Google’s Gboard keyboard now lets you communicate through Morse code on both Android and iOS

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Google today announced that it is bringing Morse code as an input method to Gboard for iOS. The company first integrated Morse code into the Android version of Gboard (in beta form) shortly after its I/O 2018 keynote. Alongside the debut on iOS, Google says it has made numerous improvements to the Android experience, too.

When activated, Morse code fills the keyboard area with two large dot and dash icons. As you tap the icons, word suggestions will appear at the top of the on-screen keyboard just as they do when you’re using the QWERTY version. Google has created a Morse Typing Trainer game that it says can teach users Morse code in under an hour. You can play it on both mobile and desktop.

Read More from The Verge Here

US Mobile Data Use, Cell Sites Set New Records in 2017, Industry Group Says

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U.S. wireless users set another record for mobile data consumption last year, according to a new industry report.

The results of CTIA’s Annual Wireless Industry Survey indicated that Americans used 15.7 trillion megabytes of data in 2017, a 14.3 percent increase compared to 2016 and about four times the amount of data used in 2014.

In addition, the 323,448 cell sites in operation at the end of the year also set a U.S. record. Cell sites increased 5 percent compared to 2016 and were up more than 50 percent over the past decade — a pattern that CTIA officials said represented the beginning of investment in the hundreds of thousands of small cellular sites needed to build 5G networks.

Another sign of the shift to 5G and the Internet of Things, the group added, was a nearly 20 percent year-over-year jump in data-only devices, such as wearables, IoT devices and connected cars.

Read More from Wireless Week Here

Make your phone’s battery last longer, every day

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Your cell phone is only as good as its battery. Once its power source runs out, so does your ability to call, check email, and pinpoint your location on a virtual map. Almost everyone has run unexpectedly low, frantically searching the local Starbucks for an open socket.

It could be the way you are charging your phone. You’re not supposed to leave it plugged in all night. Learn the right way to charge your phone and get the most out of its battery.

If your smartphone’s battery keeps tapping out before the day is over, there are a few tweaks you can do to help it along. Certain functions in your smartphone are constantly draining your battery. Most of these features you don’t necessarily need and turning them off can do wonders for your battery life.

Now, if you have an older iPhone, it could be the battery itself. Apple is offering to replace some iPhone batteries for $29. Check to see if your iPhone battery should be replaced for better performance.

 Read More from USA Today Here

Princeton Department of Public Safety among the first to deploy new 911 technology

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For nearly a year, the department has been involved in beta testing and development for RapidSOS NG911, an Internet Protocol-based system that gives emergency responders rich data about 911 callers. Apple announced June 18 that it is partnering with RapidSOS, an emergency communications startup, to provide accurate location information to emergency dispatchers receiving 911 calls from iPhones.

“Since August of 2017, the emergency call management system at Public Safety has been integrated with the RapidSOS NG911 Clearinghouse for testing this solution,” said Paul Ominsky, executive director of Princeton’s Department of Public Safety. “The results were incredible, and the announcement by Apple means that Princeton University’s Department of Public Safety will be among the first call centers in the nation to be able to take advantage of this fast, accurate caller location information when calling 911 from an Apple device.”

Princeton University’s Communication Center is the first in New Jersey to test and deploy this technology and is among a handful of early adopters nationwide.

The 911 location service will be operational later this year with the rollout of the next generation of Apple’s operating system, iOS 12. A similar announcement from Google regarding Android phones is hoped for in the near future, said Keller Taylor, infrastructure operations manager for the Department of Public Safety.

Read More from Princeton University Here

Apple releases iOS 11.4.1 and blocks passcode cracking tools used by police

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Apple today released iOS 11.4.1, and while most of us are already looking ahead to all the new stuff coming in iOS 12, this small update contains an important new security feature: USB Restricted Mode. Apple has added protections against the USB devices being used by law enforcement and private companies that connect over Lightning to crack an iPhone’s passcode and evade Apple’s usual encryption safeguards.

If you go to Settings and check under Face ID (or Touch ID) & Passcode, you’ll see a new toggle for USB Accessories. By default, the switch is off. This means that once your iPhone or iPad has been locked for over an hour straight, iOS will no longer allow USB accessories to connect to the device — shutting out cracking tools like GrayKey as a result. If you’ve got accessories that you want to continue working after your iPhone has been sitting locked for awhile, you can toggle the option on to remove the hour limit.

Read More from The Verge Here