Author: W

Wissam, Wesley, or simply W, is an educator, writer, entrepreneur, engineer, activist, ex-Imam, humanist, liberal thinker with interest and mediocre attempt at many takes of life. A modern confused Renaissance man, who uses doubt as a path for emancipation and science as a road towards enlightenment.

Top 10 Updates in iOS 16

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1. Lock Screen

Personalize your Lock Screen and let your favorite photos shine. A new multilayered effect helps the subject of your photo pop, and you can apply styles that automatically change the color filter, tinting, and font style for your Lock Screen. You can also select a set of photos to shuffle automatically on your Lock Screen throughout the day.

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2. Create multiple Lock Screens

You can now create different Lock Screens, each with a unique backdrop and style, and easily switch between them. Browse a gallery of wallpapers with suggested photos and themed collections for inspiration.

3. Focus

A new streamlined setup for Focus lets you select the apps and people you want to receive notifications from by either allowing them or silencing them. Connect your Lock Screen to your Focus so the look and feel of your iPhone match how you want to use it in the moment. With a swipe, you can go from your Personal Focus to your Work Focus with widgets showing upcoming meetings and to-do lists.

Focus filters help you set boundaries in Apple apps like Calendar and Messages, as well as third‑party apps, by hiding distracting content. So you can keep emails from your work inbox out of sight when using the Personal Focus.

4. Family Control

5. Unsend or Edit Messages and Emails

You can now edit a message you just sent or unsend a recent message altogether.1 And you can mark a message as unread if you can’t respond in the moment and want to come back to it later.

6. Richer collaboration & SharePlay via Messages

Watch the latest episode of your favorite show or listen to a new song with friends while chatting about it in Messages.2 Shared playback controls ensure that you’re always synced up.

Share notes, presentations, reminders, Safari Tab Groups, and more in Messages to start collaborating instantly. See updates on shared projects in the thread and easily get in touch with your collaborators right from the app you’re working in.

7. Lift subject from background

You can easily lift the subject from an image or isolate the subject by removing the background. Available in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and more.

8. Dictation

Dictation automatically punctuates text with commas, periods, and question marks as you speak. You can also insert emoji with your voice. Just say “Happy face emoji” when sending your next message.

Use Dictation and the keyboard together

Move seamlessly between voice and touch to enter text. Type with the keyboard, tap in the text field, move the cursor, and insert QuickType suggestions, all without needing to stop Dictation.

9. Maps: Multi-stop routing & Transit cards and fares in Maps

Plan multiple stops along your route in advance or easily access previous routes in Recents. Maps also syncs across your devices, so you can look up directions on your Mac and see them on your iPhone when you’re ready to go.

Add new transit cards to Wallet, check low balances, replenish your card, and see the total cost of your trip, all without leaving Maps.

10. Apple Pay: Pay Later, Track Orders, & Share Keys

With Apple Pay Later, you can check out with Apple Pay and pay over time. The cost of your purchase is split into four equal payments spread over six weeks. You will never pay interest or fees. Apple Pay Later is built into Wallet and is available everywhere Apple Pay is accepted online and in apps

View your receipts and track your Apple Pay orders directly in Wallet.

Share your keys securely in Wallet using your favorite messaging apps, including Messages, Mail, and WhatsApp. You can decide where and when your keys can be used, and you can revoke them anytime.

BONUS: CARPLAY

My Top 10 Reading List for 2021-2022

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1. Line in the Sand

The story of drawing the Middle East in the rooms of French British bickering.

2. Shakespeare and Company

The story of Sylvia Beach, the founder of the most famous book store in the world, that published the most famous novel in the world, Ulysses, in the most creative age of this world, 1920’s, in the most beautiful city of this world, Paris.

3. A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life

At the end of each chapter, they will summarize it with useful tips for our 21st century derived from a deep understanding of our evolutionary history … and they will explain them to you.

4. Happiness Hypothesis

It was quoted so much by other books that I had to read it. Amazing collection of research on what makes us happy. This book will make you wiser.

5. تخليص الإبريز في تلخيص باريس

Translates to “The Golden Summary of Paris”, is a book written by a scholar of AlAzhar after a trip to Paris in the 1830’s. This is the birth of the Arab Renaissance that lasted till 1920’s. The best part was when he was describing dancing, of which the closest thing in Egypt that he can give an analogy was wrestling.

6. Satanic Bible

Published in 1969 by Anton LaVey, The Satanic Bible is an interesting take on the concept of religion and Satan. It has nothing to do with actual belief in Satan … but Satan is used as a symbol of indulgence and lust, and in depth the human desire and fear. This book is a tabu that you can rarely find, but it is nice to explore totally different perspectives.

7. Making the Arab World

Well the first thing I have to say, this is not about the making of the Arab World. I am actually deeply disappointed with the title that undermines the whole history of the Arab World. This is not event he story of the making of modern Egypt. But at anycase, this is the story of the Clash between Nasser and Qutb, and its influences on the region.

8. Intuition by Osho

I love Osho, the indian godman,[3] mystic, and founder of the Rajneesh movement. He is definitely one of the founders of spirituality in the 20th century. This book, lent to me by my friend, talks about knowledge that is beyond logic… intuition. As science confirms, that 97% of your brain activity is non-relational … we are not conscious off. Access to it is called intuition. Osho speaks about that from a spiritual perspective.

9. الجامعة الإسلامية بين السيد جمال الدين الأفغاني والسلطان عبد الحميد

A free book available for download at the link below in Arabic titled: The Islamic League between Sayid Jamal ElDeen AlAfghani and Sultan Abdulhamid. The Islamic League was a project created by Sayid Jamal ElDeen and adapted by Sultan Abdulhamid. It didn’t last due to political circumstances and deprioritization, ending with the coupe of 1909 that overthrew Sultan Abdilhamid and reduced him to a symbol, then exiled him in 1912 till his death in 1918.

10. الوطن العربي بعد 100 عام من سايكس بيكو … قراءة في الخرائط

Written by a friend, it reexamines the maps of Sykes Picot and collects documentation on the maps and map drawing processes of a very important stage. It is a great resource for anyone studying this subject in depth.