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Tag: WWDC

  • Apple Unveils OS X Yosemite At WWDC

    Apple Unveils OS X Yosemite At WWDC

    Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday with the usual keynote led by Tim Cook. First on the agenda was a look at the new version of OS X. It’s called Yosemite, keeping in line with its new tradition of California-based names, which was launched by last year’s Mavericks.

    This was demoed by Apple’s Craig Federighi, who joked at the name “Weed” was also considered. This got a lot of laughs from the crowd.

    There are some subtle design tweaks. “You wouldn’t believe how much time we spent crafting a trash can,” said Federighi.

    The dock looks slightly different. “Goregeous,” as I believe Federighi put it.

    It has refined toolbars, window materials and window constructions. There’s a new “dark mode,” which got a lot of applause. This lets users use darker toolbars. The changes extend throughout applications. There’s a new look for sidebar apps, and some new notification center features, including a look at Calendar, reminders, weather, etc. You can also add content from other widgets and apps you’ve downloaded fro the App Store.

    Spotlight has a new interface. You can click on the magnifying glass, and get a big search field right in the middle of the display, and quickly get to apps, documents, etc. It also taps into the Internet to get you Wikipedia info, maps, etc.

    Calendar has a new Day view. Safari and Mail are also getting some new features, and there’s a new iCloud Drive.

    A new feature of the OS is Continuity. AirDrop works between iOS and Mac now. A feature called “hand-off” enables devices that are around each other to utilize things you are working on, so you can easily switch. For example, you can compose an email on your phone, and your Mac will prompt you on the doc, so you can finish working on the message on the Mac.

    Instant Hotspot sees your phone and automatically sets up a hotspot so you can get on the network. Even if your phone is across the room “sitting in a handbag.”

    SMS messages from people with other types of devices will now show up on Mac. They can do the same thing with phone calls. When you receive a phone call, your Mac gives you caller ID. You can accept the call and use your Mac “as a speaker phone”. This works if your phone is across the house on a charger. You can also dial from the Mac in Contacts. Even from a webpage, if you see a number, you can call it from your Mac.

    In the demo, Craig called Dr. Dre, who welcomed him to Apple with a lot of applause. Dre thanked the audience for creating apps. Unfortunately, no “Deez nuts” jokes.

    According to Cook, Macs grew by 12% over the last fiscal year, compared to a 5% industry decline. The mac installed base has reached 80 million, and over 40 million copies of Mavericks have been installed since its October release. That’s the biggest single release in the company’s history.

    Cook couldn’t resist the opportunity to compare Mavericks use to Windows 8. Over 50% of the Mac install base is working on Mavericks (the latest version). That’s the fastest adoption of any PC operating system in history, according to Cook, who pointed out that Windows 8 was at 14%.

    “Need I say more?” Cook asked.

    Yosemite is available to developers today. Everyone else will get it in the fall. It will be free. There’s a public beta program for non-developers at apple.com/osx/preview.

    Image via Apple

  • WWDC: Here’s How to Watch Apple’s Event Live

    WWDC: Here’s How to Watch Apple’s Event Live

    Apple, who is rather inconsistent with their live streams, has decided to let the world in on their Worldwide Developer’s Conference keynote today. You can stream it live on Apple’s event site–if you have the right Apple device.

    In order to stream the WWDC keynote via Apple’s official site, you’ll need Safari 4 or later on OS X v10.6 or later; or Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. You can also stream it on your Apple TV, you’ll need second or third-gen running 5.0.2 or later.

    The annual conference kicks off today with the keynote, which will begin at 10am PDT.

    The conference itself will run through June 6th.

    Though Apple is tight-lipped (as always) about what’s going down at WWDC this year, it’s likely that we’ll get to see the new iOS 8 and OS X. It’s also possible that we’ll see some additional hardware announcements. Some rumors suggest we could see Apple step into the world of med-tech with a health tracking platform.

    Of course, there’s really no use in speculating. Just watch the keynote here in a few hours to find out where Apple’s turning their focus in 2014. If you’re tuning in to see a new iPhone or iPad, you’reprobably going to be disappointed.

    Image via Apple

  • Apple’s WWDC Keynote Will Be Live Streamed Next Week

    Apple has just announced that its annual Worldwide Developers Conference will be available to stream online this year (or at least the keynote address). Apple has a history of streaming some major events and leaving us in the dark of others, so this is good news for those who want to see what Apple has in store for the next year right as it happens.

    The keynote will stream at 10am PDT on June 2nd. The conference itself will run through June 6th. Bookmark this page for the livestream. Do note, however that you’ll need Safari 4 or later on OS X v10.6 or later; or Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. If you want to stream it on your Apple TV, you’ll need second or third-gen running 5.0.2 or later.

    “We have the most amazing developer community in the world and have a great week planned for them,” says Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Every year the WWDC audience becomes more diverse, with developers from almost every discipline you can imagine and coming from every corner of the globe. We look forward to sharing with them our latest advances in iOS and OS X so they can create the next generation of great apps.”

    We’re likely to see the new iOS 8 and new version of OS X next week as Apple’s top brass take the stage at Moscone West in San Francisco. Recent rumors have sprouted, saying that Apple could unveil a new home automation system. MacRumors says we’ll likely get some additional hardware announcements, but we’re not likely to see a new iWatch or Apple TV model.

    Image via Apple

  • iOS 8 Will Have Shazam Music ID Built In [Report]

    Your iPhone is about to become a streamlined music identification device, if reports prove to be accurate.

    Bloomberg is citing two sources close to the matter who say that Apple is partnering with Shazam to integrate music ID into their upcoming iOS 8.

    You probably know Shazam as that app that lets you figure out what song is on the radio, or playing at a friend’s house. For years, Shazam has been the #1 such app, which “listens” to the music in the background and pulls up the correct track, artist, album, etc. from a large database. Shazam, headquartered in London, says that they connect over 420 million people to the music they love in dozens of languages. In the past couple of years, the company has received some sizable cash injections (one from Carlos Slim).

    If this report is correct, then we could see Shazam’s music recognition tech come built right in to Apple’s next mobile operating system, turning users’ iPhones and iPads into music ID machines.

    That’s because the feature would work with Siri, meaning you would be able to say things like “Hey, what song is playing right now?” or “Who is this on the radio, Siri?” and get a quick response.

    If true, we’d most likely get a peek at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to run from June 2nd to the 6th in San Francisco.

    From the same report: Apple has already internally constructed a subscription music service, and is mulling it over as we speak. Couple that with a rumored ITunes Radio expansion and we may just get a rather music-oriented new chapter in the iOS saga.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Apple’s WWDC Dates Announced: June 2-6

    Apple has just announced the dates for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, and the long-running event will take place this year from June 2nd to the 6th. It’ll take place in San Francisco’s Moscone West, per usual.

    “We have the most amazing developer community in the world and have a great week planned for them,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Every year the WWDC audience becomes more diverse, with developers from almost every discipline you can imagine and coming from every corner of the globe. We look forward to sharing with them our latest advances in iOS and OS X so they can create the next generation of great apps.”

    If you’re a developer looking for a ticket, check here. You can put your name on a giant list from now until April 7th, but Apple’s going to choose attendees at random this year.

    “Over the past six years, a massive cultural shift has occurred. It;s changed how we interact with one another. Learn new things. Entertain ourselves. Do our work. And live our daily lives. All because of developers and the apps they create. For five days, one thousand Apple engineers and five thousand developers will gather together. And life will be different as result. Write the code. Change the world,” says Apple.

    Save the cheerleader, save the world? Now life changing may be a bit a of stretch (a bit…), but Apple has unveiled some pretty big things at WWDCs of the past. Last year, for instance, we got the new version of OS X, iTunes Radio, and iOS 7.

    We’ll just have to wait until June to see what Apple has in store for this conference. Oh, who am I kidding, let the speculation begin!

    Image via Apple

  • iOS 7 Reveal Gets The NMA Treatment

    iOS 7 Reveal Gets The NMA Treatment

    On Monday, Apple unveiled its next generation mobile operating system – iOS 7. Apple billed it as the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the original iPhone. That change was welcomed with open arms at WWDC, but some weren’t as thrilled to see their tried and true iOS undergoing such a drastic change.

    Our favorite Taiwanese animators have captured all of the above and more in their latest news report. As an added bonus, NMA also gave us the lowdown on the new Mac Pro.

    For more on this year’s WWDC, check out our coverage.

  • Bing Talks New Siri Integration

    Bing Talks New Siri Integration

    As previously reported, Apple unveiled some new Siri features for iOS 7 today at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Among them is some new Bing integration, which will see Bing delivering web results when people search with Siri, and it doesn’t have a direct answer for the user.

    Bing Corporate Vice President Derrick Connell took to the Bing blog this afternoon to weigh in on the announcement. He wrote:

    Starting this fall with iOS 7, Bing will power Siri’s new integrated web search. When users ask Siri a question either the specific answer or web search links will now be delivered automatically so users can find information even faster.

    Bing was designed from the outset to be a great place for web search helping customers quickly find what they are looking for and get more out of search. We are thrilled that all the great results people have come to know and love on Bing.com will now be available to Siri users on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

    Making sure customers can have access to the power of Bing where and when they need it has been a big focus of the work we have done over the past few years, and we are excited to work with Apple to deliver it to Siri users this fall.

    Apple did not make any indication that Bing will become the default search provider on the iPhone, replacing Google in Safari. Neither Apple or Microsoft specified whether Siri will be able to switch between Bing or other search engines with Settings adjustments.

    Either way, this is great news for Bing, which can only gain searches from this partnership, which should nicely complement its Facebook partnership, where it provides web results for Graph Search (which has still yet to completely roll out to users).

    Siri also has new Twitter search capabilities and Wikipedia integration, making it a more viable competitor to Google’s conversational search and Knowledge Graph (which draws a great deal from Wikipedia itself).

  • Apple Unveils iTunes Radio, Which Comes Out This Fall

    At the Worldwide Developers Conference today, Apple finally announced the rumored iTunes Radio. It will be generally available this fall.

    It’s a free radio service with over 200 stations, and a catalog of music drawing from the iTunes Store. People can listen to stations, then download songs if they they like them.

    You will be able to use iTunes Radio from an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, PC or Apple TV. It will include stations inspired by stuff you’ve already listened to, as well as stations curated by Apple and personalized genre-focused stations. You will also be able to create stations based on specific songs.

    “The more you use iTunes Radio and iTunes, the more it knows what you like to listen to and the more personalized your experience becomes,” the company explains.

    “iTunes Radio is an incredible way to listen to personalized radio stations which have been created just for you,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “It’s the music you love most and the music you’re going to love, and you can easily buy it from the iTunes Store with just one click.”

    As an added bonus, it will give you exclusive premieres from top-selling artists. It will also host special events like live streams from the iTunes Festival and other exclusive iTunes sessions.

    And of course, it includes Siri integration (Siri has some new features of its own).

    Apple explains, “Let Siri make your listening experience even more fun. Ask Siri ‘Who plays that song?’ or ‘Play more like this’ and Siri will make it happen. Say something like ‘Play Jazz Radio’ or ask for any of your existing favorite stations and genres. Shape your stations by telling Siri what you like and don’t like, or tell Siri to pause, stop or skip. You can also have Siri add songs to your Wish List to download later.”

    iTunes Radio is ad-supported and free. If you’re an iTunes Match user, you’ll get it for free without the ads.

  • WWDC Picture Says a Thousand Words About Gender Diversity

    If you’re a man at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference today in San Francisco and you need to pee, well, good luck – those lines are going to be looooooooooong.

    Or you could use the women’s restroom. It’s not very crowded – and it’s definitely cleaner.

    This wonderful image taken by CNET’s Dan Ackerman says a lot about something. You decide what it means:

    Is this a opportunistic representation of the gender breakdown at Apple’s developer conference? Or is this actually an accurate depiction of WWDC, Apple events, or even tech in general? What does this have to say about gender in tech?

    I don’t know. I’m not going to wade into those murky topics. WWDC made me tired, and I think I need a nap. This photo is funny as hell though, don’t you think?

    For some more serious coverage of Apple’s WWDC, check here.

  • iOS 7 Gets A Complete Redesign And Some New Features

    It was pretty much an inevitability that Apple would show off iOS 7 today. After announcing all the new features coming to OS X and MacBook Air, Apple finally took the wraps off its new mobile OS.

    Before getting to that, though, Tim Cook took us through some stats about iOS. First and foremost, there have been 600 million iOS devices sold since the first iPhone was introduced. Compare that to Android’s 900 million Android device activations, and it becomes pretty impressive for just two device lines.

    Cook then decided to take a few swipes at Android with stats like iPhone users use their device 50 percent more than Android users use theirs. iOS also has 60 percent of the mobile Web share and iOS users took advantage of mobile shopping more than anybody else on Black Friday in 2012.

    On a final stat note, Cook noted that 93 percent of iOS users were on iOS 6. He used that to take a dig at Android and its well-publicized fragmentation.

    After all of that, Cook announced iOS 7 and showed off its logo. He then introduced it with a video narrated by Jon Ive. He says that iOS 7 is completely redesigned with all new colors, layers that establish hierarchy, and live backgrounds for the lock screen and apps.

    Apple then spent the rest of their time with iOS 7 talking about 10 specific updated features:

    The first is Control Center. The new Control Center is accessed by swiping up from the bottom. It includes everything you need for basic control of your phone and your music player.

    With multitasking, Apple is bringing the feature to every app on iOS 7. It also notices when you use apps and then predicts when you’re going to use those apps. Before you use those apps, it will update them with new info in the background.

    Safari gets full screen browsing, a smart search field and a new tab interface. In even bigger news, Safari on iOS is no longer limited to 8 tabs.

    AirDrop is a new feature that’s obviously an answer to Google’s Hangouts app. It picks up friends who are close by, and lets you share photos and other information with those friends. It delivers all this information securely over encrypted signals.

    The camera has been updated with four cameras in one. One of those is a live photo filter.

    Siri receives a substantial update that features a new interface, newly updated voice with a male voice option. It also integrates with your photos and Bing search.

    Speaking of Siri, Apple is bringing it to the car with iOS in the car. The app will integrate with cars that support the feature by bringing Siri voice commands to a number of applications.

    The App Store will receive a a new design. It will also alert you to popular apps in your area and you can sort apps by age ranges. The App Store will also update all of your apps automatically.

    After months of rumors, the Music app will get iTunes Radio in iOS 7. It’s a free ad-supported radio service that’s integrated into the music app. The Music app also includes a redesign that includes artist pictures.

    The final major feature is called Activation Lock. It will hopefully deter would be iPhone thieves by requiring a thief to know your AppleID when trying to activate your phone. Activation Lock will remain active even if the phone is wiped.

    iOS 7 will be available in beta to developers today. It will initially only be available on the iPhone 4 and later. It will be coming to iPad 2 and later, and the iPad Mini in the coming weeks. It will also be available on the 5th generation iPod Touch.

    The latest generation of iOS will be available to iPhone owners this fall. The iPhone 5S, or iPhone 6, is expected to launch at that time as well.

  • Siri Gets More Knowledge Graph-Like With Wikipedia, Bing

    While demonstrating iOS 7 at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced some new Siri features. Among them, integration of Bing web search results.

    Siri has a new interface, and even a new male voice. It now understands more types of commands, such as:

    • “Play last voicemail”
    • “Increase brightness”
    • “What is John Appleseed saying?”
    • “Tell me about surfing”
    • “What are the best beaches for surfing?”

    In addition to the Bing web search results, it now has Wikipedia integration, which should make it significantly more Knowledge Graph-like. Google’s Knowledge Graph, as you may know draws from Wikipedia a great deal. The new features should reduce the gap between the two offerings.

    You can also search Twitter with Siri now.

    Update: Here’s what Apple says about Siri in the iOS 7 press release:

    Siri sounds better than ever with new male and female voices and includes Twitter search integration, so you can ask Siri what people are saying on Twitter*. Siri also now has Wikipedia integration, providing access to the world’s most popular Internet reference site. Siri offers Bing web search within the app and the ability to change device settings and play back voicemail.

  • MacBook Air Gets Faster And Cheaper

    During its WWDC keynote today, Apple announced that its bringing a new MacBook Air to consumers today.

    The new MacBook Air boasts what Apple calls an all-day battery life. The 11-inch MacBook Pro will now have a 9-hour battery life. The 13-inch model will get a 12-hour battery life.

    The MacBook Air is able to get this better battery life thanks to the new Intel Haswell CPUs. Apple says that it has worked closely with Intel to make the new MacBook Air more powerful while making sure that the battery life is increased. For example, you can now watch up to 10 hours of movies on iTunes with a single battery charge.

    In other news, the MacBook Airs now come with the new 802.11 ac WiFi frequency. This is three-times faster than the current WiFi standard. To take advantage of the new frequency, Apple is also releasing a new AirPort device called AirPort Extreme. The AirPort Extreme can be equipped with 1 or 2TB hard drives.

    With all these improvements, the MacBook Air has surprisingly become cheaper. The 11-inch MacBook Air with a 128GB HDD will retail for $999. The 13-inch MacBook Air with a 128GB will go for $1099. Both new models will start to ship today.

  • Apple Unveils OS X Mavericks, The First Non-Cat In Over A Decade

    Apple Unveils OS X Mavericks, The First Non-Cat In Over A Decade

    Apple unveiled the next version of Mac OS X at its Worldwide Developers Conference today. For the first time in over a decade, they went with a name that doesn’t involve a cat.

    This is, as the company noted, because there’s simply a “dwindling supply of cats”. They’re running out of cat names. They unveiled the name as Mac OS X Sea Lion:

    OS X Sea Lion

    Then, they noted that this was a joke. The real name is OS X Mavericks. This is the first in the company’s new series of names, which will be based on California-related themes.

    The OS has over 200 new features. Three big features the company touted were: finder tabs, tagging and multiple displays, which were demoed.

    Finder tabs essentially give your Finder window more of a modern browser feel. You can add tabs by clicking the plus, and take the whole thing full screen, which will be more appealing with the inclusion of tabs.

    As far as tagging, you can now tag files on OS X based on details such as your location. This makes them better for search, and they will appear in the Finder sidebar.

    The crowd was really excited about the Multiple Displays feature, which lets users view menus across various screens, and view various apps in full screen on each screen. AirPlay-connected TVs will work as full displays.

    Apple also touted the battery life that accompanies the new OS thanks to compressed memory and other features.

    With this version, Apple has also added iBooks, Maps (which lets you send directions to your iPhone), an updated Calendar, and launched a new version of Safari. It also integrates iOS notifications.

    From the press release:

    Maps brings advanced mapping technologies from iOS to the Mac, including crisp vector graphics, stunning 3D view and interactive Flyover™. With Maps you can plan a trip from your Mac, then send it to your iPhone® for voice navigation on the road. Maps integration throughout Mavericks gives users helpful maps from within Mail, Contacts and Calendar, and developers can integrate the same powerful mapping features into their apps through the Map Kit API. With iBooks you have instant access to your existing iBooks library, as well as the more than 1.8 million titles in the iBooks Store, from textbooks and classics to the latest best sellers. iBooks also works seamlessly across your devices, so you can read a book on your Mac, make notes or highlights, and then pick up exactly where you left off on your iPad®.

    …

    New core technologies in OS X Mavericks improve the energy efficiency and responsiveness of your Mac. Timer Coalescing intelligently groups together low-level operations so that the CPU can spend more time in a low-power state, saving energy without affecting performance or responsiveness. App Nap reduces the power consumed by apps that you’re not using. Compressed Memory technology keeps your Mac fast and responsive. When your system’s memory begins to fill up, Compressed Memory automatically compresses inactive data. When these items are needed again, Mavericks instantly uncompresses them.

    The new version of Safari that accompanies the OS is energy and memory efficient, and has improved JavaScript performance.

    “Safari’s new process-per-tab architecture makes the browser more responsive, stable and secure,” the company says. “Safari also introduces innovations like Shared Links, which make it easy to discover, read and share interesting new content from Twitter and LinkedIn, all in one place.”

    Also included in OS X Mavericks is iCloud Keychain, a way to safely store site login info, credit card numbers, and WI-Fi passwords. It pushes them to all your devices so you don’t have to remember them.

    It has interactive notifications that let you reply to messages, respond to FaceTime calls or delete emails from the apps you’re using.

    There’s a developer preview of Mavericks available today. For everyone else, the final release will come this fall.

    The Mac install base is up to 72 million, CEO Tim Cook proudly proclaimed. The iMac and Macbook are the number on desktop and notebook in the US, respectively.

  • Anki Brings Artificial Intelligence To iOS

    To open the WWDC keynote, Tim Cook invited a robotics startup called Anki to the stage. The company showed off what it called a “video game in the real world” for iOS.

    The first product out of Anki is called Anki Drive. It’s a collection of AI-controlled race cars that learn and adapt as they drive around a track. The most interesting part about all of this is that the cars are not only controlled by iOS devices, but the brains of the cars are also housed in the iOS app.

    Anki Drive is only the first of many products that the the folks at Anki want to make for iOS devices. They want to bring artificial intelligence, robotics and more to iOS users around the world.

    At the end of the presentation, the Anki folks said that Anki Drive will be sold exclusively at Apple Stores later this year for around $200. It’s unknown if Apple is funding the development of Anki, but it’s a cool enough concept. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Apple getting into artificial intelligence development for Siri and other services.

  • Apple Drops Some App Store Stats At WWDC

    Apple Drops Some App Store Stats At WWDC

    Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicked off today, and as usual, the keynote began with a bunch of Apple stats.

    Before showing a video of the company’s latest retail store opening in Berlin, CEO Tim Cook revealed that a million people went to Apple’s retail stores per day last year. They now have 47 stores around the world in 14 countries. This particular store was opened in a hundred-year-old building.

    On the digital side of things, Cook announced that people have downloaded 50 billion apps from the App Store. There are currently 900,000 apps in the store, and 93% of them, he said, are downloaded every month.

    There are 375,000 apps specifically for the iPad, he noted.

    There are 575 million store accounts.

    Cook also announced that Apple has paid developers ten billion dollars, more than all of the other platforms combined, he said. The App Store, he said, “levels the playing field” between large and small developers.

    The App Store will celebrate its 5th birthday next month.

  • Watch Apple’s WWDC Live on the Web and on Apple TV

    Watch Apple’s WWDC Live on the Web and on Apple TV

    Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference kicks off today, June 10th, at 10 am PST. Since tickets are both expensive (starting at $1,599) and hard to come by (usually selling out in minutes), there’s a good chance that you are unable to attend this year’s event at San Francisco’s Moscone West.

    But don’t worry. You can still watch all the action. Apple has just put up their live stream of the event, and it’ll kick of at 10.

    You can watch the WWDC here, on the web – as long as you’re running Safari 4 or later on Mac OS X v10.6 or later or Safari on iOS 4.2 or later.

    Apple is also streaming the event via Apple TV.

    We’re expecting Apple to unveil a new version of iOS and OS X, as well as a new internet radio service. But who knows what else Apple has up their sleeve. You’ll just have to tune in to find out.

  • Apple’s WWDC Gets Its Own App with Session Videos

    Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off in exactly one week from today, and Apple has just released a new app that not only helps those who are attending the event but also provides content for those who can’t make it.

    For all registered Apple developers, the new WWDC app will provide free streaming session videos. They will also be available on the web.

    Here’s what Apple’s offering attendees with the new app:

    • Browse times, locations, and descriptions for sessions, labs, and special events
    • Mark schedule items as favorites with a simple double-tap
    • Watch session videos, available daily
    • Start watching on one iOS device, and pick up where you left off on another
    • Keep up with the latest news, get important notifications, and see daily snapshots
    • View maps to find your way around Moscone West
    • Provide feedback on session content and speakers within the session details view
    • Add your attendee information to Passbook for speedier on-site registration

    WWDC begins on June 10th and will run through June 14th. Apple is set to reveal “the future of iOS and OS X” and possibly a new internet radio service.

    “We look forward to gathering at WWDC 2013 with the incredible community of iOS and OS X developers,” said Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing Philip Schiller. “Our developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we’re excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to help them create innovative new apps. We can’t wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into their hands at WWDC.”

    You can download the WWDC app over at the App Store today.

  • Will Apple Announce An Online Radio Service Next Week?

    We’re probably not going to see an iPad, iPhone or other major hardware reveals from Apple at WWDC next week. We are going to see the new OS X and iOS. Now reports are coming in that we may also see the oft rumored Apple Radio.

    The New York Times reports that Apple is aggressively pursuing licensing agreements with record labels so that it can reveal its radio service at WWDC next week. Apple has reportedly signed deals with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, but it has only secured recorded music rights with the former. It will have to negotiate a deal with UMG for music publishing rights as well as secure a deal with Sony Music.

    We’re likely to see a reveal of Apple’s radio service at WWDC next week if it can secure all those rights in the following days. As for the reveal itself, it will probably be positioned as a response to Google Music All Access – the Spotify-like service that Google announced at Google I/O in May.

    Unlike Google Music All Access and Spotify, however, Apple’s service would be more like Pandora. It will reportedly be a free, ad-supported music streaming service that caters to a user’s particular tastes. It will also reportedly tie into iTunes to encourage listeners to buy the music that they’re listening to.

    Without a free, ad-supported option, Google Music All Access is limited in its appeal. Apple Radio may be free, but its lack of choice makes Spotify look all the better. It will be interesting then to see if the 67 million people who still prefer the online radio experience of Pandora make the move to Apple Radio when and if it’s announced next week.

  • Apple’s WWDC Kicks Off June 10th, To Focus on ‘Future of iOS and OS X’

    Apple has just announced that it’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference will begin this year on June 10th and run through June 14th. It’ll take place at San francisco’s Moscone West.

    Tickets go on sale tomorrow, April 25th, at 10 am PT. You can find information about that here. It’s important to note that to buy a ticket, you have to be a member of iOS Developer Program, iOS Developer Enterprise Program, or the Mac Developer Program as of the time of today’s announcement. The tickets start at $1,599.

    “We look forward to gathering at WWDC 2013 with the incredible community of iOS and OS X developers,” said Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing Philip Schiller. “Our developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we’re excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to help them create innovative new apps. We can’t wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into their hands at WWDC.”

    WWDC will feature over 100 technical sessions from over 1,000 Apple engineers.

    Here’s what’s on the schedule for the event so far:

    • More than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers on a wide range of topics for developing, deploying and integrating the latest iOS and OS X technologies;
    • more than 1,000 Apple engineers supporting over 100 hands-on labs and events to provide developers with code-level assistance, insight into optimal development techniques and guidance on how they can make the most of iOS and OS X technologies in their apps;
    • the latest innovations, features and capabilities of iOS and OS X, and how to enhance an app’s functionality, performance, quality and design;
    • the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iOS and OS X developers from around the world—last year more than 60 countries were represented;
    • engaging and inspirational lunchtime sessions with leading minds and influencers from the worlds of technology, science and entertainment; and
    • Apple Design Awards which recognize iPhone®, iPad® and Mac apps that demonstrate technical excellence, innovation and outstanding design.

    At last year’s WWDC, Apple pulled the lid off OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6.

  • Apple And Search: Now Is Google A Monopoly?

    With all the talk about Google being a monopoly, the company is probably glad (at least partially) to see Apple make some search-related announcements during its WWDC keynote, which could help the argument in Google’s favor (even if hurting its market share).

    Should Google be worried about Apple’s announcements? Tell us what you think.

    For one, Apple’s web browser, Safari, is getting Chrome-like search functionality, while also adding Baidu as a search option. In fact, Apple is cozying up to China a great deal, as Google’s relationship with the country has grown anything but cozy.

    Last year, Apple made a huge impression on society with Siri. Now, they’ve made some improvements to it. With iOS 6, Apple’s forthcoming operating system due out this fall, Siri will likely take a significant chunk of search market share for things like sports, restaurants and movies, even while Google is improving itself in both sports and local search.

    And did we mention Siri is coming to the iPad?

    “Ask Siri about sports scores and stats, where to eat, what movies to see — even ask to make Facebook posts,” Apple says on its website. “Siri understands more languages and works in more countries. So you can get more things done in more places around the world. And most exciting of all, with Siri on the new iPad, on more devices, too.”

    On sports, Apple says, “Siri knows baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and hockey. Ask Siri for game schedules, scores from the current season’s games, or up-to-the minute scores from live games. Tell Siri to show you player stats and compare them against other players’ stats. Siri tracks team records, too, so you’ll always know how well your team is doing (or not doing). Siri is even smart enough to know whether you’re asking about the New York Giants or the San Francisco Giants, based on where you are.”

    Siri on sports

    On movies, Apple says, “Siri can help you find the latest flicks by location or showtimes. Can’t decide? Ask Siri to show you a movie trailer or a Rotten Tomatoes review. Siri is also quite the film buff: Find out when a film premiered, who directed it, and what awards it won. Or ask Siri which movies your favorite actors star in, so you won’t miss any of their past or future blockbusters.”

    Siri on movies

    Finally, on restaurants, Apple says, “With Siri you now have a personal restaurant concierge. Ask to find restaurants by cuisine, price, location, outdoor seating, or a combination of choices. Siri will show you a restaurant’s photos, Yelp stars, price range, and reviews. When you find a place you like, ask Siri to make a reservation through the OpenTable app.”

    Siri on restaurants

    How many iOS users will be turning to Siri before Google for a lot of this stuff? Apple says it has sold 365 million iOS devices sold as of March.

    With new Facebook integration mentioned above, Siri is only giving users more reasons to use it. The more people use it, the more they’ll likely use it for more things. Speaking of using it for more things, iOS 6 users will also be able to ask Siri to open apps. Apple is even working with car manufacturers on integrating Siri into voice control systems, with voice command buttons on steering wheels. I wonder if Google’s self-driving cars will come with voice search.

    As expected, Apple dumped Google Maps with the new operating system, as it has stepped up its game in the online search space. As Drew Bowling wrote in a previous WPN article, “The new iOS mapping service will come with a host of features that have become commonplace with geo-location services, such as real-time traffic updates and any upcoming traffic delays on your route. Beyond the standard array of features, Apple added 100 million different Yelp listings for businesses as well as a slick turn-bu-turn navigation not unlike what MapQuest has been offering with its direction service. The biggest Oooh-and-Aaah feature with Apple’s new Maps feature is by far the 3D renderings that are fully navigable and offer up insanely detailed pictures (dangerously detailed, some would say).”

    Apple says, “iOS 6 includes an all new Maps app with vector-based map elements that make graphics and text smooth, and panning, tilting and zooming incredibly fluid. New turn-by-turn navigation guides you to your destination with spoken directions, and the amazing Flyover feature has photo-realistic interactive 3D views. Real-time traffic information keeps you updated on how long it will take to get to your destination and offers alternate time-saving routes if traffic conditions change significantly. Additionally, local search includes information for over 100 million businesses with info cards that offer Yelp ratings, reviews, available deals and photos.”

    A new report from the Wall Street Journal says, “Developers, about 5,000 of which paid $1,599 for tickets [to WWDC], said they were excited to try many of the new mobile software features—particularly the new mapping application. The service, which Apple has been developing for years, has a mode for viewing areas in three-dimensions, along with a local search service and turn-by-turn driving directions for in-car use.”

    That same report has a statement from Google saying the company has been “working on maps for years” and is “looking forward to continuing to build the perfect map for our users in the months and years ahead.”

    Google, of course, has some interesting new things happening with its own maps.

    It just so happens that Apple’s maps come primarily from a provider that has been in the business for years too – TomTom. The company issued the following statement:

    TomTom has signed a global agreement with Apple for maps and related information. No further details of the agreement will be provided.

    Yelp, one of the companies that has often voiced complaint regarding Google’s competitive business practices, listed the following Yelp integrations on its blog:

    • In addition to using Yelp listings when providing local business recommendations, Siri now has even more Yelp content.
    • When searching in Apple’s “Maps” both the Info and Reviews tabs will point you to millions of Yelp listings — and if you click on a specific review, you’ll be taken directly to that review for that business on Yelp.
    • Yelpers around the world will start getting Siri access thanks to Apple’s language updates.
    • Finally, Yelp is already integrated in navigation systems for BMW, Lexus & Mercedes. Now, you can get point to point directions & recommendations with those manufacturers, as well as dozens more with Siri & Yelp.

    Google’s Matt Cutts has been talking about it on Twitter:

     

    Siri seems to be chipping away at various search verticals. How long until it just becomes a full-on search engine, and the default search option on Apple products, at that?

    Back to that Facebook integration. That extends well beyond Siri. iOS 6 comes with deep Facebook integration in numerous capacities, in addition to the Twitter integration iOS 5 brought to the table. iOS is heavily integrated with two of the world’s most popular social services, while Google is still trying to get enough people to care about Google+, which the company has deemed its “social spine”.

    Facebook, as you may know, is already a huge competitor to Google in the social and online identity spaces. More on all of the Facebook integration here.

    Google stock fell on Apple’s announcements. TomTom’s jumped.

    Do you think Google is a monopoly? Let us know in the comments.

  • Apple AirPort Upgraded, Still $99

    A lot of the focus this weeks is going to be on iOS 6 and that shiny new MacBook Pro with the retina display, but Apple also made plenty of smaller announcements during their Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. Apple not only upgrades its operating systems and computers at a break-neck pace, it also constantly upgrades its accessories. Apple’s router, dubbed the AirPort Express, is getting an upgrade too – but it’s not going up in price.

    The new AirPort Express will now feature simultaneous dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi. That’s it. Everything else about the device is staying exactly the same, but at least it is a slight improvement. The price for the device has not risen along with its capabilities – it is still $99.

    The AirPort Express functions as a normal router, but also supports some Apple-specific software such as the Remote App. Using the Remote App, Apple fans can control itunes on their computer using an iOS touch device such as an iPhone or iPad. Another feature the AirPort Express supports is AirPlay, which allows wireless AirPlay-enabled speakers to play music from an iOS device or iTunes. In addition, the AirPort Express has a 3.5 mm audio jack so that AirPlay can be used with non-AirPlay-enabled speakers.