Tech

iPadOS 16 Is Coming Monday. Here’s How to Take Advantage of Apple’s New Multitasking Features

Published

2 years ago

October 23, 2022

“Should I get an iPad or a Mac?” People often ask me this question and, with the latest iPad software update, the answer is a bit complicated.Apple
has added more laptop-like productivity features to the iPad over the past several years, such as mouse support and a file manager. There’s even more in iPadOS 16, available starting Oct. 24. The most visible change is a multitasking system called Stage Manager, which lets you resize app windows and simultaneously view more windows on screen.

There’s a catch, though. There are limitations to how you can display and resize the windows. And the new iPad software is compatible with some older models, but many of the best features are reserved for newer, pricier iPads.

With iPadOS 16, it’s clear that Apple now has two classes of tablets: The Pros and the M1 Air get more advanced features, while Minis and basic iPads—even the newest ones—are stuck with a traditional iPad experience.

I’ve been using the public beta version of the software for a few weeks. As a longtime iPad worker, I had high expectations for iPadOS 16. Stage Manager won’t convince Mac die-hards that an iPad can replace their laptop. But for people who already work on iPads, the new system is an improvement. And better support for external monitors, which Apple has unveiled but isn’t yet rolling out, could unlock even more productivity.

First, check for support

These models can download the update:

All iPad Pro models
iPad Air (3rd generation or later)
iPad Mini (5th generation or later)
iPad (5th generation or later)

If you’re unsure of your model, check Settings > General > About. You can look for the update in Settings > General > Software Update.

No, there’s still no Calculator app like the iPhone’s, but there is finally a fancy new Weather app. The new iPadOS also brings a handwriting straightener to fix droopy penmanship and the ability to hand off a FaceTime call from the iPad to an iPhone. (That also works with Macs running the new MacOS Ventura.)

Many iOS 16 updates are on the iPad—hallelujah, editable messages!—but lock-screen widgets, the best new feature, are only on iPhones. And you still can’t get multiple user profiles, which would help if you share your iPad with your kids, for instance.

Then, try the new power features

If you’ve got a high-end iPad, there’s a lot more to get used to with this upgrade.

Open multiple, resizable windows. Before iPadOS 16, you could only view two apps side by side—with a third floating on top. Now, Stage Manager allows you to view four apps simultaneously.

It’s only available for the newest iPad Air and for the iPad Pro models with Face ID and the newer no-home-button design. (Despite their updated looks, the most recent iPad Mini and the brand-new redesigned iPad don’t get this feature.)

Toggle Stage Manager on and off from the iPad’s Control Center.

Photo: NICOLE NGUYEN/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Enable Stage Manager in Settings > Home Screen & Multitasking. Eligible iPads also have a Stage Manager icon in the Control Center. (Swipe down from the top right corner.)

Now you can start adding windows to your workspace. If you have a docked or Bluetooth keyboard, use the search keyboard shortcut (Command + Space) to find the app you want. Once its icon appears, drag it to your screen and the app will open as a window.

Hover over the window’s corners to adjust width and length. Resizing isn’t freestyle, like on a Mac. There are predetermined shapes and sizes. For example, you can turn your windows into four skinny columns, but you can’t make four equal Brady Bunch squares. Tap the three dots at the top of one of your app windows to quickly turn it full screen.

Also, some apps let you open more than one window. You can view multiple Safari websites side by side, for example, but only one Google Docs page at a time.

Use the side dock to store different workspaces. When Stage Manager is enabled, there’s a new side dock. On the left side of the screen, swipe right or move your cursor to that side to expand the dock. This is where you can store different groups of windows. You can also add windows to your current workspace by dragging them from your side dock.

I made one window pile for writing and researching, and another with my email and other communication apps. They’re always available from the dock. If you use a trackpad, like on the Magic Keyboard Case, you can swipe with three fingers to quickly switch between spaces. While video chatting in apps such as FaceTime, you can still switch while the video floats above your windows.

This same Stage Manager system is available on Macs as part of MacOS Ventura, also out on Oct. 24.

You can store different window groups in a new side dock. Add a window from the side dock by dragging it onto your screen.

Photo: NICOLE NGUYEN/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Fit more stuff on your screen. This setting increases the display’s pixel density and scales down screen elements and text, so you can squeeze in more content. It’s especially helpful when you have multiple windows open. In Messages, for example, you’ll see more texts at once. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Display Zoom.

Not every Stage Manager-capable iPad has the Display Zoom setting—all 11-inch Pros, but only the M1 or M2 version of the larger Pro, as well as the M1 iPad Air.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

What new iPad features are you most excited about? Join the conversation below.

Connect to an external display (hopefully soon). Previously, when you connected an iPad to an external monitor, the larger display would mirror the iPad screen.

With Stage Manager, you’ll eventually be able to extend your iPad display to the monitor and view up to eight windows at once—four on each screen—plus drag and drop between them. But only iPads with either the M1 or M2 chip will be able to support an extended display.

The extended-monitor functionality isn’t here yet. It was available in an earlier public beta of iPadOS 16, but it was buggy and Apple removed it. The company said it will come later this year. The delay is a shame, because I was wondering if the feature could convert me to an iPad for nearly all work. Now I’ll have to wait to find out.

—For more WSJ Technology analysis, reviews, advice and headlines, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Write to Nicole Nguyen at nicole.nguyen@wsj.com

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Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

23 hours 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

2 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.

___

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

2 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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