Apple shows 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' mode on the future iOS 11 featured on iPhone and iPad

In previous reports, Nissan came up with a lifesaving solution that will address the pressing issue of distracted driving in the form of Signal Shield Concept: The vehicle's arm rest compartment will be converted into a Faraday cage-like area where you can place your mobile device and when the lid is closed, the system will immediately set up a silent zone that will block all the phone's incoming and outgoing cellular activities, Bluetooth and even Wi-fi connections. It is really a cool safety concept coming from the Japanese automaker, and now Apple will also contribute to that cause and is now planning to release a safety feature geared towards drivers.

Have you ever gotten the urge to check your text messages, Facebook notifications and Instagram while driving? Apple wants you to stop the dangerous habit with a new feature called "Do Not Disturb While Driving." DNDWD feature was revealed at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference and will be launched as part of iOS 11 for the iPad and iPhone this coming fall. The feature will be activated when the cellular phone will notice that the user is in a vehicle, and is not using Apple CarPlay at that time, and will block any incoming notifications.

Furthermore, it can even send automatic text message replies that will indicate that the phone's owner is currently driving. DNDWD utilizes information about Bluetooth connectivity and adjacent Wifi networks to know if the phone is in a moving vehicle, according to Endgadget. The feature will also be immediately allowed to function when the mobile device is situated in a running car, although passengers or the person behind the wheel with no regard for safety can manually override the feature. IOS will provide the feature with no payment required, and it will be available this fall for the iPhone 5s to the newest iPhone.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that distracted driving has resulted to 3,477 road deaths and 391,000 injuries in 2015. Using smartphones while driving is the most obvious example of distracted driving, and NHTSA commented that sending or reading a text is the most dangerous form.

So any app available in the market that can decrease or eliminate the habit of always checking one's phone while driving instead of looking at the road is always a thumbs up to us. Moreover, it’s always a good idea to set your mobile device on silent mode and ignore it totally while driving. And when using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in a vehicle, drivers may interact with their beloved phones by syncing with the car’s system and utilizing voice commands.

PRESS RELEASE

iOS 11 brings powerful new features to iPhone and iPad this fall

Apple today previewed iOS 11, a major update to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, bringing new experiences and hundreds of features to iPhone and iPad this fall. iOS 11 is the biggest software release ever for iPad, with powerful multitasking features, the Files app and more ways to use Apple Pencil. Augmented reality is coming to hundreds of millions of iOS devices with a new platform for developers to build apps that let users place virtual content on top of real-world scenes. CoreML gives developers on-device machine learning capabilities so they can easily make apps that will predict, learn and become more intelligent. Additional features include the ability to pay friends using Apple Pay, Do Not Disturb while driving to help users stay more focused on the road, even more intelligence and a new voice for Siri and new professional capabilities to Photos and Camera. iOS 11 is available as a developer preview today and will be a free software update for iPhone and iPad this fall.

iOS 11 features deeper integration with Apple Pencil with Instant Markup, inline drawing and more.

“With iOS 11, we’re delivering the biggest AR platform in the world, and it’s available today for developers to begin building AR experiences using ARKit for hundreds of millions of iPhone and iPad users,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “iOS 11 gives iPad users the powerful app functionality they need to take advantage of everything iPad is capable of, and brings hundreds of new features and incredible updates to the iOS apps iPhone and iPad users enjoy every day.”

iPad Becomes Even More Powerful

iOS 11 is the biggest release ever for iPad.

iOS 11 makes multitasking on iPad even more powerful with a new customizable Dock that provides quick access to frequently used apps and documents from any screen, and a redesigned app switcher makes it easier to move between pairs of active apps, used in Split View and now Slide Over. The new Files app keeps everything in one place, whether files are stored locally, in iCloud Drive or across other providers like Box, Dropbox and more, and with Drag and Drop available across the system, moving images and text is easier than ever. Apple Pencil is more deeply integrated into iPad with support for inline drawing and a new Instant Notes feature opens Notes from the Lock Screen by simply tapping Apple Pencil on the display.

AR Experiences for iPhone and iPad

ARKit makes it easy for developers to create new experiences for iPhone and iPad.

Apple is introducing a new platform for developers to help them bring high-quality AR experiences to iPhone and iPad using the built-in camera, powerful processors and motion sensors in iOS devices. ARKit allows developers to tap into the latest computer vision technologies to build detailed and compelling virtual content on top of real-world scenes for interactive gaming, immersive shopping experiences, industrial design and more.

Siri Is Even More Useful and More Natural

Siri is the most popular personal assistant in the world with more than 375 million active devices accessing Siri each month across 36 countries. Using the latest advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, new male and female voices are more natural and expressive, adjusting intonation, pitch, emphasis and tempo while speaking, and can translate English words and phrases into Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish. Siri extends beyond voice, using on-device learning to deliver more personal experiences and offers suggestions based on personal usage of Safari, News, Mail, Messages and more. For example, as Siri learns topics or places a user is interested in while browsing Safari, they will be suggested when typing in Mail, Messages and other apps.

Professional Camera and Photos Features

New Loop and Bounce effects make every photo more expressive.

With iOS 11, Portrait Mode images can be taken with optical image stabilization, True Tone flash and HDR, so every shot looks even more professional. Live Photos are more expressive with new Loop and Bounce effects that create continuous video loops, while Long Exposure can capture time and movement. In Photos, Memory movies are optimized to play in both portrait and landscape orientation, and more memories, such as photos of pets or birthdays, are automatically created. With iOS 11, Apple introduces a new technology called High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) that reduces the file size of every photo taken with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Pay Friends with Apple Pay

Paying friends and family is quick, easy and secure with Apple Pay in Messages.

Apple Pay users will be able to make and receive payments with friends and family quickly, easily and securely. They can send money and get paid right in Messages, or tell Siri to pay someone, using the credit and debit cards they already have in Wallet. When users get paid, they receive the money in their new Apple Pay Cash account. They can use the money instantly to send to someone, make purchases using Apple Pay in stores, apps and on the web, or transfer it from Apple Pay Cash to their bank account.

Do Not Disturb while driving helps drivers stay more focused on the road. Do Not Disturb while driving helps drivers stay more focused on the road.

iOS 11 introduces a new way to help drivers stay more focused on the road with Do Not Disturb while driving. iPhone can detect when you may be driving and automatically silence notifications to keep the screen dark. Users have the option of sending an auto reply to contacts listed in Favorites to let them know they are driving and cannot respond until they arrive at their destination.