Could Apple update end the need for passwords?

Editing iMessages, recalling a sent message and a possible end to passwords were all part of last week’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference.

The event gives tech consumers a look at what’s in store with updates to the operating systems, new features and new hardware. Apple offered updates on all fronts during the familiar virtual visit to California. For those into tech and into Apple, it can be a fascinating look at what’s in the near future. The upgrades include tools users will incorporate into their daily communication and virtual meetings, but getting rid of passwords may be one of the most appreciated.

Here are some of the highlights using pieces from tech writers across the country. We’ll look at more updates in later Tech Savvy articles like a new option to buy things with Apple Pay Later and pay in installments, ways to prioritize and filter email to keep track of important messages or follow ups, upgrades to Apple Maps, revamped fitness tracking and a way to track medications, options to personalize the iPhone lock screen, shared cloud photo library for families, but here is a glimpse at some of what’s coming.

By Jim Rossman

The Dallas Morning News

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, Calif., this week showed off new versions of operating systems for the Mac, iPad and iOS.

There are plenty of features to go over in the weeks and months to come, as the new software will not be released until the fall, but I wanted to highlight two new features that stood out to me.

Passkeys

Apple and others are looking to make your passwords obsolete.

There is a consortium of companies called the FIDO Alliance working toward eliminating password authentication.

Apple, Microsoft and Google are the leaders of the group.

All three companies have said they intend to support the new system on their operating systems within the next year.

Apple is first to release a feature called Passkeys, a new sign-in method that is end-to-end encrypted. Apple says Passkeys is stronger than common two-factor authentication and can also work on non-Apple devices.

Instead of entering a password, users can use a device like a phone or computer as the primary authentication device using Face ID or Touch ID.

Of course, it will take more than just these big three tech companies to make passwords go away, but it is good to see them all pulling in the same direction.

Camera Continuity

The best camera I own is inside my iPhone 13 Pro Max. In the new MacOS Ventura, you’ll be able to use iPhone cameras with your Macintosh computer in video conferencing apps like FaceTime, Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

The Mac and iPhone make a wireless connection to bring the phone’s cameras into your videoconferencing apps.

The Camera Continuity feature also works with Center Stage, which is technology to keep you centered if you move around when you are speaking on camera. It can only follow you a bit to the left and right, but it is pretty slick.

Finally, if your phone has an ultrawide lens, there is a wild feature called Desk View, which provides an overhead view of the desk in front of your keyboard. This is similar to the overhead view provided by some cars in their backup cameras.

Camera Continuity might be a niche product for Apple users, but I love the flexibility it offers.

The Passkeys feature is one that most of us will be using in the next three years, so prepare to say goodbye to having to remember all those passwords.

©2022 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By EmilyAnn Jackman

pennlive.com

Good news for Apple users!

Ever send a text to the wrong person? Or misspell something and wish you could undo a text to correct it?

Well, Apple users are in luck.

In an announcement Monday, Apple’s latest operating system update, iOS 16, will allow users to edit messages, recover recently deleted messages, and mark conversations as unread, according to a press release from Apple.

“In addition, SharePlay is coming to Messages, making it possible to enjoy synced content like movies or songs and shared playback controls all while chatting in Messages,” the news release said.

But don’t think the opportunity to edit and unsend messages will be without limits. According to Fox Business, the edit and unsend feature will only be available for 15 minutes after a message is sent.

To Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, the new iOS 16 update will give Apple users a different spin on how they experience their phones.

“iOS 16 is a big release with updates that will change the way you experience iPhone,” Federighi said in a press release. “We have reimagined how the Lock Screen looks and works with exciting new features that make it more personal and helpful, introduced iCloud Shared Photo Library for families, streamlined communication through new capabilities in Messages and Mail, and harnessed enhanced intelligence with updates to Live Text and Visual Look up.”

©2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Daniella Segura

The Charlotte Observer

Apple’s new operating system will include a feature meant to help those who may be in an abusive relationship, the company announced at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

The new feature, Safety Check, on iOS 16 will help users manage app access and passwords, the company said at the conference on Monday, June 6. It will also inform users who has their passwords and information, so users can review and revoke access to specific people.

“Many people share passwords and access to their devices with their partner,” Katie Skinner, Apple’s senior manager of user privacy software, said. “However, in abusive relationships, this can threaten personal safety and make it harder for victims to get help.”

As many as 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will experience a form of abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The added feature will include an emergency reset that allows users to “easily sign out of iCloud on all their other devices, reset privacy permissions, and limit messaging to just the device in their hand,” according to a news release.

To develop Safety Check, Apple worked with domestic violence prevention groups, including the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the Women’s Services Network and the National Center for Victims of Crime.

“In times of crisis, for many survivors, it’s important to know who has their information and location. Safety Check helps give control back to survivors,” the National Center for Victims of Crime said in a statement shared by Apple.

©2022 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Mike Stunson

The Charlotte Observer

Parents can more easily monitor their children’s screen time and set age-appropriate restrictions in the new iOS 16, Apple announced on Monday, June 6.

Apple revealed the additions to its new iOS during its Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Through the “Family Sharing” feature, parents can manage their children’s Apple accounts straight from their own device.

Apple announced a new feature, “Quick Start,” which will allow users to easily set up their children’s new iPhone or iPad with all of the parental controls already in place.

“This year, we’re making it even easier to create accounts for kids and make sure the right parental controls are in place right from the start,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said Monday.

Parents will be able to set age restrictions on their children’s apps, books, music and movies. They can do the same for their kids’ purchases.

Screen time is always an important issue for parents, and the new iOS 16 offers ways to handle what can sometimes be a headache.

Kids can send a request in Messages for more screen time, and parents can approve or deny it straight from their own device in Messages. Previously, parents had to go to “Settings” to approve additional time.

A “Downtime” feature will allow parents to set a start and end time for children using their phones. During the time with restrictions, kids will still be allowed to place and accept phone calls and use allowed apps.

Up to six family members will be allowed in the “Family Sharing” feature. iOS 16 will also provide tips for organizers of the feature, including updating a child’s settings as they get older and turning on location sharing, Federighi said.

Apple also introduced a “better way to share photos with families.” The new iCloud shared photo library lets family members share photos automatically into a separate folder with up to five other people.

©2022 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Renee Richardson, managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchBizBuzz .