8 New iOS Features You May Not Know About

Apple’s new iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 are here! Among the many new features included are widgets on the home screen, apps rearrangement, privacy improvements, and much more! Today we are reviewing 8 of the coolest features you might not know about. iOS 14 is available on the iPhone 6s and newer iPhone. We will also review the new iPhones announced on November 13. The new iOS features may improve your experience using your iPhone or iPad--and if you're considering the Apple ecosystem, this is just a sampling of the innovation and ease of use that is available in the most recent releases.


The Safari Privacy Report

One of the new hidden features in iOS 14 includes the Safari Privacy Report. Safari now allows you to see the percentage of websites that contacted trackers, as well as the trackers prevented from following you. To see your privacy report, simply click on the “AA” in the left part of the address bar within Safari.


You can now choose your default email or web browser

We’ve all been annoyed when we can’t use Gmail or Outlook, as our default mail client or even Chrome as our default web Browser. But that limitation comes to an end in iOS 14 as it is now possible to set any browser app you want as your default browser. Similarly, you can set a default email client.

In order to enable this feature, go to the setting app of your iPhone and then scroll down to the app you want to enable as your default web browser/mail and then simply just click on “default app” to choose your favorite app.



Watch videos in “Picture in Picture” mode

When watching a video from your iPhone or iPad, it is now possible to leave the safari app and use your other features of your iPhone like answering your DMs or checking your email and the video will still be playing from the corner of your device.

Unfortunately, this feature is not available for the YouTube app yet, however, this feature is available when watching YouTube from Safari or Chrome.



Tap the back of your phone to enable cool stuff

In order to enable this cool new feature, go to the Setting app>Accessibility>Touch>Back Tap.
For example, you can now take a screenshot or shazam a song you hear by double-tapping the back of your phone.



Lock an App

If you have some apps that contains private information and you don’t want anyone to be able to go on those apps when they borrow your phone, it is now possible to lock some apps on iPhone.

To enable these new features, go to the setting app>screen time>Use screen time passcode (create your passcode that will be used to unlock the applications) then Click on apps limits>Edit list.



The orange and green indicators

Are you scared that face camera is recording you? Well, you don’t need to be scared anymore; a small orange dot next to the battery indicator will appear if your microphone is active, while a green dot will appear if your camera is in use.



Mirror selfies

I don’t know about you, but I used to hate when I took a selfie with my iPhone and the selfie just doesn’t look right because the camera is inverted. But this is not a problem anymore with the mirror selfies! The result is just so much better. Go ahead, try it out!

In order to enable this feature, go to Settings > Camera and turn on Mirror Front Camera.



Stack your widgets

Everyone knows about the new widgets in iOS 14, but did you know you could stack them? To enable this feature, hold your screen and simply drag one widget into another one.

iPad for College?

Choosing a device for college is a big decision, but is there a device being overlooked for the running?

Taking a dive into what it would be like for students or faculty to use an iPad in the college classroom was something that our team was curious about. We have found that Apple's iPad has made some major improvements over the years on capabilities offered and applications to use. Looking deeper into what the new iPad's are offering, we wanted to see if it would be able to meet the needs of day to day college life. 

    Whether it be checking/grading assignments, emailing a colleague or student back, holding a virtual meeting, or presenting power points. We have a handful of the biggest features we found to make having an iPad in college, seem a little more achievable.

Specs 

    The options with the iPad have a lot of different variables that go into play when considering what is needed from the iPad when you are looking at needs. The two anyone should look for would be between the iPad Pro 4th generation or the iPad Air 4th generation.  Both offer just Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and Cellular capabilities, cellular would more than likely make the monthly phone bill rise. With teaching/learning from home, the cellular might be an addition that would aid with Wi-Fi that could have had issues in the past when trying to connect. The iPad Air comes in 3 additional color choices, Rose Gold, Green, and Sky Blue. 

    The iPad Pro comes in either 11 or 13-inch liquid retina display with Pro-motion technology and true tone. Displays while the Air only has options for the 11-inch liquid retina display. Both models are compatible with magic keyboards or smart keyboard folio, as well as the 2nd generation of Apple Pencils. The keyboard would specifically come in handy if you prefer typing on a physical keyboard rather than the display. Storage size varies with the iPad Pro being able to go up to 1 terabyte of storage and the iPad Air having a max capacity of 256 gigabytes. iPad Pro comes in with the double lensed camera with a 12 megapixel and 10-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and the iPad Air has a 12-megapixel wide camera. 

   

    The differences between the two models do not stray away from the same makeup, the iPad Pro having more camera/speaker options, brighter true tone flash, and promotion technology. The specs show that you can't really go wrong with either model, it just comes down to what size and what capabilities will you need. 

Taking it to the Classroom

    Incorporating your new device into the classroom/work setting, knowing what is compatible, what could aid you more, and what the deciding factor is on the decision you have to make. A lot of the needed software or applications that Emporia State uses are able to be downloaded in the app store. If you prefer to use web-based sites rather than the application, adding a shortcut of the website to your home screen is also an option. 

    A lot of the applications or software that students use are also used by faculty. Faculty, the software, or applications you use specifically for the college also have options for those. 

    Some of the apps that are compatible with both models are:

•   Some of the apps that are compatible with both models are:
  
• All Google Suite applications
• Google Drive, Slides, Sheets, Docs, etc. 
• Hornet 365
• Although this is not an application, you can create a shortcut tile for your home screen to take you directly to the website. 
• Canvas
• Input/check grades, respond to student messages, upload lectures, etc.
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Photoshop, Acrobat, Illustrator, Lightroom, etc.
• Microsoft Office
• Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Word, etc
• LinkedIn
• Stay connected with students, faculty, or employees promptly and professionally.
• Quizlet
• Creating or reviewing study guides, having review sessions

  Note Taking

    Taking notes is something a lot of college professionals and students have preferences on which way they take notes. Apple has provided different options for users to be able to take notes the way they want to, whether it be written or typed, you have the option for both on either model. The iPad Pro got a new capability to split-screen, and allow you to have more than one app or tab open at once, being able to keep lectures and notes open at the same time. Apple Pencils changed the game when they released the second generation of pencils. Within your notes app or an app of your choice, you can use the pencil to write, highlight, bold, relocate, and much more with your text. The pencil gives you quick options to switch from which type of writing utensil you would want to be used with the click of its side button. 

        Two of the apps that we have seen recommended by students multiple times are Notability and Good Notes. Both of these applications require a purchase to download but come at a very minimal price. Notability is $8 to obtain while Good Notes is $10, if you think about it, that is two Starbucks drinks from the Union to be able to take notes you love in your courses! Notability allows you to download notes, slides, and PDF's to interact and personalize to your preferences. Notability is also compatible across all Apple products as well, allowing you to be able to pick up where you left off on any of your devices.

    Good Notes allows you to import lectures, PDF's, or notes and make them your own separate documents. A cool feature about good notes is being able to copy or scan diagrams within your notes, and being able to pull the graphics from the notes you downloaded or scanned. This could come in handy when wanting to put a diagram in your lecture or pull a graphic from a PowerPoint. These features will all enable you to take the notes that you want to take and make them fit best for your study habits. 

Keyboard

    If you are a person that would prefer to type their notes out rather than write them, you are not alone. Some students have an easier time typing their notes and getting everything the professor is saying. Apple has updated its Apple Keyboard for the release of their new iPad Pro series. With the new features, they added and the thinness of the keyboard while still on the iPad is a good reason to consider for school. It is not as inexpensive to be able to compare it to purchasing a Starbucks drink, more rather an actual piece of technology. The cost of the Apple Keyboard is not an underwhelming cost but just a preferred choice of $200. 

The conclusion we can draw from the searching and research we found would prove that iPads are very capable of being used for college loads. Whether it be for textbook usage, editing, and personalizing your notes, or just finding what you need to be a productive and efficient student in your classes.

As always, thank you for reading and any questions or concerns can be answered by contacting the IT Help Desk.

Stay healthy Hornets!

Dakota Taylor
Social Media Student Assistant
Web & Digital Strategies

 

Never Click and Tell #CyberSecurity

Limiting the information you online could protect you and your privacy.

Phishing, cybercriminals, location services, and more are elements to be concerned with when it comes to cybersecurity.  What are you doing to protect yourself?

 

Many people do not realize that random details, numbers, or even symbols are the only things cybercriminals need to know to target you for an attack. If you become the target of a malicious actor, it may not be totally online as many digital attacks also manifest against you or your family in the physical world. Today, we are going to go over a few of the warning signs you should be looking for and possible precautions you could take to keep yourself safe. 

 

 

Location Services

    Having your location is an easy way for cybercriminals to use that information against you. This can manifest as tagging your home on Facebook, having your location turned on within an application like Snapchat or dating apps, or applications geotagging your posts without your permission. Turning your location services off on your devices or switching to "Allow Only While Using" is the smart and safest option to limit what is disclosed about your location.

 

Passwords

    Awareness about what you post and the discretion used in posting could save you quite the headache if your account gets compromised. Seemingly innocent social media posts about the first dog you had when you were 12 or the street name you lived on as a child—and all common answers to security challenge questions--are an often overlooked pitfall that would allow a hacker to gain access to your password. Make sure your password includes capital letters, numbers, and at least 2 symbols. Most services will require specific elements when you set your password, but if not, it’s up to you to be cybersmart when choosing your password.

 

 

Careful What You Click

    Receiving emails or messages online that you don’t immediately recognize as coming from a trusted and expected source that request you divulge information are usually attempts at maliciously acquiring your personal data. These messages could compromise your online integrity or download viruses to your device to obtain your information in more automated ways. Avoid clicking a link or navigating to a website if it is coming from an individual you do not know or an email address you have not sent or received from previously. 

 

 

Protection in the Real World

    Not “clicking and telling” should be used in the same reference as in-person interactions. Protecting your passwords or security question answers in person is just as important in the real word as it is online.  Avoid verbally sharing personal information or account credentials to protect you both in person and online. 

 

There are many ways hackers or cybercriminals can obtain your information through your internet presence. Creating an environment to protect yourself could save you a lot of time and a lot of worries. And your actions could not only impact you, but your friends, family, and employer as well.

 

As always if there are any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to reach out to the IT Help Desk or Information Security.

 

Stay healthy Hornets!

 

Dakota Taylor
Social Media Student Assistant
Web & Digital Strategies