Apple to take group chats to new level
APPLE revealed a host of software features across its entire range at the Worldwide Developers’ Conference, including Group FaceTime that will allow up to 32 people to take part in a video at once, a new augmented reality app called Measure that can estimate the length of real-world objects, and Mac OS Mojave software that will come with Dark Mode and will introduce Stacks for the desktop, similar to folders.
Apple’s wearable technology will also receive dedicated exercise modes for yoga and hiking in its upcoming software update, as well as automatic workout detection, similar to Fitbit trackers, and a new messaging system called Walkie Talkie that lets friends send voice messages between Watches.
Meanwhile, Apple chief executive Tim Cook has twice spoken out against the beleaguered social network recently but this time it was software engineering senior vice-president Craig Federighi to deliver bad news to Facebook.
To wild applause from developers, Mr Federighi revealed Apple’s updated web browser, Safari, would no longer allow Facebook to track users across the web when they didn’t realise it.
“We’ve all seen these ‘like’ buttons and share buttons and these comment fields,” Mr Federighi said, showing Facebook icons on the big screen.
“It turns out these can be used to track you whether you click on them or not. This year we are shutting that down.”
Any Apple user who tries to select these items will instead be warned that their information will be shared.