WWDC 2014
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Tim Cook drops huge sales numbers, takes jab at Android
Like any good CEO, Tim Cook is on the ball with some awesome sales figures at the WWDC 2014 keynote today, revealing some big numbers to update everyone on the long-term sales of the company's decides. According to the big man, the iPod touch has now moved over 100 million devices, the iPad has passed 200 million sales, and the iPhone topped 500 million units. But that's not where the numbers end. To provide an idea of how Apple's iOS devices are bringing new Apple users into the fold, Cook revealed that in the past year, 130 million iOS devices were sold to customers who were purchasing their very first Apple device. Speaking of iOS, Apple's customer satisfaction rating for iOS 7 stands at 97%. Not one to ignore the heated battle between iOS and Android, Cook took time to note that 89% of iDevice users are using iOS 7, while just 9% of Android users are currently using the latest version of that OS. And just to drop a few grains of salt in the wound, the Apple CEO had some fun with the stats, noting that many current iOS devotees had originally bought an Android device "on accident" before ending up with a superior experience on Apple's phones and tablets.
OS X Yosemite will be available for free this fall
Apple just announced that its latest desktop operating system, OS X Yosemite, will be available as a free upgrade to Mac users later this fall. Developers, meanwhile, will have access to it starting today. In addition to this, Apple revealed that, through its public beta program, some non-developer folks can start playing with the new version of OS X in the summer. Yosemite brings a completely redesigned user interface and deep integration with iOS, to highlight a couple of things. We'll likely hear more about Apple's OS X Yosemite in the days to come; for now, stay tuned to our WWDC liveblog to get more Apple-related coverage.
Safari in OS X Yosemite gets new sharing and browsing options, and saves even more battery life
Apple is giving Safari a big makeover with the launch of OS X Yosemite, as previewed at WWDC 2014. They're adding a whole host of new features while attempting to simplify the experience at the same time. Most noticeable is the thin, one-bar browser bar that the company insists eliminates the need for a standard favorites bar. Now, when you type a search term into the address bar you'll be greeted with results from the web, a list of relevant sites you've already added as bookmarks, as well as a Spotlight search of your computer. There's also a new sharing feature that lets you forward web pages to social networks Twitter and Facebook, and also send them to your recent contacts via Mail. You can also subscribe to RSS feeds right from the menu and then have those subscriptions pop up in a Safari sidebar. Tabs also get an update with a new overview screen that shows a screenshot of all your tabs at once, and stacks tabs from the same site. On the Internet front, Safari scores WebGL support for 3D web applications as well as HTML5 Premium Video functionality. According to Apple, this makes streaming video so much more efficient that it can actually save a ton of battery life on a MacBook. If you're watching 1080p video via Netflix, your MacBook battery will last up to 2 hour longer thanks to the HTML5 upgrade.
Apple announces iCloud Drive
Apple has announced the next evolution for iCloud, called iCloud Drive, at the WWDC 2014 keynote. The service will work similarly to Dropbox. You'll be able to quickly pull up your files from across your iCloud directly in your Finder folders. This includes any iCloud apps and files you might have on your iOS device but not your computer, like SketchBook Pro. This promises to link iCloud, iOS, and OS X together in one neat place. Interestingly Apple, is also offering support for Windows along with OS X and iOS. For iPhone fans who are still latched onto Microsoft this feature will be a blessing.
WWDC 2014: Apple announces OS X 10.10 Yosemite
Craig Federighi introduced OS X 10.10 Yosemite at WWDC 2014 today, saying that it included a concept that Apple developers label as continuity. Like iOS 7 in 2013, OS X Yosemite received a major design overhaul, including redesigned icons and translucent backgrounds. Key features of OS X Yosemite include: A dark mode for people who don't care for the light themes. Redesigned icons and translucent backgrounds. Redesigned sidebars for apps. A new today view for the notification similar, like the one that is in iOS 7. This view can be expanded to show additional widgets from third-party apps. New views in Calendar for week and day views. A redesigned Spotlight that looks and appears to behave a lot like Alfred and similar app launchers. The addition of iCloud Drive, which will sync folders on your Mac to iOS and Windows. A redesigned Mail with Mail Drop, which will send large attachments through iCloud to avoid having emails bounce back from having too-large attachments. There is also the integration of Preview features that let you mark up an email. Redesigned Safari with a smart search field and everything condensed into a single bar. The ability to AirDrop and hand-off files between Mac and iOS The ability to instantly detect a mobile hotspot if your phone is nearby The ability to make and receive phone calls and SMS from your Mac. OS X Yosemite will be available to developers today. Those part of the OS X Beta program will receive the update this summer. It will be a free release to the public in the fall.
WWDC 2014: Tim Cook highlights developer numbers
This year's WWDC keynote has kicked off and Tim Cook took the opportunity to share some stats on this year's attendees. There are developers from 69 different countries in the crowd this year, with 70% of attendees being first-timers. Tim also gave a shout-out to the student developers who "worked very hard" to attend the event, noting that the youngest developer at WWDC is just 13 years old. It's exciting to see so many eager young developers in the crowd. Enjoy the show folks, and stay tuned to TUAW for all-day coverage.
WWDC 2014: OS X by the numbers
Here's some quick numbers that Tim Cook shared at WWDC 2014 this morning regarding OS X Mavericks and its adoption. 12% Mac growth in the past year versus a negative growth for the industry overall. More than 40 million copies of Mavericks installed since October, most in Apple's history. More than 50% of install base working on latest OS. Cook says this is the fastest adoption ever. By comparison, only 14% of Windows users have adopted the latest version of Windows. We'll have more updates from WWDC 2014 all day.
Apple's WWDC 2014 in numbers: 40 million on Mavericks, 800 million iOS devices and billions of apps
Charts, graphs and stats: These are the things Apple keynotes are made of, and today's WWDC 2014 kickoff was no different. CEO Tim Cook took to the stage this morning at the Moscone Center in San Francisco armed with enough numerical ammunition to put your best boardroom PowerPoint Keynote to shame. Cook kicked things off boasting that over 40 million copies of OS X Mavericks have been installed and more than 50 percent of the install base is working on its latest OS. He went on to point out that while PC sales continued to slip (down 5 percent, according to Cook), Apple's computer sales are growing.
WWDC 2014: TUAW staff predicts keynote announcements
We're just a couple hours away from the WWDC 2014 keynote, where we will get our first official look at what Apple's been working on for the past year, especially in regards to iOS and OS X. Here's what TUAW staffers believe will (and won't) be discussed. What's your wacky predictions? Let us know in the comments. Steve Sande Steve provided us with a top 10 list: The iWatch will not be announced, but there may be some reference to future wearables since developers will need to start preparing to work on such a device. Home automation platform announcement is a solid prediction. Won't be iHome, though, since another company already appropriated that name for hotel room docks years ago... HealthBook or whatever Apple decides to call the "quantified self" platform is a go. Opening parts of Siri to developers will happen. At least one announcement of upgraded hardware - my guess is that a faster Mac mini will be available. Hopefully smaller as well! iOS 8 with inter-app communications, TextEdit and Preview, AirDrop with Mac! OS X 10.10 Yosemite, with AirDrop to iOS and all new UI design Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine will make at least one appearance on stage Apple TV SDK Aperture 4 announcement Megan Lavey-Heaton I'd be interested to see if any sort of iTunes subscription program is finally unveiled as part of a change to iOS/OS X, but my bet is that this sort of iTunes overhaul would be a part of the next iPhone/iPod refresh later this year. I don't think we're going to see the iWatch either. But like Steve mentioned above, they're going to refer to it coming so developers could get ready for it unless it's closed off from third-party developers at first like the original iPhone. I'll be surprised, but thrilled, if we get a new Apple TV. I wonder if we're going to see any changes to Time Capsule/Airport thrown in as well. It would be interesting to have iBeacon integrated into an Airport Base Station as part of a home-automated network. Mike Wehner I don't think Apple can announce the health tracking functionality of iOS 8 without addressing the hardware it would need to go along with it -- like the iWatch, for example. So either we'll see both Healthbook AND the iWatch, or neither. New iMacs would be nice, as would a Retina-equipped MacBook Air, but I'm not holding my breath on those. Definitely a thorough look at the new OS X, and lots and lots of iOS-style flat textures making the move to the desktop. Dave Caolo Untucked shirts. Mike T. Rose Integration/API layer for health devices
What do you want Apple to announce today?
WWDC is looming over our heads, ready to pounce later today, and there's no shortage of predictions floating around the web. It seems like a given that we'll get our first clear look at iOS 8 and the next OS X, but beyond that, it's a bit of a tossup. Announcing new hardware at WWDC isn't a well established habit for the company, though they've done it on occasion in recent years. Both the iPhone 4 and Mac Pro made their first official public appearances at the annual conference, so a device debut certainly isn't out of the question. If Apple is indeed hard at work on a wrist-worn wearable, a larger iPad, or any other top-secret gadget, the company's trending of holding special events for especially big product reveals suggests they'd save those for a later date. Of course, Apple isn't usually in the business of dropping $3 billion on an acquisition either, so there's an hint of unpredictability in the air already. I put the question to you: What do you most want to see from Apple today? %Poll-88365%
Join TUAW on Monday for our WWDC keynote liveblog
Monday morning, fans and developers alike will hear all about the direction Apple will take in the next year. Whether it's new versions of iOS and OS X, some new product category that will surprise everybody, announcements of new or upgraded hardware, perhaps even word of some exciting new services, it's sure to get everyone excited about what's to come from Apple. As usual, TUAW is going to be your guide to the keynote through one of our entertaining and informative liveblogs. We'll get things started about 15 minutes early, at 12:45 PM ET / 9:45 AM PT. All you need to do is bookmark this page and be there -- unlike some other sites, there's no need for you to refresh the page constantly, as it updates automatically for you with new text and images. If you have any questions or comments about what's going on during the liveblog, let us know via Twitter. Just use the hashtag #tuawliveblog and we'll try to include your comments or answer your questions to the best of our knowledge. Photo by Alex Novosad for MacStories.net
TUAW TV Live: Steve & Doc discuss the odds for WWDC 2014
On Monday morning, June 2, 2014, a bunch of Apple execs are going to take to the stage at Moscone Center West in San Francisco to share the company's latest with developers. A lot of us would love to see new devices from the company; new product categories we haven't even dreamed of and that the rumor sites never had a clue were coming. But let's be realistic -- Apple is a company that admits to never making a big decision without saying "No" a lot to new ideas. So will we see something new? On today's TUAW TV Live, Shawn "Doc Rock" Boyd and I are going to rehash some of the rumors that have been banging around the blogosphere for the past several months and give 'em our best guess for a probability of actually being announced at WWDC 2014. It's sure to be a lot of fun, and you can join in on the discussion by joining the chat room. To watch the show and take part in the chat, just scroll down a tiny bit, log into the chat room, and be sure to press the "play" button on the video window around 5 PM to watch the stream. If you don't have time to watch the complete show today, come back to this post later when we'll have the recording available for your viewing pleasure. Contact the podcast Follow the hosts on Twitter: @stevensande, @docrock, @TUAW Send your questions to @stevensande E-mail us: tvlive at tuaw [dot] com
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for May 27, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for May 21, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Developers win the WWDC lottery and other news from April 7, 2014
A few developers have won the WWDC lottery. Developers who wanted to attend the conference in June were notified on Monday evening if they got in. They have a week from the notification to purchase their tickets. Thousands of developers signed up for the chance, and they shouted their joy (and frustration) to the Internet as the results came out. I won a golden ticket! https://t.co/yjgLo6p4Nl #WWDC14 - Billy Lindeman (@billylindeman) April 8, 2014 Rubbing the Apple logo on the back of my iPhone appears to be having no effect on this supposed email delivery #WWDC14 #wwdc - Danny Espinoza (@dannyjespinoza) April 8, 2014 So this year, instead of refreshing a web page, we are refreshing our mail client! #WWDC14 - Jeff Tan-Ang (@jtanang) April 8, 2014 5 more minutes until #WWDC14 lottery announcement! Can't believe I'm excited for a lottery in which if you win, you still gotta pay $1500. - Sarp Erdag (@sarperdag) April 7, 2014 No golden ticket for me. #WWDC14 :-( on plus side, now have $1600 extra in bank account! pic.twitter.com/Jbpr3ZI9Zg - Bennett Smith (@BennettSmith) April 8, 2014 Other news from Monday afternoon includes: Apple's iOS 7 has been adopted by 87% of users, the company reported on Monday. By comparison, AppleInsider notes, the majority of Android phones still have not officially gained access to the latest version of the Android OS, KitKat. The latest verse to Apple's "Your Verse" iPad ad campaign takes a look at Bollywood. Tiny software developer SolidFX claims that Jeppesen, which specializes in aviation mapping and navigation, stole its app idea. SolidFX had signed a contract with Jeppesen to develop an "ebook reader" app to show off its navigational charts, then the company debuted its own app. It's seeking $78.6 million in damages at U.S. District Court in Denver. Jeppesen says that its agreement with SolidFX only covered modifying hardware and was never intended for the iPad. And catch up with these features: New emails highlight Phil Schiller's frustration with Apple's ad agency SmartThings Hub: Connecting your home, phone and you 2011 Samsung memo: Beating Apple is our #1 priority; Apple threat is "urgent" Apple engineer Greg Christie talks about designing the iPhone for "normal people" iPhone 101: Using Photos app to view photos sorted by location Rumor Roundup: Unreleased Apple product 'delayed' (again)
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for April 3, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
WWDC for fun and tickles
It's that time of year again! This morning, when Apple announced its WWDC dates and opened its new lottery system, potential attendees started going crazy attempting to book flights and hotel rooms in the hope they'd get lucky. This morning thousands of developers signed up for a chance to pay $1600 (not to mention those hotel and flights) to participate in one of the most valuable -- but exclusive -- events on the Apple social calendar. Some tell me they're planning to travel regardless of whether they do or do not win that golden ticket. With a major swell in third party conferences and landing zones, WWDC has spilled out from the walls of Moscone into a much wider community event. Think of Burning Man, but with better dressed attendees... (If you like, you can skip the word "better" in that sentence.) Some developers I talked to this morning were busy contemplating a startup selling souvenir badges. "Why feel outcast when you can purchase a fake attendee thing to hang around your neck. You can walk around SF looking like a real hipster!" I don't believe they were being entirely serious. Meanwhile, others were busy carefully dissecting the new announcement art. Although we at TUAW still think it looks a bit like a horse's behind, we're curious about the suggestion it creates of display technology and pixels. Very intriguing if so. What do you think of the artwork? Any secret clues? Share your thoughts in the comments and tell us what you think about the new WWDC sign up system. Love it? Hate it? Fear it? Also, if you have any third party events you're organizing or planning to participate in, please drop us a line! We'd love to hear about it.
WWDC 2014 will take place June 2-6
Apple has announced that WWDC 2014 will take place June 2-6 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Tickets will become available on April 25 at 10 AM Pacific Time. For the past few years, tickets have sold out quicker than you can blink your eyes. This year, Apple will employ a random selection system: "Developers will know their status by Monday, April 7 at 5:00 p.m. PDT. There will also be 200 Student Scholarships available, giving students around the world the chance to earn a free ticket." Finally, the State of the Union session and the Apple Design Awards will be live streamed via the WWDC website this year. Note that the official WWDC page has not been updated yet is up-to-date and pretty. Good luck, folks.
Apple confirms WWDC 2014 will begin on June 2nd
Apple's just announced that its annual developer conference, WWDC, will commence on June 2nd and run through June 6th. In a departure from its traditional application process, the company has already opened ticket sales on its website, but will now select attendees randomly instead of a first-come-first-served basis. That means we're no longer likely to see the super-quick ticket sellouts we've witnessed in previous years, but a lottery will ensure there's a fairer chance for all. We can expect to see all of the latest iOS and OS X developments, and anything else the company might have up its sleeve in a few short months.
