All the iOS 26 changes and new updates for your Apple devices from WWDC
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Techday NZ
11 hours ago
- Techday NZ
Manhattan Active Omni adds advanced AI to boost retail services
Manhattan Associates has announced new enhancements to its Manhattan Active Omni platform, focusing on adding Agentic AI capabilities to improve customer service and operational efficiency across retail and eCommerce environments. The expanded features of Manhattan Active Omni include updates to Manhattan Active Maven, the solution designed to handle customer service enquiries through chat and email. The new capabilities allow Maven to now process customer requests such as order edits, invoice requests, returns, and digital products more rapidly and accurately, and support has been extended to over 30 languages. The platform's enhancements are intended to transform how retailers manage high volumes of customer engagement and fulfilment tasks at scale. The addition of a Customer Service Insights dashboard within the Contact Centre function allows retailers to monitor their service performance and benchmark results against others in the industry. The use of Agentic AI in these dashboards can also help detect and highlight trending issues before they become more significant. "Retailers today are managing increasingly complex customer journeys and growing service expectations," said Raghav Sibal, Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at Manhattan Associates. "Our latest release focuses on using Agentic AI to bridge those gaps in real time, whether it's anticipating order changes, identifying support trends, or enabling frictionless in-store payments. We're giving retailers the tools to act faster and deliver smarter customer service." In physical retail settings, Manhattan's mobile Point of Sale (POS) has received an update to enable Tap to Pay using iPhone devices. This change eliminates the need for additional payment hardware and gives staff the flexibility to finalise transactions anywhere within the store, potentially improving the speed and convenience for both staff and customers. Additional improvements to the retail platform include support for more granular item-level promotions, new filters in catalogues to improve product discovery, and enhanced functionality for flagging items that require customer alerts or age verification. These updates are designed to streamline the service process and contribute towards improving the customer's overall experience with the retailer's brand. Sibal commented further on the focus of the latest release, stating, "In retail and logistics, speed without visibility is a liability. This latest release focuses on bridging those two requirements in real time. We're giving retailers the online and in-store tools to respond faster and operate smarter." The integration of advanced AI across these solutions aligns with industry trends, as retailers seek to manage increasingly complex operations while maintaining high service standards. The ability to analyse customer service data proactively and resolve enquiries efficiently has become central to retailer strategies in both digital and physical commerce contexts. With these platform enhancements, Manhattan Associates aims to address the evolving demands faced by retailers and eCommerce operators, providing tools that cater to increasingly multichannel and multilingual customer expectations. The AI features are positioned as a means for retailers to meet rising standards in customer communication, operational speed and service measurement. The updates are now available within the Manhattan Active Omni platform, with retail clients able to leverage the new functionality as they refine digital and in-store engagement strategies. Follow us on: Share on:
Techday NZ
10-06-2025
- Techday NZ
Apple unveils macOS Tahoe 26 with new design & AI features
Apple has previewed macOS Tahoe 26, the next major update to its desktop operating system, bringing a new design, enhanced Continuity features, significant Spotlight updates, and expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities. Design updates The new design introduces the Liquid Glass material, offering translucent effects that reflect and refract the surroundings. Key elements such as the Dock, sidebars, and toolbars have been refined to focus on user content, and the menu bar is now completely transparent to maximise display space. Customisation options have been expanded, allowing users to arrange controls in the menu bar and Control Centre, and apply different colours or emojis to folders and app icons. New light and dark appearances for app icons, as well as updated wallpapers and theme colours, are also included. Continuity improvements macOS Tahoe introduces the Phone app to the Mac via Continuity, allowing users to relay cellular calls from their iPhone, access Recents, Favourites, and Voicemails, and use features such as Call Screening and Hold Assist. Call Screening answers calls from unknown numbers and gathers information for the user, while Hold Assist enables users to keep their place in a queue and continue working. Live Activities from iPhone are now integrated into the Mac menu bar, displaying real-time events such as flights, rides, or sports scores. Clicking a Live Activity opens iPhone Mirroring for further details and interaction. Spotlight enhancements Spotlight receives an update with the ability to execute hundreds of actions, such as sending emails or creating notes, directly from the search interface. Search results are grouped and prioritised by relevance, with new filtering and browsing options for faster content discovery, and improved support for documents in third-party cloud drives. Spotlight now supports actions from both Apple and third-party apps via the App Intents API. Users can also run shortcuts and perform personalised actions based on routines, as well as use quick keys for rapid commands. Apple Intelligence features Apple Intelligence expands with features focused on productivity, communication, and creativity. Live Translation provides text and audio translation in real time across Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls, using on-device models to maintain privacy. Shortcuts can now leverage Apple Intelligence models for tasks such as text summarisation and automatic image creation. Shortcuts can run at designated times or upon specific actions. Users may also access ChatGPT for broader world knowledge within shortcuts. Genmoji and Image Playground receive updates allowing users to customise emoji attributes and apply various artistic styles, including those powered by ChatGPT. Reminders can now be automatically categorised and action items identified through Apple Intelligence. Gaming and developer tools The release introduces the Apple Games app, centralising games, recommendations, and social features. Game Overlay provides fast access to system settings and social actions during gameplay. The new Metal 4 framework offers advanced graphics and rendering technologies for developers. Upcoming games for Mac include titles such as Crimson Desert, InZOI, Cyberpunk 2077, and several others, utilising features like MetalFX Upscaling and support for Apple's M3 and M4 chips with ray tracing. Additional features Other updates in macOS Tahoe include refreshed Safari design and faster performance, new features in Messages such as Backgrounds, Polls, and improved group chat navigation, as well as the launch of the Journal app for Mac. Photos receives a design update with personalisation improvements, FaceTime introduces a redesigned landing page and floating controls, and Notes gains markdown compatibility and support for audio transcription from Phone app calls. Accessibility developments include Magnifier support, Accessibility Reader, enhanced Braille Access, and Vehicle Motion Cues to help reduce motion sickness. The Passwords app tracks changes and version history for users' credentials. "macOS is the heart and soul of the Mac, and with Tahoe, we're building on what users love most. Whether you're a power user or just getting started on Mac, there's something for everyone, with even more features to turbocharge productivity and make working across Mac and iPhone more seamlessly than ever before," said Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering. "With its gorgeous new design, amazing Continuity experiences, powerful enhancements to Spotlight, more intelligent shortcuts, and updates to Apple Intelligence, the Mac experience is better than ever."
NZ Autocar
10-06-2025
- NZ Autocar
Apple revamps CarPlay, expands digital car key support
Apple has unveiled a major upgrade to its in-car technology suite with iOS 26, bringing a refreshed look to CarPlay and expanded support for iPhone-based digital keys. The updates were revealed at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference. CarPlay, Apple's in-vehicle infotainment platform, receives its biggest visual overhaul in years. The new 'Liquid Glass' design introduces smoother transitions, a more refined layout, and subtle lighting effects that adapt to light and dark modes. Notifications for calls and messages have been scaled back to reduce distraction. More significantly, iOS 26 introduces Live Activities and widget support, allowing real-time updates—like food deliveries or flight status—to appear on the car's screen without additional setup. Messaging also gets a boost, with support for emoji tapbacks directly within the CarPlay interface, and improved accessibility features such as sound detection alerts for emergency vehicles. While standard CarPlay continues to evolve, Apple's next-gen 'CarPlay Ultra' experience is still in its early stages. Aston Martin remains the only brand currently shipping it, though Apple has confirmed work is underway with several other marques, including Porsche, Ford, Hyundai and Kia. These systems promise a more immersive setup, with CarPlay taking over the full instrument cluster and climate controls. There's no firm timeline for when these advanced integrations will arrive in production vehicles in New Zealand, but the global momentum suggests it's a matter of when, not if. On the digital key front, Apple is also expanding its CarKey functionality, which allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock, lock, and start supported vehicles. The feature is already available in a growing number of models from BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and others. Volvo, for example, recently enabled the feature on the EX30 via a software update. The system uses NFC or Ultra-Wideband (UWB) depending on the car, and allows remote access sharing with family or friends. It's part of Apple's push into secure, smartphone-based convenience that's becoming standard in high-end EVs. While Apple's announcements are largely global, many of the supported brands and models are sold in New Zealand—particularly those from Hyundai, Kia, Volvo, and BMW. The digital key functionality could soon become a standard offering across mid-to-premium vehicles sold locally, especially as over-the-air updates make rollout easier.
