If you're like me, the announcement of another hot new gadget all your friends are talking about is not so much exciting as it is stressful.  Sure, I'm just as plugged in as the next girl (once I get the hang of an app or website), but oftentimes it feels like everyone's already moved on to the next thing by the time I figure it out the latest trend.  I don't have Tinder.  I can't remember my Spotify password.  I still don't really understand what an iPad is for.  But as technology unavoidably becomes more and more integrated into our careers and lives, it's important for professional women to be able to keep up.  Which is why I decided to actually learn about the new features of the upcoming iOS 8 update - so you don't have to.

7.1 TW

Here are my tech tips about all of the cool new changes coming your way (if you own an iPhone) this fall, along with my translations of what they actually mean for you.

1) Messaging

Your boring old text messages just got a lot more multimedia.  Similar to the messaging platform WhatsApp, the new iMessage lets you send audio of your actual voice, take videos, and share your location with friends.  A new predictive text feature additionally helps you complete your sentences with context-sensitive suggestions (it even remembers your personal tone of voice).  In other words, a fancy computer robot is reading your emails.

Translation: Like AutoComplete but more annoying.

2) Pictures

All your iCloud photos, organized by date and time, in one place.  While this was already a feature of the iOS 7, the iOS 8 kicks it up a notch.  The upgrade not only adds some funky new editing tools—straightening, cropping, and adjusting light and color — to the mix but also lets you search for pictures by date, location, and album title.

Translation: Those incriminating Cabo pics you really wanted to forget about will be more accessible than ever.

3) Family Sharing

If you share the same credit card with your parents, siblings, children, or anyone else, now you can share media too.  Any music, books, movies, and apps purchased by an individual family member automatically gets uploaded to everyone's (up to six people) devices.  It's also easier to share family photos, create family calendars, and generally know where everyone is at all times (creepy, but I'm pretty sure that part is optional).

Translation: Here's your excuse to read that digital copy of 50 Shades of Grey you just know your mom has.

4) Health

A new framework called HealthKit consolidates all the data from that disorganized pile of fitness apps you've been hoping might motivate you to get in shape one of these days.  Heart rate, calories, cholesterol, blood sugar - all in one place, like a doctor's appointment except all of the time.  This feature is especially important for iPhone users with health conditions, who can put any information that might be important in an emergency (hypertension, allergic to penicillin, doctors' contact info, etc.) onto a card that anyone can access, without needing your passcode.

Translation: Another reminder of how long it's been since you went to the gym.

5) Notifications

With the upgrade, notifications will become interactive. Basically, what this means is you can reply to messages, like Facebook posts, and delete new emails without ever leaving your Instagram feed. It's also possible to respond to notifications while your phone is still on the Lock Screen, although it's unclear how exactly they're going to prevent your little brother from doing the same.

Translation: As if you weren't multitasking enough before, now you can do everything on your to-do list at the same time.  Or at least pretend you can.

 

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