Apple has updated the Mac notifications system in OS X Mavericks, as well as refining the calendar app. The new notifications system borrows some of iOS’ aesthetic, as well as its flexibility. Pop-ups can be used to respond to messages straight away; however, there’s now also support for getting push notifications from iOS apps. Since
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.
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Gallery: WWDC 2013: Apple iBooks
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Tablets, Software, Apple
Source: Apple
Apple just announced that it’s bringing “fantastic updates” to Maps on the desktop — and presumably on iOS as well, including the ability send directions to your iPhone and back. The new 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. Presumably, we’ll hear some discussion of that as well when the talk turns to iOS 7 — naturally, we’ll update you as soon as we know.
Gallery: WWDC 2013: Apple Maps
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To complement its new version of OS X, Apple’s also improved its native web browser, Safari. Alongside a cleaner homepage design, there’s now easier access to your Reading List and a new shared link function that’ll tie into sites that others have sent to you. On the technical side, there’s javascript improvements, a new shared memory resource cache, plus power-saving improvements and background tab optimizations. According to Apple, the new version will apparently use one third of the energy it takes to power Firefox and significantly bests even Chrome on Javascript benchmark tests.
Better still, iCloud keychain will now hold onto your passwords, credit cards and WiFi logins — all within Safari. In fact, the browser will even auto-suggest passwords. “A super-secure one,” apparently, but if you’re using Apple’s web browser (with the new iCloud keychain support) forgetting it won’t even be an issue.
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At WWDC 2013 Apple has let it be known that they’ve reached the 50 billion apps downloaded mark, this mark reached with a $10 billion dollar mark paid to developers in the process. Noting that they’d added $5 billion in the past year alone, Apple noted that the past 5 years of the App Store
After reaching what could have been the tenth big cat iteration of OS X, Apple has announced a new series. It’ll be basing the next versions of its computer operating system on California, with the first iteration known as Mac OS X Mavericks.
Gallery: WWDC 2013: Apple OS X name change
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Cupertino has been known to share a stat or two during its WWDC keynotes, so it’s hardly a surprise that the company just dropped some sales figures for its Mountain Lion. According to Tim Cook, 28 million copies of the OS have shipped, making it the best-selling Mac release of all time. Cook also said that about 35 percent of users have updated, compared to less than five percent for Windows 8. And Apple wasn’t just talking Mountain Lion to brag; those numbers were part of a build-up to announcing the latest desktop-based software: OS X Mavericks. Hit up that link for more info.
Developer conferences have taken a turn in recent years, becoming as much an opportunity for companies to interact with the dev community as a platform for launching hardware outside larger all-industry shows. This year’s WWDC, however, has been all about the software thus far. Apple has, as anticipated, given the world its first glimpse of its latest desktop operating system. The Mountain Lion followup shifts away from the big cat naming, to a California-themed release: Mavericks, paying homage to the giant wave surfing spot.
The first new feature is finder tabs: a browser-like system based in windows. Just add a tab by clicking plus in a window. You can also finally take the Finder full-screen. Also new, tagging. You can tag files based on location and other details, making them much searchable. There’s a tagging sidebar that’ll let you view them all in one handy place. Multiple Displays got a big cheer as well, letting you view menus across screens, viewing different apps in full screen mode on each display. You can independently pan on displays as well, and AirPlay connected HDTVs work a full, connected display. Apple showed off the new functionality to big cheers in the developer-packed room.
Gallery: WWDC 2013: OS X Mavericks
Apple is just starting its WWDC keynote this morning, but it’s already announcing something quite interesting: a new company called Anki and its inaugural iOS app called Anki Drive, which centers around artificial intelligence and robotics. The name, which is Japanese for “memorize,” features smart cars that are capable of driving themselves (although you can certainly take over at any time) and communicate with your iPhone using Bluetooth LE. These intelligent vehicles, when placed upon a printed race track, can sense the track up to 500 times a second. The iOS-exclusive game is available as a beta in the App Store today, which you’ll need to sign up for — the full release won’t be coming until this fall — and it’s billed as a “video game in the real world.” According to the developers, “the real fun is when you take control of these cars yourselves,” which we can definitely attest to — the WWDC demo cars had weapons, after all.
Gallery: WWDC 2013: Anki Drive App
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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Software, Mobile, Apple
Source: Anki
You already know what the Xbox One looks like, and you’ve read our exhaustive coverage of its new controller, new (required and included) Kinect, and the SoC powering everything — today is all about games. While we were thrilled to get a look at the box formally known as “Durango / Kryptos,” we’re even more excited to get a look at the next-generation of software it’ll run. Follow along with us after the break as we get our first major look at the next wave of console gaming from Microsoft, directly from E3 2013.
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