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9 Ways Apps Are Harnessing iOS Live Activities

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iOS 16 introduced Live Activities, which is supported by all newer versions of the operating system. We’ll explain what it is and when to use this handy iPhone tool.

What is Live Activities on your iPhone?

With the upgrade to iOS 16.1, Apple has added a tool for everyone who wants to stay up to date. The company defines Live Activities as ongoing, interactive notifications displayed immediately on the lock screen.

Live Activities are widgets that can update information online. Its banners are more significant than standard notifications. That is, you can see the information you are interested in without going into the application, which will be updated as needed.

This innovation first appeared on the iPhone 14 Pro, replacing the notch with the new Dynamic Island. It solves the problem of where to place the camera and contributes to the overall iPhone functionality. Dynamic Island is now the hub for this functionality, working perfectly with the always-on display.

Continuous Development From Apple

A big update added this feature to the Apple Sports app. Now, following sports events has become easier. You can instantly receive live streams of matches of your most-liked teams.

Apple News has also implemented Live Activities to track the US elections, allowing you to stay up to date without interrupting your daily activities. This became a great convenience for users who want to spend their time on something other than checking the news.

Third-party apps also actively support this innovation. Uber Eats and DoorDash simplify tracking food deliveries, and various restaurant and delivery apps offer similar features.

Endless Possibilities of Live Activities

The advantages are obvious: It makes it easier for users to engage with apps and quickly view relevant information. This increases user loyalty and satisfaction.

Live Activities are engaging for the following industries and use cases, among others:

  • Sports – real-time statistics on games & competitions
  • News – breaking news & live ticker
  • Fitness – statistics during your workout
  • Delivery – current information on delivery
  • Entertainment – live updates on events & concerts
  • Travel – flight & booking updates
  • And many more!

How Famous Apps Use iOS Live Activities

The central point of Live Activities support is, for sure, in various sports-related apps. For example, Slopes is used by skiers and snowboarders to track data on each descent and ascent and get information on speed, elevation gain, and distance traveled.

For many, this app allows you to find friends with the same interests. With Live Activities, information about friends on the same slope, the distance covered, and the elevation are displayed on the screen.

1. Mountain App

The Landscape app has approximately the same functionality, only it is designed for climbing mountains, not skiing and snowboarding. In real time, you can track your ascent graph, distance traveled, and altitude gain.

2. Sports App

The Liftin application has launched Live Activities for those who prefer more traditional sports. You can track the number of reps, rest timer, and the duration of each workout set directly from the lock screen.

If you have a recent iPhone Pro, you can launch a workout directly in the application, and all the necessary information will appear on both the lock screen and Dynamic Island.

If Liftin does not work for you, use the SmartGym application. This is a handy tool for weightlifting. Thanks to Live Activities, you can effortlessly track your progress in real time right from your lock screen, making it a convenient tool for fitness enthusiasts.

3. Sports Events App

But what if you prefer not to play sports but follow them? For football fans, the FotMob is a perfect match app. Here, you need to select your favorite leagues and teams, and as soon as a game involving them starts, it will instantly show up on the lock screen.

If you want to track a match not from the list of your subscriptions, then click on the star, and it will immediately be shown on the lock screen.

4. Recipe App

However, the world is not limited to sports. Sometimes you want to eat something tasty. Here, the Pestle application will help. It allows users to import any recipe from the Internet and turn it into a step-by-step process displayed on the lock screen with a special timer.

All you have to do is follow the guide step by step without being distracted by anything. This is a very convenient feature for those who like to cook.

The app also has additional options: creating a shopping list, a 14-day meal plan, and scanning recipes from paper with subsequent recognition. Users note that the app converts recipes into a very convenient format for cooking.

5. Grocery App

Grocery is an innovative, well-designed grocery shopping and meal planning app. Its support for syncing with iCloud and reminders helps you keep your list organized while shopping.

You can easily add shopping list items from Siri and Recipes. Live activity support on the lock screen makes tracking your shopping list or recipe timer convenient.

6. Flight Tracking App

Flighty is an iOS flight-tracking app with a sleek and user-friendly interface. The latest version displays information about your planned trip on your iPhone’s lock screen three hours before departure. You can also check flight status immediately on Dynamic Island.

7. Weather App

Carrot Weather is an iOS and macOS app that shows the weather forecast in its original form. Now, you can see details about weather events like rain or strong winds directly on your iPhone’s home screen or Dynamic Island.

8. Music App

The Soor app is excellent for those who want more than the standard Apple Music app. It works on iPhone and iPad. Now, users can see song lyrics on the screen with Live Active and Dynamic Island.

9. Remote Control App

If you have an Apple TV, a TV remote app is a must-have for every iPhone. Now, the most essential buttons are accessible directly through Live Activity, including on the lock screen and Dynamic Island.

The Live Activities Limitations

In September 2024, it became evident that Live Activities could not be updated as frequently in iOS 18. App developer Nico reported this on X, stating that previously, they could update Live Activities every second. However, starting with iOS 18, they can only update every 5-15 seconds.

Apple explained the change by stating that each update writes data to disk, leading to excessive wear on the device’s NAND storage. The company clarified that Live Activities never intended to deliver “real concurrent experiences,” describing the previous capability as an unintended “API loophole.”

This should not affect Live Activities that have time tracking, such as Uber or Lyft, which display a countdown timer for your arrival time. These apps don’t require frequent data refreshes from the app to function well.

Final Words

IOS Live Activities makes the iPhone lock screen practical for users. It allows them to track real-time information efficiently and conveniently without frequently going to the app. It’s a simple way to stay on top of things, save time, and keep important information at your fingertips!

Balancing Business Growth and Travel Efficiency in 2024

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Traveling has always been an important way of networking and spreading the word about your business. However, it’s also a significant expense on your company’s budget. As much as 50% goes to lodging and air transportation, and every penny can make a difference.

There are a number of ways in which you can optimize your travel costs and efficiency with modern platforms for traveling being at the very top. Depending on the size of your business, traveling can make up a significant portion of the expenses.

On the other hand, going to a certain conference or an event can boost your success in the long run. These tips will help you balance your costs and business growth potential, allowing you to improve the efficiency of your trips.

[Read more…] about Balancing Business Growth and Travel Efficiency in 2024

Why Fleet Maintenance is Crucial for Travel Business?

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Most travel businesses always insist on proper fleet management, but they hardly pay attention to fleet maintenance. With the ever-increasing challenge of catering to all types of customers and the higher costs, businesses must employ effective strategies for smooth business operations.

To steer clear of the issues related to customer satisfaction, fleet maintenance offers an efficient solution for safe and secure services.

While fleet management covers overall fleet availability, vehicle monitoring, and drivers’ performance on the road, fleet maintenance specifically covers vehicle safety, health, and all the aspects of vehicle repairs. [Read more…] about Why Fleet Maintenance is Crucial for Travel Business?

How AI Chatbots Have Transformed the Travel Industry

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The travel industry is witnessing a remarkable transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI).

AI chatbots are rapidly becoming the go-to solution for businesses, offering a range of benefits for both travelers and service providers.

Let’s delve into the specific ways conversational AI is revolutionizing this dynamic sector. [Read more…] about How AI Chatbots Have Transformed the Travel Industry

Tulsa university now offers robot delivery service from Starship Technologies

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The University of Tulsa has introduced Starship Technologies’ robot food delivery service.

From breakfast bagels and lattes to Mr Beast burgers and hot wings, TU students and employees can have meals roll right up to their door anywhere on campus between 7.30 am and 11 pm.

Starship’s fleet of 15 autonomous, on-demand robots will deliver from seven campus eateries: Einstein Bros Bagels; Tulsa Burgers & Wings; SOL Tex Mex; Subway; Benvenuto; Virtual Dining Concepts, which includes Mr Beast Burgers, Tossed Salads, Mariah’s Cookie Boxes, Pardon My Cheese Steak and Buddy V’s Cake Slices; and Dietler Café in McFarlin Library.

The school’s nearly 4,000 students and 1,000 faculty and staff can now use the Starship app (iOS and Android) to order food and drinks from local retailers to be delivered anywhere on campus within minutes. The service works in conjunction with TU Dining Dollars and Hurricane Gold as well as credit cards. [Read more…] about Tulsa university now offers robot delivery service from Starship Technologies

Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at Missouri university

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Starship Technologies, the world’s leading provider of autonomous delivery services, rolled out its robot food delivery service today on the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) campus.

Starship’s fleet of 16 autonomous, on-demand robots will deliver from all campus eateries. The school’s students and faculty can now use the Starship app (iOS and Android) to order food and drinks from local retailers to be delivered anywhere on campus, within minutes. The service works in conjunction with the student meal plan.

Olivia Romisch, student, says: “I’m really excited for these robots! Having the ability to get breakfast delivered right to my door simply with my meal plan will be a lifesaver for early classes and long days.” [Read more…] about Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at Missouri university

Locus granted patent for machine learning models to ‘accurately predict traffic time’ for last-mile deliveries

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Locus, a logistics software technology company (not to be confused with Locus Robotics), has been awarded a patent for “Machine Learning Models for Predicting Time in Traffic”, the second patent awarded to the company in 2022.

Predictability of last-mile deliveries is a logistical challenge that continues to affect businesses across various sectors such as e-commerce, 3PLs, and so on.

Locus’ new patent will enable enterprises to achieve better precision in their last-mile deliveries by factoring in traffic patterns, which have historically been considered too dynamic to map. [Read more…] about Locus granted patent for machine learning models to ‘accurately predict traffic time’ for last-mile deliveries

Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at Missouri State University

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Starship Technologies has rolled out its robot food delivery service at Missouri State University, in partnership with Chartwells Higher Education.

This is the first university in Missouri where Starship delivery robots are providing service. The robots will provide deliveries daily. [Read more…] about Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at Missouri State University

Blendid and Jamba find new customer for their robot-made smoothies

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Blendid, a maker of a robotic machine that makes food, and Jamba, a provider of fruit and vegetable smoothies, are planning to expand their “Jamba by Blendid” autonomous robotic kiosk locations to Love’s Travel Stops, building on the system’s initial deployments in retail locations and college campuses.

The first Jamba by Blendid kiosk piloted at a Love’s Travel Stop will open this summer in Williams, California, just outside of Sacramento, marking a strategic expansion into rest area locations to meet the increasing demand for nutritious quick-serve options for commuters, travelers and professional truck drivers across the United States.

With more than 590 locations in 41 states, Love’s Travel Stops provides professional drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, compressed natural gas, travel items, electronics, snacks, restaurant offerings, and more from coast to coast. [Read more…] about Blendid and Jamba find new customer for their robot-made smoothies

Adapting Robotic Production Lines for a Titanium-Focused Economy

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With the post-pandemic recovery well on its way, the new jobs market has placed a clear focus on hygiene.

According to CNBC, 66 percent of workers want cleaner, even sterile, working conditions, and that’s independent of their industry. Creating the tools and surfaces required to meet this demand will fall on factories and robotic, or automated, machining.

In turn, this will require innovation to work with materials that are conducive to that sterile environment – which poses a challenge to manufacturers and their robotic factory lines. [Read more…] about Adapting Robotic Production Lines for a Titanium-Focused Economy