iOS 7 Beta 2 Arrives With Bug Fixes, iPad Version

Apple on Monday released the second beta of iOS 7, exactly two weeks after the first iteration of the software was doled out to developers.

The new version promises only to fix bugs and contains other undocumented "improvements."

But the big new thing in this release is a version of the software for iPads -- both the regular and Mini models. The first version of the software only came for iPhones and iPod Touches, with Apple promising to add support for other devices as time went on.

The software requires developers to sign a privacy agreement, but that hasn't stopped numerous developers and some blogs from posting extensive hands-on previews of the new OS.

It's been standard practice for Apple to roll out several beta versions of the software before it's released to the public, which Apple has said will happen in the fall. In terms of how many more of these to expect, iOS 6 had four different beta versions between its June debut and late September release last year.

Perhaps not since 2010's iOS 4 (which brought multitasking) has there been quite so much scrutiny on just what Apple's up to with these interim updates. iOS 7 is a massive visual and, in some cases, functional overhaul of the versions that came before it, and many things are expected to change before it's officially released.

Update: The software also brings back a reworked version of Apple's voice memos application, which has been a built-in utility since 2009's iOS 3.0, though was not provided in the initial beta of iOS 7. 

Facebook App Update for iOS

Facebook for iOS has received an update extending the newly introduced activity emoticons in status updates to the Facebook app along with a few other features. Facebook had introduced the "How are you feeling" status options back in April. The feature entered its roll out phase in India last month.

The options offer drop down boxes featuring emoticons and activities such as watching, reading, listening to, drinking, and eating. After selecting an activity that involves media, the status update also includes an image and link to the content's Facebook Page. The option comes in the form of a smiley on the status window. Clicking on it lets you choose the "What are you doing?" activity. You can then add the name of whatever you are watching, reading or eating and it is accompanied by an icon supporting it.

Another addition to the application's features is with regards to privacy. Facebook has updated the quick Edit privacy feature to modify who you want to share a post with. You can choose people from lists or groups and keep your privacy concerns in check. The feature has existed earlier on Android as well as iOS, but the upgrade makes it quicker and refines it.

Another new feature is the ability for users to start a new conversation with photos they receive in messages. So, you can now tap on a photo received in a conversation in order to share it in another message and initiate a new chat. After you tap on an image, you get the option of "Send in Message" with which you can further choose who you wish to send the image to.

iOS 7 for iPhones: 7 Things You Must Know

 Apple Inc. unveiled 'the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone' on Monday. The iOS 7 (seventh iteration) for iPhones and iPads was pioneered by Jony Ive, senior VP of design. iOS 7 signals a shift from icons that look like their real-life counterparts to a flat look.

iOS 7

 

iOS 7 WILL BE AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER

Here are six of its best features.

CONTROL CENTER: Android users have had a robust notification centre for a long time. Apple finally gives iOS users quick access (swipe up) to connectivity options (WiFi, Bluetooth), music playback, essential apps and user profiles.

MULTI-TASKING: At last, iOS enables true multi-tasking. Your apps will update in the background, and iOS learns your usage and updates accordingly. If you use Twitter a lot, your timeline will be refreshed more often, giving you instant notifications.

MOMENTS: The Photos app has been redesigned to include Moments. It organizes photos based on the time and location, so if you zoom out, you will see all photos clicked in a month or year or at a particular location.

AIRDROP: Already available on Mac- Books, AirDrop is now on iOS. This feature allows quick sharing of files between supported Apple devices. Available only on iPhone 5, iPad (4G), iPad mini and iPod Touch (5th generation).

SIRI: The voice-based app now sounds like a real person, and adds integration with Twitter, Bing search and Wikipedia.

iTUNES RADIO: With over 200 radio stations and the large catalogue of music from iTunes Store, iTunes Radio aims to be the best music discovery service in the market. This is free with ads for all users, while iTunes Match subscribers (Rs 1,200 per year) can use it without ads.