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Privacy, productivity and performance: macOS Sonoma raises the operating system bar

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Apple on Tuesday unveiled its latest macOS update, named Sonoma after the scenic region in Northern California. With the update, Apple has brought a number of improvements and features, especially the new desktop widgets. There is a whole lot of new happening with this version of macOS. Let’s check it out:

Brand New Widgets

Sonoma takes widgets to the next level by making them more interactive and accessible than before. So far one could find widgets in the Today view, but now they have a permanent home on the desktop. Users can customise their placement and when unused they will blend into the wallpaper.

With Continuity, iPhone’s widgets will now be synced with your Mac.

Enhanced Video Conferencing

In the latest update to the macOS, your virtual meetings will become even more professional and exciting. The Presenter Overlay video effect takes the top spot in the new features, it allows you to put your avatar at the center during screen sharing, adding a personal touch to your presentations.

Also, the new Screen Sharing picker makes app sharing during calls easier than ever. The Reaction feature adds balloons, confetti, and hearts based on hand gestures.

Better Privacy on Safari

Some of the noteworthy updates in Sonoma are dedicated to Apple’s Safari web browser. Private Browsing mode will be locked behind Touch ID whenever the user steps away from the computer.

The browser’s search feature will now make better suggestions. Users can also create separate profiles, each with its own history, cookies and extensions.

Introducing Game Mode

The new Game Mode will optimize gaming performance by giving priority to CPU and GPU resources. It means more consistent frame rates and a much smoother gaming experience overall.

This new feature will also reduce audio latency with AirPods and minimize input lag with Xbox and PlayStation controllers.

Improved Siri, Autocorrect, and Dictation

There is a complete overhaul of autocorrect features that will provide more accurate corrections. Siri now responds to a simple “Siri”, you don’t need to call out “Hey Siri” every time.

Speech recognition has also been improved, making dictation easier and better.

Message and Mail apps enhanced

All the emojis in Messages can now be used as stickers. Users can even turn their Live Photos into custom stickers. With the introduction of filters in the app, searching through your messages is more efficient.

The system will autofill one-time verification codes, which are received in Mail, directly in Safari. It will eliminate the need to switch between apps. The app will also prioritize travel-related emails.

Samsung planning to introduce blood glucose monitoring with Galaxy Watch 7

There have been whispers about Samsung’s ambition to equip their wearable gadgets with a neat trick: noninvasive blood sugar monitoring. They’ve been tinkering with this tech for a bit, and it seems like their upcoming wearable might be the one to bring this feature to the table.

Fresh off the press from South Korea, word has it that Samsung is gearing up to roll out blood sugar monitoring capabilities with the Galaxy Watch 7 this year. SamMobile recently reported that the Galaxy Watch 7 is slated for its grand reveal on July 10, 2024.

Back in January this year, Hon Pak, the bigwig heading up digital healthcare at Samsung Electronics, talked up the company’s efforts in cracking the code on noninvasive blood sugar monitoring via their wearable gadgets. He made it clear that Samsung was pouring in some serious cash to make this dream a reality.

Just a while back, Pak caught up with the advisory board crew of the Samsung Health platform at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. They dove deep into talks about blood sugar monitoring, diabetes, and how AI could spice up Samsung Health.

Now the buzz is that Samsung is likely to throw in blood sugar monitoring into the upcoming Galaxy Watch 7 lineup. But here’s the twist: they might label the smartwatch as an electronic gadget rather than a medical device, mainly because of all those pesky regulatory hoops to jump through.

Don’t count out the chance that this cool feature might also pop up on the Samsung Galaxy Ring, their debut smart ring slated for release later this year. But whether it hits the ground running with the first version is anyone’s guess. Samsung might keep some of the fancy stuff for the second edition of their smart ring.

Moreover, In the next few months, Samsung is gearing up to unveil its latest foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Word on the street is that both phones will pack the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. But hold your horses—Samsung might be cooking up something different, as rumors are swirling about the Z Flip 6 getting tested with an older chip.

The US model of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (SM-F741U) made a cameo in Geekbench’s database not long ago, flaunting the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip (dubbed Pineapple) and 8GB of RAM. But guess what? The same model number has been spotted rocking the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip (codenamed Kalama) and a beefier 12GB of RAM.