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Apple stays close to roots [Boston Herald](Boston Herald (MA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 18--New iPhones will hit stores tomorrow with the newest version of Apple's mobile operating system -- and it's chock full of little conveniences that continue to suggest the company's new credo is slow and steady wins the race. Or at least the race when it comes to software. Users of iOS 8 won't confront a slew of confusing new features -- like the Samsung Galaxy's motion-sensing gestures and eye-tracking technology that never quite worked. Visually, the new system is virtually the same as its predecessor. It's back to the basics for iOS 8, with one of the coolest updates being a keyboard upgrade that lets users install custom keyboards that work across apps and in email, and programmable shortcuts to type customizable phrases. The mishaps caused by Apple's infamously bad autocorrect system became an almost beloved pop culture phenomenon, but they were also a nagging problem. The new predictive typing system appears to be a huge improvement. Another welcome addition is widgets, with third-party apps now able to interact with notifications, and allowing users to customize their Today screen with preferred information. Basic, long-awaited improvements to iMessage include the ability to record voice messages with a tap and share your location. In essence, Apple is trying to be like the popular messaging platform WhatsApp, which still has a leg up on iMessage because it works across platforms. You'll start to see more inter-app communication with iOS 8 thanks to app extensions, which allow developers to build ways for apps to talk to one another. This seems to have grown out of necessity because Apple's new HealthKit fitness platform pulls in information from a variety of health and fitness apps. App extensions all but guarantee that no matter how good iOS 8 is now, it's only going to get better. Siri, the much-ballyhooed digital assistant that almost no one uses, has gotten a slight makeover. She now can identify songs thanks to Shazam integration, and seems a bit more swift overall. There are little touches: like double tapping the home button now brings up recently used contacts. A shutter timer will help you snap the perfect selfie. So while iOS 8 isn't a blockbuster of new features, it's just familiar enough and just improved enough to make sure Apple fans will remain Apple fans. ___ (c)2014 the Boston Herald Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |