Apple announces iPadOS 18 with a built-in calculator and customizable homescreen
How does the new built-in calculator in iPadOS 18 enhance user experience compared to third-party calculator apps?
The new built-in calculator in iPadOS 18 enhances user experience in several ways compared to third-party calculator apps:
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First-party Integration: The built-in calculator is developed by Apple, ensuring seamless integration with the iPadOS ecosystem. This means it will likely work more smoothly with other Apple apps and services compared to third-party alternatives.
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Apple Pencil Support: The built-in calculator works with Apple Pencil, allowing users to solve math problems after writing them out with the stylus. This feature may not be available in many third-party calculator apps.
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Smart Script: The built-in calculator also integrates with the new Smart Script feature in the Notes app, which improves the appearance of handwritten text using machine learning. This allows for a more natural and intuitive note-taking and problem-solving process.
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No Ads or Costs: Unlike many third-party calculator apps, the built-in calculator does not contain ads and is provided for free as part of the iPadOS 18 update.
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Consistent Design and Functionality: The design and functionality of the built-in calculator will be consistent with other Apple apps, making it easier for users to navigate and use. Third-party apps can vary greatly in design and functionality, which can be confusing and less user-friendly.
In summary, the new built-in calculator in iPadOS 18 provides a more seamless, user-friendly, and feature-rich experience compared to third-party calculator apps.
What new features does iPadOS 18 introduce to Siri and how do they utilize AI technology?
iPadOS 18 introduces several new features to Siri that utilize AI technology. Some of these features include:
- Integration with ChatGPT: Apple users can now use ChatGPT via Siri without the need for a separate account. This allows for more advanced and natural language interactions with the AI assistant.
- Enhanced task performance: Siri can now perform specific tasks within and across apps, such as proofreading, text summarizing, and answering a wider range of questions. This is made possible through Apple's integration of AI technology into its software.
- Personal context understanding: Siri can now better understand personal context, allowing it to track flights, remember casual plans made over text, and even find information you don't remember (e.g., locating a photo of your license and extracting the ID number).
- Conversational interactions: Siri has become more conversational, with the ability to understand context and maintain a natural flow in conversations. This is achieved through Apple's AI-driven improvements to the virtual assistant's language processing capabilities.
Overall, these new features in iPadOS 18 significantly enhance Siri's capabilities, making the AI assistant more useful and versatile for Apple users.
Can you describe the functionality of the new Smart Script feature in the Notes app and how it uses machine learning?
The new Smart Script feature in the Notes app is designed to improve the appearance of text as you write using machine learning. It can recreate your own handwriting style, perform spell-checking, and transform typed text into your own style. The feature uses on-device machine learning to recreate your handwriting from your notes, making your handwritten notes smoother and easier to read5. You can edit your already-written text by moving it aside, adding more text, or even deleting by scratching out sentences or paragraphs, with the text automatically reflowing to fit the new content.