Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/ iOS 7.1 Tweaks Visuals, Adds CarPlay and Other Features Adam C. Engst Nearly six months after the release of iOS 7, Apple has revealed [1]iOS 7.1, the first update to make significant feature changes to the mobile operating system, along with visual tweaks that should make using an iOS device easier for those without perfect vision, and bug fixes that promise to address home screen crashes. The update is about 200 MB if you install directly on a device via Settings > General > Software Update; if you download via iTunes, it's 1.27 GB. Most of the visual changes in iOS 7 revolve around making text bolder, better identifying of text-only buttons, and increasing contrast, along with reducing more animation. [2][tn_iOS-Accessibility.jpg] * In Settings > General > Accessibility, the Bold Text option now applies to the keyboard, Calculator app, and many icon glyphs, significantly increasing readability. (Turning Bold Text on or off requires restarting your device.) * A new option there, Button Shapes, draws shaded outlines around previously text-only buttons, which can make it easier to distinguish label text from controls. * In Settings > General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast, two new options ' Darken Colors and Reduce White Point ' join Reduce Transparency in making the interface less washed-out. * Those who find the motion aspects of iOS 7 nausea-inducing (or just irritating) will be happy to learn that the Reduce Motion option now includes the Weather and Messages apps, and multitasking animations. I strongly encourage everyone to explore these settings to see which are the most comfortable for your eyes. You'll also see a new, rounded look for the power-off screen and for the phone dialer. Plus, the incoming call interface now offers separate Decline and Accept buttons below the controls for Remind Me and Message. New to iOS 7.1 is support for [3]CarPlay, which is designed to use Siri voice commands and prompts to let you control certain apps, including Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and third-party audio apps, without looking at your iPhone (only the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s are supported). With CarPlay's 'eyes-free' approach, you'll be able to answer an incoming phone call, dictate text messages, request directions, and navigate your music library. CarPlay also integrates control of these iOS apps with the car's own interface elements. But don't get your hopes up unless you're planning to buy a Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Honda, or Hyundai in the near future. Most other carmakers are promising future support for CarPlay later on. Also note that [4]CarPlay isn't available in all countries. Speaking of Siri, iOS 7.1 makes it possible to manually control when Siri listens by holding the Home button down while you speak and releasing it when you're done. Apple has also added new, more natural-sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese. No mention is made in the release notes of improved accuracy or responsiveness for Siri, which some people found less functional after the update to iOS 7. iTunes Radio receives several minor tweaks, including a search field above Featured Stations to make it easier to create stations based on a particular artist or song. You can also now buy albums from within Now Playing, and you can subscribe to iTunes Match directly within iOS 7.1 to eliminate the ads from iTunes Radio. Other welcome changes include: * The Calendar app now offers an option to display events in month view, and includes country-specific holidays for many countries. * On the iPhone 5s, a new setting in the Camera app automatically enables HDR. * Support for iCloud Keychain has been added for more countries. * FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device. * Touch ID fingerprint recognition on the iPhone 5s has been improved. * iPhone 4 users should see overall performance improvements after upgrading. * The unread message badge on the Mail icon can now display numbers over 10,000. Last, but certainly not least, iOS 7.1 includes a [5]variety of security fixes as well. If you notice other changes, let us know in the comments! References 1. http://www.apple.com/ios/ios7-update/ 2. http://tidbits.com/resources/2014-03/iOS-Accessibility.png 3. http://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/ 4. http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/#applecarplay-applecarplay 5. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6162 .