Friday 27 January 2017

iOS 10.3 wants to use your info to make iCloud and Siri better

The latest version of Apple's mobile software, iOS 10.3, is out now in beta form, and while some incoming features like a theater-friendly mode and lost AirPod locator are easy to pick out, the other add-ons may not be so obvious.

A new feature in iOS 10.3 lets users send Apple data gathered from iCloud, giving the tech company the resources to improve its products and services, according to TechCrunch.

iCloud Analytics aims to securely gather information from users' iCloud data using what Apple calls differential privacy to make sure data isn't traceable back to its user. 

The feature's description also explicitly names Apple's digital assistant Siri as one of the services that would directly benefit from this iCloud Analytics.

This news comes right after it was revealed that Apple is a founding member of the Partnership on AI - a consortium of businesses including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon that collaborate on advancing and advocating artificial intelligence technology.

This partnership - combined with the data potentially available to Apple following the public release of iOS 10.3 - could greatly bolster the iPhone maker's AI development and help Siri stay competitive against the likes of Microsoft's Cortana or Amazon's Alexa. 

For those worried about giving their information to Apple, the iCloud Analytics feature appears to be opt-in, and users who change their mind are able to opt back out anytime by opening up their device's Settings, tapping "Privacy," then "Analytics," and then turning off "Share iCloud Analytics."



from TechRadar: Phone and communications news http://www.techradar.com/news/this-ios-103-setting-looks-to-boost-apple-services-with-user-data

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