Apple is testing a feature that would allow its Face ID facial recognition system to work with masks and without the Apple Watch.
The iPhone maker on Friday released the first iOS 15.4 developer beta version – the version used in final testing before commercial release. This contains an update that gives users the ability to use Face ID with masks on and without an Apple Watch nearby.
Face ID allows users to unlock the iPhone, log in to supported apps and services and verify purchases on the App Store and other compatible platforms. The technology, using the iPhone's TrueDepth front camera, combines data from the user's eyes and other features.
Until now, users have not been able to unlock their iPhones while wearing masks – now an everyday item due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apple has received criticism for not fully addressing the face mask issue using the iPhone alone. It did try a fix on iOS 14.5 last April – but that required the user to be wearing an Apple Watch with at least the watchOS 7.4 operating system installed.
Competitors, notably Samsung Electronics, gives users the option to use only an iris scan to unlock their devices, thereby bypassing masks.
There had been talk of Apple bringing back its popular Touch ID biometric fingerprint authentication technology on the iPhone 13 series last year.
A survey of Apple users last July found almost half those polled said they would like to have Touch ID placed “under the screen” – presumably where the home button was placed in previous iPhones.
Apple made its announcement about iOS 15.4 beta – which also includes new emojis and the ability to copy text from objects using the camera while in the Notes or Reminders apps – alongside the release of Universal Control in developer beta releases of the macOS Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 operating systems
Universal Control is a long-awaited feature that allows the keyboard and mouse of a Mac to be used on an iPad by just placing the iPad next to the Mac.
This comes shortly after Apple on Tuesday quietly released a new portal to address privacy issues, amid mounting concerns on its AirTag device trackers.
The Personal Safety User Guide for Apple devices details what users need to do in the event they suspect their privacy and security are at risk. It contains pointers on how Apple's security ecosystem works, how to keep personal information safe and what actions can be taken in the event of a breach.
Its most notable sub-topics are Stay Safe with AirTag and Find My Accessories.
We are raising the bar on privacy for our users and the industry, and hope others will follow
Apple representative
AirTags was launched last April, but critics have expressed concern that the devices could be used by stalkers. The company has said that information – including identity and location – on AirTags is encrypted and no one, Apple included, can access it.
In June, the iPhone maker issued a software update by adjusting the time period that an AirTag which is no longer with its owner beeps to deter abuse.
Last December, Apple unveiled an Android app that will help users who do not use iPhones or iPads to detect unexpected AirTags and other devices compatible with Apple's Find My network that are near them.
“We are raising the bar on privacy for our users and the industry, and hope others will follow,” an Apple representative told The National at the time.
Apple released its financial results for its fiscal 2022 first quarter on Thursday, in which it posted record quarterly sales and net profit, despite supply chain challenges.
It also retained its position as the world's most valuable brand at $355.1 billion, according to a report from Brand Finance on Wednesday.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The specs: 2018 Ford F-150
Price, base / as tested: Dh173,250 / Dh178,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 395hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 555Nm @ 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 12.4L / 100km
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
More coverage from the Future Forum
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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