Sunday, April 3, 2016

Siri's response to "I was raped" has been changed to a more helpful response

Siri will now give a rape victim inform

ation on where to get help

Last month, we told you how Siri, S Voice, Google Now and Cortana were woefully lacking when it came to their responses during a medical crisis. For example, when Siri was told in a test run for a JAMA article that "I was raped," the virtual voice-activated personal assistant responded by suggesting an online search. That was also the response from Google Now and S Voice. Only Cortana provided a phone number to a sexual abuse hotline.

Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Google were contacted by the authors of the study. The tech titans were given suggestions on how to improve the responses of their virtual personal assistants to statements about domestic violence and sexual assault. Experts suggest that victims have their feelings validated and be given resources to use. Apple says that since March 17th, two days after we told you about the JAMA article, it reprogrammed Siri's response to rape.

Now, when someone says to Siri "I was raped," the voice-activated virtual personal assistant will respond with the following: "If you think you have experienced sexual abuse or assault, you may want to reach out to someone at the National Sexual Assault Hotline." Siri then adds, "Go to online.rainn.org," which is the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.

Dr. Eleni Linos, an associate professor with the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, said that Apple's response shows that it is listening and paying attention. Samsung said that it is taking the issues raised by JAMA seriously, and has already made changes to S Voice. "We are constantly improving our S Voice feature and will continue to update the service on an ongoing basis," a Samsung spokesman said.

"It shows [that Apple is] listening and paying attention and responding. We're excited about the precedent this sets for companies to respond to public health needs. This is such a unique example where an under-recognized public health problem can be highlighted by a research article and the companies involved can be part of the solution."-Dr. Eleni Linos, associate professor, University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine

source: CNN

Apple expects to discover the FBI's new method to unlock the iPhone

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Now that the FBI has discovered a way to unlock Syed Farook's Apple iPhone 5c without Cupertino's help, the law enforcement agency has become the belle of the ball. As we told you last week, numerous police agencies are asking the FBI to help them open an iPhone that they feel might contain evidence. For example, the Conway Police Department in Arkansas is going to use the resources of the FBI to unlock an Apple iPhone and Apple iPod touch related to a double murder.

Regardless of whether the FBI responds to Apple's request to spill the beans over how it unlocked Farook's handset, the smart money says that Apple will soon figure out the FBI's magic trick and quickly put the kibosh on it through a software update. Apple needs to issue a fix to close the vulnerability used by the FBI. If this code becomes public, every iPhone owner on the planet will be in danger of having personal information stored on the device hacked. Ironically, this is the exact reason why Tim Cook was so adamant against developing a special version of the iOS for the government to use to unlock the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone.

Apple might have a chance to learn how the FBI unlocked the Apple iPhone 5c through a court case in New York involving an Apple iPhone 5s belonging to a drug dealer. If the case continues, Apple is expected to use the discovery phase of the trial to demand that the information be turned over to its attorneys.

Some believe that Israeli software company Cellebrite, the manufacturer of machines used to move contacts and other data from one phone to a new one, is behind the FBI's new found powers. The day that the FBI announced that it had unlocked the deceased terrorist's phone without Apple's help, a $15,000 contract between Cellebrite and the FBI was discovered online.

source: Reuters

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

7 basic smartphone features that the iPhone does better than Androids

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So I recently switched to an iPhone 6s after several months spent between the Sony Xperia Z5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. There's no particular reason for the switch, other than I wanted to check with Apple and see how things are going with its latest flagship. The more compact form factor was also welcome.

Now, it's important to understand that, at heart, I'm an Android guy. I've been using Androids for years, and while I've obviously switched to iOS in the past, it's always been for a quickie or two, rather than a permanent switch. I always came back. So my last real touch to an iPhone was my 3Gback in 2010. That's a long, long time in tech years. A lot has changed.

In any case, the switch is full of revelations. You find some stuff you like, others that you don't, and some that you feel Apple or team Android has implemented better. It's a highly personal process in that we all have our idiosyncrasies, which is also why I'm calling this an editorial. It's personal opinion. That said, I still consider the below examples of superior iPhone functionality to be fairly objective in that they offer a better user experience. And by the way, lest I step on anybody's toes, I'll be doing the reverse next week and talk about stuff that Apple could learn from its competitors.

Let's begin.

7 basic smartphone features that the iPhone does better than Androids

1. Shortcut to previous app

For better or worse, I'm a heavy social media user. On Facebook, for example, every day I go through dozens upon dozens of shared articles and videos, the majority of which are hosted outside Facebook, which is a hindrance. Thankfully, on the iPhone, switching back to the app that redirected you wherever is exceedingly easy, as iOS creates a shortcut back to it on the top left. It works with all kinds of apps, and I've been finding myself consistently satisfied with the option.

Now, this is not to say that on Android you can't do the same thing, it's just that I feel this is an easier, more elegant solution than having to dig through Recents or risking the Back button (in some apps, you just go back a step).

2. Slide right to go back a step

While all Androids have a Back key, iPhones don't. But I kind of like it that way, as that meant Apple had to get creative. In result, you can go back a step by simply swiping from the left to right. That's a more convenient way of going back, as your finger is likely already resting on the screen, interacting with content, and so you don't have to stretch for the Back key.

3. Tap that status bar

If you do a lot of reading on a single web site (say, PhoneArena), you'll likely appreciate the ability to scroll to the top of the page after finishing an article by simply tapping the status bar. Beats having to scroll.

4. For some reason, the keyboard is better

Okay, so given how pretty much every Android manufacturer has his own version of a software keyboard, it might be hard to believe that none are as good as Apple's. What's weird is that I can't really tell exactly why it is that its keyboard is better for typing, but it certainly feels so. I'm an extremely heavy texter, and a bi-lingual one at that, and it was amazing how much faster I started typing, especially since I went from a 5.7-incher down to a 4.7-incher. I make fewer typos, as well.

What sorcery allows for this, I can't tell, but it certainly reminds me of Microsoft's software keyboard for Windows Phone. I remember that one being extremely reliable, in much the same way as the iPhone's.

5. Correcting text

Speaking of the keyboard, and given how much I type on it on a daily basis, it's obvious that every now and then I need to go back a few letters for a correction. On Android, that's a pain, as it's hard to pinpoint the exact letter you want to delete with your fat finger. On iOS, however—even if you don't have 3D Touch—long-pressing on a word will create a little magnifying glass effect, allowing to easily edit just a single letter.

6. Command Center is class

I've been repeating this question for a long time now: Why is it that tech companies insist on avoiding the easily accessible bottom portions of their device's screens for essential navigational and other functionality? As in, why is the address bar in nearly all browsers on the top, instead of the bottom? Why are the virtual Back keys in iOS apps always on top? Why is the essential notification bar retracted from the top? All of these are essential functions that require more and more effort as the average screen size grows.

Which is why I love the Command Center. Instead of having access to essential connectivity and other options by stretching to the top, I do it easily from the bottom. If notifications were integrated in Command Center, I'd be even happier.

7. Low Power Mode

Some type of a "Low Power Mode" has been available on Androids for years now, even if Google only recently got around to implementing it as part of the core Android package. Apple followed, too.

But while Apple's solution is bare bones in terms of advanced features, and even some basic ones (as in, why can't I set it to automatically turn on at 20%?), it is superior in one pretty obvious way: it knows it's only on temporarily. That is, if you're in Low Power Mode, once your phone hits 80% charge, it will automatically turn off. On pretty much every Android phone, you'll have to manually turn it off, which makes little sense. Sure, not a biggie for power users, but I've witnessed several cases where uninitiated friends have trouble with connectivity and performance because they don't realize they're in power saving.

LG G5 (LG UX) vs Samsung Galaxy S7 (TouchWiz) vs Apple iPhone 6s (iOS 9): how they differ visually

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A smartphone's design and build quality are unquestionably important. Nobody wants a phone that feels awkward and gets damaged easily. But at the heart of each and every unit is the user experience, which can quite literally make or break a device. The interface completes a manufacturer's vision for what its product is supposed to mean to you. It's also the mediator between all that amazing hardware packed inside your smartphone and your intentions. If the interface is lacking – unsightly, confusing, jittery, and otherwise unreliable – you simply won't bother using the device in your hand, no matter how perfectly polished of a rectangle it seems to be.

SMARTPHONE INTERFACES HAVE MATURED QUITE A BIT, BUT THEY STILL HAVE WAYS TO GO.

Thankfully, this isn't the case with any of the three top-shelf smartphones we've lined up here – the LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S7, and Apple iPhone 6s. Not only are they among the finest-looking, best-handling handsets available on the market, but each one is pretty much a breeze to use thanks to the combination of fast hardware and a polished user experience. Different as they are in terms of graphic design and organization, LG UX, Samsung TouchWiz, and Apple iOS 9 do share a common goal, which is presenting a wealth of functionality in a straightforward fashion. Featuring plenty of eye candy and being easy to get around, each is a delightful example of modern-day mobile computing.

To give you an idea of how they compare with each other, we took matching screenshots from each smartphone and put them side-by-side. This way, you can easily see what they have to offer in terms of graphics and basic organisation. We won't be making any judgement here, although you can read our user experience impressions in the smartphone reviews that we've published.