Articles about iOS

Automation tools like IFTTT continue to be popular, and as if to prove this, Apple has just bought the iOS app Workflow. Working in a similar way to Automator for macOS, Workflow brings task-oriented automation to iPhone and iPad users.

There's good news to top off the acquisition revelation. Apple is not only keeping Workflow up and running rather than shutting it down, it's also hanging onto the original team of developers behind the app. Even better, Apple is making Workflow available free of charge, dropping the previous $2.99 price tag.

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When it comes to Google, many people are concerned about privacy, and rightfully so. Look, the company makes money through advertising and data collection. In other words, if you rely on the search giant's services, such as Gmail and Maps, the company probably knows a lot about you -- including the locations that you visit.

While exposing your location is normally something people try to avoid from a security perspective, today, Google is making it easier to do so. No, the search giant isn't doing it without your permission -- it is actually a very cool new feature. The company is enabling Google Maps users to share their real-time location with others. The reason that this is cool (and not scary) is that the user can choose with whom they share the location, and for how long it is shared. Your phone will even keep you notified that you are sharing your location -- just in case your plans change and you forget to shut it off. In other words, it is totally optional.

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If you are like me, running just one operating system isn't enough -- maybe you dual boot or have multiple computers. I, for example, have a Windows 10 desktop, MacBook Pro laptop, and a Linux box. The problem with this setup, you see, is that my desk gets very crowded and messy. Believe it or not, I have just one monitor for all of my computers (I switch between HDMI and DisplayPort), but multiple keyboards, touch pads and mice -- it can be distracting.

Today, Logitech launches a brilliant product that should solve my dilemma. The MK850 Performance Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo works with Windows, Mac, Android, Chrome OS and iOS. It should work with desktop Linux distributions too, such as Ubuntu and Fedora. With the click of a button, both the keyboard and mouse can switch between up to three computers or operating systems. This includes mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones (the mouse will not work with iOS, however). Best of all, both of the input devices are ergonomic and look elegant.

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Earlier today, Apple introduced an all-new low-cost tablet, simply called "iPad." This 9.7 inch variant of the iPad starts at $329, making it incredibly affordable. As more and more schools turn to Chromebooks due to their low cost, this new iPad could be the perfect way for Apple to get the education segment excited about iOS again.

Today, Logitech introduces a new product that could make the new iPad perfect for classrooms. Called "Rugged Combo," it is a combination case and keyboard that turns Apple's newest tablet into a makeshift laptop. Best of all, the extremely durable nature of the case should protect it from drops and abuse by students.

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New releases always present a challenge for system admins and that applies to Apple just as much as other systems.

Device management specialist Jamf is offering zero day support for the latest spring releases of iOS (10.3), macOS (10.12.4), and tvOS (10.2).

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It is quite some time since Super Mario Run arrived for iOS and took the world by storm. Right from the start there were questions about when the Android version would appear, and the delay from Nintendo saw the springing up of a batch of malicious fakers.

Pre-registration for the Super Mario Run for Android opened up in late-December, and now Nintendo has finally revealed the launch date for one of the most eagerly-awaited Android games of all time. The Android version of Super Mario Run will launch on 23 March -- just days away!

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Even though Apple released the first iOS device with a 64-bit processor three and a half years ago, there are still nearly 200,000 titles in the App Store that have not been optimized for those iPhones and iPads. And that will soon turn into a major problem for developers and users alike.

Starting with the next version of iOS, Apple plans to drop support for apps that are not updated to support 64-bit iPhones and iPads, a move which is expected to affect roughly 187,000 titles based on a Sensor Tower report.

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Around a year ago I took a look at the iClever Tri-folding Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard, having previously examined the iClever Portable Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard. The latest addition to the range follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, but this time boasts a trackpad.

This is a Bluetooth keyboard that can be configured to connect to up to three devices -- phones, tablets, laptops, and so on. The keys are nearly full-sized (just 9 percent smaller than normal), and the right-hand side of the fold-out unit is occupied by a laptop-style trackpad that allows for easier control of the device you connect to, and eliminates the need to carry a mouse as well.

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Yesterday WikiLeaks unleashed Vault 7 online, revealing a wealth of information about the CIA's hacking tools and techniques. Included in the data dump was the suggestion that the CIA was actively exploiting vulnerabilities in iOS and other software to listen in on people. Apple has responded by saying that "many" of these security holes have been fixed.

Importantly, the company is unable to say that all of the vulnerabilities being used -- or that have been historically used -- by the CIA have been addressed, but it does insist that it "will continue work to rapidly address" problems that are found. A number of iOS security flaws have been exploited by the CIA to surveil individuals, or even take remote control of devices.

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Over 90 percent of enterprises have some Mac usage and 99 percent have iPads and iPhones according to the results of a new survey of IT professionals by Apple device management specialist Jamf.

Almost all of the organizations surveyed in 2016 report an increase in both Mac and iOS device adoption over the previous year and much of this is driven by employee choice.

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We reported back in August that failure rates of iOS devices had overtaken those of Android for the first time.

The latest State of Mobile Device Performance and Health report from Blancco Technology Group shows that this trend is continuing with the iOS failure rate at 62 percent in the final quarter of last year.

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Android or iOS? Or both? It’s a question anyone who’s been involved in building a mobile app will have asked. Android is still the major player in the development world, due to the simple fact of the size of the market, but it’s foolish to write anything that’s grown from Apple off.

As with just about every trend in technology, it appears that flexibility and fluidity is the choice route. Here are five things developers will need to consider to stay relevant in 2017 and beyond.

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It's something that should delight Donald Trump -- Google is helping to fight fake news. Whether the company's move to help keep web users better informed is in keeping with the US president's penchant for "alternative facts" remains to be seen, but for everyone else it is great news.

Google is far from being the first technology company to lend its support to the fake news fighting army -- Facebook and the BBC are already doing their bit too. The expansion of Google News fact checking means that the Fact Check label is spreading further around the globe, giving people in more parts of the world the assurance that what they're reading has been verified.

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IT security has never been more prominent at the forefront of people's minds than it is currently. With a sadly regular supply of hacking horror tales, Internet users are now exercising a great deal of care with the information they share through their networks. Stronger passwords and a reluctance to add personal details are among the more common measures to have become widely implemented.

Another option which people are leaning towards is that of secure messaging apps, a selection of which are profiled in the infographic below by ERS IT Solutions. There doesn’t yet exist a messaging app that is completely impenetrable to hackers, but there are those which distinguish themselves for their encryption of messages so that even if they are intercepted, the messages can’t be deciphered by unsolicited parties.

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The days of dedicated satnavs are surely numbered, with the likes of Waze and Google Maps bringing turn-by-turn directions to smartphone owners for free. The feature set for these apps just keeps on growing, and Google Maps now includes a new Lists feature which lets you use the app to create and share lists of places.

There are lots of possible uses for Lists -- Google suggests using it to create your bucket list of places to visit, but it's better used to draw up a list of places to visit on vacation, say, and then share it with friends who are planning a similar trip. While lists can only be created in the iOS and Android app, they can also be viewed on the desktop.

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