So Apple announced the next major software upgrade for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. What's this mean for you? It depends. Do you need new hardware? Maybe (Scroll to the bottom of the next link to see). You could go here and get the info from the horse's mouth or you can read on as I break it down.
Maps and GPS
Apple finally caught up to Android and is providing a native GPS solution that provides turn-by-turn directions and traffic updates. There is some integration with Siri, but we'll see how well it works when things are rolled out. The good folks over at Gizmodo have a great comparison of Android vs iOS and for the time being it looks like Apple still has some room to catch up on.
Siri
Siri's getting an update to her functionality. You can stop asking it where to bury the dead bodies and get more information for sports, movies, and restaurants. Thumbs up for integrating Siri into apps like Open Table. I'm curious to see if these developments are coming more from Apple or the app developers. I'd love to see people add movies to their Netflix queue or start up Pandora on a specific channel with just their voice.
On the down side, you'll be able to update your Facebook and Twitter accounts via Siri. This means I'll be seeing more fecal matter related updates on Facebook regarding newborns. You know who you are :)
Apple will be partnering with car manufacturers to integrate Siri into voice control systems. I'll hold off judgement until I see what manufacturers are doing. Personally, I wish Apple would engage in some heavy handed restrictions and force a universal system across all cars, but that'll never happen. My concern is that some manufacturers have created horrible bluetooth user interfaces (Mercedes, BMW) that are painful to use and others that are very unreliable (Ford).
Photo Sharing
At first glance I yawned, but then realized this will be a nice addition for people who don't have or use Facebook regularly. iOS users will be able to create mini social networks and share photos with friends and family members regardless of the device type they have.
Facetime
You won't be forced to hook up to a Wi-Fi signal to use Facetime. You still may want to given the network congestion on 3G networks and the amount of data video calling can use. Don't say I didn't warn you when your teenager jacks your cell phone bill up because she had to video chat with the varsity QB during study hall.
Passbook
I'm just going to copy and paste from Apple's site on this one because it sounds really cool but I'd be surprised if how many people really take advantage of it.
"Your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more are now all in one place. With Passbook, you can scan your iPhone or iPod touch to check in for a flight, get into a movie, and redeem a coupon. You can also see when your coupons expire, where your concert seats are, and the balance left on that all-important coffee bar card. Wake your iPhone or iPod touch, and passes appear on your Lock screen at the appropriate time and place — like when you reach the airport or walk into the store to redeem your gift card or coupon. And if your gate changes after you’ve checked in for your flight, Passbook will even alert you to make sure you’re not relaxing in the wrong terminal."
Wrap Up
But when's the iPhone 5 coming out? No clue. You, me, and the Wall Street Journal will all find out at the same time when Apple makes the big announcement. Trust me, you won't be miss it.
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