When iOS 16.3 arrives net week, it’ll have a few new interesting features, including support for the 2nd-gen HomePod and physical security keys. It’ll also contain two big fixes that iPhone users have been waiting for.
According to Apple’s release notes and the release candidate, which hit beta devices Wednesday, iOS 16.3 “fixes an issue where horizontal lines may temporarily appear while waking up iPhone 14 Pro Max.” Over the past several weeks, some iPhone 14 users have complained about horizontal lines flashing across their screens. According to reports on social media and discussion boards, the lines appear when the iPhone wakes up or restarts. Additionally, the release fixes some nagging bugs with the Lock Screen, Siri, and CarPlay:
Addresses an issue where the wallpaper may appear black on the Lock Screen
Fixes an issue where the Home Lock Screen widget does not accurately display Home app status
Addresses an issue where Siri may not respond properly to music requests
Resolves issues where Siri requests in CarPlay may not be understood correctly
The other issue is related to the new Home architecture that previously arrived in iOS 16.2. Just before the holidays, Apple pulled the feature, which improves reliability and efficiency, due to a sharing issue–but without providing an update on when it would be restored. The Home architecture upgrade re-appeared in the second iOS 16.3 beta, suggesting that Apple has fixed the issue. However, there isn’t a mention of it in the release notes, so it’s unclear whether it will be part of iOS 16.3 or arrive as a separate update.
iOS 16.3 is expected to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday alongside macOS Ventura 13.2.
COLOPL [565 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/colopl”>COLOPL has announced Free-to-Play [127 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/free-to-play”>free-to-play 3D Action RPG [553 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/rpg/action-rpg”>action RPG Volzerk: Monsters and Lands Unknown” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/games/volzerk-monsters-and-lands-unknown”>Volzerk: Monsters and Lands Unknown for PC [16,628 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/pc”>PC (Steam), iOS, and Android. It is known as Monster Universe in Japanese. It will launch in late January in Japanese, with plans to add English language support via a future update.
Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:
About
Monster breeding and action RPG. Explore the world and raise legendary monsters!
Volzerk: Monsters and Lands Unknown is a crossbreeding action RPG. Join protagonist Fina on an Adventure [653 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/adventure”>adventure to discover legendary monsters. Raise monsters, join a colorful cast of friends, and face off against powerful enemies.
Story
The island of Fort Lemuria.
Discovered in a vast ocean, this island’s rich landscape was dotted with countless mysterious ruins and inhabited by strange animals known as Monsters.
Humankind agreed to organize a Research Commission in order to investigate the island and the monsters that live there.
…Then one day, the island guardian Volzerk clashed with the legendary beast known as Magna, and both were apparently destroyed.
Ten years have passed since that day.
Without the protection of Volzerk, the monsters of the island are in danger of extinction.
However, a young girl is about to join the Research Commission.
Her name is Fina, and she is the only human alive who witnessed Volzerk’s disappearance.
With her obsessive love of monsters, Fina’s sole goal in life is to get as close to them as she can.
And deep within her heart burns the desire to once again be reunited with Volzerk.
Attendees wait for the start of the Apple World Wide Developers Conference
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple‘s long-awaited mixed reality headset could be announced in spring at the earliest, top Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Twitter.
Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst at TF International, had initially predicted in June that Apple would announce a mixed reality headset by the end of January. But on Thursday, the widely respected analyst said he believes Apple will postpone “mass shipment” of any product to the second or third quarter of 2023, citing a combination of mechanical and software issues.
Kuo anticipates an announcement occurring in a “spring media event or WWDC based on current development progress.” WWDC is Apple’s annual developer conference, typically held in June.
Whenever it arrives, the product would create immediate competition for Meta, formerly Facebook, which is focused on building a digital world called the metaverse and sells its own Meta-branded virtual reality headsets.
Apple’s headset is expected to cost between $2,000 and $3,000 and will have more than 10 cameras on the exterior and interior of the device, according to Bloomberg. The mixed reality device will run on an operating system called xrOS, with mixed reality adaptations of Apple’s Messages, FaceTime and Maps apps, according to Bloomberg.
An announcement during WWDC makes sense if the company wants to show off the headset with the latest software tools that developers will use to build apps for it. WWDC is where Apple unveils the annual software updates and some new features for iPhones, iPads, Macs, the Apple Watch and more, and it has breakout sessions where developers can learn about the latest ways to integrate their apps into Apple’s hardware.
Kuo has broken scoops on Apple product releases before, including news on the size and design of the iPhone X in 2016 before the product launched. The Apple analyst also predicted the controversial removal of the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 series.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
2023 is upon us and it will be another busy year for iPhone software. While details about iOS 17 remain slim, Apple has previously announced several features that will be available this year as part of upcoming updates like iOS 16.3 and iOS 16.4.
Below, we have recapped seven iOS features that are expected to launch or expand to additional countries in 2023, such as an Apple Pay Later financing option and an Apple Card savings account that will allow for interest to be earned on Daily Cash.
Web Push Notifications
Apple said iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 will add opt-in support for web-based push notifications in 2023. This feature will allow iPhone and iPad users to receive notifications from websites through Safari, just like notifications sent from apps.
Apple Pay Later
Announced at WWDC 2022 last June, Apple Pay Later is a financing feature that will let qualifying customers in the U.S. split a purchase into four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest or fees to pay. The feature will be built into the Wallet app and will be available for purchases online and in apps on the iPhone and iPad.
Apple says the feature is coming in a future software update for qualifying applicants in the U.S. and may not be available in all states. Apple Pay Later is not available with iOS 16.2 and is not present in the first beta of iOS 16.3. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has suggested that the feature might launch with iOS 16.4 this year.
Security Keys for Apple ID
The first iOS 16.3 beta enables a new Security Keys for Apple ID feature that Apple said will be available globally in early 2023. The feature gives users the option to use hardware security keys to further protect their account. For users who enable this feature, Security Keys strengthens Apple’s two-factor authentication by requiring a hardware security key as one of the two factors instead of a verification code from another Apple device.
Apple does not plan to release its own hardware security keys. The feature will rely on third-party security keys available from brands like Yubico.
Apple Card Savings Account
In October, Apple announced that Apple Card users would “soon” be able to open a new high-yield savings account from Goldman Sachs and have their Daily Cash cashback rewards automatically deposited into it, with no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. The account would be managed through the Wallet app on the iPhone.
Once the account is set up, all Daily Cash received from that point on would be automatically deposited into it and start earning interest, unless a user opts to continue having Daily Cash added to their Apple Cash balance. Apple Card provides 2-3% Daily Cash on purchases made with Apple Pay and 1% on purchases made with the physical card.
The savings account was listed in the release notes for the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate, and Goldman Sachs updated its Apple Card customer agreement for the feature, but it has still not launched. The savings account is still not available in the first iOS 16.3 beta released last month, and it’s unclear when it will launch.
Next-Generation CarPlay
At WWDC 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of its iPhone-based software platform CarPlay, which will feature support for multiple displays, widgets, and integration with vehicle functions like the instrument cluster, climate controls, and FM radio.
Apple says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023, with committed automakers including Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo, and others. Apple plans to share additional details about the next generation of CarPlay later this year.
Advanced Data Protection in More Countries
Apple recently introduced an optional Advanced Data Protection feature that expands end-to-end encryption to many additional areas of iCloud when enabled, including iCloud Backups, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Voice Memos, and more. The feature was added in iOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, and other recent software updates for U.S. users only and will start rolling out to the rest of the world in early 2023, according to Apple.
It’s unclear exactly when Advanced Data Protection will be available in additional countries, but given Apple’s early 2023 timeframe, it’s possible that the feature will be expanded to more iPhone users with iOS 16.3 or iOS 16.4.
Emergency SOS via Satellite in More Countries
Apple last month announced that the iPhone 14’s life-saving Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will be supported in additional countries next year. However, Apple did not provide a list of countries where the feature will be expanding to next.
Emergency SOS via Satellite first launched in November in the U.S. and Canada and requires an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 16.1 or later. The service became available in France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK last month, with iOS 16.2 or later required for some local emergency service numbers.
The feature allows iPhone 14 users to send text messages to emergency services via satellite when outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. The service is free for two years starting at the time of activation of an iPhone 14 model.
The time has come to say goodbye to Dark Sky. Nearly two years after Apple , and more than a year after announcing its impending shutdown, Dark Sky is about to stop functioning. Since September, an in-app notification has the software would no longer work come January 1st, 2023. In September, Apple also removed Dark Sky from the App Store ().
If you’re looking for an alternative, it’s worth revisiting Apple’s own Weather app before turning to the App Store. Since , the company has gradually integrated Dark Sky’s technology into its native offering. For instance, the Weather app now includes next-hour precipitation alerts, which is a feature that was directly inspired by Dark Sky. That said, if you’re set on trying a third-party alternative, a few that are worth checking out include AccuWeather and Carrot Weather.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.
The time has come to say goodbye to Dark Sky. Nearly two years after Apple , and more than a year after announcing its impending shutdown, Dark Sky is about to stop functioning. Since September, an in-app notification has the software would no longer work come January 1st, 2023. In September, Apple also removed Dark Sky from the App Store ().
If you’re looking for an alternative, it’s worth revisiting Apple’s own Weather app before turning to the App Store. Since , the company has gradually integrated Dark Sky’s technology into its native offering. For instance, the Weather app now includes next-hour precipitation alerts, which is a feature that was directly inspired by Dark Sky. That said, if you’re set on trying a third-party alternative, a few that are worth checking out include AccuWeather and Carrot Weather.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.
Apple is outdoing itself once again with its latest iOS16.2 update for iPhone devices. Not only are new iOS downloads important for security fixes, sometimes they are packed full of amazing new features to make your iPhone come alive in new ways.
They already added a ton of features with the previous iOS16.1 update, including the iCloud Shared Photo Library and support for Apple Fitness+. I’m cutting through all the new stuff to share highlights in the iOS 16.2 update that can make your life better.
Of the multiple unique new tricks, I’m excited about these below on iPhone.
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1. Apple Music Sing
Advertisement for Apple Music Sing. (Credit: Apple)
Perhaps one of the most exciting new tools on the iOS16.2 update is the Apple Music Sing feature. This is a karaoke feature that will be available for Apple Music listeners. It allows you to sing along to millions of songs on the Apple Music streaming platform by giving you the option to lower the volume of the lead vocals and take control as the lead singer.
Music Sing is compatible with any iPhone 11 model or newer, select iPads, and the latest Apple TV 4K.
TAKE BACK YOUR PRIVACY WITH THIS NEW IPHONE SAFETY FEATURE
2. Advanced Data Protection
Advanced Data Protection is an optional feature that comes with the update, and it will allow users to expand end-to-end encryption to various iCloud data categories including iMessage, Notes, and Photos.
This will significantly increase cloud data security and give users the chance to protect the vast majority of their data, allowing people to worry less about their information being stolen or publicized without their permission.
SEND A FUN MESSAGE WITH THESE IPHONE TRICKS
Screenshot of an iPhone with advanced data protection. (Fox News)
3. Freeform App
APPLE’S EMERGENCY SOS VIA SATELLITE FEATURE IS NOW LIVE. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS.
Photo of the Freeform app logo. (Apple)
Another fun feature will be available in the digital whiteboard app called Freeform. The app allows you to draw or insert sticky notes for yourself on an infinite canvas. The app allows you to share a board with up to 100 people, who can make their own additions and comments.
All collaborators need to be using an Apple device in order to access the creation. You can also drop in text boxes, shapes, photos, videos, links, PDFs, and more. The app will also be available for iPad and Mac devices in case users want a larger space to create than their smaller iPhone screens.
4. Lock Screen Widgets
HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR IPHONE IS LISTENING TO YOU
Screenshot of lock screen widgets for an iPhone. (Fox News)
Two new Lock Screen widgets will be available with the iOS 16.2 update. One will be for the Sleep app and the other for the Health app. The Sleep app widget will allow you to view all your most recent sleep schedules and stages, while the Health app will give you a quick look at your medication schedule when you need it.
These widgets will allow people to take better control of their physical health and keep track of their habits. Learn how to customize your lock screen widgets by heading over to CyberGuy.com and searching “lock screen.”
5. Always on Display
4 SIMPLE AND POWERFUL TIPS FOR MASTERING YOUR IPHONE CALCULATOR
Screenshot of instructions on how to select “Always on display.” (Apple)
This feature will only be available on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models, yet it will allow you to hide your wallpaper and notifications when the Always On Display mode is turned on.
When you want more privacy, the Always on Display mode will turn lock screens solid black so no one can see what pops up on your screen. You can also modify this slightly by toggling on the Show Wallpaper or Show Notifications options as well.
6. AirDrop Setting
APPLE’S REPLACEMENT FOR THE PASSWORD
Screenshot of how to airdrop on an iPhone. (Apple)
AirDrop is a super convenient feature for when you want to quickly send or receive pictures and videos. Watch out though, cause it can be bad news if those pictures and videos get to the wrong person.
That’s why iOS16.2 is limiting AirDrop’s previous ‘Everyone’ setting. The option will now only have a more protective “Everyone for 10 Minutes” feature instead so that unwanted content from strangers can be limited.
Once the 10 minutes is up, people may only AirDrop pictures and videos to their contacts.
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When did the iOS 16.2 update drop?
Apple dropped the latest update on Tuesday, Dec. 13. iPhone users should have received a notification within their Settings app as soon as the update was available to install, or you can go to Settings > Software Update to download and install manually.
For more Apple tips, head over to CyberGuy.com and search “Apple” and be sure to subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter at CyberGuy.com/Newsletter.
Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. CyberGuy.com articles and content may contain affiliate links that earn a commission when purchases are made.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
When iOS 16.2 arrived last week, it brought several new features, including Apple Music Sing, iCloud Advanced Data Protection, and the Freeform app, as well as a less-obvious upgrade to a new Home architecture that’s “more reliable and efficient.” However, about a week later, it appears that Apple has pulled the option in the Home app to upgrade.
When opening the Home app in iOS 16.2, users were met with a “Home Upgrade Available” in the Software Update tab in the Home Settings. Now that option is gone. A support document outlining the new feature still says the option has been “temporarily removed” and doesn’t affect users who have already updated to the new architecture.
As noted by MacRumors, several users reported devices that were stuck in an “updating” or “configuring” status, as well as missing devices. Apple warns that any connected devices that aren’t using the latest software “will lose access to the upgraded home until they’re updated,” but this appears to be an unrelated issue. Apple hasn’t detailed what the issue is, only that the option to upgrade will return soon. It’s not clear whether it will randomly appear in the app or as part of the iOS 16.3 update expected to arrive early next year.
The new Home architecture requires a home hub such as Apple TV (4th generation or later) or HomePod to use advanced features such as HomeKit Secure Video and Adaptive Lighting. Anyone who was using an iPad as a home hub under the previous architecture will need to switch to one of those devices to continue using the Home app to control their devices.
When it comes to smartphones, the last couple of years have felt stagnant, regardless of who you get your handsets from. With all the time we were confined to our homes, there was no need to have the latest and greatest as the world slowed down to a relative crawl. Upgraded specs and a better camera seemed tertiary compared to everything else.
Then, as we started immunizing and returning to the grind, having a capable smartphone became important again. I even felt inspired to upgrade this year, simply because I felt like “If I’m going back out into the world again, I better have a phone that takes pictures I don’t need to edit every time I want to share them.”
2022 wasn’t the year to convince people who previously weren’t ready to upgrade to move on to the cool new thing, but it was a great year to upgrade if you were already inclined to do so. The iPhone 14 Pro, for instance, didn’t just tread water and instead shined a light on where Apple’s heading, and it managed to be first to the table on features like satellite connectivity and fully adopting the eSIM protocol. And while Google’s Pixel 7 Pro is still reigning with its picture-taking capabilities, Samsung’s foldables are making every other Android phone seem dull by comparison.
2022 tried to be an exciting year, and for the most part, it kept us entertained enough to look forward to what’s on the horizon. Next year’s smartphone forecast seems too tempting not to upgrade. But before considering what’s ahead, we must first step back and see how far we’ve come.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft’s mission to Jupiter has set its sights on the moon Io.
The agency said in a release, sharing a striking image of the moon’s volcano-laced surface captured in the infrared by the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper this summer, that it was scheduled to image the Jovian moon on Thursday.
The Dec. 15 flyby was the first of nine, with two of them just 930 miles away.
The July 5 photo was captured as the spacecraft flew by at a distance of about 50,000 miles, with brighter spots indicating where temperatures were higher.
RUSSIAN SPACE CAPSULE LEAK LIKELY DUE TO MICROMETEORITE STRIKE, OFFICIAL SAYS
The volcano-laced surface of Jupiter’s moon Io was captured in infrared by the Juno spacecraft’s Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) imager as it flew by at a distance of was about 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers) on July 5, 2022. Brighter spots indicate higher temperatures in this image. (Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ASI/INAF/JIRAM)
“The team is really excited to have Juno’s extended mission include the study of Jupiter’s moons. With each close flyby, we have been able to obtain a wealth of new information,” Juno Principal Investigator Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said in a statement. “Juno sensors are designed to study Jupiter, but we’ve been thrilled at how well they can perform double duty by observing Jupiter’s moons.”
Io, the most volcanically active world in the solar system, will remain an object of the Juno team’s attention for the next year and a half.
Now in the second year of its mission to investigate Jupiter’s interior, the solar-powered Juno had previously performed close flybys of Ganymede last year and Europa earlier in 2022.
This is the final view taken by the JunoCam instrument on NASA’s Juno spacecraft before Juno’s instruments were powered down in preparation for orbit insertion. (Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS)
NASA said Juno scientists will use those flybys to perform the first high-resolution monitoring campaign on the magma-encrusted moon, studying Io’s volcanoes and how volcanic eruptions interact with Jupiter’s powerful magnetosphere and aurora.
GEMINID METEOR SHOWER FAST FACTS
The moon – which is a bit larger than Earth’s moon – has hundreds of volcanoes, some erupting lava fountains dozens of miles high.
En route to the icy worlds inhabiting the outer regions of our solar system, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft zipped past Jupiter, catching Io, the planet’s third-largest moon, enduring a volcanic explosion. (Image Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Cover image courtesy of NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)
Its remarkable activity is the result of a tug-of-war between Jupiter’s powerful gravity and smaller but precisely timed pulls from Europa and Ganymede.
Io was discovered in 1610 by famed Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei.
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The discovery, along with three other Jovian moons, was the first time a moon was discovered orbiting a planet other than Earth.
Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News and Fox Business Digital.
