Paul Stenhouse: Apple's latest devices have been announced
Saturday Morning with Jack Tame · Newstalk ZB
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Show Notes
Apple's latest devices have been announced. The big breakthrough is the ability to send emergency messages via satellite on your iPhone
This is a game changer for anyone who gets outdoors tramping, boating, fishing, kayaking, mountain biking - now if you get lost, injure yourself or just generally require emergency assistance you'll be able to get a message out.
How it works. You try calling 911 and if there is no signal it will give you the option to send a message via satellite. You won't type the message, you'll follow a series of prompts to indicate the type of situation you're in and the assistance you need. It'll take around 15 seconds to send, longer if you're under trees.
The tech uses satellite technology covering almost everywhere in the USA or Canada that can see the sky.
This is more than just an investment in the phone tech. Reuters reports its spent $450 million on satellite infrastructure, and has set up an emergency operations center to contact emergency services on your behalf.
Apple says it'll be free for the first two years, and has plans to make it a global service.
The 'always-on' display
Now on the iPhone. Android fans will scream out that they've had this feature for years - which is true. Apple has gone the extra step though to allow your iPhone background to also be displayed, meaning the whole screen stays always-on. It uses specialized screen technology which allows each pixel to be controlled individually, including its brightness.
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