![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Apple’s iOS 8 upgrades apps and adds health-related features
Shay Lari-Hosain-Winged Post
iOS 8, Apple’s newest operating system, scheduled to release in September, enhances several features of iOS 7 and introduces a new application called HealthKit.
Major improvements were made to the Messages app, which “is the most frequently used app on iOS” according to Apple senior vice president Craig Federighi. In group messages, users can name their conservations and share their locations with other members. They can also add and remove people, including themselves, and enable a “Do Not Disturb” function that blocks notifications from a noisy thread. Messages allows users to send photos or videos with a one
swipe gesture, and all of these attachments can now be seen at a glance.
Apple also created interactive notifications, which means that users can answer a text message, a calendar event, and even a third party app without having to leave their current application. In addition, double clicking the home button gives the user access to people who are favorited or who have been recently called, making it easy to quickly call someone.
Along with all of these improvements, Apple created HealthKit, an application that creates a wellness plan containing the user’s health information, like blood pressure, weight, and physical activities performed.
Additionally, the Photos app includes a new SmartEditing feature on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices, giving users more detailed editing tools. Every photo taken appears on all devices that share the same Apple ID. Through family sharing, a feature that allows up to six devices to share purchases, family members can download apps, songs, or books bought on different devices.
QuickType, another improvement, upgrades the current keyboard and Autocorrect feature by providing users with word suggestions based on their typing style and intended audience. This is not only made possible in English, but also in 13 other languages.
More information and pictures of iOS8 can be found on Apple’s website.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on August 29, 2014.
Trisha Dwivedi (12) is the Managing Editor of Harker Aquila. She was a reporter her freshman year, Business Manager of the Winged Post her sophomore year...
Shay Lari-Hosain (12) is the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Wingspan Magazine. Shay has interviewed 2013 Nobel Laureates, authors like Khaled Hosseini...