Originally published at: https://tidbits.com/2020/06/22/ios-14-and-ipados-14-echo-android-and-newton/
iOS 14 promises a tight package of new features, many of which have existed in Google’s Android for years, while iPadOS 14 takes those features and mixes in a bit of Newton handwriting recognition. Egg freckles, anyone?
Do we know yet if the Pencil features will work with both gen of Pencils on all the iPads that support pencils? Hoping this isn’t just an iPad Pro feature.
Ditto @morwen’s comment. However, there is a report on CNET that it will require an updated pencil at least.
As someone on the NewtonTalk mailing list said now we just need the Dates and MoreInfo apps that were for the Newton Message Pad to be ported to iPadOS
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App Library seems odd to me. I already do that. My most used apps are on my first two pages. Everything else is in folders on the third page. I’m not sure who needs App Library when anybody who wanted that functionality already was able to do it themselves.
Widgets seem nice. I could imagine wanting weather and calendar list view as a widget on every app page. But that would likely cut space for apps in half and then I’m facing 4 pages to swipe through. Not so sure I’m willing to pay that price just to get to weather and calendar with one tap less.
I’m anxious to hear about performance. I haven’t heard Apple mentioned much apart from time to first picture reduced. I would have liked to see an improvement to overall snappiness in iOS.
I like this feature. Will all iOS 14 iPhones get it?
Ah - remember the days when we could rearrange iPhone icons using iTunes on a Mac? Now it is tedious and prone to mistakes using iPhone gestures.
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All the supported iPhones have a motion coprocessor on the die and basically the same sensors. They all have sufficient motion sensing for various fitness tracking so I expect they can support these accessibility Back Taps.
Because the iPod touch lacks GPS, it doesn’t have all the same sensors as iPhones but my hunch is it has what it needs for this feature.
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I wonder if a bunch of patents just expired.
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More little things courtesy of Six Colors:
From the way it looked to me, it seems like the icons in the libraries will be smaller than those outsideit, but the folder itself will be transparent, so some will be visible. I also suspect that if you don’t want to use one, or any, libraries, you won’t have to. I just hope that they will stay the way I set them up.
One area I’ve seen almost no media coverage about is Apple’s plans for HomeKit. A small segment mentioned a new proposed standard for home automation and that Apple was working with other major vendors to integrate their systems and IoT devices. They also mentioned that facial recognition would be coming to doorbell cameras.
The market for home automation is deeply fragmented with expensive devices and uncertain compatibility. I’d love to see more coverage about this.
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It was interesting that they talked about it as much as they did, since it has gotten relatively little play outside of a few keynote presentations.
Hopefully @jcenters can learn more about what Apple was talking about and write something about it later this week. (Yesterday just about killed us—we were writing and editing nonstop for about 9 hours, starting after lunch.)
I will definitely be writing more about HomeKit and Apple TV soon.
Hi Josh - For your research see the Homekit link that I provided here
I have to admit I was slightly underwhelmed watching the Keynote until they mentioned Scribble. Wow, finally Newton comes to iOS! This will greatly enhance the Notes app which I use a lot. Thank you Apple! 
Now I just need to decide on a new iPad… 
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