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WWDC 2013 keynote roundup: OS X Mavericks, iOS 7, new Mac Pro, refreshed Airs and iTunes Radio
We know, oh boy do we know. With E3 and WWDC happening at the same time, it's easy to get lost in all the news -- we've got you covered for all the delicious Apple bites right here, though. Today the team from Cupertino delighted its keynote crowd with the official announcements of iOS 7, refreshed MacBook Airs and iTunes Radio. Even more exciting, however, was the sneak peak at the much-anticipated -- and cylindrical -- next-gen Mac Pro and the introduction of OS X Sea Lion Mavericks. Whether you're just trying to recap all the announcements or find what you missed, our full roundup is up after the break.
WWDC 2013 keynote video now available for viewing
In case you missed it earlier, Apple has made the complete video of the WWDC 2013 keynote available for your viewing pleasure. You may now begin your frame-by-frame analysis...
Engadget's post-WWDC 2013 live broadcast from San Francisco!
Phew! Wasn't that fun? After months and months of abundant speculations, the opening keynote at WWDC 2013 finally allowed us to see some of the things Apple's been working on since its last major event. Still, we can only imagine how keeping track of today's announcements can become a slightly complicated task -- especially with E3 happening as we speak. The good news for you is that, as they did earlier in the day, Tim Stevens and Darren Murph will be hosting a live video broadcast right across the street from where the conference is taking place. So, head on past the jump, where you'll be able to watch along as the Engadget duo goes over the new stuff Apple just unveiled.
Apple's WWDC 2013 keynote video now available for replay
Mac OS X Mavericks. iOS 7. Haswell-equipped MacBook Airs. Mac Pro sneak peeks. Videos of retail store openings. Yes, all of the above were showcased in this year's Apple WWDC keynote, but what if you weren't able to get online in time to see it live? While our liveblog and events hub are both great opportunities to get caught up, it's hard to say no to a live and professionally made video. Point your Safari browser (no other browser will work, as far as we can tell) to Apple's events page and you'll be treated to a visual smorgasbord of new firmware and hardware, if you so desire. Update: If you have a penchant for consuming your media through iTunes, you might be glad to hear that the keynote has made it to the service as a podcast. Jab the second source link below to snag it. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple updates the App Store app with a new look, features
In addition to all the other changes in iOS 7, Apple updated the App Store with a fresh look and feel. The App Store has a new kids category that sorts apps by age, which is great for parents. There's also a new feature that'll let you find apps that are popular near you. One other time-saving improvement is the addition of auto-update for all iOS apps. You'll never have to be nagged by that badge with your app updates, nor hit that "update all" button again.
New iOS SDK features for developers
Some of the iOS SDK features that were quickly touched on by Craig Federighi today sound fascinating, although we won't get details on some of them until later. Here are some that I found to be the most interesting: New multitasking APIs -- this should enable apps that you use most often to update themselves in the background. Secure Game Center scores -- as Erica Sadun pointed out, people know how to hack the leaderboards right now; this may eliminate that. MFi game controllers -- this is HUGE for gaming. MFi, of course, means "Made for iPhone / iPad / iPod," and this API should make game controllers that work with our devices become more prevalent. Dynamic type size -- Devs can build in user-directed font scaling so us old folks can read our Helvetica Neue Ultra Light in BIG letters. 60 fps video capture -- want to include slow-mo video in your app? Capture at 60 frames per second. Barcode scanning -- finally, an API for reading barcodes and perhaps those pesky QR codes? Sprite kit -- sprites are a collection of related images grouped into a single image, i.e., frames for an animation or a group of icons. This sounds like it could be something useful for writing side-scrollers or perhaps any game, reducing the number of CPU cycles required to move something across the display. UI dynamics -- the ability to get some of the beautiful transparency and 3D feel we saw in the demos. Peer-to-peer connectivity -- build local WiFi or Bluetooth connections with other iOS devices and Macs(?) into apps easily. Background asset downloads -- automatic updates of app assets that normally take a bit of time upon connection to grab new data. Directions API -- giving developers the capability of building step-by-step directions into their apps. AirDrop from Activity sheet -- so cool, allowing things like photos or videos or artwork you've just created to be sent to another person via AirDrop. Geodesic Polylines -- as Erica points out, this is a "Google Maps" kinda thing you can do right now to show distance lines from a particular point. This could be very helpful in Maps-related apps to show distances from a point. Any other ideas on what these SDK updates may offer? Let's hear your comments below!
Next-generation Apple Mac Pro eyes-on at WWDC 2013 (video)
Historically, Apple hasn't been one to offer sneak peeks of anything. That changed today with the next-generation Mac Pro -- likely a function of the fact that teasing such a machine couldn't possibly weaken sales of a desktop that hasn't been updated in a technological eternity. Waiting just outside of the concourse walls was one of the prototype cylinders, and it's perhaps the sexiest workstation this world has ever seen. All we know for now is that it'll make its debut "later this year," boasting four USB sockets, six Thunderbolt 2 ports, a full-size HDMI connector, a 3.5mm headphone port and a pair of gigabit Ethernet ports. And yes, it's almost certainly a fingerprint magnet. Have a gander at the eye candy below (plus a vid after the break), and our apologies for the clear case surrounding it. We attempted to remove it, and we're now being forced to type this post with just a single hand. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190917% %Gallery-190929% Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Camera and Photo apps updated in iOS 7
We all know that the camera is one of the most popular features on the iPhone, and Apple has poured some new ideas into the camera app that should add to the joy of photography in iOS 7. At WWDC today, Apple announced that the camera app has had a completely revamped GUI. I didn't see a lot of new features, but different shooting modes can be selected by swiping. You can move from a standard photo, to video, to panorama mode, and to a square 4 x 3 aspect ratio. The are big changes are in the iOS 7 photo app, too. For the first time, Apple is letting you apply filters directly. Apple has also enhanced finding photos with a concept called moments, so photos you have taken will be intelligently grouped by time and location. Apple has also enhanced Photo Stream with an improved GUI and the ability for others to drop photos into your stream. Videos are now supported as well. Those are just the highlights, and we will learn more in the days to come. It's pretty clear that Apple has taken the best mobile photo system and improved it in several aspects.
Siri and iOS in the Car updates announced at WWDC
The next update to Siri has been announced at WWDC, bringing a new graphical user interface and improved search options. Siri will now show the sound wave of your question as you speak and features a new voice that sounds a little less HAL 9000. Users will have male and female voice options, with English, French and German voices packaged out the gate. More language options will be added as time goes on. Siri's capabilities have also been updated to include the ability to play voice mails, turn on Bluetooth or increase brightness. In addition Twitter, Wikipedia and Bing searching have been enabled. The Siri improvements also include the new iOS in the Car; 95 percent of the new cars on the market today have integrated iOS support. iOS in the Car brings iOS information on the screen in your car, allowing you to access Maps, messages, play songs and more without ever taking your eyes off the road.
Streaming iTunes Radio service will be part of iOS 7
Apple has introduced a music-streaming service called iTunes Radio that'll be found natively in the upcoming iOS 7. For now, the service will be right in the Music app on iOS, and will offer up a series of featured stations (including, for the demo, a station playing the music heard at WWDC). Just tap on a station, and you'll get music from it. You also can choose to star songs to hear them again, play more songs like this or choose to never play a certain song again. The service is completely free, and supported by ads (presumably driven, as expected, by iAds). If you're an iTunes Match subscriber, however, the service will be completely ad-free, so that's a nice bonus. For the moment, there appears to be no offline play available, but we'll check and see if that's the case. iTunes Radio will be a feature in iOS 7, which is coming to the iPhone and iPad sometime later on this year.
Apple demos 'Activation Lock' security feature in iOS 7
We've heard quite a bit about iOS 7 today at WWDC -- in fact, the company made it clear there's still more to talk about. But despite having tons of new features to share, Apple set aside some time to walk through a new security utility, called Activation Lock. In essence, it is what it sounds like: if someone steals your phone and chooses to disable Find My iPhone, he won't be able to reactivate the phone. Same if they wipe the phone -- they'll be forced to sign in with your Apple ID and password, which they obviously wouldn't know. Barring extenuating circumstances (that "thief" happens to be a deranged ex-lover who knows your log-in credentials), the new feature should keep your data safe, if nothing else. But will it be a theft deterrent, as Apple hopes? That's a question we'll leave for another day. In the meantime, Activation Lock is available in beta today, and for iPhones, specifically. An iPad beta will follow in the coming weeks, with the final, public release set for this fall. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple iOS 7 hardware compatibility detailed: iPhone 4, iPad 2 and newer
So when can we get our hands on that new refreshed flavor of iOS? Well, it'll depend on your device of choice. Naturally, it will arrive on the very latest iPhone 5 and retina iPad, but it also will be supported on the iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and 5th-generation iPods. Developers will get a version for iPhones today, with an iPad iteration coming in the next few weeks. Regular Joes, however, can expect to see an iOS 7 release date sometime this fall. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple unveils iOS in the Car integration for head-end units
Apple has been teasing an extra level of integration with cars beyond the likes of iPod Out or Siri Eyes Free, and it just gave us substantially more today. A new iOS in the Car feature will directly link iOS 7 with cars' infotainment systems, giving drivers an optimized interface for maps, messages and music. They'll be waiting awhile to plug in, however, as a number of automakers (including Ferrari) only expect to implement iOS in the Car sometime in 2014. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190901%
Apple debuts music streaming service, iTunes Radio
Granted, this one felt like a bit of a wild card in the lead up to WWDC, but ultimately the rumors have proven true: Apple's just taken the wraps off of a brand new music offering, iTunes Radio. The service is built directly into iOS 7's music app, featuring easy access to radio based on your music collection. The company's also got hundreds of its own stations, grouped by artists and genre -- artists like, get this, Led Zeppelin. You can modify stations by telling the app which songs you love and hate, and you can access old stations by clicking your history button. The app is free with ads for regular users, or ad-free if you happen to be an iTunes Match subscriber. It's starting in the US and coming to other countries in the unspecified future. You can use it on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as on your desktop. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190902% %Gallery-190914%
Multitasking and notifications revamped in iOS 7
Tim Cook just said during WWDC 2013 that multitasking in iOS has been revamped completely. iOS 7 will now monitor your app usage even more closely than before, meaning it will have apps like Facebook pull in news and other updates in the background, getting them all ready to roll when you launch the app. There's also a new panel for app controls called Control Center and a new look for UI when switching apps The iPhone will now also adjust networking conditions to save battery life (so hopefully no more running out your battery while frantically trying to connect to WiFi), and there's a new notification management system that looks a lot cleaner and straightforward than the current implementation. These new features look terrific -- we'll get a look at them running in iOS 7 hopefully soon.
Siri for iOS 7 updated with Twitter, Wikipedia and Bing integration
We just got a look at the updates to Siri in iOS 7. There's now a sound wave on the bottom of the voice-control feature, and you'll have your choice of male or female versions -- and Siri will be available in French and German, with more languages to come. And, as the headline above indicates, Siri now features integration with Twitter, Wikipedia and -- get this -- Bing. Eddy Cue also teased the next frontier for Apple's voice control: iOS in the Car will integrate the latest mobile OS with an auto's infotainment system, and Siri will help drivers pull up directions and more. Don't get too excited, though, that feature isn't coming until 2014. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple unveils new version of mobile Safari for iOS 7
Apple announced some major changes to mobile Safari in iOS 7. First and most noticeable is a new full-screen look that extends the web page that you are viewing from one edge of your screen to the other. There's also an improvement in search that provides your with a smart search field when you tap at the top of the screen. You also can access all your favorites there as well. Navigation is improved with a new swiping gesture that'll move you from page to page. A new bookmark control shows bookmarks, shared links and your reading list and a redesigned tab feature shows a scrolling, cover-flow-like view of your open tabs. A tap and hold lets you re-order the tans and a swipe to the side closes them one at a time. You can also see your open OS X tabs at the bottom and are no longer limited to just eight tabs, which is a welcome change. You can read about additional changes in mobile Safari on Apple's website.
Control Center finally brings quick toggles to iOS
OK, Apple, you got me. "It's iOS 7," I groused to our newsroom after Craig Federighi ran through the changes in Notifications. "Can we please get quick toggles for bloody WiFi, Airplane mode, etc.?" And the next thing out of Federighi's mouth was the new Control Center. Let's be real, this is a feature that should have been a part of iOS at least five versions ago. But, I'm glad it's here now, and it is gorgeous. Control Center can be accessed from anywhere on the iPhone with quick access to basic settings like Airplane mode, WiFi, Bluetooth and Do Not Disturb, as well as orientation, brightness toggle, media control, AirPlay, AirDrop and apps. There's even a flashlight. It's gorgeous, it's much-welcomed and it's so far my favorite feature in iOS 7.
iOS 7 to include Control Center for quick-access settings
For many iOS users, one of the most sought after features has been a quick access panel for common settings, much like what they've seen in other platforms. They'll have it -- iOS 7 is introducing Control Center for just that purpose. A swipe up from the screen bottom now lets users change wireless modes, Do Not Disturb, screen brightness and music playback from wherever they happen to be in the OS. There's also quick shortcuts to the camera, calculator, timer and (at last!) a flashlight. To say Control Center is overdue might be an understatement, but we're glad that it's finally here. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190886%
Apple announces iWork for iCloud
Apple's Roger Rosner announced iWork for iCloud today at WWDC. With this new iCloud tool, users will be able to fully edit Numbers, Pages and Keynote documents via their web browser regardless of the operating system they're working on. Yes, since iWork for iCloud is accessed via a browser you can even edit documents on a Windows 8 machine. The most impressive feature showcased during the WWDC keynote was how powerful the programs editing capabilities were, despite them being available in a web browser. Users can drag and drop images from their desktop into their documents and have them seamlessly integrate into the document. Text editing includes powerful tools like context-sensitive formatting. In addition, iCloud can now add, convert and edit Word and Office documents directly from the web interface. For commuters who have to jump from computer to computer while traveling, this is going to be a big deal. You can read more about iWork for iCloud on Apple's website.
