Cupertino, California – Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) recently released the latest version of its operating system, the iOS 9.3, for iPhone and iPad. With the update, new and improved features have been announced as well, for instance, the Night Shift, a new app that promises to improve health by helping users sleep better.
Night Shift for iOS 9.3 prevents light from electronic displays from disrupting your body clock. It uses the clock and geolocation of your iPhone or iPad to determinate when it is already night in order to automatically change the colors in the display towards the warmer end of the spectrum. The idea is stopping the device from exposing you to cool, blue light.
Experts say they are very happy with Apple’s new feature because it could improve public health as it intends reduce how blue light affects users’ sleeping patterns and, in consequence, allowing them to get a better night rest.
Studies have claimed that blue spectrum light is associated with poor sleep. When people are exposed to it late at night, they may either have a disturbed sleep, or simply have a hard time falling asleep.
Paul Gringras, a professor of sleep medicine and neuro-disability with Evelina London Children’s Hospital, conducted a study published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, in which he criticized how phone and tablet makers do not offer any type of automatic “bedtime mode” necessary to drop blue spectrum light repercussions.
“People unfortunately don’t regulate their own behavior quite as much as they should, so there is a responsibility when it’s easy for manufacturers to do that,” Gringras said in the study, now he says he is really pleased apple has release the new app.
But this useful heath improver update had been offered to users before, specifically since 2012 when F.lux was released. F.lux was created 3 years ago to reduce the amount of blue spectrum light emitted by Apple devices in order to reduce its impact on sleep quality, basically the same thing Night Shift do.
Now the company has been facing accusations of copying F.lux to develop their Night Shift update. Actually, Apple allegedly contacted F.lux in November to ask them to cease and desist.
In a statement, F.lux asked Apple to allow them to release F.lux on iOS in order to open up access to the features announced and to support their goal of furthering research in sleep and chronobiology. In the statement, F.lux said they were proud to be the original innovators and leaders in the area, clearly letting the major technology company know that they developed the technology first.
Source: Forbes