A Closer Look at 'Handoff' and Other New iOS 8/Yosemite 'Continuity' Features

[MagnusVonMagnum]

So this "handoff" concept is the reason Apple has been destroying professional quality applications and dumbing them down with new versions sans most of their features so that they could run the minmalist iOS version instead and thus be able to "handoff" the app between the two?

While in principle, it sounds neat to be able to do such a thing, it's a shame that it has to be at the expense of the software's capabilities on the Mac. I guess if they move to ARM, it won't really matter anymore since the iPad (in a clam shell or whatever form instead) will BE your "Mac" from then on. Welcome to the dumbing down of the computer, the Internet and the population that uses it. I couldn't help but notice how messages pretty much chooses your words for you now. At some point, it will just go ahead and reply FOR you and make the decisions as well using artificial intelligence, freeing you up to stare at more commercials (which are currently at a 20 minutes of commercials for a 60 minute program ratio or a 3 hour for a 2 hour movie despite the fact that hardly anyone watches them (skip them with the DVR or get your stuff from iTunes or wherever and don't even have to skip them).

Heck, I remember the days when we had really high tech phones. Those phones actually allowed you to use VOICE CALLS where you could talk hands free and not have to use your thumbs to type fractured sentences or stare at a screen that could get your killed while driving. Somewhere along the line, phones got DUMBER and required "texting" instead of talking. Imagine that. Slower productivity and more danger for what? ZERO benefit. Frankly, people don't need to know what you're doing at work. Obviously, you're not working if your texting and if you weren't texting, you should be WORKING. I wouldn't be shocked if companies started an automatic zero tolerance FIRING policy if they catch you texting on company time. I would. I'm not paying you to chat with your friends. IT CAN WAIT.

 

[solamar]

Dont confuse Handoff (for apps) with the SMS/Voice calling feature.. They are in same general concept, Continuity, but use different API's. The handoff feature uses iCloud mainly to push document and App info to other device. Even 3rd party apps can do 'Handoff'.. i.e. 1Password on Mac to 1Password on iPad.. Even Microsoft with Word could use Handoff from the Mac to an iPad or iPhone..

However, you do need to be on same WIFI network for SMS/Voice as your iPhone is and we're not getting official API access to the SMS/Voice feature. Also, the Voice/SMS feature is most certainly encrypted...

----------

I would definitely say you're wrong.. There was some dumbing down at first.. but with the A7 and likely continued development, I think the iPad and iPhone are in truth SMARTING-UP! They are catching up to where the Mac is and we will in the next 3-5 years see little difference between them other than processor architecture..

So this "handoff" concept is the reason Apple has been destroying professional quality applications and dumbing them down with new versions sans most of their features so that they could run the minmalist iOS version instead and thus be able to "handoff" the app between the two?

While in principle, it sounds neat to be able to do such a thing, it's a shame that it has to be at the expense of the software's capabilities on the Mac. I guess if they move to ARM, it won't really matter anymore since the iPad (in a clam shell or whatever form instead) will BE your "Mac" from then on. Welcome to the dumbing down of the computer, the Internet and the population that uses it. I couldn't help but notice how messages pretty much chooses your words for you now. At some point, it will just go ahead and reply FOR you and make the decisions as well using artificial intelligence, freeing you up to stare at more commercials (which are currently at a 20 minutes of commercials for a 60 minute program ratio or a 3 hour for a 2 hour movie despite the fact that hardly anyone watches them (skip them with the DVR or get your stuff from iTunes or wherever and don't even have to skip them).

Heck, I remember the days when we had really high tech phones. Those phones actually allowed you to use VOICE CALLS where you could talk hands free and not have to use your thumbs to type fractured sentences or stare at a screen that could get your killed while driving. Somewhere along the line, phones got DUMBER and required "texting" instead of talking. Imagine that. Slower productivity and more danger for what? ZERO benefit. Frankly, people don't need to know what you're doing at work. Obviously, you're not working if your texting and if you weren't texting, you should be WORKING. I wouldn't be shocked if companies started an automatic zero tolerance FIRING policy if they catch you texting on company time. I would. I'm not paying you to chat with your friends. IT CAN WAIT.

 

[mvmanolov]

Can someone tell me if i have the necessary hardware to enjoy Handoff and continuity?

i have:

iPad 2
MacBook Pro 15" & iMac 27" (both 2011 models, late 2011 for MBP)
and iPhone 4S.

i think my macs aren't bluetooth 4.. if they arent, can i simply buy a bluetooth 4 dongle for them both?

does my iPhone 4S have bluetooth 4?

gee mate, is called the "about" section on all your os's .... infer at your fingertips believe it or not...

 

[krravi]

I'm pretty sure the proximity sensing is Bluetooth based (its a function of iBeacon) and the current app state is handled over iCloud.

After all, they gotta find something to do with those MASSIVE data centers they've built.

I am afraid that at this rate and the huge data traffic between the cloud and the users...the ISP mafia is going to demand money from Apple just like they did with Netflix.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Dont confuse Handoff (for apps) with the SMS/Voice calling feature.. They are in same general concept, Continuity, but use different API's.

I'm not confusing them. I'm talking about two different things. One is that the APPS on the *MAC* have been getting dumbed down by Apple for awhile in favor of compatibility with iOS versions.

The texting thing is more about all the coverage of these big improvements to Messages, when nothing is more convenient than actual talking. I watch people text at work all day long. They stop WORKING to answer some dumb arse question from their wife, a friend, whatever. I'd fire their arses if it were up to me.

I would definitely say you're wrong.. There was some dumbing down at first.. but with the A7 and likely continued development, I think the iPad and iPhone are in truth SMARTING-UP! They are catching up to where the Mac is and we will in the next 3-5 years see little difference between them other than processor architecture..

It's not the iOS software that I'm saying is being dumbed down. It's the Mac Apps that got dumbed down to be compatible with the iOS versions. Yes, they will "improve" from there again, but why should the Mac versions get penalized to begin with? It's only for sake of compatibility with iOS. That's not a good reason, IMO. Mac software should be BETTER than the iOS versions. But since many seem to think (even hope) that future Macs will be ARM powered, I guess it won't matter. You just have a big smart phone instead of a real computer some day. It will be an appliance instead of what many of us think of as a computer. That's fine for some things, but some of us prefer an open model with real power. The company that keeps delivering that will get our business.

 

[Dr Kevorkian94]

Yea......I can't get Handoff to work, I'm running iOS and Yosemite Betas and its just not working. Do I have to turn it on or something?

 

[Chatter]

So this "handoff" concept is the reason Apple has been destroying professional quality applications ... IT CAN WAIT.

Agree man. This new fangled stuff is crap. Remember when the rotary phones made sure you had to stick a finger in to dial? No stupid screens to tap on like monkeys.

 

[Trik]

Yea......I can't get Handoff to work, I'm running iOS and Yosemite Betas and its just not working. Do I have to turn it on or something?

Check my earlier comment on page 3.

 

[Mr.Mong]

I think, when you have iWatch on you, the only closest devices near you will ring.

 

[diegogaja]

Get off my lawn you darn kids!!!

So this "handoff" concept is the reason Apple has been destroying professional quality applications and dumbing them down with new versions sans most of their features so that they could run the minmalist iOS version instead and thus be able to "handoff" the app between the two?

While in principle, it sounds neat to be able to do such a thing, it's a shame that it has to be at the expense of the software's capabilities on the Mac. I guess if they move to ARM, it won't really matter anymore since the iPad (in a clam shell or whatever form instead) will BE your "Mac" from then on. Welcome to the dumbing down of the computer, the Internet and the population that uses it. I couldn't help but notice how messages pretty much chooses your words for you now. At some point, it will just go ahead and reply FOR you and make the decisions as well using artificial intelligence, freeing you up to stare at more commercials (which are currently at a 20 minutes of commercials for a 60 minute program ratio or a 3 hour for a 2 hour movie despite the fact that hardly anyone watches them (skip them with the DVR or get your stuff from iTunes or wherever and don't even have to skip them).

Heck, I remember the days when we had really high tech phones. Those phones actually allowed you to use VOICE CALLS where you could talk hands free and not have to use your thumbs to type fractured sentences or stare at a screen that could get your killed while driving. Somewhere along the line, phones got DUMBER and required "texting" instead of talking. Imagine that. Slower productivity and more danger for what? ZERO benefit. Frankly, people don't need to know what you're doing at work. Obviously, you're not working if your texting and if you weren't texting, you should be WORKING. I wouldn't be shocked if companies started an automatic zero tolerance FIRING policy if they catch you texting on company time. I would. I'm not paying you to chat with your friends. IT CAN WAIT.

 

[Jayse]

How crazy is it that we can receive texts now on iMessage? This is amazing.

Nope, it's magical.

 

[kramerdude]

Mac call?

Anybody try to call Dre's number?

 

[Trik]

Yep. No problems with SMS.

It's strange, when I attempt to reply to an SMS I've received, it attempts to do it via iMessage, and fails. (for obvious reasons).

 

[NT1440]

I am afraid that at this rate and the huge data traffic between the cloud and the users...the ISP mafia is going to demand money from Apple just like they did with Netflix.

Apple, and I hate them for doing it, has been negotiating their fast lane with comcast for quite some time now.

 

[joshuaclinton]

I was able to solve my problem by logging out of iCloud on my rMBP and then, logging back in again. I would try that on both your Computer, and then your iDevice as well if it isn't working. I tested with both the Maps and the Mail apps after logging out of iCloud and then logging back in on my rMBP.

For those interested: rMBP Late 2013 & iPhone 5s.

Also, make sure this box is checked in System Preferences -> General (see attached)

This fixed it for me! Thank you!

 

[mvmanolov]

Agree man. This new fangled stuff is crap. Remember when the rotary phones made sure you had to stick a finger in to dial? No stupid screens to tap on like monkeys.

nono, i do think he makes some good points... i'm with him on the texting bit and driving... whatever happened to hearing a voice on the phone... i personally like that, and get rather irritated when people text me and not call... mainly because it's much faster, social and pleasant (for me) to speak to the other person...


the firing on the spot bit however i think is a bit much, especially given how business F employes on pay, benefits, time off etc. etc. etc....


as to the dumbing down i don't disagree either... in fact pages is so far behind word (in my case academic writing) that i try it every so often and quickly give up....

that being said... i think Magnus is overstating his case, but at the same time given the context (making a point!) not necessarily a bad ting... we are talking about it after all....

 

[krravi]

Apple, and I hate them for doing it, has been negotiating their fast lane with comcast for quite some time now.

I can't believe Netflix caved in and set the standard. But you know unfettered capitalism is licensed mafia, what do you do.

 

[NT1440]

I can't believe Netflix caved in and set the standard. But you know unfettered capitalism is licensed mafia, what do you do.

Bow to the Monopolies, they have always been the masters of the middle and lower classes in this country.

 

[zombierunner]

hopefully next year's update will allow phone calls on ipad via 4g

 

[agsmith87]

This fixed it for me! Thank you!

So what Mac do you have?

 

[Dr Kevorkian94]

Check my earlier comment on page 3.

Ive looked through your solutions and non seem to be working, ill keep trying though.

 

[HenryDJP]

Yet another feature taken from Android.

You have absolutely NO idea what you're talking about, PERIOD.

 

[agsmith87]

Ive looked through your solutions and non seem to be working, ill keep trying though.

I've noticed that I can't "Forget this Device" on my iPad or iPhone - that is, I can't forget my computer. I've noticed the bluetooth icon connecting and disconnecting like crazy as well.. And I can't even forget the iPad or iPhone from the computer... I think something is up there, considering they work fine with each other.

 

[freefall722]

I'm not confusing them. I'm talking about two different things. One is that the APPS on the *MAC* have been getting dumbed down by Apple for awhile in favor of compatibility with iOS versions.

The texting thing is more about all the coverage of these big improvements to Messages, when nothing is more convenient than actual talking. I watch people text at work all day long. They stop WORKING to answer some dumb arse question from their wife, a friend, whatever. I'd fire their arses if it were up to me.



It's not the iOS software that I'm saying is being dumbed down. It's the Mac Apps that got dumbed down to be compatible with the iOS versions. Yes, they will "improve" from there again, but why should the Mac versions get penalized to begin with? It's only for sake of compatibility with iOS. That's not a good reason, IMO. Mac software should be BETTER than the iOS versions. But since many seem to think (even hope) that future Macs will be ARM powered, I guess it won't matter. You just have a big smart phone instead of a real computer some day. It will be an appliance instead of what many of us think of as a computer. That's fine for some things, but some of us prefer an open model with real power. The company that keeps delivering that will get our business.

I agree that the dumbing down of mac apps has been a pain but I think this years WWDC showed the marked improvement the apple software teams have now with shared code bases. For the past few years software updates have been slow and often buggy coming out of apple which is uncharacteristic of them. I believe much of that has come from the expanded code base they've had to maintain with the addition of iOS and iCloud.

Pooling all their development resources last year by bringing all their apps into alignment I think was the right bet. You can really feel the acceleration in software development in their announcements this year.

 

[69Mustang]

"Handoff currently works with the following Apple apps: Mail, Safari, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Maps, Messages, Reminders, Calendar, and Contacts. There's also a Handoff API for developers, which will likely see Handoff capabilities added to a range of different apps."

When Handoff gets into the hands of 3rd party developers I might get a little excited about it. Right now it only works with stock Apple apps I never use. Better 3rd party apps dominate my MBA and iPad (better for me). Even still, as of yet, I can't think of a need for Handoff in my workflow.

Maybe this is more for someone "all-in" with Apple. I have Apple, Android, MS and all of it works great together. It might grow to be useful for me down the road, who knows.