Continuity: a new level of interaction between the mobile and Apple desktop OS

Apple wants us to buy more devices, insisting on the position that computers, tablets and smartphones - they are completely different types of devices with unique usage scenarios. However, the company does its best to make the best device to work in conjunction with each other. Many users, buying one iPhone or iPad, to buy in the future, and the Mac, on all sides by surrounding himself with the ecosystem Apple.

If you also confess that philosophy, then with the release of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite your faith will be rewarded. We gradually received the integration of various functions and services in both the operating system over the past three years, but releases this year, will lead the integration of mobile and desktop operating system to a new level and it's all thanks to technology Continuity. It can not be considered a feature of the new OS, because it provides a range of options, each with its own mode of operation and the different hardware requirements. Just as we previously told you about

implementation and expansion work in iOS 8In this article we will focus on the technology that lies behind features such as the integration of call, Handoff and AirDrop.

---

iCloud: closer integration

Since its release in iOS 5 - iCloud was the official way to sync between your iOS-devices and Mac computers. And it was really convenient: just login to your new device with your Apple ID, like all your contacts, email, bookmarks, passwords and other data immediately found themselves on their usual places.

To work with virtually all the Continuity features require iCloud, even if through the cloud is not transmitted any data. Apple has made use of the Apple ID more versatile, allowing you to keep all your content under control. Function Family Sharing, for example, makes it possible to exchange media files and applications on multiple devices using different Apple ID. This will save you from having to log in under the main account to download applications, thus making confusion in the iCloud, iMessages and Facetime.

If you use one Apple ID on your Mac and iPhone, you can enjoy all the benefits The Continuity, provided that your device is compatible with specific functions (for more information about compatibility, etc.).

Phone calls in OS X

The process of making voice calls on a Mac, via a cellular network operator, described in the documentation is quite superficial, but because of the information available at this time for sure it is known that the device must be connected to a network Wi-Fi (it is likely that for the poppies will also be allowed on an Ethernet connection, but it is now confidently say this you can not). Apparently, this feature does not use Bluetooth in general (as opposed to Handoff) and does not require support for peer-to-peer connections for Wi-Fi (like AirDrop).

Thus, voice calls, unlike the rest of the Continuity features, seems to be the only function running on iMac and MacBook Pro lines in 2007. Data will be transferred within your local network, not via the Internet.

The operating principle of Bluetooth 4.0 as an example iBeacon

Continuity-all functions except voice calls, in addition to Wi-Fi, tied also to Bluetooth 4.0 technology (also known as Bluetooth Low-Energy). To understand what it is due, it is important to know about some features Bluetooth LE, which are clearly visible on the example of Apple's own software - iBeacon.

The first consumer device that supports Bluetooth LE, was the iPhone 4s. And although the standard was approved back in 2010, the massive integration of these modules into gadgets began not so long ago. The smart watches and other wearable electronics, he used to communicate with smartphones and tablets, Apple also uses it to iBeacon operate the function, which was introduced in iOS 7.0, as "new technology is expanding the definition of services locations in iOS ". Beacons and iOS-devices communicate with each other via Bluetooth LE, determining the user's location and providing context-sensitive functionality for applications and services.

Beacons use "advertising" component Bluetooth LE, which allows very little information to send packets at various intervals (from 20 ms to 10 sec). These packages have a size of 47 bytes 10 bytes for official purposes, 6 - to MAC-address and 31 - for useful information.

In the case of iBeacon, Apple uses the 20-byte packets, which can fit a surprising amount of data. This 16-byte unique ID for the application developers (your lighthouse in the mall), 2-byte tag core location (shopping center in San Francisco), and 2-byte tag additional locations (electronics department at the mall San Francisco). Bluetooth LE modules in iOS-devices periodically scan these beacons and as soon as they are discovered - the application will offer you a variety of things, once you get close to the store during the movement on it, or when you're away from it (provided that you are allowed to use the location for the respective applications). It is important that transmitted a hefty amount of information using the least amount of resources that has almost no effect on energy consumption.

New AirDrop: when the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi work together

When Apple announced at WWDC that AirDrop will support transfer between OS X and iOS - Hall responded applause. This begs the question why this was not done originally? After all, and on OS X, and iOS AirDrop functions were, but they were completely incompatible.

It turns out that AirDrop in iOS 7 uses the same "advertising" opportunities Bluetooth 4.0, which is built on the work iBeacon. Devices "overlap" each other, declaring that they are available for receiving data. When you try to send a file, your device scans are a number of devices and shows you a list of available. As soon as the recipient confirms the transfer of - will create peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection that will be sent and data. Apple uses for this standard, such a Wi-Fi DirectWhich however is not compatible with conventional Wi-Fi Direct (used on Android-devices). From the combination of these features and hardvarnogo will depend - AirDrop if your device is supported or not. For example, iPhone 4s has a Bluetooth 4.0 module, but it does not have a compatible Wi-Fi chip, so AirDrop on it will not be supported.

Transferring files AirDrop in OS X Lion, Mountain Lion and Mavericks also works through peer-to-peer connection, but to search for nearby devices used Wi-Fi. It has a logical explanation - at a time when it was presented AirDrop feature, Bluetooth 4.0 modules were equipped with only a few models of the entire line poppies. Therefore, the use of Bluetooth would cause compatibility issues on older devices.

To date, the necessary Bluetooth LE modules available in the vast majority of poppies, support OS X Yosemite (They got them for 2011-2012), so that the transition to this technology is almost not affect the lion's share users. List of computers with AirDrop enabled as follows:

• iMac (since 2012);
• MacBook Pro without Retina-display (since 2012);
• MacBook Air (starting in 2011);
• Mac Mini (from 2011);
• Mac Pro (starting in 2013);
• MacBook Pro with Retina-display (all models);

This list covers the device last 2-3 years, but in comparison with the full list of devices that support OS X Yosemite - it is still relatively small.

Judging from early reviews of users in OS X Yosemite is still a conventional support AirDrop, you pozvolyayuyuschaya transfer files from one poppy on the other, so we can assume that as an option, and it will remain in the final release. We believe part of the users remain on OS X Mavericks, to use the operating system with the "pre-Ayvovskim" design, as some users are stuck on OS X Snow Leopard, not wanting to use the iOS-like interface and functions imposed by Apple in later releases.

How does Handoff

One of the key functions Continuity is Handoff, which in fact can dramatically change the experience of using Apple-devices. Performing any actions that you have started to do on OS X, you can without any problems to continue on mobile devices, or vice versa. How, then, these miracles come to life?

First, as in the case of voice calls, we need iCloud, and Handoff to work on all your devices must use the same Apple ID. Connect to each other, they will also be via Bluetooth, but the process is automatic and requires no user intervention).

Once you are logged into the same iCloud-account, our old friend Bluetooth LE will be responsible for the fact that some devices know which actions you perform on the other. Open the Web page on the iPad and other devices in the area will be able to open it at any time, if you want it. Thus Handoff icon will be displayed in the lower left corner lokskrina and making a swipe at it - you open the appropriate application, prodolozhiv work from the same place where it was stopped at the other device.

Also, application icons using Handoff, will be displayed on the multitasking bar to the left of the home screen. they will be placed in the dock, on the left of the icon FInder and application switching menu (⌘Tab) - In OS X Yosemite is also a special place reserved for them.

Making tap or click on the icon Handoff, you will immediately switch to the actions carried out on another device. At the same time the continuation of the activity provides for even such trifles as the scroll position on the page you are reading. Data transmission does not occur on the LAN (as in the case of calls), peer-to-peer connection (as in AirDrop) or Bluetooth. Most likely, for these purposes is used iCloud, which in turn tells us two things. In the first place - will work on the iPhone 4s (thanks to the module Bluetooth 4.0) and secondly - for Handoff necessarily an active internet connection.

According to Apple information, a list of supported devices Handoff is as follows:

• All iOS-device supporting iOS 8 except iPad 2
• iMac (since 2012);
• MacBook Pro without Retina-display (since 2012);
• MacBook Air (starting in 2011);
• Mac Mini (from 2011);
• Mac Pro (starting in 2013);
• MacBook Pro with Retina-display (all models);

As is the case with AirDrop, it is likely that the poppies were not included in this list will work with Handoff, using Bluetooth 4.0 external adapter, but the final release this claim it is impossible.

Handoff for developers

Now, when we figured out what iOS-devices and poppies will be able to work with Handoff, let's try understand that they can (and can not) do about third-party developers using the provided API Apple.

Before you can use Handoff in their applications, developers will have to attend to the presence of universal action, which should be the same in both versions of the application. For example, Apple Mail shared reading and writing email, as two different actions. If you are a developer of cloud storage client, then you will have a true separation activity while viewing a text document and the spreadsheet. For these purposes the class NSUserActivity, Items of work which are described in detail here.

Handoff to work using the same API, which you'll need to build into their apps for both platforms to tie the similar user actions. Herein lies the greatest limitation Handoff - he can only work with applications built by one developer.

Thus it becomes impossible scenario using different applications on the desktop and mobile device. You can not pass a tab from Chrome on OS X's Safari on the iPad, as well as a message from Outlook in the Mail. That is, users who do not use the standard Apple applications will be some inconvenience and while developers have implemented in their support Handoff app, you will not be able to take advantage of this function. But even then, you still remains partially limited because can not use Handoff, if you prefer to "mix" applications on different platforms.

And although this restriction is not happy, this mechanism means that developers will be able to transfer data from one application to another, even if they are not 100% indentichny. For example, Microsoft Office, which is on the iPhone is a single application and is divided into separate applications in OS X. If you divide the work with different file types for different types of activity, then Microsoft will be able to transmit data from Word on the Mac directly into the application on the iPhone or iPad.

For developers who prefer to use native applications on iOS and the web version on the desktop (such as Google Docs or Facebook), Apple has provided various APITo enable them to confirm their ownership of specific domains and use the Web-based applications in conjunction with the iOS-applications.

Finally, for those types of activity in which the user interacts with the same data on multiple devices at the same time, used Continuation Streams, Allows the use of bi-directional communication between two devices via iCloud. We do not know what the delay in this case will be, but Apple engineer Keith Stettenfild claimed at the WWDC, which flows work "fairly highly effective way."

results

Talk about the quality of implementation of all the declared functions Continuity is still early, so at this point it may be noted only one drawback - limited compatibility as a poppy, and iOS-devices. The rapid evolution of hardware stuffing smartphone always meant that some of the new features and functions will be available only on the latest devices. Owners of older poppies, too, sometimes remained behind, what happened with AirDrop and restore OS X via the Internet.

Continuity - this is one of the key features of both operating systems, however, lack kopeck Bluetooth LE module (~ $ 30) leaves your computer, worth thousands of dollars by the wayside.

(via)