Novelties of iOS 7.1

So you heard Apple released iOS 7.1, the latest update to its operating system, right? Have you updated? If not, you're not alone. A huge number of people I know either haven't heard of the update or having done it yet. Even the biggest Apple lovers have held off a bit on this update.

Why? Well, initial reports were bad. Very bad, in fact. Claims of even faster battery drain and trouble connecting to your wireless carrier flooded social media, causing most of us to hesitate on the update. You'll find some great advice here and here when it comes to dealing with battery life issues; I've been using a few of these tricks from since the 7.0 update and haven't had battery problems since.

But there's plenty of good about the update as well. Here's a roundup of the best new features.

#1. Major Improvements to Siri.

I love Siri (and, good lord, so does my daughter), but I've found the functionality somewhat limited. Frankly, I primarily use her if I need to send a quick text but can't type. But Lance Whitney over at CNet has a list of great tips about how you can make Siri work better for you. After reading his list, I made my Siri British for no good reason except FUN.

#2. Visual Changes That Improve Functionality and Accessibility.

I didn't know others had the same trouble I did after the iOS 7 update; I called it "fat fingers," but apparently the real problem was a lack of definition on the keyboard, making typing harder than necessary. Apparently this was a common complaint, and you'll notice that the keyboard is subtlety more defined and easier to use. But there are a host of other improvements that help increase accessibility, such as bringing back button options for text prompts and changing the visual look to decrease eye strain (I'm prone to migraines, and have found the "decrease white point" option mentioned in the article linked above to really help ease my discomfort).

Related: 10 tech relics you'll have to explain to your kids

#3. Car Talk. Okay, I mean Car Play.

I've been wanting a new car for ages, but Apple's new Car Play features is definitely fueling the flames. With a pretty beautiful integration, you can use your phone while driving much more safely. My car doesn't even have a USB port, so I can't testify to it's greatness, but the folks over at Engadget sure seem to like it. Of course I'm highly unlikely to ever have a Ferrari, Mercedes, or even a Volvo so it will be a while before I get to try it.


/Yahoo/