In June 2011, Steve Jobs opened his last Apple Worldwide Developers Conference with some insightful words regarding the heart and soul of his beloved products:’If the hardware is the brain and the sinew of the product, the software in the middle is the soul.’ Since Apple released iOS 5 on Oct. 12, many Apple users upgraded the souls of their hardware to the latest in the lineage of Apple’s mobile operating systems.

The company created iOS 5 to enhance the daily lives ofthe users. Apple applied this concept in the new operating system in large part through iCloud, a pivotal feature that shares data on one device with all other devices linked by the user. This service, which uses technology called ‘cloud computing,’ makes the communication between phones and computers a smooth and effortless transaction.

For the non-tech-savvy, cloud computing in this context is similar to you having an invisible yet efficient middleman who takes care of all the footwork. Need to back up your iPhone? No USB required, just send it to the cloud from wherever you are and all data will be properly disseminated and saved.

Evidently, this enhancement really is as simple as it sounds. Stephanie Machado, a junior broadcast journalism major, recently purchased the iPhone 4S and enjoys this streamlined feature, which automatically syncs appointments and reminders in all her devices.

‘iCloud changed my life,’ she said. ‘Before, every time I added a calendar appointment to my BlackBerry I would have to remember to plug it in to my computer.’

As a proud owner of three different Apple products, Michael Weiss, a senior accounting and strategic management major, approves of the new ease of information sharing. He said he finds the integration between all three to be more seamless than ever before.

Another favorite new feature of iOS 5 is iMessage, which makes the iPhone even more of a limb than a machine. iMessage is a more mature and better groomed version of the Research in Motion Ltd., or RIM, messenger service.

This feature works over Wi-Fi or your third-generation (3G) connection and has the same user interface principles as iChat. When communicating through iMessage, you’re informed via text message when your message has been delivered, read and when the other party is typing. 

Weiss cited this new message feature, along with the ability to personalize its features, as a key motivation for upgrading his iPhone to the new operating system.

‘I love iMessage,’ he said. ‘I like how fast my messages are delivered and that you have the option to turn on and off ‘read’ and ‘delivered’ notifications of the messages.’

This may prove particularly useful for students who plan to go abroad, as the communication method can be used solely from a Wi-Fi connection.

‘When I’m abroad, I will be able to iMessage with my family and turn off my texting and calling in order to save money,’ Machado said.

The iOS 5 offers a slew of other new features. The new Notifications Center took a leaf out of Android’s book to make notifications less obtrusive. The operating system’s Twitter integration makes tweeting from an Apple product easier than ever before. Find my Friends, reminiscent of an omniscient Foursquare, allows you to pinpoint the exact location of your friends who are on the app. The list goes on.

The upgrade is available for the iPhone 3G, 4 and 4S. It is also available for the iPad and the iPad 2, as well as the fourth- and fifth-generation iPod Touch. According to research conducted last week by Localytics, one in three owners of the devices capable of running iOS 5 has it installed.

So as you wait for the iPhone 5 to come out, iOS 5 will keep you busy.

Jessica Smith is a senior information management and technology and television, radio and film major. Her column appears every Tuesday. She can be reached at jlsmit22@syr.edu. 

Published on October 23, 2011 at 12:00 pm