Software – Apple Worm

Why doesn’t Yosemite beta have text-to-speech?

As Yosemite is past its first beta and almost ready for release, many folks are reporting issues with text-to-speech functionality in Yosemite.

This may have to do with Siri being integrated into the final form of Yosemite, per an Apple patent:

The US patent, titled “Intelligent Digital Assistant in a Desktop Environment” suggests that Siri is making the move from Apple’s mobile platform, iOS to OS X Yosemite.

The included photo is a clear depiction of Siri.

Jeff, stop poking me

Also, Yosemite will support 24 new dictation languages, up from 8 currently in Mavericks, including Arabic and Portuguese.

We’ll find out more after Yosemite’s rumored final release in October.

The national park about to change your world

June 4, 2014 / newton / 0 Comments

If you were unable to watch the WWDC rundown, you missed the surprise announcement of the new OS X Mavericks successor: Yosemite.

Yosemite is all about one thing: integrating iOS with OS X.

The crossover between MacBook, iPhone, and iPad owners is a large Venn diagram with only slivers on the edges. In fact, one of the most often stated reasons why people purchase Apple products is because “they talk to each other”.

Instead of being a mostly-useless sidebar, the Notification Center is the star of the latest update:

“A “Today” view has been added to the new Notification Center, letting you see your upcoming calendar events, reminders, and the weather forecast. Finally, you can now customize the Notification Center by adding third-party widgets and apps from the Mac App Store.”

Other sideshow features have taken center stage. The Mail feature will undergo a complete overhaul, with “reliable syncing” (FINALLY) and Markup, which allows you to draw on your mail. For anyone who has been caught on endless attachments doing school or team work projects, this sounds like a blessing.

iCloud Drive is a new feature that increases your ability to share files between devices. It is “a Dropbox-esque file system for storing your documents in the cloud. iCloud Drive will make everything you have stored in iCloud accessible through Finder, including your files from iOS apps.” Along with AirDrop and Handoff, you can share files wirelessly and start and continue projects between devices. No more trying to save and find drafts and waiting for slow syncing. And your phone calls on your iPhone will show on your MacBook–so no excuses for not noticing a call because your ringer was off

As the beta comes out in the next few weeks, we will hear more about how these features work. OS X Yosemite will be available this fall.

How Siri learns your name

July 1, 2013 / newton / 0 Comments

One of the features about Siri that’s frustrating is the wooden pronunciation of proper nouns, especially names.

In iOS7, Apple decided to use Siri’s “learning” ability to better use, creating an option for Siri to memorize the proper pronunciation of your name:

Siri will ask for help pronouncing a name if it has trouble understanding you the first time you pronounce a name. In addition, we have found that you can simply say, “That’s not how you pronounce [any name]” and Siri will go through the learning process.

This is a cool feature, and with an oft-mispronounced name like mine, a much appreciated one too.

Apple Maps decimates New York

June 27, 2013 / newton / 0 Comments

Breaking news out of Cupertino: it seems that Apple has flattened New York to the ground.

By now, you’ve probably noticed the strange effect that the 3D feature on Apple Maps has on cities. Every building looks like it’s being fumigated with weird bulges, creases, and edges.

But in New York City, a combination of light and poor graphics combine to make the street look like a post-apocalyptic scene, with flattened, dark taxicabs and shadows cast on empty sidewalks.

it’s like the day after tomorrow

It’s like Apple is giving us a preview of a zombie attack in New York.

WHAT DO THEY KNOW THAT WE DON’T?!

Apple debuts new software look…love it or hate it?

June 11, 2013 / newton / 0 Comments

Apple revealed the new iOS7 software today at the WWDC conference in San Francisco, which changes the entire look of your iPod and iPhone.

The redesign “takes a bold step away from previous versions by abandoning the use of textured paper and wood effects for icons”.

It’s a pretty bold step forward. Notably, the tacky green felt in the Game Center and stitched leather in the Find My Friends apps is gone.

Logos are bigger and brighter, textures are flatter, and fonts are thinner.

Photos has been updated for full-screen use, there’s a Control Center that gives you quick access to screen brightness, taking a picture, and changing a song, and Safari has a really nice looking scrolling feature.

According to Craig Federighi, VP of Software Engineering, “installing iOS 7 is like getting a new phone, but one you can already use.”

What do you think of the new look? Will you be upgrading?

Would you drive an Apple car?

June 10, 2013 / newton / 0 Comments

The iCar is one step closer to reality.

Apple just unveiled a new system dubbed “iOS in the Car”, which is an Apple-designed interface designed to work with car infotainment systems and your Apple device.

This goes beyond simple music playability, and includes “phone calls, maps/directions, and sending and receiving iMessages using your vehicle’s screen or eyes- and hands-free using Siri.”

This is a feature that can be on new cars as soon as next year from the following automakers:

Honda
Mercedes-Benz
Nissan
Ferrari
Chevy
Infiniti
Kia
Hyundai
Volvo
Acura
Opel
Jaguar

Here’s an example of the current system at work in a new Mercedes:

I really like this idea, mostly because so many car companies have tried and failed to create a truly viable in-car entertainment system that isn’t laggy, poorly-designed, limited, or difficult to access. The closest anyone has gotten to a successful system is Microsoft SYNC in Ford cars, but it looks like this system will make that look like Windows 98 in comparison.

So what do you think? Would you choose a car because it had this feature?

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