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Caavo's universal streaming remote packs machine vision for $100
Caavo's first shot at a smart universal remote (and the hub to match) was clever, but expensive -- at $399, you had to be a serious enthusiast to enjoy it. You might not have those qualms this time around. The company has unveiled the Control Center, a combination remote and hub that includes much of the intelligence with a $100 up-front price (more on that later). It gets there in part by cutting many of the bordering-on-overkill features you saw in the original hardware. Gone are the wood panels, the hidden browser to sign you into services, an infrared adapter and half of the eight HDMI inputs. The core, however, is familiar: it's a media center overseer that uses machine vision to juggle all your devices.
iOS beta explains WiFi and Bluetooth controls with notifications
As we noted back in September, iOS 11's Control Center buttons don't actually turn off Bluetooth or WiFi, unlike previous versions. Instead, tapping on either one simply disconnects you from any devices or services your iPhone is currently connected to. Apple ostensibly made this change so that you could stay connected to other services like AirDrop and devices like your Apple Watch. Still, the behavior can be confusing to many. According to MacRumors, the latest iOS 11.2 beta gives you an explanatory notification when you tap either Control Center button.
iOS 11's Control Center buttons don't fully turn off Bluetooth or WiFi
If you've updated to Apple's new iOS 11, you might have played around with the new Control Center. You also might think that toggling Bluetooth and WiFi "off" in the Center might actually, you know, turn them off. Turns out, you'd be wrong. As noted over at Motherboard, hitting these buttons really only disconnects you from any WiFi or Bluetooth devices you might be connected to.
Controls+ brings a little bit of iOS 7 Control Center to OS X
Since the first day that I laid eyes on iOS 7 in June, one of my favorite features has been Control Center. Let's face it -- it's much easier and quicker to just swipe up from the bottom of my iPad or iPhone screen to get access to frequently used controls than to either go into settings or launch an app. Now It's About Time Products is introducing Controls+ (US0.99 intro price through October 18, $4.99 after that point) to the world in hopes that they can provide the same convenience as Control Center to Mac OS X users. When installed and launched, the only indication that Controls+ is running is a small icon in the menu bar that looks like an iOS 7 settings toggle switch. Click on that icon, and you have access to all of the features of Controls+. At the current time, Controls+ includes the following features: Adjust your display Brightness Wallpaper -- drag and drop images to change the Mac wallpaper Start the screensaver Turn on the Flashlight (turns the entire screen white) -- great for video chatting in a dark room iTunes Controls Play/Pause Next/Previous iTunes volume View album Cover And more... Timer Stopwatch The app's developer told TUAW that he intends to continue developing new capabilities for the app, and that he would like to hear from early adopters about what features they'd like to see in future updates. Controls+ is available through October 18 for $0.99 and the price will go up to $4.99 after that. In my personal opinion, I think the app is reasonably priced for a buck and overpriced at the $5 level, considering the current limited functionality. However, I like the concept and the execution, and think that Controls+ could really grow into a useful time-saving utility.
iOS 7 Control Center and Notification Center: Information and settings on the fly
My favorite feature in iOS 7 is the Control Center. Having such a feature was the one reason I jailbroke my phone under previous versions of iOS. No more; the Control Center handles almost all of my desires when it comes to instant access to my most-used iOS settings. The Control Center and the Notification Center go hand in hand, but let's take a look at the Control Center first. Before you get started using it, go into your Settings and take a look at the Control Center options. You have two: the ability to access it on the lock screen and access within apps. I have both of these activated, but at the very least, I advise having the lock screen option activated. There are five rows on the iPhone version of Control Center. The first row features toggles for Airplane Mode, WiFi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb and the Orientation Lock. The second row lets you set your brightness. The third row is a mini music player. It'll let you know what song is playing, gives basic controls for music and adjusts volume. The fourth row provides access to AirDrop with compatible devices and AirPlay. As you can see, my soon-to-be-departed iPhone 4S doesn't support AirDrop, so it doesn't show on the screenshot. The final row has quick access to several apps: a built-in flashlight (finally), clock, calculator and the iPhone's camera. The iPad setup of the Control Center puts all of these into two rows and is a bit different. AirDrop is on by default, and there's only quick access to the camera and clock functions. I've been greatly pleased with Control Center on both my iOS devices. The one thing I wish is that you could customize what appears in the control center. I'd switch out my little-used Bluetooth toggle for the ability to turn my internet tethering off and on quickly. I'd like the ability to choose which apps I want to quick launch from Control Center, especially useful if you favor a third-party camera app such as Camera+. Notification Center Notification Center is a lot like its predecessor in iOS 5 and iOS 6, except it now features the same sheer overlay as the Control Center. Like the Control Center, it can be accessed from the lock screen. The best new feature is a clear, concise view of what's coming up today. As you can see from the image above, the weather is gorgeous in the Harrisburg area; it would take me about six minutes to drive to Enola from my apartment; and I have an upcoming meeting. This screen can be customized in settings to show different items in the today view, and I love how you can check off items on the Reminders list. The traffic update is one of the best features of Google Now that made its way to iOS 7. You can toggle among three different tabs to look at items specifically for today, all your notifications or the ones that you've missed over the past day. To dismiss notifications, you still have to go under the all section and clear them by app. I wish you could just swipe away them away.
Control Center finally brings quick toggles to iOS
OK, Apple, you got me. "It's iOS 7," I groused to our newsroom after Craig Federighi ran through the changes in Notifications. "Can we please get quick toggles for bloody WiFi, Airplane mode, etc.?" And the next thing out of Federighi's mouth was the new Control Center. Let's be real, this is a feature that should have been a part of iOS at least five versions ago. But, I'm glad it's here now, and it is gorgeous. Control Center can be accessed from anywhere on the iPhone with quick access to basic settings like Airplane mode, WiFi, Bluetooth and Do Not Disturb, as well as orientation, brightness toggle, media control, AirPlay, AirDrop and apps. There's even a flashlight. It's gorgeous, it's much-welcomed and it's so far my favorite feature in iOS 7.
iOS 7 to include Control Center for quick-access settings
For many iOS users, one of the most sought after features has been a quick access panel for common settings, much like what they've seen in other platforms. They'll have it -- iOS 7 is introducing Control Center for just that purpose. A swipe up from the screen bottom now lets users change wireless modes, Do Not Disturb, screen brightness and music playback from wherever they happen to be in the OS. There's also quick shortcuts to the camera, calculator, timer and (at last!) a flashlight. To say Control Center is overdue might be an understatement, but we're glad that it's finally here. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190886%
