Wwdc2013
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Apple unveils Keychain for iCloud, confirms 300 million iCloud accounts
Apple today at WWDC announced some changes to iCloud, including a new iWork for iCloud and a keychain feature that'll sync your logins across all your iOS devices. The keychain is a cloud-connected password manager that ties into Safari on the desktop and Safari on the iPad and iPhone. It'll save passwords as well as credit card information and more. Tim Cook also confirmed that iCloud now has 300 million accounts, making it the fastest-growing cloud service ever (even faster than Facebook). More than 300 million iOS owners use iTunes in the cloud and these folks have downloaded their content 35 billion times. Cook also confirmed that 240 million users are on Game Center and blew us away with stats on iMessages that confirm the service has transferred 800 billion iMessages and sent 740 trillion push notifications.
Apple introduces new MacBook Air models at WWDC 2013
WWDC isn't just about software, it's also about the hardware that powers Apple's esteemed software. To that end, Phil Schiller today took to the stage where he announced some welcome and exciting changes to Apple's MacBook Air lineup. First and foremost, the battery life on Apple's new MacBook Air has increased dramatically. On the 11-inch model, battery life has gone up from five hours to nine hours. On the 13-inch model, battery life has increased from seven hours to 12 hours. Those are some incredible improvements, and something Schiller noted was the result of close collaboration between Apple engineers and Intel. And speaking of Intel, the latest MacBook Air makes use of Intel's new Haswell processor. Schiller noted that Haswell is designed for power savings, while simultaneously offering impressive and improved performance. For instance, Schiller said that the new Air offers up to 40 percent faster graphics performance. What's more, the new Air can wake up from sleep mode in one second and can stay in standby mode for a whopping 30 days. Lastly, the new Air will feature 802.11ac networking, otherwise known as 5G WiFi. When it comes to pricing, the base model 11-inch MacBook Air comes with 128 GB of flash storage and retails for $999. That's twice the storage at the same price. An 11-inch Air with 256 GB of flash storage will set you back $1199. As for the 13-inch model, a configuration with 128 GB of flash storage will check in at $1099 while 256 GB will cost you $1299. Even better, Apple's new MacBook Air starts shipping today.
Apple offers a sneak peek at new Mac Pro during WWDC 2013
The Mac Pro is getting a long-overdue update, and it looks like it is going to be worth the wait. The Mac Pro, available "later this year," is downright small compared to the current tower, but the specs are amazing. The Mac Pro will have Dual Workstation CPU FirePro processors, up to two times faster than the current Mac Pro. There is built-in support for up to three 4K displays, HDMI out, GB Ethernet and internal storage with 1.25 GBps reads and 1 GBps writes. The new Mac Pro features Thunderbolt 2, and it's backwards-compatible with the current-generation Thunderbolt accessories. The announcement also got some applause when Apple said the new Mac Pro will be assembled in the US. No pricing yet, but the new Mac Pro is sure to generate a lot of excitement.
Apple shows off completely redesigned iOS 7 at WWDC, coming this fall
We've read the rumors, we've seen the banners, and now it's finally here. Live from the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Tim Cook has just taken the wraps off of the latest upgrade to Apple's mobile operating system (after pumping up the crowd with some shimmering stats for the current OS, naturally), and as expected, the company's maintained its familiar naming scheme, introducing the world to iOS 7. Cook called it the biggest change to the operating system since the introduction of the iPhone, bold words supported by new features and a new design that managed to get a visible gasp from the room full of developers when shown off in a promo video. The new designs start on the lock screen, featuring a much thinner lettering. The icons have been redesigned and are flatter as expected. The company's also updated the typography and added new animation and transparency for images. The design goes edge to edge on the display, taking more advance of real estate. The Desktop moves as you do, creating "a new experience of depth." The company only focused on design during the intro video, but that was certainly enough to get the crowd excited. %Gallery-190886% %Gallery-190924% Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
More than 600 million iOS devices sold, Tim Cook says
Tim Cook is on stage in California right now talking iOS numbers, and as you might imagine, they're big. There are more than 600 million iOS devices sold worldwide, according to Mr. Cook, and almost half of those just since the last year's WWDC. Smartphone usage market share is high, with iOS garnering 50 percent more usage than other platforms, and the iPad is even bigger in the tablet category, with 82 percent of usage as compared to 18 percent of "other" tablets. Users are also satisfied, with the iPhone winning multiple awards in its lifetime, and boasting a 97 percent satisfaction rate. Users are also unified on a single iOS install, with 93 percent of users using iOS 6, which Cook joked was a far cry from Android's situation. Cook then segued all of these numbers and this satisfaction into the announcement of iOS 7.
Apple has now sold 600 million iOS devices
While our focus is squarely on what's Apple's planning for the future of its mobile OS, the company's reminding us exactly how successful it's been so far. According to Apple's stats, it's now got 600 million devices running iOS -- adding another 100 million. The iPad continues to dominate tablets too, claiming an 82 percent share of mobile web use over the 18 percent claimed by the competition. On smartphones, web use share for the iPhone is 60 percent against 24 percent for Android. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190887%
Apple announces new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule
Phil Schiller has just announced that Apple is releasing new AirPort Base Stations with all-new designs. Design-wise, both the new Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme are rectangular now with dimensions that measure approximately four inches wide by 6.5 inches tall. The biggest addition to the Base Station hardware is support for 802.11ac, which offers connection speeds up to 1.3Gbps. The Base Stations also offer improved WiFi coverage and stability through Beamforming technology and a six-antenna array (three for the 2.4GHz band and three for the 5GHz band). Similar to earlier models, both the Time Capsule and the AirPort Extreme have three Gigabit ethernet LAN ports, one Gigabit ethernet WAN port and one USB 2.0 port for an external printer or hard drive. The AirPort Extreme is available now for US$199 on Apple's website. The new Time Capsule ships with either a 2 TB or 3 TB hard drive and is available for $299 or $399, respectively.
Apple unveils iWork for iCloud
iWork has been a traditional software suite ever since it first launched (the brief availability of iWork.com notwithstanding), but Apple is bringing it to the web in earnest today by revealing iWork for iCloud. The suite includes Keynote, Numbers and Pages, and each of the web apps preserves many of the same real-time editing features as its iOS and Mac counterparts. The collection officially supports Chrome, Internet Explorer and (logically) Safari, although you'll likely be waiting awhile to try them: only developers get an iWork beta today, and a public beta is due later this year. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190881%
Apple announces Safari upgrades as part of OS X Mavericks
Apple has announced an updated version of Safari at WWDC. The browser update adds a new home page featuring a Top Sites feature that stores all of your bookmarks and regularly read sites. Using a new bookmark bar, you can easily add and remove links to your Top Sites selection. They've also introduced a "Reading List" feature to the home page that allows you to quickly jump from story to story on the sites you read the most. Safari also now has Twitter and LinkedIn integration that allows you to monitor and open links shared in those services within the browser using another sidebar. Enhancements have also been made under the hood of the program, including improved Javascript support. In addition, Safari now uses far less memory and is better at power management than other browsers. To quote Craig Federighi "When you compare [Safari's energy efficiency] to Firefox, it's actually kind of sad."
Apple confirms new Mac Pros will be assembled in the USA
Springsteen will be proud. Today, Apple has confirmed that the company's new Mac Pro line of desktops will be assembled in the US before they arrive later this year. While we were promised it a fair while back, Tim Cook was certainly right when he said it would involve an existing line of devices -- even if it arrives with a completely new look. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple brings Maps to OS X in Mavericks
Maps in OS X was expected, but is very welcome. After a rough beginning on iOS, Apple Maps has been progressing, and now with Maps running on OS X, we'll see some powerful integration between the Mac and iOS. Maps on a Mac looks smooth and impressive in 3D. Even better, there's a big effort to integrate maps with Calendar, and sync mapping data between all your Apple devices. If you set up an appointment, you'll get the ability to map it, and when scheduling your day, the travel time and traffic will be taken into account. Also, Apple says you can send directions from your iPhone to your desktop, or back the other way. Sent directions will show up as notifications, so it is easy to start on your journey without a lot of fiddling around. These new features will come on OS X Mavericks, and will be a part of the upcoming iOS 7.
Apple announces new Mac Pro with cylindrical design, 12-core Intel Xeon E5 CPU, flash storage, Thunderbolt 2.0 and support for up to three 4K displays
It's been brewing for a while, and now Apple has finally redesigned its flagship cheese grater pro desktop. The 2013-era Mac Pro has been totally redesigned with a new, cylindrical chassis and vastly upgraded internals that have been designed to last for "(another) 10 years." At the center of the new Mac Pro is a 12-core, 256-bit Intel Xeon E5 processor with 1,866MHz DDR3 RAM capable of 60GB/s data transmission. Following the trend of the MacBooks, the new power tower uses PCIe-based flash storage, and so pro users will be relying upon four USB 3.0 and six Lightning 2.0 ports (that can take up to 6 devices per port with 20Gbps throughput) for expandability. Fortunately, for those of you who intend on placing the hardware beneath your desk, the expansion ports light up to help you find your connections in the gloom. Other connections include HDMI-out 1.4, dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 and the usual pair of 3.5mm audio in and out ports. This machine is also the first Mac that'll ship with dual AMD FirePro GPUs as standard, which'll support 4K displays. Of course, the most striking change is in the design, which occupies 1/8th the volume of the current Mac Pro and stands 9.9-inches tall and 6.6-inches wide. The change is thanks to a new thermal core, a triangular air duct that runs through the center of the hardware -- with one huge fan mounted at the top. Presumably, this new model has also been tweaked to conform to new regulations concerning electrical shielding, meaning that the hardware can finally return to European shores when it arrives later in the year -- at a (probably high) price that's still to be decided. %Gallery-190875% Update: You can now check out our eyes-on of the new machine here! Follow our liveblog for all of the latest news from WWDC 2013.
Apple announces new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule with 802.11ac (update)
As the news from WWDC continues to flow, Apple has just announced a new AirPort Extreme base station. It's 4 inches wide and 6.5-inches tall with support for simultaneous dual-band 802.11 ac and has a "beamforming" antenna configuration to enhance performance. Also announced is the AirPort Time Capsule, which has similar specs as the Extreme but has a built-in hard drive in either 2TB or 3TB configurations. Should go nice with those new MacBook Airs right? Update: We've learned the AirPort Extreme is $199 while the AirPort Time Capsule is priced at $299 for the 2TB version and $399 for the 3TB model. We've included links to the product pages below if you'd like more specs or just want to place an order for one. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple announces iBooks for OS X
Apple has announced that iBooks for OS X will be included as part of OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Users will be able to access all 1.8 million iBooks on the Mac. The iBooks for OS X interface will be a two-page layout by default and be totally flat, which means there will be no skeuomorphic pages. Users will also be able to add notes and highlights, with the notes being usable as study cards. These notes, highlights, bookmarks and more will be synced with your iOS device. iBooks for OS X will also sync your reading progress, so you can stop reading on your Mac and pick up right where you left off on your iOS device. You can read more about iBooks for OS X on Apple's Mavericks preview web page.
Apple refreshes the MacBook Air with Haswell CPUs, longer battery life, new models available today from $999
Each June, just like clockwork, Apple refreshes its MacBook Air line -- sometimes with a new design, and always with brand new processors. Well, today is June 10th, and it's the start of WWDC, which means it's time to bring out the 2013 models. The company just unveiled the new 11- and 13-inch Airs, both of which step up to Haswell CPUs and 802.11ac WiFi, and also promise significantly longer battery life. In particular, the 11-inch model claims nine hours of runtime, up from five, while the 13-incher is said to last 12 hours (up from seven). As for processing performance, you get fourth-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, along with Intel HD 5000 graphics, which should translate to 40 percent faster graphics, according to Apple. The one thing we can't glean from Apple's brief tease at WWDC is whether these new models boast higher-res screens than the previous-generation models. (We feel like Apple would make that clear if that were the case, no?) On the plus side, both models now come standard with 128GB SSDs (as opposed to 64 gigs on the 11-inch model). They're available today, with the 11-inch version still priced from $999, and the 13-incher starting at $1,099. Update: The Apple Store is once again live, which means we've had a chance to look at the product page for the new MacBook Air. As we suspected, the screen resolution has not changed.%Gallery-190871% Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple brings iBooks to the Mac
iBooks has been limited to iOS devices for the past three years, but that's changing today: as of OS X Mavericks, Apple is bringing its reading app to the Mac. The software preserves all the features of its mobile counterparts, including highlights, notes and textbooks. Naturally, you can shop for books from the app as well. Apple only gave us a brief preview of iBooks at WWDC, but we can already say it's a more than welcome update for those who don't stop reading just because they're at their desks. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190868%
Apple Maps for OS X Mavericks lets you instantly send directions to your iPhone
Apple just announced that it's bringing "fantastic updates" to Maps on the desktop, including the ability send directions to your iPhone and back. That feature will arrive with OS X Mavericks, and a brief demo showed how you could map your route to a restaurant, then instantly bring up the same map and directions on your iPhone with a couple of taps, when you're ready to go. Maps will be built-in to the Calendar, Contacts and Mail, as well in Mavericks, letting you map any address directly from those apps. You'll be able to check out the new features when the OS arrives this fall, or via a developer's preview, available later today. %Gallery-190867% Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Mac OS X Mavericks to integrate iOS notifications
If you have a Mac and use an iOS device, Apple just announced an enjoyable feature to go along with the new version of OS X, also known as Mavericks: the ability to push iOS notifications directly to your Mac, regardless of whether or not Safari is open. The alerts show up as a banner in the top right corner of your display, much the same as any other Mac-related banner; additionally, any missed notifications will pop up in your lock screen any time you wake up your device. %Gallery-190864% Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple introduces OS X Mavericks at WWDC 2013
Apple has run out of cat names for its new OS, so it's gone to a California theme. The next OS X will be... ta da... OS X Mavericks. Apple claims the new release, OS X 10.9, will have deep improvements in battery life and finder tabs. Apple is also adding tagging, which will enhance search greatly and will be welcomed by power users. In an on-stage demo by VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, you could see the power of tabs and tagging. Tags can appear in the finder sidebar, making this a very useful addition to OS X. Multiple displays also got a lot of applause from the crowd. Spaces can be shown on any display, and an AirPlay-connected TV can act as a fully independent display. In a demo of the new feature, you could see the ease of moving assets around the screens, and it was impressive seeing an HDTV added as an extra display via an Apple TV. Apple has also put a lot of thought into battery life and other advanced technologies. Mavericks is claimed to "intelligently align" interrupts, so CPUs can get up to a 72 percent boost in performance. Apple has also highlighted "Compressed Memory," a method of improving memory use on the fly. That's just a bit of what is coming in OS X Mavericks. It looks to be a big leap over the current offerings, and seems focused on ease of use and performance. A beta version of OS X Mavericks will be available today for developers, while the final version will debut this fall. You can read more about OS X Mavericks on Apple's website.
Mac OS X Mavericks promises better multi-display options, can use Apple TV as extra monitor
We're in the midst of being shown new OS X Mavericks features here at WWDC, and one of those sounds especially interesting for those craving a bigger work area: for those already using a two-display setup, the dock and menu bar will now appear on either panel as your activity moves between them, and each display can be panned independently. What's more, if you have an HDTV hooked up to an Apple TV box, you'll be able to use that as a wireless third display in exactly the same way. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
