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WWDC 2014: With iOS 8, Apple takes battle with Android to the next level

[email protected] (Tech.com)
June 4, 2014

Jun 4: Apple is calling the iOS 8 the biggest release since the launch of the App Store and it does give users plenty of new features and developers the tools to create amazing new apps. But what does this mean for Android and Google? How do the two biggest competitors in the mobile OS market stack up against each other? How does this latest release change the game?

WWDC 2014

Apple CEO Tim Cook took some serious potshots at Android during the keynote address. When talking about users who switched from Android to iOS, he said: ”They had bought an Android phone, by mistake, and then sought a better experience. And a better life. And decided to check out iPhone and iOS.” He also pointed out how Android was the place where malware ruled.

Tim Cook"s jibes aside, an iOS 8 vs Android assessment is necessary and important, given that they are the biggest mobile players in the world. We"re looking at these comparison points in particular: Messages, Camera, Online Cloud Storage, Continuity, HomeKit and HealthKit app. The reason we"ve included HomeKit and HealthKit app is because these areas are going to experience massive growth in the mobile sector and there"s no way that Google hasn"t started working on these.

Messages: Apple has given iMessage a serious upgrade. Users can now name message threads, exit or enter a thread as they wish. There"s also a Do Not Disturb option to a group chat without having to leave it. Audio and video messages can be shared on Group chats and regular iMessaging. They also have a Snapchat-like self-destruct function that users can opt out of too.

Also SMSes, can be synced across Apple devices from Macs to iPads. iMessage now feels like a combination of WhatsApp, Snapchat and regular messaging.

No wonder that Jan Koum, WhatsApp"s CEO was unhappy and tweeted saying, “very flattering to see Apple “borrow” numerous WhatsApp features into iMessage in iOS 8 #innovation”

So how does Android"s SMS app compare to iMessage?

Google had merged Hangouts and the SMS app which meant that users could search across contacts, including Google accounts. All SMS and MMS messages come in this one place.

Of course, users who might be on devices such as Nexus 4 which had a native SMS app might not choose to merge the two given the privacy issues that plague Google.

Hangouts, of course, allows users to have groups chats, share videos, etc, but this SMS-Hangout marriage is an Android KitKat feature. Since only 9 percent users are on this build of Android, most people are still stuck on the boring SMS app.

Add to that the fragmented manufacturing scene that Android faces, users get different SMS apps in different devices. Unless it"s a pure Android phone.

In the short-term, Apple"s iMessage is winning purely because if you have an iPhone 4S and above — you have all access to all the features. In Android, getting the latest feature in SMS, depends on what build of smartphone you"re using.

Camera: In iOS 8, shooting and editing photos will definitely get better. Users can now take a picture, then modify it with a single touch. The new camera app will let users adjusts exposure, brightness, contrast, and more.

In fact as you make the changes to photo"s colour scheme, the smartphone will show how the levels are changing in real time. Interestingly third-party app developers can make their filters and editing tools also accessible in the Photos app directly.

There"s also a Time-lapse mode in Camera. Basically it can help users capture the sun setting, etc. iOS 8 will take the photos at selected intervals and stitch it together as video.

In Android, the Camera app in KitKat also offers features similar to iOS 8. Users can instantly edit pictures will filters, change exposure, contrast, crop a picture. Of course, unlike iOS 8, Android doesn"t allow third-party apps to provide their filters, but again the native Camera apps are pretty evenly matched.

Of course, OEMs tend to add their own modes to the camera app and thus Android has an advantage here that Apple doesn"t always offer.

HealthKit app: Let"s face it Google is far behind Apple in this area. There are APIs on Health from Google but no dedicated health app like Healthkit. Of course Google could announce its own native app for this at the upcoming Google I/O later this month (25-26 June) but for now Apple has the lead.

The HealthKit app can pull in data from other third-party apps and this can be accessed by healthcare professionals as well of course depending on how much access users give to this app.

Apple partnered with the world-renowned Mayo Clinic on this. With HealthKit, the iPhone will keep a tab on important health metrics on a daily basis, and over a longer period.

After Mayo Clinic, Nike is also partnering with Apple for HealthKit. Apple promises that the data on Health will have deep privacy protection in place to store these sensitive records safely.

Of course, Samsung is one Android manufacturer that has been taking the Health-Smartphone link seriously. The S5 comes with a heart-rate sensor, an improved S-Health app, but given that its not available on other Androids, it"s pretty much an S5 and Samsung feature.

HomeKit: Google might have bought Nest first but Apple showed that it leads in the smart home game by announcing HomeKit. Essentially Apple is hoping that users will trust their iPhones and sync it with other home products.

Users can connect their iPhone/iPad and control garage-door openers, lights, and security cameras, even thermostats and switches.

Users can just control these through Siri. For example, they could say “Get ready for bed” and the house lights will dim. Of course. you"ll need products that are certified for the HomeKit.

For Android, catching up to the competition will be tough. As this Mashable piece points out, “Google will have a tough time convincing consumers that Android will safeguard their privacy and security as well as iOS might (the stat that Tim Cook cited, that 99% of mobile malware targets Android, happens to be true).”

Cloud capability: Even with the new iCloud Drive, Apple is still playing catch with Google. Google Drive already lets you edit documents from inside and share links on Gmail via Google Drive.

iCloud Drive offers similar features to users and now allows them to arrange documents, photos by tags, folders etc. Apple will also let you share large files as well which is something that Google was already offering. Where iCloud Drive is concerned, this is nothing new and doesn"t really set iOS 8 apart from Android.

Also users can search for iCloud documents directly from the Spotlight bar, which means that you don"t actually have to save documents on the iPad or iPhone. Google Drive doesn"t yet offer this feature, where you can search directly for Google Drive docs from the Search bar on the Homepage.

Continuity: Continuity is where Apple"s advantage of being a hardware and software manufacturer is showcased. Documents from OS X can open seamlessly on iOS and vice-versa. You can also take calls from your iPhone on your MacBook or iPad or iMac.

To be fair, Motorola and Samsung have offered features similar to this. Also, Gmail lets users access the email via draft with its real-time saving capability. Google also offers browsing and tab sync via its Chrome browser extensions, features which are similar to Continuity.

The problem though for Google is that it doesn"t occupy an important part of the Desktop space or even the PC space and thus such syncing is only available at an account level on Google.

Apple has come very close to the idea of "one OS, one account but multiple devices" with Continuity.

It"s clear that despite Google"s dominance in the smartphone market, Apple has more than just a few tricks up it"s sleeve. It has also shown that it isn"t shy of taking the battle to the next level. iOS 8 allows Apple users to bring their devices together in a seamless manner — something that Android will be looking to do as well. The battle has been joined — just how will Google respond?

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Agencies
March 8,2020

Consumer watchdog Which? has claimed that more than one billion Android phones and tablets are vulnerable to hackers as they no longer supported by security updates.

According to the research report, the most at-risk phones are any that run Android 4 or older and those smartphones running Android 7.0 which can not be updated are also at risk.

Based on data from Google analysed by Which?, two in five android device users around the world are no longer receiving the important updates. Currently, those devices are unlikely to have issues, but the lack of security leaves them open to attack.

"It is very concerning that expensive Android devices have such a short shelf life before they lose security support, leaving millions of users at risk of serious consequences if they fall victim to hackers," Kate Bevan editor Which? said in a statement.

"Google and phone manufacturers need to be upfront about security updates with clear information about how long they will last and what customers should do when they run out. The government must also push ahead with planned legislation to ensure manufacturers are far more transparent about security updates for smart devices and their impact on consumers," Kate added.

Android phone released around 2012 or earlier, including popular models like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Sony Xperia S, are particularly at risk to hackers.

Which? has made suggestions to Android users on what to consider if they have an older phone that may be at risk.

Any Android device which is more than two years old, check whether it can be updated to a newer version of the operating system. If it is on an earlier version than Android 7.0 Nougat, try to update via Settings> System>Advanced System update.

In case a user is not able tto update the phone, the device could be at risk of being hacked if it is running a version of Android 4 or lower.

A user also need to be careful about downloading apps outside the Google Play store and should also install a mobile anti-virus via an app.

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News Network
March 13,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 13: In the wake of fresh cases of Covid-19 reported in Karnataka, Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty has urged the Karnataka government to take steps to shut malls and theatres, saying the coronavirus multiplies in air-conditioned areas.

In a letter to the government, she said preventive measures should be taken to control the spread of coronovirus before it gets worse.

Murty, who also leads the State government-constituted Karnataka Tourism Task Force, said she has discussed the current situation with Chairman and Executive Director of Narayana Health, Devi Prasad Shetty.

She suggested closure of all schools and colleges with immediate effect, malls, theatres and “all air-conditioned areas where the virus multiplies”, and allow only essential services like pharmacy, grocery and petrol bunks.

“It is not scientifically proven that the virus dies in high temperature,” she said pointing to spread of the virus -- despite heat -- in peak summer in Australia and Singapore, which have “summer all 12 months”.

“I request you to vacate one government hospital with at least 500 - 700 beds for this purpose (to deal with coronavirus cases), which requires oxygen lines and pipes,” she said.

“Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic and CSR arm of software major Infosys, would do the civil work and Devi Shetty has agreed to share resources like medical equipment,” she added.

“We would like to work with the government proactively so that we can prevent this as early as possible,” Sudha Murty said.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus positive cases in Karnataka is five, including the 76-year old man from Kalaburagi who died on Tuesday night.

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Agencies
February 6,2020

Washington D.C., Feb 6: An international team of astronomers has found an unusual monster galaxy that existed about 12 billion years ago when the universe was only 1.8 billion years old.

The team of astronomers was led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside.

Dubbed XMM-2599, the galaxy formed stars at a high rate and then died. Why it suddenly stopped forming stars is unclear.

"Even before the universe was 2 billion years old, XMM-2599 had already formed a mass of more than 300 billion suns, making it an ultra massive galaxy," said Benjamin Forrest, a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Riverside Department of Physics and Astronomy and the study's lead author.

"More remarkably, we show that XMM-2599 formed most of its stars in a huge frenzy when the universe was less than 1 billion years old and then became inactive by the time the universe was only 1.8 billion years old," Forrest added.

The team used spectroscopic observations from the W. M. Keck Observatory's powerful Multi-Object Spectrograph for Infrared Exploration or MOSFIRE, to make detailed measurements of XMM-2599 and precisely quantify its distance.

The study results appear in the Astrophysical Journal.

"In this epoch, very few galaxies have stopped forming stars, and none are as massive as XMM-2599," said Gillian Wilson, a professor of physics and astronomy at UCR in whose lab Forrest works.

"The mere existence of ultramassive galaxies like XMM-2599 proves quite a challenge to numerical models. Even though such massive galaxies are incredibly rare at this epoch, the models do predict them."

"The predicted galaxies, however, are expected to be actively forming stars. What makes XMM-2599 so interesting, unusual, and surprising is that it is no longer forming stars, perhaps because it stopped getting fuel or its black hole began to turn on. Our results call for changes in how models turn off star formation in early galaxies," the professor stated.

The research team found XMM-2599 formed more than 1,000 solar masses a year in stars at its peak of activity -- an extremely high rate of star formation. In contrast, the Milky Way forms about one new star a year.

"XMM-2599 may be a descendant of a population of highly star-forming dusty galaxies in the very early universe that new infrared telescopes have recently discovered," said Danilo Marchesini, an associate professor of astronomy at Tufts University and a co-author on the study.

"We have caught XMM-2599 in its inactive phase," Wilson said, who led the W. M. Keck Observatory data acquisition
Co-author Michael Cooper, a professor of astronomy at UC Irvine, said this outcome is a strong possibility.

"Perhaps during the following 11.7 billion years of cosmic history, XMM-2599 will become the central member of one of the brightest and most massive clusters of galaxies in the local universe," he said.

"Alternatively, it could continue to exist in isolation. Or we could have a scenario that lies between these two outcomes," he stated.

The study was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA.

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