Apple Adds Do Not Disturb While Driving Mode to iOS 11 Beta

To contain the menace of distracted driving, Cupertino-based Apple Inc AAPL has finally added the much needed safety feature to iOS 11's beta version called the "Do Not Disturb while Driving" mode.

Per media reports, when the phone is connected to the car, the feature is activated and will block all unwanted notifications by sending the response "I'm driving with Do Not Disturb turned on. I'll see your message when I get where I'm going." However, one can still receive important messages by customizing the settings of the feature.  The feature will be similar to the iOS "Do not disturb mode," where people from the favorites list of the user will be able to reach them.

Reportedly, the feature will also be able to detect the speed of the car by using iPhone's sensors. Passengers can simply ignore the activation warning that pops up while they get in the car.

However, the feature will not totally lock down the iPhone, observes TechCrunch. CarPlay and Maps will still work.

The ‘Do Not Disturb while Driving' feature was announced at Apple's WWDC conference held earlier this month. At the conference, the company's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi was quoted saying, "It's all about keeping your eyes on the road. When you're driving, you don't need to respond to these kinds (Twitter, Tinder etc) of messages. In fact, you don't need to see them."

Apple Inc. Price

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Distracted driving is referred to as driving while engaged in other activities – including usage of smartphones, has emerged as a nuisance, causing a sizeable portion of the total road fatalities across the U.S. As a result, smartphone makers have come under tremendous pressure to contain this menace. Android phones already have the option to use auto reply while driving. For iOS users, the much needed feature is pretty late, but thankfully there now.

Zacks Rank & Stock Price Movement

At present, Apple carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

In the last one year, shares of the company have registered growth of 51.5% compared with the Zacks categorized Computer Mini industry's gain of 50.3%.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader tech space include TiVo Corp TIVO, MercadoLibre MELI and Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings OLLI. While TiVo and MercadoLibre sport a Zacks Rank #1, Ollie's holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

In the trailing four quarters, TiVo, MercadoLibre and Ollie's delivered average positive earnings surprises of 67.6%, 26.7% and 14.6%, respectively.

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