Apple WWDC 2013 Makes Big Changes
On June 10, 2013, Apple held their annual World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco, CA. The event serves as a forum for Apple to announce upcoming product releases and innovations so that developers can begin to create supporting applications and hardware. It has become a reveal party for Apple fans. Here are some of the highlights of what you can expect from your iPhone, iPad or Apple computer in the months to come.
Mobile devices get an OS overhaul. Slated to be released this fall, iOS 7 is a major redesign of Apple’s mobile operating system, updating the look and capabilities of your iPhone (4, 4S or 5), or recent generation iPod touch, iPad or iPad mini. New icons will look more like those found on the Windows phone in terms of color and design. Double clicking the home button will show preview panels of all active applications (that you can quickly scroll through) for easier multitasking, instead of iOS 6’s icon-only list that appears at the bottom of the screen.
AirDrop will allow you to instantly share files, photos, contacts, or anything with an in-app “share” option by listing any fellow iOS 7 users in range and letting you click to share. Updates to the camera include panorama mode and built-in filters for making your images unique and photo organization will be more automated.
The App Store will offer suggestions of apps that are popular in your current geographical area or among your friends, and anyone who has longed for a more masculine automated-assistant will have the option to select a male voice for Siri interactions.
OSX Moves from cats to California. The next generation of Operating System for Mac desktops and laptops, Mac OSX Mavericks, promises more responsive scrolling and web surfing (via an update to the Safari browser) and improved battery life by managing power usage. With its release this fall, multiple displays will be better supported, iBooks will be available on your Mac, and iCloud keychain will encrypt, store and generate passwords to allow you to improve your online security without requiring a super-human memory.
Mac Pro sports a whole new look. At just 9.9 inches tall and 6.6 inches in diameter, the sleek, black cylinder is an unexpected design. It will easily fit on your desk, and Apple promises it will be faster and run cooler than previous generations.
MacBook Air aims to work all day. Previewed MacBook Airs are even thinner and lighter, and a new CPU draws less power, supporting improved battery life – the 11-inch version promises to keep on chugging for nine hours, the 13-inch version up to twelve hours. They should hit shelves any day and prices start at $999.
Google gets kicked to the curb. Apple seemed to be repeatedly suggesting, “Google? Who needs them?” Siri will default its web searches to Bing; iWork for iCloud aims to replace Google Cloud as a web-based document creation, management and collaboration tool; Safari will sport Chrome-like tabs; and Apple’s Maps app will be integrated with Mail, Contacts and Calendar in OSX Maverick.
Pandora is put on notice. iTunes Radio will offer streaming radio, similar to the service available through Pandora or Google Play. ITunes Radio will track what you listen to across platforms (such as on your Mac or through your Apple TV) to personalize suggestions. Create playlists based on music you like and listen for free, provided you are willing to listen to ads. ITunes Match subscribers will get ad-free tunes included with their $24.99 annual subscription.
To see Apple’s announcements yourself, go to www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2013/ for roughly two hours of footage from the conference.
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