iOS 10 public beta arrives today, and this is what you can do with it

Apple's newest version of its mobile software iOS becomes available today for a public test drive. Is the beta for iOS 10 worth it? I've been using it for a long weekend, with a preloaded version on an iPhone 6S provided by Apple. As always, going with a beta OS is a bit of a risky journey on your everyday phone -- if you're curious, read Apple's FAQ and sign up, but I recommend you do it on a secondary device.

iOS 10 does have a handful of things that make it worth trying. That being said, it feels largely familiar at first, or second, or third use. I'd say it's a pretty subtle set of updates: call it the Service Pack for iOS 9. And some things -- like the more advanced Siri that works with third-party apps -- can't even be tested yet because no apps exist that fold into it. So I came away feeling a little less than excited about iOS 10. But hey, as a free update, it has a lot to offer.

f you do decide to download iOS 10's public beta, here's what you should check out.

Raise to Wake: Yes, it's been on Android phones for years, but it's really nice to have on an iPhone. I pick up the 6S and my messages are there. No button-pressing. It also means, since I'm not pressing Touch ID, that I don't just zip past the on-screen notifications. I linger there a bit longer. Now, however, you have to press the Home button to get past the lock screen, which sometimes feels like one step too many (or I've become truly lazy).

Bedtime reminders come to iOS in the Clock app. Sarah Tew/CNET

Gentle wake-ups: Did you know that iOS 10 has a new bedtime and wakeup reminder system in the Clock app? It's pretty great. Similar to what Fitbit just added, it recommends a bedtime schedule to stick to. In the mornings, it'll wake you up with gentle, rising music. New tones are available: "Early Riser," "First Light," "Helios" and "Birdsong." My morning music test was a lot more comforting than the stock set of Apple alarms. I slept through a few minutes of music, but I still woke up on time.

Apple Music gets a fresh look, but a similar function. Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple Music: The beta shows off Apple Music's touted new redesign. It's really just a fresh coat of paint, but it does make finding things seem a little simpler. Menus are cleaner. I still think there are too many features and alleys in the Apple Music labyrinth. Apple hasn't claimed the new Apple Music will be any more or less harsh to your iCloud Music library (mine has been mutated over time the more I've used Apple Music, as downloads have weirdly merged with my own files). So far, I've noticed it's easier to search for things.

Lots of novelties in Messages, like emoji translation. Sarah Tew/CNET

Messages get funky: You've probably heard, but Messages can now do all sorts of wacky things. Open the app and try it with someone else who has iOS 10 beta. Invisible ink. Slamming. Super-large emoji. Balloons, lasers, stickers. You can type something and have the emoji-translating keyboard convert words for you. Scribbling on video clips, sending simulated heartbeats like Apple Watch: it's all there, but scattershot. I found it hard to locate where all the parts were. Messages will support third-party apps, but right now all you can play with are four sticker packs that just feel like more emoji.

Delete Stocks, or iTunes, or nearly anything: You can remove Apple's core nonremovable apps...or most of them. No, they're not really erased, but they do disappear from your phone. They can be restored via the App Store like a regular app. Be careful, because you might forget which apps you've removed! It's a welcome thing for Stocks and News (or Apple Watch if you don't want to buy one), but some apps still can't be removed: Health, Photos, Wallet. Or the App Store.

Automatic collections sometimes feel random. Sarah Tew/CNET

Photos gets Memories: All your photos in Apple's iCloud Photo Library are now scanned using machine learning to collect into moments, or are organized by faces and places like Google Photos. This worked with my photo library, splitting things up in various discoverable categories. It took a day to get everything scanned, but then I saw Memories such as "Best of the Year 2015," "United Kingdom 2014 Trip," "Best of Last 3 Months" and "Father's Day 2015." The only problem was, I couldn't play any of the Apple-generated memory videos that collate your bests into a musical montage like Google and Facebook already do. Maybe it's a bug.

Selfies straight from the Control Center. Sarah Tew/CNET

3D Touch Notifications, app widgets and Control Center: If you have a 3D Touch iPhone 6S, there's more you can do now. Apps now have little widgets with extra info, and the control panel has new settings for things like flashlight or the camera. I'm not wild about the Control Center redesign, which shifts music playback to a second pane and doesn't add anything new to the first pane. Home appliances will appear in a third pane if you add things to Apple's Home app. But the extra use of 3D Touch could mean a lot less app opening down the road.

Yes, a Home app: Confused about Smart Home? Apple's new app is here, and it lets you connect HomeKit-ready appliances in one convenient place. Unfortunately, I have no HomeKit-ready appliances. And the app didn't start me off in a way that helped me understand what I needed to buy next. So I couldn't test it.

Predictive text: You can type something like "I'm free at," or "Where are you," or "What is Jane's phone number?" and iOS 10 will fill in the missing pieces for you. In theory. For me, it didn't work. I have no idea why. Maybe you'll be luckier.

Redesigned Maps: I actually tried driving using the new design, and the clean look made it easier to see on a dashboard. But the third-party apps that can hook into Maps aren't here yet.

Redesigned News app: I'd say the redesign here is so subtle you might not even notice it. And, you may or may not have even used Apple's News app in the first place. It's a fine news aggregator, but nothing great.

I'd say iOS 10's first beta on the iPhone adds up to some useful additions, but nothing that's hugely groundbreaking. And I started to find all the various sub-features and functions confusing to keep track of, or even to manage.

The biggest improvement it could bring still isn't here: third-party apps that can hook into these new, more open features like Messages, Siri and Maps. Whether apps will step up and make the most of it remains to be seen. There's more to come with iOS 10, of course: this is just the first dip in the pond. The full feature set is still not fully available to use.

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iOS 10 public beta arrives today, and this is what you can do with it

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Which phones can’t be hacked: Apple, Windows Phone, Android or BlackBerry?

How do Apple, Windows, Android and BlackBerry fare against hacking? Lets take a look

While the technology world is waiting with bated breath for the final decision in the ongoing battle between the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and Apple over a government request for a backdoor to the iPhone used by San Bernardino terrorist Syed Rizwan Farook, it exposes the issue of security that has for long been the selling point in smartphones that dates back to the long-encrypted BlackBerry.

“The tech industry tries to build the most secure products possible,” says Harvey Anderson, chief legal officer at computer security company AVG Technologies.

On the market today, there is no genuine way for consumers to keep themselves secure against the privacy concerns raised by likely government-instructed backdoors in mainstream phones.

That’s the reason why some people believe that the Apple-FBI fight may give tech companies a long-term motivation to build products that are safe which cannot be hacked. “If Apple had done it right, and no backdoor was available (to iPhone 5c), this would not be an issue,” Anderson said.

Jonathan Zittrain, an Internet law professor at Harvard Law School says that the Farook case in the end “compels Apple to build a next-generation, ultra-secure phone”.

How secure is my phone compared with the other brands available – will be the question on any ordinary users’ mind who are concerned about privacy until such new, super-secure phones are built.

Here’s is a summary:

Google’s Android operating system :

According to comScore MobiLens, phones that use the Android operating system with 53% of market share are the most popular worldwide and in the United States.

These Android phones come in many favors. Google made the decision to give away its software when it first launched Android in 2007, and not tie it to any one device or carrier. That means that today there are exactly dozens of marginally different types of the Android operating system running on phones built by multiple companies and using the cell networks of dozens of companies.

Four out of five smartphones are powered by Android worldwide, due to the openness that makes Androids cheaper and popular. However, it also means that based on what flavor of the operating system is being used, such as what the hardware is and which carrier the phone runs on, the phones’ security can vary enormously.

The latest version of Android, Marshmallow, that was released last October is used on new phones, the phone is fully encrypted on all devices that support a secure lock screen. However, older phones that were updated to Marshmallow may not be fully encrypted as they may not meet the necessary requirements.

Though stronger versions of encryption are possible, Android Marshmallow uses AES 128-bit encryption as the default. Generally used in phones, Advanced Encryption System is a standard first established by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. The bigger the bit number, the more tougher it is to break the key. However, anything from 128-bit on up is regarded as reasonable, as the key length is normally not the weakest link in a phone’s security.

The open app system of Android is considered by many as the main security threat to Android phones. While Apple’s apps must all be examined by the company to run on its phones, Google allows users to run unapproved apps as well. An outsider can be allowed access to the phone, if the apps that are not purchased from Google’s own app store can contain malicious code.

Samsung’s Knox (most probably after the super-safe Fort Knox) is an example of a feature built around security. Knox that was first announced in 2014 works only with selected Samsung phones, as it integrates directly with the hardware.
Apple’s iPhone:

Apple is mostly considered as having the most secure mainstream phones on the market today, a place once held by BlackBerry. Since the release of iOS 8 in 2014, all Apple phones have been fully encrypted. The system uses an AES 256-bit key from iOS 9 forward.

The company’s rigorous inspection process and firm sandboxing system that keeps apps from accessing other apps keep Apple phones protected from malicious apps.

At present, Apple has about 41% of U.S. smartphone market share.

Microsoft’s Windows mobile operating system

The first version of Microsoft’s mobile platform was the Windows 8.1 operating system that supported full-device encryption. However, it comes disabled by default and the phone’s administrator must enable it.

Windows 10 Mobile also support encryption, which must be turned on by the customer.

Currently, Windows handsets are not believed to be very susceptible to app-based attacks, partly as the platform has a somewhat small app library that is basically believed to be relatively free of malware.

BlackBerry Inc.’s BlackBerry OS:

For those wanting strong security, the BlackBerry was the device of choice for years, as they offered a safe network and chip-level hacking protections that was lacking in others. For at least a decade, BlackBerry’s have been fully encrypted.

However, Blackberry is no longer a feasible option for many companies, as the phone’s market share had shrunk to less than 2% in the United States in 2015.

Other smartphones :

There is a phone with high security and high prices to match for those for whom security is vital.

By default, Silent Circle’s $799 Blackphone 2 provides full device encryption. The enterprise-grade phone works through Silent Circle’s own Silent OS, an operating system built around privacy and with Android.

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Which phones can’t be hacked: Apple, Windows Phone, Android or BlackBerry?

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