wwdc2019
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Microsoft saved Minecraft Earth's AR gameplay reveal for Apple
One thing missing from Microsoft's initial Minecraft Earth announcement? Actual gameplay. Strangely enough, it looks like Microsoft saved that honor for Apple, as it just debuted the first live footage of the game at the company's WWDC keynote. To recap, Minecraft Earth is a mobile augmented reality title similar to Pokemon Go. At the keynote, we watched as Mojang employees tweaked a blocky castle on a tabletop using iPhones and iPads. Then, they stepped into a life-sized version, where they were able to unearth a mine (and baddies) beneath their feet.
The Twitter app is officially returning to the Mac later this year
More than a year after Twitter pulled the plug on its official app for the Mac, it looks like the company will be launching a new version for Apple PCs later this year. The application is being created as part of Apple's Project Catalyst, which lets developers easily port apps from iOS to the next major version of macOS, dubbed Catalina. Based on what Apple shared on stage at WWDC 2019, you should expect Twitter's Mac application to be quite similar to the version youu're using on your iPhone.
Project Catalyst helps developers bring iOS apps to the Mac
Last year, Apple teased a project called Marzipan, which aims to let developers port iOS apps over to OS X. Today, at WWDC, Apple announced that Marzipan is now called Project Catalyst and is built to work with Xcode developer tools. What this means for developers is that only one development team is needed to develop for the iPhone, iPad and Mac. For consumers, this means more apps on both desktop and mobile. One notable example is Twitter, which is finally bringing a native app back to the Mac, thanks in part to Project Catalyst. According to a Twitter statement: "We had Twitter for Mac running -- including native Mac features, in just days. Now one team can efficiently manage Twitter for iPhone, iPad and Mac." Atlassian, another developer, is also bringing JIRA Cloud, an enterprise tool for ticketing, to the Mac App Store later this year. "Now, our iOS devs are Mac devs too. One codebase, one team," an Atlassian spokesperson said. Catalyst will be available to developers today on MacOS Catalina.
The new Apple TV app debuts on macOS Catalina
Apple TV is finally coming to macOS. While it was expected that the streaming video platform would finally make the leap to Apple's desktop operating system, the company made it official today at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The app will be available with the release of macOS Catalina.
All you need to control your Mac or iOS device is your voice
Accessibility has become a popular avenue for tech companies lately, and today Apple revealed its latest push: Voice Control. With macOS Catalina and iOS 13, you'll be able to control your devices completely with your voice. At WWDC, Apple showed that this can be used to do things like launch apps and select emoji thanks to a system of labels and grids. You can also ask it to simulate actions like a long press or access things typically done with swipe or gesture -- like the app switcher. Most importantly, the company says your voice is processed on the device. Nothing is sent to, or stored by, Apple.
MacOS Catalina is Apple's next desktop operating system
Where does macOS go from here? Sailing, apparently. Apple announced today that the next version of macOS (10.15) will be known as Catalina. And one of the big new features is a complete rethink of iTunes, which is now broken out into individual Music, Podcast and TV apps. Based on the quick preview from Apple's WWDC keynote, the Podcast app looks a lot more useful for finding new shows, thanks to a bit of machine learning. The TV app will also finally bring support for 4K HDR video to Macs, something that was only possible with the Apple TV 4K until now.
Apple announces separate Music, Podcast and TV apps for Mac
Apple has announced it's releasing separate apps for Music, TV and Podcasts in macOS Catalina later this year, breaking up the iTunes hegemony that's been in place for 16 years, and hammering a nail in the coffin of that messy, neglected software. Rumors emerged in April about the separate apps, while screenshots of Music and TV leaked last week.
Apple built a 32-inch 6K Retina display for the Mac Pro
Apple didn't just have a new Mac Pro to show at WWDC -- the company has unveiled a 32-inch Retina 6K display, the Pro Display XDR, to match. The screen matches the industrial look of the Mac Pro and delivers the kind of color performance you'd expect, including support for the P3 color space and extremely accurate high dynamic range. Also, glare might not be an issue -- Apple has ditched the usual anti-reflection coating by etching the glass itself with a "nano-texture," and it touts both a 1,000-nit typical brightness and a 1,600-nit peak. The 1,000,000-to-1 contrast ratio will help produce deep blacks, too.
The iPad is getting its own OS
Apple showed off a slew of updated iOS 13 features and a spiffy dedicated branch of its mobile operating system for the iPad during the WWDC 2019 event in San Jose on Monday.
The new iPad Files app is actually useful for managing files
Apple is making the iPad more powerful with the new iPadOS, and a lot of these fresh features are all about productivity. The Files app is getting a huge upgrade, complete with zip and unzip features, local storage, a new Column View, folder-sharing through iCloud Drive and support for SMB file sharing. Plus, for the first time on iPad, plug in a thumb drive or pop in an SD card and read files directly from either. You'll be able to import files directly into apps like Lightroom, as well.
Apple finally reveals the new Mac Pro
Apple's been teasing a redesigned Mac Pro for years now -- in fact, it's been well over a year since the company said it would be shipping the computer at some point during 2019 after originally promising it would arrive in 2018. Well, today, we're finally getting a look at the successor to that beautifully-designed trash can that Apple introduced in 2013 and then basically failed to upgrade for years. And guess what? It looks a lot like the old, cheese-grater style tower that Apple sold for years.
Siri now sounds more like a human
While Siri sounds decent most of the time, it still comes off as a little robotic. With iOS 13, however, Siri should sound a lot more human. At WWDC, Apple said it's taken a "huge step forward" by incorporating a neural text-to-speech transmitter that makes Siri a lot more natural than before. It has a much more natural cadence, and better emphasis on certain words. In a demo on stage, Apple showed that the Siri on iOS 12 sometimes hiccuped her way through complex sentences. The version on iOS 13, however, sounded a lot smoother, with much more streamlined transitions and sounded a little less robotic. Last year, Siri Shortcuts debuted on iOS 12. With iOS 13, a new "My Shortcuts" space will make them much easier to find. Multi-step shortcuts will also apparently be easier to set up. Apple also mentioned Siri integration into other devices. You can set up EarPods, for example, to announce incoming messages while you're working out. With CarPlay, Siri also now works with third-party apps like Pandora and Waze.
HomePod will support multiple users and music handoffs
Apple just addressed some of the complaints about the HomePod in one fell swoop. A future update to the smart speaker will bring multiple major upgrades, most notably support for multiple users. Like its rivals, it can recognize who's speaking and customize the responses. This has rather large implications for messages, reminders and other info you might not want to share with everyone else in your household.
Apple CarPlay redesign puts multiple apps side-by-side
Apple CarPlay is getting a redesign. Apple announced at its annual Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) that it is overhauling the in-car entertainment system's dashboard to display more relevant information. Users will be able to see a map with directions, music controls, and Siri-powered smart suggestions for relevant apps and commands based on your location or time of day.
Apple's HomeKit adds security to routers and streaming cameras
Apple is continuing its privacy-based assault on Google and Facebook. At its WWDC event, the company unveiled HomeKit Secure Video and HomeKit for Routers. Both services are meant to protect the privacy of Apple customers.
iOS 13 makes it easier to browse, view and edit photos and videos
Aside from the introduction of that system-wide dark mode in iOS 13, Apple is also making it easier to browse, view and edit your photos and videos. At WWDC 2019, the company showed off a new version of its Photos app that's designed to "remove duplicates and clutter and focus on your best shots." Powered by machine learning, this feature will put your best shots front and center, and you can narrow them down by selecting the new Days, Months and Years tabs. With Days, for instance, the pictures or videos that system thinks you'll like the most will get more real estate on your screen. And you can pinch-to-zoom to view all of your pictures in one go, as well.
'Sign in with Apple' protects your email and info from apps
Apple has long touted its approach to privacy as a selling point, and at WWDC, it revealed more privacy-oriented features. It's offering a "Sign in with Apple" option for apps and services it says provides "fast, easy sign in without the tracking" that other login options such as Facebook and Google use.
Apple Maps gets a much-needed revamp
Back when Apple Maps debuted, it was often derided for lacking a lot of detail, especially when compared to Google Maps. Now, with iOS13, that appears to be changing. At WWDC, iOS lead Craig Federighi showed off a new Apple Maps that is much more detailed, more three-dimensional with a much better user interface for navigating the map. Other features of the new Maps include a binoculars "Lookaround" view that lets you have a street-level view of the map, similar to Google Street View. You know those rumors of a self-driving Apple car? It turns out they were just LiDar-equipped vehicles sent out as part of this new Maps revamp. You can also add certain spots to Favorites, or create a Collection of your favorite hangouts to send to friends. There's also an option to update people with your estimated time of arrival. According to Federighi, maps has been designed to be private and secure, with no need to flip a switch to enable it.
Apple is finally adding swipe typing to its iOS keyboard
Apple is adding the ability to type by swiping across keys on the keyboard in iOS 13. The new feature, called QuickPath, was announced at the company's annual Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) on Monday. The style of typing was previously only available through third-party keyboards but will be available through Apple's native keyboard in the upcoming version of iOS.
Apple adds system-wide dark mode for iOS 13
As expected, Apple's newest mobile operating system, iOS 13, will include a system-wide dark mode. The company announced the change at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) today. While the feature has been circulating through the rumor mill for months, it's still one of the most notable changes to come out of this year's conference.
