iOS
Facebook update fixes two battery-draining bugs on iOS 9
In the past few years since smartphones became popular, we saw Facebook rising to the top as one of the most downloaded applications on iOS and Android alike. Although there are many people using the company’s social media and messaging app, there are thousands of complaints about the stand-alone Facebook app impacting device performance. Complaints about both the iOS and Android versions of the app have culminated into the realization of the company that something needs to be done. According to Ari Grant, the engineering manager of the company, a new Facebook update released today should improve the user experience on the iOS platform.
This month, matters were made worse for the social network giant, after AVG released its study about resource-hungry applications on Android. While the software developer focused its research on the Android platform, iOS users chimed in with complaints about the Facebook app being just as resource-hungry on iOS as it is on Android. Although iOS users have repeatedly posted about the Facebook app slowing down their smartphones and draining their battery, the company just now completed a fix for the issue.
The Facebook update for iOS users is rolling out today and according to Ari Grant, it will address the underlying issue of the battery drain that the app caused. Although Ari does say that not all underlying issues are going to be fixed by today’s particular Facebook update, the battery drain issue should be dealt with nonetheless. In his post, he describes how one of the key mistakes the Facebook app is making is CPU spin. CPU spin, in simple terms, would be the app asking the processor to refresh itself constantly, because of the data the app is gathering. Ari explains much better, saying that the request is like a child in a car asking whether they’ve arrived to their destination yet. We all know those questions are redundant, and Ari says this scenario reflects the CPU spin that is in the Facebook app’s code.
According to the post, today’s Facebook update for iOS should deal with the CPU spin issue and improve battery life on iPhones and iPads. However, the post points out that there is another issue present in the Facebook iOS app, which will also be addressed by the update. Ari describes a bug that impacts how audio sessions are managed in the Facebook app. In his explanation, the app “forgets” to close audio processes that were started by audio recordings or videos that were played in app. The bug forces the app to keep the audio process open, as it sends a false positive of audio playing, as it were. While the bug doesn’t consume data resources, it does force battery drain on the phone.
With today’s Facebook update for the iOS app, iPhone and iPad users can now enjoy a more streamlined user experience with the app, without having their batteries drained. Although Facebook remains a resource-hungry application that consumes a lot of background data and power, the fixes that will be included in today’s new build will no doubt positively impact the user experience. The update should be landing on devices around the world in the following few days, since it was just released last night. Hopefully, this update is the start of a more aware developer community within Facebook who will focus more on making the less of a resource-gobbler.
iOS
Apple Mini-LED Display Supplier Reports Decreasing Demand As Rumors Suggest a Switch to OLED in the Next Few Years
One of Apple’s top mini-LED suppliers claims that while the company plans to switch to OLED displays for its iPad and MacBook line in the upcoming years, demand for displays in consumer products is declining while demand for mini-LED in other applications is increasing.
According to a recent report from DigiTimes, the demand for mini-LED displays for consumer electronics devices is declining, but it is anticipated that demand for mini-LED displays for dashboards and vehicle displays will increase in 2023. Epistar, which has been supplying mini-LED displays to Apple for some time, is one company that has made this claim.
The creation of particular kinds of OLED screens that Apple intends to utilize in next iPad Pro models, according to a report published last week, is now Samsung’s top priority. The first iPad Pro with an OLED panel, which Apple is rumored to introduce in 2024, has prompted mini-LED vendors to consider alternate applications for their screens, according to DigiTimes.
In 2024, Apple is also expected to release a 13-inch MacBook Air with an OLED display in addition to an OLED iPad Pro. According to reputable display analyst Ross Young, Apple is exploring adopting an OLED panel in a planned update to the iPhone SE but is torn between employing an LCD or OLED display.
In an effort to assist customers get the most out of their devices and teach new iPhone users some features and tips they may not have previously known about, Apple recently provided ten helpful tips and techniques for iPhone users.
Apple revealed ten tips and techniques for the new features in iOS 16 in a video on its Apple Support channel, including the ability to choose and lift subjects out of images and the newly revamped and customisable Lock Screen. As people get used to their new iPhones, the short film, which is barely six minutes long, was posted on Christmas Day.
- If you tap and hold on a subject inside of a photo in the Photos app on iOS 16, you can lift the subject from the photo and place it into another app.
- The new Lock Screen on iOS 16 allows users to customize different elements, including the color and style of the time and date, add widgets, and more.
- Within Settings -> Wi-Fi, you can select a saved Wi-Fi access point to discover and copy and paste its password.
- If you often write the same thing time and time again, such as your email or address, you can create a text replacement within Settings -> General -> Keyboard -> Text Replacement.
- If you’re running low on battery or want to save some battery life when you won’t have access to a charger, you can add the Low Power Mode toggle to Control Center for easy access. Head into Settings -> Control Center and add it to the list of Included Controls.
- If you want to share or move multiple photos into another app, simply tap and hold on a photo, move it away, and proceed to tap on the other photos. You’ll then be able to drag and drop all of the photos into other apps or places in iOS.
- If you want to quickly open the camera, tap and hold on the Camera shortcut in the bottom right-hand corner of your iPhone’s Lock Screen.
- With iOS 15 and later, you can now use Live Text to automatically translate text in the camera app or inside of a photo. In the camera app, point the camera to some text and tap on the Live Text that appears in the right-hand corner, then select translate in the options shown. This can also work for photos already taken in the Photos app.
- Using the Notes app, you can easily scan a piece of paper and create a digital copy of it. The Notes app will automatically properly crop and edit the image so the document appears legible with no glare.
- If you’re curious about what your first photo is in your photo library, you can easily discover it with one tap. In the Photos app, simply tap on the top edge of your iPhone to jump to the first photo in any specific library, album, or search result.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet with Republican lawmakers who will probably lead committees that regulate the tech sector.
Republican representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Darrel Issa of California, and Cathy McMorris Rogers of Washington are among those with whom Cook has booked meetings.
The meetings were probably planned several weeks, if not months, beforehand. Top conservatives have criticized Apple since the beginning, and many of them have joined with Twitter CEO Elon Musk in their recent dispute with Apple.
Jordan has publicly expressed his support for Elon Musk, as Bloomberg notes.
When the GOP wins over the House in 2023, Jordan is also set to serve as chair of the House Judiciary Committee. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s chairman is most likely to be McMorris Rodgers.
They both will play a key role in developing the GOP’s technology policy agenda for 2023.
What is particularly on the agenda is unclear. Even when he is not called to testify about big tech, Cook travels to Washington, DC, on several occasions each year.
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