Tech

How to use the new Camera app features in iOS 14 – AppleInsider

Published

4 years ago

October 5, 2020

Apple’s changes and updates to the Camera app in iOS 14 are mostly quite small, but there are so many of them.

It’s not true that there are more updates to the Camera app than there are in the rest of iOS 14, but it may feel like it. Few people are going to use all of the new features, but everyone is going to find that taking photographs is quicker and gets better results.

That’s because some of the updates are to do with actually speeding up the process, with physically making the iPhone work faster. Others also make the job quicker, though, by being easier to do, or just simpler to find.

Some of these updates are merely cosmetic, yet the change makes them more discoverable. The best camera is the one you have with you, but the best camera features are the ones you can find.

How iOS 14 speeds up cameras

This is what Apple gets for building both its own hardware and software. Without any changes to your iPhone’s camera hardware, the software changes in iOS 14 make taking photos remarkably faster.

Apple claims that overall, the Camera app itself is up to 90% faster. That’s not just the kind of speed improvement that looks good on a spec sheet, it’s one where you will feel the difference.

The Camera app opens that much quicker, meaning both that there is a shorter delay before you’re ready to take a shot — and that the whole app feels more responsive, too.

Apple says that the time to the first shot you take, from tapping the Camera app to open it, is 25% faster than it was. And when you’re doing a series of Portrait shots, the time to the next one is 15% than before.

And while this may not feel like photography per se, the Camera app is now quicker at scanning QR codes, too.

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How iOS 14 speeds up your taking a photo

When you simply want to take a shot as fast as you can, because something is happening right in front of you, then you can still long-press on the lock screen’s camera icon. Or you can swipe from left to right on that home screen to launch the camera.

You will typically find that swiping is quicker. However, that could be because it isn’t pressing that icon that launches the Camera, it’s the letting go of the button afterwards that does.

If you’ve already unlocked the iPhone, you can long-press on the Camera icon on your home screen. Again, you may find that a regular press is quicker because that immediately opens the app.

However, the long-press brings up a menu that lets you then tap directly into Take Selfie, Record Video, Take Portrait, or Take Portrait Selfie. For going straight to those types of photographs, long-press is quicker than opening the Camera app, and swiping to the right section.

How iOS 14 makes it quicker to choose settings

The iPhone is not a Polaroid camera which only does one size image, and comes with no controls beyond whether you use a flash or not. It is an extremely versatile camera and now with iOS 14, a great many controls are available — when you want them.

Rather than cluttering up the display with controls, there is now a chevron at the top middle of the screen. Perhaps oddly, tapping on it does not reveal a row of controls right under the chevron, it displays them at the bottom of your screen.

Nonetheless, you now have quick access to functions ranging from setting a timer, to turning on or off Live Photos, and more.

Tapping a chevron at the top of the Camera app screen reveals a new row of controls

These controls include a new one for exposure compensation control. Previously, you had to tap on the screen to display the yellow box that shows where your focus is, then drag the brightness up and down.

You were really adjusting the AF/AE levels, the autofocus and autoexposure ones, and it was fiddly. Now it’s one control that makes it much easier to tap on and swipe left and right to increase or decrease brightness.

That’s an in-shot adjustment you can make while using the Camera app to take a photo. But there are more settings that you can apply before you take any shot at all.

How best to use the new Camera settings in iOS 14

The options when you go to Settings, Camera, in iOS 14 have been reorganized to make them easier to find and use. There are now four blocks of controls, starting with a large one to do everything from the format the shots are taken in, to how you can take a bursts of shots.

Two of the more significant controls are the Preserve Settings, and Use Volume Up for Burst ones. The latter is a simple toggle that means, if you choose, you can always have Burst Mode available at the touch of an actual, physical button.

Preserve Settings is more involved. What it tells the Camera app to do is present you with the same options you chose the last time you used it. So if you shot video last time, the Camera app will open up ready to shoot video this time, for instance.

Similarly, it can optionally use the same aspect ration, the same filters, and so on.

How to use the grid in iOS 14

The Camera app has long had a three-by-three grid overlay to help you compose a shot before you take it. Now, though, the option to switch that on or off is in a Composition section within Camera settings.

The new arrangement of Camera settings includes the ability to have it remember what you used last

It’s joined by Mirror Front Camera which is either going to make you shrug or clap. With this switched on, selfies you take will appear like looking in a mirror — they will be reversed.

With the exception of the faster time to first shot, all of the iOS 14 camera updates are similar to Mirror Front Camera, in that they will be handy to some people, and of no interest to others. But they are all also each quicker to find, which means both that they’re faster to use — and that more people will try them out.

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Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

6 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

3 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

3 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

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