IOS 14.5 update: protects male privacy, emoji and Siri

You can unlock iPhone using Apple Watch

Starting today, users can use

your Apple Watch for secure unlockingiPhone when trying to use Face ID with a face mask. If the Apple Watch is on the wrist, unlocked, and in close proximity to the iPhone, users can simply look at their iPhone and they will receive haptic feedback from the Apple Watch indicating that their iPhone is unlocked. The new feature works with iPhone X and later and Apple Watch Series 3 and later. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the mandatory wearing of masks, the update will be especially in demand.

Siri will now be of any gender

In iOS 14.5 Siri no longer has a default female voice. Users will be able to choose their own voice when setting up the device for the first time. By the way, in English you can now select more varied voice options. By the way, the new Siri voices use Neural Text to Speech technology for more natural sound. Developers from Cupertino claim that it has much less "mechanical" intonations. As the company noted in a press release, the update underlines "Apple's commitment to diversity and inclusion by offering products and services that better reflect the world."

Siri also gets new features withGroup FaceTime support. The developers assure that this will greatly simplify the conference with multiple contacts. In addition to incoming messages, Siri can now announce incoming calls through AirPods or compatible Beats headphones. In addition, the voice assistant now supports calling contacts in case of emergency, if the iPhone owner needs help and cannot call.

Cuba without them - new emoji

iOS 14.5 introduces new emojis for couples, with a choice of different skin tones. Additional emojis include characters to exhale a face, a face with spiral eyes, a face in the clouds, hearts on fire, a heart fix, and a woman with a beard, among others.

Most importantly, the new privacy policy

For many years, Apple users (and not only)concerned about data confidentiality. With the introduction of the new iOS 14.5 Apple announced the end of the era of opaque ad tracking. As planned by the developers, the update will relieve users of the feeling that they have no control over the leakage of personal data. With the release of Apple iOS 14.5, all applications will be required to ask in a pop-up window - "Do you want this application to track your activity in applications and websites of other companies?" And, yes, this time your answer may be negative.

In other words, starting with this OS version, allapplications are required to warn the user that they are collecting his data. If the user refuses to collect data (that is, he has such a choice), then the owner of the application will not be able to use them for targeted advertising. Quite simply, the ability to trade user data is drastically reduced, and this is undermining the established business models of IT giants with a huge customer base.

Many of the biggest privacy crisesdata over the past few years have arisen not because of any violations or leaks, but because of opaque policies. They preferred to hide from users how companies exchange user data and track it in various services for targeted advertising. How does it even work?

Marketers assign each deviceidentifier, and then your web and app behaviors are tracked across platforms to create composite profiles of demographic information, shopping habits, and life events. Apple has already "taken a firm stand to thwart ad tracking in its Safari browser," Wired writes. The latest iOS update delivers an ultimatum and apps. But while the move may seem obvious to iOS users, it has sparked serious controversy among ad-revenue companies, including Facebook.

As early as February 2021, the relationship between Apple andFacebook heated up to the limit - the social network really did not like the new privacy rules, which the company was only planning to introduce, starting with the operating system iOS 14.5.

Facebook thinks Apple innovations will "kill"small business. "Non-targeted advertising generates 60% less sales than advertising aimed at a specific consumer," - said then representatives of Facebook.

At the same time, Harvard Business analystsReview said Facebook is being disingenuous. The social network claims that entrepreneur income could drop by an impressive 60%, but this figure is based on the combination of two very different indicators, such as revenue from advertising and revenue from advertising. In their opinion, Facebook greatly overestimates the benefits of targeted advertising - the company selected only the data that best confirms its version, and then overestimated the indicators by a third.

Previously CEOs of Apple andFacebook exchanged mutual claims. Apple CEO Tim Cook criticized the social network for collecting user data and technologies that increase the flow of misinformation. In turn, Mark Zuckerberg accused Apple of violating competition.

"In times of total misinformation and theoriesconspiracy fueled by algorithms, we can no longer turn a blind eye to the theory of technology, which says that any interaction is a good interaction, the longer, the better, and all with the aim of collecting as much data as possible, ”Tim Cook said at the time.

To date, iOS has already given itsusers the ability to completely disable ad ID sharing, essentially zeroing out the unique identifier on the phone - IDFA. It is his iOS provides developers for tracking in applications and between services. However, the new iOS 14.5 requirements force each app to ask users a question individually through Apple's AppTrackingTransparency platform. Now the user has you to grant privileges to certain applications if, for example, you prefer to see customized ads on a certain service. But it will also just show you how many apps are involved in cross-service ad tracking, including those you might not have known about.

Additional iOS 14.5 features

• Apple Podcasts got redesigned show pages tomake it easier to start listening, as well as the ability to save and load episodes so that they are automatically added to the library for quick access. Top charts, categories and carefully selected collections in the Search tab help listeners “discover new shows,” the developers note.

• Support AirTag allows users to track and findimportant items like keys, wallet, backpack, etc. are confidential and secure in the Find My app. Recall that AirTag is Apple's wireless beacon for finding lost items, which was introduced in April 2021. Such a beacon can be placed in one of the sections of a bag, wallet or suitcase in order to be able to track its location on the smartphone screen. AirTag was first shown at the iOS 13 presentation in 2019, but then the release was delayed several times.

  Russians will not be able to use their full potentialApple AirTag search tags - UWB technology is prohibited in the country, due to which these tags can be found at a distance of up to 300 meters. The main reason for the ban is that it can interfere with the operation of radars. However, Apple received permission to test UWB in Russia - it will last until October 2021, after which the company will have a chance to fully implement UWB in its gadgets sold in the Russian market.

  In other words, Russians wishing to purchaseAirTag tags, they will have to come to terms with two facts - firstly, they will have to overpay, and secondly, even with this in mind, they will not be able to take advantage of all their capabilities. On the Russian market, one AirTag costs 3000 rubles, and a set of four - 10 thousand rubles. against $ 29 (2180 rubles at the Central Bank exchange rate as of April 26, 2021) and $ 99 (7430 rubles) in the United States, respectively.

• Apple News there is an updated News + tab that makes it easier tofor subscribers, quickly search, download and manage magazines and newspapers, and a completely new search interface helps all Apple News users find relevant topics, channels and stories.

• Apple Fitness + users can now stream audio and video to TVs and AirPlay 2-enabled devices.

• Reminders add the ability to sort by title, priority, due date or creation date, and also offer the ability to print reminder lists.

• 5G improvements for iPhone 12 models include support for twoSIM cards for 5G connectivity and enhanced Smart Data Mode to further optimize network performance, including increased battery life and data usage.

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