Apple Event: the features that really matter for Remote Workers
Apple's latest Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) brought a lot of excitement with its new announcements. One of the highlights was the introduction of Apple's own version of Artificial Intelligence, a feature they've been quietly working on for years. Alongside this, Apple unveiled iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. Now let’s sieve through all the pop culture updates and focus on the serious features that will affect our work lives.
Here's a breakdown of the most useful features for remote workers that will boost your productivity for the rest of 2024 and beyond.
1. iPhone Mirroring on Mac
A standout feature is the new iPhone mirroring on Mac. This is a game-changer for those who frequently switch between their iPhone and Mac. Now, you can seamlessly transfer documents or multitask between both devices.
Imagine you’re working on a document on your Mac and want to reference a text message or use a specific iPhone app that isn’t available on macOS. With iPhone mirroring, you can see your iPhone screen directly on your Mac, making it easy to drag and drop files or interact with mobile apps without switching devices. It’s seamless and super handy for multitasking. Looks like this feature was referenced from Android emulator apps for windows like BlueStacks and Nox Player.
2. Window Tiling on Mac
Apple has introduced a new window tiling feature in macOS Sequoia. This feature allows you to organise your open apps efficiently by dividing your screen into different sections, much like a puzzle.
Previously, you might have used third-party apps like Rectangle to achieve this functionality, but now it's built directly into macOS and is free to use. Asides Apple keeping up with its unofficial mantra of converting early startups into OS features, this will make multitasking smoother, as you can quickly access and manage multiple apps side by side without any hassle.
3. Enhanced Siri with Text Input
The new and improved Siri is now more productive than ever. One major enhancement is the addition of text input, allowing you to type your queries instead of speaking them. Up until now, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used Siri, and those were mostly for trivial questions like "What’s 1 billion divided by 3?". I haven’t relied on it for any serious tasks or search queries. However, with the new text input method available for Siri, I am confident I won’t need to open a ChatGPT tab in Safari as often.
This makes Siri a more versatile assistant, useful for a variety of tasks from quick calculations to searching for information, without interrupting your workflow. Additionally, if Siri finds a task too complex, it can pass the query on to ChatGPT with your permission.
4. Smart Text Editor Integration
Apple’s new AI integration into text editors is another exciting feature. Whenever you’re typing in Mail, Pages, Messages, or any text input field, Apple Intelligence can assist you. It offers features similar to those found in Grammarly or GPT-based tools, such as rephrasing text, Summarising content, writing tone and more, all in real-time.
This integration means you can write emails, documents, and messages more efficiently, with AI helping you to ensure clarity and correctness on the fly.
5. Priority Summariser
Let’s face it, we all love features that make life easier. Apple’s new priority summariser is a dream come true for the busy professional or DnD warrior. It scans through your messages, emails, reminders, and more to create a prioritised to-do list. This means you spend less time sorting through your inbox and more time focusing on what’s important
For instance, if you’ve missed several important emails during the week, the priority summariser will highlight these for you, ensuring you address the most critical tasks first. This feature is designed to help you focus on what’s important without spending time sifting through every message yourself.
The Drawback
Unfortunately, updates related to Apple Intelligence are only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later, as well as Macs with Apple silicon chips. It’s frustrating that even the iPhone 13 isn’t included. Apple has a tendency to phase out support for older models too quickly, and it doesn’t seem justified. There’s likely nothing the iPhone 15 Pro can do with Apple Intelligence that the iPhone 14 Pro or 13 Pro Max couldn’t handle. If this trend continues, we might see a future where Apple users have to pay a subscription fee to access new features or OS updates.
Conclusion
These new features from Apple are set to make remote work more efficient and enjoyable. Whether it’s the convenience of iPhone mirroring, the productivity boost from window tiling, the enhanced capabilities of Siri, the smart text editor integration, or the helpful priority summariser, there's something for every remote worker to appreciate. As we move into the latter half of 2024, these tools will undoubtedly help streamline your workflow and keep you on top of your tasks.
