Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 17, brings a host of new features to enhance the things you do every day. From new ways to express yourself when calling or messaging someone to convenient new ways to share content, iOS 17 offers new experiences for your iPhone. The company made the announcements at WWDC 2023 where it introduced other innovations.
One of the most exciting updates is the new plus button in iMessage. This button allows you to view all the things you send the most, such as photos, audio messages, and your location. You can also swipe up to view the rest of your iMessage apps. Additionally, there is a new catch-up arrow that lets you jump to the first message you haven’t seen in a conversation and you can now swipe to the right on any message to send a reply.
Another great feature is the ability to share your location or request a friend’s location from the plus button. When someone shares their location with you, you can view it directly within your conversation. Audio messages are now transcribed so you can read them in the moment and listen later.
The new stickers drawer lets you access all your Live Stickers, emoji, Memoji, and other sticker packs in one place. Your stickers sync with iCloud so they are available on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. You can use Markup to add stickers to photos, documents, screenshots, and more.
There are also updates to FaceTime. You can now record a video or audio message when someone misses your FaceTime call. Additionally, there is a new reaction feature that fills the camera frame with fun 3D augmented reality effects like hearts, confetti, fireworks, and more.
One of the new features in iOS 17 is the Smart Home Lock Screen. This feature allows users to control their smart home devices directly from their iPhone’s lock screen. The Control Center has also been updated to provide quick access to frequently used controls and settings.
Another new feature is Live Activities. This feature allows users to stay on top of things happening in real-time. Active Widgets are another addition to iOS 17, providing users with glanceable information and quick actions for their most frequently used apps.
NameDrop is a new feature in iOS 17 that allows you to share your contact information with someone else by holding your iPhone near their iPhone or Apple Watch. You can choose which phone numbers or email addresses you want to share and can also share your Contact Poster instantly. This feature makes it easy to exchange contact information with someone you’ve just met.
The Health App has also received updates in iOS 17. Users can now track new types of data and receive personalized insights and recommendations to improve their health and well-being. Apple Music has also been updated with new customization options, allowing users to personalize their listening experience even further.
These are just some of the many new features in iOS 17. Here are the compatible iPhones that can upgrade to the new OS.
Technology has always been a driving force in human communication. From the invention of writing to the development of printing, telegraphy, radio, television, and the internet, each technological breakthrough has enabled new forms of expression, connection, and collaboration. But technology also has an impact on how we perceive ourselves and others, how we interact with each other, relate to our environment and our culture, and how we cope with the challenges and opportunities of our times.
In this blog post, we will explore some of the ways that technology is changing the way we interact with each other, both positively and negatively. I will also offer some suggestions on how we can use technology wisely and responsibly to enhance our social and emotional well-being.
Technology is changing the way we interact with each other
Expands the scope and scale of our social networks
One of the most obvious effects of technology is that it expands the scope and scale of our social networks. We can now communicate with people from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, and interests, who we might never have met otherwise. We can also stay in touch with our friends and family members who live far away, share our thoughts and feelings with them, and support them in times of need. Technology also enables us to join online communities based on our hobbies, passions, values, or goals, where we can find like-minded people who share our interests and aspirations.
These benefits of technology are undeniable and valuable. They can enrich our lives by exposing us to new perspectives, experiences, and opportunities. They can also help us overcome loneliness, isolation, and boredom by providing us with a sense of belonging and purpose. However, technology also poses some risks and challenges to our social interactions. For example:
Technology can create a false sense of intimacy and closeness.
While online communication can be convenient and efficient, it can also lack the depth and richness of face-to-face interaction. Online communication relies heavily on text, images, and emojis, which can be easily misinterpreted or manipulated. Online communication also reduces the amount of nonverbal cues that we use to convey our emotions, intentions, and personalities, such as facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, eye contact, and touch. These cues are essential for building trust, empathy, and rapport with others. Without them, we might miss out on the subtle nuances and complexities of human communication.
Technology can distract us from our present moment and our surroundings.
While technology can help us connect with distant people and places, it can also disconnect us from the people and places that are right in front of us. How often do we check our phones or laptops when we are having a conversation with someone? Or how often do we ignore or interrupt someone who is talking to us because we are busy with something else on our screens? How often do we miss out on the beauty and wonder of nature because we are too absorbed in our digital devices? These behaviors can damage our relationships and our well-being by making us less attentive, less responsive, and less engaged.
How we can use technology wisely and responsibly
Be mindful of your screen time
It’s important to be aware of how much time you’re spending on your devices. Try setting limits for yourself and taking breaks throughout the day.
Use social media mindfully
Social media can be a great way to connect with others, but it can also be a source of stress and anxiety. Be mindful of how you’re using social media and take breaks when you need to.
Use technology to connect with others
Technology can be a great way to stay connected with friends and family who live far away. Try using video chat or messaging apps to stay in touch.
Practice digital self-care
Just like you take care of your physical health, it’s important to take care of your digital health too. This includes things like backing up your data, using strong passwords, and being mindful of what you share online.
Use technology to practice mindfulness
There are many apps and tools available that can help you practice mindfulness and reduce stress. Try using a meditation app or a breathing exercise app.
Technology is a powerful tool that can enhance or hinder our social interactions. It is also changing the way we interact with each other in many ways. Technology can create new opportunities and benefits for human communication and relationships, but it can also pose new challenges and risks. It is up to us to use it wisely and responsibly and to balance it with other forms of communication. Technology can never replace the human touch, but it can complement it in many ways.
Hello, fellow Apple fans! Are you ready for some juicy rumors about the upcoming iPhone 15? Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve scoured the web for some of the most anticipated features of the next-generation iPhone, and I’m here to share them with you. But be warned: these are not confirmed by Apple, so take them with a grain of salt. Or a whole shaker, if you prefer.
Here are some of the features that we might see on the iPhone 15:
A USB-C port
Yes, you read that right. The iPhone 15 could finally ditch the Lightning port and adopt the universal USB-C standard that is already used by many Android phones and laptops. This would make charging and data transfer much easier and faster, and also reduce e-waste. But don’t throw away your Lightning cables just yet: Apple might still keep them for some models or accessories.
A smaller dynamic island cutout
The notch on the iPhone has been a controversial design choice since it was introduced on the iPhone X. Some people love it, some people hate it, and some people just don’t care. But if you’re one of those who wish for a more seamless screen experience, you might be happy to know that the iPhone 15 could feature a smaller notch that adapts to different scenarios. For example, it could shrink when watching videos or playing games, and expand when using FaceTime or Face ID.
A periscope telephoto camera
One of the most impressive features of some Android phones is their ability to zoom in on distant objects without losing much detail. This is achieved by using a periscope lens that bends light through a prism inside the phone’s body. The iPhone 15 could adopt this technology and offer up to 10x optical zoom or even more digital zoom. This would make your photos look amazing from any distance.
Improved image processing
Speaking of photos, the iPhone 15 could also improve its image processing capabilities by using artificial intelligence and machine learning. This would allow for better noise reduction, dynamic range, color accuracy, and portrait mode effects. You could also expect more creative modes like astrophotography or night mode timelapse.
A redesigned titanium body
If you’re tired of cracking your glass back or scratching your aluminum frame on your iPhone, you might be interested in a more durable material: titanium. The iPhone 15 could feature a titanium body that is stronger and lighter than steel but also more resistant to corrosion and fingerprints. Titanium is also used in aerospace and medical applications, so you know it’s high-quality stuff.
Improved battery life
One of the most common complaints about iPhones is their battery life. No matter how big or efficient they make them, they always seem to run out at the worst possible moment. But fear not: the iPhone 15 could bring a serious battery life boost by using several tricks: faster memory that consumes less power, an improved display driver that regulates brightness better, reverse wireless charging that lets you share juice with other devices, and faster wired charging that fills up your battery in minutes.
New iOS features
Of course, no new iPhone would be complete without new software features as well. The iOS 17 update could bring some exciting changes to your phone experiences such as better FaceTime connectivity and audio with voice isolation and spatial audio, redesigned messages with shared playlists and photo collections, focus updates and changes to notifications with custom profiles and summaries, live text recognition with translation support, improved maps with interactive globes and detailed city views, enhanced privacy protection with app privacy reports and mail tracking prevention, among others.
There you have it: some of the possible features of the iPhone 15 that could make it worth upgrading from your current model (or switching from Android). Of course, these are all based on rumors and leaks so they might change before launch day (or never happen at all).
But hey, that’s part of the fun of being an Apple fanboy (or fangirl), right? Let me know what you think about these features in the comments below, and stay tuned for more updates on the iPhone 15!
Skype is one of the most popular and widely used communication platforms in the world. It allows you to make voice and video calls, send messages and files, and share your screen with anyone, anywhere. But did you know that Skype now has a powerful AI assistant that can make your chats productive and fun? Learn more about the new Bing AI-powered chatbot that is now available in Skype.
Early this month, Microsoft launched a new Bing search engine and Edge browser powered by a next-generation OpenAI large language model. It features new AI chat and compose tools that bring together search, browsing, and chat into one experience across the web. It gives you a unique conversational experience, a better search with complete answers, and the ability to generate content. Microsoft announced it will bring this feature across most of its products. So this is how Microsoft is fusing the new Bing AI-powered chatbot assistant with Skype.
The new Bing in Skype is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology which is one of the most advanced AI models in the world. It uses deep learning and natural language processing to generate realistic and relevant responses based on your input. It also uses the latest advancements in AI technology to provide you with the most real-time answers and insights.
Bing will not just be a search engine in Skype even though it’ll leverage search heavily to give you answers. It will act as a conversational agent that will understand your natural language and provide helpful answers to your questions. You can start a chat with Bing anytime by typing @Bing in any chat window. You can ask Bing anything, from factual queries to personal opinions, from trivia to jokes. It can find information, generate content, summarize articles, and more right in Skype.
For example, if you want to find a recipe for lasagna, you can simply type @Bing lasagna recipe and Bing will show you some relevant results from the web in Skype. If you want to generate a poem about love, you can type @Bing poem love and Bing will write one for you using its creative skills. If you want to summarize the latest news on COVID-19, you can type @Bing summarize COVID-19 news and Bing will give you a brief overview of the current situation.
But that’s not all. Bing also has a voice functionality that allows you to talk to it using voice commands. You can access this feature by tapping on the microphone icon next to the chat box. You can then speak your query or request and Bing will respond with voice as well. This way, you can have a more natural and engaging conversation with Bing without typing anything.
The new Bing in Skype can make your chats more productive by helping you find information quickly and easily. It can also make your chats more fun by generating content for you and entertaining you with jokes and trivia.
Tecno has partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to launch the special edition CAMON 19 Pro Mondrian. The device comes with a “sunlight drawing” or light sensing technology that allows the phone to change colours. It is inspired by the beauty of lines and colour of Piet Mondrian, the Dutch pioneer of abstract art known for his bold and colourful block paintings. The special edition Camon also comes as a Gift Set featuring a TECNO CAMON 19 Pro Mondrian Edition smartphone, a pair of TECNO TWS SONIC 1 earbuds, and other 2 Mondrian style accessories. In June this year, TECNO released the TECNO Camon 19, Camon 19 Neo, Camon 19 Pro and Camon 19 Pro 5G.
TECNO’s “sunlight drawing” technology – more formally known as polychromatic photoisomer technology – is a process that breaks through the technical limitations of single-colour or dual-colour discolouration, and is inspired by the works of Mondrian, enabling the phone’s shell to follow geometrical patterns of colour change in the sun.
The special edition device comes with what looks like a white back, but the second light hits the back cover it changes colour. It has the same features as the Camon 19 Pro. Sporting ultraslim 0.98mm thin bezel that gives you more screen space. As well as the dual-ring triple-camera layout design and RGBW camera sensor + Glass technology and 50MP 2X Optical-Zoom Lens. Which promises brilliant portrait photography in challenging low-light and nighttime conditions.
The Mondrian edition is currently available in Kenya at Ksh 35,000 and NGN 187,500 in Nigeria. Tecno says it will be available across global regions including Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Southern Asia.
Tecno Camon 19 Pro Mondrian specification
Display
6.8″ 1080×2460 Resolution, 120Hz FHD+ High Gamut Display
Dimensions
166.79 x 74.55 x 8.58 mm
Weight
Front Camera
32MP w/ dual flash
Rear Camera
64MP + 50MP + 2MP Quad Flash
Processor
MediaTek Helio G96 Octa-Core
Storage
8GB RAM with 128/256 internal storage
OS
Android 12, HIOS 8.6
Battery
5000mAh, 33W Flash Charge
Network
5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth v5.2
Price
Kenya – Ksh 35,000, Nigeria – NGN 187,500,
Mondrian edition unboxing and review via YouTube Cyril Okoi
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Apple introduces the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, the new Apple Watch SE, and the second generation AirPods Pro at its September 2022 event.
Watch the Apple Event September 7, 2022 announcements in less than 2 minutes. Find out more including prices, specifications and the available date of the devices.
The latest generation of Apple devices features new improvements and performances to increase your productivity. This includes the new A16 bionic processor, always on display, interactive Dynamic Island and new camera technology. It also brings crash detection and the ability to communicate via satellite to access emergency SOS services. The 14 Pro’s introduce Dynamic Island, a shape-shifting, multitasking experience built into the notch. Dynamic Island consolidates your notifications, alerts, and activities into one interactive place. It works throughout iOS 16 apps to seamlessly surface what you need, right when you need it.
iPhone 14 and 14 Plus specifications
Apple says it is removing the SIM tray for the US iPhone devices. They will use only an eSIM as it is a more secure alternative to a physical SIM card. eSIM also allows a phone user to have multiple cellular plans on a single device. Seeing that the technology isn’t yet in use in African countries including Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Congo, Senegal, Uganda, and Zimbabwe it will be interesting to see if it forces telecommunication companies to leapfrog.
Apple is known to hasten and bring disruptions, like when it stopped shipping charging cables and reduced the size of the device packaging box. So it will also be interesting to see how other markets such as the UK, China, India, UAE, Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, etc. embrace and plan for the eSIM decision. Will other device manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei follow suit and how long before SIM trays are done away with?
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max specifications
Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra
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