The next big mobile software update iOS 7 could release on September 10th according to an email sent by Nuance to its developers. Nuance is the company behind voice recognition and dictation on the iPhone. On Monday, the company sent an email to developers using its API to prepare for the General Availability of iOS 7.

Apple does release upcoming software updates to its partners ahead of release date however, its partners knowing the software roll out plans for general public is something that is unheard of.

In the past, Apple has released the Golden Master version of the operating system  to developers on the same day it announces next-gen iPhone. Giving enough time to developers to fine tune their apps before the update is made available to all before the launch of new iPhone.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are expected to be announced on September 10th and could launch to the first set of countries by September 20th with pre-booking going live about 3-4 days in advance.

iOS 7 is the biggest update since the original iPhone OS. The new update offers a completely new look to iOS devices. With the all-new control centre, multitasking and new gestures the new version of iOS will redefine Apple’s smartphones and tablets.

While iOS 7 may “shock” those who have grown to love the skeuomorphic design language of the existing iOS, overall iOS 7 makes things appear simpler and passing on the focus to the content rather than design ornamentation.

{via TheNextWeb}

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas always brings to light the newest and most advanced technology related to the mobile devices industry. Often during this event, many company’s unveil iPhone cases and other technology for Apple’s iOS devices. During the first official day of CES 2013, Hyundai, a leading South Korean car manufacturer, announced that it will now support Apple’s “Siri Eyes Free” feature in some its newer cars. The company has synchronized Siri’s commands with its infotainment systems inside of the car.

As a result, users can seamlessly make calls directly through their phones, listen to texts, and play music without having to go through a layer of software from Hyundai. The system does, however, require an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 6.

The Siri Eyes Free feature was introduced alongside iOS 6 and is slowly becoming standard with car manufacturers, with Hyundai being the tenth auto maker to adopt the new feature. Other companies include, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler, Honda, and GM. GM only supports two models, the Chevy Sonic and Spark.

With Siri Eyes Free, drivers now have Siri as a universal technology on their mobile devices, computers, and now their cars as well. Hyundai has also added other technology to help make the experience with voice navigation and Siri much better for drivers:

Dragon Drive: Developed by Nuance, this automotive-grade voice services platform enables drivers to speak naturally and conversationally with in-car systems for tasks such as dictating messages, searching for music, finding real-time weather and asking for directions.

Mobile High-Definition Link: Delivers 1080p60 uncompressed video with up to eight channels of digital audio from a mobile device to a dashboard display, all while charging the device.

Next-Generation Hardware: Hyundai’s new vehicles will feature the latest hardware with high-resolution multi-touch displays, Bluetooth 3.0, and Wi-Fi/3G connectivity options.

{Via AppleInsider}

Apple has been rumoured to be working on system-level voice controls and many hoped that the introduction of iOS 5 during WWDC would unveil the new functionality. Apple’s purchase of Siri and reports about a deal with Nuance is believed to pave the way for voice commands coupled with Siri’s AI technology on iOS devices. 

According to 9to5 Mac’s sources Apple has been developing a new feature called “Assistant”. It will reportedly allow users to give voice commands and “Assistant” will be able to look up information stored on the device to take appropriate action. Siri Assistant for iPhone does exactly that but, Apple would certainly be looking at integrating the technology deeply.

Mac OS X Lion includes voices licensed from Nuance and it’s possible that Apple uses the same voices to have “Assistant” speak back to the user. Android devices have been hugely praised for system-level voice recognition however, if the latest rumors turn out to be true then iOS devices could do much more than just following user commands.

The fact that iOS 5 beta code has references to Nuance dictation and “Assistant” leads to conclusive proof that Apple is indeed working on these features. It’s unclear if Apple will add these features in the final version of iOS 5 or will reserve these features exclusively for iPhone 5. 

Apple is expected to unveil the next generation iPhone during September event and the launch of iOS 5 could coincide with hardware announcement.

Nuance and Siri integration failed to make an appearance at Apple’s WWDC keynote, although a slide showing a host of iOS 5 features shows features related to VoiceOver and text-to-speech: “Option to speak text selection”, “VoiceOver item chooser”, and “VoiceOver action support”. It is unclear whether Apple really did integrate Siri and Nuance into iOS 5 or if they made the speech advancements on their own terms. The original rumors had said that iOS 5 would feature major integration of voice recognition capabilities.

The possibility of these features are still likely as Apple only highlighted 10 of the over 200 hundred features in iOS 5. Apple did not mention any voice recognition features in iOS 5 or any other Nuance-related announcements and only spoke briefly about it’s updated notification system, dubbed Notification Center, and other applications. TechCrunch, who originally reported such a feature, now updates its claims to say that the Siri and Nuance features may still be in the works.

We’re still looking into this, but here’s the latest we’re hearing. At least three of our original sources on this were “very surprised” not to hear anything during the keynote today. One noted that leading up to the last minute, they were sure new, elaborate voice features in iOS 5 were going to be announced on stage. It didn’t happen. Apple has been known to pull things at the last second. But this may go deeper.

Apple’s iOS 5 is reported to be released in the Fall, possibly after the release of new hardware and is still expected to be released with updated Siri and Nuance voice features. Either way, iOS 5 is still a solid update and there are still many more features to be yet seen. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you posted on any new features we see.

{via MacRumors}