered one of the greatest soccer players. Its popularity is expected to attract more subscribers to Apple's MLS Season Pass in its first season. Although details of the agreement are still being finalized, MLS is looking forward to welcoming Messi to the league.

◉ The iOS 17 update contains references to new MagSafe accessories, a MagSafe battery and charger, the battery may be equipped with a USB-C port, and the MagSafe charger may support Qi2 for faster charging. No other details are known about these accessories, and no release date has been announced

◉ The Health application in iOS 17 allows you to record your feelings and mood on a daily basis, and shows you reports on your psychological state in the long term. You can choose a feeling from a group of words, and determine its cause from various factors. You can also log your mood with your Apple Watch running watchOS 10. The Health app will associate your mood with activities like exercise and sleep, and will provide you with ratings for your risk of anxiety or depression.

◉ The Photos app in iOS 17 makes it easy for you to crop your photos as you want. When an image is enlarged, a "crop" button appears in the top corner. When you click on the crop button, you can easily select the area you want to crop. Then hit Done, and if you want to change anything, you can use the full editing interface. This feature is faster than the snipping method in iOS 16 which requires entering the editing interface and selecting and adjusting the snipping tool.

◉ Apple announced its Vision Pro glasses, but they are not compatible with medical glasses, but Apple offers a solution for those who wear medical glasses, as it has cooperated with Zeiss to provide optical lenses that can be customized according to each person. Magnetic lenses are attached to the lenses of the Vision Pro eyeglasses, allowing for precise vision and eye tracking. Apple has not yet mentioned the price of the Zeiss lenses, but says that vision correction accessories will be sold separately.

Glasses wearers will need a valid prescription or prescription to obtain the lenses, but unfortunately not all prescriptions will be supported, so there may be some restrictions that may prevent some people from using the glasses.

◉ Vision Pro glasses run on an operating system called visionOS, and developers will need to create augmented and virtual reality applications for the glasses. Apple plans to make the Vision Pro Development Kit available to developers in the future, to ensure that there is a wide range of experiences available at launch. The development library will help developers bring their creativity to life on Vision Pro, and will provide the ability to build, iterate and test applications on the headset. Developers will be able to apply for this library, but Apple has not provided details of when it will be available.

Apple will likely require developers to purchase Vision Pro glasses to create apps for it, but the purchase price will include access to shareware, development labs, discussion forums, tech support, and other resources.

Apple says it will offer Vision Pro compatibility assessments for existing apps and opportunities for developers to visit the Vision Pro development lab, which provides demonstrations of visionOS, iPadOS, and iOS apps running on the glasses. The labs will be available at Apple headquarters, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

There will be more information about these content creation tools for the Vision Pro headset in July. The visionOS SDK will be available later this month.

◉ Personal Voice is a new feature in iOS 17 that allows you to use artificial intelligence to create a copy of your voice. This feature is for those at risk of losing their ability to speak, as Personal Voice gives them the opportunity to “create their own voice” for communication purposes.

The Personal Voice feature is available in the first beta of iOS 17, and can be found in Accessibility > Personal Voice. Creating a Personal Voice is a process that takes about an hour. Recording requires a quiet place without background noise, and Apple requires users to speak at a normal volume while keeping the iPhone about six inches away from the face.

The Personal Voice feature requires you to read a series of sentences out loud, after which the iPhone will create and store a Personal Voice. Personal Voice can be used with the Live Speech feature, which allows users to type to speak in FaceTime, the Phone app, and other communication apps.

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