Apple releases iPad 162 update, introducing new features and improvements

Along with the iOS 16.2 update for iPhone, Apple released iPadOS 16.2 update on Tuesday. This update brings lots of new and missing features to the iPads. The update size is around 1GB and may vary depending on the update your iPad had previously. You can update to the latest version by navigating to Settings> General > Software Update. 

What's inside the update:

Update for Stage Manager Security update related to AirTag Tracking Introducing FreeForm App - Collaborating with friends and colleagues Apple Music Sing feature - for Karaoke lovers Apple Data Protection for iCloud

With the iPadOS 16.2 updates, users can now connect a secondary display to their iPads. Using the updated Stage Manager, users can now connect up to 6K Display. This feature is supported only for iPads with M1 chips or above.

The new update also brings important security updates related to AirTag tracking. iPad users will now get alerted if there is an unknown or suspicious AirTag travelling with them. For those who don't know, many incidents were reported where severe crimes were committed by tracking individuals using Apple AirTag. The solution to reducing this malicious activity was already implemented in iPhones and is now got included in the iPads with the iPadOS 16.2 update.

iPadOS 16.2 new features and fixes

Along with iPhones, this update introduces Apple’s new FreeForm app for iPads. This app provides an infinite board-like space where users can draw, doodle, add images, videos, sheets, PDFs and do much more. The data in FreeForm get updated in real-time for users with the same Apple ID. You can also invite friends and colleagues to work collaboratively on the board. Apple says that the FreeForm app currently supports up to 100 collaborators on the same board.

The iPadOS 16.2 also introduces a new feature called “Apple Music Sing” for Apple Music subscribers. With this feature, users are able to separate the music and control Volume of an Artist’s voice to get a good Karaoke experience.

The update also introduces Apple Data Protection for iCloud for all iPads. This update is only available for users in the US and will be rolled out globally in the coming days.

 

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PlayStation 2022 Wrap-Up Is Here, With Your Annual Gaming Achievements, Playing Statistics

Sony released its PlayStation 2022 Wrap-Up on Tuesday, highlighting users’ top games of the year, their playing statistics, and gaming achievements. The Wrap-Up provides a lowdown on the time spent gaming on a PlayStation in 2022 and also includes users’ online play statistics. The 2022 PlayStation Wrap-Up comes with a voucher code for an avatar based on users’ ...

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Apple macOS 131 is out Here are its features

Apple’s new operating system for macOS 13.1 is officially out now, along with iOS 16.2. The new update brings a series of features, such as end-to-end encryption messages, a new Freeform app, encryption for Photos, iCloud and backups, and more. To check whether the update is available, you need to head to System Settings > General > Software Update. 

Apple macOS 13.1: What’s new?

The new OS 13.1 brings two main updates to users. These updates include the launch of Freeform and Advanced Data Protection. The latter offers end-to-end encryption to 23 iCloud categories to enhance user security and data privacy. 

What is Freeform?

Freeform is a new app offered by Apple, that is designed to make collaboration easier for working professionals and friends. The app can be used on your iPhone, iPad and Mac. It has a flexible canvas that allows users to add stickies, images, text, and other files. 

What are the Advanced Data Protection features?

The Advanced Data Protection feature has been designed to improve user security and offer better data protection. With this feature, 23 iCloud data categories will receive end-to-end encryption, and this includes Notes, Photos, iCloud Backup, and more. This will help protect data if there happens to be a data breach in the cloud. 

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Instagram Candid Stories copies BeReal, the most un-Instagram app ever

It’s no secret that most of Meta’s business decisions are centred on identifying what works, and then either acquiring it (like it did with Instagram and Whatsapp) or blatantly copying it (like it did with TikTok in the form of Reels). Instagram has now launched a feature that mimics BeReal in a desperate bid to capture audiences that flocked to the latter. The new feature is known as Candid Selfies.

Instagram’s Candid Stories feature

Just like BeReal, Candid Stories sends users a prompt to snap a picture within a limited time frame. Once users have uploaded their selfies, they can see what their friends have shared. BeReal’s idea was to combat the overly curated look profiles on Instagram offer, as more and more users online are gravitating towards authenticity. Sharing candid photos showcases your real life, as opposed to your ‘reel life’, minimising the social pressure most people are now under to project an aesthetic. 

Instagram, is a jack of all trades

Instagram’s hunger to add new features that mimic other apps has caused a fair amount of problems with the app itself, with many people believing that the algorithm is probably hard to manage. Reels simply do not offer the reach TikTok does, and are often hard to predict, making it challenging for fledging creators to gain any traction. By adding a new feature into the mix, instead of making the app’s algorithm more creator-friendly, Instagram could be adding a little too much to its plate… again. 

The feature will first be rolled out in South Africa, before entering other countries. 

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Microsoft offers Sony the right to sell Call of Duty on PlayStation Plus

According to Bloomberg, Microsoft has reportedly offered to put Call of Duty in its PlayStation Plus service. This comes in a bid to win regulatory approval for its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc., Microsoft Corp.

Microsoft has gone public to say that the deal offered to Sony by them is 10 years long. A person aware of the deal told Financial Express that, while Sony has not accepted the deal, it also says that Sony shall have the right to sell the title on the PlayStation Plus service which will give gamers access to a lot of games for a monthly fee. 

What is the main problem?

While Microsoft may be the leader in the cloud and video gaming subscription market, it has also become one of the top concerns of the US, UK and European Union's regulatory boards who fear that this will “enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business.”

While cloud gaming remains in its early stages, some believe that the technology which allows subscribers to play games on any device may succeed in making consoles irrelevant. And on top of that, a subscription offers gamers access at a low price of maybe $10 to $15 which is more affordable if you look at the fact that individually these titles may be priced at as much as $70. 

Sony has been against Microsoft’s bid for Activision since Day 1. Experts claim that this may come from a place of insecurity where they feel they may lag behind Microsoft when the question of diversifying away from console gaming comes. 

Both companies, i.e. Microsoft and Sony have refused to comment on the matter. 

 

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iOS 162 update releases with 5G for iPhones, Advanced Data Protection, AirDrop limitations, and more

Apple has released the stable and final iOS 16.2 update to the public. It comes with new iOS features like 5G support for iPhones, Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, and limitations for AirDrop, among other things. There are a few important new things to discuss here. Plus, we also brief you on the various bug fixes that this iOS update brings.

Top iOS 16.2 features: What’s new

Starting with the iOS 5G news:

1. 5G enabled for iPhones

Apple has announced that “Starting Tuesday, December 13, at 11.30 PM IST, 5G cellular support is being enabled for the powerful new iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone SE and iPhone 12 lineups. In order to use a 5G connection with Jio and Airtel on an iPhone 12 model or later, customers will need to update to iOS 16.2”.

So, if you have an iPhone 12 model or later, a 5G carrier connection, and you are living in an area with 5G coverage, enable 5G by going to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options. If you meet the above criteria and still don’t see this particular screen of options, you will have to contact your telecom provider. 

Suppose you get 5G on your iPhone, you will see a new 5G symbol on the status bar. The 5G icon could also come with 5G+, 5G UW, or 5G UC variations which denote you are getting a higher frequency of 5G.

Now, within the aforementioned, Cellular Data Options menu, you can choose between various Voice & Data options (5G Auto, 5G On, LTE) as well as various Data Modes (Allow More Data on 5G, Standard, and Low Data Mode).

2. Advanced Data Protection for iCloud

iOS 16.2 adds advanced data protection for iCloud which is a fancy name for end-to-end encryption for your backups on the iCloud.

Find out more details here.

3. 10-minute AirDrop Limitation

A neat security update is the new 10-minute AirDrop discoverable window for ‘Everyone’. This means if you have the ‘Everyone’ option enabled, it will be available for 10 minutes only and then get switched to the ‘Contacts Only’ option automatically. Read more about it here.

4. FreeForm

Upon installing iOS 16.2, you will find a new app icon added to the home screen as well as App Library. This is the new Freeform app that has been rolled out to macOS 13.1 and iPadOS 16.2. It’s a canvas app that lets you add files, images, stickies, etc and sketch with drawing tools — all in real-time and you can collaborate with others.

5. Other features and bug fixes

The list of other new iOS 16.2 features includes:

- Apple Sing (a Karaoke app),

- a pitch-black wallpaper-less Always-on Display mode for iPhone 14 series, 

- improved crash detection for iPhone 14 lineup, 

- Content-based search in Messages, 

- the ability to temporarily Turn Off Hide IP Address setting for iCloud Private Relay, 

- location-specific news articles in the Weather app, 

- Rapid Security Response that lets Apple rollout security patches separate from the full-fledged OS updates.

- Apple has also fixed a memory execution issue in the WebKit that was resulting in malicious processing of web content and arbitrary code execution.

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ED gaming investigation: Companies accused of cheating the government of 20,000 Crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is currently investigating a bunch of gaming companies for tax evasion worth ₹23,000 Crore. The gaming industry in India has demonstrated tremendous potential for growth and widespread adoption, and this development is certainly a significant one as it includes many online gaming companies. Pankaj Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Finance, has confirmed that the investigation is underway. 

“The estimated evasion of GST by these companies works out of Rs 22,936 crore, relating to the period April 2019 to November 2022,” said Pankaj Chaudhary. He also confirmed that It assets totaling ₹289.28 crores have been taken by the authorities under section 37A of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.

Indian and international online gaming companies embroiled in tax evasion case

Responding to questions that were raised in the Lok Sabha, Pankaj Chaudhary said “CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) formations have initiated investigations against some gaming companies (including Online gaming companies) located in India as well as abroad,” said MoS Pankaj Chaudhary. “The estimated evasion of GST by these companies works out of Rs 22936 crores, relating to the period April 2019 to Nov. 2022.”

“In these cases, as of 06.12.2022, proceeds of crime of more than Rs 1,000 crore have been attached/seized/frozen under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA),” he added.  The companies that are involved in the gaming tax evasion case have not been revealed as of now. This is presumably to prevent any disruptions in the investigation

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