Incredible Labs, the creators behind the smart assistant app Donna, has released an update that not only includes a refresh for iOS 7, but also new features to help coordinate meetings and more. The latest update comes five months after its launch.
Functioning like your a real personal assistant, Donna is a service that will help you navigate through the day and continue to monitor and learn what your preferences are. Company CEO and founder Kevin Cheng says that no matter whether you’re en route to a meeting, running late, or wondering what’s going on, his app will predict what needs to be done and do it without needing your guidance.
In Donna 2.0, Incredible Labs puts this idea to the test, specifically around the use case of meetings. Cheng believes that other services are doing it wrong. Although he doesn’t name any specific companies or competitors, he does say that the “running late” interfaces on other similar apps are “clumsy” and require more work.
With that in mind, Donna now has new features to help you efficiently manage your meeting schedule. The first happens to be the ability to have the app tell you when you need to leave for your appointment based on your location. It will also assess how you’re getting there, along with the traffic and parking situation. It can send you push notifications or deliver text or even call you if so desired.
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Coordinating meeting times can be difficult enough, but what happens if you’re running late? Incredible Labs says that Donna can automatically share your location or arrival time with other attendees (think Glympse), all without you needing to lift a finger. It would be safe to say that the message delivered will have the distance and time based on your phone’s GPS.
Donna also allows phone calls to be made right from the lock screen. If you receive an app push notification with a conference call number, you can tap on the screen to instantly get connected or open up Skype, GoToMeeting, or WebEx. No longer do you need to unlock the phone and go directly to Donna — it cuts down on the steps.
To highlight its intelligence, Cheng and his team have also made it smarter so that Donna will become familiar with popular locations that you frequent, whether it’s your home, work office, conference room, coffee shop, and more.
And as this is the first update since Apple released iOS 7, Donna has received a design refresh. The company says that the background location and calendar fetching process has been optimized for the latest operating system. This way it will have the latest meeting information, directions, street view, weather, and more. Even the iOS homescreen icon has received a touch-up.
This is the second major update to Donna since its launch. In August, the company added public transit options, metric system compatibility, and support for all-day appointments such as birthdays and anniversaries.
➤ Donna for iOS
Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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