Hey Siri! Handsfree Siri coming to iOS 8.

It only took a few years, but Apple is giving iPhone and iPad users a great new (old) tool in iOS 8,  handsfree Siri!  There is a catch, your device needs to be plugged in, in order for Handsfree to work.  First, turn it on.  Go into Settings > General > Siri:

Turn the Voice Activation switch to On (or green), and your ready to go!  This is awesome for those of us who haven't learned that we shouldn't hold our phones (or use them!) while driving.  As long as your iPhone is charging, simply say "Hey Siri" and Siri is ready for your request.  I've used it (not in Deerfield because you can't use handheld devices in Deerfield!) and it works famously.  I've had it call ("Hey Siri, Call Erika"), I've had it text ("Hey Siri, text Eli"), I've had it check the price of Apple stock ("Hey Siri, what's Apple stock at today").  Now this isn't only for driving.  Handsfree Siri works whenever and wherever your iPhone or iPad is plugged in, to a computer, outlet or other charging device.  I'm quite pleasantly surprised at how well it's working in the beta software (currently beta version 5).  

So if you have to use your iPhone while driving, at least you'll finally be able to do it all hands free!

If you are testing iOS 8, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you are not, I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!  

More cool iOS 8 features to come soon!

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iMessage updates in iOS 8.

iMessage in iOS 8, a better way to message.

Apple’s Messages app has been solid, but it is well overdue for the update it's about to get, and it should make it more competitive with the other popular texting apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp.  There are many great new features coming in the new Messenger, you’ll be able to create voice and video snippets to post along with your text and photos. You'll also be able to share your location for a set period, for instance an hour, through the end of the day, or indefinitely. And, with a tap, you can view all the attachments in a conversation—all the photos and videos—without having to scroll through text to find them.   Today's blog is only covering the new voice recording feature.  

In the screen capture above, you'll notice the microphone just above the word "I'm" (That's the predictive keyboard at work, predicting what I'll type!).  Now take a look at the screen capture below.  

When you press the microphone icon, a 3 quarter circle appears with an X (left), an Arrow (Top) and a circle with a red square inside (middle).  The X cancels the recorded message.  The Arrow pushes the voice message into the body of the message (see below).  The red square stops the recording.

So, if you need to be discreet, and don't want to type out a message, the voice recording is a fantastic way to go.  

Look for my next iOS 8 update towards the end of the week, it will be covering the new iCloud drive!

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