7: Better Controller Support
We’ve been able to use Bluetooth keyboards with our iPhones
and iPads for years, but iOS/iPadOS 14 goes a very welcome
step further. Mouse/trackpad support is no longer a throwaway
feature tucked away in the Accessibility options. The new
operating systems bring support for the mouse and trackpad to
the fore, with better, more highly integrated options. Gamers will
be happy too. Support for Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Wireless
Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller are added, as are
custom button mapping, force feedback and specialty features
like motion sensors, lights, and battery level.
Keyboard support has been improved with the gamer in
mind. Before, you couldn’t register more than one press input at
a time when using a keyboard, but with iOS/iPadOS 14
multitouch input is catered for. This is especially welcome for
first-person shooter fans, as without it, you couldn’t shoot and
move at the same time, and platform games, where you
couldn’t previously tap the Jump button without letting go of
the direction key first.
8: Sensational Siri
Apple’s own personal digital assistant goes from strength to
strength in iOS/iPadOS 14. Its user interface has improved, with
a new, compact design replacing the previous full-screen
experience. The Siri indicator appears at the bottom of the
screen. When you ask it for information or give it a specific task,
this is shown atop the screen like a notification. It’s great when
you need Siri while using an app. An example demoed during
Apple’s keynote is using Siri to add items to a grocery list while
looking at a recipe in Safari. The Reminders app appeared, not
as a full-screen entity, but in a widget at the top of the screen.
It’s not all about the user interface, though. Siri now curates
information from across the web, allowing it to answer more
complex questions such as ‘How do hybrid cars work?’ or ‘What
causes seasons?’ In iOS/iPadOS 14, you can use Siri to send an
audio message through the Messages app, and keyboard
dictation – which also uses Siri voice recognition – runs on your
device instead being processed online, for greater accuracy and
privacy. For translation, Siri now supports 65 languages and with
the new Siri-powered Translate app, you can translate entire
conversations on the fly too.
6: Cycle Support
Cyclists will be pleased to hear they’re being catered for in iOS/
iPadOS 14 in a number of ways. The Maps app, for example, is to
include cycling as an option when getting directions. Elevation is
taken into account, as are dedicated cycle paths where
applicable. If you drive an electric car, Maps can show you where
compatible charging points are too.
The cycling routes through San Francisco displayed during
the keynote have come in for criticism from Californian cyclists,
who argue they’re poorly chosen as they take no account of the
murderous hills for which the city is famous. But the feature is,
like the operating system, still in beta and may yet improve
before its final release this September.
AppleUserMAGAZINE
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