Battery retention is a crucially important factor in owning a mobile device, and although the capacity of a battery plays a significant role in determining how long your smartphone or tablet will be able to play games, surf the Web or make calls, it's not the only consideration that should be made. As well as the efficiency of the processor, software can also be optimized for better battery performance, and given that Apple has just bumped its software version from iOS 7.1.2, we'd expect that battery has also improved, right?
So, iOS 8 is now officially out in the wild for everyone, and like iOS 7, it is expected that a large portion of the iPhone and iPad-owning community will quickly jump on the new software. But have you, our wonderful army of readers, decided to take the plunge and install iOS 8 on your device? We'd love to know if you've joined the ranks of the early adopters, so be sure to cast your vote in our poll below.
The Family Sharing feature, as the name implies, will allow families and groups of people to share apps without having to connect to the same Apple ID. Since the introduction of the App Store, folks have shared the same account in order to save on buying many of the exact same apps or content, but the system is flawed in that every user of said account then has a list of content that they don't want or need, and never actually downloaded in the first place. To resolve this, Family Sharing essentially binds a number of Apple IDs into one parent account, and provided that they all feed from the same credit or debit card, can readily go ahead and download apps and content purchased by other members of the same family.
Apple's iTunes App Store is awash with content, and as the company itself pointed out at the big iPhone 6 event last week, now home to some 1.3 million apps and games. But while it's easy to find an app you head about through a friend, say, by using the Search feature, discovering new content is not such a simple task, and with this view being shared by many users and commentators alike, Apple has just made it easier for developers to promote their stuff.
Privacy and security is a constant concern in all walks of life, but in the Digital Age, particularly so. More recently, reports of spying tactics being used by the NSA and other such bodies has had the general public up in arms, and increased the onus on manufacturers and software makers to tighten things up. Apple hasn't exactly covered itself in glory in this respect given the recent celebrity image leaks, but with iOS 8, your photos, videos, messages and other such content apparently cannot be turned over to authorities.
As well as providing Android switchers with a guide on using its latest fleet of iPhones, Apple has just added an iOS 8 User Guide to iBooks for iPhone and iPad users. Ideal for anybody looking to get the most out of the new software, it covers every aspect from the simple stuff like sending emails to the other little quirks like using customizable keyboards, and as Apple describes in the release notes, serves as "an essential part of any iBooks library."
Apple has really presented developers with a license to shine with iOS 8. As well as third-party keyboard and Notification Center widget support, devs have also been given jurisdiction over Touch ID. This means that apps that would ordinarily use, say, the Passcode feature to verify or secure certain features can now include the fingerprint sensor, and below, we've a round-up of those who've instantly pushed their updated apps.
Unless you've been too busy to check the tech headlines today, you'll know that Apple has just rolled out iOS 8, and with developers having scrambled to make the necessary tweaks to their apps, the Cupertino company has been making some adjustments of its own. A number of Apple-made applications have just been updated for iOS 8, and we've got all of the info right here.
Another year, another update to iOS. And while things may look pretty much the same on the face of it, iOS 8 is well worth everyone's time. While iOS 7 was a big departure from what we were used to in regards to aesthetics, iOS 8 goes another route, this time preferring to take a scalpel to the operating system's innards rather than its exterior.
The release of iOS 8 is a nice little prelude to the iPhone launch later on this week, and as developers once again rush to roll out their updates for the new Apple software, the changes made with this latest iOS release mean that it's not just regular apps hitting the iTunes Store. Back at WWDC, the Cupertino-based company also opened the door for third-party keyboard makers to port their wondrous inventions over from Android, and Fleksy, which just so happens to be one of our favorites, has been among the first to the draw. Already live on the App Store, you can download it immediately for your iOS 8-running device, and below, we've got the details.