Google Photos 2.0 for iOS can now turn Live Photos into GIFs

US tech giant Google has released Version 2.0 of its Photos app for iOS that now gives users the ability to edit Live Photos and turn them into shareable GIFs and video clips, a media report said.

Live Photos is an interesting feature in Apple's iPhone 6s/6s Plus and in the soon to be released iPhone 7 models as well. Live Photos are easy to shoot by simply tapping on the circular icon on the camera setting that brings your photos to life by creating a moving image.

A Live Photo captures 1.5 seconds of video and audio both before and after you press the shutter button to take a photo. Thus, in addition to a still JPEG image, you also get a three second Live Photo.

"Google first introduced the ability to edit Live Photos earlier this year with the Motion Stills app," Techcrunch reported on Friday.

The Motion Stills app improves your Live Photos by helping you to do things like crop out the blurry frames, freeze the background, create cinematic pans, stabilise the images.

In addition, the upgraded app also lets you share video clips on YouTube. With the new and updated Photos app for iOS, users can finally share their Live Photos to other messaging apps apart from Apple's own iMessage platform.

However, with iOS 10 WhatsApp is expected to bring in direct GIF sharing that should make things easier for iOS users. We expect WhatsApp to help with sharing Live Photos as GIFs as well for iOS users.

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WhatsApp gets another big update; to add iOS 10 features; Android beta gains doodle feature

WhatsApp is preparing a major update to align with the public launch of Apple iOS 10. The upcoming version will support new features to be introduced in iOS 10 including Siri API, lock screen access, and rich notifications.

Siri API support will enable Siri to send messages and make calls (audio and video) to contacts using WhatsApp. iOS 10 keynote presentation at WWDC was heavily focusing on the upcoming update. This update will empower Siri to do automated tasks which are currently limited to Microsoft's Cortana. iOS 10 adds the ability to interact with notifications and apps on the lock screen. This will enable users to reply to messages directly from the lock screen.

iOS version will come with address book integration to enable quick messages and calls from the contact details page. Rich notifications support for iOS 10 is still in development, but it is not confirmed to make a cut in the upcoming update. Last but not the least, the company has added a 'Today Widget' to be included in WhatsApp when you peek of WhatsApp icon using force touch. The widget will allow you to access recent contacts from your chat list.

For Android users, the company has launched an updated version to the WhatsApp Play Store Beta branch includes Doodle tools for any given photo. The version includes the new forward picker which separates the contact list into two lists. The top portion includes the most frequent contacts and the list on the bottom include the address book in the device.

WhatsApp will also introduce an official "Announcements channel" to announce important changes and updates to the users. This feature makes us hopeful about the future rollout of "Channels" by companies or media organisations. Video calls can be enabled for rooted devices in Android, but both users should enable on their end. The feature is not enabled by default but does give us a clear idea about the under interface of video calling. These updates have been cumulated from WABetaInfo on Twitter.

About WhatsApp 2.16.10 update for iOS 10 https://t.co/E2FajMAcEy #IMPORTANT

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) September 8, 2016

"Mention" feature, as previously stated, is ready for a wider rollout but needs to be enabled on rooted devices. One thing to note about the feature is the fact that this is limited to Group conversations and does not work on individual chats.

The new features were included in version 2.16.260 beta and higher, and not yet available publically. It is only available to beta testers. The update is presently only seen on Android, and iPhone users would have to probably wait a few days to see the new feature on their smartphones.

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Apple September Event 2016: Everything Apple announced at today's event

At a packed Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Apple announced its latest array of devices, including two new iPhones, an updated Apple Watch, a new set of wireless headphones called AirPods and a surprise from Nintendo onboard.

Here’s a quick rundown of everything that was announced at the Apple Event, and when you’ll be able to get a hold of it all, if you're into that kind of stuff:

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus & announcements surrounding them...

Apple's first news of the event actually came from its Twitter feed, which announced the new iPhone 7 before it ever appeared on stage. On stage, Apple made much of the new design, with Jony Ive stressing that the device has been painstakingly perfected to be as clean and beautiful as possible, and on multiple occasions the new phone was called the best iPhone ever made. Obviously, we've heard this before. But that didn't mean the phone's official unveiling wasn't welcome.

Both the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and 5.5-inch 7 Plus come in the usual array of colors, with the added additions of the super glossy Jet Black and the slightly more ordinary Black. They have a 25 percent brighter display, with a wider color gamut for better color management and reproduction. This time around, the antennas are built right into the chassis, getting rid of those ugly lines from the previous two versions of the phone. Internally, the new phones get stereo speakers and a brand new A10 Fusion chip. And, possibly most importantly, the devices are water- and dust-resistant.

The camera in standard sized iPhone 7 has been upgraded with optical image stabilization and a brighter f/1.8 lens that lets in 50 percent more light than the iPhone 6S' f/2.2 lens. Apple says the new 12-megapixel sensor, which has the same resolution as last year's phone, is 60 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient. It's coupled with a new image processing chip and quad-LED flash that produces 50 percent more light. Apple's Phil Schiller boasts that the new processing engine leverages machine learning and has "supercomputer performance." The front camera on the iPhone 7 has been bumped to 7 megapixels with automatic image stabilization for better selfies and video recording.

But the real upgrades were saved for the larger iPhone 7 Plus' dual camera system. The company says the new dual camera allows for true 2x optical zoom without loss of image quality. One of the lenses is equivalent to 28mm for wide angle shots (like a standard iPhone camera), while the other has a closer, 60mm equivalent lens. Switching between the two cameras is seamless in the iPhone 7 Plus' camera app — just tap the 1x or 2x button and the camera will switch automatically. You can zoom further, up to 10x, but beyond 2x is digital zoom that crops the photo. Apple has also developed a feature that uses both lenses to mimic a shallow depth of field, like what can be accomplished with a larger DSLR. This feature will be available via a software update later this year.

Apple announced that, in removing the 3.5mm jack, the included headphones will work over Apple's Lightning standard. That means you won't be able to connect your favorite headphones to the next iPhone without an adapter (which will be included in the box, of course). Phil Schiller argued that Lightning is already an excellent audio standard, and that the team behind it is showing "courage" by making the shift.

Apple developed its own standard to allow wireless headphones to connect to the new iPhones seamlessly. Using its own W1 chip, Apple designed AirPods — or EarPods without wires — that connect to the iPhone without needing to pair like you would with Bluetooth. Beats has also developed two new headphones running on the W1 chip. The AirPods will set users back $159, and they'll have to wait until late October to buy them. The new Beats headphones will also be out this fall, and range from $149 to $299.

One of the iPhone's most iconic features is gone: the clicky physical button at the bottom of the phone. In the iPhone 7, the Home button is still there, but it's no the longer mechanical one. Instead, like Apple's new MacBook trackpads, the iPhone will provide touch feedback with the Taptic Engine. It's supposed to deliver similarly satisfying feedback, with custom notification buzzes for things like messages and calls. Will it actually be as satisfying? Time will tell...

Apple Watch Series 2

After releasing its first smartwatch last year, Apple is back with what it calls the Apple Watch Series 2. It has all the requisite specs bumps: it has the brightest screen Apple's ever shipped — supposedly twice as bright as the last Watch — and its new S2 chip has a dual-core processor that's supposed to be 50 percent faster than its predecessor. On the outside, its got the same square shape and side buttons, but it now comes in white ceramic along with aluminum and stainless steel. It also includes some snappy-looking new bands, including a custom design from Hermès, and there's a Nike watch model that's aimed specifically at guilting runners into regular exercise.

The Series 2 watches will start at $369, and just like Apple has done for iPhones and iPads, it's keeping the original Watch around as a cheaper alternative. The Series One line, as it's being called now, will be upgraded with the same S2 chip and sold for $269. Preorders will start September 9th, with the watches coming in late October. And watchOS 3, which was announced earlier this year, will be coming to current Watch owners on September 13th.

Apple Pay expands

Apple Pay is coming to Japan in October; in addition to NFC technology, it will utilize a different technology in known as FeliCa. Developed by Sony, FeliCa supports payments for mass transit systems in Japan. The iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 2 will integrate FeliCa technology, Tim Cook said. Apple Pay will also come to New Zealand in October, and Russia later this fall.

Nintendo has some announcements too...

A new Super Mario for iOS

Pokemon Go isn't going to be Nintendo's only big mobile game this year. Super Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamoto took the stage today to announce Super Mario Run — a new installment in Nintendo's long-running series. It looks a lot like the 2D platformer we're all familiar with, but it draws some mechanics from mobile endless runner games, and Miyamoto noted that you can play it one-handed on the subway. There's also a multiplayer mode of sorts, where players compete to collect coins on a map. The game is coming out by the holidays, and at least for now, it’s only on iOS.

Pokemon Go for Apple Watch?

Did you think Super Mario Run was the end of today's Nintendo news? Nope, the company also announced an Apple Watch version of mobile game and social phenomenon Pokemon Go. Granted, there's already a Pokemon Go wearable that will let you catch pokemon and visit pokestops. And the Watch OS app is more about spotting pokemon than catching them; So, you're are still supposed to be pulling out your phone from time to time.

But the app gives wearers visual feedback that Nintendo's simple watchband can't. And it makes Pokemon Go's egg-hatching feature, which encourages players to go out for walks, more convenient and accurate. Hopefully, there'll be no more strolling around awkwardly with your phone in hand ,at least when the app launches later this year.

iOS 10 comes out next week

iOS 10 is officially coming out on September 13th, bringing the next major iOS update to users after spending the summer in beta. This release represents one of the biggest iOS has ever seen. 

It means particularly big things for Siri, which has gotten smart enough to handle image searches and handle transcribing voicemails. But iOS 10 shows Apple becoming much more open, with Siri and iMessage now opening up to developers. Users will also see more widgets and better notifications, and Apple has extended Continuity to include Universal Clipboard, which lets you copy text and images on your phone and paste them on your Mac.

macOS Sierra comes out September 20th

While it didn't make an appearance at the keynote, macOS's next update, Sierra, will officially launch on September 20th. With that release, the old OS X nomenclature will finally be put to rest. 

Of course, that's not the biggest change to come. With Sierra, Siri will come to the Mac, letting you access things like files and email with voice commands. Even more important: the combination of a more mature iCloud and improved Continuity means storing files and moving work back and forth between your Mac and iPhone could be easier and better than ever,well, in theory, at least.

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Leak reveals the new features coming to WhatsApp; Apple Music integration, public groups, larger emojis and more

WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging app is now coming up with Apple Music integration. WhatsApp developers have continuously been adding small yet essential features over time and the pace has increased after WhatsApp launched an official beta testing channel through the Google Play store.A new report says that a beta version of the app comes with a bunch of new features that users might appreciate.

WhatsApp is working on a slew of interesting features, including support for larger emoji, music sharing, public groups and mentions. Apple Music integration is the most interesting feature spotted by users. This feature will help users sends Apple Music tracks as links and the recipient of the links will be able to listen to the music after the link opens the Apple Music App.

This update comes right after the recent update to WhatsApp which allowed users to quote and reply to messages within a conversation. Users have long been about to share Music files saved locally, but now, sharing though Apple Music integration will make things easier. However, for Apple Music sharing to work, both the sender and the recipient have to be paying subscribers. It's not clear at this time whether the feature will support other streaming services. When sharing a track, a small music player will appear complete with album visuals for the song that's being shared, as reported by German tech website macerkopf.de.

Support for large emoji is also something users will love, though there are no visuals for them at this point. 9to5Mac reports that the WhatsApp beta team revealed this week that emoji will match the ones introduced with iOS 10, which are three times bigger than current ones.

When it comes to public groups, anyone with a link to a specific group can post content to it, and admins will be able to shut groups downs when needed.

The mentions feature works pretty much just like it does on Twitter: You can simply tag people in your address book within a chat.

Most of the features will hit the iOS version first and will later come to the Android beta version. Users need to have jailbroken devices to install beta versions of WhatsApp on iOS.

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WWDC 2016: Apple announces iOS 10, Siri for Mac and new iMessage

This year's keynote from Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference(WWDC 2016) is a wrap – but if you missed it, here's a recap of the important announcements you need to know. Over the course of two hours, Apple execs gave us a rundown of all the enhancements coming to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and Mac OS X—which (big news) is now called macOS.

Kicking off the keynote, Apple CEO Tim Cook opens with a moment of silence to honor the victims of the shooting at a nightclub in Orlando on Sunday night.

And then, it all started.

• Apple unveiled iOS 10, the latest iteration of its mobile software, which includes a softer aesthetic, an interactive lock screen, and personalised home screen widgets

• The software update also includes a revamp of Music, News, Maps and HomeKit

• Siri launched on Mac, as it was given a massive makeover that includes voicemail transcription, image search and writing messages

• watchOS and tvOS have been redesigned too, with the Apple Watch becoming faster and more health-focused, and TV gaining enhanced search

• OS X was rebranded macOS, the next generation of which will be called Sierra and come complete with Siri, Apple Pay and auto-unlock. A host of new features also make it easier to work across Apple devices

watchOS 3

Apple announced a number of new and changed features for its WatchOS software. The new watchOS 3 gets several performance boosts and feature enhancements.

Your favorite apps now launching much faster. Apps that used to take several seconds to load now show up in less than a second. You get the dock by pressing the side button, which used to bring up that constellation of apps. And the app previews are live, so you can see and launch, say, Calendar, all from the same place.

Interactions within many apps have been simplified to a single gesture or a tap. To reply to a text, for example, you don't have to pick "Reply," you just tap on a thing or swipe down. The theme here is basically: everything used to take way too long, now it doesn't. There's a new way to write on the Watch called Scribble. It's like Graffiti on the Palm Pilots of old.

Also, there's now an activity face for the watch, which puts those "wow, are you lazy" rings front and center. A new SOS feature, which you get to by pressing and holding the side button, puts you on a call to emergency services directly through your watch. It'll automatically send an emergency notification to your contacts, and show your medical information.

The fitness-tracking app, Activity, now has a sharing feature, so you can rub your accomplishments in the faces of friends and family. Apple has also written new algorithms into Activity for wheelchair users, so their workouts and physical activity can now be tracked with the Apple Watch. There's a new meditation app called "Breathe" that will remind you to spend between one and five minutes doing guided breathing.

Most importantly, Minnie Mouse is a watchface now! Isn't it cute!

These new features will come to all users in the fall as a free upgrade.

tvOS

Apple at the WWDC 16 wanted to say the the future for TV is apps. Well, that's what Eddy Cue, Apple Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services said about Apple's tvOS at the last WWDC, when it introduced third party development on the device. The platform has since increased its video channels offerings from 80 to 1,300.

As expected, Siri will get some enhancements in the updated version of tvOS. The voice assistant can now search the system's database of 650,000 movies and shows using more complex topical queries, such as the "high-school comedies from the '80s" (an example Apple VP Eddy Cue used onstage at today's WWDC keynote).

Siri can also search YouTube if you ask it to, using spoken commands such as "search YouTube for Draymond Green repeatedly assaulting other players."

For streaming channels that include live programming, such as cable-company apps and Watch ESPN, Siri can now launch them immediately without having to waste time around in the menu screen. If you'd rather waste time around in the menu screen without having to wear sunglasses, rest assured there's  now a new "Dark Mode" that turns the background black.

With this year's update, there will be a new remote app in case you misplace the physical remote or need more remotes for multi-player games.

If you hate syncing your cable account to access live TV or video on demand on the Apple TV, the new tvOS has a single sign on mode that lets you log in once to access all the channels available from your cable provider. Cool!

OSX= macOS, iOS 10 and Siri: Biggest announcement of WWDC 2016

Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi started the conversation about OS X out by changing the name to something simple: macOS.

The latest OS version will be called Sierra, with a focus on continuity. For example, if you're wearing an authenticated Apple Watch, you can automatically unlock your laptop just by having that watch nearby. It's a neat little feature… Well, only if you own all the right Apple gear.

There's also Universal Clipboard which lets you copy text from your iPhone and paste on your Macbook, and an iCloud Drive to help offload older files to make room for local documents.

OS X Sierra brings Apple Pay to desktop as well, with a new payment feature that lets you authenticate the payment through your Apple Watch or iPhone via continuity. Again, great for someone who has all the Apple gadgets.

A few more organizational updates bring tabs to any apps, picture-in-picture capacity, and yes, Siri on desktop. She'll be available right on the dock.

For iOS 10, Federighi moves right into demo, with a new lockscreen that has a "raise to wake" feature – comparable to Moto X's active display for glance-able notifications. In iOS 10, you can 3D Touch a notification to reply to messages or apps straight from the lockscreen. Swipe right and you can immediately access the camera.

To round off the updates, Federighi says Siri will be open for developers, allowing you to incorporate her into your apps. With rumors that Apple is working on its own home assistant, Alexa better watch out.

Photos, Maps, Music, News, Home, Phone: Some minor updates

For Photos, you’ll be able to see a map-view of where your photos were taken Instagram-style, and Apple will incorporate facial recognition to sort through who’s in your images, Google Photos-style. It’ll also start creating movies based on photos you took during a recent period of time, if you’re into that kind of thing.

With Maps, there are new recommendation shortcuts for you to find exactly what you want from Maps, such as cuisine types in a restaurant search mode. You can also search for nearby stops on a map route such as a gas station or restaurants and see how long it’ll take to detour over there.

Maps will be open to developers, too. For example, now you can book your dinner reservation from the map through a third party app like OpenTable, then book a ride to go there all via Maps.

For Music, Eddy Cue says it will get redesigned from the ground up with larger photos, and better tabs to find music you've recently added or music you've downloaded. There's a lyrics tab and a daily-curated playlist too, Spotify-style. Hmm, looks like there is an ongoing trend for this keynote.

News gets a redesign too, which shares the same aesthetic as the new Music look with the giant font to separate each sections. You can now subscribe to newspapers and magazines from the News app as well.

HomeKit gets a new Home app so you can control all your internet of things gear. You can even say good morning to Siri so she can set the house ready for you to get going. If someone rings a doorbell, you can get a notification, view a livestream of the front door, and unlock right from the homescreen.

And get this: If you're the kind of person who uses your smartphone to actually make phone calls, now you can get voicemail transcriptions! Third party providers can also help detect spam phone numbers to avoid picking up annoying calls. VoIP can be integrated into the lockscreen, too.

iMessage gets a fun update with invisible ink, letting users tap to unblur a new photo or text. There are new text stylizations that lets you add animations as well, such as “smash,” “gentle,” or “loud.”

Emoji get supersized too – three times bigger in fact – and iMessage can recommend emoji to use or turn all your words into an emoji. What a time to be alive.

As you may have anticipated by now, Messages are open to devs, too.

The developer preview for iOS 10 will be available today, and a public beta will come out in July. The public rollout will arrive in the fall.

Swift Playground

Apple introduced Swift Playground, a new iPad app to help kids learn how to code in Swift right from the iPad. The game-like app lets you learn different principles, like loops or turning specific features (such as gravity or gyroscoping) on and off.

Cook thinks it will help make learning more accessible to millions around the world, but of course that’s provided you can afford to buy an iPad to start.

Swift Playground will arrive with the developer preview today, and will arrive with the public beta and general public with the same timeline as iOS 10. The app will be free to download.

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