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Websites can use Apple's pressure-aware trackpad in OS X El Capitan
Apple's pressure-sensitive Force Touch trackpad isn't tremendously useful in typical Mac software, but it might just get a new lease on life in OS X El Capitan. The new operating system's development tools let websites define what happens when you make that extra-strong click. You could favorite that adorable cat photo instead of zooming into it, for instance. There are some big gotchas associated with this, however. You'll need a circa-2015 Mac laptop to start with, but you'll also have to surf the web in Safari -- this won't help much if you're using an iMac, or prefer browsers like Chrome and Firefox. As clever as pressure-aware pages might be, you might not run into them that often without wider app and device support.
Apple Music still needs tuning
Apple Music: As simple as the name is, what it offers is surprisingly complex. It bundles in a streaming service, a 24/7 radio network and a whole new social outreach tool for artists. Oh, and you'll use the same Apple Music app to access all your regular iTunes purchased music too. As soon as June 30th rolls around, the new Apple Music app will be the default one-stop shop for music on devices with iOS 8.4 and up (assuming you'll cough up $9.99 a month for an individual subscription or $14.99 for a family sub for up to six people). Senior Editor Chris Velazco and I had some quality time with the app post-keynote, and while we appreciate what Apple is trying to do to win the hearts and minds of music fans, it's still very much a work in progress.
Apple's 'Move to iOS' app makes it easy to switch from Android
Apple's upcoming mobile platform apparently comes with a new app called "Move to iOS" that wirelessly transfers data from Android devices to iPhones and iPads. It was curiously skipped over during the company's WWDC keynote earlier, but Daring Fireball points it out buried underneath all the new features on the iOS 9 preview page. The page doesn't go into details, but "Move to iOS" will presumably be available on the Play Store, so you can download it on an Android device -- right next to Apple's other upcoming Android app -- to enable wireless transfer.
Apple WWDC 2015: the numbers you need to know
It's Monday. The work week just started and the last thing you need is to spend two hours of it watching Apple's WWDC 2015 keynote address. But fear not, even if you missed it, you can still get all the juicy rumors, teasers and event highlights right here. Think of it as a tl;dr but, you know, for press conferences.
Zane Lowe traded Radio 1 for Apple's Beats 1
When Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe announced he was leaving the BBC to join Apple, it was clear that he'd been lured away from the bright lights of London to help launch a new music platform. The logical assumption was that he'd help create curated playlists for a service formed from the acquisition of Beats Music, but as it turns out, he's sticking with what he knows: radio. At its annual developer conference, Apple unveiled a new service called Beats 1, its first ever-live radio station. It'll broadcast music 24/7 to over 100 countries from June 30th, with Zane Lowe fronting the show in Los Angeles, Ebro Darden in New York and Julie Adenuga in London. All for free.
Apple's iOS 9 update will require much less free storage
Even though iOS 9 will include a new version of Siri, Maps and other features, Apple said that it'll be a much lighter update than iOS 8 was. Software VP Craig Federighi revealed that the incoming OS will take up just 1.3GB of extra space on your iPhone or iPad, compared to nearly 4.6GB for the previous version. Given how much trouble folks had getting that update on their devices over-the-air, that's no doubt a smart move on Cupertino's part.
Apple Music vs. the competition: A streaming music cheat sheet
The past few years have seen a shift from owning music to accessing as much as you want on various streaming services. Why pay $9.99 for a new album each month when you can get a firehose of content for the same price? Now Apple looks to get in on the action with its newest offering, Apple Music. They made a big splash with the introduction of the iTunes store in 2003 but here in 2015 there's a lot more competition for your listening attention. Does Apple Music have what it takes to stand out from its more established rivals? We've stacked up some of the bigger names to see which one can give you the most for your money.
Apple Music launches June 30th, comes to Android this fall
You won't have to wait very long to give Apple Music a spin... even if you don't use any Apple gear. The Cupertino crew has announced that the $10-per-month streaming service will be available on iOS, Macs and Windows PCs on June 30th in 100 countries, and it'll arrive on both Android and Apple TV this fall. Yes, you read that last part correctly -- for the first time, an Apple-branded app (not just Beats) will launch on Google's mobile platform. The move was undoubtedly necessary if Apple wanted to take on Spotify and other rivals, so we wouldn't call this a kind gesture. Still, it's good news if you've ever wished that Apple would branch out and give you a chance to try some of its bigger phone-friendly services without buying its devices.
Apple's Beats 1 believes the future of music is radio
Big changes are on the horizon for Apple's music-streaming services. After acquiring Beats Electronics last summer and luring famed DJ Zane Lowe away from BBC Radio 1, Apple announced that it is launching an internet radio station, dubbed Beats 1, as part of its new Apple Music service.
Apple Music unites streaming, radio and social for $10 a month
It's finally here. Well, it will be soon, but at least the announcement is official. At WWDC today, Jimmy Iovine revealed Apple Music: the long-rumored music service that follows the purchase of Beats last year and it provides all of your music content in a single app. That's a streaming service, radio, album purchases and more all in the same place. Yes, you read that correctly: radio. Apple will offer live radio 24 hours a day with stations that are curated by real humans -- like Beats Music's playlists. What's more, over 30 million iTunes songs will be available for streaming or saving for listening offline. There are recommendations based on your listening habits too, but instead of using some algorithm to find something you may like, experts "who know and love music" will serve up the suggestions. For artists, Apple Music has Connect where they can post exclusive tracks, tour photos, new material and more, giving fans a glance at what's going on behind the scenes. So, what about unsigned artists? They can share music through Apple's new effort, too.
Apple's Swift programming language is going open source
Last year, Apple introduced Swift, its very own programming language, which was focused on making it easier to build apps. Now, in a bid to make it more palatable to developers, Apple is making another big move: It's making Swift open source. That'll give developers full access to all of Swift's inner workings, and it might even tempt over people who were worried about adopting a proprietary Apple language. "We think Swift is the next big programming language, the one that we'll all be doing application and system programming on for 20 years to come," Apple's SVP of software engineering, Craig Federighi, said during WWDC today. "We think Swift should be everywhere and used by everyone." The language is also getting some upgrades this year with Swift 2, which includes support for new optimization technology, protocol extensions and much shorter compile times.
Apple HomeKit now supports more sensors and security systems
It's been just over a year since Apple announced HomeKit, its plan to allow you to control your smart home with an iOS device. Compatible products have only just started trickling onto shelves, and there's been some confusion about how exactly the company is going to turn this idea into a coherent experience. That's still not entirely clear, but Apple has at least given us a little more information with the addition of support for new category types including security systems, smart locks and carbon monoxide detectors. It also announced that you'll be able to control devices remotely using iCloud.
iOS 9 public beta available in July
On stage at WWDC today, Apple announced that a public beta of iOS 9 would be available in July. The beta will include an enhanced Siri; a more proactive experience based on your location, time and recent apps; updated Apple Pay with support for loyalty cards; and transit directions in Maps. The beta version of Apple's mobile operating system will be available on the iPad 2 from 2011 and later and iPhone 4s and later. Apple launched the public version of its beta program last year with access to early builds of iOS and OS X. You can sign up for the beta today.
Apple CarPlay will also control your vehicle's apps
Apple's in-car operating system, CarPlay, is about to get a major boost. The company has announced at WWDC 2015 that it will soon let you control additional parts of your vehicle, directly from the iPhone-powered software. This means CarPlay can work together with apps created by manufacturers, making it easier for them to integrate their auto features with the service. As a result, you should expect to see other useful tools in CarPlay mode -- like monitoring fuel efficiency and more, similar to what's on the Watch. On stage, Apple CEO Tim Cook also highlighted CarPlay's ability to pair with infotainments wirelessly, which was introduced in iOS 8.3.
Apple brings side-by-side multitasking to the iPad in iOS 9
Frustrated that your iPad has all that screen real estate, but you still have to use one app at a time? That won't be a problem when iOS 9 arrives -- Apple has revealed that its new mobile software will bring side-by-side app multitasking to its tablets. The feature will let you display two live apps at once, Windows 8-style, if you're using an iPad Air 2 (which has extra memory and performance); otherwise, you can pin apps to the side of the screen to get back to them quickly. There's a picture-in-picture mode that will let you watch a video without disrupting what you're doing, too. This upgraded multitasking will only be available for the iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and other relatively recent Apple slates, so you'll definitely want to ditch that old iPad 2 if you're eager to juggle multiple programs.
Apple Pay adds Square Reader to make you a compulsive shopper
Apple really wants its users to be shopaholics. The tech giant first introduced Apple Pay and made life easier for iPhone 6 and Apple Watch users in the US last fall. Despite the initial skepticism from retailers, the contactless payment service has been gaining momentum. Jennifer Bailey, VP of Apple Pay, announced at WWDC today that the service would soon be available at 1 million locations across the country. In its quest to become ubiquitous in the retail world, the company also announced a Square Reader that will be Apple Pay-compatible. Square's wireless reader will make it possible for any business with a tablet or smartphone to accept Apple Pay. So when the reader goes live later this year, the service will become accessible virtually everywhere -- think local bakeries and farmers markets.
Apple News app brings 'beautiful' personalized content to iOS
. Today at WWDC Apple announced a Flipboard-like news curator called, wait for it, Apple News. Like Facebook's Instant Articles push, it includes articles specifically built for the app, but can also pull in content from elsewhere on the internet. The New York Times will push 30 free articles through the app every day, while other partners, like ESPN, will bring videoclips and infographics. The secret to the app is the new "Apple News Format" that allows for custom fonts, multitouch gestures and layouts that scale from phones to tablets.
Apple Maps finally gets transit directions
Apple's Maps app has been lacking one of the more important turn-by-turn directions features since its launch. Today at WWDC, Maps finally got transit directions. The new feature will offer directions for buses, trains, subways and ferries. The app will also surface nearby restaurants, shops and activities. Maps also now tells commuters which subway entrance to enter and exit. Helpful in large cities with huge stations. Maps will launch in the United States in San Francisco, New York, Washington, DC, and Baltimore. Internationally it'll launch in many cities in China including Beijing, Wuhan, Shanghai and others. Other international cities include Mexico City, London, Berlin and Toronto. More cities are expected in the future.
Apple Pay to launch in the UK in July
Apple's take on mobile payments has been available in the US for the better part of a year, but here in the UK, we've been left with the faint hope that it'll one day arrive. Rumors suggested it could be announced at WWDC 2015, and it turns out they were correct: Apple Pay will come to this side of the Atlantic next month. Most of the big-name banks are on board, with Lloyds, Halifax, Natwest, HSBC and Santander all supporting Apple Pay, but Barclays is a notable omission. Apple says that the service will be available in 250,000 locations, including Lidl, McDonald's, Nando's and the Post Office, covering more retailers at launch than were originally available in the US. For commuters and tourists, Transport for London has confirmed it will also support the NFC technology inside its barriers, allowing you to travel on the Tube and the city's buses without the need for a wallet.
Siri's 'proactive' overhaul makes it Apple's answer to Google Now
No, it's not the Rodan + Fields, Katy Perry-backed acne solution. At today's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of Software Engineering, revealed a new "proactive" Siri, one with an overhauled UI and a feature set on iOS 9 that makes it Apple's take on preemptive search. With this new Siri, users can expect both a 40 percent reduction in word error rates for spoken commands and faster research results. It'll also surface user photos from their libraries with a simple voice command and even set "intelligent" reminders based on context-specific actions.
