There was a time when people thought a painter’s work was so intricate and personal, it was deemed impossible to recreate.
Well, that time is over. With Prisma, you now have your own, personal Picasso in your pocket. Just pick a photo from your phone, and it starts painting.
By using a combination of neural networks and artificial intelligence, the end results are a real sight to behold. It doesn’t just put a filter over your image, it actually scans the data to apply the style in an impressive way
See the result by yourself:
Update:Prisma has confirmed that the app will also be available for Android later this month.Hold tight! They also said that they will soon launch Prisma Videos in its app “soon”.
The Internet's coolest kids hung out together for the most impressive picture we've seen in recent times.
That's what this photo from the Internet Industry Forum at Microsoft's main campus in Redmond, Washington feels like. Maybe less cool and more iconic, though.
The picture puts together the World Wide Web's most powerful names - the top CEOs and founders - Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Alibaba's Jack Ma, Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and 24 other tech biggies - posed with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The tech titans had gathered to participate in the event sponsored by China and Microsoft, and everyone seemed excited to meet President Xi Jinping. None as much as Mark Zuckerberg, however. The Facebook CEO and co-founder spoke to the president in Chinese, and even managed to get a laugh out of him. In case you're wondering, here's a complete list of all the tech giants captured in the photograph above:
Front row, from the left: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, JD.com's Liu Qiangdong, Cisco's John Chambers, Alibaba's Jack Ma, IBM's Ginni Rometty, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Microsoft's Satya Nadella, China's Internet czar Lu Wei, Apple's Tim Cook, Tencent's Pony Ma, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos
Middle row, from the left: Sohu's Zhang Chaoyang, AMD's Lisa Su, Lenovo's Yang Yuanqing, Microsoft's Harry Shum, Qualcomm's Steve Mollenkopf, CETC's Ziong Qunli, Intel's Brian Krzanich, Qihoo 360's Zhou Hongyi, LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman, and SINA's Cao Guowei
Last row, from the left: Sugon's Li Jun, Didi-Kuaidi's Cheng Wei, Broadband Capital's Tian Suning, CEC's Liu Liehong, Baidu's Zhang Yaqin, AME Cloud Ventures' Jerry Yang, Inspur's Sun Pishu, AirBnB's Brian Chesky, and Sequoia Capital's Shen Nanpeng
Today I met President Xi Jinping of China at the 8th annual US-China Internet Industry Forum in Seattle. The Forum is an...
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday, 23 September 2015
I'm sure I'll eat these words one day, but it seems that we've finally witnessed an iPhone drop test that can't conceivably be topped.
We've seen iDevices dropped from planes and stuck in molten lava, but the below video of an iPhone 6 descending from the edge of space seems to be about as far as gravity's effects can be pushed, short of tossing an iPad into a black hole.
As usual, the effort is part of a campaign to sell us something. This time it's Urban Armor Gear's composite iPhone case, which protected the silver iPhone 6 in question as it rose from the English countryside with the help of a balloon and a flight rig with two GoPro cameras, GPS and a backup phone. The phone ascended over 100,000 feet to the stratosphere before the balloon ruptured and the device began to fall.
A parachute did deploy to prevent the phone from becoming a potentially lethal projectile, but it still had to withstand temperatures of -79 degrees Fahrenheit that killed the charge in its battery, 70 mile per hour winds and 150rpm spins. The landing was a bit rough and broke up the flight rig, even with the parachute, but the phone survived and was still fully functional after being recharged. You can watch the full video below.
Now, if anyone has a wormhole we can borrow, perhaps it's time to start planning that black hole test...
Every year, the tech industry brings us unexpected surprises and long-predicted changes, and among those ups and downs are usually a few endings to some of our favorite technology products.
Perhaps the biggest ending of the year, and maybe even the decade, was Microsoft's decision to end support for Windows XP. The move effectively left millions of users around the planet wondering whether they should fend for themselves, find an alternative or surrender and begin using Windows 8.1.
Similarly, although slightly less impactful, Google decided to shut down an entire social network when it opted to end the long run of Orkut.
The company's original social-networking experiment failed to find legs in the U.S. but somehow managed to garner a large following in Brazil. But with Google+ on the menu, the lingering shadow of Orkut was apparently too much of a reminder of past failures to be allowed to live on, and now it's history.
But those weren't the only sad tech endings of 2014. We've gathered together the year's most notable closures so you can mourn a bit more efficiently and light a digital flame in homage to some of the most beloved tech products and services that are no longer with us.
iPod Classic
Along with the announcement of the Apple Watch and new iPhones, Apple also quietly retiredthe iPod Classic. In some ways, the timing of the move was historically appropriate. As the Apple Watch ushers in a new kind of tactile interface with its Digital Crown, reminiscent of the original iPod click wheel and even the iPod Classic's touchpad wheel, the company's interface design wheels are, literally, spinning in a new direction.
Now that the iPod touch — which can be difficult to differentiate from an older iPhone — is officially the standard-bearer for Apple's music player category, we can lament the passing of the form factor that saved Apple from ruin so many years ago.
Facebook Poke App
The word in some Silicon Valley circles is: if Facebook can't acquire you, it will copy you. That oft-mentioned approach appears obvious if you look at several recent Facebook app launches, most notably Poke. Viewed by some as an attempt to copy Snapchat, Facebook's ephemeral message, photo and video app seemed promising at first but was ultimately ditched by the social network.
Meanwhile, Snapchat, which reportedly rebuffed a $3 billion offer from Facebook, just landed a new investment that values the company at around $10 billion.
MSN Messenger
Microsoft's acquisition of Skype back in 2011 had a number of ripple effects for the company's users, one of which was the eventual shuttering of Windows Live Messenger, better known as MSN Messenger.
Although the company announced its intentions back in 2012, the old messaging service lingered on in China until 2014, when Microsoft put the final nail in the app's coffin. For old-school users of MSN Messenger, the end of the app will likely be accompanied by numerous memories of intimate late-night chats and shared moments that, in a weird way, may inspire a bit of nostalgia for the outdated software.
Orkut
Google's first major social-networking experiment, Orkut, failed to find its footing in the U.S., but it unexpectedly caught on in Brazil. Back in 2010, Orkut was more popular than Facebook in the country, until Mark Zuckerberg's social networking behemoth added Brazil to its list of conquests in 2011.
Despite Orkut's success in a big market, Google decided to shut the social network down as it attempted to boost the fortunes of its other social networking play, Google+. However, with the departure of Google+ chief Vic Gundotra, and the service's numbers still lagging far behind Facebook's, it could be just a matter of time before Google+ suffers the same fate as Orkut.
Xbox Entertainment Studios
Not long after rumors that Microsoft's Xbox Entertainment Studios was planning on creating original programming (mirroring recent moves by Netflix and Amazon), Microsoft unceremoniously shut down the unit as part of an overall plan to lay off roughly 18,000 workers. The move struck some as curious considering the cache Xbox and its network enjoys with gamers and the hiring of former CBS president Nancy Tellum back in 2012 to lead the unit's entertainment efforts.
But with the ascension of newly minted CEO Satya Nadella to the top position, the change in direction for Xbox Entertainment Studios may be just one of many Microsoft changes in the works in the coming year.
Windows XP
Bill Gates Unveiling Windows Xp
Microsoft's decision to end support for Windows XP may have been met by excitement by early adopters loyal to the brand and looking to trade up to a shiny new interface experience in Windows 8.1, but for many others, the change is still a nonstarter.
In fact, Chinese officials used the change as an opportunity to officially ban Windows 8 in the country as it works to launch its own operating system to compete with the likes of Microsoft, Google's Android and Apple OS X
Justin.tv
If you weren't using Justin.tv, you probably don't know that the site spawned entire subnetworks of illegal content streams. There were 24-hour Star Trek channels, bootleg History Channel streams and, of course, scores of movie streams showing classic and current movies to dedicated viewerships. The DMCA takedown notices flew fast and furious on Justin.tv, but illegal broadcasters just as quickly posted new streams for their loyal audiences.
But as the site grew, originally born of a gimmicky stunt performed years ago by Justin Kan who wore a camera strapped to his head for months, an offshoot of the site, Twitch, gradually became a favorite with gamers and generally became more popular than its parent site. When Twitch was acquired by Amazon a few months after Justin.tv announced an end to the main site, the brief furor over all those lost video archives on Justin.tv seemed to be ancient history.
Macworld Magazine
Macworld, that venerable print publication that has covered all things Apple for decades, finally reached the end of its run in September. Although the publisher of the magazine, IDG, will keep the website alive, the print edition will disappear, along with a large number of editorial staff.
Macworld editorial director Jason Snell, a 17-year veteran with the publication, and a high-profile voice on various tech podcasts, will also leave the company. The news was particularly galling forMacworld fans as it came just after the September 9 Apple event that introduced the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch.
Nokia X
Along with a new CEO in Satya Nadella have come a range of rapid changes for Microsoft. One of the biggest this year was the news that Microsoft had decided to bring an end to its Android-based Nokia X line of mobile phones.In a company-wide memo that heralded the news of massive layoffs at the company, Nadella wrote, "we plan to shift select Nokia X product designs to become Lumia products running Windows."
According to Nadella, the move was designed, in part, to concentrate the company's efforts more on producing more affordable mobile phones and focus more on Windows Universal apps.
Flappy Bird
The brief history of the mobile game known as Flappy Bird was something of a case study in how virality and the success comes with it are not always as desirable as they may seem. Its Vietnam-based creator, Dong Nguyen, was overwhelmed by the popularity of the game and the pressure that came along with its success, a situation that eventually led to him pulling the game. In February, Nguyen took to Twitter to write, "I am sorry 'Flappy Bird' users, 22 hours from now, I will take 'Flappy Bird' down. I cannot take this anymore."
Of course, a number of imitators immediately cropped up, but none of the clones of the original Flappy Bird game have managed to stir up the same kind of interest. Nguyen later backtracked on his position and released Flappy Bird Family for Android on the Amazon app store, but the rise and rapid self-destruction of one of the most popular mobile games in recent memory remains the game's biggest story.
When it comes to drawing design “inspirations” for a smartphone, Apple holds the fancy of plenty of smartphone manufacturers – Xiaomi, Micromax, Lava and, how can we forget, Samsung. But if there was an award for the best Apple copycat, the Lenovo Sisley S90 would be a sure shot winner.
Not only has it blatantly copied the design of the iPhone 6, but has also gone one step further to copy the promotion shots that were used to market Apple’s latest flagship.
Don’t believe us? Here’s proof of Lenovo’s latest piece of work: (Image Source: Gizmobic)
Lenovo has admitted to The Independentthat “there are external similarities, but considering the product design lifecycle of any smartphone – at least a year in planning and prototyping it’s not possible to copy a design so quickly.”
The phone sells only in China has the similar rounded edges, edge-to-edge screen and even the wallpapers are the same. The phone offers a 5-inch HD display, 16GB of internal storage, dual-SIM and NFC connectivity and a 1.2GHz quad-core processor.
Apple has unveiled two new iPhones, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Along with larger screens and a completely new iPad-style design with an ultra thin body and rounded corners, the two new phones offer faster processors, better cameras, and Apple's new Apple Pay payment system.
Apple's new iPhones are available in Gold, Silver, and Space Gray, and are available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities. The iPhone 6 pricing starts at $199, while the iPhone 6 Plus pricing starts at $299.
While both models include the same 64-bit A8 chip and the same general design, there are several differences between the two phones. The iPhone 6 measures in at 6.9mm, while the iPhone 6 Plus is slightly thicker at 7.1mm. Apple's iPhone 6 Plus also has three major differentiating factors: optical image stabilization for the camera, and a longer battery life, and an iPad-style landscape modethat displays more content on the screen.
Though the iPhone 6 Plus has optical image stabilization, both phones got some major camera improvements in form of sensor upgrades, improved tone mapping, better noise reduction, and new "Focus Pixel" technology, which improves the phone's ability to select autofocus points. For videos, there's a new 240fps slo-mo option, along with support for shooting in 1080p at 60fps. The front-facing camera was also upgraded, with an f/2.2 aperture that lets in more light and new burst mode capabilities.
Both phones have an impressive new "Retina HD Display," with the iPhone 6 featuring a resolution of1334 x 750 (326 ppi) and the iPhone 6 Plus featuring a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi).
Design wise, the phones more closely resemble the iPad and the iPod touch than the iPhone 5s. Both models have soft, rounded corners and a curved glass screen that melds smoothly into the thin metal body of the device. The volume buttons on the left side of the device are now pill-shaped, and the power button is located on the right side of the device for easier one-handed use.
It feels like there have been iWatch rumors going back basically forever, but the strange thing is that they really only kicked off about a year and a half ago. Stranger yet: we still don't have a perfectly clear picture of what Apple's built. Its latest phones and tablets have all leaked out pretty thoroughly before their announcements, but details on the so-called iWatch have been inconsistent and piecemeal at best.
We're now just days away from finding out what Apple's actually been working on. That hardly means that it's time to rest our curiosity, though — we're still as eager as ever to find out what the iWatch is like. Here's our breakdown of all the reports and rumors that we've seen over the past year or so as we try to figure out exactly what to expect from Apple on Tuesday.
It'll tell the time
It's probably safe to call it a smartwatch. Some recentreports with knowledge of the device have carefully referred to Apple's creation as merely a nondescript "wearable," but stories going back for well over a year have used the "smartwatch" moniker. Who knows what Apple's going to call it, but it's pretty safe to say that this thing sits on your wrist and tells the time.
It'll track your health
HEALTH TRACKING SHOULD BE THE IWATCH'S BIG FEATURE
The iWatch's standout feature is believed to be a fairly robust set of health-tracking sensors. It's not known exactly what it'll be able to track, however, and a lot of potential sensor options have been thrown out there. Currently on the list of potential things that it might track: heart-rate,blood sugar, blood pressure, air pressure, altitude, temperature, weather,ultraviolet light exposure,calories,steps,sleep. Some of those seem a lot more likely than others, but it's worth remembering that Apple appears to hope that this device will be able to serve some basic medical functions. It's even been seen meeting with the FDA to talk about health.
It'll be an extension of your iPhone
The iWatch is probably running iOS, but it won't be able to do everything your phone can on its own. Reports suggest that the iWatch will need to be paired with an iPhone in order to send text messages or place phone calls. That's potentially a good thing, though, as it means that you likely won't need to pay for a separate service plan for the watch. Presumably, the watch will display notifications, allow you to perform basic phone functions, and even have apps — but, surprisingly, there has been very little detail on any of that. We really don't know how much it'll be capable of.
It'll come in two sizes
Everyone has their own preference on watch size, and Apple's apparently ready to give buyers some amount of choice there. It's been reported that the two sizes options could be anywhere from as small as 1.3-inches (which would be a touch smaller than the average Android Wear smartwatch) to as large as 2.5-inches (which would be larger than even Samsung's Galaxy Gear S). A number of reports have honed in on a 1.5-inchdisplayoption, though, and that sounds like a fairly reasonable bet. Whether that'll be the large model or the small model still isn't quite clear though.
It'll have multiple price options
YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO SPEND A FORTUNE ON ONE
Apple is said to be looking at pricing the iWatch at around $400, according to Recode. But other models of the watch may be more or less expensive than that. It's not clear how those will break down, but there are some natural guesses: the larger model and the models with more storage inside of them might just cost you more.
No one's positive what shape the iWatch is
The iWatch is a band that you put around your wrist. But whether it has a circular watch face, a square watch face, or a large rectangular display on top of it still doesn't seem to be something that's reliably been answered. Recent reports have pointed to it being rectangular or slightly-rectangular, though many early reports seemed to think that it would have a circular face. The difference between the two is a big one, and it would establish whether Apple is planning a modern spin on the classic watch, or whether it's trying to create a brand new form of wrist-wear.
It'll be able to do a lot wirelessly, including pay for things
With something this small, you can't be bothered with cords. It's expected that the iWatch will take advantage of wireless charging, and — naturally — it'll do its pairing with your iPhone wirelessly too.
The really big wireless feature, though, is NFC. NFC is a type of short-range, wireless communication that can let a device do a whole host of things. And, most importantly, it's able to communicate fairly securely because of how short its communication range is.
Apple is supposed to be unveiling a mobile payments service alongside the iWatch, and the watch will be able to hook into that thanks to NFC. Just by tapping the watch on a compatible receiver when you're checking out at a store, you'll be able to pay a bill using your credit card — all without taking our your wallet.
Its screen will have four interesting features on its own
Let's break this down:
1. It's going to be curved. It's not expected to have a significant curve, but it's believed that the iWatch has a slightly arch to its display.
CURVED, FLEXIBLE, AND WELL-PROTECTED
2. It's going to be covered in sapphire crystal. Apple just opened a big manufacturing plant in Arizona specifically for the purpose of manufacturing this. The screen won't look any different because of it, but it should be sturdier and more scratch resistant than most glass — and that's pretty important for a screen hanging off your wrist.
3. It's going to be "flexible." It's not clear exactly how this will work given the sapphire crystal over top of it, but it's possible that the screen will have a slight flex to it for safety purposes. It's also possible that this is just an invisible facet of it being slightly curved. Who knows, though. Perhaps Apple has something more ambitious planned. LG is supposed to be supplying the displays, and it certainly has the technology.
4. It'll have some type of OLED technology. OLED's are often known for their over-saturated colors, but they have some important advantages. Namely, individual pixels can be turned on and off as needed. That means that a watch might be able to display some basic information (like the time or a notification) while leaving the rest of its display blank. If that's how Apple chooses to use it, it could mean big battery savings.
You won't be able to buy it until next year
There's at least one good reason that we don't know all that much about the iWatch just yet: Apple hasn't really kicked off production on them. Though Apple plans to unveil the watch on Tuesday, it isn't expected to be in stores until after the holidays. It sounds as though Apple may have liked to have its watch ready before then, but there may be a lot for it to do between now and when the watch goes on sale — perhaps even running it by regulators.
There are still some big questions remaining
There's a whole lot that we still don't know about the iWatch, but here are a few points that stick out to us: How waterproof will it be? Will it have any buttons? Will it let you control smarthome devices? Will it be designed like a fashion accessory or a tech accessory? Will it actually be called the iWatch? How long will its battery last for? (For several days, we're hoping.)
All told, that should make Apple's event on Tuesday a pretty interesting one. Unlike in previous years, we don't know every single detail of what to expect. This is a brand new device, and Apple has done a good job of keeping it under wraps. Now, let's just hope we're pleasantly surprised.
Just as expected, Apple sent out invitations on Thursday for what's presumed to be its big iPhone event of the year.
The invitation, which coyly says "wish we could say more," revealed that the "exclusive event" will be held on Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. PT. It will be held at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, California, which is Apple's hometown.
It's also the same location where Apple debuted the Macintosh computer in 1984, 30 years ago this year. Perhaps the Flint Center was chosen as a way to pay homage to that groundbreaking product with a new one: the iWatch, which is also rumored to be making an appearance.
It's expected that Apple will launch the iPhone 6 in what is believed to be two sizes, a 4.7-inch model and a larger version at 5.5 inches, possibly called the iPhone 6L.
The price tag for the new iPhones may be a bit higher than before, thanks to a sapphire screen (instead of a glass one) that's typically used in luxury watches. The inclusion of a sapphire screen will make it much more difficult to scratch.
IMAGE: APPLE
Apple previously announced some of the core features coming to iOS 8, which will launch with the iPhone 6. The updates include new keyboards for typing, a battery usage indicator so you know which apps are the most draining, camera features like time-lapse capture for video, interactive notifications, TouchID for apps and a greater focus on health and smart home automation. Also on deck: a smarter Siri.
Apple is also rumored to be introducing a reversible Lightning cable for the iPhone 6 that allows you to plug it into USB ports from either end, with no "right" or "wrong" side. The existing Lightning connector can plug into an iPhone or iPad in any way, but the latest design will bring the orientation flexibility to both ends of the cable.
But don't expect new iPad models to debut at the event. It's believed that the company — which is reportedly working on an iPad significantly larger (12.9 inches) than its existing models, the 9.7-inch iPad and the 7.9-inch iPad mini — will hold an iPad-specific event in October.
At WWDC, developers rule. Apple may have previewed iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite to the entire world at its opening keynote, but developers are the only ones who get to check out the beta version of the software until an open beta program kicks off this summer.
This year's conference has had its share of surprises, and it's little wonder devs are salivating: Apple is allowing more flexibility about what developers can grow within its walled garden. For the first time, third-party onscreen keyboards will be welcomed in iOS 8, widgets are coming to the notification center, and media apps will have greater access to the device's camera. Apple even debuted its own programming language, Swift, which got some of the loudest cheers during Monday's keynote.
That's all well and good, but what about the rest of us?
What's in iOS 8 that will change the mobile life of your everyday iPhone user? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Here are the most important changes coming in iOS 8, based on what Apple revealed at WWDC and reports about the beta software:
Wh 1. Battery usage indicator
It's probably the most common complaint about the iPhone: The battery drains too damn fast. This is, of course, dependent on exactly what you do with it, but how do users know whether to prioritize dimming the screen, quitting a particular app or turning off Background App Refresh?
In iOS 8, they'll finally get some guidance. The iPhone's settings will offer a way to check exactly which apps and functions are draining your battery. With that guidance, users will be able to selectively change their settings or uninstall the right apps to maximize their battery.
Developers will certainly find the feature useful as well, as it should help make their apps more efficient. In short, this could be the most welcome new feature in iOS 8.
2. New keyboard(s)
There's nothing more fundamental to the iPhone than its onscreen keyboard — and in iOS 8, it gets an upgrade via predictive typing, which suggests several options for the next word as you type. This is a feature that's been on Android for a while, although Apple says its implementation is superior — since it learns what you're likely to say to different friends and colleagues.
At the same time, Apple is letting developers offer their own keyboards. You may have tried Swype for Android, for example, which uses an algorithm that lets you swipe around a keyboard rather than tap; the company has already said it will make its keyboard available for iOS.
3. Continuity
Apple took the idea of collaboration through the cloud to a new level with a new feature called Handoff, part of its "Continuity" concept. If you have an iPhone and a Mac, you'll be able to start a task on one device (say, composing an email) and finish on the other. Since the devices are aware of each other, all you have to do is click one button, and it works on iPad, too.
Continuity also has a couple of bonuses: First, AirDrop will work between Macs and iOS devices. Second, using your iPhone as a personal hotspot has never been easier. There's no configuration needed — the iPhone will just know when your Mac needs the connection.
4. New camera features
The camera is probably every smartphone's No. 1 app. Apple likes to keep its interface relatively simple, but in iOS 8, users will get a couple of more options: a three-second timer and time-lapse capture for video — sort of the opposite of the slow-motion mode introduced in iOS 7. The camera also gets focus and exposure controls.
5. iCloud Photo Library
iCloud currently stores the last 1,000 photos from your iOS devices for free. With iOS 8, users will be able to upgrade to iCloud Photo Library, which will instantly upload all iPhone/iPad photos and videos to iCloud. Users only get 5GB for free, though — storage costs $0.99 a month for 20GB, with tiers all the way up to 1TB. (The Google+ app on iOS, by the way, will back up all your photos up to Google's 15 GB limit, for free).
6. Family Sharing
Image courtesy : Mashable
With iOS 8, Apple is taking the first step toward merging Apple IDs (a long-requested feature) by introducing Family Sharing, which lets different Apple users share all content they've downloaded from iTunes. Up to six people can be designated family members, and it provides a great solution to the problem of kids downloading paid apps on their parents' credit cards: With Family Sharing, the parent gets notified, and then can grant or deny the purchase.
7. Interactive Notifications
Image courtesy : Mashable
Just need to reply to a message with a single word? Why do you have to launch Messages for that? In iOS 8, you won't have to — just pull down on the banner that appears and you can type your reply — then get right back to playing Candy Crush.
Notifications on the lock screen are interactive, too. Swiping an alert to the left will reveal Reply/Dismiss buttons, letting you do things faster without unlocking your phone. And if you're concerned about security implications, you can disable this feature.
8. Messages upgrade
In iOS 8, Apple's built-in messaging app has a lot more to offer. Apple added the ability to send audio and video messages to your friends. With audio, they're effortless: just open the conversation and raise the phone to your ear to begin recording. Users can also let these kinds of messages self-destruct after a certain amount of time — but that's just a memory-management feature, and not, as has been claimed, an attempt to move in on Snapchat's territory. (After all, there's nothing to prevent the other people in the conversation from saving their versions of the video or audio.)
At the same time, Messages adds a couple of convenient features: You can set Do Not Disturb on specific threads so you're not constantly getting alerts from big group messages. You can also now share your location with contacts you're conversing with, as in the Find My Friends app, viewable through a new "Details" button on threads.
9. Widgets
Image courtesy : Mashable
Here's another upgrade that Android has had a lock on for years: widgets, made possible by iOS 8's "extensibility," which allows apps to share data and functions with other apps.
Don't get too excited — widgets will reside in the notification center, not the home screen. But their arrival on iOS is a big upgrade, and if Android is any indication, you can expect the floodgates to open for these small, "glanceable" mini-apps when iOS 8 launches in the fall.
10. Lock screen app suggestions
In iOS 8, users will notice a new icon on the iPhone lock screen that looks like the App Store. Swipe up and you'll see app suggestions based on your location. For example, if you're across the street from Starbucks, you might see the Starbucks app.
The feature could be a new path to app discoverability (which can be a problem for apps not in the Top 100), but we'll wait to see how this plays out between Apple, vendors and developers.
11. TouchID for apps
Image courtesy : Mashable
Apple took fingerprint reading mainstream with the TouchID sensor in the iPhone 5S. In iOS 8, it's going to open up that level of convenience to developers, who can let a user unlock any password stored in their keychain by placing their finger on the reader. That could potentially be even more convenient than Lastpass app logins on Android.
12. iCloud Drive
If you've ever tried to save, say, a PDF from an email on your iPhone, you may have been frustrated by the lack of a native file system for iOS. Soon iCloud Drive will address that problem, while at the same time offering a cloud-storage service similar to Dropbox, Box or Google Drive. It's compatible with Windows, too — but not Android.
13. Health
The new Health app is straightforward: It provides a central place for all the health and fitness information you're storing on the iPhone. Many apps, such as Nike+ and Fitbit, do this individually, but now those apps will be able to integrate into one app — presuming developers take advantage of Apple's HealthKit platform.
Apple is also partnering with healthcare providers to help bring the iPhone health data to the doctors and care specialists who can really do something with it. Health could have a profound effect on preventative medicine, if both developers and care centers support it.
14. New Siri features
Image courtesy : Mashable
Be careful what you say — Siri is always listening in iOS 8. Even if the iPhone is in a dormant state, you can just say "Hey Siri" to wake up the phone and ask something. The phone has to be plugged into power for this to work, indicating Apple probably sees it as a hands-free solution for the car.
Siri can also identify songs with built-in Shazam integration. So instead of launching an app, all you'll need to do is hold down your iPhone's home button to find out what music is playing. Think of all the time you'll save at the bar.
15. Contacts on apps screen
Image courtesy : Mashable
Apple realized it wasn't making use of all the space on the apps screen that appears when you double-click the home button. Right above the apps running, you'll see a strip of the most recent contacts along the top. It's another welcome convenience.
16. More Spotlight results
Image courtesy : Mashable
Searching on the iPhone in iOS 8 now brings up Wikipedia, App Store and iTunes results for anything you're searching for.
17. Full-featured Safari
Safari got a huge upgrade in iOS 7, and although the upgrades in iOS 8 are more incremental (and already exist in other browsers), they're welcome. There's more flexibility in Private browsing, letting you keep regular and private tabs separate. DuckDuckGo — the privacy-preserving alternative to Google — is supported as a search engine, and users will be able to easily request the desktop version of any site.
18. The Weather Channel
In iOS 7, Apple's weather app got its info from Yahoo. Starting in iOS 8, that data comes from the Weather Channel.
