Popular email app Spark was today updated to version 2.0.15, introducing support for Siri Shortcuts on iPhones and iPads running the iOS 12 update.
Spark has introduced a number of different Shortcuts that can do things like compose an email, search email, or open a folder, with a list available from the release notes.
- Open any folder: if you keep all your to-dos inside Pins, create a shortcut to this folder with a phrase like 'Hey Siri: "Open Pinned email in Spark." - Search email: frequent travelers can create a shortcut for searching all emails from Airbnb/Booking.com to see your reservations. - Compose an email. Create a shortcut for composing an email to specific people if you email them often. Next time, you'll just have to say: 'Hey Siri, email my team!'
All of Spark's Siri Shortcuts can be accessed by opening up the Spark Settings and selecting "Siri & Shortcuts."
Spark can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple's newest crop of devices, the iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR don't have a Home button and feature new Side buttons with unique functionality, so Apple has introduced a new method for forcing a quick restart.
It takes a unique combination of button presses to cause your iPhone to restart, and while it's not immediately obvious, once you've learned the steps, a force restart is the quickest way to restart your iPhone if it's acting up.
Hard Resetting iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears, then release the Side button.
During this process, you will see a slider to power off the iPhone. You're going to want to ignore it and continue holding down the Side button until the screen goes black. At that point, the Apple logo will pop up, and after the restart is complete, the screen will activate once again.
Using the force restart process prevents you from having to shut the iPhone down entirely, which takes several more steps.
If you do want to shut the iPhone down, you can do so by going to the General section of the Settings app, scrolling down to the bottom, and choosing the Shut Down option.
You can also hold down the Volume Up button and the Side button at the same time to bring up the Emergency SOS interface that also houses a "slide to power off" option.
Quicken today announced the launch of Quicken 2019, the newest version of its popular finance and budgeting software for PC and Mac.
Quicken 2019 introduces web access for the first time, designed to allow Quicken customers to manage their finances online using Chrome, Safari, and other web browsers.
Users are able to check their balances, monitor transactions, view budgets, check spending trends, view past expenses, and access info on their accounts and investment holdings at any time.
A customizable web dashboard created for the web access experience lets customers customize their personal view to see full details on all features Quicken has to offer or a streamlined view with just essential information.
"Millions of people use Quicken to help them manage their financial lives. Because Quicken is important to them, our community of users is incredibly engaged. We prioritize updates primarily based on feedback from these users, and adding web access was the number one requested enhancement," said Eric Dunn, Chief Executive Officer of Quicken. "As an agile, independent company, we've been able to deliver this highly-anticipated feature, among other exciting new customer-inspired updates, on schedule and with great quality. This increased pace of releases and improvements is something our customers can count on and look forward to in the future."
Quicken 2019 also features several enhancements on the desktop, which are designed to offer up an overall faster experience. Quicken for Mac, for example, is up to twice as fast.
The software opens up quicker, charts and graphs load twice as fast, and backing up is four times faster than it was in previous versions of Quicken.
Quicken in 2018 launched a new monthly membership feature so customers who pay for a subscription will get access to Quicken 2019 at no additional cost. There are several plans available for purchase at different price points.
Quicken Starter with budgeting is available for $34.99 for a one-year membership, while Quicken Deluxe is available for $49.99 per year.
Quicken Premiere, with portfolio monitoring functionality and tax advice, is priced at $74.99 per year, while Quicken Home & Business is priced at $99.99.
Within the past four years, Apple has managed to "dramatically reduce" the rate of iPhone-related repair fraud in its retail stores in China, according to The Information's Wayne Ma. The report is based on interviews with more than a dozen former Apple employees who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Image: iFixit
In 2013, Apple is said to have discovered a highly sophisticated fraud scheme in which organized thieves would buy or steal iPhones, remove valuable components like the processor or logic board, swap in fake components, and return the "broken" iPhones to receive replacements they could resell.
Thieves would stand outside stores with suitcases full of iPhones with some of the original components stripped out and replaced with inferior parts, two of the people said. The fraudsters would hire people to pretend to be customers to return them, each taking a device to stand in line at the Genius Bar, the people said. Once the phones were swapped, the actors would pass the new phones to the fraudsters and get paid for their time, the people said.
"In the old-school world, this would be a car chop shop, where you would take all the pieces off and sell them," said Kyle Wiens, co-founder and CEO of iFixit. "Now they're doing that with iPhones."
The report claims most of the schemes originated in Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city known as a hotbed for criminal organizations because of its proximity to gangs in nearby Hong Kong. Shenzhen is also the largest electronics manufacturing base in the world, home to many Apple suppliers like Foxconn.
When the first Apple Store opened in Shenzhen in November 2012, the report says weekly iPhone warranty claims, including repair and replacement requests, jumped from about 200 to more than 2,000 within the first six months—"almost three times more" than Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York at the time.
At first, the report says Genius Bar employees would swap broken iPhones for new ones as long as they didn't appear intentionally damaged, as was the policy elsewhere. But as the problem started to have a material impact on Apple's financial sheet, to the tune of billions, the company began to take further action.
Hesitant to get Chinese authorities involved, due to the risks of public backlash and negative publicity in state-run media, Apple launched an online reservation system that required proof of ownership, and later developed diagnostic software that allowed retail employees to quickly detect fake parts in iPhones.
Fraudsters found ways to evade these tactics, however, and even went as far as obtaining Apple customer records, including serial numbers, for iPhones that had already been sold in China. Last year, police in China arrested a ring of suspected data thieves involved with the fraud.
An increase in rejected warranty claims sparked angry scenes in Apple Stores, the report says, as customers suspected of fraud "grew irate" when their iPhones weren't accepted. Partly for this reason, Apple stopped authorizing iPhone replacements in stores and began requiring sending them to off-site repair centers for inspection.
Apple also began dipping batteries in a special dye that could only be seen under a high-frequency light to authenticate them during repairs, the report says. A-series chips in iPhones are also allegedly coated in a waterproof sealant that can be seen under certain wavelengths, offering another countermeasure.
Apple's efforts appear to have worked, with fraud rates in the Greater China region dropping to about 20 percent of repair claims from more than 60 percent at its peak, according to the report.
Fraudsters are now said to be shifting to Apple Stores in other countries, including Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1 update to developers, one week after seeding the second beta and three weeks after releasing iOS 12, a major new version of the iOS software.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
iOS 12.1 includes several new features that Apple promised would come to the new iPhone XS and XS Max devices. The beta introduces support for the eSIM, which is a digital SIM that lets you activate a cellular plan from a carrier without the need to use a physical SIM card.
Carriers will need to implement support for eSIM, which is likely to happen after iOS 12.1 launches. In the U.S., AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will support eSIM.
The iOS 12.1 update brings a new real-time Depth Control feature, which lets you adjust the depth of field of your Portrait Mode photos before you capture them. Right now, in iOS 12, Depth Control is only available for post-capture editing.
If you tap on the "F" icon at the top of the screen while capturing a photo you use Depth Control to adjust the amount of background blur in an image.
In addition to these iPhone XS and XS Max features, iOS 12.1 reintroduces the Group FaceTime feature that was removed from iOS 12 during the beta testing period. Group FaceTime was present in many early betas but was ultimately removed because Apple needed more time to test it.
Group FaceTime is designed to let iPhone and Mac users conduct video and audio chats with up to 32 participants at one time, with new camera effects features included.
The update adds more than 70 new emoji to iPhones and iPads, with options that include red hair, gray hair, curly hair, cold face, party face, face with hearts, mango, kangaroo, peacock, lobster, cupcake, and tons more.
As for bug fixes, iOS 12.1 addresses a charging problem that could cause iPhone and iPad models running iOS 12 to fail to charge when connected to a Lightning cable while the screen is off and it fixes a bug that caused iPhone XS and XS Max models to prefer 2.4GHz WiFi networks to 5GHz networks, resulting in perceived slower WiFi speeds. Both of these bugs have also been addressed in the iOS 12.0.1 update, released yesterday.
If any additional new features are found in the third iOS 12.1 beta, we'll update this post with details.
Update: Apple has also seeded a new beta of iOS 12.1 to its public beta testing group.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 12.1 beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode. Subsequent betas can be downloaded over-the-air.
We're not yet sure what fixes and changes the tvOS 12.1 update might bring, but it's likely to focus on bugs that have been discovered since the release of tvOS 12. No new changes were discovered in the first two tvOS 12.1 betas.
Apple's tvOS updates have historically been minor in scale, and Apple does not often provide us with detailed notes outlining what's new, but we'll update this post should any changes be found in the third beta.
Update: Apple has also seeded a new beta of tvOS 12.1 to public beta testers.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 5.1 includes support for Group FaceTime, with Group FaceTime calls able to be answered in an audio-only capacity on the Apple Watch. Group FaceTime allows you to chat with up to 32 people at one time.
The watchOS 5.1 update brings a full-screen new "Color" watch face option for the Apple Watch Series 4, with users able to choose between multiple shades. There's also a filled-in circular color option for older Apple Watch models that joins the standard Color clock face.
Alongside macOS 10.14.1 and iOS 12.1, watchOS 5.1 introduces support for more than 70 new emoji characters like face with hearts, red hair, gray hair, curly hair, super heroes, kangaroo, peacock, parrot, lobster, cupcake, mango, and more.
No other new features were discovered in the first two betas of watchOS 5.1, but should we find something new in the third beta, we'll update this post.
The second season of Apple's "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" television show is set to launch on Friday, October 12, with new episodes of the show to be available every Friday.
Based on a trailer shared by Apple, this season of "Carpool Karaoke" will feature Jason Sudeikis paired with Muppets, Matthew McConaughey paired with Snoop Dog, Weird Al paired with Andy Samberg, Nick Offerman and his wife Megan Mullally, and more.
"Carpool Karaoke: The Series" first debuted in August of last year. Based on the popular Carpool Karaoke segment made popular by "The Late Late Show With James Corden," the series pairs up different celebrities, musicians, athletes, putting them together in a car to sing popular songs.
Apple announced a second season of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" back in February, and it is the first of the company's TV shows to get a second season.
A few "Carpool Karaoke" episodes aired ahead of the debut of the second season, including an episode with James Marsden and Evan Rachel Wood of "Westworld" and an episode starring the cast of summer movie "TAG" with Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, and Jon Hamm.
While the first season of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" was exclusive to Apple Music subscribers, Apple is making the second season available for free through the TV app on the Apple TV and iOS devices.
A few months after the end of the first season, Apple also made existing episodes available to watch for free via the TV app.
Google today held its annual "Made by Google" fall event, unveiling a new line of products that included the all-new Google Pixel 3 smartphone, a screen-based smart speaker, and a new tablet. Notably, Google pointed out at the beginning of its presentation that 2018 marks the 20 year anniversary of the search giant.
The central announcement at the event was the 5.5-inch Google Pixel 3 and 6.3-inch Pixel 3 XL. The Pixel 3 XL has an edge-to-edge display and a notch at the top of the smartphone that holds its front-facing camera system, akin to iPhone X onwards. Unlike Apple's smartphones, the Pixel 3 XL has a chin on the bottom of the device.
The company focused on the Pixel 3's advanced camera, including an HDR+ mode and "Top Shot," which automatically captures multiple shots with HDR+ and recommends one that might be better than your photo. Night Sight will enhance photos captured in low-light scenarios, and Google compared nighttime images on the iPhone XS with those taken on Pixel 3. Users can also now edit the depth of field effect in portrait mode, like on iPhone XS and XS Max.
The second camera on the front of the Pixel 3 smartphone allows for a group selfie feature, which captures 184 percent more of a scene than the iPhone XS, according to Google. The new smartphone also has a few AR features on the camera called Google Playground, including characters from The Avengers and an animated version of Childish Gambino created in partnership with Donald Glover.
Outside of the camera, Google Pixel 3 has a Call Screen feature, where Google Assistant can answer a call for you when you can't or don't want to pick up the phone. The Assistant asks the caller who is calling and to leave a message, and the entire conversation is transcribed live on the smartphone, so you can read along as the conversation happens.
Google Pixel 3 is available to pre-order today and launches on October 18 in the United States and other countries, starting at $799. The Pixel 3 XL starts at $899, and both are available in Just Black, Clearly White, and Not Pink. A new Qi-compatible Pixel Stand will also be available for $79.
Google Home Hub is the company's latest smart home speaker, allowing users to access YouTube, Google Photos, and more on its 7-inch screen. Google says it decided to not include a camera in Home Hub to enhance privacy, and an Ambient EQ feature automatically adjusts display brightness in relation to the light in the room.
The company gave numerous examples of how you can use Google Home Hub, including following recipes in the kitchen provided by Tasty, or controlling smart home products. In regards to the latter feature, Google built a "Home View" section on Home Hub, where you can drag down from the top of the screen to see a quick update on your smart lights, locks, and thermostats in one place, like Apple's Home app on iOS. The Google Home mobile app is also updating to match Home View's design.
Google Home Hub will cost $149 and launch later this month on October 22.
The company then went on to talk about the Google Pixel Slate, a new Chrome OS tablet that is aimed at use both in the workplace and for entertainment at home. The tablet has dual front-firing speakers, 8MP rear and front facing cameras with portrait modes, a 12-hour battery life, and a 12.3-inch Molecular Display with 293 pixels per inch.
On Pixel Slate, Chrome OS has been adjusted to specifically fit the tablet. This includes features like split screen, a new app launcher, deeper integration with Google Assistant, family link, do not disturb, and "nightlight" to reduce blue light on the display at nighttime.
Google Pixel Slate will start at $599 when it launches later this year in the United States. A connected keyboard and case accessory, the Slate Keyboard, will cost $199, while the Pixelbook Pen in a new midnight blue color (to match Pixel Slate) will cost $99.
The macOS menu bar is a great place for quickly accessing system and application functions using menu extras or "menulets", but it can get cluttered pretty quickly as more and more icons vie for a space there.
If the corner of your Mac's screen is fast becoming an eyesore, here are some quick and simple actions you can perform to bring order to the chaos, plus a few additional tips for making the most of Apple's menu bar extras.
How to Rearrange Icons in the Menu Bar
Plenty of menu bar icons offer useful shortcuts to app and system functions, and may take up permanent residence on your screen. But left to their own devices, the arrangement of said icons is likely to become haphazard. Fortunately, re-organizing them is simple, once you know how to do it.
Hold down the Command (⌘) key.
Hover your mouse cursor over the icon you want to move.
Holding down the left mouse button, drag the icon into your preferred position on the menu bar. Other icons will step aside to make space for it.
Let go of the left mouse button.
Note that the Notifications icon in macOS is designed to sit in the far right corner of the menu bar and cannot be moved elsewhere.
AmpliFi is one of the many brands in the mesh Wi-Fi router market, first launching its cubed router with a circular display in 2016. As the consumer brand for Ubiquiti Networks, AmpliFi today announced an expansion of its product line with the AmpliFi Instant whole-home Wi-Fi system, which is smaller than its previous router and more streamlined, since it can be set up in under two minutes.
AmpliFi designed the new router to be compact and instantly accessible to customers who want to upgrade and improve the Wi-Fi in their homes. AmpliFi Instant uses 802.11ac Wi-Fi with both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz radios, and comes with a WAN port and a Gigabit Ethernet port on the router, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port on the MeshPoint extension.
Like other mesh systems, AmpliFi Instant comes with a base router that you can extend the range of using a MeshPoint extension device. This allows Wi-Fi coverage to be evenly and reliably spread across your home, without potential disruption from Wi-Fi extenders.
During the quick setup process, AmpliFi Instant connects to an iOS or Android app, where users can also configure the router, check out their network's stability, adjust parental controls and remote access features, and provide access to guests. The installation process is sped up thanks to the MeshPoint, which comes pre-paired with the router so customers simply have to plug it in where Wi-Fi is needed most.
AmpliFi Instant launches today for $99.99 for just the router, while the AmpliFi Instant Kit is available for $179.99 for a router and MeshPoint. The device is being sold both on AmpliFi's website and on Amazon.
A new version of the Apple Pencil with an AirPods-like pairing process will be released for the rumored iPad Pro with Face ID, expected to be announced later this month, according to 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo:
The new Apple Pencil will be paired with iPad Pro by proximity, much like AirPods or HomePod. Switching between devices will be possible without connecting the Apple Pencil to the charging port. It's unclear whether the current model of Apple Pencil will work with the new iPad.
It's unclear if the new Apple Pencil will be compatible with previous iPad Pro models or the sixth-generation iPad.
iPad Pro with edge-to-edge display mockup via iDropNews
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was working on a new Apple Pencil and new software tools for using the stylus back in November 2017, but few details have surfaced until now, beyond a patent filing for a more precise version of the drawing tool that would incorporate ultrasonic technology.
Rambo said the new iPad Pro will have an edge-to-edge display without a home button, as rumored several times. Unlike the iPhone X, he said the new iPad Pro will not have a notch, as the bezels are said to be wide enough to accommodate the TrueDepth camera and sensor array necessary for Face ID.
Face ID on the new iPad Pro will work in both portrait and landscape orientations, according to the report.
Rambo also corroborates rumors about the iPad Pro with Face ID having a new rear-facing Magnetic Connector for connecting accessories, such as a new Smart Keyboard. Earlier this year, rumors and a CAD drawing suggested the Smart Connector will be relocated to the lower back side of the device.
The report also corroborates Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's claim that the new iPad Pro will have a USB-C port. The new connector will enable 4K HDR video output to external displays, with new settings to control resolution, HDR, and brightness on connected external displays, according to Rambo.
Apple will likely unveil the iPad Pro with Face ID and the new Apple Pencil at a media event later this month, although no date has been announced as of yet. Apple is also expected to announce updates to several Mac models at the event, including the MacBook and/or MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini.
Apple's event could take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of next week, in which case invitations should go out within the next few days. The next option would likely be Tuesday, October 30, as Apple CEO Tim Cook will be in Brussels on Wednesday, October 24, likely ruling out an event that week.
Sometimes you might not want certain pictures shot on your iPhone or iPad to take pride of place in your Photo Library, but for whatever reason, you don't want to just outright delete them. Fortunately, Apple's Photos app includes an option to hide certain photos from the main library. This article shows you how.
Bear in mind that hiding pictures via the following method ensures they won't appear in the Photos or For You sections of the Photos app, but they will still be accessible in the Albums section. If you're looking for a more secure way to squirrel away pictures, consider using a third-party app like Safe Lock instead.
How to Hide Pictures in the Photos App
Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Select in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap the pictures you want to hide.
Tap the Share button in the bottom-left corner of the screen. (It looks like a square with an arrow pointing out.)
In the Share Sheet's bottom row of available actions, tap Hide.
Tap the prompt that appears at the bottom of the screen to confirm.
Note that pictures you choose to hide from your photo library are stored in an album called Hidden, which lives in the Albums tab.
How to Unhide Pictures in the Photos App
Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen.
Scroll to the bottom and under Other Albums, tap Hidden.
Tap Select in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap the pictures you want to unhide.
Tap the Share button at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
In the Share Sheet's bottom row of available actions, tap Unhide.
Apogee today announced the Jam+, an updated version of its portable USB instrument input and output device that connects an electric guitar, bass, keyboard, or any acoustic instrument with pick-up directly to an iOS device, Mac, or PC for recording audio. The launch of the Jam+ comes eight years after the original Jam debuted in Apple stores worldwide.
The new Jam+ has a rugged metal chassis and soft touch base with enhanced PureDIGITAL circuitry for better true-tone audio resolution, stereo output to connect headphones or powered speakers, low latency monitoring with a Blend feature, and an "Overdrive" mode that makes virtual amplifiers and effects pedals sound more realistic.
Those who buy the Jam+ will also get the BIAS FX Jam software bundle from Positive Grid, including a premium selection of three amplifiers and six essential pedal effects. Otherwise, Apogee promises pristine sound quality, easy plug in and play set-up with no configuration required, 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution audio, and included Lightning, USB, and USB-C cables.
Apogee's Jam+ launches today for $159.00 online and at Apogee dealers worldwide, including Apple stores.
Minecraft has reached its end of life on Apple TV. The game has been removed from the tvOS App Store through lack of sales, while existing owners of the near two-year-old title for Apple's set-top box are met with the following announcement upon launch:
Effective from Monday, 24 September, the Apple TV version of Minecraft will no longer be updated or supported. We're grateful to the Apple TV community for their support but we need to reallocate resources to the platforms that our players use the most. Don't worry though, you can continue to play Minecraft on Apple TV, keep building in your world and your Marketplace purchases (including Minecoins) will continue to be available.
The Apple TV Edition of the wildly popular multi-platform construction game was announced at Apple's October 2016 keynote, where its potential for cross-platform play was enthusiastically promoted. "You can build new worlds on your Apple TV, and play with your friends using iPhones and iPads," said CEO Tim Cook.
The game was officially launched two months later for $19.99, but despite the Minecraft franchise continuing to thrive on other platforms, it looks like the Apple TV version just didn't take off as Apple and developer Mojang had hoped.
The removal of the title appears to be the latest example of the video game industry's continuing lack of interest in the Apple TV, which ships with a touch-based remote rather than a dedicated game controller like typical game consoles do.
Initially, this meant developers were forced to build in support for Apple's remote as the primary controller, despite the fact that the Apple TV also works with third-party Bluetooth controllers. Apple eventually lifted the restriction following strong criticism, but other lingering issues like poor title discoverability on the App Store and a lack of game-oriented marketing or promotion for the Apple TV have hit the platform's gaming prospects hard.
Mojang's Minecraft: Story Mode, an adventure game based in the Minecraft universe, will continue to be available on Apple TV, while the Microsoft subsidiary said that it would issue full refunds on all purchases of Minecraft: Apple TV Edition made in the last 90 days of the game's availability. Players seeking more information or wanting to check on the status of a refund are advised to contact Apple Customer Service online or call 1-800-692-7753.
If your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus is acting up and needs a quick restart, you can follow these steps to force it to reboot without the need to shut it down.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus feature a haptic Home button rather than a physical Home button, so forcing a restart is different than on earlier devices. It's also different than restarting an iPhone 8 or later.
How to Force Restart (Hard Reset) iPhone 7
To force restart an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, follow these three simple steps.
Hold down the Volume Down button on the left side of the device and the Sleep/Wake button on the right side of the device at the same time.
Now, hold the buttons for approximately 10 seconds until the screen goes dark and an Apple logo appears on the screen.
Release the buttons and wait while you iPhone restarts.
You can also hold down the Sleep/Wake or Side button on the device to bring up a screen that will let you shut down the iPhone entirely. The same option appears as part of the Emergency SOS screen if you press the Side button a total of five times.
Finally, if you open up the Settings app and go to the General section, you can scroll all the way to the bottom to find a "Shut Down" option.
Following the release of iOS 12 on September 17, Apple has stopped signing iOS 11.41, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 12 will no longer be able to downgrade to the iOS 11 operating system.
Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.
iOS 12 and today's iOS 12.0.1 release are the only versions of iOS that can be installed on iPhones and iPads by the general public. Developers and public beta testers can download iOS 12.1, an iOS 12 update that's being beta tested.
Apple in iOS 11 revamped the iPad's interface and changed the way we interact with the tablet through a new Dock, a revamped App Switcher, and Drag and Drop, and with iOS 12, further iPad changes have been implemented.
There are new gestures to learn for accessing the Home screen, App Switcher, and the Control Center, along with a new status bar.
The new iPad gestures are identical to the gestures on the iPhone XS, with Apple preparing us for the elimination of the Home button in future iPad models. Rumors suggest upcoming iPad Pro models will feature a TrueDepth camera system and Face ID rather than a traditional Touch ID Home button.
If you use an iPhone X, XS, or XR, the new iPad gestures will be familiar to you, but if you don't, it could take a bit of time to get used to.
Dock Changes: Getting to the Home Screen and App Switcher
In iOS 11, when you wanted to access the Home screen from within an app, you would press the Touch ID Home button. That's still true, but you can also now get to the Home screen when you swipe up from the bottom of the display, as demoed in the video above.
When in an app, swiping up from the bottom of the screen takes you right to the Home screen rather than just bringing up the iPad Dock within an app.
The iPad's Home screen. Get here with one quick swipe on the Dock.
To get to the Dock to open more than one app for multitasking purposes, you need to do a swipe and a slight hold hold rather than just a swipe at the bottom inch of the screen while you have an app open already.
The iPad Dock in an app. A quick swipe brings you to the Home screen, but a swipe and a hold brings up the Dock in an app.
If you swipe and hold a bit higher on the screen, you can access the App Switcher on the iPad for quickly swapping between apps or closing apps, which is done with a swipe upwards on an app card. This gesture works both within apps and at the Home screen.
The iOS 12 iPad App Switcher, accessible with a longer swipe and hold on the Dock, either at the Home screen or within an app.
Getting to Control Center
Control Center in iOS 11 was paired with the App Switcher and was accessible by swiping up on the Dock, but that gesture now opens the App Switcher alone without providing access to Control Center.
Getting to Control Center is now done by swiping downwards from the right portion of the status bar, where it displays your battery life and Wi-Fi/Cellular connection.
All other gestures on the iPad remain the same, such as a swipe downwards from the top middle of the display to bring up your notifications and a swipe to the right to get to the Today section for widget access, but there are other iPad improvements worth noting in iOS 12.
iPad Status Bar
The iPad's status bar has been redesigned in iOS 12, and it now resembles the status bar of the iPhone XS. The date and time are listed on the left hand side of the status bar, while battery life and Wi-Fi/Cellular signal and connection are displayed on the right hand side.
The middle of the display, where the date was previously shown, is left open, perhaps for a future notch. Prior to iOS 12, the iPad's status bar did not show the date, so that's also a new addition.
Spacebar Trackpad
When typing on the iPad, if you press and hold with one finger on the space bar, it turns the keyboard into a trackpad to make it easier to navigate through a document and move the cursor.
This is a feature that has been available on iPhones with 3D Touch and on the iPad with two fingers, but in iOS 12, it's simpler to use. A two finger touch also continues to work.
Following the 
